Summary:8 years post-ROTS AU One-shot, All he wanted was to spend Christmas with his father but when eight year old Luke Skywalker uses the Force, without knowing it, he not only gets his secret wish, but he also causes a meeting to happen several years earlier than it was supposed to...
Genre: Family/Supernatural
Rating: K +
Author's Note:This is my first Christmas fanfic, in any fandom, and I hoe you like it. Christmas is equivalent to whatever the holiday is in the Star Wars galaxy so please don't flame me for that. This is a Luke/Vader story and reviews are appreciated. And yes, I know some of the things I mention in this chapter aren't likely to happen in the actual Star Wars story but oh well, please don't flame me because of that. This was inspired by 'A Force Bond Christmas' by KittandChips though with my own ideas added into it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, George Lucas does and I never will
A Christmas Wish
By: xXJedi Knight BlazeXx
Tatooine, the dusty and scorching hot planet that lay far from the Core of the galaxy; it was unusually cold at this time of year but no one knew why, they only knew that it grew cold and everyone figured it was because the two suns went down earlier than usual. The winds were still hot and the sandstorms were still deadly during the day but at night, it was chilly.
At this time of year, everyone was in a cheerful mood, they were talking with people they would normally avoid and they were happy. The only reason for this was because it was Christmas time, the time of the year that was happy and joyous for everyone, even the ruthless Tusken Raiders.
But as usual at this time of year, Luke Skywalker wasn't really that joyous, the eight year old boy had spent the last eight Christmas's hoping that this would be the year his secret Christmas wish would be granted but so far, it has not happened. Luke was raised by his Aunt and Uncle, Beru and Owen, who lived a few miles from Mos Eisley and Anchorhead and they treated him as though he was their own son.
But Luke yearned to be with his true father, he didn't even know his father's name and every time he asked his Aunt and Uncle, they would make up some excuse to not reply or to change the subject. Luke didn't know why they were keeping this from him and he wanted to know the truth, about his father, about everything.
And though Christmas time was a time to be joyous, to be happy and to celebrate with family, Luke didn't feel so joyous. Sure he was happy when he experienced his first and second Christmas on Tatooine when he was a year and two years old but now, now that he was eight, he wanted to spend it with his father.
The boy was only eight year old; he didn't know his father, he didn't know his mother, the only family members that he knew were his Aunt and Uncle. Sure he loved them because they were his family but he wanted his father, he wanted his father from the moment he was old enough to understand what a father was.
Luke gazed back at the homestead where his Aunt and his Uncle were currently fixing up the homestead with Christmas décor and Luke knew that his Aunt and Uncle were always cheerful at this time of year. Luke liked it when his Uncle was cheerful because it made it better for him, his Uncle didn't especially like him and Luke didn't know why.
"Luke? Luke!" Beru called poking her head out of the homestead. "Come inside, Luke, we need some help with the last of the decorations."
Luke let out a long sigh. "Coming Auntie," he called back before turning around and walking into the homestead to join his Aunt and Uncle. The interior of the homestead was decorated with several different things, including a tree that stood at the edge of the home. Though the Empire still held reign over the galaxy, Christmas was still legal though hardly anyone celebrated it anymore because of the Imperials being in battle most of the time for the Empire.
"Hey Auntie, why was the Empire thinking of banning Christmas?" he asked curiously.
Beru and Owen flinched before exchanging quick glances that didn't go unnoticed behind Luke and he narrowed his eyes slightly. "I don't know," Beru admitted. "And you shouldn't worry about what the Empire is doing; it's none of your concern."
"Why?"
Beru and Owen both sighed, they both knew that Luke, because he was eight, asked questions and he was so full of them that if you answered one, a dozen or more would pour out. "It just isn't," Owen said finally after a long moment of silence. "We shouldn't be thinking about that now, its Christmas time now."
"So what did you get me?" Luke asked cheerfully.
Beru chuckled. "I'm not telling you, you are going to have to wait until tomorrow," she said.
Luke frowned. "All right," he muttered.
"Why don't you go to sleep so you'll be up bright and early tomorrow?" Beru suggested.
The small boy sighed. "All right, Auntie," he said before he walked past Beru and Owen and headed toward his room. He slipped into the small room before sitting down on his bed and gazing out of the window at the darkening sky outside. It was late and the stars were already glittering brightly in the black surface above. The two suns had disappeared over the horizon and dark shadows were crawling on the sandy landscape.
For a long moment, Luke sat on his bed just gazing out on the landscape before turning his gaze to the sky and locking his gaze on a star that glittered brigther than the others that surrounded it. When he was younger and the star, known as the Morning Star by many who lived on Tatooine, was like a symbol to him and he thought that if he wished on it, he would someday get his wish.
But for the past eight years, the wish he has wanted above all else to come true has not. He remembered spending hours through the night just gazing at the Morning Star and hoping that his wish would come true the next day but it never did. The Morning Star was a very unusual occurrence, especially in Tatooine space, and for some reason, it only happened on Christmas Eve.
Hardly anyone ever saw the Morning Star when it appeared on Christmas Eve but Luke figured they were too busy spending time with their family and getting ready for Christmas day. Though Christmas was a newer holiday on Tatooine that had come about several years ago, hardly anyone celebrated it though Luke figured it was because of the ongoing war that was happening.
He didn't know much about the war; he only knew bits and pieces, especially about the Rebels but every time he so much as mentioned the Empire, Uncle Owen would get mad. Luke has never understood why his Uncle was so mad all the time and he figured he really didn't want to know. At least Uncle Owen celebrates Christmas even though many don't, Luke thought.
The only reason an eight year old like Christmas was because of the presents and because of spending time with his family. Luke shook his head to clear it before gazing at the Morning Star again as it gleamed brightly in the dark sky. As usually on this night, for the past eight years, Luke closed his eyes before whispering silently, I wish that I could know who my father was.
Unbeknownst to him, his thoughts were reaching farther than anyone thought possible and it reached the mind of the one man that the galaxy feared the most.
Darth Vader straigthened up slightly as a child's voice sounded in his mind. A voice that seemed to be calling out to his father through the Force but Vader knew instantly that the boy didn't know he was using the Force. Vader narrowed his eyes but when he tried to trace the location of the voice, he was met with a blank wall as though the Force, itself, was keeping something from.
Shaking his helmeted head to clear it, Vader returned to his meditation though it was hard to meditate with everything that was going on onboard the Executor. Though the Imperials did not get Christmas off because the Emperor didn't believe they should, they still spent time with their family and were eager to get off of work to return to their family. The eagerness and the joy that the Imperials were feeling caused anger to crawl through Vader's veins as he remembered the last time he felt eagerness and joy.
He shook his head before pushing the memories to the back of his mind before sighing and leaning back in his seat. He figured he shouldn't worry about it unless the boy becomes more adept within the Force. Besides he can't seem to locate the boy's presence as it is and if he did, he would have plotted the course almost immediately.
But why is it that I cannot sense where the boy is located? Could it not be a boy? Could it be someone who was trained in the ways of the Force without Palpatine and me knowing of it? Vader wondered silently before he shook his head; he knew that wasn't likely because the Jedi were gone, dead, destroyed.
Or so you think, a voice said silently and Vader scowled before pushing the thought to the back of his mind before he fell back into a meditative trance but for some reason, he could not get the voice out of his mind.
Luke sighed before he lied down on his bed and closed his eyes. He didn't fall into a deep sleep as he expected to and he took a deep breath to try and fall asleep. Almost self-consciously he rested his head on his bed before concentrating on trying to fall asleep and soon he fell into a deep trance-like sleep.
It was a long while before Luke blinked open his eyes and when he woke up, he found himself in a grassy clearing. The grass was as high as a foot and trees lined the clearing around, there was a waterfall flowing nearby. What am I doing here? He said silently. He got to his feet before gazing around.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" he called for a long moment but there was only silence in the clearing. He gazed around, his eyes wide and filled with fear. What is this place? He wondered silently.
"What are you doing here, child?" a new voice sounded causing Luke to leap up with a startled cry of fright and he whirled around in time to see a dark blue figure standing at the other end of the clearing watching Luke with narrowed eyes.
"I…I don't know, I…I was just getting to sleep and then suddenly I was here," Luke stammered out, the fear in his voice was evident.
The figure drifted closer but Luke noticed he could only see the dark blue outline of the man. "Odd, only Force users have been able to reach this place, are you a Jedi?" the man asked and Luke took a step back when he noticed the cold anger in the man's voice.
"N…No, what's a Jedi?" Luke asked hesitantly.
"You do not know what a Jedi is? What is your name, child?"
"L…Luke, L…Luke Skywalker," Luke stammered out his eyes were filled with fear as he gazed around quickly, still unsure of where he was and getting close to panicking because he did not know where he was.
"Skywalker?" the man demanded and Luke noticed he had stiffened with, whether it was anger or shock Luke wasn't sure.
"Y…Yeah," Luke said.
"How did you get here, child?" the man asked and Luke noticed his voice was slightly softer.
"I…I honestly don't know, w…where are we?" Luke stammered out.
The man let out a long sigh. "Come, child," he said gesturing slightly and Luke hesitated again; the fear was evident in his eyes. He was still scared and he didn't know where he was and he was faced with this strange man whom he didn't know.
"W…Who are you?"
The man hesitated for a split second. "You may call me Ani," he said finally after a long moment of silence. "Don't worry, child, I will not harm you. No one can be harmed in this place."
"What is this place?"
"It does not have a name," Ani admitted. "At least I have never been able to figure it out." Luke noticed there was still anger in his voice but his voice was also calmer as if he was trying to get a hold of his anger. Whether it was because of Luke or not, Luke wasn't so sure. He hesitated again before walking over to join Ani and he led him toward the waterfall before sitting down and gesturing for Luke to sit down.
"So why are you here?" Ani asked, the anger and shock was back in his voice and Luke flinched slightly before shifting away from him.
"I don't know, I was just thinking about Christmas tomorrow and I couldn't help but think about my father. I wished on a star and went to sleep and the next thing I knew, I was here," Luke said.
"Your father?" Ani asked glancing at him sharply.
"Yeah, my Uncle wouldn't tell me much about him and he never told me anything about him when I asked him. I think he's dead though," Luke murmured sadly.
Ani was silent for a long moment as he gazed at the waterfall. "Your Uncle celebrates Christmas?" he asked finally.
"Yeah, he says it's the best time for family to gather together but I couldn't help but want my father to be there. I was wishing on the Morning Star every Christmas Eve to meet my father but it never happened," Luke murmured.
"Do you know your father's name?"
"No, every time I tried to ask Uncle Owen, he would either change the subject or ignore me," Luke said.
"Owen? Owen Lars?"
Luke blinked, not understanding how this strange man knew his Uncle's full name. "Yeah," he said. "Do you know him?"
Ani glanced away and Luke noticed that he was back to being angry again and he moved away. He couldn't understand why Ani was angry and he couldn't help but wonder if he had caused this anger.
"He was your father's stepbrother," Ani murmured softly though the anger was still evident in his voice.
"You knew my father?" Luke gasped, his eyes shooting wide with shock.
"Yes, I knew him well."
"How do you know him? My Uncle did tell me a few bits and pieces about him but it never helps me try to get to know him better. From what my Uncle has told me, he died before I was born," Luke said.
"What did your Uncle tell you about your father?"
"He said that my father was a space freigther."
Anger once again showed in Ani's posture and Luke moved away from him, his eyes widening with fear. Ani glanced at him and, as if noticing the fear in Luke's eyes, took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Your Uncle lied to you," he said.
"Why would he do that?" Luke protested the shock was evident in his voice.
"Maybe he did not want you to follow in your father's footsteps," Ani suggested.
"But why? What was my father then?"
Ani hesitated. "He's a commander," he said finally.
"A commander?"
"Yes, he was a commander during the Clone Wars," Ani hesitated for a split second before adding in a lower voice, "and a Jedi."
"My father was a Jedi?" Luke exclaimed his eyes going wide with shock.
"Yes, that was until he learned that the Jedi were corrupt and he left the Order."
Luke frowned. "I never heard anything about that, then again if anyone so much as mentions the word 'Jedi' they get punished," he said.
Ani shrugged. "It's a long story," he said.
"Did you know my father well?"
"Indeed I did," Ani replied and Luke almost instantly knew that Ani was keeping something from him. He didn't know why he knew; he didn't know whether the sound of his voice had told him that or if his posture had suggested it but Luke knew that Ani was keeping something away from him.
"Why are you keeping something from me?" he asked finally after a few moments to gather his thoughts together.
Ani flinched before looking away as he seemed to gather his thoughts. "Do you honestly want the truth about your father, Luke?" he asked finally.
"I've wanted the truth from the moment I could understand what a father was," Luke replied before hesitating and adding, "I've always wanted a father but my Aunt and Uncle always seemed to be trying to keep the truth away from me. If you know the truth, will you please tell me?"
Ani hesitated again. "Your father was known as Anakin Skywalker," he said finally and Luke noticed there was slight pain in his voice. "And he is still alive."
"What?" Luke exclaimed his eyes shooting wide with shock. "How can that be? I have always thought that if my father was still alive, he would come to Tatooine and carry me off that planet forever."
Ani flinched slightly and Luke once again saw a flash of anger in his posture. "Maybe he didn't know you were alive, maybe he thought you had died when you were born," he murmured softly. "Maybe someone hid you from him."
"Why would they do that?"
"I do not know," Ani admitted. Luke was startled when he noticed that the dark blue shimmer around Ani was starting turn into a bright blue color, if only slightly.
"If my father is still alive, do you know where he is?" Luke asked.
"He is closer than you may think, Luke, if only in this place," Ani replied turning to look at Luke who was still studying him until realization hit him like a ligthening bolt.
"But…How can that be?" he stammered out, gazing at Ani with shock in his eyes. "Are you my father?"
Ani smiled slightly and, though he was just an outline of slightly ligther blue light, the smile seemed to soften his posture. "Yes," he said finally.
"But…How can that be true? Is Ani a nickname?"
Pain flashed in Ani's eyes. "Yes, my mother gave it to me when I was younger," he murmured softly.
"So you're Anakin Skywalker?"
Ani flinched. "Yes," he murmured and Luke almost instantly knew that his father was lying.
"What's the matter?" Luke asked gazing at Ani with slight fear in his eyes.
"Do not worry about it, Luke, son," Ani murmured.
"Will you come and get me off of this dust ball?" Luke asked a pleading note in his voice.
Ani shook his head. "No," he murmured. "If the Emperor discovers your existence, he will kill you."
"Why?"
"Because you are strong in the Force."
"What's the Force?"
Ani smiled slightly. "It's everything around you," he said.
Luke frowned. "When I was a few years younger, I could always find things that my Aunt and Uncle couldn't find, my Uncle got mad at me, though, he said I was too much like my father. He said that every time I found something they weren't able to find, or when I fixed something, such as a speeder or something," he said. "Is finding something no one else can find apart of this Force thing?"
"Yes it is," Ani replied. He gazed up at the sky for a long moment. "I honestly didn't expect this to happen. I thought my son had died when he was born." It took Luke a few moments to realize Ani was talking to himself and he stayed silent as Ani went on, "what am I going to do with this newfound information? I cannot allow Palpatine to know about my son, so what am I supposed to do?"
"Who's Palpatine?" Luke asked finally.
Ani flinched. "He's the Emperor," he replied.
"Is that why you can't allow this Palpatine to know about me?"
"Indeed it is." Ani glanced back at me. "Will you do me a favor, son?"
Luke gazed at the man that he now knew was his father. "What?" he asked finally.
"Keep your knowledge of me a secret. Don't tell anyone you know about me, especially not your Uncle Owen or your Aunt Beru," Ani said finally.
Luke frowned. "All right," he said finally before hesitating and asking, "why were you lying to me when you said you were Anakin Skywalker?"
Ani flinched. "I was known as Anakin Skywalker," he said finally. "I do not go by that name now, however."
"What is your name then?"
"You do not need to know, young one," Ani replied. He glanced up at the sky before getting to his feet. "It is almost morning, young one, you must return now."
Luke scrambled to his feet and, suddenly realizing what Ani was saying, his eyes widened in shock. "It's Christmas," he gasped. "I got my Christmas wish!"
"What did you wish for?" Ani asked curiously.
"To meet my father," Luke replied softly.
Ani gazed at Luke for a long moment before stepping forward and placing a slightly transparent hand on Luke's shoulder. "I am glad I got to meet you, Son," he said softly. "But you mustn't tell anyone, not your guardians, no one, about this meeting."
Luke gazed up at Ani. "I won't father, I promise," he said.
"Thank you, Son."
And with that Ani began to fade but before he could disappear entirely, Luke called out, "Merry Christmas Father."
"Merry Christmas Son," Ani called back and then he was gone and Luke was slowly waking up in his bedroom, back on Tatooine with the light of the two suns streaming through his window on Christmas morning.
Vader brought himself out of his meditation after his encounter with the child whom he knew was his son. The boy had to be his son; the Force presence within him was so strong that Vader, before the events of Mustafar, was the only one that could suppress him. I have a son, Padmé must have survived long enough to name Luke so that means Palpatine lied to me, Vader thought anger crawling through his veins but he quickly pushed it away before pushing the knowledge of his son to the back of his mind.
He wasn't lying when he told Luke that no one could know about his existence because Palpatine would kill him immediately because any son of Anakin Skywalker is likely to be powerful, maybe powerful enough to kill him. He mustn't know about Luke, Vader thought and quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind again.
Vader leaned back in his meditation chambers before closing his eyes and slowly dropping back into a meditative trance though he could still hear his son's lingering last words to him. Merry Christmas Father, Luke had said.
A small smile crossed Vader's scarred lips; he knew that forever how long, whether it is a few months or several years, Vader would always remember those three words that were said to him this Christmas morning.
Merry Christmas, indeed, Vader thought as he continued to meditate.
Luke gazed around the living room of the homestead as Beru and Owen ushered him into it. "Merry Christmas, Luke," Beru said before handing Luke a present and he gazed at it for a moment. He knew that no present would ever be greater than the gift he had received last night, the night he had spent talking with Ani, talking with his father though he wasn't sure whether that had been a dream or not. He figured it was a dream though he hoped it wasn't. He opened the present and noticed immediately that it was the model T-16 Skyhopper he had been wanting forever.
"Thank you, Beru," he said smiling before he hugged his Aunt.
"You're welcome, Luke," Beru replied smiling.
Luke smiled before sitting down with the model in his hands and he gazed around for a long moment until he heard a voice in his mind. Merry Christmas, my son, I love you, the voice said softly.
Luke gazed around sharply but he recognized the voice immediately, it was the same voice of Ani when he spoke to him in that grass clearing. So it wasn't a dream, Luke thought a small smile crossing his features.
Indeed it wasn't, his father said silently in his mind. I must go now but I will always be with you, my son.
Bye father, Luke murmured a bit sadly.
I love you, my son.
I love you too father.
And with that, the silent communication between Luke and Ani disappeared but before it left, Luke could have sworn he had seen the dark blue shimmer around Ani, the shimmer that had been there when they met in that grassy clearing, disappear. He figured he was just seeing things in his mind and turned his attention back to his Aunt and Uncle.
Unbeknownst to him, what he saw was true.
Deep within the Force, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn smiled slightly as the silent communication between Luke and Vader disappeared. "I knew that would work one way or another," he murmured softly.
~*Since some of my reviews told me about the mistakes in this oneshot, I redid it. I know its' a bit late to be posting a Christmas One-shot but I thought it might be easier for someone to read it with the mistakes in it. I hope you like it and thanks to everyone who reviewed the first one.
~ Blaze ~