Chapter 16

Leia returned from a day at her mother's office in which she did not even see her. She wondered why she did not come to work, and what it meant. Back at the Falcon, she sat in a huff and folded her arms. "Han,we have to do a flyby tonight. I hate that we have to, but her apartment is so high up and I cannot gain access through normal means! Something is up, and I have to check on her. Everything depends on it."

Han was tired of the games. "Leia, I don't want to upset you, but don't you think this has gone far enough? Short of bursting right into her home and telling her what you know, risking being imprisoned for lunacy, you cannot stop her. The events happened, and you can't stop them..."

"NO!" She stood up and became more furious than he had ever seen her. "I can! I have to! I have been given this chance, I must!"

He tried to calm her with his arm around her shoulder. It was hard to contain his own volatile temper. If he had been a Jedi he'd have surely turned to the dark side himself, she thought. "The ship is almost ready. We can return to our own time, and fix things there! There is something you can do in our own time, with the Senate! They need you! Who knows what's happening there without you?"

"But if I can change things here, it won't matter."

"Or, it could be worse. Did you ever think of that?"

A tear slid down her brave facade. "All I know is, my mother is here, and she's going to die. My father is here, and he's going to be badly hurt and cause much damage to the galaxy. My adoptive father is here, and he will die when Alderaan is destroyed. I cannot just go and leave them, Han, please."

He gave his sheepish grin, rolled his eyes, and hugged her. "Okay. Whatever you say. Don't let it be said it was my fault."

Leia buried her face in his chest and sobbed. "Thank you, Han. Let's go."

Luke had spent the night in the basement of the burned out igloo on the old Lars homestead. For the inner person who was still the old Luke Skywalker, it was painful to return to his childhood home. So many memories, and even a pang of guilt for the deaths of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. But as Obi Wan had told him, if he had been there, he'd have been killed too. There was nothing he could have done. It was now a familiar place, a refuge for him to hide out, no one ever came there or thought of the location. Here, he could contemplate his next moves, and his next plan. He had been to Old Ben's hut in the hillside cave, but the energy there was wrong. Perhaps it was inner guilt that he had gone against everything that he had been trained to be and had become the very thing he was supposed to destroy. It was through that cave that Obi Wan had felt him through the force and knew his location. While he was no longer there, he was still on the planet. He felt safe from any oppositon or enemies there, since at this time he had no allies to guard him while he slept. After a late night at the cantina, he was still sound asleep underground, protected from the hot suns of Tattooine, and detection by anyone. Anyone except someone who had the force.

In the Jedi Starfighter, Anakin, and Obi Wan's spirit had almost reached Tattooine. Swirls of memories good and bad tugged at them. Anakin remembered his mother, the sand people, and wondered about Luke having grown up there. Broken promises to free his fellow slaves. His mother. Thinking of his mother brought to mind sad recollections and regret over her as well as Padme. And something Obi Wan had told him.

"Master, when can you tell me more about the secrets of the eternal and everlasting force that only those who have passed into it know, as you told me about when you used it to restore my sight? Must I be dead first, can you tell me, now?"

Obi Wan, while emotional at the time he made that promise to Anakin, was worried about its implications now. Though he did totally trust and love Anakin again, he wondered what he'd have in mind to use that kind of power for. "It is very cosmic and detailed, my friend. We don't yet have the time to get into it. I told you I will share it with you while you are still among the living so that you may use it to cross over when your time comes as I did. But for now, it must wait. The matter at hand is finding young Luke. Patience."

Anakin was afraid he'd say that. He didn't want to cause a disturbance in the loving and useful reunion he had with Obi Wan, but he coudn't help thinking "if he could use that power to heal my eyes, what else can he do? What else can be healed? Could he...bring the dead back to life?" Anakin did not dare say this, not yet. It was trying to keep Padme alive that had driven him to the dark side, and a life of tragedy for himself and others. Still, that guilt and ever present sadness would not leave him. IF he could learn this power, was there a chance, at all, she could be brought back to life? Dare he even think of it? Was it possible? He didn't speak these words aloud though Obi Wan in his infinite wisdom somewhat sensed his train of thought. "Obi Wan," he finally asked, You told me that with the force, NOTHING is impossible. Are you able...can..." he choked on the words, unable to get them out. It didn't matter. His old master had sensed his feelings.

"Can I teach you to bring the dead back to life?"

Anakin didn't answer but turned and stared directly at him. Memories of Palpatine raced through his mind, and he said the same thing he had said to him: "How did you know that?"

Obi Wan almost chuckled. "Anakin, here you are presuming I have the ultimate power of the universe at my disposal, and am able to bring dead beings back to life, and you would question that I could read your feelings? I have been doing that all along, my friend. It's how I knew you needed me. It's how I knew I could trust you again." Then he looked more somber. "I am afraid that once a person is long dead, and their body is past the time of restoration, it is too late. There is a time, soon after... but when years have passed, so has the time. I'm sorry."

Anakin was heartbroken. He tried to read Obi Wan's expression, and inner feelings, to see if this was true or if he was only trying to discourage him from going on another desperate chain of action. It wasn't the same as reading a living being, he was of the force now, it wasn't working. But he believed him. "I am sorry, master, I hope you understand that it is in my heart, and I had to try. I hope this does not change the way you feel about me now."

"No, Anakin. I understand. In fact, I knew you were going to ask."

"You did?" He looked embarrassed, though still upset and disappointed. In his mind, he cried, if only it were not too late.Then he had another thought. "What about spirits, are Jedi the only ones who can return from the netherworld of the force?"

"As far as I know, Yoda, Qui Gon, and myself, along with a Shaman of the Whills, are the only ones who have achieved immortality as individuals. However, the force is strong, and deep, and there are things we do not yet know. We are searching for answers, that's where Qui Gon is now, searching through the force to discover things. One day, you will join us. I am sure there is much to learn. Much is possible. But for now, dear friend, let's find Luke, and save him from himself."

Obi Wan wondered, just for a second, if he did the right thing healing Anakin's eyes. As long as he remained blind, he was humble and pitiful, but now that he could see again he was more like his old self, stronger, more confident, and maybe more defiant? Perhaps a blind Anakin would have been less threat to the universe. Well, he thought, having no limbs or lungs didn't stop him. No, he reconsidered, and regretted even questioning himself. Yoda was not right, he had done the right thing. Anakin needed to see to find and fight Luke and stop him from becoming the new Sith Lord. No, Anakin should see, this was the right thing. He could sense in his spiritual being that Anakin had truly, deeply changed, and was not a threat. While his talk of bringing the dead back to life was just like the Anakin of old, the one who turned, it was just his love, attachment, that made him think of it. He knew that now, and knew the old order had been wrong. Though for years it had been different, he had now purged himself of any doubt. Anakin was back, the good friend and brother he remembered before his turn, only now with enough experience never to let the dark side sway him again.

Anakin tried to get his mind off the infinite possibilites Obi Wan had sent racing through his mind. He would never give up on them, and he was anxious to learn the secrets. But for now, Luke was the main issue. The starfighter approached Tattooine's weak atmosphere and penetrated it. As they came through, they saw that it was early morning, and the suns were burning brightly on the sands. Anakin had hated Tattooine for so long, and always thought it ugly. It wasn't quite so ugly today. Even the harsh, barren dunes and scorching suns of Tattooine were a gorgeous and welcome sight after experiencing blindness! Anakin quietly let out a half laugh. "Well, here we are, home sweet home." It had been a focal point for all of them, Anakin was raised here, lost his mother there, Luke grew up there, met Obi Wan there, Obi Wan had lived in his old hut and communed with Qui Gon there, waiting for Luke to come to the force.

Now it had brought them all full circle, and in a way, back to square one- stopping the dark side. If Luke were to become a full Sith Lord, and take an apprentice, the whole mess could start back over again. It had to end, now.

Leia was now so desperate, she no longer cared about being discreet. In their latest flyby, she could see her mother was alone, and crying, in her apartment. On the skyline, they saw fire coming from the Jedi temple. They did not dare get any closer to see what was happening, but they knew it was bad. On the transmitter, Han picked up horrid tales on the newsline. They swarmed closer and closer to the penthouse balcony. "Take me in, Han." she said with determination.

"What, are you crazy?"

"Something terrible has happened, and it involves my parents. Now, Han, take me as close as you can to that balcony."

He could tell she was not changing her mind, and while he worried, he loved that part of her nature. Hovering just over where Padme could not see the ship out her window, Leia lifted the hatch on top and, using a rope with a hook to secure a grip on the balcony railing, tried to get the courage to jump. Up high the wind would toss her about. She called upon whatever force existed in her to guide her, and jumped. She missed! Han was terror stricken. He tried to move the Falcon and turn it around to come under her, but by the time he made his wide turn to circle back, the brave young former princess and senator, and part Jedi, had managed to pull herself up to where she could grab hold of the railing. Once she was safely on the balcony, she waved Han off, he had to go before anyone came after him. Carefully, she snuck to the sliding glass doors and peeked around the corner. There sat her mother, crying on the couch. It was now or never, fear, propriety, especially her job, didn't matter now. "Hello." she boldy announced her presence.

"Leia, how did you get in here?"

"It's not important. What is important is getting you out of here. You are in danger, your husband Anakin is in great danger."

"Anakin? How did you know he was my husband?"

Leia had slipped up, and now didn't know what to say. She had to do it. She was going to openly come right out with it. She was her daughter, sent from the future to save her. She took a deep breath, and began to speak. "I have something to tell you that is going to be quite a shock, but in a good way, I hope:" Padme stared at her in shock and anticipation. But before she could say another word, there was a knock at the door. Padme put her finger to her lips to tell Leia to be quiet, then with her hand silently waved her away, pointing to the bedroom. Leia respected her wishes, and quietly tiptoed into the bedroom. Padme had a visitor. It was Obi Wan Kenobi.

After all these years, Anakin remembered the place where his mother was buried. He wanted to visit it one more time, something he had not been able to do in all his years as Vader. He had felt wrong, like his mother would disapprove. He hated the ugly place, the whole planet. The pain was too strong. If he had gone there, Luke would not have remained a secret so long. Obi Wan looked over at the sand hill where he had last seen Beru holding baby Luke when he had given him to her and set off for his years of solitute as a hermit. They landed it, and got out. Anakin walked slowly to the place where his mother was buried, though the stone was broken and covered by years of blowing sand, he had not forgotten. He had a sad, silent moment with her as tears rolled down his face. He knelt and touched the ground above her. He hoped she was happy and at peace, wherever she was in the force. Anakin looked around the remains of the homestead and imagined his son there as a child, and deeply regretted how he had come to be there, and how much time he had missed. All he could do was save him now. Then, another feeling came to him, one that Obi Wan already had. They both sensed a presence, the presence of the force strong human sleeping underground. At the same time, Luke was awakening, and he could sense them too. Anakin had to clear his mind of the hurtful emotions before he felt the presence, but now he did.

"Master," he said in a low voice without moving or turning around, "Luke is here. Now"

"I know. Get ready."