Force Journey
Chapter One: New Places
Luke Skywalker knew that he looked a mess, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was lying on his bed in the Rebellion's base, staring idly at his mechanical hand; Luke couldn't deny that it was well made—it functioned just the same as his own flesh and blood hand had, and its outward appearance was indistinguishable from that of a real hand.
To Luke, however, the hand only served as a reminder of his confrontation with Vader at Cloud City. Cheeks burning with shame, Luke painfully remembered how easily he had been defeated by his Father. He was no fool either—he was fully aware that Vader had been holding back against him.
Luke rolled over and groaned into his pillow, Vader's voice ringing in his head; "No, I am your Father." Goosebumps erupted over Luke's skin as a fresh wave of emotions threatened to overwhelm him.
I can't stay here. He thought desperately to himself; all Luke had been able to think about for the past few days was Vader and the fact that he was his Father, Anakin Skywalker.
At first he had thought it some kind of cruel joke that Vader was using to try and to trick him into joining him, but then the Force had confirmed it and Luke's world had shattered into a million pieces. He allowed his feet to take him to the Hangar Bay as he mulled over his thoughts, the revelation about Vader had him feeling more than just conflicted—ultimately, he felt betrayed that Ben had lied to him for so long. That everyone had lied to him for all of his life.
Finally reaching the Hangar bay, Luke wasted no time in gearing up before heading out, the exhilaration of flying always made him forget about all of his troubles. He executed a few standard manoeuvres before flying at a steady pace, letting the calming emptiness of space sooth him.
Closing his eyes, he allowed the Force to wash over him. Luke took out his Father's Lightsaber which never left his side and looked at it. It had once been his most treasured possession; he remembered receiving it from Ben Kenobi like it was just yesterday.
It felt good in his hand, like it belonged. It was the only thing he had that had belonged to Anakin.
This is Anakin's Lightsaber, not Vader's, he thought calmly to himself, but then again, aren't they the same person?
Ben had always stressed the point to Luke that Vader and Anakin were not the same person—that's how he had justified his explanation that Darth Vader had murdered his Father—in essence, he had.
Engrossed in his thoughts, Luke hadn't noticed how far away from the Rebel Base he had flown until the X-Wings systems started to fail. Alarmed, Luke couldn't figure out what was happening to his ship.
"Alert, systems do—" suddenly, Luke was engulfed in complete darkness as everything in the ship shut down. Luke's stomach plummeted as he searched for the systems emergency backup control.
"Come on..." Luke breathed to himself, determined not to panic. Pausing, he glanced up as he was bathed in a soft light. He couldn't tell where it was coming from, or what it even was, but he could feel that it was drawing his ship slowly towards it.
Luke finally succumbed to his panic and started to frantically undo all the buckles that held him in place; he wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he had a bad feeling that whatever was happening he didn't want to be a part of it. He'd eject himself if he had to, his suit had enough oxygen to last him an hour in space.
The mysterious force that had control over the X-Wing started to pull more quickly, until Luke found himself hurtling towards the light with no control over himself or his ship whatsoever. The last thing Luke Skywalker saw was the light as it finally blinded him.
"I hate meditating." Anakin murmured, a small frown marring his face. Obi-Wan ignored his younger friend as he allowed himself to slowly slip into a deeper state of relaxation, sighing quietly to as he was once again fully immersed in the Force.
It flowed softly around him, opening him up to the area around him and increasing his awareness. He ignored Anakin's fidgeting as a Force signature suddenly caught his attention; it was weak and flickering, but nearby and definitely there. Obi-Wan pulled out of his meditation and stood up quickly, his grey eyes scanning the surrounding area of the Jedi Garden.
"Obi-Wan?" Anakin questioned, unused to his mentor ending his own meditation so abruptly. He stood up as well, following closely behind the other man. Realisation dawned on his face as he saw what had disturbed the older Jedi; a young man around Anakin's age was lying unresponsive on the ground.
Obi-Wan glanced sharply up at his friend from his position kneeling next to him.
"We need to get him to the Medical Bay—quickly. His Force signature is weak; if we don't act quickly he may die." Anakin was immediately spurred into action. He rolled the young man over and gently picked him up, noting how light he felt in his arms.
"How did we not notice him before?" Anakin asked incredulously, hurrying after his mentor as the other Jedi cleared a way for them in the hallways.
"I'm not sure. It's like he just...suddenly appeared." Obi-Wan replied, his mind reeling from the discovery of the young man. It made no sense to him—they'd been in the Garden for a good hour and a half before the Force alerted him to his presence. He and Anakin were both well attuned to the Force as well; surely they would have felt this man's presence much sooner?
Anakin shouldered open the Medical Bay doors and strode in, Luke's body was completely limp in his arms.
"What happened?" The doctor asked, hurrying over immediately. A 2-1B medical droid followed closely behind the doctor, already attending to Luke and identifying what was wrong with him.
"We're not entirely sure, we found him unconscious in the Jedi Gardens—but I couldn't tell you how long he's been out for." The doctor nodded as 2-1B listed off its diagnosis of Luke.
"The patient seems to be suffering from exhaustion, Force exhaustion, multiple bruising; several rib fractures and a slight concussion." The doctor nodded rapidly as he politely ushered the two Jedi out of the Medical Bay.
"Please come back after dinner—I'll be able to inform you about the young man's status more thoroughly by then, and he may even be awake." Obi-Wan had no time to reply as the doctor moved swiftly back to Luke and started to administer treatment.
"Is he a Jedi?" Anakin asked in confusion. Obi-Wan nibbled on his lower lip before turning to fully face his friend.
"I'm not sure—he wasn't wearing standard Jedi clothing, in fact I don't even recognise him."
"It looked like a pilot's uniform...but not one I've ever seen before." The two men started to slowly walk back towards the main part of the Temple, both silent as they contemplated the young man's mysterious arrival.
"I'm going to inform the Council of what has just transpired—I suggest you go grab something to eat at the canteen and then meet me back here in an hour." Anakin considered what Obi-Wan said before finally nodding in agreement.
"I'll see you in an hour then." Kenobi sent him a small smile before striding off, confident that the Council would know what to make of this strange development.
A small groan escaped Luke Skywalker's mouth; he waited for some feeling to return to his body before he slowly opened his eyes. At first his vision was blurry and he couldn't identify the three figures that were stood at the end of his bed. There was a high pitched ringing in his ears which made it difficult to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds.
"What's going on?" He asked blearily, grateful that his vision was starting to focus.
"How're you feeling?" Luke paused and took a moment to try and identify the voice. He knew he was in a Medical Bay—that much he was certain about, but he couldn't place the voice.
I thought I'd met all the medical staff...? He rubbed his eyes and sat up with a groan, his limbs protesting in pain.
"Uh...I feel okay...I ache a bit but that's about it, maybe a head ache." Luke mumbled, his cheeks flushing pink.
"Can you tell me your name?" The doctor continued, entering all the information into a data pad. Luke scanned his surroundings in confusion, his brain hadn't quite caught up with everything that had happened yet.
"Where am I?" Luke suddenly asked, suspicion entering his voice. He glanced over at the two other men who stood quietly to the side of him, but he didn't pay them much attention.
"You're in the Jedi Temple's Medical Bay, on Coruscant." The doctor explained, curious at the alarmed expression that formed on the young man's face.
"What? That's impossible—" Luke lurched out of his bed, staggering into the doctor in his haste to leave. Anakin and Obi-Wan reached out in case he fell back, but Luke was more stable on his feet than he appeared.
"You're suffering from shock—" Luke blocked out what the doctor was saying as he hurried over to the large window at the far end of the room. He pressed himself up against it and stared in disbelief at the infamous Coruscant traffic that slowly made its way past the window. His stomach clenched in fear as he whirled back around, his palms sweating as he reached for his Lightsaber.
It wasn't there.
"Where's my Lightsaber?" he asked in a shaky voice, eyes wild as they darted around the room in search of his prized possession.
"I put it on the side—" Luke strode over and snatched it up before either of the two Jedi could take a good look at it.
"Please lie down, we'll answer all your questions in due time. You need to calm down." Obi-Wan finally stepped forwards and placed both his hands on Luke's shoulders, gently pushing him back onto the bed.
"We need to fully understand what's happened to you, but we can't help you if you work yourself up into a state. I'm Anakin Skywalker, and this is my good friend Obi-Wan Kenobi." Smiling, Anakin took a couple of steps forwards and held out his hand for Luke to shake.
Both Jedi could feel the conflicting emotions that the young man was experiencing; clearly, he wasn't a fully fledged Jedi Knight, but then again he wasn't a Padawan either.
This is impossible, this isn't happening...I can't deal with this—Anakin Skywalker? My Father? Old Ben?
Coughing, Luke jerkily shook Anakin's hand and settled back onto his bed, his mind suddenly blank with shock.
"I'm Luke Sk—Solo. I was flying around in my ship and then..." Luke frowned, struggling to remember what had happened next. He spent a few minutes in silence, glaring at his feet in frustration. Anything to keep him from having to look at the Jedi.
"And then...?" Obi-Wan prompted, sharing a look with the other two men in the room.
"I can't remember." Luke finally confessed, his whole face burning with embarrassment.
"That's okay, you suffered a slight concussion and temporary memory loss is a common symptom of that—you'll remember soon enough I'm sure." The doctor interjected, entering what Luke had said onto his data pad.
"Doctor, the Council requested that as soon as Luke is able to move that he go and speak with them, will Luke be able to do that tonight?" Kenobi asked, his voice soft yet commanding.
"After 2-1B gives him a quick once over, and if Luke feels able to then yes, he can."
The three men walked in a strained silence towards the High Council; Luke lagged behind the two older Jedi, his Lightsaber clutched tightly in his hand. He had been desperately using the Force to try and find out if this was an elaborate vision that Vader or maybe even Sideous had done to him, but he knew deep down that no one could create a vision or dream this realistic with the Force, not even the most experienced or powerful Jedi could do that. So only only one option was left...that he had somehow ended up in the past.
But how? This can't be possible, time travel is impossible...how did I end up here, why can't I remember anything?
Anakin shared a glance with his mentor as snippets of Luke's thoughts floated out in the open. Obi-Wan sent him a warning glance to be quiet as they finally reached the High Council's Chamber.
Luke had only ever heard bits and pieces about the Jedi High Council; about how revered and wise they were, and also of how intimidating they had been. He had never really thought much of those stories until he was stood face to face with them in person.
He immediately recognised Yoda, and felt comfort in knowing that the wise little Jedi was there. However, Luke didn't know who the other Jedi were.
"What is your name?" Agen Kolar asked, leaning down to properly observe the young man standing before him.
"Luke Solo, I'm from Tatooine." He explained, determined not to look weak in front of twelve of the most powerful Jedi in the Order.
"How did you get here?" Another Council member, Plo Koon, interjected.
Luke swallowed nervously, "The last thing I remember is that I was flying in my ship...and then I woke up in the Medical Bay. I don't remember what happened before that." Mace Windu narrowed his eyes as he surveyed Luke, before leaning back coolly.
"I sense no deception." He announced, although he remained clearly suspicious.
Luke let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding, and felt his entire body sag in relief. He snuck a glance at Anakin and Obi-Wan who were standing respectfully towards the back a distance away.
"Lightsaber, you have, yet member of the Jedi Order you are not. Who trained you, hmm?" Yoda spoke up, leaning on his staff for support.
Luke cursed mentally.
"Back on Tatooine, I was introduced to the basics of the Force by a crazy old hermit, who used to be Jedi. His name was Ben." Sadness rang out gently into the Force as he remembered how his old mentor had died.
"I'm not a Jedi, though I hope to be." Luke stared up respectfully at the Council, his palms becoming sweaty from how nervous he was.
The Council sat in silence for a few seconds, seemingly communicating by using the Force with each other. Finally, Mace stood up and addressed the three men standing in front of them.
"The Council have reached their decision; Luke Solo will be allowed to stay in the Jedi Temple under the watch of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, whilst the Council meditate over the situation. We feel that the Force is telling us that there is more to this story. Skywalker," Mace snapped, making the Jedi start in surprise, "find Solo some clothes and find him a spare room. Kenobi, we request that you stay." Obi-Wan acquiesced and stepped into the room, sending Anakin a comforting glance.
Luke gratefully left the Chamber and heaved a sigh of relief once he was outside. He was surprised that the Council let him stay so readily—but he wasn't about to complain. He didn't know what he would have done if they turned him out. Somehow, he had ended up in the past alongside his Father and his old mentor; he didn't know how and he didn't know why but what he did know was that the Force had something to do with it.
"You did well in there," Anakin said, clapping Luke on his back, "most people crumble under the intensity of the Council." He flashed Luke a playful grin as he led him through the winding corridors of the Temple.
Luke craned his neck back to look up at his Father; Luke knew that Vader was tall, but he hadn't thought that Anakin would be very tall either. He finally understood why everyone said he was the spitting image of Anakin; he had the exact same shade of cerulean blue eyes, they had the same hair—although Anakin's curled slightly and was darker than Luke's. They shared the same facial structure too, though Luke thought personally that Anakin had a much more defined bone structure than him.
I wish I was as tall as him. Luke was very self conscious of his height, he was only five foot eight and he now knew that he must have taken after his Mother when it came to his stature.
Anakin noticed how quiet the young man next to him was being, and held off with all the questions he had for him. He felt weirdly connected to Luke; ever since he'd gotten a proper look at him he felt something akin to how a big brother would feel over a younger sibling.
The Force had stirred instantly in reaction to Luke; it came to life around the young man and even Luke's own Force signature seemed to call out to Anakin, demanding that his attention be focused on him.
Anakin shook his head, clearing his head of his thoughts for the moment.
"Well here's your room. Mine's in the next hall...I would have found you somewhere closer to mine and Obi-Wan's in case of an emergency but this is the nearest." Luke thinly smiled as he stepped inside, feeling completely out of place.
"Its fine, thank you." He mumbled, refusing to meet his Father's piercing gaze.
"I think I should have some clothes that fit you, at least for tonight. I'll be right back." Anakin hesitated slightly before softly shutting the door behind him. Luke stared after him, a numb feeling in his chest.
Hands shaking, he took a deep breath and sat down gingerly on the edge of his bed. He bounced on it lightly, vaguely wondering how he was going to get back home to his own time.
If only I could remember how I got here...
There was a quick knock at the door and in came Anakin, a pile of clothes stacked in one hand.
"They're from when I was younger," Anakin explained, awkwardly placing the clothes on Luke's bed, "I'll come get you in the morning, and then we'll figure out what we're doing next." Luke nodded silently, rubbing the back of his neck as he nervously shot Anakin a grin.
Anakin swallowed before hastily shutting the door, not quite sure what to make of Luke Solo.