Chapter 8
The last of the bags were loaded on the ship as The Skywalkers stood and watched as their first born got ready to leave with Obi-Wan. The past few days had been some of the most difficult for the family to deal with. From helping Luke pack to trying to explain how vastly different the culture of the capital were and acquainting him with some of the less than pleasant reception the Jedi have gotten over the years… it had been a lot to go through over such a short amount of time but none of it seemed to have any affect on the boy's excitement in fact, some of it even enticed him especially his mother's warnings about the illegal racing circuits. Jointly, Anakin and Padme agreed they were a bad idea for him to get involved in. Separately, however, Anakin realized the chances of keeping Luke away from the races was impossible, and thus added his own mini lesson on racing to the mix in an attempt to at least make sure he doesn't get hurt if he decided to race once or twice while on Coruscant.
But the main purpose of the trip was of course the Jedi Temple. For a few weeks he would spend his time receiving training that was fairly basic but much more advanced than what Anakin had taught him. The inclusion of the Jedi philosophies and histories would further Luke's understanding of the Order and would help him make the important decision of whether he wanted to join officially or not. Unlike other initiates, Luke's circumstances were different. Anakin wanted Luke to have a choice in his decision to become a Jedi but he wanted that choice to be more informed than when he made the choice as a child. If this was to be Luke's path, he would chose it knowing exactly what he would be dedicating his life to.
Padme fought back tears as she pulled her son into a near suffocating hug. This was the first time they would be parting with him for longer than a few days and while a few weeks isn't really too long, to her and Anakin it felt like it would last a lifetime. "Remember to call when you land," She said, "Remember to listen to Obi-Wan, and if you have any problems, Bail and Mon will be there to help. And if at any time you want to come home, all you have to do is call and we'll come pick you up immediately."
Luke scrunched his face as his mother kissed his forehead, "I know," He grumbled, "It's just a few weeks, I'll be fine," He said as he forced himself out of the hug, "I'll be fine," He said again.
Her hand cupped his cheek and traced his jaw to his chin, "I know, I know it's just… my baby boy." As much as it pained them to admit it, their children were nearly adults. And this trip seemed to remind them of the very real reality that it was only a matter of time before both of their children would be going their separate ways far sooner than either of them would like and the realization hit as suddenly as a summer storm.
Luke groaned as she hugged him again, but he couldn't help but return it. "I love you, Mom," He murmured into her shoulder.
"I love you." Reluctantly, she pulled back and stepped aside as Leia playfully punched his shoulder.
"Take care, brother," She said. "It's going to be so boring here without you."
Luke smirked, "So you admit I am the fun one!"
Leia snorted, "In your dreams nerfhearder!" The joking ended as quickly as it started as the two of them hugged one another. "See you when you get back," She said before stepping back to allow Anakin to say his goodbye.
Father stood staring at his son and for the first time, it felt like he was staring at a young man and not the boy he had known for so long. Pride surged in him as he pulled his hands out from behind his back. In his hand was his old lightsaber. Slowly, he took Luke's right hand and carefully passed the hilt to him. His mind spun as he searched for the words of wisdom he could share with his son but none came to mind. But as Luke's eyes widened, and he slowly twisted the hilt experimentally in his hands, feeling the weight of the blade and the history it carried, but it seemed no words needed to be said as Luke wrapped his arms around his waist.
Anakin held on tightly, stroking his back as he felt Luke's shoulders tremble from silent tears that were dampening his shirt. "Promise… promise me you'll be careful," He said pulling back and saying his son in the eye, his expression serious and full of trepidation. "There are likely many people there who won't like that you're my son. They might try and tempt you, goad you into being something you're not… just be careful. And don't be afraid to get help if you're in over your head."
Luke nodded his head, "I promise," He said. "You don't have to worry about me. You've taught me well. And I won't let you down."
He smiled and shook his head, cupping the back of his neck, "Don't let yourself down." He pulled him in for one last hug. "I'll miss you."
"Thank you," He said, pulling away and taking several backward steps. With a wide smile on his face, he glanced down at his belt and secured his father's lightsaber to it. Anakin could feel the pride radiating off of his son with the act and he couldn't help but smile. With one last wave to his family, Luke turned around and boarded the small two-man ship that Obi-Wan had already prepped for takeoff.
Anakin stepped back to join the rest of his family as the dust started to blow around from the roar of the engines. His arms wrapped around Padme and Leia as the three of them gave one last wave to Luke as the ship raised from the ground before speeding over the lake and up through the atmosphere until it disappeared from sight. Letting Luke go was one of the hardest things he'd had to do in a long time and he knew there were still many more challenges that awaited him in the coming years but after all the challenges he had overcome in his lifetime, and knowing that Padme was still by his side and that no matter of distance would change the love he felt of his children and the love they gave him, he would overcome them.
The End
I honestly had a lot of fun writing this. There's a bit of content that I had to cut out because of plot reasons but I might post those separately at some point when I decide to dust those off and polish them up a bit. I'm even thinking of doing another sequel to this, focusing a bit more on the ehhem adult side of this story.
Thanks for all the reviews and support! It means the world to me.
