Shifting Sand

Chapter I – The Wrong Place at the Right Time

"Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes." Luke hesitantly lifted the helmet off of his Father's head and placed it on the floor. Beneath the infamous black armour and the scarred visage was...just a man. A man with the same startlingly blue eyes as his own. Not a monster, nor a hero who brought balance to the force, but just a man. His Father. Anakin Skywalker.

A sudden rush of emotion overtook Luke; a lump formed in his throat as he grabbed the dying man before him.

"You're coming with me. I can't leave you here – I've got to save you!" The tears fell freely down his face now, betraying his emotions for the world to see.

"You already have, Luke. You were right about me." Anakin paused. He painfully smiled and seemed to sag further down the wall. "Tell your sister...you were right."

"I promise I won't leave you Father, I won't let you die."

Those were the last words that Anakin Skywalker heard before he passed into the Force. Those were the last words that haunted Luke in his every waking hour, and then plagued his sleep with uneasy dreams. He found himself constantly wondering if he had made the right choices – from the moment he had learnt that Darth Vader was his Father, right up until the moment he had passed from the world – had Luke done the best that he could?

Despite the celebrations that had been raging on for the past three days around him, the young Skywalker had felt no inclination to join in. It felt wrong to celebrate the defeat of the Emperor when he was still in mourning for his Father. Leia, Han and Chewbacca had each tried in vain to lighten Luke's heavy mood, but to no avail.

At first Luke had been confused – upset even - at Leia's apparent apathy at their Father's death – but she didn't understand him like he had; she didn't share that connection with him through the Force.

I had that connection, yet I was too weak...too slow. I wish I could go back in time. He released all his pent up anger and sorrow into the Force, letting it swell and pulse around him for a second, before collapsing back on his bed, tears sliding down the side of his face.

Anakin Skywalker never liked meditation; he thought it was a waste of time, and he couldn't commit to the act unlike his Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who could meditate for hours at a time. This was one of those times were Anakin was desperately trying to find any excuse to get out of the exercise.

"Wait." Obi-Wan brought up a hand, instantly quieting his Padawan. Anakin watched his mentor carefully; the man only ever used that tone of voice when something had happened, or he had noticed something via the Force.

"Master?"

"Can you feel that?" Obi-Wan asked, a frown appearing on his face. He slowly stood up, brushing stray dirt from his Jedi robes. Anakin was unsure of what Obi-Wan was referring to; as far as he could tell, there was nothing amiss in the Jedi Gardens. The leaves rustled in a slight breeze, momentarily capturing the young Skywalker's attention.

"I do not feel anything..." Anakin stopped mid-sentence, goosebumps rising on his arms as he turned sharply to where the Force was guiding him. He followed his instincts, ignoring Obi-Wan's questioning look as he made his way deeper into the garden.

Just for a moment, the the ever present hum of Coruscant traffic was dulled as Anakin laid eyes on a young man, peacefully asleep on the ground under one of the trees.

No – not sleeping. Something's wrong. By this time, Kenobi had caught up to his apprentice and was appraising the situation carefully. Dropping down to one knee, Obi-Wan gently placed a hand on the young man's forehead.

"He's unconscious, though any other injuries he may have...I am not sure of. We'll have to get him to the medical bay immediately." Carefully, Obi-Wan lifted the man into his arms, noting with surprise that he was lighter than he expected. Anakin remained in an uncharacteristic silence as he followed his friend through the Jedi Temple, his eyes seemingly glued on the unmoving figure of the mystery man.

A part of him felt a deep connection to the boy, as if he had known him all of his life. He felt foolish for feeling that way, knowing that rationally they've never met before. Suddenly, an odd premonition overcame Anakin – he just knew that whoever this man was, everyone's lives were about to be changed. Stopping short of the medical bay, Anakin paused and watched as Obi-Wan placed the vulnerable young man in a bed, doctors swarming to his side.

Vader stood proudly, arms akimbo as he stood with his back facing Luke. Ice ran through Luke's veins as he approached his Father, hand outstretched to touch him. Turning around, Vader towered over Luke threateningly, and for a heart-stopping moment Luke thought he was about to be struck down as Vader lifted his arms – yet all the older man did was remove his helmet. Suddenly, he wasn't scary anymore. Instead Anakin the Jedi stared kindly down at his son, blue eyes twinkling in happiness.

Luke's eyes fluttered open and he immediately sensed that he was not on Endor anymore. He closed his eyes and reached out for the Force, calming himself down.

"You're awake...you're safe, its alright. You're on Coruscant in the Jedi Temple, in the medical bay. I'm Doctor Vekarr." Luke blinked stupidly and pushed the man's hovering hands away from his person. Sitting up, he warily examined his surroundings, not really processing what the Doctor had said. The medical bay was light and airy, with large glass windows that let in plenty of natural sunlight. The smell of disinfectant was faint here, unlike the Rebel bases where the smell was overpowering.

"Coruscant?" Luke repeated, the words now starting to sink in. The Doctor nodded absent mindedly as he spoke into his com-link. "That can't be right." Luke staggered out of bed against the Doctor's wishes and ungracefully made his way towards one of the windows. Bracing himself against the sill, Luke stared uncomprehendingly at the traffic that moved past him in a solid block. The Force was telling him that he was safe, that he was amongst Jedi and that he could relax...but his heart jumped into his throat and he stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet.

"Hey! You alright there?" Luke bumped into someone and span around, backing up against the wall.

"Stay back." Luke warned. He automatically reached for his Lightsaber, heart dropping when all he grasped at was empty space.

Obi-Wan noticed this movement and made a mental note of it. He lifted his hands up in a peaceful gesture, making sure that his apprentice gave the confused young man a wide berth. Recognition flickered through the youth's eyes, flitting between Obi-Wan's and Anakin's faces.

"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi - "

"I know who you are." There was a heavy silence in the medical bay as no one dared to move, unsure of what the teen was going to do next.

My Father...and old Ben? Luke knew that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him – in front of him stood his Father and his old teacher, Ben Kenobi. But something was severely wrong: Vader was his age, young and without the twisted scars on his face. He aura excluded nothing but a pureness that Luke had never experienced before, and just for a second he basked in it.

It was one of the most foreign yet familiar feelings he had ever felt.

This Obi-Wan looked nothing like the washed up old hermit from Tatooine that he had known; this man was strong and commanded respect from the moment you met him. He had bright strawberry blonde hair that bordered on being ginger (depending on the light), which Luke would never have guessed the man to have. However, despite how scared Luke was feeling, he found comfort in the familiar green eyes of his old mentor, and he allowed himself to believe in that fleeting feeling of safety and promptly passed out.

Anakin's quick reflexes kicked in and he caught Luke before he could hit the ground. For a moment he was taken aback at seeing the younger man's face so close to his. Anakin could really take in his features, and found a disturbing resemblance to himself. Was it the blonde hair that hung round his face, or the sun-kissed skin that reminded him of home? The boys accent was pure outer-rim – something Anakin hadn't heard in a long time which made his heart ache for his Mother. The moment was gone just as quickly as it had come however.

"What on earth is going on?" He heard his mentor mutter. He didn't need to turn around to know that Obi-Wan was stroking his beard in confusion.

"I suppose I should alert the council to this turn of events?" Doctor Vekarr asked hesitantly.

"I have already alerted them; they're expecting this young mean to appear before them when he wakes up." Obi-Wan sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, feeling older than he really was. Why was it that whenever he was around his Padawan, things of a curious nature always occurred?

Luke stirred from the bed again, lazily blinking himself awake. He smiled apologetically at the three men who stood at the end of his bed, wondering how on earth he was going to get out of this mess.

It has to be time-travel. The Force must be behind this but why?

Luke suppressed the hysteria that was rising within him and took charge of the situation. After all, he was Commander Skywalker wasn't he?

"I'm Luke Sky – Starkiller. I was travelling with my mentor...Ben." He paused, trying to gauge their reactions. "We were travelling to the Temple for business that my Master had with someone, but something happened. I think we were attacked, I can't remember anything. I must have managed to get away." Luke could feel a blush making its way up his neck and settling on his cheeks. He hoped they wouldn't catch him out in his lie – he had shielded his mind as soon as he came to, but Obi-Wan and Anakin were far more experienced than him. Who knew if they could sense the truth past his shields?

If I can hide from Palpatine, I can hide from these two.

"And where is your Master now?" Anakin asked, suspicious of Luke.

"He's gone into the Force. I felt it." Luke let his sadness ring out with that statement, remembering back to when Obi-Wan had let Vader strike him down. Sharing a side look, Kenobi and the older Skywalker believed Luke, confirming it with how sincere his feelings were in regards to his former mentor.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Obi-Wan genuinely meant it; he too knew what it was like to lose a mentor and a friend.

"What happens now? I can't go home." Luke blurted out, fearing they would make him leave the Temple. He could handle the time-travel thing but only if he was amongst the Jedi. He knew Yoda, Ben and his Father could help him with his problem eventually. What would he do if they rejected him and he was stranded in Coruscant, alone and over 20 years in the past?

"That's up to the council to decide. Are you fit to walk?" Luke nodded numbly, his stomach twisting itself into knots. He shakily stood up, waiting for the pins and needles to leave his legs.

"It's alright, I've got you if you fall." Luke nodded in thanks, captivated by his Father's intense gaze. Luke found it strange to stare into a pair of identical blue eyes that mirrored his own. Anakin must have felt the same way because he broke eye contact first, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

He hovered close to Luke's side as they made their to the Jedi council meeting room, which was a fair bit of walk from the medical bay. Luke took this time to sort out the story that he was going to tell the Council. He was mostly worried about Yoda; that little green alien could see right through Luke back on Dagobah, and he vaguely wondered if it would be the same in this time.

Luke Skywalker did not allow himself to show how exposed he felt in front of the council. It was silent as they surveyed him, clearly talking along their telepathic link to each other so he couldn't hear. Anakin stood towards the back of the hall next to Obi-Wan, nervous to hear what the council were going to do with Luke. Luke turned back nervously to glance at his Father, who nodded in reassurance and sent him a small smile.

"For a reason the Force sent you here. Decided to let you stay for now, we have." Yoda sent Luke a knowing look as the young man sagged in relief.

"You're certain you have no knowledge as to what your Master wanted and with whom?" Mace Windu asked again, looking down on the young man. Luke shook his head, resisting the urge to look back again at his Father and mentor who were pressed up against the wall.

"Strong in the Force, you are. Yet fully trained you are not. What happened, hmm?" Luke blushed under Yoda's scrutiny.

"I only really started training about a year ago...Jedi Master's are rare on my home planet." Luke had gotten the hang of letting the truth ring out when he spoke of certain things that were not lies. As far as he could tell, the Council accepted everything he said as truth. Yoda reclined in his chair, opting to remain silent as he studied the young man before him.

"Skywalker!" Windu snapped, making both the young men snap to attention. Luke immediately tried to relax himself, lest he draw attention. Obi-Wan and Yoda noticed this small reaction however, even when nobody else did.

"Yes, Master Windu?" Anakin asked, stepping forwards until he stood next to Luke. Luke noted that his Father had always been tall – Anakin easily stood at around 6'1, dwarfing the young Skywalker in comparison.

Clearly I got my height from my Mother. Luke mused to himself.

"Starkiller will be assigned to you to look after. Give him a tour, make sure he settles in etc. You will be held responsible for him." Usually Anakin would feel annoyed at being lumbered with the task of baby sitting someone – especially if they were so close in age to himself (could they not look after themselves?). With Luke however, there was something different; Anakin felt himself wanting to get to know the young man, to speak to him and understand what went on in his head. He wanted to get to know Luke as a person.

"He's in good hands, Master." Anakin smirked as he received a few disapproving murmurs from other council members. Windu's face did not look too impressed either. With a wave of his hand, the two Skywalker's were dismissed from the room.

"What about you?" Luke asked Obi-Wan anxiously.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow in confusion, noticing the boys obvious attachment to him. Anakin noticed it too.

"I have matters I need to discuss with the Council." When it became apparent that that was not a good enough answer for Luke, Kenobi sighed and smiled at him, "I promise I shall come find you in the morning. After all, it seems that you will be spending a lot of time with my Padawan." Luke nodded at him and followed his Father, breathing a sigh of relief once the heavy oak doors had shut behind him.

"I know what you mean, feels like you can't breath in there sometimes." Anakin chuckled, hoping to break the ice with Luke. Luke offered him a small smile, but remained silent. It was so surreal to be walking with his Father in the Jedi Temple, knowing all the pain and horror that would eventually transpire.

Anakin felt awkward, sensing that Luke was deep in thought. He itched to ask him about what planet he was from and to learn more of this mentor he called Ben. Despite Anakin's lack of subtlety and impatience, he was no fool and he knew that it was not the right time to bombard the young man with questions.

After all, he has just lost his Master. Anakin grimaced at the thought. He couldn't even imagine losing Obi-Wan, especially when they were so close. He was like the Father and older brother that Anakin had never had.

"There's a spare room three doors down from mine. You can use it, I thought it would be better if you were close to me since you're new and all. Is there anything else you need?"

"Uh, maybe something to sleep in? I only have the clothes on my back." Luke mumbled embarrassed.

"I should have something that fits you! Might be a little big but we'll see. Come in." Anakin lead the way and let Luke into his room. It was not how Luke would have imagined it; it was extremely messy – there were mechanical parts strewn all over the place and clothes flung haphazardly over chairs and the floor. A far cry from the neat freak that Vader was.

Anakin didn't seem to notice how messy his room was, instead rooting around in his wardrobe to find some of his clothes from when he was younger.

"How old are you anyway?" Anakin asked conversationally.

"19. How old are you?"

"19! I'm nearly 20." Anakin gave Luke a searching look as if he didn't believe him. Luke tried to draw himself up to his full height, which didn't make much difference considering how tall his Father was. "I won't lie, I thought you were 17 or 18 if I'm honest." Luke's face turned red from embarrassment. It was true, he had lost a lot of weight whilst fighting with the Rebels. He hadn't thought it was that bad though – he had been trying to bulk up, and training with Yoda had helped too.

Anakin felt bad as he caught the gist of how Luke was feeling.

"I was so tiny when I was kid," he said casually, handing Luke some folded up clothes, "I'm surprised I grew so tall! I wasn't the healthiest eater." chuckling, Anakin's thoughts flashed back to his time as a slave on Tatooine with his Mother, and how they struggled with food sometimes.

"Thankyou, Anakin. I'm really tired and I have a lot to reflect on. I'll see you in the morning?" Anakin nodded, noticing how run down Luke looked.

"I'll have someone bring you something small to eat, you must be hungry." Anakin's heart went out to Luke, and he resisted the urge to call him back and give him a hug. There was something that Luke wasn't telling him and Obi-Wan. There was tiredness about him that was unbefitting for someone of his age.

"I'll figure you out, Luke Starkiller." Neither Anakin nor Luke got a full nights sleep that night.