Five years later
"You're doing well, Anakin," Obi-Wan gently stated, as he watched Anakin, who had a shielded helmet over his face, block Force-ball shots with his lightsaber with only the Force to guide him.
There was silence and Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was completely focused on his current task, so instead, he reflected on the past few years.
Since the night that breakthrough had been made, Anakin had progressed well. He had not only been able to get a handle on himself as a person, Anakin had also reclaimed the Force as an ally.
Along with these Force-exercises, Obi-Wan and Anakin had spent a great deal of time in the evenings and early mornings talking about more pleasant events of the past.
Fortunately, as Owen had allowed Obi-Wan to secretly live in the garage seeing as the Jundland Wastes were becoming too dangerous for human habitation, their talks were long and often.
Since the garage was often kept locked when Anakin or Owen weren't in there, neither Luke, who was a boisterous seven year old, and Derrick, who was approaching teenhood, knew about Obi-Wan living there. Anakin feared the day that he would have to tell Luke the truth about his past.
It was almost a relief to be helping Anakin in such a way, Obi-Wan thought to himself, as there was now a proper balance in Anakin's life, which helped healing to progress. Anakin would spend breakfast and a few hours in the morning teaching his son various educational lessons, often alongside Beru, who homeschooled Derrick, as Owen refused to let the boy attend public school all the way in Anchorhead.
Besides, Luke and Derrick kept each other company in the afternoon when Owen was off working with the vaporators, Beru was preparing supper, and Anakin was in the garage, receiving secret Jedi training from Obi-Wan. There was also scheduled time for proper sleep and meal intake.
Now, even though most exercises were for younglings in the past, Obi-Wan had since accepted that with the Jedi Order all but gone, even the best Jedi would have to rely on what they could to keep them strong in the Force. Also, the exercises helped Anakin immensely.
Suddenly feeling a laser blast hit his left shoulder, Anakin swore and tried to rid his mind of the thoughts that refused to stop haunting him. Obi-Wan frowned, Anakin's mind was troubled.
Continuing to frown, Obi-Wan watched as Anakin suddenly tensed and missed several more shots from the Force-ball, all of which ended up searing his left shoulder. Suddenly, Anakin felt the Force ball stop firing laser shots and fall to the floor. Again, he tensed up.
"All right, this exercise is over," Obi-Wan stated, his tone stern as he opened a medi-pack that was on one of the workbenches and pulled out a container of bacta cream that Owen had kept on hand for emergencies.
Fighting the urge to swear, as Luke and Derrick would no doubt hear him if he did, Anakin gasped and kept his lightsaber ignited, "No, I swear that I'm fine, Master," he protested, his anxious voice betraying the pain he felt in his shoulder because of the harsh laser burns.
Letting out a sigh of exasperation, Obi-Wan rose and, with the bacta cream container in hand, he marched over to Anakin, "Deactivate your lightsaber," he ordered firmly.
Realizing that he had been defeated by his own loss of focus, Anakin obediently deactivated his lightsaber and put it back on his belt. He then removed the shielded helmet.
"Master, I apologize..." Anakin said, regretful that he had allowed himself to be distracted.
Shaking his head, Obi-Wan opened the bacta cream container, "Remove your shirt so I can treat those burns," he ordered, not in the mood for any of Anakin's nonsense at the moment.
Remaining silent, Anakin removed the shirt he had borrowed from Owen that day and waited.
Silently swearing at the second degree burns that were all over Anakin's left shoulder, Obi-Wan began applying bacta cream to each of the burns and tried not to think of how diminished Anakin was for his age. Anakin was so skinny that his ribs could be seen, yet he was healthy.
"Ouch," Anakin hissed, closing his eyes to block out the stinging that bacta cream being applied to the burns was causing. "I didn't think that laser bolts were supposed to hurt that much."
There was silence as Obi-Wan finished applying the bacta to the burns and, reaching into the open medi-pack, he pulled out bandages and covered the burns. Anakin hissed, he hated pain.
"All right, Anakin, why were you unable to block all of those shots with your lightsaber?" Obi-Wan asked, even though he had been probing Anakin's thoughts and already knew the answer.
Not wanting to tell Obi-Wan that he had again been having the nightmare where Luke fell to the Dark Side, Anakin put his shirt back on, "It's nothing," he muttered quietly.
"Don't lie to me, Anakin," Obi-Wan reprimanded the younger man, as he knew that if Anakin didn't continue dealing with his issues head-on, all the progress that had been made would be lost.
Frustrated that Obi-Wan could read his thoughts so well, Anakin pressed his right hand to his forehead, as it hurt too much to move the left one at the moment, "I don't want Luke to become a Jedi and follow the path that I did," he confessed. "It will only cause him much suffering."
"Anakin, I know you are having nightmares about Luke falling to the Dark Side," Obi-Wan replied patiently. "I do not think he will fall if given proper Jedi training, but he is not yet ready for that."
Anakin nodded, "I apologize for letting my mind wander, Master," he said, quickly changing the subject. "I would like to try the exercise again."
"We can continue that exercise another day," Obi-Wan gently stated, as he could sense that Anakin was becoming physically tired. "I think that we will now switch focus to mental healing, as it is also important to a Jedi's positive development."
Secretly relieved that he could take a breather, Anakin nodded and, after putting his shirt back on, he sat on the floor in a meditative position. Letting out a sigh, Obi-Wan took up a meditative position on the floor across from him.
"Anakin, I would like you to tell me what happened between the time that we returned to Coruscant with the Chancellor and Mustafar," Obi-Wan requested, looking Anakin in the eye.
"I can't...Master, I CAN'T," Anakin's mind screamed, as even though he could clearly remember every detail of those events, he couldn't speak of them openly. "It hurts too much..."
"Anakin, you must," Obi-Wan stated. "Don't undo all of the progress you've made so far."
"Why can't you just use the Force and find out for yourself?" Anakin asked, as he did not want to talk about events that nearly led to his death and the fall of the Jedi Order.
"...I could, but I would rather have you tell me, in your own words," Obi-Wan stated. "Start from when I found you passed out on the floor in a meditation room within the Jedi Temple..."
"Master, you know some of it already," Anakin protested.
"I want you to tell me again," Obi-Wan replied, his tone gentle, but firm. "It will help you."
There was a brief silence, then Anakin sighed, "After you let me leave the Temple infirmary, I had intended on going to visit Padme, as I needed her comfort," he explained. "However, on my way there, I was approached by one of Chancellor Palpatine's aides. I was told that the Chancellor wanted to see me immediately, so I agreed and accompanied the aide to the Senate building."
Obi-Wan nodded, but remained silent, so Anakin continued, "The Chancellor appointed me to be his personal representative on the Jedi Council," he stated. "I felt horrifed, as I was seeing that there was no other way but what had come to me in my visions."
Yet, as we've seen, you did find another way. Obi-Wan thought, as he continued to listen silently.
"When I met with the Council, they did allow me a seat, but I was not granted the rank of Master," Anakin explained, forcing himself to look Obi-Wan in the eyes. "Strangely enough, I didn't feel angry, as I was still a Jedi no matter what rank I had...After that, you left for Utapau."
Anakin, if I had only known about what would happen, I would have...Obi-Wan quickly stopped himself from thinking that, as there was absolutely nothing he would have been able to do.
"After the Council meeting, I went to mine and Padme's apartment," Anakin explained, briefly remembering the warmth of that pleasant memory. "She told me that she was pregnant with my offspring. For a moment, I was overjoyed, but I then worried that doom was calling my name."
Ah, you worried about falling prey to the Dark Side. Obi-Wan thought, remaining silent.
"The continued stress took it's toll on me over the next few months and I continually found myself pleading with the Force to intervene on my behalf," Anakin confessed. "Eventually, Chancellor Palpatine privately accused me of corroborating with the Jedi Council and their plot to overthrow the Senate. He threatened my life if I left Coruscant..."
I think I now know why I could sense nothing but darkness around Anakin while I was in hiding on Utapau. Obi-Wan realized, as Anakin was suddenly telling him things that he hadn't known before.
"I went to the Underworld Health Unit and got myself admitted overnight so I could get some rest," Anakin said, his voice hollow. "The sedative I was given stopped me from dreaming..."
There was no sound from Obi-Wan, so Anakin reluctantly kept going, "When I returned to Padme, we ended up arguing about her involvement in the Chancellor's plan to create a more unified government," he said. "However, she suddenly went into labor...I delivered Luke and Leia with only help from the droids..."
Knowing what memories he would have to share next, Anakin lowered his gaze to the floor, "That same night, I was again summoned before Chancellor Palpatine," he said, his voice suddenly becoming quieter. "He told me that he had the power to bring peace to the galaxy and that he could also stop my visions from coming true. All he asked for was my trust..."
Obi-Wan suddenly frowned, as he could feel Anakin's blood pressure and anxiety rising uncontrollably. He saw Anakin close his eyes and cough, as if he were choking.
"Anakin..." Obi-Wan started, as he was suddenly hit with a barrage of images from Anakin's mind.
"That power is only accessible to those who possess the Force, though," he replied, as he suddenly realized a horrible truth. "You're a Sith, aren't you, Chancellor Palpatine?"
Shaking, as the determined look on Chancellor Palpatine's face confirmed the truth, Anakin rose and slowly backed away from the desk, "I should..."
"You should do what, exactly, Anakin?" Chancellor Palpatine hissed, as he rose from the desk and started towards the young Jedi Knight. "You have no power to do anything meaningful."
Anakin started to reply, to say that he had power over his own choices, but suddenly, he felt as if he were being strangled by an invisible hand. The Chancellor was using the Force to choke him.
"I could end your life right now, Anakin," Chancellor Palpatine hissed, as he watched Anakin continue to choke. "However, I doubt your death would be beneficial at this time."
Just as he was about to pass out, Anakin suddenly felt the chokehold on him released and he quickly descended into a coughing fit
"Search your feelings, Anakin," Chancellor Palpatine hissed menacingly, as he turned towards the window. "You know where your destiny lies, all you have to do is embrace it."
Feeling himself suddenly thrust from Anakin's mind, Obi-Wan opened his eyes to find Anakin on the floor, wheezing, as if he was reliving being Force-choked by the Chancellor.
"Anakin, listen to me," Obi-Wan gently said, as he placed a hand on Anakin's back. "You're not in the Chancellor's office on Coruscant. You're on Tatooine and nothing can hurt you here."
Coughing, Anakin slowly let his hands drop to the floor, "Nothing can hurt me here," he whispered, as he swallowed and sat upright. "I'm ready to continue...I have to continue..."
Obi-Wan nodded and resumed listening to Anakin, "Not long after that, Padme asked me to go to Mustafar with her and help the Sepratists come to a peaceful medium," Anakin explained, still slightly embarrassed that he still had physical reactions to certain memories. "I knew that my fate would be sealed if I went there, so I told her no and saw her off a few hours later. Even though she tried to get me to tell her why I wouldn't go, I lied and said I wanted to stay with Luke and Leia...I told her that I didn't want to abandon the children...I can't believe I said that to her."
That must have been the last conversation Anakin ever had with Padme, otherwise he wouldn't have harbored such feelings of guilt for so long. Obi-Wan silently reasoned.
"Not long after that, I took Luke and Leia to the Jedi Temple so that they could be safe," Anakin revealed. "Even if I was forced to turn them over to the Jedi, I knew it was best for them."
Giving Anakin a thoughtful look, Obi-Wan remained silent, allowing Anakin to go on, "I met with Master Windu in the Council chamber and told him everything," Anakin confessed. "Just as we were going to meditate on a solution, we were ambushed by clone troops. The clone troops declared me under arrest for high treason against the Republic...Master Windu and I were forced to run for our lives, as the clones would have taken me to Mustafar for questioning..."
If the clones had succeeded in capturing you, there would have been no chance at all...Sidious would have either killed you or forced you to turn. Obi-Wan thought to himself, "How did Luke and Leia not have any harm come to them?" he asked, wondering how the children had survived.
"Right before I was able to sense the clones, I put Luke and Leia in a little double baby pouch that I had brought from home," Anakin answered. "I put the pouch on my back, under my cloak...When the clones started firing, I turned and took the shots so they would be safe...We eventually made it outside and were rescued by Senator Organa, he had Artoo and Threepio with him...Master Windu kept shouting at me to stay awake..."
Frowning, as now he knew how Anakin had suffered such severe internal injuries, Obi-Wan nodded and waited for Anakin to continue, even though he knew it would be difficult for him.
"The next thing I knew, I woke up on Senator Organa's ship with Master Windu and Senator Organa hovering over me," Anakin remembered, his voice shaking. "I asked about Luke and Leia...Senator Organa said they were safe, which relieved me...After being told that we were headed for Polis Massa, I fell asleep again...It was then that I started to dream..."
Determined not to leave any detail untouched, Anakin closed his eyes, "I dreamed that Padme was dying because of my hesitance to ask Chancellor Palpatine for help," he confessed, his voice trembling with fear. "I then woke, stole an escape pod, and headed for Mustafar to save her..."
Oh, Anakin...Obi-Wan thought, as he fought to keep grief over this moment inside.
"When I landed, I walked alone for a bit, trying to find Padme," Anakin stated. "While I couldn't find her, I found myself coming face-to-face with Darth Sidious. At first, I was temped to seek his help in rescuing Padme, but I really just wanted the pain to end...for everyone including me."
Instead, you chose to fight and almost get yourself killed. Obi-Wan thought, silently grieving.
"After what seemed like forever, I could suddenly see you on the rocks, watching," Anakin stated, his voice just above a whisper. "Sidious then attacked me with Sith Lightning and I passed out..."
As if a great burden had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders, Anakin slumped over and closed his eyes. He never knew that disclosing painful past events could be so physically exhausting.
"I'm so tired..." Anakin muttered, as he fought the urge to fall asleep right on the floor.
Clearly being able to sense that Anakin's fatigue level was at a near critical point, Obi-Wan nodded, "You need rest, Anakin," he said. "I need to meditate, so I bid you good night."
Shakily rising from the floor, Anakin slowly moved to the door, "Good night, Master," he said.
"Don't focus on any troubling thoughts, all right?" Obi-Wan requested, as Anakin made to leave the garage and lock him in. "Nightmares will only inhibit your ability to rest properly."
Nodding, Anakin left the garage and locked the door behind him. Obi-Wan only sighed, as there was still much for Anakin to learn, but he was learning very well.
"Daddy?" the young voice of Luke sounded, as he saw a figure pass by the bedroom he and Derrick shared, despite their age difference.
Despite wanting to do nothing more but sleep, Anakin stopped in his tracks and headed back to the doorway of Luke and Derrick's bedroom, "Yes, Luke?" he asked, eager to please his son.
"I can't sleep, can you tell me a story?" Luke, who had not been able to sleep because he had sensed that his father was sad and had been reliving painful memories and he wanted to help.
Anakin entered the room and after looking over at the other end of the room to ensure Derrick was sound asleep, he sat on the edge of Luke's bed, "What story do you want to hear?" he asked.
"I wanna hear about the slave boy and the angel," Luke requested, eager to hear that story again, even though his father had told it to him often.
Fighting the urge to smile, as it was actually a story about how he and Padme first met on Tatooine years ago that he had chosen to share with Luke as a bedtime story, Anakin nodded, "All right, but we have to keep quiet so we don't wake Derrick up, all right?" he asked.
Nodding eagerly, Luke crawled on to Anakin's lap and wrapped his arms around him.
"All right, once upon a time, there was a little slave boy who worked for a flying alien in a dirty repair shop," Anakin explained, as he held Luke close. "This little boy worked hard to please his master, for he wanted to be safe from harm..."
At the mention of the flying alien, Luke whimpered and clung tighter to Anakin, as the flying alien had always scared him, even though it was a story and stories were not usually real.
Realizing that he was scaring Luke, Anakin quickly changed tactics, choosing to shorten the story, "Anyway, one day, this slave boy was working in his shop and this group came in, looking to buy some things," he said, remembering back to when Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, Artoo, and Padme entered the shop for the first time. "It was then that the slave boy saw this beautiful angel...Although she was taller than the slave boy, the angel was extremely beautiful and seemed very kind..."
Suddenly frowning, as Luke had gotten quiet very quickly, Anakin looked down and saw that Luke had fallen asleep in his arms. Luke just wanted to spend time with me. Anakin realized, even though they had spent plenty of time together and would continue to do so in the future.
Taking care not to jostle the boy, Anakin quickly lowered Luke into the bed and covered him with the many blankets Beru had placed there long ago, for desert nights were rather cool.
As if he knew his father was now okay, Luke relaxed into a deep sleep with a smile on his face.
Quietly rising from the bed, Anakin left the room and, not wanting to wake Owen and Beru, who had long since fallen asleep, he quietly retreated to the room that he had claimed as his own. He desperately needed to be alone with his thoughts, at least until he fell asleep.
Blinking tiredly, Anakin pushed back the blankets on his bed and promptly lay down, too tired to even change out of his clothes and boots. Luke always wanted to help, he was a lot like Padme.
It had been years since Padme died, Anakin reflected, as he pulled his blankets over him and rolled on to his side. However, he was able to remember her and kept her memory alive through the stories he told Luke. Of course, he didn't know that the woman in the stories was his mother.
Someday, Anakin knew that he would have to reveal the truth behind his many past exploits to Luke, as well as the truth concerning Leia. However, he knew better than to worry right now.
Focus on the positives, Anakin...Anakin remembered, as keeping negative thoughts and feelings from dragging him down was one of the many lessons that Obi-Wan had taught and emphasized for him to embrace in the past few years. I'm trying, Master. Anakin thought to himself.
Suddenly letting out a yawn, Anakin closed his eyes and relaxed into a deep sleep.
Hopefully, in the years to come, Luke would grow up to be a responsible young man and would someday be able to take on the role of a Jedi. As much as Anakin did not want to involve Luke, he knew the day would eventually come that his son would be forced into that precarious role by fate.
It would be a long journey yet, however. For Luke had many things to experience and many lessons to still learn. The boy had many ambitions and could encounter trouble because of them.