For a long minute, the members of Alliance High Command stood still in shock.
Then the expression on Mon Mothma's face changed to one of sympathy, and she stepped forward toward Luke.
"I'm so sorry, Commander," she said gently.
Her kind tone was so unexpected that Luke, already reeling from his father's recording, wondered if he might actually have an emotional breakdown right then and there.
Fortunately, General Madine came to his rescue.
"Sorry?" he snapped angrily, "I'm sorry too, that we have the son of that monster walking in our midst. How do we know you haven't been plotting with him all along, Skywalker?"
Leia, whose protective fire had been hovering on the edge of Luke's consciousness, chose this moment to erupt.
"How dare you, General?" she hissed in outrage, "Luke had given his complete loyalty to the Alliance for the last four years. He has pledged his allegiance, has suffered, has nearly died numerous times for the cause. If it wasn't for Luke's actions at the Battle of Yavin…"
"Yes, indeed – and how did he make that shot against the Death Star, Princess?" Madine shot back, "Perhaps Vader helped him secretly, maybe this has been a long, drawn out plot for Vader and his son to destroy Palpatine and take control of the Empire. Maybe this is just the next step in their master plan. Has that occurred to you?"
Solo stepped forward in outrage, and Chewbacca also growled menacingly.
Luke spoke quickly, "Han, Leia, Chewie!"
All three paused and looked at him.
"Please, General Madine's concerns are completely valid, and you know that. Truthfully, I was expecting his response from all of you, members of High Command."
He gave Mon Mothma a grateful look and swallowed the lump in his throat, "Your kindness is much appreciated, sir. It has indeed been … a difficult truth to bear."
Mothma nodded and gave Madine a cool stare, "You need to calm down and refrain from making wild accusations, General."
She gathered all those in attendance with her gaze and said, "Let us sit down and discuss this peaceably. Chewbacca, please take my seat."
She moved from the command chair, which was large enough to mostly accommodate Chewbacca's furry legs and torso. Chewie still had to work to fit himself into the chair, which lightened the mood slightly.
Mon Mothma sat down in a chair across from Luke.
"So please tell us when you found out that Darth Vader is your biological father."
Luke sighed and looked out at the window. The Executor floated regally in space within his view.
"He told me during our confrontation at Bespin," he said soberly, "Right after he…cut off my hand. I didn't want to believe him, I tried to tell myself he was lying…but I sensed he was speaking the truth. Five months ago, the Jedi Master who trained me confirmed that Darth Vader was once Anakin Skywalker, my father."
Mon Mothma nodded, "I am peripherally aware of the events of Bespin, though not the details. After he disabled you, what else did he say?"
"He said I could destroy the Emperor, that my destiny was to join Vader and together we could rule the galaxy as father and son."
"So he very specifically referred to you in those terms, as his son?" Mothma asked.
Luke turned his gaze to her, "Yes."
Mothma nodded again and considered for a long moment. Everyone else sat quietly, waiting.
"What did you say about Vader at Champala, when talking to that doctor?" she asked suddenly.
Luke furrowed his brow, "Well, a number of things. I was channeling my fear and discouragement that day, to convince the doctor. I said I was terrified of my father. That I refused to join him since he was a tyrant. I said I assumed I was some mistake from a one night stand, and that I thought he despised me, that I was an embarrassment to him. I said…" he paused, and swallowed hard, "I said I loved him because he was my father, even though I hate the things he has done as Darth Vader."
Mon Mothma was staring steadily at him. Luke felt Leia twitch in the Force, no doubt from Luke's statement that he loved their father. He knew she had no such weakness, but then she didn't have the same void as he did, as Bail Organa had been a devoted father to her.
Mothma finally spoke, softly, "Based on Vader's recording, I think we need to at least consider the possibility that Vader was profoundly affected by your message, and is … changing."
Madine spoke up indignantly, "You can't really believe that? The man is a monster!"
Rieekan shook his head, "He wasn't always a monster, General. I didn't know Anakin Skywalker personally, but he was one of the greatest of the Jedi Knights. He turned the tide of battle for the Old Republic more than once. He was, at one time, a truly great man."
Mothma spoke up, "I did meet him a few times, in person. He had a reputation for being extremely loyal and almost fearless in his willingness to risk his own life and wellbeing for the sake of those around him. He and Kenobi were an acclaimed team, and saved countless lives."
Madine pounced, "Which is exactly my concern! If a powerful and good man could turn into the man that is now Darth Vader, how can we possibly trust his son?"
Leia opened his mouth in protest, but Luke spoke up quickly.
"General, I assure you I do understand your concerns. I am powerful with the Force, though I doubt I'm as potent as my father is. I assure you that I am aware of my family legacy and I am aware of the dangers of such power. I hope and believe that my knowledge of the risks of the Dark Side will keep me safe from falling as my father did."
He turned to Mon Mothma, "Sir, I haven't had time to think through my … father's…message, but there is one argument against this being some kind of repentance. He says that he knew of my mother's pregnancy. I had assumed that he didn't know about me, that I was the product of a fling and Kenobi tracked down my mother later. If he did, if Vader knew he had a child, why didn't he hunt for me long ago, when I was a child? Why wait until a few years ago to start searching for me? I suspect that he discovered I was a strong Force sensitive when we interacted over the Death Star, and he concluded at that point I was worth some degree of attention. It wasn't like I was even hidden that well. I carried his former name!"
Mon Mothma and Carlist Rieekan exchanged thoughtful glances, and Rieekan spoke, "I think he believed you had died before birth, with your mother."
Luke felt Leia's curiosity spike, along with his own.
"Why would he think that?" he questioned.
Mothma shook her head sadly and suddenly looked much older, "There were so many tragedies at the advent of the Empire. The destruction of the Jedi. The loss of democracy. The sudden disappearance of Palpatine's more vocal political opponents. But not many sorrows touched me like the death of Padme Amidala. She was very young, perhaps 26, when the galaxy lost her. She had been such a strong voice for democracy, and had worked with your father, Leia, in trying to curb the excessive powers that Palpatine had claimed as Chancellor. Her death was mysterious and, we guessed, part of Palpatine's plot against the voices of democracy in the Senate.
"It was…widely known…near the end, that she was pregnant, though the identity of the father was a mystery. When she died, her funeral was broadcast across the galaxy as she was carried in her casket through the streets of the capital city of Naboo. She still appeared to be pregnant. We all assumed that the child had died with her before birth. Vader almost certainly believed the same thing."
Luke looked at his secret sister, "Kenobi or Yoda, or both, probably plotted to make it look like she hadn't given birth yet. Vader's message said she died shortly after I was born, but perhaps he didn't know that at the time."
"I am certain he did not," Rieekan responded, "A child of Anakin Skywalker's would have been a grave danger to Palpatine. I assure you, many younglings were hunted down and killed to prevent them from growing to maturity and rising against the Emperor. The deception was for your safety."
There was a pause, and then Han Solo, of all people, spoke up, "Still, a rotten thing to do. If there was anything left of Luke's dad in there, perhaps knowing he had a child alive would have helped him come back. It sounds like Vader really cared about Luke's mom. Maybe if he had known about Luke…"
Luke was, once again, struck with the rough but astonishing wisdom of Han Solo. For all that he sported the careless persona of the roguish gambler, he often came out with startling bits of insight about the human psyche.
Leia sighed, "Well, it is 24 years too late to know if it would have made a difference. We need to figure out what to do now, with this mysterious message and the Executor and the future of the Alliance."
"And whether I should try to find Vader," Luke added.
Everyone looked at him in astonishment.
"He said you shouldn't look for him, Kid," Han said.
"Yeah, and I always do what he says, right?" Luke shot back.
"Han's right though, Luke," Leia said worriedly, "I can't imagine how wasting your time tracking him down is a wise thing to do, nor is confronting him a healthy plan."
Luke paused, and then spoke slowly, "He said he thought it unlikely we would meet face to face again. That makes me think he is either planning on going into self-imposed exile, or he plans on trying to kill Palpatine alone. I'm not sure he can do it. In fact, at Bespin he rather implied that he needed my help to overthrow the Emperor."
"So if he fails, he'll be dead and we won't need to worry about him anymore," Madine said callously.
Luke gave Madine a thoughtful look, whereas everyone else looked at him indignantly.
"It would obviously be a splendid thing if Palpatine were overthrown," Mon Mothma said diplomatically, "And if we can be convinced of Vader's true change of heart, perhaps we can assist in some way."
She glanced at her chrono, "I have another vital meeting. Commander Skywalker, I want you to interview this Admiral Piett tomorrow morning. We will have further discussions about all these issues as events transpire. One last thing, the information about Commander Skywalker's paternity is a secret. No one is to share it without his permission. Is that clear?"
There were nods, and those in attendance quietly left the room. Luke hung back so that he and Madine were the last to leave. Just as they reached the door, the General reached out a gentle hand of restraint.
"Commander Skywalker," he said courteously, "I apologize for my accusations and comments about Vader. To be honest, I was partially baiting you to see how you'd react. You were remarkably patient with me, and passed that test with flying colors."
Luke focused on the General thoughtfully, "I thought you were being needlessly antagonistic, sir. I don't know if I should say thank you for the compliment, or 'You idiot!' for deliberately trying to enrage the son of Darth Vader."
This surprised a chuckle out of Madine, "Probably both answers are entirely appropriate. It's an honor to work at your side, Commander. May the Force be with you."
Author note: Thanks again for the reviews and follows. I do love dialogue, don't I? In the next chapter, Luke gets some clues as to where Vader has hidden himself.