Luke Skywalker whistled as he strode down the corridor at an easy pace, a slight spring in his step as he greeted his fellow rebels with an easy smile and a glint in his eyes. He was happy to be back and he was happy for Anakin who had managed to complete his Trials without too much difficulty. He had always known that Anakin could hold his own and he was amazed at how much the youth had changed in the past couple of months since arriving, and how quick he was to adapt to his new environment.

He felt as though things were finally starting to get better and ever since he had met the man that would one day become his father, Luke had newfound hope that made all of his problems seem- fixable.

He was also glad that he had been given this chance to get to know the real Anakin Skywalker and not the broken man who was more a slave than anything else. It was refreshing, to say the least, but it also gave Luke hope that his father could be redeemed.

And hope was all that he could have at that point.

Luke rounded the corner to see the Clone Captain talking with a young woman as he escorted her down the hallway, their conversation unheard but obviously work related as he handed her a few stacks of datapads before sending her off, his dark eyes meeting Luke's lighter ones from across the corridor.

"Thank you, Captain. I will make sure that Captain Yolando receives these," she said with a polite smile as she sent Luke a bright smile and a nod.

Luke nodded down at her as she passed him by before turning his attention back to the older man, who had crossed his arms over his chest as he gave Luke a friendly but professional smile.

"Glad to see you back, Skywalker. Things were a bit too boring here without you or your companion," he said as he beckoned Luke to take a walk with him.

"We're more than glad to be back, Rex," said Luke with a chuckle as he kept pace with the Clone.

"How's Master Yoda doing these days? Been a while since I last saw him," he mused.

"About as well as can be expected," said Luke as she shook his head, "I think we both know that his time is almost up."

Rex said nothing for a few moments and it made Luke aware of just how tired the Captain was, not physically but emotionally. Luke knew it was hard to see all of the Jedi he had served with perish one by one until there were almost none left, save for him and Anakin, but even Luke knew that the Anakin that Rex had followed into battle was gone.

They were all gone, and it weighed heavily on Rex.

"So, did he complete his Trials? Is he a Knight now?" asked the Clone as he easily enough changed the subject.

Luke grinned, "you really have to ask that?"

Rex chuckled, "suppose not. I've always had faith in him no matter what the job was."

"I can see why," mused Luke, "he's relentless, isn't he?"

"You have no idea," said Rex with a far-away look in his eyes, "he was one of the most impressive warriors I had ever seen. Rash yet calculated and brave at the same time. It was scary how he could come up with a crazy plan and make it work as if he knew what the outcome would be."

"Always getting himself into trouble I'm guessing," said Luke as they came to stop in front of one of the large glass windows that gave them a clear view of the part of space where they had stopped to refuel. The stars were bright and Luke could see a pinkish orange nebula off in the distant.

It was beautiful to look at and Luke took in the peaceful sight in awe. The immense beauty of the galaxy never ceased to amaze him and he felt as though he could stare out at the stars all day long if allowed.

"So, what did you want to talk with me about exactly? You said it was urgent," asked Luke as he gave the Clone a sideways glance. Something told him Rex didn't call him here just to have a friendly chat about his father, although Rex seemed perfectly happy to relieve his younger days with the famed Jedi General.

No, there was something else troubling the older man.

"I've had this strange feeling these past few days. I can't describe it and I have no idea why I feel this way, but I've just got this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't shake."

"What sort of feeling?" asked a curious Luke.

"A bad one," said Rex as he shook his head, "and I know I'm no Jedi, but I've always relied on my intuition and my intuition is telling me that something bad is going to happen. And maybe I'm just going nuts, but something's been off lately, and I know you can sense it as well."

"The Force has been unusually active since Dagobah, but whatever it is the Force has chosen not to reveal it to us. I'm just trusting in the Force right now."

Rex shook his head, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Maybe the Force has chosen to reach out to you specifically, Captain," mused Luke, "if so, you should listen to your instincts. They are hardly ever wrong."

"I honestly don't know what to think. I've had a busy week and there's some sort of discrepancy in the outgoing frequencies that I've been trying to track these past few days," he said with a sigh, "maybe I just need to get some rest."

"What sort of discrepancy?" asked a suddenly intrigued Luke.

Rex shrugged, "looks like there may have been some unauthorized communications going out. I've filed a report, but there's not much that can be done at this point and no one seems to think it's a priority," he said he pinched the bridge of his nose. Luke could've sworn he heard Rex mutter something along the lines of incompetent morons under his breath.

"And you can't provide that evidence, can you?" commented Luke.

"I can't even trace it. For all I know, it could just be a malfunction in the system," he exhaled.

Luke shrugged, "it happens sometimes. It isn't like the equipment we have here is exactly top of the line."

Rex snorted, "outdated, really."

Luke opened his mouth to comment further on the rather sad state of their current technology when the Force trembled around them. The Force felt taut, like a band that was threatening to snap at any time. It made Luke shiver involuntarily as he turned his attention away from Rex and over to the large viewport they were standing next to. He allowed his hand to rest upon the cold plexiglass as he stared intently out at the dark expanse of space.

"Luke?" came Rex's voice from beside him, "everything okay?"

"I don't know," he muttered as he tilted his head, his eyebrows scrunched as he stared out at the black void. Something was not right, he could feel it in the pit of his stomach as the Force rippled like a pond. His breath fogged up the glass for a few heavy moments before an Imperial Star Destroyer fell out of hyperspace right before his eyes, the once clear view of space obscured by the large black vessel. It was barely a few seconds that more and more Star Destroyers began to drop out of hyperspace, all of them forming an impenetrable armada around them.

He looked over at Rex, who stared out at the sight with a look that told him that the older man was just as surprised as he was at the sight alone. They shared a look of horror before the ships began their barrage on their ship.

The alarm began to blare as the hallway around them became shrouded in darkness as the ship rocked and trembled from the force of the turbo blasters, forcing Luke and Rex to grab onto the wall to steady themselves.

"We have to get to the hangar!" yelled Luke as he went to take a step but was stopped by a sharp pain that coursed throughout his body. He sucked in a painful breath before he fell to the floor, his breaths nothing more than a painful wheeze as he clutched at the imaginary pain that was not his own.

"Luke!" yelled Rex as he knelt down next to a panting Luke, his eyes scanning the younger man for any injuries but found that there were none, "what's wrong?"

His voice was panicked as he gripped Luke's shoulder tightly and pulled him off to the side to avoid the stampede of Rebels who were frantically trying to get to their battle stations. The ship rocked and shuddered as Luke involuntarily shivered, his eyes somewhat glazed over as he panted for breath.

"Anakin and Leia," he bit out, "they're hurt. I can feel them."

"Hurt? Where are they?" asked Rex as he continued to grip Luke's shoulder.

Luke shook his head as he shivered again. He felt so kriffing cold and he had no idea why.

"Hangar," said Luke, "they got hit."

"But they are alive, right?" asked Rex tersely.

Luke nodded, "I can't sense anything else, but they are alive."

"Well, that's a start," said Rex as he hauled a shaking Luke up to his feet.

Luke exhaled deeply as he stared out the viewport, his eyes scanning each of the ships until his eyes came to rest on one in particular. Visually, Luke was unable to tell one Star Destroyer from the others, but there was no doubting which one this one was.

The Executor. His father's own personal flagship.

There was no doubt that Vader was on that ship and was determined, his presence calm but also vengeful at the same time. He had come for one purpose and one purpose only, and that was Luke.

Luke breathed heavily for a few moments, far too busy trying to reach out to Anakin and Leia to make sure that they were okay. He could feel Anakin's presence flickering slightly as if he were trying to wake up from a deep sleep. Luke reached out to him as he urged the younger man to wake up through their bond. Luke needed him to wake up, it was imperative that he did. He could still feel Leia, but unlike Anakin, she was practically comatose and there was no way that Luke could reach her.

He needed Anakin to wake up and get Leia out of there, or else Luke would need to go down and rescue them and that would just be leading Vader to them. There was no point in trying to hide from his father anymore. He had found him.

"Come on, Anakin," he whispered under his breath as he clenched his mechanical hand.

He wanted to reach out to them further but there was another presence pushing against him, probing and scanning him as it tried to gain access that Luke would not grant.

"Luke, my son. I have found you at last," came Vader's voice through their previously inactive bond.

Luke closed his eyes as he tried to erect mental shields around himself so that Vader could not feel his presence anymore, but Vader was stronger than Luke had anticipated. Luke wondered briefly if there was a small part of him that wanted to talk with his father. It was the only logical reason as to why Vader seemed to have no trouble getting past his mental shields.

"My son, do not try to fight me. You and I both know that it is pointless," came Vader's stern voice through the Force. It did not sound like his usual baritone one, softer and more human but still stern and thick, commanding and authoritarian. "I know where you are, and I will find you. Do not resist me."

"No," said Luke sternly, "I won't stop resisting you. When are you going to learn that?"

Vader remained silent for a few moments, "you're scared. What are you hiding from me, son?"

"Nothing that concerns you, father."

"Look around you, Luke. There is no way you or your Rebel friends can save yourselves now. You are surrounded. Whatever you are hiding, I will find. There is nothing you can hide from me, my son."

"What do you want? Our surrender? You know that we will never capitulate to you or your Emperor," said Luke heatedly through their bond.

"The surrender of the Rebel's is not what is at stake here, son. I do not seek their surrender, only yours."

"Keep dreaming," spat Luke, "I would rather die than give myself to you."

"As you have demonstrated in the past," said Vader, his bitterness clear to Luke through their bond, "but I am afraid that you have no other option this time. Either you surrender, or I kill everyone on this entire ship, and don't try to fool me, son. You know I will."

Vader did not falter, and Luke could sense the awful unequivocal truth that tainted his father's words. Vader would do everything within his power to take him, and that was of no surprise to Luke, much to his dismay.

Luke feared for the lives of his fellow Rebels, but most of all he feared for Leia and for Anakin. What would Vader do if he discovered the truth about them? What would happen if he found them here?

The thought alone made Luke shiver.

"Your thoughts betray you, young one. I can sense your fear for the Princess and that Jedi you've been harboring. Where are they? Is it them you wish to protect?"

Luke had done everything within his power not to reveal Anakin's identity to Vader, and he had been successful. Vader remained unaware and ignorant of the young Jedi's identity, yet he could sense Luke's desire to keep him safe. To keep them both safe.

"You cannot hide them from me forever. It would be within both yours and their best interests if you tell me where they are. I can sense your love for the Princess, my son. If you surrendered yourself to me, I could ensure her safety."

And what of the Jedi?" asked Luke with a scoff, "I doubt you would grant him the same offer."

"No, I would not," replied Vader truthfully.

"And what would happen to him if I surrendered? You'd just kill him and add him to the list of all the other Jedi you've murdered?" asked Luke.

"As much as I would love to add his lightsaber to my collection, no. Only the Emperor can decide his fate at this point."

"The Emperor? What does the Emperor- No, you don't mean-?"

"Trust me, son. I do not like it either, but I have no other choice at this point. The Emperor is adamant, and I am not able to defy him, at least not yet."

"He would try to turn him, wouldn't he? The Emperor wants him now, not me."

"Or me, for that matter. Do not worry, son. If you joined me, we could get rid of the Emperor together and prevent him from taking on a new apprentice. We could rule the galaxy together, as it was always meant to be. You could even have the Princess if you so desire, though I have no idea what you see in her."

It would seem as though Vader mistook the sort of love that he had for Leia, but Luke was perfectly happy not to correct him. He would do anything at that point to protect her and so he would allow Vader to believe what he wanted.

Luke could feel his father's desperation through the Force and he knew that his father was scared of what would happen if he did not join him, of what the Emperor would do if he failed to find Anakin. Honestly, it made Luke scared for his father and he knew that the situation Vader was in was less than ideal. And at the same time, he knew what would happen to Leia and Anakin if he didn't step in and do something.

He could still feel them onboard the ship. Anakin had finally awoken but Luke could tell that he was far too preoccupied with something to pay any attention to him at the moment. Leia was still unconscious, a prospect that did not bode well with Luke, but there was no other option at that point. He needed to buy them time. He needed them to escape.

Whether he liked it or not, now was not the time for Anakin to face Vader.

Which was why he hated himself for what he was about to do.

"I'm not going to give you the Jedi, father. I can't sacrifice my friend like that and you know I won't let you have him. Which is why I am proposing a new deal."

"Luke-"

"No, just listen to me. You can have me, father. I won't fight you, but the Jedi goes free as well as the Princess."

"My son that is hardly-"

"And I'll help you defeat the Emperor," finished Luke, "but you must agree to stop this bloody crusade against the Rebels. You know that the Empire we fight against is corrupt and tyrannical. Do you honestly believe that what your Master has done to this galaxy is for the best?"

Another explosion rocked the ship.

Vader went silent and Luke knew that he had struck a cord in the Sith. Even Vader knew that the Empire was evil, but the only reason he served it was because of his Master. It was quite obvious even to Luke that Vader bore no love for the Empire.

"I can help you father, but I do not want to rule the galaxy. I want to bring peace to the galaxy and I can sense that that is your desire as well. You never wanted any of this, did you?"

"Peace is nothing more than a lie, my son. You are naïve if you think that."

"Please, father. At least consider the possibility of what I am proposing."

Vader said nothing for a few tense moments as he contemplated what Luke was counter-offering. Really, Luke was no in position to be bargaining at all, but Vader could not say no to him.

"Fine, I agree to your terms. But I cannot stop what is happening to the Rebels. You know I do not have that sort of power."

"I had a feeling that was the case," thought Luke heavily as he felt another tremor throughout the Force.

"I will board your vessel and you will surrender yourself to me. You will be taken aboard the Executor where your presence will be hidden from the Emperor. Your friends will be allowed to escape, but you will have no further contact with them, is that understood?"

"Then we have a deal," thought Luke meekly as he closed his eyes in defeat.

Distantly, he could hear Rex's voice, but it seemed far off and vague as he stared out the window at the ensuing battle. It was a lost cause, there was nothing either him or Vader could do about it at that point and it made him feel so kriffing weak as he watched the few X-Wings that had managed to takeoff get shot out of the sky one by one. They had no other option now but to evacuate, and he had no other option but to allow himself to be taken by Vader.

He felt numb to the point where he couldn't even really feel Rex's strong hands on him, shaking him and yelling at him to snap out of it.

"-Luke! Luke, snap out of it. We have to get out of here!" came Rex's commanding voice as he gave the younger man a thorough shake that seemed to rattle his brain within his skull.

And just like that, Luke snapped out of his Force reverie as he looked over at the Clone Captain.

"Rex, you need to get out of here," his voice firm and commanding as he focused all of his attention on the older man, "take a ship and regroup with the Fleet at the rendezvous point."

"What about you, Commander? What are your plans?" asked Rex.

Luke swallowed, "I can't go with you, Rex. Not this time. I have to stay."

"And do what?" asked Rex skeptically, "wait till Vader finds you and kills you? Not a chance. Either we go together, or we don't."

"Rex-"

"No Commander. I left my General once, I'm not making that mistake again," said Rex sternly, "and if you're planning on confronting Vader then I'm staying. I won't leave you to face him alone."

Luke knew that there was more to Rex wanting to stay than just not wanting to leave him behind. Rex wanted revenge against the man he mistakenly believed had killed Anakin Skywalker, his General. Rex truly believed that was why Luke was going to confront Vader, and Luke hated himself for letting the Clone Captain believe that.

"It's not that simple, Rex," pleaded Luke, "I'm not here to fight Vader. I'm here to surrender myself to him."

Rex stared at Luke humorlessly for a few tense moments before he finally spoke, his voice incredulous and serious and totally unimpressed.

"Are you out of your kriffing mind, Commander?"

Luke laughed bitterly, "I wish I was. But no, I am not yanking your chain here, Captain. You need to leave before it's too late. I'm begging you, Rex. Walk away."

Rex gave him an icy look, "with all due respect, Commander. No. I'm not leaving, not when Vader and I have unfinished business. And there's no kriffing way I'm going to let you make a fool out of yourself. I lost one Skywalker already and I don't think I could live with myself if I lost you too."

Luke could already feel his father's presence onboard the ship, swiftly making his way over to them. Time was running out.

"Rex, please-," begged Luke as he felt his father's presence closing in on them, "you can't stay."

"Kriffing hell, Commander. What has gotten into you? Why are you doing this?" Rex sounded so confused and so defeated, it also made Luke want to run away with him.

"Rex, there's something I never told you about my father. Something I should've told you a long time ago," said Luke.

"Whatever it is it can wait, Commander. I'm not leaving you here to face Vader. You know he'll kill you just like he killed your father."

Luke closed his eyes as he heard that awful mechanical breathing. Rex must've noticed it too because one second he was looking at Luke with determination shining in his eyes and the next he had his blaster pointed at the Sith Lord, who stood ominously a few paces behind Luke.

"There will be no need for that, Captain," came Vader's baritone voice, strong and authoritarian as he stared at the both of them through the black void of his mask. He guarded his shields so that not even Luke could tell what he was feeling or thinking at that very moment. He didn't seem all that phased to see his old Clone Captain, but then again, Luke could feel nothing from him.

He had completely closed himself off.

"Like kriffing hell there is," said Rex as he kept his blaster pointed at the Sith Lord, his eyes dark and his posture tight and rigid, "I'm not going to let you kill him like you killed all those innocent Jedi."

"Rex," began Luke tersely before he was cut off by his father's ominous voice.

"Your loyalty is commendable but unwarranted. Young Skywalker will not be harmed, Captain. Now, lower your weapon and walk away," his tone unwavering and firm, but Luke could sense that he was pressing the Clone into obeying him, but Rex was not having any of it.

"And leave Commander Skywalker to die by your hand just like General Skywalker? In your dreams," said Rex with determination plastered on his face.

Vader said nothing for a few tense moments before he finally spoke, his words cornering Luke into a very uncomfortable corner.

"So, I take it Luke has not told you the truth about what really happened to his father," stated Vader as he stared at them through with his black gaze.

"I know what happened to him! You murdered him just like you murdered all the others!" he seethed as his hand hovered over the trigger, "you murdered a good man and I will not let you do the same to his son. You'll have to kill me if you want him."

"That can be arranged," said Vader darkly, "but I would prefer not to spill any more blood today, which is why I am giving you a chance to walk away before I lose my patience. It be would be wise if you heeded my words."

"Please, Rex," said Luke as he shook his head, "just walk away."

"Skywalker is right, Captain. There is more at play here than you could possibly understand. You think you know what happened to General Skywalker, but you do not. You know nothing."

The Force trembled around them as Rex locked eyes with Luke, his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as the arm that held his blaster faltered just a little bit. He could tell that the Clone Captain was starting to sense that there was something he was not privy too.

"Luke, what he is talking about?" asked Rex as he looked between the two of them.

"Tell him, Luke," urged Vader, tell him what really happened to Anakin Skywalker."

Luke shook his head as he felt both of their gazes fixed on him, "I'm sorry I never told you the truth about my father, about what really happened to him."

"What-?" began Rex.

"Darth Vader never killed my father, Rex. Vader is my father," bit out Luke, the words like acid upon his lips.

He could feel Rex's surprise through the Force followed very closely by denial, a refusal to believe what Luke had just said to him. Luke couldn't blame him seeing as it had been just as much a shock to him as it had been to Rex, but Luke had never denied that it was the truth.

"No… T-that's not possible," breathed out Rex as his eyes widened, "General Skywalker would never-"

"-Never what? See through the lies of the Jedi?" sneered Vader, "well, I did. I saw them what they really were, and I took initiative."

Rex's denial soon turned into a sudden stab of pain as he realized the betrayal at hand. Neither of them were lying and there was no denying that any longer.

Luke could feel Rex's pain through the Force. And Force did it hurt.

"Then you are traitor," he said very simply as he raised his blaster and pointed it directly at the man he had once been proud to call friend, "and you shall pay for your crimes."

Rex did not hesitate any longer as he fired everything he had at the Sith Lord, who simply raised his hand to block the blaster bolts without any difficulty. Luke watched in muted horror as Vader closed in on Rex, his red lightsaber ignited and ready for the kill.

"It did not have to end this way, Rex," he said as he finally pulled the Clone's blaster away from him with a simple wave of his hand, "I warned you what would happen if you didn't walk away."

"You know well enough that I leave no man behind," said Rex despondently. Luke could practically feel the Clone's grief and sorrow rolling off him like waves into the Force. There was no doubt that Rex was beyond broken at that point.

"And that will be your downfall," said Vader as he raised his hand to cup the Captains neck within his invisible grasp. The older man clutched at his throat desperately as Luke quickly ignited his own weapon and drew it to Vader's mask in a threatening manner as he glowered at the Sith.

"Release him, father," he said firmly, "or our deal is off."

"You will leave with me whether or not this man lives," he said as he tilted his head down to stare at Luke.

"No!" said Luke as he charged the Sith, forcing Vader to drop Rex onto the floor so he could draw his lightsaber up in defense against Luke's blue one. They both stood watching each other as Rex's head lolled to the side, unconscious but alive and uninjured.

"I see you still have not changed since Bespin," commented Vader as Luke exhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring, "you still care too much for your friends. Commendable, but foolish."

"I would never betray them like you," said Luke, anger lacing his tone.

"It would appear so," replied the Sith sardonically as he turned his saber off and clipped it onto his belt, a deliberate show of peace to the younger man, "I was once like you, Luke. But I learned in time that friendship was nothing more than a weakness and a waste. In time, you will learn this too."

"I doubt you could even understand the meaning of true friendship," commented Luke as he too turned off his saber and clipped it onto his belt, his stormy blue eyes never once leaving Vader's black orbs, "or you would've never done what you did. I will never betray my friends, which is why I agreed to come with you in the first place."

"Perhaps you are right in that incentive," commented Vader, "and I cannot deny that I am pleased that you chose to make the right decision, despite your flawed reasoning behind it. A deal's a deal and I shall uphold my part, as I hope you will too."

"I'm a man of my word," said Luke as he turned his head to stare in the direction of where he could feel Anakin and Leia's presences. He was doing this for them, making sure that Vader wouldn't find them. He was giving them time to escape, giving Anakin time to save Leia.

There was nothing more he could for them at this point in time except keep them secret. He feared what would happen if the Emperor found out about them. And if he did this, if he gave himself up then Vader would stop trying to rip the galaxy apart in an effort to find them and it would give the Alliance time to regroup and grow their ranks.

It was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

And all he could do was hope for the best.

When Anakin finally came to his senses, he was halfway across the hangar with his face buried in a pile of smoldering rubble. He groaned as he felt the panic and hysteria of each individual throughout the entire ship, all of them terrified and all of them scrambling.

What were they scared of again? Something- Something bad had just happened. He remembered sensing something in the Force-

He blinked away the bleariness in his eyes as he stared out at the scene before him. People were running around, and everything was on fire and the smell was horrendous, like burnt flesh and-

He blinked again as he reassessed the muted scene in front of him, his eyes ringing and deaf to the commotion that was happening around him.

The Force was loud and overpowering as it screamed in his ears, causing him to wince and close his eyes tightly. He knew through the disorientation that he needed to get up and find someone-

His eyes shot open as he remembered talking with Leia just before he had felt that icy tremor through the Force, a warning of what was about to happen. He remembered the intense heat before he was thrown across the room and he remembered how he had not even been able to call on the Force for help.

Everything had happened so quickly.

He groaned as he pushed himself up on shaking hands, his entire body sore and throbbing from the injuries he had sustained in the blast. He could feel small bits of shrapnel embedded into his skin all over as well as the cuts and burns that riddled his body. He could faintly feel a nasty, fresh laceration over his right eyebrow that stretched down beside his eye. He groaned as he wiped the small trail of blood away with his robes before he forced himself to his knees, every movement painful and aggravating to his fresh wounds, but he was determined to find Leia.

He rose his feet as another tremor reverberated throughout the entire ship, making him almost lose his balance as he tried his best to maintain his composure. All that he could hear was that awful sharp ringing in his ears that drowned out everything else in the room and everything else was disorienting.

He looked down at the floor to see a few mangled body parts strewn across the room, the scent of burning flesh all too much for him. He felt like retching as he stared down at a severed leg, burnt and charred until it was nothing more than a black stump of flesh.

He tore his eyes away from the sight as he searched for Leia's presence in the Force. It took him a bit more time than he liked to locate her weakened and battered presence that was steadily growing dimmer by the moment. From what he could sense of her, she was badly injured and in a lot of pain, too much pain.

He contained his panic as he ran on shaking legs over to where he could feel her. He passed charred remains and columns of fire that threatened to consume him, but he barely noticed them as he knelt down in front of the pile of rubble where he could sense her and began to desperately dig.

"Leia!" he cried out as he used the Force to push the heavy parts away, his already shredded hands burning as he tore through the bits of burning rubble.

"Leia!" he cried out again as a cough overtook him. The smoke around them was thick and heavy and every breath burned, but it didn't phase Anakin. He just needed to find Leia.

The ringing in his head by that point was becoming gradually softer and the frantic yelling that echoed throughout the hangar was growing louder and louder by the second. He could hear the alarm blaring throughout the ship, warning them that they were under attack.

Anakin knew that the Empire had found them. He could feel the oncoming barrage through the Force and he could feel the presence of thousands and thousands of Imperials nearby, but it wasn't their presences that terrified Anakin.

Vader was here.

Another tremor reverberated throughout the ship as another turbo blast hit somewhere nearby. The room shook as a bit of the ceiling gave way and showered down on them, forcing Anakin to stop his frantic digging as he held his hands over his head and chucked the debris over to the side before he returned to his work.

He used the Force to push a large piece away and cried out in relief when he saw her unconscious and bloodied form. He used the Force to remove the last piece that covered the lower portion of her body away before he knelt down and gathered her into his arms.

She was as light as a feather as he secured her in his arms and surveyed her battered and bloodied body. He grimly noted a large piece of shrapnel that protruded grotesquely from her abdominal cavity. Anakin had no idea how far it went down, but he knew from his first aid training at the Temple that it was not good.

He could not simply remove it because if he did, she would surely bleed out and die within mere minutes if not seconds. It would need to be cauterized and wrapped in bacta, a lot of bacta from the looks of it and that was not including her other injuries. Her forehead was bloodied and she covered head to toe in small little cuts where small bits of shrapnel had hit her. Those would undoubtedly need to be dug out, along with his own.

"Anakin?" came Luke's voice through their bond, making Anakin stop in his tracks as he latched onto Luke's presence through their bond, his worry for the other man quite evident at that point.

"Luke! Are you alright?" he called out as all the commotion around him began to slow down, his mind far too focused on his son to pay any more attention to them. He could feel Leia's presence through the Force as he held onto her. They were the only presences he could feel in that moment.

"I'm fine, how is Leia? I can sense she is injured," said Luke grimly.

"It's bad, Luke. We need to get out of here and she needs medical attention. Where are you? Do you want us to wait for you?"

Their bond went eerily silent.

"Don't worry about me, Anakin. Just take Leia and get out of here. Everyone's evacuating ship and she needs medical attention."

"What about you? I'm not leaving without you, Luke," said Anakin urgently as he tightened his grip on Leia, her life Force slowly beginning to flicker.

"You're going to have to, Anakin. I'm sorry, but I have to stay here."

"Like kriffing hell you are!" yelled Anakin angrily through their bond, "I can't just leave without you, Luke! Didn't you sense Vader here?"

"I did, that's why I'm staying."

Anakin went silent as he numbly watched a few survivors trying to dig their way through the rubble, the siren above them blaring as the fire around them grew hotter and hotter by the second. Time itself seemed to have slowed down as the scene unfolded before him.

"Luke… What did you do?" asked Anakin slowly, his voice soft yet pressing.

"I made a deal. With Vader."

Anakin breathed in sharply, "Why would you do that?"

"I had too. He can't find out about you or Leia yet. It's not time."

"So you made a deal with him? Do you have any idea what you've just done?" asked Anakin in icy anger as the Force around him trembled.

"We made a deal. I give myself to him and he stops looking for you and Leia. We talked, Anakin. He wants to get rid of the Emperor and I'm his only hope. I had no other choice."

"There is always another choice, Luke. What if he hurts you? What if he tries to turn you?"

"He's not going to hurt me, Anakin. I can sense that he means me no harm. He needs me."

"I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself like this, Luke," said Anakin forcefully.

"You don't have a choice, Anakin. You know what would happen if he found you or Leia."

"Kriffing hell, Luke. You have no idea how much I want to kick you in the arse," said Anakin as his eyes drifted down to Leia in dismay.

To save Leia meant to leave Luke behind, and to rescue Luke would mean Leia's death.

"He won't hurt me, Anakin. Trust me. Take Leia and get out of here. Get her medical attention and regroup with the Fleet. I'll be okay."

"I'll find you, Luke. And when I do your arse is toast, you hear?"

"Loud and clear," came Luke's voice for the last time.

And with that Luke drew his presence away from Anakin, leaving the newly Knighted Jedi feeling empty and lonely as he felt the other Jedi sever the connection between the two of them. Anakin looked down at Leia, who was growing paler and paler by the second. Her eyelids fluttered a little bit before finally closing again, a small moan escaping her lips before she fell unconscious again.

Anakin coughed as he inhaled a cloud of smoke that had started to accumulate around them. There was no escaping the smoke as he ran on shaky feet towards where the ships had been docked along the far wall. Most of the X-Wings had already been deployed, some of them far too wrecked to ever attempt flight in them. All that was left were cargo ships and a few transport vessels, and even then most of them were unflyable at that point.

Anakin made a quick mental survey of all the available vessels before his attention finally fell on a Corellian YT- 2000 freighter that was docked off to the side in the area designated for repairs and maintenance. He could tell that the ship had been under some heavy-duty maintenance previously and that while it remained miraculously untouched by the explosion, it was still in a pretty shoddy state from the looks of it.

But it was all that was left, and Anakin had no other option than to take it.

He ran over as fast as he could with Leia in his arms and pulled the ramp down. He carefully placed Leia along a row of chairs, careful not to aggravate her injuries any further before he ran over to the entrance to the ship, his eyes scanning the hangar for any people that needed rescuing.

"Help! Please, somebody help us!" yelled a voice through the smoke as Anakin squinted his eyes to try and get a better look at them.

He covered his nose to try and prevent himself from breathing in any more of the smoke before he waved the other one in the air to signify where he was. He was starting to feel the effects of smoke inhalation at that point.

Distantly he could see two figures struggling towards them, one completely dependent on the other as the upright one hobbled over to him, their arms waving in the air begging him to help them.

Anakin was about to run out to help them when the Force rippled dangerously around him, turning his attention over to where he could see the large containers of fuel lined up against the wall, where they had previously remained untouched by the fire. He could see that the fuel containers had ruptured and had spilled all over the floor and that the fire was quickly approaching.

The Force screamed in his ear as he watched the tongues of fire threaten to reach the highly flammable substance that they used to fuel their ships. He had to do something and quick.

The moment the fire finally reached the fuel was the moment Anakin raised his hands to create a Force field around the containers as a means of delaying the impending explosion. He strained against the blast of the raw energy that pushed against him, straining his abilities and zapping all of his strength.

"Hurry up! I can't hold it off much longer!" he yelled over to the two struggling figures, his neck straining and his teeth clenched tightly as he twisted his hand around to better his hold.

For a few seconds, Anakin thought he might actually succeed and be able to hold off the explosion until the two people made their way onto the ship, but then the ship was racked with another hit and Anakin lost his focus.

That was all it took for the raw energy that he previously been contained to bleed out and escape. He raised his arm to shield his face as he felt their life forces get snuffed out by the flames, his other hand coming up to shield the Freighter from the intense heat of the explosion as he used the Force to yank the ramp up.

He kept his mind focused on the shield as he ran back over to the navigation console and accelerated out of the hangar and away from the fire. He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the ship was out and clear, but his relief soon turned into battle mode as he found himself in the middle of a space battle. What few X-Wings were left were doing their absolute best to fight off the swarm of Tie Fighters, but there was only so much that they could do against them.

Anakin would've loved to stay and join the fight, but he needed to attend to Leia and find a nearby planet or trading post where he could barter for some new ship parts. He could tell this Freighter was not going to hold up for much longer in the condition it was in.

He stared up at the group of Star Destroyers that had amassed around the Rebel Fleet and thought of Luke, whose presence he could feel burning brightly on one of them along with that dark presence he knew belonged to Vader.

Anakin shook his head as he forced himself to punch in the coordinates for the nearest trading post and launch the ship into hyperdrive, leaving Luke behind with Vader. He could feel his presence drawing further and further away and Anakin couldn't help but doubt that he had made the right decision.

He wondered, grimly, what the future held for them.

AN: A few things I wanted to address in this chapter

I know that eventually, Anakin will face Vader, but now is not the time. There is still more to this story that needs to be written before the big reveal. Luke is totally relying on the Force at this point and the Force is telling him it's not time yet. Plus, Anakin needed to get Leia out of there and somewhere so she could get treatment asap. And not to mention, there's a certain scoundrel in carbonite that needs rescuing.

Hope you enjoyed!