Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any original characters and dialogue from the movies and books.

Author's note: I use o'clock times, because it's easier for me. Also, I thought that Imperial City was the name for all of Courscant, not just one area there. I now know the whole planet is Imperial Center. Since I've put "Imperial City" in so many of my stories, I'm not going to go back and edit them all, but just know that I realize the mistake.

My Star

Chapter One

Luke arrived at the Rebel base, on Dantooine, more than two hours after the meeting ended. It had been raining while he was talking to Obi-wan on Dagobah, and it did not stop until twenty minutes after Obi-wan disappeared. Luke's X-wing actually flew well in the rain, but carefully landing on Dagobah and leaving was difficult enough when it was not raining.

He found Leia - who he now knew was his twin sister - in a large room where everyone went to play cards, eat, or talk. She and Han were standing alone in one corner, but as soon as she saw Luke, she quickly went over him. He noticed an annoyed look on Han's face.

"You're back," said Leia.

"I'm sorry that I missed the meeting, but I have to tell you something," Luke said quietly as she hugged him. "Now."

"That's fine," she replied. "At the meeting, Admiral Ackbar announced that we are not attacking the Empire yet. We're waiting a month."

"A month?"

"Yes. The maintenance crew wants to do some repairs on some of the X-wings, and do some improvements on them."

"That shouldn't take a whole month," Luke said.

"I know, but that's what Ackbar and Mon Mothma decided," Leia replied. "What do you have to tell me?"

---

Darth Vader watched Mara Jade as she left one of his private chambers on the Executor. Today, he had noticed the silver ring, with a heart-shaped diamond, on one of the fingers of her left hand. She must have forgotten to take it off today.

One time, as he was entering this room, he saw her take the ring off and slip it inside one of her pants' pockets. He guessed that it was a wedding ring, or else she would not care if he saw it or not.

Six weeks ago, he had sensed that she was pregnant with a very Force-strong baby - a girl. He had said nothing to her. He wanted to see how she would try to hide this from him. To keep the Emperor from finding out, he met with her on the Executor most of the time.

There was something about her baby that bothered him, but he did not know what it was.

"Vader?" Amidala asked softly, interrupting his thoughts. She was peeking out from the open doorway that led to another room. When she saw that Mara was gone now, she came out.

"Are you going to hurt her?" she asked as she stood close to him. She pulled the hood of her thin, brown robe off of her head. Underneath, she wore a short, long-sleeved dark green dress.

"I want to know who her husband is," he said, which did not answer the question.

"Please, Vader. I know that I don't really know her at all, but she seems like a nice girl." Amidala took his hand and kissed it. "Happy twenty-fourth anniversary."

The anniversary of Anakin and Padmé's wedding, twenty-seven years ago, had actually been last week. But after Padmé changed her mind and accepted Vader's offer to join him, they got married again. That was the anniversary that they recognized.

Amidala was not Force-sensitive, but Vader had trained her in everything else that he could, and taught her more about flying ships. On the first anniversary of their second wedding, he gave her two orange lightsabers.

She kissed his hand again, then said, "Are we going home soon?"

"Yes."

---

Leia and Luke were standing outside, in front of the base's main entrance. Leia stared at her friend for a moment before realizing that she believed him.

"I know," she said. "Somehow, I've always known."

"I feel that way, too," he replied.

He had not been completely honest with her - he had revealed that they were twins, but had not said who their father was. He did not want to tell her yet. She might think that it was a sick joke, or she might tell someone, and they would tell other Rebels. Then all of them would panic. They would probably want Luke and Leia to leave. Maybe they would try to kill the twins, for their own safety.

"How did you find out?" Leia asked.

Luke had already thought of a lie for that. "You told me your mother's name once."

"Yes."

"I went back to Obi-wan's home on Tattooine, and I found a diary there. He mentioned our parents and both of us in it."

"My adopted parents never told me that my real father was a Jedi," said Leia, "or that Vader killed him and my mother."

"My aunt and uncle didn't tell me, either," Luke replied. "I don't think we should tell everyone that we're related. Just tell Han and Chewbacca and Lando, alright?"

"Alright. Now Han can stop thinking that I like you."

"Yes," Luke said.

The group of friends already shared one secret - only Han, Leia, and Chewbacca knew that Luke and Mara were married. Luke had not told them that Mara was pregnant yet, but he would soon.

"I'm going to go inside and tell Han, before he wonders what we're doing," Leia said. "Call me when you're home."

---

It was almost dark outside when Luke reached the house on Yavin Five. He always took a transport ship here, or Han brought him in the Millenium Falcon, so that no one would notice his X-wing. Then he went the public garage, which he owned a space in, and got his speeder.

Mara's uncle gave them the house as a wedding present. It had two stories, miles of forest behind it, and there were only two neighboring houses, one on each side of Mara and Luke's. There was no Imperial base here on Yavin Five, just on Four and Eight.

Mara was already in bed, and almost asleep, when Luke entered their bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hello," she said, sitting up.

"What did you do today?" Luke asked, resting his hand on her leg.

"I went to a few stores and looked at maternity clothes," said Mara.

That was true - she went gone shopping after her meeting with Vader, so that when she told Luke, he would not sense any dishonesty. She had not told him that she served Vader, and she did not think that he had found out, or else he probably would have killed her.

"Did you find anything you liked?" he asked. He had sensed that she was pregnant six weeks ago, but he waited until she told him on her own, two weeks ago. He did not mention that he could sense the baby's gender. She had already told her doctor that she wanted to be surprised.

"Yes, but I didn't buy it yet," she answered. "I'm hungry. I think I'll heat the rest of those taun-taun strips. Do you want any?"

"Sure, but I have to tell you something first," Luke said.

"What is it?" Mara asked.

Even though she knew about Obi-wan and Yoda and her husband's Jedi training, Luke told her the same lie he had told his sister, in case the two of them talked about it. He did not like lying to either of them, but he did not want to tell them that he had been talking to a ghost, either.

"Wow," Mara said softly after hearing everything. "Forgive me, but I think your aunt and uncle should have told you that Vader killed your parents."

"I always thought there was something more than what they were telling me," her husband said, wondering when he should tell her that Vader was her father-in-law.

She looked at him, feeling guilty. She was hiding something from him, too. She had no right to criticize his aunt and uncle.

"Let's go eat," she said, getting out of the bed.

---

I hope some of you liked this first chapter. I know it's confusing to keep track of who doesn't know what. The next chapter will tell how Luke and Mara met.