FROM THE ASHES

Chapter 23

When Anakin returned to Coruscant, he couldn't wait to get out of that hot, uncomfortable suit! He was sweating inside and felt stuck to it. His hair was still stiff with dried sweat from when his head was trapped inside the mask and helmet. .The armour was so cumbersome and restrictive to the movements he was used to. It was good to get his agility back. Taking off that suit was like lifting a load of stone from his shoulders! He left it in a heap on the floor as he took a shower and washed his hair, then changed back into his Jedi outfit and stuffed his suit into a big shopping bag.He carried it back into the med center,.swinging the bag back and forth on its twine handles as he walked. The mask was sticking out the opening at the top, face up.

"Here," he told the droid who had given it to him, "I'm returning this suit now. It worked very well but I won't be needing it anymore." The droid did not take the bag.

"We have no use for it at this time, Master Skywalker. On the unlikely event that someone does require just this particular suit, there isn't much chance it will fit him perfectly as it does you. You may keep it, there may be other missions you need it for in the future." Anakin looked down at the mask looking up at him and smiled. This made him even more certain the suit had been constructed especially for him, and he had escaped his fate of being in it for life.

"Will do. I appreciate it." He carried his burden as he went to visit Padme.

She was lying in the bed, eyes bandaged, wounds treated. Her pretty face and neck were bruised and battered. Her long hair had been so tangled and matted the droids had to cut some of it off, but it was still past her shoulders, smooth and pulled back behind her in a ponytail. Her arms had been sprained in the last struggle with Gerapaline, and they had been tightly bandaged all the way down to her hands, which had cuts all over them. Anakin was saddened by the site of this beautiful, classy lady lying there in such a condition. Though he had force choked her in his dark side rage, he felt he could never cause her any harm and was upset that anyone could, especially when all she had tried to do was to help others by stopping Gerapaline. He quietly sat down next to her and spoke to her gently as not to frighten her, since she couldn't see, or even sense his presence.

"Hello beautiful."

She jerked her body and turned her head toward him. "Oh stop it Anakin, you know I'm not."

"Yes you are. How long before I can take you out of here?"

"Go back to the temple, Anakin. I won't have you burdening yourself with me."

"Seems I remember saying something like that to someone not so long ago, and she said, if it were her lying here, wouldn't I take care of her? The answer was and still is yes." Her lips came together in a sad scowl and she looked like she was going to cry. She was deeply emotionally touched by his undying love. He put her to shame, and she felt so guilty about some of the things she'd said to him when she was mad. He could sense this, and tried to reassure her. "Now, you have to stop that, you need to keep the medicine in your eyes."

"Anakin, did my eyes look as bad as yours did when you were blind?"

Anakin couldn't help but spit out a little bit of laugh. "Well, I wouldn't know that, would I? How can I compare when I never got to see my eyes when I was blind?"

She gave a half smile. "And I can't see mine to know if they are as bad as the way yours looked!"

"I was worse off than you in a lot of ways and look at me now...um, well, I mean, I'm all right now, so you will be too."

"Anakin, is Luke all right?"

"Yes! I wanted to tell you, I checked on him and he's fine and healthy."

"You said you think you know who has Leia. Where is she?"

Anakin bent his head to whisper, he didn't want the gossip to get around. "I think the Organas have her."

She sighed and whispered back, "What?"

"They adopted a baby girl the same time Leia came up 'sold.' I haven't been around her to feel her presence, if I did I could be sure. But just the same I get a strong sense it's her."

"Gerapaline did say it was a very well to do family. Oh, Anakin, you have to find out for sure, and then we have to get her back."

"I know. You just rest and get yourself well, there are going to be battles ahead."

He kissed her as he got up to leave. "I'd better go now, I've got a lot to do." He said as he got up, carrying the suit in the bag.

"Anakin!" She called as she heard him walking away. "I love you."

He turned back and answered. "I know." He didn't mean to be cocky, he meant he could feel it. She loved him again, maybe she had never really stopped. He knew he had never stopped loving her. Anakin thought it, then said it aloud: "I love you too."

When Anakin left the hospital, he put his hood up so none of the media who were stalking the place would recognize him. He kept the suit out of sight, stuffing the large shopping bag under his cloak. There were reporters and gossip columnists hanging out waiting for news, but the center had kept all news of Padme confidential. Anakin also saw a police presence, and feared it was to arrest Padme as soon as she was released. When he got back to the temple, he stored the suit away and tried to watch a little of the news. Sure enough, rumors were flying about Padme. It was going to be impossible to just sneak her back into her normal life. Troubles lay ahead, and he didn't feel either of them were going to be up to it.

He walked into Obiwan's room and found him sitting on the floor, deep in medidtation. Through telepathy, Anakin sent him a message that he was there, and he came out of it. "I've been meditating on healing myself."

"That's a good idea, I should have done more of that when I was injured. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to concentrate. You are stronger than I, you always have been."

"Thank you, Anakin, but I doubt myself sometimes too."

"Would it help if I joined you in meditation? Two of us might make you heal twice as fast." Thinking this was a good idea, he asked Anakin to join him. They joined hands and meditated together for Obiwan's eyes to heal. He could feel his body tingling with energy as the additional force power surged through him.

Later that day, Anakin ventured into the Senate building. As soon as he did, he could feel Leia's presence. She was here! Looking around, he finally came to a conference room where there was a meeting going on. The Queen of Alderaan was there, holding a baby. As Anakin got closer and closer, the feeling did, too. There was no question, the Organas were the ones who had bought his daughter from Gerapaline's agent! He was so angry, and so moved by his paternal instinct he wanted to go yell out 'that's my baby!' and take her from the Queen's arms. He knew he couldn't, and this tortured him very much. How was he even going to begin the process of getting her back? A lump came in his throat and tears came to his eyes as he fought them off, turning to leave. As he did, someone called to him. "Anakin Skywalker!" He turned to see Senator Organa coming up behind him, smiling broadly. "Don't you want to meet my new daughter?"

Anakin didn't know what to say. If he came out and accused Organa, it would only make him more defensive. If he didn't, time might slip away and they might never get her back. He felt he lost either way. For now, he didn't confront him. He couldn't afford to with Padme in such trouble. Anakin followed Organa to the conference room where the Queen sat with the baby. Anakin's eyes watered as he looked upon the little girl he recognized and sensed as his own. "She's beautiful." was all he could say. The Organas made no immediate mention of Padme's situation, and Anakin didn't bring it up.

"How are your own children?" He asked.

"Luke is staying with my stepbrother."

"Where is Leia, she's with Padme's sister, right?"

"No."

"Where is she then?"

Anakin stared right into Organa's eyes, searching for clues in them, and told him "We don't know."

Organa looked a bit taken by surprise, or like he had heard something he didn't want to hear. "What do you mean?"

"Gerapaline sold our daughter."

Organa looked disappointed to hear this. In the back of his mind, he had suspected the baby might be Leia, but tried to avoid it. Now learning Leia was missing he was having a hard time denying the possibility, but he said nothing. "I'm sorry, that's bad news. I hope you find her someday." He turned quickly and nervously walked away. Anakin got a bad feeling about it all. He'd have to find some way to get Leia back, but all the cards and odds were stacked against him and Padme.

Anakin went back to the hospital and told Padme that he had seen Leia. At least she was safe and alive and well cared for. They knew that with the crimes they had both committed it wasn't going to be easy to fight for their own child if it came to that, but Organa had involved himself with criminals, and that was bad too. Still, the Queen had a large fortune and the best connections. How could they ever defeat her? Anakin comforted Padme the best he could, and told her to try to remain calm so she could get well. As he left the hospital, the media tried to harass him again, and he had to use Jedi mind tricks on some of them. He could have used the force to get them all out there, but couldn't afford a public spectacle that would be filmed and photographed. Frustrated, he returned to the temple, meditated again with Obiwan, then went to sleep with it all weighing heavy on his mind. There had to be a way to work everything out, there just had to be.

The Tatooine suns were blazing into another ravishing sunset fading into the sand. Owen and Beru sat outside, sipping a refreshment and relaxing from another day of hard work on the moisture farm. Luke was in a little baby seat at their side, cooeing and kicking playfully. Beru wiggled a finger in front of his face, and he grabbed it with a cute giggle. "I know you love that kid, Beru, but you have to give him up someday so don't go getting all attached."

She frowned. "Can't you just let me enjoy him while I can?"

"The longer he stays, the harder it's going to be when he leaves. Personally I can't wait until he leaves. He's costing us money we don't have. If he were old enough to work and earn his keep.."

"Owen, is that all you can think of? Don't you have any feelings?"

"I'd have a lot more feelings for a kid who was big enough to help me."

"You want a slave, not a son!"

"Can't he be a bit of both? Don't most parents make their kids do chores?"

"I guess you're right. So you're saying, if a boy was older, he'd be less of a burden to you? Then perhaps we should look for an older orphan child to adopt instead of a baby."

"I didn't say that..."

Their conversation was interrupted by a clanking sound from behind. "Who's there?" Owen yelled, running in the direction of the commotion. He saw a brown haired little boy running and chased him down. When he grabbed him, he kicked with all his might. Finally Owen subdued him and carried him toward the residence.

"Are you gonna kill me?" He asked.

"No I'm not going to kill you. What are you doing sneaking around here?"

"I'm sorry, mister, I was hungry. I stowed away on a delivery speeder coming from Mos Eisely. I hung around there so long I was scared of getting killed or arrested."

"You were living on your own in a rough place like that? Where are your folks?"

The boy looked down at his feet, kicking some sand. "Dead. They owed too much money to Jabba the Hutt. He kept us all as slaves for awhile, then he threw my Mom and Dad in the sarlaac pit."

"That's awful, kid, I'm sorry. How did you escape?"

"One of the creatures on his skiff felt sorry for me and helped me get away. I only got as far as Mos Eisely, then I ended up here."

Beru came up to see what was going on, holding Luke in her arms. "That's a sad story, I can't stand to hear what the Hutts do to people. Are you from around here?"

"No, we were from Corellia, but he sent his bounty hunters and got us."

"Do you have any family on Corellia now?"

"I don't think so."

"Then, what are you going to do?"

"Just take care of myself, I guess." He looked so brave but still like the pitiful lost child he was.

Beru put her arm around him. "How would you like to stay here for awhile?" Owen gave her a negative look, but she stared him down."We can't let this poor child run around with no food or home." Owen turned his head and stomped his foot in anger, then had second thoughts.

"Boy, would you like to work here in exchange for food and shelter?" The boy's face lit up and he got as excited as any child. "Oh yippee! Do you mean it, mister? I'll do good, please don't throw me out!"

Beru hugged him. "Let's get you inside and give you a bath while I wash your clothes. If you're going to be our little boy, we need to know your name."

"It's Han Solo, lady."

"Han, that's a nice name. But you won't have to be solo anymore, I'm going to take care of you like my own little boy." That night after Han was washed and fed and put to bed, Owen and Beru sat up watching the stars and talking. "Thank you, Owen, now I have my son and you have your farm hand, and he has a safe and secure home to grow up in!"

"I don't know.."

"Yes, please, this is such a good thing for all of us."

"What about that little baby?"

"You're right, his parents will be coming back, I can't get too attached. No one is ever going to be coming for Han."

"What about Jabba the Hutt?"

"Surely he won't chase down this child. We can tell everyone he's our nephew whose parents died in the Clone Wars."

Owen softened up and gave the tender smile he had when she first fell in love with him. "You know, this might just work out for everyone." They snuggled under the clearest, brightest of starlit nights as Luke and Han snoozed peacefully inside.