Anakin opened his eyes and was blinded by a bright light. He could feel immense heat all around him. Sitting up Anakin noticed Obi-Wan was with him and sitting up squinting to see as well. Then Anakin remembered, he was dead. He had left his body and watched, one with the Force, his son and daughter celebrate the Rebels victory over the Empire. Why was he here?
"What in blazes are we doing on Tatooine?" Obi-Wan asked.
Tatooine? That would explain the heat and the inability to see Anakin thought. But they were dead, how could they end up here? As Anakin turned to question his former master he could only stare in shock at what he saw. His master looked exactly as he did before the clone wars started. How?
"Master, what's going on?" Anakin asked.
Sensing the worry from Anakin, Obi-Wan closed his eyes reaching out to the Force, "I can sense nothing, it's almost as if the Force is hiding from me."
Anakin too tried to delve deeper into the Force but as Obi-Wan had said the Force was hiding from them.
"We should probably get moving," Anakin said sighing. He had never wanted to visit this planet again and yet here he was. He had half a mind to take the Death Star here and blow this worthless rock into a billion pieces. Luckily his son had destroyed it before him or Tarkin went overboard.
Anakin assumed, since he had come back as he looked right before his fall as a Force ghost that that's the body he was walking around in now. Still it was weird having all of you limbs again. He could feel the difference in each step he was lighter much more prepared for a fight. It's funny he thought as he found some elation in having all of his limbs again.
Looking over to Obi-Wan he could tell his old friend was discovering how young he was and based on the smile he was loving it. Anakin didn't know how to feel towards Obi-Wan. They had been best friends right before he fell yet his master was such a stickler for the rules that he left an unarmed man burning in a river of lava. "You were my brother Anakin! I loved you," circled in his head for years after the event. If he had meant so much to Obi-Wan then how could he have left him suffering on the edge of a pool of lava. If he would've been able to talk instead of scream in pain he would've begged his master to kill. End all his suffering. Lying on that hot ground Anakin had known he'd lost. Lost everything. He was a failure, all he'd wanted was to save his wife and yet his actions had been the catalyst for her death. If he'd been smarter maybe she would've lived and they'd raise their children together.
"You need to stop blaming yourself Anakin. Everything worked out in the end." Obi-Wan said placing a hand on his shoulder.
Anakin jerked his arm off, "I'll never stop blaming myself,"
It was then that Anakin sensed a dark presence off to their left and looking over there he nearly tripped mid step. Darth Maul was chasing a young him along with Qui-Gon. Anakins jaw dropped, looking over Obi-Wan was just as surprised. They had to be dreaming was the only thought in Anakins head.
"We have to help them Anakin, surely you can hear the Force screaming at us to move now!" Obi-Wan shouted.
He was right Anakin could sense the Force alerting them to help out his younger self but he was still frozen in shock. Was this like a second chance? If it was he didn't deserve this. He'd screwed up enough the first time, who knows what he'd do this one. It was then that the Force told him to reach into one of the pouched on his belt. Reaching in he found a roll of cloth about an inch and a half thick. He sighed, and decided to trust in the Force. He took the cloth and began to wrap it around his face to cover everything and to hide who he was.
When he was finished the cloth had covered every inch of his head. No one would know who he was. Looking over he saw that Obi-Wan had done the same. There was a small hole where his eyes were, much like Anakin and he assumed his was the same way and he couldn't see anything but black trying to look at his masters eyes. They nodded at one another and took off after Maul.
Up ahead Gui-Gon had engaged Maul as young Anakin raced off towards the ship. Anakin remembered this day well. It was the happiest and worst day of his life. He'd been freed but he had to leave his mother behind. Shaking those thoughts away Anakin jumped into the combat.
"Qui-Gon get to the ship I'll handle this," Anakin told his first master. He was surprised by the sound of his voice, it sounded deeper and more commanding but not as scary as it had been as Vader. "Ob- Han," Anakin said faltering, "get on the ship, I'll meet you there."
Qui-Gon looked hesitant at first but he soon rushed off closely followed by Obi-Wan. Anakin was pleased to reach down to his belt and find his lighstaber still there. Igniting the blade he turned to Maul. He was insulted that this man had been trained by his master as well. He wasn't half the sith Anakin had been yet some had held him in a higher regard. It was no matter Anakin didn't need to think about that anymore, he no longer was a sith.
Maul was quick and skilled with his blade and Anakin, still not quite used to his flesh and blood limbs was a bit sloppy but he managed to hold him off. Maul left and opening on one of his strikes and Anakin kicked him away, which sent him stumbling backwards.
"Luke come on!" Obi-Wan shouted from the ramp of the ship as it began to lift off.
Anakin saluted Maul with a tip of two fingers and leapt backwards in the air grabbing an outstretched arm of Obi-Wans. Maul attempted to do the same but Anakin sent him sprawling with a push of the Force.
Anakin shook his head, "I'm out of practice master."
Obi-Wan chuckled, "Aren't we all."
They ascended the ramp as it closed to be met by two very curious Jedi and several blasters pointed at them. Looking down young Anakin was more curious than scared.
"Thank you for that out there," Qui-Gon said to Anakin.
"It was no problem," Anakin answered with a smile no one could see.
"Why shouldn't we blow you off this ship right now as we speak?" One of the queens gaurds asked.
"We're here to help you sir," Obi-Wan said next to Anakin. His voice too was deeper.
"Two powerful Jedi just happening to be in the same area as us is to big of a coincidence, don't you think?" Gui-Gon asked raising an eyebrow.
Anakin chuckled, "Powerful Jedi? You must be mistaken, my friend and I never made it past the rank of Padawan at the Temple."
"To fight a sith, as that was surely who that was, you have to be quite skilled."
"We've been studying other ways to handle people than just a lightsaber. Besides if you saw any of the fight I looked like I didn't know what I was doing. I was sloppy with the lightsaber."
"Yes, I saw and it was sloppy. But I could tell you knew where and how to react to his movements, you just looked out of practice or not used to fighting. Either way it would take considerable skill to jump onto the ship the way you did."
"I am out of practice with my saber, but I've been known to get lucky a few times."
"Very well, we will take you with us. We could use all the help we can get."
"Thank you," Anakin and Obi-Wan chimed together, bowing.
The queens guards gave Qui-Gon a funny look but walked away. Well this was going better than Anakin thought, so far anyway.
"I am Jedi Knight Gui-Gon Jinn, and this is my padawan learner Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Han," Obi-Wan shaking his younger selfs hand and Qui-Gons.
"Luke," Anakin said doing the same.
"And I'm Anakin Skywalker," young Anakin piped up from the beside Qui-Gon.
"It's very nice to meet you Anakin," Luke said shaking his younger selfs hand.
*Line break*
As the occupants of the flight all settled in Luke and Han shuffled off to the side to talk in secret.
"Are these the best names we could come up with? My sons name and my daughters boyfriend?" Anakin whispered in annoyance.
"Well, you started it, so I figured you deserved to have your sons name." Obi-Wan chuckled.
Anakin snorted, "You know, I never did like him."
"Who you son?" Obi-Wan asked in horror.
"No!" Anakin hissed, " I was talking about Han.''
"Why cause he always managed to escape the Empire?"
"Yes, that didn't help matters but it was just the type of person he is and now to find out my daughter is dating him. It makes me sick."
"Anakin, you never knew Han, he is actually quite a good fellow. Honestly you two would get along fine. You're both really good pilots and you always put your friends first."
"Maybe," Anakin admitted. "You know, I always wanted to fly that hunk of junk he flew around. How he managed to escape us in that thing is beyond me."
"Yes, I agree, that ship was a junk pile but he knew how to fly so that helps."
Anakins attention had completely left the conversation with Obi-Wan. A new presence in their area had drawn his attention. It was a presence he had craved for over twenty years. He had helped bring an end to her life and now here she was a beautiful as Anakin remembered standing right across from him.
"Padme..." Anakin whispered, pain gripping his heart.