Chapter 3 - Until The End Of Time

Author's Note: Shmi's way too smart to have NOT picked up on Vader being Anakin, so even if Leia hadn't told her, she'd have figured it out on her own. Anakin's her son. :)

~ Amina Gila

Shmi has no idea what to think of anything that Vader – Anakin – told her. Force, Vader is Anakin. It's no wonder there were moments that he seemed so familiar, so...

But it had seemed so impossible for him to be her Ani, with how dark and broken he seemed, that the thought hadn't even crossed her mind. That childish spark of constant energy is nearly invisible in him now.

He is so close to broken, even if she can still see the traces of that fire and determination that he always used to have when he was young. And she has absolutely no idea what happened to him.

From what he said, the Jedi obviously weren't good to him at all, and she doesn't know what to think about that. She sent him there to be safe, cared for. She looked up to the Jedi, never had a reason to think they wouldn't take care of him, at least better than Watto did.

And she has no idea how much of his present mentality came from Sidious versus whatever it was like for him as a Jedi, but it couldn't have been good there if the person who raised him was willing to – to nearly kill him. She can understand this Obi-Wan's anger, if Anakin destroyed the entire Order, but that doesn't mean dealing with it like this. Not if he was his caretaker.

But regardless of the reasons, it's not something Shmi can begin to excuse. Her Ani is on life-support because of someone, and it makes her more than a little angry. He's her child, and she'd still do anything at all to protect him, no matter what it took, if she had to. And that someone would hurt him like this, and that Sidious is still hurting him –

It was something she had to grow accustomed to Tatooine, no matter how much it upset her. It was a constant part of life – she couldn't protect him from everything, even if she tried her best. But the chances of finding freedom seem far greater out here. Even if it seems so unreal, for them both to be free together, it's something she's going to try to achieve if it's truly possible. For Anakin.

Though the other thing that bothers her is that... her little Ani was willing to... kill people like that. Back on Tatooine, he would never hurt anyone. He always wanted to help people.

That wasn't something that changed until after he left Tatooine. Until after he became a Jedi, clearly if he turned on them before he'd really been a Sith long. Which means... They must've been using him as a weapon, just as much as Sidious is now.

That doesn't mean Shmi is any less grateful to Qui-Gon for freeing Anakin, especially knowing how easily Jabba could've come into possession of him after he won that race, but it doesn't seem like where Anakin ended up is any better. It's destroying him. And this is a situation she has to get him out of, no matter what it takes.

But to start with, she needs to address the other question that she desperately needs the answer to.

About Leia.

That Vader was going to name his daughter Leia is almost too convenient to be real, and Shmi goes back to talk to her as soon as she's able to recollect herself. She's in the same room as her other friends now and seems... slightly less wary than before.

"We haven't reached a decision yet," the girl says, arms crossed.

Now that Shmi's actually looking, Leia really does bear a strong resemblance to fourteen-year-old Padme. It's hard to imagine her as being Anakin's... wife. To be fair, it's still hard to imagine that he's not a little boy anymore. He's probably as old as, if not older than, she is now.

"I wasn't here to ask about that," she replies, quietly.

"Then what?"

"It's something... personal," Shmi answers, shifting uncomfortably. She doesn't really know how to approach the topic, especially if there's a chance she's wrong. But she can't not either. If Leia is who she thinks, they and Anakin have the right to know. "You were... adopted, right? I... apologize if that is a sensitive subject." Because she's pretty sure Leia's family is dead.

The girl's expression tightens, a little. "Yes. What does that matter to you?"

The only way to get anywhere will be if she's direct about it. "It may be mere coincidence, but I... question if you are related to Luke."

Leia blinks, looking entirely caught off-guard. But there's also something thoughtful in her gaze. "Why would you think that?"

"I haven't been in communication with my family here for a long time, but I... think my son may also have had a daughter named Leia. The same age as Luke."

Her expression twitches a little, eyes widening the slightest bit. "I felt a connection to him, the moment I first met him," Leia admits, after a long pause, "I don't know who my birth parents were, but... Ben Kenobi knew them. He also knew Luke."

Her heart rate picks up just a little at the words.

She doesn't recognize the name, but she's almost certain of this now. Leia might be her granddaughter. And if she is, they need to know, though Shmi has no idea why they wouldn't know it themselves. "I don't know if there's a way to confirm this –"

"I don't really think this is the place to talk about this," Leia objects, "You know, you can leave with us. We can find a way out of here, and then..."

"I... can't," Shmi replies, "Vader still needs help, and I... spoke to him about what you said about my son. It was not him who did it." She doesn't know if she should tell Leia yet who he is. Not unless they have a confirmation.

"And you believe him?"

"Yes."

"Why do you trust him so much?"

"He is in the same place... I am. If we don't trust each other, help each other, there is no one who will."

Leia looks away for a moment. "Alright. But I still don't think this is the place to discuss my identity. There's hardly the facility here to do that, regardless, and if it were true, it's not something I want the Empire knowing."

"The Empire doesn't need to know anything," Shmi assures, because it's definitely not word she wants to spread either. "I'll see if it's something I can arrange discreetly or not, if you're alright with that."

Leia huffs out a breath, but Shmi thinks her own curiosity, probably over if Luke is her real brother and if she has a living grandmother finally wins out. "Fine. I really don't think now is the time, but as long as we can do it without anyone finding out."

Shmi hopes the same thing, and she doesn't really know how genetic testing anything work, but there has to be some way they can confirm this. In the end, she finally has to briefly – without details – explain to Anakin what she wants. She doesn't want him to get his hopes yet, though she knows he has a million questions even if he doesn't press for details about her strange... inquiries.

The only way for them to actually get a testable blood sample involves using an Imperial medical droid, since Lando unsurprisingly doesn't have any such resources here. They can erase the memory when the test is over, though, so it's better than nothing.

When she gets back with the medical droid, Leia and her friends are in a living area at the facility, under watch, though it's better than the cell level. She doesn't really like seeing the security measures, but she can understand it if they're rebels. It's not like she knows all the history of the galactic conflict, after all.

"You're sure no one will find out about this?" Leia asks, a hint of apprehensiveness in her voice, though she approaches the droid without hesitation.

"We can erase the memory," Shmi assures, when the medical droid steps forwards to take the blood sample.

Leia's friends are waiting in an adjoining room for the conversation, on Leia's request. Shmi's entire attention is on the droid. She's about to find out if she's right, and she's good at being patient because she's always had to be, but the anxiety and hopefulness building inside of her are nearly overwhelming as she waits for an answer.

Finally, the droid turns to them. "Blood sample analysis complete. Results indicate the biological parents are Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala."

There's a frozen moment of absolute silence as the words sink in.

Leia is her granddaughter, Anakin's child. Luke's twin.

"I never knew any of my grandparents," Leia says faintly, first to find her voice.

"Leia," Shmi breaths, a sudden surge of emotion choking her. She can see so much of Anakin in the girl, and this is her granddaughter. She takes a step closer to her, hesitating a moment because Leia's freeborn and not like her but in the end she's still family so she reaches up to touch her shoulder.

A half-pained, half-elated smile slowly spreads across the girl's face, and Shmi's only half-expecting it when she sudden has an armful of Leia. She catches her, holding her tightly. Leia's small compared to Anakin, shorter than even Shmi is.

"Grandmother," Leia murmurs, half-sounding like she's trying out the word.

"I didn't expect to have grandchildren," she says, softly. Not ones she expected to know, anyway. Even when she was back in her own time, she didn't truly expect she and Anakin could stay with each other forever. She never wanted to think about it, just focusing on one day to the next, treasuring every moment she had with Anakin while it lasted. She definitely never let her mind wander to the notion of knowing the children he would have someday.

"This is... hard to believe," she comments, slowly pulling back, "I heard about my... biological parents in my studies when I was young. I never imagined it was them."

"There's something you need to know," Shmi begins. It's probably enough shocks for the day for Leia already – considering that she has a brother and grandmother she never knew she had – but they have to talk about this now.

She frowns. "What?"

"Your and Luke's father isn't dead."

Leia stills entirely. "What do you mean?"

"I understand that this might not be easy for you," she starts, because she doesn't really know how deep running the feelings are between the Empire and the Rebellion. But if Leia still has any biological family, Shmi doesn't know how that couldn't be more important to her than anything else. It's the only thing they truly have, at the end of the day. "And this isn't word that can spread, but he is... Vader."

Leia's just staring at her, as though entirely speechless. She probably is. She blinks a few times before taking a step back, a myriad of indescribable emotions flashing across her face. "That's why you know him so well," she says finally, voice surprisingly level but she's probably scrambling for something to say in the first place, "You're – you're his mother."

"Yes," Shmi agrees, sadly, "And that's why he wants Luke. And... you once I tell him of your identity."

Leia blinks again, looking away for a moment. "I – I don't –"

"What?" she prompts, gently.

"Why is he with the Empire?"

"He is the Emperor's slave," she replies, bluntly, "He can't leave no matter how much he wants to. We're the only ones who can help him."

She nods, looking a little breathless. "Yeah. I'll – Okay. You can tell him and – Maybe I can talk to him in person about this agreement."

Probably, she just needs a few moments to process the full enormity of this. "I will," Shmi replies, lightly squeezing the girl's shoulder, before she moves for the door. She wants to spend time with her, to actually get to know her, but first, she has to explain this to Anakin.

**w**

Something is still wrong, and whatever's causing the disturbance is growing stronger.

Vader can't place what it is, and if he weren't so distracted right now, he'd probably give more thought to it. But somehow, Shmi confirmed that – that Leia is his daughter. Luke's twin. He has two children, not just one. Leia.

But he has absolutely no idea how to feel about the fact that it's the same Princess Leia who he's hurt, who he – everything that he knows she's been through, because of the Empire. He hurt her. And he... rather doubts she's going to be happy to hear the news – not that he knows Luke will be, either.

But she asked to discuss this deal with him in person, and she already knows the news, so... But that doesn't mean he's quite looking forward to the conversation, as desperate as he is to... something. (To have someone care about him again. To not be so alone.)

Vader steps into the living quarters are that they're being kept in, pausing for a moment when his gaze lands on... Threepio? Pieces of him anyway. It looks too familiar to be another droid, and the Wookie is presently hovering over it, growling to himself as he works on putting it back together.

Leia stands first though, stepping towards him, immediately drawing all his attention. "You have reached a decision?" Vader asks. He doesn't know how to begin approaching the other topic they should discuss, and from the way Leia's looking at him, she doesn't either, even if it's clearly taking up all her attention.

"Yes," she agrees, "But do you have a plan for how we're going to deal with the Emperor?"

"I intended to train Luke in the Dark Side, so he would be powerful enough. But you are... of similar strength. If you were both trained in the Dark Side, together you would be... unstoppable."

Leia hesitates a moment, clearly considering. "You're offering to train me?" she repeats, finally.

"Yes. If... you desire. But I see no other way for us to be able to stop him." With Leia there, they would have far more of a chance, though how they'll go about actually dealing with him, he's not fully certain yet.

Before she has the chance to answer, Vader's comm suddenly beeps. It's not an ideal place to answer, but no one would call him if it wasn't something important. Even if he really doesn't want to take the time to answer it right now. He retreats a few paces to the door, answering the call.

"Lord Vader, an unidentified craft is approaching the city."

Rebels.

He knows it immediately, without needing further verification. He doesn't sense Luke, though, which fills him with a small flood of disappointment.

"Allow them to enter. Watch from a distance," he instructs.

Leia's eyes narrow. "If someone's here for us, their safety is in this agreement, too."

"Yes," he agrees, "So long as they do not attack before a deal is negotiated." Because if they do start killing stormtroopers, they're going to be hurt too. "But the knowledge of this deal cannot spread beyond those in this room. The leaders of the Rebellion cannot be trusted. The Emperor has informants everywhere."

Another prickle of unease runs through the Force. Something's wrong. And it feels more severe than just a rebel attack.

"Fine," Leia confirms, "If you let us out, we'll go out on the Falcon. I can find another way to contact you. No one has to get hurt on either side." (He can see much of Padme in her, and... some of Anakin, too. What he remembers being like, so long ago. This is always what he imagined his daughter would be like, from the moment Padme first told him she was pregnant.)

The floor suddenly trembles, violently. Vader feels the lives disappearing into the Force, a clear indication that something blew up. "You are out of time," he realizes, "I will instruct my troops to make your escape... easier." He moves for the door, gesturing for them to follow.

Leia lingers just a moment, as though to make sure he's serious, but she steps into the hall after him, Solo and the Wookie following.

"Be cautious," he tells her, as they start off down the hall, something tightening in him. He doesn't know when he'll see her again, or if she even intends to recontact him. He could be about to lose his only chance of getting to either of his children for the indefinite future, even if he's fairly certain Leia intends to keep her promise.

The girl pauses at the words, looking back. "Good luck," she replies, before she runs.

Vader stills entirely at the words. She –

Maybe she finds him more tolerable than he expected, after all. Maybe.

And then, the Force screams with warning. And the danger isn't coming from whatever happened in this explosion – probably a rebel diversion tactic – it's centered around Shmi.

**w**

It's been over a day since they landed on Bespin, and Shmi is presently staying in a room on planet. She wants to talk to Leia again, to get to know her, but she knows the girl needs some moments to process the news. She... was in shock over the news that Vader was her father.

Anakin genuinely seemed to take it worse. She didn't need the Force to feel his seeming guilt, and... Did he hurt her somehow on a past mission? She's part of the Rebellion after all, and it could happen easily if neither of them realized who the other was.

Shmi frankly doesn't want to think about it. Can't imagine her little Ani hurting anyone. He was only four when he climbed a sand dune to scare away a group of banthas so they wouldn't be shot. He could barely make it, but he didn't want to see them hurt. She can't imagine how that could be any different now. What have the Sith and Jedi done to him?

She needs to see how Anakin is doing, though, because... she doesn't know his conversation with Leia went. She's considering going to find him when suddenly she hears a distant explosion.

... What was that?

She can't imagine Leia is attacking the stormtroopers, so either it's Lando's people or more rebels showed up, or –

She doesn't need to be worried about Anakin's safety – he's now far more capable of protecting both of them than she is of protecting him from danger – but that doesn't stop her worry. She could go out there, though she'd probably just get in the way and interrupt his focus, which... wouldn't be good.

Shmi doesn't get a moment longer to consider it, though, because the door to her room abruptly snaps open. Someone dressed as a rebel is standing in the doorway, but there's something –

"Do you need something?" she asks, wariness snaking down her spine, even though she's only half sure why. He's probably here to rescue the others, so –

The man draws his blaster in a swift move, firing at her.

It's only through sheer instinct of knowing how to escape people – she'd had to be good at that, especially when she was younger back on Nal Hutta – that she dodges out of the way.

But – What?!

She's not even dressed as Imperial. Shmi rolls behind the couch in the room, but she can already hear him stalking closer to her. There's a lamp in the corner that she can reach behind the couch to defend herself with maybe, but the thought of damaging anything sends a sharp stab of unease through her.

No one's going to be beat her for doing the slightest thing wrong here, but damaging any property still feels like –

But there's no time to think about that, so she snatches it up, throwing it at the person and dodging behind the couch again before he can fire. She hears a crash at the lamp hits the floor – it must've missed him. And now, there's nothing else do she can except –

The sound of a respirator fills the room, a second before she hears a strangled choking sound.

Anakin's here.

The relief that floods is almost insane, though her heart is still pounding wildly. He's not the one who's supposed to have to protect her, though he would've, once he got older. It's still hard to remember he's not nine anymore.

Shmi cautiously looks out from behind the couch, still half-expecting to be shot at – only to see Anakin throwing the person into the wall, with the Force.

"Who are you?" he demands, stalking closer.

The man looks up at him, something defiant in his gaze before he bites down on a – something.

It's happens too fast for Shmi to catch, but electricity crackles through his head,and he slumps over, motionless.

What?

He just... killed himself.

Anakin lingers for only a moment before turning to her, a hand finding her shoulder. "Are you well?"

She doesn't need the Force to feel his overwhelming fear, how afraid he is of losing her again. She can't imagine how... hard it must've been on him when she died in the past. And somehow, seeing him now makes letting go of the past she was in easier, because apparently, she never would have been reunited with her Anakin had she stayed anyway. At least here, they can be together again. "Yes, don't worry, Ani," she assures.

"He was here for you, Mom." It's... jarring to hear that word in Vader's tone. It's the first time he's outright called her that. "He was no rebel, or he would not have been after you. The method he used to end is life was... common for Imperials."

The Empire.

Somehow, she's not surprised, even if it sends a chill through her. No one's outright tried to kill her, before. Well, it's come close, but it was never personal. Just that she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The threat of being hurt or killed constantly hung over her, her entire life, but no one's ever been after her because of who she is.

But she's far more afraid of what something happening to her would do to Anakin, than anything else. "The Emperor?" she guesses. After what he's done to her son, she knows why he would want her dead, so she had no chance of helping him. He wants Anakin broken, and it's sickening to see how much it's worked. With her return, that's changing, and she doesn't doubt he'd do anything to stop that.

"I do not know how he could have word, but... there is a chance."

"I've seen people watching me sometimes, up on your cruiser. I don't know who, but you said he has people everywhere."

"Yes," Vader agrees, solemnly, "I will look into it, when the... battle here is finished. I have allowed the rebels to escape, so it appears believable. I must ensure Leia makes it off, safely."

A plan Shmi only half follows, but she doesn't doubt that he knows what he's doing. And of course, his daughter's safety is his top concern. "I'll come with you," she offers, immediately.

If someone else is after her, it would be easier if she was near Anakin, for both their sakes.

They catch up with the fleeing rebels right near one of the landing platforms on Bespin.

Or rather, they approach right behind that bounty hunter – Boba Fett – who has Leia and her friends pinned down so they can't make it out the door.

Vader flicks a hand, throwing the bounty hunter into the wall, hard enough to momentarily stun him, before he even saw who was coming.

"Here," he says, approaching Leia and holding out a comm.

She stills a moment, looking at warily. "That –"

"Is not traceable by the Empire, but you may verify it yourself on the way. We require a secure way to communicate."

She huffs out a breath, taking it from him. "Fine. I'll call you... later." Her gaze darts between Vader and Shmi for a long moment, before she runs after Han and Chewbacca, for the waiting Falcon.

It hurts to watch her go, never knowing when she's going to see her again. Shmi wishes she could have the chance to talk to her again, and hopefully to meet Luke soon, but right now, it's Anakin who needs her help, and that's where she's going to stay.

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