Chapter 13

Outside the Dagobah System

As he made his way to the rendezvous, Vader had plenty of time to think about what had transpired between he and Padmé, and was feeling a most uncomfortable sense of guilt. Maybe I should have stayed on Naboo, he thought. I left right away, when I should have stayed and resolved this. Things will never get any better if I just keep avoiding her...The more he thought about it, the more the anxiety welled up inside of him. And then there was the prospect of facing Yoda again. Of all the Jedi, Yoda had been the most discerning where Vader was concerned. He had seen the potential for darkness in him when he a mere boy of nine. And now he had to face him, given all that had happened, and hear him say, in his own inimitable way, I told you so. You have to face him, Anakin, he heard Qui-Gon telling him. You mustn't run away from the past ...you must face it before you can move on from it. Vader frowned, annoyed by the way Qui-Gon felt it appropriate to interrupt his very thoughts. And yet, if it hadn't been for Qui-Gon, Vader would not have learned how to heal himself. Granted, the progress had been slow, but Vader was committed now, and knew that if he were ever to have a semblance of a life with his family, he needed to do his best to heal the gravest of his injuries.

As made his final approach to the star destroyer, Vader was struck by the presence of Yoda within the Force. It seemed to him that the diminutive Jedi had aged far more than two years. No doubt what had befallen the Jedi had weighed heavily on the eldest Jedi, coupled with his inability to see it happening until it was too late.

Obi-Wan stood at the large bridge window, watching as Vader's shuttle made its approach. He was surprised when the commander had told him that Vader was on the way. What did you do now? he wondered, feeling certain that Padmé was at the centre of it. Things had been tense between them, as they struggled to redefine their relationship. But Padmé had been accepting of Vader, despite his nefarious deeds. Obi-Wan had watched her mourn the loss of their relationship for the two years they were apart, and knew that the love she bore Vader was deep and unwavering. But would it be enough to enable her to see past the darkness that was still very much a part of him?

Obi-Wan made his way to the hangar bay to meet Vader, certain that his mood would be foul. Yoda was already in the hangar, having been woken up from his nap by a tremor in the Force that could only mean one thing: the chosen one had arrived.

"Angry, he is," Yoda said as Obi-Wan stood beside him. Obi-Wan simply nodded as the shuttle set down on the hangar deck. They both watched and waited for Vader to appear. They didn't have to wait long.

"Welcome aboard, Anakin," Obi-Wan said.

Vader nodded, and then looked at Yoda, who was watching him with shrewd eyes.

"Are you Anakin?" Yoda asked. "Or Vader, still?"

Vader walked down the ramp and stopped in front of the tiny Jedi who looked up at him. "I don't know," he said. "Both, or neither," he said.

Yoda nodded. "Changes I sense in you," he said. "Qui-Gon has visited me," he said. "Told me he did of his faith in you."

"Faith you think is misplaced," Vader said. "You've always thought that."

Yoda tilted his head to one side as he regarded Vader. "Darkness I have always sensed in you," he said. "Darkness I sense still," he said. "But also light. Confused, you are."

"Yes, you could say that," Vader said.

"Why are you here?" Obi-Wan asked as the three of them left the hangar bay.

Vader didn't reply immediately, which only made Obi-Wan more certain that his hunch was right.

"You had a fight with Padmé, didn't you?" Obi-Wan said.

Vader turned to him quickly. "Why do you assume that?" he snapped.

"Because I know you well," Obi-Wan said. "And I know her," he said.

Vader shook his head. "You know nothing," he said, and strode away from them angrily.

Obi-Wan hung back with Yoda and the two of them watched him as he retreated down the corridor.

"Misplaced I hope your trust is not," Yoda said.

Obi-Wan looked down at him. "It isn't, Master Yoda," he said. "Anakin is just...annoyed."

Yoda frowned. "We shall see," he said.

Imperial Capital

A flood of emotions filled Padmé as she and the twins stepped off of the lift and into the apartment. She was reminded of the many times she'd met Anakin here, when they'd be reunited after prolonged separations during the Clone War. Would there be happy times like that again? she wondered. Or were those times gone forever now? Luke and Leia enjoyed themselves as they ran around the apartment, exploring their new environment. Dormé, who had joined Padmé in Theed, smiled as she watched them.

"They're so sweet," Dormé said. "Just look at them!"

Padmé nodded. "They're happy to be somewhere different," she said. "I can't really blame them, they've known nothing but that cottage all their lives."

"That's true," Dormé said as she watched Threepio carry in suitcases. "How long were you planning on staying?" she asked.

Padmé shrugged as she sat down on one of the long sofas in the main room. "I don't know," she said. She frowned as she thought of Vader. "We can't seem to get along for very long anymore," she said quietly.

Dormé sat down beside her. "Things are bound to be difficult," she said. "He's not the same man he was when you married him, Padmé."

"I realize that," Padmé said. "That doesn't mean we don't still love each other. It's just hard because we don't seem to be able to communicate. It's very frustrating."

"I'm sure," Dormé said. "Won't he be upset that you've left Naboo without telling him?"

"Probably," Padmé said, standing up to follow the twins. "But since he did the same thing, he really has no right to be."

"No, he doesn't," Dormé said, and then stood up to follow Padmé.

Star Destroyer Devastator

Vader spent several hours in the bacta tank as the Devastator made its way back to Naboo. He'd decided that Padmé deserved better, that he needed to try harder to give her what she wanted and needed. Qui-Gon had spent a lot of time with him aiding him with his meditation. Yoda had even added his support to Vader's cause, seeing for himself how motivated Vader was to change.

"You've worked hard today, Anakin," Qui-Gon told his protégé after a long session of meditation. "Master Yoda is quite impressed with your dedication."

"Is he?" Vader asked. "I sense nothing but distrust from him still."

Qui-Gon had sensed the same thing, but didn't want to discourage Vader. "Give him time," he said. "He doesn't know you like Obi-Wan does, like I do," he advised.

"You think that Obi-Wan trusts me?" Vader asked.

"I think so, yes," Qui-Gon said.

Vader shook his head. "I don't," he said. "If he did, he would have sought out the other Jedi by now," he said. "I suggested that to him, but he has not taken any steps to do so. And I know why; he still doesn't trust me, and feels that he would be betraying them by leading me to them."

Qui-Gon nodded. "You're probably right, Anakin," he said. "But it's not surprising, it is? Given what happened two years ago?"

Vader looked away. "I suppose not," he said. "But after everything that I've done recently, you'd think he could get past all that."

"In time, he will," Qui-Gon said. "You need to be patient with him, as well as your wife."

Vader nodded. "I know," he said. "I haven't been fair to her," he said. "And then I left without apologizing to her." He stopped as the remorse filled him. "I need to get back to her," he said . "I need to make things right."

Qui-Gon smiled. "I imagine the ship will be arriving at Naboo very soon," he said.

Not soon enough, Vader reflected.

"I think you ought to have your lungs re-examined," Qui-Gon said. "I would be shocked if you hadn't made more progress," he said.

"Perhaps you're right," Vader said. "I'll have them checked before we reached Naboo."

"Good," Qui-Gon said. "I look forward to learning the results."

Vader headed to the medical wing to have his examination, trying his best not to get his hopes up. But Qui-Gon had been working with him ceaselessly for days. Surely there had been some progress.

"What can I do for you, Lord Vader?" asked a young medic as she stood up from her computer.

"I need you to perform an examination of my thoracic region," Vader said. "And compare the results to the examination I had two weeks ago."

"I will pull those records right away sir," he said. "If you'll come this way, my assistants will get you prepared."

Vader submitted to the ministrations of the medical droids, and was soon on the examination table. His mask and helmet were removed, and he was fitted with a ventilator. The scanning machine lowered over his body and scanned over his chest slowly, down and up as the doctor watched the progress on a monitor.

"That's enough," the doctor said. She looked at the readout from two weeks earlier and compared them to those on the screen in front of her. While Vader was assisted by the medical droids, she made some notes, knowing that Vader would be most anxious to know the results.

A short time later, Vader sat across from the medic waiting for her to deliver her report.

"Well?" he said. "Any change?"

"Yes, Lord Vader," he said. "There is. Compared to the tests we ran two weeks ago, there has definitely been more progress," she said. "According to the exam we just performed, your lung capacity is up to 37 percent."

"37? Are you certain?" Vader asked in shock.

"Quite certain, sir," she replied with a smile. "I'm not sure how this has happened, but it's truly remarkable."

Vader nodded. Yes, it is, he thought. "Thank you," he said, standing up. They couldn't arrive at Naboo soon enough.

Coruscant (formerly known as Imperial Capital)

"It sounds like you've been very busy," Padmé said with a smile.

Bail Organa nodded. "Indeed we have," he said. "But it's been wonderful. I still have to pinch myself to make sure it's not all a dream," he told her with a laugh.

"I know what you mean," Padmé said. "Palpatine's death has been a great thing for the galaxy."

Bail nodded. "I'm surprised to see you here, Padmé," he said. "I didn't think you'd be back to Coruscant without your husband."

Padmé shrugged as her eyes wandered over to where Luke and Leia were playing nearby. "I just wanted to get a change of scenery," she said. "I've missed this place," she said, looking around the apartment.

Bail felt quite certain that there was a lot more to her visit than she said. No doubt being married to the most infamous man in the galaxy was challenging to say the least.

"What has he been doing, anyway?" Bail asked. "I can't imagine it's been easy for him having given up all that power."

Padmé looked back at him, irritated by his comment. "No, you can't imagine," she said. "I don't think anyone can imagine what it's like to be him. But he's doing his best," she said, as though telling herself as much as Bail. "This has been a huge change in his life, and it hasn't been easy for him. But I have faith in him, Bail. I have faith that the changes he's fighting to make will happen," she said. "He's becoming more Anakin Skywalker every day."

Bail nodded. "I really hope so, Padmé," he said. "Truly I do. The galaxy needs a man like Anakin Skywalker."

His words struck Padmé deeply. "Yes, it does," she said softly.

Bail watched her for a moment, wondering how to phrase what he wanted to ask her. "He hasn't...hurt you, has he?" he asked cautiously.

Padmé frowned and looked at him. "No!" she cried. "How can you even ask me that?"

"Because you're very clearly upset, Padmé," he said. "Because you're here, knowing that there's no way he can come here," he said. "And because, well, he's Darth Vader."

"To me he's Anakin," she said. "He has always been Anakin. Yes, I know what he's done, I know what he's like; but he loves me and the children, Bail. He truly does. He's changing more every day, and I have to believe that, one day, he will be Anakin Skywalker in every way."

Bail smiled indulgently. "Of course he will," he said.