Disclaimer: If I owned Star Wars, Anakin Solo wouldn't have to be a ghost in this fic.
Anakin Solo opened his eyes and looked around. He was surrounded by a group of Jedi, luminous beings. He wasn't sure how he knew any of their names, but he instantly identified Mace Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.
The little green Master shook his head. "Meant to be, this was not."
"What?" Anakin asked.
Qui-Gon explained, "You aren't supposed to be dead yet.
"The threat of the Sith still exists," Mace continued. "It was to be your destiny to fight them."
Obi-Wan's eyes remained fixed on his feet. "The Yuuzhan Vong invasion should have been stopped dead in its tracks decades before your birth. It rested on my Padawan."
"Anakin, with your guidance, Skywalker could succeed," Qui-Gon implored.
Mace stepped closer. "We're giving you the chance to go back and fix this. However, you would have to swear not to interfere with anything else. The rest of Skywalker's destiny must remain unchanged."
Prevent the Vong invasion? Save Chewie, and Lusa, and Ulhala and countless others?
"Yours, the choice is."
"I'll do it."
***
Seventeen-year-old Anakin Skywalker hurried through the halls of the Jedi Temple. He hoped none of the Masters would stop him for conduct inappropriate to a Padawan, especially one trained under such unusual circumstances. It seemed that the Force was with him as he pushed open the door to his room.
He stopped short when he saw a young man of about his own age sitting on the bed dressed in Jedi robes of an unfamiliar cut. Clearly another apprentice, but Anakin was certain he had never seen him before.
"Hello, Anakin," the stranger said.
"How do you know my name?"
The boy caught him in a gaze eerily like his own. "I was sent by Master Yoda to assist you with your mission."
"What mission? Obi-Wan hasn't mentioned a mission."
"Master Kenobi doesn't know about the mission at this point in time."
A mission without his Master? This stranger was speaking nonsense. Yoda didn't trust him in the least to do something like that. "Who are you?"
The mysterious Jedi rose to his feet. "You should sit down for this."
Anakin complied without thinking.
"My name is Anakin Solo."
How could this stranger who seemed to know so much about him have the same name? He'd never met another Anakin before. Honestly, he suspected his mother had made the name up. He started to ask him.
Solo held up a hand. "Wait, there's more. You're going to have a hard time believing it, but you have to trust me. I'm your grandson."
Anakin gaped at Solo. His grandson? That was impossible. He wasn't old enough to have a son, much less a grandson. And besides, Jedi were forbidden to marry or have children.
"Are you listening? Fifty years from now, the galaxy will be invaded by a species called the Yuuzhan Vong. Already, in your time, the forerunners have arrived. Grandfather, you hold in your hands the ability to stop them now and prevent billions of people from suffering needlessly. You can save the people of your future."
"Wait, you're a Jedi. Why do you need me? It's your time, your war, why don't you defeat this enemy?"
"I can't." Solo finally stepped out of the shadows and began to glow dimly. For the first time, Anakin noticed that the boy's body was transparent. "Because, you see, I'm dead."
Anakin Solo opened his eyes and looked around. He was surrounded by a group of Jedi, luminous beings. He wasn't sure how he knew any of their names, but he instantly identified Mace Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.
The little green Master shook his head. "Meant to be, this was not."
"What?" Anakin asked.
Qui-Gon explained, "You aren't supposed to be dead yet.
"The threat of the Sith still exists," Mace continued. "It was to be your destiny to fight them."
Obi-Wan's eyes remained fixed on his feet. "The Yuuzhan Vong invasion should have been stopped dead in its tracks decades before your birth. It rested on my Padawan."
"Anakin, with your guidance, Skywalker could succeed," Qui-Gon implored.
Mace stepped closer. "We're giving you the chance to go back and fix this. However, you would have to swear not to interfere with anything else. The rest of Skywalker's destiny must remain unchanged."
Prevent the Vong invasion? Save Chewie, and Lusa, and Ulhala and countless others?
"Yours, the choice is."
"I'll do it."
***
Seventeen-year-old Anakin Skywalker hurried through the halls of the Jedi Temple. He hoped none of the Masters would stop him for conduct inappropriate to a Padawan, especially one trained under such unusual circumstances. It seemed that the Force was with him as he pushed open the door to his room.
He stopped short when he saw a young man of about his own age sitting on the bed dressed in Jedi robes of an unfamiliar cut. Clearly another apprentice, but Anakin was certain he had never seen him before.
"Hello, Anakin," the stranger said.
"How do you know my name?"
The boy caught him in a gaze eerily like his own. "I was sent by Master Yoda to assist you with your mission."
"What mission? Obi-Wan hasn't mentioned a mission."
"Master Kenobi doesn't know about the mission at this point in time."
A mission without his Master? This stranger was speaking nonsense. Yoda didn't trust him in the least to do something like that. "Who are you?"
The mysterious Jedi rose to his feet. "You should sit down for this."
Anakin complied without thinking.
"My name is Anakin Solo."
How could this stranger who seemed to know so much about him have the same name? He'd never met another Anakin before. Honestly, he suspected his mother had made the name up. He started to ask him.
Solo held up a hand. "Wait, there's more. You're going to have a hard time believing it, but you have to trust me. I'm your grandson."
Anakin gaped at Solo. His grandson? That was impossible. He wasn't old enough to have a son, much less a grandson. And besides, Jedi were forbidden to marry or have children.
"Are you listening? Fifty years from now, the galaxy will be invaded by a species called the Yuuzhan Vong. Already, in your time, the forerunners have arrived. Grandfather, you hold in your hands the ability to stop them now and prevent billions of people from suffering needlessly. You can save the people of your future."
"Wait, you're a Jedi. Why do you need me? It's your time, your war, why don't you defeat this enemy?"
"I can't." Solo finally stepped out of the shadows and began to glow dimly. For the first time, Anakin noticed that the boy's body was transparent. "Because, you see, I'm dead."