Visitors

I was lying on my bed, thinking about Padme and my nightmare, when Palo came bounding in followed by his mother, my nurse. I smiled at the young Togruta that reminded me of my young padawan. He had the clone trooper in his hand, dangling by a foot.

I sat up on my bed. "Thank you for taking care of me. I did not catch your name."

"I'm Mishi, and you met Palo."

"Hey Palo," I said to the little guy, "what you got there?"

"A trooper."

"That's cool. Is he a pilot?"

"Yes."

"What does he fly?"

"A gunship."

"Oh. So he lead attacks that means he is very brave. Right?"

"Right."

"Okay boys," came Mishi laughing. "Your Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Right?"

I closed my eyes and breathed deep. I had been caught. "Yes," I finally said.

"Are you Darth Vader?"

Her question was very point blank, and I knew it deserves a straight answer.

"Yes."

"Are you going to kill us?"

"No, of course not."

"Why not?"

"When I killed, I had lost everything. My wife, my children, my master, my mother. I was angry and in pain. I was a slave to the dark side and I acted in darkness. Now I have killed my master. In doing that I have somehow freed myself from the darkness. I am still in pain. I miss my family, but no I will not let that pain corrupt me into a monster. You have my word. I swear it on my wife's memory. I have nothing higher to swear it on."

She was quiet for a minute, and then she said "I will be back to check on you later, try and rest."

"Thank you," I said.

I sat still as I watched her stare me down. She seemed to believe me a little bit because she smiled at me as she lead her son away. Palo turned back to smile and wave. I returned the gesture and then the door shut. The truth was if I lost control there was no way she could stop me. But I had told her the truth. I did not want to be that person anymore. Darth Vader was dead to me.

I was sitting on my bed with my palms up trying to focus on my breathing. I see images of Padme in my mind. For once not violent images, but soft images. The lost look on her face when she entered Watto's face, her smile when we met again ten years later, our first kiss, our second kiss when she told me that she loved me, and finally her happy face when she tells me she is pregnant. We were so happy and in love. I breathe in a sense of peace I get when I just think of her touch.

A knock came at the door, and Mishi poked her head in. "You have some visitors," she said.

I nodded thanks, and she left. Obi-Wan, Ashoka, and Rex walked into the room and just stared at me. I sat there looking at the people I fought beside, trusted with my life, and ultimately betrayed. What did they want? Maybe they had been sent here to "handle" me for the senate, or the council. I was injured, they could probably arrest me or kill me if that was their goal.

"You killed Palpatine," Obi-Wan said.

I nodded.

"Why?"

I scrunched my eyes, that was a stupid question. "He was killing Luke," I said.

"You did not care when he was killing all the other Jedi?"

"I turned for the power to save Padme. He said killing the Jedi was going to give me that power. That was a lie, but how was I to know. Anyway, now I see with Luke it was either turn or be killed. I did not sign up for that."

Suddenly, Ashoka wrapped her arms around me. "Your back master. I knew that you would come back. I missed you Skyguy."

I moved in the bed and got to where I could get my arms around her. "Yeah," I said, "I missed you too Snips."

When we let go, I looked to see Rex had tears in his eyes. "We broke the gang up, sir" he said. "That's what happened. The Jedi broke the gang up. Commander Tano went on her own, Master Kenobi went to hunt Grievous, and I was leading missions without a Jedi. If we would have taken Sidious together things would have gone differently. I know it, sir."

"It's not your fault, Rex. In fact I am glad you were gone. No one needed to see me like that," I said hugging him.

Then he stepped away and I saw my old master.

"Obi-Wan," I said smiling.

"Settle a bet old friend. Did you plan that out, or did you make it up as you went along?"

I laughed and hugged him. For the first time in thirty years my heart was light when I saw my old master. It was good to see my old friends. Suddenly, Mishi was outside my room saying more people wanted to see me and that we had to rotate.

"Alright," said Rex. "You get your rest, Sir."

"Yeah, we're gonna go back," said Ashoka. "But Obi-Wan gonna stay and keep an eye on you. 'Kay."

"Alright, bye guys," I said as they went through the door. "How long has that been going on?"

"What been going on?" he asked.

"Ahsoka and Rex?" I asked.

"What's going on?" he said.

"I'll explain it later."