Darth Vader stood beside his master and watched on. Luke Skywalker was on the floor, enduring the rage of the Emperor's hatred.
"Father… please… help me!" Luke pleaded.
Vader tried to push Anakin down, lock him away with what was left of the good side within his hatred. But his son was suffering. He needed to do something and something quickly.
He found Luke's lightsaber in his left hand and ignited in the path of the Force Lightening. The Emperor turned to face his apprentice. Snarling, he stopped his attack on Luke and turned it onto his apprentice. Anakin was expecting it. Pushing back the Force Lightening, Anakin found it harder to concentrate at the task at hand. He was afraid.
Not really sure of what, Anakin let down his defenses.
Palpatine wasn't expecting that and he stopped his attack. Grinning wickedly at his former student, he said: "You served me well with destroying the Jedi Order. Now destroy what's left of it."
"I will rather die than to see my son destroyed," Anakin countered.
"So be it," Palpatine alleged wickedly, sending a chill down Luke's spine.
Anakin suddenly knew why he was afraid. He was afraid for Luke. And he knew what had to be done. He acted, bringing the lightsaber in his hand down and around. The green blade cut through the Emperor's body. On his death, Palpatine's body erupted with Force Lightening.
Anakin was knocked off his feet as the blast hit him. The lightsaber in his hand went sailing. He thought that he was going to die. Did he act too late? But he could sense Luke's bright Force signature beside him. That must mean that I'm dead… both of us are.
Luke crawled to his father's side. Anakin was rolled onto his back. "Father?" Luke whispered. "We've got to get out of here. Can you get up?"
Anakin nodded and staggered to his feet. What? I'm not dead? He helped Luke to his feet. "Let's get out."
They made it to one of the hangers in the Death Star. Climbing aboard one of the shuttles, Anakin and Luke made it off the Death Star just in time. Luke passed out as soon as they had boarded the shuttle.
Anakin sat in the cockpit. He knew he would be killed at the hands of the Rebellion if he didn't die aboard the shuttle he was on. His heavy armor weighed down on him. Something had to be done.
Anakin knew something had happened to him when the Emperor had died. He felt strength in his bones and muscles. It would be good to be out of this armor, he thought. But that would be impossible. He had lost function of most of his natural body. He was alive because of machines.
He knew something had changed. Something within him, maybe. Sighing, Anakin took the shuttle toward the moon's surface of Endor.
Landing, Anakin moved back into the main part of the shuttle where Luke lay, on the edge of consciousness. Seeing him lying there made Anakin think of Padmé. His angel. He hadn't deserved her.
Noticing the exposed wires of Luke's mechanical hand made Anakin look to his own right hand. He frowned. It was there. A real flesh and blood hand. He didn't understand it. Remembering the fight he had had with Dooku more than two decades before, he knew he had lost it. But now, he knew that the hand producing out of his suit was real.
Luke stirred and woke at that point. "Where are we?" he asked.
"Endor's moon," Anakin replied through his mask. He was still looking at his hand strangely.
"I—" Luke started before he too saw the flesh hand coming out of the suit. "What happened?"
"I'm not sure. You better get up. Your friends will want to see you."
"What will happen to you?"
"I will do the right thing. Turn myself in."
"They will kill you," Luke stated.
"I know they will. I deserve it too. I killed all those people."
"Under orders of Emperor Palpatine. He took control of you, Father. You didn't have the strength to oppose him, then."
"I do now?"
"You destroyed him, Father."
"Because of you and your sister," Anakin said, sighing.
"I don't like this. I've just saved you from Palpatine. I'm not just going to let them kill you!"
"This is my choice, Luke. This feels right somehow. I have to face up to the charges laid against me. I wouldn't be able to live, otherwise, knowing that I caused hurt to those millions of souls."
"You have one witness, Father."
"I know, Luke. But I have to face this alone. I don't want to endanger you or your sister. If you do this, your friends will discriminate you for my crimes."
"Not the Rogues."
"I still don't want to take you down with me."
"Father, this is my choice. If you have to go to court, I'll be with you all the way. I can't let you suffer alone."
"Someone has to look after your sister."
"Han will do that."
Anakin turned from his son. "I want to be alone for a while. You better go and join your friends."
Luke nodded and made his way off the shuttle. He sighed and rubbed his face with his mechanical hand. Following the direction the Force was leading him; Luke found his way to the Ewok village where celebrations were just starting.
He smiled as Han and Leia greeted him. Thoughts of his father aboard the shuttle that had taken them to safety, Luke grew serious.
"What is it?" Leia asked a second time. Luke remembered her asking him that when he agreed to join the mission. Then, his mind was on the revelation of his sister. Now, his mind was on their father.
"Nothing. It's nothing really. I'm thinking of Father, that's all."
Leia swallowed. Han looked at Luke puzzled. "Your father? Wasn't he killed by Darth Vader?"
Luke looked away. Leia hadn't told Han about whom their father was. "No. Leia," he turned to his sister. "I need to talk to you."
She nodded. Luke led her a fair distance away from the merry making, out of earshot of anyone. Leia didn't say anything, but swallowed again. Luke let the silence between them build. He swallowed. "Leia."
"Tell me. Is Father dead?"
Luke shook his head. "If he was, I wouldn't be here."
"What are you talking about?" Leia turned to face Luke. "Luke, you can't be serious. You should have killed him when you had the chance!"
"What? Should I have left him on the Death Star to die? It's not in my nature, Leia. You should know that."
"He doesn't deserve to live!" Leia said, letting her tears fall down her face. "He looked on as my world was destroyed! My family!"
"What would you have me do, Leia? If I had destroyed him, I would have taken his place at Palpatine's side. I would have turned to the Dark Side and would have become another Vader. Trust me, Leia; I wanted to do that so badly. He ordered the death warrant for my family too. But I trusted in the light I saw in him.
"I was right," Luke couldn't stop his tears from falling. "I was right about him. There is still good in him."
Leia turned, frustrated. Wiping her eyes, she knew Luke would never have let their father die while there was still hope. Luke ran his hand through his hair, his face paling a bit. Leia didn't notice. Turning from her, he took a short walk from her. Before him, stood Obi-Wan and Yoda. They were smiling.
Leia soon joined him. "You should have let him die."
"I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him. He saved my life and he came back because of you."
"But Luke, you can't know that."
"I can sense it in him, Leia. And he still is our father. Soon, you'll learn to trust your senses."
"I want nothing to do with him! You hear me? I want nothing to do with him! And I want nothing to do with anybody who does!" Leia turned to head back to the celebrations. "Come and join us."
"I don't feel like celebrating tonight. I'll see you later. For now, I'm going back to Father."
Leia snorted. She turned and left him. Luke's gaze followed his sister's form until she joined Han once again. He then turned and left the village. Returning to the shuttle, Luke found that his father wasn't there. Sitting, he felt frustration rising in him. Leia just didn't understand.
"It's not fair!" he mumbled, his tears streaming down his face.
