Anakin dragged the protesting boy by the arm into his speeder and thanked the clones for their help. "Make sure his ship gets impounded, and watch the checkpoint while I am gone." He said, nodding towards the commander, who gave him a quick 'Yes sir' before heading off with the rest of his squadron.
The boy did not speak as Anakin lightly shoved him in, making sure the doors were locked. "Don't try jumping, I'll know before you even attempt to stand." Anakin said as the boy huffed in response.
The speeder was quiet for most of the ride as both Anakin and the boy were silently lost in their thoughts. Finally, Anakin sighed. The silence was too much for him. "What's your name?" He asked the boy.
The boy glared at him, but did not speak. Anakin grabbed him by the shoulder. "Your name. Now. I need to know it." The boy yelped in pain, and attempted to shove Anakin with the force to escape, but Anakin only pushed harder. "Your name. Now." He repeated.
"Why, so you can know it before you kill me?" The boy asked, glaring at him with anger. Instantly, Anakin let go of his shoulder, cursing himself silently for his weakness to a boy he barely knew.
Why should you show mercy to him? He's a Sith Lord, is he not? Anakin thought. But something in the force told him otherwise. The boy had something more to him than that, but for the life of him, Anakin could not understand what the feeling within the force meant.
"That's not the Jedi way." Anakin said, sighing. Think like a child, what would he want? Anakin thought.
"Would you tell me your name, if I told you where we're going?" Anakin asked. The boy contemplated it for a moment, and Anakin could feel him send out a small probe in the force to check his truthfulness. Finally, the boy nodded. "My name is Luke." He said.
Anakin stared at Luke for a moment in shock. Luke? He thought. That was my son's name, before he was taken. He trailed off for a minute, taking in the memories of that day.
It had been a very bright, summer day. They had taken the children to Naboo, and the handmaidens were watching them closely. Anakin had been inside with Padme when he had felt something wrong within the force. Immediately, he grabbed his lightsaber and went outside, only to find a ship taking off with both Luke and Leia inside.
The Naboo guard was quick to react, and media stories went everywhere as the search began. They had searched every planet possible, from the Outer Rim to the Core Worlds.
The ship was found a week later, just outside Anakin's home planet of Tatooine at a local docking station. Because no Republic presence had existed on the planet, the Jedi were not able to enforce the laws of the Republic there, and would have to go in secretly. Anakin had wanted to be a part of the mission, but with advice from both Padme and the Jedi Council of which he was now a Master on, he had stayed back and observed from afar.
It would be a decision he would later regret.
The holo flick started with the Jedi surrounding the ship and blocking off the docking bay with assistance from the shady works of pirates and Hutts alike. After several calls towards the ship to surrender its cargo with threats of impoundment, the Jedi cautiously entered. There, a small child lay, shaking a dead woman. "Wake up, please. Wake up!" The child said, screaming as one of the Jedi grabbed her. A comm link was turned on. "We've found the girl, no sign of the boy." The Jedi holding Leia said. "Continue to search the ship. I will be on the lookout from above. Nothing leaves this planet without our discretion." Obi-Wan's voice came in.
"Understood, Master Kenobi." The commlink cut off, and the Jedi handed the girl over to what appeared to be his Padawan. "Ensure that she gets safely back to the ship. Have two Jedi Masters escort you." The Jedi said blatantly. "Yes, master." The Jedi said.
"Master! Come look at this!" A Jedi yelled, calling the Jedi over to the body of the woman. The man kneeling before the body, a Jedi temple healer Padawan by the looks of it, was staring down at the body in shock. "What is it?" The Jedi asked, pushing the healer out of his shock.
"The- the wounds. They look like- like…" The healer couldn't bring him to finish, and so the Jedi finished for him. "Lightsaber marks." The two stared at the body for a moment in puzzlement, barely saying a word. Finally, he picked up his commlink and dialed Obi-Wan. "The body we found holding the child has lightsaber marks in it." The Jedi said, disregarding the usual introductions. Obi Wan raised an eyebrow. "This should be interesting. I will get back to the Council with this. Finish your search, we will meet up at the rally point. May the Force be with you." The holo had cut off there. Anakin, of course, knew the rest. His child had not been found, and after a two months long search, the Council had given up.
Anakin had never forgiven himself for the pain he had caused his wife. The two of them could never bring themselves to conciliation with the dreaded words. Luke was dead, and Anakin, like any Jedi, could only bring himself to let go. He had not thought of Luke's death, nor had he spoken of Luke, in the years since.
And yet here was this boy here, whom reminded him of himself in every way imaginable. Whom reminded him of his son. But it wasn't him, he reminded himself.
Luke was dead. There was no changing that.
"Lookout!" Luke said, bringing Anakin out of his thoughts as he swerved to the right side to avoid an incoming speeder. "That was close. Now, your promise." Luke said, glaring at him.
"What?" Anakin asked as the boy scoffed.
"The promise you made earlier. Are you Jedi forgetful or something?" Luke snapped.
"Right. We're heading for the Jedi temple, where we will meet the Jedi council. They've been expecting your arrival, Luke." I've been expecting your arrival, Anakin thought. He shook the thought off and mentally slapped himself. This isn't my son, he thought. It's just a boy named Luke. There's lots of boys his age named Luke, right?
Not ones that resemble you so closely. Another part of him thought.
"How old are you, Luke?" Anakin asked, but Luke never answered.
He sighed. "You'll have to tell them at the temple, anyways. I'll get to know anyways."
"I doubt they tell lowly Jedi like you who do their dirty work for them." Luke snapped at him.
Anakin felt like laughing. "Lowly? Is that what you Sith call us? I'm a Jedi Master on the Council. I will get to know anyways. After all, I am their 'Chosen one'."
Luke stared at him in shock for a moment. He couldn't help it as the hatred poured into his veins. "You're Anakin Skywalker? I thought Anakin Skywalker was some low-life Jedi that ruined the Jedi order by breaking the 'no attachments' rule and somehow made it onto the Council." Luke said in disgust.
"Yeah, well, I'm sure your ever so powerful master knows everything about us." Anakin said sarcastically, watching as Luke stared at him with a look of utter surprise. "Oh don't tell me that you don't have a Master. A boy your age couldn't have learned the skills you have on your own. You're how old? Eleven? Twelve?"
"Twelve!" Luke spit out in his anger before he could stop himself. Anakin smiled, and Luke cupped his mouth shut with a small growl in Anakin's direction. "Now we're getting somewhere. You're more vulnerable in your anger. I'll have to remember that."
The speeder parked as close as possible to the Jedi temple- which was even further away than before and was now completely closed off from both the Senate and public after Palpatine's treason against the Republic. It had made the temple quiet place, if it were not quiet before.
As he got out, two temple guards stepped forward and then back quickly as they sent a quick mind probe and confirmed it was Anakin.
Anakin tugged Luke behind him, pulling him away from the temple guards, whom he swore were staring right through Luke in spite of their masks. They know I'm a Sith. They can sense the darkness in me, a foreign thought entered Anakin's mind. Anakin stared back at the boy, though any indication that he had let down his shields in fear was not given by the boy. Anakin smiled slightly and then turned away, tugging Luke up the steps. This could be useful, he thought.
"I'm not a kid, you know. I don't need to be carried up to your stupid Jedi temple." Luke said.
Anakin ignored him and tugged him farther into the temple. Hallway through hallway, level by level, Anakin's mind entered autopilot as he walked with a quickened pace towards the Council chambers.
The turbo lift door opened in front of them moments later, and Anakin stepped inside with Luke in hand.
"Relax. They won't harm you." Anakin said, noticing that Luke was shaking.
Luke shook him off just as the doors opened, revealing the Council chamber doors. Anakin guided him forward, ignoring Luke's protests, and pushed him into the Council room.
As expected, the Council was seated, waiting. Anakin took his seat and nodded towards Obi-Wan. He had been the first one he had contacted to inform the rest of the Council. Obi-Wan gave him a small smile before turning his head towards the boy and studying him closely. It was clear that the boy was shaking with fear, despite the strength he was attempting to give off within the force. He felt the boy reach out slowly to each one of the faces in the room, all of which had their eyes turned towards him, then slowly relax as he sensed no true danger, allowing his mental shields to relax just enough for Obi-Wan to squeeze in.
The expected fear was there. The power. And yet, when Obi-Wan reached out further, he found no traces of the expected darkness. The boy's light shone like a beacon, much as Anakin's had at that age. It was simply- covered. Hidden as though if by a cloud that it could not shine through. Obi-Wan frowned and looked around, though if any of the other Jedi had sensed it they made no significant marks within the force to verify.
Strange, thought Obi-Wan. It's as if the force wants only Anakin and I to be able to see through the veils.
"Afraid, you are." Came Yoda's voice.
Luke stared at him, but ignored the question. "My name is Luke. I'm twelve years old. Is that enough for you? Why don't you just get on with it? I'm not afraid. I have faced death before."
"Jedi do not seek death. It is not the Jedi way." Obi-Wan replied. Luke turned his glare to him and quickly looked down, doubling his efforts on his mental shields. He was quite sure that Obi-Wan could see directly through him.
"Afraid of us, are you, hmm?" Yoda continued, ignoring Luke.
"What's that got to do with anything?" Luke asked, now turning his glare towards Yoda.
Yoda smiled, and Anakin was sure that the old troll had laughed at the similarity. There was no question in it, Yoda knew. Perhaps even more than Anakin himself knew.
"Everything! Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to the darks ide." Yoda stated cryptically.
"Yeah, well, I'm already a Sith apprentice. No surprise there, so why don't you just throw me in a jail cell or something." Luke stated sarcastically.
"Have you done something wrong to deserve being thrown in a cell?" Obi-Wan asked. Luke scowled, but didn't retort.
"Who is your Master?" Mace Windu asked.
"Why should I tell you that?" Luke snapped, turning towards Mace Windu.
Mace Windu sighed. "If you do not tell us now, you will tell us later. Skywalker and Kenobi will escort you to the medical room. There, you will be treated for any wounds you might have. You will report to us as soon as you are willing to give us the information we need." Master Windu said.
"Adjourned, this meeting is." Yoda added, as both Anakin and Obi-Wan got up from their seats and dragged Luke out of the room.
"Hold still, Luke." The healer said. Luke winced as the small needle poked flesh, drawing tiny droplets of blood to the outer surface of his skin. The healer smiled and scraped the blood off and handed it to a droid. "Get this tested. I want to find out his force potential and any relations he might have. Perhaps we can find something on his parents, or his Master for Master Windu."
The medical droid nodded and walked off with the information as Luke struggled against the restraints.
He had freaked out earlier when Anakin had left him, stating that he had work that he needed to get done. Anakin may not have been much, but he was the only Jedi that Luke had known that seemed nice, going so far as to comfort him on the way up and down in the lift. But he's still a Jedi, a darker part of his mind thought.
Luke cursed himself for his foolishness. He had run away. He had gone where he was not supposed to go. He had failed his Master, and his brother, and Vestali. And now look where I am because of it, Luke thought. In a stinking healer's ward, getting his wounds "cleaned" and getting "tested for foreign substances" when really his potential, and possibly any other information they could get out of his blood, were being tested. For all he knew, this room and the healer, who seemed to always be smiling, were a test.
The healer stared at Luke cautiously, and with a smile, removed his restraints and brushed his bangs back out of his face. "Sleep, young Luke. You need the rest." She said, putting a slight force command on it as Luke's mind resisted. Luke's mind resisted as the touch pulled him into distant memories, settling on the comforting memory of his brother's force presence. On Vestali. He had run away. He had failed them. Had failed his father. He missed them, missed his father, and as much as he hated them, he loved them so. Silently, he cursed himself again. He cursed the Jedi for the oppressive means, he cursed his father, but most of all, he blamed himself. For in the end, it was he that had run away. It was his fault, and his alone to deal with. He was alone. On a foreign planet, in a foreign place. Alone in the force. Alone in the galaxy. No one was left for him. Nothing was left for him. He had no reason to live any longer, other than to cause more pain to himself.
With that, the healer took her hand off Luke's head, and Luke was left alone to a restless sleep.
"Anakin, you should come see this." The healer, whom Anakin had left in charge of Luke, spoke into his comm. "We'll be there right away." Anakin said, nodding towards Obi-Wan, and then towards Padme. "I'm going." Padme stated, grabbing her blaster and slipping it into her belt.
"Someone needs to watch Lei-" Anakin started in argument, but Obi-Wan held up a hand. "I will watch her. The two of you need to go. This important for both of you."
Anakin sighed. "I hope you are right, Master. May the force be with you." Anakin said, and together, he and his wife headed out of the apartment towards the family speeder.
The healer was almost frantic when the two arrived. "Well?" Anakin asked. "I- I think you should look for yourselves." The healer said, pointing to a nearby datapad. Anakin glanced at Padme uncertainly for reassurance as the two walked over to the screen. Anakin gulped, and pressed the on button on the datapad.
The screen came to life, revealing several tables full of medical information on blood type and a Midichlorian count of around 16,000+. But none of this was important to the two as they glanced at the single table marked: 'Relatives'.
Underneath were two names:
Anakin Skywalker-Father
Padme Skywalker-Mother
Both Anakin and Padme glanced at each other in shock as each one read over the table several times. It was impossible, and yet, it was there.
"We've found him." Anakin said finally, breaking the silence as Padme pulled him into a hug.
Their son was home at last.
Hope you guys enjoyed it! :) Please review, it helps me to understand the story from other people's viewpoints! :)
