A/N: I am probably the ONLY person to ever do this in fanfiction and obviously not a lot of people like it. But yeah, Lets face it, you had to have seen it coming. Anayway, I hope you enjoy this heart wrenching chapter.
Charlie.
Anakin wasn't able to get any sleep that night. Not with the thoughts of the holy man arriving the next day to officiate his divorce. He still couldn't believe that this was happening. The irrational part of him blamed Palpatine for ruining his seemingly perfect marriage to the only woman he would ever love. But he wasn't able to fool himself. He was the real culprit. He destroyed everything when he chose Palpatine. It was his choices.
He didn't tell Luke and Leia about the divorce yet. He didn't want to tell them that he was leaving again, that they would probably only see each other on holidays. With them he could pretend that everything was okay. He could laugh, feel some piece of happiness. As long as he had them, he could pretend that he wasn't heart broken. He could ignore it. Like a child to a security blanket, he was clinging to his children for a speck of happiness while everything else just falls apart.
Because of his trick, Luke and Leia clung to him. Neither wanting him out of their sight. They refused to sleep in their own rooms, instead choosing to sleep with him. Though it warmed him, it wasn't Leia he wanted to be sleeping next to him, it was his wife. But Padme would never sleep next to him again.
It was in the midst of these thoughts, while he pretended to be sleeping that he felt a shift in the bed next to him indicating someone getting out of bed. Something told him that his daughter wasn't going to the refresher. Anakin waited a few minutes before getting up to follow her wanting to make sure that she was okay. He wasn't prepared for the sight that befell him when he rounded the corner. When he saw Leia kissing Han Solo. Neither seemed to notice him, so he just back stepped back around the corner both wanting to give them some space, but also secretly wanting to force choke Solo for touching his sixteen year old daughter.
"All this sneaking around is really getting to me," Leia murmured.
"But it's also kinda exciting if you think about it," Han added.
"Now I know why my parents put up with it for four years," Leia told him.
"You know we wont have to keep sneaking around soon. Your Mom'll start letting you date when you're seventeen and she already likes me," Han said.
"Mom mother already thinks of you as a son," Leia told him.
"It's not your Mom I worry about really," Han said.
"My father will like you once you get to know one another," Leia scoffed.
"Wanna bet?" Anakin thought.
"Han what is it? You're worried about something. You don't actually think he'll hurt you do you?" Leia asked.
"It's not me I'm worried about getting hurt," Han told her.
"Oh? Then who?"
Leia giggled. "Sure Han, he'll let you have another shot at him," she scoffed.
"Leia, listen. I have a task to attend to in a few minutes," Han said.
"Uh oh!"
"What kind of task?" Leia asked.
"Your mom asked me to find the holy man that officiated your parents wedding, she's asked that he bring divorce papers," Han told her gently.
"You're a terrible lier!" Leia snapped.
"Leia stop it! I'm not lying! Obviously they didn't seem fit to tell you guys, but I'm telling you now before your blindsided. I really don't like what this will do to you and Luke, but unfortunately there isn't any way that you can stop this," Han told her.
"My parents arn't getting divorced. My father wont agree to it," Leia said determinedly.
"Don't be too quick to put him on a high pedestal Leia. And please don't start jumping to conclusions. Just remember that he is the one to blame. Your mom is the better person. Just remember where each of your parents have been all your life," Han told her. "I know what it's like coming from a broken home too you know," he added.
Anakin didn't want to hear anymore of the conversation so he went back to his room where he pulled on a black tunic and his boots. Knowing he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night, he might as well work on the hunk of junk they left Coruscant in. On his way out he passed Luke who was sleeping in a cot peacefully. No doubt he'll hear the news from Leia pretty soon. Secretly he envied his son's ability to sleep peacefully. Without a word, he left for the garage.
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"Life seems so much simpler when you're fixing things. I'm good at fixing things... always was. But I couldn't..."
Why couldn't he fix it? He was the best of the best in combat, but when it came to life in general he was a failure. He failed to save his mother from a brutal death. He failed as a husband and he was even a failure as a father.
"Sometimes there are things no one can fix. You're not all-powerful, Ani ,"
He wasn't supposed to fail! He was the chosen one! He was supposed to be greater than this! Frustrated Anakin threw the socket he was working on across the garage where it made a clanging sound as it hit something. He sunk down against the wall with his knees against his chest and his face in his hands. He never wanted to loose her. Not in death and certainly not like this. His younger self would scream that it wasn't fair and blame it on someone else. But he wasn't a kid anymore. He was thirty nine year old man, a grown man with teenage children. He couldn't have a hissy fit whether he wanted to take one or not. Oh what would his mother say if she saw him now? She would lecture him before comforting him.
"She didn't even bother to deny it!"
"Leia cool down. I'm sure that Dad will stop it. Remember he turned to the dark side so he wouldn't loose her, there is no way he'd give up without a fight."
"What are we going to do Luke? We can't let this happen."
"You two are not going to do anything," Anakin said making his presence known. He stood up letting the twins know where he was to see their stunned expression.
"You should know that Mom has a holy man coming here with divorce papers," Leia said quickly. "You should thank Han for forewarning us," she added.
"I already know about the divorce," Anakin told her.
"What are you going to do about it?" Luke demanded.
"I'm not doing anything. I'm the one who called for it," Anakin informed them. "So you can stop blaming your mother right now," he told them strictly looking pointedly at Leia.
"But you can't!" Leia cried. "You love each other!"
"Well sometimes love just isn't enough. You can love someone passionately and still end up hurting one another," Anakin told her.
"So you're just going to walk out on us again," Luke said coldly.
"I'm not leaving you," Anakin told them. "Your mother and I are getting a divorce, it's not the same thing as abandonment," he told them.
"That's what all the talk about Tatooine was about! You're not just leaving this house but this planet all together!" Leia concluded.
"It's my home Leia," Anakin told her gently.
"This is your home!" Luke yelled at him.
"No, this is your mother's home, your home. I don't have a place here. I need to go home. For me my home was always where my mother was," Anakin told him.
"Your mother's dead!" Luke yelled.
"We're your family!" Leia yelled. "This is your home!"
"This is better for everyone in the long run, when you're calmed down you will see that, maybe not right away, but you will," Anakin told them.
"It's not better! We're supposed to be a family!" Leia yelled.
"In a perfect world yes! But my marriage with your mother is broken, I broke it and I can't fix it!" Anakin told them. He refused to loose his temper in the screaming match the twins were trying to engage him in.
"You're supposed to be good at fixing things!" Luke yelled as he picked up a socket wrench and threw it at his father, "So fix it!"
Anakin caught the wrench before it hit him in the face just as a startled and frightful gasp came from the doorway. Luke and Leia turned to see their mother there looking pale and at Luke with fear. "Don't ever loose your temper like that. Don't be like me," Anakin pleaded with both of his children. "Please don't let your temper destroy everything you care about," he said to them.
Neither twin said anything, both a little frightened by Luke's loss of temper.
Anakin looked over at Padme who stood rooted to the spot looking at her son as though he was dangerously close to become Vader. He turned away from her horrified expression to look at the twins. "You have two options. You can help me fix up the ship that I managed to acquire on Coruscant or you can meditate on the consequences of your anger," he said evenly.
"Apologize!" Padme ordered finding her voice. "Apologize to your father and swear to us that you wont loose your temper again! Both of you!"
Luke looked at the wrench that was still in Anakin's hand and back to his father. "I... I don't know what came over me," he said.
"I know Luke. Believe me I know," Anakin told him.
"But I've never been that angry," Luke said.
Anakin put down the wrench and walked over to his son before pulling him in his arms. "To be angry is to be human. Even jedi get angry. You just have to control your anger. Anger is a very dangerous thing. It changes you and turns you into something that is so much different than who you really are," he kissed the top of Luke's head. "I'm sorry that you're angry and I know that it's my fault," he whispered. He pulled Leia into the hug and kissed her forehead. "Just promise me that you won't let you're anger take over you. Promise me that you'll keep it under control," he pleaded. Luke and Leia nodded. Anakin pulled away and looked at them. "Now I have a ship that needs repairs and I could use a few extra hands, are you two calm enough to help me out?" he asked.
"Yeah," Luke said.
"By the looks of it, you'll need a lot more help," Leia said.
"You can go ask Han and Chewie if they'd like to help for me and tell them that I'll fix that constantly failing hyperdrive so that it won't fail again," Anakin said.
"But that can't be fixed, we've all tried," Leia told him.
"I can fix it. I used to work in a junk shop, broken hyperdrives like that were constantly coming in," Anakin told her.
"That would persuade Han," Luke said.
"Why don't the two of you change clothes so that you don't get grease all over your favorite things again," Padme told them.
Luke and Leia looked down at themselves and back at her knowing that she was right.
"You two have fifteen minutes," Anakin told them.
"Are you going to fight?" Leia asked.
"No," Anakin told her.
The twins looked at their mother. "We'll be civil," she told them.
They hesitated, but the twins then decided that it was okay to leave their parents alone together. Once they were gone Anakin busied himself with the repairs to his new ship.
"You handled that pretty well," Padme said at last.
"It helps if you've been there," Anakin told her not stopping what he was doing to look at her. "Our daughter shares something in common with us," he said hating himself for spilling Leia's secret but his instincts were telling him that a good parent would do this.
"What is that?" Padme asked.
Anakin wiped his hands on an old rag, "It seems that she too harbors a secret romance," he said.
"With who?" Padme demanded.
"Han Solo," Anakin told her.
"I'll kill her! I told her no dating until she's seventeen, the same for Luke, and she goes behind my back and starts dating a man ten years her senior!" Padme seethed.
"I didn't know about the large age difference," Anakin grumbled disapprovingly.
"How did you find out? Did she tell you? Of course why would she discuss dating with you?" Padme demanded.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Anakin demanded. "I'm the best option to ask for advise. After all I married the girl I set out to marry when I was nine!"
"No girl asks dating advise from her father, it's unnatural! Now how did you find out?" Padme demanded.
"I should tell you that she did talk to me about it," Anakin told her stubbornly.
"You just gave that option up," Padme told him.
"I'm not sure if I should tell you anymore," Anakin told her.
"Stop being childish!"
"Fine, I saw them kissing last night. Does that make you happy?" Anakin told her.
"No, because now I pity you," Padme told him.
"I don't want your pity," Anakin told her.
"Wow, that's an even worse looking hunk a junk than my ship!"
Anakin prayed thanks for Han Solo's classy entrance. "Clean out of the junk shop! A perfect project I would say," Anakin said stepping back to scrutinize his new ship. "It's not that bad, I've actually seen much worse," he commented.
"You flew that all the way from Coruscant?!" Han asked amazed.
"Half of the time I was passed out from blood loss," Anakin told him.
Han blew out a whistle. "Man you must be some hell of a pilot," he said.
"Try landing half of a ship that was on fire and wasn't even supposed to land anyway," he challenged.
"Yeah, I heard about that. I always thought the holonet was exaggerating on it," Han said.
"A ships controls are like extra limbs for me, I can get a ship to do anything for me, they like me," Anakin told him confidently.
"So what looser gave you this thing when you won their good ship," Han asked.
"An old friend of mine in coco town had this thing stowed away since before the clone wars. Said it was a special order left directly for me on the first day I was ever on Coruscant. Odd," Anakin said thoughtfully. "Obi-Wan seemed surprised, but he knows something, I need to grill the old coot for some answers," he muttered more to himself.
Han smirked at calling Obi-Wan and old coot. "So you think you can fix the Falcon's hyperdrive?" He asked.
"I know I can. I know what the problem is, your problem is that you don't even realize where exactly the problem is. It took me months before I figured it out on the one that my owner was throwing out claiming that it was junk and he was a junk dealer," Anakin told him. "I was six at the time mind you, so it'll just take me a couple of seconds for the Falcon," he finished.
"Wait, you were six and you repaired a blown hyperdrive, never mind the fact that it was unrepairable," Han said skeptically.
"That's right," Anakin said seeing another problem that needed repairing.
Han scratched his head as he looked at the spot Anakin was frowning at. "Somethin wrong?" he asked.
"Yeah, the wrong type of metal was used to repair this hull," Anakin said.
"Does that matter?" Han asked.
"Yes. On this modal ship only one kind of metal is acceptable. Anything else throws the entire ship off balance and eventually starts affecting the engine. I knew something was wrong when I was flying her and I've torn apart the engine all night searching for what went wrong, I didn't remember to check the outside," Anakin told him getting frustrated with himself.
"Is this metal hard to find?" Han asked.
"I'll find plenty of pieces on Tatooine. In fact I know a junk dealer who owes me some favors. I'll have all the parts I need and I'm not even going to have pay him anything," Anakin said.
"You can't possibly be considering working for that creature!" Padme exclaimed speaking up.
Anakin snorted. "No. I'm taking over his junk shop and turning it into my own personal playground," Anakin told her brightly.
"You sure skip the divide and go straight for the conquer thing huh," Han commented.
Anakin clapped a hand on Han's shoulder. "Dividing is fun enough, but conquering is the part that has the most fun as I'm sure you'll find out in a number of years," he said adding pressure to his grip on the younger man.
"Sure whatever you say," Han squeaked.
"I'm pretty much always right about these things," Anakin assured him letting go and put on a show of lightly patting his shoulder but he knew he hadn't fooled his wife.
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"Ben you have to stop it!" Leia cried desperately.
"Ten minutes Leia!" Luke said watching the crono.
"Anakin is adamant in his decision, I've washed my hands clean of his masochistic behavior of late. Do you realize that he insisted on being awake and lucid while the kaminoans took his artificial arm off and replaced it with a new flesh one!" Obi-Wan told them.
Luke and Leia looked at each other alarmed. "He's clearly not thinking right! Which means we have to stop him from signing those papers!" Leia argued.
"Eight minutes!" Luke called.
"They love each other, you know that! They don't belong apart!" Leia argued.
"Yes yes yes I know that! I don't want them split up any more than you do. I kept their secret for them without them knowing!" Obi-Wan told them.
"Then talk to him Ben, he'll listen to you! You're his mentor, you have influence over him!" Leia urged.
"Six minutes!" Luke called.
"That is where you're wrong, I Obi-Wan Kenobi have never had this powerful of an influence over one Anakin Skywalker," Obi-Wan stated truthfully as though he were on the council during the clone wars and Anakin had blatantly disobeyed, disregarded every rule in the book and every mandate given to him to do what he and he alone believed was the best course of action and messed up royally.
"That's not true!" Leia argued.
"Three minutes Leia!" Luke called urgently.
"Ben please talk to them! Tell them how big of a MISTAKE this is!" Leia begged.
"I have tried talking to both of them! Those two are the most stubborn people in the galaxy and I'm done playing the peace keeper. I have washed my hands clean of this. There is nothing that I nor the two of you can do to stop it," Obi-Wan told her.
"How can you even consider yourself his brother if you're willing to let him ruin his life again! You're supposed to be helping him and here you are doing nothing to help him! This time when you chop him up and set him on fire make sure it kills him this time why don't you!" Leia screamed.
Obi-Wan froze. "Where did you hear that?" he asked. When Leia didn't say anything and Luke looked at him in horror he knew. "And what version that story did he tell you?" he asked sadly.
"He didn't tell me that it was you. I just knew," Leia confessed.
"First of all, all traces of your father were gone at that point. I was sent to kill Vader, instead I tried to bring your father back, I failed and had to defend myself so that I could get your mother to safety before Vader actually did kill her. It tormented me to have to do what I did," Obi-Wan told them. "Vader was dangerous. A homicidal maniac if you wish. I failed to stop him because I loved Anakin as though he were my own brother,"
"And when you were training us did you fail to mention that he was our father because you wanted to protect us or so that we would have no question about killing him?" Luke demanded.
"I was protecting you, Yoda wanted you to kill him and the Emperor!" Obi-Wan told them. "When we lost your father, I swore to dedicate my life to protecting you because I knew that if Anakin was in the right mind, he would have asked me to take care of you when he couldn't. I love each of you and never considered asking you to do the unthinkable."
Neither twin said anything. Luke looked down at his wrist crono and looked up again. "Time," he said.
"Your father is expecting you. If I were you, I would want to spend as much time with him as you can fit in before he leaves for Tatooine," Obi-Wan told them.
"Ben please do something. This is our last chance to be a family, don't let them screw this up," Leia pleaded as tears started forming in her eyes and they started rolling down her cheeks. "You can't let them do this. You know in your heart that it's not right. You know that they belong together."
"I wish that there was something that I could do but there isn't. It's out of our hands," Obi-Wan told them brokenly.
"Come on Leia, we tried, Ben's right there's nothing that we can do," Luke said sadly taking his sister's arm. But Leia shrugged it out of his grasp and fled from the room. Luke watched her go knowing that she needed to be alone now.
"Go spend some time with your father Luke, she'll be fine," Obi-Wan said gently.
Luke nodded. "I know that you'd help if you could," he said dejectedly and left the room.
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"Hey kid where's Leia?" Han asked catching Anakin's attention. Something was wrong. He stopped what he was working on to see Luke standing in the doorway to the garage looking like he just lost something very valuable.
"She's not feeling well," Luke said.
"I need to see what's wrong," Padme said standing up.
"I think she wants to be alone," Luke said forcefully.
"Where is she?" Anakin asked.
Luke shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know where she went," he admitted.
Anakin jumped down from his spot over the ships hull to look his son in the eye. "What happened in between the two of you leaving this garage together and you coming back alone?" he demanded.
Luke met his hard gaze. "What do you think?" he challenged bitterly.
Anakin cursed colorfully in huttese. "This is your fault!" he said addressing his wife.
"My fault? My fault!You have a lot of nerve! We were fine until you decided to show your face again!" Padme snapped at him.
"Oh yes! I lost my mind so I'm forever going to be the bad guy! Just so you know I did everything for you! I wouldn't have turned into a monster if it weren't for you! But you can continue to play miss innocent, play the victim because Padme Amidala never does anything wrong! Padme Amidala makes mistakes! But her gravest mistake was to go slumming! The virtuous queen of Naboo picked up a nasty little disease when she married a dirty little slave boy from the rat hole called Tatooine!" Anakin shouted. "Now if you don't mind, Queen Amidala, I am going to find my daughter and try to make an unpleasant situation feel better," he said calmly before leaving the garage.
"It is so nice to have Anakin Skywalker back then! Because he blames everyone else for his problems like a little child instead of facing the fact that he has no one to blame but himself!" Padme shouted after him.
"Bite me bitch!" Anakin called back at the top of his lungs.
Han looked at Luke and shrugged his shoulders. "Come on kid, I think you need a less hostel environment," he said and ushered the teenager out of the garage making a point to figure out something fun that they could do that would take the kid's mind off what just transpired in the garage.
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Anakin breathed a sigh of relief when he found Leia by the waterfalls. "You know water has a calming affect. It's a proven fact. The jedi lived by it. In fact we had an entire floor dedicated to the calming affects of water," he said
"I know, the room of a thousand fountains. I wish I could have seen it in it's glory," Leia said wistfully.
"I'm sorry that you didn't get to see it. It was my favorite place in all of Coruscant," Anakin told her.
"Then why did you destroy it?" Leia asked.
"There isn't an easy answer to that question," Anakin told her.
"I think it's pretty simple," Leia told him pointedly.
"Not for me," Anakin said.
"I keep wondering how deep the water is down there or how many rocks there are and if I just jump off this cliff would I be jumping to my death?" she admitted quietly.
Anakin, while alarmed by this confession understood it. "Want to find out?" he asked.
Leia looked at him then. "Are you insane?" she asked.
"I lost my mind a long time ago. Right now what do I have left to loose?" he answered.
"But you don't know what's down there," Leia reasoned.
"There's no time like the present to find out," Anakin told her pulling off his boots and tossing them aside. "Are you coming?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"You're not going to do it," Leia told him.
"Never tell me that I'm not going to do something," Anakin told her backing up some before making a running leap off of the cliff. "Yippie!" he screamed on his way down before disappearing in the water.
Leia scrambled to the edge of the cliff searching for any sight of her father. "Daddy!" she screamed. She got scared when he failed to show up five minutes later. "Please let this work," she prayed kicking off her shoes and diving off of the cliff into the water after him. Once under water she opened her eyes searching frantically for any sign of her father. She spun around fast when she felt something touch her shoulder and glared when Anakin waved at her from under the water. Angrily she swam upwards and broke the surface.
"What took you so long?" Anakin asked her.
"I thought you were drowning!" Leia yelled.
"I thought you knew that I could swim. Didn't Obi-Wan or your mother tell you that I can hold my breath underwater for two hours?" he said.
"Nobody can hold their breath underwater for two hours," Leia told him.
"Really? Then I should be dead right now and you're not supposed to exist," Anakin replied.
"What are you talking about?" Leia demanded.
"When I was your age, I was trapped underwater for over four hours. Breathers only give you two hours of breathing time," Anakin told her.
"What happened?" Leia asked.
"I got separated from Obi-Wan during a mission and the ship I had stowed away on exploded over an ocean. When I realized that the ship I was on was doomed I found a refuge in an unused escape pod. Unfortunately for me the reason why it wasn't used was because it was faulty. Me being a stupid teenager decided that the only way to save myself was to cut a hole in the escape pod only I made a mistake. The escape pod was floating in the water and I could have sheepishly commed Obi-Wan and told him what I had gotten myself into, instead I decided that I didn't want to sit and wait for help and become a laughing stock, but I was going to swim to safety. Good plan right? No stupid plan. To cut this short, I cut a hole in the escape pod to get out of it, my answer for everything, but I didn't realize that I was going to let water in and my lightsaber wasn't equipped to work underwater," He told her.
"So basically you almost killed yourself because you didn't want to be laughed at," Leia said slowly. "You weren't very smart," she concluded.
"No, I've always been smart. My problem was that I was an arrogant and cocky prick," Anakin corrected.
"And you're not now?" Leia asked raising an eyebrow.
"I've mellowed out some," He told her.
Leia raised the other brow.
"I have high expectations for myself, that is not a crime," Anakin said flatly.
"Who tried to save who?"
Both Anakin and Leia looked up to the cliff to see Luke and Han peering down at them.
"Mister fantastic down here jumped down here and made me think he was drowning!" Leia called up.
"Come on down here! The jump is fantastic and the water is great!" Anakin called after them.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Luke said disappearing from view for a moment before he too jumped over the cliff. "Yipppieeee!" he yelled tucking himself into a ball making a huge splash.
When he resurfaced seven minutes later laughing like a maniac, Anakin chuckled. "Yeah, you're my son all right," he said.
"You both suck!" Leia snapped.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw!" a moment later Han resurfaced. "That was fun, see kid I knew I'd find something fun to do!" he said to Luke.
"All three of you can go to hell," Leia said clearly still upset.
"I thought you were going to make things better," Luke said to his father.
"Working on it," Anakin said. He then manipulated the force to create a large wave to crash over Leia from behind catching her off guard.
Leia spun around and glared at the other two force users. "Who did it?" she demanded. Luke pointed to Anakin but Anakin pointed at Luke making Luke glare at him. "No one wants to fess up, fine, you get the same treatment," she said.
"Bye!" Han said being smart and swimming away.
Leia in turn manipulated the force to create water balls and spun them really fast in all different angles before aiming them for Luke's and Anakin's faces. Luke tried to get away but everywhere he moved the water ball followed him before hitting him the face.
"I didn't do it!" Luke called.
Anakin however calmly watched the water ball. "Impressive," he said admiringly and halted the water ball in it's path and decided to wave it around. "Most impressive," he said.
Leia beamed. "You really think so?" she asked. "Ben says that it's a complete waste of time but it's fun!" she added.
"The old coot would say that. I however don't think it's a waste of time. The ability to manipulate objects to your will, including water or fire, using your mind will come in handy. Normally a jedi would need to direct the object with their hands, but the ability to direct objects with the mind only is rare. Even Master Yoda couldn't do it which surprised me," Anakin said.
"So Ben could be wrong then?" Luke concluded.
"Yes. But he will never admit to it," Anakin told them.
"What about you?" Leia asked.
"I have been wrong many times before. I have no problem admitting to it now," Anakin said.
"What if you're wrong about this divorce?" Leia asked.
"If I am wrong, your mother would have no problem telling me so. So far she hasn't," Anakin told her.
"So this a test? You're not really going to go through with it are you?" Luke asked hopefully.
"I would never trick your mother just to test her feelings for me. I'm not that horrible," Anakin told them.
"Are you just saying that because Mom is up on the cliff?" Leia asked hopefully.
"No, I'm afraid not," Anakin told them.
"She feels really bad about the things she has said," Luke whispered.
"I feel it too Son," Anakin said quietly. "I hate the things that I've said and done too," he told them.
"Then why aren't you saying anything?" Leia cried.
"Because there's nothing left to say," Anakin told them brokenly.
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"This isn't right," Luke said as he and Leia sat on the floor of the second story terrace and watched as their parents met with the holy man who officiated their wedding on the veranda below them.
"Nothing feels right anymore," Leia said hollowly.
"Do you think he's right though?" Luke asked.
"About what?" Leia asked.
"About love not being enough," Luke said.
"I hope not," Leia whispered.
"Because if it isn't enough for them, what chance does the rest of the galaxy have?" Luke continued.
"I don't know," Leia said, she was too busy thinking about her own relationship's prospects in light of what was happening to her parents. She had tried to compare her relationship to the great love story of her parents and now she no longer had the great love story to look forward to anymore. If her parent's were doomed, then what made her think that she had any chance?
"Leia, look! They're holding hands and looking at each other, they're hesitating!" Luke said hopefully.
For a brief moment Leia was able to hold out hope when she saw that one small moment between her parents but it was squashed a second later when she saw her father let go of her mother's hand and sign the divorce papers. At that moment all hope was lost and Leia curled up and cried while Luke tried to comfort her even though he had no real idea why this was affecting her so wretchedly.
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Minister Damion Manson was non pulsed at the news of the two most prominent figures during the clone wars tragic deaths. The entire galaxy had been struck numb when Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padme Amidala had been murdered. But for Minister Mason who had watched the heroic senator and Queen grow up and for her to personally call on him, asking him to be the one to officiant her marriage, that he was the only person she could trust with her secret. The girl he knew was deeply in love with a boy she had met as she fleed Naboo as Queen to plea for help, a boy who's kindness saved a queen when he was a slave, a boy, a mere nine year old who single handedly destroyed the command ship to the trade federation's blockade. A boy now a man, a jedi, who deeply loved her back. The two most prominent figures and heroes of the republic who were deeply in love with each other that they defied the odds to be together. He was numb for years and haunted by the fact that they were about to be parents just when they both died within moments of the other. For those two powerful individuals to die so unjustly actually tested his faith.
But then a man in his mid to late twenties stepped into his office and handed him a letter. A formal request for him to visit the estate of Varykino. He skipped the extremely well written letter down to the signatures wondering who was asking him to visit such a sacred estate to him. He stopped breathing at the two signatures that he had had memorized in his mind for the past twenty years. He had quickly checked the date finding it dated that very morning. Elation filled him as he was given divine proof that their love story wasn't so tragic after all. But as he read the letter his elation died. Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker were asking for a divorce. He knew that it was wrong of him not to send them an answer with the young man who had delivered the letter, but he had to pray for any guidance from the gods on how he should prevent such a horrible thing from happening. He knew that he had to delay this divorce as long as he could, convince them not to sign the papers. But if they did sign the papers there would be no turning back the clock. It would be done. It would be over. He had to delay it. He had to convince them not to sign.
Upon his arrival to Verykino that afternoon, he was greeted by two teenagers guarding the estate. Right away he knew who they were even without the boy standing up and introducing himself and his sister.
"Hello," Minister Manson greeted mournfully regretting the sound of his voice.
"I'm Luke Skywalker and this is my sister Leia," Luke said.
"You're the holy man who married our parents aren't you?" Leia asked.
It broke Manson's heart even more at seeing such a beautiful young girl so depressed. "I am," he confirmed.
Luke grew determined Manson noticed. "Then you know how wrong this is! You can stop this, They still love each other! Look, we're the only ones who know you're here, you can turn around now and never come back, that alone will stop this, there's no one else they can trust to keep this quiet," the boy urged.
"Please help us stop them, you're our last hope," Leia tearfully begged.
"Don't worry my children, I have no intention of letting your parents sign these papers," Manson assured them.
"Then why did you come?! Go back before our father know's you're here which will be any minute!" Luke said as if he were addressing a madman.
"With my guidance you're parents will be set to rights," Manson told the children.
"That isn't very reassuring," Leia told him.
"Do not worry my children I have the powers of the gods on my side," Manson assured them.
Leia clung to her brother. "We're doomed Luke!" she cried.
Luke shook his head. "You don't understand. Our father is a jedi, he doesn't believe in your precious gods, he believes in the force! He's the one calling for the divorce, he won't listen to a thing you say about guidance from your gods!" he said forcefully.
"I will not fail you my children nor will I fail your parents. The gods have told me that with my guidance they will not sign the papers," Manson told them and continued past them.
"You and your make believe gods have doomed us then!" Luke called after him. Manson blessed himself and said a prayer for those poor lost children as he was greeted by a vision.
That was two hours ago and Manson had delayed as much as he could but it appeared that the Skywalker's were quite determined to go through with it. "Have you tried counciling?" he asked.
"No."
"Yes."
Manson looked up confused.
"A mutual friend, a brother really, has talked to us," Padme said.
Manson looked over at Anakin.
"I guess that constitutes as counseling," Anakin conceded. "Obi-Wan is after all the negotiator," he said thoughtfully.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi is alive?" Manson asked.
"Why yes, he has been with us the whole time," Padme said.
"And his negotiations haven't worked?" Manson asked.
Anakin looked over to his wife. "Obviously not good enough," he said.
"Mister Skywalker you called for a divorce but you don't really seem to want one do you?" Manson asked.
"Would you want to divorce the love of your life?" Anakin asked him.
"Then why are you doing it?" Manson asked confused.
Anakin took a deep breath. "The woman I married didn't have a bitter bone in her body," he said at last. "I don't know where she went, but I've wished for her return more than anything I have ever wanted, but she's gone and I'll never see her again," he said at last.
"Have you tried a separation?" Manson asked.
"We've been separated for sixteen years, it didn't work out," Anakin said.
"I see," Manson said confused. "You've tried everything, are you sure?" he asked.
"There's nothing left to try," Padme said brokenly.
"I really don't want to let you do this. I have never seen any two people so in love that their utter devotion to each other radiated off of them before or after the two of you. If you sign these papers there is no going back. It will be done. Are the two of you really sure about this?" he asked finally. He hoped that this would be the moment when they would come to their senses. He waited.
Then Anakin took his wives hand and looked her in the eye. "I never wanted to hurt you Padme," he told her.
"I know," she whispered. "Ani..." She began but Anakin cut her off.
"Just promise me that you'll break out of this shell you've put yourself in and become the woman that you were again. I don't want to be the cause for the galaxy is without her. I know that will never happen if I stick around," he said.
"Anakin..." for the first time in her life words seemed to fail Padme Amidala as she watched her husband sign his name to the divorce papers. It had begun. As soon as Anakin's name was on the papers the ink from the pen turned from black to gold making his part final. There was nothing else to do but to sign her name as well.