Chapter 15.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Some Things Will Always Remain'

Vader had ordered the stormtroopers surrounding Padme to leave them and released her from her restraints, as they walked sighed by side down the hallways towards Vader's quarters. "You do not fear me." Vader stated as he sensed the lack of trepidation within her. She didn't look at him, just walked with him, looking ahead as she soothed her wrists from the restraints. "Why should I?" she asked calmly, bold. "Then why did you run?" He asked simply, you could tell there was nothing left of Anakin within him, yet Padme felt something, anything, even if it was just so small she felt some sort of conflict within him. "I told you...you are going down a path I can't follow." She said to him, this time those words she spoke were not in heartbreak, not in tears, but in strength and determination. "You destroyed everything we had when you refused to join me.." Padme twitched a little at his blame on her, knowing he was probably trying to get her angry to join him. Instead she found a large amount of courage build up inside of her, and she turned to face him stopping him in his track, looking up at him, unafraid but longing to see the eyes of her husband, "And do what? Become a puppet to the emperor, because that is all you are to him Anakin...a slave to his evil ways, he does not care for you and I know that this isn't your true self." She said bluntly, Vader stopped in her track as the stood face to face, a lot closer than that 10 feet they had become so used too. "Anakin Skywalker has no meaning to me anymore, he was weak, I destroyed him." He said a little more frustrated at her pointing his gloved finger to her. Padme paused for a moment looking to him, "Then you are truly lost..." she whispered before turning back to his side walking with him once more. Vader walked in silence the rage flowing through him, "The child?" He asked simply, Padme knew this question was coming, luckily she had prepared for this just in case, it was going to be hard but it had to be done. "There is no child Anakin...I lost the baby a few days after Mustafar." She lied, oh how she longed to be with her children once more, but how thankful she was that they were not with her now. Reaching his quarters they stopped in front of the door as, opening it for her, he signalled for her to step inside, she had walked inside but had turn to face him, he still stood in the hallway, looking up at him. "You were wrong Ani...your dreams, your power...all of it. Palpatine manipulated you, used your pain for his own pleasure...and now look at you." She said looking to him, really trying to get to him, to find something that suggested he was still in there. "You're not evil, only a slave to it, that is why you released me of my restraints, I do not believe you will kill me...and I do not believe you are this person you say you are." her words rang through his mind, had gone over 10 years without struggling, without feeling the pain, without being haunted by her and once more he was back to that feeling, her words rung through him, stung him. Watching her as his robotic breath cut the silence, their stare lasting two minutes once more before Vader had shut the door on her face, locking it from the outside so she could not escape. It was only when she was alone that Padme sighed and let her true emotions out.

Luke and Leia were laying on the roof of their home, looking up at the clouds, "What do you think of that one?" Leia asked Luke as the told each other what they saw in the clouds. Luke looked to the one she was pointing at before thinking about it, "I see... a mountain, with people walking up it...trying to reach something at the top." Leia looked to him, "Really? I just see a cloud." She laughed shoving him, Luke shoved her back before they sat up. "Luke! Leia! Your aunt Mali is here." They heard Breha calling for them, looking to each other before climbing down of the roof and going to see their aunt. "Hello you two." Mali said with a smile hugging her niece and nephew tightly. "Hi Aunt Mali." Leia said with a smile. "How have you been?" Luke asked the elderly woman, who was now almost 70. "I have been very well thank you my dears, I thought I would join you for dinner this evening." She said with a smile, "That will be lovely...Bail will be home shortly." Breha added with a smile.

During dinner Luke had become very quiet, Leia had sensed something was wrong with him but had waited until the moment was right to ask. After cleaning things up in the kitchen, Leia went out to the balcony to see Luke watching as the stars shined bright in the sky "What is it?" She asked standing in the door way. "You don't feel it?" Luke asked turning to his sister, Leia shook her head, "Something is terribly wrong Leia..." He said this time with genuine concern on his face. "Luke I am sure you are just overreacting..." She said placing her hands on the back of his shoulder, "No...I'm not...this time...it feels..different." He said trying to get his feelings across, Leia sighed looking to him. "It's been a long day Luke, maybe you should just get some rest...if you still feel like this in the morning, we'll go talk to Aunt Mali...just try not to think about it for now." Leia tried to reassure him but sometimes it was just impossible. As expected Luke didn't sleep well that night, had even dreamt about terrible things happening to his mother and Ben, it was hard for him.

The following morning he had gone to Mali like Leia had suggested and explained everything to her. "I'm tired of hiding, tired of running, its time I actually make a difference! And if my mother is in danger...I cannot sit back and do nothing!" He said in frustration as he paced in front of his aunt. "Luke..." She said soothingly to calm him, "What does you instinct tell you? Close your eyes, do you feel what you feel through fear...or because it is what your gut tells you?" She asked, Mali wasn't a force user but she was very knowledgeable In it and Obi Wan had taught her about the force mentally rather than physically. "I feel...that my mother and Uncle Ben need me, they are in danger..." Luke said as he closed his eyes and connected with the force. "Then you must trust your instincts...the force guides us down particular paths for a reason, it is no coincidence that you feel this way Luke." Mali said looking to him, Luke sat in front of her, "So...what should I do?" Luke asked needing some guidance. "What do you think you should do?" Mali asked, she could not tell him the correct path for him to choose, only he could do that for himself. Luke sighed knowing that it would break every single promise he made to her, to his mother, to Ben, to Leia...to Bail and Breha, but he could no longer live in fear anymore, he knew he had to face his past and who he was. "I think...I know I have to go." He said looking to her, still unsure but knowing what he must do. Mali nodded and reached over into a small box, pulling out Anakin's old lightsaber. "The weapon of a Jedi...Ben gave this to me the day he left, he knew that one day you would be ready and that one day you would need it...It was your father's old lightsaber." She said handing it to him. Luke looked at it, igniting it looking at the blue beam coming out of it, the only thing he had of his father...it was strange for him, but it felt right. "But how will I know how to use it?" Luke asked withdrawing it. "Luke you have been training since you were 12 years old, a staff is on different to a lightsaber...let the force guide you and all will be okay." Mali said smiling to him, she hated this but she knew it was time. Hugging his aunt tightly, "Thank you for everything you've done for us...I promise I will return." He said smiling, "Good Luck Luke, and may the force be with you." Luke smiled as he left before quickly heading back home.

Out on the field by her home was their ship, Luke had prepared it and Leia saw, she had sensed something was going on and she was not about to be kept in the dark. "Luke! Luke!" She yelled to him as she headed from the across the field to him. "What are you doing?!" She asked so angry at him. "I'm going to face him Leia...I have too." Luke said not rising to her anger, Leia's face dropped. "You're what?! Luke no! I won't let you! We promised mom!" She yelled grabbing his arm. Luke pulled back from her arm. "Mom's not here!" He finally yelled to her. "She's out there! and she's in danger! She needs my help!" he said looking to her, Leia was taken back by her brothers anger, he had never been this way with her. "With or without your approval I am going...its time I stop hiding and face him...if its the last thing I do, I have to try." He said in a calmer tone. Leia folded her arms and sighed, debating it for a moment, "Well...I'm coming with you.." She said adamantly, to which he shook his head, "No...its too dangerous, you have to stay here." He said simply, Leia's eyebrow arched, "I'm coming with you Luke...end of story!" She said simply before walking towards the ship boarding. Luke watched her and sighed before too walking onto the ship and taking off.

A poor panicked Breha and Bail ran out of the house upon seeing the ship leave, "Luke! Leia! Breha yelled as if they could hear her. "What's going on?!" Bail asked his wife in panic. "They took the ship...I don't know..." Breha said looking to him panicked, "What?!" Bail asked in shock, "They've gone to do what they were born to do...face their father, save this galaxy...restore balance." Mali said from behind them, they hadn't even known she had gotten into the house. "You knew about this?" Bail asked a little frustrated, Mali nodded. "They're going to get themselves killed! They are just kids Mali!" He yelled once more fearing he had gone against Padme's wishes. Mali shook her head, "They are ready Bail...this was always meant to be their destiny...have faith. They will restore peace in this galaxy." Mali said so confidently, so happy, and why? Shmi was by her side, Shmi had always been by her side, guiding her through this life that had been inflicted on them.

As they flew out of the atmosphere Luke looked to Leia and Leia looked to Luke, "Be brave...remember?" Luke said to her softly remembering their mothers words. Leia smiled to him slightly as they roamed the empty darkness of space, until they found their mother and Ben. "Always." She replied back with the same smile. Neither of them knew what they were about to go through...neither of them knew what was going to happen, If they would make it, but they had to try. They were Skywalkers after all...They were the son and daughter of Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, to very strong people, they didn't realise for one second they would embark in a story that made them legends.

But this was their path...this was their destiny...they were born to do this.

A New Hope.