Bail Organa wasn't thrilled at being restrained at the arrival at the rebel fleet. His first instinct was to share the news about Vader. However Ahsoka and Padmé were both overriding him. "Give them time to get here Bail!"

"You don't know that he will get here!"

Padmé flinched. Bail meant to suggest he'd run away. She was more concerned he'd find a way to make it a suicide mission. She suspected only Obi-Wan's presence might stop him.

As it turned out, the shuttle arrived, cloaked, before the x-wings. At first, Bail didn't realize the shuttle was there at all. It was Ahsoka who announced his arrival when it still wasn't showing on the scopes.

Finally it uncloaked next to the blockade runner. "Permission to come aboard?" General Kenobi said, rather cheerfully.

"Granted." Padme replied eagerly, eyes on Bail, who looked worried.

"You can forgive him on a personal level all you want. But what are we supposed to do with him? You can't forgive him for the whole galaxy, or let him off the hook for his responsibility."

"Never said I planned too."

Anakin and Obi-Wan met them in the crew lounge.

Padmé smiled. "See, all's well."

Ahsoka's eyes were bright and she was smiling with some relief.

Obi-Wan solemnly studied Anakin. "This will be rough."

"I know." Anakin didn't call him on the understatement. They'd done a good deal of talking on the way in. Anakin had told him what had happened, what fears had overwhelmed him that led to his fall. Getting these fears, which still lingered, into the open would help them deal with them.

Organa hailed Obi-Wan on the comlink. "Rogues Squadron is here. They're down one ship."

Anakin winced. "As outnumbered as they were, it's impressive they only lost one." But Luke knew that pilot. He could feel Luke's grief in the force.

"And he is the one who has to tell the Alliance leaders about you." Obi-Wan said softly. "It will look wrong coming from anyone else, because he didn't come forward with the news immediately."

Anakin nodded. "I know." He knew too, how it would reflect on his son if he ran.

Luke bounced on the balls of his feet as he took Leia aside. He sucked a deep breath. Sighed. "Leia, Father's alive. I had him in the infirmary until we got word on Obi-Wan. We tracked him down."

Leia just stared at him, unblinking. "He's alive, Darth Vader is alive?!" Her voice filled with fear. "And you hid him?"

Luke shook his head. "He helped find Obi-Wan. And Obi-Wan found Bail Organa and the lost refugee colony." He gripped her shoulders with a shy smile. "And our mother, she was with them."

Leia swallowed hard. She sank back onto the nearest cargo box. She was overwhelmed with what to her was wonderful and terrifying news all at once. "Luke, what … what are you planning to do with him? Vader? He's a war criminal." She looked at him with brown eyes filled with uncertainty. "What about my father? Bail Organa, is he all right? Where is he?"

"He's fine." Luke hesitated. "No more thrilled about … Anakin, then you, I guess. Don't worry. Father isn't going anywhere. He's willing to work with the Alliance." His voice tightened. "He doesn't expect to walk away as if nothing happened." He pressed his lips together tightly. "They're on the blockade runner. They'll be over soon by shuttle. I guess our engineers will be thrilled to get Father's shuttle. It's got a cloak."

"I think …" Leia got up slowly and moved away from him. "I want to talk to Han. I told him, about us."

Luke nodded. "I'm going to talk to Mon Mothma. I won't tell her about how you figure into it. I know you aren't ready."

She nodded. "Your right. I'm not."

Han shook his head. When Leia told him, he really had no words. He put his arms around her. "It'll be all right."

"It's Vader. I'm … not sure how to feel about meeting my mother. Finding out her relationship to him." She shivered. Han sighed. "I won't let him hurt you." He hesitated. "I can't imagine Luke would either."

"But Han, I'm afraid he'll get hurt. He wants to believe in him so badly. Bail Organa is my father, will always be as far as I'm concerned. He raised me. But I think Luke always thought of his uncle as his uncle and missed having a real father. Now he's ready to take him back no matter what he's done."

"Maybe he's braver than the rest of us. Or crazier. I've never quite made up my mind." Han observed. "If Vader really killed the Emperor for him and nearly killed himself in the process, I guess it must mean something. For all our sakes, I hope Luke's right. I don't know about forgiving Vader but I'd rather know he's not wandering loose in the galaxy. And I can't deny tactically it would be a big edge for us to have his knowledge of the Empire when taking it apart."

"How can you be so calm about it!"

Han held her at arm's length. "Because I don't want to make it any harder for you. I love you. And for you, I'll forgive nearly anything."

"And if it's a trick?"

"I'll be the first one to blast him while Chewie tears his arms off."

Anakin had a vicarious view of the whole thing, through the Force. He could sense Luke's shifting emotions without even trying. The flares of alarm and anger. The worry and upset from Leia countered by the joy of seeing Bail Organa alive and well. Padmé had squeezed his hand before going in to join wouldn't get more than a brief moment with Leia before the Alliance Command would meet with them all. He could feel her emotions too. Understanding and sadness, grief and anger.

He sat next to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka outside the command area, waiting. Finally a comlink signaled Obi-Wan.

"General Kenobi?" A young alliance guard approached cautiously, one eye on Anakin but clearly addressing Obi-Wan.

"Yes."

"The Alliance Command would like to see you sir. Just you." He said slowly, glancing at the other two.

Ahsoka lightly touched Anakin's hand, eyes focused on the people casually drifting into positions around him. It was a discreet but hopeless effort to hide the fact that they knew who he was and were ready to deal with him.

"Stay here. Don't move." Obi-Wan gave Anakin a warning look. "Really. Don't move. If you ever obey me do it now."

Anakin looked into his eyes. "Believe it or not, I'm not even tempted to move."

"Shouldn't he be there?"

Obi-Wan gently shook his head. "They fear to even have him in the same room as the Alliance leadership. They will take a good deal of convincing."

Anakin's eyes dropped the floor.

Obi-Wan nodded and followed the officer.

Ahsoka turned to look at Anakin. "Remember all those relaxation exercises you taught me?"

"Yeah."

"I think now would be a very good time to practice."

"Agreed." He was highly aware of human, wookie, mon calamari and various others hanging around the lounge. He was being watched by people with itchy trigger fingers. He wasn't sure they knew who he was, but they had obviously been told to watch him, shoot on any suspicious movement and ask questions later.

"We can't just forgive him! He's not a rank and file soldier or officer. He was a jedi who led the slaughter of the entire jedi orderi! He's a war criminal! We can't trust him," fired Organa.

"He killed the emperor and was willing to die to to the right thing. At least that should earn him a chance to earn that trust." Luke insisted.

Mon Mothma was still somewhat in shock at the return of two of her long time trusted friends from the senate. "Are you suggesting we execute him?"

"I'm suggesting a trial, charges of crimes against civilization." Bail snorted.

"Which he's guaranteed to lose." General Madine observed.

"And then what? Execute him?" Luke's voice was strained.

"We'd already approved assassination attempts." Madine reminded Mon Mothma. "And that was the standard sentence in the old republic."

"For a defector?" Luke demanded. "I didn't bring him in and save him so you could kill him!"

Padmé's eyes were widening and her fists clenched at her sides. She glanced at Luke. His face was pinched with distress and growing fear.

Leia wasn't meeting either of their eyes, a sign that, on some level, she agreed with Madine's suggestion. She just wasn't willing to say so and hurt either of them.

Rieekan spoke up before either of them. "I'm not saying I trust him, or that he doesn't deserve it. But he does have a lot of information that could help us take the empire apart and rebuild the republic. Dead men don't talk." That was a generous statement. Rieekan was from Alderaan, and had been on a nearby base. Close enough to see the Death Star approach. Close enough to make the judgement call it was a bluff and not warn them to evacuate. Not that a full scale evacuation had any hope of succeeding in time anyway.

"And sith lie. You can't trust what he says." Bail snorted.

"He's given you his access codes. You can back up what he says with data from other sources." Luke fired back. "And as long as they don't know he's with us, they won't have any reason to lock those codes down or counter his information.

"I don't think you really understand the deeper meanings here." Padmé finally exploded. "Anakin IS the Republic. And Vader is the Empire. Metaphorically speaking, Palpatine corrupted the Republic from the inside out so that many people thought they wanted it to become an Empire. He deceived them! I trusted him. You trusted him up to a point. None of us - and I mean none of us, even you, Bail, when you started to distrust his motives - suspected he was actually the Sith! We certainly didn't know he was behind the Clone Wars pitting one side against the other. We are all guilty of letting it happen, of trusting him! Anakin is the primary example of that. Palpatine befriended him when he was a boy. The Jedi Council didn't suspect him. Why should Anakin? His master didn't suspect him, why should Anakin? The Jedi trusted him and followed his orders during the Clone Wars. And right up until the last, they trusted him. He was the Supreme Chancellor by election. That means people voted for and trusted him. We were deceived en masse."

So when you judge Anakin, you are judging all of us. Whatever he did, he did because at one point a man he trusted told him to do the wrong thing and it would help people. And with that, Anakin became Vader. The Jedi say the dark side of the force is like a drug. That once you taste it it changes you. Well, Anakin may have been guilty of making that choice, but he didn't make it based on any honest input. He made it based on a lie. We all did."

She finally paused for breath. "Anakin is the Republic as Vader is the Empire. And if Anakin can be redeemed, if he can stop being Vader, than so can the Republic stop being an Empire. If he can do it, it's a sign that no matter how far they fell, those deceived by Palpatine have hope. What would happen if word got out that he killed the Emperor, turned himself over to the Alliance and we killed him? Yes, some people would be relieved and even rejoice." Padmé admitted painfully. "But any Imperials thinking of defecting will think twice and that would make things harder for us to reclaim the Republic."

There was a long silence at this point.

"How can you know what he was thinking? That he thought committing these crimes would help?" Bail demanded.

She blinked back tears. "He was afraid for me. He was trying to protect me! I know. I know he had a vision I was in danger! And the last time that happened his mother died. They didn't believe in his vision and she died. So it's no wonder he wouldn't trust the council with it."

Obi-Wan paused to consider the mood of the room. Thus far he'd followed the argument in silence. He could feel Anakin reaching out, monitoring the force for clues as to what was happening in the room.

Bail looked at him. "Obi-Wan, I've been surprised by your reaction. I know I'll never really understand the Jedi. But how can you trust him or defend him? How do you know he isn't faking."

"Because of his medical charts, if you want proof besides what I sense from him in the force. He nearly died. He had no way of knowing you could save him, or would. The sith are inherently selfish, focused on their own needs and power. There was nothing selfish about what he did for Luke."

Mon Mothma activated the holoviewer to consult with 21-B the medical droid. "What did these techniques involve? Would Anakin Skywalker have survived without our help, or with conventional treatment he could find elsewhere in the Empire?"

21-B answered her. "It was an experiment cell cloning method using closely matched donor DNA."

"Meaning?"

"Unlike conventional cloning which grows the entire being or even in some circles, replacement organs in parts for said clones, this method would allow for cellular regeneration within the body itself. However, it needs healthy donor DNA and blood to act as catalyst. In this case, we used Commander Skywalker's as it was a close familial match, though I did have serious concerns considering he was injured himself. The technique has only done once before. In this case it appears to be a success, though I would highly recommend continued monitoring less unexpected side effects become clear."

"In any event, had this method failed, no method known in the Empire could have saved him. The damage to his life support suit was fatal. He was going through both lung and heart failure as well as multiple organ shutdown. We were forced to induce coma for some time to allow the treatment to take effect."

"So there is no question he would've died." Mon Mothma slowly clarified.

"None."

"Thank you, 21-B," Mon Mothma deactivated the hologram, her expression set in a thoughtful frown.

Obi-Wan considered Luke, at the stubborn expression on his face. He wondered if Anakin knew about this physical donation. He rather doubted it.

"I still don't see how you can forgive him." Bail shook his head in amazement. "Even if he has repented, his actions are over twenty years and millions of dead bodies late."

"I was his master. And as Padmé has so eloquently stated, he was deceived, we all were. It was my duty to protect him from the sith. If Palpatine already had his hooks in him before he was knighted, and he certainly did, then that is my responsibility. That is not quite the same as forgiving Darth Vader, nor of trusting that Anakin is entirely safe."

Padmé and Luke both gave him sharp looks at this. He held his hand up slightly, warningly. "The dark side is indeed a drug. Anakin will be fighting this internal battle every day. Only Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi, can hope to conquer Darth Vader, the Sith. He will need help relearning these lessons. And while you may feel punishment is the solution, every day of his life from the moment he fell has been torment. Physical, from confinement in the suit. Emotional, from loss of those he loves. Mental, from knowing at the very core that Palpatine broke him. He has to accept what he has done and control his emotions and act as a jedi. Not because he deserves to be one. But because only by being one will he ever be safe to those he loves." Kenobi looked at Padmé and Leia. "And he has the greatest of incentives to do that."

Mon Mothma sighed. "Justice or expedience, to get his aid dismantling the Empire. If we do let him live, we must keep his identity in general, a secret. If word got out the Empire would seek to undermine his information. And our credibility as a people seeking to form a just government will be questioned by his victims."

"They would also try to assassinate him." Luke pointed out, disturbed.

"There can be no greater punishment than what Palpatine did to him and knowing what it did to his family." Obi-Wan remarked, noting that Leia was sitting next to Bail and hadn't said a word throughout. She had stared wide eyed at her mother for a time. Her jaw was clenched tight. She met Luke's eyes on occasion. His return stare was almost pleading. There was a worrying divide between them. Not a big one, but a line where neither was willing to be convinced the other was right.

"Mercy is not a bad way to begin a new government. No-one is suggesting you allow him to wander free. Only to live and offer his skill and knowledge to help you." He paused. "And help us rebuild the jedi." He finished.

"Wait, what?" Bail looked astounded.

"Whatever artifacts the Emperor took from the jedi temple, he may know the whereabouts. If any jedi were unaccounted for in the purge, he may know about or help us access those hunter's lists. Whatever sith knowledge that may fall into the hands of another fallen force user, who would be emperor, he will know about and can give us an idea how to destroy or counter it. If anyone knows the perils of the dark side, and what methods we need to shore up our defenses against, it's him."

The silence was very deep now.

"Can we hold him? Will you tell us how?" Mon Mothma asked carefully.

The concept of locking the likes of Anakin Skywalker up suddenly hit Obi-Wan with it's full weight. He knew Anakin could not bear it. Not without full time supervision and the right sense of when to let him loose a little. He sighed inwardly. He and Anakin were fated to be together. It was a small price to pay to have a chance to help save his friend, to correct his failure to recognize the danger Palpatine posed to him.

"I will. I will supervise him."

"Are you sure you can handle him? No offense General Kenobi, but you aren't as young as you once were. And … you aren't entirely unbiased. I know he was your friend." Mon Mothma said slowly.

"Neither is he as young nor in as good a shape. He'll be fine. I can handle him. And I would certainly not be doing him any favors if I allowed him to get away with anything that lures him back to the dark side." He glanced at Padmé. "We can handle him." He felt a surge of determination. He wouldn't fail this time.

She let out a flicker of smile.

Mon Mothma studied him. "Would you three please excuse us to talk for a few moments?"

Luke and Padmé left reluctantly. Obi-Wan met Bail's eyes for a very long moment before leaving.

The debate raged for the better part of two hours. The real issue was could and would Anakin Skywalker help take down the Empire and reestablish the Republic. In light of that, they had to judge both Anakin and Vader, and whether they could control him or not. Justice was one thing. But truly, killing him would not bring back the dead. The question was would keeping him alive cost lives or save them?

"You've been very quiet, Leia."

"I'm debating with myself on another level."

Bail gave her a questioning look.

"Everything else being equal, do I trust Luke and Obi-Wan." Leia slowly rubbed a hand over the table. "I don't trust Vader. But … he saved Luke. I really believe that much. And I can't for the life of me think of a reason or angle he could be playing. Unless..." She could feel it but she wouldn't tell them that. She wasn't sure if that was the Force or not.

"Unless it's the truth." Bail finished, slowly. He shook his head. "In which case...," he sighed. "Where does justice end and revenge begin? I can't forgive what he's done, but I know killing him won't bring back Alderaan or the Jedi."

Finally they called them back in. Mon Mothma gave them a tense nod. "We're going to give this a try, in hopes that the information he gives us will help speed the transition back into a Republic. But we will not let him wander freely. We'd appreciate your help on a plan for containing him, General Kenobi and when he's questioned we want you there..." Her voice trailed off. "This is more a stay of charges or execution than parole. We need time to see for ourselves his sincerity."

Padmé squeezed Luke's hand, smiling through tears. "Thank you. I know he won't let you down."

"Padmé..." Mon Mothma studied her worriedly. "Be careful. Don't let love blind you." She hesitated. "Do you still consider him your husband?"

"I consider Anakin my husband, not Vader."

"Be careful."

"I will."

As they left, Luke turned to Leia in private. "Leia."

"I voted to give him a chance. And I only did it because he saved you. I don't trust him at all, but I can't deny that. It doesn't mean I've forgiven him."
"Thank you."

Obi-Wan came out to Anakin, weaving through the soldiers who were trying and failing to be discreet.

"Well?" Ahsoka broke the silence first.

Obi-Wan nodded. "It appears you are in my custody and once again I'm responsible for you."

"I ... don't know whether to say thank you or I'm sorry." Anakin studied his former master, uncertain how the older Jedi felt about it.

"Your wife made a very eloquent speech as well."

"I'd like to see it."

"I believe Artoo did record it. It was well worth recording."

Their eyes met and held.

"I believe, my friend, it's time to talk to Padmé and Luke. Now."

Ahsoka looked up. "This private?"

"It must be. There are things Leia will share with Padmé…at the very least, he must tell her himself."

Ahsoka nodded and rose, giving his hand a firm squeeze as a show of support. "Love conquers hate. It will in this too."

Anakin swallowed hard and nodded reluctantly. "Let's go. But … does Luke have to know what I nearly did to Padmé?"

Obi-Wan just looked at him. Finally he acknowledged, "perhaps you should discuss that with her. But I do believe you should tell him. Otherwise that fear will always be with you of how he will react if it somehow comes out. And the last thing you need is another burden."

"I wouldn't have made it back without him."

"No. You wouldn't. In any sense."

Anakin blinked. "In any sense? What does that mean?"

"He donated blood and tissue to that 'experimental technique' to save you."

Anakin's jaw dropped. He stared at Obi-Wan. "But he was hurt himself! He got hit with Sith lightning."

"Apparently he wanted you back very badly. I doubt anything you tell him now will shake him."

The talk wasn't easy. To face the fear and get it in the open and found the newly reborn relationships on truth meant dealing with their disappointment and hurt at his failures head on. His heart thundered at the very fault and he felt short of breath. He found himself reaching into the Force to touch his old master, needing the knowledge that he was there, close by.

Padmé wept, hurt and angry over what he'd done Luke and Leia. Shame and grief burned Anakin's face. He found tears in his own eyes when he hesitantly told her. But Luke was up front in pointing out that it was that very thing - the sight of the prosthetic hand, that reminded Luke that he could fall just as his father did. The harder part was telling Luke about Padmé. Luke was silent for a long time at this. His eyes narrowed as he looked away, then back at him.

"Looking back, I know that as soon as I killed Dooku I crossed a line. The dreams were a warning that if I stayed that route I could lose everything. Instead I thought they meant I had to act or else lose all. I sold out the Jedi to save the one I loved and in the end I lost everything. I didn't control the power, it controlled me. In my right senses, I'd never have been such a fool as to think Padmé or Obi-Wan would want to hurt me." His eyes dropped. "I just didn't give them a choice."

Padmé touched Luke's hand. "I knew his reasons Luke. My heart was broken but I really did know that deep down, he was hurting and not in his right mind. And I refused to believe his light was gone out forever."

Luke touched her hand. After what Vader had done to Leia, why was he even surprised? "So I guess we've got three things in common. Father, the fact that he hurt us …" he looked at his father, "and the fact that we choose to forgive him."

Anakin let out a shaky sigh. "You don't hate me?" He looked between them.

"And give Palpatine the victory after he's dead?" Padmé demanded.

"Never." Luke finished fiercely. "Give Leia time. She'll come around too."

"How did it go?" Obi-Wan asked. He'd been waiting in the next room.

"Better than I thought."

"They've had time to come to terms with the difference between you and your shadow."

"What about you?" Anakin asked.

Kenobi smiled gently at him. "I've received a miracle. The one friend I failed and would've wanted back the most has returned. The others just died, but as much as that hurt they are one with the force. You were the one left in unending suffering. We both have a second chance."

Anakin smiled. He was home. And while not everyone had forgiven him, he had a chance to make things right. It was an opportunity he had no intention of wasting.

The End

Thanks for Reading!

For those interested in Leia's take on this, stay tuned for the sequel: Healing Nightmares.

Now that Anakin Skywalker is back, the dark side has been pushed into his dreams. Can he learn to live with his guilt without drowning in the dark side? And can Leia ever learn to accept the Anakin Skywalker who was buried inside her worst enemy?