A/N: You all will be glad to know that you don't have to expect another cliffhanger at the end of this chapter. I'm sorry to say that this story is drawing near to completion. Ah yes, the end… she comes so soon.

Chapter Eighteen: Nevermore, Evermore

Luke gasped when he heard Vader call the Shadow Queen "Padme." Could she be…?

"I go by Shadow Queen now," she said in dark tones, glaring openly at Vader.

Vader surveyed what had once been his angel. If she was still an angel, she was an angel of darkness. Her clothes were all black, her eyes were dark. She didn't look like she had gotten a day older, but the general presence was so cold. As if she wasn't alive.

"I thought you were dead," Vader said almost in an apologizing voice.

The Queen never paused. "I was. But Plagueis brought me back to life."

Plagueis? Vader thought. Where have I heard that name before?

Suddenly, a memory resurfaced…

"Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise?" Palpatine asked.

"No," Anakin said, wondering where Palpatine was taking this.

"I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life ... He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying."

Anakin looked up. "He could actually… save people from death?"

"But Palpatine said that he was dead," Vader said, coming back to the moment. "His apprentice killed him!"

The queen smiled slyly. "Apparently he was wrong." Still holding the knife at Luke's throat, she continued on to tell her story. "I was dead for six days after my funeral. Then suddenly I felt life come into my soul once again. He brought me back. Once I was awakened from death, he told me that the galaxy had become evil. I found this to be true, so I found a way to redeem them. As I will redeem you too."

She finished with her story and waited for a response.

"Is Darth Plagueis still alive?" Vader asked, growing fearful.

"Of course not," the queen said. "I found him to be very evil as well. So in his sleep, we took him to the lava river and redeemed him."

"You mean you killed him," Han corrected her.

"I know what I mean. He was redeemed… and now it is your turn."

Vader shook his head. "No, Padme…"

"I am not Padme!" she denied.

"Yes, you are," Vader said, trying his hardest to convince her. He looked around for something… anything to prove to her that what he was saying was true.

While this was going on, Luke reached into his pocket to bring out the mini-lightsaber in the hopes of getting himself free from this woman… whether she was his mother or not, he did not wish to be "redeemed" again.

But she caught his movement and held up his hand and suddenly froze when she saw what he held. A memory came back to her…

"Ani, stop playing with those tools and come to bed."

Anakin sighed. "Padme, can't you just go to bed without me? I'll be there in a second."

Padme rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated laugh... "Anakin! What are you trying to build, anyway?"

Anakin, held up a small, silver device. It looked like a miniature handle for something.

"It's a miniature lightsaber." He said this with pride as he held up the lightsaber he'd created. "It functions just like any regular lightsaber, only it can fit in my pocket…"

"Where did you get that?" she asked. For the first time, her voice sounded softer.

"In a hidden room back at the mansion," Luke answered. She continued to look at it, as if she was remembering something.

When Vader saw this little bit of Padme, he latched onto it and said, "Padme please… I'm sorry for what I did. I thought it was the right thing. Come back to the light… please… I… I love you."

Leia's eyebrows went up. She shared a surprised glance with Boba. Bella nudged Han, and Han whistled. "Wow, your Lordship, that's deep."

Normally, Vader would have gotten angry at Han for being sarcastic at a moment like this… but it was because of the moment that he couldn't say anything. The queen let go of Luke who rushed toward the others as fast as he could.

Something that Vader said touched the last little spark of Padme that was left in her. Was it that he'd said that he loved her?

… Or was it because Vader hadn't said it… Anakin had.

The queen began trying really hard to breath. He face slowly began going back to its normal color. Her hair, which was black and straight, began to lighten up and go back to its original brown color. The straightness disappeared into wavy curls. Finally, her legs weakened and she collapsed.

Anakin rushed to her side… Padme was crying.

For a split second, Luke paused. But then he rushed to his mother's side. For the first time, she really looked at him.

"Luke?"

His mother recognized him. Luke was crying too. But it was tears of joy. Padme then looked to her husband.

"Ani?"

"I'm here, Padme," Anakin said. "And I'm not leaving.

This would have been a very nice moment if a loud rumbling hadn't been heard, followed by the room shaking. Anakin, Luke and Padme stood up and rushed to the others.

"What's happening!?" Leia exclaimed.

"The volcano is erupting!" Boba declared.

"Who would build a home in the center of a volcano, I ask you!" Han said, still having time to be sarcastic.

"Come on! We have to get out of here!" Padme said.

They ran to the entrance, but suddenly, the arch collapsed, blocking the way completely. The same thing happened to the other three arches. Anakin reached for his lightsaber, and suddenly realized that it wasn't at his side.

"Nobody move!" Anakin commanded. "I've lost my lightsaber."

"Forget that!" Luke said. "We're stuck!"

"I blame Han," Bella said.

"Oh don't even go there!" Han yelled.

This went on for a few seconds until Luke yelled, "STOP! We are stuck in a palace built in the middle of an erupting volcano and all you two can do is ARGUE!?"

Suddenly a blue lightsaber came through the rock blocking their path. Luke yelped in surprise at the unexpected blade that had missed his face by inches.

The rocks were finally cut through and in came Obi-Wan and Chewbacca!

"Did someone call for a rescue?" Obi-Wan asked grinning.

"About time!" Han exclaimed.

Everyone was thrilled to see Obi-Wan and Chewie there. It couldn't have been better timing. They didn't have time to ask how they got there. The volcano was now erupting in earnest.

They all ran out before they got caved in again. "Follow me!" Obi-Wan said, leading the way. "I know the nearest exit."

Obi-Wan led them through a door that looked as if it was just for a closet, and it surprised everyone when it led to another long corridor. At the very end of that they turned right, then left again and soon came to the back exit door.

They got outside, but they weren't out of danger yet. The lava came spurting out of the top of the mountain, and came falling down near their heads. Obi-Wan continued leading the way toward the woods.

They ran for a couple miles until they came to the front of the mansion. Luke, Han, and Leia collapsed on the front stairs in exhaustion and Anakin turned to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan spoke first. "Well isn't that interesting? I saved your life that time."

"Yeah, usually it's the other way around, isn't it?" Anakin said. It was the first time he'd used that kind of light humor in years. For a moment, he got serious. "Obi-Wan, I'm sorry about what I did…"

"No apology necessary," Obi-Wan said. He put his hand on his friend's back and smiled. A commotion on the stairs bought their attention.

"Leia!" Padme was saying. "I'm so glad you are safe too!"

"What?" Leia asked, completely baffled.

Padme scrunched her eyebrows together. "You're Luke's twin… didn't you know?"

Anakin turned around to look at Obi-Wan who was backing away slowly. "My daughter!?" Anakin exclaimed.

Padme turned around. "Obi-Wan! You mean you never told them?"

Obi-Wan looked at the eight people who were staring at him: Anakin, Padme, Boba, Bella, Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewie…

"Why is everyone looking at me?"

Author Note: Please review!!!