AN: This was a touching chapter I guess you could say. I'm not saying a word. Read it and well. You tell me. It's the ending I always had in mind. I can't help it. I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic. Two more chapter after this and an epilogue that's still not done. Ugh! Anywho,

Read, enjoy, and review!

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Chapter Thirty-seven

Shmi bit her lip as she watched Leia make the way back across the terrain toward the fortress. Then she turned to look at Luke who was certainly holding his own, but the problem was Maverick was much bigger and physically stronger than he was.

Shmi looked at her blue lightsaber and mused that Ventress would look at her in disgust now if she could see what her pupil was doing, sitting on the sidelines acting scared. Shmi maneuvered it in her hands and set her jaw in determination.

"Stay here Kishan," she said as she went to help Luke.

Luke looked down in surprise as his eight year old sister came to join the duel.

"Shmi go away," he said.

"Would you?" she asked as they both crossed blade and fought to push Maverick back.

Luke would have grinned in a normal circumstance at his sister's wit.

"I've got an idea," she said to him. "But you're going to have to fight this guy."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Luke said as they both pulled back from Maverick's blade and got on either side of the man.

"No you're not. You're trying to stop him from killing you. There's a difference," Shmi said to him.

Luke understood what she meant, but what Shmi was implying was leaning more towards a Sith philosophy than a jedi philosophy.

"Are you implying I use the way of the Sith?"

"No," Shmi said dryly but the irritation was obvious in her tone. She sounded like their dad. "It's the way of a person who wants to stay alive."

Shmi screamed as Maverick, growing tired of her, grabbed her with his bare hands by her neck and threw her aside. But the scream was more of frustration than anything.

"Ugh!" she groaned from where she lay.

"Mimi!" Luke yelled.

"Now to kill you both once and for all," Maverick said to him with his lightsaber up.

"No," Luke said as something rose inside him, but it wasn't the dark side, it stemmed from the light but it was different. It felt more passionate, more emotional. At that moment, Luke understood what it meant to be a Jedi, to fight with compassion. Compassion was the need to eliminate the suffering. But how could a Jedi begin to fight with compassion if they weren't supposed to love, weren't supposed to let any emotions slip into their fighting? Luke very narrowly missed getting his arm cut off as he was so distracted by his inner conflict.

"Luke!" Shmi yelled and then seemed to think better of it as her voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

Drive him off the cliff.

Luke looked past his opponent to where the cliff was. It would take a lot of intensity to drive Merrick that far, an intensity that might bring him toward the dark side. He may have understood Leia's philosophy, twisted as sometimes it was, but he was a Jedi. And so he calmed himself and drew on one thought. Get this psycho as far away from his sister as possible. What would Leia say to drive him? She'd probably say that if he had to use whatever means necessary. Then he'd said that Jedi believed in keeping duty before their personal desires, that if the means conflicted with their principles, he wouldn't. Luke smiled. Leia would roll her eyes and probably sarcastically say that 'love was duty' and that he didn't have to let his passion drive him, but he better let his duty as Shmi's older brother to protect her drive him… It sounded ridiculous in Luke's, just like one of Leia's twisted rationalizations for justification. Yet it made an odd amount of sense and with that thought in his mind, he rose off the ground and fought Maverick with everything he had in him. It was do or die. And so with what little strength he had left in his aching muscles and his abundant strength in the force, he began to drive the adept back.

He was vaguely aware of Shmi cheering him on as Kishan help her stand up, but tuned it out.

"I won't let the emperor win," Luke said to him. "He destroyed my family once. I won't allow him or you to do it again."

The two crossed blades, Luke putting the strength of the force behind his attack while the adept used his physical strength. The force won out and Maverick stumbled backwards over the cliff falling off the edge, his lightsaber falling into the molten lava as he clung to the edge of the cliff with both hands.

Luke looked down. His father might have went ahead and killed Maverick. But that wasn't what he had been taught. He was unarmed and helpless. Luke turned his back and started to go over to Shmi when the force screamed a warning, He turned around to see Maverick had used the force to propel himself back up. Luke felt his lightsaber fly from his belt.

"Kishan!"

Kishan jumped over Luke's head before the lightsaber could get there and grabbed Maverick in his jaw shaking him wildly in the air before throwing him over the cliff into the lava. Maverick's anguished screams being the last thing they heard of him before they were silenced through his death.

Luke looked at the large beast and decided he would be forever grateful that Shmi had convinced Han to let her have the pet. Kishan looked at him and nudged him in him side with his head.

"I'm fine boy," he said petting his head.

"Luke!" Shmi yelled. "Luke look!"

Luke turned to look back at the fortress. The second building of the mighty stronghold was collapsing and beginning to slide into the lava. But there was something else. He squinted his eyes to try to get a better view before realizing it was two people dragging someone. It didn't take him long to figure out that It was Ahsoka and Leia dragging Vader away from the doomed fortress as Vader probably could carry them both with little trouble.

"We've got to get over there," Luke said determined but all thoughts of doing that vanished as the connecting bridge too fell.

"How?" Shmi asked him.

Luke started to make a suggestion when both felt the force wrap them up in a protective cocoon. It was something like a warning except whatever was happening was inevitable. It was warning them not to try to stop it.

"Come on," he said grabbing Shmi's hand as they started to track back over the hot ground, but then the wind picked up and from the sky came one of the shuttles that Artoo was supposed to be watching. The said droid appeared at the top of the ramp whistling for them to get on.

"Artoo," Luke said. That droid was certainly a lifesaver. He picked Shmi up and carried her up the ramp into the ship. "Artoo fly over to there to where that building is falling!"

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Ahsoka used the force and all her concentration to move a large piece of the collapsed ceiling out the way and down into the lava river. She heard a sharp intake of breath and a groan.

"Vader," Ahsoka said jumping down into the uncovered rubble. She shifted some pieces out the way and found him lying unable to move.

He groaned from where he was, a groan that was a mixture of exasperation and pain.

"I told you… I told you to leave," he said to her as she grabbed one of his arms and tried to pull him out the rubble.

Ahsoka groaned as she used the force to move the rest of the rubble out the way and help him to his feet. But he wasn't much help and his weight threatened to make her fall. She had forgotten how heavy he was.

"Why did you come back?" he asked her.

"I left you to die once before," she said to him. "I'm not doing it again."

Ahsoka stumbled as the rest of the foundation crumbled and the entire building started to slide into the lava, followed by the bridge which took off the back end of the first building, threatening to collapse it also.

"Leave me," he said to her.

"If you're going to die today it won't be because I left you here," Ahsoka said as she quite literally dragged him away from the rest of the building as it tumbled into the lava.

"Ahsoka," Leia yelled as she ran over to where the two were coming. She grabbed her dad's other arms. "Come on, we have to get further up the slope."

Together the struggled to get to higher ground as the lava began to rise on the bank and when they figured they were high enough, all three of them collapsed to the ground, Leia and Ahsoka holding a weak Vader up. He settled in Ahsoka's arms and Leia carefully sat in front of him, wiping stray hairs out her ashy face.

"Daddy," she whispered.

"Leia," he said touching her face weakly. "Just as stubborn as your mother was. She never did do anything I told her."

"Really? I wish I had known her," she said truthfully. At one point she didn't know if she would have been happy or gad to know her mother. She couldn't imagine being raised by anyone other than Ahsoka. But now… she wished she could just have five minutes to talk to her.

"Not Padmé," he muttered. "Ahsoka… But Padmé didn't either for that matter."

Vader's hand fell next to him and he laughed, eyes closing.

"Daddy, don't close your eyes," Leia said to him as she let her tears freely fall.

"It's okay princess," Vader said. "Don't be like me. Accept death as I never could."

"You're not going to die Anakin," Ahsoka running her hand over his face.

"Is that who you see now?" he asked her.

"It's who I've always seen. I just didn't know it," she said resting her hand on his chest.

"It's fitting, don't you think?" Vader asked staring with glazed eyes at the red sky. "I died once here and so it'll be again."

"Daddy," Leia said lying next to him and resting her head on his chest.

"I want you to know I…" Vader's voice faded a little and then came back. "I know I wasn't the best lover to you Ahsoka. You deserved better. And Leia I wasn't… I wasn't the best father either but I do love you both…"

"Vader," Ahsoka said, her head hanging in grief.

"Daddy no…" Leia sobbed as she felt his heart stop.

"Tell your siblings Leia… I'm sorry," he muttered with his last breath.

"Daddy," Leia muttered.

Ahsoka however was numb with shock. It was hard to accept, hard to believe that he was gone. She so stunned she didn't realize a shuttle had landed behind them. She also didn't realize that Luke and Shmi, who she hadn't seen in person in two years, walked off the ship. Nor did she notice as Luke buried Shmi's face in his side when she began to cry. Luke looked torn between many different emotions, but whatever they were he cast aside as he said, "We have to go. Let's move him onto the ship…"

Between, Luke, Leia, Shmi, and Kishan, they did so. It took a little coaxing to get Ahsoka to move though and when she did, she simply sat by herself in one corner of the ship with her hand resting gently on her abdomen.

"It's over," Leia said to Luke and Shmi. "Tell everyone the emperor's dead."

"What about father?" Luke said softly.

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," she whispered.

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Ahsoka held only one fond memory of Naboo and that was when she and Vader had been reunited, but now… not even that could lift her spirits. After they had announced to their allies and opponents that the emperor was dead, their opposition had surrendered, fearing Vader's wrath now that they assumed he was in control. However, they neglected to mention that his second had also perished in the battle below. In fact, they only told the high council, Lana, Abdul, Han, and Mara. Ahsoka had briefly noticed that Yoda was missing amongst all of this but didn't care. So in order to keep the fact that Vader had also perished hush-hush, the alliance and Vader's Fleet travelled to Naboo. It not only kept the rest of the galaxy ignorant to what had happened as going to Coruscant would surely give them away, but it also gave them the chance to give Vader a proper funeral.

Winter went on their behalf to notify the queen of the situation and with Ahsoka's permission tell her what really happened and who Vader was. Upon learning who Vader had once been and that he had once been married to their former queen and senator, the Naboo Queen couldn't have refused them if she wanted to and so allow them to plan a private funeral for him.

But before that alliance the alliance high council found it imperative to speak with the Skywalker family in private. Although they understood that the entire Skywalker family was grieving, there was one issue that had to be addressed. So in a large conference room in the Theed Palace, Leia, Luke, and Ahsoka sat with the.

Mon began as usual.

"I know… I know this may be sudden, but we have to get this clear as soon as possible. With the emperor dead and the unexpected loss of Lord Vader, no doubt the empire is going to fall to pieces unless there's an equally powerful and clear cut heir to the throne. You've been in the inner working of the empire for a while now Ahsoka. Do you know…?"

Ahsoka heard the underlying question and slowly shook her head.

"I was Vader's second, but I have no inheritance to the empire. Palpatine intended for it to stay in the hands of the sith. I wasn't a sith," Ahsoka said to them.

"But you and Vader…" Winter started to say before trailing off at how rude it would sound.

"Vader… Anakin and I… We had been involved with each other for years and people in the empire kind of knew that but it was unspoken," Ahsoka said understanding what Winter was trying to say. "But we never got married or anything. So I have no obvious right to the empire."

"This makes things all the more difficult," Akbar said. "The empire is looking for Vader to return and take over or an heir which Vader doesn't have unless there's some secret will somewhere…"

"Knowing Vader, there probably was one. He was a bit paranoid. The problem would be finding it. It could take years to uncover it," Ahsoka pointed out.

"Well that won't solve our problem. The galaxy will fall apart in that time," Winter said dryly.

Leia finally spoke then with a snap of her fingers as something occurred to her. "Yes he does."

"Technically you all aren't Vader's heirs. You're a Skywalker. The empire is going to be looking for the Vader name," Winter explained.

"No she's right," Luke said. "Me and Leia are Skywalkers, but Shmi's last name is Vader."

"No it's both," Ahsoka said.

"No. Her last name is Skywalker-Vader. So Vader is her last name," Leia said to her. Shmi would be Vader's heir! All she would have to do is take a blood test to confirm it!"

"But the empire isn't going to go for this. Shmi's eight years old," General Rieekan said pointing out the obvious.

"And according to the Imperial law of inheritance would mean that her parent or legal guardian would rule on her behalf until she comes of age," Mon said to her and looked at Ahsoka, "which by default makes you the new ruler of the empire."

"Either me or Winter that is," Ahsoka added.

"Winter?" everyone asked.

"Shmi's a citizen of Alderaan-or was-because she was born there and to make it easier to protect her she was under the direct protection and guardianship of the royal house of Alderaan. That makes Winter, as the last surviving member of the royal house, her guardian with the right to appeal for the throne to the empire," Ahsoka said sighing. "And you can have it. I don't want anything to do with it."

Leia turned to look at Ahsoka with sympathetic eyes for once. Her father's death was hitting the woman harder than it was any of them. They had lost their father, but they still had their whole lives ahead of them to meet people, get married… But Vader had probably been her guardian's world. He was the last person she had, the last person of her generation that she had a connection to. Leia wondered if the only reason Ahsoka was holding on was because of them and the baby she still carried.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you can have it all, the navy, any imperial resources and weapons, anything you need," Ahsoka said. "If I have any requests I'll make them later, but right now…"

"Well then we need to get this out to the empire after the funeral. We'll go back to Coruscant on the Executor and announce it," Mon replied.

"Wait a minute," Leia said to them. "Palpatine's rise to power was slow but effective and I think the alliance could learn something from it. We can't just go and declare a democracy. We have to prepare the galaxy for it. The grand moffs and admirals would be on us so quick we wouldn't stand a chance. We need to start slow. Start simply by reinstating the senate and slowly returning power to them. Then we can go about taking systems and sectors from direct jurisdiction of the moffs and governors after we dispatch the fleet to send aid to systems ravaged by the war."

"Looks like we've found the New Republic's political relations advisor," Winter said smiling at Leia. "Maybe that manipulative nature will be good for something other than getting in trouble and matchmaking."

"The question is, are you willing to help?" Luke asked. "We all know how you feel about democracy."

"Why do you think I'm giving you my opinion to begin with? Daddy put his heart and soul into the empire and some of his tactics worked. I won't have you all undoing all that in the name of trying to return democracy to the galaxy as soon as you get the chance. Just know that I will fight you if needed," Leia declared firmly and then softened her tone as she said, "But first we need to attend to give my father as he was, a proper funeral."

The High Council agreed that Vader's funeral should be the first order of business and promptly spoke with the queen about making the proper accommodations for the next day

Ahsoka didn't even remember following behind the carriage drawn pillar. All she saw was Vader, donning his suit and armor, clasped in his hands his mask and helmet. However, she did see when the funeral pyre was lit as they watched Vader burn. It was some cruel irony to Ahsoka. He hated fire and now his body was being burned by it again, this time for good. However, as the flames rose and Ahsoka looked closer, she realized that his body wasn't there anymore. Next to her Luke and Leia let in a sharp intake of breath. Despite her sadness, Ahsoka couldn't help but smile in gratitude. The force had apparently accepted her chosen one back to her. He had fulfilled his destiny and was truly part of the living force as he deserved.

Whatever ashes remained (and there wasn't a lot as his body hadn't actually burned) were put in a ceremonial vase and given to Ahsoka. She had no idea what to do with them. Some people kept their loved ones ashes with them so it was like the person was never gone. But Ahsoka didn't see the sentimentality of it. It wasn't the same. She'd never hear him tiptoeing into the room as not to wake her, scowl in impatience when things weren't going his way, banter with him about everything just because it was fun to mess with him, or even as much as it got on her nerve, do everything in his power to care for her, protect her, even though he'd never say he loved her…

"Oh force," she moaned put her hands on her face, resting her elbows on her knees as it all came crashing down on her the night after his funeral.

Suddenly she felt so alone. What would happen to her? He had always been her protective shield and now he was gone from her. The twins and Shmi would always have it because they carried his name. They'd never want or need for anything, but most people didn't even know who she was in relation to the former Sith Lord. Hell, the galaxy didn't even know Ahsoka Tano anymore. She was dead. All they knew was Lady Pesinoé.

Her son chose that moment to remind her that he was there and it made Ahsoka feel worse. It would be the fourth child he wouldn't see come into existence and the third whose life he would miss out on.

"I can't do this," she suddenly said to herself and grabbed the container holding Vader's ashes. She put on a cloak, one of Vader's cloaks actually (But she couldn't find the one she had been looking for in his things), and made her way out her room.

Ahsoka moved stealthily down the hall and reached out for Luke, Leia's, and Shmi's presence in their respective rooms. However, she found all three in the same room.

Ahsoka found what was supposed to be Luke's room and opened the door. She couldn't help a small smile at the three, huddled together in a corner of the couch in front of the fireplace. Luke was directly in the corner, one of the pillows under his head, while Leia leaned next to him. Both were holding Shmi and they were covered by a small black blanket.

Ahsoka shielded her presence and carefully set the vase on the small table between the fire and the couch. She started out the room but stopped halfway to the door as she turned to take a second glance at them and their blanket. On closer inspection she realized it wasn't a blanket, but the cloak that Ahsoka had been looking for. She should have known they would get it, more than likely Shmi had gone to get it.

Ahsoka left the room and started into the palace hanger and chose a random Naboo Cruiser. Then she used the force to open the hanger doors. She couldn't stay there any longer. She needed to get away… But first she needed to talk to a little green Jedi that had disappeared before the battle on Mustafar.

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AN: I know some of you are mad. Yes Vader died. But I think that Vader is meant to die after being redeemed through love and killing the emperor. Not only is it keeping with GL's intention for Vader's sacrifice of himself to be his redemption, but come on. That means I would have had to deal with the fallout, people hating him for two decades of evil, Leia defending him, Ahsoka and everyone else… And that would be ten more chapters, maybe more because I couldn't just wrap that up. But you have a man who dies to destroy evil after a life of evil, well, that I can wrap up pretty quick. Besides, Star Wars was always bittersweet and I wanted to stay true to that tone.

Hope you enjoyed. Review Please!