TWENTY-SEVEN

Anakin shifted uncomfortably in his cot as the lights in his cell shut off for the mandatory 'evening rest' period. Sleep had never come easily to him in adulthood. In the last two decades he had relied exclusively on meditation for rest. Since his rescue by Luke- for Anakin saw it as a two-way rescue, one physical and the other spiritual -he had begun making his way back toward a normal sleep pattern. Thus far he hadn't been able to manage more than two or three hours at a time. At least he wasn't having any nightmares.


In his two weeks aboard the Liberty, the former Jedi had learned and adapted to the schedule of the Rebellion. In the mornings Lieutenant Sal would come in, check his vitals, administer whatever medication was on the list, and do whatever else was needed to maintain Anakin's health. Sal also checked the level in the hydrating IV bag and changed it out when needed.

Physically, Anakin was doing well. His arm had healed enough that he could move it without too much discomfort and his needs were being taken care of. He was even off the sedatives. Every few days an Alliance official would come by and double-check his information, letting him know what had been investigated and thanking him for his cooperation. Even Lt. Sal was a little more talkative. But with no weather and no common interests, there was little to discuss besides Anakin's condition...and Luke.

Out of necessity and convenience, Sal had been told about the family ties between Anakin and Luke. Anakin inquired about his son daily. Only recently had Sal been allowed to give him any news. That brief human contact wasn't enough. Anakin's loneliness was at times overwhelming. His constant requests to see Luke had been denied, though there were third-party messages sent back and forth. To cut out the middleman they had begun conversing by way of the Force. Luke's mind was still untrained and he could only manage a few words at a time.

Both Luke and his father had been told about the upcoming procedure to remove Anakin's breath mask. Luke was thrilled while Anakin's reaction had been more reserved. To him the procedure would only be worth it if he could see his son's face with his own eyes.

Father? The touch on his mind came again. Anakin's mouth twitched into another of his rusty smiles as he responded.

Good evening, son. How are you tonight?

Good. Flying again. You? Luke wanted to know.

I am well. It's good to hear Rogue Squadron has their leader back, sent Anakin. How did it feel to be back in the cockpit?

Great. Missed it, admitted Luke.

Did you manage all right with one hand? Anakin questioned. He respected his son's continued hesitance on accepting a prosthetic, and yet knew Luke had been nervous about how his friends would accept him. Thus far they had been very supportive, though the commanders did harbor some doubts about Luke's piloting skills.

Luke's presence radiated relief. Fine. I surprised them...and myself. A beat. Can't sleep?

It always takes time, answered Anakin, unconcerned. And you? Shouldn't yoube getting some sleep?

Can't. Not yet...there was concern at the corners of Luke's mind.

Don't worry for me, son. You are safe, I am well, and most importantly I can help the Rebellion, reminded Anakin.

Not that, sent Luke. I...miss you.

And I you, son, but you must be patient, reminded Anakin. Ironic, considering his main weakness was impatience. Perhaps after the operation...if you can stand to see my face.

Luke seemed to frown at the idea. Father...of course. I wantto.

I'm not much to look at, warned Anakin.

Don't care. You're my father.

Anakin's heart warmed at both Luke's naivete and the growing acceptance behind his words. It still amazed him how anyone could develop any kind of pleasant feelings for someone like him. But then, Luke's capacity for forgiveness was incredible. He truly saw Anakin as a different person from Darth Vader. Luke wanted to connect with his father. Thank you, son. Sensing deep concern, he added don't worry about tomorrow. Whatever happens, happens. Now get some rest.

You, too. Another beat. Good night, Father.

Neither the relatively tasty dinner shared in the main hold of the Falcon nor the warm and comforting presence of Han could ally Leia's unease. She was so distracted that he had to snap his fingers in front of her nose to get her attention.

"Leia? Hey...you okay?" Han asked, his hand still resting on hers.

"I'm fine," said Leia. She smiled faintly in return, but her heart wasn't in it.

"No...no, you're not," frowned Han, turning around in the seat and trying to find her eyes. "C'mon. Whassa matter?"

"That obvious?" Leia's smile faded into a sigh. "To be honest, I don't even know. Luke's fine and back with Rogue Squadron, the fleet is starting to put itself back together, and we have a chance at dealing what may be the death blow to the Empire."

Han knit his brows and scooted closer, arms wrapping about her shoulders. "You worried 'bout that, then? The mission to blow the second Death Star to smithereens?"

Absently Leia shook her head. "We take risks every day. Our missions are inherently dangerous. I am concerned, but no more than about any other mission we've had."

Han gave her a brief squeeze. "So...what's wrong?" He lowered his voice. "Is it, uh...y'know...you-know-who, then?"

Leia shook her head. Han, like her, couldn't bring himself to call 'Anakin' anything but Vader. Knowing who he was and how he related to Luke and Leia didn't change a thing about how the roguish captain felt. It made Leia love him all the more. He was a little rough around the edges, but honest. He didn't try to hide his feelings behind some facade of friendliness like so many politicians did. As a matter of fact, Han was a terrible liar. But did he honestly think she was concerned about Vader? "No," she said firmly. "If anything I'm more concerned about Luke. We...we're going to let them see each other after the procedure."

Han's brows shot up. "Does Luke know?"

"I'll tell him in the morning," answered Leia, resting her head on Han's shoulder.

"Kid ought to be happy about that," remarked Han. He tilted his head to rest his chin on Leia's head. "How 'bout you? You gonna see him?"

"No." Leia's words were firm, but her voice wavered a little. "My father died with Alderaan. The only connection between Vader and I is DNA."

"Okay." Han decided to change the subject before Leia got upset. That was the last thing he wanted, especially now. "So, how was dinner?"

"Delicious. I had no idea you were such a good cook," smiled Leia.

"When I got time, yeah. I'm just full of surprises."

"Yes, you are. Thank you."

"Any time." Han's mouth quirked back into a smile when Leia looped her arms around his neck and leaned on him. He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the clean, pleasant scent of her hair, then craned his neck down to kiss her cheek.

Leia smirked and turned to face him. "If you're going to kiss me, nerf-herder, then do it right." And she leaned in until Han kissed her full on the lips.

Han sighed through his nose, surprised but making no protest when Leia pulled him close. He pulled back after a while with a smirk of his own. "How's that?"

Leia shrugged. "Hmm...not bad."

Han snorted in false offense. "'Not bad', huh? We'll see about that." And he took her in his arms completely and kissed her until they were both out of breath...and all but lying on the couch.I better back off, he reflected as he rose and cleared his throat. "All right. C'mon. I better get you back to your room."

Leia knit her brows. "I can get back to my room on my own, thank you very much...when I want to." She traced a line across his jaw. "Unless you want me to leave."

Han pursed his lips. "No. I just don't want to get cut in half by your brother."

Leia chuckled. "You know Luke would never hurt you."

"Well, yeah, but..." Han blew out a frustrated sigh through his nose. "Just makes me kinda cautious, y'know? I don't wanna do anything that makes either of you mad."

Here Leia smiled, finding Han's eyes. "In the first place, it's none of Luke's business. He'd only go after you if you hurt me. Second, with as much as we've been sharing a cot lately, are you really surprised?"

Han's grin was what some might call squirrely. "Well...maybe not surprised. But, see...all we been doin' up 'till now is...sleepin'." He eased back down next to her as he spoke, lowering his voice. "Is that what you're goin' for tonight?"

Leia laughed softly and lifted an eyebrow. "You're never going to find out if you don't let me get off this couch."

Han rose to let Leia slide out and wrapped his arm around her. "Wanna find somewhere more, ah...comfortable?"

Leia nodded, returning her head to Han's shoulders. They headed aft and set up their usual makeshift cot. They had learned over the past few weeks that the regular cots were far too narrow to be comfortable for two; one of them would inevitably end up bumping their head or rolling off on the floor.

There was a touch of guilt for Leia as she kicked off her boots and arranged the covers. She loved Han so much that it hurt. While arguments were still frequent and Han could sometimes be a little clueless, any doubts about how she felt had left weeks ago. But there was a small part of her that welcomed his affection for another reason. Every kiss or embrace helped her forget her confusion with Vader, and Luke, and this whole Force thing. Being with Han was a way for her to unwind. It felt horribly selfish. There was still so much to do for the Alliance...for the galaxy.

But as she and Han flopped down on the blankets and proceeded to kiss each other senseless, Leia decided that the problems of the galaxy would hold for another night. Han certainly wasn't complaining.