Disclaimer: I don't own SW.
A Matter of Hope
Epilogue
Not long after the death of Palpatine, the free worlds of the galaxy began picking up the pieces and soon, the New Galactic Republic was born. Most of the original planets that were members of the Republic, opted to join again. They elected representatives and the Senate was established. The Senate's first order of business was electing a new Chancellor. In a very close race, Padme Amidala Skywalker was elected, beating out Mon Mothma just by a few votes. Under Padme's guidance, the Republic rose from the ruin Palpatine created.
Meanwhile, Anakin and Obi-Wan, along with Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, and Aayla Secura re-established the Jedi Temple. Under both Anakin and Obi-Wan suggestion, the new temple was built on Naboo where the Force was strong. The code was redone to allow attachments and marriage. Younglings were no longer taken from their parents at birth. If the parents chose to bring their child to the temple, they were allowed visitation and the temple became more like a boarding school. The Jedi no longer sheltered themselves from the galaxy and truly became the peacekeepers they were meant to be.
Leia was elected Senator of Naboo and later married Han Solo. Together, they had twins they named Jacen and Jaina. Later, they had another son they named...Anakin.
Luke was knighted soon after the rise of the New Republic. On a mission, he met a beautiful, misunderstood woman named Mara Jade. They fell in love and had a son they named Ben.
Larisa and Zach continued to grow alongside each other. They entered the trials together and were knighted together at age twenty-one and nineteen. Not long after that, Larisa Skywalker and Zach Kenobi married surrounded by their families and friends.
Padme served two six year terms as Chancellor, before gladly retiring to live the rest of her life out on Naboo with her wonderful husband. At the same time, Anakin and Obi-Wan also retired from the Jedi Council. The rest of their lives were spent mostly in the Naboo Lake Country with their beautiful wives, with children and grandchildren visiting often. Because of love, they were together and the galaxy at peace.
The End
Special thanks to everyone who read and reviewed both A Matter of Trust and A Matter of Hope.
Lea-Lynn and Pyramid: What can I say? I couldn't have wrote this without you guys. Thanks so much for your encouragement, kind words, and immensely helpful insight and input. Again, thank you for all your help and reviews!
And special thanks to everyone else who reviewed: Harry2, Caprice Ann Hedican-Kocur, dshortklutz, alexceasar, jedi-josh, Bricaus, XxXArwenXxX, Miss Naye, Naberrie Skyler, Princess-Aiel, Son Oliver, Jedi X-Man Serena Kenobi, Mo Angel, purpletangerine, MMM73181, Sierra-A.W, Feneris the Elf, and Black's Phoenix.
And now, for your reading pleasure, I present to you, the teaser trailer for my next up and coming story for the summer...The Awakening...
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away...
Padme gazed deeply into his eyes, as his lips slowly descended upon hers. He was now here husband and they would be forever tied together. She knew what they had done was dangerous, for his career especially. But no matter how wrong those around them said it was, it could not be wrong. Anakin carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her to her...their bedroom, where they would consummate their marriage and give themselves completely to one another.
Two months later...
"Is she sedated?" Darth Sidious asked his apprentice from under his cowl.
"Yes my master, the physician has also administered the drug that will erase her short term memory, so she will not remember being abducted. The healer has informed me that the child is a male," Darth Tyrannus replied.
"Good Lord Tyrannus, you have done well. See that the embryo is delivered to Kamino. Then return Senator Amidala to her apartment. She will believe that she has simply miscarried. And then kill the healer. There must be no account of this event," Sidious said.
"It will be done my Lord," Tyrannus replied.
Padme sobbed uncontrollably on the floor of the fresher, in her own blood.
"Padme!" Anakin exclaimed, as he arrived home.
"Oh Ani," she sobbed.
"Padme, what happened?" Anakin said, as he carried her to the bed and commed Dorme.
"I'm so sorry Ani, I'm so sorry," she sobbed, as he held her.
"What's wrong angel?" he asked.
"I was pregnant Ani and I was going to tell you...but I had a...miscarriage," she sobbed. Anakin wrapped her in his strong embrace and stroked her long hair.
"It's not your fault Padme. Someday, we'll have children. I know we will. The Force showed me," Anakin tried to comfort her with a loving smile...
Anakin stared into the cold, unfeeling yellow eyes, a look of horror on his face.
"Yes Anakin, it is true..." Palpatine hissed, his deformed face lit with an evil smile.
"I took your first unborn child from your wife's womb and sent the embryo to Kamino. Your dear wife has no memory of this event and believes she had a miscarriage. That woman is your weakness and it is pitiful! I foresaw you becoming a great apprentice...but with a tragic flaw. You would never let go of that woman and your love," Palpatine said, detesting the word. Tears rolled down Anakin's cheeks, as his grown son stared at him with hatred.
"So, I decided to create the perfect apprentice. One with the blood of a Skywalker and one that would totally obedient only to me..." Palpatine snarled.
Anakin fought furiously, face to face, with his own son, whom called himself Darth Vader. The tears still escaped his eyes. Palpatine Force pushed Mace against the wall and poured Force lightning into Anakin. Darth Vader joined his master and poured Force lightning into the man that he knew fathered him. Anakin cried out in agony, as he felt the lightning sear through all his organs. When they finally ceased, Anakin collapsed to the cold floor, unconsciousness sweeping him...
Obi-Wan stared at the man that was supposed to have been Anakin and Padme's first born son. The fire licked at the twisted young man and began to consume his body...
"I hate you!" he screamed, his eyes bleeding yellow. Obi-Wan turned away and made his way to the top of the platform. He needed to get to Anakin and Padme. They needed him...
Anakin lay on the medical table, as the Massan doctors swarmed around he and his wife. Padme lay beside him, contractions racking through her body. But she refused to be taken from Anakin's side.
"Obi-Wan..." Anakin choked out, his body shaking from the amount of Force lightning his body had sustained.
"I'm here Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as he brushed Anakin's bangs from his eyes.
"Take...take care of Padme...and my child...for me," Anakin choked out.
"You're going to be fine Anakin and you're going to do that yourself," Obi-Wan replied.
"Ani, please don't leave me!" Padme cried out in pain, as another contraction hit.
"I'm...sorry angel. I...I love you and I'll always be...with you. Tell our baby...that I love them...very much," Anakin's voice faded, as he slipped into unconsciousness.
"ANAKIN!" Padme screamed.
"No, he can't be," Obi-Wan choked back the tears.
"He's slipped into a deep coma..." the massan doctor determined.
"A boy..." the doctor said.
"Luke," Padme managed to say, as another contraction hit her.
"What's wrong?" Obi-Wan asked.
"There's two," the doctor confirmed.
"Twins!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.
"A girl..." the doctor said.
"Leia," Padme said.
"Hold on Padme, don't give up," Obi-Wan said, as he sensed her slipping away.
"Obi-Wan, take care of our children," Padme said breathlessly.
"You must hold on Padme," Obi-Wan pleaded.
"I'm sorry, I'm so tired. I'm going to be with Anakin now," she said, as her brown eyes closed.
"This is very curious. She has slipped into a coma too, just like her husband..." the doctor said.
"There might be once chance," Tion Medon said.
"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.
"There is an experimental technique I can try. It is called carbon freezing. It would preserve their bodies and allow them to heal. But it's never been tried on humans before. There is a chance they would not survive it," Tion said.
"And if we don't do this?" Bail asked.
"Then they will likely die in a few days," Tion replied.
"Do it," Obi-Wan replied.
"Luke, how much did your uncle tell you about your parents?" Obi-Wan asked the boy.
"Not much, only that my father was a great pilot. They never said anything about my mother, so I assumed they didn't know her," Luke replied.
"Your father was a good friend and a great pilot. But that's not all he was Luke. Your father was a Jedi Knight, just like me...
"Set our course for Polis Massa, captain Solo," Obi-Wan ordered.
"Why are we going there?" Luke asked.
"Luke, you must know that your parents...are still alive," Obi-Wan said.
"ALIVE! But how?" Luke exclaimed.
"It is a long story, one that will be explained later. But they have been frozen in carbonite for the last eighteen years and it is time we awaken them," Obi-Wan said.
"Leia, you must know also...that your real parents are...Luke's parents," Obi-Wan revealed. Leia gasped.
"You mean..." she trailed off.
"You're Luke's twin sister," Obi-Wan replied...
The carbonite melted around their forms. Obi-Wan and Luke steadied them and set them down on the near by sofa.
"Obi...Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked, still shaking from the effects of the carbonite.
"I'm right here Anakin," Obi-Wan replied.
"Why can't I see? Where's Padme?" he asked frantically.
"I'm here Ani," as she felt around for his hand. She found it and squeezed it tightly.
"I can't see either. What is going on Obi-Wan. Where are our babies?" Padme asked.
"Babies!" Anakin exclaimed. Padme smiled.
"We had twins Ani," she replied.
"There is much I must tell you both. First, your eye sight will return shortly. You are both suffering from hibernation sickness due to the carbonite freezing you have experienced..."
Anakin and Padme's eyesight was slowly beginning to return, but everything was still very fuzzy. Obi-Wan and the people with him help them onto their ship, promising that once they were in hyperspace, he would explain everything in detail. Now that they were safe in hyperspace, Obi-Wan sat down before them.
"How long have we been frozen?" Anakin asked.
"Eighteen years," Obi-Wan answered.
"What...what about our children?" Padme asked.
"They're right here with me," Obi-Wan replied. Suddenly, Anakin and Padme's vision cleared and they laid eyes on their grown children...
"There's good in him...there has to be," Padme said, as she clung tightly to her husband.
"I hope you're right my love," Anakin replied.
"I don't want you to have that kind of false hope. I fought him and he is pure evil. He's more machine now than man," Obi-Wan replied. The tears came harder for Padme now.
"He's...still our son. The one that was taken away from us," Padme sobbed. Anakin held her tightly, as she cried.
"I'm so sorry to both of you, but the minute Palpatine stole him from your womb, he ceased to be Brian Skywalker and became an agent of evil," Obi-Wan said gently. Luke and Leia were stunned. It was almost too much to take in. Vader was...their brother...
"Luke, turn off your targeting computer and let the Force guide you," Anakin instructed from his own star fighter. Luke looked skeptical, but then listened to his father, letting the Force flow through him. Anakin swerved behind Luke covering him and at the same time trying to dodge Vader, who was trailing them.
"I have you now..." Vader said, as he locked on to Anakin ship. Suddenly, he was hit and sent spiraling out of the trench.
"WHAT!" Vader screamed.
"YEEEEHOOO! All right, let's blow this thing and go home!" Han called. Anakin and Luke took aim and both fired their cannons, hoping at least one torpedo would make it in...
Anakin and Padme held each other closely, as the stood in the very spot they were married in and looked out toward the lake as the sun dipped below the horizon.
"I love you Ani," Padme said.
"I love you too Padme," he replied, as their lips met passionately over and over again, as the intensity and fire of their love took hold of them. Anakin lifted her into his arms and carried her back inside and to their bedroom...
Chewy fought the storm troopers who were ordered to put Han in the carbon freezing chamber.
"Chewy! Chewy! This isn't helping. I need you to take care of the princess," Han said, before lowering his voice to barely a whisper.
"Make sure she gets back to her parents safely," Han said. Leia held her tears back.
'Daddy will know what to do,' she told herself, but remained silent at Chewy's side. Han leaned in and kissed her passionately, before he was pulled away and placed on the platform.
"I love you!" Leia called.
"I know," Han replied, as he was lowered into the chamber. Steam shot up around him and Leia turned away...
'Daddy!' she cried into the Force.
On Naboo...Anakin shot up from the bed, waking Padme in the process.
"Ani, what is it?" she asked.
"Leia's in trouble and Luke's walking into a trap," Anakin replied...
"Jabba, this is your last chance. Free us or die," Anakin threatened.
Jabba and his lackeys could only laugh. Jabba ordered that Anakin be moved into position. Anakin nodded to Lando, before glancing at Padme and Leia inside Jabba's ship. He then looked up at Artoo and saluted, giving Artoo the signal. Two panels on his head slowly slid open. The creature pushed Anakin in. Anakin fell and grabbed a hold of the gangplank. Using his momentum and the Force, he flipped up and over onto the barge. Artoo shot out two light sabers and father and son called them with the Force, igniting the blades. Padme watched on and had long ago picked her chains free with her hair pin. It was time for her to act too...
"Leia, get the gun! Point it at the deck!" Luke called. Leia did so and aimed it. Artoo pushed Threepio off the barge and then rolled off himself. Luke grabbed the rope nearby and swung himself and Leia over to the other barge with Han, Lando and Chewy were waiting. Luke threw the rope back to his father. Anakin grabbed Padme around the waist and caught the rope.
"Padme...that outfit," Anakin smirked.
"Don't even go there," Padme warned.
"I was just going to say that you look sexy," he replied. Padme smirked.
"Well, you can gawk later my love, but right now, I wish you'd get us off this thing," Padme replied, as she kissed his cheek. Anakin kicked the trigger on the gun and held her tightly.
"Anything for you angel," he replied, as he swung them over to the other barge...
"These are the rebels that surrendered to us," the officer reported to Lord Vader. Anakin and Luke Skywalker stood before him at last. He knew that his...father would probably not turn. The Emperor said that threatening to attack those he loved would indeed make him angry, but possibly destroy them in the process. No...he was truly interested in Luke. Luke would turn or die and Anakin would be forced to watch as everything he loved and cared for was destroyed, before he too would die...
"LUKE!" Anakin screamed, as he watched his son lose control of his anger and rage at Vader. He had lost control so many times himself, but watching his son lose control too and fight his brother was something that pained Anakin immensely. Luke viciously kicked Vader back. The man in armor crashed onto his back. Still shaky from the Force lightning, Anakin crawled over to him.
"Brian...please don't do this. Help us defeat the Emperor. I can feel the good in you. We're your family," Anakin said gently. Luke looked horrified at what he had just done. He extinguished his saber and tossed it away.
"Stop calling me that!" Vader spat.
"It is your name. It is what your mother and I would have called you. We love you and we always will,"...
"Good, good, young Skywalker. I can feel your anger. Now, strike your brother down and take his place at my side!" the Emperor ordered.
"No, I'll never join you!" Luke replied. Anakin stood beside his son, defiance flashing in his eyes.
"You will join me or you will...die," the Emperor said, as he poured Force lightning into Luke and Anakin. They screamed in agony and Vader watched on. The conflict inside him raging...
The second death star exploded in a brilliant display, extinguishing it's existence from the galaxy...
The shroud of the dark side will fall...
The galaxy's chosen one and his beloved lie deep in a coma...
Hope will be awakened and the light of the Force will shine again...
The fate of the galaxy rests on one family and...their love...
It's coming soon exclusively to Awakening...
The journey begins, Saturday, June 3rd 2006...