Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.

Let's get to it.

Julian 10:ooh, trust me, the Empire is going to be in for the shock of their life when they try to invade Earth. Earth has weapons they've never even seen before ready to go. Its gonna be a disaster for the Empire.

Guest: Well, technically it's been two and a half years since the Battle of Yavin. Also, I never quite got why the Empire took so long to find Echo Base, so I made them find it a bit faster in this. And in this, I'm making the gap between the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor much larger in this than in canon. Also, the post Endor war will last longer than in canon

Chapter 42- Moving Forward

(December 12, 2015)

"Looks like we're only a few minutes away from the end of the hyperspace run," Simone says as she approaches Luke and Kelly over by the viewport on the bridge of the Bismarck.

Kelly and Luke look over at her, smiling brightly. The two have been so happy ever since they got engaged a few weeks ago. And their happiness has been very contagious.

"You two are so cute together," Simone says with a smile

"What can I say? I found the perfect guy," Kelly says with an extra bright smile.

Simone smiles, then looks at Luke. "You know, Luke, I don't know if Kelly has mentioned this, but it's a tradition on Earth for guys to ask their bride's father for permission to marry her before the wedding," Simone says.

Luke's eyes widen. "Are you serious?" he asks. Simone just nods in reponse.

Luke looks at Kelly in fear. "She's really telling the truth? Your dad could kill me," he says fearfully.

Kelly laughs before kissing his cheek. "Luke, my dad is not gonna kill you. He may threaten you a little bit, but you'll be fine," she says.

Vice Admiral Schimpf looks over with a small smirk on his face. "Really? Samuel Adams can be one of the most overprotective dads in the world," he says.

Luke looks more afraid. Kelly shoots Schimpf a glare as the vice admiral chuckles before she turns back to Luke. "Don't worry. I'll be right by your side when you ask my dad for his permission. I promise, I won't let my dad or my older brother do anything to you," she says.

Luke still looks uncertain, but seems more relaxed after that reassurance. Then, an officer calls out, "Sir, coming out of hyperspace!"

Sure enough, just moments later, the Bismarck drops out of hyperspace, Neptune appearing just up ahead. Within moments, the rest of the Terran ships and the Rebel fleet drop out of hyperspace as well.

"We might want to start heading down to the hangar to catch our shuttle down to the surface," Simone says. Kelly and Luke nod, and the three head down to the hangar.

By the time they reach the hangar, the fleet is nearing Earth. As they enter the hangar, they see Ahsoka waiting for them by the transport they'll be taking down to the surface.

"Hey. Let's get on board," Ahsoka says with a smile.

As they climb aboard, Luke turns to Ahsoka and says, "Master Tano, once we get down to the surface, I need to talk to you and Admiral Adams."

Ahsoka, already having a good feeling what it is that Luke wants to talk about, nods simply. "Of course. I will contact Admiral Adams and let him know you want to talk to him," she says.

They settle into their seats on the shuttle around with several other officers, and R2 and 3PO. A few minutes later, the shuttle powers up and takes off, flying out of the hangar and heading down towards Earth.

Across the Rebel fleet, Rebel personnel are staring in shock and awe at the massed Home Fleet. While they knew thw Terrans were strong, they had not realized how strong their fleet really was. Most of them can't take their eyes off the massive bulk of the Freedom, sitting in low orbit over Earth as it has some maintenance done.

The pilot takes the shuttle down into the atmosphere and flies down towards North Carolina. Within a matter of minutes, the pilot guides the shuttle down to a landing at Pope Field at Fort Bragg.

Once the shuttle touches down, the boarding ramp lowers. Luke and Kelly stand up and walk down the boarding ramp with the other passengers as the pilot starts shutting down the shuttle.

On the tarmac, they find Adams waiting for them. Kelly beams as she says, and calls out, "Dad!" She runs over to him and throws her arms around him, with Adams immediately returning the hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you again, peanut," Adams says.

"Dad, for the last time, I'm too old for that nickname! I'm almost 21!" Kelly says.

"I'm your father, I gave you that nickname, and I'll use it as long as I please," Adams says with a smile.

Kelly laughs a bit, then gets more serious as she says, "Dad, Luke needs to talk to you and Ahsoka. Now."

Adams looks at his daughter more seriously. "Very well. You two come with me. We'll talk in my office," he says. He then motions for Luke and Ahsoka to follow them. They quickly get into a Humvee, and the Humvee drives off the field and heads off towards the building containing Adam's office.

It only takes them a few minutes for them to reach the building. Once the Humvee parks, Adams and the others climbs out, and Adams leads them into the building, through the corridors and up some stairs, and finally into his office.

Once all four of them are inside Adams' office, Adams sits down behind his desk as the other three take seats around the office. Adams looks at Luke and says, "Kelly said you needed to talk to me and Ahsoka. What do you need to talk to us about, Luke?"

"Before I went to Cloud City…I spoke with the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He told me to seek you two out, because it was time for you two to tell me the truth. Then, at Cloud City, I had a fight with Darth Vader. And, right after he cut off my hand…he told me that he is my father," Luke says.

Ahsoka and Adams both look surprised for a moment, then glance at each other. This does not escape Luke's notice, and he says, "I'm guessing that is what Ben was talking about when he told me to seek you two out."

Adams and Ahsoka glance at Luke, then back at each other before Adams sighs. He then looks back at Luke and says, "Luke, what you want to know is a very long story. But, if you'll bear with me, Ahsoka and I will try and tell it all."

Luke is quiet before he slowly nods. After a moment, Ahsoka begins to speak.

"When I first met your father, it was early in the Clone Wars, and I was assigned to be his apprentice. At the time, I knew him as Anakin Skywalker. He was cocky, but a brilliant military leader. He took a while to warm up to me, but eventually we became really close," Ahsoka says.

"When the Republic first came to Earth, Anakin was the one leading the Republic fleet. I first met him when I was chosen for the Anti-Sith Assault Team. He was one of the two Jedi who trained me and the other members of the team in lightsaber combat. Since I was the leader of the team, I spent more time with him than most of the rest of the team, and we developed a close relationship," Adams says.

Adams pauses, then says, "For the next two and a half years, I fought alongside your father and Ahsoka countless times. He was a true hero of the Republic. Me and other members of the ASAT team considered him to be a brother. Then, right at the end of the war, that's when everything fell apart."

"What do you mean?" Luke asks.

Ahsoka speaks up, "What we didn't know until the very, very end was that at the very beginning of the Clone Wars, Anakin had married Padme Amidala, a Senator from Naboo. At the time, the Jedi Code forbade any sort of romantic relationship or marriage. The two of them kept their marriage secret throughout the war. However, in the final months of the war, Padme discovered she was pregnant. With you. While we're still not entirely sure what happened, we think that Anakin began to believe that Padme was going to die."

Adams now cuts back in. "What we also didn't realize at the time was that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Throughout the Clone Wars, Palpatine built a strong relationship with Anakin, and used that relationship to influence Anakin to the Dark Side. Eventually, we believe Palpatine was able to convince Anakin that the only way to save his wife and unborn child was to give himself to the Dark Side. Anakin betrayed us all and turned on the Jedi. He helped Palpatine initiate a purge of the Jedi."

He pauses, then says, "When Padme discovered this, she traveled to Mustafar after him and attempted to sway him back to the light. However, when Obi Wan Kenobi and Tyler Hall arrived on Mustafar, Anakin became angry and choked his wife. Obi Wan and Tyler fought with Anakin, and Tyler ended up cutting off his limbs and nearly throwing him into a lava river, leaving him nearly dead. They brought Padme to a place called Polis Massa in an effort to save her, but there was nothing that could be done. I, in fact, was the one who helped your mother deliver you right before she died. Anakin, by now known by his new name, Darth Vader, believed he had killed Padme and his unborn child, and gave himself fully to the dark side."

Luke sits there in shock, trying to digest what he just heard. Seeing the state he's in, Kelly moves her chair over next to his and takes his hand tightly in hers.

After a very long silence, Luke says, "My father gave himself up to the dark side for a lie?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But I don't entirely blame him. Palpatine could be very convincing. He almost had the Terran Alliance convinced he was a good guy. But some of our senior intelligence chiefs were good enough to eventually see through his lies. And Palpatine had first developed his relationship with Anakin when Anakin was very wrong. I'm not surprised that Anakin refused to see Palpatine for what he was. And he loved Padme so much he let his fear of losing her control him," Adams says.

Luke is very quiet for several long moments before he says, "Why did everyone keep this from me?"

"Because we wanted to protect you. We didn't want you to think the poor choices your father made reflected on you. We didn't want you to think your father's fall to the dark side meant you would do the same. The choices of your father does not determine your destiny. The good man your father used to be is long dead. Plus, family is not defined by blood. Family is defined by love and bonds," Adams says.

"Like us," Kelly says. Luke looks at her with a smile, and the two share a kiss.

"Luke, don't let knowing Darth Vader is your father affect your life. It doesn't define who you are. You define who you are," Ahsoka says.

"Thank you. Both of you. I'm very hurt that you didn't tell me…but I understand why. Kelly's been telling me the same thing for the last few weeks. So I get it," Luke says.

Adams smiles slightly. "You're a good person, Luke. I know that you won't make the same mistake your father did. You are going to be the one to right all his wrongs," he says.

Luke nods once, then says, "Now that you've said that, Admiral…I have something to ask you."

"Okay," Adams says, a little confused.

"I, umm…I've realized that Kelly makes my life so much better. I want her to be in my life forever. So, a few weeks ago, right after we escaped from Bespin…I asked her to marry me, and she said yes. I wanted to ask for your blessing to marry your daughter," Luke says.

Adams stares at Luke, eyes wide. Ahsoka is trying not to laugh at the look on Adams' face.

Finally, Adams regains his composure and asks in a very firm tone, "You want to marry my daughter?"

Luke nods, feeling very nervous as he remembers that there are dozens of men capable of killing him here on this base that Adams could easily call in a moment.

Then, Adams asks, "Do you promise to treat her like a queen, always protect her, and cherish her for the rest of your life?"

"Yes. Of course," Luke responds.

Adams looks at Luke with narrowed eyes for a moment before he finally says, "I can see you're telling the truth. And I stand by what I said. You're a good person." He pauses, then says, "Very well. You have my blessing."

Kelly stands up from her seat and hurries around the desk to embrace her father. "Thank you, dad," she says as she hugs him.

Adams smiles, "You're welcome, baby."

(January 1, 2016, Terran Jedi Temple)

Kelly smiles as her mother and sister in law, Riley, are putting the finishing touches on her hair. Today is the day. Her wedding day.

After her dad gave Luke his blessing for their marriage, she and Luke decided they didn't want to wait. With the war with the Empire going on, the unpredictability of life in war, and Luke almost being lost to Vader on Bespin, they didn't want to take any chances that something could happen to either one of them. So, they decided to get married right away, and with the help of Kelly's family, hurried to arrange their wedding in about three weeks after their arrival on Terra.

"Alright. All done, Kelly. And, if I do say so myself, I think we did a pretty good job," Riley says happily. She then turns Kelly's chair so that Kelly can look at her reflection in the mirror.

"Guys, it looks amazing! Thank you!" Kelly says.

Leia then walks over, wearing her bridesmaid dress. Kelly and Luke had decided on a bridal party of six, three for each of them. Kelly had asked Simone to be her maid of honor, with Leia and Riley as bridesmaids. Leia hadn't really known what it meant to be a bridesmaid, but had happily accepted.

"Alright. I've got your shoes," Leia says. Kelly smiles, and lets Leia help her get her shoes on.

"Alright. Now just one more finishing touch," her mom, Eliza, says. She then holds up Kelly's veil and fixes it in her hair.

"Alright. Let's see how you look," Eliza says, helping Kelly out of her seat. She leads Kelly over to where a full length mirror is.

Kelly looks at herself in the mirror, and instantly starts to feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Her wedding dress, a white A-line dress with a beaded bodice and a nice coat to go over it to help protect her from the cold and white gloves to go with it, looks absolutely beautiful. Her hair, veil, makeup, and shoes all combine so wonderfully.

"I…I love it. I feel like a bride," Kelly says.

"And you are," Eliza says. As Kelly turns to her, Eliza smiles and says, "Now, let's go knock your fiancée off his feet."

Kelly feels the tears fall down her cheeks as she reaches out and hugs her mom. Then, Leia, Riley, and Simone all come up and turn it into a group hug as the five of them laugh.

Then, the door opens. The group hug breaks up, and Kelly looks over to the door to see her dad standing in the doorway, wearing his military dress uniform, his chest decorated with medals. The moment Adams sees her, he freezes in place, and for the first time she can remember, Kelly sees her dad start to cry.

"Oh, Kelly," he says. He slowly walks over to her, takes her hands in his, and looks her over before looking into her eyes and saying in tears, "You are so beautiful. I can't believe my little princess is all grown up."

"Oh, dad," Kelly says through her own tears before they embrace.

As the pair embrace, Adams manages to say, "I can't believe that my baby girl is grown up and going off on her own. I can't believe it's time for me to give you away. I've been more afraid of this day than anything else in my life."

"Oh, dad, I love you so much. But I just want you to know that no matter what, I'll always be your little girl. You're never going to lose me," Kelly says.

Adams chokes back a few more tears, and then the two finally separate. Adams looks into Kelly's eyes and smiles as he says, "Alright. It's time to go. Let's get you to your wedding."

Kelly laughs a bit. Then, she allows her father to escort her out to the site of the ceremony.

Luke fidgets with his bowtie. He's never worn anything like a tuxedo, and is not the fondest of it. However, it does help him stay a bit warm in the middle of a West Virginia winter. But, that can't distract him from the happiness he feels at finally being able to marry Kelly.

"Feeling nervous?" Luke hears. He turns to look at Hall, who is officiating the wedding at Kelly's request.

"Kind of. I feel a little nervous about this whole thing. I love Kelly so much, but thinking about being married, it makes a bit nervous," Luke says.

"You faced down Darth Vader and this makes you nervous?" Hall asks jokingly, making Luke laugh.

Hall smiles at Luke as he says, "Don't worry, Luke. As soon as she walks down that aisle, all your fears will vanish."

Then, the music begins. Luke looks down the aisle between the middle of several hundred guests from Earth and the Rebellion. After several moments, Leia and Captain David Ronen, one of Luke's groomsmen, come walking down the aisle. Several moments later, Calvin and Riley follow them up the aisle. Then comes Simone, who is accompanied by Wedge, Luke's best man.

Then, Luke feels emotions swell in him as Kelly appears at the end of the aisle, escorted by her father. Luke and Kelly lock eyes, and Luke feels some tears welling up in his own eyes. He watches as Kelly walks down the aisle towards him until she finally reaches him.

Adams hands Kelly off to Luke, then looks Luke right in the eyes as he says, "You hurt my daughter, I'll kill you."

"Yes, sir," Luke says. Kelly smiles one more time at her dad before he walks off to take his seat.

Kelly and Luke look each other in the eyes as Hall says, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Kelly Adams and Luke Skywalker."

The two keep staring at each other, overwhelmed with happiness, as Hall conducts the ceremony, and they go through their vows. Finally, Hall asks, "DO you, Luke Skywalker, take Kelly Adams, as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Luke says.

"And do you, Kelly Adams, take Luke Skywalker as your lawfully wedded husband?" Hall asks.

"I do," Kelly says.

"By the power granted me by the government of the United States, I pronounce you husband and wife," Hall says. He then smiles as he looks at Luke and says, "You may now kiss the bride."

Luke and Kelly beam as they lean in and share their first kiss as husband and wife as the whole crowd cheers and claps.

As they pull apart, Luke looks Kelly in the eyes and says, "I love you."

"I love you too," Kelly replies.

The celebration soon moves to the reception venue in nearby Martinsburg. After the festivities begin and they get through dinner, it comes time for the dances. Luke and Kelly share their first dance as husband and wife, and then Ahsoka steps in for the groom and mother dance. Then, comes the father and bride dance.

As Kelly and Adams dance together on the dance floor, he says, "Kelly, I know you're married now, but know I'll always be there for you."

Kelly smiles at her father as she says, "I know, dad. I've always been a daddy's girl, and I always will be."

Then, the slow music suddenly cuts out, switching over to the song Footloose. Adams and Kelly exchange a sly smile, then pull apart for second before grasping hands and start to swing dance. Everyone cheers loudly as the two show off their swing dancing moves that they've practiced for the last few weeks leading up to the wedding.

Once the song ends, Kelly and Adams look at each other, laughing, and Kelly says, "I love you, dad."

"I love you, Kelly," Adams says, and they share another hug.

The rest of the reception goes by like a dream. Finally, at the end of the night, they are escorted off to a car to take them back to the Jedi Temple, where a VIP shuttle is waiting to take them on their honeymoon.

As they are driving to the Temple, Kelly looks over at Luke and says, "I am so happy to get to start a life with you."

"Me too, Kelly," Luke says, and they exchange another kiss.

And, I'll end there. I hope you liked that one.

I hope you liked how I did the discussion with Adams and Ahsoka. I think Kelly would've been preparing him for possible reasons why they didn't tell him, and that's why he didn't react more extremely.

I also hope you like my choice of the bridal party. Obviously, Han would be in it if he was around, but he obviously can't. I think I still did a good job of choosing.

Alright, next chapter is what's going to set off the Imperial attack against Earth, which will begin in a few chapters. It should be up soon. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned!