Picking Up the Broken Pieces
By: Jody
Author's Notes: This AU scene takes place post ROTJ. A sort of contfrontational what if had Padme and Anakin lived. There will be more to this as time goes on but for now here you are.
Disclaimer: Of course I own none of this. All rights and that good stuff belongs to G. Lucas!
Nothing could ever prepare him for the return of his angel. How long had it been since their paths crossed without the fire and brimstone of their fury? It shamed him to think that in the empty years that had been his life as Darth Vader he only ever saw her with eyes of anger, denial and even hatred. By blinding himself to the truth of his actions, he had hoped that somehow it would silence the guilt and sorrow that even her name encouraged.
He is nervous and his heart races as he picks up the force signature of his former queen, who is now near. If she is nervous or apprehensive, it doesn’t show in her aura. In another time, another place it would have been so easy to approach her, to slip his arms around her waist and murmur the words that weighs heavy on his heart. But too much has passed between them, the chasm is too deep, too wide for such simple gestures. He knows he isn’t worthy of her, in truth he wonders if he ever was.
He can only guess why she even agreed to see him again, especially after all he had put her through. But he knows better then to ask, for some things are just best left unsaid. He tries to bury the fear that still lingers in his mind, along with the whispers of darkness that he is learning once again to ignore. Taking a deep breath, the former sith finds himself thanking the force he no longer needs the mask of the dark legend that was and will always be part of him. But it is a passing joy that soon disappears as his eyes fall onto hands that tremble slightly, belying the nervousness that isn’t as hidden as he’d have himself believe.
He wanted to see her again, needed to see her, if for nothing else then to prove to her (and to himself) that the monster which had ruled for almost his entire life is no longer in control. However even now this is easier said then done, as the darkness still lingers in the corner of his mind, whispering sweet lies and false promises that he knows now will never come to pass.
Slipping the hood of his black cloak over his head, the former Dark Lord finds solace in the cloth’s camouflage. There was a time when his appearance meant nothing to him, but now he is painfully conscious of every scar, every mark that mars his once handsome form; another reminder of self imposed suffering and needless destruction.
While the past can’t be undone, the present is still his to embrace, along with what little is left of his future, should he not give into to his demons. Determined he clears his thoughts and begins the long, yet short journey through the vast halls of the old building that overlooks one of the many Nubian lakes. She had suggested this place to meet, out of the memory of simpler times or perhaps out of punishment for throwing it all away, he can’t say. No matter the reason, being here is as painful as it is inviting. There are too many old ghosts here now and he can’t be sure they are all good.
As he nears to one of the many balconies that decorate this now desolate place he catches sight of her lithe form. Though she is near, he feels as though she is a million miles away. Hesitant he pauses, sensing through the force that she is aware of his presence though she seems to be trying to hide it. Though she doesn’t move, he can still feel her energy signature growing guarded, cold even. Though it saddens him, he doesn’t blame her for it. With her back turned in silent defiance, it becomes obvious that she is waiting for him to make the first move, which only adds to his trepidation. It is bitterly ironic that he could destroy entire civilizations, kill younglings, even torture and harm his own children; yet he can’t even speak to his wife without hiding behind a mask. Despite the crippling shame this realization brings, he still moves onward. This had to be done; not because he deserves a second chance, not because he is even worthy of her acceptance, but because he would not forgive himself if he didn’t at least try.
“…Padme…”
He whispers softly with all the reverence that a mortal can offer in the presence of an angel. She stiffens slightly in reply but turns to face him. To his disappointment her own features are hidden as well, behind the deep blue hood of her own cloak. He feels her eyes scrutinizing him from the hiding place in the folds of her cloak. For a moment she doesn’t say a word as they both let the uncomfortable silence fall between them.
But then she moves slowly, so that he can see her eyes peering from their hiding place, as they stare into his. They are warm color of amber, sparkling with the vibrancy of the sun, but carrying in them, the weight of the world. He wishes he could see the rest of her face, but it too remains hidden in the shadows of her cloak. However as her fiery eyes burn into his own pale orbs, he finds himself grateful that he can’t see her expression. For her eyes say more then words ever could, leaving him feeling more vulnerable and exposed then he thought possible.
A single question escapes her lips, cutting through the thick, cold veneer of his mental armor with such ease it’s as though it was never there. Though he tries to hide it as best he can, hers words cut to the very core of his being. Forcing the former Sith Lord to come face to face with the hard truth he fought so hard to run from since his descent into the dark side.
“Have you finally satisfied your need for death?”
The Promise To Return
Her words leave him struggling to find a response; something, anything to answer her justified anger and pain. It cuts deeply and he finds himself fighting the anger, the shame and the tears of remorse that threatens to escape. The darker part of his soul demands he not show how much her words affect him. It whispers that that she would never forgive him, that she would never love him again, and that she never did.
He glances away quickly unable to hide the struggle but not wishing to reveal the wounds she has opened. He tries to cling to the soft whispers of light that tell him it is alright, that this is necessary. However the darkness of his taunting guilt is ever consuming and powerful, leaving him feeling like a man lost in the midst of a sandstorm.
“Will nothing I say will convince you I am that man no longer?”
He half asks, half demands, knowing that any sort of apology would be nothing more then an insult to her intelligence. In truth any explanation is just empty by comparison to the facts. For how could one expect mercy, when they have never shown it themselves?
Some crimes are just unforgivable and some souls can’t be redeemed.
The words of his former master suddenly echo in his thoughts but he is too tired to feel hate now, so only grief and regret remains. He can’t believe this is true, he needs to believe it isn’t so. To him, only she can decide if he is worth saving, only she can determine if he is redeemable. For she holds the power to crush his heart or let it continue to beat.
Closing his eyes to her silence he feels the lingering hope slip away. The tears come now without warning or apology forcing him to quickly turn his back, to hide them from her. Despite the initial relief he now wishes for the mask that served as the iron wall which separated him from humanity.
“I believed in you once before, but then you showed me where your true loyalties lie. I can no longer afford to be so trusting.”
She admits with a heavy sigh.
“I just don’t have the strength anymore.”
She continues softly to which he doesn’t reply, understanding her sentiment, though it leaves him feeling ten times his age. Once he would have fought over such words, now he knows there is too much truth in them to bother denying it.
The uncomfortable silence soon settles between them once more and soon he finds himself struggling to find the words to speak again.
“I’m not asking you to trust me…I could never ask that of you. Not now, not after…All that has passed.”
He says shyly.
“Then why are you here?”
She states simply, as he can feel the concern radiating from her force signature. Though he can’t see them he can feel her eyes burning into his back; carrying in them the questions, the doubt and the pain.
“I wanted to…”
He pauses, there is so much he wants to say, too many words and so little time.
“I wanted to see you again. To prove to you I am no longer, what I was.”
He finally admits finding solace in the silent footsteps that marks her slowly nearing him. Her presence always calmed the raging storm of his soul. Even Darth Vader’s vice like grip on his soul would loosen; if only slightly, when she was near. But then the darkness never did linger for long when exposed to such powerful light.
“I’m sorry, but it is going to take more then just a few words to convince me that you speak the truth.”
Her voice is neither hard nor cold. Rather filled with the tired sorrow of one who has clung onto dreams all their life, only to learn it was nothing more then wishful thinking; leaving them now afraid to fall victim to hope again. Turning to face Padme once more he senses the hidden tears that are forming in her amber eyes. He longs to touch her skin, to feel the softness of her cheek. But he doesn’t dare, somehow even the thought just seems blasphemous.
“I wish I could have as much faith in you as our son does, but I’ve witnessed and seen too much of your demons. I just don’t know if I can go through it all again. I lost you once before and it…”
Her voice trails off as she shakes her head, as a delicate hand flutters to her lips. The moonlight briefly dances on her features, revealing an aged but still beautiful Naboo Queen, before the hood of her cloak hides her once more. The sight even now is breathtaking, forcing him to pause as it takes all his willpower not to reach out, pull her into his arms and hold her near.
But he knows this too, is wishful thinking. For his angel would only see a monster instead of a man. If only he could convince her that his demons are all buried; that all he ever wanted and still wants, is his family’s happiness. That even in his darkest hours, his only desire was to be able to stare into her eyes and know he is worthy of her, to know she is proud to call herself, his wife.
If only his feelings could change the past. If only meaningful apologies could make it all disappear, so that only what should have been before the darkness consumed him remains. But time is an unforgiving mistress, one that leaves him helpless, as he watches her in pained silence.
“I wish it was easy to let the past go, to forget all that has happened, but it isn’t.”
She whispers, as her eyes continue to study him in sad silence.
“I understand.”
He replies empathetically, knowing only too well how hard it is to bury the past. But the mutual understanding passes quickly and soon her eyes turn stoic, as he feels through the force her thoughts and emotions growing more guarded.
“Do you really?”
She asks simply, as her eyes turn a piercing shade of autumn. Though he tries to resist, her demanding gaze still holds him captive, just as it always had over the years.
“I wish I could go back. Do everything over…The way it should have been all along.”
He replies softly, surprised at how pleading and weak his voice sounds even to his ears. As Darth Vader he could push her away, bury his love for her in his rage, pretend he felt nothing all along. Just as he would try to tell himself that she never loved him but rather loved the idea of a handsome Jedi worshipping her as a goddess.
They were all lies of course, but in his desperation he forced himself to fall prey to them. For if he didn’t, it would mean he’d have to accept that he had only himself to blame for all their suffering.
But that was then and this is now. Now he knew he had to face the facts and he couldn’t decipher what hurt more, the lies or the truth.
“Only now that the damage has been done, you finally realize how wrong you were?”
Her words force him out of his dark thoughts causing him to frown as he feels the rush of anger stirring once more.
“I’m not here to fight with you.”
He argues, struggling to calm the siren’s song of rage and darkness that threatens to gain control once again. However her eyes soften slightly to his words, taking with them the sharp edge of anger that had lingered in his thoughts only seconds ago.
“I know…It’s just…”
The hesitation is evident in her voice and after a moment’s pause, she lowers the hood of her cloak, revealing the beauty he had waited a lifetime to see with his own eyes. Her features are not filled with the guarded stoicism he had become so used to seeing over the years, but rather with such sadness that leaves his heart bleeding with sorrow and shame.
“What happened? Where did the man I once loved go?”
She exclaims suddenly.
“It’s like I don’t even know you anymore. I look at you and all I see is a criminal; a murderer of younglings, and innocent. You tell me that Darth Vader is gone, that the Anakin I knew has returned, but how can I believe you after all you have done?”
Her voice is tired and the exhaustion is evident in her eyes. She has been through enough pain and suffering to last many lifetimes and he knows without question he is to blame.
“Vader will always be a part of me, as much as I don’t want it to be true. He no longer has control over me, and he never will again.”
“Even so you can’t just pretend the events of the past 25 years never happened! Entire civilizations now cease to exist because of you. Nevermind the countless millions of lives you helped to destroy.
I want to believe that you are no longer that monster, I really do. But it’s going to take time to let go of the past Ani, time to sort things out.”
It isn’t the words he wants to hear but at the same time he can’t blame her for them. In truth, it is a miracle that she is even here at all. Yet despite the despair that weighs heavy in his thoughts there is a small tinge of hope that still lingers. Ani. The last time he heard her refer to him by this name he was still a Jedi knight, and she was still by his side. Another time, another place that now seems like a million years ago. In this simple word holds the whispers of a past that could never be revisited, but could perhaps be bridged.
“I am patient; I can wait for as long as it is necessary.”
He offers softly, desperately clinging onto the small embers of hope as though his soul depended on it.
Though she doesn’t respond he feels her eyes staring into the shadows of his hidden features, searching for answers that even he can’t find. Then without warning, the former queen reaches out and gently touches his upper arm. A barely noticeable smile creeps onto his lips, as he can’t help but wonder if she knows that even now, her touch is electrifying to him. But if she is aware of the effect her presence has on him, it doesn’t show. Her expression is serious, too serious in fact.
“Prove to me the man I love has not died in the inferno of Darth Vader, and I will return to him.”
Her words catch his attention immediately, as he stares into her eyes intently, taking in the fiery determination that now reflects in them. She gives his arm a gentle but firm squeeze, before offering a smile that says more then words ever could. Then without hesitation, she quietly turns and walks away. Leaving him alone to watch her disappear from his life once more; only this time with a promise to return.
Author's Notes: A huge thanks goes to agentrosecotton for inspiring me to do this particular ‘chapter’ via some remarks she made pertaining to a letter she sent me. As such I would like to dedicate this chapter to her D Also this hasn’t been Betaed so apologize for any and all grammar/spelling mistakes you may (and will) find.
Bridging the Chasm.
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Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. Abraham Lincoln
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What does freedom mean to a slave? At one time the answer would have come readily, now he can’t be quite sure anymore. Freedom is everything to one who has none. Yet at the same time captivity can bear a charm of its own as well. It was a strange concept, one he had only come to understand in these recent months. All his life he was the servant, a slave to one person or another. Yet all he ever desired, lusted after, was to be free of all the ties that bind. Yet the more he struggled to remove the shackles that he felt held him back the more tangled in his chains he became. Until nothing was as it seemed; all that was good in his life became bad and all that was bad become his only option.
But there was a saying he had heard once years ago.
Once a slave, always a slave.
It was the first and last time anyone was foolish enough to speak of such things to Lord Vader and yet it was the one quote that remained with him for a lifetime.
It took him twenty-five years to realize just how true this statement this was and almost losing his son to his former master to finally do something about it. But now that he was truly free he never felt more lost and dare he admit it; frightened as well. He had grown so used to the boundaries, the restraints, and the hard-line sense of what he could or could not do that without it he felt almost directionless and without a clear sense right and wrong. His instinct once fully aware of the glaring differences between light and darkness was now confused and uncertain. For his lack of morality during his years as a Sith Lord had long since blurred the lines between right and wrong.
It was only when she returned into his life did things begun to fall into place again. Had it not been for her words and the promise given Anakin didn’t think he would have had the strength to do what he knew he had to do. The memory of their awkward conversation served as one of many reminders of their years apart and the damaging effect his selfishness had on their relationship. His years as Lord Vader as powerful as they may have been were, without question the loneliest years of his life. Looking back he couldn’t blame her for leaving him. In truth there were times when he was still a Sith Lord that his actions would even disgust him. But he had soon learnt how to bury such emotions with denial and lies. After all Darth Vader didn’t have time for guilt or remorse. He was far too busy ensuring his Master’s empire was firmly established, all the while destroying his former allies the remnants of the Jedi. He dreamt of one day ruling this empire with his wife and later his son. But they would not accept the legacy he was building for them and this frustrated him beyond words, as pain was never readily accepted like the rush of rage. But the part of him that was still Anakin - though silenced and hidden away from even himself - was relieved that they remained on the path of the light. That by choosing the higher ground they ensured that they wouldn’t share his fate and become enslaved by the darkness as well.
But now like so many things had become a part of his past, part of him wished he could just forget or even better, let go. However this was impossible and in reality he knew it was nothing more than another desperate means of escapism. He had to face the consequences of his actions and after much thought and consideration the former dark lord finally found himself doing what he should have done from the beginning. It wouldn’t be easy; but when was it ever easy to give away all that you’ve spent a lifetime trying to gain? Yet it had to be done and so with his mind resolute the former Sith Lord quietly approached his son who was practicing with his lightsaber in the courtyard of his current makeshift home.
The sight of the young Jedi training once made him smile; now it left him feeling a little melancholy. He knew this would be the last time he would be able to roam freely in the now ironically soothing sands that decorated his homeworld of Tattooine. Another reminder of a past long lost. How strange it was to feel so hesitant about leaving this desert world after spending the earliest years of his life longing to depart from it. But it wasn’t the vicious sands that he’d miss or the scorching suns that always bit at his flesh; rather the young Jedi that saved the former him from himself.
“Luke, the time has come for me to leave.
I trust you know who to contact and I ask that you do not hesitate.”
He said quietly once his son had sensed his presence and paused in his training. He didn’t have to explain himself further as Luke already knew what this was about. But the look on his son’s face certainly didn’t help matters despite the fact he was resolute in his decision.
“They’re going to execute you father! I can’t let you do this!”
The young Jedi argued, as once more he tried to convince his father not to go through with it. But ever since the fallen Jedi first brought up the matter of his arrest and impending execution Luke had a sinking feeling that no matter how hard he tried he would never be able to change his father’s mind.
The former Sith Lord could only nod in reply knowing fully well what to expect and in truth almost anticipating it. He had spent the last twenty-five years paying for his mistakes and the thought of finally being able to put it behind him even through death was welcomed. While the thought of finally facing justice was oddly satisfying he knew in reality his passing would not bring back those who died by his hands or the hands of his former master.
But his biggest fear was no longer death, rather being separated from his newly found family. He hadn’t had much of a chance to get to know his children and what little chances were given he wasted readily being unaware of who they truly were. At least Padmé would now have the opportunity to make up for the lost years with the twins without fear of Sidious stealing them away. It wasn’t much, but it gave him a little joy, despite the heavy weight of guilt and sorrow. Yet even this was bittersweet as he knew if he hadn’t given in to the siren call of darkness they would have had a lifetime to share with his family.
“I have fulfilled my destiny and now must face the consequences of my actions. If my execution means justice is served then so be it.”
Luke stared at him in disbelief but fell silent as his internal struggle was obvious to Anakin who was moved by the love he saw in his son. He did nothing to deserve it, just as he did nothing to deserve Padmé’s. Yet both freely gave it in their own way. Though Padmé still struggled over what had he had become over the twenty-five years, the emotions she held for him when he was still a Jedi remained. She hated what he was and in many ways still is, but she had faith that one day the man she loved would return.
Her parting words to him during their last meeting were proof of this fact. It was also part of the reason for his hesitancy about turning himself over to the Alliance in the first place. He wanted to be certain he was doing this for the right reason, not just a means of catching her attention. In the end he finally accepted the fact that there would always be a part of him that was doing this to prove to her that he was no longer the monster he once was.
“But you are no longer Darth Vader! You ceased to be him when you killed the emperor; that part of you died with him on that day.”
Luke argued causing a sad smile to creep into the scarred man’s features. Was I really that naïve and innocent at his age? He mused sadly to himself. However at his age Anakin had long since ceased to be, leaving only Lord Vader in his wake or so it felt at the time. As a Sith Lord he may have still been that naïve, but he was hardly innocent.
“No he didn’t. Part of him will always remain a part of me until I meet my end. I’m sorry Luke but you must understand that.”
He quietly explained to his unconvinced son.
“But what is done is done. The past is behind you.”
Luke continued in determination as his words made Anakin feel ten times his age. The past; a lifetime wasted away in the lust for vengeance, blood and power. At one time he actually believed that with Padmé by his side he could do anything. He always felt invincible when she was near that she had nothing to fear as he could save her from any threat. But in his arrogance he couldn’t comprehend that the greatest danger was none other than himself. He knew that now and the thought filled him with such grief that he could not dwell on it lest it broke him beyond repair. He had to keep himself pulled together, not for his own sake, but theirs.
So instead of responding he moved quietly in the direction of his old ship in an attempt to subtly guide his son to where he knew he must go. But Luke saw through the ruse and stopped suddenly forcing the older man to pause.
“Master Yoda and Obi-Wan told me I had to kill you. I refused. Please don’t ask this of me as well.”
Though his heart went out to the boy’s plea the former Sith knew he could not relent no matter how much he wanted to. As easy as it would be to give in to his need to remain with Luke and help him rebuild the Jedi Order as he hoped, Anakin knew it was not his place. Not anymore. His duty now was to serve some small justice through his execution. But he had to make his son understand he was not about to take the easy path, not anymore. If only taking the high ground as his former friend, brother and mentor once called it didn’t have to be so hard. Then again was anything that was worth anything ever easy?
“Luke you know I must do this. Please don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
The young Jedi paused and studied him with eyes filled with pain and sorrow at all that could have been but never would be. It was hardly surprising to realize that the emotions found in his sons blue orbs mirrored his own. After a moment of contemplative silence Luke finally nodded in acceptance before they quietly continued their walk to the same small Imperial ship that was used in their escape after the Emperor’s death. While it once marked the Fallen Jedi’s physical journey into freedom, he now realized it was about to return him into captivity once more. Not only was he fully aware of the fact he was giving up his freedom, he was doing it willingly. If only he knew this was only but the beginning...
Waking the Sleeping Dragon.
Anger ventilated often hurries toward forgiveness; and concealed often hardens into revenge. Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton
He thought he knew what to expect upon his arrival to the Alliance headquarters on Denon. For he had little doubt of where he would be going and what awaited him. But the last thing he had expected was an impromptu confrontation with his daughter. After all her position within the Alliance was related to political leadership, not the military or the judicial arenas. While he knew such a moment was inevitable he hadn’t anticipated it occurring so soon. But like her mother Leia wasn’t one to wait around for matters to settle on their own.
However almost as soon as Luke and the former dark lord arrived the older man was promptly escorted to a makeshift holding cell. Though it wasn’t to be his final destination it was the beginning of the end. He knew that they already making preparations for his arrival to the military base nearby where he would be held until it were time for him to be executed. But it was here where the former Sith Lord found himself in the presence of none other than Leia herself.
It was the first time he had seen her since he had learnt of her true identity and it left him feeling more than a little awkward. If he had any doubts about her knowing who he was, they were promptly erased at the sight of her. While her thoughts were still closed to him, Leia’s eyes marked her recognition that she knew the truth about his relation to her. Yet outside of this, her amber orbs revealed little else.
Suddenly he felt something shift through the Force around them and without any warning or intuition the former dark lord was shoved against the back wall. The shock was evident on his face, but if she found any pleasure in catching the former Sith Lord off guard it certainly didn’t show. He was aware that she was using the force to achieve this action, even more to the fact she doesn’t realize it.
Her small fingers are wrapped tightly - painfully so around the blaster’s handle, while the end of its barrel is pressed firmly against his throat. Her face though peering up at him is fierce enough to hold his attention. Her force signature normally as bright as her twin’s was now filled with tendrils of darkness which seemed to create cracks in a once perfect visage of light. A powerful reminder of what he once was and had now become. He doesn’t want to return her fiery gaze, for he knew what he would find and facing the truth was never an easy task. But their eyes lock forcing him to feel the rage and burning hate that her cutting amber gaze brought.
Was this the last thing Padmé saw in my eyes all those years ago? He thought as his own blue orbs filled with sorrow at the memory.
“I. Want. You. To. Die.”
The sound of her voice so enunciated, unnaturally low and filled with unadulterated hatred literally ripped him out of his thoughts. Just as the sound of the safety being de-activated from the gun drew him back in. Her voice, nothing like the rich lilt that he was vaguely familiar with, was dangerous and deadly filled with darkness that he knew his presence had triggered.
The air feels stormy and through the force he can hear the siren song of the darkside calling to him. It would be so easy to answer it, to turn the inky blackness against this child – his child. If not for anything then to put her in her place, to teach her first lesson of a master and his apprentice. That there are lines that should never be crossed, unless one is certain of victory.
Yet as these thoughts pour through his mind Anakin still doesn’t physically resist her attack, even as her fingers tightened around the trigger while she pushes the barrel of the gun harder against his scarred throat. He knows he could easily stop her, after all she is untrained in the force and though her fury gave her power, it was nothing by comparison to his own. However he also knows he deserves this. That this is a small punishment for the many crimes committed over his lifetime. But as the blaster powers up a soft voice seemed to whisper in the back of his thoughts demanding his attention whether he wished to give it or not.
Are you so eager to leave this world, that you would willingly sacrifice your child to the darkness to do so?
The realization hit him hard and it forced him out of his tormented thoughts as he was filled with new determination.
Despite all of his willpower he barely managed to ignore the siren’s call, which even now called to him desperately. Time wasn’t on his side and as unfamiliar as it felt to tap into the light side of the Force, the training he thought he had long since forgotten returned to him readily. Using it, he held the trigger firmly in place preventing her from releasing the shot that was intended to take his life. The look of surprise and shock was evident in her eyes as he then caused the gun to slip from her fingers before pushing her away from him with such force that it caused the small woman to almost lose her footing in the process. As she glared at him in defiant silence, he couldn’t help but notice the fact that Leia’s over-confidence and temper was a trait that they both share.
“Is this what you really want?”
He asked surprised at how calm his voice sounded even to his ears. Even a few months ago he would have killed her without question in a blind rush of fury for even trying to defy him. Now the sight of his daughter’s force signature riddled with darkness filled him with sorrow and fear the likes he hadn’t felt since the nightmares of Padme’s death first plagued him.
Her eyes narrowed, as her expression remained guarded. Frowning deeply the older man folded his arms, unimpressed by her open defiance as he continued to hold her stormy gaze.
“What did you hope to accomplish?”
More silence. He didn’t need to read her signature through the force to know what she is thinking.
“Did you think that by killing me now, all your problems would have been solved?”
“No. But justice would be served. After all you have done, this is the very least you deserve.”
She snapped back sharply causing the fallen Jedi to consciously ignore the pang felt as the truth once more left its mark on him.
“This isn’t about justice. This is about vengeance and we both know it.”
Her lip curled slightly in response to his quiet admittance, as her eyes barely contained the inferno he had experienced too many times before. How strange it felt to being on the receiving end of such fury instead of the other way around.
“Is it? I’m sure all the lives you slaughtered would voice a very different opinion.”
“I imagine their opinion would be no different than those who died at the hands of your Rebel Alliance.”
“That is an entirely different matter and you know it.”
She retorted as he raised his brow slightly in reply. Normally he would have been furious at her blatant defiance and ignorance.
“Not really. Both sides have blood on their hands. No matter how we justify it, neither one of us is entirely innocent. You can’t tell me that in all the battles you’ve been in, not once have you killed an innocent either unintentionally or otherwise.”
Her expression turned from stormy to down right insulted.
“Had the Emperor not stolen away our rights and freedom, we wouldn’t have had reason to spill blood at all. You know as well as I, the Alliance had tried peaceful negotiations that is until you decided to kill all who chose to openly speak out.”
It is with much self-control that he forced himself to ignore the verbal attack, choosing instead to bury it for the moment as he tried once more to reason with her.
“We’ve all done things that we have regretted at one time or another Leia; more for some, less for others.
But if you kill me now like this; blinded by hate and anger you will only be following a path where there is little chance of return.
I know this because I have been down that path, in many ways I am still there.
I cannot and will not let you make the same mistake that I did.”
Her expression remained guarded and foreboding but he could sense the conflict within her. She knew he was right and her realization gave him a little hope that she may still back down and resist the siren call that was the dark side.
“Do you really believe that you’d be worthy enough to stop me?”
Her word though direct and fierce did little to belie the truth is readily visible to eyes sensitive to the force. For the tendrils of darkness had already begun to ebb away leaving her signature once more as bright as he once knew it to be.
“If it is necessary, then I will do what I must.”
He stated simply before feeling the need to continue in equally quiet tones.
“I won’t stand by and let you destroy yourself as I did. You deserve a better destiny then that.”
She covered her confused and surprised thoughts well. Like her mother Leia knew how to wear a politician’s mask, and she wore it well. Much like Padme her silence too also spoke volumes.
It wasn’t much, hardly anything to even take note of but for the briefest of moments her knew a delicate connection had been made. She still hated him and rightfully so; but whether she liked it or not the former Jedi knew that his daughter had come to two very hard conclusions.
Despite her resistance, Leia was forced to accept that for once he was right. Even more difficult, was the hard truth and realization that he wasn’t the same man she had encountered back on the first Death Star.
After what seemed to be an eternity of awkward silence her glare faltered and he knew he had ‘won’. It certainly didn’t feel like a victory, if anything it felt quite the opposite. But she had calmed, the darkness which had only a short time ago rippled through her force signature was now gone. In the end, in this moment it was all that really mattered to him.
Suddenly as though the Force itself was taking pity on them the silence was broken by the chime of the comm link on Leia’s wrist.
“M’Lady is the prisoner ready for departure?”
“Yes, we will be joining you shortly.”
Her voice though subdued is still commanding. However as soon as she confirmed that they would be leaving for the military base that would act as his prison Leia was silent once more. Without saying a word she approached and he extended his hands knowing what she must do, acutely aware that she too understood just how futile this gesture really was. Yet as she slipped the handcuffs over his wrists she was careful to avoid his gaze; the fire that once burnt within the small woman moments ago had long since died out, leaving in its wake the expectant and dreaded silence.
As both father and daughter silently began their journey to the launching bay, both slowly became painfully aware of another journey, one far more complicated then either would care to admit. A path that would be arduous and filled with turmoil, one that neither were entirely prepared to travel, but knew without question they would have to embark upon.
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