AN: So I added a scene at the last minute in this. Why? Well. It just made sense.
Read, enjoy, and review!
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Chapter Thirty-Four
Naturally, the Alliance High Council was skeptical of Leia when they found out she wanted to negotiate the terms of a truce with them and so she agreed that she'd come to them on Endor, the place Vader's Fleet had just retreated from. For the occasion, Leia dressed herself in purple robes and tied her hair around her head in braids. Luke stood next to her nervously as the ramp came down. Leia smiled at him to reassure him and together they walked right back into rebel territory and the alliance wasn't taking any chances. They had officers flanking both sides of them as they were led to the makeshift council tent where the high council resided and two guards stood by Luke and Leia's side the entire time as they sat before them.
Leia bowed her head respectfully, and they all exchanged pleasantries for the sake of diplomacy before Mon began.
"Well I'm certainly surprised to hear from you so soon. Didn't the imperial fleet just retreat?"
"Yes," Leia said. "But you all weren't the reason they did so. In fact, you all didn't even destroy the Death Star. I wonder what your members would think if they knew."
"We wanted to figure out who did first," Winter said matching Leia's stare.
Leia only glanced at her and then looked at all the leaders.
"I can tell you exactly who destroyed it. It was Palpatine himself," Leia said bluntly.
"The emperor would destroy his own weapon?" Akbar asked.
"You have to understand. This is all a game to the emperor and we're all his pawns so he can capture the true prize," Leia said to them. "The loss of the Death Star was a necessary one in his eyes because no technological error as that is a match for the power of the force and he knows it. A machine doesn't feel pain, rage, hate… But you put all that in a man who commands the force and you have an invaluable asset and ally."
"Isn't that what Vader's for?" Winter scoffed.
"Yes, but Vader has what Palpatine considers a weakness in his eyes," Leia said.
"Vader? A weakness?" Mon asked.
"He cares too much for his family," Leia explained. "And Palpatine is trying to use it against him."
"What family?" Riekaan asked.
Leia didn't plan to answer, but Mon did.
"Shmi is Vader and Ahsoka's daughter," she said and then turned back to Leia, ignoring the reactions around the table. "So what does Lord Vader propose?"
"You help him take down the emperor."
"No," Winter said immediately. "We won't be part of Vader's game to take over the empire."
"Believe me, he's willing to negotiate. Besides, the emperor is the empire. He dies and so does it. But Vader's willing to hold it together long enough for both sides to agree to the terms of a truce," Leia said to him.
"I don't believe it. What does he get out of this? What do you all get out of this?" Winter asked.
Mon gave her a look that clearly told the young woman to hold her temper before she spoke.
"Winter's right. For all we know Vader just wants to use us to gain control of the empire before betraying us," Mon pointed out.
Leia set her jaw, but Luke, sensing her anger, caught her eye and looked at her patiently. She couldn't deny the truth in Mon's words just because she didn't like it. Vader had built a reputation and while some of it was exaggerated, there was still a good amount of it that was true. Leia resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him but let go of her anger in any case as she turned back to Mon to plead their father's case.
"Vader doesn't care about ruling the empire anymore. He's tired of being held in Palpatine's shackles, people manipulating him by using the things he cares about the most. He wants the same thing you all claim to be fighting for, freedom and I don't think he's ever felt truly free in his life. He's always had to sacrifice the things he truly cares about," Leia replied solemnly. "I know… We just want to stop hiding. That's all any of us know, hiding and running."
"Leia…" Winter said, her expression softening.
"Hold on…" Mon said. "I may understand all that, but why would you two side with him. Vader's the reason you had to run and hide. He killed your father and indirectly caused your mother's death. They'd be ashamed that you're in coops with him."
Luke and Leia exchanged a look. They had never intended to reveal who their father became. They were as determined as Ahsoka was not to let Anakin Skywalker's memory be tainted, but they had to tell them something.
Leia started to spew out a story before she heard a commotion outside the tent. It sounded like the alliance officers were trying to apprehend someone and failing miserably…
The flap to the tent opened and in walked Vader with Shmi at his side putting the High Council immediately on guard. The two officers guarding Luke and Leia trained their blasters on him, but with years of force experience, he effortlessly removed them from their grips and tossed them aside.
"Kishan, guard the tent," Shmi said whispered to the beast that was barely fitting in the tent. Kishan then made his way outside and guarded roared to intimidate anyone who even thought of trying to overcome him.
"You can relax," Vader said. "I don't really care that you're here."
Leia could feel her father's weariness through the force, but it also came out in his tone somehow, despite the mechanical voice of the suit. Even the High Council noticed something was different about him. Twenty-two years of hardships as a Sith and thirteen before that as a Jedi had taken its toll on him. He didn't want to be a war hero or villain anymore.
"I know you don't trust me. I've never given you a reason to. I'll admit I'm a cruel ruthless monster most of the time. I've always had that tendency and until recently I've never really wanted to face that and so I've never found balance with myself and I doubt anyone will ever truly understand that. But…" Vader paused and then put his pride aside. "I need your help. The emperor's taken Ahsoka to Mustafar and he's got a large fleet just waiting on me when I get there. I don't want to take any chances."
"What makes you think we'd be willing to take that chance?" Mon asked stoically
"Because this is what you're all about," Luke said to the alliance leaders. "Not about a type of government, but a galaxy where families can live in peace without worrying about someone trying to break them apart. We've helped imperials before. This isn't any different. If you think about it, he wants the same thing you do."
"We can't be sure Luke… To put it bluntly, this is Vader we're talking about. For decades he's been a man that's more machine than human," Mon pointed out. "And out of nowhere he comes to us pleading for help?"
"Then if you don't trust Vader the machine or Vader at all," Vader said reaching up and unclasping his helmet.
Luke turned to Vader, hope alight in his eyes.
"Then trust the man behind the mask," he said taking off the mask and tossing it aside. "Trust Anakin Skywalker."
"Daddy…" Leia breathed looking at him in shock. She didn't even hear the name 'Anakin Skywalker' until she was twelve and it came from Ahsoka then. But she always rationalized that Vader had always been her father. Vader was the only father she knew and he'd always denied his former name.
He cracked a smile at her. "It's always been me princess."
And then Leia understood why the Jedi told Luke Anakin Skywalker was dead. They only knew Vader, the mask. But all those years, she and Ahsoka had kept Anakin Skywalker alive even though he denied it, even though even outside the suit, he wore the mask of Vader and Leia hadn't realized it. She was wrong when she told Luke that Vader was all she had ever known. She had known Anakin Skywalker all along. But her mother… Padmé… The mask of Vader was the last thing she saw of him and to her, he had truly been dead. Leia smiled. She could no longer resent her mother for dying anymore, especially since it was her that convinced Ahsoka to go after him. Now she understood her mother's plea. Everything her mother had done had been for them and their father. Padmé died to make room for Ahsoka and later Leia, Luke, and Shmi, to save him. Perhaps this was what she had wanted all along.
Everyone at the table was shocked. Everyone knew who Anakin Skywalker was, even though the empire had done their best to erase him from history, make him nothing more than an old legend.
"Anakin?" Mon stuttered looking at him.
"Yes," he said irritated now. "I turned to the dark side. I killed the Jedi and helped to destroy the republic and to be honest, I can't say I regret it. I learned a lot all these years, learned what my role in balancing the force really is. But I'll explain all that later. Are you going to help us or not?"
Leia smirked. He was still the same old dad she had known. Always straight to the point.
Winter stood up, a determined look in her eyes.
"What do you need us to do?"
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Vader had been expecting to have this conversation for a while, but it didn't mean he was any less bothered by it when the time came.
"Young Skywalker… Defied the odds again you have. Returned from the dark side, you have," Yoda said to him.
"Don't get it wrong. I only said that to get the alliance to help me. I doubt I'll ever truly be Anakin Skywalker again. I'm too far gone," Vader said to him. "It's just that the dark side doesn't control my destiny anymore. I've simply renounced the Sith way, the same as I have the Jedi. I don't think I'm meant to be either one."
Yoda didn't chide him like he thought the green little man would. Instead he looked at him curiously.
"Understanding you have gained. Elaborate, will you?"
"Ahsoka used to tell me I was as much a conventional Jedi as I was a Sith, meaning I didn't live up to the expectations of either although I acted like I did," Vader pointed out. "But I think that was the point. I was supposed to show both sides that they had strayed from the paths they were originally given."
Yoda didn't say anything and for that, Vader was glad. He didn't have much tolerance for the Jedi and the only reason he was alive was because he was going to die soon anyway.
"I'm going to fix this mess I've made," Vader finally said to him. "And then I'm taking my family and I'll start a new order of force users whether they use the dark or the light."
"Daddy," Shmi said poking her head in the large empty room Yoda and Vader were in. "We're dropping out of hyperspace now."
Vader nodded to her and started to leave before turning back to the old Jedi and saying, "I don't expect you to understand any of this. The Jedi never did get it. But I humbly ask that you stay out of my way after this and I'll leave you to live out the rest of your days peacefully."
With that last comment to him, Vader headed to the hanger of the large rebel cruiser. Between him, Luke, and Leia, they had come up with a workable battle strategy. He was almost positive that the emperor would go after the offending imperial fighters and Star Destroyers first so he decided he'd take one of the rebel X-wings into battle. Palpatine army would no doubt be on the lookout for a heavily modified tie fighter that was much faster than the others and assume it was him. Therefore, the rebellion decided that one of their best pilots-only second to Luke and Leia-would fly in his fighter as a distraction while Vader would make his way to the surface of Mustafar. Vader tried not to cringe at the thought. He wouldn't want to step foot on that planet again if it were the last planet for habitation in the galaxy. Odd how he always found himself going back to places he vowed he'd never go again. This was worse than going back to Tatooine.
"Ready daddy?" Leia asked coming up next to him.
Vader glanced at her and smiled a little. It amazed him how much she had grown, from the little tomboy who would rather race and fix on speeders while trying to set up her guardian and father, to a grown woman who was far more mature and certain of her destiny than he was at that age… But she was still a tomboy.
"What?" Leia asked smiling back.
Vader laid a hand on her face. "You've just grown up so much. It doesn't seem so long ago that Ahsoka laid you in my arms when you were only three or four days old. She always said you were going to look just like your mother when you grew up and she was right. Your mother would be proud of you. You know that right?"
Leia shrugged a little. But she was more surprised that her father was actually mentioning their mother. The last time he told her about her mother was when she went to Naboo when she was twelve.
"Come on," he said dropping his hand. "We've got to get a move on."
Leia embraced her father and kissed him on the cheek.
"I love you daddy," she whispered and turned to go to her own fighter.
"Love you too princess."
Leia froze in her tracks. In all her twenty-two years, never once had her dad said that he loved her even though she always knew he did. There was no denying that. He had proved it time and time again when to be quite honest, she knew she probably deserved much more punishment that he ever gave her. She had definitely been a difficult child. But to hear him say it out his mouth… Leia turned around to face him. But her father was already in cockpit of his fighter by that time. She only laughed a little and kept going back to her fighter.
Meanwhile Shmi was sitting with her arms crossed between a restless Kishan and equally frustrated Artoo.
"This isn't fair," she said. "I can fight."
"I'm sure you can," Mara said to her.
"You're mocking me," Shmi said crossing her arms as she whined, "I want to go down to Mustafar too."
"Believe me Shmi," Luke said to her. "You don't want to."
Artoo replied.
"See. Artoo agrees with me."
"Shmi," Luke said glaring at her. "Stay here."
Shmi hissed and crossed her arms, her torgruta features standing out more that they usually did in her anger. Luke only shook his head at her as he turned his attention back to the TIE he was going to be flying. It was part of throwing Palpatine off of which fighter was which and since many imperials knew how to spot his personalized fighter, he was forced to take a TIE.
"I hate these things," Luke said.
"Oh stop whining farm boy. I hate this entire situation but you don't see me whining about it," Mara snapped.
Luke winced. Mara hadn't exactly welcomed him back with open arms when he came back to the rebellion with Leia earlier, especially after he had practically let his father kill Obi-wan. He sighed. He still hadn't quite forgiven himself for that one. As she went around to her fight, Shmi following her as she tried to convince the older girl to take her along, Luke sighed clenching his hand.
You won't be able to fly out into battle this distracted…
Luke blinked in surprise at the amused tone. He looked around trying to place where the voice had come from.
"Who's there?"
There, there Luke. Don't be so on guard.
"That's it," Luke said dryly to himself. "Guilt has driven me to insanity."
Trust me Luke. You're anything but insane.
A shimmering blue form appeared before Luke and he gasped in surprise.
"Ben?"
"Hello Luke," Obi-wan said with a smile.
Luke broke out into a grin despite the guilt he was feeling. "Ben… I…" Luke trailed off unable to find the words.
"It's okay Luke."
"No it's not. There's so much I want to say to you, but I don't know where to start.," Luke said looking down at the floor before saying. "I guess I should start by apologizing."
"For what?"
Luke looked at him aghast before saying, "I killed you! It's my fault you're dead. I let Vader kill you."
"Luke," Obi-wan began patiently. "You can't blame yourself for the sins of your father. Vader didn't have to kill me, but he had his own personal vendetta he felt he had to settle. If anything, I'm glad be you did what you did."
"You're glad I opened the way for Vader to kill you."
"What were you thinking when you blocked my blade Luke?
Luke shrugged. "I don't know. I saw what you were about to do and then I felt Leia and Shmi's terror and I… I don't know. I just knew I had to protect Vader."
"Exactly. And that's all you did. You did what any son would have done and protected your father and I'm proud of you Luke."
"Proud of me for stopping you from defeating the man who killed the Jedi?" Luke asked caustically.
"It was more than that Luke. By doing what you did, knowing that Vader had committed those crimes, you proved to me that you've finally forgiven your father and let go of your resentment toward him. There was no way you could have stood between him and death if you hadn't."
"But he's a Sith. Now I'll never hear the end of accepting my destiny in the dark side," Luke said rolling his eyes at the thought. "I'll end up just like him.
"By forgiving your father, you've taken a very big step in making sure you never go down that path Luke. By accepting the truth, you've come face to face with the dark side and shown you're no longer afraid of it and that is one of the first steps in conquering it Luke. Something the old order never did. Instead we tried our best to avoid it and in doing so, we came to fear it. Perhaps Ahsoka and your sister have a point even though they can be a bit…"
"Overbearing and narrow minded?" Luke said dryly.
"Leia would disagree with you," Obi-wan said with a smile. "But I think they'll eventually come around. Leia was just being stubborn like your father. She has to have the last word and be right."
"Still."
"Luke, I have no regrets and harbor no resentment toward you. I'm proud of what you did today. To oppose the people, even if for a moment, who you call your friends and comrades for what you know is right takes great courage and you will be the beginning of a line of Jedi much greater that the old order ever was."
Obi-wan started to fade away.
"Wait Ben," Luke said.
"There will be a time for it later Luke. May the force be with you."
Luke stared for a moment and if it weren't for the force telling him that it was so, he would have thought that his conversation with Ben had just been a dream.
"What are you staring at farm boy?" Mara asked.
Luke blinked and then smiled, "Nothing red. Ready to do?"
Mara rolled her eyes and went over to her tie, muttering in the affirmative.
"I'll everything later. I promise," he said to her.
Mara waved a hand dismissively in his direction. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever.
Shmi scowled at the two. Here she was stuck on a star cruiser and those two were playing around with each other. She, Kishan, and Artoo started to go up to the viewing port of the Executor to watch the ships take off. But out the corner of her eye, she saw Han and Chewie preparing to lead the ground troops of 501st down to Mustafar. Shmi smirked as Han and Chewie followed the troops up the transport shuttle.
"Come on," she said to Kishan and Artoo.
Shmi ran to the shuttle and ushered Kishan and Artoo up the ramp before it started to close and then jumped on the ramp as it started to close and the ship began to take off. It closed behind her and started to take off in formation with the other shuttles that would land on Mustafar and Shmi smirked in triumph. Ventress would be proud…
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Ahsoka hated chains. She had been cuffed and trapped in them far too many times for her to count, but this was the worst. If there was one thing the emperor wasn't doing, it was underestimating her. Not only had he cuffed her hands together and cuffed her neck, but he had chained her to his throne. His arrogance never ceased to amaze her. He had a throne room here, like it was his palace.
For the umpteenth time, Ahsoka angrily tugged at the force suppressing chains and Palpatine brushed a hand over one of her montrals like she was his pet or something. She jerked her head away and glared.
"Patience Jedi," he said. "Lord Vader is on his way as we speak. No doubt to save you."
"You speak as though you expect him to fail," Ahsoka spat.
"Even my patience has its limits child," Palpatine warned. "And I've put up with your presence long enough, if only because it has kept Vader fearful and under my control. But your presence has also made him bold and I must admit, you have become far more of a nuisance to me."
"Then kill me and be done."
"You're far more valuable to me alive dear, but that doesn't mean I'm above punishing you," he said to her and glanced down at her abdomen. "There are three other Skywalker children for me to choose from."
Fear gripped Ahsoka in a way she had become all too familiar with after she took on the task of raising Leia. She remembered the first time she felt something like it, when Leia was eight months and had gotten a high fever. It was a type of fear she used to roll her eyes at and disdain as a teenager.
"Don't force me to go to such extreme measures," he said to her.
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AN: FYI, the scene I added was the conversation between Obi-wan and Luke. It just fit quite nicely right there and I felt like I needed to tie that loose end for Luke's sake. I couldn't just leave it.
Hope you enjoyed. Review Please!