Chapter 6
Kenobi wasn't certain that he had heard the Dark Lord correctly, and simply stared at him. "You…you are going to help me?" he asked incredulously.
Vader nodded. "For the sake of my children, I have no choice but to help you. I have already seen to it that they made it out of the detention block."
"They?" Kenobi said. "You mean, Han and Luke made it that far?"
"Yes," Vader replied. "Though I was something less than impressed with their plan, as well as with the arrogant man in their company, it did manage to succeed. At least so far."
"Where are they now?" Kenobi asked.
"They escaped down the garbage chute," Vader replied. "I'm sure they have found their way out by now. We must get to the docking bay," he said, taking Kenobi by the arm. "You will appear to be in my custody," he said.
"Of course," Kenobi replied, still bewildered by the unexpected turn of events. Yes, he had said that he had Leia's best interests at heart, but it could all be a ruse, a trap in order to capture them all with very little effort. "Just so long as this is only a ruse, Vader. I'm still not convinced that it isn't."
Vader stopped in his tracks and looked at the old man. "If I weren't sincere in my desire to help you, you would be dead right now, old man," he said darkly. "I promise you that. And if you do anything to jeopardize their safety, I will not hesitate to kill you. Do you understand?"
Kenobi nodded, realizing that despite his desire to help his children, he was still very much the Dark Lord of the Sith.
"Where is she, Kenobi?" Vader asked as he escorted the elder Jedi through the corridors at a brisk pace.
Kenobi knew what Vader was asking, but merely looked at him in response, unsure what to tell him at this point. "I don't know what you're asking …" he began.
"You know damn well what I'm asking," Vader replied, an edge of anger in his tone, his grip tightening on the old Jedi's arm. "Padmé, where is she? I know she didn't die, not like the emperor told me she did."
"How do you know that?" Kenobi asked.
"Because she gave birth to my children," Vader replied. "She did not die on Mustafar by my hand, as my master told me."
Kenobi was unnerved by this disclosure. Palpatine had lied to Vader in a most insidious way, telling him that he had killed his own wife….is it any wonder he has lived in such darkness all these years..
"No, she did not die at Mustafar," Kenobi replied. "She did live to give birth to the twins. I was with her when they were born."
Vader turned and looked at Kenobi sharply, a pang of jealousy ripping through him. I envy you that, old man, he thought, but said nothing. "Why were the twins raised apart?" he asked. "Where is she? What happened to her?"
"The twins were raised apart for their own safety," Kenobi answered carefully. "As for what happened…" he stopped as he spotted Luke and Leia racing down the corridor.
Vader turned and saw them also, immensely relieved to see his children alive and well. When they saw Kenobi seemingly in the custody of Vader, both of them became outraged.
"Is this part of helping me?" Leia demanded angrily of her father. "By taking Obi-Wan prisoner?"
"I told you not to trust him," Luke said, raising his weapon and looking at his father with hatred in his eyes. It made Vader's heart ache to feel the hatred emanating from his son.
"He is not my prisoner," Vader told them. "I am merely escorting him to your vessel."
"Is that true, Obi-Wan?" Luke asked, not believing the Dark Lord for a moment.
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, it's true," he said. "So let us be off, shall we? Where are Captain Solo and Chewbacca?"
"We got separated," Leia explained, feeling badly for having assumed the worst of her protector.
"There is no time to waste," Vader said. "The shift change occurs in less than five minutes, it will be the perfect chance for you to all get safely to the ship."
Leia nodded her understanding. "Okay, let's go," she said. "Lead the way," she said to her brother.
"Right this way," Luke said as he and Obi-Wan started off.
Vader held back, torn between his desire to follow his children and his need to stay behind and ensure that they got off the space station safety.
Leia turned to him before she followed the others. "I'm …sorry I thought the worst of you," she said. "You have done everything to help me, and I should have known better than to assume that."
Vader nodded, touched by his daughter's apology. "I can understand why you would," he said. "Now go," he said, putting a hand tentatively on her shoulder. "Before it is too late to do so safely."
Leia nodded, the moment of parting more difficult than she'd ever imagined. "Come with us," she blurted out, not even thinking about her request.
Vader shook his head. "You know I cannot do that, child," he said, touching her face. "As much as I would like to."
Leia frowned. "Why not?" she said. "Tarkin will have you executed when he learns of what you've done," she said.
"Perhaps," he said. "But if he does, it will be an honorable death, knowing I've seen to the safety of my children."
"Children??" Leia said. "What do you mean, children?"
"Luke is your twin brother, Leia," he told her. "Now please, I must insist that you go!"
"But I have so many questions," Leia protested. "There are so many things I need to understand, things I need you to explain!"
"There is no time!" Vader told her. "Go now, or I cannot guarantee your safety."
Leia nodded, realizing he was right. "Okay, I suppose I should," she said. "Thank you," she said, realizing the she would probably never see him again. "I'll never forget you."
Vader nodded, his heart aching with emotion he never imagined he'd ever feel again. "Nor I you," he said. He looked up to see Solo and Chewbacca running toward them helter skelter.
"Here are your companions," he said. "Run."
Leia nodded and turned from him, trying to catch up with Han and Chewbacca, who were already on the ramp of the Falcon. She looked back one last time and over her father's shoulder saw the next shift of clones coming down the corridor. Terror filled her and she ran faster, her heart pounding in her chest. Suddenly the clones saw what was happening, and, not assuming that their commander had been somehow incapacitated and was unable to react, opened fire on the fleeing Princess.
Vader turned around to order them to cease fire when a shard of pain ripped through him via the Force. He turned back to see his daughter lying prone on the floor having been struck by blaster fire. Monumental anger filled Vader, and with a mighty swipe of one arm he sent the group of clones flying across the corridor, their armor clad bodies shattering against the bulkhead. He then ran to her, and picked up her body in his arms. She's alive, he realized, feeling her Force signature clearly. Without thinking about the consequences of his actions, he hurried aboard the Falcon, his unconscious daughter in his arms.
"Fire her up Chewie, let's get outta here!" Han shouted as he heard the freighter's ramp closing.
Obi-Wan and Luke hurried out of the cockpit to greet Leia and stopped in their tracks when they saw the giant Sith Lord tenderly cradling the princess in his arms.