The Vengeance

In orbit around Dagobah

Med bay

"How are they doing, Doctor Sert?" Leia Organa inquired anxiously.

Sert was staring at the screens monitoring the brain wave patterns of Vader and Skywalker. He was suddenly aware that his mouth was slightly agape with astonishment, which wasn't quite the demeanor he wished to present to the Alderaanian princess and her strange elf-like master.

"Lord Vader has stabilized," he responded carefully.

"What about my brother?" the princess shot back immediately.

Sert sighed and turned to her, "He is also well. The incredible thing is that … their brain wave patterns are now identical, Princess Leia. I've never seen such a thing. They seem to be synchronized."

The green gnome's ears lifted even as he spoke, "Bonded, they are, in the Force. Vader's mind now tracking with his son's. Good, it is, while his health recovers. Better that he bond tightly to his son than to Palpatine. Yes, yes!"

"But is Luke safe?" the princess demanded in a single minded way.

Sert really did not know, so he looked at the Yoda person.

Yoda closed his eyes and appeared to consider, before opening them and nodding slowly, "Yes, yes, safe he is, daughter of Skywalker. Be at peace. Let your father recover, you should. If too long it is, wake the young Skywalker up we will. But now, you must go and rest. Tiring night and day you have had, and much strength tomorrow will require."

Leia Organa frowned slightly, then heaved a resigned sigh, "I am very tired, Master Yoda. I will go sleep."

She turned to Sert and raised a surprisingly menacing finger in one so young, short, and beautiful, "But you, Doctor Sert, are ordered to wake me up if either of them experiences a significant change in their health. Is that entirely clear?"

Sert bowed slightly, more intimidated than amused, "As you wish, your Highness."

/-/

In the Force vision

"I hate Anakin Skywalker," Vader stated flatly.

Both Lukes looked puzzled and distressed at this statement.

"Why?" asked Luke, hurt clear in his blue eyes.

Vader paced back and forth twice before turning to look at both versions of his son.

"He was weak," he growled, "A failure in everything that mattered."

Other Luke shook his head in bewilderment, "Ben said that my father was the best pilot in the galaxy."

"And Chewbacca said that he was one of the most powerful Jedi of the Old Republic," Luke added.

Again, the Sith Lord paced.

"Yes," he finally growled, "He was the best pilot in the galaxy. He had great power. But he failed his mother, he failed his wife. He even lost his padawan. He was never in time. He was always too late."

"Your mother? Grandmother Shmi?" Older Luke asked.

Luke chimed in, "Leia had a dream last night in which she learned that Grandmother Shmi was captured by Tuskens and died from their abuse. Is that true?"

Vader's hands clenched, his mind flashing back to that wretched tent in the Tatooine wastes, his battered mother bound to a frame, her last words to him, her death …

"Yes," he growled, "Yes, she was taken by Tuskens and I came too late to save her. I had been plagued with dreams that she was in danger and I delayed too long to return to Tatooine. By the time I found her, she was too far gone. She died in my arms."

The two Lukes exchanged significant glances, both noting their father's switch from third person to first.

Luke carefully approached and laid a gentle hand on Vader's armored arm.

"I'm sorry, Father. So do you think your mother was angry at you for being too late to save her life?"

Vader stared at Luke in bewilderment. Angry? No …

"No, of course not. She said … that she was proud of me, that she was complete. That she loved …"

To his astonishment and embarrassment, his voice suddenly broke.

Other Luke was still keeping a distance, but his face showed sympathy, "I'm sorry. That's tragic."

"But Father," Luke said gently, "Don't you think it was at least good that she got to see you and that her last moments were in the arms of someone she loved? That was far better than her dying alone."

Vader shook his head and gently removed himself from the comforting hand on his arm.

"I should have saved her. I should have come back to Tatooine earlier," he said stubbornly.

Luke sighed, "Sometimes we're too late."

"Though we couldn't have saved Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru," Other Luke added, obviously tracking with his alter, "Since we didn't have the power or ability to fend off the stormtroopers. We would have just died with them."

Vader stilled. Again, he was reminded that both his children (and the two versions of his son) had lost their own parental figures to violence …

"You mentioned your wife," Other Luke said suddenly, clearing his throat a little, "I assume our mother?"

Luke turned to him in astonishment, "You don't know about Mother?"

Other Luke looked indignant, "How would I know? No one would even tell me her name!"

Luke sighed with sympathy for his other self, "Leia and I managed to figure it out, and Father confirmed it. Her name was Padme Naberrie Skywalker. She was a queen and senator from Naboo. She and Father were married at the beginning of the Clone Wars, a few years before our birth."

Older Luke's eyebrows lifted in astonishment, "Our mother was a queen?"

"Yeah, though an elected one. It's complicated on Naboo. But yeah, a queen. And then a galactic senator."

"Wow," Other Luke looked awestruck, "I guess that explains Leia's 'regal' thing, though she was raised as a princess so maybe it was more nurture than nature?"

"I think Leia would have been dignified even without being a princess. But who knows? Obviously we're not very stately."

"Who on Tatooine grows up being stately and regal?"

"Well, Father sure is lordly, not just in title but in demeanor. And he grew up there."

Other Luke shot a disbelieving look at Vader, "Um, Father is from Tatooine?"

Luke crinkled his brow, "Yeah, he spent the first 9 years of his life there. You really don't know much about him, do you? What was Ben thinking in the other timeline? And Master Yoda, for that matter …?"

Other Luke look startled and alarmed, "Wait, Father knows about Yoda?"

Luke sighed, "Yes, we're in orbit around Dagobah right now. Father took us to Yoda to keep us safe from Sidious because Master Yoda can shield our Force presences."

"Who is Sidious?" Other Luke asked.

Another groan from Luke, "Darth Sidious. Palpatine! Sidious is Palpatine's Sith name. He's a Sith Lord, so he has a secret Sith name. Sort of secret …"

Other Luke's jaw dropped slightly, "Sidious? As in … rhymes with hideous? What kind of name is that? At least 'Vader' is kind of, I don't know, euphonious. Sidious makes me think of bool grubs, or those biting gnats that bother banthas …"

"I don't know," Luke responded with a slight grin, "Maybe he thinks it is menacing? Who knows with an old demented Sith Lord."

Other Luke suddenly turned to Vader, his face suddenly resolute, "So what was she like? Mother, I mean."

Vader, who had been listening with some amusement at this banter, grew immediately serious.

How to describe Padme? Even a golden tonged orator like Obi-wan would have trouble describing the most perfect woman he had ever known.

Hesitatingly, he spoke, "She was … she was incredibly beautiful, not just physically, though she was, but as a person. She was intelligent with oratorical gifts which intimidated even Palpatine. There were times when she had to keep a low profile, as she was in considerable danger from the Separatists, but it was difficult. She brightened a room by walking into it. She was greatly admired by many fellow senators, though she was younger than most. She was brave, and strong, a good shot in battle, willing to fight when necessary. Caring, kind …"

He looked at the Lukes now, noting the awestruck expressions on their faces.

And he hadn't even touched on a fraction of the amazing qualities of their mother Padme.

"So," Other Luke cleared his throat, "Why did you get married? Was it some kind of a political thing between a senator and a Jedi?"

Vader stared at him in bewilderment, even as his Luke explained carefully, "It was a love match, actually. The Jedi weren't allowed to marry, but I guess you don't know that either?"

"So … you loved her," Older Luke stated, "And she loved you."

"Yes," Vader growled indignantly, "Of course she loved me. And I adored her. She was my angel and my galaxy. Once I lost her, and the child, the children actually, I had nothing left but Sidious …"

He turned away, but Other Luke was not finished.

"So a wonderful, fabulous, intelligent, brilliant, caring woman fell in love with Anakin Skywalker. Sounds to me like he wasn't a total loser."

Vader froze. He had, truthfully, never looked at it quite that way.

He turned back to the Lukes, "She deserved better."

Other Luke continued relentlessly, "Well, I'm not arguing with that, since you turned homicidal and cruel and Sithly, but at some point … well, it sounds like at one time Anakin Skywalker was an awesome person. He's not the failure, you are."

Vader blinked at the Other Luke. These were fighting words, but obviously both Lukes were all too ready to challenge him if necessary. And the Other Luke had actually fought his alter in a lightsaber duel, so he clearly didn't intimidate easily.

Nor did he want to intimidate his son, either version.

But he didn't know how to respond to that statement, either.

"I …"

Mercifully, he sensed a new presence, even as both versions of Luke did as well.

In unison, they all turned toward one of the entrances of the cave just as Princess Leia stepped into view.

"Hi, Leia!" both Lukes said cheerily.

Leia twitched in clear astonishment, then carefully walked farther into the cave.

"Whoa!" she said, "Two Lukes! This is crazy! So is this the cave? The Force vision cave?"

"Yep," Luke said happily, "And this is Older Luke. He's 23."

Leia looked around carefully, at the glittering walls, the entrance through which the ocean flashed and shone, the blue sky, and then focused in on the older version of her brother.

"So any chance that Older Leia will show up?" she asked him.

Older Luke was staring at her with fascination, even as he shook his head slowly, "No, she hasn't had any training. She doesn't know about … that we're twins, or about Vader. So you've had some training?"

"Literally just a couple of days with Master Yoda," she replied, "But Luke and I have known that we were twins for several months now, and we're definitely bonded."

She turned to Luke and said, "So Luke, you've been unconscious for 15 hours now and we're a bit worried about you being out so long. I decided to try to wake you up by taking a nap in yet another stretcher in the med bay, which is getting kind of crowded now with unconscious Force sensitive people. I obviously followed you into this vision. Vader's health has stabilized somewhat, so perhaps it is time for you to come out of this weird unconscious bonding state?"

"15 hours?" Luke demanded, "It can't have been that long!"

"Time works very strangely here," Other Luke reminded him.

Luke shook his head incredulously and looked at the Sith, "What do you think, Father, is it time to wake up?"

Vader hesitated, then carefully addressed his daughter, "Princess Leia, what is my current medical status in the corporeal world?"

The princess gazed at him gravely, "Well, you're not dying at the moment. Your brain wave patterns are synchronized with Luke's, so perhaps you'll have another major crisis when Luke wakes up but I'm not willing to let my brother support your mind permanently. That won't work."

"Indubitably," Vader agreed hurriedly, even as Luke spoke up, "What about everything else, Leia? The breathing, the heart palpitations, the oxygen levels, the organ failure …?"

Vader flinched slightly at this litany of problems, but the princess spoke up promptly and said, "Everything is stable at this point. Doctor Sert has been analyzing your health issues, Lord Vader. He believes you will be in better health when you do regain consciousness than you've been since you were so badly injured 21 years ago. But the doctor really doesn't want you awake yet. Luke yes, you no. You need more time to let your body rest and heal."

Luke hesitated as he looked between his father and the Other Luke, "Uh, are you both Ok with me leaving?"

His alter and Vader exchanged tense glances, and Other Luke said, "I am willing to stay here with you, Father, assuming that the Vision continues once Younger Luke leaves. It may not."

"I would be pleased to spend more time with you, if the Force wills it," Vader responded carefully.

"Ok, we're out of here, then," Luke said, and then turned to his Alter, "May the Force be with you."

"And with you as well," Older Luke responded.

Luke and Leia turned toward one of the entrances to the cave, but then Leia turned back.

"Um," she said with some embarrassment, "Do you mind if I ask you a question about the future?"

Older Luke lifted an eyebrow, "You can ask, though the timeline has changed so much that what I've experienced may well never come to pass."

"Ok, I understand, but … in your timeline, are Han and I … you know … uh …"

"In love?" Older Luke asked with a sudden and brilliant smile, "Very much so, Leia."

Leia's face broke into a wide grin, "Wonderful. Thank you!"

Vader, on the other hand, literally felt the world suddenly heave and blur around him.

Was the Alter of his son saying that the Corellian pirate was romantically involved with his daughter?

"What?" he roared.

Luke winked, and Leia grinned cheekily, and they walked together out the far entrance.

Vader turned his patented glare on the older Luke still with him, "What?"

/-

In the Vengeance

Orbiting Dagobah

The medbay

Luke and Leia woke up.