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These are notes between Luke Skywalker and Padmé, who is in hiding and going by the name Samantha, but it’s AU. Yes, Amidala is alive, and she’s Mon Mothma in the fic-weird twist to the story. Enjoy.

The person playing the part of Samantha has the name: Celina Jovia and Bobill
I am playing the part of Luke
Note 1
Mon Mothma, Queen of the Old Republic, Queen of the Rebellion,

I am sorry if I dishonored you in any way by leaving something out of your title or something. I’m writing you to apologize for what happened. Again, I’m sorry. I feel bad about what happened…I didn’t mean to bump into you and cause you to spill your drink all over yourself. I’m just a common person, and you’re such an important person. If I can help out in any way, let me know. Thanks.


A Common Person


PS Please don’t kick me off the Rebellion
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Note 2
Common Person,

You did ruin my dress, but I can always get a new one. Just watch where you're going, and no harm will befall.

Now, about my title...you did not dishonor me, or something like that. You may call me Mon Mothma. That way, if you write back, you won't have to use all my titles.


Mon Mothma
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Note 3
Mon Mothma,

Are you sure that you can’t get the stain out with ANYTHING? I’m sorry about bumping into you…really I am. Maybe I can help you in some way…let’s see here….hmmm…my aunt is good at getting stains and stuff out. Maybe I could ask her if she knows of anything that would get coffee out. I don’t know the kind of fabric that dress is made of. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before.

I NORMALLY watch where I am going, and I very rarely run into anyone or anything. It was just that I got a little distracted. You see my friends and I were having fun….we were joking around in a fun kind of way. My friend said something to me….and because of what he said, I was going to go punch him, in a jokingly way. I didn’t see you or anything…and I just wasn’t paying attention to anything or anyone outside my group of friends….

I mean we had all just narrowly escaped the Death Star, so it was just kind of a stress relief time for us…we needed to calm down and just sit back and enjoy life for a little bit. I’m sorry that you were the victim of my carelessness…and I wish there was something I could do. Do you want me to go ask my aunt about the solution?

Thanks for being so generous to me......and accepting my apology. I sure hope that you can get that stain out!! Usually I don't bump into people or things, but that's besides the point. I did bump into you and stain your dress.


A Common Person
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Note 4
To a Common Person,

Before I start to answer any of your questions, I would like to say that there is NO such thing as a 'Common Person'. Everyone is different in many ways, so you cannot be a 'Common Person', and because you are not I would like to know your real name.

Now, it would be nice of you if you ask your aunt about this stain, you won't BELIEVE how many people have asked me what happened. If she can get it out that would be great.

I must tell you, now is NOT the time to be relaxing, not when we have an important 'mission' ahead of us. Yes, you may have just gotten off the Death Star, but that gives you NO reason to relax. No one here is relaxing and having a great time until the Death Star is destroyed, understand? If you thought of it that way, you wouldn't have been careless and I wouldn't have a stain on my dress!!!


Samantha
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Note 5
Queen Samantha,

You say there is no such thing as a “Common Person.” I must admit that that is the last comment I would expect from a Queen…I thought that you would be all…um…stuck up. I’m glad that you are not though. By “A Common Person” I meant that I am just so insignificant compared to everyone here. You and the rest of the people I’ve met seem so important and I feel like I don’t belong here. It was an accident that I ended up here in the first place.

I suppose I should tell you a little bit about myself….so that you can understand why my friends and were relaxing and trying to have fun when I ran into you…also because you asked for my name.

You are right, I never told you who I was. That was because I wasn't sure how you'd react to my writing you, and if I didn't tell you my name, I thought it would be harder to kick me out of the rebellion.

I suppose I should tell you who I am, and a bit about myself, so here goes... Let's see here...my name is Andrew Smith, and I'm from a really really rich family. I live with both of my parents, in a huge house, and we own lots of water. We have running water in our home, I go to a really rich school, and I'm really really popular. Let's see, what else? Hmm....I'm a great athlete, and I have flown a bunch of times. Back home I have my own ship.

There…now you know my name.

I did ak my aunt about the stain, and she said she’d try to get it out, but the problem is I can’t go find her right now because I have to get ready for the upcoming battle. I’m going to be flying in it. Plus I think that my aunt would want me to try and get it out myself since I’m the one that ran into you, and to be honest, I would rather avoid talking to her…sometimes she treats me not the nicest….to put it lightly. Maybe if I have time before I have to go fight I can try and get it out for you. The thing is the solution might be kind of rough on my hands…sometimes when I get stains my aunt makes me get them out myself, which is fair, but my hands sometimes bleed from the solution…..because I have sensitive skin. I’ve broken out with these bumps and rashes when I’ve done it, but I will try if you want me to.

Like I said before, I’m really sorry about bumping into you. If I could go back in time, I would erase that incident, but obviously I can’t do that. I feel bad about it, really I do. I’m sorry that a lot of people have been asking you what happened. I can try my best to hurry up and change into the flight uniform and then get over to you and see if I can get it out. I would just rather not look for my aunt, if you don’t mind.

I would try and give you some money to buy a new dress, but I don’t have any money left. I spent it all on pictures for this project I’m doing for school….so I don’t have any money with me.

Another thing…I am new to the Rebellion…I’ve never been involved with anything like it before…Up until the Death Star incident, I had never really encountered any Imperials, and had never been captured, and had never had to run for my life like that. I am sorry if it bothered you that my friends and I were trying to have fun, but we’re not used to these kinds of situations. I think it is good to have some fun, even if you are in a very grim situation because then you can relieve some tension and some stress…and that’s a good thing. I’m sorry that you don’t like to laugh or have fun, but my friends and I do.

Now I’m sure you’ve been involved with the Rebellion for a long time and are used to this kind of thing, but I do think you should relax a little and have some fun. It’d be good for you.

I don’t see how it could do any good to get all stressed about this battle…because when a person is stressed they’re more likely to make stupid mistakes….of course that’s just my unexperienced opinion. At least it applies to school.

I’m sorry that no one here knows how to have a good time, but my friends and I are. I’m sorry for being “careless.” Usually I’m not.

Again, I’m sorry about the stain. I will try to get it out for you.


The Imperials are fixed on destroying the Rebellion...and with the Death Star headed this way, I have to get going. Well, since you are a Rebel leader, do you think our plan will work.....I mean do you think we will be able to destroy the Death Star? I'm just new to the Rebellion, so I'm new to this sort of thing. Has any battle like this ever taken place...and if not, what chances do you think we have in destroying that battle station?

Well I gotta go. I have to go put on my flight suit...I will be participating in the Death Star battle.


-Andrew Smith
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Note 6
Andrew Smith,

Thank you for telling me your name, and I do believe that there is no such thing as a 'common person', for everyone is important whether they know it or not. See, you're a pilot and will fight in the battle, therefore you are very important to the Rebellion, so I will not 'kick you out' as you put it, for we need as many pilots as we can get. I am glad you are fighting for us.

If your hands will start to bleed if you try and clean my dress, I suggest you not to worry, I will get one of my own people to clean it. Thank you for your offer though.

So, what planet are you from that is so rich? For everything you've told me about yourself and how rich and popular you are, then I do not understand why you wouldn't think that you were 'important to the Rebellion'. The place you are talking about does not sound real, I mean, after the Empire took over there has been no place as you speak of. So, please tell me of your homeplanet.

If you live with your parents, then where are they? You've mentioned your aunt numerous of times, but where are your parents?

I understand that you wish to relax and have a 'good time', but here and now is not the time. Please, tell your friends that, and I would be grateful. I am sorry that you had to run for your life, and that you have suddenly gotten dropped into the middle of a battle, but you are here and you must know that the worst is still yet to come. That is way I insist on not 'relaxing, or acting careless', for we must be on guard every second of the battle. Hopefully if the battle goes as planned, afterward we may be able to relax and enjoy our time here. Until that time, we might be ready to act in a second's notice, I hope you understand that.

I believe we have a fair enough chance against the Death Star, but there is always something that can and will if we let it, prevent us from reaching our goal. You must be ready for anything and at anytime.

As you can guess, I'm not going to relax until this battle is complete. Maybe then I will, but I will NOT promise anything.

Also, not I'm not a 'stuck up' Queen as you have put it. I know the importance of any and everyone in the Rebellion, and I wish to help. Yes, I've been around the Rebellion ever since it began. I helped it get started after the Empire took over and the Jedi were killed.

Well, I must go.


Samantha
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Note 7
Samantha,

You’re welcome for telling you my name. I don’t see how you can see no one as a common person. I feel very unimportant, and I’ll tell you why later on in the letter. After you find out, I’m sure you’ll take back your comment when you see how unimportant I am really in. Actually, I’m NOT a pilot. I lied to you…well I don’t think you can consider someone who has only flown once as a real pilot. This battle is the first time I have actually really flown. I do not own my own ship or anything like that. So now you know…I hope this won’t change anything and you won’t kick me out once you find out how low my importance is. Yes, I am trying to fight in this battle, but I’m not sure how well I am doing.

About my hands bleeding thing….I went too far with that. They don’t actually bleed. They just get really sore and I get bumps and things, but they don’t actually bleed. They get raw sometimes. I tried to get that stain out of your dress, but I didn’t finish it. Did you get it out? I hope you did. Shmi, who claims to know you well, told me that the dress was the last gift from your husband before he died. You never told me that. I didn’t know, and like I said, I’m really sorry about that. You must tell me if you could get the stain out. I’m sorry for not being able to finish it, but I had to go into the battle, so I couldn’t help having to leave. If the fight hadn’t been so soon, I would have finished it. Again, I’m really sorry about the whole incident.

What planet am I from that is so rich? Well I was going to lie and say Coruscant, but then I found out that you were a former Senator, so I knew that I wouldn’t be able to lie about it. Sigh…..all right I’ll tell you the truth….and this time it IS the truth.

You’re going to get very bored once you read how common and unimportant I am….but here is the truth. I’m really from Tatooine, which you have probably never heard of. It is the worst, most boring, horrible planet in the entire Empire. It’s this big sand pile where nothing exciting has ever happened or will ever happen. I’m not rich…my family’s very poor. We are just poor moisture farmers, and I HATE farming. So now you know about my home planet, and you understand why I tried lying about it.

I have to go to the poor school on Coruscant….and everyone at school makes fun of me. I am the exact opposite of being popular. I only had two friends, one of whom WAS JUST KILLED. I think people make fun of me because I don’t try to be popular….I don’t care about what’s popular….I am my own person and can be happy without trying to be someone I’m not. I don’t smoke, drink, take drugs, and I try my very best at schoolwork. I care about doing well, so everyone makes fun of me. I think they might do it because they’re jealous.

Another thing, I have never had a girlfriend, and no girl has ever liked me. I really wish some girl would…and I have liked some girls……but when I told them, they either laughed in my face or were really mean about it. What’s wrong with me? Am I ugly or something?

And about my parents…..you’re right, I have mentioned my aunt to you numerous times, but not my parents. My parents aren’t here….they’re dead. They died when I was a baby. I guess Darth Vader thought they had some information that he wanted, so he questioned them about it. When they refused to say anything, Vader shot them. DARTH VADER KILLED MY PARENTS. Vader is so mean!!!

So you see, I am an orphan from an unimportant poor farming family on Tatooine who is very unpopular and has never flown before.

As far as the battle is concerned….well it’s not going so well. I mean I’m still alive, but a lot of people have gotten killed. I’m on the attack run now, but you know what’s happened? TIE fighters have started attacking us, and my best friend just got killed…a person that I have known almost throughout my entire life! He’s was a few years older than me, and it hurts. I think Vader is in the battle and I think he’s the one that killed him. It just isn’t fair.

The battle’s not over yet, and I’ll probably get killed….seeing how many pilots have died so far.

It’s sad that the Jedi were killed. I’ve just been learning about them for this project I have to do for school. It’s pretty interesting. They sound like they were really great people.


*Luke*Andrew (pretend the name Luke is erased, but if you look closely you can still read it)
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Note 8
Andrew,

I just noticed when you signed your last letter that you wrote 'Luke'. Why did you do that? Is 'Luke' your real name? What is your real full name, if Andrew Smith is not it?

All right, since I'm getting...'warning' letters from some people I know here, I'll try and not yell or be upset with you, but you have to understand what I'm like, and my past (which I'm not going to go into).

You say that Tatooine is the most boring planet in the galaxy, well I know that it is all sand and hot, but did you know that I went there once? That was where I met my husband (well my former husband now). Now that he died, the name Tatooine brings back haunting memories. Of course you did not know that, and you were merely telling the truth, which I'm glad for, but you should know that Tatooine does hold a lingering past for me.

You are important!!! You're a pilot and pilots are VERY needed here. You can see for yourself, and you said it. We don't have much pilots and most are dieing because of Vader. You are important, so don't say that again.

Yes, I am a former senator, but who told you that? What else do you know of me?

For the LAST time, Andrew/Luke, I'm. Not. Going. to. KICK. YOU. OUT!! Understand that? So, stop thinking it. Yes, you ruined my dress, and I'm never going to be able to fix it, but that is no good reason for me to kick you out. Ok?

By the way, yes, this dress IS the last gift from my former husband, and I'm afraid I may never get the stain out. I'll have to put this dress away in a safe place, and move on with life. No, I'm never going to get rid of it, because it IS the LAST gift from my husband. Don't worry yourself with it, I'm sure you have more to think about then this dress (like the battle).

Yes, the Jedi were very good people, and I wish that they never were killed. It is a terrible loss for the whole galaxy, but everyone must move on with life. There is a Jedi here. He's a Jedi Master. He's the only one (besides one other that is not here right now) that is alive that we know of. His name is Obi-Wan-Kenobi. Have you met him yet? If you're studying about the Jedi, you should join this other boy (Curtis), who Obi-Wan is telling the tales of the Jedi. If you want me to, I can tell Obi-Wan that you want to talk to him about the Jedi because I should be meeting with him in a few minutes. Would you like me to do that?

I'm sorry to hear about your friend, and your parents. Vader is CRUEL!!!!! Killing the Jedi, my husband, my friends, YOUR friend, your parents, and all these other pilots!!!!! I can't believe Vader is even human!! I would HATE to be his parents.

I must go now, and finish this meeting.


Samantha
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Note 9
Samantha,

Well…you caught me in the last part of my lie. You pay attention to little details don’t you? My real name isn’t Andrew…it’s Luke, and I usually sign things with my name (Luke) without even thinking. When I wrote to you the last time I was in a hurry and I wrote Luke first, and then realized that I had written it, so I erased it (but didn’t have time to do a very good job of it. I was hoping you wouldn’t notice. Luke is such a common name, and I get tired of going by it all the time. I was hoping that maybe I could trick you and see if I could go by a different name…just to see if I could do it. I thought it would be kind of fun. Plus, I thought that if you didn’t know my real name it would be harder to kick me out of the Rebellion.

So yes, Luke is my real name, and Andrew Smith is not my name at all. My friend told me that Smith was the most common last name in her world (long story) so I decided to try and use it. Well my full real name? Well, as long as you promise not to kick me out…I guess I could tell you it. I have two last names, so I’ll only give you one so you don’t get confused. My family last name is Skywalker, but it’s not my legal last name. I used it for the Rebellion in hopes that I wouldn’t get into too much legal trouble if I did that, plus I like that last name. It’s the most common last name in the galaxy, yes, but I do like it better than my legal last name. My other last name is my legal last name, as I said, I don’t like it as well, and I would rather stay out of as much Imperial trouble as possible, so I won’t even tell you what it is. There…now you know, it’s Luke Skywalker. Another reason for me not to use my legal last name is because if I do something good for the Rebellion, the Empire will have no way of tracking me, so I will put myself in less danger by doing this. If the Empire tried looking up my family name, it wouldn’t exist and they’d have a harder time trying to find me.

What? People are sending you “warning” letters? I didn’t even know that anyone else knew what I did to you. (except my aunt and uncle and Ben….and I forget who else I told…..I think Han and Leia….and um…I THINK that’s everyone I told.)

I don’t know why people would be sending you “warning” letters. I know what I did was horrible…and again, I wish I could get the stain out, but I can’t. You couldn’t get it out either? I know that if I did that to my aunt she would practically kill me….she would be yelling at me and hitting and kicking me….like she always does when I do something wrong. If she would do that….I had no idea what a stranger would do…..I thought for sure you would want to kick me out of the Rebellion…or hit me or kick me or something. I’m glad you haven’t so far. I was very surprised that you didn’t hit and kick me when I bumped into you. Would you normally hit and kick people that do things wrong (like bump into you)? If so, I understand what you meant when you said, “I’ll try and not yell or be upset with you, but you have to understand what I’m like, and my past.(which I’m not going into.)”

You went to Tatooine? Why? (if you don’t mind my asking?) I can’t imagine why any senator would want to go to Tatooine. Certainly if there’s a bright center to the universe, Tatooine is the planet that it is farthest from. Um, you met your husband on Tatooine? I didn’t know that Tatooine had ever been a celebrity spot. Your husband must have been a prince or king of some other planet. That is so weird….I cannot imagine ANYONE meeting their future spouse on Tatooine. I suppose that must have been when Tatooine was under the Maurder leadership. I heard that things were a little different then. I don’t know how different, but people have just said, “different” to describe it.

I’m sorry that I mentioned Tatooine to you. I didn’t know that it brought back so many painful memories. I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t mean to do that. I keep doing that….bringing up things that I didn’t know brought back bad memories for people. Since you asked what planet I came from, I told you…..and I’m glad that you’re glad that I told you the truth, but now that I know that it has bad memories for you, I will try not to mention it to you, all right? (unless you bring it up). Thanks for not hurting me for bringing up the bad memories. I know my aunt would do that.

I still cannot believe that you would consider ME important. Yes, I flew in the battle, but I still wouldn’t consider myself a pilot. I’ve only flown once in battle. That doesn’t count as a pilot, does it? Yes, I survived the battle, but I don’t know how good I really am. I guess I did okay.

Well how did I know you were the former Queen of Coruscant? Well the lady that registered me (Shmi) told me in her second letter to me. Here, I’ll quote her.

“Yes, that lady you bumped into is a very good friend of mine, named Samantha Jedi, and yes she is VERY important to the Rebellion. She was once Queen of Naboo and Coruscant, so yes she is important and I'm sorry you bumped into her.

I hope you don't start to bleed or anything, and I hope you get that stain out of Samantha's dress. It's VERY important to her it was a gift from her husband before they got married and he was killed, and it was the last gift he ever gave her, so you can gues how important it is.” (end quote)

What else do I know about you? Nothing. That’s all I know….oh yeah….I believe that someone told me you helped start the Rebellion or something….but that’s ALL I know. I know that you were a former queen of two planets, and that you helped start the Rebellion. I hope that it doesn’t offend you that I know those things about you.

I know you say that you’re not going to kick me out…but my aunt sometimes says that she’s not going to “punish” me when I do something wrong….but sometimes when my uncle leaves on business for a short amount of time…she punishes me by hitting me and kicking me, which I can usually take fine. I can kind of defend myself against her, so I’m okay with it. I know that I deserve the punishment, but if she hurts me too badly, I DO get defensive. Do you think that’s bad? I can’t believe I’m telling you about what my aunt does…..no one will believe me…..not even my uncle. Anyway, I’m okay with it as long as I can defend myself a little bit. But the thing I really can’t stand is when she goes and messes with my allergies because I can’t defend myself against that. I’m usually okay when she does that…but sometimes she washes my clothes in stuff she knows I’m allergic to, and then I break out with all these bumps and things…and I itch all over, and I HATE that because I can’t do anything about it. At least she’s nice enough not to do that with my underwear.

Are you sure you’re not going to kick me out…now that I brought back the bad memories by mentioning that I was from Tatooine….and also ruining your dress? Ruining your dress isn’t a good reason to kick me out? Really? Why? I know my aunt would have kicked me out if she had been in your position.

I really hope that you can get that stain out. Again, I didn’t mean to do that, and I really wish that I could go back in time and change what happened. Well I’m glad that at least you’re not going to get rid of it. I still can’t believe that I ruined the last gift from your husband. I seem to be good at ruining other people’s fun and now I ruined something very precious to you.

Now that the Death Star has been destroyed, do you have any idea where the new base will be? I know it will have to be somewhere the Empire will never even think of looking.

Oh….yes…..I do know of the Jedi that is here. I have met Obi-Wan Kenobi…actually that’s how I got here. It’s a long story, but I had this project on this Jedi named Anakin Skywalker and I had no idea who this person was. I went to my uncle about it, and he said he didn’t know anything about him. I asked everyone I could think of, and no one had heard of him. Finally Biggs Darklighter suggested that I go to Obi-Wan Kenobi since he was one of the oldest people that he could think of. I started writing him and I got a lot of information…about this Anakin Skywalker person, about the Jedi, and about the Force…..I had never heard of any of that before the project. Well then I went on a business trip with my aunt and we started giving our customers their orders….and we went to Anuvuin…and while we were there I found this factory thing and I found this girl. We started talking and then we heard this noise and found two droids there, and I brought them back home with us. Well the girl was Bail Organa’s daughter Leia…and the droids carried some message for Obi-Wan…about the Death Star plans. Something happened after I got home and we all had to leave. My uncle told me to go to Obi-Wan’s house and go with him to Yavin. I did as he said….so one of the people I came with was Obi-Wan.

Hmmm……well there are a lot of people in my class a school, but I don’t know anyone named Curtis. It’s entirely possible that he is in my class, but that I just don’t know him. You said he had a Jedi project too. I’m pretty sure that my teacher would have been the only teacher in the entire galaxy that would have assigned their students to do reports on the Jedi and other people that lived in the time of the Old Republic. You said that Obi-Wan is telling Curtis Jedi tales? I haven’t seen Curtis. That’s very strange. I know for a fact that there was no one named Curtis around him in our trip over here…..it was just me, Han, Leia, Chewie, my uncle, and my grandfather. I haven’t been with Obi-Wan the entire time I’ve been in the Rebellion (because I was fighting in the battle), but I never saw him talking to any other kids. That’s weird. Maybe I was just missing something.

Thanks for the offer about introducing Obi-Wan to me…..but we already met.

Yeah!!! Vader’s the cruelest person I can think of. I wonder how many people Vader has killed. Wait….you said that Vader killed your husband? I should have been able to guess that, seeing how many lives Vader has destroyed. I bet he has single handedly killed more people in the galaxy than anyone else…..by far.

Is Vader human? I didn’t even know he was! My friends and I were trying to figure him out. So he is human? Yeah….well I was talking to Obi-Wan about Vader. Obi-Wan thinks that Vader was kidnapped as a small child and was personally raised by the Emperor. That’s probably true. I don’t think that ANY parents could ever raise something so evil.

Hey you know something…..since Vader has destroyed so many lives….would you like to have a Vader Bashing party? It would be so much fun! We could make breathing Vader shaped targets and prank call him and ask him how he liked to watch the Death Star explode and how he liked to spin in circles. LOL. It was so funny to watch him……my friend Han did that. He tried shooting at his ship, but it started spinning out of control. Who knows, maybe it got caught in the Death Star explosion (hopefully). I didn’t see his ship after the explosion, but it was kind of hard to see very much of anything after the explosion anyway…and I couldn’t have made out his ship….or any ship at all.

Oh just for the fun of it, I found out that Darth Vader’s name was Nigel Reklaw. Don’t you think that’s funny?


Luke Skywalker
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Note 10
Luke,

Vader told you his real name was Nigel Reklaw? That is SO funny! I can't believe he would, one tell you his real name and two have his real name as that. By the way, he's been writing to me and he ordered me to tell you to stop insulting him, or else he'll kill you, and you want to know what I said? I told him that I wouldn't stop you from insulting him (because he deserves every piece of it), and I would continue insulting him myself!! He HATES that, but it's SO funny to do. So, I think anyone that is writing to him is insulting him. I would hate to be Vader.

Sure, that Vader Bashing party would be fun to do. I'll have to talk it over with Bail and some other people. I'll tell you what they say.

You don't know this Curtis person, but you do Obi-Wan? Well, Curtis is doing a report about the Jedi Master Qui-Gon-Jinn, but he isn't enjoying the report very much. Are you SURE that you haven't seen him with Obi-Wan at all? Because I'm SURE Obi-Wan told me that Curtis was working with him. You should ask Obi-Wan and see what you find out. I'll do the same.

Ok, so your real name is Luke Skywalker. Thank you for telling me that, and no I don't pay attention to every little detail, but that one caught my eye and that's how I found it out. I'm glad you told me the truth. Remember, no matter how fun it is, or if you're not in trouble at the minute, the truth never remains hidden. Nothing ever remains hidden.

What was I doing on Tatooine? Well, when I was 14 I was elected Queen of Naboo, but the Trade Federation invaded and two Jedi (Obi-Wan-Kenobi {same one you know} and his master Qui-Gon-Jinn) came and helped us escape. But our ship was damaged and we were forced to land on Tatooine to buy a new hpyerdrive, because it was damanged beyond repair. So, that's why I was on Tatooine and met my husband.

May I ask you a question? Am I right when I say that you friend is Leia, Bail's daughter? I'm writing to her, and she told me that her friend was the one that ran into me, and you're the only one that ran into me, so I'm guessing you two are friends, right?

You may not have told many people, but I wasn't able to change my dress right away, so some people (Obi-Wan, Shmi, Bail, my brother, my father, grandfather, my mother, and some others) noticed and questioned me about it, so I told them. Don't worry, for the last time...I'M NOT GOING TO KICK YOU OUT OF THE REBELLION, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME???? Sorry, about that, but you're questioning my reasons after I've told you repeatedly that I wasn't going to kick you out. You sound like you WANT me to kick you out, if you do tell me and I'll do it, and if you don't STOP asking why I'm not, ok?

You're important to the Rebellion, because you are a part of the Rebellion. Everyone in the Rebellion is important, no matter their ranks, understand?

Also, I'm NOT going to hurt you in any way, I'm not your aunt. I'm not that kind of person. What I meant by my statement that I told you and you questioned it, is that, no I don't go around beating up people I don't like or that does something to me, but I meant because of my past and my life I've been...oh I don't know, different. I've never, nor will I ever harm anyone, so don't start thinking I would.

I hope your aunt learns what kind person you are, because she's being mean to you. I don't care who she is, she has no right beating anyone!

Yes, Vader is human, and I would wonder who raised him to become so evil, but I and everyone else have no idea.

Well, I must go, and get back to work. I'll ask Bail about that party of yours.


Samantha
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 11
First Luke and Samantha Note written after AOTC came out. From now on Samantha will either be called Padmé or Mon Mothma.

Mon Mothma,

Yeah…Vader told me his real name (Nigel Reklaw). Well he told me because I asked him what it was. He made a big deal of my name (I told him it was Andrew Smith, and he still thinks it’s that. I’m not going to give my real name to him because I know that once he finds out it would be easier for him to kill me. I don’t want to make it easy for him to track me down…and since he’s an Imperial he has no way of knowing that I’m lying to him about my name.) and said that my name was stupid. I got on him about that and asked him what kind a name “Darth Vader” was. He then told me that Darth Vader was his Sith name, so I asked him what his real name was…since he called Andrew Smith a stupid name. Now I don’t know about you…but what kind of name is Nigel Reklaw? I think it’s a stupider name than Andrew Smith is, don’t you?

He’s been writing to you too? LOL that’s funny. He thinks he’s so high and mighty…he’s probably writing to everyone that is important in the Rebellion. (I was the one that wrote him first. I wanted to see what he’d have to say for killing off all the Jedi.) He actually ordered you to tell me to stop insulting him? LOL. That is funny! Like I’m going to stop doing it. He’s the one making a fool out of himself. He does deserve the insults (that’s another reason I wrote him.) I would hate to be Vader too. How could he live with all that guilt?

Thanks for coming to the Vader Bashing Party. That was fun!!! Han’s the one that blew up the balloons. (He blew them up really big too. I don’t think I could have done that.) I made the Vader targets (I cut them out of wood and painted them black and then put that breathing thing on there that made it sound like the targets were breathing), and Leia did the decorating. That was fun throwing the darts at the breathing Vader targets. You looked like you were having fun too…and you have a great aim! You were sure throwing those targets! How do you think he liked the prank calls? I’m sure he knew it was from us Rebels, but it was so fun! So did you have a good time?

No….I don’t know who this Curtis person is. I’ll have to go ask Obi-Wan about it since you said that he’s around Obi-Wan a lot. Curtis is doing a report on Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn? Wait….I think Obi-Wan mentioned that guy to me a couple of times…wasn’t Qui-Gon Obi-Wan’s old master? So Curtis isn’t enjoying the report very much? Really? I think it’s fun to learn about the Jedi. They’re so interesting. I’m sure that I haven’t seen him talking with Obi-Wan at all…even after the battle. Okay, well I’ll ask Obi-Wan what he says. It is awfully strange that you said that they’re working together, but that I haven’t seen Curtis.

Yes, my real name is Luke Skywalker. I wonder what Vader would think of my real name…I wonder if he would think of it as being as stupid as he thought Andrew Smith was. He probably would. Vader seems to think that anything that isn’t his own is stupid. Hey…no problem telling you my real name…as long as you don’t tell me it’s a stupid name or insult me in some other way. Yeah…sometimes some things catch my eye while other things don’t. Yes…I know that the truth always comes out and that lies never stay hidden forever.

Okay, so you were FORCED to land on Tatooine then? That makes more sense. I couldn’t see a Queen coming to that planet on purpose. Obi-Wan told me that Anakin had been a slave or something and that he won his freedom in some kind of pod race. (Or maybe Jira told me that….I can’t remember). I have all this information on him because of the report. It’s really long. Would you like to read it? I’ll have to turn it in soon.

Yes. You’re right. My friend is Leia…that’s one of my friends. My other friend is Han. I’m fairly good friends with a person named Wedge Antilles too. I really like her too…I like her a lot.

I feel really bad. All those people noticed your dress? That must have been embarrassing . Again, sorry. All right…I’ll take your word for it. You’re not going to kick me out of the rebellion. Thanks for your continued reassurances. No, I don’t WANT you to kick me out…I just wanted to be sure that you weren’t going to kick me out. Sorry for questioning you about it.

Yes…I am part of the Rebellion….I can’t argue with you there. All right…so if you think all people in the Rebellion are important, then I guess I am…no matter my rank.

Okay, I’m glad that you’re not going to hurt me in any way. I’m glad you’re not my aunt…because if you were, I’d be in BIG trouble right now. It’s good that you wouldn’t harm anyone, even if you didn’t like that person. I wish everyone were like that.

Yeah well my aunt’s been doing that to me for as far back as I can remember (and I have a good memory) which means that it’s been since I was like 1 or 2 years old……and probably before that. Yeah well I got used to it…I still don’t like it when she does that to me…but at least I can defend myself now. I wasn’t always able to. My uncle won’t believe me…so I’m kind of stuck with it. She IS my aunt though….and she’s been like a mother to me…the only mother I’ve ever known (since my real one was shot). I do love her.

Okay….since Vader is human, I think that Palpatine raised him. No one else could have raised such an evil child.

Well I have to go. Han and I are looking for life forms out here on Hoth. (As Han said, “There aren’t enough life forms on this ice cube to fill a…” I forget the rest). So far we haven’t come up with anything. I just saw a meteorite hit near here and I want to check it out. It won’t take long. I’ll be back at the base in like 10 minutes. It’s getting cold out here and I certainly don’t want to be here long. The reason I want to check out what I saw is…well…I couldn’t tell for sure that it was a meteorite. I want to make sure that it’s not an Imperial probe droid or something. I thought I saw something on it that would make me think that it was. I really must get going. My Tauntaun is getting uneasy and I don’t like it.


Luke


PS A lady named Jira who’s from Tatooine told me that Shmi Skywalker was the name of Anakin’s mother. Was that Shmi the same Shmi as the Rebel registration Shmi? If so, why didn’t ANYONE tell me that Shmi was Anakin’s mother? Several people knew that I had to do the report on Anakin…and no one told me that she was his mother. Now I understand why she was so mad at me for ruining your dress and why she wanted to make sure that I felt bad about the situation.

Believe me, I feel worse about this whole thing. I had no idea that you were the wife of the person I was doing the report on, or that Shmi was his mother. I really wish that there were something I could do to make up for ruining his last gift to you.

Sigh…it’s really strange…it seems like EVERYONE that I know has some kind of relationship to Anakin.

Shmi was his mother, you were his wife, Obi-Wan was his Jedi Master, your family members were related to him by marriage, and that’s it. Oh yeah, and Jira knew him.

Hmm…..I just got a letter from Jobal, and I found out that she was your mother…so then your father is Ruwee and your grandfather is John?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 12
Luke,

First off, let me tell you NEVER, EVER LEAVE THE BASE DURING A STORM AGAIN! You almost got yourself killed! Believe it or not, the Rebellion wants live pilots, not frozen ones! It was such a relief when my brother told me that you were alive and healing. Don’t you ever scare me like that again!

Hmm, Nigel Reklaw, that’s an interesting name. I never thought Andrew Smith was a stupid name in the first place (except when used as a way of hiding an even better name, Luke Skywalker), so I would agree with you that Nigel Reklaw is not as good a name as Andrew Smith. Of course, don’t, under any circumstances, tell him your real name, because, like you said, he will try to kill you! I’m glad that you are keeping Vader’s pride in check by mocking his need to hide behind a Sith name. I don’t think that your name is stupid. I once had a son named Luke Skywalker. I wouldn’t have named him that if I thought the name was stupid. Somehow, I don’t think Vader would find that name stupid, either. I’m glad you decided to write to him. He owes us all an explanation for his actions. He deserves to feel guilty for his actions, and if it takes insult notes to make him think about what he has done, then so be it! And anyway, I would never order you to stop insulting him. I am not the Empire; I practice freedom of press. One day, I hope that all the guilt will build up inside him until he finally realizes that this tyranny has got to stop.

I had a wonderful time at the Vader Bashing Party. You and your friends really know how to insult an evil Sith Lord! Thank you for the compliment about my aim. I have a picture of Vader in my office that is great for target practice (not to mention a great way of venting energy!)

Obi-Wan cleared up the Curtis incident; he told me that you were Curtis! And yes, the Jedi he was studying, Qui-Gon, was Obi-Wan’s master. It seems like everyone these days likes fake names! Which reminds me, Obi-Wan warned me of an Imperial spy here on base. Please be careful that you don’t blurt out any confidential information to anyone that you don’t know very well.

Tatooine is not my favorite planet, either. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t like the people there. I told you that my husband was born there, and yes, he was a slave until he won his freedom in a pod race. Shmi naturally misses her son very much, and it is hard for her to talk of him, that is why she couldn’t tell you that she was Anakin’s mother. Anakin…he was such a strong man who fought for what he believed in, and his beliefs touched everyone around him. That’s why most of the people in the Rebellion knew him at one time or another.

You seem to have quite a few friends for someone who claims to be unpopular!

Let’s see, you mentioned Leia, Han, and Wedge. You say you like Leia a lot? Well, does she like you a lot? Would you like me to ask her for you?

You can stop anguishing about my dress. After all you didn’t ruin it intentionally. I forgive you. Actually, I forgave you a long time ago. So you don’t need to worry so much.

And just so you know, you are important! You were the one who destroyed the Death Star! Do you realize we would al be dead if it wasn’t for your courageous actions? Although I’m a little confused at why you turned off your navigational computer. Didn’t you need it?

You have a big heart to love your aunt, even after she had done so much to you! If my son were still alive, I would never dream of treating him like that. Children are precious, and we must treasure them.

In your letter, you didn’t finish your last sentence. You wrote, “I just got a letter from Jobal, and I found out that she was your mother…so then your father is Ruwee and your grandfather…” What about my grandfather? You never completed your statement. And what exactly did my mother say to you?


Mon Mothma
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 13
Mon Mothma,

Listen to me. I did NOT leave the base during a storm. I’m not exactly stupid, and I do have common sense. Sigh…it sounds like you heard about what happened to me. It seems like everyone knows. All right, if there is a rumor going around that I went out during a storm, could you do me a favor and set the record straight? I’m going to tell you exactly what happened, mainly because I don’t want everyone at this base to think I’m an idiot.

Bail Organa asked for volunteers to go on shifts to ride out into the cold to make sure we were alone on Hoth…meaning no Imperial presence or anything like that. Han and I signed up for the last shift on that day.

Just as we were finishing up our rounds and getting ready to head back in, I saw something fall out of the sky. It looked like it might have been a meteorite or something. (Remember, that’s one of the last things I said in my last letter.) I had just checked in with Han, and as I prepared to get my Tauntaun moving again, my Tauntaun started acting very strange. I didn’t know what could be bothering it, and as I was looking around, a Wampa ice creature knocked me off of my Tauntaun, and I went unconscious. It dragged me to it’s cave (I still don’t know how far away the cave was from the base.)

When I woke up I found myself hanging upside down on the cave ceiling. My feet were frozen to the ceiling, and I couldn’t move them at all. I looked over to my side and I saw this ugly wampa ice creature chewing on bones from it’s last meal. It saw that I had started to move, and it got up to go after me.

When the creature stuck me to the ceiling, something fell out of my utility belt, and I thought that it might help me escape. I managed to get it in my hand, and I freed myself. I landed on the ground just as the creature started coming for me. I cut off the creature’s arm and took off running.

I wouldn’t have gone outside in the cold normally, because by that time it WAS storming, but I had no choice. I hadn’t killed that wampa creature, and it would have been mad at me for cutting off it’s arm, so if I would have stayed, it would have killed me.

I don’t know about you, but have you ever come close up to a wampa ice creature? That thing was scary! And have you ever become close to being it’s next meal? There was no way I was going to risk it, so I just had to leave. I knew I had to keep going for as long as I could.

To be honest, I was SCARED. I’ve never been that scared in my life. I was panicking a little because I didn’t know what direction the base was, and I knew that if I stayed out in the cold very long, I would freeze.

Luckily, Han went out and searched for me……and found me. He saved my life. He told me he put me inside a dead Tauntaun. I don’t remember that because I was barely alive.

Anyway, my point is that I did NOT do that on purpose.

You asked your brother to check on me to find out how I was doing? Why did you do that? Why should you care how I’m doing…or is it just because you found out I was the one that destroyed the Death Star? Sigh…I just got lucky in the Death Star battle. I wish everyone would quit acting like it was such a big deal. I’m just a person. I will fight in more battles, and I know you consider me a valuable pilot…but remember I am just a person, and I had a lot of luck during the Death Star battle.

Oh…you have a son named Luke Skywalker too? I can see why you like my name then. If I had known that I had the same name as your son, I wouldn’t have lied about it in the first place, because that’s kind of cool. I can understand why there would be another Luke Skywalker…in fact I know of SEVERAL other Luke Skywalker’s that go to my school, so I’m sure there could be over a hundred of them in the entire galaxy. Skywalker IS the most common last name, so there are bound to be tons of Skywalker’s with the same first name. Luke’s a semi-common name in the galaxy, so having lots of Luke Skywalker’s is very likely.

Where is your son anyway? I’d like to talk to him. It’s always fun to meet someone else who has the same name as you.

Ah, don’t worry about me telling Vader my real name. He already hates me for a couple things I did, enough to probably use to kill me with…all of which involved the Death Star in one form or another, and now that I destroyed the Death Star, I’m SURE he’s going to want me dead. In fact, I’m a little scared that he’s going to hunt me down, even under my real name. I don’t want to die right now. I’m too young, and I enjoy life. At any rate, if I told Vader my real name, he’d have something to track me down by, and I don’t want him to do that. I’d like to keep my life for as long as possible.

Where did the Sith come up with their Sith names anyway?

I don’t know…Vader’s weird. I wouldn’t put it past him to think ANY name is stupid. He’s SO stuck on himself. He tried telling me he was the most intelligent person in the galaxy, and he started bragging how he was the most force sensitive person in the galaxy. I tried telling him to shut up about all that. I don’t think it did any good. He seems like he’s just one big blob of pride. It’s so fun to insult him! He got REALLY mad at me and told me to stop insulting him. And I tried to get him to feel guilty about what he’s done, and he comes up with “justifications” for it. I don’t know if he’ll ever feel guilty about what he’s done to the galaxy.

LOL, you are the funniest…how old are you…like 40 something? Year old that I have ever met. You seriously through darts at a picture of Vader in your office? That’s funny!

What? Obi-Wan told you that I was Curtis? That makes no sense. He knows my name is Luke! Why did he call me a fake name? There’s an Imperial spy here on the base? Um…okay….it’s not as if I would go around and give out confidential information to ANYONE in the first place, so don’t worry. I don’t even HAVE any confidential information to give out.

I don’t ever want to go to Tatooine again. I hate that place. I still can’t believe they ever had slavery on Tatooine. It’s not like that any more…and pod races? I can’t even imagine that. No, I didn’t even think of asking Shmi to help me with my project (because I didn’t know who she was, and I thought she didn’t like me very well anyway because she gave me these weird looks during registration.) That’s not what I was talking about. I said that I was surprised that no one else told me that Shmi was Anakin’s mother. (Mostly Obi-Wan, he’s the only one that really was in a position to know that…who knew about my project.) I didn’t even mention my project to Shmi.

Thanks…I just put the finishing touches on my project, and I included that thing about Anakin being a strong man who fought for what he believed in, and his beliefs touched everyone around him. Thank you for giving me that information.

When I was talking about being unpopular, I was talking about at school…not here. And even unpopular kids still have a few friends. I had two or three at school. Yes, I do like Leia a lot. You asked if she likes me a lot. How am I supposed to know? I can’t tell that sort of thing, and I’m terrible at it. You offered to ask her for me…. well…. I suppose you could, but just don’t make it sound like I want to know. Make sure you tell me what she says.

All right, I’ll try to stop worrying about your dress now. Thank you for your constant reassurances.

You found out I was the person who destroyed the Death Star (I knew you knew because I glanced at your letter quickly before I started responding.) Who told you? I didn’t want too many people to know. I can’t stand it when people try to make a big deal out of something I do…because I feel like I don’t deserve the recognition. I feel like I’m so unworthy. That’s why I hated the Awards Ceremony. I don’t like to be singled out, and I don’t like to have all that attention. I tried telling everyone whom I was writing to to not tell anyone else that I was the one that blew it up. As I said before, I was just lucky. I was only doing what was expected out of me…. trying my best to fight for the Rebellion. Any other pilot could have done it, but it just happened to be me. Besides, I couldn’t have done it without the other pilots. Wedge saved my life a couple times during the battle, and Han certainly did. Vader was on me TIGHT during the battle, and I was sure he would kill me. All of a sudden Han came in the Millennium Falcon and shot down the remaining TIEs, but sent Vader’s ship out of control.

Oh…about the targeting computer…I did turn it off, and I did it on purpose. I turned it off because the targeting part of the computer had an error in it…it was impossible for the computer to hit the mark because of the way it was set up. I figured it out after the first person that took the shot didn’t have a direct hit, and I could tell that it was wrong when I was trying to set the thing to make the shot. That’s why I turned it off. I honestly have no idea how I actually made the shot…I don’t even remember hitting the button, but I did it somehow…just out of luck. I’m not exactly sure how it happened; it just did. I think my feelings had a little to do with it, you know…like the instincts everyone has about certain things when in a quick/instant decision place. (Like flying really fast in battle…. or just even being in battle.)… I even had my eyes closed when I made the shot. I guess it was just because I followed a little advice that another person gave me before I went into the battle. I guess it worked.

How could I not love my aunt? She’s helped raise me since I was little, and she has done good things for me. She gives me food to eat everyday, and she has bought and made me clothes, she helps provide me with a shelter…and she has given me love and does care about me…. even if she doesn’t show it all the time.

Wait…I just caught something that I didn’t catch the first time I read through this letter. You said, “If my son were alive, I would never dream of treating him like that.” That means that your son is no longer alive then, right? I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t know. I…. I’m sorry. Did he die fighting for the Rebellion?

Oh…the Imperial postage service cut off my last couple words, did they? What I said in my last letter was this: “Hmm…I just got a letter from Jobal, and I found out that she was your mother…so then your father is Ruwee and your grandfather is John?”

Your grandfather’s one of the Rebel doctors. He’s the one that examined me when I first registered for the Rebellion. Your father had to check over my X-Wing before I took it into battle. Your mother? Let’s see…. I contacted her about whether the Rebellion allowed Death Stick smoking in it’s buildings or not, because as you know she is in charge of that kind of rules. That’s initially why I contacted her.

Since you want to know what your mother said to me, here is are the copies of her letters:

Note 1:
Luke Skywalker,

No, smoking it not allowed, but there are some people that go against that, and just me their stay isn't pleasant. I hope you will not go against that rule.
Just so you know, there are not a lot of people that have their last name as Jedi, only a few. If you've ran into others, I'm most likely related to them.


Jobal Amidala

Note 2:
Luke,

I don't know too much about the Death Star plans, you should really ask Bail or Mon Mothma.

I'm glad you're not thinking about breaking the 'no-smoking' law, because you wouldn't have a very pleasant stay if you did. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks smoking is bad. I know my family does know how bad it is, but I'm talking about people outside my family like you.

Oh, so you've met my husband and father-in-law. Ruwee is my husband and John is my father-in-law. See, there aren't a lot of people with the last name 'Amidala'.

Well, I hope you do well with the battle. Battles are scary, so please be careful.


Jobal



Note 3:
Luke,

For a first-time-pilot you're pretty good. Most of the other pilots spent weeks, months, even years in training and look, Vader blew them down like they were no problem. I think he's mad because he can't get you, but that's fine with me, as long as he DOESN'T get you. Yes, you're the last pilot up there, and there's one minute left, so you MUST do it. Be safe up there.

I'm glad to hear that there are many other people that do not smoke and are against that. That's great to know.

I mostly file stuff, do research for people, and many other jobs. I don't really have one job, but many small ones.

Well, I have to go and get to some work.


Jobal



Note 4:
Luke,

I won't tell anyone that you destroyed the Death Star, but I'm SURE that the word will get around soon, even if I don't tell (which I won't).

Yes, I'm Mon Mothma mother. So, Leia has been talking to you, and yes I'm afraid that that girl talked her father into having an award ceremony, so I can't do anything to stop that, sorry.

I don't know where the next base will be, but I've heard around and some are saying Hoth, which is ok, I guess, just a really COLD planet!!

I don't know what those 'feelings' you're talking about, and I'm not sure how they could have helped you pilot, but whatever it is you were able to win the battle, which is wonderful!!

You're a brave boy to have a goal (if that is what you're calling it) to get Vader mad at you! Mostly no one would even dare do that. Just do me a favor and make sure he never finds our base, ok?

Well must go.


Jobal


Okay, those are all the notes that your mother wrote me so far.

Oh good grief….I’m really tired now. The medic people are giving me these mean looks, like they want me to hurry up and finish, and some of them are even yelling at me. I’m trying to get this letter to last as long as I can. It’s BORING lying in bed all day. I hate it when I’m sick, but I don’t think anyone likes being sick. Besides being almost frozen and getting the cuts from the Wampa creature, and from hitting the hard ground when I fell off the Tauntaun…I also came down with pneumonia, and a few other lung infections. I’ll be okay.

Let me know what’s happening in the main section of the base. I can’t stand being here and I can’t wait until I get better, so I can get up and do things.



Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 14
Luke,

I’m sorry that I yelled at you in my last letter. It’s just that, after everything we lost to the Empire, it would be a shame to lose a great pilot to reckless mistakes. But you did nothing wrong, going on the last shift as you were told. Just be careful, please.

I have a question, how did you cut off the Wampa creature’s arm? I don’t know of any weapon we have in stock that can perform such a task. In fact, the only weapon I can think of that can cut a Wampa’s arm is a lightsaber, and only Jedi wield those!

I can understand why you were scared of the Wampa. I’ve never came close to such a creature, but I’ve heard many stories about such creatures as a child.

Your friend put you inside a dead Tauntaun? From what I know, they tend to reek from the outside. I imagine it must have been much worse inside!

Shmi is in charge of the registration of the Rebellion, and while glancing through her paperwork she found out that it was you who destroyed the Death Star. I’m sorry if I annoyed you by making a big deal out of it, but I AM very thankful to you for saving not only our lives, but many civilians who were in danger of suffering a deadly fate because of that killing machine.

The targeting computer had an error? Well, you can’t expect us to get that much government funding as we are trying to destroy the government. Still, I would think that the mechanics would make sure the computers inside the fighters were all in good condition if they were considering sending it out to battle!

You used your instincts to make the shot? My husband used to do that. Maybe you have Jedi powers!

What’s going on in the main stream of the Rebellion? Yesterday, two recruits started a food fight in the kitchen, and were suspended from work for a week. Other than that, it’s just the normal drudgery of life, scanning for danger, accumulating weapons, mounds of paperwork, etc. Don’t worry, you’re not missing anything exciting.

In your last letter, you asked why I should care how you are doing. I would like to ask you why you are questioning my morality again! I care how ALL my friends are doing!

And no one is ever “just a person”. Everyone is special, you included, so stop trying to degrade yourself. To me, you are very important, whether or not you destroyed the Death Star.

I think the Sith get their Sithly names by trying to think of two evil or unusual words and putting them together. I mean, whoever considered naming their child Darth Vader or Darth Sidious?

You’re right about Vader being so stuck on himself. Like, even though the Death Star exploded, he STILL brags about how HE was the brains of the operation, and HE created the mechanical killing machine!

I don’t know if anyone told you this, but it isn’t polite to ask a woman’s age! (Forty years old, humph!) I’m older than you and that’s all you need to know!

And yes, I do throw darts at Vader. It’s really stress-relieving after you hear about how many more people the Empire killed that day. Which reminds me, I need more darts! All my old ones are dulling so much they don’t create as many holes in Vader’s face anymore!

No, my son didn’t die fighting for the Rebellion. He was born very sick, and he died shortly afterwards. I’d rather not talk about his death, if that’s okay. I’d rather envision the man he might have become.

Obi-wan knew that I named my son Luke Skywalker, so he didn’t want to hurt me by bringing up that name again.

Luke Skywalker is a VERY common name! In fact the reason I named my son Luke was after a childhood friend that wasn’t even distantly related to Anakin Skywalker! Come to think of it, I have multiple childhood friends called Skywalker!

And I misunderstood Obi-Wan about the spy. We’re not sure that there is a spy, only that someone leaked valuable information.

I don’t think that you would give out confidential information openly, it was just a warning.

It’s good that you didn’t mention your project to Shmi; she has a lot on her mind. Shmi’s still grieving over her son’s death, and is reluctant to talk about him, so that’s probably why not many people know about her connection to Anakin.

I know what you mean about Tatooine. I’ve only been their once, but I don’t think I could survive the heat again!

It’s no problem asking me for information about Anakin. He was my husband, and I want him to be remembered for all the good things he did.

I suppose even unpopular people have a few friends, but if being popular means simply having many friends, then why do you try to be popular at all?

In my opinion, you have all the friends you need! As I recall, Han saved your life twice, once during the fight on the Death Star, and once just a few days ago, saving you from the deadly temperatures on Hoth!

I’m glad that you feel your aunt loves you. Still, I feel that as your aunt she would have an obligation to show her love to you in more way than beatings! I know if my son were still alive I would never dream of treating him like that!

I guess postage service isn’t as good as it once was. Yes, Jobal and Ruwee are my mother and father, and John is my grandfather. You told my mother that your goal was to get Vader mad at you? LOL! Why? And why did you ask my mother about death stick smoking if you weren’t planning to do it?

I should stop writing, too, so you can get some rest. I can understand how boring it can be lying in bed, I remember having pneumonia as a child, and was forced to lie in bed for a week! But it is important to your health, so bear with it!

And anyway, I best be off to tackle the paperwork, now!


Mon Mothma
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Note 15
Mon Mothma,

It’s okay that you yelled at me in your last letter. I didn’t really mind it…I just was annoyed that someone gave you the wrong information and said I walked out in the storm. And I wish you wouldn’t call me a great pilot…because I’ve only flown once in my entire life…and I don’t think that I deserve such a title. I’m sure there are plenty of other people that fly better than I do. I know you meant it as a compliment, so I thank you for it…just don’t make a big deal out of the fact that I destroyed the Death Star, okay? It makes me feel so strange.

I am careful…I don’t like to be in a life-threatening situation, and I don’t like to get hurt. I like to have fun, but I also know what danger is…and I try to avoid it. I don’t do completely stupid things, although my uncle probably thinks I take too many risks. My friends and I liked to race each other in land speeders for the fun of it. But one of those friends is now dead, and I don’t know where the other one is right now. Sigh…..when you went to Tatooine, did you hear of this place called Beggar’s Canyon? That used to be one of my favorite racing spots. I wouldn’t purposely go outside in a storm…..any kind of storm…because I know that’s stupid.

Um…how did I cut off the Wampa creature’s arm? Well…..I….okay, so I DID use a lightsaber. You’re right…there are no weapons that the Rebellion has in stock that could cut off a Wampa’s arm. Well, I’m no Jedi, but the Jedi are pretty much extinct anyway. Anyway, about the lightsaber…it belonged to my father. He was a Jedi (his name was Alex). It’s the only thing I have that was ever my father’s, and it’s my only connection to him. I would guard this lightsaber with my life…simply because it was my father’s. I have never even seen any pictures of my father. I tried to hide the fact that I had a lightsaber from you, just because it makes me feel weird. Since you said, only Jedi carry lightsabers, and since the Jedi were hunted down and killed….I don’t like to make a big deal about it…because then someone might think I’m a Jedi and try to kill me or something. I’ll admit that I’m scared of Vader because I know he killed the Jedi. Please don’t tell anyone I have a lightsaber. The lightsaber even has my father’s initials on it. Sometimes I look at the lightsaber and try to imagine what my father was like…but it’s kind of hard because I know next to nothing about him.

Yes, Han put me inside a dead Tauntaun, and he used my father’s lightsaber to cut it open, at least that’s what he told me. I don’t remember any of it. They do REALLY smell on the outside, but I was almost unconscious when he put me inside it…and I don’t even remember what it smelled like.

I realized that everyone would eventually find out that I was the one that destroyed the Death Star. I was just hoping that people wouldn’t say much to me about it; I guess I was just hoping that people wouldn’t find out until it was too late to make a big deal about it. So Shmi was the one that discovered that and passed the word on to you? I’m sorry. I guess I took out my frustration on you. I wasn’t angry at YOU…I was just a little annoyed with EVERYONE for making such a big deal about it.

I’m glad the Death Star was destroyed too. That thing had enough power to destroy an entire planet! I can’t believe that the Empire would use that as a way to create fear to keep the systems in line. Everyone that runs the Empire is so cruel! How can Vader and Palpatine even be human?

Well….yeah…the computers had errors, but they weren’t in bad condition. The fact was that that exhaust port was so small, and the computer had no way of hitting it at the EXACT spot. The computers could only be accurate to a certain degree. They were a tiny fraction of an inch off, but that error made all the difference in the world. I wasn’t complaining about the computers; I was just simply answering your question. You asked me why I turned off my targeting computer, so I told you. The only reason I was able to make that shot was because of my instincts. They allowed me to have a precision that the computers didn’t have.

As I said in the last letter, yes, I did use my instincts to make the shot. I don’t like saying that to anyone because it scares me. I tried not to mention the instincts in my last letter, but I could think of no better way to explain how I made that shot. I wasn’t sure if it was normal to have those instincts help me or not. Sigh…I wish I hadn’t mentioned that. Up until I went to Ben to help me on the report, I thought all the instinct stuff was normal. Then I found out about the Jedi and the Force and all that stuff. In your last letter you suggested that maybe I had Jedi powers. Well….I do…but I haven’t known about it for very long. I have a little bit of Jedi powers, I guess. Ben told me it makes me Force Sensitive, and that the Jedi were all Force Sensitive, and that that’s where they got their power. But Ben told me that Vader and Palpatine killed off all the Jedi…and Force Sensitive individuals, including babies and children. I don’t want ANYONE to know that I’m Force Sensitive, okay. It just scares me. I’m afraid that some Imperial’s going to find out and kill me. Ben told me that they would still kill him if they knew where he was…just because he was a Jedi and Force Sensitive. In a way, I’m kind of glad that you know now, because now I can talk about it with someone else. It just scares me and I wish I wasn’t Force Sensitive. You said your husband used to use his instincts? Well I guess I shouldn’t say anything about instincts. I honestly didn’t know that wasn’t normal, because I’ve had these instincts my entire life. No one ever said anything about them, and I don’t think anyone even noticed that I had them. Other people would look at me weird if I made any reference to them, and I grew up thinking that I was slow. I thought everyone else already knew how to handle their instincts, but eventually they became a part of me. I struggled with it for a while when I was little…before they became a part of me.

Are you serious? Two recruits started a food fight in the kitchen? That’s funny! Well ANYTHING (even paper work, scanning for weapons, and all of that) is better than being sick in lying in bed all day.

I didn’t know you cared so much about me, or that you considered me a friend. Wow…I don’t know what to say to that. I guess I questioned you about why you would care about me because I didn’t think you had any reason to care about me. I mean, you barely even know me. You’re older than I am, and I ran into you and ruined your dress.

I know everyone is special…but it just seems like everyone else is above me or better than me. I know I have something to offer the rest of the galaxy, but it seems like everyone else is better than me in other ways. I like myself a lot, but I just feel inferior to everyone else. I guess it’s because I’ve never really had very many friends. I’ve always been laughed at and made fun of, and very few people even try to get to know me. I’ve never had a girlfriend, and no girl that I know of has ever liked me. And it seems like most people my age instantly judge me and form opinions on me without even getting to know me. Other kids have treated me so badly…they’ve kicked me and thrown woodchips at me, and made up mean jokes about me. I feel so lonely sometimes, and I don’t have very many people to talk to. My uncle listens to me sometimes, but he’s usually busy running the farm. My aunt treats me badly a lot, so I never try to talk to her about anything. It just hurts so much inside. I don’t even know why people are mean to me. I can’t think of anything I have ever done to them that would make them hate me. Sometimes at night I cry for a long time….guys can cry when no one else is around.

Who is Darth Sidious? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him. I can’t remember if Ben mentioned him to me or not. No, he didn’t……I just checked all the letters he sent me. Is Darth Sidious alive? And if so, are Darth Vader and Darth Sidious related? Was Darth Sidious his father? Well…I don’t know…maybe there are some weird people in the galaxy who would name their child Darth Sidious or Darth Vader.

Vader’s just…….MEAN. I can’t stand that guy. He tries to justify his killing of the Jedi, and everything else he’s ever done. And then he brags about himself. But he also REALLY scares me. I’ve been having nightmares about him. I heard about that Imperial probe droid (it was probably the “meteorite” that I saw before the Wampa attacked me.) I heard that Han and Chewie checked it out, but that they confirmed that it WAS an Imperial probe droid. Everyone was saying how the Empire is looking for our new Rebel base so that they can destroy it. That makes sense, but then whenever I fall asleep, I always dream about Vader sending that probe droid, but in my dreams it’s not to find the Rebel Base, but ME. I dream about him coming after me and trying to kill me. I know he hates me because I have ruined his plans on several occasions, not to mention destroying the Death Star. I’m sure the Empire found out my name, and that I was the one that destroyed the Death Star. They’re going to want me dead. I know it’s silly to get scared about dreams. I know, no matter how much Vader hates me, he wouldn’t come all the way here, or bother sending out probe droids to find me. That would just waste time and money…and it would be stupid of them. Of course they want to wipe out our base. The dream still scares me.

I’m sorry if I offended you by asking your age. That wasn’t my intent. I’m sorry for overestimating your age. Okay, so you’re just older than me; that’s fine. You’re 21 then, how’s that? I won’t ask you for your age again.

Hey, I have an idea. Do you think you could get me a picture of Darth Vader and some darts so that I could throw darts at him. That would be a nice way to occupy my time until I’m well again. You said you needed to get more darts, so would you mind getting me a set too? I would pay you for them, but I don’t have any money on me. I spent all of it at Jira’s when I bought pictures of Anakin for my project. Hey….he was your husband….and I’m done with the project now. Would you like the pictures? I’m not sure if you already have pictures of him or not, but I just thought you’d like that. Or I could give them to Shmi…that will be my currency. I would appreciate it if you would get me darts or ANYTHING for me to do to occupy my time.

Oh….I’m really sorry about that; I had no idea that about your son dying after he was born. Okay, so he was born very sick and died shortly afterwards. I really don’t know what to say…except I’m sorry. No, of course you don’t have to talk about his death if you don’t want to. I’m sorry for bringing it up. I’m not ever going to force you to talk about him. Just say what you want to about him, and I’ll try not to ask any questions or make it a big issue. That must have been very sad. I can’t imagine a mother losing a baby child shortly after that child was born. That must have been very hard…hard on both you and your husband. I’m sure you and your husband were a great comfort to each other in that time. Your husband was such a great person, and I just can’t imagine that both of you had to go through that.

I see. That does make sense that Obi-Wan would lie about my name to try to protect your feelings. I’m glad that Obi-Wan would care that much about you to do that. I wish he would have told me though…

Oh, so you named your son after a childhood friend? Yeah…there aren’t very many Skywalker families that I am related to …….even distantly related. Skywalker is just far too common a last name.

Okay…so you misunderstood Obi-Wan about the spy. Someone leaked valuable information. Hmmm….well that sounds like a spy to me. Of course, I don’t know all the details, so who am I to judge that. To reassure you, I’m not in the habit of gossiping about other people, and I have no wish to hurt anyone else, especially the Rebellion.

Actually I DID mention my project to Shmi, but she hasn’t responded yet. I hope that I didn’t hurt her with it. Let me know if I hurt her. I can’t stand hurting another person.

Well as I said, I’m done with the project on your husband. You are welcome to the pictures that Jira sold to me. I have no use for them. I thank you for your help with my project.

Actually popularity means a little more than just having friends. People your age have to admire you and think you’re special. A lot of popular people don’t actually have friends…I mean they have people they talk to, but they don’t have true friends. Popular people are just glorified and thought of as above other people. Unpopular people can have friends, but most everyone else, mostly the popular people and the people that want to be popular, make fun of the unpopular people. An unpopular person is looked down upon by everyone else. That’s what I’ve learned in my experience. I never said I tried to be popular. I just tried to talk to people, and I just want others to treat me as a person. I wouldn’t WANT to be popular anyway. I just wish people would treat me better; that’s all. I know…I have true friends, and I don’t think there are any friends except true friends. Once someone is a friend of mine, they are a friend for life…..well unless they try to hurt me, but then they weren’t a friend in the first place.

My aunt does show her love for me sometimes. She’s done nice things for me on my birthdays. I’m used to the beatings, and while they still hurt me, on both the inside and the outside, I know there’s more to her, and that she does care about me. She’s even said she cared about me before.

No…I didn’t tell your mother that my goal was to get Vader mad at me. She put those words in my mouth. I think she was just commenting off of stuff that I have done….like ruining his plans, and she misjudged my intent. I can’t remember exactly what I said that made her say that because I don’t have the letters I wrote her. The reason I asked your mother about death stick smoking was because I wanted to find out if people did that here, or if they did it in a section of the building, or what. I wanted to find that out because I’m very allergic to it. That’s all. I was just wondering.

I don’t mind reading long letters from people. There is no way I’m going to sleep all the time. You had pneumonia as a child? Hmm….how old were you? I’ve had it before…I think this is my fourth time for having it. I know you’re thinking that’s weird because I come from a warm planet. Let me explain: I had it when I was 7 (I caught it while on vacation), I had it when I was 3 (I’m not sure how I got it then. I think maybe I was exposed to someone who had it), and I had it when I was a baby (my uncle said it was a little after my aunt and uncle started taking care of me. Maybe like a month after. I don’t even know how old I was then. I was probably a few months old…I don’t know.)

Han, Leia, Wedge, and Chewie, R2-D2, and C-3PO just came in to visit me. I was asleep when they came in, and they were in the middle of talking about their birthdays. I guess Leia and Wedge found out they have the same birthday as each other. I didn’t catch the date (because I was asleep), and then Wedge left. Han and Leia then started talking about some South Passage thing, and how Han had feelings for her. Leia denied it and called him a scruffy looking nerf herder. (Han’s a little full of himself too.) Leia told him he didn’t know anything about women. She came up to ME and KISSED me!!!! That’s the first time anyone has ever kissed me. Han got annoyed and left. Leia stayed with me a little and I talked to her. I don’t know…we had fun laughing and talking about the Rebellion. Then she had to go, and Ben came in to talk to me. Ben said he was leaving, but he told me that I am supposed to go to Dagobah and find this guy named Yoda so that I can be trained to be a Jedi. That was a little weird. But okay….if that’s what he says, I’ll go there. I DO want to become a Jedi, mostly because of my father. I never knew my father, but I would want to make him proud of me. I’m just a little scared about it because I don’t want Vader or Palpatine to find out. I’m afraid they’d kill me.

I’m really tired now. Maybe I’ll see you sometime. You haven’t come to see me. My uncle, my aunt, and my other friends have come. I’m assuming you consider me a friend because of your comment in your most recent letter.


A tired friend,
Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 16
Luke,

Enclosed is a picture of Darth Vader and some new darts for you to use. Have fun using them to take up your time!

You have a picture of Anakin? Could I see them? I don’t want to take them from you, but I would like to see them. I would actually like it if you kept them, so to help you remember what a great man he was.

I won’t call you a great pilot if it makes you feel uncomfortable, but I do feel you are putting yourself down too much.

Still, considering the fact that had you not destroyed the Death Star we would all be dead, can you really blame people for making such a big deal about it? Though I can relate to you. When I was the Queen of Naboo and the Trade Federation invaded our planet, I infiltrated the palace that they took over and captured the Viceroy. It’s not like I could have done anything else in such a situation, but people still make such a big deal out of it!

I didn’t mean to accuse you of being stupid and walking out into a storm, I just wanted you to be careful, that’s all. You race land speeders? My husband used to pod race. It scared Shmi and me to death every time he would go out to that arena, but I could never stop him from doing something he loves.

You lost your father? I’m so sorry! Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that your father is a Jedi, considering my husband was one, and Vader…he killed him. It’s good that you to keep that lightsaber as hidden as possible.

It’s a good thing you were unconscious while in that Tauntaun! I wouldn’t want to consciously know that I was about to be stuck into a corpse!

I don’t know about Palpatine, but I know that Vader was once very human and good, but was corrupted by illusions of grandeur. That, and the death of those he loved drove him over the edge, and he is now completely insane.

So you are Force-sensitive? That’s great! Vader, he thinks he’s the only one who’s Force-sensitive, so he can just go around and kill anyone. But all it takes is more Force-sensitive people to rally together and destroy the Sith that have plagued us for so long!

I feel very sorry that you are still confined in your bed. When you’re better, you and I can start another food fight off of our own to make up for the one you missed. Between the leader of the Rebellion and a Commander, I think we can escape suspension.

In case you didn’t notice, we’ve known each other since the Battle of Yavin. In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve known each other for a few weeks/days now. How can you say I barely know you? And yes, I’m older than you, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends! And I told you not to worry about my dress! It was an accident! We all have accidents!

Don’t worry about all those people in school who can’t see what a special person you are. I think you’re special. Han thinks you’re special. Leia thinks you’re special. Heck, the entire Rebellion thinks you’re special! Those people at your school, they just need to put others down so THEY can prove their own superiority, kind of Sith-like, once you think about it.

Darth Sidious is Emperor Palpatine’s Sith name. Back when he was a Senator, he went by two names, Senator Palpatine to the Republic, and Darth Sidious to the Sith. I wonder why Obi-Wan never told you.

Yes, Vader IS mean, but you don’t need to be scared of him. You have the entire Rebellion here to back you up! No matter how powerful Vader is, he wouldn’t risk his army for petty revenge. So sleep easy, and don’t worry about the probe droids. Bail (Senator Organa to you,) and I, are taking care of that.

I hope you weren’t hurt or scared by my scolding you in the last letter about asking my age! That was only old lady humor! But I think you’ll be safe from it if you just assume I’m 21.

Don’t worry, the popularity thing is short-lived. When I was in school, people used to have popular and unpopular groups, too. I was in the unpopular group and was laughed at for most of my childhood because I studied so hard in school, and look at me now! Former queen and leader of the Rebellion! Not bad for a once super-geek.

I’m glad that your aunt does nice things for you on your birthdays. When IS your birthday, anyway? In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve known each other for a few weeks/days now.

About my mother putting words in your mouth, she…she doesn’t really approve of what we do here, defying the empire and all that. If you ask me, one of the things on my ‘to do’ list is also to get Vader mad at me.

You’re allergic to Death Sticks? Oh no! But at least you don’t have to worry here. Like my mother said, smoking is prohibited.

Wow, you’re definitely not the healthiest person, having all those bouts of pneumonia! I had pneumonia when I was four, too. I used to have such an earache! Dalben stayed home from work and fed me chicken soup the entire day.

Leia kissed you? Really? Looks like I don’t have to go on a matchmaking errand after all!

You’re going to train with Yoda? By all means, go! Yoda is one of the best masters; you can’t go wrong with him! Come to think of it, only one apprentice went wrong with Master Yoda, and that was Vader. But you are nothing like him, so don’t worry about it.

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to visit you earlier; I had a lot of work. But I’ll come and see you today to bring you this letter and the darts.



A friend,
Mon Mothma
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 17
Mon Mothma,

Thank you for giving me the picture of Darth Vader and the new darts. I had a lot of fun throwing them at Vader, while thinking of everything bad he’s done to me personally, and the entire Empire. I also started thinking of insults for him. It was actually pretty entertaining.

Yes, before I left Tatooine I ended up talking to Jira, a street shop lady. (It’s a long story.) She sold me the pictures of Anakin so that I could use them for my project. Of course you can see the pictures. What did you think of the pictures? I’m sure you’ve seen them before, and that you even have your own copies of pictures of them. No, really, I have no use for them. The project is now complete. He WAS your husband. I admit that from what I learned of him, he seems to have been a great person, but I have no connection to him the way you do. He was your husband, and I didn’t personally know him. Honestly, if you would like the pictures, I’ll give them to you.

Okay, I admit that if I hadn’t been able to destroy the Death Star, most of the members of the Rebellion would be dead. I just don’t like to be singled out…it’s just not something I’m comfortable with. I guess some people like to be awarded a lot in front of a big crowd of people, but I would prefer if people said something to me privately. I do like to know when other people think I did a good job, because it does help me feel good about myself, but I just don’t want a huge group of people to come up to me, and I don’t like getting up in front of people to get an award. So if you ever want to say anything nice about me, do it privately please. I’m glad you have been private with me so far. Keep it up.

Yeah, I know your husband used to race pods (because of the report). It is nice to hear it from several people though. The racing land speeders thing is different from your husband’s pod racing. My friends and I just do it for fun, and there isn’t a crowd or something. I guess what I’m saying is it’s not an event. My friends and I just spent some of our free time racing each other for the fun of it. We’d decide to do it for a few hours in some afternoon, just like people decide to go on bike rides or go for walks with their friends. Your husband, at least from the way I understand it from Obi-Wan and Jira, used to race as in a sport. It was actually a competition, an event. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? There are no such things as pod races now. In fact, I had to ask Obi-Wan what it was when he first told me Anakin raced pods.

I didn’t tell you that my father was dead? I thought I had told you that a long time ago in one of our earlier letters. I could be wrong though. What happened was Vader thought that my parents had information that he wanted, but they didn’t, and he killed them because they were unable to give him that information. I suspect that Vader also killed my father since he was a Jedi Knight. The reason I wasn’t killed along with my parents (I have often wondered that, thinking I should be dead with my parents) is because my uncle was baby-sitting me at the time of my parents’ deaths. And you don’t have to feel sorry for me that I lost my father. I never knew him, so I do not feel the same attachment for him that I would have had had I been older when my parents died. I must have been VERY young when they died, (well I know I was a baby), because I don’t remember them at all. It hurts sometimes that I never knew my parents, but I have accepted it as a fact of life.

Yeah, I also know that Vader killed your husband. That’s one of the first things Ben (Obi-Wan) told me when I asked for information on Anakin. I also was told that Vader hunted down and killed all the Jedi. Every time I think of Vader killing so many people, I wish I could hurt Vader.

Thanks for keeping the information confidential, about my father being a Jedi, and for not telling anyone that I have a lightsaber.

Yeah, I’m glad that I was unconscious when Han put me in the dead Tauntaun. I don’t like to be around dead things…and to think that I was inside one! But it did save my life, so I can’t complain about that.

What? Vader was once good? How….that makes no sense. Obi-Wan, Leia, and I were almost certain that Palpatine had raised Vader. He must have gotten a lot of brain damage when he fell into that pit. (I know about the fight because I asked Vader why he wore that mask and suit all the time.) I agree with you; he is completely insane. How could a human being become something so EVIL, with little regard for the value of a human life?

Yes, as I said in the last letter, I am a little Force-sensitive. Vader would be a fool if he thought he were the only Force-sensitive individual. I don’t even know much about the Force, but I do no that all Jedi were Force Sensitive. Since both Yoda and Obi-Wan are Jedi, they both are Force-Sensitive, and I’m sure I’m not the ONLY other force sensitive individual in the galaxy. How many Force-sensitive people would it take to destroy the Sith? I only know of 3 force sensitive people (counting myself), so would that be enough? I don’t even know much about the force, and I have not been trained. The extent of my training ends with a lightsaber exercise Obi-Wan had me do on the way to Yavin.

Well you don’t have to feel sorry for me any more. I’m out of the bed now, and the med droids, doctors, and nurses in the med center all said that I have recovered from the pneumonia completely, although they told me I have to be careful since I just got over it. They don’t want me over exerting myself. I don’t care…I’ll do what I have to do. I was glad they let me participate in the Hoth battle. At first the doctors wouldn’t let me, but I argued with them for a while.

I don’t think I’ll be able to start the food fight with you anytime too soon. I have to get ready to go to Dagobah…so I don’t think I’ll have time. I don’t know how long I’ll be on Dagobah, so don’t count on me being back right away. I’m not even going to regroup at the rendezvous point. I promised Obi-Wan that I would go, so that’s what I’m going to do.

I don’t know…I guess it’s kind of a constant thing for me. I strive to get to know my friends better and better all the time. I feel like I hardly know anyone. I guess I’m just not used to having friends. I didn’t mean to imply that we couldn’t be friends with our age differences. It was just that I didn’t know if you’d want to be friends with me…since I am a lot younger than you. I’m glad that you want to be my friend.

LOL, yeah, you’re right. Those mean people at school did act rather Sith-like. I never thought they were worth it, but it did hurt me deeply when they were mean to me.

Oh, so Darth Sidious is Emperor Palpatine’s Sith name. Thank you for telling me. Maybe Obi-Wan didn’t tell me since the name Darth Sidious isn’t common right now…everyone knows who Palpatine is. Obi-Wan DID tell me that Palpatine was a Sith, and maybe he thought if he called him Sidious, I might get confused.

I know I have the entire Rebellion to back me up, but I can’t help feeling scared of Vader. I have heard of the terrible things he has done, and just thinking about him scares me. You’re right…Vader would not risk an entire army and fleet just to take revenge on me. It was stupid of me to think that he would be after ME, but I was pretty sick when I had those dreams. I guess I wasn’t thinking clearly.

No, I wasn’t hurt or scared by your scolding when you yelled at me for the age thing. And just to let you know, I don’t think you’re old. I think of an 80 year old as being old, but you’re not 80 (unless you die your hair and do a good job of making yourself look a lot younger.) All right, for the record then, you’re 21.

I know popularity is short-lived, but I still feel the effects of it, and those effects still hurt me. One reason (the main reason) people made fun of me was because I cared about my school work, worked hard, did well, had fun without being popular, did not drink, did not smoke, did not have sex, and was nice. Someone once said that I was the geekiest person in school, so I know what you mean about being a super-geek. I think the “geeks,” “losers”, and “unpopular” people are among the most interesting people in the galaxy.

Uh…when is my birthday? I’d rather not tell you. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do something special for me. Don’t worry; my next birthday isn’t for a LONG time from now. Unless you hear it from someone else (I hope people don’t spread it around to the entire Rebellion or something), you’re not going to know. I’d rather have as few people as possible know.

Your mother doesn’t approve of defying the Empire? So you want to get Vader mad at you? I’ll join you…because it would be fun.


Yes, I’m allergic to Death Sticks. I have trouble breathing around it, and sometimes I can’t breathe at all when I’m around it. See, I have asthma, and it makes it act up. It’s not a big deal…and you don’t have to feel bad about it because Death Stick smoke isn’t pleasant to be around (for anyone). It’s not like if I were allergic to something good, like flowers or something. Death Stick smoke isn’t good for anyone, and I would avoid it anyway if I were not allergic to it. Please don’t freak out because I’m allergic to stuff. I’m not allergic to much (although I have a few allergies.) I’m not allergic to any plants or pollen or anything like that. I’m not allergic to any foods either. The ONLY things in the galaxy that I am allergic to are: Death Sticks, dust, mold, cats, bees, some scents, and perfume (only after being sprayed in a room). That’s EVERYTHING. Believe me, they’ve tested me for lots of stuff, and those are the only things I’m allergic to. Oh, I’m also allergic to some soaps and solutions, but those things just make my skin break out, so it’s really no big deal. Anyway, I’m glad smoking is prohibited.

Okay, so maybe I’m not among the healthiest people in the galaxy, but I’m not unhealthy. I’m perfectly fine MOST of the time. I don’t really get sick from germs and stuff that often, but when I do get sick, I REALLY get sick, and it usually ends up as some kind of lung infection or something. I’m prone to lung infections, but I’m fine most of the time. I guess it’s because my lungs are a little weak, and I don’t think they ever developed all the way. I think I’m missing some stuff in my lungs, but it’s nothing important. I breathe perfectly normally. It’s just stuff that would make my lungs stronger. Anyway, that’s why I’ve gotten pneumonia several times.

You mentioned someone named Dalben to me. Who’s Dalben?

Yeah, Leia kissed you. Since I’m feeling much better, I’ll tell you the complete story. You might still have to go on a matchmaking errand. You would do that for me? Thanks. Anyway, the reason I’m saying that is because I think Han likes Leia now too…and I’m not sure of Leia’s feelings. It wasn’t a kiss like she loved me…it was more to prove Han wrong about her feelings. I don’t know how Leia really feels. I wish I knew. And for that reason, I admit that I’m a little jealous of Han.

Yes, I’m going to train with Yoda. I’ll be leaving as soon as I send this letter to you. I see that Han has already left in the Millennium Falcon. I’m sad that we had to leave this base so soon because I’m afraid that I may never see Leia again. She went on one of the transports, didn’t she? And I’m going to miss Han too. He was a good friend, but he said he said he wanted to leave the Rebellion to pay off some old debts.

Vader was Yoda’s apprentice? Really? That must have been interesting.

Thanks for stopping by while I was sick. It really meant a lot to me, and it brightens my day when I see you. You’re such a warm and friendly person, and you’re fun to be around. Thank you for being there for me.

Before I close this letter, I’m going to send you what EXACTLY happened in my room earlier, and give you my version of the battle of Hoth. Tell me what you think.

Han, Leia, and Wedge, and my cousins came into see me today. I fell asleep during the visit, but when I woke up, they were in the middle of a conversation about their birthdays. I caught the tail end of their conversation. Han was saying how Wedge and Leia have the exact same birthday as each other. That was interesting, and kind of weird. Then Han and Leia got into one of their fights…insulting each other in their usual way. It ended in Leia coming up to me and KISSING me! It felt so good! I probably went really red. Han was about to kill me for that…I think he likes Leia too. They both left the room.

Yes, Leia kissed me. It was in front of Han, Chewie, R2-D2, and C-3PO. Wedge and my cousins had left by that time. Just so you don’t get confused, my cousins that I’m referring to are my other uncle’s children…

Well, I guess Han was going planning on leaving to go to Tatooine so that he could pay off Jabba the Hutt. Leia went after him and tried to convince him to stay. Han, being the show-off that he is, tried hinting at feelings that didn’t exist between Han and Leia…like that she wanted him to stay because she liked him. That got Leia mad. But Han decided to stay for a little while longer…until I was at least out of the med section, not to mention the fact that Mr. Organa decided that it was too dangerous for any ships to leave. Leia told me about all this later. When they were in my room, Han and Leia were talking to me, and Han had to bring up what happened in the South Passage (what I just told you about).

He said to Leia, “Looks like you’ve managed to keep me around a little while.”

Leia’s response was, “I had nothing to do with it. My father thinks it’s too dangerous for any ship to leave the system.”

“A nice story, but I think you just can’t bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight.”

Leia’s response was, “I don’t know where you get your delusions, laser brains.”

Then Chewie laughed.

Han turned to him and said, “Laugh it up fuzzball. You didn’t see us alone in the South Passage where she expressed her true feelings for me.”

Leia called him some insulting names… and then said, “Well I guess you don’t know everything about women.”

That’s when she went up to me and gave me the kiss. Yes. That was the first time I’ve ever been kissed on the lips. Leia has kissed me before…but on the check. Yep! It was wonderful!

Well anyway, I’m out of the med section now, as you probably already knew. I did participate in that battle. We went out in snowspeeders, to meet the Imperial Walkers. Those things are huge! Dack was in the other end of my snowspeeder…he was a little younger than me. He was in charge of firing the weapons, while I controlled where we were going.

Well early on in the battle I figured out that the blaster’s weren’t working…so I knew we had to come up with another plan. I decided to try using the tow cables and tying up the Walker’s legs so that we could trip them, and then destroy them. I figured they were bulky enough, and that the people controlling them wouldn’t notice until it was too late. My ship was able to take one down.

We came into some heavy fire, and one of the blasts killed Dack. That was REALLY scary…looking back and seeing him dead. I felt so bad…like it was my fault. Well I couldn’t fire the tow cable from my section of the snowspeeder, so I contacted Wedge. I asked him to follow me on the next pass.

Wedge did, and he and his person in his ship successfully downed several of them by following me.

Then Wedge and his person went after the fallen Walkers and destroyed them. Wedge certainly can do good work!

Then I encountered some more fire, and it damaged my snowspeeder so badly that I could barely control it. I knew that I needed to crash land it. I tried to do it as gently as possible, but the landing was still rough.

There was this huge Walker coming towards me, and I got another idea. I grabbed some thermal detantors from the snowspeeder, and I jumped out just as the Walker was about to smash it. It did smash it…another near death experience. I seem to be good at getting in near death situations. Well anyway, I knew I wouldn’t survive long on the ground, so I through this grappling hook on the underside of the Walker. That pulled me up. I cut some insides of the Walker out…small holes, and through the detanoators in. I grabbed the grappling hook and jumped. Because of the long fall, and the cold, the fall made me go unconscious, but uninjured. I woke up a few minutes later…when the battle was over, and made a run back for the base.

That’s basically what happened in the battle. I hope to see you sometime soon. I must go and do my pre-flight checks on my X-Wing.

Have a wonderful rest of the day. You ARE having a good day, right? No one is allowed to have a bad day today, because I won’t allow it.


Your friend,
Luke

PS I have just received a letter from Vader. That man makes no sense, and he is scaring me. In his most recent letter he has suddenly had a change of attitude towards me. In all his letters before the Death Star was destroyed he was talking about how he hated me, he insulted me, and he was always saying how much better he is than me. Now that he’s learned that I was the one that destroyed the Death Star, he suddenly has a lot of respect for me. He told me how he regretted that I did not work for the Empire. I don’t know what his intentions are with acting like this…I don’t know if he’s secretly plotting my death, or if he is genuine in his letter. When I read it I get this warm feeling that he does respect and care about me…but how could he? He killed my parents! He killed all the Jedi, and he’s pure evil. I just don’t know what to think. Does he do stuff like this to people? To make them think that he has a high respect on someone? You’ve been working in the Rebellion far longer than I have. Have you ever encountered this before?

Here are a couple lines from the letter:
“ I also knew about your illness (pneumonia). I am sorry to hear that, and hope that you will recover soon. You have proved a worthy opponent when you destroyed the Death Star and eluded me. It is a great detriment to me and the Empire that you are not on our side. I even know about the Wampa ice creature that attacked you. My collegues saw to it that creature won't harm you again. Do get plenty of rest and get well. I would love to have another opportunity to croos sabers with you.”

Don’t you think his comments are strange?

Written 9/30/02
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 18
Luke,

I have no idea why Vader is writing this to you. I will try to ask him in the next letter. In the mean time, stay close to Obi-Wan and Yoda, they’ll protect you from this madman.

I’ll be sure to tell Obi-Wan and Bail about this spy, and we’ll be sure to take care of it at once! Don’t worry, we’ll catch this spy, whoever he or she is.

I don’t think he has a file on everyone here, he wouldn’t have the time. He seems to find you important, though, probably because of what you did to his precious killing machine!

I told you the darts were fun! I got the idea from when I was in training to be queen and all my professors decided to give me all the homework at once! My mathematics professor has a large gap right in his left pimple!

The pictures of Anakin are very nice! I love the one with Anakin trying to shove five pieces of fruit down his throat at once! I remember he tried the same thing on our wedding day, and still couldn’t do it!

If you really don’t need the pictures, perhaps we could give them to Shmi. There isn’t anything she loves better than having a picture of her beloved son while he was a child!

If you would prefer that I say something nice in private, then I’ll say it in private right now. You did a great job saving us all in the battle of Yavin! I know that you will make a great Jedi Knight, especially with Obi-Wan and Yoda scrutinizing your every move!

Just remember, if you ever feel like you don’t want to be a Jedi anymore, that’s fine. But don’t ever stop being Luke Skywalker. He’s too special to lose.

Pod racing no longer exists in Tatooine? How can that be? I suppose I have been avoiding Tatooine for so long I don’t even really remember it!

I’m sorry that you never really knew you’re mother and father. I bet they wanted to know you just as much as you would have wanted to know them. Do you ever ask your uncle or aunt about your parents? Maybe they would know something.

Vader…he lost perspective of who he was, who he could have been. He was a good man once, but he gave it up for the lure of power. He lost a lot as a child, and blames the Republic for it. Actually, he doesn’t think that he is hurting anybody, but rather protecting them from losing what he lost. Does that make sense?

Think about it this way. Pretend that you grew up in slavery your whole life (yes, Vader was once a slave, but I wouldn’t bring it up in his presence if I were you, it isn’t a funny joke), and one day, you were given the chance to leave slavery. The only problem was that if you left, you would leave someone you loved behind forever. Still, you were only a child, and craved for adventure. But it isn’t easy, you starting life as a slave built up a lot of resentment in you. Eventually, you start to find happiness, with a loving wife and promising future, only to have it torn from you. Wouldn’t you be angry, possibly to the point of insanity?

That’s why Vader is the way he is. Only now he isn’t like that anymore, he’s completely changed. Don’t bother bringing up his past life to him because it won’t mean anything to him, and will only upset others around him.

A Sith is just a Jedi gone bad, so usually it would only take a couple of Jedi Knights. Still, this Sith is not like the other Sith, having killed most of the Jedi. However, I know you are strong, and I have faith in Yoda and Obi-Wan, so I know you are not like the other Jedi.

You’re at Dagobah? Did you bring lots of bug spray? You’ll need it.

I had hoped to see you at the rendezvous point, but now that I am here, I don’t see you. That’s okay, you told me you might not be here.

Don’t worry about me being older than you. I remember when I was Queen of Naboo, I had to make friends with people who were maybe seventy years older than me! By now I could care less if you were two years old or two hundred years old. You’re nice, and I like you as a friend.

I know it hurts when people make fun of you, but you just need to remember that they are only doing it because they have no morals. Don’t worry about it. One day, when you’re older, popularity won’t matter anymore, but character will, and those Sith-like classmates of yours seem to have no character at all!

You’re birthday isn’t for a long time from now? Good, I’ll have lots of time to prepare a great present! After all, everyone deserves a present for his or her birthdays! Don’t worry, even if I do find out, I won’t tell anyone. I respect your request to privacy.

LOL, I guess it IS fun to get Vader mad at you, as long as he can’t kill you! Hmm, maybe I’ll write another hate letter, I know just how much he likes that!

You say you aren’t allergic to much? You sure listed a lot of things! All I’m allergic to is certain painkillers. My father says it’s something to do with the Royal Force, but it should be called a Royal Pain! I have something in my blood that will make me throw up if I use any painkillers.

Dalben was my adopted father. You see, my sister was captured by Maurders as a baby, and to prevent it from happening to me, I was adopted by Dalben. Years later, my real father and mother tried to contact me, and showed some papers that they were my real mother and father. I used to be offended, but, well, I can’t really say much good about my great doings as a mother of a dead baby.

Don’t worry about Han and Leia, they know how to take care of themselves. Han, he pretends to be all tough and crooked, but in reality he’s just a sweet guy who’s overprotective about his feelings. Leia’s in good hands.

Hmm, what I think about Leia kissing you? Truthfully, I think that’s she’s messing with your head. She wants you and Han to fight over her! Still, I think you’re all sweet together.

I DID ask Leia about you, and how she felt about you. She told me to tell you to ask her yourself like a man. Sorry.

From your description of how the battle went, you and Wedge were really on top of things! I wished Dack could still be here, though. It’s a little unnerving to find a friend of yours dead, isn’t it?

Is there a particular reason you won’t allow anyone to have a bad day today? Because I’m having a great one!


Mon Mothma
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 19
Mon Mothma,

Did you ask Vader why he wrote those lines in my last letter? I really would like to know. He’s acting like a crazy idiot! Umm…I’m on Dagobah now, just like Obi-Wan told me to be, but I don’t see Obi-Wan OR Yoda. I’ll explain my situation further down the letter.

Did you also mention the spy to Obi-Wan and Bail, like you said you would? I don’t like the idea of someone giving info about me to Vader or anyone else in the Empire. It’s really bothersome. And, just in case Vader is doing this with anyone else in the Rebellion, we need to stop this! Well, if he doesn’t have a file on everyone, what if he has a file on the people he considers most important to him, like me, Han, Leia, you, Wedge, Bail, Shmi, and other people with positions in the Rebellion? We’ve GOT to stop this!

Yes, you did tell me the darts were fun! You really through darts at pictures of your professors when you were training to become queen? That’s something I wouldn’t think that someone like you would do. It does show your fun side, though :)

I’m glad you like those pictures of Anakin…Jira had some when Anakin was older. It must have been around the time of his death because she said he was 20, and Obi-Wan told me that Anakin was only 20 when he died. Would you like to see those too? I don’t think you saw them. Anyway, since you don’t want to keep the pictures, I did try to give them to Shmi, but she still hasn’t given me a response yet. How old was he when he married you? He had to be young…20 or younger.

Thanks…thanks for your kind comments about me. I still don’t feel I’m worthy enough or deserve them, but it does make me feel great to know that I’m doing a good job, and to be recognized for it privately. As I said before, I don’t know where Obi-Wan and Yoda are at the moment. I hope that you’re right, and I can make a great Jedi Knight. I don’t know what’s involved in the training, and I’m nervous…especially since Yoda and Obi-Wan are nowhere in sight.

I do want to be a Jedi, and I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I don’t want to be. It’s something my father did, and I want to do it because I think he would be proud of me if he were alive. So…it’s because of my father that I am being trained. I’ll never stop being myself either; so don’t worry about that.

No, podracing no longer exists on Tatooine. It’s been like that my entire life. I think when the Empire took Tatooine over from the Republic, they got rid of the pod racing. Jabba the Hutt is no longer in charge of the planet, although he still has a palace here. I’ve never been to it, and I don’t think I ever WANT to go there. I’m sure you remember Tatooine well enough that you would have a pretty accurate picture of it. If you think of a very hot, boring planet, made up of sand that sometimes gets whipped up into duststorms, you’re thinking of the right place.

Don’t worry about me not knowing my parents. They’ve been dead for almost my entire life, and I’m kind of lucky. If I had known them, and then they had died, I would have painful memories, and I would always miss them. The way my life worked out, I never knew them, so I’ve never had anything to miss. Of course I would have liked to know them, and I regret not knowing them…but it’s probably better this way. Yes, I have tried to ask my aunt and uncle about my parents, but I haven’t had much luck. I didn’t even know that I was adopted (that they weren’t my real parents) until about a year ago. In that year, I’ve been trying to get as much information as I could out of them. They don’t like talking about it…I think my uncle and my father were really CLOSE, and my father’s death hurt him greatly. I’ve respected my uncle, and not asked too many questions because I know he doesn’t like talking about him. My uncle wouldn’t even show me any pictures of my father, because his death hurt my uncle so much. That’s the reason I’ve never seen any pictures of my parents. My uncle even lied about what my father did for a living. My uncle told me that my father was a navigator on a space freighter. Obi-Wan told me he was a Jedi Knight. Maybe he did both, but I think the circumstances of my father’s death made it impossible for my uncle to tell me about the Jedi Knight part. The only other thing I’ve been able to learn about my parents were their names. Obi-Wan knew of my father, and told me that Anakin was my father’s friend when he was growing up on Tatooine. They used to race each other sometimes in pods. That’s ALL I know about either of my parents (besides the circumstances of their deaths.).

Yeah, Obi-Wan just told me that Vader had once been a good person too. That’s strange. I just can’t picture that. In fact, Obi-Wan told me that Vader was his pupil! Can you imagine that? And he said that he thought Obi-Wan had betrayed him. Yes, I understand what you were saying about Vader not thinking he will hurt anyone by what he does, but that he is protecting others from being hurt. But how does killing people justify it? Building a huge killing machine? Killing off all the Jedi Knights? Killing my parents along with thousands of others? Relying on evil?

Where did Vader grow up? He was once a slave too? Wow…..that’s surprising. I know someone else that was a slave. Anakin was a slave too…both Obi-Wan and Jira told me about it, and how Anakin freed himself by winning a pod race. Were a lot of people slaves back in the Old Republic days? I don’t know much about the Old Republic…how did Vader get free? You know what? I WILL bring up the slavery issue with Vader. It’s not fair that he treats the galaxy the way he does, since he knows what the life of a slave is. I want to see what he has to say about that. WHAT? Vader was once married? That’s unbelievable. I feel sorry for whoever he married. I wonder who he married…probably some mean person, and the two deserved each other. Do you know of the Emperor’s daughter Ursula? I’ve heard rumors that Ursula was married to someone…I wonder if she married Vader? Or was Vader married to another slave? Or some ugly thing? Anyway, you said it was all torn from him? You said Vader blames the Old Republic, so I assume that the Old Republic did something to Vader’s wife or future? Anyway, if I knew what the circumstances were, maybe I would be angry enough to go insane…but I couldn’t ever imagine doing the things Vader does.

I think it would be funny to shove Vader’s past back at him. He deserves to feel guilty about what he does to the rest of the galaxy.

Who told you I had a strong Force? I didn’t…and I was trying to get you to think that it wasn’t that strong. I hate having other people know these things. So you think I could take Vader down alone? Or were you talking about me, Yoda, and Obi-Wan when you said, “However, I know you are strong, and I have faith in Yoda and Obi-Wan, so I know you are not like the other Jedi.” I know Vader has a strong force, but Obi-Wan assured me that after training I could take Vader down.

Yes, I’m at Dagobah. No, I didn’t bring bug spray, and I’m learning to regret it. You’ve been to Dagobah? You sound like you have because you knew that I should have bug spray.

No, as you know, I’m not at the rendezvous point right now. I don’t know how long this training will take. I promise I’ll catch up to the rest of the Rebellion once it’s over, all right? So how are things going in the Rebel fleet? I know you have some good stories to tell me.

After your kind encouragement, I’ve tried to make more friends. I’m trying to get Shmi to be my friend now. She hasn’t written back yet, so I don’t know how that’s going to work out. I want to try though. I know she’s been through a lot, and that she’s very sad. Uh, if I were two years old right now, I don’t know how good of a friend I’d be J I wouldn’t be able to carry on conversations like we do now, so we couldn’t get much of a discussion going. And since I’m human, I’m not going to live to be two hundred years old :), so if I were that old, I wouldn’t be alive, and you’d have hard time with a conversation then too. You’re nice, and I like you as a friend too :)

What joy do people get out of putting others down? I mean nothing good can come out of it…and I can’t see how it would make the person doing it feel good. When I accidentally hurt someone, it bothers me, and I feel bad. When I say or do something nice, it makes me feel good. You’re right about my Sith-like classmates; they don’t have much character.

Right. My birthday isn’t for a long time from now. Please don’t worry about preparing a present. Really. You don’t need to do anything for me, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to. It does feel good to get presents from people, but I don’t want to burden others with just me. I got a check from my grandfather for my last birthday, but I didn’t get anything else. A lot of years my uncle and aunt couldn’t afford to get me anything, and they just save up enough to get me something nice for Christmas. On my last birthday, the check from my grandfather is all I got. I felt bad about accepting it because I don’t think he has that much of an income. I didn’t do anything special either…I didn’t have cake or ice cream or anything, and I didn’t eat anything special. That’s the way it has been for all my birthdays. I’ve never had a party or anything like that. No one would want to come anyway.

Yeah, it’s only fun to make Vader mad if he can’t kill you. If he were around me, I wouldn’t dare to make Vader mad at me. You’ve been writing Vader too? You’ve been writing him hate letters? I do think you should write him another one! And be sure to tell me what he says.

Well, when I said I wasn’t allergic to much, I meant in relative terms. To some people, like you, who are allergic to only 1 thing, it would seem like I was allergic to a lot. But to someone who is allergic to EVERYTHING, I’m not allergic to much. I know there are some people who are allergic to all kinds of food, all kinds of plants, all kinds of scents, all kinds of animals, a lot of medicines, a lot of insects, and a lot of stuff like that. I’m really lucky; I’m only allergic to 7 things total. Now that’s not counting medicines because I have no clue how many of those I am allergic to. Nothing I’ve ever taken has given me any kind of reaction, but then I don’t like taking any unnecessary medicine, and obviously, they couldn’t test me to see if I was allergic to any of those.

You’re allergic to painkillers? Hmm…that must be annoying. I’ve never had to take any painkillers because I’ve never been hurt badly enough to need them. I like to handle little headaches (which I HARDLY EVER get) by myself. I’ve never really been seriously injured, either. About the worst injury I’ve ever had is a few small scrapes and paper cuts. I’ve never had any kind of surgery either, so I haven’t needed any painkillers. I don’t think we even have any painkillers at our house. My family just doesn’t need it, and we don’t even have any over the counter medicines. They’re expensive, and I only take medicines if I have to.

You said you’re allergic to painkillers because of something to do with the Royal Force? What is the Royal Force? I’ve never heard of it. I don’t know what you would do if you ever were hurt badly enough to need painkillers. So it makes you throw up if you use painkillers. Well I hope you don’t need to use any.

Oh, so you had an adopted father? You kind of know what it’s like then to not know your parents, or did you know you were adopted while you were under Dalben’s care? Your sister was captured by the Maurders as a baby? The Maurders seem to enjoy kidnapping kids or something. You have a sister? You never told me about her, but I guess that’s because the topic has never come up. I know you have a brother, because he checked on me when I was sick…but how many brothers and sisters do you have? I’m an only child. What’s it like to have brothers and sisters? I’ve always thought it would be cool to have a brother or sister.

Don’t worry about your mothering skills. I’m sure you would have done a great job with any kid you had. It was just that there was something wrong with your baby (I don’t know what it was, and I’m not asking you to tell me because I know how much it must hurt you to think of his death.) I’ll tell you how I know you would have been a great parent. You are capable of great kindness…evident by your treatment towards me. You are a friendly, caring person. I think that those qualities are what good mothers would have.

You knew that Leia was with Han before I did? I just found out…Leia wrote me and told me. I hope that they’re enjoying themselves…but that they don’t get to spend much time with each other. I admit, I’m jealous, and I would like to be with them. But even if I wanted to go right now, I couldn’t…and I’ll tell you why at the end of the letter. Anyway, Han and Leia are in danger. Leia told me the hyperdrive went out in the Millennium Falcon, so it’s impossible for them to go to lightspeed. To make matters worse, they’re being chassed by Imperials! I don’t know why the Empire is so intent on chasing them, but oh well. I’m sure they’d like to get back at the ship that prevented Vader from killing me in the Death Star battle. Han is so crazy! You know what he did? Leia just told me in her last letter that Han put them into an asteroid field! How crazy is that! And you know the stupid part? The Imperials followed them right in! Leia also told me about Han taking them into some “cave”, and it turned out being the throat of some giant creature. When they realized they were inside a creature, they got out right away, but then of course the Imperials found them. Due to that reason, Han decided to play a trick on them, and he pretended like he was going to attack one of those Star Destroyers, but in reality, he stuck the Millennium Falcon on the back end of a part of the ship. He said he was going to float away with the rest of the garbage once the Imperials release the garbage. That should be pretty funny to hear about! Leia said that Han’s trying to figure out somewhere to land, but so far has not come up with anything.

So you think that Leia was trying to mess with my head when she kissed me. I don’t think Leia would want Han and I to fight over her…she just doesn’t strike me as someone like that. Thanks for asking Leia about what she thought of me. I am asking her in my next letter. I’ll let you know what she says.

Yeah, Wedge and I make a pretty good team, I guess. We were on top of things, and it was fortunate, or other lives would have been lost due to the Imperial Walkers. Would you like to send a letter to Dack’s parents to express your sympathy? Actually, I had just met Dack, and we didn’t really know each other. His death still hurt me hard. The worst death I’ve ever witnessed was my best friend Biggs’ death. He died in the Death Star battle, thanks to Vader.

No, there was no particular reason I didn’t allow anyone to have a bad day that one day. I just was having a good day, that’s all.

Now I need to tell you about Dagobah…..so here goes:

I set the course for Dagobah, the ship indicated that it actually did exist, even though I had never heard of it before…the flight was good.

Finally, when I got there, I encountered a lot of swamp fog and trees. I had trouble landing…I couldn’t see anything because of the fog and trees. I ended up crashing into a swamp.

When I got out, I started to unload the ship. Dagobah sure is weird. It gave me a strange feeling…almost like there was something familiar about it…but that’s stupid. I had never heard of it in my entire life.

Not long after I landed, R2 and I met this little green troll like creature. He started getting into all our stuff, so I got annoyed.

He talks really strangely. He asked me why I was there. I told him I was looking for a great Jedi master, although I couldn’t see why a Jedi Master would want to live on Dagobah. It was so swampy. I had my doubts that Yoda even existed, but the creature seemed to know who Yoda was, or maybe he just was being stupid.

The creature told me he could take me to Yoda, but that we had to eat. So as I write this, I’m on my way to the funny looking green troll’s house.

Well I gotta go. The green guy wants me to follow him.



Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 20
Luke,

I asked Vader why he wrote that to you, but he hasn’t replied yet. When he does, I’ll tell you. I’m curious to know myself; he IS acting like a crazy idiot!

I’m glad that you want to be a Jedi. In a galaxy like this, we NEED Jedi! Still, don’t just train for your father, train for you. That is something you must never let anyone take from you, the will to pursue your own dream.

Obi-Wan had already warned me about a spy here in the Rebellion, possibly a man called Arawn Corta. Of course, if he were a spy, he would call himself Arawn Corta, but at least we have a lead on him. Don’t worry, Luke, Bail and Obi-Wan and I will handle this. You just work on your training.

You know, when a person is queen, everyone expects her to be so regal and responsible. The pressure can get really frustrating. One way I deal with pressure is with darts. It’s sort of a necessity for me to throw a few darts every day to be able to focus on my work.

Anakin was only nineteen when we married. We never really had a proper ceremony; he just left one day and died. I think I would rather not see any more pictures of Ani, it brings back too many painful memories.

A very hot, boring planet made up of sand that sometimes gets whipped up into dust storms? Yep, that sounds just like Tatooine! Of course, the time Anakin and I spent in Tatooine was mostly in Mos Espa, so images of junk dealers and slavemasters also cross my mind.

Vader grew up in Tatooine, just like you and Anakin. In the days of the Old Republic, there weren’t many slaves in the Core Worlds, and certainly none that I knew before I met Ani. Supposedly, though, a lot of people in the Outer Rim were slavers at the time. I think that Vader was so sick of being a slave that he killed anyone whom dared even to suggest the idea of slavery.

I suppose you could raise the slavery issue with Vader, as long as you don’t mock him for once being a slave. That was a part of him that he wasn’t responsible for, and it pains him greatly.

Actually, I once met the person that Vader had married. I never caught her age. She was actually very nice and friendly. You see, she was in love with the man Vader once was, and not the man Vader is now. She wishes every day for her darling husband, the one that cared about others, and wanted to have a good life with her, to come back. He never did.

The Old Republic didn’t actually do something to his wife, but they never did anything to stop anything bad that happened to his wife, so therefore Vader hated them. I know you could never imagine doing the things Vader do. I could never, either.

I think Vader gets his past shoved back at him every day, through dreams, memories, and letters that I know Obi-Wan and I write to him. He just learned to ignore it and not think about it. I really wish he would just fact what he did wrong and do something to fix it!

I don’t think that killing is the right way of protecting someone, but I suppose Vader does. He…he thinks he is killing only those who would only end up hurting others. Of course, his idea of someone who would hurt others would probably be anyone who dares to oppose him, like your parents and my husband.

A lot of people seem to be writing to Vader these days. When I write to him, he usually just replies by telling me about how smart he is, and how he’s going to kill everyone with his great plan. I yawn as a response.

No one told me you were strong in the Force. All I knew was that no person weak with the Force could have made such a shot when you blew up the Death Star untrained.

I do think that you could take Vader alone, but I don’t think you should. At least not until you are properly trained.

I have been to Dagobah once. It was one of my hideouts shortly after the rise of the Empire. My son was born there. Every night he would wake up crying because he had so many mosquito bites. I had to rock him for hours before he would sleep again.

Actually, I’m not with the Rebel Fleet right now. My brother, Gwydion, encouraged me to do some research and find out exactly how my son died, and where he was buried. Right now, we are on our way to Tatooine to find his uncle and aunt.

About the crack of being two or two hundred years old, you know what I mean! I could care less if you are younger than I am as long as you are nice and interesting to talk to, which you are.

And don’t worry about Shmi, she’s a little bogged down now over all her paperwork, but she’ll answer back when she can.

I don’t know what joy people get out of putting others down and frankly, I don’t care. It’s wrong for them to do, and it shouldn’t bother me when they do it, because I’m not the one doing anything wrong. You were blessed with a good heart, so of course it bothers you when you accidentally hurt others.

Birthdays are special days, Luke; it marks our birth and age. Besides, you don’t have to worry about MY income, as I am the Queen of Coruscant! And if you did have a party, I’m sure Leia, Han, Wedge, Obi-Wan, and I would come!

I suppose compared to someone with many allergies you would seem rather healthy. Still, it must be annoying not being able to be around so many things.

The Royal Force is like the Force, except only the royal family of Coruscant have it. Two of its side effects are that we feel more pain than normal people do and we get sick if we try to take painkillers.

When I was seven, I fell off a tree and broke my leg. Dalben gave me some painkillers and I was sick for a month. After that, I never took any again. Usually, I don’t take painkillers anyway also, but I was up every night crying in pain when I broke my leg. Later, when I met my birth parents, they told me about the Royal Force. So that gets really annoying. I just have to be careful not to get any scrapes or anything.

I can relate to you when it comes to parents. I myself did not find my real parents until I was fourteen years old. Until then, Dalben just told me that they died when I was born. You said that you knew your parents’ names. What were they? You said your father was a friend of Anakin’s. Maybe he was Kitster, Anakin’s best friend.

Sola is my biological sister. She was kidnapped by Maurders and raised as a house servant. Later, she was rescued and brought home, and now has a husband and children. Gwydion is my adopted brother, and you already know him. What’s it like having a brother and sister? I don’t really know about the sister, as I didn’t exactly grow up here, but I know that as a child Gwydion was always there for me, cheering me on when I was running for Queen.

Thank you for your complements, but don’t think that being kind is all you need to be a good mother. You have to know how to protect your son, and help raise and guide him. I was never able to do that. I make a good friend, I suppose, but not a good mother.

Of course I knew that Leia was with Han before you did! I was on the Rebel Base when they left, right before I left for Tatooine!

Wow, Leia and Han seemed to have a very exciting departure! I’ll be sure to give Han a lecture on reckless piloting when he gets back to the rendezvous point. I have a lot of lectures in the back of my mind directed towards reckless pilots from when Anakin used to pilot my ship for me. You can’t imagine how many times I puked on his ship.

I already sent a letter to Dack’s family expressing my condolences, as well as all the families of those who perished. You are hurting now that you’ve lost a friend and a copilot to battle. I know many that have lost their entire family and all their friends in battle. I’m not trying to say that you haven’t been through a lot, only that there is much more to come.

You say you met a small green person on Dagobah? Let me give you some advice, stick close to him, and listen to what he has to say. I won’t say any more.

We are landing on Tatooine now, so I had better leave.


Mon Mothma
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 21
Mon Mothma,

Well, his last letter was a LITTLE better, but he’s still acting weird. At least he didn’t make any statements about recruiting me or anything like that. He wants to fight with me, because he seems to like challenges. I’ll quote him: “It gladdens me to know you'd love to cross sabers with me. I well look forward to it. Just be sure you are up to it, for I expect you to be as worthy an opponent as I suspect you are.” Anyway, be sure to tell me what he says about why he’s writing me in his weird way.

Well…considering that my family is now wanted by the Empire (it was my fault…I lied to Vader when he questioned me about the Death Star plans…long story), I don’t think we can go back to farming for a LONG time. I used to want to be part of the Imperial Navy…but that was before I knew much about the Empire…before I knew what the Empire was really like. Obviously I’m NOT going to do that any more. I enjoy serving in the Rebellion, but that can’t last forever…I have to find something else to do. Since Obi-Wan thinks I have the skills to become a Jedi, and it interests me greatly, and because my father was a Jedi, I am looking forward to the training. I really am doing it for myself…I think I misled you in my last letter when I said that I wanted to become a Jedi mostly because of my father. I AM doing it for myself too…..but the biggest reason is because of my father. You have to remember, I wasn’t raised when the Jedi were around, and I really have never seen Jedi in action. Before all this happened, my dream was simply to escape farming, and Tatooine.

You said that Obi-Wan told you that the spy’s name could be Arawn Corta? Really? I’ve heard that name before; I know I have…now….wait…I know! He is one of our new customers. (I’m talking about my family farm business.) In fact, my aunt and I made a shipment delivery to him not long before I got mixed up with the Rebellion. I actually have met him…and he kind of gave me the creeps. I’m not sure why, but something about him just bothered me. Maybe it was the way he kept on staring at me. When people stare at me like that, it makes me feel very uncomfortable. I kept on wondering if there was something that I was wearing that was out of place or something. And I talked to him too…he asked me strange questions. I tried to ignore him, but I don’t think he liked that. I helped him unload stuff into his house, and he kept on giving me strange looks the entire time. At any rate, I remember what he looked like…I don’t think I could forget the face of someone that stared at me so much. I know for a fact that I have not seen him in the Rebellion, but that does not mean he’s not here. I was sick for a long time (considering the amount of time that I’ve been in the Rebellion), so I might not have seen him here. What reason do you have to think that he is a spy, or that he is even here?

I never thought much about queens…I assumed that they were all snotty, and didn’t care about anyone below them. You have taught me differently, and I thank you for that. You have a lot of pressure with your job here too? Well it’s good that you can relieve your stress in such a fun way (throwing darts.) I like to find laugh with my friends or take walks to relieve stress.

Anakin was only 19 when you married him? Really? When I looked up his information, I found out he was 20 when he died, and I thought I remembered you telling me that he died just after your wedding. Did he just turn 20 at the time? Or were the dates wrong in the Imperial Network? You never had a proper ceremony? Why not…I mean weddings should be celebrated. You said he just left one day and died? Obi-Wan told me that he died in some kind of duel with Darth Vader (but I think I mentioned that to you already.) That must have been awful…especially since your son also died. Had you given birth yet when your husband died, or were you still pregnant with your son? Did he actually leave to go confront Vader, or did he just leave on a Jedi mission and happened to get in a duel with Vader? I’m sorry if these questions are too painful for you to answer. You don’t have to answer them.

All right, I won’t show you any more pictures of Anakin. I understand that you’d rather not see them. It looks as if I’m stuck with the pictures; Shmi doesn’t want them either, probably for the same reason. I showed them to Han before the battle and he kind of joked about them, saying that I looked kind of like him (because of my hair and eye color). I was like, whatever, but I knew he was just playing around. Han does that kind of thing all the time to people. Maybe I can start a collection of Jedi Knight pictures…that would be kind of interesting. I’ll include those pictures in this collection…if I can find pictures of more Jedi.

Oh…so Anakin lived in Mos Espa? I haven’t been there too much…maybe only once or twice. I live much closer to Mos Eisley, so I go there much more often. I’m pretty sure Mos Espa is on the other side of the planet anyway. I do know there is no more slavery though. I’m pretty sure there are junk dealers there…they seem to be in all the big cities on Tatooine.

I never thought so many important people would come from Tatooine! So both Anakin and Vader grew up on Tatooine? Oh man…and they were both slaves. Well I know that Tatooine wasn’t always part of the galactic government. I even heard that before the Empire, Tatooine wasn’t a part of the Republic…that the Republic had sold it to the Maurders. Jabba the Hutt used to be in charge of the planet, and he still lives there, but obviously the Empire owns it. I believe I already mentioned that to you too. Did Anakin and Vader know each other? Because Obi-Wan said that my father was good friends with Anakin…that they used to race each other a lot. I was just wondering if the three of them were friends. He also said that Vader and my father were a lot a like. It seems like since all three of the grew up on Tatooine and had so much in common, that they were probably all really good friends. My father was the only one out of the 3 of them that was not a slave.

I raised the slavery issue with Vader and he didn’t say much about it. He said that it was true, and that he uses so much force on others to let them know that he will never be enslaved again…to warn people if they try. You said I shouldn’t mock Vader for being a slave. My question is: Why not? I mean, sure maybe he couldn’t help being born into slavery, but if it hurts him, then good. Look at it this way…do you think all of those Jedi that he killed, all of those families that he destroyed…do you think they could help their situation? Don’t you think they felt bad too? He SHOULD feel bad!

If Vader was good friends with both Anakin and my father, he turned out to be a horrible friend, killing both of them!

And you seem to know a lot about Vader…about his past and everything. I suppose that shouldn’t be too surprising though, considering that you were Anakin’s husband, and if Anakin and Vader were friends, you would know Anakin’s friends. That makes me wonder…did you know my parents too?

You knew Vader’s wife? It still baffles me that he could ever have had a wife. She’s still alive? You said, “she wishes every day for her darling husband, the one that cared about others, and wanted to have a good life with her, to come back. He never did.” The poor woman! She must feel terrible to have Vader as a husband. He deserted her? Wow…she must be so sad. I wonder where she lives.

Vader hated the Old Republic because they did nothing to stop bad things from happening to his wife? What? How could he care about a wife? I’ve never seen him care for anyone. I know you tried to tell me that he used to be different, but how could he be that different?

I still don’t see how Vader could even think that killing people has any justification. How could two Jedi Knights (and many others) possibly hurt others? Doesn’t he realize that what he does is wrong?

LOL…when Vader writes you he tells you how smart he is, and how he’s going to kill everyone with his great plan? That’s funny because in his old notes (the ones before the Death Star explosion) he used to brag all the time about his intelligence, and how he was MUCH smarter than me. He’s never mentioned any “great plan” to me. What IS his great plan?

Am I that bad? I mean do I make it so it’s that obvious that I’m strong in the Force. Honestly, I’m trying to hide it. I’m not doing a very good job of it, though. In an old letter to Vader, I just wrote some stuff to him…I don’t remember what it was about but he said, “You’re acting like you’re more force sensitive than me and that’s not a very smart move for you to make.” I wasn’t even aware that I was doing ANYTHING to suggest that I was even a little bit Force Sensitive. Maybe it was in that Death Star battle. I DID rely on the Force a little, and he probably got angry with me because with it I could avoid his shots. You mean if I were weak in the Force I would need to be trained in order to do what I did on the Death Star? I didn’t know that…..sigh….all right, I guess I have to be VERY careful what I do or say if I don’t want people to know I’m force sensitive.

Some day I will certainly take Vader alone. To be honest, I can’t wait. He’s so arrogant, and thinks that no one would dare oppose him, and that no one would ever beat him. I would like to prove to him that he’s wrong, and take him down for all the wrongs he has done to the galaxy…especially for my parents’ death.

Oh…I’m sorry…I didn’t realize that your son was born here on Dagobah. That place must bring back painful memories for you. Dagobah was one of your hideouts after the rise of the Empire? It’s so swampy! How could you stand being here to hide from the Empire? And you had a baby here? You said, “every night he would wake up crying because he had so many mosquito bites. I had to rock him for hours before he would sleep again.” I thought you told me your son died right after you gave birth to him. So he lived several days? How many days (if you feel comfortable answering the question.)

I’m beginning to understand about the mosquitoes, though. I’m getting bitten up here, but I don’t mind it that much. Mosquito bites only itch for a little bit after you first get bitten, but then they stop itching as long as you don’t itch them. And sometimes when the mosquitoes bite, it hurts, but it’s not too bad. The pain only lasts a couple seconds, but it IS annoying. Some people are allergic to the bites, and their bites swell up a lot. I’m not allergic to them, and I’m glad. Are there bees on Dagobah? I haven’t seen any, and really bees don’t scare me. I’m fine around them. I’ve only been stung once, but I don’t want to be stung again. My uncle told me when I was little that bees know when you’re afraid of them, so they’ll be much more likely to sting you. Ever since then, I was always calm around them, even when they came near me and landed on me. The one and only time that I have ever been stung (that I am aware of) was when I was 6 and everyone around me was scared of them. They were throwing things at the bees, and one landed on me. Someone tried to kill it when it was on me, and I got stung. The area that I got stung in swelled up A LOT, and I couldn’t breathe.

You and your brother are on Tatooine? But your son was born on Dagobah…so why would you go to Tatooine? You mean you don’t know how your son died? You said, “My brother, Gwydion, encouraged me to do some research and find out exactly how my son died, and where he was buried.” Wouldn’t he be buried on Dagobah, and weren’t you around when he died? His aunt and uncle live on Tatooine? Over by Mos Espa? (Since you said that’s where Anakin’s from, I assume that’s where it would be.) I understand that Anakin’s whole family would live on Tatooine, since that was where he was from. I never thought of him having relatives, though. Hey…maybe I would know them. I highly doubt it, because as I said, I’m not from that part of Tatooine, and there are quite a few people who live on the planet. It’s worth a try though.

Of course I knew what you meant! I knew you were saying that you didn’t care what age your friends are. I was just expressing my own sense of humor. I do that a lot with sarcastic comments. My aunt HATES it, and other people get annoyed when I do it. Some people even think I’m stupid because of it. (They think I thought they meant it literally.) It’s just the way I am. I’m glad you find me interesting to talk to, because I find you interesting too.

Yeah, Shmi still hasn’t written me. I think it’s because I’m just a silly pilot to her, and she has more important things to do than to write a pilot. That’s totally understanding, though.

Yeah, but…why is unimportant people’s births special? Sometimes I think it would have been better if I hadn’t been born. My aunt and uncle wouldn’t have to use up an extra expense by raising me that way. They could have supported themselves or had their own children. I feel like I was too expensive for them. My own parents died, so I should have died too. Why would anyone WANT to celebrate my birthday? No…if I had a party, I’ll guarantee that Leia, Han, Wedge, and Obi-Wan…and even you wouldn’t want to come. I have proof in Leia’s last letter to me. No one would come. I just wouldn’t feel right accepting a gift from you, even if you are the Queen of Coruscant, and can afford it. I have done nothing to you to deserve your affection. I like to feel special on my birthdays, but I shouldn’t.

And about my allergies…it is annoying sometimes, but I’ve lived with them for my entire life. I can’t imagine how it would be to not have them. It’s not like I can’t be around any of those things AT ALL. I’ll explain each one of them to you, and then maybe you’ll understand a little better. First of all, the Death Stick smoke. I can’t be around that at all because it always makes me sick, but that doesn’t matter. Even if I weren’t allergic to it, I wouldn’t want to be around it at all. It stinks, and it’s bad for a person. I also already told you about the bees. I can be around them just fine, and I’m not even scared of them. Dust…I’m not bothered by it unless there is enough of it for me to be bothered by…if that makes sense. A little bit doesn’t bother me very much at all, and I can be around it. It’s just with dust storms and huge piles of it that I can’t be around at all. As long as everything is kept fairly clean, I’m fine. With the mold and growths like that, if the toilets are cleaned often and rooms are kept well ventilated, it shouldn’t be a problem…just as long as things are clean. If they’re not, then I run into problems. Cats are the only animal that I am allergic to…and I’m bothered by them, especially if they’re in the same room as me….but I did find that there is one time when they don’t bother me. Once, one of my friends decided to give their cat a bath to see if I’d be bothered by it. I was fine for a small time period just after the bath. Now for the perfume stuff…I’m fine if people are wearing perfume…it doesn’t bother me at all. It’s just when it’s first sprayed…like in a room or closed space, and I’m near it, I can’t be around it. And the “some scents” there are some scents (not many at all) that I have come across…like stuff women wear. I’m talking about like body wash, or body lotion, or body…whatever women sometimes wear…most scents of that I’m not allergic to at all. It’s just one or two that I’ve run across that I’m allergic to. I think my aunt wears them sometimes on purpose, just because she knows I’m allergic to them. Those do bother me when I smell them on a person, and I can’t be around that person when they’re wearing it.

Like I said, that’s it. So, it’s not that bad, is it?

Okay, it’s not surprising that I haven’t heard of the Royal Force…I just learned about the Force! Only the royal family of Coruscant has it? You must feel pretty special. :) You feel more pain than normal people; that must really stink. I can’t imagine feeling more pain when I’m hurt, than I do now. But I suppose it isn’t that bad for you because you’re used to it, right? That must be annoying to not be able to take painkillers if you really need them.

You broke your leg when you were seven? As I told you before, I’ve never hurt myself badly enough to need painkillers. I’ve never broken anything. But maybe I’ve never gotten seriously hurt because I was never put in a position where I COULD get hurt. (We don’t exactly have trees on Tatooine, and my uncle always looked out for my safety.) I think my uncle would kill me if I broke one of my legs.

You were sick for a month just because you took a pain pill? Wow.

I hate getting hurt…and it doesn’t help when my aunt hurts me, but it’s never anything serious. As I told you before, the worst injuries I’ve ever gotten have been paper cuts and little scrapes. I’ve never had to get stitches, never had surgery, and never have sprained or broken anything.

Wow….so you didn’t meet your real parents until you were 14. You were told your parents died when you were born? What did you think when you found out that wasn’t true? I don’t know how I’d feel if my parents were actually alive. It would just be…weird.

So Maurders kidnapped your sister, Sola, so that she could be their slave? I wonder if they do that often. Is she here…at the Rebellion? I’d like to meet her if she’s here. And she has a husband? What is his name? And children???????? Cool. Thanks for telling me what it is like to have a sibling. I really wish I had one…that’s been one of my wishes ever since I was little. I know it’s impossible, though, but I like to pretend.

Well, my aunt…who is very mean to me…has been able to protect me and helped raise me. She has no kindness, and she is the only mother I have ever known. I would want a mother who couldn’t protect me over a mean mother. That’s just me, though. I think a kind mother could do so much more than one who protects. You said your son was born very ill (I don’t know what was wrong with him, or anything, but…)…so you COULDN’T have helped raise and guide him. I’m sure you did everything in your power to keep him alive…but sometimes there is stuff wrong with someone and you can’t do anything about it. No one could. So I’m sure that no one could have saved your son. I guess what I’m trying to say is you don’t know for sure that you are a bad mother…you just never had the chance to try.

You puked on your husband’s ship? I’m sure he loved that.

I know…I’ve been sheltered from the horribleness of the Empire for almost my entire life (living on Tatooine). I know I haven’t experienced very much, and I’m sorry for complaining or worrying so much about my best friend and the copilot’s death. I shouldn’t have said anything about it. You’ve been through much more than I have. I’m sorry.

LOL, yes…about that small green person…

Okay now to tell you what’s been going on in my life since the last time I wrote you. You’ll never guess this, but the little green guy I was telling you about IS Yoda…can you believe that?

I followed him to his little house. He already knew who I was…Ben must have told him to watch for me. After I got inside, he offered me some food. It wasn’t what I was used to, but it was still good. He asked me why I wanted to become a Jedi. I told him that it was mostly because of my father. Yoda must also know who my father was because he said that he was a powerful Jedi. That annoyed me because I didn’t think that he really did know my father, and was just saying that. Then I got a tad annoyed with him…because I didn’t know he was Yoda yet, and I wanted to see Yoda right away. He kept telling me to wait…and that I’d see Yoda soon. Finally I couldn’t stand it anymore and I demanded to see him. When I did that, I bumped my head on the ceiling. That hurt, and it gave me a tiny headache. The ceiling was so low in there!

Then Yoda started talking to someone besides me. I was confused at first. Then I heard Ben’s voice. I turned around and saw him in a corner of the room that had been hidden from my view when I first came inside. Ben arrived before I did!

They got into this big argument about whether to train me or not. Ben was for me, and Yoda was against me. Yoda said I was too old…and impatient, and angry…and other weird stuff. Finally Ben convinced him by saying that I was their only hope, whatever that means.

Yoda seems so against me…(even now) and I don’t understand it. He asked me if I would finish what I begin…and I told him I wouldn’t fail him. Finally Yoda agreed…but I could tell he wasn’t happy about his decision. It was mostly because of Ben.

So the training started the next day. He got me up early in the morning, and he started teaching me things. He made me do all these physical exercises, and mind exercises too. The first couple of days I had a hard time with some of it because of my asthma, but I’ve learned to use the force more, and that makes things so easy.

Although I think I’m getting better with everything…relying on the Force, and using it…every time I think I’m doing well, I always mess up with something. I don’t think that Yoda thinks I am force sensitive enough to train or something, because he keeps making me do new things, and I keep failing. He hardly ever praises me for anything. About the only thing he’s said that’s been a praise has been, “Stronger do you grow.” And that’s it.

He led me to this strange cave thing that was strong with the Dark Side…and against his suggestion, I brought my weapons inside. After I got deep inside the cave, I imagined seeing Darth Vader…and fighting him…cutting off his head. The thing was when I cut it off, his helmet came off and I saw my face instead of his. That was a little scary.

The Jedi Training is a lot of work, but I actually think it’s fun. Yoda’s been telling me old Jedi Stories too. He’s a good story teller…and he’s lived a long time. He’s almost 900 years old! He was the head of some Jedi Council a long time ago, strange, huh?

The thing that really amazed me…while I was practicing lifting things with the force while standing on my head, my X-wing was sinking further into the swamp. I lost my concentration because R2 beeped at me. Yoda was sitting on my feet, so when I fell, he fell too. I hope he wasn’t hurt. Anyway, Yoda tried to tell me that I could use the force to move the ship to the land. I thought he was crazy. I mean a ship…that’s huge, and it ways a lot. Yoda urged me to do it…so I tried…I was able to get it up a little…but I lost my concentration and it fell back into the swamp. I went back to him…I was tired…it took everything out of me to attempt at moving it. I told Yoda it was impossible. Yes, I was a little annoyed with him.

While I walked angrily away, Yoda was using the force to my the ship himself. R2 started beeping wildly, so I walked back over to Yoda…I was amazed at what I saw! Yoda brought my ship all the way back to the land. Yoda wasn’t even sweating! He hardly put any effort into it.

Well, that’s as far as I am with my training right now. Sorry that I haven’t written in a couple days. Yoda’s kept me on a pretty tight schedule, and this was the first chance I’ve had to write anyone. I can give you more details from my training, if you’d like…but I figured you’d know pretty much what it was about, since you obviously knew a lot of Jedi. Your husband was a Jedi…so I didn’t want to bore you.

Kitster was Anakin’s best friend? Hey, that was Biggs’ father’s name! I wonder if they’re the same person. Hmm….I have no idea.

You asked me what my parents’ names were. I thought I already told you…but maybe I didn’t. His name was Alex. My uncle and Obi-Wan gave me two totally different names for my mother, so I don’t know which name it is. My uncle said her name was Demetre, but Obi-Wan said….crap, I’m losing track of the time and Yoda is slightly annoyed with me. I have to go train some more. I’ll tell you what Obi-Wan said my mother’s name was later, all right.

I gotta go.


Luke


PS I just got a letter from Leia and Han. They’re safe now, at this place called Bespin, otherwise known as Cloud City. Han’s friend, Lando Calrissian owns a mining colony there, and he has people that can repair their ship. Hopefully they can get to the rendezvous point soon. Leia mentioned it was awfully quiet there, but maybe she’s just paranoid. Who knows? Anyway, it sounds like things are going great for them. The outsmarted the Imperials, and there is no sign that any of the Imperials knew where they were. Leia closed her letter saying she was going to attend some banquet that Lando has set up for his guests. Leia’s annoyed with how Lando is treating her.

PSS I’ve been thinking a lot about all the stuff Vader knows. I think some of it might be from his own spying. I forgot that he overheard the conversation I had with my uncle when I first brought back the Death Star plans. At that time, my uncle had just gotten back from a trip to Coruscant to get me my inhaler medicine. It ran out on me when I was in the factory where I found Lissy, so he got me some more, but he had to go all the way over to Coruscant to get it. (Everything was closed on Tatooine because it was a holiday.) When he heard me tell about the plans, that’s when he knew I had the plans, and in the same conversation my uncle told me he got my medicine…so I think he overheard that too. That must have been how he knew I had asthma.
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Note 22
Luke,

Vader wrote back, and he said that the only reason he was bothering you was that he was curious of your skill in fighting the Rebellion, and wanted to recruit you. Personally, I don’t buy it. He seemed too eager in his letter to prove to me how little use you are. I don’t know what he’s cooking up, but I intend to find out.

You said that your dream was to simply escape farming and Tatooine. Looks like you got your wish. It’s good to know that you HAVE found something you like, something better than joining the Empire. Sometimes I feel that the stormtroopers who work for the Empire only work there to escape their homelands.

Arawn Corta’s been to Tatooine? And he took a big interest in you? This cannot be good. He’s a spy, all right, and a dangerous one, if everyone seems to know about him. Could you describe his looks to me? I’d like to know so I can be on guard.

You know, when I first heard about queens, I thought they were snotty too! Why did they have to prance around everywhere wearing those fancy robes and expensive headdresses? But it IS a bit responsibility, with LOTS of pressure. You know, as Queen of Naboo, I had to wear all this make-up so no one ever really saw my natural face. So whenever I was too stressed out, I used to just wash off the make-up and walk through Theed as just a normal girl, and talk to civilians. You cannot believe how relieving it is to talk to someone without them bowing and ranting off ridiculous titles.

Normally, I don’t like to answer questions about Anakin, but I suppose that I should start to accept that he really IS never coming back, and I shouldn’t cringe so much form questions like that. Anakin and I were never really formally married. Our positions wouldn’t allow that. We loved each other so much, though, that we couldn’t stay away from each other. One day, after he left, (when he was 20, it was a year after we had starting our intimate feelings,) I found that I was pregnant. I never had a chance to tell him.

Vader and Anakin…they weren’t anything alike. I don’t know what Obi-Wan is telling you. Anakin had a big heart; he always did what was best for others. Vader is pure evil. He killed your father, my husband, and many more innocent lives. Tell Obi-wan I said that. Or I’ll just tell him myself.

You said that only one out of the three of them was not a slave? Well, I know for a fact that both Anakin and Vader were once slaves, so I take it your father was never a slave. It makes sense, as slaves can rarely become Jedi Knights!

You should never make someone feel bad for something they couldn’t control just because they hurt others. Vader…I once thought that Vader could be changed, that he had good in him, but these days I’m not so sure. If you really want to bring the good out in people, then you really shouldn’t mock them for what they couldn’t control.

Like I said, though, these days I feel that Vader’s becoming more and more cold, worse than he usually is. He talks of some ultimate plan, where he would bring all of us to our knees. I don’t really know what to think about him anymore.

I’m sorry, I never knew your parents. The only Skywalker couple from Tatooine that I can think of is Anakin and me, and that would mean I was your mother! Wouldn’t that be strange!

Vader DID used to care greatly for his wife. She was his love, his angel. Now, she’s in hiding, hiding from the very man she once loved. Ironic that a man would go through such lengths to protect a woman and then just ignore her.

The Jedi Knights couldn’t hurt others, but they would get in the way of his plan. To us, to kill people like that would be cold-blooded and wrong, but to Vader…like I said, Vader is insane. He has no perspective, no real feelings anymore.

I have no idea what his great plan is, it’s “top secret”. Talk about huge ego! You’re right; it IS funny that he would simply repeat what he had said right before his downfall!

I suppose you SHOULD try harder to be a little more discreet about your Force abilities, but you needn’t worry about what you say around me. Honestly, I think I take more interest in you because you share my son’s name, so I tend to pry a little, and scrutinize everything you say. Vader also has interest in you since you blew up his space station. Most other people, though, probably wouldn’t notice that you’re Force sensitive. Also, remember that I was actually around when there were Jedi, and actually met some. Most young people have only heard stories about Jedi, and even the old people don’t know too much about them.

I know that you have a grudge against Vader. Who doesn’t? But I don’t think it should be your goal to take him. Even here in the Rebellion, we want to destroy the Empire, but only so that the Republic can return to its peaceful ways, not for any revenge. If you start to fight for revenge…you’ll become just like Vader. Please be careful when you train to watch out for these emotions.

Ah yes, dear Dagobah, planet of the swamps. It DOES bring up a lot of memories thinking about here, but not very painful ones. Every time I think of Dagobah, I think of that tiny little pink bundle crying his eyes out, with that short little Jedi Master, (yes, I knew of Yoda, and like Ben and Yoda and I was messing with your head,) helping me baby-sit.

My son was about a month old when he died. That isn’t very long for a person to live, so when people ask I say that he died when he was born. It’s shorter, and people don’t’ ask as many questions.

I do remember the mosquitoes as well. Not the best insects to share a planet with. The last time I checked, thought, there weren’t any bees on Dagobah. They don’t like the wetness.

I sued to be scared of bees as well, but Dalben told me that when a bee stings you, it dies. Since then, I’ve learned that as long as you don’t attack the bee, it won’t sting you. It wants to live, after all! I suppose if a bunch of people are trying to kill them, though, then it would sting you.

My son was born on Dagobah, but we took him to Tatooine because we thought he would have a better chance of living there. When he died, he was buried with the relatives on his father’s side.

We were trying to keep his existence a secret from the Empire, but I recently found out that the Empire found out about him anyway. Still, let me check with Obi-Wan before I give you any names about his uncle and aunt. Don’t get me wrong, I trust you, I just want Obi-Wan to be in on this too.

I do remember Yoda’s ceilings, though, they are really low! I used to imagine how Luke (my son) would be able to grow properly in such a hut! I suppose I would never find out.

When Ben said that you were their only hope, he probably meant that you were the last of the Jedi. Obi-Wan and Yoda are old, and so are most of the other living Jedi. Yoiuhave to carry down the ideas and skills of the Jedi.

Remember that Yoda once trained Vader. He has seen the result of his failure. Knowing how strong you are with the Force, to see you become what Vader became would kill him. You might think of Vader as an arrogant fool, but one time he was a nice, sweet young man just like you.

Luke, you are a very intelligent and nice boy. Why anyone would not want you as their child is beyond me. Your aunt and uncle…well, I haven’t been getting the best impression of them. I think that a child’s birthday is special not only marking the day you were born but also a day of realizing that you have grown yet another year, and must live up to that. You must be a bit more mature, responsible, more grown-up, and you know that from your birthday. And don’t worry about money. The true gift comes not from the wallet but from the heart. Even if I were poor, I’d give something to you for your birthday, because you are special.

You sound like you have a good leash on your allergies, and not letting them control you. Obviously you are a lot stronger than I could be in that situation; I doubt I could ever see the good side of allergies! I suppose it’s because I’ve been spoiled with a healthy body and not many worries.

I suppose the Royal Force IS kind of like that, though. I’ve never been able to take painkillers before, so therefore I’ve never really felt the need for them. I think even if one day it went away, I STILL couldn’t take painkillers because of the memories I’ve had with them!

It WAS weird when I first found out my real parents were still alive! Think of it this way. One day, you’re working as a queen, (or king, in your case) discussing problems and tackling paperwork, and you suddenly get this letter that says you have a birth father who has your birth certificate and all your health records! It’s scary! But I’ve gotten used to it over the years, and I do love them, even if they did give me up.

Sola was divorced, I forgot the man’s name that she divorced, but I’ll look it up later. She has four children, Caspian, Ryoo, Pooja, and Dash. They’re really cute! I’ll send some pictures if you want. And yes, she does work for the Rebellion.

I know that I couldn’t have controlled what happened to my son, but I really wish I could have. I wanted to be able to do something, anything, so I could watch him grow up. I guess its part of the reason why I’m going to Tatooine, to find out once and for all that my son is not somehow secretly alive, and I have to move on. Even if he was grown up by now, I still wish I could know him, and be a friend, if not a mother to him.

As a matter of fact, my husband DID love that I puked on his ship. It discouraged others to bug him for carpools and rides.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t grieve for your friends; I’m just saying to be prepared for more grief. It tends to happen when you live within such an Empire.

Demetre and Alex, nice names. So what was Obi-Wan’s answer to your mother’s name? Maybe their trying to hide her from you, that she was too much related to the Jedi, which are in so much danger now. The whole history of the downfall of the Jedi is terrifying.

Leia wrote to me about Bespin. She said that she was very suspicious of Calrissian. Do you know why?

I think it’s good of her to be on her guard against the Imperials, even if she did win a minor battle. The war is still not yet won.

I suppose I had better leave, we’re approaching the homestead of Luke’s uncle and aunt. Strange, it seems empty. Better go investigate now.


Mon Mothma
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Note 23
Mon Mothma,

I totally despise Vader!! He is a no good, very bad, horrible, loser, and a big creep!!!! I can’t stand him. You’ll understand why after I tell you what happened over at Cloud City.

Okay, now to tell you about what’s been going on recently. Well I got sick yesterday…like it was the flu or something, so Yoda let me stay in bed. He pretty much left me alone, but he did come in to feed me a couple times, and clean up some barf. Sadly, I miss my aunt…about the only time she’s nice to me is when I’m sick. She actually does care for me then. Yoda’s okay, but my aunt’s better at taking care of a sick human…than a troll. Well anyway, I was feeling better in the afternoon, so Yoda made me get up and do some training.

Yoda had me do the head stand again, but this time he didn’t make me move anything…he had me try to see things through the force…he had me focus on my friends…I thought of Han and Leia right away. As soon as I got a clear image…I saw a City in the Clouds…Yoda said it’s Bespin…and Han and Leia were there. They were together, but they weren’t safe. They were in a lot of pain and suffering. I actually felt their pain…Han’s pain hurt me some, but Leia’s pain REALLY hurt me, and I couldn’t take it, so I fell over. Yoda told me that it was the future that I saw.

That really scared me. I feel that they’re in danger…probably because of the Empire. Stupid Vader’s probably the cause of it…

How dare he hurt my friends? Especially Leia…she’s a woman…and I felt that she was in more pain than Han. What kind of living thing would hurt a female more than a guy. Oh I’m just so mad at the Empire right now!

I asked Yoda if they would die. I don’t want my friends to die. I feel that I MUST go after them and rescue them.

Yoda called Ben…(Ben had been staying on the other side of the planet) and they both tried to convince me not to go. I told them that I had to.

Ben and Yoda are afraid that the Emperor wants me for my powers, but I’m not going to turn to the Dark Side. I tried assuring them that I wouldn’t turn. I don’t think they were convinced. They kept on trying and trying…and Ben told me that if I chose to face Vader, I have to do it alone…that he can’t interfere. I promised them that I would come back to finish my training after I had rescued Han and Leia…they still didn’t look convinced. It was almost defeat that I saw in their faces.

You wouldn’t believe this, but Leia and Han’s pain is so intense that it is making me physically sick. I have to go and help them. And to top it off…I just received a letter from Vader. (This was after that vision thingy), Leia wrote to me and told me that Lando betrayed them to Vader and other Imperials. Apparently Vader put a bounty on them after they “lost” the Millennium Falcon, and Boba Fett took the job. He located the Millennium Falcon and notified Vader where the Millennium Falcon was going. Because the Imperials had working hyperdrives, they arrived before Han and Leia…so the Imperials hid. Leia and Han then showed up and Lando pretended like nothing was going on. Then he invited them to this banquet, and Vader was the host!!!!! He captured them and has tortured them extensively. Leia said that Vader hasn’t even asked them any questions. She doesn’t understand why Vader is doing this. I don’t understand it either.

I only hope that when I get to Cloud City I’m not too late. I don’t want them to die; they are my best and closest friends. How can Vader be like that?????? It’s pure cruelty. Why doesn’t he just kill them since he seems to want them dead so much. What pleasure could he possibly get from watching people suffer?

Now that I have that off my mind…I’ll respond to what you wrote. I just had to get that out in the open.

Well if Vader’s trying to recruit me for the Imperial Navy, he’s not doing a very good job. I’ll never join anything that has ANYTHING to do with the terrible thing called the Empire. But you said you personally didn’t buy that. I don’t know why he’s taken such an interest in me either. He seems like he’s obsessed with me! He’s starting to REALLY scary. I mean, in his last letter he indicated he knew stuff about me that I have never even MENTIONED. Why can’t he just leave me alone and stop writing me stupid letters?

I’ll write down quotes from his last letter.
“If I left you alone, you and your pesky Rebellion would mess everything up. What, you think I have nothing better to do than chase a bunch of mismatched rebels, namely an overbearing thief, a princess without a throne, a growling rug,a trash can, a golden girlie-bot, a Jedi wannabe, and an old fool who doesn't have the common sense to stay dead?? I'd rather be home planning other things, like... well, never mind, none of your business anyway.

As for worrying, I'm not the least bit worried. My plans are falling into place nicely.

So the old relic Yoda is still alive, is he? I'm glad to hear that he has taken you on as a pupil. Yes, I know of your training. Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of interfering. I'm actually proud of you, and hope you grow stronger in all things. Now I am certain that you shall make an excellent challenge for me. I do love a challenge. Scaring and beating the rebels can be so boring.

Learn well, and take care that the swamp's humidity doesn't flare up your illness. I want you in top shape when next we fight.”

How in the galaxy did he know who all my friends are? I haven’t mentioned all of them to him…and he seems to know more about all of us than he should. And I never even told him I was on Dagobah…I just told him I was training with Yoda. He knew I was on Dagobah, though! And why would he want me to train? I mean doesn’t he get it that we’re enemies, and if I train I’ll have a better chance at betting his stupid, no good self? And that’s about the first time he mentioned his “plans” to me. I threw that line in there because it was in reference to that plan thin you told me about. And I have no clue how he found out I had asthma, because I have not said a word to him about it…so he seems to be obsessed with me and my friends. I don’t like that at all. It’s scaring me. That man is a creep, and I don’t like it that he seems to know so much about me…or my friends. I truly do not understand the man.

You said that sometimes you feel that the stormtroopers only work for the Empire to escape their homelands. I thought most of the stormtroopers were clones! I do know that the Empire occasionally recruits stormtroopers because the original clone army, the one created back in the Clone Wars days, have grown a lot older…aren’t they like 40 or something? Or are they 80? I don’t know…I heard there was some growth acceleration that they used to make the clones, but was that only affective when they were young…for the first 10 years? Or is it still affective? They would be 80 if they still grow due to growth acceleration, and 40 if they don’t. Anyway…I’ve heard that the Empire administrates an IQ test to all people who want to serve the Empire. The very stupidest are trained to be stormtroopers.

LOL, I certainly have gotten my wish to escape farming and Tatooine…though it seems I’ve paid a dear price for it. I’ve lost my best friend, and I’m now wanted by the Empire…a criminal…and my family is in danger because of my lie to Vader earlier. But he seems to have abandoned that…and now is completely obsessed with my friends and me.

NO…well…I’m not sure, maybe Arawn Corta HAS been to Tatooine, but he wasn’t on Tatooine when I met him. Maybe I didn’t explain it well enough. He didn’t come here to pick up what he ordered from us…my aunt and I went to Blue Waters, where he lives, and we delivered his stuff there. Sorry if I confused you. But yes, he did take a big interest in me. As I said, it made me so nervous. But you said he’s a spy, right! I knew there was something not right about how he was looking at me. I bet he does that with EVERYONE that he sees…that he scans them over. At any rate, at the time, I didn’t know he was a spy…Yes, I can describe his looks…at least I can try. I’m horrible at describing people or things, but I will try. He has dark brown hair and eyes. He looks like he’s maybe in his mid to late 40’s, and he looks mean. He’s pretty tall too. I’ll send you a picture of him. My aunt likes to take pictures of all our customers. She put me in charge of keeping track of the pictures, so I have it right here. I’ll send it in a separate package after I send this letter, all right?

I think it’s pretty cool that you didn’t try to brag to everyone that you were queen, and that you didn’t like all the titles and being treated like royalty. I like the fact that you talked to commoners and had good conversations with them, without them knowing you were their queen. I like that very much. That shouldn’t surprise me though, because you are taking your time to get to know me…a poor farmer’s nephew.

You and Anakin were never formally married, but you WERE married, right? I mean you refer to him as your husband, so I assume that what you meant was that you weren’t married in a huge ceremony. So did you have a private wedding? Yeah…I think I know what you’re talking about when you said, “our positions wouldn’t allow for a formal marriage.” It’s because Jedi Padawans aren’t allowed to get married. Obi-Wan told me about that when I was doing the project. He told me that if a Jedi got married, they would get expelled from the Jedi Order…so that must have been tough. Anakin must have REALLY loved you if he would risk his job to marry you, and he must have been a moral person. He loved you so much that he wanted to make a commitment to you, and not to just love you…but to be joined in marriage. He didn’t want to just have a cheap/sexual relationship with you like so many other people in his situation would have done. At least that’s what I can gather from your marriage. I might be wrong, and if I am, tell me. Anakin really sounds like he was a great person. I was honored to be able to do a report on such a wonderful person.

You never had a chance to tell Anakin that you were pregnant? Oh wow…..that had to be REALLY hard. So he died before you could tell him? That’s what I can guess by your statement, “one day, after he left…”

Obi-Wan said Darth Vader was not an evil child, like I thought he would have been. Here, let me quote him.

“Darth Vader was not an evil child, he was a sweet little boy and I liked as did many others. Imagine yourself groing up as a slave, with only your mother. He had a very difficult childhood but he was always trying to help others. It was when he got older that he started to become corrupted by the darkside. “

I’m getting confused with what you and Obi-Wan are telling me. Obi-Wan keeps telling me Vader and Anakin were alike when they were young, and you keep telling me they were so different. I admire Obi-Wan…I think he’s a great man, but maybe he just can’t say anything bad about ANYONE. Maybe he felt he had to say something good about Darth Vader, even if it’s not true. I’m more inclined to believe your version of Vader than Obi-Wan’s. I mean…come on…look what he’s doing to Han and Leia!

I’ll be sure to tell Obi-Wan what you said. All of this is so confusing to me anyway.

Yes, the only one out of the three of them (Vader, Anakin, and my father) that was not a slave was my father. He was a Jedi Knight, and Obi-Wan told me Jedi Knights are taken from birth, so that means my grandparents must have known my father was force sensitive, and they took him to the Jedi Temple. During his breaks in training, he must have come back to see his family on Tatooine, and that must have been when he caught up with his friend Anakin. Maybe that’s why you didn’t know my father…because he must not have been around at the time that you went to Tatooine when you met Anakin. At any rate, my father was not a slave. There were no slaves in my family; none of my other family members were slaves. Besides that, our house has been in my family for a couple generations. My great-grandfather bought it (at least that’s what my uncle told me), so that means that anyone after my great-grandfather could not have been a slave.

It wasn’t that I was trying to make fun of Vader for once being a slave. I don’t like to make people feel bad. I just wanted to make Vader THINK…make him think about what he does to other people. It wasn’t in a mocking sense.

Vader have good in him? Hah? That would be funny! After my Jedi vision and Leia’s note, I say there is NO good in that poor excuse for a human being!

I think Vader is obsessed with being evil too. Obviously his “ultimate plan” must be evil. It probably is his plan for how to kill off the entire Rebellion…he probably is dreaming up some other killing machine. I wouldn’t put that past him. But why is he wasting his time torturing my friends? Doesn’t that take up some of his planning time? Oh well, as I said, I don’t understand the man, and I don’t think I ever will.

Oh and another thing, I confused you when I told you my last name was Skywalker. Remember me telling you that’s not my legal last name? My real/legal last name is something else. I just used the name Skywalker when I joined the Rebellion in hopes that it would be harder for the Empire to track me down. It is a family name, but I don’t know when it stopped being used in my family. So no wonder you don’t remember any Skywalker families from Tatooine. It’s because that probably wasn’t even their last name. I think my father used the last name Skywalker, and it’s probably because he liked it too, but it probably wouldn’t have been his legal name either. Anyway, you wrote, “The only Skywalker couple from Tatooine that I can think of is Anakin and me.” So you and Anakin actually lived on Tatooine for a while? That’s interesting? But wouldn’t that have been hard for Anakin? Since he was a Jedi? He would have still had to go to the Jedi Temple, which is all the way on Coruscant.

So you knew Vader’s wife? That’s pretty weird. Is she still alive then? You said, “Now, she’s in hiding, hiding from the very man she once loved.” I feel sorry for his wife. It must be VERY hard on her…but I still have to wonder about a woman who would marry such a thing as Vader…even if he wasn’t so evil back when she married him.

That might explain why Vader is torturing Han and Leia…because since they are so important to the Rebellion, he must consider them a threat to his ultimate plan, so I assume he wants them dead. I’m going to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening.

But how do I hide my Force abilities? I didn’t even know that I had them/that they existed until I talked to Obi-Wan about my project. He picked it up from me describing an event that happened. Before that, no one had even said a word about it…and I was fine. Now all of a sudden it seems like everyone around me knows what Force Sensitive people are like. I don’t know HOW to hide it. It’s a part of me.

So, in reality, as I reminded you up there…I actually DON’T share the same name as your son. I’m just using the last name, but it isn’t really my real last name. Still, you can think of me as having the same name as your son. I don’t mind.

I’ve got to take Vader…if I don’t who will? And someone has to put him in his place. I won’t let him hurt my friends! That’s just wrong. Han’s saved my life twice, and I could never forgive myself if they died…knowing that I could have saved them. I must rid the galaxy forever of this horrible thing known as Darth Vader. How can I not think revengeful thoughts about Vader when he’s done such wrong to me…to everyone in the galaxy? But I know what Yoda and Obi-Wan said about controlling my feelings. I won’t turn, as I told them.

I’m glad that Dagobah doesn’t bring up painful memories for you…and that you can think of your son when he was alive. So you described him as a “tiny little pink bundle crying his eyes out.” So did your son cry all the time? I’ve had to baby-sit newborns of some of the families around me. Some of them have been really good, and hardly give me a problem, but others cry all the time…and it seems like nothing I can do will make the baby happy. I hope I wasn’t an annoying baby. Have you ever wondered what you were like as a baby? If you were one of the quiet babies, or if you were one of the crying ones? I’ve thought about it several times as I was baby-sitting those little babies.

Yoda helped you baby-sit your son? Somehow that’s hard for me to imagine. He’s so critical of me…I can’t imagine him acting kindly for a baby…caring for it. I can imagine him telling the baby that it needs to concentrate more…or use more focus, LOL.

Oh…wow…so your son was about a month old when he died. That must have been REALLY hard…I mean…an entire month and then to lose him. As before, I’m not going to ask you for too much about his death. I figure, if you want to tell me, you will. Otherwise, I won’t press the subject. It must be so difficult for you to talk about him.

I think you’re right. I don’t think there are bees on Dagobah. I haven’t seen any. I’m not going to feel bad leaving the mosquitoes here when I go rescue Han and Leia. :)

I think everyone was scared of bees as a little kid. I mean every little kid knows they sting, and that stings hurt. There must be several ways for parents to cure their children of being scared of bees. Were you ever stung by anything?

Okay…so your son was born on Dagobah, but you took him to Tatooine because you thought he would have a better chance of living there? Because of the mosquitoes? Or because of the Empire, and how they were trying to kill off all the Force Sensitive individuals? Well, it’s good that your son was buried with his relatives on his father’s side. At least he will be remembered, and he next to his other family members.

I understand why you would not want the Empire to know about his existence, since he had a Jedi Knight as a father. Obi-Wan told me that Force Sensitivity can be hereditary, but it isn’t always. Sometimes Force Sensitive parents can have non Force Sensitive children. He said more often than not, though, Force Sensitive parents will have Force Sensitive children, and the children will probably have close to the same Force Sensitivity as one of their parents. Was your son Force Sensitive? Or didn’t he live long enough to find out? Anyway, it would have been dangerous to have a son of a well-known Jedi Knight to exist. Okay, go ahead and check with Obi-Wan before you give me the names of his aunt and uncle. I don’t want you to do something that Obi-Wan wouldn’t agree with.

If your son would have had to grow up on Dagobah, I would have to feel very sorry for him. Dagobah is a very isolated planet. He would have no one to play with as he grew…and the only other person he could talk to would be Yoda…literally. And if he had lived, would you have taken such an active role in the Rebellion? You would have had to give up time to raise him.

I think you’re right about what Obi-Wan and Yoda were talking about when they said I was the last of the Jedi. The strange thing is, as I was getting in my ship, Yoda said, “Told you, did I. Now things are going to be worse.” Obi-wan said, “That boy is our last hope.” Yoda said, “No, there is another.” I’ve given up trying to understand what they’re talking about. I just thought that was a little weird.

I suppose they said that in reference to Vader’s turning. As I have tried to tell them, I am not going to turn. I wish everyone wouldn’t think that I was going to turn. I’m not going to. See….even you say that at one time Vader as a nice, sweet young man. That’s what Obi-Wan told me. Isn’t that what Anakin was like too? So Obi-Wan was right when he said they used to be alike. Or did you mean something else? I am so confused with everyone’s conflicting stories.

Thank you for saying I am a very intelligent and nice boy. I don’t know what to say to that… I’m not saying my aunt and uncle don’t want me as their child. Well, at least my uncle isn’t like that…he loves me like I was his son. We just get into arguments sometimes…but I know that he does love me very much. I don’t know about my aunt, though. She’s so mean to me. Please don’t think badly of my uncle. If I gave you a bad impression of him, that was not my intention. He really is a loving man. I wish he was my father. I’m not saying they didn’t recognize my birthdays, they did. I’m just saying they couldn’t get me stuff for my birthday very often. That’s understandable. You don’t understand how bad things were for us. We had to save up money for everything, and often times there wasn’t enough money left over to buy the items or possessions that we wanted…or presents for special occasions. We had to make sure we had enough money to eat, to pay our bills, and for all our necessities. And I feel really bad because I had to have been very expensive to raise. My asthma medicine (my inhaler…which is the only medication I’ve been on, and the only thing that any of us ever had to take…besides the medicines that people get with temporary sicknesses) was so expensive that we had to save up a lot of money before we could afford to buy any new amounts of it.

So I’m sure my aunt and uncle would have given me something for my birthdays, but they just didn’t have enough money. That’s all. I had to accept that. Sometimes I felt really bad when I went to school because all the other kids always talked about all the neat stuff they got for their birthdays, and sometimes I would just sit in a corner and cry because everyone was so mean to me about everything.

Well I’ve HAD to have a good leash on my allergies…otherwise I’d be having asthma attacks all the time, or I would just not be happy, and wouldn’t want that. Plus I wouldn’t have fun. I’ve had to know what I’m allergic to, and what I can do to avoid those things as much as possible, and what I can do and still be fine…so I’ve had to see the good side of the allergies.

And just so you know, I basically have a healthy body. My heart’s really good, my brain’s good…and all my other organs are fine. (Except what I’ve already told you about my lungs and the asthma stuff.) Those are the only things wrong with me that would make my body so it wasn’t as healthy as other people’s, but it does work well. I’m fine except for those things. And I do take good care of my body, and I don’t have that much fat on me at all. I’m pretty strong. I might not have huge muscles, but I am strong. I really don’t have much to worry about either, and there are so many more people that are much more worse off than me. I have a pretty healthy body, I would say. I suppose you could say that I’ve been spoiled with a healthy body too. I’ve never had any major problems with it, like I’ve told you before.

If I were you and had your experiences with the painkillers, I don’t think I’d want to take any more of them either!

I can’t imagine what must have gone through your head when you met your real parents for the first time. All I can say is wow.

How far are you and Sola apart in age? I can guess that she’s older than you because I remember you saying how your parents took you to Dalben because your sister had been kidnapped, and they were worried about you. Sure, if you’d like to send me pictures of her children, go right ahead. Okay, so your sister does work for the Rebellion. What does she do?

I’m sure your son would have loved you, because I think you would have been a great mother to him. I’m sure he would have been pleased to know that you wanted him to watch him grow. Maybe after you die, and go to heaven, you can see him again and tell him. Mon Mothma, I mean no disrespect, but if your son died in your arms (that’s how I’m guessing he died), then how could there be any chance that he could be secretly alive? I know that everyone that loves someone…or when a popular person dies, everyone always says, “That person is still alive. They’re in hiding.” You must learn to face the facts. If you saw him die (which, again, is my assumption), then how could there rationally be a reason for him to still be alive? I’m glad you’re going to Tatooine to see his grave…but remember what I’ve just said. And if you do see his grave, are you going to let it rest? Please tell me you will. I don’t want a woman like you searching forever for her lost dead son. You have much more going for you, and much you still have yet to do for the galaxy. We need you.

I’m well aware that I will have to go through more grief in this giant battle against the Empire. But I don’t want to have to grieve over two of my best friends…Han and Leia. I won’t allow it.

Well…we now know that Leia’s suspicions of Calrissian were well founded. I’m not sure what made her suspicious of him, but maybe he was acting weird and she picked up on it. I have no idea, though. I can’t read her mind.

Be sure to tell me how your Tatooine trip goes. Have you found anything yet? You ssaid the house seemed empty. Did you contact his aunt and uncle before you arrived? Maybe they’re on vacation, or maybe they went out to eat……or I don’t know…maybe they’re at Mos Espa? If they didn’t know you were coming, how could you expect them to be there to greet you?

Well I’m getting ready to head off to Cloud City…so I must end this letter now. Thanks for saying that Alex and Demetre are nice names. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to tell you what Obi-Wan said my mother’s name was again. Sigh…sorry about that. I’ll try to tell you in my next letter.

In a few moments I’ll be taking off…see you later.


Luke
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Note 24
Luke,

Leia wrote to me about Bespin, telling me how badly they’re hurting her! Please, go soon and save her! Han’s a good man, but he’s no Jedi, he can’t defend them from that monster!

Obi-Wan asked you not to go? I’ll kill him! You’re a Jedi, a keeper of peace! You HAVE to go help them!

Vader was torturing them extensively, but not asking any questions? Oh no! How can this be happening? After all these years…never mind. I’ll contact Obi-Wan about this immediately.

If Vader so much as touch a HAIR on their heads, I’ll personally go and shoot him! I don’t care if he’s a Jedi and could probably kill me by just thinking it!

Vader knew all of this? Even though you never told him? It’s that spy, Arawn Corta. He’s one of Vader’s top spies, and seems to be everywhere! He’s after me, and Obi-Wan too. I see that he’s gotten you in his web, too!

The next time Vader insults your friends, tell him that at least they had morals to live by, instead of a bunch of old lies by an emperor who looks like a dead snake, and smells much worse!

You think Yoda’s bad when all you have is a little cold? I had to go into labor with that troll breathing down my neck! (Don’t tell him I said that!) But I know what you mean; no one takes the place of a mother, or aunt, when you’re sick.

Vader DID mention to me in his letter how he made sure all of his troops were stupid. I think it has to do with the fact that anyone who’s IQ level rated higher than a moron would understand the evil of the Empire and destroy it completely. Though, if one wanted to infiltrate the army, they could always PRETEND to be stupid. It’s been done before, I bet.

You’re aunt keeps pictures of customers? Why?

You don’t need to think so highly of me just because I talk to commoners! After all, I come from a DEMOCRATIC monarchy, and I HAVE to talk to commoners if I’m to know what they need! Anyway, it gets SO annoying to spend all days listening to people rant off titles and bow so low they could kiss the floor. Frankly, I find that behavior ridiculous. After all, aren’t I a normal person, too?

Yes, Anakin and I DID have a private wedding. Unfortunately, not many people came, as it WAS a secret marriage. Yes, Anakin DID love me, he loved me a lot. He was a wonderful husband, and would have been a wonderful husband, if only…. Anyway, if you ever find out anything about Anakin that you don’t like, just remember the image of him you know now, and hold onto it.

I see what Obi-Wan was telling you. You see, as children, Vader and Anakin WERE a lot alike. It was when they grew up that they became so different, Anakin choosing the light side and Vader choosing the dark. Sorry for confusing you.

I see how I could have not known your father. You said that your house had been in your family for a couple generations, and that your great-grandfather bought it. Are you sure it couldn’t have been your great-grandfather from your mother’s side?

I know how cruel Vader seems to you, but that’s only because you never knew him when he was a good man. Once upon a time, he really WAS a good man, and some of that lives. I know, I see it sometimes, when all of the sudden, he decides to save a person in need, just to live up to his old conscience. Ask Obi-Wan, he probably sees it too.

What I meant from the last letter, saying that the only couple I knew from Tatooine was Anakin and me, was that we were the only two people who I could think of that were both connected to Tatooine, and the name Skywalker (at the time). While he was training to be a Jedi, he lived in Coruscant, like you said.

So Skywalker isn’t your real last name? What is it, then?

My son DID cry a lot when he was a baby! He used to keep me awake every night! It was actually a GOOD thing that Yoda was there, to use his Force powers to calm him. I remember how I would dread it when he started teething, how much he would cry then!

I remember Dalben telling me how I used to wail when I was a baby. He says that it’s a part of a fire that I’ve always had, keeping me active, and never content with what’s around me. I’m pretty sure I make Dalben go through much more bottles of aspirin than was healthy for him!

I’ve never been stung by a bee before, but like I said, Dalben told me when I was a child that when a bee stings you, it loses his life. Therefore, he won’t sting you give him a reason to choose death. Basically, don’t provoke him, and he won’t provoke you.

Actually, both Tatooine and Dagobah were pretty good hiding places from the Empire. It’s just that there are so many more diseases one can get in a swampland, so that’s why we took Luke to Tatooine.

I actually don’t know if my son was Force sensitive or not. It’s one of the things I hope to find out in Tatooine, when I look for his grave.

I know that if Luke HAD survived, things would be very different from how they were now, at least for me. Still, the Rebellion, Dagobah, it all seems second to the life of my son. I wish he could have lived, but I don’t think I could have been able to take any hurt inflicted upon him because of the Empire, either.

Yoda said that there was another hope for them? Who would that be, I wonder? The way the Force works, it could be Leia, for all we know!

I’m sorry that you could never afford birthday presents! I suppose it’s the thought that counts, and the fact that you’re aunt and uncle recognized your birthday IS special. Still, I’m sending over something now that I think you would like (along with the pictures of Sola’s children). Anakin made it for me when he was nine, out of a japor snippet. It was supposed to bring me good luck. I’ve worn it since then, but I think you should have it. You’re so fascinated with Anakin; you should have something of his. Don’t feel bad, I think I should give it up anyway; I HAVE to start excepting the fact that Anakin is no longer alive, and nothing, not even the charm he gave me, would bring him back.

Sola and I are one year apart, and yes, she DOES work for the Rebellion. Lately, though, we haven’t had much contact. Oh well. Maybe after this darned war w can regain our ties.

Technically, my son didn’t die in my hands. I didn’t actually see him die. I know only by what others have told me. That’s why I don’t even know where he’s buried, and that’s the main thing I’m trying to find out. Not whether he’s alive, but where he’s buried. Still, you’re right; I DO have to get over the fact that my son is dead.

Leia admitted she was in love with Han? Really? He’s so OLD!

Don’t worry, though, one day, you’ll find someone to steal your heart away again. You’re not ugly, don’t worry. Anyway, if a girl doesn’t love you because of your looks, she isn’t really worth to love. When it DOES happen, it’ll be the most incredible feeling ever. It’s definitely worth waiting for.

Well, Gwydion and I searched the entire homestead, and we couldn’t find anyone. We’re going to a planet called Blue Waters, now, because supposedly they moved there, even though they technically work for the Rebellion. I’ll let you know what happens when I get there!



Mon Mothma
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Note 25 Part 1
Mon Mothma,

Well…I’ve made it to Cloud City…and um…things aren’t turning out the way I expected them to. I thought Vader was hurting them for his pleasure…but actually he used Leia and Han as bait to get me to come to Bespin. He tried telling me, “Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker. Obi-Wan knew this to be true.” He’s trying to take me to the Emperor so that I will turn to the Dark Side. What a creep. Why does he think I’d turn?

I can’t believe that he has gone to so much trouble to get to me. That’s probably the whole reason he went after the Millennium Falcon…because he thought I was on it. But why does he want me so badly? Aren’t there other Force Sensitive people he could try to hunt for? I know Force Sensitive people are kind of rare. Why doesn’t he just kill me off instead of trying to corrupt me? He killed off all the Jedi Knights, so why is he trying to get ME on the Dark Side.

Anyway, nothing in the galaxy would have stopped me from going to save my friends. He probably would have continued to hurt them until I came, so I hope I helped them in some small way…though I didn’t get to rescue them. I hope they’re all right.

Yes, both Obi-Wan and Yoda begged me not to go. Somehow they both knew Vader wanted me for the Dark Side, and that’s why they were trying to keep me from going. I don’t think they wanted harm to come to Leia and Han…but I guess they didn’t think I’d be able to handle Vader…and thought that I’d turn. You want to know what I said to them before I left?

Yoda said, “Luke, you must not go.”

I said, “And sacrifice Han and Leia?”

Yoda said after a moment, “If you honor what they fight for, then yes. If you go now, if you choose the quick and easy path as Vader did, help them you could, but you would sacrifice all for which they fight for.”

Both Obi-Wan and Yoda were convinced that if I went to go help them, I would turn to the Dark Side. That made (and still makes) no sense to me. Absolutely none.

Yeah…Vader was torturing them extensively without asking any questions. I guess the reason for that was that he knew I’d feel their pain through the Force, so it was his nasty way of getting me to Bespin. What did you mean when you said, “How can this be happening? After all these years…never mind. I’ll contact Obi-Wan about this immediately.”

I hate to break this to you, but Vader DID touch much more than their hair on their heads. He downright tortured them. And there is a major correction I need to make on something you said. You said, “If Vader so much as touches a hair on their heads, I’ll personally go and shoot him! I don’t care if he’s a Jedi and could probably kill me by just thinking it!” Vader is NOT a Jedi; he is a Sith. You insult the Jedi by referring to him as one. And I wouldn’t advise trying to shoot him. Leia told me what happened to Han’s gun when he tried to shoot Vader. Vader used the Force and grabbed the gun out of his hand.

Yeah, I think it was Arawn Corta who told Vader all the information about me and my friends too. Arawn’s after you and Obi-Wan too? Has he gathered information about you too? I don’t like him.

Oh, the next time I write Vader, I’ll tell him what you told me to tell him…”that at least my friends have morals to live by, instead of a bunch of old lies by an emperor who looks like a dead snake, and smells much worse!” That’s pretty funny J I love your sense of humor. I’ve never seen the Emperor in real life…only pictures. I have to admit, he is extremely UGLY. Did he always look like that? I wouldn’t know what the Emperor smells like, but I don’t think I want to know, especially after that description!

Oh wow. I couldn’t imagine giving birth with Yoda taking care of you. That must have been quite an experience.

Vader told you that he makes sure all his stormtroopers are stupid? That’s pretty funny. Why would anyone WANT to infiltrate the army? That would be pretty stupid…and wouldn’t the Imperial Officers be able to tell if a person faked being stupid…they would seem so much smarter than the other stormtroopers. Oh well, it’s an interesting thought.

I’m not exactly sure why my aunt keeps pictures of our customers. Maybe so she can learn customer names better and be a better business person? I don’t know. Actually, I believe she once said that to me.

I couldn’t imagine living in a democratic government. What was it like? Still, even if you don’t think much about talking to different people, it means a lot to me. Not very many people, especially important people, show interest in a poor farmer’s nephew.

What did you mean when you said, “If you ever find out anything about Anakin that you don’t like, just remember the image of him you know now, and hold onto it.” I’ve never heard anything bad about him. Am I supposed to? Obi-Wan and Jira have had nothing but positive things to say about him. You’re the first person who has ever even hinted at anything negative about him…and he was your husband!

Okay, thanks for clearing up the Vader and Anakin similarity thing when they were children. I understand now.

No, I know for certain that my house was bought by my great-grandfather on my father’s side. The reason I know this is because I have been writing to him. (Yes, he’s still alive…he’s like 80 something, though, but he’s alive.) I actually brought him to the Rebellion. You know what happened to him? At the beginning of the Clone Wars the Maurders (I understand that was one of the Separatist groups at the time, and the Maurderes are the same group that kidnapped Leia, and were trying to kill her back on the planet Anuvuin.) captured him. He was 60 at the time, so they didn’t think he was worth much. They left him to die on this tiny planet, and he survived, living all alone for that entire amount of time. I went to that planet by accident, and I met him. His name’s Lowdun Skywalker. (Author note: Padmé wouldn’t know who Lowudn was because Anakin never knew about Lowdun.) He told me he is my grandfather’s father, and my grandfather is my uncle’s father…..and my uncle and my father were brothers, so that means it’s from my father’s side.

Hmm…I can’t imagine Vader saving a person in need. You have actually heard of him doing that? Really? I just cant’ imagine it because I see him for nothing other than the cruel, horrible person he is!

Well, I know for a fact there are other Skywalker families from Tatooine. I knew of several. I didn’t personally know them, but there were quite a few. Remember, Skywalker is the most common last name in the galaxy.

But, no, Skywalker isn’t my real (legal) last name. That’s because it got changed sometime after my great-grandfather…I don’t know why…probably because there were too many Skywalkers in the galaxy. I like it better than my legal last name…I don’t like my legal last name very well. I’ll tell you what it is later, though. Promise you won’t laugh at it? It sounds kind of stupid. People at school used to make fun of me for it. I guess that’s one reason I put my last name down as Skywalker when I registered with the Rebellion.

If your son kept you awake every night, you probably didn’t get much sleep. I don’t know how people can handle not getting much sleep. I need 8 hours of sleep, or I can’t function the next day. What made him cry so much? I’m glad Yoda was there to help calm him.

Dalben told you you used to wail as a baby? I assume your son did the same thing. Babies that do that must have pretty strong lungs. My aunt use to say that whenever she heard a baby cry really loud. I think all babies can cry, but in order to wail, they’d have to have strong lungs.

Yeah, like I told you, I have only been stung by a bee once. It wasn’t a very good experience, and I don’t want to be ever again. I’m not afraid of bees, like I said before, and I can walk through sections with bees in them and not worry much about getting stung. I don’t provoke them, and I stay calm around them.

I see. I suppose there would be more diseases a person could get in a swampland than in a desert land, especially for a newborn baby. I understand why you took your son to Tatooine now.

I still don’t get how Jedi could tell whether a particular baby was Force Sensitive or not. Anyway, maybe no one could tell, since your son was only a month old when he died. But you said it’s one of the things you hope to find out on Tatooine, when you look for his grave. How would you be able to find out? Would you dig up his grave and test the cells in his body, or what?

I’m sure your son would have loved you very much if he would have lived. You would have been a very devoted mother…thinking of him before thinking of anything else (the Rebellion or Dagabah.) I wish all mothers were like that. I don’t think there would be as many problems in this galaxy.

Yeah, Yoda said there was another hope for them. I have no clue what/who he was talking about. You said, “The way the Force works, it could be Leia, for all we know!” I don’t know….I don’t think Leia’s Force Sensitive. She’s been writing to Obi-Wan, and he hasn’t mentioned a word about it (to her or to me), so I don’t think she is.

Thank you for Anakin’s gift to you, but I don’t think I can accept it. This gift is too special to you…I wouldn’t feel right taking it from you. Unless you are POSITIVE that you want to give it to me. I mean I’d love to have it (because I am fascinated by Anakin), but this thing was a gift to you from your husband when he was a boy. Are you SURE you want me to have it? I don’t want to take something that’s your treasure.

I hope that you can contact your sister again soon. This war has been going on for 20 years…it started with the Clone Wars…I hope it ends soon, but we have no idea…I guess until the Empire is destroyed the war will not be over.

Oh, okay…so your son didn’t die in your hands. That must have been REALLY hard to deal with…that you weren’t there when he actually died. You only know from what other people told you? I can see why you want to go make peace with him then…it must have bothered you that you were not there to say good bye to him. They buried him without you being there? You don’t even know where he’s buried?

I hope you find the information you’re looking for. You really deserve to. Let me know how your search is going.

Yeah, Leia admitted she was in love with Han. Yeah, he’s pretty old…he’s 31 years old! Leia told me in her last letter that Vader put Han into some kind of carbonate (froze him), and that Boba Fett took him to Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine. It looks like as soon as I’m done with this fight with Vader (if I live through it), I’ll have to go back to Tatooine and rescue Han.

I hope you’re right…that I will find a special girl for me somewhere out there. If you ever hear of anyone liking me, please tell me. I’d appreciate it. And thanks for saying I’m not ugly. Honestly, I’m not? My aunt always tells me that I am.

Your son’s aunt and uncle live on the planet Blue Waters? I probably walked right by their house when I was there! You know who else lives there? Arawn Corta. Remember me telling you that a couple of times in my most recent notes? That’s interesting that they would live on the same planet as one of Vader’s spies. His aunt and uncle are working for the Rebellion? It seems like a lot of people are working for the Rebellion. Oh…I assume that his aunt is your sister…Sola…the one that you don’t see very often. That would explain why she works for the Rebellion. I didn’t make the connection until I just thought about it. I guess I was confused because of all the talk about Tatooine, and Anakin growing up on Tatooine.

Okay, I’m kind of annoyed right now. I felt that I had to write someone…and I don’t know where Han and Leia are right now. You listen to me, and we’ve shared a lot of deep things, so I immediately thought of you as the person to write.

I’m in the middle of a fight right now. I hope Vader can’t find me. Before I went to Cloud City, I was all for fighting Vader…now it’s different…now I want out!!! I suppose I should tell you what happened to me as soon as I got to Bespin.

All right, here goes:
Well I arrived at Cloud City fine. I landed with no problem. The minute I got out of my ship I knew that there was something wrong…the place was too quiet. I went into the main building, and again, everything was all quiet. I didn’t see anyone for a long time. I kept going further into the building…and then I saw Leia and Chewie and C-3PO being led by Imperials. I tried to stay out of view, but some of the Imperials saw me and started shooting at me.

The Imperials were dragging a table like thing…I couldn’t see what it was…I started to follow them. I couldn’t see Han. Eventually Leia saw me and tried yelling at me not to follow…that it was a trap. Being the stupid person that I was, I didn’t listen. I followed after her. I wanted to rescue her…but when I got to the hall that they had rounded, the door they went in was locked, and I had no choice but to continue down another hall.

As soon as I stepped into it, the door shut behind me. That was a little scary, but I didn’t have much time to think because I heard the breathing of Darth Vader. I looked around and saw him on the top of these stairs. I went over to him. I ignited my lightsaber…and he ignited his. We started fighting. To be honest, I thought fighting Darth Vader would be really easy. Oh was I wrong! He’s tough!!! He was too hard for me.

He pushed me backwards…and I fell down the steps. Then he jumped down…he tried jumping on top of me, but I got up and moved away quickly. We locked lightsabers again, but he pushed me backwards again. This trap door opened up and I fell in. The second I landed, I knew I was in danger, so I flipped out of the pit with the force. Vader didn’t realize that until after he shut the chamber. He made a comment about me not being as powerful as the Emperor thought. I made a comment to him, and I guess he was impressed that I had jumped out of the pit.

We started fighting again. The room started filling up with this gas, so Vader took the fight to another place. He jumped down to another hallway. I followed. I can’t believe how stupid I was…I would have tried running away…but no I had to go LOOK for him. I really wanted him to pay for all of his crimes against the galaxy…especially the one where he killed off all the Jedi.

I heard his breathing down the hallway, so I followed it. I found myself in a room with a large circular window. I ignited my lightsaber again…like I was going to fight…and Vader did too…except that he raised his lightsaber and started using the force to throw things at me. He threw large pieces of equipment at me…really fast too. I tried my best to deflect them, but objects came from all directions. I started getting all these bruises and cuts and things…that was the worst fight I’ve ever had. ( Okay, so it was the only fight I’ve ever had…but still) I think he enjoys hurting other people. Well, one of the large pieces of equipment broke the window, and this violent wind came through…it pulled me out of the room. I somehow managed to grab onto something on the side of Cloud City…so I was okay. Another near death experience.

That’s where I am right now. Vader’s probably looking for me. I want out of this fight now! I didn’t know it would be like this. I wonder if this is how my father died…with Vader beating him up during the fight. Vader could have killed me by now…and I know it. I think he’s just playing around. He seems to like to do that.

I’m afraid that if Vader finds me right now…that he’s going to kill me. If anything happens to me, let Leia and Han and Wedge all know that I was thinking about them before I died. If by some miracle that I escape…then I’m never going to want to fight Darth Vader again.

I’ve been good at escaping near death experiences so far…but this is pushing it. I had no idea how powerful Vader was. Obviously, he’s more powerful than I am. Vader was trained as a Sith…probably for a long time. I’ve only been training as a Jedi for a few days. Why couldn’t I have listened to Ben, and Yoda?

Okay, I’m back from some more fighting with Vader.

All right, now you’re probably wondering what happened, right. Okay, here goes. Just after I finished writing you the last time, Vader showed up and we started fighting again. He still controlled the fight, and he took the fight to this long narrow platform. Soon after we were on that platform, I slashed at Vader…and caught him unprotected…I hit him in the shoulder with my lightsaber. That angered him…a lot…and it probably hurt him because he said ow…and screamed in pain for a second. Because of his suit, it didn’t hurt him much. It probably got to his skin, but not enough to do any real damage. He was angry with me for being caught off guard though…so he tried to distract me by having this piece of equipment fall. I turned to look, but when I did, I lost my balance.

I fell off that platform and landed hard…and wrong on my arm. It happened so quickly…but if I hadn’t fallen, Vader would have tried cutting off my arm…his lightsaber was almost touching my arm when I fell…his lightsaber was so close that it burned my arm a little.

Anyway, when I fell, I dropped my father’s lightsaber. My arm broke…it was a long fall, but I was okay. It was my right arm too…and I’m right handed…so it’s harder for me to write you. I hope you can read this.

Well before I could get up, Vader jumped down to my platform. Obviously I couldn’t fight anymore because I was hurt. Vader then did something that made me MAD. He grabbed my father’s lightsaber from the ground and hooked it onto his belt. That was my FATHER’S lightsaber…the only thing I have of my father’s, and he took it! What a creep! I tried to ask him to stop fighting…because I was hurt, and asked for my lightsaber back. He asked why…and I told him why…that it was my only connection to my father that I had. He laughed at me, but refused to give it back. There was nothing I could do about it.

I have to go. Vader’s chasing me. I’ll write you again, probably after I finish the fight.


Your friend,
Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 25 Part 2
Mon Mothma,

Well the fight’s over…and I’m alive.

Oh Vader makes me so angry! He tried to claim something that is complete ludicrous.

Oh I’ll tell you all about it in just a second.

Well Leia and this guy named Lando were the ones that rescued me…oh I have so much to tell you.

Well Vader is an idiot…I think he’s going crazy. I suppose you could say what he tried telling me would be terrible…if it were true.

Han was frozen in carbonate…and Boba Fett, a bounty hunter, took him to Jabba’s…according to Leia and Lando. We’re going to have to go rescue him on Tatooine. We’ve already come up with a plan.

I think Vader really is crazy! He didn’t even try killing me…he just tried beating me up. So the fact that I decided to fight him didn’t turn out to be too bad…except now Vader’s after me because he thinks something about me which isn’t true.

I got worn out during the fight, but I’m all right…except for my arm.

After I broke my arm, that’s when Vader started to go really crazy. I jumped up from the ground and started walking away from him. He followed me. At that point I didn’t care about fighting him…I just wanted to get OUT of the fight.

Then he did something that made me REALLY annoyed. He tried to get me to join him…to turn to the Dark Side. I told him that I’d never join him! Why would he think I would want to join him? I mean come on, he killed all the Jedi…he killed my father…and he just finished beating me up in the fight. How could he possibly think that I would want to join him?

I told him that I’d never join him. Then he asked this question…in a really mean way too…he was like, “Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father, did he?” The way he worded that just made me angry!! How dare he even bring up my father…especially after the fact that I knew he killed him.

I was like, “He told me enough! He told me you killed him!” I didn’t want to hear Vader tell me how he killed my father! Why would he think I would want to hear it from him…I want to hear it, but not from Vader.

Then Vader tried to suggest something that made me want to puke. He said, “No I am your father.” How stupid does he think I am? He actually thought that I would believe him? I’m not even sure Vader is human. Obviously he was just trying to manipulate me so that I would want to join him.

How dare he suggest such a thing! It doesn’t make any sense either. I mean…what woman in her right mind would sleep with/marry Darth Vader? What a creep! He actually thinks that I’ll believe him! I don’t even know if he knows who my father was…he probably does…and he obviously knows he’s dead, since he killed him. He was just trying to take advantage of the fact that my father is dead. But to suggest that he is my father…that’s beyond crazy. I know a lot about my father, and I know that he was a great man…so the idea that Vader would suggest that HE is my father…that just makes me sick.

Again, Vader tried to get me to join him…just after he tried telling me that. I told him no, and I jumped from the platform.

I fell a long way, I ended up falling into a tunnel and I kept going down tunnels until I fell into a trap door that took me to the underside of Cloud City.

I ended up hanging onto the weather vane thingy…barely holding on. I tried using the force to contact Ben…but he must have been too far away. Having no other ideas…and thinking about my feelings for Leia…the fact that we like each other and that she obviously cares about me…I didn’t know where Han was, and I didn’t know Lando…so I tried reaching out with the force to her. I didn’t know if I could contact people that weren’t force sensitive or not, but I figured I’d try…so I did. It must have worked…or maybe it didn’t…maybe the Millennium Falcon had just taken off and Leia or Chewie saw me…I don’t know…but whatever the reason, they came for me just as I was about to fall off.

We went to the Rebel ships that you sent. The medical people took care of my wrist…and Leia told me about what happened to Han. That’s when I also met Lando.

Lando’s going to Tatooine right now…Leia and I are going to go get costumes so we can sneak into Jabba’s palace to rescue Han.

None of this would have ever happened if I hadn’t been stupid and gone off to rescue Han and Leia. They would have escaped on their own…my arm wouldn’t be broken, and Vader wouldn’t have my father’s lightsaber right now…and he would have never tried to get me on the Dark Side. That fight was the worst experience of my life.

Well, I better go now. I don’t know if you’re on the ship I’m on now or not…but everything is so confusing right now.

Yeah, the fight was horrible. I still can’t believe that Vader would expect me to believe his stupid lies. Actually, I think Vader’s just grown really crazy since he killed all the Jedi…he must be pretty old…like maybe he’s 80 or something. The reason he didn’t kill me is probably because of his craziness. He’s still good at fighting, but he’s messed up in the mind.

At least I know that Vader’s crazy now…but I don’t think I’d ever fight him again. He’s way too hard. I got beat up enough during this fight. Vader certainly is a nutcase! I is completely wacko. Can you imagine him claiming something like that? It’s kind of hard to ignore what he said though…I mean, I think the idea of it is disgusting and crazy…but a tiny part of me wonders if Ben, Yoda, and my uncle could have lied to me. I don’t know. I’m so confused. What if Vader is telling the truth and everyone just decided to lie to me? Ah!!!! I hate my life. It’s so confusing. Everyone keeps telling me different stories, and I don’t know which one to believe.

See for 18 years I believed that my uncle and aunt were my real parents. Then my uncle told me he was really my uncle, and that my parents were named Alex and Demetre, and that my father was a navigator on a space freighter. Then I met Ben, and he told me that my father was someone totally different. My uncle later confirmed Ben’s story, and Yoda seemed to too. Then I fight Vader and he tells me that he’s my father. Oh, I don’t know what to think! I am just so confused. Most of me thinks Vader’s crazy and just lying, but a little bit of me wonders if it might be true. See how messed up this whole thing is.

I wish people would stop telling lies, especially Vader. I wonder if that’s how he killed off the Jedi…by telling them he’s related to them and trying to get them on the Dark Side. Actually, Vader didn’t really have a chance to kill me because I jumped before he could do anything…

I’m not leaving to go find Han for a few more days. I kind of need to get my thoughts straightened out first. I am just so confused right now. Nothing is making any sense.

Sorry if I sound like I’m angry…please don’t take offense to it. I’m just in a bad mood. How would you feel if Darth Vader tried telling you he’s your father? Or what if he took away something precious to you…like your father’s lightsaber. How would that make you feel? What if he went up to you and told him you were his daughter, after hurting you. I keep going to sleep and waking up with bad dreams of Vader killing me, or telling me he’s my father…and it’s really getting me angry. I can’t get it out of my head. What would you do if he tried to get you to turn evil…after claiming a relationship with you, when you well know that he killed your parents?

Well if I have to trust someone, I certainly don’t trust Vader. I trust my uncle, Ben, and Yoda. You don’t know anything about my father…

I’m sorry. I keep forgetting that I’m not the only person in the world that has been hurt by the Empire. Darth Vader hurt so many other families. I forget how many Jedi there probably were in the galaxy, and how many families that had been hurt because of it. I forget how much you must have gone through. When I put my problems next to yours, mine seem so insignificant. I need to just dismiss the whole fight…I wish it had never happened. I can’t let the fight bother me. That was probably Vader’s intent…to say something that would make me really bothered. I’m lucky that I broke my arm instead of getting my whole arm cut off. I’m lucky to be alive after that fight. The reason why Vader probably did that was because he knew that I wasn’t that force sensitive and he didn’t consider the killing worth anything. He likes to hurt people, so he probably just thought that up. He’s probably laughing at the whole thing right now. Okay, I’m over it now. I’m sorry that I was so upset over something so stupid.

What happened to you must have been a thousand times worse. . Losing your husband and son must really have been awful. Why did I make such a big deal about that stupid fight?

Okay, the doctor’s going to look at my arm now. The doctor’s name is Dr. Que…I’ve always had your grandfather…when I was sick on Hoth, and when I was initially examined before I could join the Rebellion, it was all done through your grandfather, John Amidala. This is the first time I’ve had anyone different.

My arm REALLY hurts. I hope after the doctor’s done looking at my arm he can give me some pain medication or something. I know I’ve never taken any before (because I haven’t needed to), but this time, I need it. This is the first time I’ve ever broken anything.

Your friend,
Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 26 (responding to part 1...Padmé has not read part 2 yet)
Luke,

Vader’s fighting you? Oh my gosh! Get out of there, quick! I’ll write to Obi-Wan immediately about it!

Vader obviously has a very sick mind to use your friends to bait you like that! Well, don’t worry about them, I just received word that they’ve escaped. Just keep safe, and get out of there as fast as you can!

What I meant about that little sentence? Don’t worry, you’re better off not knowing anyway.

Yoda helping me with labor was REALLY an experience I would NOT want to experience again. Imagine a three, no two foot toad standing at your bedside, yelling, “Push, you will!” while you’re sweating and huffing and feeling like your insides are going to explode is NOT an experience to treasure! But it produced my bundle of joy, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Well, if a person was talented enough, they COULD infiltrate the army, and pretty much wreck havoc if they were sneaky enough. Of course, if that person was ever discovered, they would be most likely tortured to death. Still, I’ve heard stories that it’s been done.

You can’t imagine living in a democratic government? Sigh, I guess there aren’t many people left who do. A democratic government is a wonderful thing. Everyone, no matter how poor, has a voice. Every law is scrutinized and changed until it can meet the needs of as many people as possible. I used to work for such a government.

Now that I think back, it wasn’t really democratic. The Republic was…corrupted. Everyone there was only interested in the needs of themselves, and not the needs of others. While terrible wars are tearing some parts of the galaxy, the bureaucrats were fighting over the price of postage stamps.

When the Empire is gone (I have no doubt that it will be one day), the people will hopefully learn from their mistakes, and rebuild a Republic free from corruption and greed. At least, that is my dream.

Never mind what I meant about the negative qualities of my husband, just keep in mind what I said. One day, it’ll make sense to you. Trust me.

Wow, this Lowdun Skywalker seems to be a very strong man, to survive on such a small planet for so long! Good thing you found him! So he’s your great-grandfather on your father’s side? Wow! I’d like to meet him one day.

Yes, Vader DID help some people in the past. Even when you become a Sith, part of the good in you can still live, no matter how deeply you bury it. At least, that’s what I notice when I see Vader helping orphaned slaves who were abused so much by their masters.

So what is your real last name? I promise you, I won’t laugh at you. When have I ever laughed at you (besides when you intended to tell a joke)? You know, you used to feel uneasy about telling me your first name, and it turned out it was the same name as my son! Who knows, your real last name might be my maiden name!

My son’s lungs weren’t very strong. Remember, he was very weak as a baby. I was a new mother, though, and I didn’t want to do anything wrong, so I would sleep close to his crib, and the slightest noise from him would wake me up. I wished he had stronger lungs, even if it DID mean he would wail louder!

I don’t know how I’m going to find out if my son was Force Sensitive, but I DO know that Jedi can usually tell. I think they can administer a blood test for how many midichlorians that the baby has. Anakin had over 20,000, and Luke was his son, so he might have had a high count, too.

Yoda said that Leia might be Force Sensitive? Really? Hmm, this changes things…I guess you and Leia could be training together one day.

I want you to take the snipped. My husband had been dead for so long, all I have left of him were his old gifts. I can hardly remember him anymore. Still, whenever I CAN remember him, for some reason I think of you. Strange, as you don’t really look like him, just sometimes, when you say something, I can almost hear Ani’s voice coming from your mouth. I’m sure you will be a great Jedi. Take this gift as a token of good luck.

Han is ten years older than Leia? And she’s in love with him? Oh my gosh! And I thought I was back when I married Ani, we were only five years apart!

Don’t worry about your looks. I used to think I was ugly when I was younger, but all of the sudden a little nine year old boy comes along and calls me an angel. Who knows, one day a young lady might call YOU an angel!

Ouch!

Ugh, I’m trying to avoid telling you this, but I guess I should tell you. You know that address Vader gave us, to find my son’s uncle? It was a trap! Gwydion and I are now prisoners in Arawn Corta’s home! Right now, I’m being jabbed by stormtroopers who just realized that their guns are sharp at the end.

Gwydion and I arrived at Blue Waters without much trouble. We parked the ship in the trees to hide it, then made our way to what we thought was the right address. Turned out to be Corta’s home! I’m so stupid as to ignore all the people who keep telling me that Arawn Corta lived on Blue Waters!

We’re locked in the basement now, chained and guarded. The only thing I can really do right now is write letters. I can’t believe I was so stupid to let this happen!

I suppose that as soon as Vader’s done fighting you he’ll be here to kill me. I won’t give you the address, because I don’t want you to try and rescue me. I’ll write Obi-Wan and Yoda to come and help. No offense, but they stand a better chance than you do.

Ouch!

Well, I better go now. The stormtroopers just realized that skin turns a funny color when it bruises.


Mon Mothma



After reading Luke’s Part 2…this is what Mon Mothma has to say response:

Luke,

Vader told you that he was your father? I…we…he…how…this can’t be happening! It’s impossible! Vader left only one son, and he’s dead! I know it for a fact! Don’t ask how I know, I just do!

Unless…unless there was a second woman. Yes, that’s it. He was so ashamed he didn’t tell me. It all makes sense now.

You see, Luke, Vader DID have someone sleeping with him, after his first wife, most likely forcefully. You see, Vader is a very strong Sith, and his children will be very Force Sensitive, like you. Vader feels that if he had a son then the Sith line could survive after he was dead. That’s why he wants to turn you so badly.

That woman who slept with him was probably as repulsed as you were to here someone sleeping with Vader. Still, she must have loved you very much, and for your safety put you in the custody of your aunt and uncle.

Make sense? Well, all you really have to know is that just because your father is a Sith doesn’t mean that you have to be one, too. You are a wonderful Jedi, and you would make the man Vader once was very proud.

Still, find out who your mother was. Ask Vader in your letter, I doubt he’d hesitate to tell you. I’ll ask him, too, when he gets here to kill me, just to make sure I have the facts straight. And tell me who your aunt and uncle were. And…tell me how you react to the painkillers.

I don’t think you should tell many people about this. Don’t even tell Leia, not yet. Maybe once we’re all together again we can sort this out.


Mon Mothma
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 27 Part 1
Mon Mothma,

I’m still in the bed on our medical ship in the fleet. But…as you read my second letter, you finished reading my full account of the fight. You should know that I am now safely out of the fight, but that I did break my arm and then Vader told me…that he was my father.

Anyway, even if you did write Obi-Wan about the fight (which I’m sure you did), he couldn’t have done anything about it. He told me before I went to go off to Bespin…he told me he couldn’t interfere if I started to fight Vader. It’s not like anyone could have done anything. It was just me and Vader.

I hope Vader’s not using you as bait to have another fight with me…but I have little choice. You’re one of my good friends too, and I won’t let him kill ANY of my friends. The only problem is that I’m sick right now, and I have a broken arm, and no weapon. I would give anything to help you, as you are one of my friends. I couldn’t do much good. I’m throwing up all over the place, my arm is in a cast right now. (They said something about using bacta for my injuries, but can that heal a broken bone? I don’t think it would be able to, but maybe I’m wrong. I have plenty of cuts on my face and body…all from the fight, so maybe they were talking about those injuries.) I probably could still fight with a broken arm…but it would be a little more difficult. But I have no weapon…and I can’t use the force as a weapon, because that would be using the Dark Side. I don’t have my lightsaber (Vader has it), and if Vader is guarding you right now, I can’t use a blaster on him. If it’s stormtroopers, which it appears to be so far, Lando, Leia, and I could probably get you out of there. I’m really not feeling well at all…I have a horribly high fever, and I keep throwing up, but I’ll not let that stop me from rescuing one of my friends. As soon as I can sneak out of this bed, I will. I’ll get Lando (who is supposed to have already left for Tatooine) and Leia, who is on this ship with me, and we’ll go in there and rescue you.

LOL, Yoda said, “Push, you will!” when you were in labor? That’s hilarious. I can’t imagine that! Were you in labor a long time? That might be tolerable if it was for only a few minutes, but if it was for hours….I would have felt very sorry for you. Yoda can be a little annoying when you’re working really hard at something…like Jedi training…and he’s telling you to push yourself harder…that you’re not doing a good enough job yet. That, “were I a Jedi, I would have…” Couldn’t he see I was trying my best? Sigh…oh well. I know that he was only trying to push me for my own good…because he wanted me to advance, to challenge myself. But it did get a little frustrating.

Really? You’ve heard stories about someone infiltrating the stormtrooper army and wrecking havoc? Do you have any specific stories. It might pass the time while I’m in bed. (As you know how much I hate lying in bed from when I was sick on Hoth.)

Hmm, a democratic government sounds like it must have been a wonderful thing…but if they scrutinized every law, didn’t it take a long time to for any action to become a law? Or was there a time schedule that they followed to make sure that everything got done in a timely manner?

But you said the Old Republic wasn’t really democratic because it was corrupted. You said people weren’t interested in the needs of the people, but only their own personal gain. Well I suppose that would be the risk for having the same government for a thousand years. I’m sure it started out being good…with no corruption. I think sometimes we need something like the Empire to cause a change…to form a new government…or to examine the government to make sure it isn’t corrupt. It’s too bad it took this war to do that.

It would be very hard to keep corruption from happening. There are always going to be people who are out for themselves. Maybe when the Republic reforms, they can kind of guard against corruption somehow. I’m not sure how…but maybe you could think of something? I’m not good with this politic stuff, but you were in it for a long time, right?

I’m still confused why you even brought up the negative qualities of your husband. I mean, sure, every wife is bound to find some kind of fault with her husband, but why did you even mention it to me? How could it make sense to me one day? All I’ve heard about your husband has been good things, and besides that, he’s been dead for twenty years, so why would something negative come out now? And why would it be so important that you felt you had to comment about it?

Yes, Lowdun Skywalker was a very strong man, except I don’t think he’s my great-grandfather anymore. I said that when I thought my uncle was my real uncle, and that my father was a man named Alex Skywalker. After the fight with Vader, I learned that Vader was my father, so that means my father’s name was Nigel Reklaw, not Alex Skywalker, so I’m not even related to my family. If you were here at the fleet, I could introduce you to him.

Oh wow…to think back on everything other people have said about Vader…to think they were talking about my father. I just can’t imagine it. I don’t want to believe it…but I’ve struggled with it and struggled with it, and I think Vader was telling the truth. Deep down inside, I believe the Force is telling me that he is my father. It’s nice to know then, that my father, Nigel Reklaw, did help people in the past. Do you know much about him before he became Darth Vader? You told me that you knew his wife (which is not my mother), and that you and Anakin knew him?

Oh no…..you said Vader was a slave, right? That means that I was wrong about my father not being a slave. But of course that can account for why I thought that…it’s because I thought that my father was Alex Skywalker, and that I was related to the people who raised me. But Vader’s real name was Nigel Reklaw, so I am related to the Reklaw’s. I’ve never met any other Reklaw’s, but maybe I’ll try and do research on it. Did you know the Reklaw family? I assume they were all slaves? Maybe they were killed.

Or was Vader an orphan? If so, I guess I’ll never find out anything about my real family.

Now about my real last name…….oh boy…..this is going to be a long list. Now that I know who my real father is, my last name would have been Reklaw (since that’s what Vader told me his real name was in a letter a while back. Remember when I told you that?) But my parents weren’t married…and Vader just raped my mother. I have no clue who my mother was. I don’t think Obi-Wan or my “uncle” know either, because they each gave me separate names that my mother had. But my “aunt” and “uncle” adopted me, legally, so my last name is what their last name is, which is Lars. (You promised not to laugh. I know it sounds funny: Luke Lars.) But their family last name is Skywalker, as I have already told you.

You’ve never laughed at me when I didn’t intend for you to…it’s just that even people who promise not to laugh, sometimes still laugh when I tell them my last name. I didn’t mean to offend you by asking you not to laugh. I’m really sorry if I did.

Oh, okay. So your son’s lungs weren’t very strong. I see. Actually, you never told me that he was a very weak baby. The only thing you told me was that “No, my son didn’t die fighting for the Rebellion. He was born very sick, and he died shortly afterwards. I’d rather not talk about his death, if that’s okay. I’d rather envision the man he might have become.” I didn’t ask you very much about it. Later you wrote, “My son was about a month old when he died. That isn’t very long for a person to live, so when people ask I say that he died when he was born. It’s shorter, and people don’t’ ask as many questions.” Out of respect for you, I didn’t ask you any more questions, and since you never went into any more detail, I had no idea that he was a very weak baby. I think quite a few babies are born with not very strong lungs. I already told you a long time ago that my own lungs aren’t very strong. My aunt used to make fun of me for it. But I won’t talk about it any more, since I don’t want to hurt you by causing you to think of your son’s death. In fact, if I had known that there was anything wrong with your son’s lungs, I wouldn’t have even brought up the subject. I don’t know if that’s what killed him, or if it was something else, but since it was one thing that was wrong with him…then it might cause you pain. Sorry if I hurt you by saying anything about it.

But doesn’t a midi cholorian count have to be taken from a living cell? Even if you were to dig up your son’s body, you wouldn’t be able to find out if he was Force Sensitive. Yeah, I know about that blood test thing. Obi-Wan gave me one after he suspected that I was Force Sensitive. But he told me that it has to be taken from a living cell. Yeah, Obi-Wan told me Anakin had 23,000 midi chlorians when I was doing that report.

No, I didn’t say Yoda said that Leia might be Force Sensitive. YOU did. Here’s your quote (I tried giving it in the last letter, but you must have not remembered writing it, and must have misread it), “Yoda said that there was another hope for them? Who would that be, I wonder? The way the Force works, it could be Leia, for all we know!” Those were your words, not Yoda’s. I have no idea whether she is Force sensitive or not. I did call out to her through the Force, back at Cloud City, but I don’t know if only Force Sensitive people can hear it….or if she just happened to fly by while I was hanging on that thing.

Are you really sure you want a son of Darth Vader’s to have the gift your husband gave you? I don’t feel worthy of it. I feel so dirty and so used. I honestly don’t think you’d want to give it to me. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you no longer wanted to talk to me…if everyone in the Rebellion started hating me. I think that’s why my aunt abused me…because of who my father was.

You said that whenever you can remember your husband, you think of me. Please don’t do that…I’m sure your husband wouldn’t want a son of a Sith to remind you of him. You said, that sometimes when I say something you can almost hear Anakin’s voice coming from my mouth? Are you talking about when I talk out loud or when I write? I was confused. And just so you know, I don’t want to be a Jedi knight any more. I don’t want to use the force. I’ll tell you why when I answer your second part.

Actually Han is ELEVEN years older than Leia, not ten. Yes, she is in love with him. I’d love to go rescue him right now too, but I think he’s safer at Jabba’s frozen…than you are on Blue Waters. That’s why I want to rescue you first. So you and your husband were 5 years apart in age?

Oh I’m SURE no one girl will ever like me now. Who would like the son of an evil person? Since Vader is my father, that just makes me that more unattractive. No one will think I’m an angel with my father being who he is.

WHAT? You went to an address on Blue Waters that Vader gave you? Why did you do that? Vader is evil! I know it might sound strange to you that I’m calling my own father that, but it’s true. Anyway, why did you go to an address that he gave you…and to find your son’s uncle? How in the galaxy was he supposed to know where you’re son’s uncle was anyway? I’ve been to Blue Waters a couple of times, and I’ve been to Arawn’s house. You should have told me! You didn’t even mention a word about that in your last letter. You just said you were going to Blue Waters to find your son’s uncle. “Well, Gwydion and I searched the entire homestead, and we couldn’t find anyone. We’re going to a planet called Blue Waters, now, because supposedly they moved there, even though they technically work for the Rebellion. I’ll let you know what happens when I get there!” I could have at least told you what section of the planet Arawn lived on. I assumed you knew what you were doing…or I would have told you what section to avoid. I hope you don’t hate me for not giving you that information, but I didn’t know you needed it.

And I TOLD you that I went to Arawn’s house. Remember that? I could have given you his address! If you had shown me what Vader gave you, I would have compared it with Arawn’s address, and I would have found out it was the same! You said you’re not going to give me the address because you don’t want me rescuing you. I already know the address, and I’m going to come and rescue you. I don’t care what you say about that. You can’t stop me. You’re my friend, and I’m going to do everything in my power to get you out of there. I don’t want Vader to kill you. He already killed your father and so many other people in the galaxy, including all the Jedi.

No, I’m not going to let Vader kill you. If Obi-Wan and Yoda want to come and help rescue you, that’s fine, but Lando, Leia, and I are coming. (funny we all have names that start with L.) You don’t deserve to be beat up like that. Maybe I do, but you certainly don’t.

This letter is getting long, so I’m going to send you my reply to part 2 in a different message.


Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 27 Part 2
Mon Mothma,

Yes, Vader told me he was my father. Here let me even quote him in his last letter:

“Luke,
I have been dying to tell you this for a long time, but I felt it'd be best if you were more prepared. And now at last you are.
Luke, I am very proud to say that you ARE my own son! I cannot believe how well you have grown, physically as well as with the Force. You remind me so much of myself in my youth. You have your mother's beautiful eyes. At times like this I almost curse the day I joined the dark side, for it kept me from watching you grow into the young man you are now. If not for the Dark Side, instead of fighting you, I'd be taking you into my arms and embracing you tightly with all the love I could muster. Curse that Obi Wan for hiding you from me!
I learned from my spy that you were raised by my brother Owen. Did he treat you well? I cannot believe he tried to keep you from taking your rightful place among the stars, following my footsteps as any son would want to do. I guess he was afraid you'd go into the Dark Side like I did.
You may wonder why I joined the Dark Side. Well son, I was drawn by its power, and when I learned that Darth Maul had a contract against the Jedi knights, I thought if I went to the Dark Side I would become even stronger and survive any attack against me. I got stronger, but at a price. My mind and heart were clouded with darkness, any hatred I had was magnified 500 times. I think it was worth the sacrifice.
I regret not being there to raise you, my son. But now I wish to make up for it, and I would gladly take you under my wing and show you what the Force is really capable of. Join me, Luke, and I will make you stronger than you ever realize. As the last two Jedi Knights, there is no end to what we can accomplish!

Your proud father,
Darth Vader”



What do you make of that? I forgot that he said he was Owen’s brother. But how could that be since his last name is Skywalker…unless my uncle HAS been lying to me about our last name too…..and it really is Reklaw. But then how come my uncle isn’t a slave? Or did he used to be and not want to tell me? I suppose he would have had no reason to. I never asked him if he was ever a slave. I’ll ask him that though.

Even though he is my father there is NO WAY I AM EVER JOINING THE DARK SIDE!!!!!

Anyway, you said that I had a half brother who died? I’ll quote you, “Vader told you that he was your father? I…we…he…how…this can’t be happening! It’s impossible! Vader left only one son, and he’s dead! I know it for a fact! Don’t ask how I know, I just do!” So his wife had a son, who died sometime, and Vader was upset by that, and decided to use the Force to try to have another child just so he would have an heir for the Dark Side?

That’s sickening! I feel so horrible and worthless. I wish I had never been born.

I know you were close friends with Vader’s wife, so I can understand why you are so upset about this. I’m sorry for telling you. I had no idea what it would mean. If I knew that it would reveal something so dirty, something that would hurt your friend so much, I would never have told you what Vader said about being my father. I’m very sorry.

I see…so my father used the Force to rape a woman just so he could have a son. How many women did he do that to? I feel so dirty, and so used because of this. My father can’t really love me as a person. He must only want my power, which I will NEVER let him have. He brought me into existence, and I will continue to resist him. However, I don’t think I should use the Force at all. It just seems wrong to me, knowing why I was conceived. The more he talks about how he regrets not being there to raise me, the more sickening it gets. I am VERY Force Sensitive…Obi-Wan took a midi-cholorian count on me and said I had a count of 29,000. But I still don’t feel right in using the Force…I was created for a purpose of destruction and hatred.

I’m glad I lost my lightsaber now…because it couldn’t have belonged to my father. His initials were NR, not AS, so Obi-Wan lied to me about where the lightsaber came from, about my parents, and about Vader. I’m sure he didn’t want to tell me the truth, because it is so terrible…but I wish he would have. I could have at least been warned. Why didn’t he tell me?

How could my mother love me? You said she must have since she put me in the hands of my aunt and uncle. I disagree with you. How can a woman love a child who she got through and unwanted pregnancy? Especially a rape, and by someone named Vader? I know enough about that to know that women don’t like children who they got through a rape. How could she love me? Would you love a child that you conceived in such a horrible way? I don’t think any woman would. In fact, she probably HATED me. Most women who are raped want to have abortions, and most people in the galaxy would say they are justified in wanting that. Some people say there are cases, such as this, when it’s okay to have an abortion. Why didn’t she have an abortion? Or maybe she tried to…and that’s why I was born really premature. I was only born 1 pound 6 ounces, at least, that’s what my uncle told me, so I bet she tried to get rid of me, but for some reason, the method she chose didn’t kill me. That must be why I was so little. I asked my uncle why I was born so small, and he said that I was born small for no reason. He probably was trying to hide that fact from me.

Why did my mother have to get pregnant with me? Why couldn’t the abortion have worked? Why couldn’t I have died in some kind of accident…like in the Death Star, or out there on Hoth, or in the fight with Darth Vader? Why did the people on the Millennium Falcon have to find me? I don’t deserve to be alive.

Neither of my parents wanted me. (If Darth Vader really did love me, then how come he was never there for me when I was growing up? And my mother never was either.)

Why did my aunt and uncle have to take me in? Why couldn’t they have just left me off somewhere in the Tatooine desert to die? Maybe they were there when I was born, and my mother tried to kill me after I was born, and they wouldn’t allow it, and wanted to adopt me. But my aunt doesn’t really treat me nicely. Maybe she wanted me so that she could have me to abuse…to get Vader back for all his crimes against the galaxy.

Oh, don’t worry about me joining the Dark Side. I’m not going to. Vader certainly did not express his love for me during the fight. I don’t think so. He beat me up pretty badly, and he wanted to cut off my arm. Even if he had, I would not join him.

Anyway, as I told you, I’m not going to be a Jedi any more. Since I was conceived only to be Vader’s apprentice, I’m not going to use that power.

And I don’t think I even want to know who my mother is. It’s most likely that no one even knows. My uncle told me her name was Demetre, and Obi-Wan told me her name was Padmé. I think those are both made up names, and no one really knows. I will ask Vader in my next letter, though.

Why do you want to know the names of my aunt and uncle? I’ll tell you, but I don’t think it will matter much. We’re just a poor moisture farming family. Anyway, their names are Owen and Beru Lars.

You want me to tell you my reaction to the painkillers they gave me for my arm? Well, it turns out that I have been allergic to some medications; I just didn’t know about it. My uncle came in to visit me. Anyway, I had an allergic reaction to the stuff they gave me, and now I’m sick. I had a really high fever…I mean extremely high, and I’ve been throwing up. My uncle didn’t want me taking aspirin because he said it’s not good for people who have asthma to take it. So I don’t know what was in that painkiller…maybe there was some aspirin in it. I don’t know. There are different kinds of painkillers.

Too late…I have already told Leia about what Vader said to me. She and Lando were the first people I saw after the fight, so I already told her. I don’t know Lando very well, so I didn’t tell him. I had to tell SOMEONE. I just couldn’t hold it all in.



Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 28
Luke,

Can you disregard my previous letter completely? After getting some information from Obi-Wan and Vader, I realized how wrong my facts were, and how much pain I have caused you.

I am going to tell you this right out. No more lies, no more secrets. Vader’s name was not Nigel Recklaw, but Anakin Skywalker.

Remember what I said about remembering Anakin’s good qualities no matter what bad things you hear about him? I ask that you remember now what a great man Anakin once was, what a great Jedi, father, and husband he could have been.

Yes, husband. My husband. I don’t just know Vader’s wife, I AM Vader’s wife.

And I am also…your mother.

You’re probably thinking I’m crazy right now, so let me give you some proof. You remember how I told you that I had something called the Royal Force that would make me get sick whenever I ate painkillers? Well, I take it you’re throwing up right now as well. Also, you know that japor snippet that I gave you? Ask Vader about it. He was the one that had originally made it for me.

You see, my name is not Mon Mothma, that’s just a cover-up. My real name is Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker.

I honestly didn’t know about this until a few days ago when Vader and Obi-Wan wrote to me telling me this! I always thought that my little Luke had died on Tatooine, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Obi-Wan gave you to Owen and Beru so that he wouldn’t have to bear the pain of seeing you die. You were so weak, nobody suspected you might live!

After Obi-Wan found out you were alive, he vowed to hide that fact from me, in case you were ever to turn to the Dark Side like Ani did. Don’t worry, I already wrote him a very strongly worded letter expressing my feelings against his lie.

You know what? Obi-Wan isn’t the only one lying. I’ve been keeping this a secret from everyone, in hopes that Vader might never find out, but now that I know he already knows, it can’t harm for you to know, too.

On Dagobah, when I went into labor, I produced two bundles of joy. That’s right. You are a brother.

Not a half brother, like you imagined from my previous letter, but a real twin brother. Your sister, you’re probably staring at her right now. Yes, Leia, she’s your sister. Now you know why I thought she was Force Sensitive.

You seemed a little unclear about your father and uncle’s status on slavery? You see, your grandfather sold your grandmother into slavery while she was pregnant with your father. Anakin grew up as a slave, while his brothers were free. I think that’s part of what made him turn. Later, after Anakin was freed, your father freed your grandmother, and your grandfather begged her forgiveness. Shmi for gave him, but Anakin never did.

I’m sorry I hurt you so much in the last letter. I was dealing with learning about you for the first time as well, and I just couldn’t handle all the secrets that were being revealed. Please forgive me. Your father was never that sick, he never raped anyone. He’s still above that.

And you, you are NOT a result of anything remotely so dirty, you were a result of love, of a bond that used to exist between your father and me. And as your mother, I DO love you! I DID want you! There’s nothing I want more than to get to you and hold you close and tell you how much I love you and miss you. (Unless that would make you feel uncomfortable. I understand this is going to be hard on all of us to accept this.)

As for using the Force, it’s better if you go to Obi-Wan for that. My opinion is that your commitment against the Dark Side is strong, and I think training you as a Jedi of the Light Side would be a wonderful thing for you. Then again, that almost promises another battle between you and Vader, and it would break my heart to see you die again.

Don’t worry about Gwydion and me. We already found a way out of Arawn’s home, and are now headed towards our ship in the trees. Although I would appreciate it if you didn’t go anywhere until Gwydion and I catch up to you. I want to get to know my son.

Was I in labor for a long time? Does twelve hours count as a long time? Because that’s how long it took. Don’t worry, it’s typical for a woman to be in labor that long. After the baby is born, you can’t feel the pain anyway; you’re more worried about the baby to feel anything. I know I didn’t really care for pain when I was holding you and your sister in my arms.

I can see how it must be frustrating to work with a Jedi Master who doesn’t seem to see your limits. It’s funny, when Anakin was training, he used to tell me how his master was holding him back, and you see to be frustrated about how your master is pushing you forward! Don’t worry, he only wants what’s best. Remember, you and Leia are our last hopes for Jedi.

Let’s see, stories about stormtroopers…there was a guy from the Rebellion once who tried to infiltrate the Empire. He actually did a pretty good job, slipping us codes and secret schedules. The Empire eventually found him, though, and executed him. There’s a memorial on one of our old bases honoring him; I don’t remember which one.

A democratic government WAS wonderful, while it existed. I know it seems like it must take a long time for a bill to become a law if it was scrutinized so much, but it’s amazing how fast work can be done if everyone is eager to do it. Most of the Republic love democracy , and would do anything to keep it.

Of course, there are always those few leaders who seemed to be running some sort of business, bribing and promoting bills that would only benefit them financially. I think that’s where all the corruption started.

I really hope if we ever get a New Republic that people can remember how corruption had almost destroyed them, and learn from their old mistakes.

You know, it’s not just blood that determines a family. It’s love. Does Lowdun Skywalker love you? That’s what makes him your great-grandfather, not some blood test.

Look just because Vader was who he was doesn’t mean that YOU’RE any different. Besides, I’ve learned to except over the years that Anakin Skywalker was dead, killed by a monster called Darth Vader. Your father’s name was Anakin Skywalker, not Darth Vader. Remember that.

You don’t need to go through such a long list if anyone ever asks you what your last name was. Your last name is Skywalker. Be proud of the man your father once was.

And you can probably see from what I’ve written so far why I’m not going to laugh at you.

You don’t have to hesitate around me when you have questions. I know you must be confused, and I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about your father, your sister, you as a baby even, anything.

When I said that I can almost hear my husband’s voice coming from your mouth, I meant Anakin, not Vader. You ARE a lot like him in some ways. He liked to race, and was a great pilot, like you. He put up with bullying very maturely, like you. When I said you shared qualities, I meant good qualities.

Han is ELEVEN YEARS OLDER THAN LEIA? And she LOVES HIM? This is NOT very comforting to a mother? Though, Han DOES seem like a good man, and I’m glad that he cares for her.

And don’t’ worry about a girl not liking you. If someone decides not to like you just because of your relation to a man you never met, then she really didn’t like you too begin with. And if it’s any consolation, I think you’re an angel.

Like I said, Gwydion and I will be out of here soon, just sit tight and don’t take any medicine.


Your mother,
Padmé
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 29
Mon Mothma,

It’s a little hard to disregard your last letter completely. It gave me very strong emotions and feelings…and it was so directed against my father…and I felt so worthless and terrible. You sounded like you were so sure of your facts, and I was convinced my father was a terrible, horrible, disgusting man. So you got more information from Obi-Wan and Vader, and you realized your facts were wrong? Yes, reading that letter gave me great pain. I wish you could have gotten your facts completely straight before telling me what was “fact.” It would have saved me a lot of hurt. You should never draw conclusions about something unless you know for sure…unless you have evidence or a strong reason to believe you are right….especially when it involves another person’s feelings, thoughts and emotions. I realize you didn’t want to make me feel bad on purpose, but I wish you would have thought how I’d feel about what you’d said…before you went and told me what you thought was right.

I’m not going to lie. You did hurt me in that letter…very deeply.

So Vader’s real name was Anakin Skywalker. That…that makes so little sense! I did a report on Anakin Skywalker, and Vader is nothing like him! I cannot believe all this…Anakin was the guy I did a report on, you married Anakin (which I already knew), and he’s my father, and you’re my mother. And to think that I was doing a report on my own father without even knowing it! My uncle and Obi-Wan both knew he was my father, yet neither one of them told me! I have all those pictures of him, and I’ve heard so much about him. And he became Vader? How did that happen? I don’t understand how a good man like Anakin could have become something so evil, like Vader. That does explain why Obi-Wan knew my father, and why my father’s lightsaber had the initials AS. My uncle told me that my great-great grandparents were named Alex and Demetre, and they were Lowdun’s parents.

That also explains why Vader is very Force Sensitive, why both my father, and Anakin also were, and why they loved to race together, always tying. They were the same person!

And if Vader is Anakin, how could he justify doing the things that he does? What about his old self? And I don’t know a whole lot about my father…only that he was a slave until he was 9, that he was good at flying, that he won a pod race, that he was a very nice person and friend, that he was a great Jedi Knight, and that he was Obi-Wan’s apprentice, and your husband. I also heard that he fought in the Clone Wars. That’s really about it. I have his pictures. I’m glad you persuaded me to keep them. Han said I looked a little bit like him, but he was only joking around, and it was before I knew Anakin was my father. I heard that he was a great man. What happened? And if he was once that good, there must be still some good left in him. Maybe I can turn him back to the good side. There MUST be some good in him. I’ve felt it…he didn’t kill me when he could have.

Do you think I look much like him? Or like you? Or who do I look more like?

Yes, I do remember you saying to remember Anakin’s good qualities no matter what bad things I hear about him. But it’s so hard…when I didn’t know him when he was good. All I know is what he is now. I wondered why you even brought the fact that there were some not so nice qualities about your husband.

I cannot imagine being Vader’s wife, though. You knew him before he turned…you said that you still loved him and wished that he would become what he once was again. I can never begin to understand how you could have ever loved my father, but he must have been all that I thought he was before he became Darth Vader. I do not think a kind person like you would have been able to fall for an evil murderer. In an earlier note (although I didn’t know you were his wife) you said you had to hide from the man that you once loved. Like I said, that must have been very hard. I’m sorry if I’m out of place by my reaction to your last letter. I know you were going through a lot, but it did really hurt me.

If you are my mother, which you say you are…I want to believe you…but it’s so hard for me to do right now. I thought my parents were dead…and I could never imagine that someone as important or nice as you could be my mother. I’m going to ask you for more proof than what you’ve already given me (the painkiller reaction thing…which could have been caused by something other than your Royal Force reaction thing, and that japor snippet. That doesn’t prove that you’re my mother…it only proves that you and Anakin (Vader) are husband and wife. That doesn’t mean that you are my mother, especially after your last letter to me. I don’t know for sure that you have all your facts this time, and I don’t want to get my hopes up…and I don’t know that you’re not trying to protect me from the truth, after you saw how much your last letter hurt me.) Don’t worry, I did this to Vader too.

1. If you’re my mother, you would know when my birthday was. I didn’t tell you when it was when you asked; remember.

2. How much did I weigh at birth?
3. I have a birthmark somewhere. (It’s not very big). Where is it?
4. Was there anything wrong with any of my body parts?


It is true, I did get sick when I took the painkillers. Lots of people are allergic to different kinds of medicine. It could have been another kind of reaction besides your Royal Force thing, which caused it. I will ask Vader about the japor snippet, but like I said before, that gives me no proof that you are my mother…even if he tells me he gave it to you.

I want to be 100% before I can say you’re my mother. I’d LOVE it if you were my mother, but I don’t want to be wrong about something so important.

Well it is also true that Obi-Wan told me my mother’s name was Padmé. But he might have just made that up because he knew you, and knew that you were my father’s wife. That’s a pretty long name, though: Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker.

There is one thing though…you were so sure that your son had died. I did not die. In fact, I don’t even know what I was like as a baby. I knew I was small, but no one ever told me that I was so weak that no one thought I would live. I mean, I’ve always known I’ve had weak lungs …that I was born with them, but I didn’t think that I was THAT sick when I was born. No one has ever said a word about it.

What all was wrong with me when I was a baby. (And I don’t know the answer, so I’ll have to ask my uncle…just to make sure the stories match.) And why did everyone think I’d die? How weak were my lungs?

Okay, so you just found out that I was alive (if I am your son.) I also see why Obi-Wan hid knowledge of me from you, and the opposite way…but I wish you could have been there while I was growing up, or that we could have found out sooner. But it did give us a chance to establish a good friendship relationship first.

So you had twins? I have a twin sister? I’ve always wanted a twin…I thought it would be cool, but I thought I was always just dreaming. I never thought it would be true. And Leia is my sister! What? Why didn’t anyone tell me that! I had a crush on her! Yuck!

I knew she had the same birthday as me when she told me what day her birthday was. I didn’t tell her it was mine too…because I didn’t want to ruin it for her. I thought if I told her, I would be a burden to her own birthday celebration. She told me that you took Wedge and her out to eat, and then got them cake and ice cream. I didn’t want to interfere with that, so I never told you it was my birthday too. I didn’t think I deserved anything, and I knew that no one would come to celebrate my birthday, because Wedge and Leia had the same birthday…so I just kept it a secret from everyone except Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan tried to get me to tell Leia that it was my birthday too. He told me she’d be mad at me when she found out I didn’t tell her.

What was Leia like as a baby? Did you think she died too?

So is Leia Force Sensitive?

Thanks for clearing up the slavery stuff for my family. So my grandfather sold my grandmother into slavery when she was pregnant with my father? Why’d he do that? He seems so nice. (I write to him, and I rescued him from the Death Star too.) I can’t imagine him doing that. Was he once a Sith or something? Or how could anyone sell their own wife into slavery?

And Shmi’s my grandmother? I guess that would make sense…since she was Anakin’s mother. Hmm…does she know what happened to her son? Does she know that I’m related to her? I’ve been writing her too, but I don’t think she knows…if she does, she’s doing a good job of hiding it. Wow, she must have been strong…to be able to forgive my grandfather like that after what he did to her.

I forgive you for hurting me in your past letter, but it I still do hurt. This is really hard for me. I went from having no family at all (except my aunt and uncle) to having a father, a mother, and a sister. And they’re all people that I’ve known! So my father never raped anyone? You’re sure on that? And you’re sure I’m your son…beyond a shadow of a doubt?

So I was a result of love…between you and my father. You cannot imagine how much of a relief that is to hear. I do believe that you do love me, and that you did want me…from what you have written about your son before you knew it was me. I want you to be there for me right now. I need someone to hold me close and to talk to me…and to help me through this. I welcome that. You said you’d be able to do that. We’re both going through a lot right now. I would be more than happy if you would be there for me right now.

Well if being a Jedi means fighting Vader…I can’t do it. I can’t kill my own father. I do have a strong commitment against the Dark Side, but I just can’t kill my father. And that’s probably why Obi-Wan tried to keep knowledge of me secret from you…because he didn’t want to have your heart broken if I were to die in battle. And I’ve never died…so I can’t die again :)

Oh, so you made it out of Arawn’s house? Great! All right, I won’t go anywhere, and I’ll stay in this hospital bed in the medical ship. Once you get to the rendezvous point, you can come in and see me, all right?

It took you 12 hours for Leia and I to be born? How much apart were we in being born? Which of us is older? (Author note: Leia is older than Luke, that’s why she went to Bail). How much did she weigh at birth? I hope I didn’t cause you too much pain. I didn’t mean to. But, hey, I was only a baby being born, so I had no control over that.

Yes, I know Yoda wanted what was best for me all along. I’m glad he pushed me so hard, but sometimes, when I was actually training, I wished he would slow down the training a little. I was already in pretty good shape, and I exercised every day anyway, but he told me I had to unlearn my old standards of being in shape…and it was really tough training. It was worth it though. It’s too bad I won’t be using any of it anymore, though.

Those are some pretty funny stories about Rebels infiltrating the Empire.

Okay, so the Republic moved laws along in a timely manner. That makes things a whole lot better….really.

Well if Anakin is my father, and Summoner is my grandfather, then that makes Lowdun my great-grandfather. Yes, he seems to love me. It’s really hard to separate Vader from my father. I’m not sure if I can think of Anakin Skywalker is my father, knowing that he became Darth Vader.

So Skywalker was my father’s legal last name? That means that the family changed the last name after my grandfather sold him. As I said, I like using the last name Skywalker.

I know now that you would never laugh at me.

I’ll have plenty of questions to ask you in the next several notes; don’t worry.

So you think I’m a lot like Anakin used to be? It’s nice to know that he was a great pilot and liked to race, and that he put up with bullying very maturely. What else can you tell me about him?

Yeah, Han’s 11 years older than Leia and me. Yes, she loves him, and he loves her. Don’t worry so much about it. He’s a really good friend. He saved my life twice (trench battle and out in the cold when I was on Hoth.) I have no doubt he would do the same for Leia.

Now that you’re probably my mother, I’d expect you to say only nice things. Of course you’d think I was an angel. But what would a girl (not related to me) think. Do you know of any girls interested in me?

Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going to take any more pain medicine. I’m not stupid. If I’m allergic to it, I’m not going to take any more of it.

I hope you get her soon. I’d really like to see you again.


Luke
PS: I have just received a letter from Vader. I’m not sure what you’ll think of it. Personally, I KNOW Vader lied about at least one thing. He wasn’t there when I was born, was he? Obi-Wan, Yoda, and my uncle all told me that Vader turned right after I was conceived, and that he never knew you were pregnant until he found out who I was. And was Vader telling me the truth about having asthma?

Like I said before, there is NO way I am joining the Dark Side. I also know that Vader’s trying to turn me away from you and be angry with you. This actually makes me very angry at HIM. How dare he call you a dog! He refused to tell me my mother’s name. (Which if you’re correct, you are my mother.)

I shouldn’t have mentioned the fact that my aunt abused me to him. I should have realized he’d be out to get my aunt and uncle now…seeing what he did to that Wampa Ice Creature that attacked me. But my uncle is innocent. He didn’t know what my aunt was doing. He didn’t believe me after I told him, but it’s not his fault. I love my aunt and uncle, and I don’t want them to die. I hope I can protect them, and convince Vader to leave them alone. It’s his own brother!

Anyway, I didn’t get much information from Vader. I’m glad I went ahead and wrote your letter before receiving his.

I have a few questions for you. How should I respond to him? Should I tell him that I know who my mother is, and that I think she’s a wonderful person? And what should I do about Leia? Does he know about her?



Here’s the whole thing:

Luke,

Look deeply into the force, and you will know the truth, my son. Or better yet, ask that old fossil Yoda or Obi Wan. If you do not trust me or the Force, at least you'll trust them. Their word and the Force will be all the proof you need. Also, I too suffer asthma. When you hear the hissing in my helmet, that's an automatic inhaler giving medications to my lungs.

I will not trick you into joining me, that decision is your own. I will, however, encourage you any way I can. The sacrifice is grweat, I will not lie, but the power is even greater! I must admit, I do at times regret going into the Dark side, but then I remember that I went to survive, and the the power reminds me how I made the right choice.

I regret having beaten you so badly. Perhaps I overestimated your strength. I forgot that you still are a mere student who has not completed his training yet. Do keep in mind, my son, that I would have done worse to you if that were my intention.

As for your mother, she told me I was dead to her, and so she is dead to me. Forgive my not revealing her name, but a woman who turns her back on her family does not deserve knowing a son as great as you. Yes, I was there when you were born, and I even held you in my arms and wondered at the great miracle that you are. My face was normal at the time, and you had raised your tiny fist and punched me in the nose, you little scamp! The next day, however, I was called on a mission which unfortuneately lead to my transformation. I was afraid then that you being with me would endanger your life, which was unacceptable. I left you with your mother so you'd be safe and grow strong, and yes, I do regret not being there for you growing up I had no idea she would give you away! Had I known she'd give you up like some puppy, I would glady have taken you with me! Perhaps then you and I would be side-by side instead of opposing each other.

That aunt of yours DARED to abuse you? And your uncle did nothing to stop it? What, did she castrate him so he couldn't be man enough to stop her? I'll have their lives for this!! I assure you, my son, all involved WILL PAY for this! They will rue the day they harmed my own!!

Luke, I am a warrior of honor. Whatever kind of monster you think I am, I am NOT a rapist! Your mother and I were married, and she came to my bed willingly. I use the Force in battle, not in the bedroom. And I will not tolerate you or anyone else using the Force for anything else but for battle or self-preservation! I have eliminated many a soldier for the crime of forcing a woman to lie with him! Triple curse that dog for spreading those lies!

Great, now I'm so riled up I've steamed my lenses! I must leave for now, my son. Farewell for now.

For the Empire!

Darth Vader


PSS Vader made no mention of being Anakin Skywalker. Should I ask him about it, or should I say that I know what his real name is, or what should I do?

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Note 30
Luke,

Please, if you don’t feel comfortable calling me mother, call me Padmé! Mon Mothma is a fake name, and I don’t want us to have to use fake names!

I’m so sorry, Luke, I had no idea! Vader was right, I AM a bad mother! I don’t know how things got so mixed up…. You’re right, I should have gotten the facts straight. I should have asked people before jumping into conclusions like that. Please forgive me, my son! I will do anything to make it up to you.

I’m afraid Ani is gone for good. Obi-Wan and I have tried for years for him to come back to the Light Side, all in vain. I don’t know why he did those things. At first I thought that it was a stage, as he was trained as a Jedi so much later than the other padawans. Then, when he refused to come home…. I don’t know, maybe you being his son would have some influence on him. Just don’t get your hopes up.

I don’t understand how Ani changed so much either. He used to be so…sweet, loving, wonderful…like you. Please don’t think of this as offensive!

You have to see Anakin and Vader as two different people. Anakin was your father and my husband, a wonderful, caring Jedi. Vader is the monster who conquered his body. Anakin, unfortunately, is dead now. I don’t know how else to put it.

I really wish I could say something more comforting, but Ani becoming Vader isn’t really a comforting thing to talk about in the first place! I wish he would have considered all of this when he turned, how he hurt you, me, Obi-Wan, everyone.

I don’t want to freak you out, but you look a LOT like Anakin. You have his sandy blond hair, his deep blue eyes, his love for racing…. It seems like the only thing you got from me is height deficiency!

You want to ask me questions first before you believe who I really am? That’s fine. I would probably do the same thing. Anyway, I don’t want you to have any doubts.
When you were born (on September 30) you were very weak, only weighing one pound six ounces! Really, we all thought you would die. Even if you had lived, you had terrible lungs, horribly crooked legs, and no one ever dreamed you might ever walk! Still, you were very cute, with a birthmark on your rear end and everything.

Any more questions you might have, go ahead and ask. If you want, I can even tell you some embarrassing stories about you as a baby (like how you pissed all over Yoda when he was babysitting you).

Yes, I suppose my name IS pretty long. Just think of it this way, you inherited all of that, Luke Naberrie Amidala Skywalker, Royal Prince of Naboo!

Right now I am completely ignoring Obi-Wan because of what he has done to us, keeping us apart all those years! You have no idea how much I wanted to see you grow up!

Do you have any pictures of you as a child? I would really like to see them!

I don’t think Leia will believe that she has a twin brother any more than you can believe that you have a twin sister! Do me a favor and don’t tell her until we are all together. I want to get the truth out before it kills us. Why DIDN’T you come with us on your birthday? You’re special to us, too! And now that you are my son, I KNOW when your birthday is, so I can make you come with us! You are a part of our family!

Leia actually was a very healthy baby when she was born. I used to think that you gave her all your health while only a fetus, and wonder if you would have been as protective had you been alive. Now I know that you’ve protected her many times, and would have made such a wonderful brother!

Is Leia Force Sensitive? I really don’t know. I think so, but we’d have to test her to know for sure.

I don’t know why exactly that your grandfather sold your grandmother to slavery, only that he regrets it greatly and would never do that again.

Yes, Shmi is your grandmother. Although I wouldn’t tell her, as she doesn’t know about Anakin turning yet. We all just told her that Anakin had died. I doubt that we can keep this charade going on much longer, though, as Anakin is determined to recruit her for the empire.

I’m sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are my son, and that your father never raped anyone. I was so distressed and confused when you first told me that Vader was your father that I panicked, and jumped into conclusions. I’m very sorry. Vader would never do anything like that, he isn’t that low.

Oh, you haven’t left the base yet? I thought you were already on your way. In that case, stay where you are. Gwydion and I are both out of the house and are on our way to you. Then I can hug you and kiss you and embarrass you in front of all your friends like a mother should be doing.

Leia was born first, that’s why she was healthy. I doubt I can honestly say that you didn’t cause me pain when you were born, but I can say that even if the pain was ten times greater I would have put up with hit. You’re worth all the pain in the world.

Actually, I think Skywalker was your grandmother’s maiden name. So technically it was your real name.

Your father was a very funny little boy. When we first met he called me an angel. He would do anything to impress me, showing me all of his mechanical creations. I never saw such life in anyone.

Even when he grew older, Anakin was still the little, mischievous young man. He exasperated Obi-Wan with his impatience, hating to wait for anything.

I think there will be a lot of girls who will be interested in you! Any girl who can’t see past your bloodline into the person you are inside isn’t worth your attention, anyway.

Anakin was lying in his letter to you. He never held you, never even KNEW about you until recently. I can’t believe he tried to make up something to make you turn!

Vader DID have asthma, but not as badly as you did. He had an inhaler but he rarely used it.

What did Vader do to the Wampa Ice Creature that attacked you? And don’t worry about your aunt and uncle, they are here, safe within the protection of the Rebellion.

Should you tell him about knowing whom your mother is? I don’t know; that’s up to you. Vader already knows that I know who you are, but he doesn’t know if you know who I am yet.

I suppose if you told him the truth it might present him the choice of returning to this family, but I don’t think he would take that choice.

As for Leia, Vader knows about Leia, but for Leia’s sake you probably shouldn’t say anything to Vader until we’ve all had a family discussion. We should respect what SHE wants, too.

Do you want to tell Vader that you know he is Anakin? Again, that is up to you. My advice would be to get everything out in the open, but not until we all reunite and talk about this.

Well, we’re almost there! I look forward to seeing you again, son!


Padmé
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Note 31 Part 1
Mother,

I can call you that now because I know you spoke the truth about me being your son. I just had to be sure. Don’t worry; I won’t refer to your fake name again. I just didn’t want to assume you were my mother, and then find out I was wrong. That would hurt me so much more.

No, you’re not a bad mother. Don’t listen to anything Vader says. He’s just trying to make you feel bad. You did hurt me by your first conclusions, but that’s in the past now. Everyone makes mistakes. Hey, I’ve made lots of mistakes in my life, and I bet you have too. Please don’t worry about it. I know why you did that, and I’m okay with it. Yes, you should have asked everyone else first, and gotten the facts straight, but that’s all in the past now. Of course I forgive you.

I’m glad we were able to talk. Thanks for stopping by. It really meant a lot to me, and I was glad that you were able to talk to me as my mother. I’m sorry I had to go so quickly, but I wanted to finish my Jedi training, and also talk to Yoda and Obi-Wan. The thing is, Obi-wan said the same thing that you said, about Anakin being gone for good, how he fought with my father to try to get him back to the good side, how my father fell in the lava pit during that fight…and he also said that I should not think of Vader as my father…like you said too.

Here’s what happened:

Okay, I got to Dagobah fine, and I didn’t get stuck in the swamp this time. Yoda and Ben were both in Yoda’s hut. I walked in and found Yoda really sick. Remember how I told you I got sick on the day before I left for Cloud City? Well, I think Yoda caught whatever it is I had….because he’s been throwing up and things for a while. He really didn’t feel very well. Ben was taking care of him. I felt so bad for getting him sick…..I don’t like getting other people sick…but I couldn’t help it. If I thought Yoda was grumpy when he’s not sick….oh man….he was REALLY grumpy when I came back.

I almost was going to leave…..but I decided that I NEEDED to know some answers, so I approached them anyway. I told them that I was back and that I didn’t turn. Obviously they were happy with that.

I said, “I’ve come back to complete my training.”

Yoda said, “No more training do you require. Already know that which you need.”

I thought that was a little weird because I knew that my training wasn’t over. I think he said that because he was sick and wasn’t in the mood to train. I know that Ben and Yoda were still a little mad that I had left for Cloud City.

Ben decided to leave the room at that point. I think he was kind of tired of taking care of Yoda…and got tired of his grumpiness.

I went up to Yoda and asked him, “Is Darth Vader my father?”

I knew Yoda heard me, but he ignored me and turned over in his bed…

I said, “Yoda, I must know.”

Finally Yoda said in a frustrated way, “Your father he is. Told you did he?”

I nodded.

He said, “Unexpected this is and unfortunate.”

“Unfortunate that I know the truth.”

“Unfortunate that you rushed off to face him…without finishing your training. I was going to tell you at the end of your training, but not until then. Not ready for the burden were you.”

I didn’t know what to say, and I felt really bad about what I had done to everyone…..so I said, “I’m sorry.”

I then asked him if I was a Jedi.

He told me, “Not yet. One thing remains…Vader.”

“But if he’s my father…I can’t kill him.”

Yoda then said he was tired and that he didn’t have time to discuss it with me, so he sent me outside to go talk it over with Obi-Wan.

I went outside and it didn’t take me long to find Ben.

The first thing out of my mouth was, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Ben knew what I was referring to…because he had probably heard my conversation with Yoda.

Ben sat down and motioned for me to do the same. I did.

I then said, “You told me that Vader betrayed and murdered my father.”

Ben said, “From a certain point of view, yes. Anakin Skywalker was a good person….and a great friend. But he was seduced by the dark side of the force. When that happened, the good man that was your father ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader.”

I then said, “since he is my father, and I have heard such wonderful things about him, there must still be some good in him somewhere. He didn’t kill me. Maybe I can turn him back to the good side.”

Ben shook his head, “You can try, Luke, but I don’t know how successful you’ll be. He’s more machine now than man, twisted and evil. I tried to get your father back to the good side just after you were born, but we got into a fight on a lava planet. He fell into a lava pit and got burns all over his body. That’s why he has to wear the mask and the suit. After that fight, he was forever changed. No maybe you can see something that I did not see. Don’t count on it too much, Luke.”

Then I changed the subject because I knew it was making him uncomfortable…and that he felt that Anakin’s turning was his fault. Anyway, I said, “I know who my mother is.”

“Why didn’t you tell her that I had at least survived? She has thought for 19 years that I was dead, and now she’s going through a lot of pain….she went through pain after my birth, and she’s going through pain now. Why didn’t you tell her that I was alive?”

Ben’s response to that was, “I didn’t know you were alive either…until you wrote me….and you told me who your uncle was. And by that time, I didn’t know that your mother was even alive. And when I found that out, I didn’t tell her because I was afraid that if something happened to you, it would hurt her more than she has already been hurt.”

I then asked Ben what happened after I was born.

Ben said, “For that to make sense, I’ll have to tell you a few things. First of all, when your mother found out she was pregnant, she hid the knowledge from almost everyone…as soon as she found out she came directly to Dagobah to tell Yoda and myself. We decided that she should keep the information secret from almost everyone…..since we weren’t sure what had happened to your father…if he was working for the Emperor or not. A couple months later, we found out that Anakin became Vader….and that’s when we REALLY hid your mother. She stayed on Alderaan with her best friend Bail Organa.”

Then Ben said, “On the day of your birth, she happened to make one of her occasional visits to Dagobah. We needed to talk to her often and talk about her child…well she surprised us by going into labor…so we took her to the medical center on Dagobah so that she could have you. Then you were born…and the doctors knew right away that you had problems with your lungs. They examined you carefully and decided that you didn’t have much of a chance to live…..because your lungs hadn’t grown enough to really function very well. You were able to breathe, but your lungs were so bad that everyone knew that you would eventually stop breathing because your lungs just weren’t able to function very well. Your mother held you and tried to keep you alive as best she could. We all took turns holding you. Yoda and I talked about what to do…because we hadn’t expected that. But something we didn’t realize was that the Empire had spies…and so did the Maurders. About few days after your birth (sometime less than a month), One of the Emperor’s servants kidnapped you from me…it was so easy because you weren’t that big…you were really tiny. While I was holding you, I was knocked out, and they kidnapped you. As soon as I woke up, I realized what happened, so I followed. I went directly to Coruscant…..but I arrived just after the Maurder. The Emperor had you in his hands and was about to kill you when the Maurder ran in and grabbed you from the Emperor. The Emperor didn’t even notice because he was so focused on being evil and killing you. The three of us got into a fight…the Maurder, the Emperor’s servant, and me. I ended up getting you back….and as soon as I did, I took you to your uncle. I knew that I had to hurry…because your breathing had gotten a lot worse…and I knew that something had to be done….because if no one had done anything you would have died. I’m not exactly sure what the people at the medical center on Tatooine did to you, but apparently whatever they did worked because you’re alive now. After I took you to the medical center (somehow they were able to keep you alive), I told your uncle about you and…after some time, he agreed to raise you. Luke, the doctors on Tatooine, and the ones on Dagobah….all of them thought that you would die…but they tried everything they could to keep you alive. I seriously thought that you would die….and that there was no way you would survive. I blamed myself for everything….for Anakin’s turning, and for my failure to keep you alive…I thought that if you hadn’t gotten kidnapped that you might have been able to survive…because you were at least at the medical center. I stayed on Tatooine and kind of kept to myself. I kept in contact with Yoda….but everything had to be done carefully because all the Jedi were being killed. I knew Anakin would want me dead if he ever found me.

There is more to the story that I purposely did not tell you. I was prepared to tell it to you, but that was before I knew your mother was alive. I would rather have her explain it to you. I just don’t feel right telling you.”

I said, “I think I already know. She already told me something…that I have a twin sister, and that it’s Leia.”

Obi-Wan nodded, and told me that was what it was.

After that, I left for the Tatooine. Ben left in his ship too, so he’ll be back for you to talk to.

Leia told me in her most recent letter that she was in trouble. You knew they were rescuing Han, right? Well Boba Fett was also at Jabba’s palace, and got suspicious of Leia. He knew she was pretending to be a male bounty hunter, but he could tell from the way she walked and moved that she was female. He alerted Jabba, and they pretended to be asleep while Leia went to Han and unfroze him.

Jabba’s now taken Leia as his slave…one connected to a chain around her neck, and Han has been put in a cell with Chewie. I must go and help them. Jabba will not spare their lives. I hope to see you again soon.

I’ll answer the rest of your letter in a part two.


Your son,
Luke
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Note 31 Part 2
Mom,

Hey it’s me again. This is part two of my note.

I know that both you and Obi-Wan say that Anakin is gone for good. I don’t believe it. If he was once as good as everyone says he was, then he MUST have some good in him somewhere. He couldn’t have just lost it. Besides that, he did not kill me when I know he could have. That should say something for him. I want to try to turn him back to the good side. No matter what I’m up against, I have to try…because he is my father. And for the sake of what my father once was, I’m going to do my best to get him back on the good side.

I’m not going to take offense to what you said about how my father used to be a lot like me. I believe you said that sincerely.

I will not see Anakin and Vader as two different people. You can’t REALLY see them as two different people either, because you kept using the names interchangeably in your last letter. In some places where you referred to my father after he became Darth Vader, you called him Anakin. You said once before that Vader lost perspective on who he once was. He has to be Anakin underneath all of that. I do believe he cares for me, and that he loves me, even if he would never admit to it. A truly evil person does not have the ability to love. He loves me, and that’s why he could not bring himself to kill me during our fight on Cloud City.

Those letters that he wrote me, after the Death Star battle…I think they were an expression of his love for me. And even though I came close to hating my father before, I do have feelings for him. He is my father, after all, and everything I have heard about him only makes me love him. I don’t think I could go on living without at least trying to get him to turn back to the light side.

Anyway, Anakin should have considered how he would hurt you and Obi-Wan, but he could not have thought about hurting me, since he didn’t even know I existed when he turned.

So you do think I look a LOT like Anakin. Did you think that before you knew who I was, or just after? I know some people can’t see that people are related until after they know about the relationship. I didn’t even notice, and I was looking at his pictures for the project! Thinking back on it, though, when I showed the pictures to Han, he did joke about how I looked like Anakin. I don’t see any problem with me looking a lot like him…after all he is my father. It’s just my looks, it’s not like just because I look like him I’m going to turn out just like him. And you made a comment about the only thing I got from you is height deficiency. I’m not THAT short…in fact I’m fairly tall. I’m not as tall as my father is, but I am five feet nine inches tall. Maybe that’s short for a guy. Han is taller than me, but I’m taller than both you or Leia (but of course you’re females.)

I’m sorry if you were offended by my doubting that you were my mother, but you have to admit…it was pretty unbelievable. Thanks for taking the time to answer your questions.

From the questions, I know that you really are my mother. Yes, my birthday is September 30, and that’s why I told you that you weren’t allowed to have a bad day on that date. (I’m sure you remember when I wrote you then.)

And my uncle said I weighed one pound six ounces, which is what you said. My uncle said he could hold me in one hand (and I have a picture of it). So I’m sure that you were telling the truth there. J I guess I should have realized that since I only weighed that amount that I would have been very weak. I guess I just didn’t think about it. And if I hadn’t have been the baby, and had been an onlooker, I would have agreed with you…that I would probably die. But I’ve heard stories of other babies that were even smaller than me (like less than a pound) surviving, so it wasn’t like it would have been next to impossible. I know the chances would have been extremely small, and I cannot imagine what you would have went through to see me like that.

How long was I?

And yes, I do have a birthmark on my rear end. I knew that only my mother (or someone who had changed me as a baby) would have known that. By the way, what did you do for diapers? I can’t imagine that they would have made diapers small enough for me.

And about my legs…you have never brought that up until now, (which I knew that question would force you to do), and I never said a word to you about it, because it had no affect on anything that we had to talk about. Anyway, yes, I did have really crooked legs when I was little. I couldn’t walk until I was 13 years old. There was nothing wrong with my legs (they were strong, they worked and everything), except that they were so crooked that I couldn’t walk for a long time. They worked perfectly fine, and if I hadn’t had crooked legs, I would have been able to walk like everyone else. My legs are pretty much fixed now, they are very SLIGHTLY crooked still, but it’s so slight that no one can even tell, and I can walk normally, and no one even knows. I do not have even the slightest limp or problem walking. My aunt and uncle, and the doctor that I had, didn’t think they would be able to straighten my legs. It took a long time, but they’re fixed now. I had to wear braces on my legs from the time I was 2 to the time I was 17. I was in a wheel chair until I was 10, and then they had me on crutches from the time I was 10 to when I was 13. Then I had to walk with braces until I was 17, and that’s when they took them off.

And I already told you about my lungs, but I didn’t tell you too much. I told you that they were weak, but I made it sound like they were just slightly week or something. I was afraid you would worry about me because of how you acted to the fact that I had several allergies, so I tried to make it sound as good as I could. The truth is though, they are very weak. They work fine, though. I mean I can breathe normally, so don’t get all worried about it. I just don’t have the added strength that most people have. I can’t blow up balloons because I don’t have enough strength in my lungs, I can’t scream really loud, and some other stuff that most people can do. I can’t even sleep on my back, because when I do, my lungs aren’t strong enough to fight the gravity, and it pulls all my air passages shut. My lungs never developed all the way, as I told you before, and I’m missing some stuff in them. The stuff that I’m missing would just add strength to them, and I can breathe fine, like I said before, so don’t worry. The doctors that I’ve gone to have all told me that it is impossible for my lungs to get any stronger, or for my asthma to get any better, just because of how my lungs are.

I do have very, very bad asthma. I never told you how bad it was, but it is bad. I’m fine most of the time, but when I get it, it really gets me.

I just thought as my mother, you might want to know those things. Just for your own information, and in case you were wondering.

I’m sure I’ll have a lot of questions for you in the next few letters. I’d love to hear embarrassing stories about me as a baby. You mean I went to the bathroom on Yoda?

You said that I was with your for almost a month? And that the mosquitoes bit me up, and that I kept you up a lot…that you slept close to my crib so you could hear any noise that I made. You could tell me more about those stuff if you want to J Was Leia there during that time? Or had she already been given to Bail?

Oh wow…I am a prince? You cannot be serious. I…how is that possible for ME?

I really don’t think Obi-Wan purposely meant to hurt either one of us. He must have truly believed that the best way to help us was to keep the secret from us. I have to admit, I did get really upset with Obi-Wan when I first found out about everything, but I’ve calmed down a lot, and I’ve been able to talk to Obi-Wan. I hope you don’t have to hold that grudge for very long. I know I hate it when people are mad at me.

Yes, I do have pictures of myself as a child. I’ve just landed on Tatooine, and I went to my family homestead first, because it was still daytime when I landed on Tatooine, and I want to wait until dark before I get into that palace. It’s the best chance I’ll have of getting in. Anyway, I have all the pictures I could find of me growing up. I looked all through the homestead, so tell me what you think of the pictures. Before you look at them, remember what I said about my legs. If you don’t mind seeing my legs in braces, go ahead and look at them.

Well, I told Leia that she is my sister. I don’t know if she’ll figure out that we’re twins. She should, because we’re the same age, but she might think that one of us was born at the beginning of the year, and one of us at the end (I know some siblings like that.) She told me she already talked with you, though…so I assumed that you would be okay with me telling her too. After all, I think she has a right to know. She was upset with the situation, obviously, but I hope she’s okay now.

I didn’t come with you on my birthday because I didn’t think I should tell you when my birthday was. I didn’t want you to feel obligated that you would have to do something for me, and I didn’t want to divert attention from Wedge and Leia, who I felt deserved the attention more than I did. I didn’t want to intrude on you or them, so I did not say a word to them about it being my birthday too.

I’m glad that Leia was a healthy baby. I appreciate the thought, but I don’t think it would have been possible for me to give all my health to her as a fetus. Actually, Obi-Wan told me something. He said that when Force Sensitive individuals who use a little bit of the Dark Side have a son, the son is affected in some way…like low birth weights, and they usually have stuff wrong with them. It’s somehow the Force’s protection that there won’t be very many Sith. And depending on how much of the Dark Side the person used before the son was conceived, depends on how affected the baby is.

Yes, I would have loved to have grown up with my sister. And I would have protected her as much as I could have. You can count on that. I’ll protect her now too…not only is she my best friend, but she is also my sister. I WILL not let anything happen to her. That’s why I’ve decided to go to Jabba’s. If you want, you can take a ship to Tatooine. You know where my family homestead is (you said you knew where your son’s aunt and uncle lived before you knew who I was), so just stop by. I need to spend my time somehow…and you might like looking at my room or something.

Okay, well I hope that someone can test Leia to see if she’s Force Sensitive. I’m a new Jedi and I don’t have that midi-cholorian reader thing that Obi-Wan used on me.

Yes, I believe that my grandfather was sincere about his regrets in selling my grandmother into slavery. I talk to both my grandparents on my father’s side a lot.

I haven’t tried talking to your parents. Do you think they’ll accept me? I got the impression that they only liked to talk to upper class people.

All right, I haven’t told Shmi anything. I feel bad because I think she should know about her grandchildren, but to spare her the pain of knowing who her son is…I have not told her. I don’t think it’s my job anyway. I don’t know much about it.

Okay, so Leia was born first? That’s cool I’m the youngest then J How far apart were we…like how many minutes or whatever?

No, you’re wrong about Skywalker being my grandmother’s maiden name. Both my grandfather and my great-grandfather have the last name Skywalker. My grandfather changed his name from Summoner Skywalker to Cliegg Lars when he sold my grandmother and father. Even my uncle confirms that.

My father was a funny little boy and called you an angel, and showed off his mechanical creations. What kinds of things did he make?

Well have you seen any girls that have been interested in me? I haven’t.

I thought Vader was lying in his letter. He changed his lie in his most recent note and said that he walked into the hospital where I was born after hearing rumors that you had a child and found one that said Skywalker and picked me up. And the funny part was he said I was born on Tatooine! So he was obviously lying again! He doesn’t know I was born on Dagobah, which proves he is completely lying about the whole thing!

That’s what I thought…that he didn’t even know about me until recently. Don’t worry; I’m not going to turn to the Dark Side, no matter what kinds of lies he comes up with.

Okay, so Anakin had asthma, but not very bad. That’s what Obi-Wan told me too. He thinks I inherited it from him, but I’m not sure about that. Maybe I partly did, but I think it would have mostly come from the fact that I was so small and my lungs were so weak. That’s my guess. I could be wrong. So he only rarely used an inhaler. I use mine kind of often, so I think I do have it a lot worse than he did.

I didn’t tell you what Vader did to the Wampa Ice Creature that attacked me? He told some of his snowtroopers to find a one armed Wampa Ice Creature and kill it, so that it would never hurt me again! Those were his exact words!

I hope you’re right, and that my aunt and uncle are safe within the protection of the Rebellion. Vader said because I requested that he wouldn’t harm them, that he won’t…but do you think we can trust that?

Well I did tell him that I knew you were my mother. I felt I had to, after he insulted you like he did. He called you a nasty dog! Oh, I really went off about that.

I don’t know…I’m going to keep trying to get Vader back on the light side. I’ll probably have to fight him again before that will happen though.

I’m not going to say a word about Leia to Vader, for her own protection, even if he knows about her. I don’t want to accidentally give him any ideas about finding her. I’m tempted to demand that since he said he was there at my birth he should have known about her, but I don’t think that would be a good idea. I’ll just tell him that he should know something else about my birth. (maybe…I haven’t decided if I should say that or not)

I did tell Vader that I knew he was Anakin, and I told him how I had been so fascinated with the man named Anakin Skywalker, stressing how great a person that man was. I don’t know if that did anything, but at least I tried.

That’s all for now.

Your son,
Luke

PS I have decided to send you Vader’s most recent letter, just to keep you posted on what he’s been telling me.

My dear son,

Please forgive my hasty judgement of your mother. I thought that she was spreading lies to get you to hate me even more. And I accept your apology for your hasty judgement of me. It appears we have both learned a lesson this day. And I honestly forgotten about the Royal Force side effect. Again, accept my apology for the oversight.

I mentioned my asthma because this ailment is genetic and that it may help. And yes, that battle and my fall into the lava pit did do serious damage to my lungs as well as the rest of my body. I don't quite remember the battle itself, possibly a side effect of the injuries.

I shall level with you, Luke. I was not there at the exact time of your birth, but I did hear through my... contacts, that my dear wife did have a baby. Knowing that she may not let me see the child, I slipped into the nursery and looked for the "Skywalker" name on the bassinet. That's when I picked you up, and though it was merely a baby's reflex I'm sure, you punched me in the nose. I had to quickly put you down and leave before the night nurse made her rounds.You were indeed a tiny baby, I was able to hold you in one hand, but since I had such little time I couldn't weigh you or be more specific about you. I do know, of course, that you were born on Tatooine. I blocked out the knowledge of you so that my enemies couldn't find out about you.

You are NEVER to blame for your abuse, my son, do not make that mistake! I will, for your sake, spare your uncle and aunt, but be warned that they best stay out of my sight! I may be evil, but I do not tolerate the abuse of children, especially my own.

Yes, my real name IS Anakin Skywalker. I see you're finally letting the Force guide you! Good work! As I mentioned before, I went to the Dark Side because of a promise of greater power, not realizing the consequences. And yes, I was a slave, your grandmother was right. Which was another reason for my going to the Dark Side. I was determined to not become a slave again.

Forgive my brief letter, but as you have also determined, I am working on a new Death Star. You should see it, my son. It is a magnificent work of genius, and it has all the comforts imaginable! There is, among other things, a holographic training room, a meditation room to build you inner Force strength, even a simulation room that can create the exact replica of one's home planet or any planet they choose! It can even replicate your loved ones if you wish! Now if you on the Empire's side, I could give you unlimited access, even show you the fantastic weaponry.


Fare well, my son. I shall keep in touch.
Darth Vader
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Note 32
Luke,

You have no idea how great it feels to hear (or read) you call me mom! It makes up for all the hurt I’ve had these years, knowing that I had a son like you!

I suppose Vader would want to lie to make other feel bad. Still, in that situation, he wasn’t lying. I AM a bad mother for letting all this happen! I should have…I should have protected you from Vader, kept you away from Cloud City! And Leia! I should never have let her existence slip! How could I have been so careless?

I’m glad that you forgive me, though. It warms my heart that we can really be mother and son now. I understand that you had to go to Dagobah. Just, come back soon, okay? I want to see you again.

Maybe what Yoda meant wasn’t for you to kill Vader, just for you to come to terms with him being your father. I don’t think you should kill him either, or at least not out of hate. The Empire needs to be put to an end, yes, but as far as Vader…just so he doesn’t hurt another person.

I REALLY don’t think it would be a good idea for you to go looking for Anakin. He’s gone. I know that hurts, but it’s a truth we just all have to except. Your father isn’t really here, only his body is. His heart and soul are dead.

As far as Obi-Wan and I, I wrote a letter apologizing to him for my anger. After all, he’s still a great friend with good intentions, and I should have understood that before I accused him like that. I hope he forgives me.

Reading your letter shows me just how wrong I was to even consider doubting Obi-Wan. He went through all that for you, a baby that we never even thought would live! Thank goodness that he did, too! If the Empire had killed you…I would be so heartbroken!

You’re right, I do have a hard time realizing also that Ankain’s not there anymore. If it makes you feel better, you could right to him trying to persuade him to rejoin the Light Side. I don’t feel comfortable for you to go and confront him, though. It’s just not a good idea. He’s dangerous! He almost killed you before, and I doubt this time he will hesitate.

I suppose Vader might still have feelings for you. If he does, I don’t know how dependable they are. Remember that he has Palpatine whispering at his ear who to love and who not to love.

You’re five feet nine inches? I’m only five feet tall. I was never very tall. Even when I was queen I had to wear all those high-heeled shoes, otherwise I’d be to short to get any respect! As a child I used to drink all these growth herbs, but apparently none of them worked! I’m glad that you never got that gene, though.

Now that I think back on it, I DO remember you saying that I wasn’t allowed to have a bad day that day! I just never made that connection! Well, I didn’t have a bad day, though it could have been better if I could have celebrated it with my son! Tell you what, as soon as all this mess is cleared up, you, Leia, Wedge, and I are going out for more cake and ice cream. Who knows, maybe Leia and I will force you boys along for a shopping spree as well!

What do you mean how long were you? Do you mean how big you were? Because you were pretty small! Whenever anyone held you we had to be so careful not to hold you too tight, or too loose, whether your head was held up high enough, whether you laid in a position where you could breathe….You were so weak then, it broke my heart!

I’m glad to hear that you’re walking all right now. Though all those years of braces must have been painful! I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you! You’re a really strong boy, though, to have survived all of that.

You can’t even lie down on your back when you sleep? That’s serious! I’ll see if I can do some medical research, seeing if there’s anything out there that can help you.

Yes, you are a prince. It is very possible, you’re my son! Don’t worry, you’ll be a great prince, and Leia a great princess. I can see it in you. You have a wonderful heart, and a lot of courage, and I’m not just saying that because you’re my son, I mean it!

Is that you in the pictures? Is that my little Luke, growing up? I can’t believe it! Never mind the braces. Look at those beautiful eyes, that precious smile! Thank you so much for those pictures. I only wish I could have been there to watch your childhood take place, instead of looking off a picture.

Leia knows that I’m her mother? I’m glad. You’re right, she has a right to know. Anyway, I want us to be a family now. Maybe, when Anakin sees how happy we are, he’ll come back.

Anakin’s changing affected your health? Did he know that? Did he know what he did to his own son?

Somehow that doesn’t make sense, though. When you were conceived, Anakin was still of the light side. There was no way of knowing that he would turn.

Leia’s in trouble? With Jabba the Hutt? He enslaved her? Oh no! Don’t you go anywhere, Luke Skywalker, unless you feel like bringing me along too! I won’t lose my children again, especially not to scum like Jabba! Leia’s not going to be wearing that chain for long!

Wait, so you’re at Tatooine right now? I’ll be right there. I’d like to see your room, and all your childhood playthings. Don’t worry, I won’t let Jabba touch Leia either. I’m going with you, after all. Don’t bother to argue with me.

Don’t worry about my parents, they WILL accept you. At least, Dalben will.

So Skywalker isn’t your grandmother’s maiden name? Your grandparents changed their names? That’s weird. Why? What was wrong with Skywalekr?

In your last letter, you said that your father was a funny little boy and called me an angle, and showed off his mechanical creations. Did Obi-Wan tell you that?

Anakin really WAS such a funny little boy! He created C-3PO, (you know him, right?) a pod racer, and even that japor snippet that I gave you! Yes, he carved that. It’s supposed to bring me good fortune. To have you as my son, I think it worked.

I remember when Anakin was a boy he would drag me around his tiny home, showing me all his creations. He had so much enthusiasm! His face was so bright, lighting the entire room with his bubbly personality. In that way you are a lot like him.

Vader lied to you again? Why does he keep doing that? To his own family, too! He should know by now at least that we’ve had a good connection with each other! He’s not going to get away with all those lies!

Thanks for defending me to Vader. You don’t have to, though. I’m used to his insults. It’s just another reminder that my Ani is gone.

I’m glad that you’re trying to make Vader change, but like I said before, I REALLY don’t think it’s going to do any good. Still, we’ll keep our fingers crossed.

You’re probably right not to tell Vader anything else about Leia. He knows she’s his daughter, but…I wouldn’t want her location to be revealed or anything.

Now, lets see, stories about you at Dagobah….Well, as Obi-Wan told you, I was pregnant on Alderaan, and just happened to be on Dagobah when I went into labor. I was in the middle of having tea with Obi-Wan and Yoda, and all of the sudden you kicked (crooked legs and all!) A few minutes later I went into labor with you and Leia for twelve hours. As soon as you opened your eyes, while Yoda was cleaning you off, you peed on him.

A few minutes later, I held you for the first time. I was careful not to crush you, you were so small. You looked at me and smiled. I’ll never forget that wonderful smile of yours. I think you had a hard time understanding that you were no longer within my womb, because you gave another hard kick at me, right in the shoulder! When I looked back at you, you had such an innocent I –didn’t-do-it face! I burst out laughing so hard! You really knew how to brighten the day, even if you were only a baby!

I think I’ll save some stories for the next letter.


Mom (You have no idea how much I like signing these letters with those three letters, son!)
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Note 33
Mom,

No, you are NOT a bad mother. You’re a very good mother. I wouldn’t want any other mother. How could you have protected me from Vader? You didn’t even KNOW that I was your son at the time. You were thinking of your daughter. Remember? Vader had Leia on Cloud City and he was torturing her. You wanted me to go there so I could rescue her. Remember that? You didn’t know what Vader was planning to do. You cannot protect me from every hurt in this galaxy, mom. And I’m sure you didn’t let her existence slip on purpose. It must have been an accident.

But mom, I recall Yoda and Obi-Wan’s words perfectly. Obi-Wan said that the only thing that stood in my way of becoming a Jedi Knight was Vader. He WANTED me to fight him and kill him. Obi-Wan also wanted me to fight Vader, and kill him. I think they think that I have to kill him for some reason…maybe to end the Empire? I’m not sure. Maybe you can ask Obi-Wan to find out. No, they don’t want me to kill him out of hate, but they want me to face him.

I wanted to find an alternative. I really believe there is good in my father. He told me he didn’t like it when people abused children. What doest that tell you? How could a truly evil person care about the abuse of a child, even their own child? I cannot accept the fact that the good in my father is gone. I must try to bring him back.

Oh good, I’m glad you and Obi-Wan are talking to each other again. I’m sure he’ll forgive you, mom. He’s not like Vader. Yes, Obi-Wan did go through all that for me, even though no one thought I would live. I’m sure most people would have given up on me, and not even tried to save me. But he took a chance, and look what happened! I survived!

I know you don’t agree with it…and Obi-Wan thinks Anakin’s gone too…but I still have hope. I’m going to try my best to get Anakin back on the good side. I don’t care what everyone thinks. Look at what happened when everyone thought I would die when I was a baby? I think, even if there is a small chance, that a person should try. You never know what will happen.

Yes, I know Vader is a slave to the Dark Side, and to Palpatine….but a little bit of his old self must be there. Palpatine might be telling him things, but does that mean he has to listen all the time? And I don’t think Palpatine has any love anyway. Just let it happen. Let me face my father and try to get him back on the good side…just to see.

Yes, I’m five feet nine inches tall. But I’m still shorter than a lot of people. Han’s like six feet tall, and all the stormtroopers are taller than me. (Even Leia could tell that when I was wearing that stormtroopers uniform back on the first Death Star when I rescued her.) The person they were cloned from had to have been at least six feet tall. And Anakin…he was taller than I am, right? Was he like six feet something? I can’t imagine that he would be the same size as me. I think most guys actually are taller than me.

And really…I don’t think you’re only five feet tall. I don’t think I’m 9 inches taller than you! Even Leia’s taller than that. She told me she was five feet four inches tall. How tall are you compared to her? I don’t think that whoever measured you was accurate. Someone needs to measure you again! And honestly I don’t think that people should try to drink growth herbs. I don’t think anyone should try to change their body without a good reason. I think you’re meant to be the way you were created.

You’re offering to take me out for my birthday once this war is over? You’re not the only one who offered to do that. Obi-Wan has too! How great! I get to be taken out twice for my birthday J As for the shopping thing, don’t count on it. I really don’t like it. I find that it’s a waste of time, and it bores me. Unless I can get what I need and leave, I don’t like it.

When I asked you how long I was, I meant how big was I from my feet to my head…like how tall I would be. I don’t think anyone calls it tall…and most people that I heard of called it long…but I sometimes say how big was I too. So you had to make sure I laid in a position where I could breathe…I was wondering about that, because, as I told you in my last letter, I can’t even lie on my back now. Wow…so you had to make sure you didn’t hold me too tight or too loose, and you had to make sure my head was held up high enough. I must have been a big pain to have to deal with.

Anyway, yep, I’m walking perfectly fine now. You can’t even tell there was ever anything wrong with my legs. Only doctors can usually pick up on it, and it’s only if they look carefully while examining me. And yes, my years of braces were painful, but look what happened because of them. I’m so glad that I’m able to walk now.

And no, I can’t lie down on my back when I sleep. Hey, I told you not to worry. I’m all right, okay. I can sleep on my sides, or my stomach, just not my back. It’s not really a big deal. I’ve just had to deal with it. I can lean up against my back while kind of sitting up. Do you know what I mean? As long as I’m not lying flat on my back or close to it, I’m good. And mom, I appreciate you worrying about me. But really, I’m fine. Trust me, there’s nothing out there that can help my lungs get stronger. I told you, I’m missing stuff in my lungs that would make them stronger. No one can do anything about it. And just so you know, I have a doctor that I go to for my lung problems. My uncle’s been taking me there ever since I was a baby. That doctor is probably the most experienced doctor in the galaxy (for lung problems), and he said he couldn’t do anything about my lung strength, and I’m sure out of anyone, he would know if there were anything that could be done. There’s nothing that can be done. My lungs have been like this all my life (except when I was a baby maybe…they were probably worse then). In fact, my uncle said when that when they first got me, my lungs were so bad that they knew they had to do something or I would die. So what they did was they made me breathe in some bacta. It helped, but bacta’s not really good for lungs. It actually damages them…so the bacta made them stronger, but also hurt them. They can’t do that again, because it is bad for lungs…they just do that to try to get them a little stronger, so that I would at least live.

Okay, what does being a prince from your line mean?
LOL, yes that was me in those pictures. Yeah, you can keep those pictures. My aunt and uncle have copies, so enjoy them.

I probably did something without your permission, but I was afraid that since Vader knew, he might tell her himself, so I told her that she was my sister. She now knows that Vader is her father. She’s a little confused about you being her mother though, so I need to clear it up for her.

Anakin’s changing might have affected my health. Obi-Wan thought it might have. I’m trying to find out right now whether it did or not. And I’m sure he didn’t know that it would affect my health. (if it did). Well Obi-Wan didn’t say that the person had to be on the Dark Side…they just had to do something major using the Dark Side feelings (like killing a bunch of people out of anger, or using the force for deception….like you know what I mean.) It could have even been by accident, but it would have had to have been something major. Do you know of him ever doing anything with the Dark Side feelings (anger, fear, aggression, hate), that you know of?

Sigh…you were so insistent on coming along, that I just had to bring you here to Jabba’s. Thanks for coming to my house. What do you think of it? And my room? I showed you a bunch of stuff that I did when I was little. All my school awards…and projects, and just what I was up to. And what did you think of my childhood playthings?

Okay, I hope your parents will accept me. Have you told them about me yet? And Dalben. I’d like to meet him. Is he still alive?

No, Skywalker is not my mother’s maiden name. Well I guess after my grandfather sold my grandmother into slavery, he joined the Maurder Organization, and was so ashamed of what he did that he changed their last name to Lars. He changed his name from Summoner Skywalker to Cliegg Lars.

No, mom. I was quoting YOU. You’re the one that said Anakin was a funny little boy and called you an angel, and showed off his mechanical creations.

My father made C-3PO? Really? That must have been why he saved C-3PO when Boba Fett aimed his gun at Chewie (who had C-3PO on his back.) I wonder how he likes to have his droid fighting against him? I find that kind of funny.

Yes, Vader lied to me again. I have no idea why he keeps doing this.

I told Vader that I was on Tatooine, at Jabba’s, trying to rescue Han. Really, I don’t think he’s going to do anything about it. He’s too occupied with his Death Star, and I already know that he’s my father.

I bet Yoda liked me going to the bathroom on him! And yes, I would LOVE to hear more stories about me as a baby. The more the better :)

I have a question for you. My uncle said that he thinks I was a really smart baby…like I could understand what people were saying, as a young baby, and that he thinks I showed other sings of having high intelligence. I was just wondering what you thought…whether you thought I did or not.

Thanks for staying with me while I was making that lightsaber back in my house. Because Vader had my old one, I had to make a new one. Yoda told me how when I was training under him, so I made one while we were at the house. What do you think of it? It’s green. You did see it, didn’t you?

Now to what’s happened so far at Jabba’s. I appreciate that you’re with me. It’s good to have some company…but we are walking into danger. Do you have a weapon for yourself? If you don’t, maybe Lando can get you one. Okay, we got in fine. I used a Jedi mind trick to trick Bib Fortuna, Jabba’s top advisor thing. Jabba was MAD that I got in. He’d told Bib Fortuna not to admit me. As we walked in, I noticed that Han’s body was not in the carbonate thingy, so that means that Leia did unfreeze him, like she said she had.

I saw Leia chained to Jabba. He had her wearing almost nothing…except this really skimpy outfit. That made me really mad that Jabba would use her in the fashion. She is one of my best friends and a great girl, not to mention my twin sister. I tried not to let that bother me very much.

I tried to tell Jabba to release Han and his friends by using a mind trick. It didn’t work. Then Jabba hit this switch and I fell through the floor into this ditch. One of Jabba’s guards fell too. Then all of a sudden this huge creature called the Rancor came out and started heading towards me. That thing was the biggest animal that I have ever seen in my life…..and it was nasty looking too!

What happened to you? Don’t tell me you fell through the floor too.



Your son,
Luke
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Note 34
Luke,

You’re just like Obi-Wan, saying that I can’t protect you from everything. The thing is, I WANT to protect you from everything! I WANT to take care of you, as a mother should! I somehow should have found a way to keep you and Leia safe from Vader!

I’m sure that neither Obi-Wan nor Yoda would ever want you to kill Vader. It’s not the way of the Jedi. Perhaps they wish for you to fight Vader, and stop his reign of terror in a peaceful way (though I don’t know how that would be possible). After all, facing Vader doesn’t involve killing him.

Perhaps Vader DOES have some good qualities, but his evil qualities still outweigh them. Vader not being completely evil doesn’t change what he is capable and willing to do to others.

Obi-Wan and I ARE talking again, thank goodness. I’m still not happy with what he did, but I won’t hold a grudge. I suppose you’re right, all did end well (except for the Empire part).

I suppose you could go and try to persuade Vader back to the Light, but I really don’t think you’ll get anywhere. It’s your choice, though. If you don’t believe us then the only thing left for you to do is to find out for yourself. All that I ask is that you be careful and keep safe!

Yes, Anakin was taller than you, at six feet one inch, but not that much taller, though. I actually exaggerated my own height; I’m five feet five. Still, I’m shorter than you, your father, and even Sola! Everyone thought I had growth deficiency. I guess Leia gets that from me!

I suppose artificial drinks aren’t that good for you, but have you ever tried looking up at someone and trying to convince them that you’re their queen? It’s not easy!

Hey, maybe Obi-wan and I could throw a party for your together! Perhaps something more exciting then just cake and ice-cream, though. I remember when I was pregnant, I would imagine all the exciting places I would take you guys on your birthdays. It’s a pity we never had the chance.

Don’t worry about the shopping, I was just teasing you! I know from experience with your father just how much men hate shopping!

Well, like I said before, you were very small as a baby. I never really measured how long you were, but if I were to estimate I’d say you were eight inches long. It wasn’t easy taking care of you, but I wouldn’t say it was a pain. After all, the reward for all that was well worth it.

I’m glad also that you’re walking so well now! I remember how I used to dread how you would grow up, with legs so crooked. And now look at you, running around with no problem!

I suppose I AM being a little overprotective aout your lungs. Even Obi-Wan is trying to persuade me just to let it go! Still, it worries me that your lungs are so poor. It IS a great relief to know about the private doctor that you’re seeing, though. What’s his name? Maybe I could meet him.

Well, you probably already know that I was the Queen of Naboo, and am still the Royal queen of Naboo. You don’t need to worry about ruling Naboo; they elect their monarchs. However, you ARE the Royal prince of Naboo. All I really know as far as that goes is that you have the Royal Force. People don’t even recognize it anymore. To tell you the truth, I never understood this role. I only took it to please my parents.

Now that I think about it, Anakin DID kill an entire camp of Tusken Raiders out of anger once. They had nearly killed his mother, and Anakin wanted revenge. I suppose that might cause your health problems…I guess I’d be better off asking Obi-Wan!

Oh, wow, I love your room! It’s so cluttered, just like Ani’s room was!

Wow, look at all these awards! You’re quite the scholar, aren’t you? I’m so proud of you!

Hey, I remember this teddy bear! I saw it in Owen’s room the last time I visited him. He must have given it to you!

Don’t worry about my parents, they’ll have to accept you. You’re their long lost heir! As for Dalben, he’ll love you! He’s living in Naboo still, hiding out, but one day when this is over I’ll take you there to see him.

LOL, you WERE quoting me! I forgot! I guess this old age is really starting to rub off on me!

Yes, your father did build Threepio. I don’t think he remembers his master, though, so it didn’t really make a difference to Threepio who he was fighting.

Vader wrote back to me, telling me he can’t interfere with the happenings on Tatooine. If you asked me, I’m relieved.

When you were a baby, you were VERY smart! I remember that Yoda, Obi-Wan, and I would play a game with you, seeing if you could identify who we were. We would ask, “Where’s Mommy,” Or “Where’s Ben,” and you would have to point to use. Youw ere only a newborn, and yet you caught on when you were two weeks old!

Wow, a green lightsaber! Very colorful! I should make on for myself; pistols are just too bulky!

I saw you disappear into the hole, but instead of doing anything, I stared at Leia, remember how you said that she had only recently learned about her real mother. She looked so miserable in that slave’s clothes, all I wanted to do was to rescue her, but I was chained before I could do anything.

Well, that’s it for now!


Mom
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Note 35
Mom,

The rancor grabbed the guard and ate him. That was a little scary. I knew I had to do something quickly. I saw this bone on the ground and all of a sudden got this idea…I picked up the bone and let the rancor grab me. As the rancor was about to throw me into his mouth, I threw the bone in it’s mouth. The creature dropped me and I started running to a corner. The rancor followed me. It reached it’s arm in, and I picked up this rock and smashed it’s hand. Then I ran to the other side of the pit.

I had seen a door control when I first landed, and I hoped that it was a way out. It wasn’t. The creatures watching me tried pushing me back. I knew that I would be dead if I didn’t do something…so luckily there was this rock at my feet. I picked it up. As the rancor got closer and closer to the door, I prepared to throw the rock. When it was directly underneath the door, I threw the rock at the controls, and the door came smashing down on the rancor. I killed it.

Just as I was being led away, the caretaker of the rancor entered and started crying. I guess he loved that creature. Too bad.

Then Jabba got really mad because I hadn’t died. He was mad that the rancor was dead…it was his favorite pet. He ordered that Han and Chewie and you and I all be brought before him. Then Jabba told us that we would be sent out to this creature called the Sarlacc…..I’m a little familiar with it…it’s this creature that lives in this pit…it likes live food, and I’d heard about it before.

I’m sure you remember that sentencing.

Well anyway, Jabba ordered that all of us would be killed by being fed to the Sarlacc. I’ll assure you that he won’t kill us.

I have a plan…kind of …I’m not exactly sure how he’s going to try and kill us, but as we were being lead out to his sail barge, I noticed a board. I think he’s going to have us walk the plank. I saw R2-D2 and gave my lightsaber to him…and Lando still has not been discovered as a guard. As long as the board’s not too heavy, I think I can work with it….I’d have to be the first person to walk the plank, but I think things will come out okay.

I hope that you are doing all right riding on this transport thingy. If all goes well, I will see you soon, and Leia will be freed.

Now to answer your letter:
Mom, I realize you want to protect me from everything, and all mothers are like that. You’ve got to realize, though, that you CAN’T protect me from every little hurt that I’ll go through in my life. Being a good mother does not mean that nothing bad will ever happen to your children. You’ve got to accept that.

There’s no way you could have protected Leia and me from Vader. He’s a smart man, and he would have found out eventually, no matter what you did. You did a good job of keeping us a secret for as long as you could. That’s all anyone would have expected from you.

And another thing, Obi-Wan and Yoda DO want me to kill Vader. They implied it. When Obi-Wan told me I had to, “fight Darth Vader again.” I told him that I couldn’t kill my own father. You know what Obi-Wan’s reaction was? He said, “then the Emperor has already won. You were our last hope, Luke.” You see, he implied by his reaction that that’s what he meant. He WANTS me to kill both Vader and Palpatine. I think it has something to do with that Chosen One thing…someone who is very Force Sensitive is supposed to get rid of the Sith by killing them, which would bring balance to the Force. If Vader is as evil as you think he is, and has no way of coming back to the Light side, wouldn’t he still pose a threat to the Jedi? Their reasoning is the only way to get rid of him is to kill him. They don’t want me to kill them out of anger…but out of defense. If someone doesn’t stop them, they’re going to continue killing more and more people. Apparently, they think that’s justification. They think I’m the Chosen One, and that is why they called me their last hope. Before I was born, they thought my father was the Chosen One, and then when I was born, Leia and I were their new hopes…that one of us might be the Chosen One. I guess it goes back to one of the Legends.

I don’t agree with them though. I don’t know whether I’m the Chosen One or not, but I’m not going to kill my father until I know for sure that he is pure evil. I’m going to try everything to get my father back on the good side.

No one is going to persuade me against trying to bring my father back to the good side. Nothing that you say will change my mind. And actually, not being completely evil DOES make a huge difference. If he’s not completely evil, doesn’t it mean that he’s not firm on his stand? And that he can be persuaded back to the good side? Doesn’t that give some small hope that he can be Anakin Skywalker again?

I’m not taking anyone’s word for it…whether it be his wife or his former Jedi Master. I’m going to find out for myself. He is my father, and I’ve found that it works best to find out for yourself…to not take anyone’s word about someone else.

Mom, I don’t mean to disrespect you, but if you really are five feet five inches, that’s not THAT short for a woman. It would be short for a man, sure, but not for a woman. It actually occurs to me that that is actually AVERAGE height for a woman. I don’t think you have growth deficiency. At school I knew a bunch of people that were my age, but were much shorter than me. Some of them were only four feet something, and they were almost 20! I would think that growth deficiency would be anything under 5 feet.

And you said that Anakin was 6 feet one inch, and that although he was taller than me, he wasn’t that much taller. Well 5 feet 9 inches and 6 feet 1 inch is only 4 inches difference. That’s the same difference between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 9 inches. So then, you’re almost as tall as me, using the same logic, so you’re not that short :) Although, I wouldn’t say 4 inches means it’s that close…half an inch or a quarter of an inch…now that would be close.

It’s kind of funny. It seems like Leia inherited everything from you, and I inherited everything from my father. I have blond hair and blue eyes, the same shades as my father had (judging from the pictures of him), I am very Force Sensitive, I’m good at building things, I’m pretty smart, and I have asthma. I’m not sure all of that was inherited from just him, or if all of it was caused by him (although the Force Sensitivity, hair and eye color were obviously inherited from him. I can’t argue against that). I have no idea about the asthma though…whether I actually inherited that from him or if it was because he used the Dark Side of the Force before I was conceived, or if it was because I was a small baby. Maybe it was a combination of everything. I don’t know.

I know you said he had asthma too, but that it wasn’t very bad. So did he have weak lungs too, or were his lungs better than mine? (I’m sure they were better than mine since he didn’t have asthma nearly as bad as I do).

And Leia…she inherited a lot from you…her dark brown hair and eyes…her height :) and her beauty. She’s pretty smart too.

Well just remember, wherever you’re planning on taking us out to eat, it can’t be anywhere that allows Death Stick smoking, because I’m allergic to it, and you now know all about my lungs. I can’t even stand to be somewhere where they have a smoking section, even if we sit in the non-smoking section. At any rate, it would be fun if you and Obi-Wan threw us a party…but now you’ll have to include my uncle in that too…because now HE said he wanted to throw me a party.

Some women don’t like shopping either, and some men actually do like shopping, so you can’t generalize and say that all men hate shopping. I admit that I do hate it very much, but I also know girls who hate it equally.

Okay, so you never measured how long I was for sure, but you estimate that I was only eight inches long. That makes sense, since I was only 1 pound 6 ounces, and my uncle said that he could hold me in one hand. Obi-Wan has confirmed that and said he could hold me in one hand too. I’m glad I wasn’t that much of a pain to take care of then :)

I know that my lungs aren’t real great…and that when I get any kind of lung infection that it is very serious for me…because it could kill me. I guess to ignore my lung problems completely would be wrong, but really I don’t want you worrying about me all the time. You can worry about me when there’s reason to worry about me, like if I’m in danger or something…like with that rancor pit. Really, even though my lungs are weak, I’m fine most of the time. You can even ask my uncle about it…and maybe it would be a good idea for you to talk to my doctor. I’m sure he can answer all your questions, and maybe you’ll feel better about my lungs once you do that.

I’m glad you find it a relief that I am seeing a private doctor about my lungs. His name is Dr. Percy. I have enclosed his contact information with this letter. You should contact him. When he responds, let me know what he says. I’d be appreciative if you could tell me, since it is my body that you would be discussing.

Well it’s nice to know that I’m a prince anyway, even if it doesn’t mean much. I never thought that I would be a prince!

Okay, so Anakin did kill an entire camp of Sandpeople out of anger, because they tried to kill my grandmother? And Anakin took revenge on them? Well that would be possible that it could have caused some of my health problems. Even if it did, I’m not going to blame them on my father. It’s really no one’s fault, and I’m fine most of the time. I don’t mind having asthma, because I’ve had it my whole life. I know a lot of people who have had worse things that asthma, and I have my inhaler, so it’s not really that big of a thing. Anyway, it might be a good idea to talk to Obi-Wan about it anyway…just to see what he says.

So my room is a lot like Anakin’s was? Really? Yes, I do have a lot of awards. I did very well in school, and actually I was to top student in my class.

Hey, you remember that teddy bear? Really? It was in Owen’s room the last time you visited him? When WAS the last time you visited him? Yeah, he gave it to me when I was really little.

Have you talked to your parents about me yet? What have they said? And Dalben…what did he say? Have you told him about me? I would like to see Naboo very much. I’ve heard quite a bit about it.

I don’t know…even if my father built Threepio, wouldn’t he have recognized the name Anakin Skywalker? Anyway, if Vader didn’t have to wear that mask, I wonder if Threepio would recognize him. I don’t think ANYONE would recognize Vader in that suit, except maybe by his height.

Yeah, Vader seemed to express the same feelings when he wrote to me last…about not intending to interfere with the happenings on Tatooine. Yeah, I’m relieved that he won’t interfere either…except…he knows that Leia is his daughter now, and told me that if I wasn’t able to rescue them, that he would!

Wow…I don’t remember much about being a baby…I remember a couple things, but not much. I don’t remember that game at all where Yoda, Obi-Wan, and you would play a game to see if I could identify who you were. That’s pretty neat. I was only two weeks old? Wow.

Yeah :) It’s green. I didn’t really have much of a choice anyway, since Obi-Wan was the one who gave me the crystal for the lightsaber.

You want to make a lightsaber too? That would be pretty neat. I’m telling you, they’re handy weapons.

And don’t worry about not doing anything when I fell into the rancor pit. That wasn’t your job. I came out all right, and if you had gone in there, I would have had to worry about saving you, and you don’t have the Force….and it would have been hard for two of us to survive that creature.


I’ll talk to you later.

Love, Your son,
Luke Skywalker

PS Here is a copy of Vader’s note to me
My dear son Luke,
Very well, I shall level with you, you deserve that much respect. No, I didn't know of your existence boefore our little battle on the old Death Star. I guess it was just that now that I DO know of you, a part of me deeply regrets not knowing of you all these years, and making up that story of your birth just helped me feel better. I did not mean to insult your intelligence. I see from your letter that your mother is still the intoxicating beauty she's always been, and I'm grateful for her fond memories of me.I still think she shouldn't have given you up, but now I don't blame her anymore. It seems that Yoda and Obi Wan had put wild ideas into her head, and she was too exhausted from childbirth to think clearly. She would have otherwise realized that I would not have allowed my offspring to be killed, especially by that fool emperor!
I am alone now, so I can write freely. I know it looks that way for now, but I am not the emperor's lackey. I have plans for that old fool, and mark my word, he won't be emperor for long!
Death Star II is in it's final stages of completion, and I even spent the night cycle in it. It's so comfy, Luke, and get this, as a high official, I get as many rooms as I want for my personal use! Once my plans are complete, or even now, my door is always open to you, my son.
I thank you for your faith in me, and for not listening to the paranoias of two old fools! Here I am trying to establish a relationahip with my son, trying to get to know him better, and THEY'RE trying to pull us apart and talk you into killing me!And to think we were once friends! Yes I am mostly machine, but has Obi Wan forgotten that he PUT me here by throwing me in that lava pit? Does he think I LIKE being a freak?
And what's this about your sister being in the clutches of that pile of excrement? If not for her, I would share in your mother's wishes that you don't go there. But you are a Jedi, Luke, and that is your sister in trouble! I care not for the others, but you go there and destroy that slimeball and free your sister! You do not want ME to go down there!
I must leave for now, a few foremen need to be led by the hand again. Take care, my son, and follow your heart.

Your father Anakin
P.S. You gladdened my heart when you addressed me as "father". I am proud to call you my son!
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Note 36
Luke,

You’re safe? Whew! I was so worried that you might have been hurt…. Well, I was lucky. All Jabba did was lock me up with Han. Unfortunately, though, I DO remember the Sarlacc. Ani told me about it. One thousand years of digestion before we are killed. We’d better be prepared to fight this thing! Make sure R2 knows when to give you the lightsaber, and perhaps toss me a blaster, too. We’ll get out of this.

You know, I had to learn that I couldn’t protect you from everything over twenty years ago, when Obi-Wan told me that you were dead. I had to learn that again every time Vader captured Leia and tortured her, and since I found you were my son, every time you did something life threatening. Still, that’s one lesson that doesn’t stick very well to me. Please, just be patient, I’ll try not to suffocate you by being too overprotective.

I’m starting to see the logic in Obi-Wan saying that you should kill Vader. You must realize that he ISN’T your father anymore. He’s a Sith, a monster and a tyrant! I was his wife, and he doesn’t even consider by pleads! You’ll see after a while just how unchangeable he really is.

And about the height deficiency, you say you know people who were less than four feet tall? Well, how many queens do you know with that height? You see what I mean?

I think it was a combination of everything that you got asthma. It seems that way with everything else, at least. The Jedi Purge, the Empire, Vader, it’s all interlinked in so many ways. And yes, Ani’s lungs were much better than yours.

Well, I can’t deny that Leia’s developed into quite the Rebel Leader. She does sort of remind me of myself at that age, fighting so hard against the Empire like that. I just hope that learning about Vader doesn’t change her personality.

You see how special you are? Everyone wants to throw you a party! Don’t worry about the Death Sticks, I’m not allergic to it, but I hate it too. Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find a nice, Smoking-free place to eat.

Don’t worry, you weren’t ever a pain to take care of as a baby! Now, on the other hand…rushing off to dangers…. Don’t worry, I’m just teasing!

It’s not unusual for someone never to imagine that they were a prince! Imagine my surprise when I was elected queen! I never knew the Naboo loved me that much! Still, there was nothing I loved more than to serve my planet.

I suppose I shouldn’t blame your father for your asthma, even if he did indirectly cause it. It’s just, if my Ani had remained the person he was, it would have been one less thing to worry about, one less thing that went wrong. So many things have gone wrong… and it all seems to be linked to Vader, my once love.

You were the top student in your class? Really? Congratulations! Which classes? Tell me about them.

On Naboo, we study at a much faster pace than usual. I graduated school when I was ten, and joined the Legislative Youth Organization when I was twelve. I remember, though, that the teachers were very strict, but very encouraging and motivating.

Of course I remember that teddy bear! It always sat on the top of the shelf in the living room. The last time I visited Owen? I don’t quite remember…I think it was probably twenty years ago, right before Anakin and I were married. Owen and Anakin used to be such good friends!

I haven’t been able to contact my parents yet, but Dalben was very thrilled to hear about you! He’s very eager to meet you as soon as we have a chance to return to Naboo.

Well, Threepio IS a droid, and droids DO get their memories wiped occasionally, and also you’re right, not many people recognize Anakin by physical appearance anymore.

I’m not too worried about Vader coming here. Even if he does, he probably won’t want to bring any members of the Empire onto his homeland for such a personal reason… or at least I hope he won’t. Anyway, if he can rescue us from Jabba, then at least we have a chance of survival. Vader’s too intent in turning us to kill us.

Like I said, you were very intelligent as a baby. Not only could you identify people, but you had very good directional sense. Whenever I took you outside, no matter how deep into the forest I took you, you would always point back at Yoda’s hut. It was like you knew that the sooner we returned the sooner you would get your milk.

I don’t know about making a lightsaber, after all, I’m not a Jedi. However, it WOULD be interesting to learn some saber techniques. Maybe then I wouldn’t need my Jedi protectors to come to my rescue all the time.

It really warms my heart that your father has such warm feelings for you. Everything would be perfect if those words were not coming from a desperate want to have a son in the Empire with him. I suppose that trying to get him back on the Light Side is a good idea, as long as you don’t get sucked into the Dark Side in the process (which I know you won’t!).

Well, our execution is coming up soon. We’d better prepare ourselves.



Padmé
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Note 37
Mom,

Wow, I didn’t get a chance to send this before the sail barge assault. Now I get to tell you about that. I know you’re here with me, but I thought I’d tell you my version of what happened. I couldn’t see you all the time because of the fighting. You weren’t hurt, were you?

Okay, now about the sail barge assault. Well we arrived at the pit. Jabba did some talking, and I made a comment which I was pretty sure would make Jabba want to make me be the first one to walk the plank. Just as they were about to throw me in, I used the force to kind of use the plank as a springboard. I did a flip when I jumped…I grabbed onto the board before I did the flip, and I landed on the sail barge thingy again.

That’s when everything started to go wild. Even though Han couldn’t see very well…because of his hibernation sickness, he, Lando, and I started attacking Jabba’s men. (Did you too? You were out of my view most of the time, for whatever reason). I wanted to get to Jabba, but in order to do that, I had to go jump on several of the sail barge things before I got to Jabba’s. I was hoping to rescue Leia and kill Jabba.

But when I got up there…I found that Leia had somehow already killed Jabba. I have no idea how she did it…somehow she got the chain around Jabba’s throat and strangled him.

So she and I started fighting people…R2-D2 and C-3PO also started escaping….we set some explosives….the ones that you gave us before we left, and we took one of the sail barge things…..and got out of there…all of us……me, Lando, Leia, Han, you, C-3PO, and R2-D2.

I’m so glad we got out of that mess!

We FINALLY made it back to the rendezvous point again. It looks like we’re getting ready for battle again. Vader told me about the Second Death Star. He’s been bragging to me about it, as you know from the letters I’ve shown you. From what I’ve heard, there’s no big weakness this time…but it’s incomplete, right? We’ve got to get it before they put it into operation.

I hope you didn’t mind that I took my X-Wing back to the fleet, but I had to get it off of Tatooine…and it is my ship, so I took it. I hope you didn’t mind the cramped space when we flew back. I was happy to have some company as I flew back to the rendezvous point.

And yes, as you can see, I am perfectly safe. I’m touched that you would worry about me getting hurt, but I was fine.

Hey, you said my father told you about the Sarlacc. Remember, I grew up on Tatooine too. I also had heard of it, and I knew exactly what Jabba was talking about when he gave us that sentence.

As you can guess from what happened, R2 did know when to give me my lightsaber, but I also used the Force to get it into my hand…and since you’re not Force Sensitive (you’re not, right?), you couldn’t have had R2 throw you a blaster. I had Lando get you one. I hope you didn’t mind that.

It’s good that you are protective of me…because that’s how all mothers are supposed to be…and it is okay for you to worry about me when I’m in danger. I just don’t want you to worry about me ALL the time. You wouldn’t be able to enjoy life that way. I didn’t want you to over worry about me…and I do tell people not to worry about me when I get sick or something…but if you really did not express your concern, I would be bothered by that. It’s nice to know that others care about you.

By the way, have you talked with Dr. Percy yet? I think you should…because it might help put you at ease about my lungs and stuff like that.

And I’m not going to kill Vader unless I have to out of self-defense. I believe there is good in him, and if there is good in him, I’m going to get him back to the light side, or die in the attempt. If I think that you and Obi-Wan are right, and there is no good in him, I would kill him if I had to. I know he’s a Sith, but he’s also my father…and he is not completely evil, like other Sith I have heard about. Sure, he’s done some terrible things to the galaxy, but still……he loves his family. He cannot truly be evil. Like I said before, I need to find out for myself. Nothing you, Yoda, or Obi-Wan says is going to make me think there is no good in him.

No…I said I knew people who were less than 5 feet tall, not less than 4 feet tall. And after all…you weren’t under 4 feet when you were queen. There is a BIG difference between being under 4 feet and being 5 feet 5 inches tall. Why would your height even matter? People respected you because of your position, not your physical appearance, and if they judged you by your appearance, they weren’t your true supports to begin with.

It probably was a combination of everything that I got asthma. My dad had it too, and so do a lot of people in the galaxy. Were you worried about my father’s lungs ever? I know you said they weren’t as bad as mine.

Yes, Leia has been a very good Rebel Leader, taking after you :) I know you’re worried that Leia won’t accept you, but really, I’m sure it will be all right. Learning about Vader didn’t change my personality in a bad way. Sure I was mad about the situation for the first couple days after the fight, but Leia’s not fighting Vader. No one evil told her. I think she’s handling it pretty well, myself. Besides that, she has my support, yours, Han’s, my grandmother’s, my grandfather’s (Shmi and Cliegg), plus my uncle….and I’m sure many others.

Okay, okay…so a few people wanted to throw me a party this year. I wonder if anyone really likes Death Stick smoke. What do you think dad would do about it right now…I mean he has to wear that mask, and he told me he still has asthma now…with his burned lungs, so I’m sure it couldn’t be good for him. Okay, well I’m sure there are a lot of nice smoking-free places, so I’ll just let you pick something out. I trust your judgment.

Do you have any other stories to tell me about myself as a baby? How bad were my lungs when I was a baby? Did you know I had asthma as a baby?

I don’t mean to hurt you…but I heard that Palpatine was the one that arranged your votes so that you would get elected queen of Naboo. He thought you were young and naïve, and would be easy to control. I heard that Palpatine had Arawn mess with the ballots to make it that way. But that could just be a lie that Palpatine started because he couldn’t stand to have you popular or something.

Yes, well what does being prince under your family mean? I don’t think I’d ever want to rule anything, because I don’t like politics. Sorry, mom, but it’s just not me. But maybe Leia would like that.

I don’t know what caused my asthma, but it was probably a little of everything, as we said before. And I don’t think you could blame my father for it…and I don’t know for sure whether you could say he indirectly caused it for sure or not. Who knows, maybe killing the Sandpeople wasn’t enough of a Dark Side action to cause me health problems…….and maybe I didn’t inherit it. I don’t think it HAS to be hereditary, but I know it can be. Have you asked Obi-Wan about it? What did he say?

I think it would have been a lot better for everyone if Anakin hadn’t become Darth Vader. It certainly would have been a great help to the Old Republic…who knows, maybe Palpatine would even be dead.

When I said I was the top student in my class, I meant my grade…the people that were in the same year as me. And yes, I was the top student in my class. Which classes? I took a bunch of classes throughout my years in school……..

I took math classes, language classes, science classes, history classes, technology classes, literature classes…..I don’t know…….just a bunch of everything. It took as much as I could. A lot of them were advanced classes, and I wasn’t done with my classes. I kind of had to put my learning on hold when I joined the Rebellion. I’m taking college classes now. I can give you specific class names if you want. What would you like to know about them?

Oh…okay, so you studied at a faster pace than usual. I wouldn’t want to be part of a Legislative Youth Organization, but you must have loved it. You must have learned so much from that.

Oh…so you went to visit my uncle before you were married to my father, and that’s the last time you were at my house? That was a long time ago…it was before I was born. I’m 20, so that had to have been over 20 years ago. Uncle Owen and Anakin used to be good friends? Really? They don’t act like that now!

Okay, so you haven’t been able to contact your parents yet? Be sure to tell me when you do. I’d love to go with you to Naboo……but we can’t right now. There’s the problem with the Second Death Star, and there’s going to be an upcoming battle. After that, I’d love to go meet your adoptive father. I want to see this Naboo planet.

Yes, droids do get their memories wiped sometimes…but I’d like to think that C-3PO remembers my dad the way he used to be. I hope his memory was never erased. If he can remember my dad, then he has the opportunity of doing something I’ll never be able to do.

Actually…Vader did come to his homeland (Tatooine), for a VERY personal reason. He wanted to kidnap my grandfather, and I just happened to be around, and told my uncle about the original Death Star plans as he was listening in to the conversation. That’s why my family had to leave…because I lied to Vader about the plans. And remember, Vader sent an entire Imperial Fleet out after the Millennium Falcon, just so he could find me. He also sent out all those probes for the same purpose. That had to have been expensive.

But we don’t need to worry about that. Since we escaped ourselves, Vader can’t rescue us from Jabba, now can he? Then you do admit that Vader would not kill us. A true evil person would not hesitate to kill.

LOL…I knew what direction Yoda’s hut was when you took me out into the forest? So you took me out of the hut a lot? The doctors let you do that? Even though my lungs were weak, they must have been able to function well enough on their own for you to take me far from the hut. So maybe my lungs were not worse than they are now, when I was a baby. I just thought they would have been, since no one thought I would live….or maybe the doctors lied to you about my condition?

Is there a rule against non-Force Sensitive people making lightsabers? I’m sure you could…since you are the husband of a Jedi, and the mother of another. And maybe you are a little Force Sensitive. What exactly is the Royal Force anyway? Is it a Force like the Force is?

You consider me your Jedi protector?

Yes…it is quite touching how my father has shown such warm feelings for me. I know he is desperate for me to join the Empire, but he has to accept that I’m not going to turn.

Let me know how you’re doing.



Your son,
Luke


PS Here’s Vader’s most recent letter:

My dear son Luke,
What's this? My daughter is chained to that slobbering pile of excrement? How DARE he! I commend you for keeping your head and not charge headlong into the fray and holding your temper in check. I sometimes have a problem with that. That's what happened on Tatooine. You see, my mother, your grandmother, was captured by the Tuskan raiders. My father was injured and could not help her, so I went alone to find her. And I did. She was.. forgive my not able to speak of her condition, my son, but understand that she was almost dead. When I emerged from the tent and saw the Tuscans laughing, I was comsumed in rage. Before I realized what was happening, I had killed the entire camp! No, I did not brag about it. In fact, your mother was the only one up till now that I revealed this to.
Speaking of your mother, you asked how it was like when we met. Well, when I first saw her, I thought she was an angel who has come to save my mother and me. She was beautiful, Luke, inside and out. You have not sent recent pictures of her to me, but I am sure her beauty has not faded with age. When she first kissed me, I felt so blessed to be touched by such an angel. When she went back to Naboo, my heart went with her. Mother told me I was only a child, and it was just a crush. I believed her at first. But then I found myself thinking of her night and day,dreaming of her. Make no mistake, my son. The power of a woman is far greater thatn ANY Force, light or dark! You'll find out when you meet that special lady.
I know I hurt her, but she also hurt me. After what I told her on Tatooine, she should have KNOWN how I feel about family! That's why I always clashed with Obi Wan and the Council. They wanted me to put the Knights first, family second, but I disagreed. Family is ALWAYS the most important thing in one's life. A family's love should guide the Force and strengthen it. But no, they just were too close-minded to see that. Qui Gon Jinn was the only man who believed in me.
Qui Gon. Now there's a Jedi master to look up to. He, like me, didn't always go by the book, but went with his heart. He's the one who secured my freedom and told the Jedi Council to let him train me. I've always admired and respected him.
You misunderstand, my son. The new Death Star is not luxurious, only the living quarters are. The rest of the Star, designed by Palatine,looks like a giant took a bite out of it.
I know you'll never join me, but I DID tell you I would persuade you any way I can. As for my plans for Palpatine and what I'd do with the Death Star, you'd have to join me first (see what I mean?).
I have faith in you, son, and I am sure you can escape the Sarlacc and free your sister. And thank you for the letters from your mother. They help me understand her side of the story and help me realize that if I decide to come back to the Light, she may just be waiting there for me. Thank you also for having faith in me. After you beat the Sarlacc and save Leia, do come visit. I must go to my doctors. They say that there may be a way to heal my burnt body and restore me to normal so I can get out of this blasted suit! Farewell, my son.
Anakin Skywalker

PSS

Han’s agreed to be the strike team leader for going to Endor? As you know from the meeting, Chewie, Leia, and I are all going. I couldn’t let my sister go without me. I’ve got to stick close to her. I don’t care if I am a little younger than her (Obi-Wan told me), but I’m still going to act like her older brother. She’s only what, a couple minutes older than me? How many minutes?


PSSS
In Vader’s last letter made a reference to recent pictures of you. I think he would like to see what you look like now. I wanted to ask your permission before giving him any, so I wanted to know what you would say. Are you willing to give a recent picture of yourself to my father?
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Note 38
Luke,

Well, I didn’t quite get to see you fight, but from the sound of it you seemed to have had quite an exciting spar! For me it was just shooting the guards with the blaster Artoo passed me. One of the guards singed my arm a bit, but it’s nothing serious, and I got him back. Well, it certainly looks like Jabba won’t be having any more dancing women anymore!

You don’t need to ask if I mind for everything you do, you know! Your X-wing is actually quite nice compared to some of the ships I used to hide in. I’m quite impressed with your piloting skills!

Yes, Vader has told me about his plans also. I get the feeling it’s only half brag, though, and this one will be a bit hard to destroy. From what my brother tells me, though, they’re asking Han to be commanding the next mission for destroying the Death Star. If anything, he’s one of the best fighters, so that helps.

I’m glad that you’re okay! Still, I hope you didn’t mind me searching you all over for any wounds. You complained a lot, but I just had to make sure that adrenaline wasn’t hiding any injuries.

Yeah, the Sarlacc’s one of the most popular beasts. I’ve seen a baby one in the Naboo museum, but never a full-grown digester like this one! Of course, the one in the museum was under maximum security, fed special chemicals to keep it from growing.

Okay, okay, I’ll try not to be so protective of you. It’s just, I missed out on twenty years of mothering! What do you expect from me? Maybe if you turn Ani back we could have another baby and I wouldn’t bother you as much, but until then, bear with me, okay? And as much as you might deny, I DO enjoy life! I enjoy it to the fullest every time I look into your eyes! As much as it might scare you, you are still my baby.

I HAVE talked to Dr. Percy, and he DID reassure me that you were all right, and any action toward healing you has already been given. I think he might have been a little annoyed with all the questions I kept answering him. I just wanted to make sure that I was doing as much as I could to help you.

Look, if you really want to confront Vader, and attempt to turn him back, I’m not about to stop you. That’s something you need to face for yourself. Obi-Wan and I had to go through the exact same thing before we really realized who he had become.

Did I say 4 ft tall? I meant 5 ft. Anyway, height DOES matter. A lot of subtleties matter. Have you ever seen the political cartoon with me in a stroller and leading an army? Physical appearances DO have an effect on what people think of you, no matter how well you rule.

I never really had to worry about Ani’s lungs. We had to make sure that he never left his inhaler anywhere, but he wasn’t deprived of doing anything anyone else had done before. I suppose it was the same situation for you, but…it’s different when the one inflicted is your son.

I suppose Leia IS handling the situation better than I thought. Just wait until the protective mother kicks in again for Leia, though. She’ll be screaming bloody murder!

I know Ani never like Death Sticks before, and now he absolutely loathes them. I know for a fact he forbids smoking in the Death Star, and anyone who dares to do so will, well…die.

Hey, you forget that one of the most popular phrases a diplomat hears is “How about we discuss it over lunch?” The worse thing to do is to offend a negotiator by taking them to a smoking-allowed place, so I’m pretty familiar with non-smoking restaurants.

I’m sending over this photo album of when you were a baby on Dagobah. You can see for yourself just how tiny you were! And that big, fat baby? That was your sister!

I always knew from the doctor that you had weak lungs, but I don’t think the asthma developed until later. Still, we had to be careful with how we took care of you.

I don’t think your lungs ever hindered you, though. I still remember when you and Leia were sharing a crib, I used to slip bottles of juice in for you. Leia never had a problem drinking on her own, but you were too weak and I had to hold it in your mouth all the time. One day, I left the bottle in there, and when I came to check on you, I found a huge mess in the crib. You had basically clawed a hole into the bottle, and was lapping the spilled juice! Yoda was very angry, but I just remember laughing and holding you up, knowing that nothing would ever keep my son from doing something once he set out for it.

Palpatine DID in fact mess with the ballots to get me elected. As I mentioned before, I wasn’t very popular because of my age. Still, I was a good queen, and that’s what matters. Palpatine actually found it quite difficult to control me.

Except that one time. That time I made him chancellor. I want to forget that memory so much, but it sticks with me. If I hadn’t encouraged the Senate to give up their current Chancellor, Palpatine would never have been elected, and the galaxy wouldn’t be the way it is. So, in a way, the Empire is my fault.

I don’t expect you to like politics. I want you to pursue what you want, not what I want. I like the fact that you are a Jedi and a pilot and a brother and most importantly to me, a son. What does it mean to be a prince? You get a fancy title. That’s it.

Yes, it would be better if Anakin hadn’t become Vader, but it’s too late now to do anything. Well, I suppose it would be a great help if you turned your father back, but…well, I’ll have faith in you.

It’s sad that you had to put your learning on hold because of the Rebellion, especially since you seemed too enthralled with it. Hmm, maybe I should talk with Bail for getting a few teachers on the base with us to teach a few classes to our younger recruits. After all, when the Empire disperses, we’re going to need all that brainpower to reestablish all that was lost!

I did love the LYO, it really helped me open my eyes to the world around me! I remember even having my first crush there. If I ever see your father in the near future, maybe I’ll tempt him with the name Palo and see how heavy his breathing gets. I remember when I had first fallen in love with Ani I used to tease him a lot. It was okay, though, because he knew I was just teasing.

It’s a pity, really for those two brothers to be at each other’s throats like that when they used to be so close. I guess that’s what happens to a person when they turn; they lose all the wonderful feelings they once treasured.

I suppose Vader does at least love his family. I just don’t know if that’s enough. I mean, he still kills people every day, just not us. And it’s not like Vader’s incapable of loving, he once did, a lot! Just now…If you can get him to be the man he once was, I’ll forgive him in a heartbeat. I just don’t think you can do it.

Your lungs WERE pretty bad, but I didn’t want you to remain cooped up like that. I wanted to expose you to the outside air, so that even if you were going to die, you’d die having an image of the outside world.

Now that you bring it up, I AM Force Sensitive. I’m just not a Jedi, and I’ve never been trained as one before. I suppose I should check with Obi-Wan just ot make sure it’s okay.

When your father and I met for the second time (after ten years from the first time), he was assigned to me as a Jedi bodyguard. He was always so intent on proving to me that he was the best, that I needed him. So as a joke I always called him my Jedi Protector. AS the years went by, that nickname was a way of symbolizing our love.

I suppose it’s like father like son. Now you’re my Jedi Protector.

It’s heartwarming, really, to know that Anakin still has those feelings for me. Just like you said, though, it isn’t enough. He needs to understand that we both will NOT turn. Not now, not ever. I’m glad that you’re taking care of your sister! You were always protective of her as a baby, and you still are. She’s five minutes older than you, so technically she should be taking care of you!

You have my permission to show any pictures of me to Vader. I actually am curious to what he has to say about them.


Padmé
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 39
Mother,

I’m sorry that you couldn’t be part of the Command Crew in the captured Imperial Shuttle, but those things aren’t very big. Han, Chewie, Leia, and I had a hard time sitting comfortably. I am pleased that you decided to be part of the strike team, though. At least we get to be together.

This is what happened on our way:
Han is too busy trying to guide the shuttle, and figure out how to run the thing. I’m just sitting back, thinking about everything that’s happened so far.

Well we approached a Star Destroyer….and I could feel that my father was on it. I know he felt me too, which made me feel really bad. I’m endangering our mission, and I didn’t even think about the fact that Vader and I would be able to sense each other……since we both used the force around each other, so we know what each other feels like through the force. I got a little worried.

Han thought I was crazy when I said that Vader was on that ship. Leia cried at the mention of his name…..and it made me feel really bad for her because she hasn’t had the time to take it all in like I have. Han’s reaction was kind of funny. He told Chewie to stay away from the Star Destroyer, but not to look like we were avoiding it. Chewie asked him a question…it must have been like “how do I fly then?” or something like that. Han’s answer was, “I don’t know, fly casually.” I would have laughed if I hadn’t been so worried about Vader and endangering our mission.

Just as I thought they were going to do something….like not let us go because it was taking a long time, they cleared us. Mom, Vader knows I’m on this shuttle….and he probably knows that I’m not alone. I feel like I’ve let the entire Rebellion down. I’m not sure why he let us go. I’m sure I’ll be meeting up with him.

After that, Han landed the shuttle, and everyone got out. I was finally able to see you again. How was the ride over?

I know you were there when these events happened, but I just like to explain everything so you know what I’m talking about.

Now to tell you what’s gone on in my life since the last time I wrote you. Well, we landed on Endor with no problems. We started walking along…..it’s really pretty there. There are trees all over the place. Well we weren’t walking long when we spotted a group of stormtroopers.

Han went off to sneak up on one….while Leia and I stayed behind. That was the first time I had been alone with Leia since Hoth. It was really weird. I would have tried to talk to her, but I couldn’t because of the stormtroopers. Han stepped on a twig, and the stormtrooper turned around. The other stormtroopers started going on speederbikes to get more help. Leia jumped up and started running for a speederbike. I followed her. I kind of feel that I have to protect her now….since she is my sister. Well I jumped on the back of the bike.

I think she probably has as strong a force as I do….because she was really good at controlling the speederbike, so I think she’d be good at flying and all the other stuff.

Well anyway, I told her to move up beside another speederbike. I threw the stormtrooper off of it, and I jumped onto that bike. Those bikes are kind of hard to control……..they go really really fast. That’s why I’m saying Leia probably has a strong force too.

I don’t know what happened with her, but somehow she must have fallen off. I fought a couple , and then ended up jumping off my bike before it ran into this tree.

I assumed Leia would be back by the time I got to where we had left Han, but she wasn’t. That really worried me. We started looking for her. I came across her helmet…..but she was no where to be found. I know she’s not hurt or dead or anything…..because I know I would have felt that through the force. I’m just worried about her…….

Then Chewie saw this dead animal….and I realized that it was a trap too late….and tried to stop him from pulling it. Well we ended up getting in this net thing……and that’s where we are now.

I hope I can find Leia soon. I don’t want anything to happen to her.

I’ll admit, the fight on the sail barge WAS exciting, though you have a few details wrong. I’ll account that to your lack of a good view. One of the guards singed your arm a bit? Are you all right? Have you gone to the med center about it?

I think Leia used the Force to strangle Jabba, just because of how she described doing the deed.

I just like to be polite. Sometimes I annoy people with my politeness…like telling people what I’m going to do. One person HATED me because of that part of my personality. I don’t understand it. I hope it doesn’t bother you too much. I’m glad you liked my X-Wing. Sorry it didn’t smell very good, but it’s been a while since I cleaned it out last. I’ve sweated in it quite a bit. My piloting skills? Well it’s all natural stuff because no one has taught me anything about flying. But thank you for the compliment.

Well no matter how powerful something is, if it was built, it can be destroyed. I have confidence in the fact that we can destroy this Death Star. Han told me he turned down the general position for the fleet, “because he isn’t crazy.” Lando Calrissian took the job, and I think he’ll do a fine job. Han even let him borrow the Millennium Falcon for the job.

All we need to do is come through for our part of the plans. I need to leave in order for that to happen. As long as I stay, I’m endangering the mission. I shouldn’t have come. Vader can feel my presence, and I am afraid I have jeopardized our mission. As soon as we find Leia, I’m going to go off and turn myself in to the Imperials. I have confidence that they will lead me to Vader, and then I can try to turn him back to the good side.

Mom, it was heartwarming to know that someone cared enough about me to search me over for wounds. But I won’t lie when I’m injured; you can count on that. Pretty much, you can take me for my word when I tell you that I am all right.

They had a baby Sarlacc in the Naboo museum? Why? What good could it have possible done? At least the kept it under control. I wouldn’t want one of those things to get out of hand.

It’s okay if you’re protective of me, just don’t over do it. If I tell you I’m all right, assume that I’m telling you the truth. If I’m sick or injured, I REALLy let the people around me know it. Mom…I don’t think it would be a good idea for you and my dad to have another baby, even if he does turn back. The reason why I’m saying this is, what if it’s a boy? If you have a boy, it would be a lot worse off than I ever was, because Vader’s done some REALLY bad things as a Sith, and those would reflect in any male offspring that he would have. It doesn’t matter if he turns back to the good side. Any male children he would have would be horribly off…I was born really small, had weak lungs, very bad asthma, and crooked legs, and the only thing my dad did that was bad was killing those sandpeople. Think of what it would be like to have a child with Vader after he did all those horrible things. Would you want to risk the pain all over again? I’m lucky to be alive, since everyone thought I would die.

Mom, you do NOT bother me. Even when you are being overprotective, you are not bothersome. You have to trust me on that, but I’m telling you the truth.

Okay, so you have talked with Dr. Percy? And you said that he reassured you that I was all right, and that any action towards healing me had already been taken. Well do you think you could recall the entire conversation? If you can’t that’s all right, but I would like to know, because it was ME you were discussing. I want to know everything he said, if possible word for word. Do you think you could do that for me? You asked him a bunch of questions? What questions? And what were his exact responses?

Oh, you couldn’t stop me from trying to confront Vader even if you tried. I will do this thing, and try my best to get him back to the light side. That is my goal. I cannot accept that my father is all evil. There is a conflict within him; I have felt it. All he needs to do is let go of his hate, his pride, and everything tying him to Palpatine.

Yes, you did say 4 ft tall. I knew you meant 5 ft tall. However, why did you even say 5 feet tall? You told me you were five feet five inches tall. That’s not that short, mom. I’m serious. I wouldn’t say that was short at all. That’s average height. I told you that was the same difference…between my height and yours as it is behind my height and my fathers. No I didn’t see that political cartoon, but the people who made it were stupid to consider 5 feet 5 as short.

But you said my father didn’t have to take his inhaler very often. I understand that he wouldn’t want to leave it anywhere, though. I’ve left mine before, and it’s gotten me into big trouble. Each time I came out okay though (obviously.) How bad would you say my dad’s asthma was? I know you said it was better than mine…but how much better?

I’m glad that Leia never had anything wrong with her lungs.

Were we born early? Or on time? If we were born early, how much early?

LOL. I can imagine Vader killing someone for smoking in his presence. That’s kind of funny, actually. Who would be stupid enough to smoke in front of him. Do you know if people actually did try it? I’m glad you are familiar with non-smoking restaurants.

Was my father allergic to anything, or did he just get his asthma from exercise?

Thanks for the photo album. Everyone is right; I WAS a tiny baby, but hey, I’m taller than Leia now. Leia was A LOT bigger than me as a baby.

Okay, so you don’t think I had asthma right away after I was born, but that you think it developed later. How old was I when Obi-Wan gave me to Owen and Beru? Because I know I had developed it by the time I was 3 years old, and I’m sure I had it when I was younger than that. I believe my uncle said I had it when I was less than a year old, but I don’t know how many months old I was.

I’m glad that even though I had weak lungs that they didn’t hinder me much. I don’t think they ever have. I don’t remember the juice incident, but it sounds funny. I was able to claw into a bottle? How?

Please don’t think it is your fault that the Empire exists. I’m sure that it is not. Palpatine may have used you to get Supreme Chancellor, but if his plan with you hadn’t of worked, he would have found another way. If his goal was to become Emperor, he would have stopped at nothing to accomplish his goal.

I’m glad that you are allowing to pursue what I want, instead of what you want. Thank you for that freedom. I enjoy learning to become a Jedi Knight, piloting, and whatever else I can do for the Rebellion. Thanks for telling me the significance of the prince title.

Hey, what were Leia and my middle names?

I do know that I’m not the one that will turn Vader back…he has to do it himself. I just hope that I can be a means of accomplishing it. Don’t have faith in me. Have faith in everything my father once stood for.

Your idea of having a few classes in the Rebellion sounds like a good idea. I know I’m not the only one who had to quit schooling in order to participate in the Rebellion. Have you talked with Bail about it yet?

You had your first crush at the LYO? How was that? Did he like you back? Would you have considered him a boyfriend? How old were you at the time? I’m going to guess his name was Palo because you mentioned him in the sentence after you explained the first crush thing.

I hope that my uncle and my father can become good brothers again. I do think that when a person joins the Dark Side, they sacrifice so much.

Yes…although only loving his family is not ideal for Vader, at least he has the capacity for love. That means that he is not completely all evil. It means that he can turn back…all hope is not lost. I’m going to try.

At least I could breathe on my own so that you could take me out in the outside air. Was I able to breathe on my own even just after I was born? Did you have to give me any medicine or any special care? (I know you said you had to be careful how you held me, and to make sure I was in a position where I could breathe, but anything else?)

You are Force Sensitive then? Really? So is the Royal Force a different kind of Force? So do I have two different kinds of midi-cholorians in me? Have you asked Obi-Wan yet about making a lightsaber?

How many years did you know my father before you got married?

If the title Jedi Protector is so precious to you, in expressing your love for my father, I wouldn’t want to take that title. Why? Because I feel wrong doing it. That title should be reserved for my father, and him alone.

Why should just the older sibling be protective of the younger? Shouldn’t both of them be protective of each other? Isn’t that what a family is all about? And 5 minutes age difference isn’t much age difference.

I sent a copy of a recent picture to Vader. I’ll be sure to tell you what he says about it.



Your son,
Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 40
Luke,

This must be so hard for you, dear, to be so close to your father! Look, we’re together again, and I’ll try to make things better. Don’t think of yourself as endangering the mission! You are the reason we can even have this mission! Don’t worry, Vader would have found out about this anyway, and we would be in much hotter water if you weren’t here to protect us.

It helps to know that Han’s there, giving good advice. He’s a good pilot, and I trust you in his hands. I still don’t feel comfortable with you meeting with your father, but from what you and Obi-Wan have told me, it seems inevitable. Please, be safe. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you again!

Leia’s missing? Oh no! I’ll come with you to search for her. She probably just fell, and is lost; she will be okay once we find her! I don’t know what I would do if she was captured by a stormtrooper, but she’s strong, she’ll be all right!

Don’t worry about my arm, sweetie. It’s just stinging a little, it will heal!

There’s nothing wrong with being polite! I like hearing you chatter like this! It’s music to my ears, seeing my son so full of life! Don’t worry about people being annoyed, because your politeness comes from a wonderful heart, and people know that, even if they don’t show it.

Oh, don’t worry about the smell of your ship, Ani’s never smelled much better! I know it’s a mark of a good pilot!

Han really let Lando borrow the ship? I guess the pressure is on him, not only with destroying the Death Star, but not scratching the ship!

The baby Sarlacc was just there for the researchers to study. From what I remember them saying, they are inspecting the Sarlacc’s cells to see how it manages to stay alive so long.

Wow, I never really thought about just how much you were impacted by this! I can’t even begin to describe a decent apology for what your father and I put you through! I’m really sorry that you were so hurt! I guess I didn’t really think about it, as you always hid your hurt so well, but now I see that it really WAS awful for you to have so many disabilities. You’re right, I shouldn’t have a child, knowing the consequences for that child would be. It would just be another mark of my selfishness.

Wow, you’re very interested in what Dr. Percy said! All right, I’ll try to recall what he said.

Lets see, I asked him to describe for me what exactly is the matter with you health-wise, and he said that while you were a fetus, you somehow did not receive the nutrients you needed, and could not grow as your sister did. Your leg bones developed far too late, growing into already deformed muscles.

I then asked him if there was anything that could completely cure you. He said that he had heard of treatments in which they can surgically repair your lungs, but that it is a dangerous process, and hasn’t been tested very often. He said that his braces did help you a lot, and your legs probably won’t return to its old shape again, but your lungs will never fully heal.

I commented that you were handling this situation very bravely, and he agreed, complimenting on how strong you were through your childhood, hardly ever complaining. It’s a quality not often found in his patients. I told him that I was very proud of you for that, and he agreed, saying how lucky I was to have such a son.

After that, he had a meeting with a little boy’s parents about bracing a scoliosis patient, so I had to leave, but that’s basically what happened!

Your dad’s asthma wasn’t very bad. He only needed it very occasionally, when he ran too hard or did something else too vigorously. He didn’t have many problems, though, because he knew his limits.

You both were born two months early. That’s why you came out on Dagobah instead of Alderaan, where we had previously planned that you be born.

I remember a story in the newspaper once of a stormtrooper who smoked in Vader’s presence, and was choked to death. I guess, then that people DID try it before, but not after that!

LOL, you’re right, you HAVE grown a lot! I doubt I could hold you with one arm anymore! So tall and handsome, just like your father once was!

I don’t know how many mouths old you were when you first developed asthma, only that you weren’t with me when it happened. I gave you to Obi-Wan when you were only six months old, so small, and he gave you to Owen. He’d probably know for sure.

I don’t know exactly how you managed to claw such a thick bottle, but like I said, you were a very persistent baby! Nothing made you give up! There were other times when I held you, when I tried to set you down, I realized I couldn’t as you had me in a death grip, refusing to let go! Yet, I DID end up letting you go, and I still regret it.

Middle names? I guess I never did tell you! Your full name is Luke Gabriel Skywalker. I named you Gabriel after the Angel Gabriel because it was an angel’s gift that you were alive at all! Leia’s name was Leia Atnia Skywalker, after the Nubian goddess of wisdom. I’m so glad to see that she has fulfilled that meaning!

I really DO want to have faith in Vader, really. It’s just, he wrote a lot of hateful notes to me lately. Even the tiny bit of Ani that I had once seen in him has disappeared. I don’t know, I’ll try to have faith in him, but he’s hurt me so much! I suppose I am being selfish, but he IS a Sith Lord, and Sith Lords don’t repent easily.

I DID talk to Bail about having classes in the Rebellion, but he didn’t think it would be such a good idea, simply because if we win this battle now, the Emperor would be dead, the Empire destroyed, and the Rebellion would not really need to be there. If we lose, we’d all be dead, and there will be no Rebellion. If so many pilots waited so long for schooling, why not wait until the battle is over, then set up a school for all of them, instead of now, when we need to focus on this?

Oh goodness, those days in the LYO bring back so many memories! Yes, his name was Palo, and at the time, I thought he was so cute! He had such wonderful hair, dark and soft, and such dreamy eyes! We were together for a few months before we both went our separate ways.

You’re right, when a person turns, they give up everything, family, friends, morals even! I miss my Ani, the one who was once so close to me.

When you were a baby, we had to by special milk that had healing powders mixed into them, to help heal your lungs. Also, none of else could ever forget to burp you, knowing that if we did, you’d be dead!

The Royal Force is like the Force, the only difference being in the pain medication. I could have been a Jedi, but my parents didn’t want me to be one, and I became a politician. Obi-Wan said it was okay for me to build a lightsaber, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. After all, I’m a politician, not a Jedi, and a lightsaber could do more harm to me than help me.

I had met your father when he was only ten years old, then went a period of ten years before seeing him again, and then proposed marriage less than a year later! It was a very strange experience, but he had had a crush on me that had heightened over the ten years without seeing me, and I just found it hard to resist him!

Leia has a right to be protective just as much as you do! I simply am thinking that you seem like the older brother at times, like now, going after Leia in the forest!


Your mother,
Padmé
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 41
Mother,

Thank you for coming with us when we went after Leia…but it put you in the same mess we were in. At least we were able to find Leia. What did you think of those Ewoks?

As you know, R2-D2 had a saw inside of him and cut us loose from the net. We all fell to the ground. No one was hurt…but before we could move these cute little fuzz ball….kind of like cute bear creatures came towards us and started pointing their weapons at us. (I later found out they were called Ewoks, and their babies are called Woklings).

When C-3PO sat up…..all the Ewoks started acting really strange. They started worshipping him. It was so funny!!!!! They thought he was a god and tied Han, R2, Chewie, you, and me up and started taking us on sticks to their village.

Once we got there, they started preparing to burn us. We were supposed to be the main course of a banquet in C-3PO’s honor. All of a sudden Leia came towards us. She tried to stop the ewoks…and told C-3PO to let us go. They didn’t listen…and started lighting fires.

That’s when I knew I had to do something. The Ewoks were far to friendly to hurt or anything….so what I did was…..I got an idea. I told C-3PO to tell them if they didn’t let us go that he would use his magic.

C-3PO tried telling them, but they didn’t believe him.

That’s when I used the force to pick up his chair and move it into the air…..I had it spin around……and had it way off the ground. C-3PO was scared, and so were all the Ewoks.

Finally, the Ewoks started untying us…..so I let C-3PO down.

But it was around that time that I sensed an evil presence on Endor…..

It’s Vader. He’s come for me….I must go to him. If I stay, Vader will be able to sense me, and I’ll lead him to the entire strike team. I can’t put our mission at risk.

Because of this, I have decided to go face him. I just told Leia….briefly….and of course I upset her. I also told Han. I do know that the Ewoks are going to help the strike team with the shield……but I cannot help. So now I’m on my way to confront my father again. I must go….I can sense that I am very close now.

I hope that I can come back alive. I will try with everything I have in me to get my father back on the good side. I cannot tell you what he will do. If he takes me before his master (Palpatine), then I hope to die on the Death Star when the Rebellion blows it up. My primary concern is my father. I want to turn him back, and nothing will stop me from this cause.

How can I not think of myself as endangering the mission? I’m sure you, Han, Leia, and Chewie could have handled it, along with the others. I am putting everyone at risk as long as I remain here. And how am I the reason that you can even have this mission? Mom, I’m NOT here to protect you. I would only be leading Vader TO you, and if he were to get his hands on all of you, there would be no one to get the shield down, and our mission will have failed…the Rebel fleet would not be able to take the attack on the Death Star. Don’t you see, this is so vital to the cause.

I have no choice now. I’m sure my father felt my presence, and he KNOWS I’m on Endor. He’s on Endor right now too. I’m sorry, but I must go. I will try my best to be safe, but this is something I have to do. I can’t tell you what will happen, because I don’t know. Be strong for me mom. If I die, then you still have Leia, and our old letters. I must face my father, but I don’t want you to worry if I don’t come back. Remember that I’m doing this for the Rebellion, for the galaxy, and for my father.

I’m sure you weren’t thrilled about being in that net that the Ewoks set up for us. If only Chewie hadn’t been thinking with his stomach…but then again, maybe we wouldn’t have found Leia again. I’m glad everything appears to be working out.

Well I hope your arm gets better soon. I know I didn’t like it when my arm was broken, but yours isn’t broken…it’s just an injury from a blaster. Still, it must hurt.

I’m glad you like politeness. Not everyone would agree with what you said. Sometimes other people misjudge politeness, thinking that the person is trying to gain something from the other person, or that they are trying to annoy the other person, or they are trying to prove that they are better than the other person. Believe me, I have met people like that, and they really treated me like dirt. And some people even take any action of kindess as an insult…like if I were to hold a door open for a girl, they might think I was trying to show that the girl couldn’t do it and was less than me, or they might take it as a lover way…sometimes people consider it a homosexual act!

It’s good to know I’m not the only one who ever had a smelly ship :)

Yes, Han let Lando borrow his ship. I think he thought it was the best way he could help out the Rebellion. I mean, it is the fastest ship in the fleet, so Han wanted it to be used…to kind of do his part.

Okay…I see…I still think it’s strange that anyone would want to raise a baby Sarlacc. But hey, whatever works.

I was just trying to think about the consequences that might result from trying to have another child with Anakin, to spare you hurt in the future. I’m not even sure how much of it WAS my father’s fault, and it doesn’t really matter anyway. I’m fine, and I’m not blaming any of it on anyone. You don’t need to apologize to me for anything. Honestly, no one did it on purpose, and I’m fine. I think having to go through all that has made me a better person anyway.

Well of course I was interested in what Dr. Percy said. After all, it was ME you were discussing, and MY body. I like to know stuff that concerns me. Thanks for trying to recall what you could from the conversation.

The you said that he said about my legs makes sense. But is that all he basically talked about was my legs? But that isn’t even any problem for me now…at least that I know of…unless he’s been hiding something from me. I’ll quote you…you said, “He said that his braces did help you a lot, and your legs probably won’t return to its old shape again, but your lungs will never fully heal.” You mean he told you that it was POSSIBLE that my legs could return to how they were before I had the braces? How? I’ve never heard that! Do I need to wear braces again so it doesn’t happen? Let me know, because either everyone has been trying to hide that from me, or you got the information wrong.

But he didn’t say much about my lungs or my asthma to you? And you didn’t ask about either of those things. Are you hiding something from me? Please tell me. It’s my body, and I would like to know. Is there anything I should know that no one has ever told me? I mean, in your letter, when you said you asked about what was wrong with my health right now, he just mentioned my legs, and did not say a word about the other two things, but later on, you said if there was anything that could completely cure me.

At that point he didn’t talk much about my legs. You said that he heard of treatments in which they can surgically repair my lungs, but that it is a dangerous process, and hasn’t been tested very often. I kind of doubt that would even work in the first place. How could surgery correct my lung strength or my asthma? It doesn’t make any sense. And I really don’t want anyone to mess with my lungs because I don’t want to risk damage to my lungs, or not being able to breathe on my own anymore.

What exactly did he say about my legs and lungs? I mean did he tell you what was wrong with them? Like how weak my lungs were or anything about my asthma…or anything like that? But at least he told you the same thing he told me, that my lungs will never fully heal.

Thanks for the compliments, but that’s how I had to live my life. I couldn’t let anything hold me back, or else I wouldn’t have very much fun in life. And what good would complaining have done. I knew that the braces were supposed to help my legs, no one knew if they would actually work. I WANTED to be able to walk, so I had not complaints. If I had complained, maybe they would have gotten annoyed with me and given up.

What do you mean, “that’s what basically happened.” Is that all that happened? I need you to be honest with me. Or maybe you just forgot the stuff in the conversation about my lungs and asthma. I need to know for sure, though.

I had a feeling that my dad’s asthma wasn’t very bad, from what you had already told me. So he only got it from exercise then, and not that often? Okay, thanks. I was just wondering. It’s good to know that he didn’t have it that bad. Do you know how big my father was when he was born? And how big were you? I’m just wondering. It’s kind of fun, just to see.

So Leia and I were born two months early? So you were 7 months pregnant when you had us, right? But if we were born 2 months early, how did Leia get to be…did you say she was 8 pounds….? Because that’s more than the average baby at 9 months. I don’t understand that…unless you were wrong about her weight. That makes a whole lot more sense about my own weight, though (I’m talking about being born 2 months early). I must have been a small baby to begin with, and being born 2 months early made me one pound and 6 ounces, giving me a reason to be that small. I think that also explains why my lungs were so weak at birth, and why I have stuff wrong with them. But Leia had NOTHING wrong with her at all? She didn’t have anything wrong with her lungs, even as a baby born 2 months early? How is that possible? Maybe hers developed a lot better than mine did or something…but if she really was 8 pounds, that makes sense…but it’s still hard to believe that she had nothing wrong with her lungs when she was born…because I heard that lungs were one of the last organs to actually develop all the way. I mean, if her lungs were good then, she probably could have had something wrong with them at birth, but nothing wrong with them now.

I guess that story certainly would have stopped anyone from smoking in Vader’s presence. I asked him about that, but he hasn’t given me a reply yet. I’m sure he must be busy with the Death Star, and his other plans.

It’s hard to think you could hold me in one arm. But if I was 8 inches long, that makes sense…did you hold me like that a lot? (I like asking you about me when I was a baby. It’s so much fun, because I’ve never gotten to ask anyone about this before.)

So I stayed with you until I was six months old? I must have still been pretty sick if no one thought I would live, and I was already that old. If I weighed 1 pound 6 ounces at birth, how much did I weigh when Obi-Wan took me away from you? Did I still weigh that much, because I had to have still been pretty small if no one thought I would live. Were you all surprised that I hadn’t died yet? So I lived on Dagobah for the first 6 months of my life? Leia must NOT have stayed that long with you, otherwise it would have been impossible for Bail to pass her off as his own child. People would have wondered what happened to her for 6 months, and why she hadn’t been living with him. So how long did she stay on Dagobah? And why did you wait 6 months before Obi-Wan took me? Okay, so I hadn’t developed asthma yet by the time I was 6 months old. Did anyone think I would get it eventually, or did you have no idea? I bet you were glad I wasn’t with you when it happened…because it would have worried you, and maybe would have reminded you of my father, since he had it too. I’ll have to ask my uncle about it for sure, since obviously he would be the one to know.

But maybe Dr. Percy would know…but I don’t know how old I was when my uncle took me to him. If I was as sick as I’m guessing I was, (since no one thought I would live), I’m sure I had to go to a doctor right away.

How can you regret giving me up, though? I would have had to live with you in hiding, until you started the Rebellion. But wouldn’t I have been in so much danger? What if my father saw you walking around with a baby? How would you have been able to explain it to him? Or what if Palpatine found out I was still alive? LOL…so I had a death grip on you and wouldn’t let go when you tried to set me down. Oh wow…I must have been hanging on pretty tight. I feel so bad that I spent 6 months with you, and have no memory of you at all. Well actually I do…but I didn’t recognize it. I actually can remember a little bit from when I was a baby. Not much, but a few things. I remember sitting in a basket on some table with two people…a man and a woman looking at me. I don’t remember who the people were…or even if they were my aunt and uncle…or if they could have been you and Obi-Wan. I wish I could remember, my memory from being a baby doesn’t bring back very good pictures of the people. I remember there was a light on the ceiling…like a ceiling fan or something. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t in my aunt and uncle’s house…but it could have been a doctor’s office….or maybe I was at someone’s house who was baby-sitting me. I don’t know. Another thing I can remember is a woman…with long brown hair (it must have been you) holding me a lot, and I have a memory of a towel, and the woman drying me off and speaking words to me…like, “it’s only an hour, but after that I can no longer be with you.” I also remember someone holding me in their lap, talking about the baby hair that I was losing, and talking about me. That’s basically as far as my memory as a baby goes.

I agree with you…I think it was an angel’s gift that allowed me to survive, if so many people were so convinced that I would not live. Your middle names for Leia and me are interesting. I’m glad you had that as my middle name. My uncle never knew what it was, because I guess Obi-Wan never told him, so my uncle always told me I didn’t have a middle name.

I’m sure that my father has hurt you deeply…but I believe there is still hope in him. You said he’s been pretty hateful to you recently? What has he been saying? I know it’s hard to turn a sith back, but I really believe there is good in him. If I thought it were a lost cause, I wouldn’t even bother with it.

Bail’s right; it wouldn’t make much sense to start a school right now, since this battle will supposedly end the Empire. I hope our plan works.

Well I’m glad you married my father instead of Palo…because otherwise I wouldn’t exist! It must have been so easy for you to form relationships. It’s so hard for me. I’ve just never been someone that was popular, and no one ever wanted to go out with me. I hope there is someone out there who is looking for a boyfriend as much as I would like to have a girlfriend, but I suppose I’ve been lucky in not having anyone like me yet. It means I have no baggage to carry around with me, and maybe I can find my special person. Have you noticed anyone in the Rebellion who seems to be interested in me? I’ve seen tons of girls who look like they’d be nice, but they probably already have boyfriends.

These past 20 years must have been so hard for you, being apart from my father, knowing who he turned into.

So you had to feed me a special kind of milk with healing powders mixed into them to help heal my lungs? But did it help at all? I still don’t understand the condition of my lungs when I was born. Were they worse than they are now? Because if not, then why did everyone think I would die? You have not been very clear with me about this…so is there something you’re not telling me…something that I don’t know about myself when I was a baby? Could I breathe all right just after I was born? Because if so…and my lungs were just like they are now, then how could everyone think I was going to die? Were there more stuff wrong with my lungs when I was a baby, or what? I’m just wondering, because I’m trying to make sense out of everything. If you fed me a special healing powdered milk just to help heal my lungs, than you HAD to know there was something wrong with them. You told me you always knew they were weak, but would that have called for using a special milk to help heal them? People can go through life with weak lungs, and it doesn’t really matter.

You said that if anyone would have forgotten to burp me, I would die. Why is that?

Okay…thanks for explaining more of the Royal Force to me. I think I understand it better now. I’ll never take another pain medication again, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Hmmm…so you could have been a Jedi, but your parents didn’t want you to be. Wouldn’t that have been funny if you would have been Qui-Gon’s apprentice when you met my father? You could have helped train my father :)

Okay, so you don’t want to build a lightsaber. That’s up to you.

That’s weird…I wonder how my father was able to maintain a crush on you, making it grow, throughout all those years without ever seeing you once. How could he have fallen in love with you like that? It just amazes me. I guess my father sure knew how to get his girl :)

But wouldn’t that be what any brother would do for his sister…be protective…even if she was older than he was? But I suppose you’re right…I am acting like an older brother would. I wonder if that’s how most boy/girl twins would act too. After all, we’re the same age.

I must go now. If I die during the fight, know that I care about you and am thankful that I was able to meet you. Know that I do love you, mom.


Your son,
Luke

PS I have just received a letter from Vader, and this is what he said about your picture:
“Thank you for your picture of Padme. As I suspected, she has grown even more beautiful with age. She's even lovelier now than when I met her. Do feel free to tell her this.”

PSS I was looking over your old letters and noticed that you said that you thought I died after having me only for one month, yet in your most recent letter you said I lived with you for 6 months. That makes no sense, because you HAD to have known that I lived for a least 6 months, if I did. So what is with that?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 42
Luke,

Well, this is wonderful! A Jedi, pilot, and former queen, threatened by a group of furry creatures! So much for all those self-defense training I took as a child.

At least Leia was unharmed the whole time. I’m glad that you saved us, though. It was very clever of you to lift Threepio’s chair like that! I don’t think it would have been very enjoyable to become food for teddy bears and a droid!

You really ARE going to face Vader now. It’s hard to believe…I always knew that father and son would have to confront each other, but that doesn’t mean that I wanted it to happen! Please, Luke, promise me that you’ll be safe. If Vader doesn’t listen to you, just come back; don’t let him hurt you! The mission doesn’t depend on whether or not Vader knows we are here, as he will figure it out anyway, so please try not to do anything too dangerous!

I’ll try my best to be strong for you, but to think that I would lose my darling son again…I have Leia, and the memory of you, but you in person won’t be here! If Vader kills you, I will never forgive him, that’s for sure.

Wow, your peers seem to have a strange view on politeness! Growing up on Naboo, I always had to take etiquette lessons, spending hours every day practicing manners! The class wasn’t too bad, we learned a lot that helped me rule better, but there were some days where we would spend hours learning how not to burp at the dinner table!

You’re right, Dr. Percy DID say quite a bit on your lungs, too. He said that your case was one of the most unusual ceases he’s ever seen, being a mixture of your father’s evil and my Royal Force that caused it. You see, I didn’t want to tell you this because I felt you would blame me, as I was half responsible for what had happened. Also, I COULD have calmed Anakin, talked some sense into him, and maybe he wouldn’t have killed those Tusken Raiders, and you never would have had disabilities to begin with!

About your legs, Dr. Percy told me that in medicine, anything is possible. Your legs can return to its distorted shapes, but it’s highly unlikely, so he wasn’t hiding much from you. In the rare case that your bones DO start to disfigure again, your frequent visits to Dr. Percy would allow it to be discovered early, and correctly easily, so don’t worry. Most likely you WOULD have to wear a brace, but you would still walk, and it would only be for a few months.

The cure for your lungs that Dr. Percy mentioned wasn’t as much as a cure than a transplant. They would take samples of your DNA and synthesize a new pair of lungs in some sort of tank, making sure it is strong, then surgically replace your lungs with those. But, like I said in the last letter, it is dangerous and not tested enough.

Wow, you really are interested in babies, aren’t you? To answer your question, I was born at six pounds. That might seem a little light, but I was born premature, so I wasn’t very big. Shmi never had the proper instruments at Anakin’s birth to weigh him, but from her stories, he was a very healthy baby, estimated to be about nine pounds!

I think I mentioned before that sometimes I thought you had given all your energy to your sister while a fetus. She was born early, yet so strong and healthy…there really isn’t a way to explain it. I know it doesn’t make sense, it didn’t make sense to any of us, even the doctor! It just sort of happened!

I’m glad you like asking me about when you were a baby, because I like talking about it! You WERE a very light baby, but I never actually held you with one arm! I just knew I could because you were so light, but I didn’t want to risk dropping you!

You stayed with us for six months, yes. I didn’t want to give you up, and Yoda and Obi-Wan, thinking you were going to die anyway, didn’t think it would be too dangerous for you to be with me. Leia, on the other hand, was a healthy baby, and was in potential danger, so we gave her up right away. Somehow it wasn’t as hard as giving you up, as I knew I could watch her grow on the holowews.

You’re right, rationally speaking, you were safer out of my hands. A mother is hardly rational, though, when losing her baby. I knew that I had to let you go, but it was so hard!

That death grip of yours was humorous, but sometimes it was also painful. I remember the day I had to give you to Obi-Wan to take you away, you held on so tight, as if you knew we wouldn’t be together again. I wanted so badly to hold you just as tightly, but I had to pry your fingers apart. I don’t think I will ever forget that.

Wow, you remember a lot more than I thought you would! The basket was from Naboo; Dalben gave it to me as a going away present. The man and the woman, it was probably Obi-Wan and me, we used to spend so much time looking at you! Yoda never had a light on his ceiling, but I remember the doctor we took you to had an ancient chandelier hanging on his roof…that’s probably what you saw.

You still remember me saying that to you? I remember now, whenever I held you or looked at you, you would always look back with those bright eyes, as if quietly understanding everything I was saying! I knew then that you would grow up to be such a smart child, if only you were given the chance!

Your father hasn’t been saying anything surprising, just the way he says it seems so hurtful! He mentions repeatedly that he is a Sith Lord, and Anakin was dead. I know, not unusual, but it was something that I had always refused to believe, but his persistence these days really make that hard! I won’t send a copy of his letter, because I don’t want you to see how hateful he was.

Palo was a passing thing. We dated for a few months, then went our separate ways. Actually, Palo and your father, I didn’t really have any other beaus, so it wasn’t as if I was good with boys. I was good with the one man that meant everything, and that was enough. Don’t worry, there is a girl out there for you, and you two will find each other someday!

Luke, I’m not hiding anything from you! Your lungs were very poor when you were a baby, much worse than now! You could breathe, but you couldn’t roll over or crawl, or even stay awake for too long! The milk that I used was filled with herbs that were rich with protein, which helped aid your organs and muscles grow. Even though we thought you would die, we wanted you to live as long as you could, so we fed you the milk. I can go through my entire life with no arms, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t try to make it better!

The reason that we had to burp you was that if you had too much air in your stomach, it would cause your stomach to swell, and erode your already weak lungs, thus killing you. Good thing we never forgot, though!

Thank your father for his comment, but that words are no good when your son is in danger.

Please, as a last note, try to be safe!


Mom
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 43
Mom,

Now about what happened. Well I started heading towards where I sensed Vader was. Some Imperial troops found me and led me to Vader. I talked him a little. He saw my new lightsaber, and seemed to be impressed with it. I tried telling him that he still had good in him, and that he could come back with me to the light side. I told him that I accepted the truth that he was once Anakin Skywalker, my father. He told me that that name no longer had any meaning to him. He had me taken to the Death Star, where he told me I was to meet with Palpatine. Vader met the troops and me at the elevator door to the Emperor’s throne room….and then he and I walked in together.

This is what happened once we got inside:

I saw the Emperor. He is UGLY. He has all these wrinkles all over his face…and yuck….he’s scary looking.

Anyway, Palpatine turned to me and asked the guards to leave. They did. This left the three of us totally alone….me, my father, and the Emperor.

Palpatine tried to tell me that he was my new master. I told him he wasn’t, and that he wouldn’t convert me to the Dark Side as he did my father. The Emperor is way too overconfident, so I told him that to his face. He laughed and said that my faith in my friends was my weakness.

Then he had me watch the battle from this big window in his throne room. He said things to make me angry….he WANTED me to be angry so that I would use the Dark Side powers. I watched the battle….and the unfairness of it DID make me angry. The Emperor told me how the fleet was flying into a trap, and that my friends on Endor were too. He told me that all my friends would die. This REALLY made me mad, because Leia was included in the group he was talking about.

The Emperor kept tempting me to get my lightsaber, and strike him down with all of my hate…that he was defenseless and unarmed.

Finally I got so sick and mad at him that I did grab my lightsaber and attempted to strike at him. Darth Vader was watching me carefully, so as soon as he saw that I went for the lightsaber, he ignited his own and our lightsabers met.

We started fighting. I knew that I had improved since the last time I faced my father, and I think he knew it too. We fought a lot. Finally, when I was on top of these stairs, I turned off my lightsaber and told him that I wouldn’t fight him. I was determined not to use the Dark Side. I still felt that he could be turned back to the good side, and that I could save him.

Vader came at me anyway with his lightsaber ignited and swung at me. I sensed it and turned on my own just in time to block it. He said I was “unwise to lower my defenses.” We continued to fight some more.

Palpatine was sure enjoying it…he kept on trying to encourage us, and was laughing the whole time.

I saw this ledge thing in the room, so I did a flip and landed on the top of it. I again told my father that I wouldn’t fight him, and that he’d have to kill me because I would not turn. Vader said, “If that is your destiny.” He threw his lightsaber at me, but I jumped out of the way just in time. His lightsaber hit one of the major supports of the ledge, and the entire ledge collapsed. I fell all the way to the ground, but I was unhurt.

I crawled to a corner of the space….hoping my father wouldn’t find me. He knew I wasn’t dead or anything, because he would have felt it. He came after me, but couldn’t find me. He keeps trying to get me to fight him, but I keep refusing.

There’s something else that is REALLY bothering me right now. Leia’s hurt. I felt it through the force, and it really is hurting me. I don’t know exactly how badly hurt she is, but I felt it. I don’t know what to do. I hope she’s all right. I’m trying to sense her, and feel exactly how badly hurt she is, but I also have Vader to think about. I know I should probably try and hide the feelings I’m getting from Leia right now, but I just CAN’T. I need to protect her and not allow Vader to know that Leia is on Endor. If he senses that I’m sensing something extra, and figures out what it is, I’d actually be glad. Maybe it would help him turn back if he knows he had two children, and that she and I care for each other. I know he already knows about Leia…but…maybe he never thought about it carefully. If he doesn’t pick it up, I’m not going to tell him. But anyway, that’s what’s going on right now.

The Emperor also insulted me and called me a cripple because I used to have crooked legs. That man thinks of nothing but insulting others and watching their pain.

So how is everything going back at the control bunker? And how are the Ewoks?

Yeah…but Leia’s hurt now. Do you know if she is all right?

Thanks…I had to think of something, and I think it would have made Yoda proud…I didn’t want to hurt the Ewoks, and they had a misconception about C-3PO, so I thought I might as well use it to my advantage.

Well I’ve told you about the fight so far. You are up to date about it. I know that you love me and that you didn’t want me to have to face my father. It is something I must do no matter what…for the good of the Rebellion, and everything the Republic once stood for.

If Vader kills me then my father is dead, and you and everyone else have been right all along. I’m beginning to lose hope in it myself…since he threw that lightsaber at me, and took me to the Emperor. If I hadn’t jumped out of the way, it would have killed me!

Yes, well….a lot of my peers never understood the true value of life…and they didn’t care who they hurt, or what they had to do for their own selfish ways. They enjoyed getting something out of other people, at the expense of those people. Some people are just like that.

I figured Dr. Percy would have said a lot about my lungs too. You said that the Royal Force played a role in my lung stuff….is it because it makes a person more sick than a normal person? I have wondered that before…ever since I found out about having the royal force. Mom…I could never blame you for anything. If you hadn’t tried so hard, and believed in making my life better, I would never have lived. I know you tried your best with me, and obviously it paid off.

You did all you could. Do not say that it was your fault for not calming Anakin before he went off to find my grandmother. You didn’t know what had happened to her, in how bad shape she was, and I doubt he would have listened. If he was like me, and I get the feeling that he was like me, he would have gone off anyway, no one could have persuaded him not to. Besides, if he hadn’t gone off, my grandmother would not be alive today.

No one is perfect…I’ve lived with this stuff all my life, and sometimes it humbles me. It makes me realize how I am not perfect…I may be very force sensitive, but I still have stuff wrong with my body, which just proves how unperfect my body is. I’m fine with it. I’ve done stuff wrong too…like everyone…I’ve sinned. But it just helps me realize that my body isn’t perfect. Do you know what I’m saying?

I think that is kind of weird…I just got the braces off a couple of years ago, and already the doctor’s talking about the possibility of my legs going crooked again. At least it would be caught early and I could still walk and everything…I wore braces for a long time while being able to walk…from when I was 13 to 17. Although if they did go crooked again, I think it would be better for me to keep the braces on, that way they wouldn’t go crooked again…I mean if it happened once it would be likely that it could happen again, right? But as far as I know my legs are fine right now, so I don’t have to worry about that right now.

And about that “cure” thing you were talking about for my lungs. I would hope I’d have the final say in the matter. I’m against it. I don’t want them to make me lungs….I’ve never had surgery, and I’d be scared to have such a serious surgery….and it would be a waste of resources. Yes I have weak lungs and asthma, but it’s nothing that I can’t handle. I’ve had it all my life, and I don’t know what it would be like to not have it. It’s not that bad of a thing…I can deal with it. I would rather the time be spent on someone who actually would NEED it…like people who have cancer or seriously wrong…something that would cause them to die unless they had that. I don’t want to mess with the lungs that God gave me…because messing with it just seems wrong. And if they took my DNA, I’d still have asthma, I think, wouldn’t I? It doesn’t matter anyway, because I’m not even going to consider it. You can tell Dr. Percy I said all that too. Tell him to spend it on someone who NEEDS it. My lungs are okay the way they are. They work, and that’s all that matters. I can do stuff everyone else does, and I’m fine.

Well I was just wondering. So you were born premature too? Hmm. Well 6 pounds isn’t that light, compared with how much I weighed. One of my friends was born 2 weeks late and only weighed 5 pounds something. Anakin weighed about 9 pounds at birth? Wow.

Yes, you did mention before that you thought that I gave all my energy to Leia as a fetus….but I don’t know. Maybe she got all the nutrients that I didn’t get (you said I didn’t get enough), so that helped her grow extra strong. I don’t know.

Anything else you’d like to tell me about myself as a baby?

Okay, so I did stay with you for 6 months. Hmm…but eventually Obi-Wan and Yoda must have decided that I was in danger, even though you all thought I would die. You mentioned that you took me to a doctor…really? I wonder what that doctor would think of me now.

You never answered a question I asked in my last letter. I asked you if anyone thought I would get asthma, even though I never had it while I was with you.

Yeah…my uncle said that he thought that I understood what people were saying soon after he got me too. It must have been true then.

I’m sorry that my father is hurting you. He’s hurting me too…in how he’s acting in this fight.

Oh, okay so my father and Palo were the only two boyfriends you have ever had. I actually kind of like someone in the Rebellion, but they’d think I was stupid, so I shouldn’t have even brought it up. Never mind.

So my lungs were much worse than they are now, but I could still breathe, but couldn’t roll over, crawl, or stay away for too long! Well I don’t know if the milk worked or not, but I am alive now, so maybe it did work. Thanks for explaining why you had to burp me. I’m glad you didn’t forget to burp me either. :)

If I do not write to you again, know that I died defending what I know is right. I will never turn to the Dark Side no matter what the outcome of the battle is. Palpatine mentioned traps. Do you know what he was talking about…I mean I saw the blockade for the fleet…but what about on Endor? I’m sure that has to do with the reason Leia is hurt.



Your son,
Luke
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Note 44
Luke,

We finally destroyed the control bunker! Of course, we had a lot of help from the Ewoks, who fight quiet impressively. I almost forgive them for trying to cook us. Almost.

Leia’s hurt, but not bad, thank goodness. She was stung in the arm by a blaster bolt, but should be okay. Actually, her wound saved our lives! While we were entering the bunker, a few stormtroopers got to us and made us surrender our weapons. As Leia was down, the stormtrooper didn’t suspect that she might take him, which she did! I don’t know whether to be proud of my daughter for being so strong, or horrified at her ability to kill.

Like I said before, I will never approve of you going to see your father like that, and I don’t ever want to trade my son for my husband, but it seems that you have thought a lot about this, and it isn’t my decision to make.

The Royal Force is just that, it makes a person sicker than a normal person, causing them to feel greater pain and be unable to use painkillers. It’s not fun.

I know that at the time, it probably WAS the best thing for Anakin to go off by himself to help Shmi. I just feel guilty, though, thinking that if I had gone with him, if I had somehow helped anchor him to the Light Side, he wouldn’t have done that. I keep asking myself if only I had done this, if only I have done that…

Don’t worry, Luke, like I said before, the chances of your legs becoming crooked are slim to none. Most likely you’ll never need to worry. All you need to do is go to your checkups and make sure that everything is going smoothly.

Dr. Percy just wanted you to know that the option is out there, not that you had to take it! He said himself he thought it was too risky for someone who had conquered the illness anyway! Don’t worry, he won’t FORCE you to get a transplant!

You really are interested in babies! I hope to one day see you with a baby! I know you would make a great father! Six pounds at birth IS pretty light. The friend of yours, who was born two weeks late and five pounds, is he/she very small for her age? She seems like she would be.

I love trying to remember the baby stories about you, as you were such a sweet little boy! I remember you loved to suck your thumb. I would spend hours by your side, trying to pull your finger out of your mouth, but always to no avail! You’d still lay there, sucking away. One time, you pulled a blanket over your head, hoping I wouldn’t see you!

In my last letter, I told you that we all knew your lungs were weak, so yes, we DID suspect that you would have asthma. The only thing is that we didn’t think you’d live long enough for it to fully develop, anyway, but the thought did cross our minds.

You like someone in the Rebellion? Go talk to her! It doesn’t matter that anyone thinks your stupid! How many people do you think approved of a Senator marrying a Jedi Knight? Chances are, she likes you too, so go for it! Talk to her!

I don’t like leaving this letter thinking that you’re going to die. Look, if Vader tries to hurt you, FIGHT BACK! You don’t have to kill or maim him, just get away from him! Please, I DON’T want to lose my son!


Mom
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 45
Mom,

Now…..to tell you what’s happened……Well my father tried to get me to join the dark side, although he wasn’t being very convincing. I think he knew I was distracted too. He said, “It is the only way you can save your friends.” He must have sensed something….because he was like, “Yes….you have strong feelings for them. Especially for…” He had to know I was thinking about Leia. He was like, “Sister….so you and she really are that close. If you won’t turn, then perhaps she will.”

That just made me REALLY mad. I didn’t want him to use the information that way. I was hoping that maybe it would make him stop and think about you, think about his old life, and think about his children….and what he had done. But the way he said it…….

I jumped up from my hiding place and screamed, “No!!!!!!!!”

We started fighting some more….and I admit…..I was angry……I was using my anger and I knew I shouldn’t have. I was actually winning the fight….and I forced my father back, and he fell and couldn’t get back right away. I held my lightsaber right up to his body.

The Emperor, who had been listening to the whole thing, started laughing in his evil way. He said, “Good, good. Finish him off and take your father’s place at my side.”

That’s when I knew that I was dangerously close to the Dark Side…..that I could have killed my father….that I could have become him……that scared me….and it stopped me in my tracks. I turned to face Palpatine and said, “Never, I’ll never turn to the Dark Side. You have failed your Highness. I am a Jedi like my father before me.” I threw my lightsaber in another direction as I was saying that. I was prepared to die, but I wouldn’t turn.

Palpatine then said, “So be it, JEDI. If you will not turn, you will be destroyed.”

He then started zapping me with his force electricity. I tried using the force to repel it, but after a while it got so strong that I couldn’t hold it back. I knew he would kill me.

I saw my father get up and watch. I knew he’d heard the entire conversation….me refusing to turn to the Dark Side, the Emperor telling me to take my father’s place….and the Emperor saying he would kill me.

I turned to him and said, “Father, please help me.”

The Emperor, being the overconfident guy that he is, was confident that Vader would back him up and help him kill me. Palpatine wasn’t even paying ANY attention to my father.

My father must have finally seen what the Dark Side was…..that Palpatine cared for no one…..that he only cared about my father’s power…..that he would have been willing to have him replaced…..and he told me later that he found out that Palpatine had tried to kill me and Leia after we were born…..all of these things….and thinking about his family and what he had done to the galaxy, what he used to be……and the fact that the Emperor was trying to kill me……all these things moved him to do something…..

My father…..the man that had killed off the Jedi, the man that had ruined so many people’s lives, went over to the Emperor. He picked him up and threw him into this big shaft in the Emperor’s throne room.

MY FATHER SAVED MY LIFE AND KILLED THE EMPEROR.

I went over to him…..he and I were both exhausted from the fight, but I KNEW that the fleet would soon come to destroy the Death Star…..somehow I knew that the shield was down and that the fleet was going to destroy the Death Star…

My father, Anakin Skywalker, begged me to leave him. I told him that I wouldn’t. I told him that I had to save him. He said, “You already have.”

He wanted me to take off his mask so he could really look at me. I didn’t want to do that….because I didn’t want him to die. I told him that. He told me that he could have the mask off for a minute and he’d be fine. So I took off his mask.

He has all these scars on him….and he has no hair…..but he does have those blue eyes from the pictures. I helped him put back on the mask.

We then left quickly. Neither one of us is too badly hurt. We took off just in time….the Death Star exploded just as we were out of it’s range……and I’m taking my father back to Endor.

I don’t know what to do with him because everyone’s going to hate him. I’m taking him into the woods far away from everyone else. Do you think you could send some Rebel medical people over to him to see if they can remove his scares, have his hair grow back, and make him so he doesn’t have to breathe with that mask?

If so, then people wouldn’t have to know who he was……they wouldn’t have to know he’s Darth Vader. He’s scared that people will try to kill him or hate him because he was Darth Vader. I don’t want that.

You know something? He said, “You were right….tell your sister you were right about me.” I had told him that I told Leia that I was trying to turn you back…..that I thought there was still good in you.

Would you like to see him? He doesn’t want that many people to know about it, so only bring people you can trust.

Oh, and I have my lightsaber back. I got it just before I left the Emperor’s throne room…..in case you were wondering.

I’m so glad that you got that control bunker down…but it was nice that my father killed Palpatine instead of him just getting blown up on the Death Star. You mentioned that the Ewoks helped you get the shield down? How? LOL, you said you almost forgive them for cooking us, almost. That’s funny. I know that the situation wasn’t funny, but I’m just in such a good mood because of what happened with dad.

Well I’m glad that Leia’s not hurt that bad, but from now on I’m going to know if she ever gets hurt I’m going to feel her pain, and the same with her. I hope her arm heals soon.

Mom, we were in a time of war. We had no choice but to kill the stormtroopers and Imperial officers…I mean if she hadn’t killed the stormtrooper, he probably would have killed you.

Well I’m glad that I did go off to see my father, because he turned back. Everyone kept trying to talk me out of it, but I did it anyway. I’m glad.

Okay, thanks for explaining about the sickness stuff with the royal force. That makes more sense to me now…thinking back on all the times I’ve been sick or gotten hurt. People at school used to make fun of me because they thought I just couldn’t handle pain or sickness very well.

I think you did make a difference in my father’s life…otherwise he probably wouldn’t have saved my life like that. Don’t worry about the past…think of how great a future we have open to us.

Well I’m glad to be reassured that the chances of my legs going crooked again are slim to none. Braces aren’t really that fun. I’m sure Dr. Percy would tell me if there was anything wrong. I’ll certainly continue to go to my regularly scheduled check-ups. Maybe you should go with me for my next one.

Well I don’t want to take that option. I suppose it’s good to know it’s available, but I’ll never want it done. I’m glad that he also holds the opinion that the procedure would be too risky for me too.

I hope that someday I can have a baby too…but first I need to find a girl. I hope that I would make a great father…I’d try my best. Yes, the friend of mine that was born 2 weeks late and weighed 5 pounds something at birth is kind of small for her age. She’s average height, though.

I used to love sucking my thumb? Yuck…how could a thumb taste good. I have no idea what I was thinking…but a lot of babies suck on their thumbs. You said that one time I pulled a blanket over my head, hoping you wouldn’t see me? It must have been a pretty thin and small blanket…because you said that I was so weak that you had to hold the bottle up to my mouth so I could drink…and that I couldn’t roll over or crawl or anything. Anyway, have any more baby stories? I’ll never stop asking you that.

Okay, so you did suspect that would have asthma if I survived long enough. That’s what I thought would have happened, but I wasn’t sure. You said that you didn’t think I’d live long enough for it to fully develop…so did that mean I kind of had it, or what?

Yes, I do like someone in the Rebellion. But I can’t just go talk to her…she probably doesn’t even know I exist. I’ve never really talked to a girl like that…but maybe you know her. I have never actually talked to her. I’ve just seen her around. Her name is Kirsten. Do you know her?

Well I didn’t die in the fight, thanks to my father.

Well, I’ll talk to you later.



Your son,
Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 46
Luke,

I just received a letter from your father, stating how he had changed, and how he still loved me. I…I don’t quite know how to respond to it. On one hand, he’s been so cruel and cold, and he’s tricked us often. On the other hand, he sounded so sincere, and stated the words that I have waited so long to hear. Tell me honestly, what has happened to him?

From your description of what happened, he again seemed to work a bit too hard in making you turn to the Dark Side. Could this just be another one of his tricks?

This is one of the reasons I really didn’t want you to go. I was scared that you might turn. From your description, you almost did! It really relieved me that you are both alive and of the Light Side!

I don’t know if I’m ready to see him yet, but if you really think he’s changed, tell him that I still do love Anakin Skywalker, and I always will.

Kirsten…nope, I’m afraid I don’t know who she is. Still, you should talk to her, even if you don’t think she likes you. Chances are she does.

I’m sorry I don’t have much to say these days, but the news with your father is taking up all my energy, and I’m a bit too tired to write. Don’t worry, though, I’ll save up all the baby stories to a day where we can all share them, as a family.


Mom
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 47
Mom,

Well…regarding my father…I know that you have trouble trusting him, as you have reason to. I know that he has betrayed your trust before, but I think that he has genuinely changed. After all, you must consider that he killed his own Sith Master in order to save my life. If he were still evil, do you think he would have done that?

I do have to tell you, though, that he is afraid of what everyone’s reactions will be. He thinks everyone is out to kill him, and that no one will forgive him for his actions. He also has to struggle with the issue that we were all right and he was wrong, and he must swallow his pride. I think he’s having a hard time doing that. This must be so hard for him! How would you feel if you had been so evil, and then suddenly changed. Wouldn’t you feel terrible?

Mom, I could never imagine being in your shoes. I can give you no advice on how to handle my father. He is your husband, and it is your life. Consider your actions before you act, though. Most importantly, you must form your own opinion about what has happened to my father. Otherwise, it will be meaningless to you. I know what I think, but I was never in your position. I don’t know what all he did to you. If you can find it in your heart to forgive him, and you feel comfortable about doing it, then go ahead…if not, then you can decide to have nothing further to do with him. It is your choice.

He did work hard at getting me to the Dark Side. However, you must remember that he also saved my life and destroyed Palpatine. I think he realized what had become of him during that fight, and he knew he had to change. I do not think he could be playing a trick this time.

It is true…I was VERY angry, and before I realized it, I was using my anger as a weapon. It gave me so much power…and it gave me a sense of satisfaction, but only for the moment. I also knew what hate could do to a person, and I knew what I could become with it. I realized that I was touching the Dark Side, so I pulled away from it and resisted the chance to kill my father and turn.

I am glad that both my father and I are alive and of the Light Side too; believe me.

Well, I understand if you can’t see my father right now. If you ever feel that you are ready, let me know. I can arrange a meeting for you. How is my grandmother dealing with this information. Does she know about my father? I will tell him what you said. I know from my conversations with him that he really does love you back, mother.

Okay…just so you know I have talked to Kirsten now. Just as I had suspected, she had not noticed me before. But that didn’t last long. I spent a good deal of time talking with her at the celebration on Endor, and I think we will be seeing a lot more of each other in the near future.

I understand about you not having much to say. I know you are going through a lot right now.

Thanks for letting me and Leia move in at your Naboo Royal palace (not Naboo’s elected queen palace.) It really is quite nice.

I hope you didn’t mind the short time I spent with you yesterday, but I couldn’t stay in the same room as you for long, and then saw no more of you yesterday. I didn’t tell you this when it happened because I didn’t want to cause you any discomfort, but I was allergic to something you were wearing. It was some sort of scent. I had an asthma attack, and if I smelled it on you again, it would have happened again. That sort of thing has happened before with my aunt. I didn’t want you to think I was trying to ignore you for whatever reason.


Your son,
Luke
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 48
Luke,

It’s really nice to have you and Leia here now, close to Gwydion and me. I’m glad you liked the palace, I do too! It was a gift from the new queen when my term ended.

About your father, I realize now that the only way that I can forgive him is if I see him face to face. I realize he’s suffered a lot, and proved himself so much, but I still want to see for myself. Would you take me to him?

I’ll be careful not to hurt him. I don’t WANT to hate him, I just want to know for sure that I can trust him.

It’s funny, Anakin’s turning was so hurtful for everyone, yet it seemed to be a sort of protection of keeping others from turning. It prevented you from using your anger, and his example would probably keep many from turning in years to come.

Shmi right now is so thrilled! She wants right now just to see her darling son, whom she knew would change again. She was like you, having so much faith in her son, and I supposed it wasn’t misplaced. Maybe she could come with us.

So I see you took my advice! Good! You see, Kirsten DOES like you! All it took was for you to talk to her!

I’m so sorry for wearing whatever it was that hurt you! I suppose I should contact Dr. Percy again, to see what exactly I can wear around you now. I was a little curious of why you left so soon, but now I see. Don’t worry, Luke, I’ll get rid of whatever it is that’s agitating you.


Padmé
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note 49
One year later:

Mom,

I’m so glad that I have been living with you. It’s so beautiful here. Thanks for letting my wife and children live here too. It hardly seems possible, thinking that both Leia and I are married and both have two children…a boy and a girl who are twins, each.

Dad and you seem close again, which I am happy for. I was taken aback by his real face…he has hair now and no scars, and does not have to be in that big ugly suit.

However, I thought the palace was a royal Naboo palace, and had been in your family for years. Was I wrong? You told me you were from the royal family…the one that existed before they started electing their rulers.

How is everything between you and dad now? I hope well.

A week after the Death Star explosion, I did take you to my father…and you seemed a bit awkward at first, so I left you to be alone with him. Somehow from that meeting up till now, your relationship has grown, hasn’t it? Is it yet to the level it once was? I hope you can trust him now; I know I can.

Grandma and grandpa seem to enjoy this palace too. How many people do you think could live here?

Yes…I did take your advice. Kirsten and I talked a lot in the days immediately following the Empire’s destruction. Leia had told me when she and Han were getting married…so I asked Kirsten if she’d like to marry me, and she said yes! I could not believe it.

Don’t worry about wearing stuff that I’m allergic to. I know you don’t do it on purpose, and I don’t even know everything that I’m allergic to. I don’t want you to feel that you can’t wear anything around me…I like good scents on women…and it brightens up a person’s day…but it’s just certain ones that cause a reaction with me. Not very many do…but just sometimes I’ll run into something that I’m allergic to. I don’t think Dr. Percy would be able to tell you for sure which things I might be allergic to…because it’s unique to me. I’ve already told you what kinds of stuff that I’m allergic to…so I just have to be careful around some things (like dust, mold, pet hair, and the other stuff that I already told you about). All we have to do is basically make sure the rooms are clean, and I should be fine. I’ll get sick occasionally, but don’t worry about it.

I want to tell you how lucky I feel to have a mother like you. You’ve been so kind and caring, and loving towards me. You’ve been a good friend. I cannot imagine what life would be like if I had never met you…if I had never bumped into you and spilled that coffee all over the dress that my father gave you before he became Darth Vader. I cannot think of a mother that could have better qualities than those which you possess. I love you, mom.


Your son,
Luke


PS From now on, I’m going to talk to you instead of send you letters. This will be my last one. I know we hadn’t written in a long time, because we have been living together, talking to each other daily, but I felt on the anniversary of the Empire’s destruction that I should write you so that you would have a written account to read whenever you wanted.
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Note 50
My dear boy,

It’s so wonderful to have both you and Leia here now, by my side! And your children, such angels! I love holding them near me, just as I once held you. And Kirsten, what a beautiful bride you have chosen! I remember your wedding day, when she wore that beautiful wedding dress that I had lent her, holding the wonderful Naboo flowers!

I was a bit taken aback by your father’s new face too, but not in a bad way. I’m so happy for him now, how he looks so much like the little Ani I once knew and loved so much! Doesn’t he remind you of the old pictures we had?

While I was growing up, Luke, I never knew that I was from the Royal line. It wasn’t until I was fourteen that my birth father contacted me, and even then I was a bit uneasy about living in the Royal palace. It was Queen Jamillia who really urged me to accept my family, so in a way, the palace was a gift from her to me. How many people could live here? I don’t know, thousands? In the Dark Days we used this place as a refuge for the people who had lost their homes to war. There were so many who came here!

Your father and I are closer then ever now, much to my relief. We both have settled our arguments, and we have pledged our undying love to each other. You’re right, at first, we were so awkward together, neither daring to trust one another. It was you and Leia, really, who gave us a purpose to know and love each other once again, so in a way, it was you two that got us to really love each other again. I thank you so much for that!

Luke, even a year later, I still worry for you, and I will always worry for you. I know you don’t want me to fuss over you, and I haven’t fussed a lot lately. On the topic of your allergies, though, I want to be extra careful to make sure that you won’t have any worries, at least not in your own home! I have made sure now that the rooms are always clean, and I now know what lotions provoke your allergies, so I know now what not to buy.

Luke, my son, you and Leia have always been my jewels! Even in my darkest moment, I would think of you as an infant, gurgling and smiling, and everything would be a bit lighter, if only for that moment. Now, I think of you as that amazing boy who spilling coffee on my dress one day and saved his father’s life the next! I’m so sorry I didn’t have faith in you back then, but now, I feel so thankful that you did what you did to help your father! I love you so much also, son!

I will miss writing notes to you, Luke, but as you said, we can now speak which each other. I’m glad that we can be a family now.


Mom
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To the readers of this fic,

I would like to take this time to thank you for reading my fic. If you have read it, would you please leave a comment so that we know you read it. It took a lot of time on our parts, and we would just like to know if anyone was actually reading these.

Thank you very much!!! It was a lot of fun!

Lissy (Luke)
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