"War crimes?" echoes Luke, stepping towards them. "What do you mean?"
The head of the group looks at my son and then back at me. "Are you or are you not Anakin Skywalker?" he asks calmly.
"I told you that I am," I reply.
"Then you will come with us at once," he says, pointing his weapon at me. "Put up your hands."
I comply, and one of the other guards approaches me. He is apprehensive, even fearful as he searches me for weapons, and, finding my lightsaber, confiscates it. He then takes my hands and pulls them roughly behind my back, binding my wrists. Luke watches, not knowing what to do. He looks up at me, his eyes conveying his anguish. He wants to help, want to do something to prevent this from happening, but I don't want him to get involved. I shake my head at him, telling him silently to stand back, not to interfere. No doubt the two of us could take down the entire group of them quite easily, but what would that accomplish? It was only a matter of time before the crimes of my past caught up to me. I was a fool to believe that I was free.
"Where are you taking him?" asks Luke as he walks along beside us. "He is my father; I demand to know where you're taking him."
"To a holding cell," grunts one of the guards. "Where he'll be well guarded. We know all about your father, we know he's spent the last 22 years living under a different name than the one he uses now. Isn't that right, Lord Vader?"
Luke looks up at me. How did they find out? He is wondering. I am wondering the very same thing. Someone has obviously informed them, someone who knows who I have been for the past 22 years. But who? A thought strikes me, and I am sickened to think of it. Would my own daughter have done this? Does she hate me this much that she would betray me this way? Luke is wondering the same thing, I can see it in his eyes, and it breaks his heart to even consider it. He loves his sister, and yet he loves me as well; whose side will he take if my suspicions are correct? I can only hope that they are not.
The heavily armed men push me into a waiting vehicle. Luke is desperate to help me. I look back at him, wishing I knew what I should say to him. He has forgiven me, despite everything, despite all the ugliness he now knows about my past; but the galaxy has not. I have spent half of my life terrorizing the galaxy – now it is retribution time.
I am taken to a high security facility, I recognize it immediately. Four guards accompany me as I am lead into the building, all of them keeping their weapons trained on me. I'm not surprised that they are taking such precautions; Darth Vader was a notorious villain, no doubt they are afraid I will erupt into a fit of violence and leave them all dead. I could do so with very little effort, but I have no intention to do so. I am no longer Darth Vader, but that is something these men are incapable of understanding.
The cell I am pushed into is small and dark. There are no windows, no possible means of escape. The force field is activated immediately, along with a heavy blast door. Undoubtedly this cell has been reserved for only the most notorious of criminals, I realize. The guards say nothing to me as they leave me, giving me no indication when I am to be tried for the crimes I am being charged with. I sit down on the hard bench that is to serve as my bed, wondering where Luke is. I sigh, putting my face in my hands. I cannot help but wonder if it would have been better of for everyone if I had died back on the Death Star.
I cannot tell how long has passed since I my incarceration; perhaps an hour, when I hear the guards in the corridor outside. Luke is here…I stand up as the blast door is opened, and the guards appear with my son standing between them.
"Father, are you alright?" he asks as the guards lower the energy field.
I nod, watching the two men as they let Luke in and then leave. They reactive the field, and then the heavy doors. I look back at my son, happy to see him.
"Have they told you what's going to happen?" he asks as he approaches me.
"No," I tell him. "They haven't told me a thing."
Luke seems frustrated. "I tried to get them to tell me anything but they wouldn't. Perhaps I should persuade them."
I shake my head. "I don't suppose this should come as a surprise."
Luke sighs. "No," he replies. "It doesn't, but…we'll find a way to deal with this, I promise you."
I smile at my son. "The rest of the galaxy isn't as forgiving as you, Luke," I tell him.
"But you've changed!" Luke protests. "You aren't the person you were! We have to make them realize that."
"Luke you know as well as I that very few people believe in the Force anymore," I tell him. "To try to explain that I am no longer Darth Vader will be difficult for those who don't understand the nature of the Dark Side of the Force."
"You don't need to believe in the Force to see that you have changed," replies Luke. "You destroyed Palpatine, you saved my life," he says. "That has to count for something!"
"Perhaps," I concur. "But there is a lot of blood on my hands. I don't expect to be shown any mercy," I tell him, sitting down once again, suddenly feeling very tired.
"It was a time of war," replies Luke. "There are a lot of people with blood on their hands," he turns away from me and I hear him say softly, "me included…"
"War is different," I tell my son. "For that I have no remorse- the Clone war was a terrible conflict- but the blood of innocents is another matter. The annihilation of entire planets is another."
Luke looks back at me. "I know, I know," he says quietly.
I look up at him. "I'm not sure that my actions on the death star are enough to absolve me, Luke," I tell him.
Luke seems torn, desperate to help me, but helpless to do so. "Tell me what you want me to do, Father."
"I wish I knew what to tell you," I reply. "I'm not sure you or anyone can do anything," I tell him. I hesitate before responding. "I…I cannot help but wonder if your sister is behind this arrest - she has more reason than most to hate me."
Luke frowns, the thought immensely painful to him. "I don't want to believe that, father," he says.
"No, I don't either," I tell him. "But it's been preying on my mind."
Luke doesn't like what I'm suggesting. "I will talk to her," he says. "If she was involved, I'll find out."
I don't see the point of that, and tell him so. "What good will it do? What's done is done."
Luke interjects. "I don't want to even think that," he tells me. "If there is going to be a trial, you will need people supporting you."
I frown. "You don't expect her to support me? She hates me Luke, she'll never accept me, let alone support me."
"But she doesn't have to testify against you," insists Luke.
"If she's summoned to court she will," I point out. "She'll have no choice."
"She could be very influential, either way," replies Luke, not wishing to think that his sister would try to see me executed.
"Her testimony could be very damning, Luke," I tell him.
Luke shakes his head sadly. "I know," he says softly. "She needs more time. I'll talk to her."
"The penalty for capital crimes on Naboo is execution," I tell him. "Time isn't something I have a lot of."
Luke looks at me, his eyes reflecting his anguish. "I'm so sorry," he says. "I will do whatever I can; I will find the best legal representatives I can. You don't deserve this."
"I wonder how many people will be willing to represent Darth Vader," I muse.
"I will find someone, the best, I promise," insists Luke.
I look at him, as a thought strikes me. "You could do it yourself, Luke"
Luke is surprised. "Me?" he asks.
I nod. "Who better?"
"I don't know anything about legal matters, father," he tells me.
"Does that matter?" I reply. "This trial is a formality, Luke, a farce. They've already found me guilty I'm sure."
"I'm afraid I would make matters worse," replies Luke. "What about...Obi Wan?"
I frown. "Obi Wan? Are you joking?"
"He has claimed to want to help," replies Luke. "At least that's what he's always told me. Maybe he could say something in your defense"
I raise one eyebrow skeptically. "I doubt it," I mutter. "Qui Gon maybe, but not him."
"Qui Gon--I hadn't thought of him," replies Luke thoughtfully. "Maybe I could talk to him."
"Though he only knew me for a short time," I realize. "I think the list of character references will be rather short."
"I will talk to Qui Gon, and Obi Wan," declares Luke. "He owes me, big time. Plus, he's always had a certain affection for me, though--I'm sure I could talk to him."
I nod. "He does - but the last time we spoke things were rather tense between us. He still blames me for your mother's death, and would no doubt bring that up in a trial."
Luke nods, his brow creased with worry. "Leave it with me, father," he says at last.
I nod. "As you wish," I tell him. "But don't get your hopes up, Luke- I'm not."
"It's when you give up that you have lost, father," is his reply.
I nod, proud of my son's wisdom. "Yes, that is true - I suppose it's just hard to be optimistic when all your whole life has been a struggle."
"Have faith, Father," he tells me.
I smile at him. "I will try, son."
The sound of the blast doors opening ends our conversation. I stand up as the guards reenter the cell, both looking at me malevolently, their blasters trained on me. "Time to go," one of them tell Luke. "Visiting hours are over," he adds sarcastically.
Luke nods, and then looks back at me. "I'll be back soon, Father. I won't let you go through this alone."
I smile, loving my son intensely at that moment. "I know you won't, Luke," I tell him softly. "May the Force be with you, my son," I tell him.
"And with you, father," he replies with a smile. The guards escort him out, and I am alone again. Luke's faith in me has given me a small glimmer of hope.
