He Was Here
Luke Skywalker stood and looked out around him. He had come to this strange planet
purely on the calling of the Force. It was a planet he had never seen or heard of before.
Yet it meant so much to him. The planet he stood on was Mustafar.
It was hot and red with lava flowing in every direction. However he could really care
less about what the planet looked like. Luke cared about what had happened here. Luke
looked down at the rail he had a white knuckled grip on. Tears began to flow down his
cheeks.
He could feel him. He could feel his father Anakin Skywalker. Not only his presence
as a man who was not evil, but for the first time ever he could feel his father's touch.
Luke could feel his father's hands as if they were his own. One was cold and hard
because it was made of metal the other was a human hand that was soft and warm.
Luke silently thanked the stars that he had learned about the Force because other wise
he would have never known what kind of a person Anakin was. Luke had completely
dismissed Darth Vader from any thoughts of his father. Even though he was though
thankful for being on Mustafar he hated every inch of said planet. Twenty years ago his
father had stood in the same platform he did now and had the same grip on the railing.
Through the Force Luke got the truth of what happened from the most reliable source he
knew. That was the Force itself. He was able to understand the heart break and the loss
that has taken place. All Luke could do was hang his head and cry.
But in between his tears he heard a whisper. It came from a voice he had never heard
but he recognized at once.
"Luke", the man said again. Luke spun around at what he saw made him the happiest
man in the galaxy.
"Dad…" Luke managed to choke out. He couldn't believe it but it was real. His
father's spirit -the same as he had seen on Endor- was warmly smiling at him. Anakin
was so handsome and Luke realized that was where he got his looks from. Anakin was
perched on the rail only a few feet away from Luke and that was when he noticed her.
There was a woman sitting next to Anakin on the rail. She was in the nether world of
the Force as well. Both people were glowing blue but Luke could see every detail of them
as if they were still alive. She was a small woman compared to Anakin. Yet Luke's father
was so tall that anyone would look small next to him. She had rich brown curls, deep
brown eyes, with a smile that made Luke's heart melt.
He looked from the woman to his father and asked "Dad who's that?" Anakin looked
away from his son and kissed the woman on her temple. Luke's knees turned to goo. He
could never have imagined his father being so kind, and gentle, and loving to anyone.
After all this was the man who had become Darth Vader. Even in death Luke could see
his father worshiped this woman. She was everything to Anakin. Anakin turned his gaze
towards Luke and wrapped his arms around the petite woman.
"Luke," Anakin began, but when he noticed his son's reaction to his voice he paused a
moment. Luke had never before heard his father's voice. And he had wanted to for a very
long time. After Luke calmed a bit Anakin spoke again. "Son, this is my wife Padme
Nabberie Skywalker. The only woman I would ever give my heart to… Luke this is your
mother." At the instant Luke fell to his knees.
"What?" he asked quietly. He looked at his mother and saw a teardrop roll down her
cheek. It fell onto the pavement and shone a bright blue before it faded away. 'Why is
Mom crying?' Luke thought.
He watched his mother smile at his father and heard her say "Thank you Ani."
"For what my love?" he gently inquired.
"For giving us such beautiful children." she replied.
"You did that my angel," Anakin reminded her. And with that Padme slid down from
the rail and walked to her grown up son who was on his knees before her.
Padme bent down and just took him all in. She looked at each and every one of his
features and found them perfect. Luke reminded her so much of Anakin. Tears welled in
her eyes. The last time she had seen Luke was when he was only a few minutes old.
Unfortunately Padme was unable to raise her son or know what kind of a person he was.
But she didn't care. This was her baby boy that she and Anakin had made out of love.
So for the first time in his life Luke Skywalker felt his mother's touch. And it was
everything he could have ever dreamed of. It was warm and soft. It was full of the kind of
love he had never known from a woman. When he felt his mother's palm and fingertips
on the side of his face he melted into an embrace he had waited to feel his entire life. She
soothingly wrapped her arms around her son as he became overwhelmed with emotion.
Padme thanked the stars that she had been given such a wonderful gift. She rested her
chin on the top of Luke's head. "Oh my son. My wonderful, wonderful son. I love you."
"Mom," was all Luke could articulate. "I've missed you mom. I don't even really
know you but, I love you too."
Then Padme looked back to Anakin. Anakin slid of the rail himself where he had been
watching the whole spectacle. He walked to his wife and his son with a grace that Luke
wouldn't have expected. Luke for the first time was truly proud to be his father's son.
Anakin was everything Luke aspired to be. 'He really is a Jedi," Luke thought.
Anakin knelt down to his family, kissed his wife on the lips and smiled. "Come my
darling we have to go," he said.
"Wait!" Luke wailed, "Don't go. Dad… Mom please don't leave me. I've just got you
back. I need you both."
Anakin took his son's face in his hands and made Luke look into his eyes. Anakin was
gone from the material world but his eyes burned with the flame of living that Luke
expected.
"Luke," Anakin began, "Don't you ever be afraid. You know it's not the Jedi way.
Your mother and I can't be visible to you all the time. But that doesn't mean we won't
always watch over you. And besides," he smiled, "your mother, Obi-wan and I have a lot
of catching up to do." Anakin leaned forward and kissed his son on the forehead. Padme
kissed him on the cheek. Then both of Luke's parents got up together and began to walk
further down the platform.
Anakin spotted R2 and ran up to him. Anakin was completely back to himself
again. His mother knew it –she had always known that Anakin was a good man- but Luke
had just truly caught on to just how much of a good man his father had been.
"Hey R2," Anakin greeted the short droid, "listen buddy, I need you to take good
care of my son like you did with me." Anakin winked at the robot and R2 was more
elated to see his old Master than Luke had ever seen him. Anakin gave R2 a pat on the
dome. R2 squealed in despair when he realized Anakin was leaving him too.
Anakin and Padme looked back at there son one last time.
Luke stared at them. He now saw his parents for what they were. People. And he
loved them unconditionally. His mother and father were in eternal youth with love and
happiness. They also had all the time they could ever want to make up for those lost years
where Anakin had been pushed into a small corner of Darth Vader's heart. And just by
this brief encounter with his long lost parents Luke realized how much they had been
through and how much they deserved to be with each other for the rest of eternity.
Anakin and Padme smiled as they faded out to be back into the Force.
Even though Luke could no longer see them he did not feel any loss. He felt at peace.
By knowing who his parents really were he knew who he was. Luke took a deep
cleansing breath and stood up. As he collected R2 Luke headed back to his ship.
And of all the people Luke expected to see that day the one he didn't even think about
was Obi-wan Kenobi. But Obi-wan was back to his youthful form as well. He sure did
look different.
He gave Luke a wry wink and said "We'll always be here for you Luke. No matter
what happens." Obi-wan lowered his head a moment then continued, "Thank you for
giving me my best friend back Luke. You have no idea how much I've missed Anakin.
He's like a brother to me. And I love him like a son. Thank you for making him Anakin
again."
"It wasn't me," Luke replied to his old mentor, "mom was right. He was a good man
all along… Master, tell them I love them."
Obi-wan adopted an ear to ear grin. "I don't have to Luke. They already know." With
that Ben Kenobi faded away.
As Luke Skywalker got into his ship with his faithful little droid he finally understood
exactly why the Force had called him to Mustafar.