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ANAKIN'S REDEMPTION

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Chapter Four Explanations

"So Luke," began Anakin, setting the shuttle on autopilot. "Tell me about yourself. I don't really know anything about you. I heard that you were raised on Tatooine, is that right?"
"Yes Father," answered Luke, watching the familiar hyperspace lines streak across the sky.

"Strange. I also was raised on Tatooine."

"You were?" said Luke, turning to him with a frown. He considered this for a moment. "But why was I sent there, if it was your homeworld? Surely you might have found me?"

Anakin shrugged and checked the control panel. "I wasn't looking for you. I didn't even know you existed until the Battle of Yavin. I guess you were fairly safe from me...I had no reason tosearch for a son I didn't know I had.Though I do wonder why they let you keep the name Skywalker. It would have gotten my attention, had I ever run into you. It certainly got my attention when I found out it was a Skywalker who destroyed the Death Star."

"Hmm, yes you're right," frowned Luke. "But I guess Tatooine is so far from anything they thought you would never go there.""Yes, well I never did, so they were right. Like I said, I wasn't looking for you. If I had gone there, it's still unlikely I would have stumbled onto you. Where did you live, who raised you? Obi-Wan?"

"Oh no." Luke shook his head. "I was raised by my Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru."
"Who?"
"Uncle…Uncle Owen. I thought he was your brother?" Luke was confused.
"I have no brother," said Anakin. "Owen…Owen…the name is familiar. Where did you live?"
"On a moisture farm just outside of Mos Eisley," said Luke.

"Moisture farm…oh!" Anakin suddenly connected. "Was his name…Lars or something like that?"
"Yes," said Luke. "Owen Lars. You do know him?"
"He was – he was my stepbrother!" Anakin realized .
"So you did have a brother, at least sort of," said Luke. "You don't remember your own stepbrother?"
"I only met him once, and not for very long. I visited that farm many years ago, looking for my mother. She had married Owen's father."

"But Obi-Wan told me you were brothers, and that Owen didn't want you to fight in the Clone Wars!" Luke remembered.

Anakin shook his head. "No…I have no idea what Obi-Wan was talking about! I barely even spoke to the guy. I was there a few minutes, then I went out to find my mother who had been kidnapped by Tuskens. She died, and we had a funeral. Then I left to save Obi-Wan over on Geonosis. I really didn't know Owen at all, and never saw him again after that."

"How strange," said Luke, bemused. "I guess Obi-Wan was just making up stories so I wouldn't find out who you were."
"Must have. Either that or the old man had gone senile. So how is Owen, anyway? Still running the farm? I remember he had that girlfriend, she was really nice," said Anakin.
Luke looked down. "They're dead. They were killed when the Emp…when you were looking for the droids."

"The droids?"

"The droids with the Death Star plans, the ones Leia cast away," Luke reminded him.
"Oh," said Anakin as it sunk in. "Another pain I have caused you, son. I'm so terribly sorry. I had no idea."
"Well I guess it wasn't you, it was the Stormtroopers. And you didn't know they were my family."
"No…even so, it was I who sent them there. I am sorry Luke."

Luke began to speak, then was silent for a few minutes. Anakin waited patiently.

"I...look, I know you've donea lot of terrible things in your life. Butit was Darth Vader who did all of it . I know that. I can't hold a grudge against you for everything he did. I'm not Leia."

"Thankyou Luke. That means a lot."

Father and son sat silently in the shuttle cockpit for several moments.

"There's one thing I don't understand…how in the galaxy did Owen get those droids?"

"We bought them from Jawas," Luke explained. "It was quite a strange coincidence really. We bought Threepio and an astromech droid. But the astrodroid broke down, and we ended up with Artoo instead. While I was cleaning him, I accidentally found a message from Leia calling for Obi-Wan. We found Obi-Wan, and while I was with him your troopers were murdering my family. I still don't know how a droid with a message from my sister somehow ended up in my hands on a farm in the middle of nowhere."

"That's what Qui-Gon would have called the 'will of the force' reflected Anakin.

"Qui-Gon?"

"The Jedi who discovered me. A very wise man. He would have said that it was no coincidence. When Leia sent off those droids she set a chain in motion that led you to her, and both of you to me. If you had not found Obi-Wan, you would have been killed by my troopers."

"And Leia in the Death Star," added Luke.
"Yes…perhaps. I was delaying that as long as possible."
"You were?" asked Luke with an incredulous smile. "So you knew about her?"
"I didn't know who she was. But I admired her spunk, telling Tarkin where to go like she did. She reminded me so much of Padme. Now I know why of course. I stalled them as long as I could and kept telling them she was of use to us. I sensed her Jedi skills when I was interrogating her. I was considering her for my new apprentice, which is why I allowed you leave the Death Star that day."
"But you were going to blow up Yavin 4 with the Death Star!"
"That was Tarkin. He was at a higher level than me, I couldn't stop him. Though I did think Leia would be smart enough to get off the planet before it blew. If she wasn't – then well, I didn't want her for an apprentice anyway. But then you showed up, and after I found out who you were I got busy looking for you."

"Aha," nodded Luke. "So that's how it all happened."

"Were the droids that were with Han and Leia the same ones that had the Death Star plans?" asked Anakin.
"Yes," said Luke. "We kept them around. They've both proven themselves very useful. I'm especially attached to Artoo. We've been through a lot together, me and that little droid. Sometimes he feels like an old friend."

Anakin chuckled. "I know what you mean. I had an R2 unit back when I was a Jedi. He was exactly the same model as yours, same colour and everything. He felt like a friend too. He had such a personality, really cheeky and defiant. Always managed to save the day. Obi-Wan thought I was nuts for treating him like a person."

"Sounds just like my Artoo! Funny, I've never met a droid with the same personality as Artoo Deetoo. Must have been a strange batch – " Luke began.
Anakin was looking at him. "Did you say R2-D2? That was the number of my astrodroid!"
They looked at each other, eyes wide. "No, it couldn't possibly be the same!" They both laughed.

---

"Not too thrilled about dear old dad turning up, huh Leia?" asked Han in his usual straight-talking style.
Leia responded with one of her famous "Don't mess with me" expressions that could make a Reek run and hide.
"Hey, I was just asking, just asking," said Han in mock innocence, his hands up.
"I don't understand Luke," she muttered. "I just don't understand him."
"Maybe he sees something you don't," shrugged Han.

"What is WITH everyone?" said Leia, her voice rising. "You of all people Han. Or have you blocked out your little encounter with him on Bespin? The torture rack? The carbonite?"
"I haven't forgotten. But something happened up there on the Death Star. Something made him different. He just doesn't seem like the same guy who did all that stuff. I mean, he did kill the Emperor. Why would he do that if he was still a bad guy? And Luke seems fairly sure that Vader has turned around…"

"Luke is not thinking straight!" Leia's voice was getting shrill. "He found out Vader is his father and got all sentimental and mushy about it! He wants to believe so badly that he'll trust anything that man says!"
"I guess the kid did grow up without a father, I can understand –" began Han.
"That's no reason to latch onto a murderer! " barked Leia. "Just because he has daddy issues doesn't mean the rest of us should be subjected to that man. It's sick Han! Sick!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," said Han, putting a comforting arm around her. Angry tears burned from Leia's eyes. "I can't forgive him," she exhaled into Han's neck.
"I know sweetheart," said Han. "I know."

---

"Do you feel that?" asked Anakin, his hand on his heart.
"Yes…yes," said Luke. "It's Leia…she's in terrible pain."

"There, look," said Anakin as their shuttle left hyperspace and appeared in Coruscant's atmosphere. The Falcon had arrived just in front of them and was visible from the shuttle window.
"What's happening to her?" asked Luke, filled with concern. "Does she need help?"
Anakin closed his eyes, then sighed heavily. "No," he said.
"But she's in pain, I can feel it!" said Luke anxiously.
"It's me." Anakin looked down. "I am causing her this pain. She can't let go of her hatred for me."
"Oh that," sighed Luke, relaxing again. "I don't know what to do with her."

Anakin stared at the Falcon silently for a moment, "Son, I think it's best that I stay away from her for a while. I'm worried that this anger won't be good for her. I've seen what it can do, I've become it."

Luke hesitated. "Okay…you may be right. I guess we're expecting an awful lot of her. It's only been a few days and we're asking her to forgive and accept you. She's been through so much, what with Alderaan and all. Maybe she needs some more time."
"Maybe…" mused Anakin, staring out the window. "Anyway," he said, snapping his attention back to Luke. "I would very much like to find one of those med centers Han was talking about. My current appearance has suited Darth Vader all these years, but I don't think it fits Anakin. I want to leave all traces of Vader behind me."

"Okay," agreed Luke. "Darn, I wish we had one of the droids to help me search for local med centers. But as usual, the Falcon needed repairs…"
"Like I said, why doesn't he get a new ship?" said Anakin, bemused.
Luke laughed. "Don't let Han hear you say that!" He turned his attention to the information screen of the shuttle.

"Well Father, I'm looking through the local directories and here's a med center that seems reputable. It says they specialize in burns, in any case," said Luke, looking at the screen.

"Okay, let's try it," said Anakin, bringing in the shuttle to dock.

---

The enemy ship locked onto their entrance into Coruscant. He punched in the entry code and prepared to land.