Empire Day ✓

Chapter 37 - This Is Where the Fun Begins

Luke and Leia rushed down the corridor in the wake of their parents and Master Yoda. He carried a sack with water and ration bars, and she had a blanket.

After traveling down many levels on a turbo lift, Anakin led the party to the center-most part of the star destroyer—a storage locker between the central ion engine and the flight control deck. Stacked storage crates and cables littered the small room that was to be the children's safe house during the coming battle.

In the far corner, a portable refresher unit stood with its hatch open. Luke was not sure if it was normally stored in this compartment or if his father had ordered it moved here. All he knew was that they really had no excuse to leave the cluttered room during the imminent battle.

Anakin removed his helmet, setting it on top of a shipping crate. "You two are not to open this door. When it is safe, one of us will come get you. There are no excuses. Do not leave here for any reason."

"Yes, Father," Luke said.

"To your father  listen. Adventure, excitement, a Jedi craves not these things." Master Yoda raised a hand to emphasize.

Padmé knelt beside both children, hugging and kissing them both for a long time. "We'll be back. We promise. Just stay here and stay quiet."

"Yes, Mother," they both said as they continued to hug her.

Leia turned to her father Bail, who lifted the small girl into his arms. "I love you, Leia. You must obey. Your mother will kill me if anything happens to you."

"Yes, Daddy. I promise." Leia kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Daddy. You be safe, too."

"Yes, Darling, I will. I promise." Bail kissed his daughter once more and set her down on the deck.

Luke grabbed onto his father in the best hug he could manage. "Daddy, you be safe, too. I don't want to lose you."

Kneeling, Anakin grabbed Luke in a hug. "I will, Luke. I promise. The next time you see me, it will be in a better galaxy."

Anakin smiled in surprise as Leia grabbed onto his shoulder in a hug. "I love you, too, Daddy." She kissed him on his scarred cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "But don't leave us here too long."

With tears in his eyes and both of his children hugging him, Anakin said, "I won't. We will be back as soon as this business is over." He looked at both of his children, sizing them up. "Leia, Luke has promised to obey, but I haven't heard anything from you. This is no game. You are not to head out of this room. Is that understood, young lady?"

Leia opened her mouth wide in outrage and then closed it again. "All right, I promise." She glared at him with crossed arms. "Can't get away with anything with you."

"No, you can't. You're just like your mother." Anakin winked at Leia.

Padmé playfully slapped Anakin on the arm.

"What?"

An alarm interrupted the party.

Leia asked, "What's that flashing?"

Anakin stood and put on his helmet. "We're coming out of lightspeed in five minutes. Go hide behind those crates. We'll see you in a few hours."

When the group reached the bridge, Bail, Padmé, and Yoda hung back near the security console while Anakin strode to the viewscreen, looking out at the geometric planes of bright blue. Anakin, through his vocalizer, said, "Admiral Ozzel."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Order the crew to battle stations before we come out of lightspeed. As soon as the sub-light engines engage, open a holocomm channel to our fleet and the Mandalorians so that I may address them."

Ozzel ran his finger under his collar and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Yes, My Lord." He turned to Captain Piett. "You heard Lord Vader—all crew to battle stations."

Captain Piett lifted his arm and pressed a few buttons on his communicator. Red lights flashed as a siren emanated through the bridge. "Battle stations! All crew to battle stations! This is not a drill."

The geometric planes transformed into blue streaks, then to pinholes, and finally to glittering stars in the black canvas of space. The super star destroyer Executor hovered on the edge of the Coruscant system, amid the five smaller Imperial-class star destroyers. The Mandalorian fleet slid into position on both flanks of the Imperial fleet.

Holographic images of each captain, as well as Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, appeared in a circle around Vader.

"Welcome to Coruscant, my friends," Anakin greeted.

The Imperial captains looked nervously at each other, but Obi-Wan laughed.

"Today, we will free the Empire from slavery, once and for all. What we do today, we do not for ourselves, but for our children." He paused for a long moment, thinking of the twins in the storage compartment in the bowels of this ship.

"No longer will any live in fear. Our mission is a coup. Once the Emperor has been destroyed, Alliance forces will take control of the government, re-instituting the Senate. Senatorial representatives have accompanied us on this mission." Anakin pointed to Bail and Padmé. "Others are already on the ground. Still others will be arriving shortly." 

He clenched his fist. "Today will be a day unlike any other. Today will be Restoration Day. Today marks the end of the Sith and the beginning of a New Jedi Order. Today, I am no longer Darth Vader. Today, I reclaim my true identity." Vader removed his helmet, displaying his scarred face on the hologram. "Henceforth, I shall be called by my true name . . . Anakin Skywalker, General of the Republic and Jedi Knight."

Cheers emanated from all of the ships, causing the comm officer to reduce the audio feed. Anakin said, "Captains, it is now time to alleviate this galaxy of the plague known as Darth Sidious. Plot a hyperspace jump into orbit around Coruscant. On my mark, jump." A few seconds passed as they beamed the coordinates to each ship. "Three, two, one, mark."

Did you know . . .

● Even though I've taught formal elocution classes for years, I believe speeches should be short and to the point. I hope Anakin's revelation to the troops met those requirements.

Tell me what you think . . .

● Anakin Skywalker was the biggest Hero of the Clone Wars. Although he did not don the Vader suit until after his battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker faded into history. The suit allowed the rest of the galaxy to believe Anakin died during the execution of Order 66. How would you feel, either as a clone trooper or stormtrooper or even Imperial officer, to discover Vader's true identity?