On Death Star II

Anakin Skywalker frowned as he felt the Emperor's rage. The bond that had been forged between the Emperor and himself in his moment of weakness was pulsing with life, with anger, with rage. The bond that had formed had been forged on Coruscent two decades before, had been painful, had been evil and just wrong, something he had been fighting against until he had been put in the Death Suit. It had been different than the slow gentle bond he had had with Obi-Wan, and at that moment his bond with Obi-Wan had broken, leaving him pained. The formation of his bond with the Emperor and the loss of his bond with Obi-Wan had made him feel light-headed.

How was it possible that the Emperor was still alive? Anakin remembered his final moments as Darth Vader. He remembered fighting with his son. He remembered probing his mind, finding out the existence of his sister. He remembered the hope that had flared within him even as Darth Vader had spoken of turning her. He remembered his son's rage, his embrace of the Dark Side, and he had been careful not to harm him, Darth Vader hadn't wanted a repeat of Bespin, no matter what it took he would not harm Padme's child. He had been taken aback and not entirely surprised when Luke had cut off his mechanical arm, and all but beat him. He was his son, Padme's son, and then he had rejected the dark side, and Anakin could feel himself awakening. He had heard the voices of Obi-Wan, and Padme, he had heard his own voice, and the voice of Ahsoka, even as he watched the agony of his son and felt out the Emperor's plan for them both.

Suddenly, Anakin Skywalker was himself, free of the grip of the Dark Side and the Emperor. He looked over at his son.

"Father, please," he begged him and he heard Padme.

"Anakin, please. You are a good man, don't do this."

"Anakin, the Chancellor is evil."

The Emperor was evil, and Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One, he would not allow him to win, to cost him the last of his family. Suddenly, Anakin Skywalker was moving toward him using Vader's mechanical limbs he stepped closer to the reactor shaft of the Death Star. He would not lose Luke. Not when he could save him. He had failed to save so many in his life, but he would not fail, not this time, even if this was the very last act he performed, he would save his son. Even if he had failed with the boy's mother and grandmother, this child, this good being would not be destroyed. Not if there was something he could do, and there was. His son, Their son, would live.

"No, Vader, stop. I am your master!" the Emperor had cried out, while Anakin held him up and over.

"Vader's master, perhaps. But I am no longer Vader, I am Anakin Skywalker, and you are NOT my master. My master is dead, and my son is right. I am a Jedi," Anakin said as he dropped Vader's master down the shaft, here his scream of pain and agony. Anakin struggled to remain upright but failed, as he all but collapsed from the intensity of fighting against the Emperor's lightning. He knew that before this day the Emperor's goal had never been to destroy him but to convert him, to keep him loyal.

"Father!" He heard as he turned Vader's helmet toward the voice of his son.

"My son, are you alright?

"Father?"

"The lightning, it sometimes leaves lasting damage. I can use the Force to heal you but we must hurry," Anakin added. Before he realized the Death Star was falling apart. "It seems Palpatine was wrong about a great many things."

"Palpatine?"

"The Emperor, my shuttle is launched at the end of the hall, you shall take it. You must escape my son."

"I'm not leaving without you."

"You must. I will only slow you down," he added, before frowning. He had thought it was his time to die, but the Force had other plans for its son and grandson. Anakin nodded, and pressed a few buttons, before pulling him into oxygen filled mask, Anakin ejected himself from his life-supporting suit, and carrying himself on mechanical legs led the way, as his son stood by shocked for the moment but hurried after his father. Several times, Anakin thought he would die, that he hadn't the strength to make it, but his son dragged him along.

"Where will you go?" Anakin asked his son, "You require medical attention," he added, after entering the secure pass code for his TIE fighter.

"So do you?" Luke argued. "What happened?" he added, looking over at his father. It was the father from his dreams, and nightmares. Anakin Skywalker's blue eyes were but a reflection of his own, and the mechanical limbs did frighten him,

"Obi-Wan and Palpatine happened," Anakin replied. "Though it was my own fault, for failing, and for falling."

"What do you mean, Father?"

"We will speak of this later," Anakin replied, as he concentrated on the light side, checking for injury and making repairs. He felt his son's breathing ease. "You will always carry the lightning inside of you, but you will not suffer for it," Anakin concluded as he pressed a panel, and another Death Suit appeared.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Luke asked his father.

"I was a Jedi," Anakin added, slightly offended. "I may not have been the best apprentice but I learned well enough. Meditation as a Jedi was never easy. Son….I'm sorry," Anakin added before stepping back into the suit. "I need this suit to live, and you need to capture Darth Vader."

"No. Darth Vader is dead."

"I will always carry a piece of him inside me, there's no escaping that."

"But you have rejected the Dark Side?"

"Yes, I have. I never intended for…" Tears formed in Anakin's eyes, "I should have died on the Death Star," Anakin finished.

"Come on, Father, we will find a way. I can't lose you, not when I've just gotten you back." Anakin turned toward his son, as he hadn't put the mask on yet.

"No, my son. You must not fear loss; you must not repeat your father's mistakes. You are a far better Jedi than I ever was."

"Obi-Wan said you were a good friend."

"Perhaps, once. That day has long since past. He always said I would be the death of him, I doubt he meant to die by my hand," Anakin said sadly. "I wish things had been different."

"They will be," Luke replied and Anakin remembered him making sure Anakin could survive without the suit. Anakin shook his head clearing it of the memory as they entered the Naboo system.

"Snips, the Emperor is alive," he finally stated, and he watched as Rex grabbed her hand.

"We're with you, General Skywalker." Anakin reached out with the Force, wondering what to do about the reformation of the bond with the Emperor, and he could feel Padme. She was still on Naboo, but sleeping, something was different.

"Captain Piett," Anakin asked.

"Yes, Lord Vader."

"Piett, please it's Skywalker."

"Yes, Lord Skywalker," Piett replied.

Anakin sighed but landed at the Lake House in Valykino letting the feelings of Naboo wash over him. Padme was here. Anakin felt his heart beat with anticipation.

"Stop it, Skywalker. You're as nervous as a nest of Gundarks," he added before walking into the house.