Chapter 30 – New Colors
Luke was alone in the cockpit. The shuttle was drifting aimlessly away from Imperial Center, but he didn't jump into hyperspace just yet. He didn't know where he was going quite yet.
He heard a great deal of commotion in the cabin behind him, but Luke hesitated to join. This moment alone was something he needed right now. The events of the past few hours ricocheted about his mind as he sought to collect his thoughts. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or upset by what had just transpired. On the one hand, it was wonderful that Vader – or Anakin, that is – had elected to side with the Rebellion, but Luke wasn't sure whether that was something worth celebrating. Was absolution really so simple as taking off a mask?
Realizing that brooding on this matter would do him no good, Luke got to his feet and left the cockpit. He recalled the last time he had done this. Everything had been so different then. He had only just learned that Vader was his father and had no idea that the bounty hunter they had captured was in fact his mother. Perhaps it had been simpler not to know.
When he arrived in the cabin, Luke found everyone congregated around Senator Mothma. Standing side by side to the senator's left were his parents. With his presence unannounced, Luke watched them from the hallway. He had never seen them look this way in each other's company. For Padmé, there was no tension or barely-suppressed anger. On the flip side, Anakin no longer had the perpetually apologetic or remorseful expression on his face. They both looked entirely comfortable with themselves and with each other.
"Senator, if I may."
Luke looked away from his parents to see Leia had pushed her way to the front of the crowd. On her left was her father, and on her right, Ahsoka.
"Yes, Princess?" Mothma said, a hint of wariness in her voice. If Luke didn't know any better, it seemed as if the senator was scared of Leia.
"Two days ago, you presented my father with a choice. He rejected it then, but he has decided to accept it now. He will lead your armed forces if you are willing to commit them to him."
"Is this true, General Skywalker?" Mothma asked Anakin.
"It is," he said.
"And you remain committed to our prior arrangement?"
"I do."
Mothma inclined her chin as she considered Anakin. Suddenly, she turned around and looked directly at him. "What say you, Commander Skywalker?"
Luke was startled when everyone's eyes darted to him. He gulped, his pulse quickening at the sudden attention. "Me?" he asked in a high-pitched voice.
A glimmer of humor sparkled in Mothma's eyes. "I don't think it's much of a mystery to us that this man is your father," she said. Luke stared at her blankly and Mothma was forced to elucidate. "Skywalker is not a very common name, is it not?"
"Oh," Luke said. He had forgotten that Mothma knew Vader's true name.
"So I want to hear what you have to say. Do you agree with the rest of your family?"
Luke swallowed hard as he looked at Anakin. His face was completely expressionless as he awaited Luke's answer. He glanced to the left at Leia and then to the right at his mother. She gave him a small smile and nodded.
"I do," he said faintly.
"Sorry?"
Luke looked away from his mother. "I do," he told Mothma in a louder voice. "He can be trusted."
Mothma nodded. "Very well then." Spinning around, she clapped her hands together. "It's time we got to work," she said. "How soon did you say Gideon's forces will be in the system?"
"Within the day at most," Leia answered.
"Then we're short for time," Mothma said grimly.
"How long will it take to muster your forces?" Anakin asked.
"A day would be optimistic," a general contributed.
"It can be done," Ackbar insisted.
As the generals discussed logistics, Luke began walking around the ring toward his family.
"But how will we know which forces are friendly?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand, Admiral."
"Lord… I mean General Skywalker is commanding Imperial forces, is he not? How will we be able to tell them apart from Gideon's forces?"
Luke pushed past a couple of shock troopers and came to a stop by his mother's side. She looked up at him and patted him on the shoulder.
"The admiral is right," he heard Anakin say. "Our forces will be indistinguishable."
"I may know someone who could help with that," Mothma said.
"What does that mean?"
"I'll explain later. First, I need to contact headquarters and inform them of our plans. Generals, if you would follow me to the cockpit." She turned around, and the half dozen Rebel leaders followed after her out of the cabin. When they were gone, the formation of soldiers dispersed and began talking amongst themselves.
"You should take this back."
Luke turned to see Anakin offering a lightsaber to Ahsoka.
"You need it more than I," she said.
"But –"
"Anakin. Keep it."
"You can use mine," Leia piped up.
"No," Anakin refused instantly. "I don't want… Ahsoka's will serve me fine."
"Are you sure?" Leia asked.
Anakin clipped the lightsaber to his belt. "I am," he said definitively.
Padmé stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. "How are these treating you?" she asked. "You didn't give it much time."
"The doctor wanted me to stay, but I thought otherwise." Anakin smiled playfully as he looked down at her. "I'm doing fine, really," he said when he sensed her skepticism. "There's no pain. Just a bit stiff, that's all."
"May I see?"
Anakin rolled up his sleeve to reveal his synthetic skin underneath. "Wow," Padmé said as she ran a hand up his forearm. "They even gave you some hair."
"It's impressive, isn't it?"
Luke shared a glance with Leia and the twins stepped away from their parents. They didn't seem to notice, thoroughly engrossed by each other's company.
"I got to say, I didn't see this coming," Luke said quietly.
"Me neither," Leia said. They stopped a few feet away and glanced back at them. "I know you're ambivalent, but this is a good thing."
Luke pursed his lips as he considered this. "She says she doesn't forgive him," he said.
"So?"
"I think she's lying."
Leia snorted. "The truth isn't something she's ever been comfortable with."
Luke frowned but he chose not to contradict her. "So what now?" he asked.
"We defeat Gideon."
"Yeah, but after that."
Leia didn't answer right away. "I don't know," she said eventually. "Let's just focus on the matter at hand."
"You believe him?" Luke asked. "Vader's going to help restore the Republic?"
"Do you doubt him?"
Luke hesitated as he contemplated the smile on his father's face. He and Padmé were laughing about something. She punched at his chest good-naturedly, but Anakin grabbed it. Raising her hand to his mouth, he gave it a kiss.
"Wow," he said.
"Yeah," Leia agreed.
He shook his head and watched as his mother blushed. "You know, I never really believed that they ever loved each other."
"Me neither," Leia said.
"I guess we were wrong."
"I guess so."
An hour later, the four Skywalkers were walking down the bridge of the Executor with Admiral Piett leading the way. Having rendezvoused with the small Imperial fleet, Anakin insisted that the three of them accompany him. The Rebels had departed for their base in the shuttle with the assurance that their fleet would be coming to reinforce them soon.
"Recent intel suggests that Moff Gideon's forces will be arriving within the next few hours," Piett informed them. He glanced back at Anakin with a furrowed brow. The admiral had been quite surprised to see his superior rehabilitated like he had. It had taken Leia's testimony to get him to believe that this man was Vader at all. Piett somehow seemed to know that Leia was Vader's daughter, but he evidently knew nothing about him and Padmé. Although he was obviously curious, he had been wise enough not to inquire about them.
"We'll likely be on our own for at least part of the battle," Anakin said as he inspected the state of affairs on the bridge. "How long do you think we'll be able to hold out, Admiral?"
"Not long," Piett said, stark in his delivery. "In addition to this ship, we have three Star Destroyers and two squadrons of cruisers at our disposal."
"How many fighters does that make?"
"Three hundred, give or take. Gideon will likely have thousands of TIEs and dozens of capital ships."
"I've gone up against worse odds," Anakin said.
"All due respect, sir, but I find that hard to believe."
Anakin laughed as the group came to a stop in front of the massive viewing port at the head of the bridge. Nothing but the vast expanse of space presented itself to them, but soon the system would be flooded with ships. The deluge would indubitably result in mass carnage. This final battle for the fate of the galaxy would be epic in proportion.
"Our numerical inferiority will be offset by the element of surprise," Anakin claimed. "Besides, we have the two best star pilots in the galaxy on our side."
Piett frowned. "Who is the other?"
Anakin turned to Luke and smiled. "My son."
Luke blinked once. "What, me?"
"Yes, you."
"But –"
"I kept a close eye on you after Yavin," Anakin said. "My sources tell me you're quite the pilot."
Luke wasn't sure what to say to this. Was it flattering or concerning that Anakin had so casually admitted to spying on him?
"Luke's just being modest," Leia said on his behalf. "He's a great pilot."
"I'm not being modest," he insisted. "I don't think I'm the best, that's all."
Luke felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked to his left. "Luke," his mother said. "Just accept the compliment."
"…Okay."
"So there you have it, Admiral Piett," Anakin said cheerily. "We're more than a match for whatever Gideon throws our way."
Piett looked doubtful, but he didn't get a chance to raise his concerns because just then an officer from one of the stations below the bridge called for his attention.
"Admiral Piett, sir. A transmission."
Piett marched away toward the station. "From whom?" he asked.
"I… I'm not sure, sir," the officer said. "They say their name is… Spectre 5?"
"Did you just say Spectre?" Leia asked.
Piett turned around to look at her. "Do you know who this is?"
"This is what Mothma meant," Leia said to Anakin. "Redirect the transmission to the bridge."
The officer complied with the order despite having no idea who Leia was. She had an air of authority about her that inspired subordination.
"This is Spectre 5. Is there anyone there?"
"We hear you, Spectre 5," Anakin said. "Were you sent by the Rebellion?"
"Affirmative, sir. Senator Mothma told me that you required my services."
Anakin glanced at Leia who nodded. "You have permission to board," he said. "I will be with you shortly." The feed cut out and Anakin nodded to himself. "These Rebels are quite expedient," he said appreciatively. Clapping his hands together, he spun around. "Come with me, Luke."
Anakin didn't give him a chance to inquire why as he marched away down the bridge. He caught Leia's eye, and she gestured with her head for him to follow. Obliging, Luke hurried after Anakin.
"Have you ever flown a TIE before?" Anakin asked when he caught up.
"Um… no."
"Don't worry, they're quite easy to get a hang of."
Luke didn't reply as they left the bridge and began walking down a wide corridor. Neither spoke a word for a long while, the echoes of their footsteps providing the only interruption to the silence. Luke glanced up at Anakin and gulped.
"You doubt me," Anakin observed without looking at him.
"Sorry?"
"There's no need to deny it. I can sense your unease."
Luke looked down toward the floor. "If Mom trusts you, then so do I."
Anakin chuckled. "You're very loyal, Luke, but there's no need to pretend as if you don't have misgivings."
"You're right," Luke elected to say. "I don't trust you."
They came to a stop when they reached the end of the corridor and arrived at an elevator. Anakin pressed the button and turned to look at him.
"Your doubt helps me," he said. "It reminds me that I have not yet made amends."
Luke frowned. "Are you saying you want me to doubt you?"
Anakin reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Surprised, Luke turned to look at it. "I want you to be yourself. I want you to tell me what you think. Because I listen, Luke. You may not think I do, but I appreciate your advice."
"You do?"
The elevator doors opened with a whoosh and Anakin looked away. Squeezing his shoulder, Anakin retracted his hand and stepped onto the lift. Luke followed after him, and the doors closed behind them.
"You told me that I had to build something new," Anakin said now that they were in private. "That's exactly what I plan to do, starting with myself. I'm a new man today, and I don't just mean physically. I don't want you to think of me as Darth Vader ever again."
There was a silence as the elevator began to descend. Luke allowed these impassioned words to sink in for a moment before reaching to his belt. "What about this?" he asked, showing the lightsaber to his father. "Are you going to keep it?"
Anakin stared at the blade. "I've done terrible things with that weapon," he mused.
"So have I," Luke said.
Anakin looked up to meet his eyes. "You hold on to it."
"Are you sure?"
"You need a weapon. Once this is over, I will teach you to make your own."
The elevator came to a stop and the door swung open. Anakin stepped out, but Luke stayed behind for a moment. He flexed his fingers and balanced the lightsaber in the palm of his hand. He could drop it to the floor and leave it behind should he feel so inclined. But he didn't. He would keep this blade, and not purely for utilitarian purposes. It would serve as a reminder for what the both of them were capable of.
Luke clipped the lightsaber back to his belt and walked out onto an enormous hangar. He craned his head and gaped in awe as he followed after Anakin. Never before had Luke seen so many ships in the same place. Dozens upon dozens of TIEs stretched to the ceiling on giant cantilevers made of jet black durasteel.
"Luke! Let's go!"
Shaking himself from his reverie, Luke hurried after Anakin who was waiting for him by the south end of the hangar bay near the massive rectangular entrance. A small shuttle had just touched down and a ramp was beginning to unfurl.
"Spectre 5, I presume?"
Luke came to a stop next to Anakin and looked up to see a slender woman with short, purple hair standing at the top of the ramp. Tucked under her left arm was a helmet.
"That's me," she said. As she began to descend, Luke noticed she was wearing Mandalorian armor much like his mother's. Unlike Fett's, however, this woman's armor had patterns and images painted over it in vibrant colors. The pink, yellow, and blue breastplate looked nothing like the weathered brown one he was familiar with.
"Care to give us your real name?" Anakin asked when she reached the hangar floor.
"Sabine Wren," she said, extending her hand. Anakin took it and gave an abbreviated shake.
"You're a Mandalorian?" Luke asked.
Sabine narrowed her eyes, the epicanthic folds making them look like slits. "I am," she said.
"That's cool," Luke said, undeterred by the laconic response.
"Save the pleasantries, Luke," Anakin told him. "We have a lot of work to do."
"That we do," Sabine agreed. "Senator Mothma informed me of the situation."
"So what is your solution?"
Sabine looked around the hangar before answering. Wrinkling her nose, she looked back at Anakin. "You Imperials have no taste," she said.
"Excuse me?"
"Here's what we're going to do," Sabine said. "I've loaded up the Phantom with spray paint. Every single one of these uninspired TIEs are going to get a redesign. That way, we'll be able to tell who's who in the battle."
"You're going to paint the TIEs?" Luke asked.
"Does that upset you?"
"What? No," Luke said, surprised by her astringency. "What color?"
"Anything but black," she said. "I've got red, yellow, green, and a whole lot of pink."
"Pink?" Luke repeated.
"Yes, pink," she snapped.
Luke was beginning to get the impression she didn't like him. "You're going to need some help," he said. "That could take hours."
"Then get me some help," she barked. "You Imperials have a whole bunch of stormtroopers, don't you? Send them here and we'll swap out their blasters for spray cans." Luke smiled at the image, but Sabine didn't find any humor in it. "Are you going to laugh at me, or are you going to get me the help I need?"
"I'll send for a company," Anakin said.
"Good," Sabine said before spinning around and marching back up the ramp.
"Wait!" Luke called after her. "I can help too."
"You don't need to do that," Anakin told him.
"No, it's fine. I want to help."
Anakin frowned and looked up at Sabine. "Is that alright with you?" he asked.
"Sure, whatever," she said before walking up the rest of the way toward the shuttle
Anakin gave him a look. "Be careful with that one," he warned. With that, he spun around and marched away, robes swishing against the ground as he left. Luke watched him go for a few seconds before heading up the ramp after the irascible Sabine.
"Woah," he said when he arrived in the compact cabin. "That's a lot of paint." Crates were stacked to the ceiling along both walls. Along the sides, the crates had a vertical stripe which designated which color it contained. Sabine had been true to her word: the vast majority of the paint was pink.
"Stop gawking and help me."
Turning away from the piles of crates, Luke saw Sabine giving him a dirty look. "Sure," he said. Stepping forward, Luke reached up to pick up a crate from the top of the pile before stopping himself. "Care to tell me why you hate me so much?" he asked.
"I don't hate you," Sabine said at once.
"You sure fooled me."
Sabine gnashed her teeth and looked away. "You're the enemy," she said.
"I am? Why?"
"You're Imperial! I've spent years of my life fighting against you and you've killed countless friends of mine. And now we're allies all of a sudden? I don't think so. It's bullshit, that's what this is."
Luke blinked a few times as he processed this invective. "I don't really get it either," he said, prompting Sabine to scoff. "But I think… I think people can change."
Sabine gave him an incredulous look. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Luke considered his own wisdom for a moment before smiling. "Just so you know, I'm not actually Imperial," he told her.
"You're not?"
"Luke Skywalker," he said, offering her his hand.
Sabine's eyes turned wide. "You're Luke Skywalker?" she asked.
"Last I checked," he quipped.
"But you're…"
"What?"
"You're just not what I expected, that's all."
Luke was unsure whether to interpret this as a slight or as a compliment, so he chose the latter. "Let's get these crates unloaded, shall we?" he proposed.
"Right," Sabine said. She took her helmet and placed it over her head. Picking up a crate, she walked past him toward the ramp.
Luke remained behind in the cabin. He knew he ought to be helping, but a moment of contemplation made him pause. Running a finger along one of the crates, he stopped when he came across the red stripe. He stared at the color for a long while. Suddenly, Luke reached to his belt and pulled out the lightsaber. Holding out the hilt, he oriented it so the painted red stripe took the place of the blade.
That's all it was: a color. Shifting two steps to the left, he chuckled to himself when the blade turned pink.
"That would be something," he muttered.
Smiling, he returned the lightsaber to his belt and picked up the crate of pink paint. Had anything really changed? Luke didn't know for sure, but maybe a change of color could make all the difference.
Leia wringed her wrists as she watched her mother stare out the massive viewport of the Executor's bridge. Her eyes – so much like her own – scanned back and forth at the empty canvas before them. Finally, she turned to look at her with a wan smile.
"Leia," she said.
Leia blinked twice. "What?"
"I don't have to be Force-sensitive to tell something's wrong."
Leia glanced around the bridge before answering. Admiral Piett had permitted them to be there so they could observe the battle when it began. Grey-uniformed officers assiduously went about their tasks, too absorbed in their work to spare them a second glance.
"I know you said we should move on, but…"
"But what?"
Leia bowed her head and wrapped her arms around herself. "After the explosion… I turned into someone else entirely," she said, voice barely a whisper. "I was just so angry, so… scared."
Padmé took a step toward her. "You had every right –"
"No I didn't," Leia interrupted before she could say it. "I had no right to blame Mothma. To attack her. I had no right to blame you and Luke."
"Leia –"
She wouldn't be stopped, however. Eyes shining, she continued her invective against herself. "I threw you in jail! My own mother! I knew what that would do to you! It was torture! And you say you forgive me?"
"I do."
"How?"
Padmé grabbed her by the shoulders. "I know a thing or two about being someone you aren't," she said. Leia closed her eyes and allowed her mother's mellifluous voice to soothe her. "I used to think there was no going back. That my old self was gone forever. You showed me that I was wrong."
An errant tear escaped when Leia opened her eyes to meet her mother's gaze. "I did?"
She nodded. Reaching up, she brushed the tear away from Leia's cheek and smiled. "You challenged me to be better. You challenged me to be the woman I once was. I'm grateful for that, Leia."
"But I hurt you."
"And I hurt you. I tried to tear your father away from you."
"But –"
"What's done is done. The past may be painful, but it brought us to this point. And there's no other place where I'd rather be than by my family's side."
Leia sniffled, struggling to maintain her composure. The last vestiges of Fett were gone. The woman before her was the one she needed. The one she loved.
"Mother," was all she could say.
Padmé's effulgent smile caused her heart to flutter. "Leia," she said in return.
Pulling her into an embrace, mother and daughter relished their bond – in each other, both finally having what they had long desired. It was all too much for Leia. The gush of affection she felt radiating from her mother finally pushed her over the edge, and a torrent of tears streamed forth from her eyes.
"Shh," Padmé cooed. "It's okay."
Leia shook her head against her mother's collarbone. "I don't know what's wrong with me," she managed to say through tears.
She felt her mother laugh. "There's nothing wrong with crying."
Leia pulled away and made a half-hearted attempt to dry her eyes with her sleeve. Just then, she saw Padmé turn toward the sound of approaching footsteps.
"What's wrong?"
It was her father's voice. It seemed he had returned from the hangar.
"Nothing," Padmé said.
Leia turned around, and at once Anakin saw that she had been crying. He pursed his lips, but elected not to make a comment. Perhaps he knew that this was something that ought to remain between mother and daughter.
"Luke's helping paint the TIEs."
"Paint?" Padmé repeated.
"Spray paint, to be precise. That way the Rebels will be able to tell us apart from Gideon's forces."
"What color?"
Anakin chuckled. "Pink, for the most part."
Even in her lachrymose state, Leia managed to smile at the image.
"Lord Vader, sir?"
Anakin swiveled his head to see Admiral Piett flagging him down. "Got to go," he said, returning his attention to them. "Lots to do."
"Of course," Padmé said.
Anakin spared one last concerned look toward Leia before spinning to depart. She and Padmé watched him go with identical expressions of apprehension.
"Do you think we'll win?" Leia asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Padmé responded.
For about an hour, the two woman waited on the bridge amidst a flurry of activity. To pass the time, Padmé insisted upon braiding Leia's hair. She felt a bit ridiculous to be engaging in this frivolity on the eve of such a critical battle, but she felt obliged to indulge her mother. Deft hands pulled her hair into long plaits which converged in an intricate bun above the nape of her neck.
"How'd you learn to do this?" Leia asked.
"My handmaidens used to do it for me when I was queen, but I made them teach me." She took a step away and walked around to Leia's front to assess her work. "I could never get quite as good as them," she said with a frown.
"Are you kidding? You're incredible!"
Padmé waved off the compliment. "It's passable," she said humbly.
"Mom! Leia!"
They both turned to see Luke rushing toward them, a broad grin across his face. He was dressed in a black Imperial flight suit and was carrying a fighter helmet under his arm. Leia felt a sudden quiver of anxiety at the sight.
"It's all done," he said when he reached them.
"What is?" Leia asked.
"Every ship in the hangar got a new coat job."
"Your father told us," Padmé said, and both Luke and Leia reacted – the former with a blink of surprise and the latter with a small smile.
"Uh… yeah. Sabine gave us all instructions and then she went to paint the rest of the fleet. We should be good to go."
"You're going to fight?" Leia asked, unable to keep the apprehension out of her voice. She hated it whenever Luke jumped into a cockpit.
"I'll be fine," Luke insisted.
Just then, a klaxon erupted on the bridge and Leia had to hold her hands to her ears. A bright strobe light pulsated, and their surroundings were illuminated a garish red.
"They're here!" she heard a voice call out.
Turning to the window, Leia saw a smattering of ships arriving in the system. At first, it didn't seem like many, but they kept coming. Soon, their entire field of view was dotted with Star Destroyers, cruisers, and lesser corvettes. Leia had never seen a fleet this large.
"To your stations!" Anakin ordered, his sonorous voice full of authority. Despite not knowing who he was, the officers on the bridge all complied without question. Satisfied, he began walking toward them.
"Time to go?" Luke asked.
"Almost," Anakin replied.
Leia swallowed hard, the profundity of the situation sinking in. Before Luke could stuff on his flight helmet, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him. A startled Luke let the helmet drop to the floor.
"Be safe," she pleaded in his ear.
She felt Luke pat her on the back. "Don't worry," he said. "The Force is with us."
Feeling her parents' eyes on them, Leia quickly pulled away. Once again, she noted wetness in her eyes and hastily dabbed at it with the back of her hand.
"Luke."
Before her brother could pick up his helmet, their mother embraced him as well. Leia gave him a watery smile when she saw his reddened face. He could pretend to be embarrassed, but she knew he wasn't really. Padmé whispered a few words into his ear before stepping back. She set her jaw and looked up at Anakin.
"Don't let anything happen to him," she demanded.
Anakin nodded solemnly. "I won't."
Husband and wife stared at each other for a long moment while the twins watched with bated breath. Were they going to do anything? A hug wouldn't be unwarranted, would it? Or at least a wish of well luck? Yet neither made a move. Finally, Anakin turned, a hint of dejection in his step.
"Anakin, wait."
Padmé bridged the gap between them with two long strides. Before Anakin could react, she rose up on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. Luke and Leia both gasped, eyes bulging out of their sockets at the inconceivable image before them.
Padmé pulled away quickly and Anakin seemed to be just as stunned as his children. He stared at her with mouth agape whereas she returned his gaze with steely resolve.
"Come back in one piece," she said.
Anakin's stunned expression turned somber. He bowed his head before nodding once more. Sparing one last look for his wife, he spun around and departed without another word.