Chapter 38

Sixth planet of the Hoth System

Luke Skywalker felt butterflies in his stomach as he packed his duffle bag with his few belongings. He would be leaving for Dagobah today, to meet his new Jedi Master, Yoda. While Luke welcomed the challenge he would no doubt face under the tutelage of the diminutive Jedi, the thought of leaving his friends, of leaving his sister, saddened him greatly. He and Leia had become very close in the past six weeks, and it hardly seemed possible to either of them that they had spent their first nineteen years apart, for the bond between them now was so strong.

Luke felt that it was for the good of both of them that he leave, for he could see that Obi-Wan was having difficulty keeping up with their training. He would never admit it of course; but Kenobi was not a young man anymore, and having two padawans would be demanding no matter how young a master may be.

Dagobah, from what Luke knew, was an isolated, primitive world, with little to offer in the way of technology or distraction. Yoda had lived there in self-exile since the end of the Republic, shielding himself from the emperor's discernment. It was the perfect place to concentrate on the training that would make Luke a Jedi; so why was he so reticent about leaving? Yes, he would miss Leia, Han, Obi-Wan, Wedge, and all the other friends he had made; but there was more to it than just that. He and Leia had been in steady contact with their father since they had parted ways. And now they had even spoken with their mother as well. It seemed to Luke that his family was just starting to bond, even if it were through long distance communication; on Dagobah, he would have no such communication. He knew that he would miss that, he knew that he would miss his father.

In the short time since discovering his father, Luke had come to greatly look forward to the times they spoke. He had begun to know the real Anakin Skywalker, and had started to discover what a truly remarkable man his father was. Now that he would be leaving for Dagobah, it would be months before he had the chance to see him again. I finally meet my father, and now I'm going to be parted from him yet again. Not to mention my mother… It had been almost surreal seeing her face on the comm. screen; she looked so much like Leia it was astounding. But there was more to it than that; Luke was certain that he had seen her face in his dreams. There was no way he could remember her consciously, for he had been mere minutes old when he had been taken from her. Yet, somehow, he knew her face; he had seen it many times over the years in his dreams. He did not know who she was at the time, though he felt a strong connection to her. And now he knew, and he wanted desperately to meet her in person. This too would be put off for months; another reason he was less than enthusiastic about leaving.

A knock at his cabin door interrupted Luke's reflections, and he knew who it was before he even answered it. His sister's aura was so brilliant and strong, there was no mistaking it. It reminded Luke of the presence he had experienced when he was in the trench over the Death Star, his father's true essence as he guided his son through that perilous fight. Leia was very much like Anakin, despite her resemblance to their mother. Perhaps that is why they were able to bond so quickly, Luke reasoned as he went to answer the door.

"Hi," he said as he saw his sister on the other side. He could tell that she was as upset about his departure as he himself was. "Come on in."

Star Destroyer Executor

"I'm sorry, my lord, could you repeat that?"

Ferreus scowled at the young officer, growing impatient with his own in ability to make himself clear. He would never admit that, however, and decided to take it out on the two officers who held the bridge at the moment.

"I want you to find a way to monitor any unusual communications," Ferreus said. "Anything that can't be accounted for, anything that is from an unusual or unknown source."

Piett glanced quickly at his associate, and then looked back at Ferreus. "You mean you want me to monitor broadcast channels?" he asked.

"Yes, yes," Ferreus said impatiently. "Anything that may seem …suspicious."

Piett raised his eyebrows, but did not comment. Suspicious? Does Ferreus have any idea what he's talking about? What exactly does he mean by 'suspicious'?

"Suspicious in nature my lord, or by virtue of the source of the broadcast?" Piett asked at last.

"Both," Ferreus replied, not entirely sure himself. "I guess…yes, both."

"Perhaps we ought to use the Zarlenga decoder," Captain Magus Reyal, suggested, looking at Piett with an utterly straight face.

"Yes, by all means," Ferreus replied eagerly, pleased that his officers were so knowledgeable. "Do so at once...and, uh…keep me posted at regular intervals of your progress. That will be all."

With that, the thoroughly confused Ferreus left the bridge to return to the comfort of his quarters.

"Zarlenga decoder?" Piett asked with a laugh as he turned to Reyal. "You really are audacious aren't you?"

Reyal grinned. "So you do remember the name from the academy then?"

"Yes of course," Piett replied. "Who could forget that character? He was the most insufferable hypocrite at the academy. I can't believe you said that to Ferreus."

"I can't believe he actually thinks there is such a thing," Reyal countered. "What an idiot."

Piett nodded. "Yes, I couldn't agree more. But he's an idiot in command, and so we must do what he says, no matter how inane it may seem."

Reyal shook his head in disgust. "Vader may have been ruthless, but at least he was intelligent. Brilliant even."

"I never served with him," Piett replied. "Though I would have enjoyed the experience."

"Not an easy man to get along with," Reyal told him. "But he was an excellent leader, the best I've ever served."

"And Ferreus is his successor," Piett reminded him. "Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sure is," Reyal sighed. "So I guess we have our work cut out for us, what Firmus?"

"Yes, is certainly seems that way," Piett replied. "Let's get to it. This isn't going to be easy."

"Especially without the Zarlenga decoder," Reyal quipped.

Piett merely laughed as the two men made their way to the communication station to begin the arduous task set before them.

Naboo-Lake Retreat

Anakin was awoken the next morning by his wife's kiss. He opened his eyes to see her sitting on the edge of his bed, watching him with a smile.

"Good morning," she said. "I hope you don't mind me waking you up."

Anakin smiled. "If you wake me up like that, no, not at all," he told her.

"Good," she replied. "I have an idea," she told him, a twinkle in her eyes.

Anakin looked up at his wife. The sparkle had returned to her eyes, and, little by little, she was becoming the Padmé he had known. "What is your idea?" he asked, amused by her enthusiasm.

"Let's go swimming," she told him with a smile.

Not exactly what I was hoping she'd suggest, Anakin mused. "Swimming?" he asked. "Right now?"

"Yes, why not?" she said. "It's a wonderful way to start the day."

Anakin nodded. "You remember that do you?" he asked.

"Yes I do," she replied. "I also remember how you and I used to swim over to that island," she continued with a smile.

"Do you also remember how cold that lake is in the morning?" Anakin asked with a smile.

Padmé laughed. "Cold? Oh come now," she teased. "Surely a Jedi Knight like you isn't intimidated by the cold."

"Intimidated? No, not at all," he replied. "But given the choice between an icy cold lake and a nice warm bed, I think the choice is quite obvious."

Padmé stared at him, not quite sure if he was being serious. When she saw the playful gleam in his eyes, she laughed, realizing that he was teasing her.

"You love teasing me, don't you?" she asked, arms crossed over her chest.

Anakin nodded, folding his arms behind his head. "I always have," he said with a smile.

Padmé shook her head. "So bad," she said, "so naughty."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Anakin commented.

Padmé did not reply, but attacked him with a flurry of tickles directed at his bare ribcage.

Anakin was totally unprepared for her attack, which rather surprised him, and could only do his best to grab her tiny wrists as he writhed with laughter under her assault. Finally he grabbed her and pulled her into the bed beside him, holding her arms immobile.

"Do you give up?" he asked.

Padmé shook her head, a hint of a smile on her face. "Never," she told him.

Anakin laughed, so happy to see the woman he loved returning to him. "You're pretty brave," he told her. "Attacking a Jedi in his own bed that way."

Padmé lifted an eyebrow. "Jedi don't intimidate me," she told him.

"No?" he asked.

She shook her head again, as the playfulness between them morphed into something more serious. Anakin released his hold on her arms, and ran his hands up the length of them. Padmé ran her hands over the tautness of his bare chest, memories of moments such as this flashing through her mind, moments of a passion that she was beginning to feel again.

"Perhaps there is something to be said for staying in bed," she said with a smile.

Anakin smiled, taking her face in his hands. Force, how easy it would be to give in to the feelings she was evoking. He could see in her eyes that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, that the feelings and passions that had been irrepressible years ago had somehow transcended all that had befallen them in the ensuing years. I can't …I mustn't, he told himself. As much as I want to…

"So a swim you say," he said at last, stroking her face gently. "Perhaps it would be good to get some exercise."

Padmé nodded; somewhat confused by the mixed signals she was getting from him.

"Okay," she said. "If you're sure that's what you want."

"Well, it isn't exactly what I want," he told her, "but I suppose it will have to suffice, at least for now."

"And what is it that you want?" she asked.

Don't do this, Padmé, he thought as he fought to keep a rein on his feelings. "I want you to be happy," he told her at last. "And if swimming is what it will take to do that, then I will brave the cold."

Padmé smiled. "You're very brave," she teased as she moved away and got out of the bed. "I'll meet you on the beach."

Anakin nodded, watching her leave the room. He moved to the edge of the bed and sat for a moment, running his hands through his tousled hair. How much longer can I go on this way? he wondered. How much longer will I be able to keep control of my feelings? He realized that he was in a no win situation; for as long as Padmé knew nothing of Mustafar, he must not allow his feelings for her to control him. But when she learned of it, or perhaps remembered it on her own, would she want him like she did now? Would she want anything to do with him at all once she knew the entire, ugly truth of who he had been the past twenty years?

Perhaps a cold dip in the lake is just what I need right now, he mused as he stood up and went to get dressed.