Sol and Obi-wan sat with Owen and Beru Lars in the dining space connected to the open cavern. The suns continued to beat down on everything in their beams, but the visitors were relieved to be covered by the space that had been cut out of rock. Sol remembered sitting in the same place with a cup on the table in front of her in her previous visit to the moisture farm. This time, her cup was filled with water instead of ardees, and she sagged against the seat with one hand on her large stomach instead of being in her light Jedi robes.
'It would explain why those stormtroopers are always raiding the town,' Owen Lars said. 'I'm sorry to hear about your faith. We were told that the Jedi tried to take over the Senate.'
'A lie spread by the Sith,' Obi-wan hummed while leaning back in his seat. His cup was partially full, and his arms were crossed over his chest. He was thankful for the Lars' hospitality, but he was yet to ask the favour that Sol insisted they ask. Their hospitality could change, and it was a long ride back to the Jundland Wastelands. If they could draw out the opportunity for shade and something to drink, Obi-wan would wait to tell them their circumstances.
'So, you're in the wastelands? It's good to see that you two made it and that your child is safe-'
'Oh, he's not the father-'
'No, I am only a friend.'
Sol felt her cheeks redden at the surprised look on Beru's face, who had made an incorrect assumption about her and Obi-wan's relationship. The woman appeared flustered and went to ramble some apologies, which were brushed off by Obi-wan with a wave of his hand. Sol had a feeling that Obi-wan would use this opportunity to ask Owen and Beru the favour they had travelled all this way for, and Sol was nervous for their answer.
'I know it may be too much to ask, but we are faced with a difficult situation,' Obi-wan began, his words slow and his eye contact with the couple wavering. Owen and Beru remained silent as the Jedi Master struggled to get to his point, and they couldn't help but become uneasy for what he was about to ask of them.
'We have come this far from the core for a reason. Sol and I are hiding from the Empire not just because we are Jedi, but because of Sol's pregnancy,' Obi-wan was slow in his delivery and Sol was getting frustrated.
She was hot, aching and tired, and she could feel the twins kicking up a storm in her stomach. They had travelled on Eopie-back and Sol was anxious to know if she was going to be giving birth alone or not. In the moment, she didn't care if the couple were sympathisers of the Empire. All she wanted to know was if her birth was going be a lonesome, sad affair, or one with support.
'The leader of the Empire is the father. Their father is Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader.'
Owen and Beru Lars sat with their jaws hanging open and Obi-wan threw a hand over his eyes. As the owners of the moisture farm stared at the woman who was carrying Darth Vader's children, Sol waited for the rush of questions.
She glanced towards the cavern that had a group of antennas in its centre and absently took a sip from her cup of water. It was cooling, but not enough to soothe the twins that took turns in kicking her insides. Sol wanted to let out a grunt in frustration at the sensation, but she couldn't be bothered explaining when the Lars couple were already gaping at her with wide eyes.
Obi-wan sighed as he pulled his hand away from his eyes and dragged it down his face. He hadn't intended to drop the bomb on the couple like Sol had, but it couldn't be helped now. With a small glare to her Sol's side, Obi-wan brought the attention of the couple back to him by leaning his elbows on the table and speaking again.
'I'm sure that you are aware of the history of Tatooine with... Darth Vader,' Obi-wan said with a pause before the name he despised to say. 'He lost his mother here and has steered clear of this planet ever since. This is why we chose to come here out of everywhere in the galaxy.
As Jedi, we can feel things through the Force; the energy that flows through everything. For example, I can feel that you're uneasy now that you know why we are here, because your Force signatures are quivering with worry.
Ever since we arrived, we have been trying to mask our signatures in the Force. This takes a lot of power, and with Sol's energy lessoning as she gets closer to giving birth, she is becoming easier to sense by the day. Not only this, but it's becoming apparent in the Force that there are two entities inside of her that are emitting their own signatures.
Vader is extremely powerful. With the power of the Force's dark side, it's possible that he will soon be able to sense Sol and her children even across the galaxy. When she gives birth, I fear that... he will sense her and will come looking for the children that he still doesn't know exist.'
'This is madness,' Owen gaped, looking back and forth between Sol and Obi-wan.
When he accepted these Jedi into his home, he didn't think that he would be accepting the darkness that came with the so-called Force. Owen didn't know about the Jedi faith nor the way they fought for balance in the Force. He knew that the Galactic Empire was being led by the terrifying Darth Vader, who emerged into existence when the Empire began to terrorize people who lived under the Republic. But to hear that Darth Vader was actually Anakin Skywalker, his half-brother, daughter of Shmi Skywalker, and the Jedi Knight who Owen had met with the pregnant woman now in front of him, Owen Lars was beyond confused.
'This dark side that you talk about,' Beru decided to speak up and pulled the attention of the group to her. 'It must be awful to twist someone. We briefly met Anakin and he was just a boy. How could this have happened?'
When Sol had blurted out who the father of her children was, she hadn't had the chance to dwell on the fact that she had said his name for the first time in months. She told herself that Anakin was gone, and Darth Vader had taken his place, so why talk about him like he was still around? It pained Obi-wan to speak about it too, so they settled into an avoidance of mentioning his name in particular. He was known as him, because it seemed fitting for someone who was the symbol of the new, totalitarian Galactic Empire. Perhaps there was an irrational fear that by saying his name aloud, he would somehow appear in Obi-wan and Sol's shared living room.
But Beru said his name like she would any other and it made Sol feel a ping in her chest at hearing it. Beru didn't know the extent of what he had done, and of what Sol had lost by him turning into Darth Vader. Beru thought that the dark side was a sort of mind-control, but it was more than that. It was like a disease; something that seeped into every pore and ran along every vein to take over its host. That's what happened to Anakin, and he was no longer the boyish Jedi who she had met when he was just a Padawan learner.
'What we have come to ask you is a burden, but as you can see, we're desperate,' Obi-wan ignored Beru's question and looked towards Sol's round stomach as he spoke. He looked back to Owen and Beru, whose cups of ardees were forgotten on the table.
'I've recently found work at a Sand Whale harvesting plant, and there's no guarantee that I will be able to make it back to our home if Sol goes into labour. If you could make it to the house when she does, maybe she could hold off until I'm able to get there and cover Sol's and the children's Force signatures. I saw that you have a speeder, and we would be eternally grateful if you were to... help deliver the twins.'
Sol eyed the couple who looked at each other. She wanted to read their signatures but didn't want to use the strength to. But their expressions were enough, and it made Sol deflate. Owen was reluctant with his jaw tight and his eyes shifting from Obi-wan to his wife. But there was a small hope from Beru, as she tried to meet her husband's shifting eyes.
As a woman, Beru knew the fear of childbirth while so far from resources and medical equipment. Midwife droids weren't common on Tatooine, and she had heard of many women who had passed during childbirth because of complications that could have been avoided with the proper attention. Beru was sympathetic towards Sol despite her and her husband's unease with getting involved in such off-world matters.
'We would be in your debt,' Sol decided to use her own voice this time, and it made Owen and Beru turn to her with raised eyebrows. 'I know it's a weight to ask, but they would be considered your nieces or nephews. I'm afraid for them and frankly, I'm begging you. Please... I don't want to be alone...'
Sol hadn't intended for her voice to wobble, but it worked in her favour. There was no lie in her words, and she looked at the couple with a grimace. There was so much fear in Sol that she knew it was breaking through her attempts to shield her signature from the sensors of the Force. Obi-wan felt its crippling tones and eyed Sol next to him. He had tried hard to console Sol when she mentioned her fears of giving birth, but nothing could soothe a paranoid pregnant woman.
'If what you say is true about Vader being able to sense you across the galaxy,' Owen started. 'Then we wouldn't want to be involved with the Empire-'
Beru grabbed his arm and stopped him. She stared at Sol with large eyes that Sol prayed were filled with sympathy. Owen looked at his wife's side profile and sighed, knowing that her mind was already made up.
'But... you are family... in a way,' Owen said with a defeated tone. 'Do you have a Holonet number?'
Sol and Obi-wan couldn't help but jump to list off their number. They were relieved to know that the Lars family would be available to help Sol when she went into labour, and that Obi-wan would be able to accept the job as it was offered. It was also soothing to know that they had a contact on Tatooine, who was connected to them in some way. Even though Sol had only met Owen Lars once, he was willing to help her (even if it was truly Beru's good faith) with her valuable children. As they associated with the two Jedi, Owen and Beru were now vulnerable to the Empire and its leader, Darth Vader.
'Thank you... thank you for doing this,' Sol reached across the table to put her hand on top of Beru's. While Obi-wan and Owen exchanged Holonet numbers, Beru looked to Sol and accepted the hand that reached across the table. With a small smile, Beru lowered her head into a nod.
'If a woman is able to give life, then she should take every chance she gets.'
Sol noticed the slight glassiness of Beru's eyes and she understood why the Lars was so sympathetic when her husband was reluctant to help. She didn't enquire about Beru's infertility and instead, squeezed her hand before she pulled away to listen to Obi-wan and Owen's plans for her birth.
---
The Death Star was going to be monstrous. Against the black canvas of space, the grey ball that would defy the pulls of nearby systems was already a damning presence. It would install fear in the galaxy and would hold thousands of workmen, storm troopers, control rooms, offices, chambers, and above all; prison cells. It would act as a space station upon its completion and would be the centre of the new Galactic Empire.
Through the cockpit of a star destroyer, Darth Vader stared at the under construction Death Star. With a black cape down his back and his entire body covered in black leather, the Sith Lord was imposing in his stance in front of the wind screen. Imperial workers bustled behind him with files in hand and headsets on to listen to transmissions that were being investigated. In their grey uniforms and black boots, servants of the Empire were unaware of the identity of their leader.
Darth Vader's face was covered by a black mask. With an arched brow and a triangular vent in the place of his mouth, Vader was only known as the faceless Sith who emerged at the fall of the Republic. He had become the root of all terror in the new Empire with his immense power and terrifying appearance.
Standing at nearly seven foot tall, the masked Sith was mysterious. The polished mask emitted deep noises that signified his breathing, and his belt held the silver cannister of a lightsaber. Unlike the Jedi colours that most knew before the Empire, Darth Vader's lightsaber had a blade of crimson red. He had bled its kyber crystal of all purity and light, making it appear raging when it buzzed to life.
Not only this, but Vader held a power that had been demonstrated a handful of times onboard the star destroyer. When generals would question his plans or leadership, they would choke and fight to breathe. The Sith Lord wouldn't even look their way to use his power and if he decided that the general could live, his power would never be questioned again. But from time to time, they would need to be reminded.
'Lord Vader, the construction is going well. There are some discussions on the incorporating of certain weaponry on the Death Star's surface. Perhaps you would like to look at the plans once more,' Grand Moff Tarkin stopped beside the man who was looking out the windscreen.
Tarkin was a gaunt looking man with a large nose and drooping eyes. He was held in high regard by Emperor Palpatine and was incharge of overseeing the Death Star's completion. The man stood tall next to Darth Vader but was nowhere near as tall and terrifying as the man in black. As he waited for his leader's response, Tarkin listened to the deep breathing that echoed through the mask's ventilation.
'There is something in the Force,' Darth Vader's voice boomed with a base of terror. 'Something attempting to hide but is failing the dark side's pull.'
'Come now, Vader, this spiritual talk should be discussed with the Emperor,' Grand Moff Tarkin said, glancing towards the hologram of plans. 'Your expertise is needed for these plans. I heard that you were quite the general during the Republic.'
Darth Vader pulled his mind from the realm of the Force and looked at Tarkin through his mask. A flare of anger burnt in his chest, and he searched the gaunt man for any sign of malice behind his words. No one knew who he was underneath the mask, nor who he was before the Empire. Only the Emperor knew about Vader's true identity, and he had been the one to insist that Vader be anonymous in the Empire.
'The Empire would not take kindly to having a fallen Jedi as its leader,' Emperor Palpatine had said. 'This will give you a new image; a new power over the galaxy. You are part machine, and are the remnants of the fallen Republic. Anonymity is vital to your presence.'
'My Lord?' Tarkin called again and Vader turned from the man to head towards the hologram of plans. His heavy boots thudded against the strip that separated a group of workers who sat in sunken stations. They looked over the top of their screens before going back to their work in fear of being caught staring.
As he reached the hologram and began to analyse the possibilities for weaponry, Darth Vader couldn't help but feel the strange presence in the Force. It was so minute that he almost missed it, but it had grown in the last few days, and its familiarity intrigued him. He couldn't identify its origin nor search the Force to be close enough to read its energy. He would remember it and continue to watch its flickering flame.
Maybe it belonged to the person who he was searching the galaxy for.