Chapter 54

"Luke and Leia are beautiful, by the way," Ahsoka said as she and Anakin sat down in the refectory.

Anakin smiled proudly. "Thank you," he said.

"Luke looks just like you," Ahsoka went on. "And Leia looks like Padmé."

Anakin nodded. "You're right," he said. "But their personalities are quite the opposite. Luke is the calmer of the two, much like Padmé. And Leia, well, she's a little spit fire."

Ahsoka laughed. "Wonder where she got that from?" she asked.

"Not Padmé, that's all I'm going to say," Anakin said.

Ahsoka smiled. "How is Padmé?" she asked. "I'd love to see her."

"She's wonderful," Anakin asked. "Busy of course, with the new twins," he said. "You ought to come and see her. She'd love to see you."

Ahsoka nodded. "Maybe I will," she said. "How did you two get back together?" she asked. "I mean...you were Vader until not that long ago. Did she ever see you when you were Vader? With the mask and all?"

Anakin nodded. "I found her on Naboo when I was there trying to hunt down Jedi, ironically," he said. "I thought she was dead, Ahsoka. Palpatine told me that the Jedi had killed her, that Obi-Wan had let them and had done nothing to protect her."

Ahsoka frowned. "Why would you believe such a thing?" she asked.

"Do you really need to ask me that?" Anakin asked. "You met Darth Vader, you know the way his mind worked. Palpatine had done such an effective job of turning me against the Jedi that I'd believe anything he told me, including that. I was convinced that the Jedi were evil. Ad so I believed him when he told me that the Jedi had killed my wife. When I discovered that Obi-Wan was hiding on Naboo, I sought him out to kill him. And when I found him, Padmé was with him. That changed everything."

Ahsoka was surprised by his revelation. "How did she react when she saw you? Saw Vader?"
Anakin smiled as he remembered. "She ran to me," he said. "Ran right into my arms. That was the moment that Darth Vader began to die. That was the beginning of the return of Anakin Skywalker."

Ahsoka smiled. "So it was Padmé that turned you back to the light," she said.

Anakin nodded. "Padmé and our children," he said. "If I'd never learned the truth, I'd have spent the rest of my life in darkness."

Ahsoka nodded. "Well thank the Creator that you did learn the truth," she said. "And now your children will follow in your footsteps," she said with a smile.

"Perhaps," Anakin said. He sighed. "I just wish they'd hurry up," he said, standing up. "This waiting is killing me."

Ahsoka watched him pace, not at all surprised by his edginess. Anakin Skywalker had never been a patient man. "It won't be much longer," she said. "I'm sure the Council has already made up its mind. This testing is just a formality, in my opinion."

Anakin looked at her, not having considered this. "Perhaps," he said. He looked up as he saw Obi-Wan enter the refectory. He walked over to him at once, followed by Ashoka.

"Well?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan smiled. "Come with me," he said. Anakin and Ahsoka followed Obi-Wan out the door, and the three of them walked back down the long corridors to the Council chamber. It had never seemed so far, in Anakin's mind.

"Daddy!" Luke and Leia said as they ran to meet Anakin at the door. He bent down and picked up his precious children, hugging them to him tightly. How did it go? he asked them silently. It was fun, they replied. He looked at them in surprise, their answer not at all what he'd expected.

"Sit down, please, Anakin," Obi-Wan said as he took his own seat. Anakin sat down, with a twin on each knee.

"Well?" Anakin asked. "Are Luke and Leia to be trained, then?"

Obi-Wan looked at Yoda, deciding to let him tell Anakin their plans.

"Strong with the Force, they both are," Yoda said. "Almost as strong as their father."

Anakin nodded, not surprised. "So that means you'll be training them," he said.

"It does," Yoda said.

Anakin smiled, and gave each of his twins a kiss on the cheek. He had mixed feelings about the thought of them becoming Jedi, but knew that it was the will of the Force that they were.

"It is our hope that you too will become a Jedi, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "That you will return to the Order."

The smile on Anakin's face faded. "I can't," he said. "I've told you that," he added. "You know how I feel, Obi-Wan. I...I just can't."

Yoda frowned. "A debt you owe," he said. "An obligation you have," he added. "The choice is no longer yours, Anakin."

Obi-Wan looked with surprise at the tiny Jedi. "Wait a moment, I have to disagree with you there, Master Yoda," he said. "We cannot force Anakin to do this. It has to be his choice." He looked back at Anakin. "We must respect his feelings in this matter."

Anakin looked at his friend with a bitter sweet smile. "I appreciate that," he said as his emotions welled up inside of him. "I wish it could be different, I truly do," he said. "But..." he stopped as the guilt of the past came crashing down on him hard. He closed his eyes to master his feelings, as Luke and Leia turned to him. Each of them sensed their father's anguish, and, even though they were unsure of the reasons for it, felt heartsick for him. Luke took his father's face in his hands, and, wordlessly, pressed his forehead to Anakin's, as Leia lay her head on his shoulder. Anakin felt the love of his children wash over him, ignoring the rest of the room.

The Council watched in silence, each member of it awed by the connection between father and children.

"At any rate," Obi-Wan said, "Luke and Leia are to be padawan learners," he said. "I will be their master, and I'm hoping that you will help with their training, Anakin. Even if you are not yourself a Jedi, you can still train your children."

Anakin nodded. "Yes, I want to be involved in their training," he said, looking at Luke and Leia with a smile. "I think it's only right that I do."

Obi-Wan smiled, ignoring the irritated look on Yoda's face. "Wonderful," he said. "We'll begin first thing tomorrow morning."

As soon as they arrived home, Luke and Leia ran off to find their mother to tell her about their adventures at the Jedi Temple. Padmé was upstairs with the babies, and listened patiently as Luke and Leia competed for their mother's attention. Anakin said nothing, and simply picked up Ami and held her close. Padmé had noted his demeanour, and, once Luke and Leia left her to go play in their room, she stood up from the rocker and walked to him, Anakin Junior sleeping on her shoulder.

"Sounds like the Council are quite eager to begin Luke and Leia's training," she said.

Anakin nodded. "It seems so, yes," he said, looking down into his sleeping daughter's face.

Padmé watched him for a moment before putting Anakin Junior in his crib. Then she gave Anakin Senior her full attention. "Put the baby in her crib and come sit with me," she said as she sat on the edge of their bed.

Anakin looked at her, and then back at Ami. He kissed the baby's forehead, and then walked over to place her in her crib. And then he joined Padmé on the bed.

"Talk to me," she said, taking his hand. "I know you're upset."

Anakin sighed. "I'm not upset," he said. "Just...contemplative."

Padmé nodded. "No doubt," she said. "I'm sure it must have been difficult to be there," she said.

"It's getting easier," he said. "But I don't think it will ever feel completely comfortable there again." He frowned, and looked down at their joined hands. "They want me to become a Jedi again, Padmé. Yoda said that I owe it to the Order, that I have an obligation to them." He looked up at her. "Part of me agrees with him," he said. "Do I have the right to refuse them, Padmé? After all that I did, shouldn't I be obliged to them?"

Padmé didn't know what to say. She could see how torn he was, and it broke her heart. "I don't think you are beholden to them or to anyone," she said. "You're not a slave, Ani. You have the right to choose."

Anakin wasn't so sure. "I wish I knew what to do," he said.

"What did Obi-Wan say?" she asked.

"He said that it was their hope that he would return to the Order," Anakin replied. "But that it was my choice. Master Yoda doesn't seem to agree with him."

Padmé frowned. "Yoda has never had any compassion where you're concerned," she pointed out. "I don't think you should let his opinion bother you. Obi-Wan isn't going to let him coerce you into something you don't want to do."

"I know," he said, looking back down at their hands. "He's a good friend."

Padmé smiled. "I can't tell you what it means to see you two close again," she said.

Anakin picked up her hand and kissed it. "I know, it means a lot to me too," he said. "He'll make a good master for Luke and Leia."

"He means to train them both?" she asked. "They're quite a handful."

Anakin smiled. "I'm helping him," he said. "I told them I wanted to be involved in their training. I don't want them to be there without me, even with Obi-Wan there."

Padmé nodded. "I'm glad you'll be there," she said. "Luke and Leia need you, Anakin. This is going to be a big adjustment for them. Having you there will help them."

"I know it will," he said. "I suppose one day in the not so distant future I'll be training Ani and Ami, too."

Padmé smiled. "Yes, but not for a few years. They're only 5 months old, after all. Now come on," she said, standing up. "You can help me get dinner started."

Anakin stood up and pulled her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, and simply held her for a moment, wondering to himself, not for the first time, what he would do without this remarkable woman in his life.