Ripples Within Time
Characters: Ben Skywalker, Padme Amidala,Anakin Skywalker,Obi-Wan Kenobi, and several others
NOTE: SOME DIALOGUE IS TAKEN FROM AOTC,HOWEVER,THE PLOT WILL BE DIFFERENT ULTIMATELY!
Genre: TIME TRAVEL; FOLLOWING EXPANDED UNIVERSE A.K.A LEGENDS.
Summary: A strange ripple causes 8 year old Ben Skywalker to be sent to the past. Fatigued and malnourished, Ben travels the desolate wasteland of Tatooine- only to be met face to face with his grandfather…
Part I:
Ben stumbled forward out of the gaping rift that had swallowed him up not moments earlier and shivered. Collapsing upon the sand, he looked up upon the two suns that pierced the blue sky around him and caused a never ending stroke of heat to graze upon what little life the desolate planet could support.
Only one planet could come to 8 year old Ben Skywalker's mind as he lay there. "Tatooine," he mumbled, barely able to get the words out of his mouth as he gasped for breath. "Just great… how exactly did I end up here again?" He looked around, expecting to see the concerned faces of his relatives, but saw nothing.
Wasn't it only moments ago that he was staring up at his father's face?
"Father?" He called out in vain, but to his dismay, received no reply. "Mom? Jacen? Jaina?" Again, there was no reply.
He moaned, and stood up, shaking the sand off of his dad's robes and reaching for his lightsaber. To his relief, he found it still hooked to his belt, cold and untouched by the scorching rays of the heat and the unforgiving sand. Glancing around, he spotted a settlement of small tents up ahead.
"Tusken raiders," he mumbled, "At least there are some settlements out here… perhaps if I follow the trail I can find the old hut dad talks about." He trudged forward, dragging his feet in the sand as he went and scuffling towards the settlement.
Anakin carefully cut through the tent with his lightsaber and stumbled through. He was met by a site so horrendous, yet relieving all the same. Staring upon him, beaten, tied up, but alive, was his mother. He cut through the bonds swiftly and lifted her up to face him.
"Mom…Mom….Mom…"Anakin shakes her gently. Shmi's eyes flutter open, they are coated with dried blood sustained over repeated beatings.
"Annie…is it you?" Shmi asks, she gently puts a hand over his cheek.
"I'm here mom, you're safe. Hang on… I'm going to get you out of here…" He reassures, but Shmi just smiles. He can feel her life force slowly slipping away, it wouldn't be long now, and he knew that he had to get her out of there.
"I'm so glad to see you," she struggles, the pain tripling in agony. "Now…I am complete…"
Anakin shakes his head, trying desperately to keep the tears from his cheeks. He doesn't want her to leave him, but she just smiles sadly. "Just stay with me, Mom. I'm going to make you well again. Everything's going to be fine." Anakin reassures, tears running down his cheeks now. Shmi gently wipes them away.
"You look so handsome, my son, my grown up son. I'm so proud of you, Ani, so proud. I missed you so much…. I love-"Then she was gone.
Anakin draws her close and lifts his head in grief, cradling his dead mother in his arms. Then, in all his grief, he sits up and ignites his lightsaber. He was going to slaughter them all. They deserved it.
Ben Skywalker sneaked toward the camp, suddenly aware of the cries and screams of agony coming from the camp. He bolts towards the camp, ignoring the screams of the force to stay back as the cries continue to pierce the air. Hiding behind a tent, Ben watches in horror at the scene before him. A man dressed in jedi garments slashes through Tusken after Tusken, his eyes alight with anger and grief. The man draws slowly closer, slicing down Tusken after Tusken, as Ben watches, frozen in all his horror. The men, the women, the children, every one of them, slaughtered like… animals. Ben was about to run when something hit him from behind.
A Tusken raider stood over at him at full height, gun pointed straight at his face, ready to fire. Ben backs away and screams. Before the Tusken can shoot however, the man turns and slices through him. A few other Tuskens attempt in vain to fire upon him, but he blocks the shots easily, sending them flying off towards their intended receivers.
Anakin looks around the camp, not a Tusken was in sight anymore. The remainder had long since fled the camp after his raging slaughter spree. He turned around to face the person he had just saved. A young boy, no older than 8 stares at him, pure terror upon his face. I have no time for this, Anakin thinks. He lowers his blade and sheathes it, staring at the boy intently. The boy was scrawny, reddish gold hair covering his face in locks. He wore black jedi robes that were perhaps twice his size. Definitely unsuitable for this environment, he thought. He kneels down towards the boy, who backs up in fear.
"It's alright… I'm not going to hurt you. It's over now…. I promise. They won't hurt us."
The boy breaks down crying, and Anakin hugs him gently, not wanting to admit that he needed the comfort probably as much as the boy.
"My name is Anakin, what's yours?" He asks the boy as he wipes the tears from the boy's eyes.
The boy sniffles again, "My- my name is-B-Ben." He says weakly, and then he collapsed.
Anakin caught the boy gently and picked the unconscious boy up. He must be dehydrated, he thinks to himself. Slowly, he takes the boy to the speeder and lifts him into it, making sure that he was strapped in before going back to retrieve his mother's corpse. What was a boy of that age doing out in the desert alone, and why? Anakin just shook his head as he starts the speeder. This boy would have some answers to give once they arrived back at the farm, especially upon his choice of robes.