Return to Light: Version II

by Valerie Vancollie and Anne Marie Gazzolo

Lightsabers clashed as Vader desperately tried to block Luke's blow. It worked, but the pressure Luke put on his saber forced Vader backward. Luke then blocked one of Vader's blows and added one of his own. He forced Vader back onto the gantry leading to the elevator. On both sides he could see the long drop down. Immediately an image of his last battle with his opponent rose to his mind. Back on Cloud City they had also fought on a gantry, only that time he had been the one retreating. But not now, no, now it was his father who was retreating. The thought of his humiliating defeat at Bespin made his anger rise even more, and he released it on Vader, his father. He forced Vader to his knees and then, imitating a trick Vader had used on Bespin, he ripped his father's lightsaber out of his hand and sent the saber clattering over the edge of the gantry.

Vader fell back as his own trick, one that Obi-Wan had taught him, was turned against him. Obi-Wan. This was all his fault, if he hadn't taken Luke away from him at birth, this wouldn't have happened. Luke would have been brought up and trained in the ways of the Dark Side from infancy. As he looked into his son's eyes, he saw the anger and hate glowing there. He hadn't seen such anger in anyone's eyes since the last of the other Sith had died. Not even in the eyes of the Emperor, for Palpatine made sure no emotion showed in his ice cold eyes.

"Good, good," came the Emperor's voice as he walked down the stairs towards Vader and Luke. "Your hate has made you powerful. Now fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side," he tempted as he stopped a couple of steps from the bottom. From here he was still taller than Luke.

Vader looked from his master to Luke. It was as he thought. The Emperor would sacrifice him in order to get Luke totally under his power.

Luke seemed to hesitate, though. He looked down at his father, at the evil monster that his father had become. He wanted to kill this monster, this monster that had committed horrible crimes against the galaxy, him and his friends. As he thought of this he looked down at his artificial right hand. Vader was responsible for this, as well as for the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke wanted to kill this monster, this monster that was evil and that was.....him.

Suddenly realization slapped Luke in the face like ice cold water. He realized how much like his father he was becoming. No, he would not kill Vader, for if he did he would become no better than Vader.

Vader looked around, desperately looking for a way to save himself. But there was nothing he could do, his life now lay in his son's hands. A son he had hurt and tried to destroy. Vader prepared himself for the endless terror and chaos that was death on the Dark Side, when he suddenly sensed a change in Luke. He looked up to see realization dawn on his son's face.

"No," Luke said as he suddenly turned off his lightsaber. "I'll never turn to the Dark Side." As he said this he hurled his lightsaber away into the dark depths of the throne room and turned to face the Emperor. "You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

As Luke spoke these words Vader felt something inside of him change. Luke had had the chance to kill him and yet for all the pain and suffering he had brought on Luke and his friends he had not. 'A Jedi like my father before me.' Those words rang in his ears as he struggled to get up. 'A Jedi. By the stars, what have I done? What have I done?' he thought.

The Emperor's evil glee turned to pure hatred at those words. "So be it, Jedi," he pronounced this last word with all the anger and hate he felt. "If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed." He said these words as he came down the last few steps. Once at the bottom, he raised his hands and shot bolts of blue Force lightning directly at Luke.

Luke hadn't been sure what to expect from defying the Emperor, but the lightning came as a complete surprise. He raised his arms out of reflex, but it was no use. The bolts of pure Dark Side energy slammed into him with such a force that Luke was knocked back against the railing. He clung to it desperately to prevent himself from falling over into the dark depths beyond. As the assault continued, Luke's knees gave out and he fell to the floor.

Vader watched as the Emperor unleashed his anger on Luke. His son's screams of pain ripped him free from the Dark Side's ice-warm embrace. The Emperor was killing his son. He couldn't allow it, he wouldn't allow it. He knew that Luke couldn't take much more of the lightning before being fatally wounded. So he pushed himself to his feet and made his way to the Emperor, as if to take his normal place at his side. Luke must have seen it, for he called out to him:

"Father, please!"

After that Luke fell back to the floor and his body became still. Vader chose that same moment to grab the Emperor from behind.

The Emperor had been enjoying Luke's screams of pain so much that he hadn't even noticed that Vader was back on his feet until Luke had called out to him. 'Foolish boy,' he thought. 'Your father is mine, as you should be. But if you choose to die rather than serve me, so be it.'

At that moment, however, Palpatine felt strong hands take hold of him from behind. Before he could react, he was picked off of his feet and hoisted into the air.

"Vader!" the Emperor cried out, realizing what was happening. "Vader, put me down! Now! Vader I command you!" He arched his Force lightning over backwards, desperately trying to hit his formerly most loyal servant. But it was no use, Vader had him held over his head and Palpatine just couldn't hit him with enough lightning to do any good.

Vader walked towards the railing of the gantry, careful to keep the Emperor in a position from which he couldn't really harm him. "Yes," he informed his former master, "you controlled Darth Vader, but not Anakin Skywalker."

With this he hurled the Emperor over the railing and down into the seemingly bottomless abyss. He stood there, looking down for a moment, just long enough to see the dim glow of an explosion, then he turned around and walked towards the still form of his son.

Luke lay in a daze, not sure what was happening. All he knew was that the lightning had stopped. He didn't know how or why. His vision was cloudy and unclear. He could only make out the bare outlines of objects and their color. Suddenly something big and black appeared before him. It reached out and touched him on the shoulder. Luke instinctively tried to pull away, but he was too weak to move.

Anakin noticed his son's feeble attempt to pull away. It caused a great wave of guilt to wash over him. This was all his fault. If only he hadn't given in to the Emperor, then he would have been there to see his son grow up and to train him in the ways of the Jedi.

"It's all right, Luke. You were right about me, son. You were right about me." The words sounded lame, even to his own ears, but the words seemed to reassure Luke and Anakin could feel Luke's muscles ease under his hand.

"Father?" Luke finally managed to say.

"Yes."

Luke, although weak, felt the change in Vader's Force aura and tried to dig deeper, just to make sure it wasn't some kind of elaborate trap.

Anakin felt Luke enter his mind and, instead of putting up his mental shields, he let any shields he had left crumble. He was determined to reassure Luke that he really had turned back, even if that meant letting Luke know his deepest, darkest secrets. Secrets he had held inside him and never talked about to anyone. But Luke didn't dig down into the private part of his mind. He just reassured himself that it wasn't a trap and then withdrew, letting Anakin keep any secrets he wanted.

Once he knew for certain that it was safe, Luke relaxed into a healing trance. The last thing he felt before he drifted off was his father summoning something, his...lightsaber. He tensed a bit at that, but couldn't sense any danger, so he let himself go, confident that with his father at his side, there was no safer place he could be.

Anakin had felt his son tense ever so slightly and another bit of guilt jabbed at him, but then Luke relaxed. Anakin looked at the lightsaber he now held in his hand and, as the Emperor had noticed earlier, it did look a lot like his. Suddenly he felt a ripple of danger through the Force and he immediately searched for the source of it.

Suddenly, through his mind's eye, he saw part of the space battle. However, it wasn't as the Emperor had so confidently predicted it would be. The tide had turned: the Rebels, no, the freedom fighters, had brought down the deflector shield and they were now winning the battle. Anakin smiled. He had to get Luke out of here before they destroyed the Death Star. He looked down at his son laying before him. He quickly fastened Luke's lightsaber to his belt and then he gently slid his arms under Luke's shoulders and knees. Then he stood up and, carrying Luke in front of him, he walked over to the elevator and got in.

Anakin wasn't sure what to expect from the Royal Guards when they saw him carrying Luke out of the Emperor's throne room, but he was determined to get Luke to safety. He had prepared himself for a confrontation, but nothing had prepared him for what he saw as the elevator doors opened: chaos. There were storm troopers and fleet crew running back and forth through the hall and only one Royal Guard remained outside of the elevator.

The Royal Guard straightened at the sound of the elevator door opening. He felt uncomfortable standing out here with everyone running around while the Emperor was inside with a prisoner. It wasn't that he didn't trust the Emperor's judgment, it was just that he had never liked Lord Vader very much. And now to find Lord Vader coming out of the elevator with the prisoner in his arms, it was just all too suspicious. But Anakin cut him off before he could say or do anything.

"The Emperor wishes for you to return to your normal post inside the throne room," he said in his best intimidating voice. The voice that had been his for twenty four years and now he could no longer stand to hear, but knew he always would.

The guard hesitated for a moment, but then he looked down at the boy in Vader's arms. He had seen other people leave the Emperor's throne room in similar condition. So he just dismissed the whole incident as a normal happening and got into the elevator.

As Anakin made his way through the halls of the Death Star to the main docking bay, Luke came around briefly, just long enough to hear the sound of lots of people hurrying about and to feel the comforting and safe presence of his father.

Anakin sensed Luke coming to briefly, but continued to make his way to the docking bay. His previous sense of danger was back, only this time it was much stronger and it didn't go away. Once in the docking bay, he made his way to the nearest shuttle and boarded it. He put Luke down on one of the bunks and made his way to the cockpit. He started up the shuttle, without even doing a flight check, as there was no time to do one, and lifted off, heading for the safety of space.

He got out of the docking bay just as the whole Death Star went up in flames. "Good riddance," he said to himself.

He pointed the shuttle at Endor and set her on auto-pilot, then hurried over to Luke's side as he felt his son's life force start to disappear. He looked down at Luke as he unfastened his left glove and touched his hand to Luke's forehead. He called upon the Force to project some of his own life force into Luke, to strengthen him and keep him alive. He relaxed as Luke unconsciously accepted the help and used it to bring himself away from the jaws of death.

He resealed his glove and sat by Luke's side for a couple of minutes, looking at his son. He placed his left hand on Luke's shoulder as he wondered what to do. Luke was safe for now, but he would need medical help soon or he could still die. Anakin knew the aftereffects of Force lightning, and they were not pretty, especially considering the amount Luke had received. He would have to take Luke to his friends, it was the only option he saw. He couldn't, wouldn't, go back to the Imperials and he knew of no other place to go. The Alliance would take care of Luke; he was after all one of their Commanders. As for him, well, he would receive the proper punishment for all the atrocities he had committed.

"I'm sorry, Luke," he said out loud. "I'm sorry for all the pain I've ever caused you and I'm sorry for not being there to watch you grow up."

Anakin then got up, with tears in his eyes, and made his way to the cockpit to land the shuttle on Endor. He decided to land in a clearing about three kilometers south of the Ewok village the Alliance used as a temporary ground base. He knew that if he landed any closer he'd probably be shot out of the sky for being in an Imperial shuttle. Besides he wasn't quite ready to walk into a base full of people who wanted him dead for the things he had done while under the influence of the Dark Side and the Emperor. Plus, he wanted to apologize to Luke, and preferably without two dozen guards around.

He landed the shuttle smoothly and shut it down. As he got up, he felt his muscles complain from the small amount of Force lightning he had received. He'd have to need some medication as well, but it wasn't urgent. Ignoring the pain, he went back to check on Luke. Seeing that his son hadn't been affected by the landing, he left him and went forward to let down the ramp. Then he walked down the ramp and into the Endorian twilight. He looked around admiring the beauty of the moon for the first time and remembered his childhood dream of wanting to travel to each world there was. How many of them, he silently wondered, had he visited without seeing the true beauty they held?

He quickly stopped himself from thinking about the past; it was over and there was nothing he could do about it no matter how hard he wished he could. Besides Luke needed him now and he was determined not to let the boy down this time. He had done that all too often in the past. He turned around and re-boarded the shuttle.

Luke moaned softly as Anakin gently lifted him off the bunk. "Shhh, it's all right," he murmured as though comforting a child. With sudden sharp pain, he wondered how many times Padmé had comforted their son in the same way. Long delayed longing and grief pierced him as he remembered her using those words with him. He was glad for the pain, though. It meant he was alive again.

Forgive me, my angel, he thought, then carefully made his way off the shuttle with their son in his arms and headed in the direction of the Ewok village. He walked as fast as he could through the dense undergrowth, stopping occasionally to make sure he was heading in the right direction or to choose the best way around a particularly dense patch of vegetation.

After two hours of walking, Anakin stopped and gently lowered Luke to the ground. The boy had barely made a sound during the whole trip and Anakin wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign. He desperately wished for Luke to come around, if even for a few moments, just long enough for him to ask Luke's forgiveness. He knew that all that he had done wouldn't be forgotten with just a couple of words, but he wanted Luke to know that he regretted doing it and that he would do anything to be able to turn back time and change what had happened.

He looked down at Luke and then he stretched his complaining muscles. His own pain had been steadily increasing, but he had accepted the pain without complaining, for he knew that it was nothing compared to the pain he had brought to others. He reached out, trying to see how much further it was to the Alliance base and found to his surprise that it was only a fifteen minute walk away.

He then searched the surrounding area for any guards the Alliance might have about, but found none. "Of course," he told himself. "Why would they have any guards out? They have nothing to fear. The only Imperials on the moon were the storm troopers at the landing platform and they would have taken care of those first thing."

Anakin turned back to Luke and was just about to lift him when the boy came to.

"Father?" Luke asked, feeling Anakin's presence.

"Right here, Luke."

"W...where are we?"

"Endor," Anakin informed his son.

"Endor?" Luke repeated looking around and seeing a greenish blur next to the vague black outline of his father.

"Yes," Anakin confirmed, preparing himself for Luke's possible refusal to forgive. "Luke?"

"Yes," Luke replied picking up on his father's serious tone. "What is it?"

"Luke, I'm sorry for all that I did. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me, I'm sorry for bringing you before the Emperor, and I'm sorry for..." Anakin stopped as he closed his eyes at the thought of what he had done. "I'm sorry for cutting off your hand."

There was a moment of tense silence during which Anakin saw Luke form a fist with his artificial right hand. He also picked up on a new undercurrent of pain that washed over Luke. Anakin knew all too well that this new pain wasn't coming from the effects of the Force lightning, but from old emotional wounds. Much like Padmé's must have, every time she thought of him. For a moment he wondered if he was hurting Luke even more by bringing it up, the double guilt of what he had done to his wife and son ready to drown him, but then Luke looked up at him with unfocused eyes.

"That wasn't you," he said, hoping that he was looking up at his father's face for he couldn't be sure with the aftereffects of the Force lightning. "That was Darth Vader, not Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin let go of the breath that he had unconsciously been holding in. He didn't know what he would have done if Luke hadn't been able to forgive him. But his boy was good, everything that Padmé had been, everything that he was not and would never be.

"No," Luke replied sternly as he heard he father's thoughts. "No. You renounced the Dark Side and Obi-Wan and Yoda said that that was practically impossible. You had enough good in you to overcome and drive out the Darkness that had been in you for over twenty years!"

"Thank you, my son, thank you," Anakin said as he felt tears run down his cheeks. Luke had just restored part of his self-confidence and he knew that he would need every ounce of it to face the Rebels.

"Where are we going?" Luke asked after a few moments just as he felt that the pain was about to pull him back into unconsciousness.

"I'm taking you to your friends. They can give you the medical treatment you need."

"But who knows what they'll do to you?!" Luke exclaimed, trying to stay conscious.

"They wouldn't do anything that I don't deserve," Anakin pointed out.

"Father," Luke begged, "isn't there another way to do this?"

"No, if you don't get help soon, you'll get even sicker and then you'll probably need bone transplants. I've seen the aftereffects of Force lightning and they aren't pretty."

Luke shuddered at the thought of getting a bone transplant. He was still trying to figure out what to do when everything went black and he fell into unconsciousness once more. Anakin looked down at his son as his mind raced. He had felt the determination in Luke just before he had drifted off and he knew that Luke wasn't about to leave it at that. He wondered what his son would do, but decided to just wait and see, for it was really starting to get dark and he didn't want to trip over roots while carrying Luke. So he once again picked up his son and continued towards the Ewok village.

As he neared the village, he could hear the sound of voices mixed in with laughter and singing coming down from the tall trees as well from the forest floor in front of him. He reached out with the Force to find Luke's friends and was greeted with an almost overwhelming sense of joy and grief. Joy at the destruction of the second Death Star and the death of the Emperor and grief for friends lost during the battle.

It took Anakin a few moments before he was sure that Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo were among the Rebels on the forest floor ahead of him. As he briefly touched their presences, he felt their worried anxiety for Luke. He also felt it radiating from three others next to them. Two of those minds were human and one was alien, the alien mind was probably the Wookiee Solo had as a co-pilot and one of the other minds felt like that of Lando Calrissian. So he had made up with Solo. Anakin was pleased that despite his interference that that friendship hadn't been destroyed. He couldn't tell who the last mind belonged to, but felt that he and Luke were close friends. Anakin smiled as he headed towards the group. Luke sure did have some good friends.

Luke stirred briefly as Anakin finally saw the light from the bonfires, but other than that he stayed silent. Anakin looked at his son and then he looked up and scanned the Rebels for Luke's friends, he would have to get as close as possible to them before leaving the protective shelter of the forest. There would probably be twenty blasters trained on him the instant he appeared from the forest, if they didn't die from shock first. As soon as he spotted the Princess, Anakin made his way towards her, careful to stay hidden.

Anakin stopped as he came to the edge of the area bathed in light from the bonfires. Here he looked around and saw that there were only two Rebels between him and Luke's friends. He also noticed that Solo had his arm around the princess and that she was leaning against him. A princess and a smuggler, who would have thought ? But he didn't have time for that now, no. He looked around to see how many Rebels were carrying firearms, for he didn't want Luke to take a blaster bolt intended for him. He knew that once they saw that he was carrying Luke that they wouldn't fire, but it was pretty dark and both he and Luke were dressed in black, so it might be a moment before the Rebels noticed that he was carrying Luke. But a moment was all it took for some people to draw their blaster and fire, Solo included. Which was why he was happy to see Solo with his arm around the princess; it would slow him down.

Anakin saw that there were only six or seven people within firing range, not including Luke's friends, but that was still seven people too much. Come on, get on with it, you coward, Anakin thought to himself. He was just about to step out into the open when he saw two people join Luke's friends. He immediately recognized them as Mon Mothma, leader of the Alliance, and Admiral Ackbar, leader of the Alliance space assaults. He waited for a moment until he saw that they wouldn't be going away any time soon.

"Just as well," he said to himself. "This way I'll know straight away what'll happen to me."

With this decided, he stepped out of the protective shadows of the forest and into the light of the bonfires. One of the female Rebels noticed him immediately and screamed. At this everyone spun around and suddenly Anakin found that there were seven blasters trained on him. 'Great. The worst just had to happen.'

"Wait!" Leia called out before anyone could fire. "Don't fire!"

As soon as she said this, the others noticed Luke cradled in Dark Lord's arms.

"Luke!" Han exclaimed as he, too, noticed Luke. He glared hard at Vader. "What have you done to him?"

Han started forward and stopped, unsure of what Vader would do to Luke if he moved closer. Although they had several blasters trained on him, Han knew that Vader was still in charge of the situation since none of the Rebels could fire without fear of hitting Luke. Even if they aimed low, Vader could still place Luke between himself and the blaster bolt. And Han knew from experience that Vader had good reactions.

"I did nothing to him," Anakin replied, still eyeing the blasters and wondering if any of the Rebels would fire despite the fact that he held Luke.

"Of course you didn't," Han replied, his voice full of sarcasm. "He just got tired from walking, huh?"

Anakin felt another wave of guilt wash over him as he looked down at Luke. Solo was right, if he hadn't brought Luke before the Emperor then this wouldn't have happened. Anakin started to feel desperation creep up on him when Mon Mothma spoke:

"What do you want, Lord Vader?" she asked, confused by Vader's sudden appearance, for she couldn't see any Imperial storm troopers nearby.

"He needs medical attention," Anakin replied, nodding down to Luke.

"I think we can see that," Lando replied, finally finding his voice.

"No," Anakin continued. "You don't understand. He needs help right now."

As he said this, he lifted Luke a little higher and away from himself indicating that he meant that they should come and get Luke. He felt the confusion radiating from the Rebels as they tried to find the trap behind all this. He just hoped that they considered Luke was worth the risk, otherwise Luke would pay the price. He remained where he was, unmoving, as Solo took a hesitant step forward. He looked back at the Princess and then up at him and then his eyes finally came to a rest on Luke cradled in his arms. Anakin felt the sudden change in the smuggler as he came closer still.

"Wait!" one of the Rebels called out. "He's got a weapon!"

At this Han froze. He knew it! Vader wouldn't just bring Luke back for medical attention when he was the one who had probably caused the wounds in the first place. But, try as he might, he couldn't detect any physical wounds or blood on Luke. This worried him for there was definitely something wrong with Luke. Suddenly a thought entered his mind: Luke could already be dead! They had no way of knowing. Han didn't want to believe it, but he wouldn't put it past Vader to pull a trick like that.

"It's not my lightsaber," Anakin said as he shifted Luke so that he held his son with one arm. He then slowly dropped his other hand to the lightsaber at his belt. "It's Luke's."

"Don't move," Admiral Ackbar suddenly ordered as he saw Vader's hand go for the lightsaber. He was confused by Vader's actions however for, although the Dark Lord was reaching for a weapon, he was doing so in clear sight of them, plus he had just shifted Luke so that they had a clear shot at him.

"If that's Luke's saber, then where's yours?" asked the man Anakin hadn't been able to identify earlier. Wedge Antilles, that was it.

"It's space dust now," Anakin informed him and nodded towards the sky, indicating where the Death Star had been.

"You never go anywhere without your lightsaber," Mon Mothma said. "Why would you leave it behind on the Death Star this time?"

"I didn't," Anakin replied, still frozen in place. "Luke sent it clattering down the elevator shaft in the throne room."

"What?!" Han exclaimed not believing a word of what Vader was saying. "The throne room?"

"That is correct," Anakin responded and immediately winced at the line. It was something he had often used when threatening Imperial officers. Would he be forever hearing echoes of his past life?

"Why should we believe you?" Han demanded.

Anakin tried not to let his frustration and impatience show. His son needed help and they were all standing here still bickering with him! He quickly ran through a Jedi calming exercise, amazed how easily it came to him after years of non-use. Luke's words echoed again. 'A Jedi, like my father before me.' Anakin almost smiled. Perhaps there was hope for him after all.

"There isn't exactly much I can do, is there?" he pointed out. "You've got seven blasters pointed at me and you've got a straight shot. I'm also offering to give you Luke and his lightsaber. What is there more that I could possibly do?"

Leia was looking at Vader strangely, her mind going back to when Luke had left. Luke had told her that as long as he remained with them he was endangering the group and their mission. He had said that he needed to face Vader for Vader could feel when he was near. There had been more to it than just that - Leia could tell by the way he had avoided eye contact - but he had refused to tell her what else was bothering him.

"He's right," she said, looking at Luke. Everyone looked at her surprised, but Leia remained focused on Luke who moaned and shifted slightly in Vader's arms. It was all the encouragement Leia needed. Her friend was obviously in pain. She started forward.

Mon Mothma was about to stop Leia from going to Vader when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Admiral Ackbar looking at her. "Let her try," he suggested.

Reluctantly Mon Mothma nodded and turned back to find that General Solo was also approaching Vader. Together they carefully walked to him, watching for the slightest sign of a trap. But they saw none and Anakin didn't move a muscle.

Leia stepped forward, still unsure of what was going to happen next. She slowly, carefully, extended her arm and took the lightsaber from Vader's belt. As she looked at it she saw that it was, indeed, Luke's lightsaber. Whatever had happened, Vader seemed to have changed, it was that or some extraordinarily elaborate trap. Which she didn't think it was, it just wasn't the Imperial style, or Darth Vader's for that matter.

Han watched as Leia took the lightsaber from Vader and then he stepped forward and reached for Luke. He looked up into the Dark Lord's helmet as he slid his arms under Luke and lifted him out of Vader's arms. Then, just as he was about to step backwards, Luke's left arm shot out and gripped Vader's right arm just above the wrist.

Han froze and he heard Leia and some of the other Rebels gasp. He looked down at Luke and saw that his friend was awake. Luke's face was twisted in pain, but his eyes were open and Han could see that he was trying to say something. He looked up at Vader and saw that Vader was watching Luke, so he bent his head down a little.

"What is it, kid?"

"H...h...he...he saved....me," Luke stuttered in pain.

Anakin had felt Luke awaken a split second before Luke had grabbed his arm. 'So this is what he had planned,' he thought to himself. As he watched Luke talk to Solo, he could plainly see that his son's condition had gotten worse. He only hoped that Luke wouldn't need any bone transplants.

"He what?" Han asked astonished. 'Vader must have some kind of control over him,' he thought.

"He...s..saved me," Luke repeated. He winced as he swallowed. "D...don't...h...harm him. P...please...Han," he added as he felt Han's doubt. "F...f..for me."

Han looked at Luke, about to ask him why, but Luke had already drifted off again. Whatever was wrong with him, it was bad. Han quickly made his decision. No one but Luke and Vader knew what had happened and since Luke had said that Vader had saved him, he decided to ask Mon Mothma to wait before she did anything drastic.

Now that Luke's hand was no longer holding Vader's arm, Han stepped back and Leia followed him, looking back at her worst enemy.

"Thank you," she said.

Anakin bowed.

"Take Lord Vader away," Mon Mothma said as soon as Han and Leia were away from the Dark Lord. "Bring him up to the command ship and have him interrogated."

"Could I ask you something, Mon Mothma?" Han asked just as the Rebels moved towards Vader.

"Yes, General," Mon Mothma said as she approached Han.

"Could you wait before you interrogate Vader?"

"Excuse me?" Mon Mothma asked, surprised.

Han noticed that the others had heard him as well and he was now in the center of attention.

"I would like for you to wait before you do anything to Vader."

"And why would you want us to do something like that?" Admiral Ackbar asked as he came up next to Mon Mothma.

"Luke said that Vader saved him and he asked me not to harm him," Han explained as he looked at Vader.

Anakin noticed Solo was watching him and thought of how much the pirate trusted Luke. He had done all kinds of unimaginable crimes, both against the Princess and Solo himself, and yet he was about to forget it all on something his friend had said.

"Luke asked what?!" Wedge exclaimed, astonished.

"He asked me not to harm Vader."

Mon Mothma frowned as she thought of what Han had just said. Commander Skywalker was a very respected and reliable officer, so he must have his reasons for asking something like this. Or it could just be that he was delirious with pain, for why would he want Darth Vader alive? Vader had after all cut off his hand on Bespin, but then Vader didn't seem like himself ever since he had appeared with Luke in his arms. She quickly made her decision.

"Very well," she said. "I guess there's no harm in delaying the interrogation. We'll wait and see what Commander Skywalker has to say and then we'll decide what to do with him."

"What?!" exclaimed one of the Rebels. "I say we should just kill him now and get it over with. He doesn't deserve to live. He killed billions just on Alderaan alone!"

Leia flinched, but remained silent. Admiral Ackbar was about to agree with the man when he noticed Vader flinch also at the accusation. 'He has changed, somehow,' Ackbar thought. Maybe we should wait.'

"I agree with Mon Mothma," he said aloud. "There's no harm in waiting, besides it'll leave Lord Vader sometime to think of what's in store for him."

* * *

Anakin looked up as the three guards entered his detention cell. His strength had finally given out on his way to the detention cell and the Rebels had instantly known that something wasn't right with him when he had leaned against the wall for support. After a few minutes, he had been able to continue on to the detention area, but not without using the wall for support from time to time.

As the guards entered, he knew that they were going to take him to a chamber where the air was adjusted to what he could breath without his mask. They were going to make him reveal his face to them and through his eyes, reveal his soul. They would see all that was wrong with him. He didn't look forward to that.

As he got up to follow the guards, he reached out for his son's mind. He could feel that Luke was still out, but at least he was healing now. Anakin took strength in this and tried to walk as steadily as possible. He managed to walk all the way to the chamber without needing to stop, but the pain was getting worse with every step he took.

One of the guards opened the door and they all entered the chamber. Anakin heard the guards' sharp intake of breath as they breathed the pure oxygen. It wouldn't do them any harm, but it was just different and they had to get used to the change.

As soon as they entered the room, the two doctors inside got up and motioned for Anakin to come forward and sit in an available chair. Anakin complied as he felt the doctors' fear and determination. Fear of him and of what they might find under the mask, but determination to succeed in their job.

"You are able to breathe pure oxygen without trouble?" Dr. Subik asked just to double check.

"Yes," Anakin replied as he nodded.

"Good," Dr. Liskanaa stated as she looked at the mask. She indicated the guards at the door. "Everything that happens in here will be recorded and monitored," she said.

"I understand."

"Very well," Dr. Subik responded. "Remove your mask."

As he reached up to take his mask off, Anakin noticed that neither of the two doctors had any real anger or hate for him. Someone had obviously tried their best to avoid any unwelcome confrontations. He knew exactly who. As he lifted his helmet off, he could feel the anxiety of the doctors spike. Then he had the helmet off and he placed it on the table next to him. He then adjusted a knob on the panel at his chest before he reached up and took the mask itself off.

Dr. Liskanaa gasped before she could stop herself. She hadn't known what to expect, but the bald, pasty white, face with dark ringed light blue eyes wasn't what she had expected. Or the big, ugly scar that ran down the left side of Anakin's head.

'He looks so horrible,' she thought. 'But there's something almost kind about those eyes, certainly not the kind I expected Darth Vader to have.'

Anakin heard her gasp and felt the horror coming from both her and Dr. Subik. He looked at them for a moment and then he turned his face away. He knew how horrible he looked and wished, not for the first time, that there was some way he could change it. He had tried to heal his face, and his body, but he had found that he just wasn't strong enough to do it. He knew his soul was just as ugly, but Luke was already healing that.

Dr. Subik, being the first of the two to recover, noticed the way the Dark Lord turned away from them at their reaction. 'This isn't the Darth Vader that commanded the Imperial fleet and destroyed Alderaan,' he thought. 'Perhaps he's acting different because we're seeing a part of him no one else has seen.'

"Can you breathe without difficulty?" Dr. Subik asked remembering that Mon Mothma had told him that they needed Vader alive and well.

"Yes," Anakin replied as he turned his head back to face the doctors. But while he faced them, he avoided direct eye contact.

"Do you have any idea what is wrong with you?" Dr. Liskanaa asked as she looked at his eyes. The eyes were old, full of pain, and sorrow; not the eyes of a ruthless and uncaring murderer. This surprised Liskanaa, especially considering the Dark Lord's reputation.

"Yes," Anakin said, looking down at the floor. "Minor calcification of my skeletal structure, among the many other older things."

Dr. Liskanaa lifted an eyebrow in astonishment. Patients normally told what their symptoms were and it was then her job to figure out what damage had been done and to heal it. Vader however seemed to think that he knew exactly what was wrong with him.

"Why do you think this?" Dr. Subik asked.

"Because I know the effects of the electricity I came into contact with," Anakin replied.

"Very well," Dr. Subik said, knowing that Commander Skywalker was also being treated for calcification. "We'll check you for calcification."

At this, Dr. Liskanaa walked past Anakin to a second door and left the room.

Anakin remained quiet as he looked up at the guards by the door. They had been standing there, patiently and quietly, but constantly alert.

"Do you know what Luke's condition is?" he asked, suddenly turning back to face the doctor.

"Commander Skywalker?" Dr. Subik asked as he wondered at the use of the Commander's first name. "He has a severe case of calcification."

"How severe?" Anakin asked, worried. "Will he need bone transplants?"

"No," Dr. Subik replied his eyes narrowing with puzzlement as he noted the concern in the Dark Lord's voice. 'Why would he care about Commander Skywalker?' But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't come up with a reason. 'I'll just have to report this to Mon Mothma.'

Then Dr. Liskanaa came back into the room with a scanner and some medication. She then walked up to Anakin.

"Stand up," she ordered and then activated the scanner once Anakin was standing. Seconds later a report flashed up on the view screen. "Skeletal calcification all right," she said as she noticed that the Sith lord had a prosthetic right hand. "The exact same kind as Commander Skywalker, only much less serious. Nothing that won't heal with time and the right medication."

Dr. Subik looked over her shoulder and then took the medication from Dr. Liskanaa. He looked at the label for a moment, just to double check, and then he opened the bottle of pills and got two out.

"Take those and rest," he stated as he gave Anakin the pills.

Anakin nodded as he swallowed the pills. Then he reluctantly picked up the mask, put it on and replaced the helmet on his head. Part of him wished he didn't have to wear them, or that he could at least get something else, something that didn't stand for fear and terror, that didn't remind him and everyone who saw it all the atrocities he had committed. Another part though was glad to have to put it on for the same reason. He needed to remember. He needed to atone. He needed punishment. If he had to wear the mask for the rest of his life, he would consider the constant reminder that punishment, if the Alliance didn't decide to execute him for his myriad crimes.

"Thank you," he said softly. "Thank you."

"Y...your welcome," Dr. Liskanaa stuttered in surprise.

Then the guards opened the door and led Anakin back to his cell.

* * *

Luke Skywalker awoke to find himself in a bed in the medical center on board the Rebel Star Cruiser Liberator.

"Hey, kid," Han said as he saw Luke open his eyes. "You feeling all right?"

"Not all right, but better than before," Luke replied as he smiled at his friend.

"Good. Now you've got to promise me that you'll stop visiting the medical center wherever you go, okay?" Han asked, returning Luke's smile.

"Oh," Luke complained jokingly, "but I like visiting medical centers; they're so interesting."

"Yeah, well, I don't," Han said as Leia entered the room. "Hey, Leia, look who finally decided to wake up."

"Finally?" Luke asked, suddenly wondering how long he had been out.

"Yes," Leia replied. She sat down on the bed next to Luke and kissed his cheek. "You've been out for two days."

"What?!" Luke exclaimed in astonishment. Then he remembered what his father had said about his injuries. "Did I need bone transplants?"

"No," Han replied, giving him a funny look. "But you almost did. The doctor said that you came this close to needing it," he said as he held his index finger about two inches from his thumb. "How did you know about the possibility of bone transplants?"

"Fa...Vader told me," Luke said as he reached out with the Force and touched his father's mind. Anakin immediately acknowledged him and Luke could feel his father's relief at the fact that he had finally woken up.

"Vader?" Leia asked, wanting to ask a million other questions all at once.

"Yes," Luke replied while he nodded. "You didn't do anything to him, did you?"

"No," Han replied. "Except give him the same medical treatment we gave you. His strength suddenly gave out on the way to the detention area and the doctors said that he had the same condition as you, only less severe. What happened to you anyway?"

"It's a long story and one that I don't think you'll understand straight away," Luke informed his friends as he suddenly felt pain tear through his whole body.

"Well, whatever the story is, it'll have to wait," Dr. Little said as he entered the room. "Right now, you need your rest, Commander. You're doing fine now, but your condition could still get bad if you don't take it easy and rest for at least a few more days."

"All right," Luke said just before he drifted away into unconsciousness.

* * *

Luke reached out and touched his father's mind. He had spent three more days recovering from his ordeal and had just been released from the medical center and he was to report to the conference room within the hour, but he wanted to see his father first. Mon Mothma had told him that she and the others wanted to know what had happened between him and Vader the night the Death Star had been destroyed. He had insisted his father be allowed to come so they could see for themselves what he already knew. Darth Vader had died days before. And he had insisted that Vader be allowed to appear without his mask. He wanted the rest of Alliance High Command to see his father's eyes. And he wanted to see them as well, remembering how stunned he had been when Dr. Liskanaa had told him that he had his father's eyes. It was her impressions of them that made him insist that his father come along without his mask. Out of respect for Luke, these requests had been agreed to. Dr. Liskanaa had devised a portable oxygen tank that Anakin could use in place of the mask.

Father? he sent.

Luke.

Are you all right?

Fine, thanks to you. How are you doing? They wouldn't let me visit you.

They just released me from the medical center. Have they done anything to you?

They gave me some medicine earlier and now I'm in an air regulated room, Anakin replied. He hesitated. They've seen my face.

I know. I want to see it, too. Can I come to you?

Yes, but you don't want me to see without my mask. I look horrible.

It doesn't matter to me what you look like. You're still my father. I love you.

Anakin wasn't prepared for the emotion that swamped him. I love you, too, son.

Luke then rounded a corner and stood before the door to his father's room. He nodded to the two guards standing on either side of the door. They stepped aside when he gave them a pass that allowed him the room alone.

"Can I see my father?" Luke asked after the door closed.

Anakin hesitated.

"Father, please," Luke said and both heard the echo of what Luke had said in the throne room on the Death Star.

Slowly, Anakin removed the helmet and the mask. Father and son stood looking at each other in silence. Luke, seeing his father's face for the first time, studied it closely. He immediately noticed the long scar Dr. Liskanaa had mentioned. He also saw the kind look in his father's old eyes. He smiled to himself. Anakin also studied Luke's face, for it was the first time that he actually got to see his son without his mask on.

After a few moments, Luke walked up close to his father and hugged him, feeling tears in his eyes. Anakin stood frozen for a moment, surprised, but then he returned his son's hug tightly. This was more than he deserved. After a moment, he pulled away and looked down straight into Luke's ice-blue eyes as he placed his hands on Luke's shoulders.

"My son," he whispered softly as he, too, felt tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"No," Luke replied, shaking his head. "You've already apologized."

"There is no way that I can apologize enough for what I've done, whether to you or your mother or to the rest of the galaxy," Anakin replied as a single tear ran down his cheek.

'Mother,' Luke thought. "That was Vader," he stated firmly. "You're different."

Anakin smiled slightly at this. Luke saw the smile and felt how it hurt his father to smile.

"What..." he began, then stopped as he knew his question might bring back unpleasant memories, but there was so much he wanted to know.

"What is it?" Anakin pressed, seeing his son's hesitation.

"What...how did you end up with the armor and the breathing mask?" Luke asked quietly as he sat down on the bunk.

For a moment Anakin had a flashback. He saw Obi-Wan's horrified face as he fell off the rock and down, down into the lava pit. He felt the pain as he hit the lava and his nose filled with the stench of his burning flesh. He shuddered.

"Father?" Luke asked worriedly as his father's eyes seemed to look past him and into space.

Anakin shook himself from the past.

"It's okay," Luke said as his father sat down next to him. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it."

"No, no, I just had a flash back, that's all," Anakin explained. "It happened after I had already turned to the Dark Side. Palpatine had managed to make me really angry at Obi-Wan and the next time I saw him I wanted to kill him." He stopped as he remembered Obi-Wan's face just before he had killed him on the first Death Star. His teacher, best friend, the closest thing he had ever had to a father and he had killed him. 'Forgive me, Master,' he sent.

Luke quietly reached out and put a reassuring hand on his father's shoulder. Anakin looked up as he felt Luke's hand on his shoulder.

"Our duel took place in an underground cavern on Dassein, a volcanic planet," he continued. It was painful to remember, but he accepted that as part of the punishment for his crimes. "It was a close battle. Obi-Wan had better saber skills then I had, but my great anger and hate made up for my lack. In the end, I forced him to strike me down or I would have killed him then and there." Anakin stopped as he reached up and touched the scar on his face. "His blow alone should have been fatal, but somehow it wasn't. It was enough, however, to knock me off balance. I dropped my lightsaber as I tried to regain my balance, but it was no use and I fell down straight into a pit full of cooling lava."

Luke's eyes widened in horror and sympathy as his father stopped.

"How did you survive that?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know. I quickly passed out from the pain and when I woke up I was in a bacta tank on Coruscant and two months had passed."

"Two months?"

"Yes," Anakin replied. "The doctors told me that they hadn't expected me to live, but that Palpatine had ordered them to keep me alive. He probably didn't want to lose his only apprentice."

"No."

Luke's com beeped. "Time to get going. You ready?"

Anakin hesitated. "They'll see my face."

Luke smiled. "I'm counting on it. They'll see how beautiful you are."

If Anakin could have snorted, he would have. But he was glad he couldn't. His son meant what he said. "You have a strange sense of beauty," he said.

"I've seen your soul, Father. That is what is beautiful."

"It is black with all I've done. There is no beauty there."

"It is gold underneath, showing more and more all the time. That is what I see."

"I don't deserve you," Anakin whispered.

Luke smiled. "Well, I'm afraid, you're stuck with me."

"There's nothing I would like more."

Luke hugged his father again, then the door opened and they stepped with four guards following behind. Anakin was still dressed in Vader's robes and life support equipment. His helmet was removed and he wore the mask that Dr. Liskanaa devised.

* * *

Luke took a deep breath before entering the conference room. What he was about to do was going to be difficult. He had to explain the Force to people who couldn't feel or touch it in any way. He also had to make them understand how the Dark Side could consume and change people, and finally he had to make them see that his father, Anakin Skywalker, was no longer under the Dark Side's influence.

'You can do it.'

Luke felt and returned his father's support and love. It gave him a deep sense of confidence, peace and joy. They entered the room together.

"Luke," Leia said as she rushed up to him and gave him a hug. "Are you all right? Dr. Little wouldn't let us back in to visit you."

"I'm fine," Luke replied as he returned her hug.

"It's good to see you up and about, Commander," Admiral Ackbar said as he gestured towards an empty seat.

As Luke moved toward his seat, everyone looked behind him to Anakin who moved to sit next to his son. They were all shocked at the appearance of his face, but no one said anything.

Ackbar was the first to tear his gaze away from Anakin and turned toward Luke. "If you could now explain to us what happened to you and why you didn't want us to harm Lord Vader here."

"Certainly," Luke said as he sat down and nodded a greeting towards Han and Lando. "But first I have to tell you that Lord Vader is dead."

"What?!" Mon Mothma asked confused. "Then who is that very convincing imitation sitting beside you?"

Luke smiled faintly. He looked Leia straight in the eyes. Somehow it was important it was her he addressed. "My father, Anakin."

There was a stunned silence in the room as everyone stared at Luke in disbelief. Anakin could feel and hear the pride in Luke's voice.

"Your father?!" Leia finally managed to ask, staring back and forth between her best friend and worst enemy. She wondered if that was what Luke had been holding back from her when he left Endor.

"I thought you said your father was dead?" Han asked, wondering if Luke had hit his head somewhere on Endor.

"That's what I thought, until I learned the truth on Bespin."

Leia's eyes suddenly grew wide as she remembered Luke's funny behavior after they had rescued him from Vader. 'Good skys, he didn't know and Vader told him shattering any images he had of his father. No wonder he acted so distracted and absent.'

"Are you sure about this?" Mon Mothma asked.

"He has it on very good authority," Anakin said. Only Luke could sense his faint smile.

"Oh, yeah?" Han asked. "And whose authority would that be?"

"General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Yoda," Luke replied.

Han stuck a finger at Luke. "Hold on here. That fossil's been gone since the day we met. You communing with the dead now? And who the stang is this Yoda person?"

"Everything you say is true, Han," Luke started patiently. "But it all makes sense once you understand it. To answer your last question, Yoda is the Jedi Master who instructed me after I left Hoth. To understand the rest, I have to start a little further back."

"Why don't you?" General Madine asked skeptically.

Luke nodded and took a deep breath before starting. "I know some of what I'm about to tell you will sound weird and maybe even crazy, but just hear me out. First of all, I'm sure you all know that Jedi get their powers from an energy field called the Force. Now the Force can only be felt by certain people including me and my father, as the ability to touch the Force is inherited. The Force is created by all living things and has two sides to it: the Light Side, which is what the Jedi use, and the Dark Side, which is what the Sith use."

"We know all this mumbo-jumbo," Han said. "Get on with it."

"It's not 'mumbo-jumbo', General," Mon Mothma said quietly, staring at Vader - Anakin - whoever. "It is very real. I remember the Jedi from when I was a Senator."

"But the Jedi were destroyed," Admiral Ackbar said. He glanced at Anakin. "Namely, by Darth Vader, I understand."

"That's true," Anakin said and they all heard the pain in his voice.

Luke looked at his father, having felt Anakin's anguish spike at the memory. He reached through their link to relieve him of some of the crushing burden of guilt and shame. Anakin sent his gratitude.

"I used the Dark Side. As did the late Emperor."

"Palpatine used the Force?" Admiral Ackbar asked. "I thought he hated the Jedi."

Anakin nodded. "As all Sith do. But it is one of the reasons he managed to grow so popular in the Old Republic Senate. He was able to use the Dark Side to manipulate people's minds. The thing with the Dark Side and the Light Side is that it is easier to go from the Light Side to the Dark Side than it is to go the other way around. To turn to the Dark Side all you have to do is to give into your anger and/or hate. Your anger or hate then consumes you and the Dark Side strips you of your conscience letting you commit horrible crimes without feeling any remorse."

The room was quiet as it sunk in to Anakin and everyone else what he had just said. Luke took up the story from there.

"The first time I fought Vader on Bespin, I didn't know he was my father until he had me cornered with nowhere to go except down, which was almost definitely a suicidal move. He then tried to persuade me to turn to the Dark Side and join him, but I was too stunned with what he had just told me to even think straight. All I wanted to do was get away from him, in any way possible, even if it meant death, so I jumped. Somehow I survived the fall and ended up on a weather vane underneath Cloud City. There I reached out with the Force and spoke directly into Leia's mind."

"So, that's how you survived," Anakin murmured.

"Princess?" Mon Mothma asked looking over to Leia.

"That's true," Leia confirmed before turning back to Luke. "I always wondered how you did that."

"The Force," Luke stated simply, then continued his story. "After we rescued Han, I went back to Dagobah, which is where I went to continue my Jedi training after Hoth. There I spoke with my teacher, Yoda, and he confirmed what Vader had said and what I somehow knew to true: Darth Vader was my father. Yoda died shortly after."

"How?" Admiral Ackbar asked.

"Old age," Luke said. "He said he was nine hundred years old."

"What?!" Lando exclaimed in disbelief. "Nine hundred Standard years old?!"

"Yes," Luke replied.

"That's impossible," Han mumbled.

"No, wait," Mon Mothma said. "I remember Jedi Master Yoda. He was one of the Jedi Council members. His kind always lived to be eight or nine hundred years old."

"Why couldn't I be that kind of being?" Lando mumbled.

Luke smiled briefly as he tried to picture Lando as Yoda. Somehow the image didn't quite fit.

"After Yoda died, I went outside and found Ben's, Obi-Wan's, spirit waiting for me," Luke began.

"His spirit?" General Madine asked.

"Yes," Luke replied. "He looked exactly as he had when he was alive, except that you could see through him and that there was a blue glow around him."

"How did he 'appear' to you like this?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Any Jedi can anchor his spirit to another Jedi's mind if he feels the need to do so. In my case he did so to help me and to make sure I'd get to Dagobah. Anyway when he appeared to me, he explained to me that he had lied to me to protect me, for he knew that Palpatine would want me to turn to the Dark Side and serve him, and he also knew that I longed to know my father. If he'd told me the truth when we'd first met I'd probably have gone looking for him, for at the time I didn't know a lot about the Empire or the Alliance."

"If he lied to you once, then why couldn't he have lied to you again?" Han asked.

"Why would he lie about Vader being my father?" Luke pointed out. "Besides I can feel, through the Force, that Vader, Anakin, is my father."

"If I understand all this correctly, then you're saying that the man sitting here is not Vader, but your father, who has now turned to the Light Side?" Admiral Ackbar asked.

"Yes," Luke replied. "After Vader told me that he was my father, I felt a spark of Light in him and I knew that he could be redeemed. So when I felt his presence on Endor, I went to him. We talked a little before he stated that I was wrong and that the Emperor would now be my master. I was disappointed, but there was nothing I could do and he brought me before Palpatine in his throne room. Palpatine then tried to make me angry enough to turn to the Dark Side by revealing his plans. He succeeded. He got me angry enough to attack him, but Vader blocked me and I ended up fighting Vader. After a few minutes, I was able to send Vader's lightsaber down a reactor shaft. Palpatine then urged me to kill my father and to take his place. It was then that I realized what was happening. I deactivated my own lightsaber and threw it away, telling Palpatine that I wouldn't turn. This made him angry and he said if I wouldn't turn I'd be destroyed which he tried to do with Force lightning."

"Force lightning?" Leia asked.

"Yes," Luke replied nodding. "It's like real lightning only it's generated by the Force and it comes from a person's finger tips. Palpatine would have killed me then and there if Father hadn't suddenly picked him up and thrown him down the reactor shaft."

"What?!" Han exclaimed.

"I threw the Emperor down the reactor shaft," Anakin said, repeating his son's words as simply and calmly as though he had reported the weather.

Lando whistled.

"Why?" General Madine asked.

"To save me," Luke replied. "As I had seen earlier there was still good in him. It was buried deep down, but it was still there. Just before Palpatine would have killed me, Father managed to break free from the Dark Side and save me, which was when he got hit with the Force lightning. Your medical tests show that he was treated for the same thing I was. That's why."

Mon Mothma looked back and forth between Luke and Anakin. "So you are saying that Lord Vader, Anakin Skywalker, is no longer on the Dark Side?" she asked.

"That's right," Anakin said.

Admiral Ackbar looked directly at Anakin. "I must admit you haven't been acting like the Darth Vader we're used to."

"But we have to be sure," General Madine added hastily. "I suggest we compare your DNA to that of Vader and that we ask the doctors what they think of Lord Vader's character."

Mon Mothma looked over at the General in surprise; she didn't have to be a Jedi to know that he didn't really believe what Luke had just told them. But to some extent she had to agree, they had to be sure about everything before they made any decisions.

"Very well," she said out loud. "I shall call the doctors in and we can talk to them. Is that all right with you, Commander and..." She looked confused at Anakin. "I don't know what to call you."

Anakin shook his head. "I don't know either," he said honestly. "I don't deserve the honor of the title I once had of being called a Jedi. And Darth Vader is dead." He thought a moment. "Call me a penitent."

Leia blinked away sudden, inexplicable tears and saw the same in Luke's. He smiled though and she smiled faintly back. Mon Mothma and Ackbar seemed moved also, but the other men still remained suspicious.

"Lieutenant," Mon Mothma said as she pushed the com button.

"Yes, Madam," came the reply.

"Could you please send Dr. Subik and Dr. Liskanaa down here, and tell them to bring a sample of Lord Vader's DNA along with a sample of Commander Skywalker's."

"Straight away."

Mon Mothma then turned off the com and sat down. There was a silence in the room as everyone awaited the two doctors. While they were waiting, Leia reached out and squeezed Luke's hand. He looked up at her and smiled. Then the door opened and Dr. Liskanaa entered the room.

"Dr. Liskanaa," Mon Mothma said. "Where is Dr. Subik?"

"He is busy with a patient right now," Dr. Liskanaa replied.

"Very well, we'll start with you. Did you bring the DNA samples?"

"Right here," Dr. Liskanaa replied holding up a special datapad.

"Could you please compare Lord Vader's DNA with that of Commander Skywalker," Mon Mothma ordered.

"Certainly," Dr. Liskanaa replied, punching the command into the datapad. "What am I looking for?"

"You'll know if it's there."

A few seconds later there was a beep as the small computer finished the operation.

"Well, let's see..." Dr. Liskanaa started as she scanned the datapad.

Suddenly she paled and looked up at Luke, her eyes wide. Luke returned her gaze and nodded.

"And?" Mon Mothma asked already knowing the answer.

"The DNA samples say that Commander Skywalker is...is Lord Vader's son."

"Thank you," Mon Mothma said as she turned her head towards General Madine. "Satisfied?"

"Yes," General Madine replied. "Dr. Liskanaa, could you please tell us what your opinion was of Lord Vader and his behavior?"

She glanced at the former Dark Lord who waited as expectantly as the others for her answer. "Certainly," Dr. Liskanaa replied. "To tell you the truth, I've been very surprised with his behavior."

"Surprised?" Admiral Ackbar asked. "In what way?"

She glanced again at Anakin. "Well, he's been very kind and polite, always doing as we ask and thanking us when we're done. Also there..." she began, hesitated, then stopped.

"There what?" General Madine inquired.

"Well," Dr. Liskanaa began as she glanced once more at Anakin. "Dr. Subik and I both agree that there seems to be something friendly and kind about his eyes."

"His eyes?" Admiral Ackbar asked.

"Yes," Dr. Liskanaa replied. "People always say that killers and other evil people have eyes as cold as steel, but that's not true with Lord Vader. His eyes are different, more like...like Commander Skywalker's and not just in color."

Leia nodded in agreement. She hadn't been the only to notice the similarity either.

"Also," Dr. Liskanaa continued. "Neither Dr. Subik nor I had known what to expect to see when he took his mask off. But what we saw startled us so much that it must have shown on our faces, because he turned his head away in shame."

"Why?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Well, you can see his physical appearance..."

"But that's not why I turned away," Anakin said.

Dr. Liskanaa looked again at Anakin, then away again. "I know," she said quietly.

"So you believe he's changed?" Ackbar said.

Liskanaa faced the admiral. "Yes, I've never met Lord Vader before, but he definitely does not seem like a man who can ruthlessly kill innocent people. If he hadn't been wearing the armor or mask and nobody had told me who he was, I wouldn't have know he was Lord Darth Vader. He seems like a different man."

Luke slowly let out the breath he was holding, relieved. He couldn't have hoped for a better answer then what Dr. Liskanaa had just said.

Mon Mothma nodded her head and was silent for a moment.

"Thank you Dr. Liskanaa," she finally said. "You may go."

"Just one more thing if I may?" Dr. Liskanaa asked and continued when Mon Mothma nodded. "I don't know if you'd think it useful, but I've taken a medical scan of Lord Vader and I've found that all his injuries, with the exception of the breathing impairment, could be healed with proper treatment."

"What?!" Anakin and Luke both exclaimed, looking directly at the doctor.

She faced Anakin. "Your external injuries have been cured in 95% of the patients inflicted with them."

"But it's been twenty four years! Palpatine always said it was impossible..." He trailed off, suddenly realizing how deceived he had been all those years. There hadn't been a moment of his life since he had turned that he hadn't been in pain and now he could be cured? He knew his son found the idea nearly as heady as he did. He was also frightened by the strength of the hatred for his former Master that rose to choke him, for delibrately keeping him in pain all those years.

Luke felt what was in his father and looked at him concernedly. 'You okay?'

Anakin shook himself and expelled his hatred and anger with a loud breath. He didn't want them poisoning him anymore. He knew though it would be a struggle to win against them each time he thought of how much time had been wasted, time he could have spent with Padmé, with his son, with Obi-Wan and his friends in the Order. That time couldn't be brought back, but he had his son beside him. He could start to make up for all that was lost. He and Luke had their whole lives in front of them. If Anakin survived this interview that is. He blew out another breath. 'I'm fine,' he sent.

Luke looked at his father for a long time, trying to determine whether his sire really was all right.

"Luke?" Leia whispered quietly.

Luke looked up straight into her eyes and Leia could see the sparkle in his eyes. He smiled at her and then turned his attention to Mon Mothma.

"Commander Skywalker," she began and hesitated as she looked at Anakin, "and, ah, Penitent...if you could leave us for a while so that we can discuss what we will do next."

Anakin smiled beneath his mask and bowed slightly.

"Of course," Luke replied, knowing that they had done all they could. "May I stay with my father?"

"Yes," Mon Mothma said and gestured to the guards standing inside the door.

Luke nodded to Leia, Han, and Lando and then left the room with his father, his hopes high.

* * *

"Isn't that wonderful, Father, that you can be healed?" Luke said when they were back in Anakin's room. "I wish they could heal your lungs, too, so you wouldn't have to wear that mask."

"There might be a way around that..." Anakin began, then stopped.

"Tell me," Luke urged.

"I've often tried to heal myself through the Force. I've even managed to breathe without my mask for several minutes, but I'm just not strong enough to completely heal myself."

"But, perhaps, together we can," Luke stated, realizing what his father was talking about.

"You've already done so much for me," Anakin replied. "I couldn't ask you to do this too."

"Of course you can," Luke instantly replied. "You're my father, naturally I'd help you."

Anakin looked at his son. "I never felt I deserved your mother and I certainly don't deserve you."

"What was she like?" Luke asked quietly.

Anakin was silent for a long time. "Pure Light. Beautiful smile, beautiful face. My angel I called her before I became a demon."

Luke was silent, absorbing this news. He had so longed to know about her.

"Do you think we'd be able to heal you?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm pretty sure that we'd be able to do it together," Anakin replied as he finally dared hope that one day he might be able to go around as a normal person again, if the Alliance didn't kill him first. "Though some part of me wants to retain the mask to remind myself of who I was, what I need to atone for."

Luke grasped his father's hand. "No, you need to remember who you were, who you are."

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted as Luke's com beeped.

"Yes?" Luke asked as he brought the com to his mouth.

"Luke, we're ready, could you and your father come back?" Leia asked over the com.

Luke looked up at his father. "We're on our way."

Luke turned off the com, put it away and looked at his father. Anakin smiled at they got up and left the room. The guards fell in step behind them.

"Commander...Penitent," Mon Mothma stated as Luke and Anakin entered the room and sat down. "We have discussed what you have told us and we have talked about Lord Vader's behavior. After some arguing, we have all agreed that he does seem to have changed for the better."

Luke quietly let out the breath he had unconsciously been holding. Identical smiles appeared on his and Anakin's faces.

"We have know that as a Jedi Knight, you know what you're talking about when it comes to the Force. We also talked with Dr. Subik while you were away and he basically said the same things Dr. Liskanaa said." Mon Mothma paused temporarily to catch her breath. "We all believe that we could trust Darth Vader, excuse me, Anakin Skywalker, but we have one big problem: How do we explain this to the people? They would all still see him as Vader. That mask is too distinctive, too..." She hesitated.

"Too associated with atrocities for people to see anything but that," Anakin supplied softly.

Mon Mothma looked at Anakin briefly. "Yes," she agreed. She looked at Anakin again and Luke. "How are we to explain our decision to them?"

Luke was silent for a moment as he closed his eyes and let relief flood him. He could feel his father's as well. He had been really worried that Mon Mothma and the others would have been unable to understand what was going on and that they would have ordered his father's death as a result. But they had understood and he already knew the answer to their problem. Slowly Luke opened his eyes and looked around.

Leia smiled at him as she could see the relief on his face. Han and Lando nodded their heads at him and they each gave him a reassuring smile.

"I have one solution," Luke began. "But I don't know what you'll think of it."

"Well, why don't you tell us and we'll see?" Leia suggested.

"Father and I think that working together we'd probably be able to heal his lungs through the Force."

"Is this possible?" General Madine asked.

"I don't know," Anakin admitted, "but I have been able to heal myself enough to be able to breathe without any help for several minutes. With my son's help..." Anakin paused, the emotion rising in him, closing his throat for a moment. He remained amazed and moved that Luke, who had already done so much for him, and who he had done so much to, was still willing to do more. He gratefully accepted all the love and support Luke gave and returned it. He turned back to Madine. "With my son's help, we probably could do it."

"And if you succeed, no one will know you were once Darth Vader," Lando finished. "No mask, no Vader."

"That's right," Luke replied.

"That would save us a lot of trouble," Mon Mothma agreed. "But I don't know if that's fair to the people."

Luke looked at her and he could feel that although she had agreed to let his father go, she still had some doubts. And she wasn't the only one.

"I don't know either," Anakin said softly. "I deserve some punishment. It's too easy to say Darth Vader died and therefore is beyond punishment. He's not. I am he."

'Father, no,' Luke sent. 'You've repented of what you did.'

'I still need to do something to atone for what I've done.'

'Train me, restore the Jedi.'

Luke felt his father's shock and smiled to himself. He knew the shock didn't come from the hatred he had held for two decades for his former way of life, but that Luke would have the audacity to suggest his father could ever call himself that again, after all he had done. Luke knew once the shock and guilt had worn off, his father would agree.

"The healing will work, but it will take a while," he said aloud. "So you'd be able to observe Father while he heals. If you still think that there's a risk by the time he's healed, then you can tell the public, but if you're totally convinced that he's good, then you know just as well as I do, that it would be a lot easier to just keep his past a secret."

"The Jedi is right," Admiral Ackbar suddenly stated, using Luke's new title. "Telling the people would only cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. They wouldn't understand."

"General Madine?" Mon Mothma asked, looking at him.

"I agree."

"Me, too," Leia said as Han and Lando nodded their heads.

"Well, I guess that decides it," Mon Mothma declared. "Anakin Skywalker is free once he's healed."

"Thank you," Luke replied standing up. "Thank you very much."

"Thank you," Anakin said softly, moved almost beyond words. For twenty four years, he had participated in more atrocities than he could remember and some of the worst were against the very people who had just pardoned him. He had a difficult time accepting that.

'They've forgiven you, Father,' Luke said, amazed himself at how easy it all was. 'I've forgiven you. Now, you need to forgive yourself.'

'Not until I've atoned for what I've done.'

* * *

Luke sat on the bunk in his father's room as he used the Force to help heal his father. It had been painstaking work over the last year and a half, as they had to heal one cell at a time, but they were finally nearing the end. Just a little more and....done!

Luke opened his eyes and relaxed as his father did the same. They looked at each other for a moment, knowing that they had done it. Anakin smiled as he ran a hand through the graying thick blond hair that now covered his head.

"Here goes," he said as he got up and walked to the control table.

He pushed a few buttons and suddenly the air vents stopped bringing in the pure oxygen and started bringing in normal air. Luke sat still on the bed as the air in the room slowly changed. Anakin stood absolutely still as the monitors on the control panel showed how much normal air there was in the room. 25% of the air was now normal, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, the last time he had needed to stop here, but not now, 80%, 90%....100%. He slowly took a few big breaths and let them out without coughing or experiencing any other kind of difficulty. And what was more, his soul felt clean as well for the first time in more than twenty years. As much as Luke had helped heal him physically, his son had also been untiring in his efforts to heal his soul as well.

Anakin turned around and faced his son, smiling. Luke smiled back at his father and felt the bond between them strengthen. They had done it! They had finally done it! Luke embraced his father. Anakin held on tightly, his eyes shut against his tears.

"Thank you, my son," he murmured over and over again. "Thank you for everything."

Luke blinked against his own tears. "Thank you, Father."

"Come on," Anakin suddenly said, letting go. "Let's get out of this room."

"Okay," Luke said, knowing how long his father had waited for this day, how long they had both waited.

"Wait, I've got to change," Anakin said and Luke waited until his father had returned from the `fresher, then smiled and hugged his father again when he emerged, now dressed in Jedi robes.

"Welcome back, Father," Luke said as tears again pricked his and Anakin's eyes.

"Good to be back."

Together they left the room and walked around the Alliance base. The war against the Empire was still going on, but the Alliance was slowly but surely driving the Empire back. It helped to have an insider's view of Imperial tactics. Several people looked at Luke and his father as they walked by, but otherwise they didn't attract any special attention. No one knew, no one but the Alliance leaders, Dr. Subik and Dr. Liskanaa, both who had willingly sworn not to say a word.

"Why don't we go show you off to Dr. Liskanaa?" Luke suggested, remembering how much faith she had had in his father.

"Good idea," Anakin replied and Luke led the way to her office.

Dr. Liskanaa looked up as they entered her office and froze in surprise.

"Anakin Skywalker?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, it's me," Anakin replied with a smile.

"I don't believe it," she whispered. "You actually did it. You actually healed yourself."

"I couldn't have done it without Luke's help," Anakin stated, looking at his son.

"You've got one hell of a son, Anakin," Dr. Liskanaa stated.

"I know," Anakin replied proudly as Luke looked uncomfortable with the compliment. "I know."

Suddenly Dr. Liskanaa's com beeped. "Dr. Liskanaa," she said, smiling at Anakin and Luke.

"Doctor, we need you down in the emergency room," the nurse at the other end said.

"I'll be right there," Dr. Liskanaa replied before turning off the com. "Well, I've got to go. See you later."

"Bye," Luke and Anakin said as she left the room.

"Well, I guess we have to go see Mon Mothma now," Anakin said as he and Luke left the medical bay and went to the conference room they had been in eighteen months earlier.

They arrived just as a meeting ended and they managed to enter the room while several Commanders were exiting. They nodded to Luke as they left.

"Jedi Skywalker, Pentinent," Mon Mothma said as she noticed them.

Anakin bowed graciously.

Leia, who had just been gathering her stuff together, looked up in surprise as she saw Luke and his father, without any breathing apparatus and dressed as a Jedi.

"You did it!" she exclaimed as they walked towards her, smiling.

"Yep," Luke replied as he hugged her. "I told you we would."

"That you did," Leia replied as she shook Anakin's hand.

"Your Highness," Anakin said with a bow.

Leia's smile just broadened as she returned to her place and sat down.

"Are you all healed now..." Mon Mothma hesitated, looking at how proudly Anakin wore his Jedi robes. "Do you still want to be called Penitent?" she asked

Anakin smiled. "I will always be a penitent," he said. "But I am now also once again a Jedi."

They all heard the pride, joy and peace in his voice. Luke could feel it all in father's sense as well and reached out to his father with his own.

"Congratulations," Mon said with a genuine smile. "Are you all healed now, Jedi?"

"Yes," Anakin replied, pleased. "I've been outside of my room for a little over an hour already."

"We are going to rebuild the Order," Luke said.

"A miracle come true," Admiral Ackbar said, silently shaking his head in astonishment and awe.

"Two miracles," Leia commented.

"Well, I guess you're free to go," Mon Mothma said as she looked around and received a nod from the others.

"Thank you," Anakin replied. "Thank you."

* * *

Luke stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the rocky desert landscape below. He liked to come up here to think. He had liked this particular spot since his father had first shown him it. They had been inseparable since Mon Mothma had given Anakin his freedom six months before. They had traveled to many worlds, partly out of Anakin's desire to share and fulfill his childhood dream of visiting every world there was, partly out of their desire to rebuild the Jedi Order and seek out any that may have escaped his devouring sword.

Luke turned around as he heard a rock falling behind him. "Father?" he called out.

"Who else?" Anakin replied with a smile as he appeared at the top of the path. "I thought I'd find you up here."

Luke smiled as he turned back to look at the spectacular view before him. "I love it up here," he said as his father came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's so peaceful."

"That it is, that it is," Anakin agreed, looking down at the view. "Did I tell you about the first time I came here?"

"No," Luke replied, looking up at his father.

"It was about twenty six years ago. Your mother and I had just gotten married a few months before and I was with Obi-Wan when he came to do some business here. He showed me the area and I was so impressed with it that I brought your mother here the first chance I got."

"I wish I had known her," Luke said quietly. "I'm glad to be here where she was, where you were. I think that's why this is one of my favorite places in the galaxy."

Anakin nodded. "Why do you think I like it so much? It's peaceful here, because she was peaceful. I can pretend she's still alive, that I didn't destroy her. I can hear her laughter, instead of seeing her tears."

Luke gripped his father's shoulder. "She wouldn't want you to continue to suffer. She would have forgiven you long ago."

"That she would have," Anakin agreed, looking down at the ground. "I know of no gentler, more loving creature than her. But that doesn't excuse what I did. I may not have physically killed her, but what I did do may have been even worse."

Luke's heart ached for the anguish that could still overcome his father at times. "She loved you. I love you. She forgave you. I forgave you. Can you at last forgive yourself?"

Anakin didn't directly answer. He and Luke were well aware of the demons and doubts he still struggled with. He still wasn't able to so easily forget or forgive his past as Padmé, his son and the Alliance High Command had. That all still amazed him.

"One day," he said after a long pause, "I'll take you to Naboo, where she was born."

"I'd like that."

"So would I."

Anakin's stomach growled. It was a marvelous feeling. Luke smiled.

"But first," Luke said, "lunch."

"Yes, lunch."

"Any idea what we're having?"

"Tuna fish sandwiches," Anakin replied, looking at his son.

"Tuna fish?" Luke asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes," Anakin replied, laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha," Luke said, then he looked at the path. It was more or less smooth and perfect to run on. "Race you to the bottom!" he said as he took off.

"Hey!" Anakin exclaimed as he started running after his son. "Cheater!"

Luke just laughed and kept running down the path. Anakin's heart skipped a beat as it always did when he heard his son's laugh. It was so much like Padmé's. He made the determination to remember that, remember her joy, not her pain. Their son was before him. That meant a part of her was still alive.

'Thank you for him, my angel,' he thought and ran even faster.

Luke gave a quick glance over his shoulder and saw that his father was gaining on him. He picked up his pace, making sure not to stumble as he went. He was still in the lead when he reached the low cliff from which he and his father often jumped off of into the crystal clear water of the lake down below.

Suddenly Luke looked up to find his father next to him. "Watch your step Luke, you want to make sure you don't slip," Anakin warned as he gave his son a shove that sent him over the edge of the cliff.

"Hey!" Luke called out as his father pushed him. He quickly pulled himself into a ball and cannon balled into the water, causing an enormous splash. He quickly came to the surface and brushed his wet hair out of his eyes as he spit the water out of his mouth.

"Cheater!" he called out as he could see his father running along the path. He swam to the edge of the lake and got out of the warm water. Standing on the shore he looked down at his dripping clothes before he started walking to the path, knowing that there was no use in trying to catch up with his father now.

At the bottom of the hill Anakin sat on a rock waiting for his son. When Luke appeared around the bend in the path, he looked up at him and pretended to be surprised at the fact that his son was soaked.

"What happened to you?" he asked, fighting to keep a straight face. "Don't tell me you slipped and fell into the lake?"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha," Luke replied, rubbing a hand through his wet hair.

At this Anakin couldn't hold in his laughter anymore, he started laughing and didn't stop until Luke spoke: "Just you wait, father, I'll get you back."

"Ohhh," Anakin replied with a smile. "Are you threatening me?"

"Who me?" Luke inquired innocently as an idea came to him. "Why would I ever do that? I just want to give my father a hug." Before Anakin could react, Luke suddenly leapt forward to embrace and soak his father.

"Hey!" Anakin exclaimed as he leapt aside and started running away, knowing full well his son wasn't going to give up that easily.

---

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail me at valeriev84@hotmail.com

February 2002