The Grand Inquisitor looked through all the information he had correlated. Gradually, he pieced together a picture of the children's story as his ship sped onward to Alderaan.
Through various sources, he discovered that these twins that Emperor Palpatine wanted in his possession so desperately, were two Force-sensitives from Namusa, a tiny agricultural town on Bakura. After an anonymous tip off, they'd been taken from their home as part of the Project Harvester initiative. The notes mentioned their mother had been stunned, and that she'd been carrying a potentially Force-sensitive child, but hadn't been tested at the time. After being taken off world via Salis D'aar, there had been a rebel attack on the ship, but strangely, Darth Vader himself had shown up in the middle of it and directed the Harvester ship straight on to Coruscant. The children had then escaped, but had been apprehended on Tatooine. Later, another rebel attack had taken place on Vader's ship and a woman appeared in the file as a prisoner. A while later, a shuttle had been dispatched to Arkanis with the children on it, where they'd been abducted by two Jedi and an astromech with the help of rebels.
Overall, it was an interesting chain of events. These younglings must be very powerful to be of such interest to the Emperor as well as Vader.
When his ship reached Alderaan, the Inquisitor had no trouble forcing his way through Royal Court security. Under direct authority from the Emperor himself, there was little Alderaanian security could do to stop him and his troopers.
Bursting through the doors of the Senator's hearing chamber, he saw Bail sitting at the end of an ornately decorated room at a big wooden desk. Light flooded into the room from grandiose windows nestled amidst classical pillars, and he crossed the marble floor quickly, wanting to hurry his search along.
"Senator Organa, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you," he greeted him, his voice slick.
"Do you have an appointment?" the Viceroy asked, barely looking up from his data pad and thus showing his disregard for imperial authority.
This made him bristle as he stalked closer to the desk. "I think you'll find no appointment is necessary for this kind of visit."
"And what kind of visit is this?" he asked, looking up and fixing him with a cold stare.
"You have something I want. Information."
"I am only happy to oblige," he clasped his hands together. "What would you like to know?"
"I am in the midst of an investigation into two missing children. I have reason to believe you know where they are."
"I'm not sure I know which children you mean. No one I know has gone missing."
"Two Force-sensitive children, important to the Emperor himself, have been abducted by rebels from Arkanis imperial academy. Luke and Leia Kayla. Ring any bells?"
The man's face was inscrutable. "No, I'm afraid it doesn't."
The Inquisitor ignored his lie. "And does the rebel alliance mean anything to you, Senator?"
"I know of it."
"Your history suggests otherwise. I need to know where the rebel alliance base is. That's where the children will likely be. Will you tell me where that is, or will I have to extract that information in more…unpleasant ways?"
"Are you threatening a member of the Senate on his home world, when you have no evidence of foul play?"
"Oh there is evidence," he leaned forward, his hands splayed on the desk. "It's inside your mind."
Bail looked at him, a flash of fear appearing for the first time in his eyes. Knowing he wouldn't be getting any information out of the man by talking, the Inquisitor was quick to initiate a forceful mind-probe. Organa, as strong-willed as he was, was defenceless against the power of the Sith's intrusion into his subconscious. Gasping at the painful sensation of being mentally invaded, he fell from his chair onto the marble floor and curled in on himself.
Breaking down any mental barriers as he went, the Inquisitor wreaked havoc on his search for information. Finally, he found something… a forested planet, with open plains and hills… X-Wings and a huge encampment, hundreds of life forms all busy at work… Master Yoda was there… The name came to him. Dantooine.
Satisfied he had his lead, he retreated out of the Viceroy's mind, but a flicker of a memory made him pause. What was that? Why did he recognise that face?
He chased the image and saw a hazy recollection of the room he was standing in. Bail was talking to two human figures in robes. One was a beautiful, petite woman with brown hair, and the other was a strangely familiar looking man with golden-brown hair and a closely trimmed beard. Where had he seen that man before?
It clicked. The imperial database. As an Inquisitor tasked with hunting down Jedi who'd survived the purge, he frequently checked the names and images kept on the database. A while back, a Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom he remembered from his days as a Temple Guard, had his status logged from 'missing' to 'alive'. It was him! So, the Viceroy was not only a key figure in the rebellion, but he was harbouring Jedi too. The Emperor would only be too happy to hear about this.
Something else occurred to him as he watched the memory. The woman's stomach was heavy with child…was Kenobi the father? This could be a potential lead to more Force-sensitive children. He listened intently to what Bail remembered, though it was hazy.
"We don't require separate bedrooms but thank you Bail," the woman blushed, smiling as she placed a hand over her swollen stomach.
"Where are your other children, Padmé?"
"They were taken," Padmé drew a shaky breath. "They were taken by stormtroopers. They broke into our home on Bakura. We came here as soon as we knew there was no hope of getting them back by ourselves."
"If they're out there, we will find them," Bail said. "Now come, let us talk in private…"
Shocked, the inquisitor drew back. She was the twin's mother and she was with Kenobi! So therefore, the children must all be his. Was that why the Emperor was so eager to find them?
The Grand Inquisitor wondered how much of this the Emperor knew. Regardless, his mission had just become even more interesting. If he was clever, he could apprehend not just the children, but a baby, and the wanted Jedi too. It was likely they were all on Dantooine.
Covering his tracks as he retreated, the Sith expertly weaved together a powerful mind-rubbing technique, erasing all memory of the mind-probe. He crafted together a replacement memory, that he had come to see the Senator, but at his resistance to give him any information, he'd left.
Feeling nothing but sadistic victory, he pulled the man to his feet and shoved him back into his desk chair. Blearily, Bail looked around, the replacement memory filling in the blanks.
"It was a pleasure speaking with you Senator. I only hope your reticence will not come back to haunt you," he said to him, before turning and leaving the hearing chamber.
The Pau'an Inquisitor headed back to his ship with his men. Going into his private cabin, he set up an encrypted call with the Emperor as his ship took off.
The Holo flickered on, and Palpatine nodded as the Inquisitor relayed everything he had learnt.
"Good, goooood. You have done well. But the children are not the offspring of Kenobi. They are the heirs of a much more powerful man."
"Who, your highness?" Could it be they were the Emperor's?
"That will remain a secret."
"As you wish," he replied, though he was burning with curiosity.
"The children will be heavily guarded on Dantooine, do not try to extract them without the help of a large ground crew and a naval blockade. We must not underestimate our adversaries. Once you have assembled the task force, you will strike the base. Kill everyone, with exception to any high-ranking officials. And of course, apprehend the children. Do not allow any harm to come to them, or you will answer to it."
He nodded and bowed in understanding.
"I place this operation in your care, Grand Inquisitor. Do not fail me."
ooooo
Luke clutched at his dad's hand, anxiously hopping up and down as the ramp of the Ghost lowered and a sea of people appeared to greet them on the ground. Necks, eye stalks and second heads of a motley mixture of aliens and humans craned to see them. Compared to the neat, uniformed company of the academy, these people seemed like an incongruous jumble, like the type of crowds he'd seen in Mos Espa.
Why were there so many people out there waiting for them?
With Leia on dad's other side, they walked down the ramp with the rest of the Ghost's crew and were met with wild cheers. Feeling a little overwhelmed at the clamour, he stuck close to his father and looked behind him at Caleb, who shot him a reassuring smile. He could see children in the crowd, and they were beaming at him. He wondered if he'd have better luck making friends here.
Crossing the yard through the throng, the crew entered a large building. Inside, there were even more people monitoring screens and talking on comm calls. When they entered, there were more cheers, and Luke's confusion increased. Heading up the stairs, they entered a quieter room. The door slid shut behind them and Luke was shocked to see a small green creature sitting amongst some important looking adults.
Staring curiously, he wondered who let that frog with clothes on into the building.
Chuckling, the frog turned and looked him in the eye as if he'd sensed his thoughts. Frowning, Luke realised his shields had slipped. He must've projected that.
"A frog, I am not," he smiled, tapping his walking stick on his knee.
He felt a wave of amusement from the other Jedi in the room and he grinned sheepishly.
"Grand Master Yoda. Meet Luke and Leia Skywalker," his father said, guiding them forward.
A Grand Master! Luke felt embarrassed that he'd judged him by his appearance, but the old Jedi seemed to have forgotten about it already. He was looking at them whilst dad spoke with eyes that seemed to see right through them.
"Well you have done, in bringing them here," Yoda's eyes travelled to his father, then to the crew of the Ghost. "Keep the children of Skywalker safe, we will."
Skywalker. Luke thought about that word. Dad had never introduced them with that surname before. His name was Luke Kayla. Or if not that, then certainly Luke Kenobi. Skywalker was Anakin's surname. Why had dad changed his name in front of Master Yoda? Having two fathers was so confusing.
"Pleased to meet you, Grand Master Yoda," Leia said beside him in her polite talking-to-adults voice, and he copied her greeting.
"Skywalkers they are indeed, hmm," the old Jedi said, observing them closely. Luke felt affronted again at the choice of name.
"How feel you, young one?" Master Yoda asked.
"A bit confused sir," Leia answered. The other grown-ups in the room watched the interaction curiously.
"Hm, confused? Why?"
She fiddled anxiously with her hands. "Why were all those people so happy to see us?"
Several adults chuckled and Yoda did the same. "Saved you from the Emperor we did, saved you from a dark fate. Important, the two of you are. A great destiny you have before you, hmmm great indeed."
"Because we're Skywalkers?" Luke asked.
"Yes," Master Yoda nodded sagely. "The children of Anakin Skywalker you are. Runs strong in his family, the Force does. Died a hero, Anakin did. Proud you should be. Continue your training you will, from all the Jedi present," he motioned to the others. "Potential you have, to bring the galaxy back to the light."
Keeping his mind shields shut as tight as he was able, Luke thought about his second father. Hearing it confirmed in front of everyone that he was indeed the son of Anakin Skywalker made the truth felt more real than ever.
Dad had told him to keep it a secret that Anakin hadn't died, but had turned into the dark Lord he knew. He'd been scared of the man at first, but the more he had gotten to know his second father, the more he could see that there was still good in him. Leia believed it too, they had both sensed it.
Everyone hated Vader and the man had no friends, but maybe if the rebels knew the truth, maybe they could help him overthrow the Emperor, and everyone could be happy.
"What if Anakin is still alive?" he blurted out.
Everyone's eyes landed on him and Yoda tilted his head. Despite his shields, Luke heard dad speaking through their bond, his voice strict. "Luke, don't say anything more."
"Long dead, Anakin is," Yoda replied, glancing briefly at Obi-Wan.
"But he's not dead! " Luke shouted mentally to himself. He felt his dad's shock at his adamance.
"Not here, young one," Yoda's voice floated inside his mind and Luke's eyes widened. He'd never heard anyone except Leia or his father speak to him through the Force before. Again, Yoda must've heard him. "Know the truth about Vader, some of us do. Revealing it now, no good will it do."
Nodding and biting back on everything he wanted to say, Luke looked down, hoping that the other adults would see his question as a childish outburst. He could feel his father's eyes boring into the back of his head and Luke winced internally at the scolding he knew he'd receive as soon as they were alone.
"Your foster father, Master Kenobi, saw it with his own eyes he did. Killed by the Emperor, Anakin was," Yoda's face became even more serious as he turned to address the adults behind him. "Whilst you were gone, sensed a great disturbance in my meditation I did. A faltering in the power of the Sith."
Mace Windu spoke up. "What should our plan of action be now?"
Just then, an officer ran into the room holding a data pad.
"We've just received news that The Grand Inquisitor has been sighted at the Royal Courts on Alderaan. He was demanding a formal audience with Senator Organa, but we haven't received any update. It appears all outgoing communications from the Courts have been jammed."
Luke looked at his father and noted his brow was knotted in concern. Who was this inquisitor? What did that mean?
"A disturbing development this is," Master Yoda said, looking between those in the room, before settling his eyes on Obi-Wan. "Wait on news we shall. Settle in with your family you will, Master Kenobi. Rest you all need. Call you, we will, when we hear more."
"Yes Master."
Luke was led by the hand and the three of them left, heading across the yard back towards the Ghost.
"Luke, I told you not to mention Anakin," dad reprimanded him as soon as they were onboard and out of earshot of anyone. Artoo rolled forward and greeted them with a volley of beeps. "It is a delicate situation. You need to listen to me on this."
"I know, I'm sorry," he looked at the droid as he and Leia patted his dome. "But…he's not gone dad."
"Do you truly believe that?" His father looked down at him with a serious expression, the bright lighting of the ship making his eyes appear very blue.
Luke tried to convey the truth that he felt in his heart. "There is good in him. I've felt it."
"I've felt it too," Leia said. "Mom said Anakin is dead, but I don't think that's true."
He placed his hands on their shoulders. "I hope you're right; I really do."
"We can help him to overthrow the Emperor," Luke said, his eyes imploring. "Then we can all be happy."
"I don't think it's that simple Luke."
"Why not?"
He gave him an unreadable look.
"Who is the Grand Inquisitor?" Leia asked, interrupting them.
Obi-Wan sighed. "Someone who kills Jedi."
"Kills Jedi?" Leia said, mortified.
"Children," he knelt down to be at their eye height. "Every single person in this camp will protect you with their lives."
"What about you? Who will protect you?" Leia asked.
"I have Master Yoda," he said with a twinkle in his eyes as he gave her cheek an affectionate pinch.
"But he's…so small and old," Luke said, not sure if he was joking.
"Don't let appearances deceive you," he ruffled his hair.
"Dad, you shouldn't let appearances deceive you either," Luke said.
He looked surprised for a moment and his hand stilled on his head. "Well said, like a true Jedi. Come, we can talk more about this after we've settled in."
Luke nodded with a small smile. The Force seemed to be drawing him to Vader in a strange way, and he wanted to help his second father in any way he could. But for the moment, he put the matter aside.
He thought about the inquisitor as they picked up their bags and headed off with Artoo in tow. Luke was afraid, but he also knew how powerful Master Kenobi and the other Jedi were. The inquisitor didn't stand a chance.
The closer they got to the forest edge, the more the hustle and bustle of camp died away. They were led up to a small hut nestled amongst tall green trees, and as soon as the door was open, he and Leia rushed inside to look around.
Aside from the adjoining fresher, there was one main room in the hut which had a few beds arranged, as well as a storage compartment and some basic bits of furniture. Though it was small, it was cosy, and outside the trees were swaying in the breeze, making patches of yellow light and shadow dance on the walls.
"Wow dad you have your own fresher!" Leia exclaimed.
Luke barely heard her as he was staring wide-eyed at a shiny golden droid who was powered down in the corner. "Wow a protocol droid! Just like FN-84 on Vader's ship! Is he yours dad?" Luke ran forward and looked for the on switch.
"Well yes and no, Anakin made him a long time ago," he replied as he set their bags down. "Even Artoo is his old droid."
"Both of them?"
Dad nodded and flicked a switch behind the droid's head. Round amber eyes lit up and the golden body straightened his posture. Luke was amazed both of the droids were Anakin's. Again, his second father entered his thoughts.
"Leia, Luke, meet Threepio."
"Well bless my circuits! It is a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance Master Luke and Mistress Leia."
Luke moved closer. "Are you a real protocol droid?"
"Indeed I am."
"Can you get me some shuura cream donuts please?"
"I don't think they'll have those here Luke," dad said with a grin as he stored away their belongings and started rummaging around in the storage cupboard.
"I'm terribly sorry but Master Kenobi is right. However, I believe I can source some blue macarons for you. The children here seem to enjoy them immensely."
Leia, who was bouncing on one of the mattresses to test it, nodded eagerly. "Yes please!"
"Macarons will be fine Threepio," dad said. "Please bring them some lunch as well, something healthy if you can."
"Yes of course Master Kenobi!" he happily turned and left with Artoo.
"Luke," his father was holding something expectantly in his hand. It was a small model of a Y-Wing space craft, one he had received from his parents on Life Day last year.
His face lit up and he rushed forward, taking the ship and hugging his father. "Our stuff from home! You brought it with you!"
Reunited with their toys, clothes and belongings that they thought were lost forever, he and Leia felt the happiest they'd been in weeks. Zooming around the room and bouncing on the beds, he got lost up in the joy of playing and forgot about his second father for a while.
Gratefully changing out of their imperial cadet uniforms, Luke and Leia now wore their comfortable clothing from home. They were dressed in matching jumpsuits with Bakuran ponchos over worn over the top. These were clipped around their waists with sturdy brown utility belts and on their feet, they wore bantha hide boots that matched the ones their father wore. Leia styled her hair into two long plaits. For the first time since being taken, they felt truly like themselves again.
Later, when he emptied out his backpack from the academy, Luke found his commlink and put it on the bedside table. Vader and mom's frequencies were stored on it, and it might be possible to reach them. Dantooine was closer to Coruscant than Arkanis had been. Should he mention it to dad? Would it be safe to call either of them? What if the signal got tracked and he endangered the base?
At that moment, Threepio returned and Luke ran over to see what he'd brought, the device momentarily forgotten.
It was a while later when he and Leia were digging into some desert that the two of them jumped out of their skin at the sound of the device beeping. Wiping some icing from his cheek, Luke pointed at the device, his mouth full of cake.
"It's calling!"
Leia jumped up to look at it and her face lit up. "It's mom's frequency! Dad! It's mom and Junie!"