"Come on, Luke. We're going on a mission."

Luke sat up and stared up at his father, "Okay. I'll grab my pack."

Anakin nodded absently, and the boy ran off and scooped up his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Okay, all set to go!"

Anakin smiled, scooping his son up, "Alright. I've already loaded my things."

"Where're you going?"

"Alderaan. Force knows I'm not equipped to deal with ruling an empire."

"Okay," Luke said as his father boarded a shuttle, Luke still held close, "Where're we going? You've gotta drop me off with the emperor, don't you?"

Anakin shook his head, "No, Luke. There's no one to leave you with."

"Huh?"

"Palpatine is dead."

"Dead?" Luke asked, his voice seeming very small. Anakin was reminded that Palpatine had been the most consistent figure in his child's life, even if not in the kindest way possible.

"I killed him. He's done such harm to the galaxy, and last time I returned… in fact, I had failed. He made it clear that he would torture you, and I couldn't allow that."

"You killed for me?" Luke asked, awestruck.

"Don't sound so startled. I've killed many times, and I did this for the galaxy. But, yes," Anakin consented, "you were uppermost in my mind as I did it."

Luke seemed torn between being scared by the statement about having killed, and flattered by his father's protectiveness. Anakin imagined that he couldn't see the thoughts panning across the boy's face.

"I think you'll like it on Alderaan. It's very peaceful, and the rulers have a daughter about your age, so you'll have a playmate. I need to stay for a while symbolically, but after the first couple of days, I should be finished the real work, and we can spend some time together."

"Yay!"

"I knew you'd be glad to be coming, not left behind to deal with your idiot classmates."

"What's it gonna be like there? What's the princess like? Does she like playing around, or is she all boring and proper?"

Anakin laughed, "I don't know. I don't know anything at all about the family," his face fell slightly, "All I know is that her father was your mother's close friend," he forced himself to smile again, "I knew him too, and he's a good person. I trust him before any other senator."

If only Obi-Wan had been a senator and not a Jedi. I would have been able to trust him with this. Hells, even as a Jedi, I could've passed this off to him, or at least asked for his help. If only I had never listened to Palpatine.

"Daddy? Are you okay? You've got a kind of… ways away look."

Anakin smiled again, "I'm fine. I was just thinking about how much easier this would all be if your mother were here to help us."

Luke squeezed his father tightly, "Was she from Alderaan?"

"No."

"Then how did she know their senator?"

"She was a senator herself, and the two planets are not that different."

"Oh," Luke said, "Daddy, you've never said where you're from."

Anakin sighed, "I'm not from anywhere, Luke. I don't have a home planet."

"Whadya mean? You must be from somewhere!"

"From what my mother told me, I was born on a ship in deep space."

"A ship? Was there a medcenter to help?"

"No, probably not."

"Why'd your mom have you there? Wasn't it dangerous?"

"She told me it's a wonder we both survived, but she didn't have a lot of choice in the matter."

"Why not?"

Anakin sincerely wished the conversation hadn't followed this path.

"Luke, my whole life I've belonged to someone. My mother was a slave, and I was born into slavery. Our master had a lot of slaves, and wouldn't have cared too much if we'd died. Our insurance would easily have covered their losses."

"Palpatine had slaves," Luke said softly.

Anakin began to worry that Luke had been raised to believe slavery was the way of the galaxy.

"I hated it. I built a machine to free them. Every time one came to clean my rooms, I'd set them free, and I'd tell them to wait as long as they possibly could before running away."

"I'm glad to hear that, Luke. I'm proud of you."

Luke smiled, "But why didn't you pick someplace to be from?"

"It changes rapidly. Jedi aren't supposed to have a lot of possessions, so I didn't exactly have somewhere that held all my belongings, and home has always been with the people I love, no matter where they are."

"But what about lately? You said you haven't loved anyone since you haven't had Mom."

"Luke, self-imposed exile, and a constant feeling of loneliness is not a fun way to live. Never do it to yourself."

"Oh," Luke said, sounding worried, "You're all right now, though, right?"

Anakin nodded, putting the ship into hyperspace, "I'm much better now that I have you."

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"You loved Mom a lot, didn't you?"

Anakin sighed, "I did."

"People always love the person they're married to, right?"

"Well, that's the hope."

"Sometimes it doesn't happen?"

"Occasionally, but what were you going to ask?"

"Daddy, sometimes people find someone new they love. Are you gonna do that?"

"You mean getting remarried?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"No. Never."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes."

"Why? Don't you want a mommy?"

"Of course I want a mommy. But I want my mommy. Otherwise, it's just like saying that she's replaceable. I don't want to think that you think that Mom's replaceable."

"I don't, I promise you. And you'll never be replaceable either. Never. I'll keep you safe with all the strength I have, all right?"

Luke smiled, holding out one hand, "Deal."