As maintenance hatches went, Leia was sure this was the worst she'd ever seen. Still, she tried to withhold her judgment of it as she waded through the many cords and breakers, telling herself that it was likely the best these people had available to them.

Haja yelled up to her a fourth time, hurrying her along, and she to ignore him.

"Are you even listening to me!? I feel like you aren't listening to me!"

Frustration spiked and Leia yelled back, "Would you please STOP TALKING!?"

It was hard enough blocking out the raging world around her without the con man nattering at her and reminding her how little time they had. She knew how little time there was. It was creeping up on them like an icy hand ready to snatch them all by the throats.

Tension tightened like a vice and Leia struggled to stay calm.

Movement to her left caught her eye and all of the sudden an angry red light was in her face, beeping and chirping.

"LOLA?!" Leia jerked back, catching the little droid as it rammed towards her face. "Stop! LOLA! What are you doing?!"

Something that shouldn't be there under the wings brushed her fingers and Leia plucked at it.

"A restraining bolt?" It came off between her fingers and she flicked it away indignantly. How dare someone place that on her friend! "There. That's better. Ready to help?"

LOLA chirped and Leia used her light to see, kicking herself for not thinking of using the droid earlier or bringing a light up with her.

"There!" She grinned, triumphant as she plugged the red braker in and was instantly rewarded by the sound of the bay doors groaning open.

"Leia!"

She poked her head out and found Anakin at the bottom of the ladder. The past few minutes she'd been vaguely aware of his voice yelling orders for people to board the transport and for other last minute preparations for their escape.

"You did wonderful! I knew you could do it!" Anakin told her as he waved her down the ladder, his hands held up subtly as though to catch her if she should fall. "Come on down. We need to go."

He was grinning at her, she could tell by how his eyes were crinkled, but the air of urgency around him made her skin crawl as she was suddenly aware of that underlying current of torment growing closer to them all. Anakin knew it was coming too.

"Where's Ben?" Leia asked as she hurried down the ladder.

Anakin's hands caught her gently by the waist a few rungs before she reached the ground, lifting her the rest of the way. She felt him tense at her question.

"He's-"

"LEIA!"

Ben came hurtling through the big blast doors and was kneeling down to hug her before Anakin could finish. Leia returned the embrace fiercely.

"That was fast." Anakin commented dryly. Leia could hear relief making her wonder what she missed while in the maintenance hatch.

"Where's Tala?" She asked, craning her head around for the older woman. Both Jedi froze and Ben's face fell as he reached a hand for her, shaking his head.

Leia felt numb.

"Oh." She whispered.

"Come on," Anakin said tightly, glancing at the tunnel Ben had just come from. He took both her and Ben by the shoulders, steering them toward the transport. "We need to leave. Now."

"He's coming," Leia said, looking over her shoulder as they hurried to the ship. Behind them, Haja fumbled with a handful of things he was carrying and people jostled each other as the last of them fled. "Isn't he."

"It'll be alright, Leia." Ben promised, taking her hand in his own comfortingly. She wasn't sure who's benefit it was for. Her own, or his.

"He won't get to you." Anakin muttered, the hand lightly guiding her back pressing slightly closer. "I won't let him near any of you."

Leia didn't answer, remaining quiet and outwardly calm as they boarded the transport. Everyone was hushed and shaken, waiting as their decoy prepared to launch.

Anakin and Ben stood in the center of the ship, in the middle of them all. Shoulder to shoulder they stretched out their hands, eyes closed. Leia felt as though a blanket swept around them all, hiding them and that the sea of emotions surrounding her was suddenly coming from the decoy ship instead.

They all held their breath as the other ship launched.

Anakin and Ben began to practically shake with the effort it took to hide them and project the terror around them until it was time.

Leia crept close to the window and peered out as the bigger ship tried to soar into the air. For a moment she could see the black, monstrous form of Vader across the hangar, his hand outstretched. She could fully feel him for a moment, freezing her insides.

He was cold, cruel, and tortured, filled with hate and despair that lusted for vengeance.

The unthinkable happened.

The decoy ship stopped in mid air, then smashed back to the ground as though it were just a toy.

Leia shuddered violently and felt as though the air had left her lungs along with the ship. What could stand against him, with power like that? Surely Vader would just tear the real ship out of the sky too!

Moments later their ship was leaping into the sky with more speed than the first and a hand was gripping her shoulder. The cold, torturous darkness lifted instantly with the touch, and Leia felt like she could breath again as she relaxed back into the hand. She looked up to see Anakin towering over her, peering out the window as the speck of Vader was swallowed up in the distance. She couldn't get a read on Anakin at all. Usually she could make some impression of what was going on in his head or in the presence around him, but right now it was like the man wasn't even there or real.

She wasn't sure what unnerved her more. Knowing what was happening beneath the surface of the man, or having no idea at all.

"You should sit." Anakin nudged her onto the bench, reminding her bizarrely of her mother. He seated himself next to her, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. On her other side Ben dropped warily as well.

"We made it." Ben muttered.

"Don't-" Anakin started, nearly growling before he groaned as the ship shuddered and dropped out of hyperspace. "Why did you have to say that?! You of all people should-"

"Ana-"

"Orden." Leia reminded Ben quickly before he could blurt out the whole name. "You aren't very good at remembering."

Beside her Anakin snorted. "Don't be so hard on him, Leia. He's gotten a little old and rusty over the years."

"Excuse me-" Ben said dryly, ready to undoubtedly say something sarcastic but Roken interrupted.

He sat down next to Ben, fidgeting with his hands and trying to look calm as he whispered, "Our hyperdrive is down. And they're behind us."

Leia knew she wasn't supposed to have heard, but she did. Anakin had too, judging by how he pinched the bridge of his nose and started breathing deeply again.

"Kenobi. Are you listening?"

"Something's wrong."

The gravely words brought Leia and Anakin's heads snapping round while Ben slumped forwards as if he were dizzy. Leia took his hand when he reached for her and was nearly overwhelmed by the same sense of dread her friend must have been feeling. Seconds later Anakin slumped forwards too, clutching at this head with a gasp.

"What?" Beads of sweat formed on Roken's forehead. "What is it? Are you ok?"

"I'm sure it's nothing." Ben said thinly as he glanced at Anakin. "Thank you Roken."

"Are you sure you're ok?" Leia asked, eyeing both Jedi suspiciously and hating the way her stomach felt hollow.

"Of course." Anakin told her without dropping his gaze from Ben's. "Nothing to worry about. Like Ben said, it's probably nothing."

The icy sarcasm was evident and Ben glared at Anakin warningly.

"I'm fine, Leia. It's alright." Ben squeezed her hand tightly.

Leia didn't believe him, but that wasn't going to change anything.

Predictably the ship shuddered with incoming fire not long after the hyperdrive went down.

Obi-Wan only wished it wasn't so soon. These people had been through enough already and his only reassurance was the belief that Vader was petty enough to want to make them all suffer. He wanted them alive, so the ship wouldn't be blown up. Or at least he hoped so. After that bad feeling earlier without a known cause, he wasn't certain.

Anakin rose the moment they started taking fire.

"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan demanded.

"To offer my help." Anakin grunted as he made his way towards the cockpit.

"Try not to crash us." The words slipped out before he could stop them.

"I'll be on my best behavior and fly real gently just for you. I know how much you love flying."

Obi-Wan swore under his breath as the man walked off. He should have kept his quip to himself. With his luck Anakin would have them all wrapped up in knots with his 'expert' flying moves just to annoy him, situation be darned.

Minutes felt like hours, but Obi-Wan could feel the difference in the ship the moment Anakin took over. The craft sang through space and took significantly fewer hits. He only hoped it didn't distract Vader from his blind rage against him. They couldn't afford the Sith to discover Anakin yet.

Roken passed through the passenger section.

"Hyperdrive is almost ready. Move all power to the rear shields. We'll head for Tesse." Roken looked pointedly at him, adding. "We'll get you out from there."

Obi-Wan could feel the lie easily, prompting him to follow the big man out of earshot.

"We're not going to make it to Tesse are we," Obi-Wan stated quietly.

"Motivator is shot." Roken shook his head grimly. "Power couplings are bad. We're working on it, but those shields won't last forever, even with your friend's flying."

"How much time do you need?"

"More than we have."

The ship shuddered again, rocking the occupants in their seats.

Obi-Wan scanned the group, guilt prickling in his heart for the thousandth time that day. Everyone was scared, talking in hushed tones. He couldn't deny his presence brought this upon them all. Vader's blind need to destroy him was affecting them all.

It needed to end. The Force itself was making that abundantly clear to him with every passing second, but he still wondered if he had the strength to do what needed to be done.

The sound of a droid's cheerful chirping was terribly out of place among such tension, but Obi-Wan smiled as he watched Leia raising the spirits of a young boy and his mother.

Sensing him, Leia hopped up and came to him, stopping as he crouched down in front of her and holding LOLA in her hands.

"They're scared." She said by way of explanation. "She keeps their minds off of it."

Such a brave little soul. Obi-Wan could feel her courage blanketing over her own fear, stamping it out in favor of taking care of others. She would have made a wonderful Jedi, had things been different.

"Maybe I should borrow her too." He told her.

She tilted her head, studying him and Obi-Wan knew she could see the truth in his eyes.

"You're scared too." Leia whispered solemnly.

"I am a little. You see…Leia…I have to go. I have to go and face him. It's the only way to keep you and the others safe."

Leia jerked away from him, horrified. Her little hands spread apart as though he'd burnt her.

"No. NO WAY, YOU CAN"T JUST LEAVE ME HERE!"

"I'm the one that Vader wants." Obi-Wan pleaded, kicking himself for not handling this better. There wasn't enough time. "If I go then he will follow."

"I'm not letting you!" Leia snapped, backing away from him. Indignation and fear rolled off her in waves, sinking their teeth into him and shaking his core.

"Leia! Please!"

The pattern of the ship's movements shifted as they were blasted by the Star Destroyer.

"Wait! What happened to all of us staying together!?" The mother of the child Leia had just been speaking chimed in now, her own fear adding to the mix.

"What's happening!?"

Obi-Wan swore under his breath at the sound of Anakin's sharp voice behind him.

"He's going to leave! You can't let him do it!" Leia darted to Anakin instantly, emotion making her voice shake violently.

Anakin stared at him incredulously. "I leave for thirty minutes, and you try to throw yourself heroically in harm's way, AGAIN?!"

"You of all people know this is the only way." Obi-Wan told him, exasperated that they were having this conversation once more.

"You can't let him." Leia stated, staring up at Anakin with those huge brown eyes and determined glare. "You have to stop him."

"You want to walk me through why this is a good plan?" Anakin challenged, folding his arms stubbornly and planting his feet in a way that clearly said he was seriously considering fulfilling his child's request.

"Roken needs more time to fix the ship." Obi-Wan tried to explain, desperate for them all to understand. "This will give him that time. You've all spent ten years protecting the Jedi. This is my chance to return that favor."

"But we are so close!" Roken exclaimed.

"Roken, you know this plan makes sense!"

"I can't let you do this!" Anakin growled.

"Search your feelings," Obi-Wan all but snapped. "You know this has to happen."

"But we need you!" Sully cried.

"It will buy you the time you need!" He swung round to Anakin. "You must get these people out of here. You are all the future!" Obi-Wan gestured to Leia, willing her to understand but she looked away, " You are the future! You're what needs to survive."

"No." Leia turned her head back up to Anakin, "Orden, make him listen! You're his friend. You can't just let him go!"

Anakin winced as he and Obi-Wan stared off in silent debate. A lot could be said over a bond without a single word needed. In the end Anakin relented, proving once again that he was not the same young man from ten years ago.

"Orden!" Leia nearly smacked him in the arm.

"Sorry, Leia," Anakin sighed, only just able to meet her accusing stare. "I doubt even I can convince him otherwise."

"So that's it then?" Leia backed off, head bobbing between both Jedi as waves of pain and hurt. "You're just giving up!?"

"Leia! Please!"

"NO!"

Obi-Wan tried to go after her as she sped to the back of the ship, but Haja stepped in his way.

"I find she needs to be given space-"

"Haja. I need you to promise me that you'll help Orden get her home."

"I-" Haja glanced over Obi-Wan's shoulder at Anakin and swallowed uncomfortably. "I give you my word…not that the word of a thief and a liar means much…"

"That's good enough for me."

Obi-Wan spun to Anakin as the ship shuddered again.

"You know what needs to happen." He said in a low voice. "You know you're the best hope we all have now. This ends today, one way or another."

"Obi-Wan…" Anakin shifted with frustration. "There has to be another way."

"And yet you know there isn't. Surely you sense it too. This has to happen."

"I know. And I sense something more…though I can't believe I'm saying it or why."

Obi-Wan straightened as he followed Anakin toward the front of the ship again. "What?"

"Vader…this is all about Vader and his obsession, but it's not just that. It's not just a lust for revenge that's driving him, Obi-Wan. It's worse than that."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I think he's driven by the sick, twisted hope that you'll be able to kill him, to give him what he deserves and end his suffering, which means," Anakin swallowed thickly as though it made him nauseated to even speak, "Which means there could be hope for him, even still."

"Hope for him? What sort of hope do you think there is for a Sith Lord!?" Obi-Wan could hardly believe his ears. "This is the man who took everything from us. The same one you deemed should be dead by my hand already!"

"Believe me. I don't like it," Anakin snapped. "But the Force doesn't lie, even when we wish it would."

"So are you telling me I shouldn't kill him if I get the chance?"

"I don't know, Obi-Wan!" Anakin started stomping towards the cockpit again when the ship was shaken more violently. "I'm more in tune with the Force than I ever have been, but I still don't know everything! All I know is what I told you. Do with it what you will. And try not to die. I'll never forgive you if you do."

"May the Force be with you." Obi-Wan called after him, making the man turn slightly.

"And with you."

"Take care of her."

"I'll give my life for them both a thousand times over if I must."

Obi-Wan knew it was true.

There wasn't much time now. He needed to say goodbye to Leia so he headed straight for the back of the ship where he'd last seen her. It wasn't hard to locate her. She was perched on a box listening to whatever Haja was saying to her.

"I talked to her." Haja muttered as left Leia's 'hiding' spot. "You're welcome."

Obi-Wan nodded his thanks as he went into the compartment.

"You said that you'd take me home." Leia sounded tired, angry and defeated.

"I wish that I could, Leia. Really I do. Please tell your father I tried." He knelt down, holding out his peace offering. Tala's holster. "I have something for you. Roken found it before we got out. She would have wanted you to have it."

"It's empty." Leia was clearly disappointed.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Well I wasn't going to give you a blaster, Leia. You're ten years old. But you won't always be."

Leia studied him solemnly before slipping off the crate and wrapping her arms around his neck, squeezing tightly. He returned it in kind.

"Come back. Please."

Her plea reminded him of the child's fragility she hid so well. How could he possibly say no.

Willing all the genuine honestly into his words, Obi-Wan smiled a little and said, "I promise."

With two Skywalkers ready to hunt him into the afterlife if he didn't come back, there was no way he could let them down. They would never let him rest otherwise.

The moment the drop ship left the ship they stopped taking fire and Anakin felt Vader take the bait.

Almost as one, the pilot and crew all took a huge breath and tension eased.

Anakin huffed out a sigh as he leaned back into the chair, running a hand through his hair with one hand.

"They took the bait." His co-pilot said in disbelief. "We're saved!"

"Yes." Anakin winced a little at the coolness of his tone, but his concern for Obi-Wan couldn't be entirely quelled by the cloak of Fortitude. Something had been nagging in the back of his mind for hours now. Constant, incessant and urgent, but he hadn't have a moment to give it more attention until this moment. All of his concentration had been taken up by piloting and keeping Vader from sensing him.

"Sully can take over for you, if you need a break." The other pilot was obviously embarrassed, forgetting that Obi-Wan was his friend who undoubtedly went to his death.

It took a moment to register the words through the growing cacophony in his head.

The Force was pounding, throbbing wrongness as it flooded his senses the closer he got to whatever it was that had been sitting in the back of his mind.

Shaken, Anakin launched to his feet and heard himself saying, "Excuse me, yes."

"Orden! Are you alright?"

Roken nearly had to catch him as he stumbled against the doorframe when a staggering wave of fear slammed into him. The source was clearer now.

A child's fear.

One of his little star's was in trouble.

His instant thought was Leia and all other purpose left his mind. He needed to find her. To make sure she was alright.

"Orden?" Roken asked again, as he pulled away and started down the corridor. "I said are you alright!?"

"No." Anakin growled as he rounded a corner.

A tiny white blur with dark hair came flying around the corner at the same moment.

"Anakin!" Leia crashed into his legs, gasping the word quietly enough no one else could have heard it but Roken. She was disheveled and out of breath. Haja was further behind, puffing to keep up, but slowing when he saw the child had stopped running.

"Leia!" With blind relief Anakin caught her so she wouldn't fall, pulling her closer to him and searching her for injury. "What's wrong!? What's happened?!"

"I-I don't know!" Leia clung to his arms when he crouched down, big brown eyes shining with near tears. "I'm scared, Anakin! And I don't know why, but I'm so scared! Something's wrong!"

Anakin's first thought Leia was sensing Obi-Wan and that something terrible was happening to him, except then a new spike of terror burst in his mind and he knew this time that it was not precisely her that he'd felt.

It was Luke.

Automatically, Anakin was rising to his full height and taking Leia firmly by the hand.

"Roken, we need the other drop ship. Now."

"The hyperdrive is nearly fixed-"

"There's no time. I need to leave now." Anakin told him. Vaguely he was aware his tone was harsher than maybe it needed to be and that if the man refused he was likely going to take the small ship anyway. "Someone's life depends on it. I'll return the ship and help you where I can after it's handled."

Roken stared at him, uncertainty and fear swelling around him. Haja had nearly reached them, catching the last of the exchange.

"Please!" Leia pleaded, gripping Anakin's hand so tightly her knuckles went white. Roken relented almost instantly under the weight of her desperate stare.

"Take it."

Anakin spun without a thank you, his senses screaming at him to hurry as he hung onto Leia and headed for the small hangar.

"You're taking Leia?" Haja exclaimed, hurrying after him. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"She stays with me." Anakin told him, making it clear this was not an argument he wanted to have right now.

"It's just," Haja rushed to keep up when they descended a level to the little hangar bay. "You seem like you could be going into a pretty bad situation here, just guessing of course, based off how white the little lady there got a few minutes ago. She would be safer here! We'll take her home!"

"I'm not leaving her. I'm going to handle this, and then take her home. End of story."

A snarl formed on Anakin's face as he talked, thankfully hidden by his face cover. He knew Leia felt the surge of aggression because she stiffened next to him and he struggled for control. "We're going. Get out of my way."

Haja had the sense to step aside and Anakin boarded the little ship with a shaken Leia in tow.

Primal instincts were raging beneath his skin. The knowledge that Luke was in enough danger for him to be utterly terrified and project it to his twin rattled him to the core, and the Force only confirmed the urgency with its screaming. With one child in danger, he wasn't about to let the other out of his sight, no matter how logical it was to leave her with these people when he was headed into an unknown situation.

"Where are we going?" Leia asked as she wisely strapped into a seat without being asked. Her voice wobbled and the storm crawling over Anakin's skin swelled when he realized she was starting to fear him again.

He could hardly answer as the need to reach his son pounded in his head.

In a fit of desperation to reassure his daughter that she had nothing to fear from him, Anakin crouched, gently cupped her cheeks with both hands and looked her right in the eyes, willing every ounce of love he could into his words. "It's going to be ok, Leia. I promise."

Calm down. He needed to calm down. This wasn't good. Leia was scared enough without him losing control of himself again.

His Balance was in chaos. He needed to wrap his fear in Clarity and focus it with the Light. The Force was trying to tell him something, and if the Dark raged he would miss it.

"A-Anakin?"

They were in the air and he was engaging the small hyperdrive before she mustered the courage to speak again.

"Anakin, please…tell me what's going on?" Leia's unspoken addition that she was still frightened of his recent behavior smashed into him hard as he noticed that in his attempt to discern what was happening to Luke he'd stopped shielding as effectively from her.

Hastily he threw the walls back up, and redoubled his efforts to calm himself.

"I'm sorry for frightening you. We needed to move fast and I…well, I supposed I panicked." He said, forcing his tone to stay quiet and gentle even if his mind wasn't right now. "We're going to Tatooine."

"What's on Tatooine?" Leia asked, her confidence trickling back slowly.

"Sand." Anakin said automatically as he grimaced. "A lot of scorching hot sand."