Chapter 71
Anakin closed the bedroom door quietly behind him as he entered the common area. Sitting down on the sofa, he set his cloak down beside him as he pulled on his boots. He was just standing up when the door to the suite opened. Anakin looked over and was stunned to see his daughter entering the room. Judging by the look on her face, Leia was just as surprised so see her father up so early.
"What are you doing?" he asked simply, looking at her. "Where have you been in your nightgown?"
"I …I just wanted to check on Han," she explained.
Anakin narrowed his eyes, knowing that she was hiding something. "And for how long were you checking on him?" he asked.
"Just a few minutes," she lied. "I've only been gone a …"
"Don't lie to me," Anakin retorted, cutting her off. "You've been there all night, haven't you?" he demanded, his anger growing.
Leia did not reply, and averted her eyes from her father's stern gaze.
"Answer me!"
"So what if I was?" Leia said at last, looking back at him. "Nothing happened, I just missed him, and I wanted to see him. What's wrong with that?"
"What's wrong with that?" Anakin repeated, his voice rising. "You spent the night in your nightgown with a man you're not married to, and you ask me what is wrong with that??"
"You make it sound like we did something wrong," Leia retorted, starting to get angry with Anakin. "All we did was talk."
Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I doubt that," he retorted. "I know Solo's type, Leia. He's not the type of man to spend the night simply talking with a woman."
"Well then I suppose you don't know him very well, do you?" she responded hotly. "Why did you even bother to rescue him, Dad? You so obviously hate him!"
"I did it for you," he said as he donned his cloak. "Not that you're grateful," he added. "I'm going to the bridge. Get dressed. It's not fitting for a young woman to be seen in her night clothes by half the crew."
Anakin stormed out of the room before Leia had a chance to respond. She turned on her heel and stomped off to her room, determined not to allow her father to ruin the joy she felt at hearing Han say the words she had waited for months to hear him say. You don't know him like I do, she kept telling herself. You just see what you want to see.
Anakin stepped into the turbolift where he was met by Firmus Piett.
"Good morning sir," Piett said. "Did you have a good rest?"
Anakin nodded.
Piett could see that Anakin was in a foul mood, and hesitated before speaking again. "Er…something amiss, sir?"
Anakin sighed and looked at Piett. "Do you have any children, Piett?"
Piett was rather taken aback by the question. "Yes sir," he replied at last. "I have three daughters."
Anakin's eyes widened. "Three daughters?" he asked incredulously. "How do you manage? I can't even deal with one."
Piett smiled. "Well, they do make life interesting," he replied.
"How old are they?" Anakin asked.
"Ylla, the eldest, is eighteen," Piett answered. "Mina is fifteen and Deirdre is twelve."
"Wow," Anakin said, shaking his head. "You've certainly got your hands full there."
"Of course I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like," Piett replied. "They're growing up so fast and I'm missing a lot of it."
Anakin nodded. "Of course," he said, realizing that the life of a naval officer meant long weeks away from home and family. "Why don't you bring your family here?" he suggested after a moment's consideration.
Piett's face registered his surprise at Anakin's suggestion. "You mean here? On board this ship?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," Anakin replied.
"But…that is against every regulation in the book, sir," Piett replied.
"Every imperial regulation," Anakin pointed out. "Need I remind you that this ship is no longer a part of the Empire? We don't have to govern ourselves by their rules. Besides, I have my family on board, why shouldn't you?"
Piett was quite taken aback by Anakin's response. "Well, if you're sure it wouldn't be a problem," he replied. "The girls are currently on recess from school, so perhaps they could come for a visit for a few weeks."
Anakin smiled. "That sounds like a fine idea," he said as they arrived at the bridge. "Why don't you contact them and make the arrangements?"
Piett smiled. "I will do that, sir," he replied. "Thank you sir, thank you very much!"
Anakin merely nodded, pleased that Piett was so excited at the prospect of seeing his family again. If anyone deserved to have the rules bent, it was certainly him, Anakin reasoned.
"Lord Vader, we have a message coming in from the Rebel Command ship," the communication officer announced.
Anakin walked over to the station and watched as the image of Mon Mothma materialized on the screen.
"Good morning Commander," Anakin said.
"Good morning," Mon Mothma replied. "Was your mission to Tatooine a success?"
"Yes, Solo and Chewbacca are on board now," Anakin replied.
"I'm glad to hear it," Mothma replied. "We'd like to have another meeting, Anakin," she continued. "As soon as you can get over here."
"We'll be there within the hour," Anakin replied. "Is that soon enough?"
Mon Mothma nodded. "Yes, that will do just fine. See you then."
Anakin looked up at Piett as the transmission ended. "Looks like we're about to have our answer," he said.
Piett nodded. "So it seems," he replied. "She seemed rather …friendly. Perhaps that is a good sign."
"Let's hope so," Anakin replied. "I'd like you to accompany us, Piett. Perhaps when they see the admiral of the flagship they'll take us seriously."
Piett smiled. "If you insist, sir."
Within the hour, a small party had assembled in one of the great ship's many hangar bays. Anakin and his family were present of course; as well as Admiral Piett, Lieutenant Keller, Han Solo and Chewbacca.
Strength in numbers, isn't that what they say? Anakin mused as they all boarded the shuttle. He noticed how Leia was hanging close to Solo, and it only made his mood worse. She had not spoken a word to her father since their row earlier. If she thinks I'm going to apologize for what I said, she's got another thing coming, Anakin reflected grumpily as he boarded the ship, Padmé at his side. She had noticed the almost palpable tension between her husband and their daughter, and was waiting for an opportunity to speak to one of them about it. They are so much alike, both stubborn to a fault.
"Something going on I should know about?" Padmé asked her husband as they took their seats in the shuttle's passenger lounge.
Anakin turned and looked at her. "Other than the Rebels contacting us?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm aware of that," she replied, annoyed at his attempt to put her off. "You and Leia had words, didn't you?"
Anakin did not reply immediately. "She is acting in an inappropriate manner," he said simply. "I simply pointed that out to her."
Oh boy, Padmé thought. "Would you care to elaborate?" she asked him.
"She spent the night in the infirmary," he told her. "With Solo. In her nightgown. I caught her sneaking back into the suite first thing this morning."
Padmé sighed, finding herself yet again caught in the middle between her husband and her daughter. "I take it she didn't appreciate your observations."
Anakin snorted. "Hardly," he replied. "She pretty much told me I was over reacting."
"Imagine that," Padmé muttered. Anakin turned and looked at her.
"You think I'm over reacting, too, don't you?" he asked.
"I didn't say that, Ani," she replied. "I'm just concerned that you may have…come on a little strong."
Anakin sighed loudly. "What would you suggest then?" he asked. "That I just sit back and let her do what she wants?"
"No," Padmé replied. "And stop putting words in my mouth. You just tend to be rather…single minded sometimes, Anakin. When it comes to children, particularly teenagers, you need to be a little more flexible."
"I rescued Solo," he reminded her. "I think that shows flexibility. I could have easily let him rot there, but I didn't."
"You didn't because Leia would have gone herself and you know it," Padmé retorted.
Anakin did not reply. She was right, of course; that was exactly why he had gone to Tatooine to rescue Han and Chewbacca. It certainly wasn't because I give a damn what happens to… he stopped as he saw his wife watching him closely, almost as though she could read his mind.
"I'm right," she stated, sitting back in her seat.
Anakin rolled his eyes. Aren't you always?
The shuttle arrived at the command ship a short time later. Obi-Wan and Yoda were there to meet them, as well as the usual 'honor guard' as Mon Mothma had called the soldiers who escorted them to the conference room.
Upon seeing his old friend again, Chewbacca nearly burst with excitement, and went lumbering up to the diminutive Jedi, picking him up and hugging him tightly.
"Good to see you too, old friend," Yoda said, smiling at the demonstrative wookiee. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"
"So you made it back okay," Anakin said to Obi-Wan. "We've been a little worried."
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And why is that?"
"Because you're an old man," Anakin replied with a grin.
Obi-Wan merely shook his head in response. "Always so subtle," he said with a smile. "I am fine, thank you for your concern."
"Shall we?" Padmé suggested. "I'm rather anxious to find out what they have decided."
"Yes, we all are," Leia said, looking at her father. "Let's go."
As soon as they entered the room, Anakin could sense the tension amidst the four rebel leaders seated around the conference table. They are conflicted, he realized with a sinking feeling. They cannot agree…
"Please sit down," Admiral Ackbar invited them.
"Good to see you, Solo," General Reikan said. "And you as well, Chewbacca. We were concerned when Princess Leia told us about what happened."
"Well I'm fine, thanks to Anakin here," Han replied, looking at his rescuer. "We'd both be slaves in that place for the rest of our lives if he hadn't come when he did."
Anakin turned and looked at his daughter as Han spoke; but she was too enthralled with Solo to notice. Or perhaps too stubborn to look in my direction, Anakin thought irritably.
"What decision have you come to?" Padmé asked without preamble.
Mon Mothma tensed visibly, but only for a moment. "Well, we haven't, actually," she said, turning to her comrades. "It seems the four of us are at an impasse and have been unable to come to a consensus."
Anakin frowned. "So what does that mean exactly?" he asked, looking at each of them in turn. "Are you with us or against it?"
Ackbar sighed loudly, shaking his head. "The commander and I are all for this merger of our forces," he told Anakin. "However, the good generals still have some serious doubts and have been unable to put them aside."
"I see," Anakin replied in frustration. "I ask again, what does that mean?"
"It means we needed to call in a fifth person," Reikan said. "Someone who has been involved with the Alliance as long as we have. They will have to make the final decision."
"And who will that person be?" Leia asked.
"Someone you know very well, Princess," Dodonna replied. "Your father, the viceroy."
"Bail Organa is your fifth person?" Anakin asked incredulously.
"Yes, is that a problem?" Reikan challenged. "He's been involved since the earliest days, your wife can attest to that," he said, looking at Padmé.
"Yes, that is true," she said, turning to Anakin, realizing how unhappy he was with this news. No doubt Bail Organa resented Anakin now that he had claimed Leia as his child; would that resentment make it impossible for Organa to be impartial in his decision? Surely he would realize that by rejecting Anakin he would be cutting himself off completely from any relationship with Leia; despite their recent disagreement, it was obvious that Leia adored her real father.
"And when is the Viceroy expected to arrive?" Obi-Wan asked, breaking the tension that had developed around the large table.
"We are expecting him later on today," Reikan responded. "He has already received a report on our situation, and so he has had an opportunity to read it over during his travels. Hopefully he will arrive ready to join our discussion."
"Let us hope so," Padmé said, looking at Anakin.
Anakin did not say anything, but merely stood up. "I suppose we have to wait then," he said, his frustration evident to all.
"I'm afraid so," Mon Mothma replied. "I'm sorry, I know this is very frustrating for you, but that's where things stand right now."
"We understand," Luke said, standing up with his father. "And we appreciate your support, Commander."
"Yes, we certainly do," Padmé replied.
"We will contact you once the viceroy has arrived," Ackbar spoke up. "No doubt you will want to present your case to him yourselves."
"I would appreciate the opportunity to do so, yes," Anakin replied.
"Then we shall reconvene later on today," Mon Mothma said as they all stood. "Until then."