AN: This really has been a learning experience and now it's coming to an end soon and I'll have to see if I can learn from the mistakes I made in here and write a new story with this knowledge. (Sigh). Special thanks to Sacharich for some much welcome criticism. Okay, nothing more.

Read, enjoy, and review!

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Chapter Thirty-two

"Leia!"

Leia nearly walked right past the little girl in her hurry to get to the hanger and down to Endor. Then she could have sworn she was hallucinating, but there was no mistaking that face or the blonde-brown hair and orange tinted skin.

"Mimi," Leia said running to embrace the girl. "What are you doing here? How did you get here? Where have you been?"

Shmi blinked and then said, "In order: I'm waiting on you, daddy, and Dathomir."

"Waiting on me?" Leia asked.

"Take me and Kishan down to Endor with you," she said to her.

"Hold it kid," Han said coming to where they were with Chewie. "Your dad specifically told me to watch you, and I could have sworn he said you weren't supposed to go down there."

"Han?" Leia asked looking up at him.

Han started to continue his rant until he looked up at Leia and stuttered, "Hey princess."

They were silent for a moment before Han said, "See. Nothing to worry about. She's safe and sound."

"Barely," Shmi said rolling her eyes.

Leia smiled at her and ran a hand through Shmi's hair while saying, "Thanks Han. I owe you… If there's anything I can do."

Chewie growled a response and Han elbowed him in the side telling him to shut up. Shmi smirked and Leia looked at her.

"What did he say?"

"A date would be nice," Shmi translated.

"He was just joking," Han said rubbing his neck. "You don't have to-."

"No," Leia said a blush coloring her cheeks a little. "I wouldn't mind. I'd… I'd like that."

"Really?" Han asked.

Shmi groaned in conjunction with Kishan purring in boredom.

"Can you two talk about this later? Leia, we have to go!"

Leia knew the logical thing to do was say no and leave her but at Shmi's age, Leia had been going on camping trips alone and setting Ahsoka and Vader up to fall in love. Then again, she had never been in the middle of a war. Han spoke before she could answer.

"No way kid. Your dad said-."

"But daddy doesn't know the rest of the vision. The emperor's going to take mama," Shmi said quickly.

"What?" Leia said obviously surprised. "How do you know?"

"I have visions," Shmi said simply. "That's what dad said they were."

Leia let out a string of curse words that would make her dad have a heart attack if he heard them coming out his daughter's mouth. She grabbed Shmi's hand and dragged her to the nearest shuttle.

"Kishan, come on!" Shmi yelled as Leia dragged her up the ramp.

"Ugh," Han said and looked at Chewie. "I don't know whether to be glad I met this family or if I should have hightailed it in the opposite direction screaming when I heard the name Skywalker. Come on."

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"They got the doors open!" one of the imperial commanders said.

"We got it," Winter said in excitement as the doors blasted open.

"Artoo!"

A long series of whistles and beeps came as Artoo shocked the alliance officer that had rigged the door.

Lana let out three swift blaster shots set to stun at the members immediately coming in and finally settled her blaster on Princess Winter.

"It took you all long enough. I've been in here for the last hour waiting for you all to get in here," she said sighing. "You all could use some better training."

The alliance officers started to aim their guns at her. Lana had always been a fast draw and trigger, and had the team stunned long before they could make a shot and drove the rest of the team back out the door.

"It's all handled back this way," Lana said.

"Lana," Luke yelled as he flipped over to her side to guard the shield controls. "How did you get in there?"

"My mom's a spy and assassin. How do you think?" Lana asked him.

"Luke Skywalker, what are you doing?" Mara said to him making her way over to him, unconsciously helping block the incoming bolts from her own comrades in effort to try to talk to Luke.

"It's a long story that I don't have time to explain. You're just going to have to trust me," Luke said much to Mara's annoyance.

"Sure… trust you when you've turned against the rebellion," Mara snapped.

"Red," Luke said calling her by his old childhood nickname for her. "Have I ever misled you before?"

Mara started to try and prove that he had, but now that she thought about it, he hadn't… Damn.

"I guess not," she reluctantly admitted.

"Then just trust me and guard this place. We can't win this today. It's not even about the Death Star," Luke said to her. "This is about Ahsoka!"

"Ahsoka?" Mara asked.

"It's complicated," Luke said as he scanned the area with is senses and to his concern didn't sense the Jedi in the direct vicinity. He started to go to where he and Ahsoka had landed their shuttle.

"Where are you going?" Lana yelled.

"Just stay there," Luke replied.

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Something was in the air and Vader felt it. It felt like the day he had first joined Palpatine. The air had been heavy with the change that was to come except there had been a certain coldness to that day. In contrast, this day was different. Change was in the air, but it didn't feel so foreboding.

He latched on his mask and reminded himself to erase the memory of the group of officers he had taken with him to fly his shuttle so he could pull on the suit and armor. As much as he hated it, it had its purposes. Without his armor, sometimes he didn't feel like Darth Vader. It was easier to be a sit when wearing the armor, to show no mercy. The ship set down. He stretched out his senses and became aware that there was more than one battle going on. One with the chaos and clumsiness of blaster fire mixed with a lightsaber, the other a lightsaber duel. Vader tried to suppress his rage at Ahsoka. When this was all over he was going to tie her down to a bed and she was going to stay there until she gave birth.

He made his way to the lightsaber duel and found himself rather impressed at what he saw. Ever since the day she had lost control of her temper when she killed Melody, Ahsoka had restrained from using the passionate emotion filled technique to fighting her had been trying to get her to embrace. She seemed to equate passion with anger, loss of control, and hate, but the unique balance she seemed to have found was a level he hadn't even quite been able to master. Right then, the prophecy made sense, the prophecy that had been the bane of his existence and part of the driving force of everything he did came together for him. He once remembered Yoda saying, or someone telling him, that it may have been vastly misinterpreted and though Vader never dwelt on it, hated dwelling on it, he had always thought there was more to this prophecy than they understood. Now he knew.

But first, the Jedi Order had to be completely eradicated. Someone interrupted.

"Father."

It wasn't a question, Vader realized, as Luke stepped into his line of view. There was no shock or any emotion for that matter in the tone. It was a simple acknowledgement, one he had never gotten from his son.

"Luke," he replied as he gently probed his son. Something was different. The usual hostility that was always there was now gone or at least significantly diminished. He wasn't tense or ready to fight like the last time they had crossed paths. Nor did he detect the indifference Ahsoka had once told him Luke almost always regarded him with.

"I don't want to fight you," Luke said to him

Vader wasn't shocked. "I gathered as much."

"I want to help you."

That was a little shocking, but Vader kept his composure. "What brought about such a change?" he asked.

"It wasn't sudden. But you can say Leia helped in a way. I realized some things in the last few months. Leia's right. I had to come to my own conclusion and stop relying on the Jedi just like she didn't rely on you. She watches and comes to her own conclusion and I had to do the same. I know who you are now and I don't see Darth Vader the Sith Lord anymore," Luke said to him noting how tense and uncomfortable Vader was. Leia was right, he really didn't like talking about his or anyone else's feelings.

"Then what do you see now?" Vader asked.

"Same thing Leia does," Luke said honestly. "My father, faults and all."

It was rare Vader was left speeches and he could count on one hand how many times it had occurred in the last twenty-two years.

"Look," Luke said sighing. "I'm not saying everything's fine now. There's still a lot of stuff I have to come to terms with, like when you cut off my hand for one…"

Vader started to feel guilty but then noticed the teasing in Luke's presence and the smirk on his lips.

"But I'm willing to try if you are," Luke said to him.

Vader held out his hand to him. "I always was."

Then Luke did something that literally stunned Vader. Luke stepped forward and embraced him. It was something he expected from Leia and Ahsoka, maybe Shmi once she warmed up to him more, but certainly never from Luke.

Luke pulled back giving no indication to what he had just done as he said, "You're going to kill the Jedi aren't you?"

"I have no choice. You wouldn't understand," Vader said to him.

"Maybe we could talk some sense into them?" Luke suggested.

Vader scoffed, "Maybe Palpatine will renounce the atrocities of the empire, give power back to the senate, and rebuild the Jedi temple."

"It won't hurt to try."

"I was never one for diplomacy. I was more inclined to aggressive negotiations," Vader admitted.

"What's that?" Luke asked with the same confused looked Padmé had given him years ago when he first coined the term to her.

"Negotiations with a lightsaber," Vader gestured to his own.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka ducked behind a tree as the green saber behind her slashed it. The tree fell to the side and Ahsoka used the force to lift it and hurl it at Yoda. Yoda only jumped over it, and Ahsoka charged at him with both her light sabers.

The blades met against each other and Ahsoka held with all her might against the much more seasoned force users.

"The dark side of the force, I sense in you," Yoda said.

"And your light is blinding you," Ahsoka said to him. "Vader's not the real enemy here. But you're so convinced my feelings for him have blinded me that you won't even stop to consider that maybe emotional attachment isn't as bad as you've made it out to be."

"Led you down a dark path has it not?"

"Occasionally," Ahsoka admitted. "But that's the way it's supposed to be. Love isn't just an emotion, it's the starting point of them all and just like it led the downfall of the galaxy, it can bring it back up, just like Vader can do the same. His nature is dual like love, like the force. One side can't exist without the other. Even your stupid Jedi logic can see that much."

"You overestimate the Jedi's ability to see common sense outside of their Jedi code Ahsoka," Vader said and a red blade intercepted the blades of both parties. He almost carelessly held back Yoda's blade with one hand as he glared at Ahsoka.

"I could have sworn I told you no missions," Vader said obviously displeased with her.

"I forgot," Ahsoka admitted. "It's easy to get caught up in the moment of it all."

"I recall reprimanding you for this at some point during your padawanship," Vader said to her. "But there will be time for that later. Get out of here."

"No way!" Ahsoka said resisting the urge to stomp her foot. "I'm staying."

Vader growing tired of holding up his blade carelessly waved his hand in Yoda's direction and flung the old master aside before concentrating on Ahsoka.

"It's not safe for you. Luke and I will deal with the Jedi."

Vader didn't even wait for her to answer or try to protest as he turned to face the Jedi and then, sensing Ahsoka about to protest added, "Take your shuttle and go somewhere else. I'm sure your sisters will be happy to see you again."

"Vader," Ahsoka said ready to argue with him.

"Go," he said leaving no room for argument and Ahsoka went to board her shuttle.

When Vader was sure he heard the roaring of engines and the shuttle taking off, he focused his attention on where he had flung Yoda to see Obi-wan helping the old Jedi master up off the ground.

"It was not wise of you to come here," he said to them, red blade ready in his hand.

"Father wait!" Luke said to him. "They may listen to me."

"They've had two years to listen, Luke, and I'm not going to wait any longer. It's obvious the Jedi are stuck in their old ways and even more obvious that you nor Leia or Shmi want any part in it. The Jedi order is dead," Vader said.

"I never said that," Luke said to Vader.

"You didn't need to," Vader said. "You don't want the lonely life if a Jedi."

Luke ignored his dad for a moment and turned to the Jedi.

"I know this sounds crazy, but listen to Vader. He's got something here. I learned something a few days ago, something Leia tried to get me to see but I didn't understand. There's more to Vader than just being a Sith, just like there was more to him when he was a Jedi. I used to be so sure about being a Jedi but then I got a little disillusioned to it," Luke said looking down.

Vader gave the two Jedi a smug look.

"But now I know that being a Jedi is my destiny and father's been the model of it all along without knowing it," Luke said shocking not only Vader but the Jedi was well.

"Perhaps you hadn't noticed," Vader said sarcastically. "But I renounced the Jedi Order before you were even born."

"You don't get it dad," Luke said exasperated.

Vader suppressed the pleasure he felt at Luke's more informal reference to him. Usually he was always so proper like he had to force it out his mouth or something. Right then it felt like they were actually a normal family having a disagreement… As normal as they ever could get anyway.

"Then we shall discuss it later," Vader said lighting her lightsaber. "Move aside Luke."

"You can't take them both," Luke said.

"You vastly underestimate my power, son," Vader said to him and then looked at the fallen grand master. "Besides, Yoda may as well admit his defeat."

"Why?" Luke asked looked at Vader and when he gave no indication he looked at the Jedi hoping to see the same confusion, but instead saw surprise.

"I must say they've hidden it well, but even I can tell that Yoda doesn't have long and another duel so soon after Ahsoka weakened him would just expedite his death. It wouldn't be wise to face me in a duel nor would it be fair." Vader added.

Luke snorted. "You care whether this is a fair fight or not?"

"I do have some honor," Vader said simply.

"He's right," Obi-wan said to Yoda and stood. "I'll fight him."

"Good," Vader said. "We have an old score to settle anyway."

Luke looked between his mentor and his father. He was practically stuck between a rock and a hard place. There was Obi-wan who mentored him and practically raised him all his life, but then there was his father, the man who his sister claimed searched for him from the moment he knew about him and wanted to raise him but was denied the chance. Luke sighed before turning his back on both and stepping away to let them duel. As soon as he had done so, the sound of lightsabers clashing sounded in the forest.

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What should have been a short five minute trip to the surface turned out to be much more for Leia, Shmi, Chewie, and Han. With the Executor back online, the rebels had resumed their attempts to take it down and so instead of flying straight to the surface, Leia was now flying in a dodge fight with the rebels.

"Damn it Leia and you call yourself a pilot. Move out the way," Han yelled.

"I know how to fly," Leia snapped as she dropped the ship down to dodge an ion torpedo. "Ugh… Han, Shmi, Chewie, get those fighters off our backs."

"I thought we weren't supposed to be fighting them," Han asked.

"But they're fighting us," Shmi said sitting at the navigations and taking the controls for the weaponry.

"Not so fast kid. You can't even fly a ship, let alone shoot weapons," Han said sitting next to her.

"I used to help Chewie on the Falcon," Shmi said simply and ignored Han from that point.

"Kid, I'm telling you-." Han was cut off by two fighters disappearing from their radar. Chewie was patting Shmi on the back and growling at the small victiory.

Han simply gaped and said, "Nice shot kid."

Shmi smirked in response as Leia rounded around the Executor and tried to make her way to the planet. Leia got the warning and Shmi felt the tingling of the force just as Han gasped and shouted, "What the hell is that?"

Leia looked out the window to see that a dozen or so fighters come out of hyperspace and make their way to the Death Star.

"Are those rebel fighters?" Han asked.

Leia shook her head. "There's no way the rebellion could afford fighters like that."

"Afford?" Han asked.

"Look at the sleek design. It's purposely made for battle and tight maneuvers. That's not some run of the mill inexpensive rebel design, even though the X-wing is decent enough…" Leia said.

Han had to admit that Leia had superiority when it came to knowing her ships. He would have never noticed all that with one glance. But he would never tell her that…

"So they're imperial ships?" he asked her.

"Well the empire certainly would be able to afford them," Leia replied.

"But…" Han said.

"They aren't standard class tie fighters. Whoever sent these didn't want any accidents," Leia said leaving the implication hanging in the air.

"Are you saying that the emperor-?"

A blast rocked the shuttle and Leia gripped the control tightly as she gained control of the ship again.

"They're coming after us," Han shouted.

"Why?" Leia yelled as she flew at top speeds away from the shuttles, but they didn't bother coming after her. Instead they went straight for the Death Star.

"What are they doing?" Han asked getting behind Leia.

Leia shrugged. It wasn't really her concern. Now that no one was bothering them, they had a straight shot to Endor.

"Mama," Shmi shouted and Leia looked at her.

"Where?" she asked.

"In that shuttle! The one those expensive fighters are surrounding," she yelled.

"How does she know that?" Han asked and then said, "Wait. Don't answer that."

Leia made a beeline for the shuttle that was surrounded by a few of the ties.

"That's my dad's shuttle alright," Leia said and attempted to pick up the com signal. "Hello. This is Lord Vader's daughter requesting an audience with one of your passengers. Do you read me?"

There was no answer for a while.

"Shmi, keep trying to get in contact with Ahsoka," Leia said to her as she went down to get in the direct line of fire of the shuttles. "Han."

"Already on it," Han said and fired but the fighter moved out the way and the missile hit the wing of her father's shuttle.

"Han!" Leia said and groaned. "Han, you fly. I'll shoot."

"That's what I preferred from the get go," Han said taking the pilot's chair as Leia took over weaponry.

Using the computer and her view out the window, Leia tapped into the force. The sleek fighters didn't seem so fast anymore and though they tried to maneuver out the way, Leia got two in one shot, but the others, figuring she didn't want to accidently hit her father's shuttle stayed close to it, making it impossible for Leia to get a clean shot without knocking out Ahsoka.

Leia went over to the com next to Shmi who was still trying to get her mother. Forgetting protocol, she started to shout into it.

"Ahsoka!" she yelled. "Ahsoka! Where are you? Are you there?"

There was no response for a moment before a sigh came through the com.

"Leia, Shmi?" she asked.

"Ahsoka!"

"Mama!"

"Are you okay?" both girls asked.

"Fine," Ahsoka said though it was evident in her voice that she was now exhausted.

"No you're not," Leia said to her. "What happened?"

"Apparently the stupid storm troopers your dad sent to escort me back to the Executor got direct orders from the emperor to take me to him," Ahsoka said. "I handled it. They forgot who they're dealing with."

Shmi finally said wither lip trembling a little, "You're not fine."

"I just hit my head dear," she said.

Leia cursed and she sensed Ahsoka's disapproval over the com.

"Hold on. We're going to get those fighters off of you," Leia determined.

Shmi pulled on Leia's leg.

"Leia… Someone's here," Shmi said to her.

"Who?"

"I don't know," she said with a distant look in her eyes.

Leia inhaled and exhaled deeply before closing her eyes and drawing into something of a light meditative trance. She felt for the odd disturbance in the force and growled in frustration at how elusive it was being, as though someone were hiding their presence. She searched for it and when she was finally able to lock onto to it, she grasped it before letting go just as quick at how dark and cold the presence was.

She gasped as she pulled out the trance.

"The emperor's here! He's on the Devastator," she said over the com.

Leia had never met the emperor, but she knew this presence could only belong to him. It was dark, like her father's, but the comparison's ended there. Her father's presence was dark and sometimes distant, but always warm and welcoming with awesome power that would always shield her when she was in danger. But the presence she had felt was different. It was powerful but laced with evil intent. It was welcoming, but in a way that just screamed abuse and usury, and it was cold.

"He wants mama," Shmi whispered. "I saw it."

"I thought he wanted you three," Han said referring to the three Skywalker children.

"Unless he knows…" Ahsoka's grim tone said over the com. "But how could he have found out."

"You and dad have underestimated him again," Leia said to her.

"If that's the case," Ahsoka said. "Then he wants me alive."

"Ahsoka no!" Leia said catching on to the woman's plan immediately. "You can't! He wants us to follow you…"

And then the rest of the Ahsoka's plan fell into place in Leia's head. It was one of the rules of manipulation. To set someone up, the person setting up the trap usually had to leave themselves vulnerable somewhere and underestimating her dad's resolve, power, and concern for those he cared about was definitely a vulnerability of Palpatine's that they could expose.

"Ahsoka…" Leia said softly. "No."

"Yes," Ahsoka said to her. "You said it once. You're tired of hiding. It all stops right now."

"But not like this. Ahsoka, let us go," Leia said to her.

"Then the emperor has already won," Ahsoka said to her. "I have to do this Leia. Everything will be okay."

"Ahsoka wait!" Leia said but the woman had already cut their connection. "Ahsoka!"

"What the hell is she doing?" Han asked.

Leia looked out the window to see that Ahsoka had shot forward in a beeline for the Devastator.

"No!" Leia said hitting her fist on the control. She then jerked the flight controls from Han's hands and sat on his lap without thinking as she raced after her. But their run of the mill shuttle was no match for her dad's heavily modified ship and Leia was only nearing the Death Star as Ahsoka whipped past it.

"Ahsoka," she growled focusing her will power into driving the shuttle faster, but to no avail as her father's shuttle suddenly stopped, now caught in the tractor beam on the Devastator.

"Damn it," Leia said as angry tears came to her eyes. "Go faster!"

The three fighters that had been previously flanking Ahsoka's ship came up in front of her, but Leia continued to press forward.

"Are you nuts?" Han asked putting his hands over Leia's and jerking them out the way.

"Han, Leia," Shmi whispered with her hands in her hair from the chair she was sitting in. "Stop it."

Chewie growled as he tried to quell the arguing that had ensued between Han and Leia.

"Let go," Leia said to Han as the ship swerved dangerously.

"Not until you get your head on straight."

"I do have my-." Leia stopped and suddenly swerved to her right trying to get as far away from the Death Star as possible.

"What are you doing now?" Han asked but let go as Leia wasn't trying to get then killed now.

Leia didn't reply and there was no need to as the Death Star exploded behind them.

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AN: Are you shocked? Nope it's not the end. You thought I was going to end it like this, with this battle? Tsh… You all got another thing coming. That was part of the climax but more like the climax that was the beginning of the real climax. Did I fool you?

Hope you enjoyed. Review Please!