"When you disappeared, your belongings were sent from Coruscant. Everything is here.", Sola explained and showed into the spare room. Padmé glanced inside to spot countless boxes filled with all her clothes and belongings.
And in one corner, there was a golden protocol droid and his smaller counterpart. Padmé grinned. "I'm glad those two are still around. It would have been a terrible waste.", she muttered.
Sola snorted. "In the beginning, we had them activated. But the protocol droid annoyed Dad, so he put them in here." Padmé chuckled. "That is very understandable. His programming is a bit off."
"Where did you even get him? He can't be from an official factory.", Sola asked. "Anakin built him when he was a child. C3PO was a little boy's hobby, a boy that had nothing but disposed scrap to work with. Sometimes it shows."
Sola arched a brow. "He built a functioning droid as a child?" Padmé smirked. "Yes he did." Sola crossed her arms. "So.", she began. "I know Mom said it doesn't matter, but I would really like to know who the mysterious friend of yours is."
Padmé sighed. "Perhaps you will know eventually, Sola. But not now." Sola grunted in frustration. "But I'm curious. I'm your sister, Padmé, you know you can trust me." Padmé put her hand on her sister's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Sola. But this goes beyond you and me. There's too much at stake." Sola nodded, although her expression was more than displeased. "Fine, I trust you. But everything you say makes me worry more."
Padmé chuckled. "If you knew, you'd worry even more." Sola's eyes narrowed. "You're teasing me.", she stated while a smirk curled her lips. Padmé grinned. "What's a sister for?" Suddenly, Ahsoka rushed past them.
"He sent the death star plans.", she explained as she disappeared around a turn. "How could anyone acquire those so fast?", Sola called out. "The imperial security is better than this." Padmé frowned at her.
"You said you trusted me." Sola rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. It's just that I'm impressed. I wonder who could possibly accomplish something like this." Padmé smirked. "Come on." She took her sisters hand and pulled her after Ahsoka.
The togruta was already busy at the holoterminal. Ackbar's image appeared, unusually already standing. "Tell him, we are in his debt." Ahsoka bent her head with a smirk.
"I will. Organa is fine by the way. Breha was framed instead and smuggled off planet." Ackbar nodded. "Thank you." "What will you do with the plans?", Padmé asked. Ackbar shook his head.
"Nothing specific. Not yet, that is. What we found was merely a construction site, and a well defended one at that matter. The empire will not take any risks while their project is vulnerable like this. The schedules you sent will help with that."
Ahsoka crossed her arms. "So you will destroy the thing." Ackbar nodded. "Obviously. We will put an end to the Emperor's vision of terror."
Ahsoka smirked. "Always nice to hear that. Let us know if we can help." Ackbar bowed slightly. "It's an honor to work with you, Ahsoka." Then he ended the connection.
Ahsoka grinned. "He remembers my name." Padmé chuckled. "Of course he does. But shouldn't you be used to being the mighty jedi?" Ahsoka laughed. "I'm used to being his padawan."
"What now? Will you just continue pretending?", Obi Wan asked. Vader shrugged. "No. I thought about pretending my death, so Sidious will leave me alone. If I just vanished, the bounty on my head would be too big for me to go near civilization."
Obi Wan arched a brow. "Why is that? You'd not be wearing the mask. The bounty would be on Vader's head not Skywalker's." Vader frowned. Was it really that easy? Sidious would look for him and he would search on Naboo.
It was too obvious to hide there. Somehow the Emperor had to be believe Vader was dead, along with both of his children. "I'd rather have him believe I'm dead, than searching for me and the twins.", Vader said. Obi Wan smirked.
"We could blow up the fortress.", he suggested. "He would think all three of you died in the explosion." Vader nodded. "Sounds good. But there has to be a reason for the explosion. Like an attack." Obi Wan stroked his beard.
"Your enemies don't know where you are. And anyway, the jedi wouldn't do something as aggressive..." "But the rebels would.", Vader intercepted. "We could ask them for a small ship." Obi Wan nodded.
"That's not a bad idea. They could autopilot it a few miles from here. Then we use it to drop explosives at the fortress. The instruments would identify it as a rebel ship, data, that the imperials could review.", he fizzed. Vader smirked.
"Exactly. They'd classify it as an assassination and let it go." Obi Wan gave Vader a look with an obvious meaning. It was how he had always looked before he gave Vader praise, which mostly drifted to more lectures.
"I begin to recognize you again, Anakin.", he said while he fell into the tone of Vader's old master. "Why did you start calling me that again?", Vader asked, not comprehending the rather sudden change in Obi Wan.
"I realized a thing or two.", Obi Wan only said. "You should do the same." Vader narrowed his eyes, ruminating about what Obi Wan meant. "You need to stop hating yourself. That will not solve a thing." Vader rolled his eyes.
"Of course. Hatred isn't the jedi way. You would hate yourself as well, if you had done what I did." Obi Wan frowned. "I doubt it. There are better ways to regret. Mistakes are lessons, and not reason to suffer."
"Where's the difference?", Vader asked with the slightest smirk. Obi Wan crossed his arms. "Exactly. This is how I remember you. The actual you." Vader sighed. "How do you know Vader isn't the actual me?", he suggested.
Obi Wan shook his head. "There's nothing I am more certain of. Before, I thought the real you was lost, now I think there still is a way back. But I never thought the real you had just appeared. Think about your childhood, your whole life."
There was a pause. "Right before my mother died, she said she was proud of me. I ruined it all. Just spat on everything I worked for. Obi Wan nodded. "Yes you did. And now you will never do something like that again." Vader narrowed his eyes.
"As if one time wasn't bad enough. I am a murderer, Obi Wan. Your lectures don't fit this time." Obi Wan arched a brow. "You always said that. Every time I gave them." Rage bubbled up deep in Vader.
"Are you seriously refusing to see the capacity of my crimes against the republic, the galaxy, and everyone I love and care about." Obi Wan smirked.
"I am not. I know exactly how bad what you did was. But so what? You only made a single mistake, everything else were consequences of it." "It's not that easy!", Vader called out frustratedly. Obi Wan smiled at him sadly.
"What if it is, old friend?" Vader took a deep breath, taking control of himself. "Do you remember the last thing I said to you on Mustafar?", he asked. Obi Wan nodded. "You said that you hate me."
"You just made me wonder if I actually want to take that back." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "Now, can you call the rebels?", he sighed. Vader shook his head. "I can contact Nuha and Thral. They can forward it. It's the rebel's safety precaution."
Obi Wan arched a brow. "As if that would stop you. Fine, call those two then. There's no reason to wait to get away from the Emperor." Vader nodded. "Sure. I don't want to stay here either, you know."
Ahsoka's comlink activated. Sola and Padmé turned to look at her. "It's Anakin!", she said. Padmé sighed in relief. It had been a week since they left Alderaan, and she hadn't spoken to him since.
Ahsoka projected his image on the communicator. "Good to see you're still alive, master. Padmé and Sola can hear you." Padmé leaned forward a bit, curious why he had contacted them now.
Sola was also growing excited. "Give the comlink to Padmé, would you?", Anakin asked. Ahsoka smirked and tossed it to Padmé who took it outside the room. "Have fun.", Sola said barely audible before Padmé was in the hallway.
"What's wrong?", Padmé asked in concern. Anakin smirked. "Oh nothing. I just promised to tell you before killing myself, remember?" Padmé's eyes widened. "You found a way?", she asked.
Anakin nodded. "The rebels were kind enough to donate one of their smaller ships. Obi Wan and I will use it to bomb the fortress." Padmé grinned. "The empire will think they did it. And no corpses have to be found."
"And then, the Emperor wouldn't look for us.", Anakin finished. Padmé grinned. "Perfect. When?", she asked, the joy overtaking her. "The ship is almost here. We'll load the explosives on it and I wanted to tell you before the news do."
"Thank you. I'd go crazy if I'd hear of your death a second time." Anakin smirked. "Don't worry. We'll all be there with you soon." Padmé smiled. "Goodbye, Anakin."
Anakin disappeared again. Padmé stopped herself from squeaking in excitement and made her way back inside. She handed Ahsoka her comlink again. "He can finally leave now.", she rushed.
Ahsoka's eyes widened. "That's amazing!", she called out. "How?", she added. Padmé glanced at Sola briefly. "They found a way.", she only said. Sola arched a brow. "Who's they? I thought he was alone." Ahsoka shook his head.
"Obi Wan is with him. He's another jedi. And the..." Padmé hurried to send her a warning look. "Who?", Sola asked curiously. "It's a surprise.", Padmé smiled. "A surprise you'll like.", she assured.
The little ship lowered in their field of vision. "I can't believe they actually did it.", Obi Wan muttered. "It was part of the deal. Besides, they'll even get it back." Obi Wan sighed. "So ,let's start."
They had brought missiles from the fortress' defence weaponry. "Are you sure it won't be detected before we approach in flight? It would be too suspicious if they knew that the ship landed here before."
Vader nodded. "This is too far." Luke moved in Obi Wan's arms. "They're waking up.", he stated. "That's fine. We're here already. Just get them in the ship, I'll start with the loading." Obi Wan nodded and climbed up the ramp.
Vader began opening the rather poor guns on the ships surface, to pack them with the far more powerful ammunition from the fortress. This amount would be more than enough to flat the whole thing to the ground.
It didn't take long until all the formerly poor canons were equipped with very decent firepower. Vader looked back at the fortress that had almost disappeared behind a mountain that was flooded with several streams of lava.
Only the tower's tip grew over the liquid stone that gathered in multiple little lakes. An icy shiver wandered down Vader's neck as he remembered one of these lakes, maybe even one of the ones he saw now and how he had burned by its fire.
And the mask that had imprisoned him for years, that was now in the fortress he was about to turn to dust. He had been freed of the curse of the Emperor.
Now, he couldn't understand how he could have ever trusted him, how he had really thought that the Emperor had created the empire for the galaxy's good. Vader had been blind, but that was over now.
The only person he truly trusted now, was Padmé and maybe Ahsoka. Vader frowned up to the ship's cockpit, considering if he was ready to sincerely trust Obi Wan, who had once been like an older brother to him.
Obi Wan appeared at the top of the ramp. "Do you need help?", he asked. Vader shook his head. "I'm done.", he murmured and strolled up the ramp. "Then let's get off this bloody planet. I can't stand the constant reminder any longer."
"You had no choice back then.", Vader said. Obi Wan snorted. "Maybe not. But what happened didn't accomplish anything. I couldn't bring you back, and I didn't stop you either."
"You said you would do what you must, and you did.", Vader replied simply. "Out of all possible outcomes, why did this have to be the one?!", Obi Wan called out suddenly, throwing his arms in the air.
"Because I was too stupid to understand.", Vader muttered. Obi Wan twirled around to point his finger at Vader. "No! You weren't. Not a single one of the jedi saw through Palpatine." "Yes, but you didn't join him!", Vader snapped.
"Only because he didn't want me to!", Obi Wan countered. "You had the warmest heart of all of us. He managed to get you, out of all people, to do his dirty work. He obviously wasn't very bad at persuasion.", he fizzed.
"Now let's bomb that fortress of yours.", he snarled and marched into the cockpit. Vader sighed before following his old master while the ship already left the ground.
They advanced towards the fortress quickly and Obi Wan engaged the missiles as soon as they hovered above it. There was not a heartbeat of hesitation. Vader watched silently as everything was consumed by a cloud of fire.
The black fortress in middle of lava suddenly sunk into an ocean of flames while its parts spread in all directions. The one thing that had interrupted the endless desert of flames, finally adapted.
Now it was just a giant fire surrounded by fire. "Now, Naboo.", Obi Wan murmured before programming the destination of light speed and shooting up to orbit to engage.
The rebel ship appeared in the sky. "It's him.", Padmé called out and hurried towards the door to the landing platform. "Are you sure?", Jobal asked. Padmé nodded. "I am. Come on. All of you. There's someone I want you to meet."
"Something we are allowed to know!", Sola squeaked. Padmé rolled her eyes at her sister before rushing towards the landing ship. Padmé stood impatiently, her parents and sister behind her.
Ahsoka leaned against the wall of the mansion with crossed arms, excited to see how Luke and Leia would be welcomed by their grandparents.
It was Anakin who appeared on ramp, a twin scooped up in each arm. He sat them down and let them run towards their mother who embraced both with a smile, stroking through their hair.
"They slept through the whole flight. They'll be... energetic.", Anakin muttered. Padmé grinned up to him, while Ahsoka made her way to the ship to talk to Obi Wan. He hadn't yet come out, which made her assume that he wouldn't.
She found him in the cockpit. "Hoth?", Ahsoka asked as she studied what he had been doing. Obi Wan nodded. "It's time. You can handle yourself without me Ahsoka. And you're not alone anymore."
Ahsoka dropped onto the seat of the co pilot. "What will you tell them?", she asked. "That most of him is Anakin again. I am asking you to do something, Ahsoka. Passing on a task Yoda had given me."
Ahsoka arched a brow. "How flattering. What is it?" Obi Wan rotated his seat to look at Ahsoka. "You need to estimate if Anakin is ready to face the council, and then, bring him to Hoth."
Ahsoka jumped off the seat again. "And you think it is appropriate that he stands trial before the council?" Obi shook his head. "Wait. They wouldn't judge over him, but help him out of the darkness, in a way only they can."
Ahsoka hesitated. "I know what you thought in the beginning. Why would the jedi be different?" "Because they are wiser than me. And aren't influenced by their emotions. Ahsoka, you know they can help him."
"Why don't you take him right now?", Ahsoka challenged, not comprehending what Obi Wan asked of her. "Because I'm not sure if he would slaughter everyone.", Obi Wan replied.
"After everything he did for you, for me, even for Shaak Ti...", but Obi Wan interrupted her. "No one who is not a jedi is ever permitted in our sanctuary. They are willing to allow this exception, because of the obvious change in him."
Ahsoka nodded. Obviously, the jedi didn't take it lightly to invite Darth Vader to their place of hiding, since he was the one they had been hiding from. And even she had to admit that Anakin had a long way to go, if to return to the light.
"I understand.", she mumbled. "I'll tell him that you are on Hoth, when I think he is ready to let them help him." Obi Wan smirked. "Thank you, Ahsoka. Now get back down there, I'm sure they are starting to miss you."
Ahsoka bent her head slightly then left the cockpit again. After she had left the ship, she watched silently how Obi Wan took off.