Chapter 72

Bail Organa sat reading the report Mon Mothma had sent him as his ship hurtled through space towards the Rebel Alliance's fleet. So Anakin Skywalker wants to join the Alliance, he thought with disbelief. He's sure changed his tune, hasn't he?

If Bail were completely honest with himself, he would have to admit that he harbored serious resentment towards Skywalker. Aside from the atrocities he had committed as Darth Vader, which were certainly abundant and horrific, Skywalker had virtually high jacked Organa's relationship with his daughter, Leia. Since learning the truth about her biological parents, Leia had been distant and cool with Organa, for which he blamed Skywalker directly. She is my daughter, not his, he thought bitterly. Where was he when she woke in the night with fever when she was cutting her first tooth? When she learned to walk? When she fell and scraped her knee? I was there, not him! He was off slaughtering Jedi and other innocents, carving a path of murder and bloodshed across the galaxy.

Cognitively Organa knew that having Anakin Skywalker on the side of the Rebellion would tip the scales in their favor. He also knew that he had Anakin to thank for saving Alderaan from certain destruction by the Death Star. But Bail Organa was hurting from the disintegration of his relationship with Leia, and his mind wasn't exactly thinking rationally. Since the death of his wife years earlier, Leia had been all he'd had in the way of family. Now that her real parents were in her life, she'd virtually divorced herself from the Organa name, even going so far as to assume her birth name.

"We've made the reversion to sublight, Your Excellency," one of Organa's guards informed him.

Bail looked up to acknowledge the man, and then turned back to the report. So it's up to me, is it? He mused. Well, Vader, this will be one time when you won't get the last word, he thought smugly as he stood up and prepared to meet the rebel leaders.

Star Destroyer Executor

Padmé watched as her husband paced up and down in the small sitting room. She knew him well enough to know that Anakin was lost in his own thoughts at this point, and that there was nothing she could say to alleviate the stress that he was feeling. All she could do was stand by him and support him in whatever way she could.

"I can't believe they'd ask Organa of all people," Anakin muttered. "How can they possibly expect him to be impartial?"

"Bail is a decent man, Anakin," Padmé reminded him gently. "Just look at the fine job he did with Leia."

Anakin nodded; he certainly couldn't deny that. "I know," he replied. "But there's been a tremendous amount of animosity between he and I over the past two decades," he told her. "I highly doubt he is just going to forget all that."

"You are forgetting something, Anakin," Padmé pointed out to him.

"What is that?"

"You were Darth Vader for the past two decades," she told him. "You're not Darth Vader anymore. You have changed, and Bail won't be able to deny that change. Not to mention that you saved Alderaan from certain destruction."

"But will that be enough to convince him that he can trust me?" Anakin responded. "After everything I've done?"

Padmé stood up and walked over to him. She took his face in her hands. "I don't know," she replied softly. "But if he is the same man I knew all those years ago, then he will not simply judge you without considering all sides. He is a fair man, Ani; an honorable man. Besides, he knows what you mean to Leia. Do you really think he's going to turn his back on her by rejecting you?"

"I don't know what to think or what to expect," he replied tiredly. "All I know is the longer we delay, the greater the chance that Palpatine will discover what we are up to. He isn't a person who can be fooled for long, Padmé. I can't ignore him for much longer without him growing suspicious."

The mention of Palpatine's name sent a shiver up Padmé's spine. It had been many years since she had seen the evil Sith Lord. It was incredible to her to think that at one time he had been her friend. No, he was never my friend, she thought bitterly; he simply used me to get what he wanted, just as he used Anakin. He used and destroyed us both – but never again.

"Palpatine needs you," Padmé reminded him. "He is desperate – that gives you the advantage, Ani. Don't forget that."

Anakin nodded. "I know," he said. "But even in his desperation he will grow impatient if I do not make a move soon. That is what makes this whole situation with the Alliance so bloody frustrating," he added, recommencing his pacing. "They are so damn conservative it makes me nuts."

Padmé smiled. "Patience has never been easy for you, I know," she said.

Anakin had to smile. "No, you're right," he said. "You'd think I'd have acquired at least a little over the years."

Padmé tilted her head to one side and looked up at him. "I think you have," she said. "You are not the same man you were when we were married."

He smiled. "I wasn't much more than a boy when we were married," he reminded her.

Padmé lifted her eyebrows. "Oh, I beg to differ," she said with a smile.

Anakin laughed. "Well, I suppose in some ways at least," he replied.

"Yes, in some ways," she concurred. "You were very impatient, impulsive, and headstrong; you still are those things, but to a much lesser extent."

"You mean I grew up?" he asked with a smile.

Padmé laughed. "Yes, I suppose so. The point I'm trying to make is that you are not the same man you were all those years ago, Anakin. You have matured; you have grown and become much wiser, much stronger. Bail Organa will not be able to ignore all that when he meets you."

Anakin sighed. "I hope you're right, Angel," he said. "The fate of the galaxy depends upon it."

At that moment, the door opened and Leia walked in. When Anakin's eyes met hers, they both looked away, neither of them willing to take the first step towards reconciliation. Padmé, however, had other ideas.

"Leia, I'm glad you're here," she said as Leia started to head straight to her room. She stopped and turned to her mother, glancing at her father briefly.

"Oh?" she said. "Why is that?"

"I think you and your father need to have a chat," Padmé replied, looking back at Anakin, who was staring at her wide eyed. "Don't give me that look, Anakin," she said. "I'm tired of the squabbling and the tension between the two of you." She looked back at Leia. "Sit down," she said in a tone that left for room for debate. Leia sat down at once, somewhat surprised by her mother's take charge attitude. "You too," Padmé added, turning to Anakin next. Anakin sat down across from Leia, avoiding eye contact with her.

"Now then," Padmé said, as she sat down as well, "the way I see it, you both have reason to be upset with the other. Leia, you think your father is too interfering, too judgmental of Han, and is treating you like a child, correct?"

Leia nodded, looking at Anakin who had to bite back the words that jumped to his mouth.

"But you need to look at things from a different perspective," Padmé continued, looking at her daughter. "As for Han, he has promised to try, and he is trying. You have to admit, Leia that being seen in your nightgown by members of the crew was rather inappropriate for a young woman in your position."

Leia sighed loudly, hating to admit that her mother was right. "I suppose," she said at last, looking at her father.

But Padmé wasn't finished yet. "Your father has spent your entire life time apart from you and Luke, and has only recently found you," she went on to say. "He is naturally going to be very protective of you, and that only means that he loves you a great deal," she explained.

Anakin nodded his agreement, noticing that the hardness in Leia's expression had begun to soften. He was about to say something when Padmé continued, turning to him next.

"And you, Anakin," she said. "You think that Leia is stubborn and strong willed," she began. "That she is unwilling to listen to you because she thinks she knows better, and is being completely unreasonable when it comes to her relationship with Han Solo."

"That sums it up well," Anakin said, looking back at Leia.

"It does, but you also need to see things from a different viewpoint," Padmé told him. "Namely your daughter's. Leia is not a child, she is almost twenty years old," Padmé began. "And needs to be treated as such. You need to trust that she is capable of making good life choices, and not question everything she does. Yes, she may have shown poor judgment parading about in her nightgown, but you clearly over reacted. Leia loves you, Anakin, she idolizes you. But if you can't learn to be more flexible, you will jeopardize the wonderful relationship that has grown between the two of you, and I know neither of you wants to see that. I certainly don't," she put in. "And it breaks my heart to see the two of you at odds this way."

Anakin cast his eyes down at the floor; Padmé's words making him feel ashamed of his behavior.

"Perhaps you two would like some time alone to talk," Padmé said, standing up.

"I think so," Leia said, feeling as contrite as her father. She looked at him. "Thanks Mom," she added softly.

Anakin looked up at her and nodded. "Yes, thank you Angel," he said. "For giving us the kick in the pants we both needed."

Padmé smiled. "Any time," she said, and turned to leave the room. She was met in the doorway by Luke.

"Mom, good you're all here" he said. "We just got word from the command ship that Viceroy Organa has arrived."

Padmé nodded, looking back. "Good," she said. "Let's give them some time alone, Luke. They have some things to discuss."

"They're talking again?" he asked as he and his mother walked down the corridor.

Padmé nodded. "They are now," she said with a smile. "Luke, I need to get over to the command ship. Think you can handle one of those shuttles?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, sure Mom." He looked at his mother, knowing her well enough to recognize the expression in her eyes. "What do you have in mind?"

"I intend to have a chat with the Viceroy," she said, trying not to let her deep rooted resentments rise to the surface. "He and I have a lot to discuss."

"I'm sure," Luke concurred. "When do you want to go?"

"Right now," Padmé said. "Before your sister and father know what I'm doing."

Luke smiled. "Mom, you never cease to amaze me."

Padmé smiled and linked her arm through her son's. "Come on," she said. "Let's go."

A short time later Luke and Padmé were on their way to the command ship. Padmé was quiet on the trip over as she planned what she was going to say to Bail Organa. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she felt needed to be said. She was counting on Bail being the same reasonable, honor bound man he had been when she had known him twenty years earlier.

Once on board, Padmé and Luke were shown to the room where Bail Organa was finishing the report Mon Mothma had furnished him with.

"Luke, I need to speak to him alone," Padmé told her son before they entered the room. "I hope you understand."

"Of course I do," Luke replied, sensing that his mother had serious issues she needed to discuss with Leia's adoptive father. "I'll catch up with you later. Good luck," he added, giving his mother a hug.

"Thanks Luke," she replied. "I hope I won't need it."

Luke left his mother as Padmé turned to the door. She took a deep breath as she activated the door chime.

The door slid opened and Bail Organa stood before her. He had aged quite a bit since she had seen him last; the stress of twenty years fighting the Empire had been hard on him. But in his eyes she could still see the same man she had known so many years ago.

"Padmé!" he exclaimed upon seeing her. "I can't believe my eyes!"

Padmé simply smiled. "Surprised to see me, Bail?" she asked.

"Well Leia told me that you were alive," he said, showing her into the room. "But still…it's good to see you, Padmé. It's been a long time."

"Yes, a life time in fact," she replied. "My children's life time."

Bail could see the look in her eyes. She's angry, he realized, not terribly surprised. I suppose I should have expected this.

"Sit down, Padmé," he said at last. "Obviously you have a great deal on your mind."

"Yes I do," Padmé replied, sitting down. "I understand that you have been given a singularly important job to do," she said to his surprise. "And that you have a very important decision to make."

Bail nodded, trying to determine where she was headed with her line of questioning. "I do," he replied. "And I'm honored to have been chosen to do it."

"As you should be," Padmé replied. "It's not everyone who holds the future of the galaxy in the palm of their hand. I only hope that you make the right decision."

Bail narrowed his eyes, beginning to feel as though he was under attack. "You obviously have something to say, Padmé," he said. "I've never known you to mince words; why not just come out and say it."

"Very well, I will," she said. "I realize that you and Darth Vader have had …issues, but.."

"Issues?" Bail repeated incredulously. "Is that what you'd call it? Padmé, you have no idea what your dear husband has been up to for the past twenty years."

"Don't I?" she challenged. "I may have lost my memory, but I have regained it, thanks to Anakin. You see Bail, once he learned that I was alive, he moved galaxies to find me and to bring me back; despite the fact that I would remember everything he had done, he risked my rejection of him in order to restore my life to me."

"Padmé, we all thought you were dead," Bail replied defensively. "Not just him. When you gave birth to the twins, you…"

"I did not die, Bail," she interjected. "I was very ill, but I survived! Perhaps if you had made the effort to inquire after me, you may have found that out. But you didn't bother, did you? I suppose it was just easier to take my child and believe that I was dead, wasn't it? Knowing that I was alive would have complicated things, particularly where Vader was concerned."

"What exactly are you implying?" he demanded.

"I think you know," she retorted. "Darth Vader existed in Darkness for two decades believing that I was dead, that his child was dead. If he had known that we were alive, don't you think that it would have made a difference in him?"

"No, I don't," Bail replied at once. "You seem to forget, Padmé, that it was Vader who tried to kill you and your unborn children."

"Of course I haven't forgotten!" she cried angrily. "What he did on Mustafar was terrible, unspeakable….but he has lived with the guilt and pain of that for the rest of his life. Darth Vader existed in darkness because of that pain, that emptiness; it wasn't until he found his child, his daughter that he finally began to conquer that Darkness. The very fact that he risked everything to save her proves my point. Had he known his family was alive, he would not have spent twenty years in darkness, and the galaxy would have been spared two decades of his crimes."

"I cannot deny what you are saying," Bail replied, "but does that mean he can be forgiven for those crimes?"

"He does not expect to be forgiven for those crimes," she retorted. "All he wants is a chance to atone for them. He has already begun to do so, and if you weren't so narrow minded you would see that."

"Narrow minded?" he repeated. "Because I cannot forget the way Vader persecuted the people of the galaxy? Because I cannot forgive the way he exploited the citizens of Alderaan and every other planet in the…"

"The citizens of Alderaan would be dead right now, you included, if it weren't for him," Padmé retorted hotly. "And you know it! Alderaan would have been blown into space dust if Vader hadn't sabotaged the Death Star, or have you conveniently forgotten that rather pertinent fact?"

Organa was silent, the masterful construction of Padmé's argument leaving him speechless. Nothing she had said could be denied; nothing she had said had been anything but the truth.

"No, I have not forgotten," he said at last. "I cannot deny that he has changed, Padmé, nor will I."

"If you know that he is redeemed, if you can see the change in him, why can't you put the past aside and accept him?" she pressed. "You have always been fair minded, Bail. So what is the real reason that you mistrust him still?" She stopped as a thought struck her. "It's Leia, isn't it?" she asked. "You resent him because of the relationship he and Leia have now."

Organa looked away at this point, not able to face her. "I raised Leia," he said quietly. "As though she was my very own flesh and blood, Padmé. I love her as though she were my very old child. Since she has found him, she has slowly been pushing me away. Can you blame me for being resentful?"

"You dare to say that to me?" she asked, her voice full of anger. "My children were taken from me moments after they were born, and I was left to stagnate in a mental institution for twenty years until Anakin finally found me. Neither you nor anyone else bothered to determine if I was dead or alive all those years! If anyone has a right to be resentful, it is me! I was robbed of the privilege of raising my own children because the almighty Jedi decided to split them up and take them away from me!! Don't you dare tell me that you are resentful!!"

Bail was shocked by the vehemence of Padmé's response, and for the first time he considered her point of view. She had endured so much pain, suffered so much loss because of Anakin Skywalker's fall from grace; and yet it was clear that she had not only forgiven him, but that she still loved him deeply. That level of compassion staggered Organa; it humbled him, and forced him to examine his own conscience.

"I'm sorry," he said at last, at a loss for better words. "I don't know what else to say, Padmé…I can't even imagine what you have been through all these years, how much you have lost, how much you have suffered."

"Not just me, Bail," she told him. "Anakin has suffered just as much, perhaps more. He spent twenty years believing he had killed his family, living in that suit in constant pain. Do you even know why he turned to the Dark Side? Did Yoda even bother to tell you?"

"No," Organa admitted.

"He did it to save me," she told him. "Palpatine manipulated him, used him and lied to him. He turned to the Dark Side because he believed it was the only way he could save me from what he thought was certain death in childbirth."

"I …I didn't know that," Organa replied quietly. "I had no idea..."

"No, of course you didn't," Padmé replied. "The Jedi didn't think that was important enough to tell you. Perhaps now that you have the whole picture you will be able to make a decision that isn't based on half truths and prejudices. You're a good person, Bail. I hope you do the right thing."

Padmé stood up and left, leaving Organa standing there looking after her, shaken and astonished by what had just transpired.

In the corridor outside, Padmé stood for a moment, trembling with emotion. She had tried very hard to maintain a professional, unemotional manner; but it had been impossible. Where her family was concerned, Padmé was anything but unemotional. Organa had managed to reopen wounds that had only now begun to heal. Yet, perhaps that was what was required for him to see what was at stake. Emotions were part of being a sentient being, and sentient beings were very much a part of the equation. To ignore that would be irresponsible and short sighted.

"Mom? You okay?"

Padmé looked up to see Luke standing before her. He had sensed her anger, and it had him concerned.

Padmé nodded. "Yes, I'm okay," she said. "I did what I came to do. Now let's go home."