Alone now, in the vastness of space, I make my way to Coruscant. Will I be able to pull this off? So much is riding on my ability to do so. Failure is not an option; the galaxy is counting on me. Suddenly I am reminded of a day long ago, the day I renounced Dark Side. My first master, Qui G'on Jinn had appeared to me as I clung to life aboard the Imperial shuttle, his words seem prophetic to me now: You cannot give up, Anakin Luke needs you, the galaxy needs you… I wasn't certain before if he was right, about that or even if I was the Chosen One at all. But now I know everything Qui G'on said and believed in was true. He knew I would earn the forgiveness and love of my children, even when was too miserable to even hope.
"And now you will fulfill your destiny, Ani, just as I always knew you would."
I turn and see Qui G'on's image sitting beside me, his eyes looking at me with calm benevolence.
"I know now what that destiny is, Master," I tell him, "though I never would have imagined it would entail this," I add, indicating the black armor and mask.
Qui G'on nods sagely. "No, not even I could foresee such irony, Anakin. But perhaps now you understand me when I say that falling into Darkness was part of being the Chosen One, for had you never become Darth Vader, you'd not now be in a position to undo all the damage that he did. Truly ironic wouldn't you say?"
"Is it?" I ask. "Perhaps it was all preordained by the Force. Perhaps I had no choice at all in anything."
"Perhaps, but I don't believe that, Ani," he replies. "You forget about free will, one of the greatest gifts we have, and one of the most dangerous."
I nod slowly. "Yes, I cannot forget that." I sigh, my mind becoming muddled by the philosophical nature of our conversation. "I should have known better than to doubt you, Master. I mean, your faith in me never wavered, did it? Even when I was the henchman of the emperor?"
"No Ani, I never doubted you would return to the Light," he tells me. "I regret that you had to suffer in the way you did, but I suppose that was all part of the burden of being the Chosen One."
"I suppose," I concur. "But that's all behind me now, Master. My children have accepted me; they have forgiven me and love me. And my wife has told me that she loves me as well," I tell him, smiling under the mask. "I never would have believed it possible, but I have tremendous hope that she and I will finally get to live our life together the way we were meant to."
Qui G'on smiles. "I'm happy to hear it, Anakin," he tells me.
The navi-computer signals my approach to Coruscant. I can feel my heart rate increase as I begin the reversion.
The Force will be with you, Anakin, always… I hear Qui G'on's voice as his image slowly disappears.
The Aggressor, the Lusankya, the Intimidator….the blockade is enormous, I realize with a sinking feeling. Not since the Battle of Coruscant over 20 years ago has the capital been so besieged by enemy vessels. Knowing that there is enough firepower amid the armada to level the surface of the planet, the sense of urgency that has been pressing upon me increases.
"Identify yourself, unidentified shuttle."
With palms sweating, I enter the code, half expecting it to be rejected and to be blasted out of the sky.
The wait seems unending as I hold my breath in dreadful anticipation.
"Intimidator is prepared to receive you, you are clear to proceed."
A sense of relief fills me briefly, to be replaced almost immediately by an adrenaline rush that almost makes me dizzy. With pounding heart I pilot the shuttle using the coordinates transmitted by the Intimidator towards its belly. As the ship looms ever closer, I have to fight a sense of panic that has crept into my brain, panic that I am walking into a trap. What if they know who I am? What if they heard that Anakin Skywalker has returned to the galaxy? Are they just waiting for me to board the ship before they take me into their custody and have me executed? I take a deep breath, using the Force to calm myself. I must be calm, I must be confident, I must be in control…I must TAKE control…
The shuttle lands in the hangar bay, and I see a small group of armed clones stands ready headed by a uniformed officer. Here we go…
I lower the ramp and, summoning my nerve and the strength of the Force to guide me, I descend the ramp, my black cloak billowing behind me. The officer below is utterly shocked, his face a mixture of shock and terror, as though he believes he is witnessing the apparition of a specter from beyond the grave.
"Lord Vader!" he exclaims when I reach the end of the ramp. "How...how is this possible? We've believed you to be dead all these months!"
"The reports of my demise were clearly erroneous, lieutenant," I intone, pleased with the malevolence the mask imparts to my voice.
"But…where have you been, my..." he begins but I stop his words with a wave of my hand over his face.
"My disappearance is completely understandable and logical," I tell him. "You know where I have been, you know why, and you have no further questions on the matter."
The officer stares at me blankly as I easily plant the thoughts into his mind.
"Welcome aboard, Lord Vader," he says at last. "Let me show you to the bridge."
The Intimidator is significantly smaller than the ship that had been my home for over a decade, the Executor; but the lay out is not that different. Along the way I question the officer, whose name I've learned is Dortman, about the current Imperial siege of Coruscant.
"The Coruscant System is under our control, my lord," he informs me proudly. "The Rebel scum are so stupid they left the capital almost completely unprotected! Can you imagine?"
I only nod in response, careful not to say anything that may contradict the charade I have so meticulously created. "Has there been any contact with the leaders?" I ask him.
"Minimal contact, my lord," he tells me. "They have refused to accept our terms of surrender, however. The Admiral is currently consulting with the commanders of the Aggressor and the Lusankya in light of this refusal."
"I will take over from here," I tell him. "Inform the admirals of my return, and tell them to report to me at once."
I officer raises his eyebrows in surprise.
"Is there a problem with compliance, lieutenant?" I ask him, putting just the right edge in my voice to convey my displeasure.
"No, no!" Dortman gushes. "Of course not! I will do so at one, my lord!"
"Good," I tell him. "I will wait for them on the bridge. Make arrangements for my quarters as well. I will require reports on all the Imperial movements in the past 5 months, as well as what losses were incurred at the Endor moon. See to it that this information is available to me as well as the Imperial data base as soon as possible, lieutenant."
"Yes, my lord!" replies Dortman at once. "I will see to it personally."
The young man scurries off to do my bidding, and I continue on to the bridge alone. So far so good… I think, breathing a sigh of relief at the success I've managed so far. The next step may not be so easy.
My entry onto the bridge creates a stir among the men and officers working busily at their stations. There is a hush, and I can feel the tension, the fear that each one of them is filled with at the sight of me. Fear is good...fear will help me do this...
"Report!" my menacing voice rings out, shattering the pregnant hush.
At once two officers rush over to me, and, after gushing their relief and happiness at seeing me, fill me in on what has been going on since their arrival at Coruscant two days earlier. I listen with only an occasional nod of my head to acknowledge that I am listening.
"That is all," I tell them. "I will meet with the admirals in the briefing room when they arrive."
"Very good my lord," the captain replies with a bow. He and his junior officer leave me, only too happily I sense, and I walk over to the large window. I assume my customary stance, hands behind my back, as I gaze out the window…almost as though nothing has changed at all… But everything has changed, irrevocably changed. I am not enticed by the power that being Darth Vader brings me; quite the opposite in fact. I am revolted by the thought of all that I did while living as this malevolent creature, revolted by the terror that the very sight of me strikes into the men around me. How did such a life ever appeal to me? What did I find to live for all those long and lonely years living as this hollow man? Now that I have my family, I know that their love is worth more than all the power I ever wielded as Darth Vader. This revelation, while not surprising, gives me strength, for I know what it means; I have passed the test, and have taken the next step towards fulfilling my destiny.
As I stand in front of the huge window, I close my eyes and bring my mind into oneness with the Force. I reach out through the vastness of space, searching for my son's luminous presence. He and I are so closely linked that it does not take me long to find him, and through the Force that connects us I send him a message; Get ready…
Next I stroll casually to the row of technicians all seated at their consoles. They glance over their shoulders at me nervously, wondering why I am there, what I want, who is going to die at my hand for the least innocuous misstep. I find what I need, and, manipulating the Force with a slight movement of my hand, distract the communications officer momentarily. In that instant, transmissions that have disrupted the communications to and from Coruscant are interrupted. The communications officer returns his attention to his post, and I sense his puzzlement at the readout on the screen. He calls over his superior officer, who comes over at once. Hurry Luke…I tell him through the Force...hurry… It doesn't take them long to correct the apparent malfunction, and resume the transmissions. I can only hope that the momentary interruption was long enough for Luke to send a message to Coruscant. If he didn't, then the rebel leaders, not to mention Han Solo, will be in for an unpleasant surprise when Darth Vader comes calling.
