Chapter Five

Shared Memories

Princess Leia of Alderaan was greeted with warm welcomes. "When I heard of Alderaan, I feared the worse."

"Luckily, Vader had taken me hostage and Tarkin had signed for my termination," Leia said lightly.

"My dear you have been through lot. Not many live to tell of being in the Executioner's grip."

"The good news is we have the plans of the Death Star. Now we can find a weakness and destroy it. I have brought you hope as well. With me is General Ben Kenobi, who served my father during the Clone Wars, and the Hero With No Fear, himself, Anakin Skywalker. I have also attached myself to a walking carpet. Chewbacca who also fought during the Clone Wars and Han Solo, who needs his reward, and Luke Skywalker, who is a daring pilot as well flying in Beggar's Cannon which most wouldn't attempt," Leia finished singing praises for all except Han.

"Well, you have picked up some very important people to our cause, Princess. Tell me Jedi where have you been hiding all these years?"

"On Tattooine, as far from the Empire as I could get. If there is a bright center to the universe, Tattooine is the planet it's farthest from. And my friend here, was a prisoner of Darth Vader's for some time. Since he was the Jedi's Chosen One, instead of killing him during the Jedi purge, he was held a captor, it may not be possible to kill the Chosen one, even for the Sith," Obi-Wan said, "from a certain point of view," he added and Anakin shook his head as he welcomed the attention.

He hated lying but what could he do, admit his identity as Lord Vader, there was no way they would lock him up and try him for crimes he hadn't yet committed. That was not the answer. Anakin was showed to his rooms. Not the best but they were close to both Obi-Wan's and Luke's and he wanted to be close to both of them. "Sweet dreams, Princess," Anakin said kissing her forehead and earning a scowl from both Han and Luke. Anakin laughed, "Don't worry, I'm married, Princess."

"I told you to call me Leia."

"Leia," answered Han.

"You," she stated coldly, "can call my Princess, or whatever title you want." Anakin frowned hoping she wasn't falling in love with him.

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Anakin was assaulted with Vader's memories.

He was on Mustafar and he saw Padme's starship.

He briefly hugged her, kissing her lips. Stop, leave my wife, alone. Get away from him, Padme, Anakin wanted to scream but didn't. Instead his human hand touched her chin pulling her face up for a kiss of darkness. Anakin could feel the power streaming through Darth Vader's blood, what had he done to obtain such power?

"I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan he told me such terrible things."

Anakin felt Darth Vader's anger, there was no outlet for it and Anakin became afraid for Padme. Get away from him, he silently willed her. The mention of Obi-Wan had turned Darth Vader cold and his eyes, they glowed yellow. He was ready to hurt someone anyone. "What things?" Padme wasn't frightened by his voice, she seemed relieved and encouraged as she continued.

"He said you killed younglings..that you've turned to the dark side.." she looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to deny what Obi-Wan had said but Anakin even as Darth Vader wouldn't lie.

"Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me."

"He cares about us," Padme said. She didn't understand Anakin knew, Obi-Wan had been Anakin's friend but he was Darth Vader's enemy. "He knows. He wants to help." Darth Vader smirked. "All I want is your love."

"Love won't save you, Padme," Anakin heard his voice reply darkly, filled with every dark emotion there was. He felt the lust for power, the lust to protect Padme, the lust for everything he had ever dreamed, the lust to rule the galaxy as his own. "Only my new powers can do that."

"At what cost? Anakin you are a good person, don't do this."

"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother. I'm becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of, and I'm doing it for you, to protect you," Anakin knew that Darth Vader believed that, and despite all his fear he was afraid...he was afraid of losing Padme.

"Come away with me...help me raise our child; leave everything else behind while we still can."

Darth Vader became infuriated with power and Anakin could barely breathe under the heavy intoxication, it was sucking him in, even only in memories. "Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore! I am more powerful than the Chancellor, I...I can overthrow him! And together, you and I can rule the galaxy! Make things the way we want them to be!"

"I don't believe what I'm hearing," Padme said, sounding shocked and hurt. "Obi-Wan was right...you have changed."

"I don't want to hear anymore about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me, don't you turn against me."

"Anakin, you are breaking my heart! You are going down a path I can't follow."

"Because of Obi-Wan?"

"Because of what you've done, what you plan you do. Stop! Stop now! I forgive you, Anakin Skywalker, for everything. But you have to come back now while you still can. I love you!"

"Liar!" Darth Vader growled. "You are with him," he said tears of frustration welling up in his eyes, "You brought him here to kill me."

"No," she says helpless against the look in his eyes. Darth Vader feels the dark side whisper to him and he followed it seeing her throat before his very eyes he listens to the force shutting her lying mouth once and for all.

Anakin awoke in a cold sweat. it was only a nightmare, he reminded himself. He hadn't done that. He hadn't killed her. He could remember the flow of the dark side beneath his veins. He had never felt so all powerful, he was always burdened down with guilt. He had felt no guilt and had acted on instinct, even the memory was so intoxicating. He went to the 'fresher to shower and change.

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He looked at his face, there were shadows under his eyes. There was no way he was getting back to sleep tonight. He missed Padme, would give anything to see her and not the ghost of her, or the resemblances between her and the Princess of Alderaan.

"Long night?" he heard and turned to see his son.

"How did you know?"

"The Force," his son answered with a smile.

"Just having some dreams, it was nothing."

"So much of nothing that you've come out here instead of staying in your rooms, Dad...er Anakin."

"It's fine for you to call me Dad. It's just I was still getting used to it when we rescued the Princess...Leia."

"She told you to call her Leia?"

"Yea, she did. Look, son, Han really likes her."

"So do I. He's not good enough for her."

"I don't want you to get disappointed. Besides Jedi are forbidden attachments."

"What do you mean?"

Anakin sighed how could he explain that his son's very existence went against the Jedi Code. "The Jedi aren't allowed to marry."

"You mean they are all virgins?" Luke asked, eyes widening. Anakin laughed, that wasn't what he had expected his son to ask.

"I'm not sure," he answered truthfully. "When I was twelve, Obi-Wan officially adopted me as his padawan learner. I was then moved into Master Obi-Wan's chambers. "If he wasn't he couldn't have been a very happy twenty-six year old Jedi Knight. He had only been a Knight for three years at this time. Obi-Wan was always on time when I finished my studies and even had dinner ready, like Mom had. Of course, I learned to cook quickly since Obi-Wan burns everything, even the Force couldn't help him cook," he said with a laugh.

"I seem to remember a time when you burned things too," he heard Obi-Wan say.

"That was because you came back early, so I had to use the force to hurry it along. Besides it was as supervise for your birthday."

"It was a supervise alright. Luke, you should have seen the walls of my chamber in the Temple. There was banta cake everywhere."

"Which I was punished by having to clean," Anakin added. "Besides, Obi-Wan was a neat freak. He couldn't even trust a droid to put things how he wanted them." They all laughed.

"Which is why it was so hard to live with Anakin. You are lucky you didn't have to put up with his messes. Of course, he got away with more than any other padawan, being Chosen as he was. "

"Do you not remember the punishment you put me through just because I corrected a problem," Anakin said with a snort.

"Just because Master Windu decided to grow his hair..."

"Oh, Sith, if it was just his hair...the smell of the cream he used. I was on a...diplomatic mission. Besides, it was an accident, I was cleaning the Temple archives and I was protecting the Sheik, who have very strong noses. Can you imagine having to be around Master Windu with the sense of smell they have. It was bad enough for us simple humans."

"That gave you no right..."

"I know, believe me the punishment was cruel and unusual. Have you ever heard of a toothbrush, Luke?" Anakin said turning to Luke. Luke shook his head. "I wish my master hadn't. Thousands of lightyears ago beings used them to clean their teeth. I had to clean the whole fifth floor of the Temple, not to mention Master Yoda and Windu's room, and the mess hall." Again they laughed, and Luke enjoyed listening to the stories of his father's youth. Uncle Owen had never told him stories like these. He should have spent more time with old Ben earlier.

"Anakin, why are you awake?" Obi-Wan asked and Anakin glanced at Luke.

"Well, son, it's way past your bed time. We all have an Alliance meeting in the morning, if you will just...go to sleep," he barked, not sure how the ordering parent thing went. Luke retreated toward his room.

"I had nightmares."

"Like the ones you used to have about your mother."

"No. They were Darth Vader's dreams, memories. I'm not sure. I hurt, Padme, didn't I?"

"You haven't done it yet, Anakin."

"So I keep telling myself. You've never felt the power that Darth Vader felt, it's intoxicating. Everything was right because I said it was right, because I was ending the war. No matter how. "

"You know that peace can never be bred on innocent lives."

"Were they innocent? They would have had us all executed on Genoisis. What I did was right...from a certain point of view."

"Anakin, I can help you."

"No, you can't. I've already unburdened you more than I meant to. I don't want to hurt you, Obi-Wan."

"Then let me help."

"I don't know that you can."

"Before you turned you were struggling with something, I don't know what. Perhaps leading a double life and lying to the Jedi had taken its toll. Padme's pregnancy no doubt had something to with it. You were spending so much time with Palpatine too."

"What's Palpatine got to do with anything?"

"Haven't you guessed Anakin?"

"Guessed what?"

"Chancellor Palpatine is Darth Sidious. He eliminated the Jedi and declared himself Emperor of the Galaxy."

"He's a good man, Obi-Wan."

"Do you remember the prophecy of the Chosen One?"

"Of course. Darkness shall come over all the lands, evil shall hide within sight...and in the time of the deepest despair, there shall come a savior and he shall be known as The Son of the Suns; one chosen, born not of flesh, but great in spirit, compassion and power. Through trials, great and small he shall conquer, and even in failure shall he find victory. Balance shall he bring, in the final darkest day."

"Who do you think could hide in plain sight. That is Sidious, that is Palpatine. I have had many years to think of this. I was there. I saw you kneel before Palpatine and swear you allegiance to him."

"Okay, Obi-Wan I believe you. I just don't understand, why become my friend when it's my destiny to destroy him and bring balance to the force."

"Think about it, by the time you do that, you are a Sith. it won't matter anymore."

"Not yet," Anakin said forcefully.