It took him a couple minutes, sitting in his meditation chambers trying to process everything that happened, to realize something.
Padmé had threaded her hand through his hair.
Except he didn't have hair. He felt his head, expecting to feel the scarred, bald pate he'd had since Mustafar. Thick strands of wavy brown hair met his fingers.
On that note, why could he feel the strands of hair so distinctly? He lowered his hand from his hair.
Instead of the shoddy prosthetic, he had a hand. A real, live actual left hand. He glanced down. He had feet, too. He wiggled his toes in delight. He checked his right hand.
It was still a prosthetic.
Well, he couldn't have everything. After all, this was the hand that had touched Padmé.
Did this mean he could survive without the suit outside the meditation chamber? Was he healed? Anakin hurriedly opened the chamber and ducked out, searching all around his chambers for a mirror before he finally found one Palpatine had put in the refresher he didn't really use.
Yes, he was back to normal. He had hair and eyebrows and smooth, healthy skin. The scar over his eye stood out. And he had a real hand and real legs.
Anakin cheered. "Thank you!" he shouted. He bolted to the door of his chambers. He had to find his children. Where was it Rex had said he was? Hoth?
He skidded to a stop right before the door. He couldn't leave like this. He wasn't even dressed. He hurriedly ran to his meditation chamber and pulled his suit on. Unfortunately, the suit was the only thing he had to wear. He crammed the stupid helmet on his head and ran out of the chamber.
He ran into Piett on his way to the hangar. Piett blanched and stumbled back. He bowed hastily. "I am exceedingly sorry, my lord. I wasn't watching where I was going. It won't happen again."
"It's all right, it was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." Anakin took his hand and shook it heartily. "Happy Life Day, Captain Piett!"
"Uh…happy Life Day!" Piett said.
Anakin released him and ran into the hangar that held his private ship. He hurriedly prepared it for takeoff and signaled the bridge. "This is Darth Vader in Hangar C, preparing for takeoff."
"Preparing for—yes, my lord. Where are you going, uh, sir?" a technician stammered.
"Home to see my family," Anakin said. "Happy Life Day!"
"Uh…happy Life Day, sir!" the technician said. "Opening the hangar now."
The hangar opened. Anakin lifted the ship and sped out into space. He searched the navicomputer for the Hoth system.
The coordinates popped up. He smiled and pulled back the lever, shooting into hyperspace.
It was easy to find the Rebel base once he was in the Hoth system. Anakin activated the comm system and paused. What was he even going to say?
"I'm, uh, Darth Vader, and I'm here to defect," Anakin said. He grimaced. That was more likely to get himself shot than anything. "I have important information about a second Death Star."
"A what? You're who? Uh, hold on."
Anakin sighed and waited, orbiting Hoth as he waited for the approval to land.
"This is General Carlist Rieekan, with Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa. State again your name and intent for the record."
"I'm Anakin Skywalker—I mean Darth Vader. I'm Darth Vader and I'm here to defect to the Rebel Alliance. I also have important information about a second Death Star."
Anakin waited even longer. He became bored and tapped the console of his ship, humming a tune his mother used to sing him.
"Is that 'The Jedi and the Princess'?" Luke asked.
Anakin jumped. He glanced at the comm and resisted the urge to curse. It was still on. "Uh, yeah. My, uh, my mother used to sing it to me."
There was silence for a while. "My aunt used to sing that song to me," Luke said.
Anakin spoke without thinking. "She probably learned it from my mother."
"What?" Luke burst out. "What do you… what does that… What did you mean when you said you were Anakin Skywalker? Ben told me you betrayed and murdered my father."
Anakin snorted a laugh. "Of course he did. I'll, uh, explain down below. If you'll let me down, of course."
The comm fell silent again. Finally, Rieekan spoke again. "Proceed to the coordinates we'll send to you."
"So does that mean I'm let in?" Anakin asked.
Rieekan sighed. "You will be given a probationary period. If your information checks out and you have good performance during your probationary period, you will be accepted into the Alliance on good faith." Anakin heard him mutter, "I can't believe I'm doing this."
"Yay! Happy Life Day!" Anakin said.
"Uh, happy Life Day," Rieekan said.
Anakin smiled and followed the coordinates down. He landed in a crowded hangar full of men. He sensed his son and his daughter right outside. He smiled and jumped out. He spread his arms. "Happy Life Day!"
Luke squinted at him, his lightsaber drawn but not activated. "Are you really here to defect?"
Anakin nodded. He removed his helmet and tossed it on the ground. "Don't need that anymore. The Force healed me, gave me a second chance. I'd like to use that to do as much good as I can." He ripped the gloves and the armor off, tossing them to the side. "Don't suppose you have a change of clothes?"
"Who are you?" Luke asked.
Anakin grinned. "I'm your father."