The Millennium Falcon, in hyperspace to Naboo
Once it was safe to move around, Anakin requested a storage room for his personal use, Han was mildly surprised but allowed him to have it and the man had taken his suit off allowing himself to breath real air, train properly, eat, drink, sleep basically be human and while no one was looking, he snuck into the captain's quarters and slept on the massive bed, no doubt used for marital relations in Han's case Anakin thought sourly. If he was honest with himself though, he's wanted to leave the Empire since he discovered his wife survived and forgave him for destroying the Jedi and almost killing her, when he asked what about the separatist's deaths, Padmé shrugged and said that if he didn't do that, Palpatine would've made a painful example of each and every one of them. He agreed and just let himself sleep on the comfortable bed.
As for Han, he was confused as to what had just happened, from his perspective Lord Vader has just betrayed the Empire, he's discovered that the infamous Negotiator, Obi Wan Kenobi lives and he has an Alderaanian Princess aboard his ship. A tapping on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts though as he turned to an anxious Chewie.
"What's the matter?" Han asked, Chewie roared.
"Lord Vader isn't in his storage room," he replied, Han became alarmed.
"What? Where is he?" Han asked anxiously, Chewie was about to respond when another voice did.
"We haven't lost him, he's asleep in the Captain's cabin."
Both turned to find Leia standing there, amusement all over her face whilst both Chewie and Han glared at her.
"Could've told us that couldn't you your highnesness?" Han asked scathingly, Leia rolled her eyes.
"I'd think your memory was better than that Captain, seeing as you gave him free reign to move around the ship, he was allowed to go there," Leia explained patiently, Han snorted.
"I said he could have a storage room! Not my fucking quarters!" Han yelled angrily, Leia was about to retort when a deep voice yelled tiredly.
"Hey! Would it kill you two to calm down!"
All three participants of the current argument turned to the sound of the voice and froze in stunned silence. Lord Vader Han thought in astonishment, the man had long blonde hair that went down his back, though some strands of silver were visible if you looked hard enough, he had a beard and moustache of the same colouring, he wore the trappings of a Jedi Knight from before the Empire, he had his lightsaber on his belt and he stood at a whopping 7'0 tall.
"L…Lord Vader?" Leia asked in astonishment, the man shook his head.
"Don't call me that anymore Leia, my real name is Anakin Skywalker," the man replied, Leia nodded in understanding while Han gawked in shock at knowing both his childhood heroes lived, a light on the console began beeping signalling the ship was ready to come out of hyperspace.
"Alright Master Skywalker…" Han started.
"Anakin is fine Han, no need for formalities," Anakin interjected, Han nodded.
"Anakin then, care to direct us?" Han asked, Anakin smiled.
"When we reach the atmosphere, fly north east towards the Lake Country," Anakin instructed as he pulled out a map of Naboo to show Han exactly where to go.
"You see Theed right Han?" he asked, Han nodded as he listened intently, "I want you to fly north east of that and land in the small gunship like hangar is that clear?" Anakin asked, Han nodded.
"Crystal," he replied as he brought the ship out and followed Anakin's instructions, when he found the Lake Retreat, Anakin pointed to a hangar with multiple speeders, a modified Jedi Starfighter, a Nubian Senatorial class ship and five swoop bikes.
"There," he said, as the ship came into the hangar smoothly and the ramp lowered, Anakin went out first to direct his new guests, but he stopped for a moment and smiled knowingly at Obi Wan.
"What?" Obi Wan asked, Anakin chuckled.
"I look forward to adding your ship to my collection," Anakin mocked, doing his best General Grievous impersonation, Obi Wan shook his head in amusement.
"Yep, that's Anakin Skywalker alright," he joked before he became serious, "I've missed you, old friend," Obi Wan added seriously, Anakin had tears well up in eyes.
"I've missed you too my brother," Anakin replied sincerely as he nearly crushed Obi Wan in an embrace that Obi Wan returned, Skywalker and Kenobi were back again.
"Alright, follow me," Anakin commanded as he led the group through the underwater shuttle he uses to get to the hangar easily and they arrived at the Lake house very quickly.
Naboo Lake Retreat
"Anakin, why would you build something like that?" Han asked as he caught his breath, Anakin smirked.
"I explained it during the journey Han, I use it to get to my hangar easier when I have to and I made it quick because of my lack of patience," Anakin explained patiently, Han snorted.
"I'm lucky I didn't throw up," he muttered under his breath. Anakin heard it but said nothing and led them through the house to the living area where a middle-aged woman ran up to him and he spun her around before kissing her passionately.
"Oh Anakin," Padmé Skywalker breathed, Anakin noticed tears falling down her cheeks and wiped them.
"What's wrong sweetheart?" Anakin asked in concern, Padmé looked up at him.
"Please tell me you can stay, that you've left the Empire for good," Padmé pleaded softly, Anakin smiled.
"I have done just that my darling, I made my point to Tarkin and the others and I even rescued a Corellian freighter from being boarded by Imperials," Anakin explained, Padmé smiled and kissed him softly before they broke apart.
"Um, Anakin? Who's this?" Han asked wearily as he took her appearance in, she was small, much smaller than her husband but her hair, like his flowed down her back and silver strands could be seen the only difference is that while Anakin's hair is blonde, this woman's is brown, Anakin cleared his throat.
"I'm not sure if all of you know who my wife is, so if you don't this is my wife Padmé Amidala Skywalker, angel that is our ship's captain Han Solo and his first mate Chewbacca," Anakin introduced, Padmé gracefully shook hands with Han before Chewie gave her a big hug, after he pulled back Leia looked upon her in awe and Padmé smiled warmly at Leia.
"I…I never knew you survived," Leia stuttered, Padmé nodded.
"Not many people know I still live, my family do, your adoptive parents know as does Obi Wan Kenobi," Padmé explained, Leia couldn't help noticing the emphasis on 'adopted' in Padmé's explanation.
"Padmé?" Leia called, Padmé looked back at her.
"What is it?" she asked, Leia sighed.
"Do you know my real parents?" Leia asked, Padmé and Anakin exchanged a look.
"Actually, we know both yours and Luke's real parents and they both still live." Anakin spoke up, Luke and Leia looked excited.
"Care to fill us in?" Luke asked excitedly, Anakin chuckled.
"Patience, allow me to say hello to my children first," Anakin replied, the first teenager who ran up to Anakin looked about sixteen, she was rather tall at 5'9, she had her mother's chocolate brown hair and brown eyes, she had a lightsaber in her hand looking like she wanted to do some training, she had her mother's facial structure and was a beautiful young woman, she noticed the others in the room.
"Oh sorry, forgot to introduce myself, I'm Grace Jobal Skywalker," the girl introduced herself, Luke looked surprised.
"Skywalker?" Luke asked, Grace nodded.
"Skywalker, and you are?" Grace questioned, ready to cut him in half with her lightsaber if he was hostile.
"Luke Skywalker," he replied, Grace studied him critically and noticed he looked like her father, but she didn't believe him.
"Dad, you don't believe that's him, do you?" Grace asked referring to her long lost older brother, Anakin smiled.
"We'll get to that in a second," he replied as another teenager though noticeably younger, around fourteen raced to him as well, it was a boy this time, he was rather lanky for his age and he was taller than his mother though he was just barely shorter than Grace, he had his mother's brown hair and his father's blue eyes, he was chiselled like his father and also had a lightsaber in hand, Anakin chuckled.
"Kids, we have guests, training will come later," he promised, the boy noticed the guests and Luke saw a lot of himself in this young boy who smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, I didn't see you there, I'm Ben Darred Skywalker," the boy introduced himself, Obi Wan raised his eyebrows at the name, tossing a look at his smiling old padawan.
"Ben?" he asked, Ben nodded.
"Ben, I got my name from your nickname, Dad told me, you're Obi Wan Kenobi, aren't you?" Ben said with a smile, Obi Wan smiled back. The last two to run in were the same age and they didn't have lightsabers in their hands, though they looked about twelve and they actually noticed the guests this time.
"Oh, hello, I'm Bella Shmi Skywalker," the young girl introduced herself, Leia eyed her critically, like her potential younger sister Grace, Bella reminded Leia of herself, the big brown eyes, but the hair was a sandy blonde like her father rather than the chocolate brown of her mother, everything else though right down to her smile was all Leia, but before she could say anything, the young boy spoke first.
"And I'm Owen Jinn Skywalker," the young boy added, Luke and Leia exchanged a look before they turned to the young boy who just spoke. He had his mother's facial structure, his father's blonde hair and blue eyes and his smile reminded Luke of his own at that age, Anakin and Padmé exchanged knowing smiles.
"You two have begun to notice it haven't you," Anakin said, Luke and Leia both nodded.
"We see ourselves in these young children, what we want to know is why we were adopted?" Leia asked, Anakin sighed.
"It's a long story," he warned, Leia smiled.
"We got time," Leia encouraged, Anakin smiled.
"As you wish," he replied as he began his story…
Imperial Star Destroyer Resolute Yularen's office
"I certainly didn't expect that outburst on Lord Vader's behalf, did you Admiral?" General Cassio Tagge asked, Yularen shook his head.
"No I did not, though thinking it over has led me to believe he has a point, think about General, the Emperor has done nothing but terrorize innocent life forms, condone practises like slavery in perhaps more frequency than the Republic did and the Outer Rim did, he's certainly correct there and he once confided in me that he confronted the Emperor about it and thought that the way we conduct the issue now is no better than before, the Emperor countered that what the Empire does is a mercy compared to what would be necessary, Vader said no more but he told me he was and still is very unconvinced that what we do is a mercy," Yularen spat the last word out but Tagge knew he agreed with Vader's estimation.
"I agree with you both Admiral," Tagge replied, Yularen smiled.
"I knew that you would, on this ship because of the way he acts we joke around with him calling him General Vader because he acts a lot like a Jedi General from the Clone Wars would've and he doesn't mind it at all, he even gave us his own military training techniques which have improved our effectiveness in battle and allowed us to deal with threats, those who work under Lord Vader, myself included say it's the highest honour one can have in the Imperial Navy, hell even the pilots love him," Yularen said almost wistfully, Tagge noticed it.
"Admiral?" Tagge asked, Yularen looked at him dead serious.
"If I tell you this, it goes no further," Yularen said, Tagge gulped and nodded.
"I think Darth Vader's real identity is Anakin Skywalker," Yularen said, Tagge looked stunned.
"Skywalker? Why would he turn to the Empire the way we all did?" Tagge asked incredulously, Yularen smiled.
"Tarkin told me he puzzled it out through sheer observation, I fought alongside him during the Clone Wars and I can safely say there are a lot of similarities between both Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader," Yularen explained, Tagge still looked sceptical.
"Enough for them to be one and the same? I'm sorry but I'm not sure I can believe it," Tagge replied, Yularen had another way of proving it though.
"Let's pay a visit to Lord Vader's quarters shall we," Yularen offered, Tagge was surprised but gladly so.
"If this proves it, I'll be happy," he replied, as they took the elevator to Vader's level, there was a lot of joking around as to what Vader did on his level, but it was all unfounded humour that wasn't particularly funny anyway, there were 4 rooms, there was a training room of course, there was a memoir? room Yularen thought incredulously where he found an old holo projector of some kind, he dusted it off and began listening to the message and soon enough General Skywalker appeared.
My dearest Padmé
If you are worried you need not be any longer, I am wide awake at 4:00 AM yet again to prepare for another attack from General Asthma, or General Grievous whatever you prefer, so unfortunately this will have to be brief, Ahsoka and I will be training soon though if I'm being honest with you and myself, I'm tired of the deception, tired of the game and I want to leave this all behind, I want to stay home be a mechanic, be a racer, hell I want a family, I want to start a family back on Naboo, I hate being separated for such a long time but the end makes all the anguish worth it I suppose. I love you, my darling angel.
Anakin
Yularen didn't expect to find out that his general had been in a relationship and from the way he spoke he sounded like a married man, he had to show Tagge now.
"General," Yularen called, Tagge approached.
"Yes?" he asked, Yularen gave him the holo projector and he began listening to it himself, when it was over he was stunned beyond measure and nearly fainted.
"I believe you Admiral," Tagge said, Yularen smiled and nodded.
"Just took a little convincing," he joked, they both laughed.
Naboo Lake Retreat
"And that was how I found out your mother lived after all and I've been against the Empire in secret as a double agent this whole time," Anakin explained, Luke, Han and Leia were stunned beyond measure but Leia was happy and she smiled at her birth parents.
"So, I have a twin brother huh? Always was a wish of mine to have one brother let alone three," Leia said, Grace glared, and Bella pouted at her.
"And what about us?" Bella asked, Leia chuckled at Bella's pouting face and steeled herself against Grace's glare.
"I'm happy to have all of you as my family," she replied as she hugged her sisters, her brothers and her real parents, Luke didn't look as happy though, he had a look of betrayal in his eyes and on his face, but not at his parents or siblings, but at Obi Wan.
"Why? Obi Wan…why lie to me like that?" Luke asked, tears threatening to fall down his face, Obi Wan tried to move closer but Anakin stopped him.
"Allow me Obi Wan," Anakin said, as he moved towards his eldest son to embrace him, Luke returned it and broke down in his arms, Padmé glared at Obi Wan.
"This way General Kenobi," Padmé growled, angry that her eldest children were betrayed the way they were, she grabbed him and dragged him out the room whilst Anakin comforted the sobbing Luke.
"I don't understand, why? Why did he lie to me!" Luke sobbed, Anakin rocked him gently.
"If you ask me, I think it was because Owen didn't want you to know, Owen was never my biggest fan and he no doubt thinks of negatively because I left with the Jedi, he saw that as me leaving your grandmother, Obi Wan may have wanted to tell you, but Owen wouldn't let him," Anakin suggested, Luke seemed to agree and wiped his tears away.
"It doesn't matter now, but I'm happy we found each other…Dad," Luke replied, Anakin smiled.
"I am too son, I am too," he replied as he held his eldest boy in an embrace. A family finally whole again after twenty long years.