"Children, why don't you find Threepio and Artoo and ask them to take you outside while Mommy and Daddy talk to the Viceroy and Master Halcyon?" suggested Padmé gently.
Luke and Leia agreed, rather reluctantly, and left the adults in search of the two droids. Once they were gone, Padmé sat down beside her husband and returned her attention to Organa.
"Did you say Polis Massa?" Organa asked.
Padmé nodded. "Yes," she said. "They have one of the most advanced medical facilities in the quadrant," she told him. "Including organ regeneration technology."
Organa nodded as he began to understand what Padmé was getting at. "You mean to get your injuries repaired," he said, looking at Vader.
"If it is possible," Vader replied. "Then yes. The emperor told me that they were beyond repair; considering how he deceived me about my wife and children, I think it's entirely possible that he lied about that too."
"A sound assumption," Nejaa replied. "Palpatine is a ruthless, evil man. If he felt that keeping you in this condition would serve his purposes, then he would keep the truth from you most definitely."
"That's exactly what I think has happened," Padmé put in. "Palpatine wants Anakin to exist this way, in pain and isolation," she said, looking at Vader, taking his hand in hers.
Nejaa nodded. "Yes, that would be the way of the Sith," he concurred. "That would keep Anakin in the Darkness."
Vader nodded. "Yes, he has seen to it that I am more machine than man," he commented bitterly.
"What happened to you, Anakin?" Nejaa asked. "How did all of this happen?"
Vader turned to Padmé before he responded. Speaking of Mustafar was a very painful topic for both of them; but if these men were going to help, they needed to know all the details.
"Kenobi and I fought," Vader began, not going into the details that had lead up to the fateful duel. "He had the advantage of position, and when I tried to take it from him, he cut off my limbs below the joint," he said, the pain in his phantom limbs still very much there. "I was left on the shore of a river of lava, and within moments my clothes caught fire. I was engulfed in fire. Kenobi watched me burn, even had the audacity to tell me that he loved me, that I was his brother; and then he left me. Left me to burn in agony."
Padmé felt his hand tighten on hers as he relived the horrors of that day. Her own anger at Kenobi flashed through her as she thought of how he had lied to her about that day, how he had come to her, so broken hearted, telling her that the man she loved had died. You didn't tell me how you'd left him to burn, did you Obi-Wan? You conveniently left that part of the story out.
"Master Kenobi should have killed you rather than let you suffer that way," Nejaa declared at last, a frown on his brow. "That would have been the compassionate thing to do."
Vader snorted. "Compassion? What makes you think compassion was anywhere in his mind when he did that to me?" he asked angrily. "He used my wife to find me, sneaking on board her ship like a coward. Was that an act of compassion??"
Organa was hearing the details of what had happened on Mustafar for the first time as well. Of course he'd heard Obi-Wan's version of it; but he realized now that the Jedi Master had left out much of the details.
"Will you help us, Bail?" Padmé asked at last, linking her arm through Vader's, trying to soothe him.
Organa nodded. "Yes, I will," he said. "What is your plan?"
Padmé and Vader looked at one another, relieved and excited that their plans were starting to fall into place.
"I imagine they will need to examine Ani first," Padmé replied, "to determine the extent of the damage, as well as to take samples of his cells in order to start the regeneration process."
"This sounds like it will take a long time," Organa said. "Are you prepared for that?"
Vader nodded. "Yes, anything is better than living like this."
"I'm sure," Organa agreed. "Well, then we need to get you there as soon as possible so they can begin. Will you go with him, Padmé?"
"I'd like to," she said, "but I don't like the idea of bringing the children all that way. I don't trust Dormé alone with them anymore," she added, frowning.
"I will stay with them," Nejaa offered. "They will need protection from the emperor," he added.
"We would appreciate that very much, Nejaa," Padmé said. "I know they will be well protected in your care."
"I can contact Captain Antilles to come and bring the two of you to Polis Massa this evening if you wish," Organa said. "If you have a comm. station that I can use to contact Alderaan."
"Follow me," Padmé said, standing up.
Vader watched his wife leave, and then turned back to Nejaa. "I have shielded them from Sidious," he told Nejaa. "Their Force signature is already very strong."
"I noticed," Nejaa replied. "You won't be able to hide them forever, Anakin. You realize that, don't you?"
"Yes," Vader replied. "But Sidious will be dead before he has a chance to harm my family, I promise you that."
"Destroying the Sith is part of the Prophecy, Anakin," Nejaa replied. "It is your destiny to destroy him."
"I don't care about the Prophecy, Nejaa," Vader replied, standing up and pacing around the small room. "Sidious took everything from me, everyone! I vowed to make him pay for that."
"Vengeance is the way of the Dark Side, Anakin," Nejaa warned him. "You must let go of your anger if you are to destroy the Sith, or it will own you forever."
Let go of my anger?? And how do you expect me to do that?
"Well it's all arranged," Padmé said as she returned. "Captain Antilles is on his way."
Vader turned to her and nodded. "Good," he replied, holding his hand out to her. "You realize of course that the children will be quite indignant that they are being left behind," he said.
Padmé smiled. "Yes, I'm sure," she replied. "But we won't be gone long."
Nejaa watched in astonishment at the metamorphosis that had taken place in Anakin before his very eyes. His wife had the ability to quell the tempest within him; his love for her and their children was his lifeline, and the only thing that would enable him to conquer the Darkness once and for all.
Vader was right, Luke and Leia were quite put out that they were not accompanying their parents. Leia in particular was most indignant, just as her father had anticipated. But Padmé managed to convince them that this was all part of a plan that would end in their father being healed, and so they begrudgingly accepted it.
Evening had just settled upon the forest when Captain Antilles lifted off from the landing platform with his passengers on board. Padmé and Vader were uneasy about leaving their children, but they both trusted Nejaa Halcyon completely, and knew that they were in good hands.
"We should arrive at Polis Massa about 0900 hours," Antilles told them as they sat in the passenger lounge. "Can I get you anything?"
"No, thank you," Padmé replied. "We ate before we left."
Antilles nodded. "Very well," he said. "I'll let you know when we've reached the system. In the meantime, enjoy the trip."
He left them then and returned to the cockpit.
"Well, looks like it's just you and I, my lady," Vader said, putting his arm around Padmé.
She smiled and nestled against him. "Yes, so it seems. I already miss the twins."
"Me too," replied. "But they are in good hands, Padmé. Nejaa is a good man; I know he will take good care of them."
"Yes, and Dormé and the droids are there too," she reminded him.
"Well, I could do without Dormé," Vader commented. "But I suppose she is an adequate nanny."
"She is," Padmé replied. "But once her services are no longer required, I mean to dismiss her. She's crossed the line one too many times, Ani. I won't stand for her negativity."
"I couldn't agree more," He replied. "I just hope that she doesn't attempt to contact Kenobi in our absence."
"I think she knows what would happen if she did that," Padmé said. "As much as she fancies Obi-Wan, I don't think even she would be so foolish."
"She likes him?" Vader asked incredulously.
"Yes, I'm sure of it," Padmé replied. "Of course Obi-Wan is totally oblivious," she added.
"He's a eunuch, Padmé, what do you expect?" Vader commented dryly.
Padmé laughed out loud. "Oh he is not," she responded. "Just because he's never been involved with a woman…well, doesn't mean that…well you know what I mean."
Vader was amused by her embarrassment. "No, I don't," he said. "Explain it to me."
Padmé looked up at him, certain that if she were able to see his face she would see that playful twinkle in his eyes that told her he was teasing her. But the mask was impassive, foreboding as ever and gave no hint to the expression on the face beneath it.
"You love to tease me, don't you?" she said at last.
"Yes, I always have," he said. "Kenobi has always been a stickler for the rules. He would never entertain the thought of breaking his vow of celibacy."
"Unlike some Jedi," she put in pointedly.
Vader was silent for a moment. "Well, some Jedi have no choice but to do," he replied.
"No choice?" she questioned.
Vader shook his head. "None whatsoever," he replied. "Completely helpless to resist the charms of beautiful senators," he added.
Padmé smiled. "I see," she replied, enjoying this playful side of him that she had always loved so much.
"Do you really think they'll be able to fix my injuries, Padmé?" he asked, voicing the worry that had been nagging on his mind for days.
"Yes, I really do," she replied. "It might take a while to do it, and it might not be possible for them to do it all at once, but I think in the end you will be fully human again, Ani."
He nodded, considering her words. "I don't want to get my hopes up, Padmé; but the thought of being able to live normally again is almost too good to be true."
"Think of what it will mean, Anakin," she said. "You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want," she teased.
Vader chuckled. "That actually isn't what is foremost on my mind, Padmé," he told her.
Padmé knew what he was thinking, and blushed slightly. "It's been on my mind too, Anakin," she told him. "I can't stop thinking about the kiss we shared," she admitted. "It was so wonderful, so beautiful."
Vader nodded. "It was more than I had ever imagined possible," he told her.
But it only made me want you more, he thought. Making my frustration level skyrocket.
"It will happen, Ani," she said, snuggling closer to him. "I know it."
Vader did not respond, but merely stroked her hair softly, his mind trying not to think of the possibility that she may be wrong.