The Power to Save Her

Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.

Important Note: I will not follow comics/legends characters or concepts closely, if at all. My knowledge is strictly on the that of the movies and a more mainstream knowledge of Star Wars. Though I may reference events and things outside of the movies, I do not claim to know the material on a deeper level.

As she flew the fighter in formation while still with Anakin, Luke, Leia and Captain Solo, Padmé observed the familiar planet distantly, memories coming and going of her time spent here. The memories she had on Coruscant were mostly of time spent being a senator. It was a lifetime ago that she'd served the Republic, for a greater purpose. A cause she had believed in, despite the corruption from within the Senate. As she observed the senate building, corroding from years of disuse, she thought to a time where it had been lively. A future full of hope, despite the endless war with the Separatists.

All too soon, they broke off from the formation, and she silently sent a farewell to both Anakin and her son. Now fully turned away and putting a growing distance between them, she tried to not think of the fears that were plaguing her mind, surrounding her family. She'd spent enough time thinking of the horrible time on Naboo where Anakin had almost died. When Sidious had claimed ownership over Anakin, while trying to get Luke within his grasp. The monster, though only minutes to calculate, had almost ensnared him if not for the quick warning sent by Anakin. With this nagging in the back of her mind, her rest the night before had been troubled. Though she wasn't Force sensitive, her dreams foretold of the deaths of everyone she loved, all at the hands of a man she'd once seen as a mentor. Quite early in the morning, she'd given up on sleep, though she'd found some semblance of comfort upon getting up and walking into the main room. With a smile, she'd observed how the rest of her family had fallen asleep in their chairs, out in the open room of the quarters. Though there was the impending confrontation, she still found hope in the love for her family.

Shaking herself from the brief, if lovely memory, she knew that she had to focus on the task at hand. The building they were set to overtake was close, though they were forced to wait at the rendezvous point before moving forward with their plans. Most of the next phase of their plan was waiting, for which she was discontented to do. Even now, while piloting the fighter, she felt her hands grip the controls of the ship fiercely. Though normally patient, the stakes were quite different, as the outcome of it was very personal. She already admitted and made clear to herself that she hated the idea of letting her family go to face that monster, but she knew she'd be dooming the galaxy if she kept them from doing it. She'd said goodbye to Anakin so many times during the Clone Wars, each time with the possibility of never seeing him again, and she'd have to do the same here. Even if the man they were up against was a Sith who'd managed to deceive her husband, and the entire galaxy, this was Anakin's battle, as well as their son's. Peace was all she wanted, and she knew that it had to be paid for with a fight.

She was caught between duty and family, knowing what the right choice was. She sighed, as she continued guiding her ship forward, a deep ache forming in her chest. With resolve, she made a decision she already knew she'd make, praying to the Force that it they would make it out alive. She couldn't be selfish, even if it was life of her loved ones, though she so desperately wanted to fight against it.

Padmé, though all she wanted was to turn her ship around and be with them when they fought Sidious knew that it wasn't her fight. Sidious outclassed her in combat. He was not in her arena, but she knew what was. The 500 Republica was ahead, with several reported Imperial military leaders residing within.

This was her fight.

After making a landing on the platform, alongside the others, an attack was made on her husband and son's ships.

The first thing he became aware of was the pounding in his skull, a massive headache having taken over. Anakin gritted his teeth against the awareness his mind was coming to. All around him were the blaring lights and alarms, alerting him that his shuttle had been damaged, massively. Anakin tested his reflexes, curling his fingers slightly, and opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the red lights of the interior reflecting off the broken glass of the cockpit window. With a fuzzy recollection of what had happened, he stared at the sight for a good moment or two. Amazingly, the shuttle had remained in shape when they—

Anakin sat up quickly, instantly remembering what had happened.

Luke! he called out in the Force, only to hear nothing. At first, he felt incomprehensible fear, before reminding himself to breathe. Then with a reluctant calm, he reached out, sensing that his son was alive, to which he sighed in relief. Though given a small measure of hope by this discovery, he didn't know for how long that'd last.

His mind returned to his present surroundings, knowing that he needed be mindful of the here and now. The next thing he began noticing was the rising heat of the cockpit. With some stiffness, he lifted his head and glanced up to see the flames licking at the edge of the cockpit window. Knowing he'd only minutes to get away from the wreckage, he pushed the broken glass with the Force. It shattered as it burst outwardly. Quickly, he turned around and reached out for the presence of the stormtroopers that had only been passengers, only sense that all were dead. His path was clear, and though aching, he used the Force to propel himself out of the shuttle. No sooner than he landed on the pavement did the debris explode behind him.

Several screams were heard around him as the citizens of Coruscant heard the noise, though he knew that the immediate danger was over. While holding his side, of which he hoped wasn't a broken rib, he watched as stormtroopers came racing up to the wreckage. Several of them instantly put out the flames. Though he cared little of what had happened to his ship, he did regret the deaths of those men. Feeling some resentment for their deaths, he turned his gaze towards an unoccupied group. With some purpose in his stride, despite the pain, he approached of the formation of troopers, some among them who took a few involuntary steps back.

"My ship was attacked, as were the others.", he stated, a dangerous edge to his voice. Some onlookers seemed to whisper amongst each other as they watched.

Then something strange happened.

"Stay back!", the trooper demanded, almost angrily, and for once Anakin drew short, shocked by the audacity of this Imperial. The stormtrooper's blaster was raised to him, as were all the others that surrounded him. "Your charade is over! We know that you're not the real Darth Vader."

Anakin continued to feel some growing shock.

"What did you say?", he asked, his voice deliberately low.

"You'll be brought before the Emperor.", the trooper stated gruffly, ignoring the question and coming closer.

Sensing that the trooper was quite serious in his demands, Anakin glanced around at the swarms of troopers that were now filling the streets on area of his fallen shuttle. There was a sea of white armor all around him, all with their blasters or other weapons ready. Anakin, who most would expect to be feeling fear at the moment, was instead growing more irritated by the minute. Knowing he'd have to act quickly, his mind turned analytical. There were far too many to mind trick, and he didn't necessarily want to kill them either. To do so would only solidify the supposition that he was indeed an imposter and cause them all to fire on him instantly.

"That will not happen.", he stated, voice low, looking over to a lower balcony that appeared vacant. The plan clicked in place, and he continued addressing the trooper in front of him, "Tell the Emperor I'm coming for him."

Then with another leap aided by the Force, he sprung for the balcony, even as an innumerable host of blaster shots soared after him. Though protected by the metal temporarily, he could see other bolts of light flying into the unprotected walls, the heat of them melting the metal. Again, his mind turned analytical, and he decided that it was only a matter of time before they brought speeders to level the army of troopers on the ground with him.

While crouching to avoid the shots, he approached his escape from the onslaught. Quickly, he waved his hand and the door to the apartment opened. Without checking, he ushered himself inside and thankfully, whoever lived here wasn't home. Knowing he had only minutes before they figured out what he was doing, he raced through to the other side of the building, coming out to a public balcony which had some civilians. He didn't acknowledge them as he jumped from the place, feeling their shock, and landed with a roll at the bottom. Without hesitation, he took cover in the maze of buildings below, and with the aid of the Force, he was able to put a significant distance between him and the army of stormtroopers that were tasked with hunting him down. Only now, while on the run, did he see the holos of his armored mask being broadcasted in several places. Anakin gritted his teeth, a feeling of deep anger overcoming him before he instantly letting it go. Sidious had meant for this to limit his movements, believing that Vader was still confined to the suit. Anakin smiled, with some contempt.

How wrong he was.

With great care, he quietly slipped into the back room of a seedy tavern, new plans formulating in his mind.

Leia felt the disturbance the moment they landed on the platform several blocks from the 500 Republica. She couldn't explain it other than a cold chill going down her spine and the sudden spike of fear from her father in the Force. Instantly, she reached out for Luke, only to sense nothing. Something was terribly wrong. She stood in the middle of the landing platform, having not even started unloading the crates from their assembled TIE fighters.

"What is it?", she heard beside her, and a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Something wrong Han. I can feel it.", Leia stated, the Force seeming to hum with her assessment. The cold feeling in her gut only continued.

"The Force is rarely wrong.", came the voice of her mother, and Leia turned to the woman, whose face had gone ashen.

"I can't reach Luke, or… my father.", Leia stated, feeling frustrated with herself.

There was a moment of silence, where her mother seemed to contemplate this information, before she answered.

"We can't focus on that now.", came the response, though Leia could tell she had difficulty saying it. With a look that said otherwise, her mother hardened her resolve. "We have a duty to ensure the arrival of our troops to secure the capital."

"And what? You expect us to do nothing?", Leia demanded, her heart pounding in her chest, though she knew her mother was right.

"We are doing something.", came her response, eyebrows furrowing, and lips pursed. "Only when our job is done, we can help them."

"She's right.", Han stated, though he'd said little. "But the moment we're able, we're going to help Luke."

Leia, sighed, knowing he was correct, though it didn't sit well with her. Han opened up communications with Madine on one of the star destroyers. The general told them that he'd been informed of what had happened. It appeared that both Luke and her father's ships had been attacked, and that it had been by the Emperor's command. Leia's ever-growing fear rose even more, and she began feeling her breath coming up short. Han glanced over to her worriedly, then faced Madine, and informed the Rebel leader that they'd found the secure landing pad. Though the general was relieved to hear they'd made it there safely, he seemed reluctant to follow through with the original plans.

However, after several minutes of deliberation, the general decided that the mission was still a go.

Leia could see that her mother, though keeping it together for the most part was tense. She was wrapping her arms around herself, and it was then that Leia realized that she wasn't the only one feeling fear. Chastising herself for her lack of empathy, Leia approached her mother, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Leia had to be strong, just as her mother was. With some difficulty, she released her emotions into the Force, and focused her mind on the task at hand.

Luke, she called out, almost praying that he would hear her. Where are you?

Luke woke suddenly, face pressed down on the hard metal walkway, his helmet having skidded somewhere far away. He felt aching all over his body and could smell the putrid smoke of electronics burning nearby. Gingerly, he lifted his head, wondering where the fighter pilot helmet went. It'd most likely protected him from his less than stellar landing, and he needed it to keep up his disguise.

Turning around, while still on the ground, he noted the darkness of his location, and the continued downpour of the storm. The rain had plastered his hair to his face, water droplets blurring his vision. He was somewhere, far beneath the surface of Coruscant, though he could see the opening several levels above. This explained how the rain continued to drizzle down, though he didn't necessarily draw any comfort from knowing this. Gently he rose to both feet, feeling deep bruises forming on his arm, and clasped it lightly. With the other hand, he patted his pocket, ensuring that his green lightsaber was still with him, breathing a sigh of relief when he found the answer to that question.

Again, he looked up, the heavy rain pouring down on him, wondering what had happened to cause such an attack and who had instigated it. Though he had his suspicions, as to who it was, he wasn't certain. Suddenly there was a presence, pushing on the edge of his mind, and instinctively he shielded himself against it. However, once he'd realized it was his father and not the evil being that reigned over the galaxy, he relaxed and open himself up to the Force.

Tentatively, he reached out.

Father?

Luke, are you safe? His father asked, almost urgently, some distraction in his mind.

More or less, came his response, though he looked over the ledge. On a lower platform was his ship, just the smoldering remains of the crash. My fighter is down though.

We were all ambushed, answered his father before there was some hesitation, a definitive edge to his voice. The Emperor knew we were coming and wanted to separate us. He's sent stormtroopers to hunt me, and he may have done the same for you.

Luke's eyes widened at the prospect, a sudden tenseness coming over him.

What do I do? Luke asked, since he didn't know this planet, and by extension was limited on resources.

I'll find you, but you must stay hidden, came his father's order. Contact your sister and keep her focused on their mission.

Luke agreed mentally to do this, and closed off his connection with his father. He finally spotted his helmet, and lowered it back down over his face, and took shelter from the rain, underneath a metal awning. Making his mind up to reach out to his sister, he closed his eyes, beginning to do just that. However, before he could reach her, a warning in the Force screamed out at him. Luke only had seconds to roll out of the way, as explosions erupted where he'd been standing. With a grunt, he spun and landed in a crouch, only to spot the bounty hunter perched on a ledge overlooking his location. With a tenseness in Luke's posture, he glared up at his foe, knowing instantly who this was.

"Boba Fett."

After having spoken to Luke, Anakin was removing his helmet, as well as the armor the supported the function of the respirator. There was an ever present shifting in the Force, and he knew its source. It was that of the Sith Lord moving his pawns throughout the planet. Anakin knew by now that the Sith had gotten word of Vader's escape, and would no doubt send reinforcements to hunt him down. Realizing this, Anakin quickly shed the rest of the nonessential armor and was left with something far simpler. He kept the dark long-sleeved tunic, trousers, and his cloak with him. The cloak, he'd fashioned into a hood, knowing it would be useful to hide his face.

Finally, he was done, and left behind all the armor, knowing it'd serve him no purpose now. Knowing he had a limited window to find Luke he raised his hood, slipping into the crowd of people. The occupants of these lower levels mostly contained the ruffian type, as this area was littered with seedy taverns. Because of this, no one paid him any mind even as he pushed through them.

While keeping his head low, passing by a patrol of stormtroopers, he knew he'd made the right choice in disguise. It had been many years since a known Skywalker had roamed this planet, and they weren't looking for one at the moment, far too occupied with someone else. He listened as they questioned people in the crowd, asking for the visage of Darth Vader. Anakin smirked slightly, knowing they'd never find him now, though quickly stiffened and lost that smile when he felt a surge of fear in the Force.

Luke! He thought with some panic and tried to reach out to his son. His son didn't answer, though Anakin saw the flashes of a familiar bounty hunter. Fett was flying around in the heavy rain with the aid of a jetpack, while Luke dodged and deflected. Anakin felt some protectiveness coming over him, causing him to roughly push through more people. He ignored the curses they sent his way, feeling only fear as his son faced off against the known Jedi killer.

He was given another image from Luke, one of an area deep in the heart of Coruscant, and instantly knew where his son was. With the Force as his guide and his ally, he was able to avoid the patrols of troopers and find the fastest rout to the lower levels of the planet. He finally found it, almost canyonlike in appearance, and though he couldn't sense his son directly below, he did feel that this was the fastest way down.

Without hesitation, he jumped into the chasm.

"The Rebel fleet is on the forest moon of Endor.", reported the grainy image of Madine, though he appeared troubled. "Have the shuttles arrived to your platform?"

"They have.", Leia reported, eyeing the lines of Imperial star craft neatly in a row. "We are ready to strike when given the all clear."

"You have the all-clear from us.", Madine reported. "Though only if you think it's wise after the Emperor shot down those fighters."

"Luke's alive and clearly the Emperor's priority.", Leia stated, though she hated speaking so callously. "We must see this done if we are to bring an end to the Empire."

"Very well.", Madine said, though he appeared less than thrilled. "As soon as you secure the leaders, we will send reinforcements to guard them. After this, go to the aid of Commander Skywalker."

"Thank you.", was all Leia said, and then the transmissions cut out. Then she turned to the rebel stormtroopers, her composure kept in place. "It's time."

Then they all started their march towards the 500 Republica.

Luke rolled away once again, as the flames from the bounty hunter came roaring towards him. Soon it fizzled out. Knowing that it was useless to pretend that he was an ordinary TIE pilot, he lifted his lightsaber in hand, igniting the green blade in the gloomy darkness of Coruscant's underbelly. As the bounty hunter fired blaster shots at him, Luke deflected the bolts back out, causing the man in Mandalorian armor to dodge his own shots.

"I knew it was you, Jedi.", stated the bounty hunter upon seeing the green blade. He raised his arm, ready to fire the cable, when Luke moved him with a violent Force push. The bounty hunter was sent flying skidding to the edge of the ramp. Before he could catch himself, the hunter rolled off the ledge.

Knowing that he only had minutes to get away, Luke fled back into the opening of the ledge, finding himself in a crowded, if dingy marketplace. Quickly, he hid his saber, keeping his head down, knowing he needed to buy some time before the bounty hunter could find him again. Luke pushed himself into the first cantina he came across and was greeted with loud music and a diverse set of company. Nobody acknowledged him, as he was attired with Imperial armor, which they were quite used to seeing it on this planet. Though Luke was comforted by this small victory, he knew that he'd be spotted by Fett if he lingered in the common bar area.

Understanding that he had limited time to do so, Luke reached out into the Force for his sister.

Leia, he called, and to his surprise, she answered right away. Dismissing her onslaught of questions, he got straight to the point, furrowing his brows in concentration. I'm okay! I'm okay. The fighter crashed, but we're both alright. Listen to me. I want you to focus on the mission, and don't worry about me.

As soon as we can, we're coming to help you. Leia stated, her feelings quite clear on the subject.

No, Luke snapped back, his inner voice quite stern. Leia, I want you to—

Then he felt a disturbance. Before he could continue to drive home his adamant objections to her plans, he heard a commotion in the front of the cantina. Luke ducked behind a corner, sensing the bounty hunter, raking through the crowd for him. Using the Force as his guide, he snuck out the back of the establishment and into the dirty alleyway. He broke the lock of the back door for good measure and started at a sprint through the maze of buildings. The yellow lights of the city below barely kept the streets lit up, but Luke considered it to be to his advantage.

The Force seemed to find this humorous, for it kept him from seeing what was right in front of him. As he skidded around a corner, he ran into someone, and fell back from the impact. With a grunt he landed on his back. With quick reflexes, though not quick enough to prevent the collision, he rose into a crouch, ready for a fight. That however was unnecessary, as his father was standing there, arms crossed, a slight smile on his unmasked face.

Luke however didn't find the humor in the situation.

"Boba Fett.", Luke stated almost breathlessly, and his father nodded.

"I know. I could sense him, but he's a bounty hunter.", he replied, before pulling Luke into the hiding place between some buildings, before glancing around the corner. In a tone that sounded like he was giving a casual lesson, he continued, "And like most bounty hunters, he is weak without his equipment."

At this moment, they heard the whir of a jetpack, its user tracking them down with fervency. To Luke's utter surprise, his father stepped out boldly out into the open alleyway. Luke watched as Boba Fett landed directly in front of his father, wondering what he had up his sleeve.

"A Jedi, disguised as a TIE fighter pilot was spotted in this area.", Fett stated, his voice quite cold. "Have you seen him?"

"I have.", his father replied, though he kept his hood low enough. "But I'm not going to tell you where he is."

Fett took a step back, leveling his blaster to the former Sith's face.

"You will tell me, if you know what's good for you.", replied the hunter with some disgust. Then, Luke sensed a dawning recognition in the Force from the hunter, and the grip on the hunter's weapon loosened. "Wait, I know you!"

Before the bounty hunter could get his bearings, his father yanked the blaster from the bounty hunter's hands. Instantly, Boba Fett rose into the air with his jetpack, and raised an arm, shooting missiles towards his elusive foe. His father raised his hand, and the projectiles were redirected into another direction, most returning to the hunter himself. Explosions filled the air, and the hunter was sent careening back, impacting into the wall of a building. With the harsh impact the man passed out, slumping onto the dirty ground. For a moment, they both watched the armored hunter, making sure that he was out cold.

"Let's go Luke.", his father finally stated, almost breathlessly. He turned and pushed past Luke. His stride was purposeful. "We must return to the surface."

"The Emperor, if he knows we're here, then he might know about the others.", Luke stated, feeling sickness rising within him. Luke felt a pervasive feeling of hopelessness, though he knew better than to give into it.

"We can't know that for certain.", his father answered, though there was some trepidation to his voice. Luke saw his father's eyes had hardened with some resolve. "Have you reached out to your sister?"

"She's safe.", Luke replied, though he didn't say much else. There was something else shifting in the Force. Luke realized that the Emperor was still conspiring, even after all the blows he'd just dealt. "I sense… something."

"I know what it is.", his father replied, his voice ominous. He raised his hooded head to the higher levels above them. "The bounty hunter and the troopers were only the beginning."

"What must we do?", Luke asked, hating to ask that question for the second time that day.

"Trust in the Force.", his father replied, though there was a deep frown on his face. Luke could tell that he was holding back for his sake. "Sidious wants our fear. He wants to catch us off balance."

"The fleet should be warned.", Luke stated, thinking to Piett and Madine.

"Already done.", his father said, continuing to push forward, and they came upon a barely functional turbolift. The former Sith turned to him, "Piett ensured the protection of the ground troopers."

"Thank you.", Luke replied, knowing that his father's quick thinking had probably saved those men. Even though those troopers were actually Rebels in disguise, his father had acted to save them.

They got onto the lift, it's technology ancient, though it still managed to work after all this time. As they rose the levels of the city-planet, they noticed that the grime of the lower sections gave way to the more illustrious environment of the upper levels. Though these levels were nicer, with more wealth came more colors and symbols of the Empire. As they walked off the lift and out into the more crowded streets, they came upon images of Darth Vader's mask cropped up in holos. Most of the displays were demanding that he, or an imposter, was to be hunted, though the other half of them displayed propaganda for Imperial recruitment.

They came up to a square, littered with a few people, and in the center of it was a massive statue of the Emperor himself. If anybody had asked Luke, he'd say it was grotesque, much like the man himself. It was a polished black marble that displayed the wealth of the Empire, though to Luke it meant less than nothing. All he cared about was the building in the far horizon. A place once renowned as the Jedi Temple, though today known as the Imperial Palace.

His father, he could sense, dreaded going back there for more than just the reason of fighting the Emperor. His past, so clearly accusing him of his sins, caused the man to stare at it with a rigidness in his posture. Luke came up next to him, sending him comfort in the Force, and the shoulders relaxed slightly.

"The Force is our ally.", Luke stated, trying to use the words of Yoda to bring comfort. It seemed to work, as his father turned his gaze to him, a ghost of a smile there.

"Something I'm sure a very wise Jedi once said.", came the reply, though Luke could tell he knew. "It is a powerful ally indeed."

A/N: And that's one chapter of a few that's super loaded with action! I hope you all enjoyed reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it! This is one chapter I'd been picturing for a while, and only now have I gotten the chance to flesh it out. So, what do you all think? What more could the Emperor possibly have planned?

Special shoutout to RyanSquad, Jeda31, westerns never die, MMM73181, ELinkA, and ichigo urahara Shihoin for reviewing! A big thank you to those who favorited and followed my story! Also, thanks to those who've favorited and followed me as an author. As always, I am super thankful to my readers for continuing to enjoy my work! If you have thoughts or opinions, any at all, please let me know! I love hearing from you all :)