- Chapter Six -
The connection with the *Avenger* failed, the image of a screaming Emperor faded and left the room in peace. For a moment.
Immediately Anakin sprung into action, striding to appropriate stations issuing orders, "Establish a comm. connection with the *Executor*; have Admiral Piett ensure the loyalty of the remainder of the fleet. Ready all available Alliance forces to defend against any vessels loyal to Palpatine. Get me a report of the *Avenger*'s status, I want that ship obliterated."
Anakin suddenly stopped and turned to face the room: no one was moving.
He tilted his chin up slightly, forcing himself not to bring them all to their knees with a mere thought. He purposefully locked his eyes onto Mon Mothma; avoiding Luke's wide-eyed stare. He said nothing more; he knew the questions would come.
And so they did.
So to speak.
...
Han slapped himself in the forehead, groaning, "Re'dav! I'm such an idiot!"
Lando frowned, "What are you babbling about?"
Han turned to look at his friend, his eyes saying that Lando had landed into his 'idiot list' as well, "Re'dav: It's Vader backwards. Kerth, thrown off by a damn apostrophe."
Leia stepped forward, ignoring Han's comment; he eyes were nailed onto Anakin Re'dav's face, "Are you...?"
Anakin dragged the tip of his tongue along his teeth; he turned his shoulder slightly so that he could watch all occupants of the room carefully.
There was a slight clatter as his comlink slipped from Luke's fingers and bounced against the floor, the young man was staring at the small device as if it were detonator. Luke blinked and looked up; he didn't seem to see the rest of the room's occupants, only Anakin Re'dav... Darth Vader... Anakin Vader... Luke's eyes widened slightly... Anakin Skywalker.
"Who," his voice cracked, he tried again, "Who are you?"
"I'm your..."
Luke was already shaking his head in a steadfast denial.
"I'm your father, Luke."
"Impossible," the young man ground out through his teeth, "You're- you're..."
"Vader," Leia snarled, completing Luke's sentence for him. "You killed Luke's family, just as you killed mine, and countless others."
Anakin lifted his chin slightly, clearly disliking the challenge, "This is war, Your Highness, unpleasantries occur."
"How dare you," Luke growled, and began to stalk forward.
Anakin stretched his hand out and the discarded comlink tumbled into it, he held it to his lips and switched it on without taking his gaze from the approaching youth, "Status."
"Milord," Piett's voice came back, "The *Avenger* is completely disabled and falling into the gravity of a nearby satellite. The two escort ships flanking the *Avenger* have gone down with her."
"The *Langsuyar* and the *Ogoljen*."
"Correct, Milord."
Luke stopped a few meters from him.
"What of the Alliance forces?" Anakin asked.
"Minor damage," Piett returned, "Our forces took the brunt of the *Avenger*'s retaliation."
"We're going to negotiate a peace agreement today, Admiral, are you feeling up to it?"
"Absolutely, Milord."
Anakin smiled, "And call your son, Piett, it's Father's Day."
Anakin switched off the comlink and looked down at his son, at the lightsaber dangling loosely in his hand. It was his old lightsaber. He looked at the fury seething behind his son's eyes, the same fury Obi-Wan must have seen in his all those years ago. He let his arms fall to his sides, "I've done what I can," he whispered, "To right what Vader has committed... all I can do now is regret. Kill me, young Skywalker, and be rid of me."
Luke's lips parted, as if to deny Anakin's words. Could he kill this repentant man without falling to the Dark Side himself? He felt a fiery panic burn through him as he stepped forward, acting automatically... doing what he knew the High Command and all of his friends expected of him... what Obi-Wan would have expected of him... he had to kill Darth Vader.
He pressed the end of the lightsaber hilt against Anakin's breastplate, over his heart, and looked up into his eyes. His eyes. His own blue eyes were staring down at him.
*My father was a navigator....*
*My father was a pilot...*
*My father was a Jedi...*
*My father was Darth Vader.*
He spun the hilt in his hand and grabbed Anakin's hand; he pressed the weapon into the older man's palm.
"I believe this belongs to you," he whispered.
Anakin's hand responded, grabbing Luke's arm and pushing the saber back into the young man's grasp, "I want you to have it," he whispered back, "I always have."
A/N: This is where I planned to end it... because I couldn't think of a better way to do so, but I MIGHT have a more in mind... I'll see what I can do. *S*
The connection with the *Avenger* failed, the image of a screaming Emperor faded and left the room in peace. For a moment.
Immediately Anakin sprung into action, striding to appropriate stations issuing orders, "Establish a comm. connection with the *Executor*; have Admiral Piett ensure the loyalty of the remainder of the fleet. Ready all available Alliance forces to defend against any vessels loyal to Palpatine. Get me a report of the *Avenger*'s status, I want that ship obliterated."
Anakin suddenly stopped and turned to face the room: no one was moving.
He tilted his chin up slightly, forcing himself not to bring them all to their knees with a mere thought. He purposefully locked his eyes onto Mon Mothma; avoiding Luke's wide-eyed stare. He said nothing more; he knew the questions would come.
And so they did.
So to speak.
...
Han slapped himself in the forehead, groaning, "Re'dav! I'm such an idiot!"
Lando frowned, "What are you babbling about?"
Han turned to look at his friend, his eyes saying that Lando had landed into his 'idiot list' as well, "Re'dav: It's Vader backwards. Kerth, thrown off by a damn apostrophe."
Leia stepped forward, ignoring Han's comment; he eyes were nailed onto Anakin Re'dav's face, "Are you...?"
Anakin dragged the tip of his tongue along his teeth; he turned his shoulder slightly so that he could watch all occupants of the room carefully.
There was a slight clatter as his comlink slipped from Luke's fingers and bounced against the floor, the young man was staring at the small device as if it were detonator. Luke blinked and looked up; he didn't seem to see the rest of the room's occupants, only Anakin Re'dav... Darth Vader... Anakin Vader... Luke's eyes widened slightly... Anakin Skywalker.
"Who," his voice cracked, he tried again, "Who are you?"
"I'm your..."
Luke was already shaking his head in a steadfast denial.
"I'm your father, Luke."
"Impossible," the young man ground out through his teeth, "You're- you're..."
"Vader," Leia snarled, completing Luke's sentence for him. "You killed Luke's family, just as you killed mine, and countless others."
Anakin lifted his chin slightly, clearly disliking the challenge, "This is war, Your Highness, unpleasantries occur."
"How dare you," Luke growled, and began to stalk forward.
Anakin stretched his hand out and the discarded comlink tumbled into it, he held it to his lips and switched it on without taking his gaze from the approaching youth, "Status."
"Milord," Piett's voice came back, "The *Avenger* is completely disabled and falling into the gravity of a nearby satellite. The two escort ships flanking the *Avenger* have gone down with her."
"The *Langsuyar* and the *Ogoljen*."
"Correct, Milord."
Luke stopped a few meters from him.
"What of the Alliance forces?" Anakin asked.
"Minor damage," Piett returned, "Our forces took the brunt of the *Avenger*'s retaliation."
"We're going to negotiate a peace agreement today, Admiral, are you feeling up to it?"
"Absolutely, Milord."
Anakin smiled, "And call your son, Piett, it's Father's Day."
Anakin switched off the comlink and looked down at his son, at the lightsaber dangling loosely in his hand. It was his old lightsaber. He looked at the fury seething behind his son's eyes, the same fury Obi-Wan must have seen in his all those years ago. He let his arms fall to his sides, "I've done what I can," he whispered, "To right what Vader has committed... all I can do now is regret. Kill me, young Skywalker, and be rid of me."
Luke's lips parted, as if to deny Anakin's words. Could he kill this repentant man without falling to the Dark Side himself? He felt a fiery panic burn through him as he stepped forward, acting automatically... doing what he knew the High Command and all of his friends expected of him... what Obi-Wan would have expected of him... he had to kill Darth Vader.
He pressed the end of the lightsaber hilt against Anakin's breastplate, over his heart, and looked up into his eyes. His eyes. His own blue eyes were staring down at him.
*My father was a navigator....*
*My father was a pilot...*
*My father was a Jedi...*
*My father was Darth Vader.*
He spun the hilt in his hand and grabbed Anakin's hand; he pressed the weapon into the older man's palm.
"I believe this belongs to you," he whispered.
Anakin's hand responded, grabbing Luke's arm and pushing the saber back into the young man's grasp, "I want you to have it," he whispered back, "I always have."
A/N: This is where I planned to end it... because I couldn't think of a better way to do so, but I MIGHT have a more in mind... I'll see what I can do. *S*