Luke clenched his jaw as the justice turned to him, "And do you, Luke
Skywalker, take Mara Jade to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
Luke glanced at the door, missing the secret smile between his son and wife- to-be.
"Umm, I-Umm."
His father broke through the door, saving his son the trouble of coming up with another excuse to stall.
"Ah," Mortimer stepped forward, smiling, "Lord Vader, it is so nice to see you again."
Luke flinched at the title of 'Lord.'
Vader remained unmoved, watching his grandson's body; that body that harbored the soul of his former master.
"Palpatine, I must say, that form does not befit you."
The child sneered, "Your title does not befit you, Vader."
Vader glanced at his son and then back at the child taunting him, "I am Anakin Skywalker, you will address me as such."
Luke felt his jaw drop. Did his father just say.?
Palpatine stepped forward, rage coursed through him; his eyes shone infernal yellow.
Anakin Skywalker ignored the child's advance, merely raising his hand, "That body is not yours, Palpatine. Release it."
"Never."
"Release it," a ball of blue light appeared in the Anakin's hand, and descended slowly towards the stolen body.
Palpatine's eyes widened in confusion as the light penetrated him. He screamed, the mind numbing scream of a child; a sound almost shill enough to mask the igniting of a lightsaber.
"Luke, no!" Mara Jade threw herself forward, grabbing Luke's sword hand as he advanced on the child, "You mustn't, he's your son. look."
Together, jade and cobalt eyes turned towards the child, who was now completely taken in light. Palpatine's presence vanished, leaving a panting child on the floor at Anakin Skywalker's feet.
Luke frowned, looked at Mara whose hand still laid on his. He eyes had changed, no longer cold and cruel. but full of love, as she gazed at her true son, not the body of a child claimed by a poltergeist.
"The spell is broken," Anakin spoke softly, "Mara Jade and." he looked down at his grandson, realizing that the child did not have a name.
"Benjamin," Mara whispered.
The boy sat up, blinked, and glanced around the room. Thrawn, Han, and Leia stood just within the doorway, his grandfather stood like a magnificent tower over him, and his parents held each other in their rapture as they gazed upon him for the first time.
Ben Skywalker smiled as he stood and brushed himself off, "Thank you, Grandfather, I thought he'd never leave."
Anakin broke the stunned silence that followed with a bellowing laugh, as he scooped his grandson into his arms and spun him around.
Anakin gently set Ben down, and the child turned to face his father, who stood in both a state of shock and happiness---frozen.
Ben stepped forward, looking up at his father.
Neither said a word as Luke fell to his knees and took his son into his arms.
"Please don't hate mother," Ben whispered into his father's ear, "That evil man was controlling her like he was me."
Luke only nodded against his son's shoulder as tears streamed down his cheeks. Slowly they pulled apart, inviting Mara into their embrace. With a quiet sob, Mara collapsed into their arms.
"I'm sorry," Mara whispered against Luke's neck, "I'm so sorry."
Luke kissed her forehead gently as she sobbed in her repentance.
"I know. I know."
~
Thrawn stepped up next to Anakin, watching the new family in their reunion. "That seemed a bit too easy too me, Milord."
Anakin smiled, "I have been blind all of these years, my friend. I would not let go of my hatred and embrace who I really was. Vader was a servant to Palpatine. but Anakin Skywalker. he is the Chosen One."
Anakin looked over at Thrawn as the alien raised an eyebrow at his changed Emperor, "Never underestimate the power of the Force, my friend."
Thrawn nodded in solemn understanding, "You have chosen."
Anakin smiled, and though the smile was unseen, it did not go unfelt.
11/14/2002
Luke glanced at the door, missing the secret smile between his son and wife- to-be.
"Umm, I-Umm."
His father broke through the door, saving his son the trouble of coming up with another excuse to stall.
"Ah," Mortimer stepped forward, smiling, "Lord Vader, it is so nice to see you again."
Luke flinched at the title of 'Lord.'
Vader remained unmoved, watching his grandson's body; that body that harbored the soul of his former master.
"Palpatine, I must say, that form does not befit you."
The child sneered, "Your title does not befit you, Vader."
Vader glanced at his son and then back at the child taunting him, "I am Anakin Skywalker, you will address me as such."
Luke felt his jaw drop. Did his father just say.?
Palpatine stepped forward, rage coursed through him; his eyes shone infernal yellow.
Anakin Skywalker ignored the child's advance, merely raising his hand, "That body is not yours, Palpatine. Release it."
"Never."
"Release it," a ball of blue light appeared in the Anakin's hand, and descended slowly towards the stolen body.
Palpatine's eyes widened in confusion as the light penetrated him. He screamed, the mind numbing scream of a child; a sound almost shill enough to mask the igniting of a lightsaber.
"Luke, no!" Mara Jade threw herself forward, grabbing Luke's sword hand as he advanced on the child, "You mustn't, he's your son. look."
Together, jade and cobalt eyes turned towards the child, who was now completely taken in light. Palpatine's presence vanished, leaving a panting child on the floor at Anakin Skywalker's feet.
Luke frowned, looked at Mara whose hand still laid on his. He eyes had changed, no longer cold and cruel. but full of love, as she gazed at her true son, not the body of a child claimed by a poltergeist.
"The spell is broken," Anakin spoke softly, "Mara Jade and." he looked down at his grandson, realizing that the child did not have a name.
"Benjamin," Mara whispered.
The boy sat up, blinked, and glanced around the room. Thrawn, Han, and Leia stood just within the doorway, his grandfather stood like a magnificent tower over him, and his parents held each other in their rapture as they gazed upon him for the first time.
Ben Skywalker smiled as he stood and brushed himself off, "Thank you, Grandfather, I thought he'd never leave."
Anakin broke the stunned silence that followed with a bellowing laugh, as he scooped his grandson into his arms and spun him around.
Anakin gently set Ben down, and the child turned to face his father, who stood in both a state of shock and happiness---frozen.
Ben stepped forward, looking up at his father.
Neither said a word as Luke fell to his knees and took his son into his arms.
"Please don't hate mother," Ben whispered into his father's ear, "That evil man was controlling her like he was me."
Luke only nodded against his son's shoulder as tears streamed down his cheeks. Slowly they pulled apart, inviting Mara into their embrace. With a quiet sob, Mara collapsed into their arms.
"I'm sorry," Mara whispered against Luke's neck, "I'm so sorry."
Luke kissed her forehead gently as she sobbed in her repentance.
"I know. I know."
~
Thrawn stepped up next to Anakin, watching the new family in their reunion. "That seemed a bit too easy too me, Milord."
Anakin smiled, "I have been blind all of these years, my friend. I would not let go of my hatred and embrace who I really was. Vader was a servant to Palpatine. but Anakin Skywalker. he is the Chosen One."
Anakin looked over at Thrawn as the alien raised an eyebrow at his changed Emperor, "Never underestimate the power of the Force, my friend."
Thrawn nodded in solemn understanding, "You have chosen."
Anakin smiled, and though the smile was unseen, it did not go unfelt.
11/14/2002