AN: I don't think this is my best chapter. But hey. It was needed. Sorry it was late. Didn't get up as early as I usually do. There's some foreshadowing in this if you know where to look.

Read, enjoy, and review!

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Chapter Thirty-five

"Look at that blockade," Leia breathed as she looked at the fleet and first class fighters guarding the planet.

"It's going to be hard to get through," Luke said over the com.

"That's the fun of it," Leia said as they met the approaching fighters.

"Remember you two. Our goal is to get past that blockade," Vader said to them. "Don't get too caught up in the heat of the battle. You'll get your fill on Mustafar."

"Roger that father," Luke replied.

Leia huffed. "Fine…"

Vader understood why Luke liked his X-wing so much. It was a decent ship to begin with, but it was no match for the expensive fighters that were zipping toward them at full speed. It would take all his flying talent and force ability to get through this.

"Move!" Leia said over the com and they all narrowly missed a missile from one of the fighters as they scattered in different directions.

From the shuttle she was on, Shmi looked out the window and watched at the fighters scatter in effort to miss the fast approach high tech fighters. She groaned and made her way to the cockpit startling the hell out of Han.

"Stang kid. What in the galaxy are you doing here?"

Shmi ignored him and turned on the com channel their fighters were using.

"Are you all nuts?" she asked.

"Shmi?" Vader, Luke, and Leia said in surprise while the other squadron commanders seemed confused that a little girl was addressing them.

"You'll never win against those things in one on one combat. Even I know that and I hate flying. Get back into you formation and stay that way," Shmi shouted over the com.

"Get over here sweetheart," Han said trying to steer Shmi away from the com. "Sorry about her. Didn't know-."

"Would someone just listen to me for once?" Shmi snapped. "I'm watching the battle. And I'm telling you the only way you're going to win is if you stay in your flight formations."

"Shmi this isn't a game," Vader said sternly to her.

"I know that. That's why you have to let me help you," Shmi said to him. "You'll never get to Mustafar with all those fighters on you."

Vader started to dismiss her, but then he thought of himself at that age and even Leia. There were just some things they all had a knack for at those ages with less experience than men and women three or four times their age.

"What's your plan?" Vader asked her.

Shmi opened her mouth to speak when another voice intervened.

"With all due respect sir," the new Rogue leader said, "You're taking advice from your youngest daughter."

"When the name Skywalker is tagged to the end of a child's name, never underestimate their abilities," Vader replied in curt dismissal of the man. "Go ahead Shmi."

"Those fighters are fast and they can gain more speed on you, but the drawback is that the pilot can't properly aim in them, even with the computers. They're going too fast for it, even for most force sensitive pilots. So they have to slow down before they shoot. If you all stay in formation, you can catch them when they slow down," Shmi replied.

"That just might work," Luke said in amazement.

"Did everyone hear that?" Vader asked.

"Yes sir," the other pilots replied, but skeptically.

"Kid, are you sure about this?" Han asked just as skeptical of an eight-year-old helping to command a battle she wasn't even supposed to be a part of.

"Just watch," Shmi said leaning forward to look out the window of the cockpit.

Han's jaw dropped a few moments later when as per Shmi's suggestion, the squadrons stayed in formation and as the high class fighters slowed down to attack, their standard issue fighters were able to take them out.

"Yes," Luke said over the com. "Good call Shmi."

"Alright kid," Han said pushing her near the com. "Looks like you didn't get that flying in your genes but you sure are a great battle tactician. Now how are we going to get down to the surface kid?"

"I'll figure it out," Shmi said. "Right now we have to get rid of those fighters."

"Any suggestions kid?" one of the rebel pilots asked.

"I've got one," Shmi said. "Leia make a break from the formation toward one of those Star Destroyers!"

Leia smirked. "So watching all those races with me taught you something," she said.

Leia broke off from the group and headed to the nearest Star Destroyer as though she were about to try and make a break for it to the surface of Mustafar.

"What is she doing?" Han asked.

"That looks fun," Luke said going to join her.

"Don't get too carried away," Vader said breaking off to join them.

"Didn't you just say stay in formation?" Han asked Shmi.

"Yeah, but we'll never get down to the surface at this rate," she said. "Okay Han. I think by now they've figured out who's piloting those ships. Look at how the fighters are following them. It's our chance to get the troops to surface."

"Already on it sweetheart," Han said making a beeline for the surface while the other fighters were distracted.

While they did that, Vader, Luke, and Leia raced toward a Star Destroyer at tops speed before lifting up to drive in between the spirals and trenches at the top of the massive destroyer.

"I haven't had this much fun since I was on Rumiyya," Leia commented as the fighters followed them. "And this time I can't get in trouble if something explodes."

"Focus on the mission Leia," Vader said to her.

Leia sobered up at that point and reached out to her and Luke's mental bond. He reached back and they connected for the first time in years. It was a technique they discovered on Yavin, that they could connect when they flew together. They used to entertain Shmi by doing sky shows for her in a series of complicated and symmetrical patterns that only two people who were bonded as they were, despite their differences, could execute so perfectly.

The two began to weave in and out of the spires, crossing each other's paths and their father's most of the time and their pursuers were doing all they could to keep up. The tactic was working though, not only were the pilots losing control of their crafts and crashing into the massive destroyer randomly, they were causing a heck of a lot of damage.

"Now's our chance," Luke said over the come to Leia.

"Always two steps ahead of you Luke," Leia replied as she was already heading toward the planet's surface.

Luke and Vader flanked her and from behind them, the four shuttles carrying ground troops escorted them down. The troops then began to unload the shuttles. As soon as Shmi's feet touched the ground Han came over to her and rubbed her head, disturbing the two montrals underneath her brown locks.

"Ow!"

"You did a good job up there kid," Han said grinning at her.

"Thank… Ah," Shmi yelped when Chewie lifted her off the ground to embrace her. "Chewie…"

"Careful big guy. You'll suffocate her," Han warned and Chewie immediately put her down.

"You're not supposed to be here," Luke said to her.

"You didn't really expect me not to find a way out here?" Shmi asked dryly with a playful grin.

Vader supposed Shmi was right. She didn't just have the his recklessness going for her, she had her mother's, add to the fact that Artoo wasn't going to stay away, and telling her to stay away was like asking her to come. He didn't approve and he figured later he would have a long talk about needlessly putting herself in danger, the same conversation he had to have with Leia, but she had proven useful.

"Stay close," Vader said to her as they saw the fortress in the distance.

"So what's our plan now?" Han asked.

"Get inside," Vader said simply as they started their way across the hot rocky terrain, one of the only stable landmasses on the planet. He remembered it well…

"Something's wrong about this…" Leia said as they finally got to the doors of the large black fortress. "The emperor knew we were coming. Why does this seem so easy?"

"Because he wants us to get inside," Vader replied putting his hands over the security pad for the large double doors. "That's where the real battle will be."

"Spring the trap," Leia said sighing. "Ahsoka's right. You are much worse than me. At least I don't knowingly walk into this kind of stuff."

Vader ignored her as the doors opened. He then reached back to pull Shmi close behind him, Kishan guarding her from behind. This was way too familiar to Vader for his liking. And then it dawned on him what Palpatine was recreating just as his senses went off.

He saw the opposing imperial troops coming just as he slammed the two doors and jammed the security mechanisms with his lightsaber.

"Now we're trapped inside," Han yelled.

"Better than letting them get in here," Vader said. "They wanted to trap us this way all along. We're surrounded and that door's not going to hold for long."

"Stang it," Han said taking out his blaster. "Go find Ahsoka and the corpse. We'll hold them off as long as we can."

"Han," Leia began.

"He's right," Mara said taking out her green blade. "Go on. We'll take care of this. The emperor's in here somewhere and you all have to find him. Go."

"Let's go Kishan," Shmi called out above the banging on the doors. She then straddled his back.

"You really shouldn't be here," Vader said regretting that he hadn't left her with the ships and Artoo.

"It's either I go with you or stay with them," Shmi said with a sly grin.

Vader didn't even have to think about that one. At least if Shmi was with them, she was guaranteed to be protected well. He gestured for her to follow them into the narrow hallway behind their troops. There was no turning back for anyone at this point.

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"Is this an Imperial Fortress or a palace?" Luke asked as they made their way around, still unable to find the emperor.

"The emperor likes to play games Luke. Be on guard," Vader said more for himself than Luke. Just being back on Mustafar disturbed him, made him unfocused and took him back to that fateful day that was part of the catalyst leading to this point. It figured the emperor would take him back there.

"What's through those doors?" Leia asked referring to a door at the end of the hall. It blended in so well with the walls, one would almost miss it.

"There's something ominous about it," Vader said putting his gloved hand on the door.

"But I don't sense any danger," Luke said.

"Danger depends on your point of view," Vader pointed out but opened the door anyway. It led to a large bridge that went down the sides of the Fortress and crossed a lava river to bridge between a second building, behind the main one that was on a piece of land that was lower than the main one.

"How much you want to bet the Emperor's in that building?" Leia asked but Vader wasn't paying any attention. He was staring ahead at the grounds he didn't even want to see let alone walk on. The second building was behind a lava shore he would never forget. He didn't remember much except intense pain as his body burned. It had been a blur. But the one thing he remembered vividly was the image of Ahsoka trying to fight Obi-wan off to try to help him.

"That's where it happened," Vader said to all of them.

"What?" Luke asked.

"Where Obi-wan left him to burn," Leia answered.

"Obi-wan did that?" Shmi whispered clasping Vader's left hand.

"Your mother didn't tell you?" Vader asked.

"How could she have?" Leia asked. "Shmi wouldn't have understood it then and she didn't want any tension between us."

"There was enough as it was," Luke added in agreement.

"Well he's dead now," Vader said although the thought didn't comfort him as much as he thought it would have. "Ahsoka tried to help me, but Obi-wan wouldn't let her."

"I always knew he left you, but I didn't know he kept Ahsoka away," Luke said. "It makes the Jedi seem kind of cold. It's one thing not to do anything yourself, but another to stop someone else."

"I'm glad he did," Vader said. "She wouldn't have known about you two if it weren't for her going with him."

"So in a way you owe Obi-wan," Luke pointed out.

Vader might've replied if he had anything to say, but he didn't get the chance as someone else interrupted him.

"Oh how touching. A holo moment."

They all turned around to face a tall lean man and a woman. The two were either obviously related or from the same civilization of humans. They bother had shiny black hair and olive colored skin, not to mention they were both force sensitive.

Vader cursed and all three of his children immediately knew that these two weren't a good omen.

"Why Lord Vader," the girl said. "Is that you? I see you've had a makeover recently."

"Who are they?" Leia asked.

"Two of the emperor's personal assassins… and their force sensitive," Vader added.

"Hands?" Luke asked.

"You wish," Vader replied. "You can call them adepts if you want."

"They look familiar," Shmi said. "Like I've seen them."

Vader ignored her question. She was right. They were the same human species that Melody had been, but Shmi might go into one of her despondent modes, followed by a violent tantrum if he mentioned it. Instead he said, "I have no time for this."

"Then you go face the emperor," Luke said to him. "Me and Leia can handle this."

"The last thing I need is you two having an accident because you're dueling on a lava planet," Vader said to them as he remembered his and Obi-wan's duel.

"We'll be find dad," Leia said lighting her blue blade. "Go."

Vader glanced at Luke and Leia and then turned his gaze on Shmi who was trying to calm down a growling Kishan. He seemed to be aware of what he hadn't told Shmi about the two adepts.

"Leave this to Luke and Leia. If it comes down to it, I want you to get out of here. Understood?" he asked.

Shmi sighed. "I get it. Fine…"

There was something off about her tone and Vader tilted her chin up to look at him.

"What is it?"

"I…" Shmi trailed off. "Be careful daddy."

"Don't worry. Your mother will be fine."

"I'm not worried about her. I know you'll save her," Shmi said bluntly as though she knew something he didn't. But Vader didn't have time to ask her what she meant. The force was urging him forward and so he regarded her for a moment before making his way across the bridge to the other building.

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AN: I thought the emperor would do his damnedest to try and distract Vader and I thought throwing Vader's past in his face was a good way. Still, I hated the beginning of this chapter and I didn't have the time to properly edit it. So excuse it.

Hope you enjoyed. Review Please!