Chapter 6

Author's Notes: I am so pleased with the feedback and encouragement I've received from y'all. I said before that I don't intend for this to be a long story; I anticipate wrapping things up in this chapter or the next. If you haven't done so, I encourage you to check out my other story (currently in-progress) Shockwaves in the Unifying Force.

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Sola's mind raced. Ryoo and Pooja had been very young when Anakin had first graced their doorstep and had never really had the chance to get to know him. For that matter, neither had she, but she had at least been mature enough to see the desire that graced Anakin and Padmé's occasional furtive glances towards one another. But Anakin...Darth Vader? He had been an intense young man but had been polite and obviously attentive to Padmé, it was hard to fathom that man becoming the dark specter that had become a symbol of fear for the galaxy.

"So what happened to him?" Ryoo finally asked.

Leia and Han turned towards Luke who looked uncomfortable.

The Jedi finally said in quiet tones, "I don't really know much. I know that Obi-Wan said that he had been a good friend who had been seduced by the Dark Side. I can tell you one this: I've met the Emperor and he...I can see how one could be manipulated by him if he or she wasn't aware of his true nature."

"True nature?" Sola asked hesitantly.

"He was a Sith, a user of the Dark Side of the Force."

Sola shook her head, "How? How could the Jedi not have sensed him?! And Anakin...oh."

"What?" Han asked.

"Palpatine" she hissed. "He met Anakin here, met him when Anakin was just nine years old. I recall Padmé once saying that Anakin considered him a friend."

There was another silence, no one quite knowing what to say to the other.

There was a beep from R2-D2 and the others looked at the droid.

Luke translated for the others, "He said that he doesn't have a visual, but he does have an audio recording of the last conversation between Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Anakin." Luke paused. "I don't think it's a very good recording, but it might have a detail or two that might help?" Luke trailed off, then nodded at Artoo's affirmative beep.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible things."

"What things?"

"He said you'd turned to the Dark Side."

...

"Anakin, all I want is your love."

"Love won't save you , Padmé, only my new powers can do that."

..

"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother."

"I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of, and I'm doing it for you. To protect you."

...

"Obi-Wan was right...you've changed."

...

"You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind until now...until now you've become the very thing you've sworn to destroy.

...

"Don't make me kill you."

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy!"

"If you're not with me then you're my enemy."

There was a hiss and then the sounds of crackling and buzzing filled the air.

"That's it?" asked Han, not unkindly.

Luke dropped his head into his hands, "That's not static, that's the sound of a lightsaber fight. They're dueling, the duel, I believe, where Father is put into a life support suit for the rest of his life."

Han looked unsure of how to respond to that. For that matter, none of the others were really sure how to reply either.

Leia laid a hand on Han's leg and ventured, "He turned to the Dark Side...for Padmé?"

Luke translated a series of beeps coming from the astromech droid, "Anakin was prone to nightmares. Visions. Nightmares or visions such as the one I had on Dagobah about Leia and Han." Seeing Sola, Pooja, and Ryoo's blank stares, he elaborated, "Premonitions of visions of the future, of a possible future."

More beeps. "Anakin had visions of his mother's death. Later he had visions of Padmé's."

Luke opened his mouth, shut it, and than opened it again. "Obi-Wan said Anakin had been seduced by the Dark Side. I think, in a way, it's more literal than you might think. Master Yoda told me that 'once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.' I've felt it, nearly fell to it myself." At Han and Leia's shocked looks, he gave a wan smile, "Vader threatened you, Leia. I don't know if he meant you, but he told me that if I didn't turn to the Dark Side, perhaps my sister would. The feeling I had then..." Luke shook his head. "The Dark Side is a constant danger to those sensitive to the Force. The woman who Anakin loved was in danger and if, as Sola said, Palpatine was his friend, well..."

Han, still looking uncomfortable said, "Doing something stupid for someone you love isn't exactly a rare thing." He obviously didn't relish the idea of casting too much sympathy for the man who'd imprisoned him in carbonite."

Leia...

Sola noticed Leia looking like she either wanted to scream or cry and couldn't figure out which to do. She finally said, "I met him, Leia, when he was Anakin. He was a good man. Perhaps it's as Luke said, and perhaps not. But there was a good man once."

Pooja, seeing how late it was, got to her feet. "Why don't we sleep...and talk more tomorrow. I think there's a lot that all of us probably need to let settle." She gave Leia a warm smile, "And I, for one, would much like to get re-acquainted with my old friend, and my new cousin."

Leia, as strained as she obviously was, gave a slight smile in response. Slight, but genuine, Pooja thought.

"I can prepare some rooms for you unless you have your own lodgings...?" Sola asked. "We do have three rooms that could be arranged for your use."

Leia, before her companions could say otherwise, "We'd like that, but two rooms would be fine."

Pooja and Ryoo looked delighted and grinned at Han and Leia. Pooja mouthed 'we'll talk' to Leia, making Leia smile again.

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Leia and Han walked towards the bedroom Sola had indicated for their use. They were both quiet, neither quite sure what to say or even what to think. Leia opened the door and Han ran into her suddenly still form. He heard a gasp.

"Leia?"

But Leia didn't respond, she was too busy staring at a bluish figure standing on the other side of the room. He wasn't quite there, but he... Luke had described the visitation of Force spirits before and the description made her fairly sure that this visitor was just that. But she had no idea who he was. He had long curly hair and wore the customary Jedi garb. He had a single scar over one eye and wore a small, sad, smile. He had a single golden prosthetic arm.

Leia put a hand over her mouth in shock and stepped back into Han, who had to struggle to keep his balance. She heard him talking in her ear, asking some question, but her eyes were fixed to her visitor.

"Hello...Daughter," Anakin Skywalker said.