Anakin Skywalker jogged into the diner and collapsed in the booth across from Ahsoka Tano, his former Padawan. "You're an evil, evil woman."
Ahsoka smiled. "You ought to know." She was in her human form, her white hair and bronzed skin contrasting with her bright blue eyes. "For a guy with new arms and legs, you move pretty slow … old man."
Anakin waved his arm and called for a glass of water. "It's only been a year." He breathed in and out again. "You don't know how good it is to breathe on your own until you can't." Thank you, Luke. If you hadn't convinced the Minoans to regenerate my body I'd still be trapped in that kriffing life suit I wore as Darth Vader.
Ahsoka reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Anakin."
Her hand felt good … maybe too good. He'd spent half his life as a monster, more machine than man. Luke had redeemed him … saved his soul from the Darkside … (from Palpatine which was pretty much the same thing) … but even though he'd thrown the so-called Emperor to his death Anakin wasn't sure that he had deserved redemption. Or Ahsoka's forgiveness. I almost killed you Ahsoka … how can you forgive that? How do I forgive myself?
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what?" Anakin smiled thankfully as the waitress handed him his water.
The waitress smiled. "Just let me know when you're ready to order. Let me know if you need anything. Anything at all. My name's Kitty."
"Thank you, Kitty." Anakin smiled at the waitress and turned his attention back to Ahsoka after she left. "Doing what?"
"Being broody." The smile momentarily dropped from Ahsoka's face. "Though I think Miss Kitty there would like to make you feel better."
Anakin blinked. "That's ridiculous. I'm old enough to be her father."
"Maybe she wants to call you daddy." Ahsoka definitely sounded annoyed.
Anakin blushed. "Oh for kriff's sake. She's almost as young as you were when we met." He had never looked at another woman while he was married to Padme, and after her death grief and the injuries he had suffered on Mustafar had killed his libido.
Ahsoka frowned and let go of his hand. "Are you implying that I'm not young now?"
Anakin looked at her as though for seeing her the first time. "You're in the prime of your life." Anakin's gaze flickered across the diner. "Half the guys in this place would be asking for your number if you were alone."
"Good thing I'm not alone then."
They stared into each other's eyes.
And the thought that came to him was … When did Ahsoka become such a beautiful woman?
And then Anakin's phone rang.
"Great timing," Ahsoka said with a smirk.
Anakin was still getting used to having a cell phone. He fumbled the thing open. "The only two people who have this number are you and Luke."
It wasn't Luke's number. It was one that he didn't recognize. "Must be a wrong number." He put the phone to his ear in annoyance. "Hello?"
"Do you have him?"
"Do I have who?" The voice was familiar. Angry, but familiar. Perhaps the anger made it familiar. "Leia?" In the five years that he was imprisoned after Endor, Leia had never visited him or acknowledged him as her father … even though that meant she had to deny Luke as her brother as well. In the two years he had been under the medical care of the Kaminoans she had never once so much as inquired about whether or not he was alive or dead. In the year that he had been given something not unlike freedom- as long as he remained under guard by either Ahsoka or Luke- there had never been any sign that she had any plans to speak to him ever again.
Leia ignored his surprise. "Do you have Ben?"
"Ben?" Anakin blinked in confusion. "Do you mean Obi-Wan?" That made no sense. She knew that Obi-Wan was dead … That you killed him, Anakin … the man who was father, brother, teacher and best friend all in one to you …
"Ben. My son Ben."
"You have a son?" The surprise was painful. He was a grandfather … and no one had ever told him. He looked over at Ahsoka.
"I'm sorry, Anakin," she whispered, squeezing his hand. "I would have told you, but Leia made me promise ..."
"I understand." He turned back to his phone. "Leia, I don't have your son. I didn't even know you had a son until you just told me." He paused. "How old is he?"
"His eighth birthday is coming up." He could hear pain in Leia's voice … and even though she had never acknowledged him as her father, he still felt a father's desire to protect her. "He's gone. I don't know who has him. I don't know where my son is ..."
"Leia, what happened? What do you know?"
"I don't know where my son is," she repeated brokenly.
"Leia." Anakin forced himself to be stern. "You are Ben's mother. You're Force sensitive. If he had … if he were …" He could barely bring himself to speak of it. "He has not become one with the Force. You would know it if he had."
Ahsoka joined Anakin on his side of the booth. She placed her head against his so she could hear Leia as well. "Leia, what happened? Where was Ben last?"
"He was with my friend Amilyn. She was taking him to see a doctor." Leia paused. "He's been hearing voices. Or a voice. I thought it might be you, Vader."
"That's not my name. Not anymore. And no, I haven't been trying to reach Ben. I didn't even know he existed." I wish that I had known though … "You said he was hearing voices." He paused. "There are reasons other than the Force for that to happen."
"Not my son. Not my Ben." Leia paused. "But we were taking him to the doctor to make sure. Han didn't approve, so I asked Amilyn to do it for me."
"Of course you did," Ahsoka murmured.
Anakin glanced curiously at his former Padawan. Did she know something he didn't? "Leia … there had to be a reason you called to ask if I had Ben." Ben. He was glad they had chosen to name him "Ben" instead of "Obi-Wan." That would have been an even harder burden to bear. "Beyond your natural cynicism."
"He was near your present location when he disappeared."
"How do you know where I am?" Anakin wondered … before turning to look at Ahsoka once more.
His former Padawan blushed. "Luke and I are required to wear homing beacons when we go on these … excursions. The homing beacon signal would be readily available to Leia as a member of the Council."
There had been a time when such things would have infuriated Anakin, but he had spent half his life regretting one rash decision so he forced down his instinctive anger. "I see."
Ahsoka looked away. She mouthed the words "I'm sorry" but he simply waved his hand to indicate it didn't matter, so she placed her mouth near the phone again. "Leia, exactly what happened? What did Amilyn tell you?"
"She took Ben to Doctor Snoke's office-"
"Snoke?"
"He's a Starblood doctor. One of the most ancient and wisest of our people."
I may have been born an Earthblood, but I suspect I know things even you do not about the Starblood, daughter. "I know who he is. He knew Palpatine."
He could practically hear Leia frown. "I … did not know that."
"Snoke has been very good at flying below the radar. What did he tell- Amilyn was it?-about Ben?" He wondered briefly what the boy looked like … what were his interests … at Ben's age he had been working as a slave for Watto and building the racing pod that would ultimately free him. At least Ben never had to suffer the indignity of being called someone's property …
For all their talk of being more advanced and civilized than the Earthbloods they had found themselves among, the Starblood descendants had no problem with keeping slaves well into the 20th Century. Of course, they justified it to themselves by only keeping humans- Earthblood humans as slaves …
Like Anakin's mother …
"He said there was nothing wrong with Ben," Leia said, breaking his reverie. "That he was simply developing his Force Sensitivity much faster than we anticipated."
"Ben is strong with the Force?" Of course he is. He has the Skywalker blood …
"Yes. Luke says that Ben has an even greater potential than he does." Leia closed her eyes. "The Council wants Ben to be among the first of the new Jedi."
Of course they did. It didn't matter what Ben would want for himself- the Jedi had always protected the Starblood, and now that they were gone- Now that you killed them all, you mean- the Council would be desperate to replace them.
"They might regret that," Ahsoka said with a wry chuckle. "Skywalkers aren't great at listening to the Council, and Luke is his father's son."
"No," Anakin contradicted. "He's his mother's."
And it was true. Luke had inherited his father's power, his father's eyes and hair, but his soul, his heart … were all Padme's.
Thank the Maker for that.
"Snoke said he would like to see Ben on a regular basis. To help train him to use his gifts." Leia closed her eyes and shuddered. "He knew Palpatine. He … he's not a good man, is he?"
Anakin strove to become calm, to center himself in the Light, as Obi-Wan had tried so hard to teach him. "No. He's not."
"He's a monster. I sent my son to a monster ..." Leia took a shuddering breath. "Amilyn says that Ben was with her when they left. She took him back to her car and sat down … and the next thing she knew he was gone, and half an hour had passed. She doesn't know what happened."
"Where is she now?" Ahsoka asked.
"She's still there. She went back to the office but Snoke swore that Ben had not returned. I had no reason to doubt him so that's why I called you."
"And Snoke let her go?" Anakin murmured. "Interesting."
"I knew Amilyn took him there. There's no way that he could have done anything to her without arousing my suspicions." Leia frowned. "I'm in Washington. I'll see if I can get a hold of Han and have him fly us there-"
"Do that. A boy should have his parents with him. Tell Amilyn to remain where she is and not to contact Snoke again. Ahsoka and I are on our way to her."
Leia hesitated. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"You brought me into this. Ben is my grandson." He wasn't a good man- maybe he had never been one- but Anakin Skywalker had always looked out for his own. It didn't matter that he didn't know the boy- he was going to find him.
"Don't worry, Leia. I'll handle him." Ahsoka smirked over at Anakin.
Is that flirting? He wondered briefly. Ahsoka wouldn't be flirting with me, would she?
He had been raised as a Jedi to avoid emotional attachment … but he had loved Padme with a childish infatuation before he became a Jedi. As the Hero Without Fear, he had been too busy with war- and with his marriage- to notice if women found him attractive. As Darth Vader, he had never been offered the temptations of the flesh a man of his power might have otherwise experienced- physical desire had been burnt away along with Anakin's humanity in the fires of Mustafar-
But the Kaminoans had regenerated his limbs, his flesh, his lungs … his scars were not gone, but they were very faint now. He was not a young man, but compared to his torturous existence as Darth Vader he felt almost youthful. He almost felt like a teenager again.
That has to be it, Anakin told himself. Ahsoka is just being herself. I'm overreacting.
"Come on, Anakin." Ahsoka tossed some money on the table. "Let's go."
Ahsoka took his hand as they left. I'm definitely overreacting, Anakin told himself as he blushed. Definitely.
But there was a smirk on Ahsoka's face as she waved at the waitress …
..**..
Amilyn Holdo was obviously a brave young woman.
She was standing beside her car when they drove up. She was slender, with brightly colored green hair. She clearly knew Ahsoka- she waved at Anakin's old Padawan when she saw her. And she looked Anakin straight in the eye and said, "Lord Vader."
"Not anymore. Call me Anakin." Outside of Ahsoka, Luke, and Leia, the only ones who knew that the former Darth Vader was still alive was the Council and their need to know operatives. Anakin wasn't entirely certain that Leia's husband Han Solo knew he was still alive.
"Leia told me," Amilyn told him with a soft smile. (The smile was for his daughter and not him, Anakin was certain.) "She told me everything."
"I see."
"Leia told us what happened," Ahsoka told Amilyn in a rush to change the subject or avoid embarrassing questions. "I think someone might have used the Jedi Mind trick to make you forget what happened."
"Can you help me remember?" Amilyn looked down. "I'm responsible. Leia trusted me with Ben's safety, and I let her down."
"I can't," Ahsoka said sympathetically.
"I can."
Both of the women looked at him.
"It's a Sith technique. I can enter your mind … read your thoughts and memories … even the ones that you don't remember yourself."
"Will it hurt?"
"Only if you try to fight it." Anakin knew that this was something that needed to be done if they were going to find Ben. He hoped the woman would agree to it; he didn't want to have to have to force the issue.
"I thought you were free of the Darkside," Ahsoka said softly. There was a look of disappointment in her eyes.
"I still remember what I had learned as Darth Vader. I know what to do. It will help us find Ben."
"At what cost, Anakin?" Ahsoka looked at him.
"It's my choice, Ahsoka." Anakin could not meet her eyes.
"And mine." Amilyn bit her lip. "If you learn anything other than what happened to Ben ..."
"I'll keep it secret," Anakin promised. He already suspected what Amilyn was afraid that he would learn. He would not judge her … or Leia if it came to that. "And I'll focus on Ben."
"All right. I'll do it."
"We'll get in the car. No sense in creating a spectacle. Ahsoka, remain on guard in case someone tries to interfere."
"You're not the boss of me, Anakin," Ahsoka retorted, but she remained outside the car while Anakin and the girl got in. She slipped her hand into her jacket, reaching for the light saber she no doubt carried. "Make it quick."
Anakin touched Amilyn's face. "Just relax. Think about Ben."
Amilyn closed her eyes.
The first thing Anakin encountered was Amilyn's thoughts of Leia … her love of Leia. It infused her every thought … and tinged with that love was the sadness of watching Leia be with Han Solo … beyond that, though … beyond Amilyn's affection for Leia … beyond that, he found Ben Solo.
Anakin's grandson.
At first glance, the boy's hair and eyes reminded him of Padme or Leia … his face seemed to echo his father's …
But the expression in those eyes … the pain ….
Anakin saw that every time he looked in the mirror.
I'm so sorry, boy. You don't deserve to be trapped by my legacy …
The scene shifted to Amilyn leaving Snoke's building holding Ben's hand. "Benny … are you okay, sweetheart?" For all her affection for his daughter, Anakin was relieved to sense honest affection and worry for Ben in Amilyn's memories as well.
"I have to go back," Ben had said in a voice way too serious for such a young child. "He's got her. He's hurting her. He's hurting Rey."
"Rey? Who's Rey? Is that your imaginary friend?"
"She's real!" Ben insisted. "She's real! And the Bad Doctor has her! He took her from the Junk Man! She's Earthblood like my grandfather was. He's trying to figure out why she has the Force!"
"Ben, honey … how do you know this?" Amilyn asked.
"Rey talks to me. And I saw it in his mind. I have to go back and save her!"
"Ben, we'll call your mother ..."
"No! Rey needs me now!" Ben held up his hand. "You won't try to stop me. You won't remember when I left or that we talked about this."
Amilyn dutifully repeated his words.
Ben Solo got out of the car, stood up straight and headed back to face a monster … all four feet two inches of him …
Anakin and Amilyn opened their eyes.
"Maker," Amilyn whispered. "I went back to Snoke's, and Ben wasn't there. He could have been screaming for help in the next room and I didn't know … I left him behind … Oh, Maker! I left him!"
"You didn't do anything wrong," Anakin told her with unaccustomed gentleness. "It's not your fault. Wait here. Call Leia. Ahsoka and I will go get Ben."
"I should go with you-"
"No. Stay here. Don't make me force the issue, Amilyn. Leia will need you if … well, Leia may need you."
"It's all right, Amilyn," Ahsoka added gently. "Do what Anakin says. We'll take it from here."
"Okay. Godspeed, Jedi."
Ahsoka smiled wistfully. "I don't think either of us qualify for that term now, but thank you." She reached into her jacket and handed Anakin something. "Take this."
Anakin looked at the weapon. "A light saber."
"You may need it." She refused to look at him. "It's yours. The one that you used on the Second Deathstar. Luke took it with him when he carried you to safety."
Anakin nodded. He had murdered so many with this weapon … innocents or guilty, anyone who stood in his way had paid the price. And Luke wonders why I have such difficulty accepting redemption …
"Luke wanted me to take a look at it. He knows that I was able to heal kyber crystals before. He hoped that I might be able to help you … but I have a feeling we'll need you armed now."
"We may not have to fight," Anakin said with more hope than expectation. "Snoke may not want to challenge us. We can try diplomacy."
Ahsoka smirked. "Us?"
"You have a point," Anakin admitted. "But we'll try it anyway."
Snoke's office was in a nondescript building dubbed First Order International. Instead of the expected blue or gray, the security guards wore blood red shirts. There was a metal detector at the front door.
"You can't bring those in here," the guard announced. His badge was inscribed with the legend "Praetorian Security."
"You see nothing unusual," Ahsoka said with a wave of her hand.
"I see nothing unusual," the Guard murmured.
"Move along."
"Move along."
"Obi-Wan would have loved that," Anakin told her with a smile as they moved past the guards.
"Yes," Ahsoka said with a sad smile. "If only he were still with us."
Anakin winced.
"I'm sorry," She whispered, reaching over to squeeze his hand once more.
"So am I." Anakin looked straight ahead. "I'm sorry for all the evil that I've done. I would give anything to change it- but I can't. All I can do is move forward and try to justify Luke's faith in me."
"I have faith in you too, Skyguy."
Anakin smiled. "Thanks, Snips."
They rode the elevator to the top of the building … because of course Snoke had his office at the top of the building.
They entered the office. A graying red-haired man was sitting at the receptionist desk. "I'm sorry, but Dr. Snoke is not seeing anyone at the moment. I can make you an appointment for another time."
Anakin frowned in recognition. He knew this man. "I'm afraid the doctor will have to make an exception, Brendol Hux." He gestured at the door and locked it behind them.
"I'm afraid I don't know you, sir," Brendol reached under his desk.
"Press that button and you'll lose that hand," Ahsoka warned him. She drew one of her white light sabers.
"You do know me, General Hux. Yes, I know you were part of Palpatine's Empire." Anakin allowed himself a smile … it was not a particularly pleasant smile. "Perhaps this will help you recognize me better." He activated his light saber.
At the sight of the red blade, Hux's face went white. "V-vader … we thought you were dead."
"Yes. I know." Anakin waved the blade under Hux's face. "The boy Snoke saw today. Ben Solo. He came back. Where is he?"
"Doctor Snoke took him into his private quarters."
Anakin scowled, not liking the implications. "Take us to him."
"I can't! He'll kill me if I do!"
Anakin extended his hand and Force choked the former Imperial General. "And what makes you think I'll let you live if you don't?"
"General … Hux is it?" Ahsoka whispered softly. "The boy … Ben Solo. He's Lord Vader's"- she said the name without flinching- "grandson."
If possible, Hux went even whiter. With a whimper, he pointed at a section of the wall. "Secret passage. Pull the lamp."
"Thank you, General." Anakin gestured again and Hux fell unconscious.
"I think I should slip into something a little more appropriate for this." Ahsoka closed her eyes, when she opened them she was back in her Togruta form. "I'm a bit more agile this way."
Anakin smiled. "It's good to see the real you again, Snips."
"Oh, Skyguy. You say the sweetest things." She activated both of her light sabers. "Let's go save your grandson."
Anakin glanced at the red light saber in his hand. Was using this the wrong thing … no, it was a tool. No matter what he had done to make it, the light saber was not evil … he could save lives with it as easily as take them. It was up to him. "Let's go."
The passage wasn't long. It led to a large room that must have taken up most of this floor.
Anakin snorted. "A throne room. He gave himself a kriffing throne room!"
"And a throne," Ahsoka pointed out.
Doctor Snoke was wearing a golden gown and sandals. He was sitting on that throne. Beside him were two children … one was Ben Solo … the other was a girl.
She was barely more than a toddler. Her hair had been done up in a strange three bunned style, and her clothing reminded Anakin of what he had worn in the deserts of Tatooine. She was looking at the floor.
Ben Solo stood protectively at the girl's side, his arms wrapped around her shoulders. He looked at them in shock … and hope. "Auntie 'Soka!"
Ahsoka smiled at him. "Hello, Ben."
Snoke pressed a button on his throne, and a dozen men in red robes joined them, welding various types of weapons with glowing edges. "I don't know who you are, but the children are mine. They will be the first of my Knights of Ren." He was tall … taller than Anakin was now, taller than he had been as Darth Vader. "Kneel and I might let you live."
"I'm afraid that I don't kneel any more, Doctor Snoke. Ben," Anakin said, speaking to his grandson for the first time. "We're going to get you out of this." He stared at the girl's frightened face. "And you too, young Rey."
"Kill them!" Snoke roared at his guards.
Ahsoka took her place at Anakin's back. "Try to keep up, old man."
"I'll do my best," Anakin told her with a smile.
And then Snoke's Praetorian Guards were upon them.
..**..
Snoke fled as the last of his Guards fell.
"We should go after him," Ahsoka panted, deactivating her blades and putting them on her belt.
"The kids are too important. We need to get them out of here before anything else happens." Anakin felt a surge of anger that his introduction to his grandson involved killing, but there was no help to it.
Ahsoka knelt and gave Ben a quick hug before picking up the girl. "It's okay, youngling. You're safe now. You're safe now."
Anakin turned off his own weapon and attached it to his belt. He knelt down to look the boy in the eyes. "Hello, Ben. My name is Anakin Skywalker."
"Skywalker?" Ben blinked. Anakin knew that he was tall and that young Ben had every reason to be afraid of him after seeing what Anakin could do, but there was no fear in the boy's eyes. "My uncle is named Luke Skywalker. Are you my uncle too?"
"No," Anakin told the boy with a smile. "I'm your grandfather."
"Mother said my grandfather was dead."
"She was probably thinking of Bail Organa. He and his wife adopted your mother was she was a newborn. He's the one who raised her." Even now, Anakin sometimes felt a white hot surge of anger as he thought of his stolen children, but he knew that Palpatine never would have allowed him to raise his children to adulthood if he had known they existed. Obi-Wan had done the right thing … much as it pained him to admit it. "But I'm your grandfather, too."
Ben Solo blinked as he took this news in. "Okay. Can we go? Rey needs help. She's been here too long."
"I think we should all get out of here, Ben." Anakin stood up and offered the boy his hand.
After a moment, Ben took it.
I'll do whatever I can to make sure your childhood is better than mine, Ben. I don't want you following my path.
They walked out of the building.
And waiting with Amilyn Holdo, were Ben's parents.
"Momma! Daddy!" Ben let go of Anakin's hand and raced towards them. "I have a grandpa!"
Han Solo looked at him, no doubt remembering a time when he had been tortured at the command of Darth Vader.
Leia Organa Solo looked at Anakin as well... memories of the destruction of her hometown in her eyes … and the torture she had undergone at the hands of Tarkin.
There was no forgiveness in her gaze … or Han Solo's.
But there was something else … gratitude.
"You do, Benny. You do." Leia held her hand out to her birth father. "Thank you."
Anakin took her hand and smiled. "You're quite welcome."
It was a beginning.
Author's Note: So the premise behind this story is that a long long time ago refugees from a galaxy far far away crash landed on Earth. With no way to return home, they blended into Terran Society as best they could. Over time, their descendants came to call themselves the "Starblood" and the native inhabitants "Earthblood." Over time, through intermarriage, many of the non-human Starblood gained the ability to take on a human appearance which allowed them to walk among Terrans with no one the wiser.
Anakin Skywalker was born to an Earthblood mother enslaved by Starblood descendants. The fact that Anakin was Force-Sensitive without any Starblood DNA led the Jedi to believe that he was the Chosen One ...destined to bring balance between the Starblood descendants and the natives of Earth.
Thanks to Palpatine's lust for power, things didn't go quite the way the Jedi had thought. Much as happened in canon, Anakin turned to the Darkside, lost his wife, and became Darth Vader and was eventually redeemed by his son Luke. Unlike canon, Anakin survived the battle of Endor.
Like Anakin, Rey is born from Earthblood parents but is also Force-Sensitive which explains Snoke's interest in her. In this universe, Ahsoka would go on to adopt her and give Rey the family she's always wanted.
As for the Anakin-Ahsoka relationship … all I can say is that in the Clone Wars cartoon Anakin had way more chemistry with her than he ever did with Padme IMO. As they spent roughly 25 years apart- which puts Ahsoka at least around 40 by my reckoning- I think that a redeemed Anakin and an adult Ahsoka might have a few sparks between them.
Hope you enjoyed reading this!
