WARNING! Some slight spoilers for Star Wars Episode III! WARNING!
Note: This is a totally AU one-shot which I felt I just had to write after seeing Star Wars III last night (I got to go to a preview showing of it at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, which was awesome). It was so much better than I expected that I felt I just had to write a fanfiction about it. Let me know what you think, please.
I know I've committed some heresy here in changing the Star Wars plots to coagulate them, but I wanted this to be a one-shot instead of getting myself enmeshed in another WIP. Sorry.
Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the Harry Potter universe nor the Star Wars universe. Some lines in this fic are taken directly from the script of Star Wars III: you have been warned.
Not so long ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
"Hidden, safe, the children must be kept," Yoda pronounced solemnly. His face was as pensive and sorrowful as his two companions had ever seen.
"We must take them somewhere the Sith will not sense their presence," Obi-Wan agreed slowly. It was hard for him to force his mind away from the memory of what had happened to Anakin – the boy he had loved like a brother – the boy he had trained for years – the boy he had so obviously failed.
"Split up, they should be," Yoda decided.
Bail Organa offered a slight smile, accompanied by a slight hope, as he offered, "My wife and I will take the girl. We've always talked of adopting a baby girl. She will be loved with us."
"And what of the boy?" Obi-Wan asked. The boy...Luke...he was strong in the ways of the Force. He felt very much like his father had, before...
But Darth Vader was not his father. Anakin Skywalker was dead.
"To Tatooine. To his family, send him," Yoda decreed.
"Tatooine?" Obi-Wan gasped. "Is that wise, Master Yoda? To have Luke brought up in the same setting as his father?"
"Another suggestion, have you?" Yoda inquired.
"Yes. Send him somewhere else, somewhere where he can get some of the training he will need, at least, but where he will be safe from the Sith," Obi-Wan said desperately. He had already lost Anakin. To lose his son, this newborn babe, would be a blow he could not bear to handle.
"Hmmmm," the old Jedi Master mused. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, communing with the Force with an ease that any Jedi would be hard-pressed not to envy. "I sense...a place, there is. A planet where trained young Skywalker will be, where ignorant of Empire and Jedi alike he shall be raised."
"And his future?" Obi-Wan asked eagerly.
Yoda frowned in his meditative state, the strain of his search for the future visible on his lined face. Finally, he opened his large eyes with a sigh. "Clouded, his future is."
"I will take the child and watch over him," Obi-Wan decided.
"No!" Yoda declared. "Take him to the planet, you will. Stay with him, you will not."
"But why?"
"Your path lies elsewhere, Master Kenobi," he decreed. "To Tatooine, you will go. Safe there, you will be, until the time is right."
"How do I find the planet meant for Luke, Master Yoda?"
Yoda looked at him, his eyes crinkling in vaguely amused exasperation. "Use your feelings. You will know."
"And what of you, Master?"
"I? Into hiding, I shall go. Prepared to help young Skywalker, I will be."
Obi-Wan nodded grimly. With their separation, the Jedi Council would be truly lost. He hesitated. "Master Yoda, do you think Anakin's twins will be able to defeat Darth Sidious?"
"Strong the Force runs, in the Skywalker line. Hope, we can . . . Done, it is. Until the time is right, disappear we will."
Obi-Wan settled his aircraft gently onto the open field of the planet to which he had felt drawn. He opened the hatch and stepped out into the fresh air, taking a deep breath and letting his senses loose, searching from a pull in any one direction.
There!
He carefully scooped the baby into his arms, then drew his cloak around him and the Force around both of them, disguising their presences.
The walk to the rather odd, quite primitive building was fairly easy; he passed few people during the trek, and they were all easily mind-controlled.
He rode the rickety elevator to a rather high floor in the building. There, he no longer needed to use the Force to guide him; he merely had to follow the screams. These screams seemed to echo those Obi-Wan had heard such a short times ago – cries of agony, not only of the body, but of the soul. Poor, poor Padme.
The woman in this room was meeting a similar end. There was blood everywhere it seemed, and poorly-equipped doctors rushed to and fro.
The child who was emerging from his mother's womb was not crying.
Obi-Wan entered the room unnoticed, and used the Force to keep it that way, the child still cradled in his arms.
Only a few more minutes, and it was over. The stillborn child was cut free, its frail body weak and blue. The mother's head fell back against the bed from exhaustion; she did not yet know the fate of the child.
Before the doctors could tell the mother, Obi-Wan stepped forward and did what he felt he must, despite the fact that it went against everything he believed in. A wave of his hand disoriented the doctors, one leaving and taking the dead baby with him, while the others blinked in confusion. Obi-Wan gently placed Luke in the hands of the primary doctor, giving another wave of his hand to influence the man's thoughts.
The Jedi then stepped back into the shadows, melting into the darkness.
"It's a healthy boy, ma'am," the doctor pronounced, seeming not to notice that this child was obviously not a newborn. "What will you call him?"
"Tom Marvolo Riddle, after his father," the exhausted woman panted. Thirty seconds later, and she was dead.
Obi-Wan searched his feelings, and found that his work here was done. Doing his duty, as he always had, he ignored his own misgivings, and reluctantly left the hospital, and the city, and the planet behind, heading for his own exile and leaving the baby to his fate.
18 Years Later
Tom Riddle, already known as Lord Voldemort to his followers, turned casually at the sight of the spaceship that had just landed in front of him, his face carefully schooled into an expression of disinterest despite the fact that this was certainly the most unusual thing he had ever seen. Obi-Wan Kenobi, looking and feeling older and wearier than he ought to have at his age, watched the young man's reaction as that irritating smuggler, Han Solo, and his Wookie Chewbacca settled the hideous ship gently in front of him.
He looked...nothing like his father, actually. His eyes were a startling emerald green, his face angular and handsome, his hair pitch black – none of them features which had belonged to either of his parents. Yet, it was, without a doubt, Luke Skywalker. Something very odd was happening.
He shook his head at himself. It was all well and good to wonder about this sort of thing, but not when the long-lost son of his almost-brother was obviously waiting to find out what was going on.
"You may let down the gangplank," Obi-Wan instructed the roguish pilot. "I assure you, he is not an Imperial."
Solo snorted. "As if an Imperial would be caught dead in a backwater planet like this." Nevertheless, he obeyed.
"Stay here," Obi-Wan commanded. "I will be back shortly. And make sure the droids don't go anywhere!"
R2-D2, looking much the same as he had all those years ago, beeped indignantly, while C-3PO, as irritating as always even though he had had his memory wiped 18 years ago, sputtered incoherently. Obi-Wan had bought them from the Jawas on Tatooine, and their discovery had made him realize that the time was right for retrieving Anakin's son and training him to be a Jedi.
He descended from the Millennium Falcon and came to a halt in front of young Luke, who for some odd reason was pointing a short stick at him.
Despite himself, Obi-Wan felt a smile come over his face. "Lu – I mean, Tom," he said, remembering the name the lad's "mother" had given him. "It is so good to see you again."
"Who are you?" Luke demanded.
Obi-Wan looked around himself quickly, wondering whether this was the right setting for this conversation, but reassured himself when he realized that they were in a field of sorts next to what appeared to be a temple. The Force knew what Luke was doing there.
"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi," he told the boy. "I knew your father."
To his surprise, Luke sneered at that pronouncement. "A friend of my father's. I hated my father, but he's dead now."
Obi-Wan blinked. "Oh dear, this is going to be more difficult than I thought. Let's see, I suppose I'd better just tell you the truth and let you decide whether you believe me. Your true name is not in fact Tom Marvolo Riddle; it is Luke Skywalker. Your father's name was Anakin Skywalker, your mother was Padme Amidala." He hesitated. "Luke, there is a whole universe beyond this planet, and your parents played a large part in organizing and protecting that universe. Unfortunately, your father was betrayed and murdered by a Dark Lord of the Sith – Darth Vader – shortly before your birth, and your mother died during childbirth. We knew that you would be powerful, like your father, with the potential to be a great Jedi, and that you needed to be protected from Vader and his master, the Emperor, so we took you and hid you where no one could find you, where you could have time and peace to develop your powers."
Luke stared at him, his face expressionless, but his eyes strangely focused as they stared straight into Obi-Wan's. Obi-Wan felt something pressing against his mind, and cautiously allowed the other Force-user access. The touch seemed to probe around lightly for a moment before retracting. Luke blinked. "You're telling the truth," he stated. "How...unexpected. Why are you here now, then?"
"I've come to take you away with me," Obi-Wan told him. "It is time for you to become a Jedi, like your father before you, and to help in the Rebellion against the Empire."
"I see." Luke's eyes got a faraway look in them as he seemed to ponder the situation. Obi-Wan had no way of knowing that the wizard was weighing the pros and cons of leaving Earth behind and seeking even greater power in the wider universe. "Very well. I will go with you."
Obi-Wan's face broke into a brilliant smile. "Excellent. Excellent." He clapped the younger man on the back. "You are destined for great things, Luke, I'm sure of it."
Luke smiled vaguely. "I'm sure that I am."
Alderaan was gone.
Obi-Wan stared in shock at the sight of the place where the planet used to be. So many dead... So many dead...
Luke stood passively by his side, no emotions visible on his face, but Obi-Wan knew that this was the young man's way of hiding the depths of his feelings; there was no way that the compassionate man was not tortured by the sight almost as much as Obi-Wan himself.
Luke was already well on his way to becoming a great Jedi. He had astonished Obi-Wan with his command over the Force, although he had needed to be broken of the habit of using that strange wand as a way of channeling the Force. He had taken to using his father's lightsaber like a Gungan to water, and moved with a grace and power that Obi-Wan had only ever seen from one other Jedi.
Han Solo, annoying pirate that he was, gave chase to a small Imperial fighter flying near the carnage. By the time he and his passengers realized what the small moon – no, not a small moon, an enormous space station! – in front of them was, they were caught in the tractor beam.
Luke came to a stop outside of the cell block Solo had directed him to, and quickly opened it. The lovely woman lying on the hard bench gazed at him languidly before asking, "Aren't you a little short for a Storm Trooper?"
Inside the mask, he bristled. Short? How dare she! What would a Gryffindor say? "What? Oh, the helmet." He took off the helmet. "I'm Luke Skywalker; I'm here to rescue you!"
Sometime during their mad dash down a corridor and away from a group of Storm Troopers, Luke wondered why he was doing something this...Gryffindorish. Saving a princess while the old fart tried to turn off the tractor beam? True, the girl was pretty enough, but he was beyond such temptations. Suddenly, a new feeling tingled at the back of his mind, and he skidded to a stop as he turned a corner.
"What is it, Luke?" Leia demanded in concern.
"I feel...a presence. A dark, powerful presence."
"Vader?"
"No...someone even more powerful than he."
Leia gasped. "The Emperor," she pronounced with dread.
Luke shook his head, as if clearing it of pesky thoughts. "Come on, let's keep moving."
As they ran, a plan began to formulate in his mind.
Han barreled down another corridor, Chewie by his side, and thought, That better be one hell of a reward.
They had made it to the hangar, and Solo and the Wookie were there as well. Just before they began to sprint towards the Falcon, Luke caught sight of Obi-Wan and a man who could only be Darth Vader dueling with lightsabers, a darkly hooded form watching them gleefully.
Despite himself, something within Luke drove him to urge Leia and Solo, "Go to the ship, and get out of here. I have to save Obi-Wan!"
Leia was about to protest, but Solo grabbed her arm. "Come on, your highness. If the kid wants to kill himself, let him."
As they ran toward the ship, Luke calmly approached the silo in which Obi-Wan and Vader were fighting. As he did, he caught some movement out of the corner of his eye – it was the two droids, heading to the Falcon. He didn't hesitate.
He pointed his finger at each in turn, whispering, "Reducto," and watching as they were blown into pieces.
Letting Leia and Solo escape was one thing; allowing the Rebellion to gain control of the plans for the Death Star was quite another.
His actions, though subtle, clearly did not escape the notice of the Emperor. The old Sith lifted his head, his yellow eyes meeting Luke's as a malicious grin formed on his hideous face. Luke smirked in response, bowing his head mockingly and continuing his approach.
Obi-Wan fought furiously, his entire concentration focused on his foe, already knowing the truth even as he went on the defensive and stayed there: he was no match for the Sith that Darth Vader had become.
Sweat poured down his face as lightsaber hammered against lightsaber, the sound of Vader's loud breathing as calm and steady as if he were sleeping. He felt a presence approach, and looked up in shock to see that Luke was there – watching! – only a few steps away.
"Get out of here, Luke!" he cried.
"Yes, boy," Vader rumbled. "Leave before I kill you."
To both combatants' surprise, the boy said, the smirk clear in his voice, "I like it where I am, actually."
"Stop!" the Emperor's voice rang loud and clear over the fight, the command so strong that Obi-Wan found himself unconsciously obeying. The Emperor's entire attention was focused on Luke, however. "Who are you, boy?"
Don't tell him, Luke, don't tell him, Obi-Wan thought desperately.
"My name..."
The Millennium Falcon blasted out of the Hangar and immediately entered hyperspace, but no one took notice.
"...is Luke Skywalker," Luke announced.
Obi-Wan saw Vader stiffen imperceptibly.
The Emperor's eyebrows rose. "Luke...Skywalker, eh? You have a great deal of power, young Skywalker."
"Indeed," Luke said.
The Emperor seemed to make his mind up about something. "Join me, young Skywalker. Help me control the galaxy, and I will make you more powerful than you have ever dreamed of being."
Obi-Wan snorted mentally. As if Luke would fall for that.
A slow smile graced Luke's face. "I would be honored, my Lord." The words For now were unspoken but understood by all. This Skywalker would not be as pliable as his father.
"What?" Vader demanded. "You would replace me, my Emperor?"
"Oh, I suppose it would not be fair to do so without giving you two a chance against each other," the Emperor murmured. "Very well then, you will fight with lightsabers. One of you will die, the other will rule by my side as my apprentice of the Sith."
"Luke!" Obi-Wan protested, taking a step towards him, wondering where he had gone so wrong – again! – but before he could even move, an invisible hand shoved him against a wall and held him there. He felt himself smothering in the Dark Side, and was suddenly completely helpless.
Luke turned on his lightsaber.
"Using your father's old lightsaber, I see," the Emperor mused. "You will have to make a new one, Skywalker."
"As you wish," Luke said, not taking his eyes off Vader. Then, before he could even take another breath, he struck.
The graceful dance that followed took Obi-Wan's breath away, despite the fact that they were fighting to see which would be the Emperor's apprentice. They seemed almost evenly matched – nearly equal in their mastery of the Force – nearly equal in speed and skill with the lightsaber. After several minutes, however, it became clear – though Vader was fast, Luke was faster. Though Vader was powerful, Luke was marginally more powerful. Though Vader was experienced, Luke had the strength of youth behind him.
Vader would lose.
Several seconds later, Luke had his lightsaber at Vader's throat, and stared implacably into the black lenses covering his eyes.
"Good, very good," the Emperor cackled. "Now, finish him off!"
With a grim smile, Luke raised his saber in the air, preparing to bring it down.
"No! Luke!" Obi-Wan protested. "Luke, Vader is your father!"
Luke hesitated, though not from uncertainty. He glanced at Obi-Wan briefly, then shrugged his shoulders disdainfully. "I've killed my father once before," he pronounced. "Why should I hesitate to do so again?"
Without waiting for interruption this time, he brought the sword down, ending Vader's life with grim finality.
Obi-Wan would soon follow his old padawan into death
Far away, in the star system Dagobah, a squat, old, greenish figure closed his eyes in despair. There was one – one who could still save the galaxy – one who could continue the Skywalker line – one who might have a chance against the Emperor's new apprentice – but Yoda was old, and weak, more so now, after the shift of power so forcefully to the Dark Side, and would not survive long enough to train her.
There was no hope.
A single tear rolled down his face as he released himself into the Force, leaving behind earthly bonds and entering immortality.
Some years later, a young man named Harry Potter, utterly unextraordinary in every way save one, won the World Quidditch Cup for England in a spectacular catch of the golden snitch.
Fin
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