Author's Note: Less than a week! It's kinda short, but be proud of me and review!

Chapter Nineteen: Left Without Choices

"I've come to see my mother," Anakin says, staring in fascination at his old droid.

"Oh dear! I'm so terribly sorry, Master Ani . . ."


"Owen Lars," he introduces himself, holding out his hand for Anakin to shake. "I guess I'm your step-brother. Oh, and this is my girlfriend, Beru . . ."


"Is my mother here?"

"No, she's not."

A middle aged man with no lower legs came into view, sitting in a hoverchair. "I'm Cliegg Lars. Shmi is my wife . . ."


"Where are you going?"

"To find my mother . . ."


"Please don't leave us, Miss Padme. These people need your help . . ."


"Come topside, everybody! He's back!"


Anakin removed the bundle from the back of the speeder as carefully as if he were picking up a baby bird. He glared at Cliegg, Owen and Beru as he passed them, not saying a word . . .


"Life seems so much simpler when you're fixing things . . . I'm good at fixing things . . . I always was. But I couldn't . . . Why did she have to die?" The anguish in his voice was heartbreaking. "Why couldn't save her? I know I could have!"

"Sometimes there are things no one can fix. You're not all-powerful, Ani."

"Well, I should be! Someday I will be! I'll be the most pwerful Jedi ever! I promise you – I will even learn to stop people from dying!"


"I – I killed them. I killed them all. They're dead. Every single one of them. And not just the men, but the women . . . and the children, too. They're like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals . . . I hate them!"


"I wasn't strong enough to save you, Mom . . . I wasn't strong enough. But I promise . . . I won't fail again. I miss you . . . so much."


"There is still good in him . . ."

I woke slowly, my head pounding and my vision swimming as my injured mind tried to make sense of the jumbled sentences and flashes of imagery I'd gotten from my dreams. However, that made my head hurt even more, so I winced and stopped thinking so hard.

A hand touched my temples lightly, and the headache disappeared. I looked up at my benefactor gratefully, an expression that quickly turned sour when I saw who it was.

"I trust you feel better now," Vader said, sitting back in a chair across the tiny room.

I felt better, alright. Good enough to be angry, in fact. "I really hate you right now," I hissed at him, my shoulders tensing defensively.

"I know," he replied calmly, his unnerving black gaze never wavering from my face.

"You said you'd always stay a step behind us!" I reminded him waspishly.

"My priorities have changed."

I narrowed my eyes. "So your little escapade into the dark and dreary recesses of your mind convinced you to double-cross me, is that it? Finally decided you've had enough of me, Lord Vader?"

"No!" He stood and whirled so that his back was to me. "Our deal still holds. These are personal priorities."

I snorted. "Personal priorities? Are you serious? This is war, Vader. There's no such thing as personal priorities."

"Perhaps not for you." He bowed his head and turned it slightly toward me.

I gritted my teeth in frustration."Fine, then. Personal priorities. Whatever. Why is Fett here, and what plan was he talking about, and how is this going to affect me and mine?"

Vader looked away again and didn't reply.

"Well?" I demanded, my stomach sinking as I got to my feet.

"I did not realize how . . . close . . . you and the smuggler had become," he said finally.

An imaginary piece of ice slid down my spine. "What has that got to do with anything?"

At last, he turned back to face me. "Fett helped me locate my son."

"Your son?!" I gaped. "Who . . ." And then it hit me. "Luke."

He glanced at the floor briefly before raising his head to look at me again, confirming my worst suspicions.

"So you really are Anakin Skywalker," I said in slight wonder. I'd had my suspicions, of course, but to have it confirmed was something else entirely.

"You knew?"he asked, sounding surprised.

I shrugged. "Not really. It was more of a . . . guess. Just some coincidences . . ." I looked up at him sharply. "Who did you kill?"

He shifted uneasily. "I have killed a lot of people."

"I know." I bit my lip, trying to explain without sounding like I was judging him – which, if course, I totally was. "These were on Tatooine. You were young . . . your mother had just died . . ."

"Tuskan Raiders," he said abruptly. "Sandpeople. They killed my mother, so I killed them."

He sounded defiant. I studied him closely.

"You really loved her, didn't you?"

He reared back and stared at me, shocked. "She was my mother! Of course I loved her!"

I nodded and looked down, unsure how to react to the revelation that Darth Vader had actually loved someone.

"Did you love Padme?" I finally asked in a small voice.

He stilled. "Where did you hear that name?"

I swallowed. "I have my sources."

He looked away, breath coming out in a rush. "I am not going to go into this with you," he decided. "I need to tell you –"

"You did," I realized. "Was she – was she Luke's mother?"

He looked away and didn't answer.

"Anakin?" I prompted softly, hoping the sound of his old name would help him open up and tell me what I wanted to know.

It didn't work. His head snapped up and I could feel the weight of his glare. "That name no longer has any meaning for me," he insisted sharply.

I didn't believe him, but I let it drop. "If you're sure."

"Quite." He took a deep breath and continued. "Fett helped me locate Luke. In return . . . he wanted to bring Solo and the Wookiee to Jabba the Hutt."

My jaw dropped, then I snapped it shut in fury. "And you agreed?" I screeched.

"Like I said, I did not realize –"

"I don't care what you realized! You don't do that to people! I can't believe you'd do this to me! To him! To us! How could you –"

"I tried to change it," Vader shot back, overriding my tirade. "When I realized your feelings for him, I tried to change it. You must believe that I did. I managed to get him to let the Wookiee –"

"Chewbacca," I interrupted sullenly.

"– I managed to get him to let Chewbacca go. But he is fixated on keeping Solo. That is why he attacked tonight; he knew I was going to try to alter the deal again." He paused, then finished, "I am afraid, Princess, that Fett is one of two people from whom I cannot twist control of a deal. I do apologize."

I was ready to cry. "Can you . . . can you make sure he doesn't hurt Han?"

Silence.

"I can try," Vader replied at last, "but I cannot guarantee success."

"What?" I asked numbly.

"There is . . . a carbon freezing chamber, in the lower lever of the city."

I blinked. "You . . . you want to freeze him? In carbonite?"

"People have survived it," he reminded me quickly. "It is possible."

"I . . . I know . . . " I was at a lost. I felt entirely overwhelmed. "I . . ."

"Princess, Jabba likes trophies. He will most likely keep your smuggler frozen and hang him on a wall for decoration. You could rescue him at your leisure."

"If the freezing process doesn't kill him . . . " I shivered. I was so cold. Cold and tiny and helpless.

Vader stepped close and grasped my chin in his large, gloved hand. He raised my face so that my eyes met his. "If you don't agree to this, Jabba will surely kill him. This way, he has a chance." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Let me protect him for you, Leia."

I closed my eyes, hating myself for what I was about to do, and whispered back, "Okay."