She looked as he remembered her, dressed in rough clothes, worn but kind. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't condemning either. She simply looked sad. "What have you become, my son?"
Anakin stepped forward. He took her hand and pressed it to his cheek. "Mom. I missed you." Tears escaped his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he choked out. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, I'm sorry I didn't come in time, I'm sorry for everything."
"Oh, Ani." Mom caressed his cheek with her thumb, then pulled her hand out of his.
Anakin let his hands fall to his side, fighting the disappointment that rose in him.
Mom raised her hand and slapped him in the face. "That's for turning to the Dark Side and everything you did afterwards! What were you thinking? Even slaves on Tatooine don't die in childbirth that often. Did you ever even take Padmé to the doctor? And Palpatine. Anakin, he admitted he lied to you for thirteen years. Why would you believe him when he said he could save people from death if you killed children for him? I did not raise my son to make such foolish decisions. Anakin, if someone is lying to you about one thing, you cannot automatically assume they're telling the truth about everything else."
Anakin cringed away from his mother. She wasn't even angry, which was even scarier. She was just lecturing him like nobody's business. "I'm sorry, I didn't think—"
"That's right; you didn't think," Mom said. "And look at what's happened because of that. Well, lucky for you, your father the Force has decided to give you a second chance. I currently hold the title of the Ghost of Lives Present. I highly suggest you pay attention to what I show you, Anakin, and think about how you could change." She reached her right hand out to him.
Anakin took it in his left. Her hand was warm in his, in a way he hadn't felt since he'd lost the hand years ago. "I'm sorry, Mom. Truly."
Mom sighed and reached up to his cheek with her other hand. She stroked it with her thumb. "I only want what is best for you, Ani."
"I know," Anakin said.
Mom dropped her hand and gave a small smile. "Come."
The meditation chamber dropped away to the officers' mess on the Executor. Captain Piett was sitting with General Veers and some other officers having a drink.
"I'm from the Core Worlds," Veers commented. "Denon. I used to celebrate Life Day with my wife and…" He paused and swallowed. "My son, Zev. After she died, I…" He shrugged. "I haven't really been home for Life Day since."
"I think it's a ridiculous holiday," one officer Anakin didn't know the name of said. "Did you know it's a Wookiee holiday? Originated with those animals on Kashyyyk. Not something I'd commemorate. Though," the officer paused. "I wouldn't mind getting leave to go home and see my family right now, no matter what the excuse. I haven't seen them in years." He took a drink. "My wife probably thinks I'm dead by now."
"My only family is the Empire," another officer said, staring into his drink. "It's…not as loyalistic as it sounds. Kind of lonely, actually, knowing you don't have a home to go back to."
"At least you don't have to worry about them shipping your body home to your family because you made a mistake around you know who," a different officer said. He mimed Force choking, then took a swig of his drink.
Veers broke in. "Let's not talk about that, shall we? Don't want him to sense it and…"
The other officers nodded.
Anakin hung his head, unable to look at the officers or his mother.
"I'm from the Outer Rim," Captain Piett said. "Got a sister and a brother-in-law and a nephew back home in Axxila. We used to be so close before I joined the Axxila antipirate fleet. Now…" He shook his head and raised his glass. "To far-away families."
"To far-away families," the officers chorused.
They cycled through other toasts, for the Empire, the Executor, good drinks, fine women, victory over the Rebels, leave they didn't get often enough, being allowed to wear their civvies, and Life Day. The men became cheery and started laughing with each other. Finally, Piett rose again.
"I propose a toast. To the man that commands our fleet and the loyalty of the Empire, the man that we follow, Lord Vader."
The men all fell silent. They stared at Piett in silence.
Anakin tried to keep back despair. These were his own men, and even they didn't seem to care for him at all.
Then again, had he ever really tried to win their loyalty or had he just made sure they feared him enough to do their jobs well?
"Come on, men. He's a military genius. He's led the Empire into victory after victory. He always leads from the front lines. Those are all admirable qualities," Piett said.
"Yeah, but he's a murderer," one officer said.
The other officers stared at him.
"I'm just sayin' it, everyone's thinkin' it!" the officer justified himself. "Killing Rebels is one thing, but the way he treats us? If someone messes up, give him a demotion, for pity's sake, not an execution! And he never even bothers with a court martial or anything like that. Half the time, the mistake's not even anybody's fault and he kills people anyway. How's that good leadership?"
"And then there's his obsession with Skywalker," Veers said. "He's been much worse ever since that kid popped up. I get that he blew up the Death Star, but he's just one Rebel." Veers shrugged. "Surely there are better ways to use the Empire's resources than chasing after some wet-behind-the-ears Outer Rim pilot. No offense, Piett."
"None taken," Piett said drily. He focused on the entire table. "Come on, men. He's second-in-command of the Empire. And it's Life Day."
"I'll drink his health for the Empire's sake and the day's, not for his," Veers said. He raised his glass. "To Darth Vader, long may he fly."
"To Darth Vader," the men chorused. They tipped back their glasses and drank.
Mom tugged Anakin away from the table. The world melted away to show a different place, some ship he didn't recognize filled with Imperial officers and Wookiees.
Slaves.
One Wookiee was lagging behind the others. An Imperial snapped an electrowhip at him. The Wookiee roared at the Imperial in defiance. More Imperials rushed in. One shot a stun bolt. The Wookiee fell to his knees, giving the Imperial with the whip free rein to beat the Wookiee some more.
Anakin winced and looked away. "I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the slaves." And yet now, he was working for a government that had slaves, in fact, he was helping it do so.
Obi-Wan was right. He had fallen far indeed.
"Come, Ani. We don't have much time," Mom said. She led him away.
They walked into an icy room. A bald man with a full white mustache and beard sat on a cot in the snow. His face was familiar. Incredibly familiar. It was a clone. Anakin couldn't be quite sure who it was, but he had a suspicion.
The clone activated a hologram. A small Anakin Skywalker appeared, giving the last set of orders for Mandalore he'd given Rex before everything fell apart.
Rex. That clone was Rex.
Of course it was. Who else would it be?
Tears were glistening in Rex's eyes. "I miss you, general. Remember when we were on this snowy planet, and there weren't any Seppies there like there were supposed to be? You said we all had leave for the next couple days, and you started a snowball fight, you and the commander against the entire 501st. And somehow, you won, too. Well, we're on a snowy planet again, Hoth, and…" Rex shrugged. "It made me think of you. I hope wherever you are, whatever happened to you, you're happy. At least…" Rex broke down into sobs. "At least one of us should be happy, general. Everyone else is gone and…you deserved a happy ending. You deserved it more than anyone."
Pain stabbed through Anakin's heart. He reached out to his former captain, the best captain he could ever ask for. "Rex. I'm so sorry, I…" He sagged. "I'm sorry for everything. You don't deserve this."
"Come, Ani," Mom said. "Our time is almost gone. This way." They stepped into the filthy main cargo hold of a light Corellian freighter. Given the Wookiee and the captain sitting at the gaming table, Anakin was guessing this was the elusive Millennium Falcon.
Anakin tightened his hand around Mom's. "Don't go."
"We all must go sometime, Ani," Mom said. "I will always be with you. Remember that. I love you."
Anakin turned to his mom. He managed to smile at her and spoke words he had thought he'd never say again. "I love you too."
"Oh, it's nothing," Luke said.
Anakin spun around. Luke was walking into the room, Leia right behind him. His heart leapt into his mouth. His children.
"No, it's not nothing. What is it?" Leia pressed.
"What's wrong, kid?" Captain Solo asked from where he was sprawled out on the bench.
Luke sat down next to Han with a sigh. Leia sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's nothing much, I just…" He shrugged. "I miss Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. And Ben. Every time I got into trouble, Ben was there to get me out of it. He saved my life so many times…" Luke stared down at the table and quieted. "He was the only connection I had to my father. I thought I was going to learn so much about him now that I was with Ben, and then…" Luke shrugged again. "Vader killed him. That man took everything from me and I can't even come close to matching him."
Captain Solo took a drink from a bottle that likely held some sort of alcohol. "Hey, you defeated Tall Dark and Wheezy on Mimban, didn't you? That's pretty impressive."
Anakin raised his eyebrows, trying to keep back a laugh. Either Captain Han Solo was very brave or very stupid to be inventing names for Vader like that. Likely, the man was a little of both.
"That was a fluke," Luke mumbled.
"Some fluke," Han mumbled. "Isn't that right, princess?"
"Han's right," Leia said.
"Hey!" Han laughed.
Leia glared at him. "For once in your life. Don't let it go to your head."
Han rolled his eyes.
"I'm sorry, this is stupid. I shouldn't be talking like this, it's been three years and—" Luke started.
"Hey." Leia squeezed his shoulder. "There's no time limit on grief."
Luke locked eyes with her for a few seconds, then nodded. "I guess you're right."
Leia gave a soft smile. "When are you boys going to learn? I'm always right."
Luke laughed as she pulled him into a hug.
Anakin smiled. "Some grandkids you've got, right, Mom?" He turned to his side, but Mom wasn't there. He spun around, searching the entire room, but Mom was gone. "Mom?"
"You're right," a soft voice replied. "We have remarkable children, Ani."
Anakin's heart gave a leap of both pure joy and absolute terror. He turned to the angel standing at his elbow. "Padmé?"