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The Sith Lord and the Scientist Section E - Part 5

DAY 10

Maia is becoming visibly upset, so I slap my hand down on the controls and shut the cockpit door, startling Rik and Thirsk, who are acting as my pilot and co-pilot, and cutting off her view of the unfinished battlestation. Letting her see that was a mistake.

‘It’s alright,’ I try to calm her.

Her hands are shaking, so I take them in mine.

‘No, it’s not,’ she manages to say. ‘That thing…’

‘Is where I have been working, off and on, for years,’ I admit. ‘We have been in this system before. You just didn’t know where we were or what I was doing.’

My wife shakes her head in denial.

‘You can’t go there,’ she decides. ‘You must not go there, Anakin. If you go there, you will die.’

She’s afraid for my safety and barely holding that emotion in. Somehow she knows what the significance of the battlestation is, and the role this location will play in my future. Her subconscious memories, or perhaps her nightmares, have given her this knowledge which is expressing itself in her fear. I hold her hands in place, preventing her from leaving her seat in an attempt to flee, although there is nowhere in my shuttle for her to escape to.

‘Come here, Maia,’ I offer. ‘You have already removed your restraints, so why don’t you sit here with me?’

I sense her hesitation then acquiescence. Keeping a firm grip on her hands, I guide her to my side and settle her on my knees. She is trembling slightly, until I pull her close and encourage her to lean bodily against me. Soon, I must greet my master and Maia needs to calm herself and deal with her fears before we meet him. Physical contact with me should help her do that.

‘We will have a few minutes before the shuttle docks to sort you out,’ I reassure her. ‘The battlestation scares you. It is meant to instil fear in those who see it, but there is no reason for you to be afraid.’

Her hair is twisted into an elaborate style and covered with a delicate mothsilk veil, so I refrain from touching it to soothe her. Instead, I use our bond, letting her feel my love and confidence in her.

‘Not much will happen today, Maia,’ I tell her. ‘We will meet the Emperor’s shuttle, formally greet him, and perhaps he will speak with me in private. After that, I will take you back to the Executor.’

‘That’s all?’ she asks.

‘That’s all,’ I confirm.

I add layers of calm and support to what my wife can feel from me and am rewarded by her panic gradually ebbing away as her control returns. Her fear is still there, not entirely gone, but at a level where it won’t govern her behaviour or be too noticeable. To distract her, I slide a hand across her stomach and rest it there. Despite the trickery which led to his conception, I cannot help being grateful for this son of ours who shall probably be the final child she has with me.

‘He’s fine,’ his mother assures me.

‘And you?’ I venture, moving my hand beneath her veil, to touch her cheek and caress it.

‘A little scared,’ she admits, being completely honest in her answer.

‘Understandable,’ I comfort her. ‘Use our bond to communicate with me. My master cannot intrude on that.’

The floor beneath us shifts, drops, and I know the shuttle has landed.

‘Are you ready?’ I ask.

‘Do I have a choice?’ Maia replies in answer.

‘Not really,’ I tease, attempting to lighten her mood.

I help her to her feet and rather than set her hand on my arm, I wrap mine around her waist, steadying and guiding her through the shuttle and down its ramp.

***

Without Ani at my side, I don’t think I could have made myself leave his shuttle. I have too many misgivings about this place, this battlestation which has consumed so much of his time and only incites feelings of dread in me. While we wait, I only half-listen to the discussions regarding protocol, precedent, and ritual. Calm, be calm, I tell myself. Let your husband do the talking. Stay close to him and he will keep you safe. The arm at my waist is firm and solid, a physical support across my back I need to lean on right now. Normally, the Sith Lord does not do this in public, not unless my pregnancies have been obvious, so anyone here who knows how he behaves must have already guessed.

‘If your Lady needs to rest,’ one of the high ranking officers makes an offer, ‘I will have one of the nearby pilots’ Ready Rooms cleared for her use.’

Please? I ask of Ani.

The peace and quiet will help you cope, he agrees. I will come for you when you are needed.

‘That would be suitable, Commander,’ my husband accepts what I have been offered.

I don’t leave the Sith Lord’s side until Thirsk has inspected the room and ensured it is safe. Then, I step away, but at the loss of the support from Ani’s arm, I feel unsteady. Another step and I start to sway. No, I think to myself as the floor rushes upwards and someone quickly catches me.

You do have excellent timing, Anakin tells me when I stir a little in his arms. A few more minutes and I would have been hard pressed to carry you to my quarters, and then return to the hangar in time to meet my master.

Ani?

You fainted. It doesn’t matter if it was due to stress, emotional upset, or your pregnancy, he decides. The Emperor will assume you are having a difficult pregnancy and be lenient because of it.

I hear mechanisms opening a meditation pod. When I look about, the room is empty, save for the pod and a Holonet station.

‘There is no bed for you to use,’ he reveals, ‘so I am going to put you in here. It will be safer and more secure than taking you to Medical.’

The Sith Lord sets me down in his command chair, leans it back, and settles me in it. He disappears into what would on ship be our bedroom, and returns with one of his spare cloaks draped on his arm. I pull the fabric up to my chin when he tosses it over me.

‘Commander Thirsk will be just outside, guarding you,’ he tells me. ‘I don’t know how long I will be, but I want you to stay here and rest. Later, I will take you back to the shuttle, and after we return to the Executor, the doctor will need to examine you.’

I catch his hand as he turns to go. His fingers squeeze mine and he stops at my tug on his hand.

‘Be careful, my love,’ I quietly say to him.

‘I will be,’ he reassures me.

***

I leave her side, slowly, reluctantly, and once out of her sight make my way as rapidly as I can back to the main hangar. Maia’s fainting spell has confirmed what many probably suspected when they first saw us. Her latest pregnancy is a secret no longer.

When I reach the hangar, Jerjerrod has already assembled his officers and crew, ordered them by ranks, and is waiting for me. Through the magnetic shields, a steady stream of TIEs fly across my field of view, not parting until the shuttle bearing my master begins its approach. I move to my designated place between the rows of troops, the Moff behind and to my right. As I watch the shuttle land, I prepare myself, clouding my feelings and concealing my plans, being careful to leave enough on the surface which can be read without revealing anything important.

The ramp descends, allowing the red garbed royal guards to sweep out of it, forming an honour guard in front of and to either side of me. I don’t kneel until I see my master step from the interior of his ship onto the top of the ramp. He is followed by some of his advisors, but I pay little attention to them. On reaching me, he stops.

‘Rise, my friend,’ I am instructed, so I obey.

The Emperor indicates with a gesture I am to walk with him. I do so, remaining silent for a few seconds, before deciding to take the initiative.

‘The Death Star will be completed on schedule,’ I inform him.

‘You have done well, Lord Vader,’ he praises me, ‘and now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker.’

I glance over at him then quickly look away. Let him think he knows my intentions.

‘Yes, my master,’ I agree.

‘Patience, my friend,’ he reminds me. ‘In time, he will seek you out, and when he does, you must bring him before me. He has grown strong. Only together can we turn him to the dark side of the Force.’

‘As you wish,’ I confirm his orders.

‘Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen,’ he tells me, before laughing at how his plans have progressed.

I say nothing, keep to the slow walking pace he has set, and try to come up with a plausible excuse to leave. My thoughts and immediate concerns are no longer here, but elsewhere and for someone else.

‘Your wife is not with you,’ he observes as we reach the entrance to the turbolift to his throne room.

‘She became ill and is resting,’ I reveal.

I stop in place, hoping he will continue into the ‘lift on his own and leave Maia in peace, but my master has other ideas.

‘Bring her to me,’ he orders. ‘Carry her if you must, but I will see her, today.’

There is no point in arguing with him or offering up an explanation for her absence that he will only choose not to believe. Instead, I will do as he commands and let him see just how sick my wife is.

‘Very well,’ I reply. ‘I will bring her to you.’

I sketch a brief bow and spin around, walk swiftly down the corridor towards the ‘lift I need. With each step, I concentrate on reining in my anger. Palpatine knows Maia is ill. He would have been told that after I left the hangar with her in my arms, and before he exited his shuttle. This is merely a childish means of demonstrating his power and control over me.

***

When Anakin returns and wakes me with a light touch on my shoulder, I can feel the rage he is barely holding back.

‘I am truly sorry that I must disturb you, my love,’ he apologizes to me. ‘I know you are unwell, but the Emperor wants to see you, right now, regardless of that.’

I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and force myself to sit up. The room is spinning and I don’t want to move. If I had more time to sort myself out, I might be able to stand, but at the moment I am just too dizzy to manage even that.

‘I can’t stand up,’ I admit. ‘If I try, I will only faint again.’

‘Then I will carry you to him, as I was ordered to,’ he decides.

The thought of being packed through the corridors just so the old coot can gloat a bit makes me feel even more ill. I turn my face away from my husband and make a few choking noises. He doesn’t wait for the nausea to grow worse, and I find myself being gently lifted, helped into the ‘fresher, and settled comfortably on the floor.

‘It’s too early for this to start,’ I complain, but my audience of one has left me on my own, preferring to avoid watching me throw up.

***

She is not just slightly unsteady or faking an illness to avoid my master, but is genuinely dealing with pregnancy sickness. I activate the comm in my quarters, find the code I need and put in a call to Medical.

‘The best female physician on board is to be sent to my quarters, immediately, to see to my wife who is ill with pregnancy sickness,’ I order.

I don’t wait for a reply and close the channel. The doctor I have asked for will soon be here as requested. I retrieve a glass of water from the small kitchen and go to my wife. She is still on the floor, leaning over, and holding her arms across her stomach. There is little I can do for her other than offer sympathy and something to drink.

‘Drink this,’ I suggest, handing Maia the glass.

Somehow, despite how miserable she feels, she manages to smile at me in thanks. I watch her slowly sip on the water, only leaving her side when Thirsk lets me know the doctor has arrived.

***

I hate being sick, so when the elderly doctor Ani must have sent for looks in on me, I have reached the point where tears of frustration are running down my cheeks. Nothing I try is making it stop or having any effect.

‘Let me help you, my Lady,’ she offers.

Her hands are warm and gentle as she firmly rubs a familiar anti-nausea patch into place on my back. There is a sting when she draws blood for a quick test, but the hypospray after that doesn’t hurt.

‘Stay where you are until everything I have given you starts to work,’ she warns.

Then she is gone, leaving me alone while she speaks to the Sith Lord. I listen carefully, curious what she might say, and using their conversation as a distraction from how sick I feel.

‘It’s definitely pregnancy sickness, my Lord,’ the doctor confirms, ‘and probably triggered by an early hormonal spike, given that she is only a few weeks along. It would be best to let her rest for a while.’

‘Not possible,’ Ani tells her. ‘I need her to be able to return to my flagship with me.’

He doesn’t want to reveal what he has been ordered to do, and she, unlike Leanan would, won’t argue with him about moving me.

‘I will give her a stronger sedative so she can travel,’ I hear the doctor decide. ‘See to it that she rests once you are there.’

Footsteps approach.

‘My Lady, I need to give you another hypospray,’ the doctor tells me. ‘This one will make you rather drowsy.’

I hold my arm out to her and don’t flinch when I feel the pressure against it. If I have to be put on display for the Emperor’s enjoyment, I have no objections to sleeping through it.

***

She’s out cold and doesn’t move when I shift her against my chest. If my master intends to have a conversation with my wife, he will be disappointed. Carrying her down the corridor, I pause and nod politely at the two guards who are posted next to the turbolift. When it arrives, I wait for the council members to exit and step into it myself. Near the end of our upward journey, Maia stirs.

‘Anakin?’ she asks, half-awake and not quite aware.

‘Not here, not now,’ I scold her gently. ‘That name is for us to use when we are alone, in private.’

She reaches up, to hold her arms tight around my neck and rest her cheek on my chest armour. I feel the tenseness in her body as the ‘lift doors open, revealing the narrow catwalks and bridge we must cross to reach my master.

Close your eyes and be brave, I suggest. I won’t let you fall.

I walk across the durasteel deck plates spanning the deep chasm, ascend the steps and stop at the top. My master is standing, his back to us, surveying his view from the transparisteel windows. He knows I am here, with Maia, and is choosing to ignore us.

I must put you down, I warn her.

Slowly, carefully, I lower her, helping her to find a balance point on both her knees as she sits down on her heels. Without using her hands as a support to steady herself, she will probably slump to the floor. Once I am certain my wife can manage on her own, I kneel beside her and wait, impatiently, for the Emperor to acknowledge our presence.

All around my master swirls the dark side of the Force. It dances in a way which attracts and pulls me in, but I resist the temptation to reach out and draw it to me. Maia, at my left side, is visibly ill, with her bright Force presence flickering irregularly. She is far too sick to effectively ward off the light probes my master sends towards her, but before I can shield her from the next of those, he turns about to stare at us.

‘What is thy bidding, my master?’ I ask.

Footsteps, accompanied by the tap of his cane, approach me.

‘Send the fleet to the far side of Endor. There it will stay until called for,’ he orders, raising his hand to gesture towards me.

I stay where I am, kneeling next to my wife, rather than rise to my feet.

‘And what of the reports of the Rebel fleet massing near Sullust?’ I remind him.

‘It is of no concern,’ he decides. ‘Soon the Rebellion will be crushed and young Skywalker will be one of us.’

Palpatine comes closer to my wife and looks down at her.

‘So much potential and power in one so very fragile,’ he muses aloud, his voice soft and low. ‘Fate certainly had a sense of humour in binding her permanently to you, my friend. Using her to produce heirs for us is a waste of her abilities, if a necessary one. Fully trained as a Jedi, she would rival their great masters, but as a Sith, …’

He stretches out his hand in an attempt to touch the top of her head with his fingers. I feel Maia’s distress before it expresses itself physically. Reaching over, I catch her with my hand and ease her sideways so that her head is resting on my left thigh rather than the cold floor. To protect her, I lay my left arm over her body, using it as a physical barrier and silent warning that she is mine and not his.

‘She is very ill with this pregnancy, my master,’ I state the obvious.

His eyes remain on my unconscious wife as his hand drops to his side, and I see and sense his desire for her, as she must have before she collapsed.

‘Your work here is finished, my friend,’ he informs me.

This time I obey when he motions me to my feet, shifting Maia into a leaning position against my legs as I stand. While he resumes his seat, I pick her up, settle her as comfortably as I can in my arms, and wait to be dismissed.

‘See that she rests and is cared for properly,’ he orders. ‘No harm must come to her or the child. You can bide your time in supervising the local traffic and looking after your wife. Now, go out to the command ship and await my orders.’

‘Yes, my master,’ I reply out of habit, but his attention has moved back to the windows, to his personal meditations and private schemes.

***

DAY 12

In spite of Leanan’s medications and my attempts at using Jedi healing techniques, I find myself bolting for the ‘fresher yet again. There is no one to see or hear me because the children are in bed for the night and my husband is working in his office, so I give in, venting all of my frustrations at my pregnancy, at this place, at the Emperor, at fate and what I know will happen here, and at how helpless I feel about it all. Ani, however, can feel exactly what I am experiencing and he soon comes, silently making his way to my side, and sitting next to me on the edge of the bath. His hands pull my hair back, divide it into sections, and carefully twist it into an elaborate braid. My husband’s touch is soothing so I lean backwards, to find myself held in his arms.

‘You really are having a terrible time,’ he notes.

I shove myself forward and away from him as another round of queasiness hits.

‘Not all of this is pregnancy sickness,’ he decides once I have reached for a glass of water and finished it. ‘If it was only hormones triggering it, Leanan would have it under control. You are upset, full of emotional turmoil, and that is what is making you ill. Last night, you had nightmares and slept for only a few hours, today, you not been able to keep anything down, and tonight, you really must eat and rest. So, talk to me about it. Let me help you with this.’

My husband can feel every emotion of mine, so there is no point in denying any of it to him.

‘I want to leave,’ I confess. ‘I hate it here and I want us to be far, far away from this place.’

‘Being sick won’t lead to that result,’ he warns me. ‘I won’t be allowed to send you to Vjun or Coruscant, and I cannot leave without my master’s permission.’

‘Your master,’ I whisper, more to myself than to the Sith Lord.

I remember those horrid, sickening feelings of lust and desire that had washed over me from the Emperor. It felt like having thousands of vile insects crawling all over my skin. He wants me for himself and knows that as long as Ani lives, his apprentice will never allow him to touch me. Putting a hand to my mouth, I close my eyes and shiver at the images my mind is conjuring up. There is no way I would ever willingly let the old coot have what he wants, so he would need to forcibly restrain and drug me.

‘You know,’ Ani quietly states.

‘Yes, I know,’ I answer him.

I turn around and hide my face against his chest, seeking shelter and safety in his arms where I know it will always be for me.

‘If he tries to harm you, if he tries to harm our children, I will kill him,’ he promises me, his voice calm, controlled, and absolutely deadly.

***

Maia’s asleep at last, but I can’t stay, much as I would prefer to. Setting her hand down next to her face, I brush a few stray hairs back into place, lean over from where I am sitting beside her on our bed, and let the heat from my exhaled breaths caress her cheek. An hour of quietly reassuring her that I can protect her from my master has done more to reduce her anxiety and ease her fears than two days of meds administered by the doctor. If only I could tell her the truth. Were the stakes not so high, the risks so great, the need to keep her safe so strong, I would not be so reluctant to share my plans.

‘I must go, little goddess,’ I whisper to her before I leave her side, ‘but I will be back, soon.’

Tremayne is waiting for me beside my meditation pod. I turn as I exit the den, my eyes following the direction he is looking in. To block Maia from his gaze, I promptly close the door to my private quarters behind me.

‘The rumours are true, then, Lord Vader,’ he states, fishing for information.

‘Rumours have a hundred tongues and a thousand mouths,’ I quote at him, ‘but are always started by one voice.’

His mouth twitches, but he does not smile at my aptly chosen Sith proverb. I walk past him, to my office and turn to face him once he has followed me into it.

‘In this case, Lord Tremayne, the rumours you have heard are true,’ I reveal, seeing no point in denying what was observed by many. ‘My wife is pregnant again, and extremely ill because of it.’

‘Give your Lady my regards when she is well enough to hear them,’ Tremayne continues the polite chitchat.

I activate the scrambler on my desk and nod to him. Now it is impossible for anyone to eavesdrop electronically on what we will say.

‘We can drop the inane small talk and safely discuss the task I have for you,’ I tell him.

Later, after he has returned to the Interrogator to prepare himself and organize his troops, I activate the holo projector and stare at my hidden chess board. This time, I add an advisor and place it to one side. Soon, an opposing queen and her rogue protector will be in its path. I can only hope that my master is too preoccupied with his own plots and schemes to interfere with the ‘training exercises’ the Inquisitor will be conducting on the moon below us.

DAY 14

I stare out the transparisteel window at the head of the bridge, watching various ships making their deliveries and ignoring the constant chatter behind me. Palpatine has relegated me to the position of traffic supervisor, but I see no reason to raise any objections. As each day has passed, with nothing of importance happening, Maia’s anxiety levels have fallen and her fears gradually faded. This morning, she didn’t flee to the ‘fresher immediately, and was able to manage her pregnancy sickness, at least until I poured out my supplement drink. She has never liked Ky-Lessian fruit and the smell of it was too much for her to handle. I make a mental note to dump the rest of that container down the sink when she is not in the room, and to avoid that particular flavour for the next few months.

Another shuttle requests clearance, receives it, and is on its way to the battlestation. The repetitive routine of it all is beginning to bore me. Minutes slip away, until I know the children will soon be napping.

‘I will be in my quarters, Admiral,’ I tell Piett, letting him know where I am going as I stride past him.

Not that I expect him to comm me. Nothing will happen today, just as nothing happened yesterday or the day before that, and tomorrow will probably be the same.

‘Anakin?’ my wife questions when she sees me.

She is curled up in the most comfortable chair in the den, reading one of my ‘sabre treatises. There is no sign of Mikal or the twins, so they must be asleep already.

‘I was bored,’ I admit. ‘There are other things I would prefer to be doing than directing traffic.’

I lift the book from her fingers with one hand and tip her chin up with the other.

‘You look much better today,’ I tell her.

‘I feel better,’ she confirms what I can see and sense from her.

***

The fingers brushing across my face are gentle, so I reach over with mine and trace my husband’s cheekbone. He didn’t need to abandon his post to come see me, or remove his helmet and have a late lunch as an excuse to keep me company. I carefully nibble on the toast he made for me. It tastes good, like the bread I remember from home.

‘I like this,’ I admit to him. ‘It smells and tastes the same as the bread from the bakery back home.’

‘It was an experiment, to see what would come out, but since you like it, I will program the code for it into the autochef,’ Ani promises.

The Sith Lord is in a rather indulgent mood, I decide. I wonder just how much he is willing to fuss over me, if I let him. A hand catches mine, pulls it to his mouth and I feel his lips connect with my wrist.

‘We have an hour, or perhaps two,’ he suggests.

‘To finish our game?’ I counter.

‘To play whatever game you prefer,’ Ani confirms.

For a moment I consider what he might want us to do, and what I am willing to do. I am still not at my best, but we have had little opportunity to spend time in private as a couple this past week.

‘Take your armour off,’ I ask of him. ‘I want Anakin, not Lord Vader, in our bed.’

A fleeting, surprised expression crosses his face. Today, I want my husband, the man who is hidden from public view, to make love to me, not the armoured Sith Lord.

***

I let her help me remove my armour, piece by piece, setting it aside along with my public Sith Lord persona. She wants and needs gentleness from me, so I will give that to her.

‘Turn around,’ I instruct when only my body suit is left on.

Her dress is laced in the back. Rather than rip it off of her, I untie the knot and slowly pull the lacing out, one hole at a time, drawing out what I am doing for as long as possible. By the time I drop the cord on the floor, my wife is trembling at the briefest of my touches against the skin of her back. The fabric of the sleeves has slid from her shoulders to be caught by her elbows. I take advantage of that and kiss her neck, listening to the deep inhalation she makes at that contact.

‘Anakin,’ she breathes my name more than speaks it.

I move my hands to her breasts, slide one beneath the top of the bodice and push it down, baring her to her waist. It’s far too early for them to be filling with milk, yet they are extremely sensitive to my touch, their nipples becoming rigid and hard as I caress her. She tries to twist in my arms, to turn and face me, but I hold her close to prevent her from moving. Lower still, I decide, keeping one hand on her left breast while the other traces a path down between her legs, finally shoving her gown to the floor.

Now, I lift her in my arms, carry her to the bed, lay her on it and simply look at her, at this woman who means everything to me, who I would do anything for.

‘I want you,’ she tells me. ‘Want you like I have always wanted you, like I always will want you.’

Her hands reach up to grab mine, and she pulls me down, to sit next to her on the bed. Jumbled and confused memories flash across our bond. Myself as a young man, uninjured, unarmoured, mixed with images of an armoured Sith Lord, all of it wrapped up in her love for me and her deepest, darkest, rarely spoken of or admitted to desires. For years she dreamt of and fantasized about me, loving both Anakin the Jedi Knight and Lord Vader the Sith. I finally, fully understand why she panicked that first night on the Executor and resisted me for weeks afterwards. The reality of who I was did not match the man she had created in her mind.

***

He is being so gentle, so very kind and patient, that I can’t stop myself from shivering at his every touch. When he takes me to the bed, sits beside me, and begins to cover my body with kisses, I start moaning and reach for him, only to have my hands firmly moved aside, out of his way and away from his body. ‘Anakin,’ I gasp out when his mouth attaches itself to my breast and nurses at it. Familiar twinges begin inside me, so he stops, leaving me wanting more.

The next place he sets his mouth is against mine. His kiss is passionate, deep, inviting more of the same. I respond in kind, refusing to let him pull away.

Wife, he offers, do with me as you wish, or tell me what you want.

I want you, Anakin, I admit. I want you as you would have been without your armour. I want to play with you, like we have done before.

I will do this, if you wish it, he offers. I will be Anakin for you, in this way, just this once.

Fingers gently stroke the inside of my leg as he waits for my answer. I close my eyes, pull him closer, and kiss him. Heat radiates out from him, warming my body to the point where I have to let him go.

Open your eyes, my love, he tells me.

I blink a few times in surprise. Bright blue eyes, full of mischief and laughter, are looking down into mine as he smiles at me. A mop of silvered, brownish-blonde hair frames his face, and his scars are gone, save for the one crossing his eyebrow. There is no mechanical breathing to be heard.

‘Anakin?’ I whisper.

‘Yes, my wife?’ he replies in a rich, deep tenor voice.

I touch his cheek, checking that he is real, even though I know his changed appearance is merely one of my husband’s illusions, and the same one he had used on Garqi. He explores my body with his hands, so I mirror his movements, run my fingers through his hair, marvel at its thickness and softness. Under the surface of his chest are hard muscles I can trace, evidence of just how strong and fit he is. His skin is slightly tanned, no longer pale, and there are callouses on his hands from using a lightsaber. This is who he would have been, had he not been burnt, maimed, and forced into his armour. Rolling over to my side to face him, I rest my forehead on his chest and lie quietly, contentedly, wrapped in his arms.

‘So simple and easy to please,’ he teases me. ‘Open my arms and you are in them.’

There is a quick kiss to the top of my head then fingers trace a path down my spine, along my waist, and back to where he had first started his explorations.

‘Let me look at you,’ he whispers in my ear when I try to discourage his intimate touches.

Hands roll me onto my back and push my legs up, giving him an unobstructed view and access. When he kisses my stomach, I start to laugh. Anakin knows I am ticklish and is taking advantage of that. His kisses move lower, following a route down to where I want him to be, but instead of giving me what I desire immediately, he takes his time, drawing everything out, examining me with his eyes before doing the same with mouth and hands.

‘I want to claim you as mine,’ he says to me, ‘just as Lord Vader has.’

I tip my head, rather puzzled by his statement. There have been times when I have thought of my husband as having two personalities, and even divided him into two men in my mind, but not once has he behaved in a way to suggest that he felt the same. Using my hands to push myself up, I rest my back against the wall and stare at him. Ani is kneeling near my feet, watching me, and waiting for what I will do next. His body language is different, I soon realize, and his speech pattern has changed slightly. Unlike the Sith Lord, Anakin has no need to physically dominate me when it comes to sex.

This is the Jedi, the man he was before he became a Sith.

I reach to him with my hand and twist my fingers in his when he catches it. My husband has allowed his true self to emerge completely, for me, just this once, only this once.

‘Make love to me,’ I ask of him.

It takes both of us a few minutes to settle me in a comfortable position, a pillow behind my back, him between my thighs. His fingers stroke me, gently, firmly, and an orgasm quickly starts to ripple through me.  Before it finishes, he stops and repositions himself so that I know what he will do next.

‘I need you to kiss me,’ Anakin decides. ‘It will anchor me, help me hold myself back. So, kiss me, please.’

His mouth is close to mine, and I feel his lips, soft, gentle, as he bends over to rest them on my own. I open my mouth to him, wrap my arms around his back and try to relax. He takes a moment to respond to our kiss, duelling me with his tongue and laughing when he wins.

‘I will be as gentle as I can,’ he promises before his mouth is on mine again.

There is pressure between my legs when he pushes forward. I try to move a little to help him but he holds me securely in place with his body and weight. His erection is larger than normal, my position is not the best for him, and he is having trouble entering me. The next time, he shoves against me a bit harder, and shifts my hips up with his hands. A gasp escapes from me as he smoothly slides in, stopping once he can go no farther. At that, Anakin moves his lips from my mouth to my forehead, brushing them across it before leaning back and looking into my eyes.

‘Let’s wait a moment so you can get used to my size,’ he suggests.

I bring my feet up and hook my ankles together behind his back, holding him in place. It feels odd, but also good, to have him stay motionless in this way. Curious to see how he reacts, I carefully squeeze him with my muscles, keeping them tight around him as long as I can. He breathes in sharply with surprise.

‘Clever little wife,’ he teases me. ‘Shall I stay where I am and let you have some more fun?’

His fingers disappear between us and I feel him start to caress me.

‘Anakin,’ I tell him after he has successfully triggered another orgasm in me, ‘you are a brat, but I love you anyway.’

I reach up, wrap a hand behind his neck and pull him down for a kiss. It’s time to do something else. He’s been patiently waiting for his turn and I want to feel him moving inside me.

I will assume that is a ‘yes, husband, I am ready for you’, he fishes for an answer from me.

Yes, husband, I am ready for you, I dutifully repeat.

***

I settle her in my arms and hold her close. Even after a full hour, she still wanted more from me. This time I made love to her as I prefer to, with nothing at all between us, with our minds and bodies in perfect harmony with each other. Closing my eyes, I remember each touch of her hand, every caress of mine, all of the kisses we gave one another, and the sweet, shared ecstasy at the end.

She stirs a little, so I kiss her cheek, and move her hair, damp from our shared shower, up above her head to dry. My wife will sleep until the children wake, and I will keep watch over her. I want her to have pleasant memories of today, so we will spend what is left of it together, with our children, as a family.

Tomorrow, everything will change.

DAY 15

Morning, again, and I would rather be doing anything else, preferably with my wife and family, than standing at the head of the bridge, staring out at the battlestation, pretending I am doing something important. I reach out to Maia, letting her feel my calm, if bored, mood, and am rewarded by a gentle, mental caress in return.

A ripple moves through the Force, intruding on our private intimacy.

I tip my head, annoyed at the interruption, only to sense a half-hidden presence approaching my ship.

‘Shuttle Tydirium, transmit the clearance code for shield passage,’ I hear the standard request being made.

‘Transmission commencing,’ that ship’s pilot announces.

Nothing is unusual about their exchange, but I feel drawn, pulled. My eyes focus on the shuttle as I realize who is on it. I spin around and stalk back to the flight control station, stopping beside Piett and the seated Controller Jhoff who happens to be on duty at the moment.

‘Where is that shuttle going?’ I ask, keeping my voice even so as not to alarm them. Let them think I am trying to relieve my boredom by being curious.

‘Shuttle Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination?’ Piett promptly questions over the comm.

‘Parts and technical crew for the Forest moon,’ is the answer which is quickly supplied.

I smile to myself. Luke’s smuggler friend has made no effort to conceal his identity. Solo’s voice is easily recognizable. So, my son, who I can sense, and the Princess, who is usually with him or Solo, must be on that ship as well. Three more pieces are now in play.

Piett straightens up and looks at me. The Admiral is wondering why I am interested in that shuttle.

‘Do they have a code clearance?’ I decide to check that procedures are being followed.

‘It’s an older code, sir, but it checks out,’ Piett admits. ‘I was about to clear them.’

I turn my head, and stare through the bulkheads in the direction the shuttle and Luke are moving. His Force presence shines brightly, unmistakeably, in a way I cannot miss. There is a startled reaction from him as he, in turn, realizes I am nearby.

‘Shall I hold them?’ Piett offers.

If they know their ruse has failed, Solo will attempt to flee, and all of my carefully laid plans will be wasted. There is only one choice here, only one chance for everything to proceed as I need it to.

‘No, leave them to me,’ I tell the Admiral. ‘I will deal with them myself.’

‘As you wish, my Lord,’ he yields to my decision, before instructing Jhoff, ‘Carry on.’

‘Shuttle Tydirium, deactivation of the shield will commence immediately,’ the Controller relays the standard instructions. ‘Follow your present course.’

I return to my usual position to watch the shuttle make its way past the Executor and the battlestation as it heads to the moon below. Time, now, becomes critical and there are several things I must do quickly. Once the ship carrying my son is no longer visible, I turn and make my way back to my quarters.

My wife, when I arrive, is resting, and the children are playing quietly in their room. I lightly touch her shoulder with my hand and wait for her to sit up.

‘Something has happened,’ she states.

‘Luke has arrived and is on the moon below,’ I admit.

She pales at my words, knowing what they imply, but I need to be honest with her about this and what she must do.

‘You must be very brave, little goddess,’ I warn her,’ be fierce and courageous like your ancient namesake, the one who guarded Sith warriors in battle. I need you to be my protection, my shieldmaiden.’

I take her left hand, and hold it between my own, doing my best to offer her comfort and strength.

‘When I call to you over our soul bond, you must come to me as quickly as you can,’ I tell her. ‘I will be on the battlestation, in the Emperor’s throne room, just as you have seen in your dreams, so be prepared for that.’

Her distress flows over our bond. I rest a finger across her lips, silencing her for a moment. This is one parting which will be difficult for both of us.  

‘I will be there,’ she promises. ‘I will protect you.’

‘Let me hold you for a while,’ I suggest.

My wife is soon wrapped around me, nestled in a cocoon made from my cloak and arms. I let her stay as long as she needs to as I wait for her emotions and mind to settle.

‘I love you, Anakin,’ she whispers to me when she finally steps back and releases me.

I touch her cheek with my hand, brushing it as I always do when we part. Then, I walk away from her, going to my office to send the first of two necessary signals.

‘See to it that my shuttle is ready,’ I order Piett over the comm once the first matter is dealt with. ‘I must go speak with the Emperor.’

Before I exit my office, I call up the holochess board, adding to it an opposing queen and an advisor, garbed as a rogue, and positioning both in front of my own advisor. My hand hovers over the pawn which is poised to transform itself at the end of the board. Until Luke decides what he will become, that piece will remain a pawn, its true power and allegiance unknown.

***

Ani has left the Executor. I can feel his presence moving away from me, but this time I have no idea if he will ever return to me again. Years ago, after the first time I had that nightmare and saw him at Luke’s feet waiting for the killing blow to fall, I had sworn to myself that I would protect him. Now, the Sith Lord has asked me to do just that. For many minutes what I have seen in my dream keeps me pinned in place, completely uncertain of what to do.

He gave you instructions for what to do, I remind myself. Your job is to figure out how to follow them.

***

I make my way to the throne room’s turbolift, only to find my way blocked by Jerjerrod, who is standing, facing me, between the two Royal Guards posted to either side. The Commander raises his left hand and aims it at my chest, pointing at me and stopping me with a gesture.

‘You may not enter,’ he says firmly.

Rather than argue with him, I bring my hand up and begin to close it, constricting his throat with the Force. The two guards react by lifting their pikes and aiming them at me. Jerjerrod’s hands seek his neck as he attempts to breathe and begins choking.

‘It is the Emperor’s command,’ he manages to gasp out an explanation.

I release him, pull back my hand and rest it above my chest box.

‘I will await his convenience,’ I state, not apologizing for my actions.

The Commander takes a few deep breaths. He has had a narrow escape from death and knows he only managed that by invoking my master’s name and orders.

‘Very good,’ he replies.

I watch him turn around and enter the ‘lift. It is not until the doors close behind him that the guards lower their weapons. Someone on the Executor has told the Emperor I have left my flagship and come to the battlestation. I consider who my master’s spy might be to pass my time, but Jerjerrod soon returns.

‘He will see you, now,’ I am informed.

I let him walk past me unmolested. His business with my master will not remain a secret for very long, but I see no reason to pry it out of him right now. Stepping into the ‘lift, I prepare myself for what will come.

‘I told you to remain on the command ship and care for your wife,’ my master reprimands me when I reach the top of the stairs and stand before him.

He is seated in his throne, partially turned towards the windows, and obviously displeased with my disobedience.

‘A small Rebel force has penetrated the shield and landed on Endor,’ I deliver my news.

 ‘Yes, I know,’ he reveals, swivelling his seat about so we are facing one another.

His spy is rather efficient and well informed, and one I will need to root out and remove quickly.

‘My son is with them,’ I tell him, watching for his reaction.

‘Are you sure?’ Palpatine asks, needing confirmation.

‘I have felt him, my master,’ I state.

Luke’s presence calls to me and cannot be ignored.

‘Strange that I have not,’ he admits, leaning forward before adding, ‘I wonder if your feelings on this matter are clear, Lord Vader.’

‘They are clear, my master,’ I assure him.

‘Then, you must go to the Sanctuary Moon and wait for him,’ Palpatine orders as he sits back in his throne, revealing his confidence.

‘He will come to me?’ I question, allowing uncertainty to show in my voice.

I know Luke will come to me. Maia’s memories and dreams are clear on that, but I must play my role and follow the script, if all is to go as I have planned.

‘I have foreseen it,’ he tells me. ‘His compassion for you will be his undoing. He will come to you, and then you will bring him before me.’

Hopefully his visions have shown him only that and no more.

‘As you wish,’ I accept the task I have been given.

‘Yes, Lord Vader,’ he reminds me, pointing an accusing finger at my chest, ‘as I wish, and to ensure you do as I wish, your wife will remain securely under guard until I have what I want. You will bring young Skywalker directly to me. Now, go.’

His orders and dismissal give no room for argument or reply. I give a brief, barely respectful bow and stalk away, furious at his decision to hold Maia hostage, and hopeful my clever wife can find a means to escape from his trap.

***

I look up from the book I am reading to the twins as I hear the door to Ani’s quarters open. They are just about asleep for their nap, so I quickly kiss each in turn and go to see who my visitor is. It isn’t my husband returning to me, but Commander Thirsk and two of his men, who from their rank markings must be senior members of the 501st.

‘My apologies for disturbing you, my Lady,’ Thirsk begins, rather formally.

Something must be wrong, I decide. He is rarely this careful with titles or how he phrases things.

‘What is it, Commander?’ I ask him.

He shifts slightly, uncomfortably, and I can sense that he is not very happy about what he is going to say.

‘You are being confined to his lordship’s quarters,’ he reveals. ‘Only if you must be moved to Medical for treatment will you be allowed to leave.’

I stare at him and shake my head. This makes no sense at all.

‘Orders from the Emperor,’ he admits. ‘A Rebel attack is imminent and this is for your own safety. The most senior of the 501st’s commandos, the very best of the men I have trained, will be guarding you.’

The armoured ‘troopers flanking him give two quick bows in my direction, turn on their heels, and leave, presumably to take up their posts outside in the corridor. Thirsk watches them go, but does not follow. Instead, he waits for them to exit and the door to slide closed behind them.

‘I must obey a royal command,’ he states, ‘but I was able to convince the Emperor that it would be less upsetting for you if it were my men on guard duty, rather than having him send Imperial Guards who would be complete strangers to you.’

‘Why is he doing this?’ I question Thirsk.

‘You appear ill, my Lady, and should sit down,’ he replies, not answering my query at all. ‘I will fetch some water for you.’

He motions me into Ani’s office, lifts a gadget from my husband’s desk, and turns it on.

‘We have only a minute or two to speak with complete security,’ he warns me. ‘Even in here, be cautious what you say, until his lordship returns and sweeps his quarters for eavesdropping devices. If we use the jammer for too long, anyone who is monitoring you, and there will be at least one, will notice.’

I nod my understanding to him.

‘Lord Vader was told to remain on the Executor, but he has disobeyed and left the ship,’ Thirsk tells me. ‘He rarely defies a direct order from the Emperor, so I suspect you are being confined and held hostage to ensure he obeys in the future.’

I hug myself, wrapping my arms across my stomach, as I feel a bit unsteady and heartsick. How am I supposed to help my husband now? Thirsk reaches over to touch my shoulder, to reassure me.

‘My men will protect you,’ he assures me. ‘Even if ordered to, they will refuse to harm you or your children. You are safe with them, where you would not be with the Royal Guards, who would not hesitate to kill you all if told to by their master.’

My legs feel weak, so I grab for the arm of Ani’s chair and sink into it.

‘You are with child again, are very ill, and should rest,’ he states. ‘What will be, will be. Know that my loyalty will always be to his lordship, and if you require my aid, all you need to do is ask.’

He picks up the gadget and turns it off.

‘You look pale, my Lady,’ he states. ‘I will send the doctor to you and take Lord Mikal to the training room for his lesson so you can rest.’

***

I retreat to my meditation pod, deliberately delaying my departure for Endor’s moon. Before I go to my shuttle and leave, I need to readjust my plans and center myself. Anger and haste, in this case, will lead to mistakes, and I cannot afford to make any.

With a touch, I call up the holochess board and stare at it. On the opposing side I add a fortress. Jerjerrod might owe his position as Moff and Commander of this battlestation to me, but his true allegiance is now obvious. I pause for a moment then position two more pieces of my own, another advisor and a fortress, anticipating Thrawn’s arrival with his fleet. My hand hovers above my queen, who is now pinned in place on my flagship, but not on the chess board.

Maia, I call to her, using the deepest, most closely held and private form of communication we have.

She doesn’t reply in words, but emotions, love for me, mixed with concern and worry, and questioning anticipation.

Not yet, I tell her. Wait, be patient. When I need you, you will know, but for now, stay calm and rest, my love.

There is quiet stillness in response as she does as I have suggested. I banish the game with a gesture and lean back, focussing my thoughts within. Luke will give himself up, surrender to one of the patrols, this evening. Rushing to retrieve him will only hasten events. My wife needs to sleep and the Rebel fleet’s arrival must be imminent before I take my son to my master. I can afford to wait out the hours, to spend the time I require in meditation, to prepare myself for what will come.

DAY 16

My shuttle comes to rest on the landing pad, and I slowly, reluctantly leave my seat. Everything will come to a head today, probably within the next few hours. Change is upon us all, inevitable and inescapable. I stride down the ramp and across the durasteel surface. Luke is being brought here for me to retrieve, his presence pulling at me, drawing me in, but I know that he is the one who has chosen to come to me. Rather than order Commander Igar to bring my son to me immediately, I walk through the platform until I reach a vantage point where I can stare out into the forest, undisturbed, while I wrestle with the turmoil I am feeling.

The trees and plants are vibrant, full of life, and peaceful. I rest my hands on the railing and let that tranquillity wash over me, the calm before a storm or a battle. Yesterday, nothing went as I had intended it to. My wife and children, secure on the Executor, are hostages to my co-operating with my master’s plans. What little I can sense of the future is clouded with uncertainty and chaos. Much hinges on what will happened in the next hour - the choices I will freely make and the choices I must force my son to make.

Luke is closer now, almost here, his unmistakeable Force presence calling out to me.

Commander Igar approaches.

The walker carrying my son has arrived.

‘Bring the Rebel to me, Commander,’ I order.

Destiny is dragging me forward, and I will have only a few brief moments to persuade Luke to aid me.

I continue to stare out into the forest, only turning and pacing along the raised walkway when I hear the turbolift activate. When its doors open, I stop and wait. Luke is in the midst of three stormtroopers, unarmed and unafraid.

‘This is the Rebel who surrendered to us,’ Igar tells me. ‘Although he denies it, I believe there may be more of them, and I request permission to conduct a wider search of the area.’ The Commander holds my son’s lightsaber out, offering it to me. ‘He was armed only with this.’

I take the weapon, noting its weight and heft.

‘Good work, Commander, leave us,’ I instruct. ‘Conduct your search, and bring his companions to me.’

Luke didn’t come here alone. His friends, the Princess, the smuggler, and the wookiee, along with his two droids, will be in the forest, somewhere, waiting to attack the shield generator when the opportunity arises. Capturing them quickly, Inquisitor Tremayne’s task, will foil the Rebels’ plans and ensure my son’s future co-operation.

‘Yes, my Lord,’ my command is acknowledged before Igar departs with his troopers.

I turn, walk away from the turbolift, Luke keeping pace at my side.

‘The Emperor has been expecting you,’ I warn him.

‘I know, father,’ he replies without any hesitation.

I quickly look over at him, and smile.

‘So, you have accepted the truth,’ I note.

‘I have accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father,’ he responds.

I stop, turn to face him and shake his lightsaber at his chest. This is one secret I don’t need to have him make public knowledge. That life, that person, the Jedi I once was are long gone, long dead, and buried.

‘That name,’ I scold him, ‘no longer has any meaning for me.’

Not entirely true, I admit to myself after having denied it to Luke. Anakin is the name I told my wife to call me in private, and it’s the one I prefer her to use.

‘It is the name of your true self, you’ve only forgotten. I know there is good in you,’ Luke attempts to persuade me. ‘The Emperor hasn’t driven it from you fully.’

I stare at him, wondering what he means by that then realize exactly what my son has sensed. Luke does not understand how a life-bond can exist between my wife and I, and has interpreted Maia’s light side presence within me as a part of myself. Not wanting him to be able to pry any further, I strengthen my shields and mentally push him back, forcing him well away from the deepest parts of my mind.

He turns away from me at that, takes the few steps needed to reach the edge of the walkway and sets his manacled hands on the railing, speaking as he goes, shaping his words and voice with a Jedi mind trick in an attempt to manipulate me, ‘That was why you couldn’t destroy me. That’s why you won’t bring me to your Emperor, now.’

Luke should know by now that mind tricks won’t work on me, so his trying one is amusing, if pointless. I look down at his lightsaber in my hand. A Jedi’s weapon, but not my old one, the one he lost at Cloud City. With a touch I ignite it, admiring the green blade and the hilt’s workmanship. My son has talent in this area, just as I do.

‘I see you have constructed a new lightsaber,’ I say to him, checking the balance and controls as I do so. ‘Your skills are complete.’ I shut off the blade, turn my back to him, and gaze out into the forest again. ‘Indeed, you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen.’

Powerful, dangerous, and irresistible; my master cannot resist the temptation my son, as a potential future apprentice, represents.

For a moment there is silence, each of us waiting for the other to speak and break it.

‘Come with me,’ Luke offers as I hear him turn to look at me.

I continue to face away from him, staring at the trees, my back to him. What my son wants me to do is impossible, no matter how much I might desire it. If I leave with him now, I will abandon Maia and our children to Palpatine, and that is something I can never, will never, do. In this, to protect them from harm, I have no choice, no options. All I can do is follow my master’s orders and hope that Luke will see reason.

‘Obi-Wan once thought as you do,’ I admit then turn to face him, to reject his offer of freedom. ‘You don’t know the power of the dark side. I must obey my master.’

‘I will not turn,’ Luke vows, ‘and you will be forced to kill me.’

He is as stubborn in his convictions as I once was and still can be.

‘If that is your destiny,’ I state.

Destiny and fate are merely the final results of choices made long ago. I do not want this, but if I am forced to kill Luke to protect the rest of my family then I will, although I will always regret the doing of it.

‘Search your feelings, father,’ my son suggests. ‘You can’t do this. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate.’

Conflict, perhaps, over what to do with my persistent, stubborn eldest son, but not hate.

‘It is too late for me, son,’ I cut off any more attempts by him to sway me.

I beckon to the guards who have just arrived, motioning them over to take Luke to my shuttle. This conversation needs to end before he can unsettle me any more than he already has. Decisions I thought made and secure are becoming less certain and subject to change.

‘The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force,’ I warn my son as his ‘trooper escort steps behind him. ‘He is your master, now.’

Luke nods, outwardly accepting what I have said.

‘Then my father is truly dead,’ he takes a deliberate verbal jab at me for refusing to give in to him, shaking his head in frustration.

He turns away, walks back to the turbolift, the two ‘troopers at his heels. I watch him go, his eyes never leaving me until the door removes him from my sight. With a few steps, I cross back to the forest side of the walkway, rest my hands on the railing, and let out an annoyed sigh. That interview did not go at all as I had intended it to. Luke was as determined to persuade me back to the light as I am in enticing him to embrace the dark. Were the stakes not so high, the situation could almost be seen as laughable.

I lift my comlink from my belt, adjust its settings, and send the second prearranged signal that I need to. After replacing it, I close my eyes and relax, reaching for my wife, but this time, I do not use words. Instead, I cry out to her silently, deeply, letting her feel my need for her, and knowing she will answer my call.

***

I consider what I am supposed to do about the mess I am in. Guards have been set on my husband’s quarters, so there is no way I can walk out and leave. The miserable old coot wants to make sure his apprentice does exactly as he is told, that my husband brings Luke to him, and I am being held hostage to guarantee Ani’s good behaviour.

There has to be some way to escape, I decide. I just haven’t thought of it yet.

Then, I feel it, a call from my husband which resonates across our bond, through my body and soul. He needs me to go to him. Frustrated at my inability to help him, I pace back and forth, as I have often done since he left, trying to come up with a plan.

I stop dead as the solution comes to me.

Lady Vader can’t leave, but someone else can, someone the ‘troopers have no orders to detain and would not dare to stop or question. For a moment, I debate whether to risk it or not. If I fail, I will just be dragged back and locked in more securely, but if successful, I should be able to free all of us. Mikal is with Thirsk for physical training, and the twins are with Cyran, down in Medical receiving their booster shots. It should be simple enough to order them all into a shuttle once I am down at the docking bay.

First task, get dressed. I open the storage compartment with my working clothes and armour. What I have is based on Ani’s so most of it should be suitable for this. To be sure, I lay it out on the bed, discarding some of it in the process. Next, I add what I need from Ani’s spare set. Without his implants, I can’t hook up the chest box, so it will have to stay in shut down mode. Hopefully no one will notice that or the lack of mechanical breathing. Everything else should be fine. With a deep breath, I start to put it all on, leaving the gloves and helmet for last. There is one more thing to do before those final steps.

Now, for my second task. I move the gloves, vocoder, mask, and helmet to the table before turning to look at the bed. Lady Vader needs to stay here, so as on Aargau I will leave an illusory twin behind. The less you need to conceal, the easier it will be, I remind myself. My doppelganger will have a nap. Pulling out a few blankets, I shape the form of a body under the covers, leaving only the head to camouflage with the Force. Carefully, lightly, I tap into the energy surrounding me, closing my eyes to help with my concentration. The last thing I want to do is give Palpatine any hint that I am up to something. When I open my eyes, my twin is there, sleeping, motionless and silent.

I hesitate when I pick up Ani’s vocoder. It will either make me sound like him, or not, but I intend to avoid speaking to anyone, until I must, if I can manage it. The mask slides into position next, followed by the helmet. My view through the lenses is tinged with red and obscured by computer readouts because the systems monitor is not happy with the chest box being shut off and is letting me know that.

‘Stop that,’ I growl at it, only to hear the Sith Lord’s baritone voice resonating in my ears.

The vocoder is working perfectly, at least.

I pull on my gloves, check that my lightsaber and comlink are at my waist, and walk to the door. Somehow, with my limited vision, I don’t trip on the way. Willing myself to be brave, I open it with a touch, ignoring the two stormtrooper guards to either side of it as I march down the corridor to the nearest turbolift as fast as I can go. Knowing how Ani moves and holds his body when he is in a bad mood, I mimic that.

No one tries to stop me. If anything, they actively dodge out of my way or duck into another corridor to avoid me as soon as they see me coming.

I make it to the docking bay and into the remaining shuttle, the ship which is mine to use when my husband is away with his, without any trouble at all. Dropping into the co-pilot’s chair, I take a few deep breaths to settle my nerves. It’s important to be calm and use my husband’s speech patterns. Picking up my comlink, I send a signal to Thirsk.

‘Thirsk, here,’ he promptly answers.

‘Bring my son to me immediately, Commander,’ I order. ‘I am in the shuttle in the main docking bay.’

No response for a few seconds. Thirsk knows that the Sith Lord left yesterday and must be wondering why he is back and asking for his son.

‘As you wish, my Lord,’ he finally replies.

I end that call and prepare for the next one. Leanan might be easier to fool than Ani’s old friend, but the doctor is slower to react to the comm call than Thirsk was.

‘Yes?’ she abruptly greets me.

‘I have returned and need my daughters to be brought to me,’ I tell her. ‘I am in the main hangar, in the shuttle.’

Rather than engage in an argument with her, like Ani enjoys doing, I close the channel and shut my eyes. It will be a few minutes before anyone arrives and I need to give my brain a break. How my husband can stand everything being reddish in colour and put up with the constant, distracting readouts, I don’t understand. Both of those are giving me a headache. I lean back in the seat and try to relax, but my respite doesn’t last very long.

‘Daddy!’ Shmi shouts on spotting me.

She runs into the cockpit and demands a hug. I humour her, picking her up and holding her close, as Ani would, and wait for her sister and Leanan to enter the passenger compartment. They are quickly followed in by Mikal and Thirsk, who closes the door after himself. Setting ‘Mi down, I stand up, take her hand, and step back to where everyone can see us.

‘Aren’t you a little short to be a Sith Lord?’ the doctor asks, looking me up and down.

‘I couldn’t do much about my height,’ I admit, ‘but this was the only way I could get past the guards.’

‘I knew it was you,’ Thirsk reveals. ‘Your comlink code gave it away.’

Mikal is staring at me, trying to figure out what is happening.

‘Mommy?’ he asks.

My son sees and hears his father, but I am the one he is sensing.

‘Yes, Mikal,’ I reassure him. ‘Mommy is dressed up like daddy.’

‘So, my Lady,’ Thirsk prompts. ‘What are you going to do now?’

‘Go to the battlestation,’ I decide. ‘His lordship needs my help, but I can’t fly this thing, or use his security code for clearance.’

‘I can fly it and use one of the 501st’s codes,’ the Commander offers, ‘but you need to decide what to do when we get there.’

I slowly sit down. My focus was so intent on escaping from my stormtrooper guards that I hadn’t really thought through the rest of it.

‘I need a way into the throne room,’ I reveal. ‘Bluffing probably won’t work a second time, especially if anyone looks too closely.’

‘I can make the support systems appear to be working,’ Leanan tells us, ‘but that still won’t help with your height deficiency.’

Thirsk takes the pilot’s chair and starts the departure procedures. The doctor secures the children in their seats then turns her attention to me. I ignore what she is doing to the chest control panel and concentrate instead on what little I know about where we are going. Palpatine had two of his red robed personal guards posted outside the door of the turbolift up to his throne room, and there were two more guards in the throne room itself.

I hear the Commander request clearance to leave and that being given in return. No one has realized that I have escaped yet, or that the children haven’t come back to Ani’s quarters.

An important step in planning a campaign is assets, so what do I have? Thirsk, who knows all about this sort of thing, a doctor, who will have to be left at the shuttle with the children, and myself, a half-trained Jedi with no practical field experience at all. It could be worse, I suppose, but not by much. I know that everything will fall into place if I can only find a way around those first two guards.

‘Commander,’ I ask, knowing I will need to rely on his advice. ‘Do you have any ideas for how to trick or incapacitate a couple Royal Guards?’

***

Luke has spent the entire journey from the moon to the battlestation silent and with his eyes straight ahead. I know he is thinking about his upcoming meeting with the Emperor, just as I have been. As I feel the shuttle settle into its landing sequence, I stand and motion to Luke to do the same. At least he is being co-operative, to some extent. There have been no attempts to resist or escape.

I walk down the ramp, Luke in front of me, both of us being joined by an escort of stormtroopers who surround us as we cross the floor of the hangar. They leave us when we reach the turbolift leading to the Emperor’s throne room. My son steps ahead and precedes me into the ‘lift. His mind is full of turmoil and conflict behind his relatively calm face. A thousand possibilities are open for him to choose from, but he still does nothing, says nothing.

I suspect he is waiting to see what I will do before making his decisions.

The door opens, revealing the bridge across the reactor shaft and stairs leading up to Palpatine’s command chair. Luke glances around, orienting himself, before he walks ahead of me to the steps and up them. I follow, behind and to his left, but there is no need to hurry or rush. Only when we stop, in front of my master, do I move to stand beside my son.

‘Welcome, young Skywalker,’ Palpatine greets us. ‘I have been expecting you.’

My master smiles at us. He’s acting the part of a harmless old man and fully expecting Luke to be drawn in by this performance. Given my son’s naïve and trusting nature, this tactic might just work.

‘You’ll no longer need those,’ he decides, with a gesture releasing Luke’s hands from the binders.

Luke looks down as the restraints fall to the floor with a crash then returns his gaze to the man in the throne in front of him. The benevolent father is one of my master’s favourite masks, and the one I believed in many years ago. Now, I know better than to trust anything he says or does, but Luke does not.

‘Guards, leave us,’ the Emperor orders.

He wants no audience for what will follow. I hear the even pace of the two guardsmen fade as they move away from their posts at the turbolift, retreating back to their quarters in the level below us. Now, it is only the three of us: master, apprentice, and apprentice to be.

‘I am looking forward to completing your training,’ he tells my son. ‘In time, you will call me ‘master’.’

‘You’re gravely mistaken,’ Luke finally responds, defiantly. ‘You won’t convert me as you did my father.’

I glance over at Luke and smile to myself. Stubborn boy. You will eventually give in, once Palpatine figures out what your weaknesses are and turns them against you. Mine was fear of losing my wife and child. Your fears will probably be similar, but for your friends, instead.

‘Oh, no, my young Jedi,’ Palpatine taunts him, rising from the throne and drawing closer to us, looming over Luke as he finishes. ‘You will find that it is you who are mistaken about a great many things.’

‘His lightsaber,’ I offer the weapon to my master, holding it out for him to take.

‘Ah, yes,’ Palpatine accepts it. ‘A Jedi’s weapon, much like your father’s. By now you must know your father can never be turned from the dark side. So will it be with you.’

I watch Luke carefully. There will come a point where he will break under the Emperor’s emotional manipulations, lose control, and lash out. He is not there yet, but it will happen.

‘You’re wrong,’ Luke states, shaking his head. ‘Soon I’ll be dead and you with me.’

Palpatine begins to laugh. He knows what my son has assumed.

‘Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your Rebel fleet,’ my master tells him. ‘Yes, I assure you, we are quite safe from your friends, here.’

He turns away and walks back towards his throne, satisfied he has shaken Luke by revealing that piece of information.

‘Your overconfidence is your weakness,’ Luke observes. 

That prompts the Emperor to return his gaze to my son, who has scored a point in saying that.

‘Your faith in your friends is yours,’ he snaps at my son, landing his own hit in return.

I watch Palpatine return to his throne and set Luke’s lightsaber on its right arm. He will continue to remove Luke’s emotional supports, one by one, until none remain, and there is nowhere else for my son to turn.

‘It is pointless to resist, my son,’ I warn.

The sooner Luke gives in, the less pain and grief he will be forced to endure. If he fights, the longer he struggles, the worse it will be for him.

‘Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design,’ Palpatine reveals. ‘Your friends, out there on the Sanctuary moon, are walking into a trap as is your Rebel fleet. It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quiet safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them.’ He leans forward, feigning sympathy for Luke’s companions. ‘Oh, I am afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive.’

His smile, as he torments Luke with these truths, is a genuine one. Still, my son does not break upon hearing them.

‘Come here, boy, see for yourself,’ the Emperor invites my son closer, to the viewports surrounding his throne.

Luke walks to the transparisteel window, stopping to my master’s left, to stare out at the ships, now engaged in battle, which are visible. I follow, but take a position to the right and ready myself for what might happen. Soon, very soon, my son will attack in reaction to what he sees and hears, and I will be forced to defend the Emperor and myself.

‘From here you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance,’ Palpatine continues to bait Luke, ‘and the end of your insignificant Rebellion.’

Luke turns to face Palpatine, his internal struggle apparent on his face. His eyes find his lightsaber, but he does not reach for it.

‘You want this, don’t you,’ the Emperor quietly observes, looking down at my son’s weapon and patting it with his right hand. ‘The hate is swelling in you now.’

I shift my stance slightly, in anticipation. Luke’s eyes are rapidly jumping between his weapon, the Emperor, and I as he fights to remain calm and centered. The conflict in my son can be easily sensed, now. He is angry that his friends will be harmed, afraid for their safety, and hates the one who has ensured their mission will fail.

‘Take your Jedi weapon,’ Palpatine goads. ‘Use it. I am unarmed. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger. With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant.’

Luke forces himself to look away. He breathes in deeply a few times, attempting to regain his lost emotional control. When he is ready, he turns back to face us again.

‘No,’ he denies all he has heard, still refusing to give in.

‘It is unavoidable,’ Palpatine tells him. ‘It is your destiny. You, like your father, are now … mine.’

***

‘This is a really bad idea,’ I finally admit to Thirsk.

‘It worked on me, so it should do the same thing to the guards,’ he reassures me.

‘That was when I was practicing, and you weren’t resisting,’ I remind him. ‘They have no reason to be co-operative.’

I sneak a look out the cockpit window, across the hangar, and down the corridor, hoping the Royal Guards will change on schedule. Ani and Luke are here, with the Emperor, but none of them have left the throne room yet. The current guards know that the Sith Lord entered earlier, so trying to fool them with his armour won’t work. Bluffing my way past will have a much better chance on the fresh ones.

‘Something is happening,’ Thirsk notes.

Two Imperial Guards have exited the turbolift, and the two posted at it are leaving with them. A few seconds later, two more of them have taken up the same positions to either side of the door. They all look identical so I have no way of telling if the current guards really are new ones or not.

‘Shift change,’ I decide. ‘Hopefully no one has told them his lordship is still up in the throne room.’

I rest my hand against the wall to steady myself. Leanan managed to fix the armour’s systems so my eyes don’t have to deal with computer readouts all the time, but I am still trying to cope with the reddish tint from the lenses.

‘Look after the children, Commander,’ I tell him. ‘If anything happens, you will need to get them out of here and to safety. Don’t wait for me or Lord Vader. We will find our own way off the station.’

Turning around, I look down at the sleeping twins. Saying goodbye would mean rousing them, so I leave them be. Mikal is quietly playing one of the games I keep stored on the shuttle with Leanan.

‘Be good for the Commander and the doctor,’ I say to my son, brushing a gloved hand over his hair.

Mikal jumps off his seat and wraps himself around me. I can’t kiss him, so I hold him close instead before shooing him back to his game. Now I understand why my husband uses the gestures he does to convey how he feels. The helmet and mask are far too limiting to express himself otherwise.

I move to the door to the landing ramp, and pause while Thirsk opens and lowers those for me. From now until I am past the guards, I will have to be seen as my husband. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and stride quickly down the ramp and out of the shuttle. Bad mood, I remind myself, be grumpy and angry, and project that outwards. When I am approached by the deck officer, I wave him away abruptly. If I can keep people at a distance, they shouldn’t notice the height difference, at least not immediately.

Somehow I make it to where I am partially out of sight without drawing too much attention to myself. I step into the shadows at the end of the corridor and stare at the Royal Guards. If my scrutiny bothers them, they give no sign of it. Options run through my mind. Attacking them with my lightsaber is out. That would be far too noisy and just bring more of them here. Jedi mind tricks work only on those who are susceptible to them, and Palpatine’s guards are not that. They won’t leave their post under any circumstances, so a distraction to draw them away is a waste of time.

The only plan which might work is the one Thirsk and I came up with: shut them up with the Force so they can’t call for help then knock them out long enough to get into the turbolift by using my empathy. I decide to ignore my misgivings about this. An ethical debate with myself will simply have to wait until after I have done what I need to, which shouldn’t cause any direct harm to the guards.

I slow my breathing and settle into the Force, reaching out with it to sense the two guards. Both are alert, if bored, and wondering what Lord Vader is waiting for. Lightly, delicately, I touch their vocal chords, with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel as opposed to the sledgehammer the Sith Lord uses to Force choke someone. The two men won’t realize I have done anything unless they attempt to speak, and when they do, they will find themselves held mute. My focus shifts to the next task.

What emotion to use, I ask myself. Clat rather effectively used guilt and shame, and my grief affected enough of the Executor’s crew that Ani spent days training me how to control my empathy. Anything too strong or negative will be felt by the Emperor, so my choices are rather limited. Fatigue, perhaps, or exhaustion? I make my selection and hope for the best. If this fails, I don’t have a back-up plan.

Moving closer to the guards, I stare intently at them, shaping what I want them to feel into a weapon.

Then I unleash it on them.

***

Luke is staring intently out the window, watching the battle unfold and the Rebel fighters and ships being destroyed, one by one. Each time one explodes, his face twitches in reaction.

‘As you can see, my young apprentice,’ Palpatine gloats. ‘Your friends have failed.’

My son looks over his shoulder at my master. You should have co-operated and given in, I decide. If you had, you might have been able to at least protect your friends. 

‘Now, witness the fire power of this fully armed and operational battlestation,’ the Emperor reveals. He activates the comm, and orders, ‘Fire at will, Commander.’

The time I spent pushing the construction crews to their limit have paid off. The Rebels have no idea what is going to be unleashed on them, having foolishly assumed that the incomplete station is unarmed and helpless.

Luke spins around, swaying on his feet at the blow that has been delivered to him. His eyes jump between the battle and the Emperor. Another of my son’s emotional supports, his hopes for the future, has just been brutally yanked away.

The first blast emerges from the battlestation, contacts a Rebel ship, and completely destroys it. As soon as the weapon is recharged, the Commander fires again. None of the capital ships the Alliance possesses are capable of deflecting the beam. They have lost but are refusing to admit it by retreating or offering to surrender. Instead, they move closer to my ships. Fools. That will not save them.

‘Your fleet is lost,’ Palpatine notes, quietly, deliberately, ‘and your friends on the Endor moon will not survive. There is no escape, my young apprentice.’

Luke continues to sway, his gaze moving between the battle outside and the Emperor, before he looks up at me. I say nothing to him, letting my silence speak for me instead. He will have to make his own choice, as I once did.

‘The Alliance will die, as will your friends,’ my master taunts him, emphasizing how hopeless it is for the Rebels.

My son is very near to the edge, desperate, and almost at the point of losing control. He makes no effort to hide his feelings or the struggle he is having within himself. The prospect of losing his friends will be what breaks him.

‘Good. I can feel your anger. I am defenceless. Take your weapon,’ Palpatine suggests. ‘Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete.’

I watch Luke closely now. He spins, half-staggering, away, clenches his fists, and looks out at what is left of the rapidly vanishing Rebel fleet, now pinned between my ships and Thrawn’s fleet which has just arrived.

Now, the Force screams at me, as my son whips around, calls his lightsaber to his hand and ignites it. When he swings it at the Emperor, my blade is there to block his.

My master laughs, the sound echoing off the walls, pleased by the choice Luke has finally made.

***

That, I note to myself, did not go at all according to plan. In front of me, in a heap on the floor, are two unconscious Imperial Guards. Beyond them, within the corridor are several officers and ‘troopers scattered about in the same position and state, having dropped instantly in place, all at the same time. My range and strength were greater than I expected them to be, but I had to be sure the guards wouldn’t be a problem.

‘Oops,’ I say aloud, laughing to hear how that sounds in the Sith Lord’s baritone voice. ‘I think I need to work on that before I use it again.’

I move to the turbolift controls, quickly open it, step inside, and enter the code for the throne room, making sure the door will open facing away from Palpatine’s command chair. Ani hasn’t tried to contact me at all, so I have no idea what I will find when I arrive. With great care, I reach out to my husband, only to find him completely focussed on duelling with Luke. Rather than risk distracting him, I pull back and see to what I need to do. The helmet, mask and vocoder are no longer necessary and can come off, and so can his belt, codpiece, chestbox, and greaves. I leave the rest of what I am wearing on, including my own belt with my lightsaber hooked onto it.

When the ‘lift finally stops and the door opens, I peer out cautiously. All I can see is a walkway leading to an observation area and a ridiculously long drop under the bridge crossing it. From my previous visit, I know that there is a similar bridge on the opposite side of the turbolift, and a circular catwalk I can use to reach it.

Unfortunately my husband won’t be able to carry me across it this time.

Breathe, I remind myself. It’s not that far to go. I grab Ani’s helmet and use it to jam the ‘lift door open. That will prevent anyone from using the turbolift to come up after me, and keep it here as an escape route. It takes several minutes after that to convince myself to leave the safety of the ‘lift and step out onto the narrow walkway. Back to the wall, I stare straight ahead, refusing to look down, and inch my way slowly around towards the side I need to be on. The crashing sounds of lightsaber impacting on lightsaber echo off the walls as I move closer to my destination.

***

Luke disengages his blade and leaps backwards. He knows I will block any attacks against the Emperor, and since I am openly armed, he will come after me instead. I shift into a classic guard position and wait for what he will do. It comes in the form of a downward slash aimed at my head. Parrying that, I step back and allow him to try a riposte to my octave which I block once again. My son’s anger is fuelling him, but if he continues at this rate, he will tire long before I do.

The next few blows I easily parry, circling until I am facing Palpatine once again. Luke swings at my head a second time, binding our blades momentarily. I am the one to disengage first, choosing to aim my riposte at his sixte. He blocks my attack so I step back then feel my balance go as my heel overreaches the top step. My son takes advantage of that and lands a kick on my thigh, sending me tumbling backwards down the stairs to land on the floor, near the bridge, on my rear.

Palpatine begins to laugh, enjoying the spectacle of my son knocking me down in front of him.

‘Good,’ he encourages Luke. ‘Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you.’

I push myself up from the floor and stand. Luke had turned his head to listen to my master, but when he returns his gaze to me, he shifts from a defensive stance to a relaxed one and turns off his lightsaber. Palpatine’s words have had the opposite effect to what he intended. Instead of provoking Luke’s rage further, they have dampened it.

‘Obi-Wan has taught you well,’ I acknowledge where his training must have come from.

‘I will not fight you, father,’ Luke decides as I walk towards him and ascend the stairs.

I wait until I draw even with him, both of us in front of the Emperor again, before speaking.

‘You are unwise to lower your defenses,’ I warn him, as I bring my ‘saber up and then down, aiming it at his head.

Luke reacts instantly, igniting his own blade to block mine. For my next three strikes I target his torso, allowing him to parry each before disengaging and swinging my arms back, sweeping upwards at his face as they return. That he parries, as well as my following riposte downwards, at his knees. He binds our blades, backing up the few steps between us and my master as I follow him, then disengages once more and begins a series of counterattacks. My son is becoming desperate, his swings less and less controlled, and more wild as I prevent any of them from coming close to landing. When he next binds our blades, and uses a circular motion to disengage, I realize he is going to try something different. Instead of attacking, Luke bolts. He manages to run behind me and leaps up, backwards, into one of the duty posts, when I swing at him. Once there, he turns off his ‘saber and somersaults higher still, up onto one of the raised catwalks where I cannot reach him.

My son has discovered that he cannot best me in a duel and has opted to run from me instead. I stare up at him then sense something, no someone else, in the area.

Maia? I risk sending her a thought.

Anakin, she replies. I am here, near the ‘lift.

Keep yourself out of sight, I order.

Her relief at finding me safe and unharmed floods my mind for a brief moment. I respond by reassuring her with a light mental touch and burst of affection. My stubborn, clever wife has done exactly as I hoped and expected her to - escaped from her guards and made her way directly to me, but I want her to stay hidden until I need her.

‘Your thoughts betray you, father,’ Luke tells me. ‘I feel the good in you, the conflict.’

‘There is no conflict,’ I state, irritated by his accusation.

When this is finished with, I will need to explain to Luke that the light side he is sensing within me is my wife, and not I.

I descend a few of the stairs, drawing even with where Luke is above me. He moves along the catwalk as he continues his annoying attempts to manipulate and persuade me. That didn’t work before and it won’t now.

‘You couldn’t bring yourself to kill me before,’ he decides, ‘and I don’t believe you’ll destroy me now.’

‘You underestimate the power of the dark side,’ I warn him. ‘If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny.’

I need to bring him down from his safe perch to where we can finish our duel, so I throw my lightsaber upwards, aiming it at the closest support to where Luke is standing. He dodges the blade, which slices through the metal in a shower of sparks before I turn it off with the Force and call it back to my hand. The catwalk falls, Luke sliding down it as it collapses, to crash against the floor, and dump him under the stairs. I hear Palpatine’s laughter and his footsteps behind me. My master won’t be able to watch what will happen from his throne, so has decided to come closer.

‘Good, good,’ the Emperor praises.

Ignoring him, I continue down the stairs, igniting my lightsaber once I reach the bottom. Luke has opted to hide in the shadows under the steps and the command chair, but that won’t shelter him for very long. I need my son to stop resisting, give up this foolish notion of his that he can somehow drag me back from the dark side, and to surrender to it himself. That is the only way I can protect him right now, and the only choice he has if he is to survive.

‘You cannot hide forever, Luke,’ I tell my stubborn son the obvious as I search for him beneath the stairs.

‘I will not fight you,’ he refuses to come out or co-operate.

‘Give yourself to the dark side,’ I entice him. ‘It is the only way you can save your friends.’

His friends are the key. Luke will do whatever it takes to save or protect them. I will suggest the first, hoping he sees reason, and if that fails, threaten them to force him into doing what he thinks is the second.

‘Yes, your thoughts betray you,’ I reveal. ‘Your feelings for them are strong, especially for….’

Someone he cares for is in pain and calling out to him through the Force. I feel him struggle to hide that from me as I push my way as deep into his distracted mind as I can. There is a secret to be found here, and when I have it, I freeze for a moment. A life-bond. A twinbond. How could I not have known she existed?

‘…sister,’ I state, shocked by what I have just learned. ‘So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now, his failure is complete.’

I pause to think of what to do with my new knowledge. His sister, my daughter, could be anyone, anywhere, but that is one secret he won’t be able to conceal for very long. If I don’t discover who she is, my master most certainly will.

‘If you will not turn to the dark side,’ I decide to goad him out of hiding with a threat to his sibling, ‘then perhaps she will.’

‘Never,’ Luke screams at me.

He comes at me in a rage, lightsaber held above his head, swinging wildly, uncontrollably, in a drive to land a hit on me in any way that he can. Our blades send sparks in all directions as they impact against the lower consoles, and the underside of the staircase and its supports. It is all I can do to fend him off with my parries and avoid injuring him with my ripostes as he has completely forgotten to defend himself in his rush to attack me. Backing away, I retreat out of the shadows, past the downed catwalk and into the area between the bridge and stairway, drawing him to where I need him to be. Luke continues his pursuit and attacks, with both his ‘saber and his mind, his hatred and physical blows driving me back onto the bridge.

Ducking under one of Luke’s wild swings, I lose my balance, falling against the railing, which I grab to avoid going down the reactor shaft. There is no way I can defend myself with my lightsaber as my son beats his blade repeatedly against mine, and I cannot bring myself to attack or harm him with the Force. I look at his anger and hate filled face. There is nothing recognizable of him left there. Is this what I truly wanted for my son? While I ponder that question, the next blow cuts my lightsaber in half, and I know the one to follow will be intended to either injure or kill me.

***

I do exactly as my husband ordered me to, staying out of sight, and trying my best to listen in on what is going on. While I can’t see anything, and rarely hear more than a word or two clearly, I can feel the emotions saturating the room. Palpatine is gloating over his new apprentice, amused at the spectacle he is watching, and triumphant when Luke finally gives in to the dark side. Ani, for the most part, is completely calm and unshakeable, until something surprises him deeply. Luke swings repeatedly from losing control to regaining it, before erupting in an insane rage.

As I hear their duel come closer to me, I risk a look. My husband is backpedalling and parrying furiously in an attempt to avoid the hail of anger fuelled attacks Luke is raining down on him. Palpatine is standing at the top of the stairs, watching, and making no move to intervene. I bang the back of my head against the wall in frustration. Ani can’t effectively defend himself and his master is not going to do that for him.

Move, I command my reluctant feet. Inching along the wall, I finally end up in front of the turbolift doors, facing Luke, Ani, and the Emperor, although none of them seem to notice me. My husband has backed onto the bridge, Luke in pursuit, exactly as I have seen it unfold in my nightmares. As I watch, Ani falls in defeat and his son continues to attack. That, I decide, is enough. No proper Jedi behaves that way.

Stop it, Luke, right now, I send an order directly to him, blasting through what little remains of his mental defenses.

His next swing goes wide of his intended target as my words startle him, destroying Ani’s lightsaber, but missing his hand completely.  Palpatine has partially descended the stairs and is watching all three of us. From his frown, he did not expect me to escape and come here, and is busy figuring out what he should do about it.

‘Your hate has made you powerful,’ the Emperor tells Luke. ‘Now, fulfill your destiny and take your place, with your father, at my side.’

Luke hesitates, holds his lightsaber’s blade at his father’s throat, and in turn looks down at the defenceless and fallen Sith Lord at his feet, over at me, and at his black gloved hand. His eyes go wide for some reason as he stares at his prosthetic hand.

I take a slow step forward, doing my best to ignore where I am, and concentrate on reaching Ani’s side. Be brave, he had told me, be courageous and fierce. The Sith Lord needs me to protect him and I intend to do just that. Luke takes one step back for each of mine, retreating from the bridge and turning his lightsaber off. Whatever he sees on my face is enough to discourage him from challenging me to a duel. My husband drops what is left of his ruined weapon, but otherwise doesn’t move. He is alive, exhausted, and his breathing is laboured. I give Luke a warning glance before falling to my knees next to my husband, then do my best to shift his body up against my own, into a sitting position, to ease the pressure on his lungs.

Maia, Ani calls to me.

I don’t answer in words, but in the Force, sharing with him any of my strength he might need from me.

Careful, he warns me, blocking what I had been doing when he feels me weakening. You must be mindful of my son you are carrying.

Luke is staring at both of us, having somehow overheard what Ani just said to me. This is the first time I have met him since that trip to Garqi.

You? Eri? he questions me. You are pregnant with Vader’s child? But you were life-bonded to your husband. Then he must be…

My husband, Anakin, I confirm his suspicions.  Although he gets mad at me if I use that name in public.

That prompts Luke to turn to the Emperor, look at the lightsaber in his hand and throw it away. What does he think he is doing? Only a fool disarms himself so carelessly in Palpatine’s presence.

‘Never,’ Luke firmly states. ‘I will never join the dark side. You have failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.’

The smug look on Palpatine’s face vanishes, replaced by one of pure rage. All of his carefully laid plans have just been ruined. It will be many years before either of my sons will be old enough to take Luke’s place as his new apprentice.

‘So be it, Jedi,’ the Emperor spits out. ‘If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed.’

Blueish-white lightning erupts from Palpatine’s fingers. Luke throws up his hands, deflecting it. I turn my face away, not wanting to look, and unsure what I should do. This is something I have no experience with or effective defense for.

Help me up, my husband asks of me.

I humour him, acting as a crutch once he is on his feet. Ani’s left arm is around my waist as he walks both of us over to his master’s side. Luke has been thrown backwards, against one of the posts lining the reactor shaft. His attempts to protect himself are failing as Palpatine continues his barrage. When the attacks intensify, Luke begins to writhe on the floor and scream, only stopping when they cease for a moment.

‘Young fool,’ the Emperor taunts Luke as he walks closer to the fallen Jedi. ‘Only now, at the end, do you understand. Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the dark side. You will pay the price for your lack of vision.’

Palpatine hits Luke with another blast. I turn away and hide my face in Ani’s chest, doing my best to shut out the cries of agony I am hearing. This is something I do not want to witness. The lightning stops for a second time.

‘Now, young Skywalker,’ the Emperor promises, ‘you will die.’

This time, when the attacks are renewed, I put my hands over my ears and let my husband hold me close. His hands, resting at my waist, are firm and unmoving.

‘Father, please,’ Luke begs for his life. ‘Help me.’

I feel the hands at my waist loosen and know the Sith Lord has made a decision.

Close your eyes and shield yourself, Ani abruptly orders as he pulls my lightsaber from my belt and spins me behind him.

I hear my weapon come to life as I reinforce my shields. Before I can turn to face what is happening, there is the sound of a lightsaber impacting and cutting through a body then a long, inhuman screaming howl. Ani grabs me and pulls both of us to the floor with me sitting on his lap. He wraps himself securely around me both physically and mentally, holding me tight to his chest and inside his own shields as a form of shelter. I curl up in a ball in his arms as something batters against his defenses, and I know it is trying to get at me, not him. The Sith Lord shoves it away, repeatedly, until whatever it was vanishes.

I don’t move until he releases me from his embrace, and we help each other to stand. My husband sets his hand on my middle, over our son, sighing in relief when he finds that all is well. Luke is curled up on his side on the floor, moaning pitifully as he recovers from what he has experienced. There is no sign of the Emperor anywhere I can see. Ani walks over to his son and offers to him the lightsaber Luke had discarded and the Sith Lord just retrieved.

‘Well, my young apprentice,’ he tells Luke. ‘Lesson number one: never throw your weapon away and leave yourself defenceless in the presence of a Sith Master.’

‘That’s not very funny, father,’ Luke grumbles in return, accepting his lightsaber, but waving aside the hand extended in aid, choosing to use a post to haul himself to his feet instead.

‘Lesson number two,’ Ani continues, shaking a finger in his son’s face, ‘if you are foolish enough to take on a Sith Master alone, always have a spare weapon, preferably one hidden in plain sight, and a reliable back-up plan.’

The Sith Lord hands my ‘saber back to me and pulls his comlink from his belt.

‘Admiral Piett,’ he calls.

‘Yes, my Lord,’ Piett promptly answers.

‘Status report on the battle,’ Ani orders, ‘and make it a quick one.’

‘Grand Admiral Thrawn arrived with his fleet in time to help pin the Rebels in place. Most of their capital ships were either destroyed by the battlestation or incapacitated by the fleet. Very few escaped,’ the Admiral tells him. ‘All of the Rebels on the Sanctuary moon were captured, but several of them were killed in the fighting. Lord Tremayne is holding what few Rebel leaders survived, for you to deal with at your leisure.’

Luke stares at his father, horrified at what he is hearing.

‘I expect a full report when I return to my flagship,’ Ani signs off, ending his call.

‘You,’ Luke accuses. ‘You did this. You lured us here and knew I would come to you.’

‘Have you forgotten what I told you at Bespin?’ my husband reminds him. ‘I certainly have not.’

I look back and forth between the two men. They are discussing something I know nothing about.

‘You planned all of this,’ his son states, realization dawning on his face. ‘It was a trap meant to catch me for the Emperor, but instead you used it to kill him and capture me for yourself.’

‘Did you really think I would not have everything arranged in my favour?’ his father asks him. ‘Do you take me for a fool?’

He grabs my hand, pulls me in close, and holds me tight to his chest. I lean heavily against him, glad that he is willing to let me have the physical contact and security I need from him to settle my nerves.

‘Luke, your mother died because of what Palpatine did to me,’ Ani reveals, ‘and for many years I thought you had perished with her. I believed the lie he told me, that I had killed you both. Once I learned the truth, that she had died in childbirth and you had survived, I was not going to lose you again, or risk the safety of my second wife and our young children. My master had to die and you were the crucial distraction I required for him to drop his guard.’

I shiver a little at what I am hearing. My husband must have been busy plotting and setting this up for months, perhaps years, and I had no idea what he was doing.

‘You need to rest,’ he decides, turning his attention from Luke to me and tipping my face up with his hand so he can look at me. ‘This has been far too much stress for you to deal with all at once.’

‘Don’t fuss,’ I scold him a little.

His fingers brush my cheek, but he doesn’t push the issue. Instead, he lets me go and heads for the turbolift, pulling me along with my hand held firmly in his.

‘Come along, my young apprentice,’ he orders Luke. ‘There is much to be done before the day is finished.’

‘I am not your apprentice,’ Luke tells his father as he trails along behind us. ‘I am a Jedi, not a Sith.’

‘Very well,’ Ani humours him, laughing at Luke’s stubbornness. ‘My young padawan, I shall call you instead, since the title of apprentice offends you.’

‘Father,’ his son says, sounding a touch exasperated. ‘That’s not funny.’

We reach the ‘lift, its door still propped open with Ani’s spare helmet. Inside, the pieces of armour I had discarded are still stacked in a pile.

‘Impersonating me was a very clever way to escape and come here,’ my husband praises. ‘I think I will use that in my explanation of Palpatine’s death: infiltration by a Rebel spy disguised in a copy of my armour, followed by a successful assassination attempt and disposal of the body down the reactor shaft.’

Luke stares at Ani and shakes his head. I understand why my husband will do this, but Luke needs to accept the fact that no one other than us three can ever know what really happened.

***

Luke’s stubborn resistance to my offer of apprenticeship amuses me. He might be an idealist, now, but that will not last once the reality of his situation sinks in. The safety of his friends will rely on his conduct and co-operation, which I would prefer he gives freely rather than having to coerce it from him.

I hold Maia close as the turbolift descends and brush her hair with my fingers to calm her. She’s still shaken by what she has witnessed and needs to rest. Luke watches us, his curiosity obvious, but he does not voice aloud the questions I know he wants and needs answers to.

‘How did you deal with the guards?’ I ask her.

‘I made them fall asleep,’ she replies, sounding embarrassed. ‘It was the only plan Thirsk and I could come up with.’

‘You did very well,’ I praise her.

Uncertainty appears on her face.

‘I left the children on the shuttle,’ she bursts out, her worries escaping in a rush.

I lift her hands from my waist, and let her rest them in mine between us. Reassurance is needed here.

‘They are safe,’ I promise her. ‘No harm has come to them. They have had two very powerful guardians watching over them.’

Both my wife and son appear puzzled by my statement, but the ‘lift doors will soon be opening and there is no more time to speak in relative privacy. I pick my wife up in my arms, although she does not need my help in this way right now. Her pregnancy sickness will allow me to avoid too many questions being asked, at least for the moment.

‘Anakin?’ she questions my actions.

‘You have been very ill, Maia,’ I remind her. ‘Let me care for you.’

She settles her cheek against my chest armour, pulls herself tighter to my body, and raises no more objections.

‘I will see to what must be done,’ I warn them both. ‘Say nothing, do nothing unless I tell you to.’

***

I do my best to ignore the chaos which erupts around us when the doors open and Ani steps from inside the ‘lift. Imperial Guards line the corridor, and Moff Jerjerrod is here, as are several robe clad members of the Emperor’s court. The Sith Lord’s presence dampens the situation when everyone’s eyes fall on him.

‘The Emperor has been assassinated,’ he calmly announces.

Silence falls and no one moves.

‘Commander Kyneugh,’ Ani calls out, to be answered by one of the Royal Guards stepping forward. ‘Take your best men and secure the scene. The Rebel assassin has escaped, leaving his disguise behind. A thorough investigation must wait until the remaining Rebels in the system have been dealt with.’

My husband steps aside, allowing the Commander and several of his colleagues to enter the turbolift. He shifts me slightly in his arms, making the movement large enough to be noticeable to all. I play along, close my eyes, and pretend to be sicker than I am.

‘Moff Jerjerrod,’ the Sith Lord turns his attention elsewhere. ‘To you falls the task of finding the Rebel before he can flee the battlestation and escape punishment. Do not fail me.’

I feel and hear my husband’s helmet move as he looks down at me.

‘I will return to the Executor with my guest and my wife,’ he decides. ‘She is in shock, very ill, and must be seen to. You will contact me there with your progress reports.’

***

I walk away, Luke at my side, leaving the Guards and Jerjerrod to follow my orders. No assassin will be found, of course, but the resulting wild goose chase will keep those I need to be occupied busy pursuing a phantom. In the hangar, all appears calm, but I know that was not the case that long ago.

Thirsk, on guard duty, is standing at the bottom of the ramp into my wife’s shuttle. Beside him, in Sith robes, is the pest, who is grinning from ear to ear and looking rather pleased with himself. I walk past them both, not setting Maia down until we are inside and out of the sight of anyone in the hangar. Her brother, having followed us, quickly hugs and releases her.

‘I have a present for you, little sister,’ he teases.

He extends the Sith soul trap towards her. My wife reaches out to it then yanks her hand away before she can touch it, stepping backwards into me, having sensed the same thing I can.

‘The miserable, old coot is in it,’ she flatly states. ‘His vile presence is unmistakeable.’

I accept my master’s prison and turn it about. Keeping the device, instead of destroying it, has proven to be a wise decision. There is no possible way for Palpatine to escape, and I have no intentions of ever freeing him.

‘He went for Mikal,’ my brother-in-law reveals. ‘Qui-Gon protected your son, and I cornered and trapped the old bugger. We make a good team.’

The Jedi Master comes out of the passenger compartment in response to his name, moving to stand next to the pest. Luke is staring, his eyes jumping back and forth between them, at what must be to him a very strange sight - two ghosts, one obviously a Jedi, the other robed as a Sith, both working together in harmony.

‘Contrary to the nonsense you have probably been told by Obi-Wan,’ I say to Luke, ‘it is entirely possible for Jedi and Sith to co-exist.’

I catch Maia’s hand and squeeze it in my own, to make the point even more obvious to my son. The pest opens his mouth, shuts it again, and remains silent. From the look on his face, he will probably show up at some point, late at night, just to annoy me with whatever he was about to say.

I am not a Sith, Anakin, he scolds me in thought, and neither are you. Not entirely, not anymore. Be honest enough to admit that to yourself even if you won’t to anyone else.

Scram, pest, I growl at him. You can save your attempts at analysis for later.

He exchanges a glance with Qui-Gon and the two of them rapidly fade from view. Maia rushes through the door where they had just been standing into the passenger compartment beyond. I can clearly hear Mikal and the twins calling to their mother, and her voice calmly quieting them. Palpatine’s thwarted possession of my son has left them nervous, but not frightened. Between the Jedi Master who guarded my children, and the doctor who kept them under control, all went as best as I could expect it to.

‘You are about to meet your half-siblings,’ I tell Luke, ‘but revealing your relationship to them can wait.’

My son shifts his weight from one foot to the other, his shyness expressing itself in that motion.

‘They are very young and quite impressionable,’ I warn him. ‘Be careful what you say and do.’

***

Ani leads me into his office and locks the door behind us. I know he should be busy dealing with the aftermath of the battle and today’s other events, but he has chosen to spend time with me, first.

‘My wife, my Lady,’ he teases me. ‘Or perhaps it will be ‘my Empress’?’

I give my head a shake. Too much has happened in the past few hours for me to have thought it all through yet. Our lives will soon change forever.

‘Little goddess, then,’ he opts to use one of his favourite nicknames for me instead. ‘Come here and let me hold you. Today has been rather stressful for you, so stay as long as you wish.’

His arms are open so I step into them, resting my cheek against his chest. I just want to be held, to know that he is here and safe, that he will protect me and our children. The Sith Lord obliges me, his fingers brushing my face and hair. He’s trying to calm and soothe me, and I can feel his concern for my wellbeing.

‘Luke needs to freely agree to remain with me, so I will go talk to him after I leave you to rest,’ Ani tells me. ‘I won’t force Sith teachings on him because he is not suited for that path. Instead, I will train the two of you together as Jedi.’

I stiffen a little at that. If Luke won’t be his apprentice, then who will?

‘I promised you that none of our sons would become a Sith,’ he reminds me, ‘and I meant it. The line of Sith Lords will end with me. I have no interest in training a successor and future rival whose primary goal will be to kill me.’

‘Thank you,’ I quietly say to him. ‘Thank you for that, Ani.’

‘I am the one who should be thanking you,’ he admits. ‘Without your strange foreknowledge, I could not have changed what you saw in your dreams and had hidden deep in your mind. Thrawn’s fleet was the key to winning the battle in space, and Inquisitor Tremayne ensured that the planned attack on the shield generator was doomed to fail.’

‘And the Emperor?’ I ask.

‘Would have been dead by my hand, regardless,’ my husband reveals. ‘The only difference was in how I did it, and that was because of you.’

I squeeze him tight around his waist. He hasn’t brought me to his office just so he could privately reassure me. The Sith Lord needs us to be alone together if he is to release some of his pent up emotions and stresses.

Make love to me, my husband, here, now, I offer.

I wasn’t going to ask you for that, Ani tells me, and I can wait until later, tomorrow, even.

You need it, and I need it, I make the decision for him. Lift me up onto the desk.

He does as I request, slides my gown out of his way and removes his codpiece. His touch is gentle as he helps to shift me into position and as he slowly pushes his way inside of me. Neither of us says a word. We are far too wrapped up in the sensations and emotions shared across our bond to speak. My husband takes his time, never hurrying me, patiently making sure that I enjoy everything he does. I sit on the edge of the desk, arms wrapped around him after we are finished, not wanting to ever let him go. When he tries to loosen my grip, to leave my arms, I begin to cry. While I know he has to be elsewhere to deal with other things, after almost losing him today, I never want him out of my sight again. Ani waits as long as I need him to, silently holding me until my tears finally stop.

‘You will never lose me and I will never leave you,’ he reassures me, his fingers tracing the red and gold Sith hieroglyphics on my arm. ‘Wherever I go you will always be there with me, in my mind, in my soul, in my heart. Never doubt that, and always remember that I love you.’

‘I know that, love,’ I whisper to him, not trusting my voice to say more than that.

He takes my hands in his and holds them lightly, gently. His shields are down, I suddenly realize, his mind completely open to my own.

I love you, my wife, he repeats. I don’t say that enough and I should say it more.

Behind his words is the weight of emotion, freed now that there is no need to hide it, to resonate over our bond and between us. All I can feel from him is warmth and love, no trace of the distance or coldness, once so much a part of his public Sith Lord persona, is there. He’s changed, and he probably doesn’t realize how much that is spilling over into his Force presence. If I can sense the difference in him, then others probably can as well.

Anakin? I ask. You made a choice today, didn’t you?

I chose you, I chose our children, and I chose Luke, he admits. Nothing and no one is more important to me than you are.

The Sith Lord rejected his master and chose me.

Michael had told me Ani would be offered a second chance to turn from the dark side. Now that it has happened and his choice been made, it will probably take my husband a while to sort out all the implications of what he has done today. At the moment, I don’t think he himself realizes what protecting Luke and killing Palpatine really means for him.

I love you, Anakin, I tell him.

I know you do, he replies. And now I want you to rest for a while.

He replaces his codpiece, helps me off his desk, opens the office door, and leads me into our vacant bedroom. Thirsk and Cyran have the children, each finishing what I had interrupted this morning. The Sith Lord’s fingers brush my lips, and I know he must leave. I touch my fingertips to his breathscreen in farewell.

‘Go and lie down,’ he suggests. ‘Rest as much as you can, and sleep, if you are able. I will send Leanan to check that all is well with you and our son, later. Don’t stay awake waiting for me to come to bed. It will be a very long day and night for me.’

I watch him go into the ‘fresher to clean up, then take his advice and curl up on the bed, under one of his cloaks, to have a nap. Before he leaves, I feel his fingers on my cheek and him gently easing me into sleep.

***

Part 6

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