Chapter Six - Mother


Betterways: 100% with you.
potterfanforever: Thanks for the catch about how little time he spends in the temple. I've added a quick fix to this chapter to help address it. This also gave me a chance to revisit the reaction of Mara/Anakin's lightsaber. I think your insight on Anakin is pretty much spot on with my own. Also, in EU, Mara does end up building her own lightsaber, but they come back into possession of Anakin's/her lightsaber upon Shimrra's defeat.
Cipher Zulu: I like numbering the author's notes because I generally use it to break up different lines of thought. I'll keep it in mind and try to avoid doing so as much but I doubt that I'll stop completely. Just a personal writing preference.
I like the minutia, the little details about Luke and Mara's journey to save the Republic and the Jedi Order. I feel like a lot of the stories on FanFiction work hard to avoid that and fall into a strict line of progression that becomes somewhat predictable and you lose a lot of what makes the story special. I don't plan on elaborating their time spent in the fresher or setting up intricate eating/chewing scenes, but I like having the little things to help tie it all together. That being said, I intend for events to start moving along a little faster as they become more settled.


"What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?"
- Padmé

#

Or at least, speeding on their way to 500 Republica had been the plan. Apparently going out and about after being stabbed and poisoned by an amphistaff after just being admitted from the medbay is a bad idea, Mara thought grumpily as she and Anakin gently assisted Luke onto one of the small beds used for recovering patients. They had been in the speeder for perhaps a whole five minutes before Luke's body had cramped painfully. The wound hadn't gotten any worse, but obviously Luke required more than a day to recovery. Mara knew how much Luke despised receiving any kind of medical treatment and so stood in sympathy as Master Che berated Luke, Anakin, and even herself for endangering Luke's recovery.

It wasn't too long before Luke fell into a natural sleep while Mara grabbed a seat nearby. Anakin wasn't sure how, but at some point in their journey, Mara appeared to have procured a vibroknife. Either she managed to hide one from the Temple Guards when she was brought in, or she managed to obtain one while on their earlier sojourn. He wasn't entirely sure which possibility was more worrying, but Mara now sat next to Luke tinkering with the weapon. She didn't seem inclined for much conversation, so Anakin gave her directions to a room the Jedi had prepared for the both of them and made his departure.


Padmé stood on the banister and smiled when she felt her husband wrap his arms around her from behind. Since finding out that she was pregnant, she had found him doing so often. She had been worried about his reaction to her news, worried about his position as a Jedi, and worried about her position as a Senator. Seeing just how pleased Anakin was had dispelled the worst of her fears. Yes, there were still causes for anxiety, but at least she wouldn't be alone. Padmé was content to stay like that for a few minutes before she asked softly, "What's happened, Anakin? You said that we would be having several guests...it's not just the fact that they're in a relationship like us, is it?"

Anakin marveled at Padmé's insight. She may not be as connected to the Force as a Jedi Knight, but her perception rivaled many of the Masters he'd met. "Yes, after Obi-Wan and I came back from rescuing the Chancellor, another ship crashed onto the surface right near us. The two Jedi we met were onboard, unconscious." He paused, thinking for a moment before continuing, "The two individuals are...strange. And the disturbance they caused in the Force was probably felt by every Jedi on the planet. The man's name is Skywalker, Padmé, Skywalker. We felt the truth from him, but how? My mother said there was no father, and Obi-Wan told me that Qui-Gon was convinced of the fact. This man is old enough to be that father, or an uncle...but Mom would have said something."

Padmé turned in Anakin's arms to face him and put a hand on his chest that grown tense in his rising anxiety. "Well, Ani, we'll just have to see what he says. Come on Ani, it has been a very long day and I haven't said 'hello' to you properly."

With a smile, Anakin kissed first her forehead and then her lips as they walked back into the apartment. His arm wrapped around her middle before it descended to rest lightly on her ass. A few minutes later, man and wife said 'hello,' properly.


A few days later, Luke was pronounced healthy enough to walk out of the medbay without incurring the formidable wrath of one Twi'lek Chief Healer. Anakin had been making frequent visits to the two visitors to check up on them, but Master Che's eyes held a dangerous glint whenever conversation began to broach serious matters. When Luke was released, both he and Mara joined Anakin and Obi-Wan in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Luke and Obi-Wan were quite content to spend some time meditating whereas Anakin and Mara were startled when they noticed themselves rolling their eyes in unison. Anakin found this to be the perfect moment to ask a question that had been on his mind since he'd first laid eyes on Mara.

"So, that's a pretty wizard lightsaber you have," Anakin said somewhat lamely. As a subtle way of bringing a topic up, it was extremely lacking.

Mara displayed her awareness of that with a raised eyebrow and that smirk that seemed to be ever-present. "I agree, Anakin, quite 'wizard.'"

Anakin scowled, "It looks a lot like mine, almost identical really. How'd you come up with the design?"

"I didn't, actually," Mara stated, "Luke gave this to me. I still don't know why really, but it is difficult to refuse Luke anything. He has this rather pathetic look that he displays that could cause even the cruelest Sith Lord to relent."

The words were humorous and Anakin laughed at them, but there was a subtle undercurrent of meaning that was lost on him. "Well, how did he get it?"

"That's not my story to tell," Mara stated serenely. Seeing Anakin's dubious look, she stated in a much more stern manner, "that's my way of saying, not now, we'll tell you later, laserbrain."

That startled another laugh out of him and he relented his questioning. When it came to what was important regarding the strangers, the lightsaber that was nearly identical to his was not at the top of the list. Priorities and all that.

#

Luke was elated to be where he was, with Obi-Wan and his father in the old Jedi Temple. Knowing the trials ahead of him didn't stop him from enjoying that fact now. Seeing Obi-Wan was much more rewarding than he had thought it would be; he was young and vibrant, so different from the old, weathered, and haunted man who had made such a significant impact in his life in the scant amount of time they'd spent with each other. Luke spent a great deal of time thinking of Leia. Of Leia and Han. Of Jaina and Jacen. Even of Anakin, the youngest son of the Solos who had perished some time before the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar. He missed them all, missed them terribly, was would sacrifice much to see his best friends and their family again. Even if this galaxy in this time was saved, he didn't know what would become of him and Mara, whether they would stay in this time or become one with the Force. Even if he joined the Force, would he sense Leia's presence in this changed universe? So many thoughts and possibilities that he ultimately had to let go of; there was nothing he could do about it.

He couldn't stay maudlin forever though, he had things to do, people to see, fathers to save, and mothers to meet. Luke smiled slightly at the last thought. Much had become to known of the final days of the Republic, but they mystery of his mother remained. He and Leia had conflicting thoughts on the matter, but he had always desired to meet her. A nudge in the Force caught his attention and he brought his focus onto Mara. Mara and Anakin's impatience was becoming a tangible thing and he knew better than to irritate his wife without just cause, so he ended his meditation and prepared himself for whatever was to come.


Anakin couldn't help but be nervous. He still believed introducing his wife was a good idea for several reasons. It would help Anakin, Luke, and Mara trust each other and it would help lighten his own burden as well, but keeping their relationship, let alone their marriage, secret had become a deeply ingrained habit. As the three rode in the turbolift to their destination, Anakin had already broken out in a light sweat and he knew that his anxiety would be easily sensed. Luke and Mara, however, were kind enough that they chose not to remark on it.

Anakin realized he was alarmingly close to tapping his foot, an obvious sign of his internal riot of emotions. This is the right course of action, he told himself, show trust and receive trust in return. Closing his eyes, Anakin thought of Padmé and squared his shoulders. Luke and Mara, aside from their dramatic entrance into his life and onto Coruscant, had shown themselves to be kind individuals, genuine in their compassion. Mara might be a little more 'trouble,' but she was the kind of trouble he could appreciate in a friend. He didn't know how this was going to end, but he knew Padmé was strong and would be able to handle the idea of others knowing their secret, far better than he. Trust in the Force, Obi-Wan would say, Anakin thought, I think this time, I will trust in Padmé.

He could feel the Force brimming with an uncertainty that seemed completely unrelated to the current trials the Republic or the Jedi Order faced. As if to reinforce that interpretation, the roiling undercurrents that seemed to be contained within Luke and Mara's presence remained ever-present. Luke and Mara felt...different than the Force signatures of people or other Jedi he'd encountered. They were powerful, both of them, but it wasn't different like the minute changes one would see from person to person, but like a completely different paradigm of the Force had anchored itself to them.

Outside of their presence, it would be completely unnoticed except for the subtle feeling of impending change. The change in the Force that seemed to have been caused by or connected to Luke and Mara had even muted some of the confusion and shifted the veil caused by the war, the Sith, and the havoc that was encompassing the galaxy. Something is going to happen, some change is upon us and these two are part of it. I don't know what these two know or have planned that could affect the Force in such a profound way, but I swear that at least some of our questions will be answered this tonight.

#

Luke was aware of Anakin's shifting emotions. The flashes of anxiety, fear, hope, excitement, and longing were practically shouted out into the air. When Anakin had announced his intention to take them to a friend's residence for them to stay at, Luke felt both he and Mara had stiffened instantly. Anakin had been oblivious, smiling at some hidden thought that was crossing his mind, but both Luke and his wife had exchanged a very pointed glance.

They were not ready for Palpatine; Luke was not in top form just yet and they were both still recovering from the typical weariness that is the result from any battle. All of that was less important than the fact that a true plan was needed to confront this Palpatine. Luke had seen and fought a much younger clone of Palpatine and his power in the Force and skill with a lightsaber still imposing even now. He felt pretty confident that he could take Palpatine, but when you're playing a sabaac hand with the fate of the galaxy as the stakes, caution is generally advised.

The feeling of longing had set Mara and Luke a little more at ease. Mara had mentally nudged him and a sense of her impish smile had accompanied her message through their bond.

[Well Farmboy, your father is positively bubbling with some very un-Jedi-like emotions. I don't believe Palpatine is a worry for tonight, husband-mine, unless Anakin might have some subtle feelings for the-]

Luke stopped Mara with a subtle pinch on her ass; this of course, while having the desired effect of stopping the disturbing line of thought, only widened her smile that promised ether violence or sex. It was always a toss up with Mara.

Luke found it somewhat odd that Anakin and Mara seemed to get along fairly well. Until arriving at the turbolift, most of the conversation had been upheld by his companions. Luke knew that Mara had met Darth Vader many times in her service to the Emperor and he knew that Darth Vader was not someone Mara had particularly liked. 'Not particularly liked' being a euphemism for 'despised.' But Anakin was a different matter, a different person, that is. It was almost disturbing in a way; they both had similar mannerisms and both had a very dry, acerbic sense of humor. Luke supposed that, given their similar personalities, it was just as likely that they'd befriend one another as it would be for them to absolutely loathe each other.

Despite his own ongoing internal grief of Leia death and the shock of their arrival into a bygone era, Luke couldn't help the small smile that lingered on his face as he listened to their ongoing banter and dance of well-intentioned teasing. It must be weird for Mara to be dealing with a 'baby Vader,' or perhaps...Luke's smile suddenly became a devilish grin, which he hid from view by turning to look out at the skyline.

[Isn't this incredible, Mara? Even though we've been married for almost 10 years, it must be a relief to finally meet your father-in-law and have a nice heart-to-heart with him.]

Luke watched as Mara paused in whatever she was saying and nearly laughed as her eyes went almost comically wide. Anakin was oblivious and was asking worriedly if she were alright. Mara shot a very quick glare towards Luke before assuring Anakin that she was just fine.

[Kriff off, Master. I had finally put it out of my mind and now it's all I can think about. Considering what your daddy did to his son-in-law, I'd prefer that our relationship remain unknown for now. Being a block of carbonite is not my look. Hush now, or I'll kill you for real.]

Luke's smile didn't waver at the memory of Han or of Bespin, and it especially didn't waver at her threat. She had lost her desire for killing or maiming him a long time ago.

He had to wonder what Leia would have thought about all this. He felt the gaping void where his connection to Leia had been. Discovering it when he had hung from that weather vane below Cloud City on Bespin had been like discovering a completely new part of himself. Leia had had a terrible time adjusting to the notion of Darth Vader as her father, but she had gradually come to accept that she was the child of Anakin Skywalker. She had even come to accept it enough that she named her third child Anakin.

Luke had a moment of sorrow as he remembered Anakin Solo. A bright boy, strong in the Force, and just so good. His sacrifice on Myrkr allowed many Jedi to escape with their lives after destroying the Voxyn Queen, but his loss had been hard on so many. But giving Anakin his name had been a sign that Leia had come to terms or at least had found some measure of peace in regards to their parentage.

What would Leia think, if she could see our father like this? Not a monster, not a respirator wearing hulking black figure, but a man. A Jedi, yes, but just a man. Luke figured Leia's first impulse would be to slap him the young man, the thought of which helped chase the sadness that memories of Leia and the clan stirred and made him smile. She'd slap him silly, but I think she'd see some of what I've been saying about our father all these years.

Luke figured that Anakin was taking them to someone he trusted, and that note of longing that emanated from him made his own pulse speed up. Longing? Could he be taking us to my mother? Luke didn't want to give the thought too much credit for fear of disappointment. He still desperately wanted to know who she was. Or is. Luke corrected himself. His mother is alive now, and if he'd lucky and if the Force wills it, perhaps I'll finally meet her.

There would be much to say regardless of whom they were meeting. Deciding how much to say would be tricky; keeping secrets from someone who may be on the edge of falling to the Dark Side could be just the thing to push him over if discovered. But telling him about the full horrors of his future might not be the best way to help him find peace. And I do not wish to give him any information from 'a certain point of view.' Stang, If Leia wants to slap Father, then I want to slap Obi-Wan for that charming surprise.

Luke refocused on his surroundings as the turbolift finally came to a halt at one of the top floors. The view was as spectacular as he remembered it from the time he spent with Leia and Han at their own residence on 500 Republica. Anakin seemed to have settled slightly and ushered them forward. A few minutes of navigating the halls of the building eventually had them facing a door that Anakin had led them too. The young man looked briefly torn but he settled himself and knocked firmly on the door.

Seconds later, a young woman elaborately dressed answered the door. She smiled widely at Anakin but looked unsure how to react in the presence of strangers. Anakin settled the matter quickly and decisively as he leaned down and cupped the woman's face and kissed her solidly on the mouth. Coming back up, the woman was red faced and looked like she wanted to either maim Anakin or drag him to the nearest horizontal surface.

Looking determined, but still anxious, he turned from the woman to look at Luke and Mara intensely. "Padmé, this is Luke Skywalker, and his wife, Mara. Luke, Mara, this is my wife, Padmé Amidala.

#

Luke felt his world tilt on its axis for a moment as he finally heard the name of his mother and as he took in the full vision of the woman who bore that name. He looked at her face first and saw Leia's soft brown eyes looking back at him. Her pregnancy was visible ever through her elegant, voluminous clothing that helped to disguise her swollen womb. Disguised or not however, he could feel the unmistakable presence of the unborn children within Padmé's womb.

He couldn't discern Leia's individual status; the Leia and Luke of this age were too new to the world to have developed their own presence. But even so, Luke felt a sense of relief come over him as he realized that, whatever else may have happened, there was a Leia in this world ready to become a sister to her twin brother. Even if it wasn't his sister, it was Leia just the same. Studying Padmé further, it was obvious that Leia's beauty had mirrored her mother's.

"Where are the droids," Padmé asked Anakin as she guided them into her apartment. Anakin's response was lost on both Luke and Mara though as they gazed upon the woman who had to be Luke's mother.

#

Padmé was gorgeous. Those brown eyes on a soft face framed by cascading brown curls of hair that were in a simple, yet elegant, style. At first, Mara thought that the softness that seemed to define Padmé's beauty might extend to her personality as well, given her quiet and well-spoken tone that had accompanied her words. That idea was swiftly abused by a thoughtful study of Padmé's eyes.

Those eyes held a fierce determination to protect Anakin from these two strangers who would lay claim to the Skywalker name. Those eyes and even her whole posture again belied that possibility as the fire of determination that had defined Leia for decades revealed their origin in Padmé.

Padmé.

It has to be Padmé.

Something about her, a threat to her life or an attack induced Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. A threat, attack, or abduction; something that could be used as coercion or manipulation, this has to be how Anakin fell. The idea could have been from the Force, but it could have just been likely been hers. Mara didn't know many people who wouldn't go to extreme lengths, even dark lengths, to save someone they loved. That was the foundation behind the rule regarding attachments in the Jedi Order. Luke may have allowed attachments in his new Jedi Order, but he never hesitated to explain the danger of attachment, of the manipulation one could full under because of one's ties to the world.

Mara considered this. There were other possibilities, other reasons Anakin might fall, but a strong Jedi whose company either included Jedi Masters or his pregnant, and presumably vulnerable wife...Padmé made a tempting target to use against Anakin. One had to have knowledge of their relationship, which did seem to have been hidden successfully, but secrets always have a way of being discovered.

All of these thoughts were going through Mara's mind in just a few seconds as time seemed to pass impossibly slow. Save Padmé to save Anakin. Save Padmé to prevent the rise of Vader and, hopefully, to ensure the fall of Palpatine. Padmé is the key.

Luke's voice finally broke the silence that had followed Anakin's declaration, a silence that was just on the verge of becoming uncomfortable. "It's a pleasure to meet you Padm-may I call you Padmé?"

Padmé's wary demeanor softened slightly at his stumbling words and replied, "Anakin says that you are his kin. We are family then, Padmé would be fine." Padmé paused for a moment, exchanging a glance with Anakin. "So...Luke...how exactly are you related to Anakin?" Anakin relaxed slightly as the question he had been desperately wanted to ask had finally been voiced.

[Well Farmboy, I'll let you take the lead on this one. It would be wise, Luke, to remain truthful but to avoid dumping too much on their plates all at once. Our presence here is already a lot to swallow, if we bring up Palpatine, Vader, or the Vong than I think we'd lose them. One thing at a time.]

Mara felt Luke's mental acknowledgment before Luke responded. "Do you have somewhere we can sit and talk? We have a great deal to say and much of it will be hard to understand and accept. It would be best for us all to be comfortable."

Anakin and Padmé exchanged a glance and a redoubled sense of wariness emanated from the two. Padmé finally stepped back into her apartment and gestured from them to enter.

#

Luke and Mara were guided by Padmé and Anakin to a tasteful sitting room. It was classy, but not gaudy like the style of many senators that Mara had met while the Empire had ruled. The four moved to sit down, but Mara reached into her pocket and pulled out a device and sat it on the table before activating it. A small light flickered on and a brief high pitched noise issued from it before it became noiseless once again.

"I trust your security force's competence, Padmé, but you are a senator, the secret wife of a Jedi, and you surely have many enemies. What gets discussed tonight are things that I have no wish to be shared with others," Mara stated calmly.

Padmé paused before raising a brow and asked, "I don't know many Jedi who are so well versed in surveillance techniques and technology."

Mara's gave a humorless smile that was more than a little disquieting to Padmé. "Well, I wasn't always a Jedi. I am a woman of many talents."

Anakin joined the conversation with a confused expression on his face. "You weren't always a Jedi, what do you mean? The Jedi don't like to train older people. Stang, I was nine and they didn't want to train me then. What were you before then?"

"I was an assassin and occasional spy."

Padmé and Anakin both stiffened and one of Anakin's hand had drifted to his lightsaber. Padmé then turned to Luke, who had been casting surreptitious looks towards her throughout the exchange. "And you? An assassin as well?"

Mara barked out a laugh. Luke lifted a shoulder, "Ah...no, I'm just a Jedi. But like Mara, I wasn't trained until late in my life. I grew up on a moisture farm," he added as he saw Anakin's frown, "Mara and I didn't actually meet until about ten years ago."

"And how did an assassin and a farm boy come to meet?" Anakin asked, a frown still etched upon his face.

"I tried to kill him," Mara said.

#

Almost half an hour later just a few clarifying remarks later, and the four were still sitting. Luke and Mara were being largely ignored as Padmé and Anakin digested the story of how the two had met. An assassin forming a Force Bond with a Jedi, the target she'd been ordered to kill by a Darksider? It was a little much, even for a slave-turned-Jedi who had secretly married a senator of the Republic.

Padmé finally sighed, "Okay, moving on. I still want to know. Who exactly are you, Luke? Who are you to Ani?"

Anakin scowled as he saw Mara mouthing 'Ani' in the air, smiling as she tested the sound of it. Luke turned to him and Anakin stilled. There was something in his expression. It spoke of many things, intense emotions and powerful memories. It wasn't something that he could pin down but it was disconcerting.

"Well...Anakin...you are my father," Luke stated calmly, the anxiety in his eyes betraying his seemingly serene demeanor.


Sheev Palpatine reclined in his chair, sighing as the pathetic politicians and lobbyists finally removed themselves from his presence. Something has changed. The thought had been echoing in his mind now ever since his 'rescue' from Grievous. He wasn't sure what had changed and that in itself was quite concerning.

Decades of planning, years of bribes and pretending and hiding. My life will not be for nothing, Palpatine snarled, my plans will succeed and I will see the Jedi Order and their beloved Republic ground into dust.

There were so many plans in motion, so many events that were now coming to a head. It wouldn't be long now, not lung until he could begin exterminating the Jedi, and with them gone, the Republic would be his. But the Jedi must die. Order 66 will cut them down, but the Temple itself but also be gutted, and that is where I will need my new apprentice.

Palpatine closed his eyes and let his awareness drift through the Force. The tremors that had troubled him so badly days ago had lessened, but were still present.

Anakin.

His plans for Anakin had started many years ago and his fate was all but sealed. A few more deceptions and manipulations and he would have the Jedi Council push their vaunted 'Chosen One' right into his hands. Whatever has changed will be something that I'll have to discover later. Everything is at a nexus now, events are at a critical point and it will soon be the time to execute the final stages of my plan.

Anakin's emotions were as troubled and turbulent as they ever were, and Palpatine smiled when he felt the spikes of anger and confusion that had become more and more frequent in the last year. He had no way of knowing the source of these particular spikes, but the presence of those emotions meant that Anakin was still in a position to become his.

Soon. Soon I will usher him into my service. Palpatine smiled. A pregnant wife meant that he would be most susceptible to the emotions that had always gripped him the hardest. And Anakin was ever so prone to nightmares and visions. A smile was pasted on Palpatine's face as he concentrated on the boy who would serve him to destroy the Jedi.


Author's Note: So first I'd like to acknowledge that, yes, this is the first fanfiction story I've ever written. And with that acknowledgment, I know that I am not the best of writers and that there's a good chance that I've been truly murdering the English language along with its grammar. I apologize for this.

I'm not sure how successful I have been, but I know that keeping a consistent tense is something I've been trying to maintain. I've been occasionally moving across different points of view and I hope that it hasn't been too hard to keep track of. So yeah, basically, sorry if I'm an atrocious writer (on the technical basis)
Author's Note #2: "Anakin, you are my father!" I've been wanting to add that line since I first thought out this story. Again, this is part my humor thing. I love taking quotes or events from other books/movies of the Star Wars universe and adding them in here.
Author's Note #3: Palpy! He's not killed yet, and he wasn't a Sith Lord for his ability to issue idle threats. As much as Luke and Mara have the potential to change things, Palpatine is still a Dark Lord of the Sith and one of the most powerful Force sensitives in the galaxy. There was a brief mention of R2-D2 and C-3PO when they first arrive at the apartment. I have not forgotten about them! I felt that they would be unnecessary distractions at this point, but I plan for their return to be fairly soon.

In other news, I have totally planned out the ending for this. But I am still agonizing over how to get there. Got this posted early, hope you enjoy!

Always looking for feedback!