The Will of the Force

Chapter 6: Healing

The Extractor arrived in orbit over Kamino two days later. Padme, the twins (in two carriers that Anakin had ordered Piett to secure as he wasn't sure what form the treatment would take and whether he'd be able to carry them himself), C3PO, and R2 accompanied Anakin to the surface in the shuttle to meet with Doctor Kellan, a specialist in organ and skin revival. They were ushered into an examination room where the doctor greeted them.

'Ah, Lord Vader-'

'I would prefer Anakin if you don't mind.'

'O-Of course.' Doctor Kellan consulted his datapad. 'I think we'll start with a full examination to determine the full extent of your injuries, and go from there. The babies and droids will have to wait outside.'

Padme made herself visible to him, she was getting used to the expressions of disbelief on people's faces when she first appeared. 'They will stay in here,' she countered firmly in a tone that brokered no argument. Doctor Kellan nodded wordlessly, motioning for Anakin to get on the table, and calling for a nurse to help him remove the suit. After she checked that the twins were content in their carriers, Padme moved to be near Anakin's head, lacing her incorporeal fingers with his and sending support through the force.

She could see that the process of having the suit removed was agonising for him, though he tried not to show it. She attempted to lessen the pain by gently numbing his body, and felt a wave of gratitude. When the medical staff gently lifted off his helmet, Padme had to stop herself from gasping in horror. He was completely bald, not even his eyebrows remained, yet his eyes were as blue as the day she'd met him on Tatooine, the only recognizable feature on the battlefield of raw red, gaping lacerations, and charred black skin. His torso and limb stumps were even worse and Padme was sickened as she thought of the constant pain he must have been in.

It's not as bad as it looks he projected, sensing her worry.

You're a terrible liar she shot back, but she was grateful for his attempt to console her.

Doctor Kellan spoke. 'We'll remove the prosthetics and get him into a bacta tank right away. Thankfully you came to us now, another three days and the suit would have worsened the injuries beyond repair. As it is, the recovery will take a year, but we will be able to heal his lungs and internal organs and regrow his limbs.' Padme and Anakin nodded and she moved aside to allow the nurses to ready him for the bacta.

'it's really wonderful news Miss Padme. I'm so glad that Master Anakin will be healed and Master Luke and Mistress Leia will have their father. We'll be complete,' C3PO gushed as she rejoined him, making noises that she thought were the droid equivalent of crying.

R2 let out a series of beeps and C3PO bristled. "I am not overly emotional you bucket of bolts! Just because you have the emotional range of a Spyrowrench...'

Padme rolled her eyes as the droids began to bicker, Luke and Leia watching them with great interest. She knew that R2 was just as happy at the thought of them all being together as C3PO was. He was merely teasing the protocol droid.

---

Padme soon got into a routine on Kamino. For the first three months, Anakin remained in the bacta tank twenty-four hours a day, so she used the force to care for Luke and Leia. It took a while to master the intricacies of changing nappies and wiping chins, as they required subtle adjustments, though luckily C3PO was always on hand to assist if needed. Despite initial grumbling that he was built to 'facilitate human-cyborg relations to not to remove human excrement Padme knew he loved his new duties as a nanny droid and even delegated the task of bottle feeding the twins entirely to him (which, again, she knew he secretly jumped for joy at). R2 was also deeply involved with the twins, and often recorded the tiniest moments like when Leia sat up for the first time or when Luke discovered that he had a foot four consecutive times in a row. The Astromech also captured Anakin's healing progress, developing a habit of checking on him each morning and keeping a long of his physical appearance and biodata. One time, Padme had been in the middle of changing Luke's nappy when he came screeching in, informing her that Anakin now had zero point zero five two percent more lung capacity than he had the day before. Padme, excited by this news, had been distracted from Luke, who promptly projectile peed on the droid, though he took it as the baby's way of expressing his excitement.

Padme had also taken on the role of liaising with Breha about the rebellion and deflecting suspicion from the Imperial Fleet and the Emperor as to Anakin's absence, so he could focus on healing. The Emperor was under the impression that Anakin was performing a thorough investigation into reports that Kamino wanted to secede from the empire, and that was likely to take at least a year more, as the records and conspirators were well hidden. Breha was having much success organizing the rebellion and had so far managed to keep it under the radar. They agreed that it would be best to keep its existence a secret until Anakin and Padme were able to take a more active role in leading it and misdirecting the empire.

---

When Luke and Leia were nine months old they learned to walk. C3PO was holding a book while Padme read to them and Anakin, who had been placed in bacta wraps, was sitting on the examination bed behind them enjoying his daily hour out of the tank. Luke reached his hands out in front of him and slowly pushed himself up from the ground, wobbling precariously as he stood. Anakin and Padme looked at each other, grins breaking out on both of their faces.

'That's it, Luke! Come to Mummy,' Padme encouraged. He took several unsteady steps before he began to fall and she used the force to lower him gently onto his bottom. Leia crawled over to C3PO and pulled herself up using his leg. She then began to walk totteringly towards Anakin and made it to him before she fell forward into his lap.

'Well done both of you,' Padme praised as Anakin gently used the force to place Leia next to Luke, not yet having the strength in his arms to pick her up himself. R2 beeped proudly that he had documented the whole event.

---

Four days after Luke and Leia's first birthday, Doctor Kellan declared Anakin fully healed and discharged him. While he would still wear the suit to avoid raising Palpatine's suspicions, Padme had it modified so that it no longer performed its life-support functions, and removed the metal spikes. Anakin himself was exactly as she remembered him, right down to the scar on his right eye and shoulder-length shaggy blond hair. As they left the medical complex and boarded the shuttle, he projected into Padme's mind. Now, let's show the emperor who he's dealing with, shall we?

He has no idea.

She watched as he chuckled in agreement and strapped the twins in their booster seats as they were too big to sit on his lap as he flew anymore. The shuttle lifted off, heading back to the Extractor.

Yes, she thought to herself, as soon as she returned to life fully, Palpatine should be very afraid.