Chapter 16

The moment her hand came into contact with Vader's it suddenly became daytime again and Vader's force ghost had disappeared. Squinting as she adjusted to the light, Leia made out a man and a woman facing one another on the patio with a third figure standing in front of them. With a start, Leia realized what was happening: she was witnessing her parents' wedding. She had unwittingly been standing on the very spot where they had been married over twenty years ago. But why are they all alone? she thought to herself. Where are the guests?

As the holy man finished his speech, a younger looking Vader reached over and took his partner's hands into his. Leia couldn't help but notice that Vader's right arm was mechanical, just like Luke's. Reverting her attention to Padme, Leia's heart fluttered as she saw how beautiful her mother looked in her wedding dress, the fading sunlight casting an ethereal glow around her angelic face.

As the newlyweds kissed, Leia looked away, feeling uncomfortable witnessing the tender moment. As she did so, her surroundings changed. She was no longer on the patio, but standing in the shadow of a large marble column. Looking to her right she saw a petite figure standing by the column next to her. The sound of approaching voices caused Leia to look away where she saw a long procession of politicians approaching. As the group passed by, Leia gasped as she saw Vader talking to her father, Bail Organa. This is so surreal she thought to herself as she watched her two fathers, the one who raised her and the one who sired her, converse.

"Excuse me," Vader said, holding up his mechanical hand.

"Certainly," Bail replied. Vader turned casually and when the procession was far enough away, he took off at a run towards the shadowy figure. Reaching her, Vader lifted her in the air in a loving embrace. As he spun around, Leia made out her mother's face which was lit up with joy at seeing her husband. Putting her down, Padme put her hands around Vader's face and gave him a kiss.

"Oh, Anakin," she said with a sigh.

"I've missed you, Padme," Vader relied tenderly, hugging her closely once again.

"There were whispers," she said after leaving the embrace, "that you'd been killed."

"I'm all right," Vader told her with a smile. "It feels like we've been apart for a lifetime. And it might've been if the Chancellor hadn't been kidnapped, I don't think they would have ever brought us back from the Outer Rim sieges." Vader leaned in to kiss Padme once more, but she pulled back.

"Wait, not here…" she said hurriedly.

"Yes, here," Vader responded. "I'm tired of all this deception, I don't care if they know that we're married."

"Anakin, don't say things like that," Padme told him seriously. Acquiescing, Vader merely hugged her again in response.

"Are you all right?" he asked suddenly, putting his hands on Padme's arms. "You're trembling. What's going on?"

"Something wonderful has happened," she said softly. "Ani, I'm pregnant." Vader looked back at her stunned for a few moments as Padme watched nervously for his reaction.

"That's… that's wonderful," he stuttered, before smiling broadly.

"What are we going to do?"

Vader shook his head and continued to smile. "We're not going to worry about it right now, alright? This is a happy moment," he said, putting a hand on Padme's cheek, "the happiest moment of my life." As he leaned down to kiss her, Leia's surroundings faded away into darkness.

As her eyes began to readjust to the darkness, the shirtless figure of Vader jolted upright in front of her. He was sweating and breathing heavily. Looking over, he saw his wife was still fast asleep next to him. Pushing the blanket off him, he sat on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands. Sitting up, he reached for a cloak and walked out of the room quietly. Leia walked after him, eventually reaching a patio which overlooked a massive city. I must be on Coruscant Leia noted to herself.

She found Vader sitting on the edge of a couch watching the traffic stoically. Leia spun around when she heard footsteps approaching to see her mother wearing an ornate silken nightdress approach.

"What's bothering you?" she asked when she reached Vader, placing a hand on his shoulder. Vader took a breath and looked at Padme with a strained smile.

"Nothing," he said unconvincingly. Looking down, Vader reached out and grasped a woodcarving that Padme wore around her neck. "I remember when I gave this to you," he said trying to change the conversation.

Padme tilted her head disapprovingly at her husband. "How long is it going to take for us to be honest with each other?" she asked him.

Vader looked away, his expression somber. "It was a dream," he said.

"Bad?" Padme asked.

"Like the ones I used to have about my mother," he replied. "Just before she died."

"And?"

Vader looked back at Padme. "And it was about you," he told her.

"Tell me," she asked, rubbing his shoulder soothingly.

"It was only a dream," he said, standing up and walking away. After a few moments, he turned back around to face Padme. "You die in childbirth," he told her solemnly.

"And the baby?"

Vader shook his head. "I don't know."

"It was only a dream," Padme insisted, walking up towards Vader.

"I won't let this one become real," Vader replied forcefully.

"This baby will change our lives. I doubt the Queen will allow me to continue to serve in the Senate, and if the Council learns that you're the father you'll be expelled…"

"I know," Vader interrupted, holding up his mechanical hand. "I know."

"Do you think Obi-Wan might be able to help us?"

Vader looked down for a moment. "I don't need his help," he said darkly. "Our baby is a blessing." As the two hugged, the lights from the city began to glow in intensity until they were blinding Leia and drowning out the scene in front of her. Putting her hand up to shield her eyes, she felt a sudden intense heat. Opening her eyes, Leia found herself on a platform overlooking a fiery planet. To her right, she saw Vader in dark robes running towards the platform. Confused about what was going on, Leia looked around and saw a set of stairs descend from the belly of a sleek silver ship. Leia saw her mother emerge from the ship, her pregnancy more pronounced than she had been when Leia had last seen her. Descending the steps, Padme ran to greet Vader at the middle of the platform.

"I saw your ship," Vader told her. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was so worried about you," she replied, somewhat out of breath. "Obi-Wan told me terrible things."

"What things?" Vader asked sternly.

"He said you've turned to the Dark Side, that you… killed younglings."

Vader looked down with a stony expression. "Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me," he said in a low voice.

"He cares about us."

"Us?"

"He knows," Padme told him. "He wants to help you." Vader said nothing, still looking down. "Anakin, all I want is your love."

"Love won't save you, Padme," Vader retorted. "Only my new powers can do that."

"At what cost?" Padme asked. "You're a good person, don't do this!"

"I won't lose you like I lost my mother. I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of, and I'm doing it for you. To protect you."

"Come away with me," Padme said, running her hands through Vader's hair. "Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can."

"Don't you see?" Vader replied. "We don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor, I-I can overthrow him." Padme took a step away from Vader, terrified by what he was saying. "And together you and I can rule the galaxy, make things the way we want them to be."

Padme shook her head. "I don't believe what I'm hearing. Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."

"I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan," he said. "The Jedi turned against me, don't you turn against me," he added ominously.

"I don't know you anymore," Padme replied, struggling not to cry. "Anakin, you're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I can't follow."

Vader looked at her with a neutral expression. "Because of Obi-Wan?" he asked.

"Because of what you've done. Because of what you plan to do." Vader looked away from Padme, his gaze fixated on something in the distance. "Stop! Stop now, come back. I love you!"

Vader stepped away from her. "Liar!" he shouted with a savage expression. Padme turned around to see Obi-Wan standing at the top of the stairs.

"No!" Padme insisted, stepping backwards.

"You're with him!" he cried. "You brought him here to kill me."

Padme shook her head fiercely. "No," she tried to say again, but Vader stopped her by raising his hand. Padme grabbed at her neck in shock, unable to breathe. Leia grimaced as she recognized the same expression of panic and fear on her mother's face as Han had had when she had strangled him.

"Let her go Anakin!" Leia heard Obi-Wan call out from the ship.

"Anakin!" Padme whispered, struggling to speak.

"Let. Her. Go."

Trembling with rage, Vader released her, causing Padme to collapse to the ground, unconscious. Leia tried to run out towards her mother, but she was unable to move. Obi-Wan and Vader watched Padme fall, each shocked at what had transpired.

"You turned her against me!" Vader bellowed at Obi-Wan.

"You have done that yourself," he replied evenly.

Pacing around Padme predatorily, Vader took off his cloak. "You will not take her away from me!"

"You're anger and lust for power have already done that," Obi-Wan said. As the two men began circling one another, the vision began to fade once more, enveloping Leia in darkness. After a few moments, she regained her senses and found herself back on the patio at Varykino. Vader's force ghost was watching her with a somber expression. An unbelievable rage coursed through Leia at the sight of him.

'You're a monster!" she spat at him vehemently. Vader merely nodded his head in affirmation, his eyes dark and full of pain.

"I am," he said softly. "I am."