Chapter 27
No Legacy So Rich
"There you are! I want to talk to you!" Leia occupied the courtyard doorway, arms akimbo, Artoo whistling snidely at her side, and the Force around her blazing hotter than the suns above.
Anakin suppressed a sigh. It appeared a double scolding was on the agenda this morning. "Yes. I recall," he said. "Kenobi has something to tell you, as well. Let's at least go somewhere cooler while we do this." He gestured toward the apartment.
Leia's expression tightened but she complied without a word.
Anakin, with Kenobi on his heels, had just stepped into the shelter of the shop when a knock sounded on the streetside door. With an apologetic shrug to them both, he detoured to open it.
Cody stood outside. "Good morning, my lo—General."
"Anakin, Cody. Or Skywalker." Anakin stepped aside to allow the other man to enter.
Cody's eyes darted toward Kenobi, then he riveted his attention on Anakin. On the other side of the room, Kenobi feigned indifference by fidgeting with his robe sleeves. "Sorry, sir. Skywalker. Uh, old habit."
"I am aware. I appreciate your efforts. And also your contribution yesterday."
Cody chuckled. "That garrison is a disgrace. They deserve to have a little Darth Vader thrown at them. So what's next?"
"I can't give you details until we're under way, but we need to leave this afternoon. The team will be impersonating stormtroopers. I'll requisition the equipment from Semchan. Meet me at the garrison in…" Anakin circled the counter to consult the chronometer beside his work area— "hmm—better make it an hour and a half. I have something to take care of here."
"Sure, Ge—Skywalker." Cody, who had followed him to the counter, half turned to go.
"Oh—one more thing. Do you think any vod'e would be interested in helping out with the security situation?"
Cody turned back, a slight frown creasing his brow. "But the garrison is handling security."
"For the moment. It won't last long, unfortunately. Once the Emperor gets wind of my presence here, Semchan will—well, I am not certain what will happen, in point of fact. He could be recalled or executed. Or perhaps ordered to take direct control of the planet. In any case, it's best to provide non-Imperial security if possible, and I hope some of the clones might be willing to assist."
Cody spread his hands. "I can ask. What should I tell them?"
Anakin glanced at Leia, who was tapping her toe with her arms crossed. "I'll have to work out the specifics with Kit later, but for the most part it will be heavy police work. Thanks to the seizure of Jabba's funds, payment will be competitive. Now, if you'll excuse me…Leia has some things to say to me."
"Yeah! Like how you promised to listen to what I had to say yesterday, but then you ran off again."
Her eyes sparked with resentment, and for the first time, Anakin saw his wife's ghost in their daughter's face. The twist of the knife in his chest was excruciating. "I'm lis—"
"Not here, Leia," said Kenobi.
"No! Here and now! Before he finds some way to get out of it again." She glared at Anakin, who flinched back despite himself. "You say you'll do something, but you never actually do it. Instead you barge in like—like—like some Sith Lord tyrant, ordering everyone around. Including me! As though you have a right! As though it wasn't enough that you ruined my life! And you didn't just ruin my life, you ruined the whole galaxy, too!"
"Whoa, there, Spitfire!—cool your afterburners," a coolly amused voice said. "He ruined the whole galaxy? You might wanna tone down that rhetoric. He probably didn't even ruin your life."
The familiar voice startled Anakin, despite the fact he knew she was coming. Leia had so absorbed his attention, he had been oblivious to the three cloaked figures who had entered the shop.
Leia rounded on the newcomer. "That's what you know about it! He's not your—your—" She started to dash toward the sanctuary of the apartment, but Kenobi caught her arm.
"That's enough, Leia," he said in a stern voice. "Your incivility is unacceptable."
"You're the Sprite? You're so big!" Ahsoka lowered her hood to reveal a mature set of montrals and lekku, which framed more boldly defined facial markings than those Anakin remembered. "Hello, Obi-Wan," she added as an afterthought.
One of the figures behind her jerked his hood away from a face alight with eagerness. "Obi-Wan? You can't mean—Obi-Wan Kenobi? Ahsoka, you didn't say the Jedi we were coming to see was Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Anakin's breath hitched. This must be Luke. His son.
Artoo zipped forward with a cheerful tootle to rock back and forth in front of Ahsoka.
She patted him on the dome. "Hi, Artoo. How's it going?"
Before the droid could launch into a catalog of his current indignations, Cody found his voice. "Commander Tano?!"
Ahsoka's hands darted toward her hips. She paused, eyes narrowed, and stalked over to inspect his hairline. "You had the chip removed?"
"Lord Vader ordered it before we retired."
"Vader?" the remaining cloaked figure blurted, tugging his hood down. "Vader removed your chip, vod?"
At the sight of a craggy face edged by a fringe of white hair and a bushy beard, Cody choked out, "Rex? Oh, Rex!"
The two clones leapt toward one another, pounding each other on the back, and if a tear or three coursed down weathered cheeks—well, Anakin would never remark on it. He blinked a sheen out of his own eyes. Rex looked so old. But it was good to see him alive and well. The other clones had stirred long-dormant memories and habits, but only at this moment did he realize how much he had missed Rex's steady presence and sharp insights.
Anakin wrenched his attention back to Leia, who was saying to Ahsoka in a perfunctory manner, "I apologize for being rude. How do you know me?"
The shift of Ahsoka's cheek markings as she smiled stirred yet more poignant memories. "A long time ago when you were a little girl, I lived with you and your uncle. My name's Ahsoka. And it seems you know my old friend Commander Cody."
Luke interrupted irrepressibly, "The Commander Cody? Rex's brother?"
"Yes," said Ahsoka. "And if you're going to ask why I didn't tell you he would be here, it's because I didn't know. Also, I understand your excitement, but that was rude. I was talking to Leia."
"Oh, right. Sorry." His embarrassment lasted for about two seconds before he brightened. "Your name is Leia?"
"Yeah. It's okay. I don't know what's going on either."
"So you know Obi-Wan Kenobi and Commander Cody?"
"Um, yeah, I guess."
"That is so amazing! I've heard so much about them!"
Leia shrugged. "I just met him yesterday. Commander Cody, I mean. I've known Uncle Ben all my life." She said to Ahsoka, "Why did you call me the Sprite?"
"Because you were such a livewire when you were tiny." She grinned. "I'll probably call you Spitfire now, though—Sprite seems a little tame. So who were you yelling at?" She glanced with mild curiosity at Anakin.
"He says he's my father," Leia grumbled with a scowl.
Cody jerked.
"Leia!" reproved Kenobi.
Ahsoka turned an interesting shade of orange. "Impossible."
"It's all right, Kenobi." Anakin pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Her feelings are only natural. I don't imagine any child—"
"I am not a child!"
"—would be thrilled to find I'm her father." Anakin braced himself for another painful round of confessions. "Snips…"
Rex whipped around to gape at him.
"What?!" Ahsoka almost screeched. "You—You're dead!"
"I—No. I…" At a loss for words to open this subject yet again, he grasped his belt loops, fists clenched until the metal groaned. "It's a long story."
"I'll bet it is! As long as the one about why you turned in the first place?! How could you? I—How could you? Sure, I left the Jedi—I left you—but I didn't betray people! I didn't—I didn't become a collaborator! A—a murderer!"
"I know." Anakin lowered his head. "You're right, Snips. I screwed up—spectacularly. No—that's too tame." He forced himself to look up at her. "There aren't words for what I did."
"Vaping right, there aren't! I—I—I'm so angry, I don't know what to say to you! And you!" She fumed at Kenobi. "You're working with him? You called us here without telling me? How could you forgive what he did?"
Kenobi put out a hand but withdrew it. "I—That's not…I wouldn't say I've forgiven him. Exactly. We have a temporary truce for a common goal. I'm hoping you'll be willing to help us." He sank onto a stool, slumped with defeat. "To be honest, I was concerned you wouldn't come if I told you—and a lot of it couldn't be explained over the holonet, anyway. If Palpatine gets wind of what we're up to, it will scuttle our plans."
"Palpatine." Her tone was skeptical. The exaggerated arch of her brow markings would have been comical if her expression weren't still so outraged.
"You said you knew someone who might want to help and you would ask them." Anakin jabbed his finger toward Kenobi. "I thought she already knew."
"I intended to." Kenobi ran his hand across his beard in the gesture that always signaled he was struggling to balance conflicting priorities. "Until I sat down to compose the message and realized I shouldn't be posting details of your survival on a holonet board. And I hoped she would arrive before you returned from…wherever you were..." His shoulders lifted and fell. "I should have known better. So, yes, Ahsoka, you deserve an explanation, but in order to get it, you'll have to stop shouting and listen." He sat up straighter. "We also have a slight problem. We haven't had a chance to tell Leia you were coming, so she doesn't know about Luke."
"Wait. He knows about Luke?" She pointed an accusing finger at Anakin.
"I told him a few minutes ago." Kenobi's tone was resigned. "We were getting ready to tell Leia when you walked in."
"Tell me what?" demanded Leia.
"Knows what about me?" Luke asked.
Anakin held up a hand. "Give me a minute to close up the shop. I don't want to be interrupted, which at this rate seems inevitable."
"Won't this Kraytrider person object to you closing up his shop without permission?" Ahsoka asked with mild curiosity.
Smiling drily, Anakin closed and locked the door. "I'm Kraytrider."
Ahsoka blinked. "You own a junk shop? That's not something—no, come to think of it, it's exactly what you'd do." And she laughed a little shrilly.
Anakin retreated behind the counter again, quailing at the thought of such a public confession. "I hope you will keep in mind," he said to his daughter, "that I did not know Ahsoka was coming until this morning. And I didn't know about Luke until then either. So if you're going to be angry—and it's entirely understandable if you are—I'd appreciate it if you aim it at Kenobi, since this part most definitely is not my fault."
Kenobi directed a dirty look his way before taking Leia's hand in a gentle clasp to guide her onto the stool beside him.
She scowled at both of them. "More secrets?"
Kenobi winced and nodded. "But please understand that I never kept secrets to hurt you, nor did I mean for them to come out like this. Everything I did was to protect you and—someone else. I had every intention of telling you after you grew up."
"My eighteenth birthday is next week!"
"Yes." The twist of his lips was wry. "I suppose I've been trying to forget that. I…I didn't want everything to change." He gave a gentle squeeze and dropped his hand. "You know most of it now. There's just one secret left. Luke, though…" He said to Ahsoka, "Does he know anything?"
She grimaced. "No. Nothing but some stories from when—when we were young."
Luke cast a puzzled glance at the gathered adults. "What don't I know?"
Ahsoka grasped his shoulders. "Secrets. About your family. I've been dreading telling you because…well, you're going to be angry. I would be, if it was me. But—I hope—once you know it all—I hope you'll forgive me. These secrets protected you."
"Okay…" Luke looked between Ahsoka and Kenobi. "…so what is this huge secret?"
For one moment Anakin was tempted to keep quiet. To let Kenobi and Ahsoka explain. They would do a better job than he would, anyway, and Luke and Leia trusted them. He moved to grip his belt again, a motion so habitual he did not realize he was doing it until his arm brushed his lightsaber. All at once hyper-aware of the song of the crystals against his mind, he wrapped his hand around the hilt and listened.
You must speak the words if they are to be yours. The krayt's voice echoed in his memory with new emphasis.
He regarded the twins. Leia, stewing over yet another secret. Luke, his initial frank openness now tinged with apprehension. Confession could cost him any chance of the relationships he longed for.
I will do what is right, even though it costs me what is most dear. The words of his day-old Oath rebuked his cowardice.
The Great Mother had laid out the path he must walk to become the man he always should have been. He must not falter now. Even if the cost was the last remnants of his family.
"They were my mistakes," he said softly. "My—sins. I will tell it. Besides, neither of you knows it all. Have a seat." He gestured to Luke—his son!—to take a stool.
He paused a moment to gather his thoughts, releasing the lightsaber with conscious effort. No matter how comforting he found it, his audience would not be reassured if he were clutching his weapon while he told this story.
"This is a hard story, to tell and to hear. The most important part is that I was a Jedi, married to a senator in secret…." He went on to explain what had led to his Fall and its terrible consequences, both to his family and the galaxy. He touched on his abuse of their mother, briefly and clinically, then told equally briefly of his injuries at the hand of a Jedi and his placement in the suit by Palpatine.
He shielded heavily, the barrage of emotions from his audience almost unbearable. He compelled himself to continue, to lay bare all his transgressions. He ended with a terse account of how he had discovered Palpatine's treachery and resolved to abandon the Empire.
"So you see, Snips," he concluded gravely, "Leia wasn't wrong. I did ruin her life—and the galaxy too."
He had expected some spirited response, but Ahsoka made no reply, merely observed him with a sorrowful expression. He was struck by how grown up she was.
Beside her, Artoo vibrated with a mournful burble.
"I still don't understand what any of that has to do with me," Luke said, brow creased in perplexity.
With an effort, Anakin met his son's eyes. "It concerns you because, as I learned four days ago, my wife did not die on Mustafar as I thought. And our child did not die with her. She lived long enough to give birth to twins—a boy and a girl—and to name them Luke and Leia."
Comprehension was slow, but when it came, Luke's aura, brilliant in searing blues and greens, flared with horror. "You're Darth Vader? And you're my father?" He stumbled to his feet, leaving the stool to rock wildly.
Anakin nodded, gaze never wavering from his son's devastated face. Anticipating this reaction hadn't softened the blow at all. Sternly, he reminded himself that this was a small punishment in comparison to the magnitude of his crimes.
Luke glared at Ahsoka. "You knew this? And you didn't tell me?" Beyond her, Rex caught his eye. "And you too?"
Rex lowered his eyes but made no reply.
Ahsoka fidgeted with the edge of her cloak. "Not all of it. But, yes, I knew he was Darth Vader. I'm sorry."
Luke collapsed back onto the stool, and the dazzling nimbus that surrounded him dimmed.
Leia was already studying him with interest. "He's my brother?"
Luke lifted his head in surprise, as though he had failed to absorb the other great revelation.
"Yes." Kenobi gave a heavy sigh. "Ahsoka and I decided we had to separate you for your own safety. In hindsight, it may not have been truly necessary, but at the time, it seemed the wisest course."
The shop was quiet. Luke and Leia scrutinized one another. By unspoken agreement, the adults waited for one of the twins to break the silence.
As any of them could have predicted, it was Leia. "Well, this is a fine nest of sarlaccs. In the last four days, I've discovered Darth Vader is my father, my mother was a senator—"
"I have a twin I never knew about," put in Luke, a little dazed.
"Oh, yeah!" Leia's voice rose with each accusation. "Then I found out good old dad's the head of some revolution."
"And our father's not dead, like you always said he was." Luke glowered at Ahsoka.
"So what's next?" Leia regarded the gathered adults with disdain.
"The Emperor is our grandfather and we're being presented at court next week," Luke said morosely.
"Eww! Seriously?"
"Absolutely not." Anakin decided they had run wild long enough. "You will never have any contact with him, if I have anything to say about it. And he is not your grandfather." His lip curled with disgust. "Even the thought is…"
"Totally revolting." Ahsoka completed his unfinished statement.
Artoo blatted, adding a few choice insults for the Emperor for good measure.
Ahsoka patted his dome with a laugh. "I've missed you, Artoo. I didn't catch all that, but I agree one hundred percent." She peered at Kenobi and Anakin. "So—you were saying something about Palpatine finding out what you're up to? And it involves me?"
"If you're willing. Both of you," Anakin said with a quick glance at Rex. "It's complicated and I'll have to fill in the details later, but the very short version is that I plan to kill the Emperor."
Ahsoka and Rex exchanged dumbfounded looks.
"And you have an actual plan to do this?" Her tone was as skeptical as he had ever heard it. "A real one?"
"Contrary to popular belief, I can and do make plans."
"Impossible and reckless plans," Ahsoka derided. "And generally theoretical."
Rex stifled a reluctant laugh by gnawing on his mustache.
Before Anakin could defend himself, a knock pounded on the door. "So much for not being interrupted," he informed the ceiling as he unlocked the door to find Kit with his hand raised.
"Exhibit A that General Skywalker can make plans," Cody said to the room at large. "More or less."
Kenobi snorted. "His execution could still use some work. Sticking to the plan comes to mind."
Anakin ignored them. "Kit. Come in. We were just having a war council."
"Oh, you should have called me. I'm getting good at secret meetings." He extended his hand with a grin. Anakin's intention for a brief greeting was foiled when Kit refused to let go. Instead, he tapped Anakin's hand twice with his thumb and winked. So. Kit was inventing a secret handshake, was he? Anakin shook his head in sham reproof even as he returned the taps.
Formalities concluded, Kit twisted his face in mock concern. "More secret meetings, huh? You aren't planning to bring down another government, are you?"
"Now that you mention it…" Cody said in a sly aside.
Ahsoka's expression was long-suffering. "What are you sniggering about?"
"Oh, Anakin merely assassinated Jabba, ran a revolution under the Imperials' noses, and intimidated the governor into supporting it all yesterday," Kenobi said.
"You did what now?" Ahsoka goggled at Anakin.
"I didn't assassinate Jabba," Anakin corrected. "Cody and his team did that."
"Vod!" Rex punched Cody in the arm.
"And I still have no idea what's going on." Kit ran a hand over his hair. "You promised me an explanation later. It's later, so spill."
"I'm sorry, Kit. I don't have time for more explanations right now." Anakin turned back to Ahsoka and Rex. "Are you willing to help? If not, I understand, but I can't stick around. I have to leave this afternoon."
Cody nudged Rex. "Come with us. Skywalker promised we can damage Imperial property and assault Imperial personnel. I've got four good men on my team, but missions are always better with you along."
Rex and Ahsoka conducted a wordless consultation. She glanced at Anakin, at Luke, then back at Rex, and nodded. "If you want to do it, Rexter, go ahead."
He hesitated. "And you?"
"I haven't decided yet." She pursed her lips. "But if you want to go with Cody, you should."
Rex came forward to rest a hand on Luke's shoulder. "I'm sorry for the secrets. Ahsoka and I should have told you before this."
"Yeah. That would've been nice." Luke's voice was shaky. "So—does this mean you're leaving?"
It was Rex's turn to look around the group. He tightened his hand on Luke's shoulder. "I think I have to." He knelt beside Luke's stool so their eyes were almost on a level. "I promised to protect you. I've watched over you and taught you what I know. You don't need me to stand over you with a blaster anymore. This is how I can protect you now."
They faced each other for a long time. Luke lowered his head and wrapped his arms around Rex, who embraced the boy in turn.
"All right, I'm in." Stony-faced, Rex rose to address Anakin directly for the first time. "Don't think this means I forgive what you did to my men. I saw the Temple, and I know it was the 501st that did it, under your command. But I guess this is the best shot I have to even the score for what that vaping contingency order did to them."
Anakin jerked his head once. "I'd feel the same in your shoes. Nevertheless, I'm glad to have you. Cody's right—you'll be a valuable addition to the team."
Cody clapped a hand to Rex's shoulder. "Welcome back to the madhouse. Come with me to send some comms, and on the way, I can tell you all about knocking off Jabba."
Anakin watched them leave a little wistfully. They appeared to be picking up right where they'd left off. His own friendship with Rex, though…Yet one more casualty of his betrayals.
He pushed his melancholy thoughts aside. He had work to do. "I'm glad to see you, Kit. As you just heard I have to leave this afternoon."
"But—what will I do while you're gone?" An anxious frown creased Kit's forehead. " The garrison troops are a godsend, it's true. Did you hear? They arrested six gangs overnight for attempted assault and robbery. But I was counting on you to be here. What if someone challenges the Articles? Claims the Provisional Council isn't legal? You can't leave now—I don't know what I'm doing at all."
Anakin smiled at him. At least this one friendship had survived. "It will be fine. The Articles are airtight—I made sure. And before I leave, I'll reinforce to Semchan that he has no choice but to back the Provisional Council."
"Are you sure he'll listen?"
"He'll listen, President," Kenobi said dryly. "Anakin put the fear of Darth Vader into him."
"Don't worry," Anakin said. "Follow the principles in the Articles, don't pick a fight with Semchan, and you'll be fine. I should be back in a day or two."
Kit still appeared hesitant, but he nodded. "All right. I'll hold down the fort until your return."
"That's the spirit, Kit." Anakin squeezed his shoulder. "Walk with me to the garrison, and we can cover a few things on the way."