Chapter 32

Sixth Planet of the Hoth System

Obi-Wan Kenobi stomped the snow from his boots as he entered the base. He unwrapped the muffler from his face, snow falling to the floor with each movement he made. I'm getting too old for this, he thought to himself as he made his way into the command center.

The Rebel commanders were concerned that Kenobi was pushing himself too far; the old Jedi was well into his sixties now, and the harsh elements were cruel to old bones and joints. Many a night Kenobi would find himself aching from the cold, and curse the one who had decided that Hoth was a good location for a base. Yet, he was determined to do his part, and so he took his turn doing sentry duty, braving the bitter cold temperatures, driving snow and highly strung tauntauns to do so.

"Anything to report, Master Kenobi?" General Dodonna asked as Obi-Wan entered the command center.

"The usual," Obi-Wan said as he took down his hood. "Those snow creatures are starting to move off, thankfully."

Dodonna nodded. "Thank the Maker for that," he muttered, shuddering as he remembered what had happened to two unfortunate individuals who had been ambushed by the terrifying snow creatures.

"I suggest you consider setting up long range sensors, General," Kenobi said. "The Empire is surely combing the galaxy for us; it would be advantageous to us if we knew they were coming."

"We've been working on the technology," Dodonna told him. "The trouble is the damn cold just makes everything we try stop working within a few hours."

Kenobi nodded. "I see," he said. "Well perhaps the same adaptations you've made to the spacecraft could be used to enable the sensors to withstand the cold."

"That's an idea," Dodonna said. "I'll suggest it to the technical crew at once."

Obi-Wan was about to walk away when Dodonna called him back. "Obi-Wan, a word with you please," he said.

Obi-Wan turned back and looked at the general. "Yes?" he asked.

"I suppose you've heard that Princess Leia has changed her name," Dodonna said, folding his arms over his chest.

Obi-Wan nodded, looking at the man to determine his thoughts. "Yes, I have," he said. "What of it?"

"Well, do I need to say it?" Dodonna asked. "Surely you must see what my concern is, Obi-Wan. You of all people would."

"I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more explicit, General," Obi-Wan said.

"Skywalker, is that explicit enough?" Dodonna asked. "Luke Skywalker, Leia Skywalker- its' the very name that you told me belonged to Darth Vader not one month ago. I think I understand now why the princess was so anxious to trust him now. They must be related, the three of them."

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan replied, remaining calm.

"Don't you see this as a serious security issue?" Dodonna asked. "If the two of them are related to Vader, then they could be feeding him information about our whereabouts, our troop strengths, all of our security codes, you name it!"

Obi-Wan could understand how the general would be upset; Vader had been the sworn enemy of the Alliance for two decades. It was natural for Dodonna to be alarmed by this unexpected and most unusual set of circumstances. He would have no way of knowing that the man who had once been known as Darth Vader no longer existed.

"You needn't be concerned, General," Kenobi said at last. "There is no connection between Vader and Luke and Leia," he said, using the Force to manipulate the man's mind. "In fact, you were mistaken when you thought Vader had once been Anakin Skywalker. What you heard was wrong, and you have no reason to think otherwise."

Dodonna looked at Kenobi, puzzled for a moment by the momentary lapse he'd had in his line of thinking. "What…what was I saying?" he asked after a moment.

"You were telling me about the problems you were having with adapting the sensors to the cold, General," Obi-Wan reminded him gently.

"Oh, oh yes," Dodonna said. He scratched at his beard, still puzzled by his inability to remember what he was saying. "I think I'll go and see how things are coming along."

"Good idea," Obi-Wan said, pleased with his ability to erase the memory of Darth Vader's true identity from the general's mind. It had been an error in judgment to tell him that in the first place, one for which Obi-Wan took full responsibility. The last thing Luke and Leia need right now is their own commanding officers doubting their loyalties, he reflected as he made his way to the mess hall for a much needed cup of tea.

Naboo-Naberrie home

Anakin took a long shower, his mind working through all that had transpired in the past twenty-four hours. It was clear that Padmé's memory was starting to return now that the Tharandon therapy had been discontinued. His fears of the drug's long term affects upon his wife had been, thankfully, unrealized. She would regain her memory, he was certain of it now.

So what do I do now? He thought as he let the hot water cascade over his shoulders. Do I let her remember what I did to her on her own, or do I tell her myself? What if she never remembers? Can I live with myself letting her go on without knowing? He knew that it was only a matter of time before Padmé started asking more probing questions about her past; why she had ended up on Naboo, what had happened to separate her from her family, why she had lost her memory. How could any of those questions be answered without telling her the whole, ugly truth? Clearly what happened on Mustafar was intrinsically connected with Padmé's fate; and it would be unfair not to tell her everything, even if it means she wants nothing to do with me ever again.

Anakin turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, his mind no more at ease than when he had begun his shower.

Padmé was just tidying up the kitchen when Anakin entered the room.

"Good morning," he told her.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning," she said. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes," he replied. "Starving in fact."

"Good," she said. "I put together a plate for you," she said, handing him a plate laden with breakfast delectables.

"Thanks," he said, taking the plate from her hands. He looked at it; it looked delicious. "Did you make this?" he asked, knowing full well she hadn't.

"No, Mom did before she went out," Padmé told him. "I'm afraid I don't remember much about cooking."

Anakin smiled to himself as he sat down at the table, remembering the many times he'd teased her about her cooking. Padmé noticed the smile on his face, and sat down with him. "What?" she asked.

He looked up at her. "Excuse me?" he asked innocently.

"Something has obviously struck you as amusing," she said as she watched him eat his breakfast. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"I'm not sure you want to know," he told her with a smile. "You might get upset with me."

"Try me," Padmé replied.

Anakin laughed. "Okay….well; it's just that what you said about not remembering much about cooking kind of struck me as …well, ironic."

"And why is that?" she asked.

"Uh…be…cause you never did know how to cook," he said, the words all coming out at once.

"I beg your pardon?" she said, frowning at him. "What are you trying to say, Anakin?"

Anakin sighed. "Padmé, my love, you are a woman of many talents," he told her. "But I'm afraid cooking was never one of them."

"You mean I can't cook?" she asked.

Anakin shook his head.

"I've never been able to cook?"

Anakin shook his head again. "No, though you did make many valiant attempts," he told her.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "So tell me something, how did such a big strapping man like yourself manage to survive with substandard cooking?" she asked with a smile.

"Well, you only cooked on occasion," he told her.

"Lucky for you," she said.

Anakin laughed. "I'm sorry, Angel- but you did ask."

"And I want to know, Anakin," she said. "I want to know everything, not just the happy things."

Anakin nodded. "I know you do," he said. "What do you say we contact Luke and Leia? I know they are anxious to see you."

Padmé's face immediately lit up with a radiant smile. "Yes, that's a wonderful idea," she said. "I can't wait to see them too. I just know seeing them will trigger something, Anakin."

Anakin didn't have the heart to tell her that she had not seen Luke and Leia since they were minutes old. It was highly unlikely that seeing them now, as adults, would trigger any memories within her mind; yet, stranger things had happened. Perhaps the bond that existed between a mother and her children would be enough to elicit some miraculous reaction.

"I hope so," Anakin said, standing up. "Come on," he said, holding his hand out to her. "Let's go see them now."

Padmé paced up and down in the parlor as Anakin made contact with the Millennium Falcon. She was excited at the thought of seeing her children; but nervous as well. What if they resent me for being absent from their life for so long? What if they have no place for me now in their lives? What if…

"Come here, Angel."

Anakin's voice interrupted her anxious musings, and she turned to him. She walked over to where he was sitting, her heart pounding within her. He stood up, motioning for her to sit down. She took the seat, and looked at the screen, her throat constricting when she beheld the two faces on the screen.

"Hello Mother," Leia said with a smile. "It's wonderful to see you!"

Leia looks like me, Padmé reflected, taking in every detail of her daughter's face. "Hello Leia," she said softly, her eyes brimming with tears. She turned her eyes to her son next. "Hello Luke."

Luke smiled at her. "It's so good to see you, Mother," he said. "We've waited a long time for this moment."

Padmé nodded. "I know you have," she said. "I'm so sorry," she began, not even knowing what to say to them. "I'm…so sorry I haven't been there for you…"

"Mother, don't blame yourself for what happened!" Leia cried, quite shocked by Padmé's apology. "You have nothing to apologize for!"

Anakin stood behind Padmé, his heart aching as he sensed his wife's sorrow. He put his hands on her shoulders protectively, wishing he could take away all the pain he knew was deep inside her.

"We want to see you, Mother," Luke said. "We know right now it isn't possible, but nothing would mean more to us."

"I want to see you too," Padmé replied her voice little more than a whisper. "My beautiful babies…I've missed so much, so many years…I've missed everything…"

Anakin was beginning to think that this was a bad idea, that Padmé was not ready for this; and yet, if she were to truly be healed, then she must face the pain of her past, no matter how difficult.

"We will make up for all those years, Mother," Leia averred, her own eyes, so much like her mother's, shining with tears. "The four of us."

Padmé could only nod in response, her emotions too overwhelming to allow her to speak right away. "I want that more than anything," she said at last, the tears streaming down her face. "I only hope that in time I will remember you," she looked up at Anakin. "All of you."

"You will, Mother," Luke averred. "We will help you, all three of us."

Padmé nodded. "Thank you, Luke," she said. "Thank you both, for not resenting me for being absent from your life for so long."

Luke and Leia looked up at their father, knowing how difficult this was for him, sensing the tremendous shame and guilt he felt over what had truly happened to their mother.

"The past can never be erased," Leia said, looking at her father still. "But that doesn't mean a future isn't full of wonderful potential. Let's focus on the future, Mother, a future when the four of us can be together the way we should have been all along."

Anakin was moved by his daughter's words, astonished by the depth of her love and her ability to forgive. He smiled at her, loving her utterly.

"I'm afraid we have to go," Luke said. "They have put power restrictions on all of us recently since the generator we installed is having such trouble adapting to the cold."

Padmé nodded her understanding. "I hope we will see one another very soon," she said.

"We will," Leia said, smiling at her mother. "Goodbye, Mother, goodbye Father- take care of one another."

"We will," Anakin replied. "You and Luke do the same."

"You bet," Luke said, smiling at his parents. They both waved goodbye as their image faded out of view.

Padmé sat for a moment, too shaken to speak. Anakin was concerned about her silence, and looked down at her. "Are you alright, Angel?" he asked.

Padmé turned and looked up at him, her dark eyes full of a thousand different emotions. "They are so beautiful," she said softly, a smile upon her lips.

Anakin nodded. "They are," he said, touching her face gently. "They are remarkable, Padmé, both of them. I think they inherited the best of both of us."

"I think so too," she said. "I can't wait to meet them in person. When can we do that?"

Anakin hesitated, not knowing what to tell her. "Soon," he told her as she stood up. "Very soon, I promise."

"Thank you," she said, standing up. "That would mean a lot to me. There's something else I've been thinking about," she told him.

"What is that?" he asked as they walked away from the comm. screen.

"I was thinking that…maybe going up to the lake retreat would be a good idea," she said, "that maybe it would help me to remember. Now that I know my memory is coming back, being there will speed up the process."

Anakin nodded. "I think so too," he told her. "We can go as soon as you're ready, Padmé."

"Thank you Anakin," she said. "You have been so wonderful through all this," she said, turning to him and touching his face. "I don't know what would have become of me if you hadn't come back into my life when you did."

Anakin smiled. He took her hand and kissed it softly, the irony of her statement too bittersweet to contemplate. "Come on," he said. "It's going to take you all day to pack all those new clothes your sister bought you," he teased her.

Padmé laughed, and let him lead her back to her room.