"No, Padmé," Anakin snapped as they entered the dusty atmosphere of Tatooine.

The closer they got to the planet, the crankier he grew, and now he was on the verge of entering into a Vader-like fit of frustration. He struggled to contain the deluge of thoughts and emotions that overwhelmed him in this moment.

"We need to refuel, Ani," the brunette beside him countered, angling the ship down toward the surface of the planet.

"Padmé, you need to trust me on this one," Anakin responded. "We don't blend in. Your dress screams 'I have money, come steal it!' and this ridiculous Rebel uniform I've got on is sure to land both of us in prison if anyone from the Empire is roaming about. We cannot stop in Mos Eisley or Mos Espa or any other populated port."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Padmé snapped, her own frustrations clearly intensifying.

"Land nearby the farm, assuming you know where it is," Anakin instructed. "I'll go into town after I acquire new clothing and something to cover my face and bring the fuel to us."

Padmé smirked in response, a reaction that elicited only further annoyance from the former Sith Lord.

"What could you possibly be smiling about right now, Senator?" he growled.

"It's just…the irony," she replied. "You're worried about ending up a prisoner of the Empire, yet you used to be the one making arrests and interrogations."

Anakin scowled, internally cursing her for bringing up his Sithly ways and adding to his frustrations.

"I've been a prisoner of the Empire my whole life, Padmé," he answered. "I didn't choose that life, as I have chosen this one. I did what I had to do to survive and became locked in a prison of my own making. I willed away the thoughts of Anakin, of his mother…of you. I accepted my role of apprentice to the Emperor when I should have kept fighting against it. My Master never treated me as his equal. He knew I was stronger, so he tried his hardest to weaken me and keep me his prisoner. But now I have broken free and I'm not going back."

Padmé said nothing in response, but swerved the ship away from the port and toward the open sand. Somewhere out there, his mother was still alive. And Anakin was about to be reunited with the final remaining piece of his old life.


Obi-Wan bid the Naberrie family farewell as he headed back to his ship. Though he had to inform them that their daughter was missing in order to explain his visit, he spared them the small detail that she was currently sheltering Darth Vader.

Anakin.

A part of Obi-Wan knew that Padmé was not stupid enough to come to her home planet, yet it was the only place he could think of to begin his search. Her parents frantically tried to contact her communicator, but after being answered by Mon Mothma, it was clear that she had left it behind on Jakku.

Obi-Wan reached out to the Force one final time in attempt to sense any Force-sensitive beings in the area, but his efforts were in vain. He boarded his ship and made his way to the cockpit, pausing to glance around the small room where Padmé and Vader had sat on their journey to Jakku not long ago. He shook his head, disappointed in himself for not realizing that Vader was within his reach and letting him go so easily.

Anakin.

Obi-Wan settled into the pilot's seat and pulled out his communicator to contact Master Yoda. The hologram of the little man appeared before him.

"Master Yoda," he began, "I am afraid that I bring you grave news."

"Unsuccessful, your search has been, Master Kenobi?" Yoda replied.

"On the contrary, it was quite successful," Obi-Wan responded. "The disturbance we felt was none other than Darth Vader himself, who is alive and well. It appears that he has somehow abandoned some of his dark ways, though he has not embraced the light. He is intentionally pretending to be dead and shielding his presence from the Emperor in hopes of catching him off guard and striking him down. I fear that our galaxy may soon be in his clutches if he is successful."

"Know this, how do you?" Yoda asked. "Captured him, have you?"

"Not exactly," Obi-Wan replied. "He came to us willingly with Padmé Amidala, who had been his prisoner for some time. He abandoned his robes and gave us a false name. Unfortunately, we did not find out his true identity until it was too late and he is at large once again. We currently have Firmus Piett, former Admiral and current second-in-command in our custody at the Rebel Base, but we cannot hold him for much longer without the Empire taking notice. He has come to bargain with us and offer assistance in our mission. It seems that even the highest ranking officials in the Empire have no love for their Emperor."

"Sure you are, that you can trust this man?" said Yoda. "Seek power for himself, he does not?"

"Of course we cannot be sure," Obi-Wan answered, "but it may be a risk we have to take. Though, there is one more thing, Master…"

"Troubled you are, my friend," Yoda stated. "Sense it, I do."

"Yes," Obi-Wan confirmed with a deep breath. "I think that Lord Vader is really Anakin Skywalker, my missing apprentice from over a decade ago."

"Remember the boy, I do," said Yoda. "The chosen one, we believed he was. To the Dark Side, he has turned?"

"It appears that way," Obi-Wan replied, "but as much sense as it makes the more I put the puzzle pieces together, the more I refuse to believe that it is true. Palpatine must have been fooling us all for years, raising him as a Sith. He knows no other way. I just…can't fathom that I failed so miserably. Not only did I allow him to be snatched just feet away from me, but I failed to find him. And he turned into a monster who slaughtered the Order."

"Your fault, this is not, Obi-Wan," said Yoda. "The fault of Sidious, this is. But kill you and the rebels, he did not. Perhaps hope for redemption, there is."

"I fear that it may be too late for that, Master," Obi-Wan responded. "But I will continue my search for him. Though I am still unsure of what to do if and when I find him."

"Meditate on this, you must," Yoda instructed. "Guide you, the Force will."

"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan replied. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you, Master Kenobi," the little man responded as his hologram slowly faded.


Anakin trudged through the sand with Padmé by his side, making their way toward the hut several hundred yards ahead. A sandstorm was coming- he could sense it.

I really kriffing hate sand.

As they grew closer, Anakin noticed a figure emerge from the hut to greet them. A man of average height, by the looks of it, wearing a tan robe.

"Who is that?" he asked Padmé.

"That is your stepbrother, Owen," Padmé responded.

Anakin still wasn't sure how he felt about having a brother. It was enough having to face his mother again after all these years, nevertheless a whole family he'd never met before.

The man appeared tense, hesistant of the approaching strangers, until they were only several feet away, at which point he exclaimed, "Oh, Padmé, it's you!"

"Owen," she replied with her usual grace, "it's been far too long!"
Padmé embraced the stranger that was his brother and Anakin felt a twinge of jealousy.

"I did not recognize your ship," Owen continued. "And who is your…companion?"

Anakin noticed Owen eying his scars, though the man tried to hide it. He suddenly wished he had time to cover them. What was his mother going to think?

"This is…a really long story," Padmé answered, "which would be better explained inside. It has been a long journey."

"Of course!" Owen responded. "Follow me. Beru will be so pleased to see you."

Anakin stepped carefully behind Owen and Padmé, the distance between himself and the door rapidly shrinking.

My mother is in there.

He ducked to make it through the small entrance, clearly not designed for someone of his massive height.

"Owen, who is it?" a female voice called.

"It's Padmé, sweetheart!" he exclaimed as they rounded the corner into an oddly spacious, kitchen-like area.

"Padmé!" the woman shouted with delight, dropping a potted plant she was holding as she ran to embrace her.

"Beru, how lovely to see you again!" said Padmé, who took hold of the woman's hand as she pulled away. "Wow, it seems congratulations are in order, as well!"

She looked back at Owen, who responded, "Yes, indeed! We tied the knot several weeks ago."

This is my sister-in-law.

As Beru turned her gaze toward Anakin and gave him the same look as her husband, he had to resist the urge to exit the home as quickly as possible, return to the ship, and fly off to somewhere even more remote.

Suddenly, a very familiar droid appeared, carrying two cups of blue milk.

"Mistress Beru, I have brought some refreshments for you and Master Owen," C3PO announced, his mechanical parts in desperate need of oiling. "Well, my word- I should have brought more! Master, is that you? Why, it's been so long, I thought you'd forgotten me!"

Shit.

Owen and Beru glanced back at Anakin, their expressions morphing from confusion to shock. Anakin ignored them, stepping forward to greet his childhood creation.

"Hello, 3PO," he said. "Perhaps I can scrounge up some metal to make you that outer covering I promised so long ago."

"Why, that would be wonderful!" the droid replied. "And Mistress Padmé, a pleasure, as always."

"So you're…uh…Shmi's son?" Owen asked, awaiting confirmation of the obvious.

"Is my mother here?" Anakin asked, ignoring the question. He was growing impatient.

"Yes," Beru said. "She should be downstairs tidying up some things. I'll go fetch her."

Anakin tensed as his sister-in-law left the room.

"Don't be nervous," said Padmé. He felt her soft hand close tightly around his own in a gesture of reassurance.

"I don't get nervous," Anakin replied in a final effort to defend his courage.

A long, uncomfortable pause ensued, which was finally broken by Owen.

"You two can, uh…have our milk," he said, taking the drinks from 3PO. "3PO, please bring us more drinks."

"I shall return with your request, Master," the droid responded as he clattered from the room.

Anakin felt her approaching before she appeared- a presence he hadn't felt in so many years, and had assumed he would never feel again.

As his mother entered the room and stopped in her tracks, he said nothing. He did not move and, for just a moment, did not breathe. It was as if he could feel some of the darkness within him sliding away, floating out the windows and mixing with the sands.

"Ani," said Shmi, "is that you?"

Hello everyone! I am back and hope to be posting updates periodically over the course of the next month or so. I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays and please continue to follow, favorite, and leave reviews!