They arrived at the rendezvous and Leia, who had been pacing back and forth past the dejarrak table, bustled down the gangplank eager to talk with the rebel alliance's high command. In the end, she had not sent a message to Mon Mothma.

She turned to Vader. "I think you should stay on board with Threepio until Luke and I explain."

As usual, Vader's body language made Leia uncomfortably aware of the philosophical and political differences between herself and her biological father. Added to that, her growing awareness of the force provided her with unwanted hints of her father's less than placid emotional state. His turbulent emotions exacerbated her longing for calm. She met his intimidating stare with one of her own piercing glances and then left the Millenium Falcon with a brisk gait purposefully used to cover her anxieties.

Padmé turned to the husband who had transformed from an open eager youth into this closed off, hard-headed – well to be fair he was always hard-headed she reminded herself – but she knew she needed to talk before the silence grew worse.

She had waited too long. Using the force to casually open the ships' hatch, Darth Vader strode away from her. Two thoughts were uppermost in Padmé's mind. What had changed? And how could she prevent another disaster from destroying everything yet again?

…

Han Solo considered the unexpected his new normal. Even so he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing – Darth Vader about to make off with an X-Wing. "You're leaving?"

"They are about to arrest me. I will not give them the satisfaction."

"You're going to abandon your wife, your children-"

"I am going to find a position of strength and show these skeptics" he broke off "I am not and will not be a prisoner of this rebel alliance."

"Have you even told them?"

"Obi-Wan knows." Vader bit out. He refused to dwell on Obi-Wan's continuing doubt and the argument that should have ended in a lightsaber duel – hopefully more satisfying than their last on Mustafar – but instead was derailed by High Command's frantic communications for the old General.

"And you think that's all they need?"

"Of course not, Solo."

Han wanted to say something. It probably was for the best that Vader was leaving. He should detain him. There was always the possibility that by watching Leia's father leave, Han was acting as an accomplice. He refused to think about that. It made him slightly sick.

"Captain Solo"

Han was startled out of his thoughts by the menacing bass rumble.

"Keep them safe."

"You didn't have to ask. I've been covering their backs since before you even knew you were their father."

"That wasn't a request, Solo."

….

Obi-Wan's bent head gave Padmé all the information she needed.

"He left."

"It was only to be expected. Years manipulating the force as a sith have only honed his need for power. It's hard to face, but you've been fooling yourself."

"That's not true!"

It nearly broke her heart watching her son defend his father. But Padmé refused to let her heart shatter. She would trust in Anakin. And so apparently would her son.

"Ben, he's changed. He must have a reason."

"Luke, I want to believe you but even the faintest hope needs a better foundation than merely wishing."

"Luke's right."

Padmé watched in awe as her daughter joined in the argument. "We're the reason he changed. He won't do anything to harm us."

"Leia, the dark side doesn't allow for such considerations. For all his talk about loving your mother, on Mustafar your father"

"That's enough, Obi-Wan." Padmé insisted. "We must deal with the here and now. I will continue to believe in Ani. Meantime, there is still much to be done."