Chapter 15: The Final Battle: The Death Star II
Luke, in Force binders, joined Darth Vader. "Hello, Father," Luke said stiffly.
"So you have accepted the truth," Vader replied.
"I have accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father," Luke replied.
"That name no longer has any meaning for me," Vader replied.
Luke shook his head. "I sense the conflict in you, Father," Luke replied. "Walk away from serving the emperor."
"You have built a new lightsaber," Vader murmured, activating the blade. "You are indeed powerful, as the emperor has foreseen."
Luke and Vader were silent for the rest of the journey. "Ah, young Skywalker, you will not need those," Palpatine freed Luke from the Force binders.
The Emperor offered to let Luke join him in place of Vader. Luke refused. Within minutes, Luke was again fighting Vader.
Luke disappeared and called, "I will not fight you, Father!"
"You cannot hide forever," Vader replied, pulling Luke to the ground.
Luke hid behind a series of stairs. "You cannot hide forever, Luke," Vader growled. "Neither can… your sister?"
Luke froze. The jolt of pain from Leia had knocked his shields down long enough for Vader to learn the truth. "So you have a twin sister," Vader continued. "Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn, maybe she will."
"NO!" Luke lunged at Vader, eventually slicing off his father's hand.
"Good, good," Palpatine said. "Now kill him and take your father's place as my apprentice."
Luke stared at his father and then at his own mechanical hand. "No," Luke replied, foolishly throwing away his lightsaber. "I'll never turn to the Dark Side. You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."
Palpatine growled and unleashed a volley of Force lightning at the young Jedi. "Now, young Skywalker, you will die," he intoned, ready to release the final blast.
"NO!" Vader picked up the Emperor and flung him into the reactor pit.
"Let's go," Luke said, pulling Vader onto the shuttle where they returned to the surface of the Sanctuary Moon.
Anakin and Padmé took the injured Leia to a small clearing and Padmé began attending to her daughter's wound while Han and Chewie destroyed the shield generator. Obi-Wan joined the small family to help Anakin protect Padmé and Leia.
Han then joined the Skywalkers and Obi-Wan and bandaged Leia's arm. They looked up when they saw the Death Star II explode.
"I'm sure Luke wasn't on that thing when it blew," Han whispered.
"He wasn't," Leia replied. "I can feel it."
"You love him, don't you?" Han asked.
"Yes," Leia replied, confused.
"All right, when Luke gets back, I won't get in his way," Han said firmly.
Leia smiled and said, "Han, it isn't like that. He's my twin brother."
Han kissed Leia and Anakin coughed. "Just so we're clear if you break my daughter's heart, you will have to answer to her Uncle Obi-Wan," Anakin said. "Until Padmé and I have changed the past."
"You're related to Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Han asked.
"He's my brother, in everything but blood," Anakin replied.
Han nodded. Then Leia and Han both headed to the shuttle where Luke was trying to convince that version of his and Leia's father to not give up. Obi-Wan accompanied the two—he wanted to understand things from his brother's point of view. It was high time he did.
Leia sat next to her father's dying form and said, "Father, I… I forgive you."
"Thank you, my Princess," Anakin wheezed out. "I want to show my story."
The twins, Han, and Obi-Wan all grabbed onto the dying man's hands. Afterwards, the twins reluctantly removed the mask. Obi-Wan reached over and pressed one hand against Anakin's shoulder. "Obi-Wan, protect my children. And you, my little ones, Luke, you are a fine Jedi Knight. Leia, you will be a powerful leader, like your mother."
Anakin let out one last breath and then died. Leia buried her face in the limp arm of her father and sobbed violently. Luke began to cry and even Obi-Wan wept. "How wrong we were," Obi-Wan whispered. "How wrong we were!"
Luke, Leia, and Obi-Wan all quietly burned Anakin's body. The twins then gathered Anakin's ashes afterward and put them in a jar. When they went to Naboo, they'd leave it with their mother. Anakin and Padmé would be reunited in death.