Saga Saga - OT The Trial of Darth Vader (AU ROTJ: H/L, Luke, Anakin, Yoda) 3/3

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Yeah, tell me about it. The annoying part is, with my coverage, doctors are still only seeing those with longstanding appointments or with things that might be an emergency. Luckily I'm feeling OK enough today to post.

That being said, prepare for the angst...all the angst!
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE


She walked with purpose, fighting nerves, hand still unconsciously straying toward the wall. When a fleet trooper came up to her and offered to escort her, Leia blushed and let her hand drop. “No, thank you. Carry on.” She wasn’t sure if the resulting twist in her middle was from the aforesaid nerves or the little life that had made her trousers too tight.

Shh, she thought, hand going to rub her middle. Yes, I’m afraid, but you don’t have to be. The slightest nudge in the Force responded, and her throat tightened briefly. She didn’t yet know what the baby’s inheritance of this power meant. There were many, many questions. Today was the day Leia hoped to find answers.

A month had passed since Korriban. It had almost gone too fast, for Leia and everyone else was kept very busy. Securing Coruscant had been easy compared to holding it in Alliance control. There had been more than an attack a week by what remained of the Imperials, but without their leader, their numbers were dwindling. Emboldened by word of the Emperor’s death, ordinary people were rising up in resistance. The days of the Empire were almost over.

Between her work with the rest of the Alliance council, her daily conversing with Luke, and ongoing treatment for her eyes, Leia had little time to get used to her pregnancy. Her flat stomach had grown a baby bump seemingly overnight at twelve weeks, and now anything that went around her waist didn’t fit anymore. She was forced to switch to elastic waistbands and wonder where she could find practical maternity wear...particularly the kind that would hide the bump.

Han of course was excited at every bit of progress she made, so was thrilled to see her showing. He had even taken to talking directly to her middle. It was cute, but at this point he’d also convinced himself the baby was a boy and called it “Junior”. Luke was equally convinced the baby was a girl, as he kept saying the presence he felt was ‘distinctly female’. Leia said both of them were full of it and reiterated her wish to not know the gender until she could see for herself...though, secretly, she had a feeling that Luke was right.

The habit of running her hand along the wall to feel her way was going to be a hard one to break, as Leia caught herself yet again halfway to the detention block. Her vision had improved quickly as far as light and color perception went, but details were still somewhat difficult, and any strong light still hurt her eyes. As a result she had been wearing dark tinted spectacles for well over two weeks. All that was left to do now was wait, the medics said. At this rate they predicted she would be halfway through her pregnancy before her vision was back to normal. She hoped it was at least good enough so she could see her biological father from a distance, for this was the day she had decided to finally go and see him.

Some strange need drove her forward, while at the same time nerves held her back. She had so many questions, not all of which she trusted herself to ask. Why did you turn? What happened to our mother? What made you change?

No questions, she told herself as she arrived at the appropriate cell block. Not today. I’m just going to thank him for saving Luke and then leave.

That idea dissolved as she arrived at Anakin Skywalker’s cell.

* * * * *

Visitors were the last thing Anakin was expecting a full month after his jailbreak. Security had been increased five fold and he was moved to a cell with four force fields in place of walls and nothing but a cot, table, single chair, and a refresher unit inside. Lieutenant Sal was quiet as he entered with the meds and meals through a sort of airlock, but found he didn’t have any harsh words for his patient. Most of all he seemed relieved that Anakin was back in one piece.

Anakin’s thoughts were forever on his children. He missed them. He wanted to see them. He hoped they were all right. And, fervently, he hoped that his grandchild was still safe and healthy. Luke hadn’t said anything about the unborn child, and Anakin could only assume he either didn’t know or was sworn to secrecy. He had spoken to his son via the Force several times, but person to person visits were still prohibited until further notice.

This was why, when he heard he had a visitor, he was overtaken with surprise. That turned to shock when he reached out with the Force and sensed his daughter. He found his eyes burning as he saw her approach, cautious and uncertain. She looked well. Despite wanting to check on his grandchild, he wanted to respect Leia’s privacy. “Leia. Hello. How are you feeling?” he asked through a rough and aching throat.

* * * * *

Leia froze midstride, staring. That voice...it was the same voice she’d heard speaking words of comfort aboard the Falcon. She couldn’t recognize his presence. It was completely different from Vader’s.

Her brows knit. How could this be Anakin? Where was the towering Sith Lord in black? Where was the monster she’d feared for so long? All she saw before her was a tall, frail, pale old man with honest relief and a deep, lingering sadness in his blue eyes. There were obvious scars, but Leia had learned long ago to look past such things. “I...”

Anakin noted her hesitance and nodded. He’d never expect Leia to run to him with open arms. He was surprised enough when she had the force field deactivated and walked in. The Force told of a strange combination of curiosity and unease. He watched her quietly, keeping a respectful distance, letting her make the first move. “I can’t blame you for being startled. I’m not very pleasant to look at.”

Slowly Leia shook her head, lips pressed together. Instead of saying what she had come to say, she found herself blurting out a question. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

Direct, as always. The man avoided her gaze. “Part of it was concern that giving you such a shock might harm you. But...the rest, I’ll admit, was pure selfishness. I only wanted a chance to speak with you.”

Much as she tried, Leia couldn’t be angry with him. His motives had been nothing if not human. He and Han had only been trying to protect her from a shock. She sighed. “I think I understand.”

“I hope you won’t hold it against your fiance. He’s a good man.” Anakin was tense, as if he had questions he could barely hold in. “Are you feeling any better? How are your eyes?”

Leia swallowed back the strangeness at Anakin complimenting her on her choice of spouse. “Yes. He is. And...I’m better. I can see, at least.”

Anakin smiled. “Good. You are looking much better than the last time I saw you. How are you otherwise?”

The honesty of Anakin’s words was puzzling to Leia, and she knit her brows again. Does he know? “I’m...” It was an effort to keep her hands away from her middle, as it had become a habit when she was feeling protective of her child. “I’m fine...thank you.”

“Good.” Awkward silence overtook them for a long while. After a moment Anakin tilted his head to one side. “I have to say, I never expected you to come. Luke tells me how reluctant you’ve been...not that I blame you. May I ask what changed your mind?”

Leia’s head dropped, and she stared at her feet, tears unexpectedly coming to her eyes. “Anakin...” It felt strange saying his name. “I need to thank you for...for helping Han. He says that, without you, he never would have found us.” Blasted hormones. Get a grip and stop crying! Leia took a deep breath before continuing and looking up. “You saved our lives...Luke’s, and mine, and-” She clamped down on her lip, not wanting to tell him...and yet somehow needing to. Her hand moved, almost without thinking to the slight curve of her stomach, tightening the fabric so it could be seen.

Anakin was speechless as he broke into a damp-eyed smile. He’d never expected to hear such words from his daughter, much less been allowed to see the evidence of the growing child within. The lump in his throat had become a clamp, and he coughed into his bionic hand to clear it. More than even he wanted to run to her and embrace her as her father. He made himself stop at a single, almost convulsive step forward. A single tear rolled down his face. “He...she...they’re all right?”

Leia’s shoulders fell as she read the truth in Anakin’s eyes. “You knew?”

Anakin hung his head for a moment. “All I knew when I reached out to heal you was that something was making you ill. Finding out...that was unintentional, and if I’ve violated your privacy, I’m truly sorry. But...if it worked, and...the child is all right…?”

Fresh tears overflowed Leia’s eyes to run down her cheeks, and she closed them again. Then she nodded. “They’re fine. Thank you….but I don’t understand. Why? Why would you do that?”

Anakin smiled and took another careful step toward his daughter. “Leia...though you may never believe me, you and Luke mean more to me than anything else. You are my children, and I love both of you very, very much.”

Leia could feel the truth of this through the Force, and wasn’t sure how to react. Gratitude for the lives Anakin had saved was overwhelming, but there was confusion, hurt, and questions… so many questions...

Anakin seemed to sense part of this, and took a step back. “It must be a lot to take in. I’ll understand if you need to go. But Leia, before you do...” He took a deep breath. “While there is nothing I can either say or do to make up for the atrocities I committed as Darth Vader, I need to tell you how truly, deeply sorry I am. I’m so, so sorry to have hurt you, and Luke, and Han, and all the others in the galaxy. But...whenever the Alliance comes to the inevitable trial, I wanted to let you know that whatever punishment is decided, I’ll neither raise protest nor fight, even if it means giving my life.”

No. Hearing Anakin speak these words of acceptance in paying the ultimate price somehow made the idea even worse. Leia found she couldn’t say anything else as even more tears rolled down her cheeks.

He sighed, shoulders falling. “I’ve upset you. I’m sorry. You should go.”

Mutely Leia nodded, slowly moving toward the exit. She had never felt so torn in her life. Just before leaving, she found herself turning around. “Wait!” When Anakin looked up at her, she bit her lip. “Whatever it takes, I’ll make sure Luke is able to come and see you. You have my word.”

Anakin nodded once. “I’d appreciate that. Take care of yourself, Leia, and thank you for coming.” He hung his head for a moment. When he lifted his eyes there were full of gratitude, apology, and love. “May the Force be with you.”

Leia found she could only nod in return. There were no words left. She felt as wrung out as a wet washcloth. Somehow she maintained her composure as she turned to leave and strode back down the hallway and out of the prison block.

It wasn’t until she reached the final turbolift to take her back to the main level of the complex that the dam broke, her face crumpled, and she dissolved into sobs that tore at her throat and produced more tears than she’d thought possible.

Luke was right. The man she had met wasn’t Vader. He had saved the life of her unborn child. But, the rest of the galaxy wasn’t going to understand.

When the time came for the trial of Darth Vader, the galaxy was going to scream for his death.

* * * * *

It was perhaps coincidence that, a mere two days after this emotional meeting, Han finally decided that their wedding should be put off no longer. Leia agreed, and the very next evening she found herself standing at the end of a makeshift aisle, biting her lip with nerves. Every Rebel who could be crammed into the hangar bay was present, with Admiral Ackbar officiating. The lighting was set a half power, as much to lend a softer ambiance as to ease Leia’s still-sensitive eyes.

“Hey.” Luke’s voice was soft as he turned to her. He was still unsteady on his new mechanical leg and used a cane, but was more than happy to walk his sister down the aisle. “You all right?”

Leia blushed, glanced at him, and nodded, smiling. “Fine. Just...I don’t know. I know this is the right time, but...” she shrugged, unable to articulate her complicated feelings. Her heart ached for her parents. They should have been there...Bail and Breha, at least. Bail should have been the one to escort her down the aisle and hand her to her new husband with a kiss on the cheek. She had to believe that, somewhere in the Great Beyond, they and perhaps her biological mother were looking on. As for her biological father...she still wasn’t sure how she felt about him. He would never have been allowed to attend, anyway.

The song Leia had selected to play as she walked down the aisle began to play- a slower, more melodic version of the fanfare that had played when Luke and Han had received their medals– Leia started forward with Luke. It was almost amusing to see how nervous Han was, back in his navy jacket and pants with the Corellian bloodstripe. Everything was clean and had been ironed, and that was about as formal as he could get since resigning his commission. Then he looked up and saw her. The look in his eyes was at once that rougeish captain she’d fallen in love with, and the sweet man who had given her a child. He broke into full Solo grin, though something suspicious was glistening in his big hazel eyes.

As she reached the end of the aisle, See-Threepio and Artoo Detoo stood at attention. A quick glance told her that Artoo’s holorecorder was going. Good. He can see it. Leia gave him a nod of gratitude before turning back to her husband-to-be. Luke was still limping as he went to stand off to one side, but the look of joy on his face told the galaxy he didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Finally, Leia took Han's hands in hers while Admiral Ackbar recited the universal rites of marriage. Time slowed down. Leia found her voice breaking as she vowed to stand by and stay with Han as long as they both lived. Then he repeated the promise back to her.

The covenant was sealed with a kiss, and the assembly broke into applause and scattered cheers.

* * * * *

Voices from the small, grainy blue hologram were the only sound in the cell of Prisoner 1138 long after the lights had been turned off.

Both Luke and Leia had asked Artoo to record Han and Leia's informal wedding. The hologram was then put onto a portable holoprojector and smuggled in to Anakin's cell via Lieutenant Sal with the evening meal.

It was painful to watch. Anakin had no delusions about being present when and if his children ever married, but...this was his daughter….the one he was supposed to walk down the aisle.

Anakin sniffed yet again as the recording ended with Han and Leia's kiss. He had to smile, seeing how happy they both were. He resolved to thank his children for this chance to at least see his daughter marry, even if it was after the fact. Leia, my daughter, I wish I could have been there.

The recording had been played back at least five times already. Every time, Anakin cried agonizing tears. Every time, his smile grew a little more and it was easier to feel joy instead of regret.

With a shuddering sigh, wiping his aching and blurry eyes, Anakin reversed the hologram to replay it yet again.

 

Lovely talk and wedding. Leia has come to some point of acceptance although she is right about any "trial" of Darth Vader.

 

Good to see Leia and Anakin having some sort of a positive relationship, even if it will likely remain extremely tense for quite some time.

 

@Ridley Solo: I hope you and your fiancé are feeling better by now. The health care system in your country worries me a lot, even before the pandemic for I know a lot of JC users in private.

Anyway, thanks for the latest updates. I finally caught up.

Anakin watching the wedding via the portable hologram device made me shed some tears, too.

Wonderfully written, even though you do not feel super at present.

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Yes, Leia has come a long way...
@Cowgirl Jedi 1701 True enough.
@AzureAngel2 Both of us are, though he still has to wait for some bloodwork to come back. More tests may be done if he doesn't have the answer. And as far as the health care system goes...it's not the only thing screwy out here. But...no politics here! Back to Star Wars!
Thank you all so much for your kind words! They are the motivation that keeps me writing.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX


It was months before tensions on Coruscant had settled down enough for some semblance of order to be maintained. Various Rebel officers took administrative positions and deployed security officers to problem areas. They were careful not to be oppressive, but kept a firm sense of justice. Rumor flew over when the election of a new Chancellor would take place and who it would be. Some who had favored the Rebellion wanted Leia to lead them. This time she gracefully declined.

Leading a ragtag fleet of rebels was one thing. Leading a galaxy was something else entirely, and Leia had had enough leadership positions already. She made the decision to continue on the Rebel Council as long as she was needed or until the birth of her child.

Pregnancy had not gone easy on Leia. While her morning sickness had been severe enough to preclude her eating much more than tea and crackers until her twelfth week, it had gone completely by the thirteenth week. But even then, the discomfort wasn’t over. In the past four months she experienced heartburn, swollen feet, trouble sleeping, an extremely fickle appetite, and back pain. The larger her belly grew, the further off her balance had been thrown.

But not all of it was unpleasant. While she still held reservations about the baby’s Force sensitivity, she had long since gotten used to the idea of becoming a mother and was overjoyed when she felt the baby move for the first time. They had gotten more and more active since, and had since resorted to using her ribs as a dance floor and her bladder as a punching bag. Those kicks hurt, and Leia couldn’t wait to finally carry her child in her arms instead of in her belly.

On the first morning of her eighth month, Leia finally gave up on sleeping, performed an awkward roll to exit the bed, pushed up with a grunt, and waddled over to the floor-length mirror. She pulled her loose nightgown around the ever-growing bump and sighed. “If you get any bigger, I swear I’ll need a crane to get out of bed,” she murmured, holding her hands over her middle. The baby shifted in response, and Leia winced. “Oof...easy, there.”

Han picked that moment to shuffle out of the refresher unit with massive yawn. "Hey, sweetheart." He came up from behind and wrapped his arms around his wife, resting his chin on her head. It was his usual morning embrace. "How you feelin’?"

Leia pursed her lips. “Huge. I feel like a Hutt.”

Han snorted. “C’mon. You’re not even half that size.”

“Thanks,” said Leia sardonically. “That still makes me huge.”

“Wha...whoa, I didn’t mean it that way,” Han gulped, kicking himself for poor choice of words. “I mean, er...” He sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not upset. Just tired. I can’t wait to be able to put her down once in a while instead of carrying her around all the time.” Leia offered a slight smile and reached up to touch Han’s freshly shaved cheek.

“Yeah, me too,” he agreed, sliding his hands down to cover hers. He shook his head. “Still can’t believe we’re havin’ a girl...” After being so set on having a boy for nearly two months, Han had been a little nonplussed at seeing the opposite on the anatomy scan. Sometimes he still slipped and called her Junior. It didn’t help that they hadn’t been able to settle on a name yet.

"Are we women that frightening?” Leia listed her eyebrows in amusement.

“No comment,” muttered Han. There was no right answer to such a question, as he had learned after two nights on the couch. Leia’s mood swings had made her a little touchier than usual and he had to tread carefully or risk getting his head bitten off. As if on cue, the baby gave a firm kick to his palm. He broke into a grin and looked down. “Hey, kiddo. Whaddya think, huh? Is your Mom scary?” Another kick made him chuckle.

Leia frowned and leaned away. “In that case, will you let go so I can shower? I have a meeting later and I don’t want to look as scary as you two think I am.”

I just can’t win. Han sighed and shook his head. “C’mon. Y’know I’m a lunk with a big mouth.” He released her, only to shift around so she was facing him and lift her stubborn chin. “You are beautiful, an’ you’re carrying our daughter, who’s gonna be just as beautiful- an’ feisty, an’ strong -as you are. An’ you’re gonna be a great mom.” He leaned down to kiss her.

Leia sighed through her nose. Then she relaxed and lifted her arms to wrap around her husband’s neck. How could someone be so infuriating and yet so sweet? When she pulled back, her eyes found his. “And you’re going to be a wonderful father.”

Han shrugged self-consciously. “Well...I’m gonna try.”

Leia’s mouth twitched. “I know.” Much as she wanted to linger, biology was calling her to the refresher unit. “Now can I please take a shower?”

Han waggled his eyebrows. “Need any help?”

Leia snorted as she gathered her clothes. “Only if you’re offering to help shave my legs and put on my socks.”

Han paused, considering, before shrugging. “Whatever you need, sweetheart.”

This made Leia break into a full smile, shake her head, and make a sound of mock exasperation as Han followed her into the refresher. “You’re hopeless.”

“You’re welcome.”

* * * * *

“Father!”

“Luke...”

Their embrace was tight. While Leia had followed through on her promise to see that Luke could come and visit Anakin, getting the request approved had taken months. This was the first they’d seen each other since Korriban. They had been speaking via the Force, but it wasn’t the same.

Anakin could sense Luke’s concern before he’d even entered the cell block. Emotions ran high, and he could tell his son was trying very hard not to get choked up. “Son, it’s wonderful to finally see you again.”

Luke nodded, his own throat rough. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, son.” He reached up to briefly smooth Luke’s hair in comfort before loosening his grip. “You look well,” he remarked, surprised at the catch in his own voice. He cleared it. “How’s the leg?”

“Which one?” asked Luke, trying to give an ironic smile. “To answer you, both are fine. The plates in the left aren’t giving me any problems, and the right feels so natural now I can almost forget it’s bionic. How are you?”

“I’m well, thank you. Please, sit,” invited Anakin, motioning to the chair.

Luke sat, and jumped into a conversation that mainly revolved around family, the restoration...and then the upcoming trial. Neither of them knew when it was going to be, but the Alliance leaders said they would not delay the inevitable much longer. The meeting Leia was attending was to finalize the decision.

Luke found his father unconcerned...and that concerned him. "Father, you need to start thinking about some sort of defense," he insisted.

Anakin shrugged. "Why? It is not as though I'm being falsely accused. I'm guilty." His gaze was sad, but accepting.

Luke shook his head. "But you're not the same man you were then. Anakin Skywalker is innocent. Darth Vader is guilty...and he doesn't exist anymore."

Anakin gave Luke a wan smile. "I'm afraid we'll have a hard time convincing anyone else. To them, we are the same person, albeit sans armor. Besides, Luke, I seriously doubt anyone would want to represent me when they would be guaranteed to lose the case."

Luke sighed in frustration. He turned to look his father in the eye. "Do you know what's going to happen if you show up without any defense at all? There's enough evidence for a conviction, and the sentence-" Here he stopped, voice halting with emotion. He took a deep breath before continuing. "You know most of the galaxy wants you dead."

Anakin nodded slowly. He settled on the edge of the bed, and put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "My son, I know this is not what you want to hear, but death is nothing less than I deserve. Whatever sentence the court decides, I will not fight it." He smiled fondly at Luke. "In the meantime I plan to make the most of whatever time I have with my children."

Luke sagged, his eyes stinging. "Why should it be cut short, then? I've hardly even had a chance to get to know you, and Leia-" He blinked, not wanting to cry.

"Luke, in all honesty I never expected to have this much time with you. For every minute, I'm grateful. It is gratifying to know you'd miss me if I was gone...but you must realize that I'm not immortal. No one is. Sooner or later, you must learn to let go."

“Well, it’s not fair that Leia and I would have to let go so soon after finding you!”

“Don’t let your attachment to me become a snare. I’ve told you what can happen when you hold on too tightly.”

“I know...it’s just...” The tears Luke had been fighting rose. He turned away and shut his eyes. Two rolled down his cheek.

Anakin’s heart broke for his on. Bless him. I don’t deserve half the care that he has for me. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around Luke and pulled him into an embrace, waiting patiently for him to process his emotions. Better to let them out than hide them away to build into something ugly. When Luke’s tears had been shed, Anakin pulled back. "Come, now. The trial hasn't even begun yet. Think of something pleasant...how is your sister?"

At this Luke smiled a bit. While Leia wasn’t yet comfortable enough to try conversing with Anakin via the Force, she had given Luke permission to pass information along. “Tired, but she says that’s normal. She can’t wait for the baby to come.”

Anakin nodded, thoughts drifting to Padme. He remembered how tired she’d been in her last month of pregnancy, but also how radiant with joy at the addition to their family. He remembered how she spoke of what the nursery was going to look like, how much she wanted to hold their child. If only she’d known...if only he hadn’t been so blind to the temptations of the Dark Side! Enough. It’s in the past. Anakin shut his aching eyes and managed a smile. “She’ll be a wonderful mother. And you? You seem fairly eager to be an uncle.”

Luke chuckled, blushing a bit. He shrugged. “Well...I’m happy for her. And Han. And...I don’t know how good an uncle I’ll be, but I can try.” He opened his mouth to ask Anakin about being a grandfather, then stopped, and hung his head. Even if Leia was on the path to redemption with her father, his fate was still uncertain. More than likely Anakin would never meet his grandchild. Fresh tears threatened a return.

Anakin took Luke’s shoulder again. “Don’t weep for me, son. All I ever wanted was to know my children- and grandchild -are safe. I have that now. And I’m content.”

Luke lifted his head and turned to give his father another embrace. He found no comfort in Anakin’s quiet resignation. Now, when he finally had the father he’d so desperately wanted, the galaxy was threatening to take him away forever.

* * * * *

Leia’s head spun as she emerged from the New Republic Council room. She felt dizzy, off balance. and a bit nauseous, and had to stop and take a series of deep breaths to keep from losing her breakfast.

The meeting had been long and arduous with many varying opinions. But in the end, the vote was unanimous.

What had been coming for over a year could be put off no longer. As soon as a judge, prosecutor, and defense could be secured, the trial of Darth Vader would begin.

Leia closed her eyes, feeling sick. The results of the trial seemed superfluous to most of the galaxy. Numerous protests outside the Detention Center were evidence of that. They had already made up their minds that Darth Vader was guilty, and there was only one sentence to be given. And it wasn't fair. Anakin Skywalker had proven ever since he’d turned himself in just how different he was. I don’t want him to die, and not just for Luke, thought Leia, brows knit. I hardly know him. I need more time.

The baby, as if sensing her mother’s unease, gave a firm kick. That kick succeeded in jolting Leia back to the present, and her hand returned to her belly. All right. I’m sorry. I’ll try to calm down, ok?

“Leia?” Mon Mothma’s voice provided a further anchor as the older woman approached from behind. “Are you all right?”

Leia nodded. “I knew it was coming...I just didn’t expect it so soon.”

Mon Mothma sighed and touched Leia’s arm. “I know this is a difficult time for you, and I’m sorry you must be put through this, but...you understand, of course. It cannot be put off any longer.”

“I know. You’re right.” Leia touched Mon Mothma’s hand in a show of solidarity. “The Rebellion- the Republic -needs to move forward.”

“Exactly.” Mon Mothma lifted her brows. “You’re tired. Why don’t you take it easy for the rest of the day? There’s nothing else on the agenda.”

“Someone just demanded as much,” winced Leia as her daughter kicked again. “But...I can’t. Not yet. First, I have to tell Luke.”

The older woman gave a sympathetic look. “Oh. Yes. Leia, again, I’m terribly sorry your family must be put through this. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

What I need is a way out of this madness, thought Leia. But she forced a nod of gratitude. “Thank you.”

 

Lovely and warm conversations between Han and Leia; Anakin and Luke; Mon Mothma is balancing sympathy for Leia and the demands of the situation, no easy thing.

 

Thank you, as always.

HOLY COW, I had no idea I was going to be gone for so long!!!!
Well, long story short, my fiancee made a cross country drive to move out here, we got married 2 months ahead of schedule, and the struggle for jobs and housing has continued. Currently I'm fighting a cold and he's got a sinus infection, but we're both loving married life immensely. This is the reason for my loooooong absence. But good news, I'm finally getting inspiration again, and I'm on track to finish this monster very, very soon; hopefully by Halloween.

Hugs to all! I've missed everyone!
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN


The Galactic Court of Justice was located in a relatively quiet, sparsely populated region of Coruscant. The building itself was at least as old as the long-abandoned Jedi Temple, though it had undergone various changes over the course of the last two decades. During the war it had been the scene of countless trials of Rebel sympathizers. Most were simply imprisoned or put to death without the niceties of due process, but when a Rebel was well-known in the Galactic Senate or elsewhere and no reason could be conjured for an 'accidental' death, a show trial was held to avoid further uprisings. Such affairs were concluded quickly and often carried the sentence of either death or detainment in such notorious places as the Spice Mines of Kessel.

It had taken some time to find a judge who upheld the old sense of justice, as had reined in the Golden Age of Peace, to preside over the court. All existing judges were typical brainwashed Imperials. But finally, an aging man who had been imprisoned not long after the Clone Wars was rescued from prison. He had been a recent graduate of law school when Palpatine declared himself Emperor. The judge's name was Todru Hubec.

Assembling a jury took even longer than finding a judge. Several hundred candidates were considered and then dismissed by reason of bias. Of course it was almost impossible to find anyone who was not biased. Every being in the galaxy knew of Darth Vader and his deeds done under the Emperor. The selection process took three long weeks before a panel of twelve were assigned to the case. Half had been in the Outer Rim during the war and so had not heard much of Vader's deeds.

Finally, the prosecution and defense needed to be found. Men lined up to prosecute but there was only one reluctant volunteer for the defense. His name was Nic Twosuns, and he was a transplant from Tatooine. The case only interested him for the chance to discover the motivations of the man behind the mask.

The day had finally come. At noon the trial would begin. Early in the morning people began lining up to get in at the door, eager to see what was going to happen. Ninety percent were turned away for safety's sake. Only those issued subpoenas to appear as witnesses or those with direct involvement in the case would be allowed in. Even with such precautions, by eleven in the morning the courtroom was utterly packed. Only the defendant's box and the judge's bench sat empty.

The mood in the courtroom was undeniably anxious. A low rumble of whispers hummed about as everyone spoke quietly among themselves. Members of the press sat in a line behind the defendant's and prosecution's respective boxes, holorecorders, audio recorders, and datapads held at the ready.

Seated between her husband and brother, Leia felt her stomach twisting and fluttering with anxiety. She didn't even notice her hands shaking until Luke gave one of them a squeeze.

"Leia," he said softly. "Are you all right?" Of course he could sense her feelings.

Leia had to shrug. "I don't know," she admitted. Their father was on trial...not the man who had raised them, but their father nonetheless. Despite the fact that Luke knew Anakin better and built a relationship with him, he didn’t seem nearly on edge as she was. It was disconcerting, and almost enough to make Leia just a little jealous.

Han knit his brows while Chewbacca rumbled from behind. "We can leave if ya want," he offered quietly.

Leia shook her head. "No. I want to be here."

"Ya sure?"

"Yes." The shifting of the baby seemed to directly contradict Leia’s words, and the woman frowned at her middle. “Don’t you start, now,” she murmured.

The corner of Han’s mouth quirked into a half smile. “She’s movin’ again?” As if on cue there was a large shift beneath Leia’s top. “Whoa,” he chuckled softly.

Leia wasn’t smiling and rested her free hand on her middle with a wince. “I’m glad you think this is entertaining,” she griped. The constant movement of her unborn daughter wasn’t helping her nerves. Feeling rather than seeing Luke watching her with deepening concern, she turned to him. He hadn’t let get of her hand yet. “What?”

Luke’s tone was quiet...cautious. “She might be sensing your feelings.”

Leia made a face. While she’d been trying to ignore the fact that her unborn child was already showing something of a Force ability, Luke wasn’t wrong. The baby did tend to grow more agitated when her mother was. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Luke shrugged. “Sorry. Try to calm down.”

“I don’t know how I can, given the circumstances,” Leia remarked doubtfully.

“I know. I feel it, too. Just try,” encouraged Luke. “Breathe.”

Leia offered no further argument. Luke was usually right when it came to matters of the Force, so she let her eyes drift shut and rested her free hand on her middle. Deep breaths flowed in and out at regular intervals. When her daughter gave another sudden shift, Leia knit her brows. “Shh...it’s all right...” The gentle touch of Han’s hand on her back was a distraction, and she sighed.

Han looked worried. “She’s not hurtin’ ya, is she?”

Leia pursed her lips. “I’m trying to calm both of us down. Apparently she can sense my moods.”

“Oh.” Han colored a little, realizing he’d interrupted some of that crazy Skywalker Force stuff. He let his hand drop. “Sorry. Want me to leave ‘ya alone?”

Leia didn’t get a chance to answer. Court was in session. A short parade of guards, bailiff, and judge entered the room. "All rise," called the bailiff. Everyone rose to their feet; Leia with a bit more difficulty thanks to her belly. "The honorable judge Todru Hubec presiding, first assemblage of the High Court of the New Republic."

Todru Hubec was a man of average height and above average girth, with a thin white handlebar mustache and a thinner halo of white hair crowning his otherwise bald head. Age showed in the endless collection of sagging wrinkles upon his stern but tired face. His eyes were ice blue and his skin pale...presumably from being imprisoned so long. But behind the facade of a tired old man, there was a fire in his eyes. This was a man who knew his business.

Judge Hubec was clad in the neutral color of gray-blue, in a robe with billowed sleeves that extended to his wrists, and carried a large datapad, which he set down at the judge's bench before sitting down. As he sat, so did everyone else. He studied the datapad in front of him and cleared his throat. "The court will now come to order. New Republic versus Darth Vader." Hubec surveyed the room and muttered to himself, somewhat startled to find the defendant's box empty. Only Anakin's attorney was present. Hubec cleared his throat and turned to the bailiff. "Bring out the defendant," he called.

The bailiff nodded and typed in a code on the door to the right of the courtroom. The door slid open, and in walked Anakin, flanked by two uniformed guards. A murmur of disbelief rippled through the court as he took a seat next to his attorney. The idea that this frail old man was Darth Vader was ludicrous.

Hubec had to smack his gavel to restore order even though he, too, was startled at Anakin's appearance. In a moment he had regained his composure and checked his datapad. "Will the defendant please rise to hear the charges leveled against him?"

Willingly Anakin rose to his feet along with his attorney. His expression was one of calm and sadness.

"Charges are as follows. Against the citizens of the Republic, you are charged with: conspiring against the Republic...genocide...and mass murder."

Luke winced on his father's behalf and wished that he would plead innocent or even insanity...anything would be better than pleading guilty.

"Darth Vader, do you understand the charges against you?" Asked Hubec.

"If you please, Your Honor, my client would like to be addressed by his birth name of Anakin Skywalker rather than his former title of Darth Vader," said Nic Twosuns.

“Skywalker?” Hubec blinked and looked from his datapad to Anakin. After a moment he shrugged, thinking it a weird coincidence. "Request denied. To avoid any confusion, you will be addressed by the title you held at the time of crimes committed. Understood?”

"Yes, Your Honor," said Anakin with a nod, his voice just barely amplified by a microphone near his throat. He didn’t dare look at Luke as the holocams began clicking and flashing in both their directions. By morning the rumors would be flying. I'm sorry, Son.

“Once again, Vader, do you understand the charges leveled against you?"

“Yes, Your Honor.”

"And how do you plead?"

Anakin paused and looked at his attorney. Twosuns gave an encouraging nod. At that, he let out a slow breath before turning back to the judge. "No contest.”

Luke closed his eyes. It was better than pleading guilty....but only just. He barely heard the voices laced with shock, assertion, or even triumph scattered about the room. A glance at Leia found her face somewhat pale. He gave her hand another squeeze.

The judge seemed surprised. “Hmm. Very well. This eliminates the need for a jury. However, to keep this trial fair, both sides will have a chance to argue their case before a sentence is reached.” Ignoring the murmurs of disagreement, he tapped something into his datapad and regarded the defense and prosecution. “I’m going to give you both a period of seven standard days to make your cases. Witnesses will be allowed, but for the sake of fairness and time, no more than five persons each. Understood?”

Prosecution and Defense both nodded, though the Prosecution wore an expression of barely-contained smugness. Clearly he thought his case easy, and he couldn’t wait to see Darth Vader pay the price for his crimes.

Judge Hubec nodded in return. “Very well. I suggest both of you use this time wisely. Court will reconvene at noon tomorrow. Until then, we are adjourned. Thank you.” The gavel was smacked again, signaling the dismissal of both onlookers and respective sides.

 

Excellent reading Leia's and Luke's POVs. Their emotions and the momentous trial about to begin lends an air of anticipation to the upcoming presentation by the prosecution and defense.

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Thank you, as always, for your wonderful reviews. Sadly I know little to nothing about legal stuff, so don't expect anything too in-depth...

Two chapters to go!
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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

A plea of ‘no contest’, did not mean the prosecution would go any easier on Anakin. Led by one Blade Folsech, they fully intended to prove Darth Vader was an inhuman monster, and had prepared for this by calling as many witnesses to the stand as were allowed. Most were former Imperials who had served under Vader and civilians who had witnessed his cruelty firsthand. It didn’t seem as if the man would have much of a defense.

But Nic Twosuns had no intention of losing this case outright. His intention was to prove that Anakin Skywalker, while responsible for the deaths of the Jedi, had been acting only under orders of Palpatine via brainwashing and threat of torture, and was as much of a victim as the rest of the galaxy.

It didn’t seem to be working all that well. The first three days of the trial were exhausting to judge, attorneys, and Skywalkers alike. All breathed a sigh of relief when the next recess was called at 1900 Hours on the third evening. One by one everyone filed out of the courtroom, Skywalker and Solo clans carefully avoiding the rabid paparazzi through side doors.

"Looks like that's the end of it for today. Let's go, Leia." Han rose to his feet, worked a kink out of his neck, and headed for the aisle. He got several steps before realizing Leia was still in her seat. Han frowned at his wife and tapped her on the shoulder. "Leia?"

Leia, who had been staring down at Anakin as he consulted with his attorney, flinched and turned to Han. "Hmm?"

"You comin?" Han asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh. Yes, of course..." Leia bit her lip, threw a final glance down to her biological father, then pushed carefully to her feet, wincing at the aches all over. Being heavily pregnant certainly wasn’t comfortable. She couldn’t wait to get back to the apartment, soak her swelling feet, and stick a heating pad on her back. Her daughter seemed impatient to rest as well, and gave a couple of light kicks to her ribs to drive home the point as they exited the building.

“Ouch!” Leia pressed her hand against the offending foot, which kicked again. “You settle down, young lady.”

Han’s mouth quirked to one side and he put his hand over Leia’s. “Hey,” he said firmly, leaning over to speak to Leia’s belly. “You be nice.” When a gentler kick greeted him, he chuckled. “Feisty little thing, ain’t cha? Just like your mom.” And he kissed his wife proudly.

Leia, not in the mood for affection, waved him away. “Yes, she is. And it’s not funny. It hurts.” As if on cue her middle clenched tightly, and she winced, pausing midstride.

Both men froze to stare in concern. Luke came up on Leia’s free side, sandy brows knit. “Leia, what-” When Leia showed her palm, he shut his mouth.

Han took Leia’s other arm. “Y’okay? Whassa matter?”

The feeling passed. Leia let out long, slow breath, rubbing her middle and reopening her eyes. “It’s nothing. Just cramps.”

“What, like...the contraction kind?” Han’s voice rose a little in alarm. Leia had been reporting several contractions a day ever since the trial started. Their frequency was making him nervous, especially since it was a full month before her due date.

“Maybe.” Seeing a pair of wide blue eyes on one side and wide hazel on the other, Leia snorted and shook her head. “Both of you calm down. Em-Dee said it’s normal. Anything can trigger them, from overactivity to stress. Unless they start coming regularly, there’s nothing to worry about.” And you settle down, she added to her daughter. What she hadn’t told either husband or brother was that the contractions hadn’t let up for more than a few hours in the last few days. Most of them were mild enough to ignore, but a few were painful.

Her explanation was enough for Han, who went to grab the speeder so Leia wouldn’t have to walk so far, but not Luke. He stayed close, as if expecting her to have another. Several strides later, Leia shut her eyes. “Luke...don’t say it.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“But you’re thinking it, and I want you to stop.”

Luke blinked, confused at her tone. “Pardon?”

Leia groaned and turned on him. “You were going to say that my stress over the trial is aggravating my daughter because she can sense it.”

Luke cringed. “What makes you think that?”

“Because you’ve said it every day since the trial started, and it’s getting old. I get it, all right? I need to calm down.” Leia’s tone indicated she wasn’t the least bit ready to follow her own advice. Her unborn daughter then landed a punch on her bladder, making her wince again.

“Well...you do,” Luke shrugged. Seeing how uncomfortable his sister was, he lowered his tone. “I’m sorry if it bothers you. I’m just a little concerned. If coming to the trial is upsetting you this much...” He shrugged again and let question hang. “I just don’t want anything to...well....go wrong.”

Leia pursed her lips. “I suppose I can’t be upset with you for that. But really, I’m fine. I want to be here...I need to know what going to happen, in case-” Her voice broke unexpectedly, and she bit down on her lip, unwilling to cry for a father she didn’t even know. “In case...we lose...”

Luke took his sister’s hand to give it a squeeze, his voice a bare whisper. “To say goodbye…?”

“I don’t know, I...” Leia wiped her eyes, annoyed at the hormones that were making her cry. “All I do know is I just want this to be over.” She swiped at her eyes again, glaring. “What I don’t understand is how you can be so calm. You know him better than I do. You have a relationship. And you know just as well as I do what’s going to happen if-” Emotion stole her voice, and she bowed her head. More tears fell, and she aggressively wiped them away.

Luke could do nothing but wrap her arms around his sister. It was a long while before he spoke again. “I do know. Don’t think it’s not hurting me, too. I spent my life wondering who my father really was, and now, just when I’ve gotten to know him...” His own voice broke, and he took a deep breath. “It’s all right. Everything is going to work out.”

Leia’s heart felt an additional pinch at hearing Luke cry. “I want to believe you, Luke. I do. But how could you know?”

He shrugged. “Just a feeling, I guess.” He pulled back, surprised, when Leia’s stomach jumped. “Oh. Hello.”

Leia had to smile throat red eyes. “All right, all right. I get it. You want Mother to rest, is that it?” Her hands returned to her middle.

Luke smiled with quiet curiosity, but any further interaction was interrupted by Han, who had just pulled up in the speeder and hopped out to help Leia in.

He turned to Luke. “Wanna ride, kid?”

Luke shrugged again, his smile growing distant. “No, thanks. I’ll catch an air-taxi later.”

“Somethin’ wrong?”

“Just want a little time to myself. I’ll be along in a minute.”

Between Luke’s strange expression and Leia’s red eyes, it didn’t take Han long to figure out that they’d been discussing something upsetting while he was gone. It also didn’t take a genius to figure out what it was.

Wisely the smuggler kept his mouth shut.

* * * * *

The concept of a deafening silence had always confused Anakin as a young man. With such a strong attunement to the Force, reaching so many in the vicinity and indeed across the galaxy, it was akin to a constant barrage of pain, suffering, and death. Only by closing himself off from the suffering was he able to function as a Jedi...and later, as a Sith. Silence was welcomed. It gave him time to think.

But now, alone in his cell with only Lieutenant Sal for occasional company, the silence that enveloped Anakin on a daily basis was indeed deafening. It wasn’t even the quiet that bothered him so much as the loneliness. He’d gotten used to visits from Luke and so days without them seemed dreary and empty. He was left with nothing to do except meditate and think.

Lately these thoughts had turned to those of his own mortality. When he was young, Anakin had rarely contemplated his own death. There were plenty of close calls, but few left a lasting impression. No sooner had the reckless Jedi dodged death than he was off again doing something just as dangerous. During the Clone Wars he’d always figured he’d go out in a blaze of glory, probably in the cockpit. The added consequence of leaving his wife a widow was all that kept him going at times; that and his stubborn will to survive. There was too much to see and do and experience to check out prematurely.

Darth Vader hadn’t often thought of his death. He at times wished for it, simply to bring an end to his suffering, but this was always overtaken with darker thoughts of revenge and power. Though he was sure Palpatine had lied to him about the ability to extend life through the Dark Side, the man refused to give up and die until he felt his work was done.

Then Luke’s existence had given him something else to live for.

Ever since his defection to the Rebellion, Anakin had thought more often of his own death than ever before. The will to survive was still there- if nothing else for his children’s sake -but he had already made up his mind not to fight when the end came…and it must be coming soon. Death would be a just punishment for all the crimes of Darth Vader. The galaxy would agree, and he was certain the judge would, as well.

It was only a matter of time before Anakin Skywalker would live up to his name and become one with the very stars he had once walked. And, it was a fate he had already accepted.

His last hope was that, in some small way, his aid to the Light had saved even a fraction of the lives he had taken in Darkness.

The approaching presence of Lieutenant Sal with the usual round of food and medicine nudged Anakin’s consciousness, and he retreated back out of the Force with a light smile. He’s a good man. I hope his history working with me doesn’t reflect poorly on his career in the medical field. With time and training he could easily move to the level of the specialists and surgeons.

Sal’s morose expression contrasted sharply with Anakin’s as he left the tray and took a step back. After a brief conversation about the menu and his general condition, Sal finally blurted. “Aren’t you even a little nervous? Sentencing is tomorrow,” he pointed out.

Anakin shook his head. “No. Even if Judge Hubec goes for the harshest sentence possible, it would be no less than I deserve. All I wished was for my children to be safe. And, they are. I can be content with that.” Quietly he turned to his bland meal.

 

Intense and understandable tangle of emotions: worry and stress over the trial and the outcome combined with a late-term pregnancy that one doesn't want to complicate.

 

Oh, caught up again and you are still doing beautiful. Don´t you worry!

To have Vader on trial is heart-gripping, especially since it´s Anakin who has to face it. The latter is a man who has returned to the light, but has to answer for the crimes of the past.

You show the conflicting emotions of his family very well. Especially those of Leia.

 

*puts hands on hips*
I'm almost finished with the first story (A Matter of Time) and... then I looked at this and the second one... *facepalm*
Love your stories!!

 

Thanks, beautiful readers! Hugs to all!

I wish I could say I'm working hard on finishing this story, but I can't. Something happened today that's going to take a while to work through. Please be patient with me. If you want any details, you can PM me.

 

Take your time!
Just read the last part of Trial of Darthie. You're an amazing writer!

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Thank you, as always, and you hit the nail on the head!

@AzureAngel2 Thank you so much for your kind words! All the hugs for you!

Thank you, and welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying these stories.


And hey, look that I found hiding under a rock....I could have sworn I posted this one, but nope! So, here you are.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE



At last the trial was nearing its end. Four straight days of unrelenting prosecution had worn heavily on everyone. Blade Folsech was a thorough and at times brutal prosecutor, producing witness after witness to testify against Anakin, as well as a mountain of evidence, both hard and circumstantial. It was working to his advantage. By the end of those five days it seemed there was only one verdict left: guilty. The outcome of the sentence was equally grim.

It was the job of Nic Twosuns to paint his client in a different light. In the last three days he had managed to produce over fifteen witnesses to testify in Anakin's favor. They ranged from a member of the Executor's medical staff to high-ranking officers in the Alliance, most recently General Reeiken. All of them had something positive to say about the defendant.

Lt. Sal and Too-One-Be testified as well and spoke of how cooperative Anakin had been from the very beginning, as well as the particulars of his condition. They even went so far as to say that, from a medical standpoint, he shouldn’t even be alive and- without very specialized care -probably wouldn’t live much longer anyway.

Lt. Jarvis, who had served aboard the Executor, spoke of how even Darth Vader had showed a high level of concern for Luke. Admiral Ackbar and the other Alliance leaders spoke of what a difference Anakin's intelligence had made in the fate of the galaxy. Even Han had taken the stand and given his report about Anakin's help in finding Luke and Leia.

Of course, the prosecution had not taken this sitting down. Folsech's cross-examinations were at times harsh and often left the witnesses feeling overwhelmed. For example, he drove home the point of how the Empire had personally affected each one of the witnesses and tried to discredit them. Hubec did his best to keep the eager man from badgering anyone, but only interfered when a witness grew visibly distressed. Cross-examination of Han led to a noisy argument and so was cut short.

It was nothing short of miraculous that Luke avoided the witness stand. Everyone wanted to hear from him, but as he was under oath felt he couldn’t avoid the truth that Anakin was his father. The defense wanted to keep this a secret for the safety of everyone involved, and instead Luke had submitted a recorded statement the day before. Folsech was incensed to be robbed of his chance to cross-examine, but the statement was accepted by the judge and there was nothing else he could do but give his closing argument.

A low, steady buzz reverberated in the close walls of the Court of Justice as judge, prosecution, and defense assembled for the last time. Anakin was brought back, and seated, and then Judge Hubec announced it was time for closing arguments, after which he would reexamine the evidence and reach his decision for a sentence.

To the annoyance of the Skywalker clan, Blade Folsech was to go first….

* * * * *

Leia found her hands shaking again as she, Han, Luke, Chewbacca, and Artoo-Detoo all sat together in the private box provided to ranking Alliance leaders. The box had been offered since the first day, but Leia did not take her friends up on the offer until the third day, as a means of getting away from those blasted Holo-net reporters.

Unsurprisingly Folsech attempted to drive home his point of Darth Vader being an inhuman beast who had committed unspeakable horrors and deserved death. The trouble was, everything said about the Sith Lord was perfectly true and applicable. But, the man sitting all too calmly in the Defendant’s box was not Vader.

The Princess winced as Folsech concluded...and not just for her biological father. Another contraction had gripped her midsection. When Han turned to look, she waved him off. Now was not the time for paranoia.

Then, it was Nic Twosuns’ turn to try and leave a better final impression of Anakin. He was certainly passionate, arguing with vigor about the change that had overtaken the man and all the good deeds that had piled up since his defection. Lastly, he returned to Anakin’s medical conditions and begged for mercy, saying that the death sentence was unnecessary. The man didn’t have much time left, anyway.

This argument did little to comfort Leia. While she had been assured that the medical assessment was somewhat exaggerated- there was no reason Anakin could not live on for another twenty or so years -the idea of losing a man she hardly knew to age or illness was almost as bad as losing him sooner to execution. Luke’s rising sadness only made Leia feel worse, and she felt her throat closing with emotion as Twosuns concluded. No. We can’t lose him yet...for Luke’s sake if nothing else…

But the evidence was overwhelming. Would the judge agree with Folsech? Could he choose some lighter sentence other than death? And what of the rest of the galaxy? Anything less would surely lead to a riot in the court, with more sure to follow. Am I being selfish? Leia wondered. What would be worse; a life of imprisonment under threat of death, or something quick and merciful? She couldn’t even believe her mind was going these dark places, and just wanted everything to be over. The tension was unbearable-

Another kind of tension gripped Leia’s abdomen. She froze, closing her eyes and preparing to breathe through it. Oh, wonderful. More contractions. But this one was different….stronger...deeper than anything she’d yet felt. And there was another feeling too...the sense that something important was about to happen beyond just the trial.

The pain reached a plateau, and Leia winced, blowing lightly through pursed lips. Not now. Please not now.

Luke and Han turned to her at almost the same moment. “Y’okay over there, sweetheart?” Han whispered.

Leia let out a slow breath and nodded as the pain faded. “Mmm.”

“Whassa matter?”

“Another contraction.”

Han winced in sympathy, checking his chronometer as had become his habit in the last week. “How bad?”

Leia made a face. “It didn’t feel good,” she griped.

Luke, sitting on the other side, grimaced for his sister. He’d been sensing her discomfort all morning, and the fact that her stress was causing more contractions didn’t surprise him. “Don’t you think you should head out for a minute….take a break?”

Firmly Leia shook her head. “No. Not yet.”

Han, who had been doing some mental math, knot his brows. “You sure, sweetheart? Judge’s been in his office an awful long time, and you’ve already had two a’ those things. I can take ‘ya home, no problem-”

“No,” Leia insisted, aware she was starting to raise her voice. Her eyes started to sting again. “I’m not going anywhere until I find out what’s going to happen.” While her tone offered no argument, the tension in her middle had not eased. The baby kept tapping at her ribs, as if impatient or upset. Leia shut her eyes, hands on her middle. Shhh. Calm down, now. I need you to stay put, all right?

The unborn child stilled, as if listening to her mother. That lasted exactly three minutes before yet another contraction gripped Leia’s abdomen, even worse than the last. Breathing through it didn’t do much good this time around, as the pain kept building until Leia had to bite back a loud cry. She would have doubled over if the bulk of her belly hadn’t prevented it. Beads of perspiration broke out on her forehead and she began to shake. Oh, no...please...not now!

Han, unsure of what else to do, took his wife’s hand and stared at his chronometer again. The his eyes all but bugged out. “Oh, boy...uh...sweetheart, you’re havin’ way too many of these things.”

“No kidding!” Leia yelped under her breath. The tears she’d been fighting spilled onto her cheeks. When the pain finally passed she sighed deeply in relief. Not only were her contractions coming too often, they were far too long.

“Yeah, all right. That’s it. We’re outta here. C’mon...” Carefully Han reached out to help Leia to her feet.

“No...please...” Leia’s protests were feeble as Luke and even Chewbacca joined the small procession to get her out of the room. Her cheeks burned as she found several key Alliance members staring with wide eyes. Maybe I should go. I’m nothing but a distraction. Tears of disappointment fell as she reached the door, throwing one last worried glance over her shoulder. What if this was the last time she ever saw her father?

Another contraction cut short these thoughts, and Leia found herself bracing against Han until it passed.

Luke was left standing off to one side, feeling torn and completely helpless. His sister was in pain, and he couldn’t do anything but encourage her to try and breathe.

It was another handful of steps before Leia finally reached a bench. “Leave me alone, I’m fine!” she griped, knowing it was a lie.

“Easy, sweetheart,” said Han, grimacing at the bad timing as he looked at his chronometer again. “Ah, damn. I got an average of four minutes between ‘em. We gotta get you to some medics.”

“She’s not going into labor, is she?” blurted Luke. His blue eyes looked ready to fall out of his head.

“Looks like,” answered Han. He made a face and fished a universal comm out of his pocket, cursing again in trying to remember the correct frequency.

Again Leia tried to protest, but the pain of yet another contraction cut it off. Frustrated, she slapped the armrest of the bench.

She should have been excited. She’d been dying to meet her daughter, as had Han. But the timing was all wrong. Not now, she thought desperately. We don’t even have a name yet. And what’s going to happen to Anakin? What if I never have the chance to speak with him again? Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks at the unfairness of it all.

“Easy, Leia,” murmured Luke, distressed as he was. “It’s going to be all right. Do you want me to come-”

“No!” blurted Leia, turning to Luke and gripping his arm. “Luke, someone has to stay here and find out what’s going to happen to Anakin. Will you do that?”

“I-” Luke blinked, feeling torn as he looked back over his shoulder. “Are you sure?”

“Yes! Luke...please, if anything happens, I don’t want...you need to tell him...” Leia bit her lip, still trying in vain to wipe her eyes. “At least make sure he knows I care.”

While touched by Leia’s softening heart, Luke found the circumstances too painful to dwell on. He gave Leia’s hand a gentle squeeze. “All right. I’ll stay. And I promise, as soon as this is over, I’ll tell you what happened...well, that is-” He cringed. “I mean...if you’re not...busy.”

Leia blew out a short breath of relief. “Thank you. And don’t you worry about me,” she added, noting the worry in his eyes. “Likely as not this is just another false alarm.” Here she tried to smile...and failed miserably.

How could she smile when her heart was being torn in two different directions?

* * * * *

Seated as they had been in a private box, hardly anyone noticed when Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker all made a hasty exit mere minutes before Judge Hubec reentered the court. As a matter of fact, no one noticed anything amiss until Anakin turned in his chair to stare at the audience, pale features etched with distress. A few members threw glares in his direction while the reporters were intrigued and snapped one holo after another.

None of them could know, as the defendant closed his eyes, that he was sending one final message of love and support to his children before the judge called on him to rise and hear what his fate would be..

 

Oooh, what hard timing this is pulling Leia away at a crucial moment and making Luke feel divided

 

Evil Cliffie! *perches on edge of seat and crosses fingers for luck*

 

Can't wait to read it!!

 

*nods* Yup....

Muwahahaha!!!!!

Well, wait no longer! I've already got the next chapter ready to go and it's right here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER THIRTY


For the first time since his capture by Palpatine, Luke Skywalker ran. His pace was somewhat measured, as despite being confident in the plates in one leg and the prosthetic replacement on the other, he had already been warned the multiple fractures would mean his natural leg might always be weak and prone to reinjury if he ran too far or too fast. So, despite wanting to reach his sister as quickly as possible with the news, Luke didn’t go much faster than a jog and immediately slowed down if his leg felt the slightest bit sore or unsteady.

But he couldn’t help but run. He had a promise to keep.

It had taken another two and a half horribly long hours after Leia had to leave for Judge Todru Hubec to finally emerge from his chambers and reach a decision. While he agreed that the crimes of Darth Vader were indeed heinous and nothing in the galaxy could atone for them, it would be useless to send such a medically fragile prisoner to the growing crowds of Imperials awaiting execution. The fledgling New Republic just didn’t have the resources or space for burial when Coruscant was still half in ruins. Mon Mothma, recently elected Chancellor, also refused to allocate funds to anything but security and relief as yet.

And so, it was decided that the best choice for the galaxy would be to keep Darth Vader imprisoned under the charge of the one man who had been able to defeat him, the one man left with the Light Side of the Force...Luke Skywalker. Provided, of course, the hero of the galaxy agreed to abide by the court’s rules.

Luke was in a state of shock when he heard these words and so could do nothing but rise, gaping, as the court was dismissed and he was taken down into the judge’s chambers by a pair of guards to hear the terms of imprisonment.

The transfer wasn’t going to take place right away. As yet Luke had barely settled into his own apartment, let alone found anywhere suitable for use to rebuild the Jedi as Yoda had requested. Once possible, Luke had the option of having a full time medic onsite or receiving training to care for the ailing man. There were also a veritable pile of documents to read, agree to, and sign.

Some might have seen such an assignment as voluntary exile, as Luke wouldn’t be allowed to leave ‘Vader’ alone without heavy guard once facilities were even secured.

At that point, Luke didn’t care. He saw this as his father’s second chance at life, and he couldn’t wait to tell Leia.

Tracking down his sister in such a large and crowded medical facility might have been impossible for anyone else, but then there was the Force. With it he could hone in on her distinctive presence and- after signing in as a visitor at the nurses’ station -head straight for her room.

He was so excited to share this victory that he didn’t even notice he was the maternity wing until he was nearly at Leia’s room and heard her cries. The sound overwhelmed him with a strange mixture of joy, worry, and anticipation. Leia was having her baby a full month early.

Then he stopped, biting his lip with hesitation. As eager as he was to share the news, now was not the time. His sister was in no condition to hear any kind of news just yet, however good it might be.

* * * * *

“Congratulations, Princess Leia. You are now fully dilated.” The midwife droid turned away from the myriad of monitors and settled into position at the far end of the bed, cradling paddles at the ready.

“What!? Already?!?” Leia, sweating and breathless, couldn’t believe her ears. It didn’t seem possible that after only six or seven hours of regular contractions, her baby was ready to come. “That’s...not...UGH!”

“You may now begin giving birth,” added the droid unnecessarily. “At the next contraction, bear down and push.”

“What? No! I can’t...it’s not...NOT YET!” Leia cried in desperation.

It was all happening far too quickly. Only a few hours ago she’d been sitting in the courtroom waiting to hear her father’s sentence. The minute she’d arrived at the medical center, her water had broken, and the medics informed her it was too late to stop labor now. She had to deliver within 24 hours or risk infection.

Had the Rebellion still been a ragtag group with few medical resources beyond the basics, delivering 3 weeks early would have carried a few risks. Even in the most advanced Medical Center on Coruscant the situation was less than ideal, but the age of viability had dropped dramatically. Thanks to growth pods a human child could be transferred to finish their gestational age outside the mother and be perfectly fine as young as 18 weeks, assuming they were healthy otherwise. A 37-week-old newborn wasn’t even much of concern, and the medics were almost chipper.

But Leia wasn’t ready. The distraction of her father’s trial still loomed, as did the concern over not having a name for her daughter. And where was Luke, anyway? Had sentencing really taken that long?

“C’mon, sweetheart, you got this,” murmured Han. He sat, tense-but-nervous on her right, his hand mashed in hers.

Leia shook her head, wishing for even a momentary reprieve. “I-” and another contraction stole her voice. The urge to push was unbearable now, and she had no choice. So, chin to chest, she pushed.

Compared to the rest of labor, pushing seemed to take longer. She lost count of how many times she strained and screamed, stray hairs plastered to her sweaty forehead. Every time the emotionless droid counted down, Leia felt like reaching over to punch it in the vocoder.

Then the head was out. Then the shoulders. Then, all at once, the baby slipped out to be caught by the midwife.

Leia grunted and lay back against the pillows, closing her eyes for a moment to reach out through the Force and make sure her daughter was all right. She wasn’t crying yet…

You all right? Leia? I’m here, Luke’s tense presence announced on the other side of the door. Is everything all right?

Leia knit her brows and redirected her mind to the wet, squirming baby who still hadn’t cried. Han’s concern was rising, and he was asking what was wrong. With a cough, the infant’s airways were cleared, and a thin whimper became a loud wail. At the same moment the Force answered and proclaimed her health.

Only then did Leia let out a shuddering breath of relief, even as her husband whooped with joy. Then the blanket-clad little girl was laid on Leia’s chest. Instinct then took over as she held her daughter for the first time. She was tiny, but strong. It’s all right, Luke. We’re fine. When Leia finally opened her eyes to look at the infant, everything else faded away, from Luke’s rising excitement, to Han’s exclamations, to the medic’s congratulations.

Red from her abrupt eviction as well as her crying, the baby girl didn’t particularly look like either parent, but had a shock of brown hair, round cheeks, and a button nose. After a bit those little eyes opened and squinted at her mother.

Leia’s throat closed and she found herself blinking back tears at the connection. “Hello...that’s right. I’m your mother. It’s so good to finally meet you,” she crooned. “Oh, Han...look at her...”

“I’m tryin’,” choked Han, trying to carefully lift the blanket. “Aww. Yeah, just what I thought. She looks just like you. Hey, kiddo!”

In the happy blur that followed, between the mess at the end of the bed being cleaned up and the yet-unnamed baby girl having her first meal, time was forgotten. Luke, who had been waiting patiently in the hall, was finally let in to meet his niece.

Only after all this did Luke share the news that Anakin had been granted mercy.

And again, Leia cried, but this time for sheer relief. “You know what this means?” she said to her sleeping daughter. “This means, someday, you get to meet your grandfather...and he gets to meet you.”

Fresh tears slid down Luke’s cheeks as he turned back to his sister. “Really? You’re going to let him meet her? He’ll be thrilled.”

Leia shrugged. “Well, why not? He did save her life. Oh, and Han?” She turned to her husband. “I think I’ve come up with the perfect name.”

Han lifted his brows. At the moment he was so enamored with his new daughter that the idea of her meeting the former Darth Vader had gone completely over his head. “Oh yeah? Let’s hear it.”

Leia smiled. “What do you think of calling her Padme?”

 

Exquisite! On all counts!

 

Nice choice with Padme there.

Now I need to run out of my lunch break. The first terror birds are wide awake.

Today is a gloomy day at the crèche.

 

LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEE IT!!!

 

Thank you!!!!

Thanks! My original idea was to go with something else, but for this story, Padme just felt right.

Thank you, thank you, THAAAAAAANK YOOOOUUUUUUU!

And now at last we come to the end of what has become a saga within the saga. I never thought rewriting my personal favorite FanFic would take over 2 years, but here we are. My goal of finishing this story before NaNoWriMo 2020 has at last been met!

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season, and maybe someday I'll be able to finish all those other fics that keep gathering dust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LATER


A cold, grinding sound joined the cacophony of birds and woolamanders on the surface of Yavin IV. Stone blocks were being moved, but without a crane or hoversled in sight.

The huge main temple on the moon’s surface had played many roles, most notably that of the ancient Massassi, and later as the secret base to the Rebellion. Now it was to serve a very different purpose as a place of learning and contemplation...a new training academy for the next generation of Jedi.

Of all places the tired, scarred old man had imagined himself to be at this point in time, helping his son rebuild the long-lost Jedi order certainly wasn’t one of them. As a young man he’d seen himself as a well established Jedi Master by that point; maybe even a Grand Master, as Yoda had been, at the head of the Order and calling the shots while still maintaining life as a husband to his beloved Padme. Things would have changed by then, and they wouldn’t have had to hide anymore.

As a newly-knighted Darth Vader, he saw himself as the leader of the galaxy, with the Emperor long since overthrown and the galaxy exactly as he and Padme wanted it as they raised their children in the Empire.

After losing everything to his own selfish ambition, Vader never thought much about the future. His only purpose was to find someone to help him destroy the Emperor. Even after finding out he had a son, revenge and power were his two main ambitions.

Reality had turned out far different than he could have imagined. Luke, his only son, had helped him find his way back to the light, destroying Darth Vader once and for all and reclaiming his identity as Anakin Skywalker.

But even then, the last thing on Anakin’s mind was his own health, survival, or a relationship with either of his children. And yet he had all these, and more.

Somehow, the judge had granted him mercy. Somehow, he would be removed from the public eye and put away out of sight and out of danger. And, most impossibly of all, his caretaker would be none other than his own son! The news had made Anakin weep with joy after the shock had passed.

The transition had not been immediate. There was a location to procure, as well as training for Luke and help with Anakin’s long-term care. All this was expected to take up to a year...and yet they had arrived on the jungle moon a mere month before.

Anakin often reveled in the memory of their arrival. They had flown in via shuttle with four X-wings and two A-wings as armed escort, and in the last moments Luke let his father take the controls to bring them in. Anakin had the time of his life and scared the daylights out of the escorts by doing a few barrel rolls, but set the shuttle down with hardly a bump. Luke took credit for the grandstanding and apologized to keep his father out of hot water. Several hours later, when the supplies had been unloaded and custody of Prisoner 1138 officially turned over to the Jedi, Anakin was settled into his quarters in the temple’s brig.

The facade didn’t last long. Luke let his father have free roam of the place and never actually locked him in his cell. The security droid- one of the conditions set by the court -wasn’t happy about this arrangement, but had yet to report anything as long as the ‘prisoner’ was in his sight at all times. Supplies were ample and refreshed bimonthly, and though father and son were both pretty dismal cooks, they didn’t want for anything save human company. Other than the security droid there was only father, son, and R2-D2. Lt. Sal did stop by every so often to make sure Anakin’s equipment was in good repair, but beyond that, it was just the Skywalkers.

Anakin embraced the solitude. He’d had no delusions of rejoining society after his trial, and his relationship with his children was all he’d ever wanted. Now he had even more, what with free roam of the temple grounds and plenty of fresh air. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to feel the wind and rain on his face, and the first good storm they had, Luke found his father standing out in the weather, soaking wet and smiling. Luckily his breathing device was weatherproof.

Presently they stood together, as they often did, moving ancient stones back to their proper spots. Luke’s long-term plan was to use this place as a Jedi training academy, but it wasn’t quite move-in ready. Besides which Anakin had doubts as to how they would explain his presence to any prospective students.

Anakin, now out of his prisoner fatigues and into a simple outfit -trousers, boots, tunic, vest, and belt -sensed the stone he was moving settle into place. He loosed his hold on it with the Force and opened his eyes with a tired sigh. They had been at this all morning and, while he’d never admit it to Luke, Anakin’s powers would never be what they had been. It took effort now to do what he had once done without thinking. He grew tired more easily and had to take breaks, both for mind and body. The heat and humidity of the jungle made him wish he could sweat in more than a handful of places. Presently his head started to spin, and he shut his eyes with a grimace. Oh, no you don’t. Don’t even think about fainting in front of your son.

Luke finished with his block with hardly a pause and turned to his father with a smile that faded quickly. “Is something wrong?”

Anakin straightened, the old pride resurfacing. “Nothing. Let’s continue...” But he couldn’t concentrate. His hand extended for mere seconds before dropping and going to his head. Why wouldn’t it stop spinning?

Luke stepped forward and took his father’s arm. “Father? Are you all right? Remember, I’m the only one here to take care of you.”

Noting the concern in his son’s voice, Anakin gave a pale smile. “Point taken. But really, I’m all right. Just...just a little tired.”

Luke, not quite believing him, laid the back of his hand across Anakin’s face with a frown. “You’re too warm. Come on. Sit down. I’ll get you some water.”

Anakin sighed and made a face, but didn’t resist. “You know, I never imagined my son being the one to care for me. It should have been the other way around.” He sat in the shade on one of the unmoved stones, surprised at how out of breath he was. “Time was I could move all of these at once. No, really,” he added when Luke raised an eyebrow.

Luke shrugged and picked up a cooling rag and canteen. “Oh, I believe you. It’s just that…well, that was a long time ago, right? You’re not...exactly...young anymore.”

“No...no, I’m not.” Anakin took the water gratefully and let his son tie the cooling rag around his neck. After a good swallow he grimaced. “You know, for as many times as I kept dwelling on and worrying about the future, getting old wasn’t something I took into consideration.”

“You’re not really old,” corrected Luke. “Are you? I thought you said you weren’t even fifty yet.”

“What I lack in years I make up for in experience. And that medical droid, Too-One-Be, did say I have the equivalent health of about a seventy year old spice miner in the Outer Rim, not counting all those old injuries.” Here he frowned at each of his four mechanical limbs. Injuries of my own making...injuries due entirely to my own pride and fear. “I should have been dead years ago...”

“But you’re not,” Luke reminded, not liking how often his father brought such things up. “You’re here now, and you’re back in the Light, and-” Luke found Anakin’s eyes, emotion making his voice crack. “And now Leia and I have a father again.”

Here Anakin smiled and touched Luke’s cheek. “For which I take no credit, and for which I’m eternally grateful.” The low whine of a starship made them both look skyward. A familiar YT-1300 freighter whooshed in on final approach. “Ah. And speaking of family...”

Luke’s boyish smile returned, and he leapt to his feet. “They’re here!” After taking two steps he turned back to his father, suddenly feeling torn. He wanted them to meet the Falcon together, but Anakin needed to stay in the shade. It took longer for him to cool down after overheating.

Anakin nodded toward the clearing where his son-in-law’s vessel was landing. “Go ahead. I know how anxious you are to see them. Go on,” he urged when Luke hesitated. A slight Force push got the point across, and a smile bloomed as he watched his son hurry across the clearing just as the ramp was lowering.

Of course he would have gone with Luke. He was just as anxious to see his daughter, and son-in-law, and meet the baby girl named after his late wife. But it wasn’t just fatigue holding him back.

He hadn’t seen any of them in months. While he had gotten along well enough with Solo thanks to mutual need, he wasn’t sure how the man felt about him now. And Leia had only ever been polite the one time she’d been to visit. Had she changed her mind about letting him meet his granddaughter?

No, he clearly sensed a presence apart from Han, Leia, and Chewbacca. And there was Leia, coming quickly but carefully down the ramp with a bundle in her arms. She almost couldn’t move fast enough, as after Han and the Wookiee had greeted Luke with enthusiasm, she was handing the bundle off to Han and all but tackling her brother in a tight embrace. Luke returned the embrace just as tightly. They’d missed each other terribly over the last six months. And then everyone was crooning over the baby.

Anakin’s throat tightened with a strange mix of emotions. It did him good to see the reunion, and he badly wanted to join in, but there was still hesitation...doubt. Did he really belong? Did they even want him present?

Then Leia was looking around in confusion and asking Luke about their father. Concern rose when Luke pointed him out, and she came forward at a fast walk.

“Halt,” said a sharp, metallic voice on Anakin’s left. He’d almost forgotten about the security droid. “Prisoner is not permitted more than two visitors at a time. And, the presence of minors is unacceptable.”

The group stopped short in surprise. Luke cringed and came forward, peering around the droid to find the deactivation switch. “Let’s just make an exception to that, OK?” And, using the Force, the switch was flipped. The droid sagged on its joints.

Han lifted his brows. “Uh...you allowed to do that?”

Luke shrugged easily. “He needed a recharge anyway. Besides, he’s just insurance. The court did say only a Jedi could handle the job.” Here he grinned, looking nothing like a Jedi.

Han snorted with laughter while Leia shook her head. “Hope you don’t get into trouble for that.” She turned to her father. “Anakin…?”

Carefully Anakin rose to his feet, still maintaining a distance of about two meters. A drowsy infant lay squirming in Leia’s arms, and from there he could have a fairly good look. A fine skullcap of light brown adorned the baby’s head, and she seemed quite unconcerned, chewing chubby fingers. A bright blue bodysuit brought out the gray-blue in her eyes, cheeks fanned by long lashes. Already Anakin could see the family resemblance; the eyes clearly belonged to Leia while she seemed to have inherited Han’s quirking smile. Her ears, on the other hand, looked strikingly like her maternal grandmother.

Anakin’s throat ached. Padme. They chose the perfect name for her. He cleared the lump before speaking. “Hello, Leia. It’s so good to see you again.”

Leia bit her lip and took a step forward. The uncertainty was still there. “It’s good to see you, too. Luke says you’ve been settling in all right. How are you?”

“Quite well, thank you. And yourself?”

“I’m all right.”

The awkwardness was palpable. Anakin greeted Han and Chewbacca in turn, who both stepped forward just long enough to shake his hand. To break the silence that soon descended, Anakin nodded toward the baby. “So this is your daughter?”

Leia nodded, smiling quietly. “This is little Padme.”

While the name still hurt to hear, Anakin smiling in return. “She’s beautiful. The name suits her.” He cleared the rasp from his throat.

Leia seemed uncertain. “You don’t think Mother would mind?”

Anakin shook his head. “No. I think she’d be honored.” The baby sneezed, making everyone chuckle.

Leia took a few more steps forward, pressing her lips together. “Would you like to hold her?”

Anakin blinked. Yes, please, he wanted to cry, but shock overrode his enthusiasm. “What? Are...are you sure…? I don’t want to frighten her.”

After glancing back at Han, who was nodding, Leia herself nodded and met Anakin’s eyes. “You saved her life. I want her to meet you. Besides...you are her grandfather.”

Grandfather...another title Anakin had never imagined he’d hold. Blinking back the sting in his eyes, he nodded and let Leia show him how to hold the baby.

Little Padme wasn’t sure what to think. She looked first at her mother, then up at this stranger, eyes wide with uncertainty.

Caught between wanting to laugh with joy or bawl with grief, Anakin held to his granddaughter as if she was made of glass. I can’t believe I’m holding my grandchild...poor thing, she looks frightened. And so, reaching out gently with the Force, Anakin sent thoughts of reassurance to the baby. “Don’t be afraid, little one,” he whispered.

Baby Padme responded quickly. After staring in surprise, she blinked, took her fist out of her mouth, and finally broke into a smile, waving her arms and cooing.

Anakin smiled back, painful tears filling his eyes. That wasn’t fear he sensed. It was warmth and peace and complete trust. She’s not afraid after all. “That’s right,” he crooned, taking those tiny fingers in his. “I’m your grandfather, Padme...and I love you very, very much...” At that his face crumpled, and he wept, sitting back down to cover his eyes with a gloved hand. When the whimper of an infant reached his ears, he shut down the tears. I’m upsetting her. I’d better hand her back. Then one of those tiny hands touched his scarred cheek. Anakin opened his eyes to see a confused, perhaps concerned baby, too young to understand why her grandfather was crying.

“She...trusts you,” murmured Leia. She stood apart with Han, confused and yet, not so. “She feels what you’re feeling and doesn’t know why...”

“It’s the Force,” said Luke unnecessarily. He was smiling. “She knows she’s safe, because she can sense it. Just like she knows who you are,” he added, laying a hand on his father’s shoulder. “Family.”

There was another word that had become foreign to Anakin. He’d lost his family to his own choices years before. Now, while his wife was gone forever, he had his children and now a grandchild.

Anakin chuckled softly, still blinking at the burn of tears in his eyes. Luke was right, of course. The baby’s feelings were as obvious as they could get. The past didn’t matter to her, only the present. What we could all learn from an infant, Anakin reflected as he bestowed a soft kiss to little Padme’s forehead. Then he handed her back to her parents and wiped his eyes. “Thank you for coming. Odd as it might sound, I’ve missed you all. And thank you so much for letting me meet the child. It means a great deal.”

Anakin’s speech made Han and Chewie somewhat uncomfortable and seemed to confuse Leia. Long after Luke- now taking his turn holding little Padme -invited everyone inside for refreshments, she hung back next to Anakin, who followed at a leisurely pace. After a long silence she stopped and spoke.

“Wait...there’s something I need to tell you.”

Anakin stopped to look at his daughter. “Yes?”

“Luke’s right. You’re not the man the galaxy feared. You’re nothing like him.” Leia moistened her lips, now blinking at her own tears. “I’m glad we came.” She smiled and took his forearm.

“As am I,” agreed Anakin. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome...Father.”

Anakin started, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. But Leia was smiling, and he saw in her eyes the same acceptance that he’d seen in Luke’s. Still expecting rejection, he opened his arms in invitation. Surprise redoubled when Leia willingly stepped in, and then Anakin was weeping again.

Life had come full circle. More than twenty years after he had robbed himself of a family and a future, the Force had given it all back to him.

Now, for the first time in what seemed like forever, Anakin Skywalker had finally found peace.

THE END

 

Oh, this has everything I LOVE!!!!! The family feels, the reveling in blessings and gifts you never expected to have. Congratulations on completing this marvelous trilogy and thank you for sharing it with us!!

 

That ending was the absolute bestest!