Leia followed Mon Mothma's orders and fell asleep in her small chamber. She heard someone opening and closing the door in the middle of the night, and she sat upright, grabbing her blaster and pointed it at the silohoutte.
"It's just me," a familiar voice whispered.
"Who's 'me'?" Leia asked, not lowering her gun.
"Han Solo," Han answered, his hands up in surrender.
"Don't scare me like that, Han," Leia whispered, lowering her blaster.
"Sorry," Han said.
"What do you want, Han?" Leia inquired.
"I can't sleep."
"Come here," Leia said, motioning her bed. "Maybe you can sleep here tonight."
Han shuffled over to the bed, eager to not wake any neighbors. He silently slid into Leia's outstretched arms.
"What's wrong, Han?" Leia questioned, close enough to feel his breath.
"I don't know," Han answered. "I think it's from the talk in the medical wing. I don't understand anything anymore."
"Well, I have to accept that he's my father. Nothing can change that, Han. I didn't understand when I first heard it, either. Remember that time in the Ewok village when I couldn't say what it was? I had just learned it myself, Han. I didn't want to tell you until Vader was dead. I wasn't safe until then. I wouldn't have been safe from Vader if you had known. When he became Anakin, I knew it was safe to tell you."
"I just don't understand the whole thing. If Vader was Anakin and he couldn't turn back, then how did he?"
"You have to understand the Force, Han. You can go into the Dark Side many ways, but the only way you can be turned is if you have conflict within you. Vader became Anakin by seeing both sides and choosing our side. I am only starting to learn it myself."
"I still don't understand, and Luke will only tell me gibberish. I'll try to ignore it for now."
"Han, I'm tired. I want some rest." Leia fell asleep after whispering these words, and Han soon obliged.
Anakin was discharged later the next day. Luke helped him to Mon Mothma's office, and waited for him to finish with their meeting.
After several minutes, Anakin emerged looking happy about something. Luke knew not to ask, and he just ignored it. They walked to the dining area to have lunch with Leia, Lando, Han and Chewie, all of whom were feeling particulary edgy, as they were going to be briefed the next day for the capture of the Imperial Palace.
Neither Lando or Chewie had learned the truth, and it was Han who spilled the beans.
"I'm tired," Han said.
"Why?" Lando inquired.
"I learned some more information," Han answered, not noticing Luke's stern stare to say: Stop, they don't need to know. "About Luke and Leia."
"What about them?" Lando pressed.
"Their father was Vader, who is now Anakin Skywalker.They are brother and sister." Han continued on, not caring it was not him who was hurt. "They were hidden from each other to protect themselves from Vader. Fat lot of help that did."
"Han, you don't care about anyone else, do you?" Leia inquired sternly.
"Whaddaya mean, Leia?" Han asked.
Leia sighed, and ate the rest of the meal in silence. Luke smiled inwardly at the pair.
"Han, I think you let something slip that wasn't supposed to," Lando remarked, looking at Leia's face.
Chewie agreed in his own tongue, chuckling to himself, which led to Han's infamous line, "Laugh it up, fuzzball."
Anakin had watched his children and their friends laugh through dinner, laughing when the rest laughed but otherwise staying quiet. He enjoyed observing the youthful faces enjoy their food and company. However, good things do not last, and it was time to turn in for the night.
Anakin felt much better sleeping on a normal bed, not the ones they provided in the medical wing. He fell asleep immediately, plunging into one of his nightmares.
His wife was in pain. It took almost all of her energy to push Leia out. Her health was dwindling. She screamed as she fought to save her childrens' lives, a task that ended her life.
Anakin woke up, drenched in ice-cold sweat. He was panting endlessly. He hadn't had these nightmares since he was Anakin before Vader. Seeing these visions after the events taunted him. But a Jedi musn't worry about these things. It was already too much to see his family again. He thought he would die with remorse for his late wife. Due to his fateful mistake of his weak mind. He wanted to save Padmé, and in the end, lost her. He hated the Emperor for that, making him want to overpower Palpatine for revenge.
His son reinstructed him that anger wasn't the Jedi way, but he could only feel hatred toward his former master. He decided to meditate later, so see if it would help assauge his feelings.
"Luke, what do you plan to do next?" Lando inquired at breakfast the next day, Anakin by his son.
"Help the fleet capture Imperial Palace, rebuild it, and try to build a Jedi Academy," Luke answered.
"What do you plan to do next?" Lando asked, turning to Anakin.
"Help the Rebel Alliance, maybe help Luke or Leia," Anakin answered, feeling Lando's surprise, seeing Luke's.
"Hey, guys," Han greeted, sitting between Luke and Lando. "What are ya up to?"
"Eating, praying for your butt," Lando answered jokingly.
Admiral Ackbar's voice came over the comm unit, and silence fell over the dining area. "Admiral Ackbar here. Troops invading Imperial Palace are to meet in the conference room at 08:00. Ackbar out." The comm unit cut off, and the table with Luke, Lando, Han, and Anakin looked at one another. They had five minutes to eat and get over to the conference room. Unfortunate for them, Generals and Commanders were needed early, thus ending breakfast for them all. Anakin was also needed early to recite information.
Han stared at his plate and groaned. "Eat on the way," Luke suggested, and they all threw their trash away, Han taking his food along with him.
They soon arrived at the conference room and found Leia awaiting their arrival. She stood up and gave her brother, Lando, and Han a hug before turning to her father and giving him a loving hug. They sat down to await their orders for the infiltration.
"Good morning," Ackbar greeted. "We will arrive at the Coruscant system by tomorrow. We are now going to divide the fleet into groups to infiltrate. Here is the layout of Imperial Palace." The holopad in the center lit up with a hologram of Imperial Palace's rooms. "General Solo, you will see in the basement a passageway into and out of the kitchen both leading to the rest of the Palace and outside. You will enter from there. Are you prepared to do so?"
"Yes," Han answered, knowing who would be on his command crew.
"Good. General Calrissian, you will enter from the trash take-out located on the north side of the Palace. Are you prepared?" Ackbar continued.
"Yep," Lando answered in his usual quirky voice.
"Good," Ackbar repeated. "General Antilles, you will enter from the South-facing windows. One person per window. Are you prepared?"
"Yes," Wedge answered, ready for some more action.
"Please welcome Anakin Skywalker. He has the security codes for Imperial Palace. Skywalker." Ackbar motioned his fishy hand to Anakin, who stepped forward so everyone could see him.
"Thank you, Admiral Ackbar. I know what you might be thinking: previously Darth Vader finally redeems himself and tries to lure the Rebel Alliance into a trap. I have the security codes for access, and I intend to help you take over Imperial Palace. I know every little nook and cranny in that place, and I want to help you."