Luke Amidala, Part 2

Summary: ((A direct sequel to the previous story. Not as Luke or Vader centric. This time focusing on Leia and Padme.)) Padmé Amidala and her daughter Leia Skywalker go to the Imperial Palace to save Luke Amidala from the clutches of Vader.

Leia shared a look with Lotus, the current leader of the Rebel Alliance. Lotus's real name was Padmé Amidala. She was also Leia's mother as well as Luke's mother. Luke, her twin brother she had only just met. Padmé's hair was pulled back into a looping bun. She wore an outfit of an Imperial officer. Leia was dressed similar.

Mother and daughter eyed each other before they both looked at the looming ziggurat of the Imperial Palace.

There was a small chime over the com. "You sure about this, ma'am?" asked a voice.

"I'm sure, Antilles," Padmé replied.

"We'll be standing by," Antilles said.

Antilles was currently the commander of the newly and aptly named Rogue Squadron of X-Wing fighters. As currently they along with Padmé and Leia were on Coruscant against the Alliance's wishes. But Padmé wasn't going to leave her son in the hands of the Empire. She would have attempted the rescue mission all by herself, but Leia insisted she come as well.

Antilles and a few fighter pilots argued to join as well. Luke was a fighter pilot of the Alliance as well. He was their friend. They weren't going to abandon him, especially to the Empire.

Leia felt for her lightsaber through her jacket. Her father's lightsaber . . . Who was also . . .

"Why didn't you tell me?" Leia had snapped at Master Yoda and Obi-Wan's ghost. After the destruction of the Death Star, she had gone to Dagobah.

So much had happened in the course of a few short days. Master Kenobi had died at the hands of Darth Vader. Leia had destroyed the Death Star. She met her mother and learned she had twin brother. However, her brother had been capture by the Empire and Darth Vader. Darth Vader who had once gone by the name of Anakin Skywalker, who was her father.

Darth Vader who was now Emperor of the galaxy.

One month after the Death Star was destroyed, it was announced Emperor Palpatine was dead and Vader would take the throne. It was reported the Emperor died of old age, though there were plenty of rumors that Vader had killed him. The favorite rumor amongst the Alliance was that Palpatine was furious over the lost of the Death Star and blamed Vader, who had survived. Instead of taking his punishment, Vader simply killed Palpatine.

The sudden change in Emperor had caused huge cracks in the Empire. Groups had splintered off. Some broke off because they didn't support Vader. Some broke off because they simply didn't want to be apart of the Empire and were using the opportunity to break away. The Alliance was trying to capitalize on this moment as much as possible. Plans upon plans were being made to strike at the Empire while it was weak and broken. But Lotus wanted to go after her son. The rest of the Alliance High Command thought it would be a waste of resources.

So now Leia and Padmé were sneaking into the Imperial Palace of the newly minted Emperor Vader. They hoped to find Luke and rescue him. They had no information as to what had happened to him after he had been transferred to Vader's ship right before the destruction of the Death Star. Leia had to trust in the Force to know Luke was still alive.

Leia and Padmé made there way down a service staircase into the service tunnels that were like a maze in the under layers of Imperial Center. Obi-Wan's ghost was against the idea of rescuing Luke as well. He feared they would face off against Vader and that Leia was not ready for such a confrontation. However, he had provided a way to get into the palace. It had once been the old Jedi Temple. It was actually Yoda who shared the knowledge about the old service vent to Obi-wan, who passed it onto Leia.

The service tunnel did provide them safe unseen passage into the Palace. Once there they used the small tunnels used by small service droids to move around. The tunnels ran parallel to a lot of hallways. There were often openings for the droids to go out of. Leia and Padmé had to pause whenever they heard the boots of patrolling stormtroopers.

It had taken hours to make their way slowly through the tunnels. Both women were tired and sweaty, but neither one was ready to back down. Finally they had made to Vader's personal quarters. It was the best guest as to where Luke was. The Alliance spies on Vader's ships claimed Luke had been transferred out of the detention block to speak with Vader. However, he was never brought back. Usually that meant Vader had killed the prisoner, but there was, perhaps unsurprisingly, paperwork that had to be filled out about corpse removal on starships. Vader's ship showed no logs of Luke's corpse.

There were no other sightings of Luke. Thus that meant he was most likely being kept close to Vader where spies did not have access to. Plus, Padmé believed that's where Vader would keep Luke. Keep his son.

Finally, Leia and Padmé crawled out of the tunnel. Leia stretched. It was the first time in hours she had room to fully stand up. Then they slowly made their way down the hall. They checked each door along the wall, until about the fourth door down. It slid open silently and opened up into a large bedroom. A bed sat against the middle of the wall.

"Luke!" Padmé shouted as she rushed forward to the bed.

Luke laid in the bed. He appeared asleep. His eyes were closed. His chest rose and fell evenly. However, a chill washed through Leia as she eyed the medical equipment next to the bed. Wires and tubes went from the machines and connected to Luke. The machines beeped and hummed as they monitored Luke.

Padmé had reached her son. "Luke," she whispered urgently. "Luke!" She cupped his face with her hands. She kissed his face over and over again while repeating his name every so often. But Luke didn't stir. She straightened up and looked at the machines. Leia could feel Padmé's despair in the Force.

What had happened to Luke? What was wrong with him? Could he even be moved?

That was when the soft clink of the lock was heard. Both women jumped and looked at the door. Padmé brought out her blaster and held it in ready. Her eyes on the door. Leia fished out her lightsaber. It wasn't long before she felt it. The darkness. The cold. The storm of Darth Vader approaching.

He was like a black hole. The accretion disk around him was violent. But instead of intense heat as matter collided as it was suck in, it was an intense cold. And in the center was a black inky darkness. It was dense and also deep. Leia's breath caught in her throat as she felt it. She had no idea he would feel like this.

Again came the soft sound of the lock as it unlatched. The door slid upon, and Darth Vader walked into the room. He was huge. He towered over both women. He stopped a few steps into room. At once dark tendrils lashed out of him in the Force. They swirled around Leia. A few reached out and brushed against her mind. She doubled, tripled her mental shields. One or two tendrils slid away, but a few latched on and tried to worm their way in.

Padmé was tense and stiff. Her blaster was still up, and it was aimed right at control box on his chest. She glared up at the dark monster in front of her.

"What have you done to my son?" she asked. Her voice was even with a sharp edge to it.

"Your son?" came Vader's deep baritone voice amongst the even sound of his respirator. "Your son? Do you mean my son? Our son?"

"What have you done to him?" she asked again.

"Kept him alive," Vader said as pointed a finger at Padmé.

"What. Have. You. Done. To. Him?" she said louder. "Do not lie to me! I know you are to blame for his situation."

"The only one to blame is Palpatine," Vader hissed at her.

Padmé paused but a minute in thought. "Is that why you killed him?" she asked.

A strange sound came out of Vader's vocoder. Leia wasn't sure if it was a laugh or a huff.

"It is why I cut his hands off," he said. "When I transferred Luke off the Death Star, Palpatine had his loyal spy return to the palace and report to him. When he learned that the son of Padmé Amidala lived, he demanded that Luke be brought to him."

"And of course you did without hesitation," Padmé said darkly.

A tense stretch of silence filled the room, though the sound of the medical machines and Vader's breathing still filled the gap.

"And then?" Padmé prompted.

"And then Palpatine asked Luke to join him. Join the Empire. Join the Dark Side."

Padmé lowered her blaster a small bit. "And he said no," she said softly.

"And he said no," Vader said softly as well. At least what could be interrupted as softly.

"And Palpatine did not take this well?"

"No. He . . . He decided Luke would die. He was too much of a threat to his power otherwise. He used his Force Lightning on him . . . and . . . I . . ."

"Cut his arms off?" Leia finished. It was the first she had spoken up. Both Padmé and Vader turned and looked at her. "But not killed him?" she continued.

"I would have," Vader said, "until Mara Jade, ever faithful, attacked. She brought with her the royal guards. She was able to get Palpatine out. I could either go after her or see to Luke. I chose Luke."

"Wait," Padmé said. "You didn't kill him?"

"No."

"So how did he die?" Leia asked.

"He isn't dead," Vader said evenly.

Padmé and Leia shared a look.

"What?" Leia shouted. "So you lied? Said he was dead and made yourself Emperor?"

"Yes," he replied.

Quiet again fell between them. Padmé lowered her blaster completely and glanced over at Luke. Vader's mask also turned to look at Luke.

"So Palpatine is still alive," Padmé said slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Vader confirmed again.

"Then where is he?" Leia asked. It had been three weeks since Vader had become Emperor.

"I do not know," he said.

Padmé pursed her lips as she took in this new information. Leia shifted on her feet unevenly. She didn't know what to do, especially since Vader turned and was looking at her. She could feel his eyes on him. The tendrils had picked up their effort in trying to break down her shields.

"I believe it is time for my questions," Vader said. He turned back to Padmé. "Padmé, what happened?"

Leia noticed Padmé's breath hitch, but she quickly smoothed it back out.

"What happened, Anakin," she hissed his name, "is you attacked me."

"That name no longer has any meaning to me. Anakin Skywalker was weak. I killed him."

"Oh save your angsty dark poetic words for someone else," Padmé barked back. "You choked me. I almost died and your children with me. You thought I would come back? After you destroyed everything I stood for? After what you did? How many people you killed? No. I decided I was going to burn it down, and started the Rebellion."

"That much I could discern myself. I meant," and Vader turned to Leia, "what happened with our children? Why did you give our daughter away? To Kenobi? Luke knew nothing of her! He had no idea she was even his sister!"

Padmé took a sharp breath.

Slowly she said, "I had just finished faking my own death and pretending to be a corpse for own funeral. I had just given birth to twins. My husband tried and almost killed me. My Republic had fallen to an Empire. And Obi-Wan and Yoda said it was for the best. They insisted and persuaded me that if I kept the twins together you or Palpatine would eventually sense them. Eventually find them."

She looked over at Luke. "And clearly they were right what would happen if he did find them."

"And you told them nothing of each other?" Vader asked.

If felt odd to be defended by Vader. His anger was clear for Leia shared it as well. She understood the reasoning behind keeping her and Luke apart. But they could have told her! Told him! They said it was in case one of them was found, then the other would still be safe. Another logical decision, but still one her heart didn't completely agree with. Perhaps this was why they never told her. They knew she would always ache for her twin. Yearn to meet him. She looked over at Luke. She did want to know him.

Leia had lost track of the conversation between Padmé and Vader, though at this point it seemed more like an argument. The com softly beeping silenced them both.

"Yes?" Padmé asked.

"Ma'am . . ." Antilles asked. His voice was shaky. Unsteady. "Are you alright?"

Contacting Lotus should have been for an absolute emergency. It jeopardized their whole escape plan.

"Of course," Padmé said as she shot a nasty look at Vader.

"Ma'am . . . are you with . . . Vader?" Antilles asked.

Padmé jumped slightly in shock. She shot a look at Leia.

"What do you mean?"

"It's all over the holonet . . ."

Vader turned sharply on his heels. He was out of the door before Antilles had finished speaking. Padmé silenced the com and hurried after him. Leia was not far behind. Vader had gone into a room a bit further down the hallway. It was an office. He marched up to a large holotable and brought up the holonet.

An Imperial newscast was on. Behind the human woman reporter was the symbol of the Rebel Alliance along with old pictures of Padmé when she was a senator and Anakin Skywalker. Both Padmé and Vader were still and quiet as they listened to the news.

"The Rebel Alliance released a statement today, saying that their former Chancellor known as Lotus is none other than Padmé Amidala. A former well-known senator and queen of Naboo, it was thought Amidala died in the violence during the birth of the Empire."

The news cast showed a clip of Padmé's funeral. In it Padmé laid in a large casket.

"During the Clone Wars, Amidala married in secret to Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi general who earned the title Hero With No Fear. The Rebellion also claims that like Amidala, Skywalker didn't die as well. Instead he renamed himself Darth Vader."

Now the image showed Vader when he gave his speech announcing Palpatine's death.

"The claim states that Amidala and Vader, previously Skywalker, have been working together in secret for almost twenty years now. Their goal? To bring the galaxy under their rule. Amidala was using the Rebellion to undermine Emperor's Palpatine's from the outside, while Vader worked on it from the inside."

The news showed clips of the Death Star's destruction. They were shaky blurry as they were clips provided by the Rebellion. Generally such footage would never get pass the Imperial censors.

"With the report of Emperor Palpatine's death, it appeared Amidala as the leader Lotus was going to work on destroying the Rebellion from the inside and join her husband at his side."

The imagine changed to that of Mon Mothma. She stood in front of the red firebird symbol of the Alliance.

"The Alliance to Restore the Republic announces that we no longer associate or welcome Padmé Amidala also known as Lotus. She has been accused of treason and-"

"That is preposterous!" Padmé shouted. She turned on Vader. "You! Was this you? Your attempt to woe me back to your side?"

Vader was silent. His mask moved slightly as he looked from the newscast to Padmé.

"No," he finally said.

"No?" Padmé asked.

"This is Palpatine," Vader said slowly. "He is using his network of loyal spies. He is trying to weaken both me and you. Let this shattered Empire weaken itself further with a fight with the Rebellion. Then Palpatine will finally rear his head, but only to his loyalist within the Empire. They will flock to him. Meanwhile, he'll make a proposition to the Rebellion. Have them work together to overthrow me. He'll make sweet promises of new a reformed galaxy. Then once I'm out of the way, there will be something that will cast the Rebellion in a bad light. Some catastrophe with huge losses. That is when Palpatine will finally return to the public. That is when he'll swoop down and restore peace to his galaxy that only he can provide."

"That sneaky piece of kriffin' shavit," Padmé hissed. She stood straighter as she looked directly at Vader. "So what is your plan? You must have something planned to kill him off or reveal him early?"

"I was going to lure him out," Vader said after a moment's hesitation.

"With what?"

"The Death Star."

"It's gone," Leia said.

Vader turned to her. "No," he said. "The second Death Star."

Leia and Padmé shouted out at the same time.

"What!" "There's two?"

"Securing the second Death Star should be high on Palpatine's list. It is far too dangerous to leave in my hands even if it's not completely operational."

Pame let out a long sigh. Then she turned and left the room. Leia gave a quick glance at Vader, before she followed her mother. Padmé had returned to Luke's room and stood at his bedside. Slowly she fell to her knees. Her arms rested on the bed. She lowered her head down. She almost looked like she was praying.

"Pad-Padmé?" Leia asked. She hadn't quite gotten used to thinking or calling Padmé her mother.

Padmé took a deep breath. She bounced back on her feet. She turned, but she wasn't looking at Leia. Leia looked over her shoulder to see Vader standing in the doorway.

"He is not getting away with this," Padmé said.

Leia sat cross legged on the end of Luke's bed. She wore comfortable bed clothes of a loose pair of pants and a tank top. Her feet were bare. Resting on her lap was holoprojector projecting the news. It was currently on mute as she waited for the press conference with Emperor Vader to start.

Leia did a quick glance at her brother. It had been a week since Leia had come here. His condition hadn't changed. He was still in a coma, and the galaxy was moving on without him. She turned back to the holo.

The first thing Padmé had done was contact the Rogue X-Wings. The squadron returned to the Alliance fleet and collected information. What the Imperial news had reported was true. The Alliance believed Padmé was a traitor. An arrest warrant and bounty had been placed on her. Oddly the same hadn't been placed on Leia, though there was a call to have her escorted back to High Command if found.

The squad were unable to find out where or from who the Alliance was getting this information on Padmé from. They returned to Imperial Center, where Vader let them land in the palace amongst his Black TIE Fighter Squad. It was an odd sight to see TIE fighters and X-Wings docked side-by-side.

Padmé had paced up and down Luke's room once she got the report from Antilles. Leia and Vader watched her quietly.

"Palpatine wants to weaken us by dividing us and turning us against each other," she said.

She was across the room when she paused. She looked right at Vader and Leia. Like Leia was now, she sat on Luke's bed, while Vader stood beside her.

"Then we shall strengthen ourselves by uniting," Padmé continued.

"Uniting?" Vader asked.

Padmé smiled. It wasn't a kind smile. It was a hard smile. The wrinkles in her face said this wasn't a new smile. Perhaps she had learned it as the leader of the Alliance. Perhaps it was from when she was a politician. But it wasn't a joyful smile. It was a hard smile. A smile of determination, but also a bit deviousness.

"Let's give them something to really talk about," Padmé had said.

Padmé had worked hard on getting everything ready for the press conference. She worked furiously to make sure everything was right. Leia was most surprised by Darth Vader. From what she had seen, he had offered little resistance to Padmé's ideas. When Leia had voiced this to her mother, Padmé defended him.

"There is good in him," she said of Vader. "I know it."

Leia thought of the endless dark void that was Vader in the Force.

"I think something in him snapped," Padmé continued, "when he saw Luke being tortured by Palpatine. Whatever chains Palpatine had ensnared around him, finally broke. He was finally willing to step away."

"Because of Luke?" Leia asked.

"Yes. Because of love." Padmé smiled sadly. "Inside of him he loves Luke. He loves you."

"And you?"

Padmé took a deep breath and slowly let it go. "Yes," she said. "And me."

Leia saw the holofeed change. She unmuted it. The Imperial anthem started to play. It was made up of deep powerful marching notes. The music swelled as brass started to play the melody. The view showed a long walkway. A large red and black flag Imperial flag hung in the back.

Then Vader appeared at the end of the walkway. His suit had been changed. The chest and shoulder armor were now a silvery white. The tunic underneath was red, while the suit under that was still the old black one. His long flowing cloak was white on the inside and bright red on the outside. He still wore the same mask and helmet.

Walking directly beside him was Padmé. Her hand rested lightly on his hand. They walked side by side down the long walkway. Her lips were done in the style of Naboo royalty, bright red with a small mark on the lower lip. Two small red circles adorned her cheeks, but she didn't wear the thick white face makeup. Padmé's outfit matched Vader's in color. Red, black, and white. It was a marvelous dress. Like the makeup, it nodded heavily to Naboo and Padmé's time as queen. Her hair was twisted up into an elaborate headdress. Bright red lotus flowers sat on either side of her head, a clear nod to Rebel nickname.

There was no doubt she was Padmé Amidala. She walked with head held high. She truly looked an empress walking side by side with Vader. The media was going crazy. Holocam droids buzzed around snapping pictures. The reporters were all shouting.

"Are you sure about this?" Leia had asked Padmé as she was getting dressed. "You could go back to the Alliance."

"The damage is done," Padmé said. "I don't know what evidence Palpatine's spies brought against me, but to convince Mon Mothma and the others it had to be damning. I could fight it and prove myself innocent, but that will take time. I meant it when I said I was going to burn this Empire down. Just instead of burning it from the outside, I'm going to now do it from the inside."

She sighed. "Leia, I'm tired. And angry. I'm tired of losing the things I love. My husband. My son. My daughter. The Republic. The Alliance." She took a deep breath. "And Palpatine is the one to blame for all of this. So I'm going to take it all from him. I'm going to change this Empire, his Empire. I'm going to unify it, making it stronger, and better. Possibly eventually return it to a democracy. When Palpatine does reemerge, no one will want the Empire of old."

Emperor Vader and Empress Amidala stopped at the podium. Leia turned from the holonet and looked at Luke. The galaxy was going to be greatly different when he woke up.