Part 4: Parallels

The Force was screaming.

Shutting his eyes against it didn't help. The cries of thousands of lost souls echoed through his mind like voices in a cave. They bawled in fear, pleaded dreadfully, and screamed as their lives were thrust out of their bodies. It was a deluge of destruction, and pain, and death.

Jedi Master Yoda opened his eyes from his meditation stand. There was no solace to be found in the silence and solitude he had sought here, only remorse. A good while would pass before he would touch the Force and not feel its chaos in his head. The old Jedi looked out through the observation dome's glass panes. The tranquil night of Polis Massa was like a galaxy apart from the one he knew, a small space of peace surrounded by the dark veil of evil. He watched a couple of droids working in the gray rocks, and a few lonely ships flying overhead.

The more he looked at the slow moving action outside, the less he paid mind to it. His mind was overcome with his failure. Nothing could keep him from reliving it in his memory every moment. How had it happened? Since when had it all led to these resent occurrences? How had they become as blind as to not see what transpired right in front of their eyes, until it hit them in the face?

The Republic died this day, and he wasn't able to save it. The Jedi Order was destroyed, and he couldn't stop it. The Sith had won at last, it seemed. The dark Empire of the Sith had return in his lifetime, and he failed to stop it.

What fate awaited the galaxy now was unknown to the Jedi Master, but he refused to believe all hope was lost. A time would come when one would rise and fight for the Light side of the Force and ensure a future. One would bring down the Emperor and bring back peace and freedom to the galaxy. He could only hope for a new hope. But until that hope arouse, they would have to wait and watch.

He sensed Obi-wan approaching. The younger Jedi Master had failed as well. He couldn't bring himself to kill his former Padawan, the one he called brother. Yoda wondered what consequence this would bring on in the future. He searched into the Force, past the sorrow and chaos, and sensed the wounded Darth Vader. The Sith Lord was extremely weak. Perhaps there was still a chance. Perhaps he wouldn't survive. And even if he did survive, he would only have a fraction of his previous strength. The details of his true condition were unknown to him, but by what he could sense, Vader would sufferer permanent damage to his body.

Next he sensed Senator Bail Organa coming up. The Alderaani senator climbed up the stair to the observation dome with quick steps. He reached the top and stood in the stairwell.

"Excuse me, Master Yoda," he said politely. "Obi-Wan Kenobi has made contact."

There was an overt amount of relief and fresh cheer in the senator's voice. Organa clearly still found a sense of hope in the midst of all that had happened. Yoda turned to face him and nodded. He slid down from his seat and followed after Organa down the steps.

The Naboo Cruiser skimmed over the cratered surface of the asteroid, Polis Massa. The mirrored craft approached the opening platform and descended until it settled down gently on the base. Yoda and Bail reached the ship's bottom and joined a few ground crewmen as the ramp lowered and Obi-wan emerged, carrying the unconscious Padme in his arms, followed by Artoo and Threepio.

At the sight of his fellow senator's limp form, Organa hurried to meet Obi-wan as he reached the base of the ramp and gazed down at Padme with alarm.

"We'll take her to the medical center, quickly," he said anxiously, and led the group away from the cruiser to the main building.

Classically, somewhere else in the galaxy, in a cold rainstorm, another craft was settling on its strip, this one carrying a fairly different assemblage. The shuttle landed on the Imperial Rehab Center in Coruscant, and out strode a solemn procession. Four clone troopers encircled a floating medical capsule, in which hovered what remained of the broken, immolated Darth Vader. Behind them followed the seeming brittle Emperor Palpatine, moving promptly after his periled apprentice.

Vader stared up at the gray cloud, ignoring the burning sting the raindrops left on his tarred skin. The sky seemed to mock him. It poured its tears over his scorched body, mourning for a murdered age, like he was all that was left of that age. He shot his eyes closed, and concentrated on the feel of the oxygen mask over his face.

The procession entered the Center, and Vader tapped the still dormant mind of Skywalker, to assure himself the Jedi wasn't awakening any moment soon. Anakin didn't eve stir.

Padme's motionless form rested on the operation table. The Polis medics were bewildered. They had never seen anything quite like this woman's condition.

Outside of the operating room, Obi-wan and Yoda, along with Senator Organa, watched and waited anxiously as the medics worked on Amidala. Obi-wan pressed his hand to his chin, and tried not to think of anything. Any thought could melt away his bearings and drive his to the ground in sorrow. That, of course, he would not allow; not here, not now. He focused on Padme's swollen belly instead, but found that to be of even more grief. What kind of galaxy would that child be born into, without a home to grow in, without a family to care for him, without a father to protect and raise him?

His life would be one no child should ever have to live, raised by a lonely, heartbroken mother, and surrounded by evil and danger at every turn.

Poor, sweet Padme, what could she be thinking of right at that moment? Obi-wan raised his hand to his forehead and rubbed away his sweat, trying to rub away his grief with it.

One of the medical droids approached them from the operating room, and if a droid was ever able to show lament, then this droid would have been it. Its huge, glowing blue eyes sparkled with something that could have well been mistaken for melancholy.

"Medically, she is completely healthy," it told the group, in a nearly real regretful electronic voice. "For reasons we can't explain, we are losing her."

The droid's words solidified into a cold knot in Obi-wan's throat. His eyes widened in horror as he tried to speak. "She's dying?" he asked, unable to take in such a possibility.

Someone as strong and resolute as Padme, how could someone like her be dying like this?

"We don't know why. She has lost the will to live," the droid tried to explain. It had never computed anything quite like this. A young, healthy human female dying for no medical reason was beyond his capacity to clarify. "We need to operate quickly if we are to save the babies."

Bail was the first to react. "Babies?!"

"She's carrying twins," answered the medical droid.

Silence fell over the small group, each pondering over this new surprise in his own way.

Yoda's eyes widened in shock for a moment, but then the old Jedi lowered his gaze to his feet and mused over their predicament.

Twins, thought Obi-wan, not one, but two! How can this be?

It wasn't one child that might be orphaned today, but two; two children that would grow in uncertainty and peril. Had Anakin known there were two? If he hadn't, he would never know now.

Oh, Anakin, how could you? How could you desert to your family this way?

Obi-wan stepped away from the rest and walked up to the viewing glass. He gazed over Padme and covered his mouth with his hand. Was all this his fault? Was he then one who failed?

Padme wasn't moving. Her faintly raising and falling chest was all that indicated life in her body. She looked so helpless to the Jedi Master, like a completely different woman from the courageous queen he had meet on Naboo all those years ago. That queen had been a warrior; a valiant and noble young girl. But this here was a heartbroken and hopeless woman; weak and dying. Everything around him was shifting.

Everything was fading.

Hot.

Why was it so hot? What was happening? Nothing in his mind made sense. Nothing around him made sense. There was smoke, and there was noises. Where was he? His skin felt like boiling oil. His body was spent and he heard himself howl in agony.

Anakin heard machines around him. They were droids. What were they doing? He tried to open his eyes to see, but a hidden force held them closed shut. He tried to move, but his body refused to respond to his commands. His shattered prosthetic arm shot up on its own, and shoved one of the droids back violently.

The pain was unbearable. He wanted to scream, but he was hearing himself already screaming, but he wasn't. How could that be? He couldn't think. Everything hurt too much. It was all maddening.

The droid his arm had pushed away came back. It sounded like it was drilling. Anakin felt the needle puncture into the stub of his arm, and he heard himself growl. He felt other burning needles all over his body. His head was thrashing, but he wasn't moving.

What were they doing to him?

Anakin tried to move again, this time with all the might he had left. But, nothing happened. He suddenly felt a force over him. Something was crushing him. He pushed it back, but it came back stronger. A faraway voice was speaking, but Anakin couldn't understand it. The voice came closer, while he struggled with whatever was crushing him. He couldn't breath.

"Why are—you...back?"

That voice, it was his own voice. Anakin tried to gasp, he tried to get air, but he couldn't get it.

"Why are you—back??!!"

That voice.

His voice!

He survived, he was still alive!

He was still alive!!!

Vader's eyes finally opened, and Anakin saw where they were, an operation room. The droids were implanting new limbs to their body.

"You—tried...Skywalker," Vader said in their void of mind, mocking despite the pain he was in. "And...you fail!"

Anakin looked from side to side in horror. They were alive! Vader had won! How could he fail?!

The operation continued smoothly. Vader was sedated and stopped thrashing after a moment. Emperor Palpatine watched with interest from outside the room.

Everything went silent, except for Anakin's silent, heartrending screams.

Padme's face was distorted in pain. Her cheeks and forehead were flaring red by her effort. She whimpered and cried, and Obi-wan held her tiny hand in his. The birthing mother squeezed the Jedi's fingers impulsively. She gasped, looking up at Obi-wan's face.

"Don't give up, Padme," he said, warming her shivering hand with his.

Padme breathed hard and pushed with all her strength, and then the room was filled with the sound of a baby's cries. For a moment, a glimmer of life shined over Padme's face again.

She was a mother. The thought rammed through her mind like a javelin.

"I just had a baby," she mused, "I can't believe it. I'm a mother."

Obi-wan looked back, and saw the droid holding the new born. He turned back to Padme and smiled brightly for her. The new mother's lips twitched, but didn't smile.

"It's a boy," said the droid in Polis.

Padme stared at the babe with a brilliant glow in her eyes. "Luke..." she whispered, like it was a prayer. She reached her hand for her son. Seeing her desire, Obi-wan took the baby boy from the droid with the greatest gentleness and got it closer to his mother. Padme could only offer a weak laugh for Luke, and struggled to touch his forehead.

This was her son, her bay boy. This was a precious result of her and Anakin's love for each other.

"Oh, Anakin!"

This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life.

Fresh tears built up in Padme's eyes. Anakin was meant to be there with them. He was meant to be there! But, where was he instead?

Another cry escaped her lips as another contraction began, and she wept. Why had this happened to her? Why was she giving birth to her children without Anakin by her side? This, the moment she had been dreaming of for so long, and she was alone.

The medical droid uttered more instructions in Polis, and Obi-wan stared numbly at the boy in his arms. The baby was a bright beam in the Force. His presence was like flare in a dark room. He shone of purity and light, just like Anakin had when he first met him.

Anakin was supposed to be the one holding that child, not him. He didn't belong there.

Padme screamed again, and again. She was so tired. All she wanted to do was sleep. Another push, with what strength she had left, and again the room was filled with a baby's first cries.

The medical droid brought the second child up to her mother. Obi-wan looked from the new baby to Padme.

"It's a girl," he said, trying to slip joy into his voice.

Padme was out of breath, but she spoke, "...Leia."

Obi-wan smiled. Two new lights in the galaxy had been born, Luke and Leia.