XI

Vader could hardly believe how bad things had become. Luke refusing to fight, and him tossing his lightsaber at him. Luke turning his lightsaber off, and Vader attacking, telling him how unwise he was to lower his defenses. Then it came to stalking around looking for him in the dark passages of the throne room of the Death Star, telling him he could not hide forever. He had to prove to Luke that there was no conflict, he was wrong, he had no 'good', no 'Jedi' left in him. He must turn this boy to the dark side, or, he would have to be destroyed.

While searching his own thoughts, Vader also intercepted some of Luke's. Luke could feel his father's power penatrating his mind, and he closed his eyes and used all his own concentration to fight it. He wasn't strong enough. His greatest secret and deepest feelings had been tapped and stolen. Vader's enraged mind barely had time to process this information. So the arrogant young "Princess" was actually his own daughter! That rotten Bail Organa had stole her as Obi-Wan had stole his son! He was so furious now, his rage was boiling over.It gave him power. Dark power.

"Sister? So. You have a twin sister! Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. If you will not turn to the dark side, perhaps...she...WILL!"

With a painful, furious scream, the young Jedi, the son of Anakin Skywalker, jumped to his feet from his hiding place, lightsaber weilded high and ready. With all his own anger, he attacked his father full force. He would not get to Leia, he would not turn her, he would not turn anyone. He must be stopped now. Luke had tried with all his heart to turn his father back, but now he knew what Obi-Wan and Yoda had meant- the good man had been destroyed by Darth Vader. Darth Vader must be destroyed. Though, in doing so, he knew that every moment of this rage took him closer to the dark side himself. Finally, the older man was broken down, his mechanical legs giving way beneath him, his right hand, metal though it was, was severed, and fell, lightsaber and all, far below. Vader lay there, panting, too feeble to move, looking up at the hate in the eyes of his son. His son hated him. Now, he knew he was done for. He had been defeated, and would soon be dead. Luke would take his place at Sidious's side. Vader now regretted not letting Luke kill Sidious, and he also regretted not taking him up on his offer to come away with him. Now, it was too late. His end had come.

Sidious slowly slithered down to be near his new prize, cackling and gloating. "Gooood, goood! Your hate has made you strong! Now, fulfill your destiny, and take your father's place at my side!"

Vader was certain his death at the hands of Luke would come within seconds. Then, something happened that Vader did not expect. But, maybe, he should have. Luke rejected the offer.He turned off his lightsaber, and threw it down.

"Never. I'll never turn to the dark side. You've failed, your highness. I'm a Jedi. Like my father before me."

Like my father before me. Vader was put to shame. Luke had fought for, and won, the highest honor in the galaxy. Yet he rejected it. He had taken the moral high ground. Vader thought back to his own past, his own turn, and felt so sorry for what he had done, and the way things had turned out. He looked at the proud, handsome young face and bright blue eyes of his son, and was reminded of himself at that age. How different things could have been. What a fool had been. If only there was some way to make it right. Then, no, the conflict came again. Stupid fool, he thought. Luke was throwing away power and greatness with both hands! He had rejected the dark side, for what, the Jedi? What was right? In his weakend physical condition, the conflict in his mind was even harder on him.

"So be it, "Jedi." If you will not be turned, then you will be destroyed!"

Vader watched helplessly as Sidious released force lightning with both hands into his son. Having already tossed away hiweapon, he was helpless to defend against it. He fell to the ground writheing in pain. Sidious's face grew even moreand evil as he unleashed more and stronger lightning. Then, he stopped for a moment. There was a brief pause. He wanted Luke to be in full possession of his mind and senses to understand what was about to happen, and why.

"And now, Young Skywalker, you will die!"

He then tore into the young body with his strongest lightning yet. Vader had managed to pull himself up and to his master's side. He looked at his son, and thought how ironic it was him who was going to die now, after he felt his own death so inevitable. Luke had indeed paid the price. Vader stood there watching, not making a move to stop the old master.

"Father, PLEASE!" Begged the boy, his teeth lined with blue streaks of the electricity tearing through his body. Vader knew that if this continued, Luke would be dead soon. Was Sidious really going to kill him, or was he only trying to teach him a lesson? Vader soon became convinced Sidious did aim to kill Luke. He asked himself if he was going to let him. He thought of Luke, what a good boy he was, how he had cared for him and tried to save him when everyone else thought all hope of that was long gone.

As Vader stared down at the young man, his own son, begging him for his life, his heart felt something it hadn't felt in many years. Something it had tried to hide, something it had denied existed anymore.

LOVE.

"Something wonderful has happened! Ani, I'm pregnant!" Her face at that moment filled his mind. His feelings at that moment, the joy of learning his beloved wife was carrying their child, filled him again. He looked at Luke's face. He looked back at Sidious's face. Images of Padme, the feel of her love, like she was right there somehow, such a strong image of her face and her body, the entire feel of her, came over him as he stared at Luke. Like an echo from the past, the love brought him back. Padme. Padme's son. THEIR son. LOVE.

He looked at Luke. He looked at Sidious.

There was no more conflict.

Anakin Skywalker turned, and as he had secretly fantasized before, he picked up the withered old Sith Master, held him high above his head, and tossed him down into the reactor. Screaming, Sidious was too weak, having concentrated all of his power into his Sith lightning, to fight back, or even form words. He hung on with one arm as he watched the blue flames shoot up from where the body disentigrated. Poof. He was gone. All of those years of being lied to and being used and treated like a slave were over.

But sadly, he realized he would not live to enjoy his freedom. Gasping, he collapsed to the ground, almost unable to move. His son, rescued in time and still perfectly healthy, rushed to his side. "Father" he said, taking his left hand in his. Anakin didn't answer, he only looked up at Luke with love, and smiled. Then he realized that he was wearing the mask, and Luke couldn't see his eyes or his mouth. As sirens wailed, Luke did his best to try to drag his much larger father to his shuttle so they could escape. Luke knew his rebel friends would soon succeed in destroying the Death Star, and they had to be off of it. The burden was too much, and at last Luke had to lay his father down for a rest.

"Luke, help me take this mask off."

Luke looked shocked. "But you'll die!"

"Nothing can stop that now. Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes." Anakin so badly wanted to see Luke without the mask stifling his vision, and he also wanted Luke to look upon his own face, and see his feelings expressed on his face. This would be the only chance he had. As much as Anakin and Vader had feared death, it didn't matter now, it seemed almost like a release, and freedom at last. With the hateful mask off, Anakin focused his blue eyes on Luke's own blue eyes, and his handsome young face. He was so good, everything good about himself, and Padme. This boy was a blessing and a gift to the galaxy. He was so happy to get to make his peace with him, so sad he had missed time with him he could now never make up. Desperately, he felt his own breath leaving him, his suit's mechanisms were broken, and he would die soon. There was so much more he wanted to say, sorry, I love you, tales of the past, of Padme...wishes for the future. But it was too late. He felt his mind fading fast, but he didn't want to go. He looked at Luke again, staring, blinking, as long as he could, not wanting to close his eyes. Finally, with a gasp, the end came. The blue eyes closed, the head fell back. Luke's dropped in mourning. Anakin Skywalker was gone. He had finally fulfilled the prophecy, and died the hero, the Chosen One, he was always meant to be.

Luke sat silently for a few minutes in reverence and grief, not wanting to move. Then he realized he had to get off the Death Star, so he got up, used all his remaining strength after his ordeal to drag his father's lifeless body, suit and all, to his shuttle. He calmly flew the shuttle off the Death Star just as it exploded. Below, there was much joy on Endor. For Luke, victory was bittersweet. All the rest of the day, as the others celebrated and returned happy, he built a funeral pyre. Just as night had fallen, he lit the fire, and watched in pain as the flames overtook the black form. This was the traditional Jedi burial, and Anakin, having returned to the Jedi before he died, deserved this. Luke watched as the smoke spilled out the cracks of the mask and raised high into the air, clouding the immediate area and mixing with the celebratory fireworks above. Free at last, the spirit of Anakin Skywalker flew away from his ravaged body, out of the suit, and into the sky. It sailed through the galaxy, over celebrations on many planets, including his own homeworld, setting them all free. As free as he now was.

Luke finally ran to meet the others, happily celebrating with Han, Lando, Chewbacca, Wedge and the droids, and, at last, with a special look of love and stories to share, Leia. Then, he pulled from her grasp, and stared into the forest. With a smile on his face, the original, real face of Anakin Skywalker, restored as if he had never turned- he looked over and saw them- Yoda, Obi-Wan, and, wait, was it? Yes! It was his father! He looked so happy to be there! His hands, yes his hands, not metal ones, flew up in surprise as he looked down at his body, his restored body, dressed in full Jedi robes. He briefly turned to look at Obi-Wan, who was giving him the most peaceful and satisfied smile. Yoda smiled, too, and nodded. It was okay now. They had not expected this, but maybe they should have, knowing Luke. None of these spirits spoke, there would be an eternity to do that! For now, they only gazed lovingly and proudly at the young Jedi who had saved the galaxy, and saved his father.

They all stared for the longest time, and Luke was filled with joy in knowing that his father really had been saved, and that he would be able to find his peace in the afterlife. He recalled what Obi-Wan had once told him: "The force will be with you, always." It was true, more true than he could ever have known at the time. Now it was up to him, the last of the Jedi, to set out to make things right again. He could do it, and he would. He was a Jedi, like his father before him.

Finally, with one last loving glance exchanged between them, Luke turned to go rejoin the celebration. The spirits faded in their manifested form, but did not go. They were there, surrounding everyone with love, a love that was very strong and powerful.

A love that was very strong and powerful could not die, could it? In his new form, wiser, stronger, more powerful, totally at peace, Anakin's love reached out for the answer and found it. He passed through a mist alone, away from the other spirits, and found what he had been looking for. She was just as beautiful as she ever was, standing there in her blue velvet gown she had been sadly put to rest in when she should never have died. They were together again, in ghostly form looking as they had in life, and their love glowing all around. As good as this was, it would never take the place of all that was lost. A lot of things shouldn't have happened, but they had. The only thing that could be done now, was to try to make them right, in some way. Luke had done that, and he would continue to. Anakin had not even known about force spirits until he was one, and now he knew that he would live on this way, and Obi-Wan and Yoda, and though he wasn't here just now, he sensed Qui-Gon among them, too. Love had saved Anakin, and that love was from Padme. While he knew that only Jedi were allowed this gift of eternal life, his love for Padme in his infinite glory had saved her- finally. Now his peace and happiness were complete. Together, they stared and smiled through the branches of the forest at their twins, Luke and Leia.

(note: I tried to post the link to a picture of Anakin and Padme's ghosts but the site won't allow it to show up. So please imagine ROTS Anakin and Padme smiling at the twins!)

THE END