Chapter 19.
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'We're Not Going To Take This Sitting Down, We Are Fighting Back.'
"I never wanted to lie to my people...but it was for the best, I had to do what I did to protect my children..." Padme said to the rebel alliance in the hut after she brought her story of why she was still alive to a close. They all listened and felt for the former queen, but understood. "Well it is an honour to have you fighting along side of us in this journey to victory senator." Doma said with a smile, "Please call me Padme, I am no longer the senator you once knew." She said softly with a small smile, "Forgive me." Doma replied with a smile, "I have important information about the space station that I think you would find very useful, but we must move quickly, I fear lord Vader will not stand for such defiance without disciplinary action." Padme said standing in front of everyone like the leader she truly was, something Leia had gotten from her. "Please...any information you can give us would be perfect, then we conjure up our own plan of attack." Doma responded, the crowd of people listening, even the Ewoks hanging about in the trees. Padme nodded swallowing hard, before speaking up. "The space station is almost at its completion...however, its weapons remain inactive until correct procedures have been taken place, something the emperor is personally seeing too..." Padme said knowing that would be of much interest to them. "Palpatine is in fact based on the ship along with many of their fleet and heavy machinery...but please do not be fooled, we do not have the upper hand just yet, Palpatine is aware of your plans and it is ordering a defence as we speak, I am surprised it has taken them this long already." Padme said softly, her shoulder a little more better now since she had the correct medical treatment, and some decent food and water, along with fresh clothing. They were all in camo like outfits that matched the woodlands around them, but Padme's clothes were a little more beige, however fit for battle. Her hair tied into a low bun with her fringe split down the middle and perfectly pinned back smoothly and neatly. Luke and Leia were so proud of their mother, they had never really seen her in attack mode, but they knew she was such an amazing person and had fought in the clone wars. "That actually helps us out a lot...most of our leading generals have a plan for the fleet, I suggest we combine our fleets together to begin the planning." Doma said looking to Luke and Leia who nodded, before Doma brought up the holographic picture of the Death Star, "The main cannons are located here...ones those are charged that is when the main weapon can take its cause, if we want to stop the laser weapon, we have to take out those main cannons first...but it won't be an easy fight, as soon as they have locked onto us they'll send fighters out straight after us and they will not be so kind to show us mercy." Doma said to her team, "General Barton, you and the rest of the fleet come up with a plan to destroy those cannons, we will do the rest..." Doma ordered the men as the fleet of pilots from both hers and Luke and Leia's fleet headed towards a more private sector to discuss a plan, leaving a couple more behind to discuss further, "Whilst that is a vital part of its destruction it is not all that we should consider." Padme said moving to the control panels, zooming in on the death star to find the location of something in particular, "They would not be so foolish as to have one form of charge general...there is a back up cannon from the inside of the ship, located here in the inner rim of its core...we must destroy it from the inside to ensure its complete destruction, however...the unfortunate side of things is that It is located In the emperors throne room...once he activates it we have lost. We must destroy it before it is too late." Padme added having remembered specific details from her time there, also having eaves dropped a couple times. Leia took a step forward looking to it, "So how do we get in without detection?" Leia asked her mother, Luke had been observing the holographic image carefully and like Anakin he was very much knowledgeable about the mechanical engineering of things, taking over from his mother he zoomed into another section of the death star, "If we could temporarily take out this system here, it will allow us enough time to sneak in without them suspecting anything..." Luke said pointing to the area in which he was referring to. "Leave that to me, I'll take the Falcon, use it as a distraction, whilst they're busy coming after me you'll have enough time to get in." Lando said simply, Han looked to him with his hands on his hips, "If you damage my ship Lando…" Han threatened, Lando laughed, "Your ship?" he responded, "There really isn't time for your bickering boys.." Leia called out unimpressed, Han just smirked before looking back, "Alright...well there is one more problem." Han added, "What's that?" Doma asked, "The fight is not just going to be out there...they'll bring the fight here." Han said simply, Doma nodded, "We have prepared for that, with your fleet and mine there are enough ships to fight up there...the rest of us will stay down here and fight for what is right." She said adamant and determined. Luke and Leia looked to each other, they had originally only come to rescue their mother and Ben but it was clear now that there was so much more to it, "Who is going on that thing?" Lando asked not really wanting to go on it. "Me." Luke said simply without thinking about it, "Luke you can't go alone...I will go with you." Leia said moving her hand to her brothers arm, Han still wasn't really sure about what their relationship was since the whole reunion with Padme confused the hell out of him and neither of them had really told him anything. Padme admired her kids, they were so brave she was so proud, she didn't want any of them to go really but something within her had faith that they would walk away from this battle unharmed. "No, you have to stay here...you have to protect everything here, Han will stay with you." Luke said looking to her, then to Han who nodded as if to say yeah, he'd look after her. Padme sighed softly, "Luke you cannot face this alone, but Leia I agree...you are best staying here, I will go with you." Padme said softly, "But you're hurt." Luke added, "I've been hurting for a lot longer than you think...and I am still here aren't I?" She asked with a smile, "I promised you both I would come back to you and I have...now I leave my fate in the hands of destiny, but I cannot walk away from him again...there is still good in him, I've seen it...he's just lost..." Padme added, they sighed slightly but nodded. "We will bring him back mother, I promise you." Luke said simply knowing that what the pair of them were about to do was incredibly risky and dangerous but they had to do it.
Luke, Leia and Padme had a moment alone together before Leia was to go out into the wooded villages to help the Ewoks prepare their battle stations, she had to tell them about Ben's sacrifice, "Ben...didn't make it. He sacrificed himself to save me, I wouldn't be here otherwise." Padme said sadly, it broke the twins heart as Obi Wan had been such a significant person in their lives. "He is with us...always." Luke said with a smile sensing his presence, "His sacrifice not just now but for the past 18 years will not go unnoticed mom." Leia said softly, Padme was so proud of her kids, they had grown into such amazing children. "I am so proud of you both...you have grown into such great adults, far greater than I could have ever hoped for and I am very proud." Padme smiled taking their hands, "We had great inspiration." Luke responded referring to Padme's influence on their lives, "I love you both so much." She whispered before hugging her children, "No matter what happens, we will get through this together." Padme whispered once more.
Leia was out in the village of the Ewoks not far from their base, helping some of them prepare for the battle, she had a way with the Ewoks, they liked her. Han had walked through the trees and joined her, "You're quite good with your hands lady." He said with a smirk referring to her making a spear with nothing but leaves, sticks and rope, Leia grinned not giving him much attention on purpose. "There is a lot you don't know about me scavenger..." she said with a smirk as she continued, Han placed his hand on her shoulder to turn her to him slightly, "I know you're not so Alderaanian after all." He said with a grin referring to Padme's story area about their lives in hiding, her eyebrow arched looking to him, "What is it you have against Alderaan?" She asked curiously, It was her home for 7 years and a big part of her life, "Nothing...I have no problem with the planet, just a girl I thought was from it." He said with a smug smile, she looked to him their bodies close, their faces hovering just inches from each other, "Well its very clear that this girl you thought was from Alderaan has captured your heart." She teased causing him to laugh nervously, "In your dreams lady!" He said trying to hide the fact his hard bad boy persona had been broken by an 18 year old girl with an attitude like his own, she smiled at his words, "Han..I…" She was about to say the words, it had only been a short time but she truly felt so strong about him, like a force was pulling them together. "I know." He said cutting her off with the same smile, the pair just looked to each other, for once not in hate and frustration but more love and passion, before they were completely cut off by a laser bullet from a blaster had shot them, causing them to duck, Han grabbed her arm protectively as they saw storm troopers coming, "We have to go." They said at the same time looking to each other, as they ran back to the base together. "They're here." Leia said to them all, as they began scrambling to get to their stations, the sounds of tie fighters approaching haunting their ears, whilst the fleet had begun flying off to fight back. Battles in the sky of Endor could be seen from miles, "Get these scumbags out of the atmosphere...we're taking the battle to them." One of the leaders from the fleet said as she flew his ship out of the atmosphere, to the emptiness of space seeing more tie fighters, "Look after my ship!" Han threatened Lando who laughed, "Whatever you say sky guy." He smirked before getting to the falcon and flying off, "Luke lets go.." Padme called out knowing they had no time to spare it was now or never. "Come back!" Leia said to her brother grabbing his arm, "I will...be careful." he said back before kissing her head and leaving with Padme.
The battle was hard, it was long, as expected the imperial fleet were not showing mercy and the stormtroopers on Endor seemed to be never ending, hiding in the creeks of the base Han and Leia and couple others of the rebel soldiers were fighting back, "There is too many of them...we're never going to win like this!" Leia called out to him dodging the blasts from the blasters, firing back every now and then, "That's all part of the fun right?" Han said with a smirk, firing too. "Your idea of fun is very different to mine." She responded with a laugh.
Meanwhile the fleet had done everything they could to ensure that Luke and Padme had gotten on the space station safely, once aboard Padme looked to Luke keeping low and from going noticed, "Follow my lead I've not interest in either of us dying today." She said softly holding up the blaster close to her body, Luke had Anakin's lightsaber in his hand which he had been practicing with whilst on Endor. "Leia would kill us both." Luke responded with a whisper and smile as he followed his mothers lead, shooting when they had to defend themselves, before becoming surrounded, it was expected but Padme knew they would take them to exactly where they needed to be, the emperors throne room. Bringing them to Vader instead Padme swallowed hard knowing this was the first time Luke and Anakin had been face to face, "I wasn't expecting you to return so soon senator." Vader said simply looking to her, Padme looked to him ignoring his words before taking a moment to reach out to Anakin. "Anakin..." She said softly looking to him, feeling how uncomfortable Vader had become, Luke even swallowed hard as he stood in front of the man that was his father, "I beg you...stop the fighting, my child-our children are fighting...stop now...save them whilst we still can." She begged him softly, Vader said nothing but looked to Luke..."I'm Luke Skywalker, your son...I've come to save you." Luke said confidently, "Your daughter, Leia..my twin sister is down there fighting for her life and those across the galaxy...please father, stop this now...come home." Luke said kinda following Padme's tactic. Vader looked between the pair as he took it in, "It is too late for me now..." He said with regret, "It is never to late...Ani...come home." Padme whispered looking to him, "You do not understand the power of the dark side, I MUST obey my master." He said simply fighting the light, "Then you will be forced to watch us die...everything you did this for..." Padme responded trying everything she could to get him to come through, "There is no time for diplomatic solutions senator, they will not work against the emperor...order your fleet to stand down before they reap the consequences!" Vader warned in anger as he fought the pull to the light, Padme took a step forward, "Then it will call for aggressive negotiations." She said simple before being led towards the emperors throne room with Luke. She knows those words 'Aggressive negotiations' would get to him somehow, it was the first words she had said to him on the battle of Geonosis, after she had confessed her love to him, taking him right back to where it all began.
Vader had stormed off in the other direction needing a moment, he was struggling, the pull to the light was strong, it was hard to fight against it, Padme was here, his son was here...he had a daughter, all he assumed to have lost, and now...now his turning to the dark side was no longer for reason.
He was struggling, as he breathed heavily he fought the conflict within him, knowing what he must do...but he didn't know if he had the strength to do it.