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ANAKIN'S REDEMPTION
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A few messages once again:
Anarexia Streetwalker: You're being much too generous, YOU originated the post ROTJ Anakin healed story genre, you wrote yours exactly as ROTS came out, and mine came months after yours. Yeah, it sucks that the thief gets 400 comments for our story and now the originals are a bit :sings Madonna: "seen it all before, seen it all before." My advice is to do what I'm doing, which is changing and rewriting every time I add a chapter. At least she didn't steal my ending like she did to you, so that part can stay the same.
VF Snake to answer your questions: Anakin doesn't need a manual LOL! He knows what to do! And it's not weird for him to be in the temple because didn't Palpatine take over the temple and make it his? I thought he did...it's in one of the EU novels isn't it? So my thinking is that Vader's been there tons of times. I'm sure Palp's main office was the Jedi Temple...now I have to go check...anyway...if I'm wrong...that's what happened in this story LOL! And thankyou kindly for your nice reviews.
Triss: You are SUCH a good writer, thanks so much for reading mine!
Padmeonpaper: Here comes the part you've been waiting for!
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Chapter Six - Facing Reality
Artoo rolled in and twittered excitedly at Anakin.
"Sir, it appears Artoo knows you. Though I have no idea what he's talking about," said Threepio. "I've never seen you before in my life."
Anakin frowned. "Luke told me your name is R2-D2. Are you the same R2-D2 who served in the Clone Wars?" Artoo beeped an affirmative. "Artoo!" cried Anakin. "It is you! You remember me?"
Artoo tooted a reply. "It seems sir, that you were his former Master. Former Master?" Threepio looked at Artoo quizzically. "Artoo, our previous Master was Captain Antilles and you know it. Why are you forever making up former Masters? Master Kenobi had no idea who you were…"
Artoo beeped. "He was not my Master," insisted Threepio prissily. "I think I'd remember something like that."
Anakin was wide eyed. "Threepio? Wait…you are See-Threepio?"
"Why, yes sir, I am See-Threepio, human cyborg relations. Forgive me sir, but have we met before?"
"Yeah," said Anakin, disbelieving. "We've met alright."
"I'm afraid I don't remember you at all sir."
Artoo beeped something at him. "Had my memory wiped? The very thought!" Threepio was appalled.
"Oh my god…" said Anakin.
"You know them?" asked Han.
"Yeah…" said Anakin. "Artoo was my personal droid during the Clone Wars. And Threepio – I built him!"
"You BUILT him?" Han and Luke said in unison.
"Yes!" cried Anakin. "I was a boy…I built him to help my mother. After I left my mother's family repaired him, and when I returned I took him with me…then he worked for Luke and Leia's mother...I can't believe this is the same droid!"
"Well sir, in that case, if you are my maker then I am truly glad to see you again. Even though I'm afraid I don't have any recollection of you," said Threepio, looking very confused for a droid.
"Oh god," said Han with a sudden realisation. "You mean all those times he said 'thank the maker' he was actually talking about Darth Vader?"
"Yeah!" laughed Anakin. "This is amazing! Do you see Luke, this is what I'm talking about, the will of the force. My droids found their way to your sister, then to you, and now back to me."
"I don't believe it!" said Luke, shaking his head.
---
"How is your search going?'
"I have tracked them to Coruscant. They are staying in the former Jedi Temple."
"Good. My father's death must be avenged. Do what you must."
"Yes. There will be no escape this time."
---
Things were not going so well.
Several months had passed since the destruction of the Death Star. Anakin was slowly trying to settle into some semblance of a normal life, whatever that was.
Anakin wandered aimlessly around his new apartment. It reminded him too much of the one he'd shared…with her.
How could he go back to a normal life, when the only time life had been normal was with her?
He was haunted by Padme. For the last two decades he'd not had to think of her, or his guilt over killing her. He'd been busy, trying to delude himself into thinking he had a better life as Darth Vader. Taking over planets, destroying anyone and anything that got in his way – that was better than being a lowly Jedi, wasn't it? His love for Padme was nothing compared to the Dark Side.Or so he'd convinced himself. Anakin still found it hard to accept he'd spent all those years as Palaptine's whipping boy. Most times he couldn't face it, and had to distract himself with something else. He knew the time would come when he had to deal with the past, but it was still too raw for now.
As suddenly as it had begun, his life as Vader was over. There was some relief in that; and some fear. He no longer had his mask to hide behind, either physically or metaphorically. There was no Empire to back him up this time. He couldn't hide behind the false identity of Darth Vader anymore. It was just Anakin Skywalker, who had been there all along. There were no more excuses.
He had killed Padme. As Vader, he could tell himself it was her fault. She had not gone along with his plan. She was a traitor.She had brought Obi-Wan to kill him. What choice did he have? She deserved it. Yes, that was what Vader believed. But Anakin knew better. Anakin knew he had lost his temper and choked her, simply because he was not getting his own way. It was as simple as that. How could he live with that?
In some way it felt like the last 25 years had been a dream. Vader never existed and Anakin had woken up, his mind still there in Mustafar where the dream...or nightmare...had begun. He was not the middle aged father he was pretending to be. Anakin was still the 25 year oldyoung man who felt lost and alone.He tried to just move on and begin a new life. But now, back in the physical form of Anakin Skywalker, it was impossible to ignore the old life. Everything brought back memories to him.
Leia was another constant, painful reminder of Padme. Not only was she physically similar to her mother, she had the same fire in her eyes, the same drive to make things right in the universe. It hurt Anakin to look at her. And even more so because Leia still carried a blinding rage toward him.If anything, she had become more enraged as time went on. It seemed unlikely she would ever get over her hatred, let alone want a relationship with him.
As Anakin stepped out onto his new terrace and looked out into the busy Coruscant sky, a memory flashed inside his mind, unbidden.
Padme stood on the terrace, watching the sun set over Coruscant.
Anakin leaned against the doorframe and watched her as she stood, noting how the golden light hit the highlights in her hair.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he finally spoke up.
Padme jumped and turned around. She smiled when she realized it was him.
"You startled me."
Anakin joined her on the terrace. His eyes ran over her swollen belly. Already he felt so much love for this little one, whose face he'd never even seen. "How are you feeling?" he asked his wife with concern.
"He keeps kicking."
"He!" Anakin grinned."Why do you think it's a boy?"
Padme simply laughed. "My motherly intuition."
She took his hand and placed it on her belly.
"Whoa! With a kick that strong, it's got to be a girl."
Padme laughed. "It's a boy. I'm sure of it."
"Who's the Jedi here?" Anakin said, taking her hands. "It's a girl, I can sense it."
"Boy."
"Girl!"
"Well we'll just have to wait and see."
"Yes, and you will see I'm right."
"Mister Knowitall!" Padme playfully swatted him across the chest. "Okay then, smarty. What will we call "her" then?"
"Padme Junior?"
"Anakin!" Padme giggled. "Be serious. I was thinking it might be nice to name her after your mother. What do you think of the name Shmi?"
Anakin was a little shaken at the sudden mention of his mother. It was still a sore point for him, even though several years had passed. "I...that's a wonderful idea Padme. Really wonderful. But I don't want to use the name Shmi.It was not her real name."
"It wasn't?"
"No, that was her slave name. Slaves were often given new names by their Masters. Shmi is Huttese for 'owned one', or 'possession'. It was a common name for slaves at that time."
"Oh. I didn't know that. Well...what was her real name then?
"Leia."
Anakin didn't realize he had tears running down his face. He blinked himself back to reality. It had been so long since he'd had a memory like this. Darth Vader never thought about his former life. Anakin didn't want to remember that moment. It was the last thing in the universe he wanted to remember! What had once been one of the happiest moments of his life...now the most painful. They had so looked forward to Leia's birth. Now Padme was gone and Leia despised him.
He wanted Leia's love. In a way it would be like having a piece of Padme back again. His mother too. But it was something he could never have. It would be a miracle if she would just stop hating him, let alone love him.
There was one positive part of that memory. Padme had been right, there was a boy...
Luke was the one bright spot in Anakin's lonely new life. He was such a fine man. Even becoming a famous hero had not affected him. Anakin recalled back to his younger days, when he was known all over the galaxy as "The hero with no fear." Oh what a swollen head Anakin had when he heard that! He chuckled to himself. He'd been such a headstrong, overconfident…cocky - yes that was the word - young man. Luke was different. He had no trace of ego about him, just quiet humility - more like Obi-Wan…
Or his mother.
He saw her face sometimes. Walking through the busy streets of Coruscant, he would see someone who looked like her. Anakin would chase her for a moment, about to call her name when it would dawn on him.
She was gone.
And he had killed her.
---
Luke was torn.
All his life, he'd never had a real family. Now he had a sister and a father.
Whatever that meant.
His sister had become some kind of obsessive whirlwind, never stopping, never sitting, always on the holonet to some politician or dignitary, constantly in one meeting or another. She seemed to think the entire fate of the galaxy rested on her shoulders, and that if she stopped for one moment it would all fall apart. Luke wondered when she found time to eat or sleep, let alone spend time with her loved ones.
Luke had known Leia for years, but the knowledge that she was his sister was still fairly new to him. He so wanted to get to know her as family, but she never had time. Or maybe, she didn't want to face where she came from. Maybe she was running from it.
Luke worried about her, not only because she was so driven, but because of her relentless hatred of their father. Luke could not speak his name in her presence. She would have nothing to do with him. Another thing that made it impossible for Luke to get close to her. As long as Luke kept seeing his father, Leia did not want much to do with Luke.
Their last encounter had not gone so well.
"Please Leia. Give him a chance..."
"NO!" The vehemence in her voice startled Luke. She had always been fiesty and hot tempered, but this...
"He's changed, Leia."
"Someone like him can never change."
"At least speak to him. Just for a few minutes. Give him a chance to explain his side..."
"His side? HIS SIDE? What about MY side Luke? You weren't THERE in that room on the Death Star. You didn't see what he did to me with that interrogation droid..." Leia's eyes appeared haunted for a moment.
"I know what he did Leia..."
"Then how can you just buddy up with him and pretend nothing happened? After what he did to me? What kind of brother are you? You should be on MY side, not his!"
Luke tried to remain calm. "I'm not taking anyone's side."
"Yes you ARE Luke. You bring that bastard into my life and parade him around in front of me, then you have the NERVE to ask me to accept him and play happy families with him. And I'm just supposed to forget what happened there on the Death Star."
"Nobody's asking you to forget Leia. Just to TRY to forgive..."
"I'M NOT FORGIVING HIM!"
Luke blinked and looked at her. Her face was red and her eyes wild.
"Then you're only hurting yourself," he told her.
It probably wasn't the smartest thing to say, given her mood.
"Get out, Luke," she said icily.
"Leia, I -"
"Just get out. GET OUT!" Leia picked up a comlink and hurled it at him.
"Hey!" Luke ducked and looked at her in horror. He had to use the Force to deflect the datapad that was now flying at his head.
"GET OUT LUKE!"
No, it hadn't gone well at all. Luke wasn't even sure they were still on speaking terms.
Like Leia wasn't giving him enough headaches, then there was Anakin.
Anakin seemed to be struggling with his new life. Once the excitement of his new body had worn off, it seemed Anakin was faced with the shock of trying to live as a normal man. Or maybe he was finally faced with himself, Luke wasn't sure.
He seemed...depressed. When Luke went to visit him, he just seemed lost. It was difficult to even believe this quiet, gentle man had ever been Darth Vader. If only Leia could see him like this, she would change her mind.
There were times when Luke thought his father wanted to say something, but couldn't. Something was going on, something more than what Anakin was willing to reveal. Was it because of Leia? Or their mother? Or something else?
Luke was worried about him. What if Anakin couldn't handle this and returned to his old life?
Luke was determined to bring his family back together. He'd do it, somehow.
If there was one thing Luke Skywalker was good at, it was achieving the impossible.