After wrapping up Luke's stump of a hand, Padme sat next to Luke and stroked his hair trying to comfort her son as best as she could. He just looked ahead not evening wanting to look her in the eye.
"Does it hurt?" She asked waiting for a response. She waited and saw he wasn't going to give her one. "I suppose that was a stupid question. Don't worry we should be out of here soon and fix you up." She smiled sadly at him as he shut his eyes.
She felt the ship rock and wondered what was going on. She kissed Luke's forehead and went to the cock pit. She saw Lando and Chewie were flying the Falcon.
"What's going on?" Padme asked looking out.
"Tie fighters. They must have followed us leaving Cloud City." Lando said with slight irritation in his voice.
"Star Destroyer." Leia pointed out as they all looked out and noticed the huge ship they were flying right too.
Oh great just when I thought we could get away.
"We should be able to get past them." Lando said and it just made her miss Han more. "All right, Chewie. Ready for lightspeed."
"If your people fixed the hyperdrive." Leia angerly said. "All coordinates are set. It's now or never."
"Punch it." Lando told Chewie.
Padme watched as Chewbacca hit the switch for lightspeed. She waited to feel the pull of them moving, but just as soon as he hit the switch, the engine started to cough.
She noticed every single one of the looked over at Lando as he sheepishly looked at the controls and slowly turned around to face them. She felt the ship started to rock more as they continued to get shot at. Chewie begin to yell as the frustration of the situation hit everyone.
"They told me they fixed!" Lando said trying to make everyone understand this wasn't his fault. " I trusted them!" He said standing up looking at more controls.
"Just like Han trusted you." Padme angerly told him as Chewie shot up out of his copilot seat and pushed Lando aside going to the back to try and fix the hyperdrive.
"It's not my fault." Lando said again but clearly at this point no one was listening or cared. If Chewie didn't fix what was broken in the matter of minutes, they were all done for.
After Vader left Cloud City, he slowly made his way back to his Star Destroyer. He was greeted by his men, but didn't care to see or talk to anyone. Thankfully, everyone seemed to figure out he wasn't in the talking mood.
He picked death over joining him. That is what Luke told him when he let go and fall that chasm. He knew, it wasn't going to be easy, but he didn't expect to feel like this.
He walked over to the bridge and noticed the Falcon was flying by them. He didn't even care anymore. The last chance he had at family, clearly made his opinion known. It was then he felt it, the presence. His son. He was alive and on the Falcon.
"I want that ship. No excuses this time." Vader said. Maybe it wasn't too late. He just need to get Luke in a situation where he couldn't leave and talk to him. Clearly he didn't make the best first impression, but he would do better. He had to do better.
"They'll be in range of our tractor beam in moments, Lord." One of his officers said to him.
"Did your men deactivate the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon?" He asked.
"Yes, Lord." He said back.
He hoped he was right, this might be his last chance. He thought sadly.
"Good. Prepare the boarding party and set your weapons for stun." He said before turning back around towards the window, feeling the presence of his son still. He could sense the pain and sadness from his sad. Surprisingly he no longer felt hate. What replaced that was betrayal.
"Yes, my lord." He said before walking away from him.
He shut his eyes trying to connect with him son. Luke he thought sending his thoughts to his son. Son, come with me. He thought he felt a connection for a split second, but it soon fade.
Luke, it is your destiny. He tried again, knowing even thought his son wasn't responding he could hear him.
He watched as the Falcon took off into lightspeed. He sighed and turned around almost bumping into his officer, who had a frighten expression like most everyone up here with him. He looked back at the window one last time, before walking away from the man and bridge. He heard nearly everyone exhaul as he left, for they all thought they were done for. Which they should have been, he just wasn't in the mood for it right now. He wasn't in the mood for really anything.
He slowly walked back to this chambers and shut the door hoping for once that no one would bother him, with stupid questions. He just wanted to be alone and think about the son he lost for a second time.
After nearly escaping the empire's clutches with the help of R2, they managed to make it to the rebel convoy. Padme and Leia quickly led Luke inside, to the medical bay to get his arm looked at. Her and Leia huddled together, as the medical droid took Luke back.
"You were right, we shouldn't have gone there. I should have agreed with you and thought harder." Leia said barely above a whisper.
Padme was shocked, but she wrapped her arms around Leia feeling her tremble. "Shh. It's okay. You and I both know even with both of us gaining up on Han, he wouldn't have listened anyways."
Leia laughed a sad laugh, but still a laugh. "We are going to get him back. I promise you that." Padme said looking into her daughter's sad eyes.
"I hope." She paused pulling away whipping her face. "Listen, after we went into lightspeed and you took Luke back to the medical area on the Falcon, we all talked. Lando knows where they are taking Han. Him and Chewie are on there way now, that's why they didn't come in. They are going to Tattoine, once they are there they are to contact us and hopefully, with Luke better, we can all figure out a plan from there."
"Are you sure that's wise? You don't think he is going to take the Falcon and run?" Padme said.
"I honestly think he feels remorse about what he did. He wasn't told the full extend of what was happening and just wanted to protect his people." Leia said.
Padme sighed. She knew about doing whatever it took for her people. She put her people's live before her on multiple occasions.
"Also, if he does anything Chewie will be there to take care of him." Leia smirked causing Padme to laugh. She was right about that.
Leia hesitated for a minute before saying. "I wanted to apologize for yelling at you back in the holding cell. I-I shouldn't have done that."
"No, you are right in a way. I have been keeping secrets. You see, I," She paused thinking of how to word what she wanted to say. "I knew Vader before he became, well Darth Vader." She watched the shock expression on her daughters face.
"What do you mean you knew him? How close where you?" Leia asked.
"He was a Jedi Knight and I worked in the senate building so our paths crossed a few times. He truly was a remarkable warrior." She thought back to the few battles she managed to watch him in action in. The skill he had truly was remarkable. The way he could move his blade and how he actually managed to sense an attack before it even happened. "It truly was an awful moment hearing about this downfall. It sent many people including myself into hiding." She sighed thinking back to the day Obi-wan told her. She was so blinded by love she didn't even believe him at first. She risked her life and most importantly the lives of Luke and Leia, before she truly saw that he was right.
"It's hard to imagine Vader being anything other than well Vader. I just imagine him as always being vile and evil." Leia said.
Her comment sadden her knowing these are the feelings she felt for her father, if only you got to truly see your face and not this imposter.
At this moment a medical droid rolled over to them. "The patient is ready to be seen, if you would like to see him. They are currently testing his new hand to make sure everything is working properly. Other than that he is in prefect health."
"Oh thank the gods and thank you." She told the droid as it rolled away she started to walk back and she noticed Leia still standing there. "Are you coming?" She smiled kindly at her.
"You know I've lost the only parents I've ever known, even the parents I never knew." Leia said causing Padme to freeze . "But you, in such a short time, have felt like such a motherly figure to me and I just want to thank you. You have made some of this sadness and war just a little more bearable."
Padme had to hold back the tears that where filling up her eyes and quickly walked over to Leia and hugged her so tight she was afraid to hurt her. She felt Leia hug her right back.
They pulled away and smiled at each other. "Come on, lets go tell Luke everything he has missed." Padme said as her and Leia walked to the medical unit hand and hand to see her other precious child.