Beyond - Legends Honour Thy Father (Anakin lives post-ROTJ - L/M, H/L) - Completed Nov. 4

Hazel: No, but did you expect her to take it well?

Lady_Misty : You think? I had a long debate with both myself and with input from my betas on whether the order would be for Anakin of Darth Vader. In the end I chose Vader because it was the Emperor who sent the command and he wouldn't admit to himself easily that Vader didn't kill him as a Sith, but as a redeemed Jedi.

Note: this is the last chapter that I posted on LJ, so updates will be less frequent from now on.

 

Chapter Four

Han stood in shock and confusion. He was torn between running after Leia and asking Luke what the hell just happened.

“Han, Lando, Chewie. My father was Darth Vader, I told Leia this on Endor. I redeemed him and saved him from the darkness. He is the reason I am alive and I am the reason why he is alive. If you guys want nothing to do with me anymore, I’ll understand,” Luke said.

“Luke, shut up, you’re being ridiculous,” Lando said as he walked up to Anakin’s bedside. “So, you were Vader?” he addressed the ex-Sith. “You’re not what I expected you to be. You’re a lot shorter. What do I call you now?”

“I’d prefer Anakin,” he said, truthfully.

“Well, Anakin, I don’t care about what you did in the past. The man who killed that damn Emperor deserves to be forgiven,” Lando replied, putting his hand on his shoulder. “And my thanks.”

“See Dad? I’m not the only one who thinks you should be forgiven.” Luke then looked at the other two parties in the room. “Han? Chewbacca?” he said, looking for help.

Anakin perked up. “Chewbacca?” He searched through his memories that he had supressed as Darth Vader. “Do you remember a Jedi Padawan named Ahsoka Tano?”

Chewie barked a happy affirmative. Han and Luke simply stared, confused.

“She was my Padawan. She told me how you helped her survive when she was kidnapped and hunted for sport by bounty hunters.”

Chewie nodded, grarfled something else, and then a question.

“She helped you, too? That doesn’t surprise me. She was a feisty one, but always helped others.” Anakin then gulped. “She died in battle a few months before the end of the Clone Wars. Everyone said it wasn’t my fault, but I still blamed myself.”

Han grunted. “You sound like a Tatooine farm boy I know.”

Luke smiled sheepishly.

“I’m not sure of what to make of this,” Han said. He wanted to go after Leia, but he wanted to know where he stood with Anakin first.

“I think I should start off by apologizing for my actions against you personally. I am sorry for torturing you at Bespin and for putting you in carbonite. My actions have no excuses,” Anakin said truthfully.

Han let out a huff. “Why should I forgive you?”

“You blame your childhood for your illegal past, don’t you General Solo?” Anakin asked.

He nodded slowly, not sure where this was going. “Yes. I never knew my father or mother. I can only remember their faces. I was taken in and treated like a slave by a gang of vagabonds.”

Anakin nodded. “Our childhoods are not that dissimilar. I had no father. My mother and I were slaves. I was eventually freed with the help of Jedi.”

Luke was curious, but kept his questions for another time.

“If the mistakes you made can be forgiven, I should at least have a chance to plead my case and ask for forgiveness,” Anakin continued. “Go, comfort Leia,” he told Han. “Tell her she has every right to be angry, but I hope she can find it in her heart to forgive me. If she wants to come talk to Luke but wants nothing to do with me, tell her she can. I will meditate and have Lando and Chewbacca beside me so that she will feel safe.”

Han nodded and then left to find Leia. He searched the halls of the medical wing until going to her suite. He found her there, sitting at her table, sipping tea and going over something on a datapad.

“Sweetheart,” he said, sitting down across from her and taking her petite hand.

She looked up at him with stone cold eyes. “What?” she practically snapped.

“You have every right to be angry,” he said. “But think about your brother. You are hurting him more than you know. More than he’ll show. Come back and talk to him, your father—”

Her eyes flashed with hatred. “That monster is not my father,” she said, emotionlessly. “My father was Bail Organa. He died when that monster let Tarkin destroy Alderaan.”

Han nodded. “Okay. Just come back and talk to Luke; he’s probably beating himself up over this and his health can’t handle that. You won’t even have to look at the other party in the room. Chewie, Lando, and I will be in the room as well. We’ll protect ya,” he assured her.

Leia closed her eyes, fighting the battle within. Finally, the fear for Luke’s health won. “Fine.”

* * *

As Leia silently walked beside Han, she thought of a conversation she had with her father, Bail Organa, as a child. She, at eleven-years-old, had cursed Darth Vader for killing a senator for treason. The senator had been a friend of her father’s. She had called Vader the source of all evil in the galaxy.

Her father had gently rebuked her, telling her that no one was pure evil, or pure good for that matter, and that everyone had a seed of darkness in their hearts. He had warned her of anger, fear, and jealousy, because those were the feelings that caused the seed to grow and take over one’s heart. He told her a very simplified version of Vader’s story – he had once been a great man, a friend in fact, but anger slowly took over his mind and the seed eventually grew. It hadn’t been an overnight process, and that was the true danger. Anger could take over one’s heart without that person knowing it.

Her father had often told her to keep her emotions in check. Looking back at it, her father probably told her that out of fear that she could become the next Vader.

Then it hit her: she could become the next Vader. Her heart trembled in fear.

* * *

Luke, Chewie and Lando were talking when Han and Leia approached the room.

By the time Leia entered the room, the man formerly known as Vader was deep in meditation and Chewie and Lando were flanking him.

“Leia,” Luke said as soon as his sister entered. His face looked earnest, wanting to put her at ease.

She cast a quick glance at the former Sith, emotions rolling off of her, before turning back to Luke. She sat down and took his hand. “I never asked, how are you feeling?” she asked to distract herself.

Luke gave her a smile. “Tired, a little achy, but generally fine. How are you holding up?”

She quickly turned her head to look at the monster in the other bed. She turned back to Luke and cleared her throat. “Fine.”

Luke took his twin’s hand. “Please don’t lie to me.” He then searched for the right words to say. “I’m sorry for surprising you like this, but Leia, you must accept the truth. You must forgive.”

Han then spoke up. “No, she doesn’t, Luke. Bail Organa was her father. He was the man that raised her—”

She interrupted him by holding up her hand. “No, Han, Luke is right. Anger and fear were tools of Vader, of the Emperor. If I give into my fear and hate, I will be no better than them.” She remembered her father’s lesson on seeds of darkness and something her brother had said after he had returned from training with the late Jedi Master Yoda.

Luke gave her a smile. “Thank you. I’m right here for you.”

Keeping a tight hold on her brother’s hand, she turned her body around. She truly looked at her father for the first time. She couldn’t believe this man had been Vader – he was so weak and feeble.

“He’s blind, deaf and has a host of other health problems,” Luke told her, reading her mind. “He’s going to need a lot of help, and I am going to give it to him.” He then heaved a sigh. “He will only come out meditation if I call for him. Just tell me when you are ready.”

Leia took a moment, then nodded. Her stomach started to rebel against her, but she fought the urge to vomit and run.

“Dad,” Luke called softly. “Someone would like to speak to you.”

* * *
Anakin slowly opened his eyes. When he saw his daughter, his heart clenched. He could tell that she was scared. All he wanted to do was comfort her. She looked so much like Padmé. After a tense moment, he made the first move. “Hello.”

Leia looked like she wanted to run, but she stood firm. “What happened to your body?” She gasped as the words came out of her mouth.

Anakin shifted slightly, realizing he was just as scary outside the suit as he had been inside of it. “What happened was I got what I deserved. I was seduced by the Emperor, I did his bidding, I turned to the dark side and my master – Obi-Wan – tried took stop me. I tried to stop him and by my own stupidity, I ended up getting my arms and legs hacked off and I was burned in lava.” He told the short version of his story frankly.

“Why?” Leia then clarified herself. “Why did you do it? How did he seduce you?”

He gulped. “May I start from the beginning? It’ll help you all understand better.”

“Please do, Dad,” Luke asked, eagerly.

Leia simply nodded.

“My mother was a slave,” he began. “She didn’t talk much of her past. I came as a surprise to her. I came as a big surprise to her. There was no father.”

There was the collective “Huh?” in the room.

“Some Jedi believed I was created from the will of the Force. They believed I was the Chosen One; that I was going to bring balance to the Force.” He shook his head. “I guess I did, but not in any way any one expected. Anyways, the first nine years of my life I was a slave. I could only remember being on Tatooine during those years, but I was not born there. Then, my angel came. Her name was Padmé and she eventually became your mother. She was a queen from Naboo. The Trade Federation had a dispute with Naboo- it was complicated and all was orchestrated by the Emperor. She escaped the planet with the help of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master. Their ship was damaged in the escape but they made it to Tatooine. There, they discovered me. They helped me win my freedom from my slaver and I became a Jedi. I didn’t see your mother again after those events for many years, but I never stopped thinking about her. She became a senator after her years as queen and an assassination attempt brought her back to me. I was assigned to be her protector and I fell in love with her. At this time I was having dreams of my mother dying.” At this point in the story, Anakin started to break down. “Although it was forbidden, I went back to Tatooine. My mother had been kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. I went to save her from their but I was too late. She died in my arms.” He was now crying.

Suddenly he wheezed and moaned in pain. He tried to grasp at his chest, but without lower arms, he ended up just flailing what remained of his upper arms. Alarms started going off.

“Dad?” Luke gasped in horror.

* * *

Leia, who had limited medical training, took control. “Han, Lando, Chewie, go get help and stay out of the way.” She gave Luke’s hand a squeeze before letting go, getting up, and tending to her father – a man who, just a few minutes ago, she wanted dead.

“Where does it hurt?” she asked as she leaned back her father’s bed.

“My chest,” he groaned weakly.

Nurses started rushing in.

“He’s having a heart seizure,” Leia said quickly. “He needs Diazapin.”

One of the nurses quickly rushed out again.

Leia went to the head of the bed to get out of the nurses’ way. She placed her hands on her father’s cheeks and started to gently rub them. Right now, he was not the monster who she had feared; he was a sick old man who needed to be calmed down.

“It’s going to be alright,” she tried to soothe him.

“No, I deserve this. Leave me to die,” he rasped.

“Are you sorry for what you did?” she asked without malice.

“Yes,” he cried. “More than you will ever know.”

“Then you don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve to die. You deserve to be put on trial for your crimes and I am going to make sure you live to see your trial.”

He weakly smiled at Leia’s tough love. “Alright.”

He then blacked out.

* * *

Leia sat between Anakin’s bed and her brother’s bed. Both were sound asleep. Luke had suffered a small fit from the stress of seeing their father have a heart seizure. Both had been tended to by doctors and were going to recover, but both had been sedated. Leia had been permitted to stay, but Lando, Han, and Chewie had been sent away. Chewie demanded that he and Han take turns standing guard outside the door for some reason Leia didn’t catch. The Wookiee was now sitting outside now.

The room was darkened so both father and son could rest. Leia simply sat, researching as much as she could on the only Queen of Naboo named Padmé. Her mother.

She heard a soft moan from her left. Her father was waking.

“Anakin?” she asked. She couldn’t call him ‘Dad’ as Luke did. Her ‘dad’ had been Bail Organa. But, through thinking, she had accepted the fact that Anakin and Darth Vader had been two separate people. Her father was Anakin, the man that killed the Emperor was Anakin, and the man now at her side was Anakin. Anakin was sorry for the things he had done as Vader.

He slowly opened his eyes and worked his jaw. “What happened?” His speech was a bit slurred from the drugs.

“You had a minor heart seizure. You have to take it a bit easier on yourself.”

He nodded. “May I finish telling you about my fall to the dark side? I want you to know everything before you decide not to just pull the plug on me while Luke sleeps.”

“Okay,” she said simply. “But I would never do something like that to Luke. Remember – take it easy. If you are feeling tired, I need you to rest, for Luke.”

“I will give you the short version. Luke has already heard most of this. After my mother died, the Clone Wars broke out. I secretly married your mother just days after the first battle, although it was forbidden for a Jedi to do such a thing. When it was starting to look like the Republic was going to win, I found out your mother was pregnant with you two. I was so happy. I didn’t care about anything else. I didn’t think of the complications of being a Jedi, forbidden to form attachment, and being a father. Then, I started to have visions of your mother dying in childbirth. I was so worried; I made the stupidest decision in the history of the galaxy. I was told by Palpatine that he knew how to save Padmé from dying. I trusted him. I did his bidding so he would tell me. In the end, my heart turned pure evil. I asked your mother to join me in ruling the galaxy. She refused and I killed her. It was then that I battled with Obi-Wan Kenobi and he gave me what I deserved.”

Leia shook her head. “No.”

Anakin nodded, grimly. “I killed your mother. If you want to kill me now, I won’t fight.”

She shook her head again. “No, what I mean is, you are wrong. You didn’t kill her.”

He looked at her, confused. “No, I strangled her in my madness.”

“I… I was in my dad’s – Bail Organa’s – office one day, bored out of my ten-year-old my mind while I waited for him to come out of a meeting. I was snooping around and found a file marked ‘Leia’s mother’. I knew I was adopted and I was curious, so I read it. A lot was blacked out, but a few things weren’t, including a ‘cause of death’ report. It stated that the woman the file was about died of heart failure during childbirth. My father came into the room. I asked him about it. At first he was furious, but he eventually told me that my mother, my real mother, died when she was in childbirth with me.”

Relief flowed off Anakin. “I didn’t kill her,” he said to himself. “Not directly anyways.”

“No, you didn’t kill her,” Leia said with a slight smile. “As for your other crimes, you will go on trial for them tomorrow if you are feeling up to it. Mon Mothma will be the judge and will decide your fate.”

He solemnly nodded. “I will plead guilty.”

“Alright. I guess that will make your defense lawyer’s job simpler.”

“Who would want to take the job of defending me?”

“Luke.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Great. My lawyer is a farm boy as naive as a Ewok with the appetite the size of a Wookiee.”

Leia found herself laughing. It felt good.

Luke started to stir. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” Anakin tried to act innocent.

Luke huffed. “Whatever. I am glad you two are in better humor.” He then added. “Leia. I’m hungry. Can you get me something to eat?”

This made both father and daughter start laughing hysterically.

 

Yeah the Emperor wouldn't want to admit that his prize from the Jedi turned not only on him back went back to the Light.

This most likely be a closed trial.

 

Wow! I'm loving this story! Your portrtayal of Luke is spot-on. And it's refreshing to see Leia not losing her temper at her father.

Wonder what will happen at Anakin's trial?

 

Loving this story. Keep up the good work

 

Oh, Bri! Luke is so sweet with Anakin- like :duh: - what else would he be?

Wowsers on Leia's reaction and double on the twisty to the "Last Command"

Hugs!!

 

On chapter 4, awwwww! on the Leia/Anakin moment. :big grin:

 

Just read the story. Very good. Looking forward to more. I am interested to see how he goes on trial with Mon Mothma as the judge.

 

Lady Misty: Yes, it will be a closed trial.

JainaSoloYJK : Thank you. I loved writing Luke in this timeframe. And I’m glad you see Leia’s portrayal as refreshing. That’s what I was going for.

Force Smuggler: Thanks.

Jade eyes: Thanks for the comments. I’m glad you’re enjoying.

Darth_ Malevolent : Thanks


Tag list: Lady_Misty Hazel Tribaldancer
On? Off? Just ask! New chapter below.

 

A/N: I’m all caught up with the chapters that I posted on LJ. I’ll do two updates a week now. Probably Sundays and Wednesdays.



Chapter Five

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

Mara Jade winced as the Emperor screeched in her mind once again. She brought the cup of whiskey to up to her lips and drank the strong alcohol. Drinking did not numb the final command, but it did numb the thoughts – her thoughts.

She had flown to Bestine IV because she was confident that Darth Vader was in the Alliance’s clutches. Reports had Home One bound for Imperial Center and most ships would have to stop here for fuel before heading into the core. Since arriving here, Mara had seen the happiness of the average citizen now that the Emperor was gone. Had he really had that much impact on the typical being? And had that impact been so negative? The Emperor had ended the Clone Wars, ended crime syndicates, and quelled uprisings. Those actions had been for the good of the people. Hadn’t they?

She then thought of Alderaan, of the treatment of non-humans and the extermination of those with mental or physical disabilities.

Mara took another swig of her whiskey to suppress her treasonous thoughts.

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

* * *

Leia spent the evening and night in her father’s and brother’s room. She left in the early morning to have a sonicsteam, change into a plain blue dress and check on Han, who had been forced into dozens of meetings to take notes for her and to help plan the takeover of Coruscant. On her way back she ran into Nurse Kyran who had trays in her hands.

“Princess Leia,” the woman, an Aldraani, bowed. “I know this is an odd request, but do you mind giving your brother and father their breakfasts? Most of the nurses are exhausted from working double and triple shifts.”

Leia took the trays from her. “I don’t mind at all.”

She entered the room to see Luke and Anakin awake and talking. “I come bearing food,” she announced.

Luke looked at her with delight while Anakin groaned. Dinner last night had been less painful but just as bland, mushy, and disgusting as last morning’s breakfast.

Leia set Luke’s tray on his lap table. He lifted the cover to find military standard powdered eggs. The hero treatment had obviously diminished. But there were two pieces of bantha bacon and blue milk, just for him. He began digging in.

Leia then sat down on the edge of Anakin’s bed. She folded down his lap table which she sat his tray on. On it was more pablum. Though he perked up when he saw the glass of watered-down juice.

“Is that oragnce juice?” he asked, hopeful as she put his bib on his chest.

“No, it’s Jawa Juice.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Someone took her sassy pills this morning,” he returned her snark.

She gave him a sour face. “You want a sip?”

He nodded and she held the glass to his lips for him. Anakin took a small drink and smiled. “Mmm. I am being fed oragnce juice by an angel. Luke, are you sure we didn’t die and go to the netherworld?”

Leia rolled her eyes. “Fa… Da… Anakin, flattery won’t get you out of eating your pablum.”

“Damn it.” He then grew softer. “Leia, I know you are uncomfortable with calling me dad. I understand. If you want, you, and only you, can call me Ani.”

Luke started giggling.

Anakin looked at his son. “And you can shut up.” He turned back to his daughter. “It’s what your mother and my mother used to call me.”

​

“Okay, Ani,” Leia said, sweetly. She then turned stern as she scooped some pablum out of the small bowl with a spoon. “Now, open.”

Anakin dutifully opened his mouth.

Breakfast was more uncomfortable than painful this time around, but he was rewarded with oragnce juice at the end.

As Leia was cleaning her father up, Mon Mothma entered. “Anakin Skywalker?” she said in incredulity. “Leia told me everything but I am still having problems believing it.”

“It’s all true, Mon Mothma,” he answered grimly.

She nodded, comprehending the implications. “This just goes to show just how elaborate the Emperor’s plans and influence was. Is it true that he was a Sith?”

He nodded back. “Yes, probably the most powerful one to live since the Sith Wars. If he knew I was the Chosen One before I was discovered – which is a possibility, he probably planned the invasion of Naboo and let Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan escape with a damaged ship just so I could be discovered.”

Mon Mothma shook her head. “We may never know just how much of the past 50 years he influenced.” After a moment’s pause, she took a seat on one of the stools in the room and pulled out a datapad. “Shall we get this horrible business out of the way?”

“Yes.” Anakin then looked at Leia. He knew that there was no going back now, but he was doing this for her, for Luke, for their mother, and for himself. “I plead guilty to all crimes.”

“She hasn’t even listed the crimes yet,” Luke pointed out.

Anakin shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’ve probably done them all, plus more.”

Mon Mothma let out a small laugh. He was surprised how comfortable she was around him after all that he did as Vader. “Same old Anakin.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m not. I am no longer that young, reckless boy.”

“I know,” she said simply. She then cleared her throat and spoke to the small recording droid that she had brought in with her. “Let the record show: I, Mon Mothma, am sentencing Jedi Knight Anakin to life imprisonment.”

* * *

Luke’s heart sank. He would still get to see his father, but would have to do so in a prison.

Mon Mothma then continued, “Because I believe no prison facility will be able to hold you…”

Luke felt like crying. Carbonite. His father would be placed in carbonite.

“… I will be placing you in the joint custody of Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa.”

Luke’s heart soared. He felt like laughing.

* * *

“Really Mothma?” Anakin drawled. “Joint custody? How old am I?”

“Forty-six.”

Anakin stuck his tongue out at his late wife’s friend.

Mon Mothma ignored him. “They will decide who is to get you at what times. You are also to help Luke restore the Jedi Order.”

“But I am the one who destroyed them.”

“All the more reason to make you rebuild the Order.” She then got up. “Now, I leave you in the care of your wardens. I have to go figure out how to defeat dozens of moffs.”

“I know how,” Anakin offered.

All eyes were on him. “How?”

“There is something that gives the moffs all their power, and it’s something the Alliance needs. Credits.”

A grin formed on Leia’s face. The idea was so simple, yet it was perfect. “If we can infiltrate the Banking Clan, we can transfer all the moff’s credits to our accounts.”

“Or, I can just tell you all their codes and keys,” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You know them? All of them?” Leia asked in disbelief.

He nodded. “The Force is a powerful ally. Plus, I figured it was a good card to have up my sleeve if I ever need to ruin a moff…or all of them. Your most difficult opposition will be Isard. I know this doesn’t sound the best coming out of me, but she will have to be taken out. If you knock her out and establish yourselves as a legitimate government, you will have won the majority of the war.” He then started to mutter to himself. “We have a few months before we have to worry about the Maw Installation and the others. Shavit, that means I have to deal with Daala again. Then there is Jade and the other insane redhead.”

Mon Mothma ignored his mumblings. “Thank you for your contribution, General Skywalker,” she used his old, but still revenant, Clone Wars rank. “You will be a great asset to us. Someone will be in shortly to get the banking information. For now, I want you to rest.” With that, she left.

Leia looked at her father. “General, eh?”

“Yup. You just got awarded joint custody of a crazy old general.”

She shrugged. “Better than being a warden to a senile Sith.”

“Ha-ha. Funny,” he replied, his voice full of sarcasm.

Luke then spoke up. “Speaking of old and crazy generals…”

Han walked in to the room wearing black pants with the traditional Corellian bloodstripes and a white shirt. He frowned at Luke’s comment. He then turned to Leia. “I’m being forced into another meeting in a few minutes, but I hear we will be stopping at Bestine IV for fuel in a couple of hours. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me then; get off this lugnot for a few minutes and maybe grab some real food for dinner.”

Leia nodded. “Sure, that is,” she hitched her thumb in the direction of Luke and Anakin, “if these two can behave without me watching them for a few minutes.”

* * *

Anakin was enjoying a chocolate-flavored meal replacement, fed to him by Leia, for lunch while Luke scarfed down more military rations. It was then that Winter made her entrance.

Winter Retrac was Leia’s best friend, but there was no way Leia was going to tell Winter about her father. Winter forgot nothing and forgave little. Leia and Luke had agreed to keep their father’s past a secret. All who already knew the truth had promised to take the secret to their graves. It would do them no good if there were constant attempts on Anakin’s life because of his past. He was being punished in his own way and that was all that mattered. If anyone asked, they would tell the ‘official’ story, the story that Luke had told Dr. Sophka: the Emperor took Anakin captive at the end of the Clone Wars for his powers and Luke had liberated him on the Death Star.

Winter was wearing a simple white dress with her white hair tied back tight. Her icy blue-grey eyes surveyed the room. Her eyes softened when Luke waved at her.

“Hello Luke. Hello Leia,” she said. “I am assuming this is your father?”

“Yes,” Luke said, proudly.

Winter nodded once. “Your story has spread through the Alliance like wildfires on Kashyyyk. I am glad to have you with us, General Skywalker. May I introduce myself? I am Agent Winter Retrac. I grew up with Leia. I am here to collect the banking information you have on the moffs.”

Anakin nodded. “Better get out a recording device – it’s a long list.”

Winter simply smiled. “I don’t need a recording device. I never forget anything.”

* * *

Luke was fast asleep ten minutes into his father telling Winter endless codes and keys. Leia even felt herself dozing off from time to time. She kept herself awake by constantly offering her father water. She was actually starting to annoy him for asking so much, but he didn’t say anything. He was just glad she was comfortable around him.

By the time Anakin finished telling Winter every code he had, Han was waiting at the door for Leia.

“Winter, there is one more thing I need you to do,” Anakin requested. “I want all the credits transferred from my account, the code number in 87526432425278 and my key is 0526, to Luke’s and Leia’s account.”

The twins – Luke was now awake – looked at their father in confusion.

Winter could tell it was time for her to go. “I can do that.” She tipped her head respectfully and left.

“If I am going to be in your custody for the rest of your life, you might as well have my money. You can pay for my medical care and everything else for me out of that money. Besides, I missed too many birthdays,” he said with a sad smile. “Now, if Leia doesn’t mind tucking me in and leaning my bed back before she goes on her hot date, I think I will have a nap before dinner.”

Leia blushed but did what her father asked.

* * *

Mara Jade watched as Home One docked at one of Bestine IV’s fuel docks. It would take an hour or two to fuel the ship. She walked onto the ship in her navy flightsuit with ease. She got past security by simply acting like she was supposed to be there. Mara was now in the ship’s hangar. She passed by General Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa without a second glance.

Using the Force, she lifted an access card off an unsuspecting service worker and used it to call a turbolift. Once inside, she rolled her eyes at the simplicity of this entire operation. Once she was done this mission, she would no longer allied with the Empire.

As she felt for the location of her target, her master’s final command rang through her head once more, constantly reminding her that she would have no purpose after fulfilling it.

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

 

Anakin's comments about the remaining Imperials was hilarious. Whose the 3rd redhead? Daala and Mara I know but another?

 

That is so Anakin to know the codes of all the Moffs bank accounts. Those Moffs are in for a surprise when they see that they have been hacked.

Is Lumiya the third redhead?

So, is Mara going to find her target?

 

Somehow I think more people are going to find out who Anakin used to be and when that happens...watch out. Certainly glad that Leia is more comfortable around her father and loved her calling him Ani.

Tag me when you update again.

 

Glad Leia is getting more comfortable around her birth-biological father. That's sweet that she can be the only one to call him by his nickname...hopefully it'll be a way for them to bond.

Anakin knew about Jade...what worries me is what will happen when she finds them....

 

Bri! I love this update! I love the solution to stealing the Moffs' source of power and to keeping an eye on Anakin and it's a chance to keep the family together

Sundays and Wednesdays -- nice update shcedule there.

 

WOOT! Awesome update!!! I love seeing Leia and Luke bonding with their father! Mon Mothma kind of took it easy on him...but when you look at it as being under the influence or temporarily insane, the sentence does get a lot lighter...

at draining the moff's bank accounts! I love it!

Uh-oh...I can see it now, Mara going after Anakin and ending up fighting Luke...

 

So glad to see Anakin acting Vader-less, and also that Leia i warming up to him. The image of her feeding him made me giggle.

Can't wait to see what's gonna happen with Mara.

 

Too lazy to do replies, but thank you all. Here is the tag list: Lady_Misty Hazel Tribaldancer JediMaster_Jen
On? Off? Just ask! New chapter below.


Chapter Six


Han held Leia’s hand as they made their way through one of Bestine IV’s marketplaces. They were enjoying looking at items made by local venders and just taking their minds off their lives as high-ranking Rebels. Han bought Leia a red scarf before she pointed out a deli.

“Shall we eat there?” she asked. “That way I can also get a sandwich wrapped up for Luke and an oragnce smoothie for Ani.”

Han nodded and started towards the shop. “You are getting extremely comfortable around Anakin, aren’t you?” he asked as he opened the door for her.

“I am,” she said. “He is extremely sorry for what he has done, so much so that he almost refused treatment when he had his heart seizure. He needs me and Luke, and I think Luke and I need him too; we have lost too much in our lives. I have forgiven him. I needed to or I might have turned into what he was.”

Han ordered their meals as well as Luke’s sandwich while Leia got the drinks and Anakin’s oragnce smoothie. They sat down in a booth in the corner of the well-lit deli.

“The truth is…I actually see Ani and the man he once was as two completely different people. The man he once was is dead and Ani is here now to make up for the things the dead man did,” Leia explained before she took the first slurp of her soup.

Han simply nodded and ate his nerf sandwich while she told him of Anakin’s trial and custody arrangement.

Once they were finish eating, he took her across the busy street to a bakery he had spotted. They were waiting for the baker – a large green male Twi-lek – to put their desserts into a box when Leia gasped. “It’s Luke and Anakin. They’re in danger!”

* * *

Mara Jade quickly slipped past nurses and porters in the medical wing of Home One. She reached out in the Force to find Darth Vader. It was no surprise to her that they were keeping him in a medical facility. He was no doubt injured during his duel with the Emperor. The Alliance was a soft bunch and would no doubt spare the Sith Lord’s life. They might even have given him leeway for his crimes since he killed the Emperor.

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

When no one was watching, she turned the corner to enter the critical care hall and came face to face with a Wookiee.

The creature didn’t even have the chance to roar. Mara swiftly put a hand at the base of his neck and squeezed a nerve that caused the Wookiee to collapse unconscious.

Someone would have heard the Wookiee fall. There wasn’t much time now. She entered the room and thought her senses betrayed her. She had been so confused since the Emperor died that she honestly was not surprised by this. On the bed in the center of the room was a feeble old man hooked up to a dozen machines. The man – or rather half of a man – was missing all of his limbs.

“Oh, sorry,” she said in a hurry, beginning to back out. “I must have the wrong room.”

She was about to leave when she caught the man’s intense blue eyes. “Are you sure about that, Emperor’s Hand?”

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

She paused and stared at him with wide green eyes. Was this Vader?!

It was then that she saw a fist flying at her out of the corner of her eye. She remembered seeing a handsome face before it all went black.

* * *

Luke had been standing behind the door ever since he sensed danger. His chest heaved as he looked down at the redheaded woman he had punched.

She was beautiful, even with the redness around her eye from his handiwork.

Porters and nurses came rushing in, along with a dazed Chewbacca. A middle-aged human male porter helped Luke back into bed.

The porters were about to drag the woman out of the room when Anakin interrupted them. “Stop. Leave her there in the chair. Don’t bother with restraining her. They will do little good anyways.”

The porters looked at him, confused, but Anakin insisted.

“Who is she, Dad?” Luke asked once everyone had left. He couldn’t help but stare at this magnificent being.

“Mara Jade. She was one of the Emperor’s Hands—his personal assassins. She is a damn powerful Force user, yet she has limited training. If we are going to rebuild the Jedi Order, she would be a great start. She has much potential.” He them paused. “There is something about her the Force. I am going to meditate on it. Keep an eye on her.”

Luke was practically drooling as he followed his father’s command.

* * *

Anakin closed his eyes and flowed into the Force. He forgot how good it felt. It was almost a second nature to him.

He was suddenly bombarded with images: clones of the Emperor on his secret citadel on the planet Byss; the genius tactician Grand Admiral Thrawn; clones of Thrawn, super-weapons, the insane Admiral Daala in the Maw; a galactic invasion by a race not of this galaxy. Most of all, the feeling of hurt overwhelmed him. This was the future if he did nothing. Luke would suffer, he would suffer, and the galaxy would suffer.

He then saw another image. It was a happy one. It was him with a redheaded grandson with blue eyes. He felt joy in this vision. He was laughing along with this child.

Anakin opened his eyes and smiled from ear to ear. He said to Luke, “I’m going to save the galaxy and get redheaded grandbabies out of it.”

Luke stared at his father like he had three heads. “What?”

He was then distracted by a grunt out of Mara. She was waking up.

* * *

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

“Welcome back, Mara Jade,” the half of man said as she opened her eyes. Gods, her head hurt. She must have hit the ground hard. “The Emperor sent you to kill me. He gave you a final mission before he died, didn’t he?”

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

She sat up in the chair she had been put in, regaining her senses. She reached out into the Force to feel this man deeper. He wasn’t Darth Vader, but there was something underlying about him that was oddly familiar. “Who are you?”

“I thought you were smarter than this, Jade,” the man said, a bit smugly. “You should have figured it out by now. I was the man you knew as –”

“Darth Vader,” she bit out, leaping up and igniting her purple lightsaber.

“I actually prefer to be called Anakin Skywalker now.”

She paused. “What?”

“My real name is Anakin Skywalker. There are many things you do not know, Jade. There are many things the Emperor did not want you to know.”

“Like what?” Part of her was raging mad at this man who just revealed to her that the man who raised her like a daughter had lied to her. The other part of her was raging at the former Emperor, the man who had told her those lies.

“You weren’t as special to him as you thought you were. He never told you who I really was. He never told you that Luke Skywalker, the man who blew up the first Death Star, is my son,” Anakin gestured at the handsome man sitting in the bed next to his – the man that had punched her out, the man the Emperor sent her to kill on Tatooine.

That is Vader’s son? she thought in disbelief. Had the Emperor sent her to kill Luke because the Emperor saw the boy as a threat, or just to get revenge on Vader for failing at Bespin? Luke was just a lucky Tatooine farm boy. He was a good shot and strong, but barely trained in the Force. He hadn’t posed a real threat to the greatest Sith to live in millennia. If Luke hadn’t turned Vader, he would have died quickly at the Emperor’s hands. So why had the Emperor been so afraid of him?

Anakin continued. “He never told you there were other Hands, Mara. Shira Brie is one of them.”

She now saw red. How could he? She thought she had been special to the Emperor. She thought she had been his Hand. How could the man who she thought of as a father lie to her like that?

“Why are you doing this?” Anakin asked. “To get revenge for the Emperor, the man who lied and misled you all of those years?”

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

Something inside Mara snapped. “No! He wanted revenge when he died! I don’t want revenge for him. I just want his voice gone! I want to be free of him! He lied to me! He told me I was special! That I was his child! But he lied! I was a disposable pawn. I meant nothing to him!”

Anakin nodded. “You loved him, as I did. You respected him, as I did. You relied on him, as I did. Yet, deep down, you have always dreamed of being free. And now, you are free of him. But you’re not free of his influence. And you will never be free if you kill me. If you kill me, you will become him.”

Mara’s heart clenched. She hoped he didn’t feel her faltering through the Force. The idea made her feel something she had never experienced before: fear. Fear bubbled up inside of her. She saw the true side of the Emperor now – a power crazed man with no ability to love. She did not want that for herself. She did not want to become that. That was her greatest fear.

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

“I can help you, Mara,” Anakin offered. “I can rid you of his voice and his influence on you. I can help you see the light.”

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

“Lies!” She didn’t want to even consider that she needed help, especially from the man who had been Vader. “You are only trying to save your own skin.”

“If I wanted to save my life, I would have killed you when you walked in the door. If there was no hope for you, I would have let the porters drag you away and lock you up forever. Mara, the influence of the dark side is like a drug. I have felt its effects too. The power that it offers gives you a high. It is addicting and you don’t even see that you have a problem until it is too late. Let me get rid of the Emperor’s voice. Then, if you still want to kill me, you can.” Anakin bargained with her.

Mara froze. All she wanted was to rid herself of the Emperor’s voice. She just wanted to get rid of the liar.

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!

She winced in pain. His voice was so loud now it physically hurt her.

Luke then spoke up. “You loved the Emperor like an abusive father. He took away your life, yet he still won your love by giving you purpose and lying to you. Don’t let him ruin your life further. If you kill my father, you will become him. Let my father take the Emperor’s final command out of you.”

She powered down her lightsaber. She closed her eyes…she hated letting her soft side show…

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER! YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER! YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER! YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!


… But she would not let the Emperor win. She would defeat him. She would not become him. She would win back her life and know happiness. She was stronger than him. She was stronger than his lies.

“Okay,” she whispered as the final command kept ringing in her head like a siren.

“Let your mind go blank,” Anakin instructed her. It wasn’t hard with the deafening final command.

She was preparing herself for something painful as she stood there with her eyes closed. The Emperor’s voice screamed at her from beyond the grave.

YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER! YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER!
YOU WILL KI---

Suddenly her mind was silent for the first time in days, yet that wasn’t what Mara was consciously experiencing. She was experiencing her soul being lifted out of the darkness. She was experiencing freedom for the first time.

* * *

Mara woke without even knowing she had lost awareness. She found herself in a medcenter bed across from Luke Skywalker, who was looking at her. It looked, and felt, like he was concerned about her. It was mildly creepy. Anakin was in his bed, asleep.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

She was free. She could now start over and truly live. Yet she was wary to trust this man who she didn’t know. “I feel alright.”

He smiled warmly. “I was worried about you. When my father severed your tie from the Emperor, you collapsed and had a seizure. They can’t explain why but they say you are going to be fine. I had the nurses put you in here so we could talk. I’m sorry for hitting you.”

“Why are you so nice to me?” she asked.

Luke looked at her, confused. He then sighed. “It’s because my father said you were a potential Jedi for us to train. Besides, I think you have had a rough day.”

She almost laughed at his last comment. That was an understatement. “You would be willing to train me as a Jedi?” Mara said, half in awe. This woke Anakin who had been taking a short nap.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Luke asked.

“I was an assassin for the Emperor.”

Luke shrugged. “I redeemed the Darth Vader, didn’t I? The darkness does not scare me. Fear is of the dark side.”

“You’re cocky.”

He scowled at her, but his face then softened. “So will you train with me?”

She nodded. “I do not want to become the Emperor. I want to learn to control my power.”

“We can help you,” Luke promised, glancing at his father, who nodded.

“Would you be willing to join the Alliance as a Jedi Apprentice right now? I think you could help us with a problem we have. Plus joining us would really stick it to the Emperor’s memory.” Anakin smirked.

She smirked back. “I’m all for doing that.”

“Would you be willing to kill Ysanne Isard?” Anakin asked her. “Off the record, of course.”

“It would be my honor.”

 

oops. double post

 

Did Anakin just ask Mara to assassinate the head of Imperial Intelligence? *rereads the end* Sounds like it.

 

Great new chapter. Can't wait to see where it goes next

 

Luke punched Mara Jade! I've seen Dark Luke do something like that, but I think this is the first time I've seen sweet farmboy Luke hurt Mara! Boy he is lucky she is still talking to him. Or perhaps she likes it rough.

Nice update. It is cool that we get Luke and Mara together right away. I hope we don't have to wait ten years for them to start knocking boots.

 

it was basically "as one last deed, we'll let you kill Ysanne Isard."

Loved Anakin's GOOD vision, especially when he came out of it and then said "I'll get red haired grandbabies out of it". Good thing Mara wasn't conscious at that moment!

You can Tag me when you post next, even though I have this as a watched thread.

 

You put that in there just to bait me, didn't you?

hahahaha, I love Mara's interactions with Luke and how Anakin was able to remove that last command. Great updates here, gal!

 

WOW! Luke's got a mean right hook. It doesn't surrpise me Luke hitting Mara- he didn't know her and was just protecting his father. With Skywalkers, family comes first.

Go Anakin for helping Mara out of the darkness! Go Luke for his farmboy forgiveness and soft heart!

And SQUEE at the 'redheaded grandbabies' remark! Finally, Anakin gets to have a NICE vision!

Mara assasinating Isard? Now this I've got to see...

Oh, may I be added to the tag list, please?