Anakin kept his posture steady as he used his left foot to step back and used his lightsaber to strike down, the blue of his saber cutting through the air with precision and accuracy before he did the same thing from his right stance. He was light and graceful as he practiced the lightsaber sequence that he had been practicing for years and had already mastered at this point, but his mind was busy and he needed something to occupy his chaotic mind, so he decided to practice all the saber forms that he knew starting with Shii-Cho.
His thoughts were spread far apart and had little coherency to them. By then, he had already accepted the infallible truth that he was in the future but his time-traveling mishap was not what was currently ruling over his thoughts and emotions.
He had had a dream.
A dream that he did not understand nor could he comprehend it, but he could feel that there was a level of importance to it that was of great importance. It felt as though those hazy collage of images and feelings were more than dreams, that perhaps they were visions that the Force had given him.
It wouldn't be the first time that that had happened.
He had dreamed of another life, one that was fictional but realistic at the same time and that stirred emotions in him that were powerful and misunderstood. It felt as though he had been there, lived through it and experienced the flurry of emotions first hand.
He had dreamed of his Master, the feeling of friendship and brotherly affection that came from the both of them. The feelings were deep and raw and not ones that were easily ignored seeing as it was already branded on Anakin's heart.
But the images had changed so fast that Anakin barely had time to understand what he had just seen before it would ripple and disappear before yet another took its place. It was as though he had been underwater trying to listen and watch all that that was going on around him, but there were instances that he would always remember.
How joy had turned into sorrow, but he did not know why. One moment he had been with his Master and the next he was holding his mother in his arms, her face sad and bloodied as she stared up at him with nothing but love in her eyes.
The image had only been for a second before being replaced by that of a woman in a blue dress, her back turned to him as she stared out the window at the fire that consumed the skyline. Her sobbing was all that Anakin could hear, the heartbroken sound escaping from her mouth was enough to make Anakin's stomach churn uncomfortably.
He wished that he knew why she was so sad but he hadn't the time to stick around before he sucked away and found himself on a fiery planet surrounded by lava and molten rock, his lungs burning with every breath and a searing pain in his limbs before everything the flames had devoured him.
It was then that he had awoken from his sleep, his breathing labored and his body shaking. He had stayed like that for a few minutes before he had gotten up and gone to find Luke, who had been in the cockpit talking to someone. He had put on a brave face and had hidden his discomfort before going in to talk to the older Jedi about what had happened to the Republic and the Jedi Order.
He didn't like what he found out and he was far from satisfied with the answers that he had been given, still not understanding everything and the events that had led to the fall of everything he had sworn to protect and serve.
Nothing made sense and the Force did nothing to help him understand.
Have patience. The Force knows better than you.
Anakin huffed as he swung around and used his left foot the step forward before thrusting his lightsaber forward before swinging it over his head, creating a deadly blue arc in the air before he proceeded to do the same but with his opposite foot.
"Impressive," said Luke as he leaned against the bulkhead, where he had been silently observing the teenager for the last few minutes undetected.
Anakin stopped his lightsaber midair to look over at Luke before he dropped his stance and deactivated his weapon before clipping it to his utility belt. He hadn't realized that Luke had been watching him the entire time. If Obi-wan had been there, he would've scolded Anakin for letting his guard drop enough not to feel when another presence was in the room, but it no longer mattered.
Obi-wan was dead.
"Did you learn that at the Jedi Temple?" asked Luke curiously as he walked into the lounge.
"Yes," said Anakin as he shrugged his leather vest along with his belt off and set it down on the table. "It's called Shii-Cho, or form I. There are seven different forms of lightsaber techniques, each one designed and practiced differently so as to utilize the strengths and weaknesses of those using them."
"I've heard of them, but I only know a few," said Luke with a small laugh. "I never really got that much lightsaber training from any of my Masters. My first Master taught me a little but I ended up learning more from the journals he kept while in exile."
"Masters? You had two Masters?" asked Anakin curiously as he tried to get more a sense of who Luke really was.
"My first Master died," said Luke sadly, "he was cut down by Darth Vader and after that, I went to Yoda to finish my training, which I have yet to do."
"Grand Master Yoda?" asked Anakin as he remembered that the older Jedi's presence still remained but had been hidden from everyone so that no one could find him.
"Yes, he's still alive but I don't think for very much longer."
"Oh," said Anakin as he thought of the very old Jedi. Yoda was almost a thousand years old, but that didn't mean he was immortal.
"Who was your first Master?" asked Anakin as he tried to divert the conversation away from the eerie topic of Yoda's imminent death. "I might know him or at least have heard of him."
It was possible, but there were about ten thousand Jedi in Coruscant and Anakin did not know them all. But names tended to travel through the Temple or it was possible that he knew Luke's first Master as a fellow Padawan. They were talking about time-travel after all.
"I knew him as Ben, but his real name was Obi-wan Kenobi," said Luke carefully, deciding that it would be okay to reveal that information even though he knew that Kenobi had been his father's Master. He saw no point in lying to Anakin about who his first Master was.
Anakin's reaction was sudden, his blue eyes widening in surprise and shock as he restlessly shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"Obi-wan Kenobi trained you?" he asked, his voice strained and unbelieving.
Luke nodded his head, "yes, he did."
"And he was killed," stated Anakin softly, "by Darth Vader?"
"About three years ago on a space station called the Death Star. He fought with Darth Vader before he was cut down and became one with the Force. He still likes to hang around though, as a Force ghost of course."
"Force ghost?" asked Anakin, unsure of what he had just heard. There were no such things as Force ghosts. Everyone who died lost their individuality to become one with the Force and were unable to communicate with the living, and there was no known way to keep one's identity after death.
Luke nodded his head, "it is possible for a Force user to deny the will of the Force and maintain their individuality and become Force ghosts."
Anakin shook his head, "I've never heard of a Force ghost in all my years with the Order."
"Well, death is sort of tricky thing. How would any of us know what lies beyond the realm of the living? The Jedi don't know everything about the Force."
Luke didn't intend to be rude by questioning the knowledge of the Jedi Order, but even Ben had told him that the Jedi had been flawed. They had misinterpreted the Force in many different ways and there had even been something in Ben's notes that had mentioned the Prophecy of the Chosen One and how the Jedi had been wrong about what they thought would happen.
He just merely wanted to question some of their beliefs that he knew to be wrong.
Anakin thought about it for a few moments, "I guess it could be so, but I've just never heard of such a thing before."
"Neither had I," said Luke as he nodded his head in understanding. "I know it's a strange concept to you, but it's real. His spirit has appeared to me on multiple occasions after his death."
Anakin said nothing as he stared down at the floor and found himself believing what Luke had to say about life beyond death. There had been nothing in the Jedi archives or teachings that mentioned time travel before and yet here he was. So maybe there really were such things as Force Ghosts.
Which meant that maybe Obi-wan was still hanging around even after his death by a Sith Lord.
Darth Vader, the man who had killed his Master in cold blood was the same man who had aided in the destruction of the Jedi and the Republic, everything that Anakin had sworn to protect and serve.
Anakin hoped that he could one day meet this infamous Darth Vader so that he could run his lightsaber through him personally for everything that he had ever done. He didn't know Vader, but he already hated him with a burning passion even though he knew that hate was not the Jedi way.
Hatred led to the Dark Side, but Anakin could not contain his anger and fury at the Sith.
He wanted to see this Darth Vader pay for everything that he had done.
He wanted Darth Vader to die.
"Hey you two," said Leia as she popped her head around the corner to stare at the two blond men. "We'll be rendezvousing with the Rebel fleet in a few minutes."
"Okay, thanks, Leia," said Luke as they both watched her disappear down the corridor before turning to face each other.
"So this Rebel Alliance that you and Leia are a part of-," began Anakin, "when was it founded?"
He was curious to know more about these Rebels, these soldiers who were bringing the fight to the Empire in hopes of restoring democracy to the galaxy. Luke had told him a little about them in the cockpit a few hours after they had talked about the Jedi Order and what growing up on Tatooine was like for the both of them.
Anakin was happy to know that there were people out there who were willing to stand for what was right no matter the consequences and he imagined his future self possibly being in the fight with them. It was the only plausible future he could see for himself if he had not perished in the Purge.
Anakin couldn't imagine what else he would be doing when the galaxy was in such turmoil.
"The same year the Republic fell I believe, but it was only officially reorganized a few years ago. Leia knows more than I do, maybe you should ask her more if you're curious about the Alliance's history."
"Maybe I will," said Anakin as he and Luke began to make their way out to the cockpit, where Leia was seated at the controls along with the blue astromech droid that reminded Anakin of R2-D2. But Anakin was positive that it was not the same droid, or at least the same droid with its memory wiped because of how strangely it acted around him.
The droid beeped shrilly but did not move back as it always did whenever it saw Anakin, instead it just stared up at the teenage boy silently before he rolled over to Luke to nudge his leg. Anakin could understand binary perfectly but the droids refusal to talk to him made it difficult to understand why he seemed to avoid him.
"Stop that Artoo," said Luke as the droid nudged his leg again. "His name is Anakin. He's not going to harm you."
The droid let out a shrill beep that was akin to a scoff before he rolled out of the room, all three of their eyes on him as he disappeared down the corridor.
"What's that droids name?" asked Anakin as he returned his gaze over to Luke and Leia.
"R2-D2," said Leia as she swung her chair around to face Anakin. "He's a funny little droid that Luke has quite the attachment to."
"Artoo is more than just a funny little droid," said Luke defensively.
Anakin's eyes drifted over to the droid, who was peeking out at him from behind the door as if he was trying to spy on the teenager. As soon as the droid saw Anakin looking at him, he let out a small beep before rolling up to him slowly and with such caution that reminded him of a timid animal.
He was certain at that point he was the very same droid that had belonged to the Queen all those years ago. It seemed ludicrous that he would run into the same droid all these years later and for him to be in relatively good condition despite his age.
Anakin tilted his head to the side, "Artoo?"
His voice was barely above that of a whisper as he held his hand out to show the droid that he meant no harm.
Something immediately seemed to change in the droid as he let out a shrill and excited beep, confirming that he was the very same droid from Naboo. Artoo rolled over to where Anakin was and nudged his leg as he bent down on one knee and placed his hand against the dome of the droid as he remembered blowing up the Trade Federation ship at the age of nine. It only felt like yesterday that he was soaring through space with Artoo, jumping up and down in his seat in excitement as he joined in the Battle of Naboo.
It had only been eight years to him, but in reality, it had been thirty-six years since that had happened.
By then, Luke and Leia had stopped arguing and were now staring at Anakin and Artoo with funny looks on their faces. It was quite obvious at that point that Anakin and Artoo knew each other and both were curious as to how.
"Do you know Artoo?" asked Luke.
Anakin nodded his head, "I met him when I was nine when I was living on Tatooine. He belonged to a girl I knew from Naboo."
He had decided to leave his explanation at that. There was no need to mention that Padme had been a Queen or that he had met Artoo during the Crisis of Naboo, which he had helped diffuse when he blew up the Trade Federation ship.
"What a coincidence," said Leia under her breath with confusion disbelief. Artoo had been her father's droid longer than Anakin had even been alive, so there really wasn't any possible way that the boy could know the Droid much less its previous owner.
But there was no denying that Anakin and Artoo knew each other.
There was no denying that Artoo was loyal and that was one of the reasons why her father had sent the droid on many assignments across the galaxy. It was quite possible that Artoo and Anakin had met on Tatooine during one of these assignments, but then who was the girl? One of her father's many agents?
"How did you get Artoo, again?" asked Anakin, failing to notice the strange look Leia was giving him.
"My Uncle Owen bought him from the Jawas to help us out on the farm. That was three years ago," said Luke with bewilderment in his eyes as he stared over at Artoo. "Of course, it was because of Leia that he was on Tatooine to begin with."
He couldn't believe that Artoo had known his father and that he hadn't mentioned it to Luke.
"And she belonged to a girl from Naboo?" asked Leia in curiosity as she tried to delve deeper into the strange tale. "What was she doing all the way out on Tatooine?"
"Her ship needed repairs so they stopped in the shop where I worked," said Anakin casually. "She ended up going back to Naboo and I haven't seen her since."
She hadn't expected him to know much seeing as it was probably an undercover mission, so she decided not to pursue his knowledge of the droid or the girl from Naboo anymore.
Leia nodded her head, "I once accompanied my father on a diplomatic mission to Naboo when I was fourteen. I remember how lovely it was there."
"It really is," said Anakin with a large smile as he remembered the rich culture of Naboo. "I visited there when I was nine during one of the celebrations in Theed."
"Oh really? Is that before you went to Imperial Center?" she asked with a tilt of her head.
"Yes," said Anakin curtly as he dipped his head down as he remembered how careful he needed to be to not give himself away. He didn't want Leia thinking that he was a raging lunatic talking about time travel and what not.
Luke only stared between the two of them with a platonic expression, interested in what they had to say to each other. He was keenly interested in knowing more about his father's past and he was being given a rare opportunity to learn more about Anakin Skywalker.
He had already learned more about his father in the last day than he had in his entire twenty-two years of life. Owen and Beru had been uninformed about much of his father's past, only telling him the basics and nothing more because they simply did not know. They had only met his father once and the circumstances were less than ideal for getting to know one another.
For instance, his Aunt and Uncle had never mentioned that Anakin had left Tatooine when he was nine or that he had ever visited the planet of Naboo before going to train on Coruscant. They had only told him that his father had left and that was that.
But then again there was still so much to learn from this young man. Nothing that Anakin had said or even his behavior had once constituted the reason for his downfall and Luke could only guess that this was because his father was untainted at this point in his life.
The boy was deeply rooted in the light to the point where it seemed almost impossible that he could ever become Darth Vader, but the past in that point in time had already been written.
But then again, Anakin being brought here must mean that the past could be rewritten.
Maybe there didn't have to be a monster at the end of this story.
"So you are a politician?" asked Anakin awkwardly after a few moments of silence, his voice hinting at curiosity and-
Was that a hint of disdain?
"Yes," she said with a smile before her face fell and her eyes became downcast, "or at least I was."
Anakin seemed to feel her sudden change in mood and felt the sudden need to comfort her, his blue eyes catching her brown orbs which had become laden with sadness.
"What planet did you represent?" he asked.
"Alderaan," she said with a far-away look in her eyes. "My mother was the Queen and my father was the Viceroy and Elected Representative before I took up his Senatorial duties when I was sixteen."
"So you're the Princess of Alderaan?" asked Anakin as he remembered how young Padme had been when she had gotten into politics. It seemed as though Leia and Padme were similar in that manner and something told him they probably would've been good friends if they had ever met each other.
"Was," she said curtly. "Apparently you haven't heard. There is no Alderaan to be the Princess of anymore."
Luke turned his head sharply to look at Leia, his blue eyes wandering over to a confused looking Anakin before he took a step forward and placed his hand on Leia's shoulder in a comforting manner.
"No Alderaan? What do you mean?" asked Anakin as he noticed the pain that flashed through the Princess's eyes as well as the stoic expression that Luke was giving him, as if he was trying to warn Anakin.
"Alderaan was destroyed three years ago," said Luke dryly. "The Empire wanted to demonstrate the destructive capabilities of their new Death Star, a space station with the technology to wipe out an entire planet."
"Bastards," sneered Leia with hatred in her eyes as she averted her gaze over to Anakin, who sat silently in shock. "They silenced an entire planet for nothing more than a power demonstration."
"They destroyed Alderaan?" asked Anakin, his voice heavily strained. "An entire planet?"
"Yes," said Luke as he shook his head, "And it wasn't only Alderaan. They destroyed Jedha City and they also targeted Scarif."
"And what of the weapon?" asked Anakin as he ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Please tell me they no longer have that sort of power at their fingertips."
"No," said Luke with a shake of his head. "Some brave Rebels sacrificed their lives to retrieve the plans from an Imperial base on Scarif. We destroyed it during the Battle of Yavin a few years ago."
Anakin shook his head, "I just can't believe that they could have- "
He said, trailing off of his intended sentence to stare over at Luke with a baffled expression that spoke on an entirely different level that Luke did not have to be a Jedi to recognize.
Luke knew exactly what was going on in the youth's troubled mind.
How did it ever come to this?
It was a simple question that had haunted Luke ever since he had buried his Aunt and Uncle and set off for Alderaan with Ben. Before, he had just been a naïve farm boy ready to join the Imperial Navy if it meant getting off of that barren rock they called Tatooine.
But now he was older, hardened by war and tainted by revelations.
Tainted by the truth.
"I know it's a lot to take in," said Luke in a soothing manner, "I'm sure it's quite a surprise for you, considering how you've been away for some time, haven't you?"
News of Alderaan's destruction had spread through the galaxy like wildfire and there were very few people who had not heard of the planet who's royal family had dared to speak out against the Empire. A lot of people on Alderaan had opposed the Empire, but of course there were quite a few there who did support the Imperial cause but in the end suffered the same fate as everyone else that day.
"Yes," said Anakin gravelly. "I am sorry to say that this is the first I have heard of Alderaan's demise. I've been in hiding and I'm not as up to date on current events as I should be."
He said this specifically to Leia before he bowed his head as a sign of respect to the Princess, as was customary for Jedi to do when showing formalities. He wanted to show her that he was truly and deeply sorry for the loss she had suffered at the hand of the Empire and that he had her support.
It was about the only thing that he could for now. But he knew that there would be more for him to do in preventing this tragedy when he went back to his own time.
"I am so sorry for your loss, Milady. Alderaan was a lovely planet and I hope that those who aided in its destruction will be brought to justice."
Alderaan had truly been a lovely planet with its classical beliefs and influences that had helped shape the Republic as well as serve as an important symbol of democracy.
He had only been there once when he was about eleven or twelve with his Master but he remembered the snow-capped mountain ranges and the crystal clear lakes as well as the forests that had littered the terrain of the planet. It held a classical beauty that was, in its own way, unique and inspiring just like Naboo had been to him.
He still couldn't believe that it was gone.
"Thank you, Anakin," she said as she put on a brave smile. "I agree and hope one day that the people of Alderaan may finally rest knowing that they have been avenged."
It was her final duty to her people, to be their voice just once more.
Once the Republic had been restored, she would see to it personally that every person involved in the genocide of Alderaan would be labeled as War Criminals and given their due.
Anakin was about to reply when there was a beeping from the console, warning them that they were approaching their destination and would need to drop out of hyperdrive soon. Luke beat Anakin over to the pilot's chair, much to the dismay of the teenager, but he soon got over it as they dropped out of hyperdrive and the Rebel fleet became visible to them.
Anakin stared out the viewport at the cluster of ships, his blue eyes falling on the command ship as they drew closer and closer to the enormous vessel.
"There they are," said Luke with a smile as he noticed Anakin's stare. "The Alliance fleet in the flesh."
"You guys don't have ground bases?" asked Anakin out of curiosity.
"We did," said Leia from her spot next to Anakin, "but we've had to evacuate them as of recent due to the Empire locating us."
"The last base was on Hoth," said Luke, "but we had to abandon it a few months ago when the Empire found us and attacked."
Anakin simply nodded his head in interest as they drew in closer while Luke got permission to land in one of the shuttle bays on the larger ship.
The next few minutes happened in a blur as Luke flew the Millennium Falcon into the densely crowded shuttle bay as Anakin looked out from where he sat in the co-pilots chair, the uniforms of the some of the Rebels catching his eye, especially the bright orange jumpsuits that he could only guess were their flight suits.
The ships that were lined against the far wall also caught his wandering eye as he stared at the design, his mind racing with thoughts of possibly flying one in the near future. He was an excellent pilot and his skills could be put somewhere useful while he was here instead of just sitting around doing nothing.
The three of them made their way down the ramp, the younger of the two trailing behind as he watched a few people make their way over to Luke and Leia to greet them. He watched a Wookie and a tall dark skinned man start up a conversation with the two, their faces bright and smiling.
Anakin averted his eyes back to the ships, his mind curious at the mechanical layout of such a vessel. He had never before seen a ship of this particular design and of course, he was more than eager to get a look at the inside.
No one seemed to pay him any attention as he made his way over to one and walked around to get a full image before making his way back to the front again, careful to not get in anyone's way.
"You ever flown one?" came a gravelly voice from behind him.
Anakin turned around to see a tall young man who could not have been older than thirty at least who was staring at the boy in front of him with curiosity.
"No," said Anakin as he shook his head. "I've never flown one of these, but I've piloted my fair share."
"Really?" he asked as he surveyed the teenager in front of him. "How old are you, kid?"
"Seventeen," replied Anakin honestly, "but I'll be eighteen soon."
That was an exaggeration of course but Anakin was interested in possibly learning to pilot one of these and joining one of their squadrons, but he had only just turned seventeen a couple of months before he found himself here.
"You new to the Rebellion? I've never seen you here before."
"I'm new here," said Anakin casually, "there's really no other place for me to go so I figured I might as well join the cause."
"Really? Where are you from?" asked the older man as his eyes trailed over the cylindrical weapon that was clipped to Anakin's utility belt before averting his eyes back to the blues of the boy's eyes.
He said nothing, but he recognized the weapon as the same one that the Jedi carried. The same one that Luke Skywalker carried with him and the robes that the youth wore were reminiscent of the ones that the Jedi wore before they were Purged.
Anakin noticed the older man's gaze on his lightsaber and he discreetly used his robes to hide the hilt of the weapon before answering his question: "I'm from an Outer Rim planet called Tatooine."
"Is that so? There's a guy here named Luke who's from there. Have you met him yet?"
Anakin nodded his head, "Luke was the one who brought me here."
The older man nodded his head, "he's a great guy you know. A very talented pilot and we're lucky to have him."
Anakin nodded his head nonchalantly as his eyes traveled back to Luke, who was chatting a few people up, not having noticed what the younger man was up too.
"So you interested in learning to fly one of these? We could always use pilots here you know," he said with genuine interest in the teenager. "Of course you'll have to wait till you're eighteen to fly with a Squadron, but I could go ahead and show you a few tricks beforehand."
Anakin nodded his head, "I'd be interested if you're willing."
Of course, Anakin knew that he would not need much help in learning to fly one considering how fast he picked up how to pilot a new vessel. It was always just something that came naturally to him.
Across the hangar, Luke finally seemed to notice where his young friend had disappeared too and made his way over to where Anakin was chatting up Wedge Antilles. He had wanted to introduce Anakin to Mon Mothma and the others so that he could explain to them who Anakin was and that he was a Jedi before he started mingling with the Rebel personnel, but he had been so caught up with talking to Lando and Chewie that he had momentarily forgotten about the presence of his young father.
"There you are," said Luke as he placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder, who stiffened immediately upon the touch. "I see you've already found the ships."
"I was just talking to him about the possibility of him joining one of our Squadrons," said Wedge as he motioned to Anakin. "He's interested in learning to fly an X-Wing and he says he's a pilot."
Of course, Anakin Skywalker was a pilot and a pretty damn good one from what Ben had told him, and he had heard of Vader's legendary piloting skills in passing so it did not surprise him to find the teenager was interested in joining one of the Squadrons. But Luke wasn't entirely sure if it was something that he should let the boy pursue while he was here.
Being a Rebel pilot was a dangerous job and would undoubtedly put the boy at risk.
The Force scoffed at Luke's reasoning and understandably so.
Who do you think you got your piloting skills from?
But it didn't matter anyway. Anakin was not eighteen yet and that was the minimum age for all combat pilots in the Rebellion, no exceptions what so ever.
The Rebel Alliance did not believe in the use of child soldiers and while there were plenty of young men and women within their ranks that were currently being trained, none of them were to be sent out on the front lines. Seventeen was certainly old enough to go on training missions, but not old enough to fly with the Squadron into aerial battles.
Eighteen was the magic number that didn't require training from the Rebellion. If you were decent and of age, then you could fly into battle, but the Alliance didn't just take anyone.
Of course, there were other Rebel cells that were not a part of the Alliance that enlisted the use of children as well as using extreme military tactics that were a little too out there for the Alliance's taste.
Luke had heard stories of the Partisans, led by the late Saw Gerrera before his death a few years ago during the weapons test on Jedha City. Leia had spoken of their terror tactics as well the tactics of other Rebel Cells such as the Zarraban who were led by Jeyng'Yu, a Rebel fanatic who was not afraid to target civilians instead of military posts.
Many of these cells had been ostracized by the Alliance and fought on their own volition and principles.
Luke tilted his head to stare at Anakin, who was staring at him with hope shining in his blue eyes and it was obvious that this was something that the youth wanted to do.
Which made would make it even harder to say no to him.
"We'll talk about it," said Luke curtly to Wedge, not sure what else to say to either of them as he begun to lead Anakin away from the Corellian.
"See you around Luke! You too kid," said Wedge before he returned to his duties while the two Jedi made their way out of the hangar.
"So that's what you pilot? What's the name of your Squadron?" asked Anakin with great interest as he followed Luke through the corridor, ignoring the wondering glances of all those who passed them by.
"Rogue Squadron," replied Luke as he looked over at Anakin, who was staring at him with eagerness and excitement.
There was no doubt that Anakin was passionate about flying.
"How long have you been a pilot with that Squadron?"
"Since I was nineteen," said Luke as they turned the corner, Anakin trailing closely at his heels. "My first time flying one was during the Battle of Yavin a few years ago."
"And that's when you guys took out the Death Star?" asked Anakin slowly, his eyebrows scrunched up as he stared at the older man with a blank expression.
Luke stopped as he stared at Anakin, absently noting that the boy was only seventeen and already a good two inches taller than him. He wasn't sure what to tell Anakin about his desire to fly with the Squadron and he wasn't even sure if it was a possibility.
Luke tilted his head to the side, "yes, it was. Anakin- do you really want to fly with the Squadron?"
The youth shrugged his shoulders, but Luke could see the burning desire in the boy's eyes that reminded him of Ben's stories of how great a pilot his father had been. Ben had gone on and on about how great Anakin Skywalker had been and how impressed he had been with his piloting skills.
Even the Force seemed to confirm this fact.
"I'm here for a reason, aren't I? I have to help somehow and I know how to pilot," said Anakin pointedly. "And besides, this wouldn't be the first time that I've piloted in an aerial battle."
Luke paused for a moment as he truly thought about his father's time with the Jedi Order. He hadn't thought about it till now, but there was no doubt that his father had been in his fair share of conflicts starting from a young age.
It was so easy to forget what Anakin was when he looked so young and innocent, but at the same time, he carried an air of confidence and the maturity that came with being a Jedi.
How many missions had he been on to help establish peace in dangerous planetary conflicts? The Jedi were peacekeepers, but they were also warriors who knew how to command armies and use force when necessary.
Suddenly Anakin appeared older than he was and it made Luke internally shudder as he felt the power that his father possessed, the Force swirling around him like a large cat that was ready to pounce on its prey. The power clear and present, but tame and patient at the same time.
Something that hid in the shadows, but was always present and ready to attack.
"I-I'll see what I can do," said Luke softly, ignoring the strange look that Anakin was giving him.
Anakin could sense Luke's sudden change in behavior and mood and he wondered briefly what the cause for the older Jedi's turbulent emotions. It seemed as though the older Jedi couldn't keep his emotions in check and it made Anakin wonder why that was.
Usually, Jedi, at least a few of the ones that Anakin knew, could be cold and emotionless, making them resemble machines rather than sentient beings and it had always bothered him how they could forego such things as love but use compassion as a replacement sentiment.
But Luke did not personify that state of emotion, or lack of it if Anakin had any say.
It was unfamiliar to Anakin, but he liked it- how refreshing it was that there was another Jedi out there who was like him in so many ways- but so different at the same time. Luke was not typical and Anakin was certain, after observing him for some time that it was because he had been forced to adapt to being a Jedi in this time.
"Thank you," said Anakin as a large smile overtook his face, a genuine and kind smile that Luke couldn't help but return, albeit not as bright or as merry as the youths. Luke just couldn't bring himself to, not after what he had just felt through the Force, the power and yearning that came from the boy. The potential that Anakin possessed was thick and heavy laden, raw talent and skill at his fingertips and yet here he was, smiling at him brightly with not a clue as to what having that sort of power meant for his future.
Luke shuddered involuntarily but remained composed.
Careful. The Force whispered to him and he knew that Anakin did not need that sort of burden placed on him. He was just a teenager, susceptible to stress and feelings of inadequacy if Luke remembered anything about those hard years.
"No problem," said Luke with a shrug as he motioned for Anakin to follow him. "Come on, I'll show you where your quarters are and then we can go get some grub from the cafeteria."
"Food sounds good," said Anakin, perking up at the mention of food.
"And then after that, I'll have to introduce you to Mon Mothma and the others and we have to give a briefing of what happened on Ben'we."
"We do?" asked Anakin as his expression turned slightly sour, his teenage mind already bored at the notion. However, the name Mon Mothma sounded vaguely familiar to Anakin, possibly the name of one of the many Representatives that served in the Senate during the days of the Republic but he wasn't sure.
He had, of course, studied politics at the Jedi Temple but his attention during the class had been focused elsewhere other than what Master Sjo Kentu had to say and it was a miracle that he had managed to pass the class at all. There were far too many Senators and Diplomats to keep track of all their names and accomplishments, and most of them were not people that Anakin would honestly want to remember anyways. It seemed as though most of them were stuck up aristocrats who got their positions not by their hard work, but by their wealth and privilege.
And many were willing to do whatever it took to remain in power, their corruption subtle and sugarcoated with promises of a more stable economy and equality for all, but in reality, it was all just a rouse to stay in office.
There were only a few Representatives that Anakin had bothered to pay any sort of attention too, a certain newly elected Senator of Naboo being one of them. It was only a month before Anakin had found himself here that Padme Amidala had been elected to Represent Naboo in the Senate, her position as Queen having been handed to a young woman by the name of Jamillia.
"Yes, we do," chuckled Luke. "But don't worry, they'll be most happy to know that they have another Jedi in their ranks."
"Jedi Padawan," murmured Anakin.
"A minor detail," said Luke as he led Anakin through the corridor. "Padawan, Master, Knight it's all the same to them. What matters is that you know how to use a lightsaber in combat, which is always a plus in the eyes of the Rebellion."
"There's a lot more to being a Jedi than just being able to swing a lightsaber," commented Anakin with a grin.
"Yes, but it's what Jedi are known for isn't it?"
Anakin couldn't argue with that logic and had to admit the defining detail of a Jedi was their lightsaber, to most of the galaxy that was. Wherever Anakin had gone in the galaxy, people had always been captivated not by his robes or even his abilities, but by his "laser sword."
It seemed as though this captivation extended to the leaders of the Rebellion as well.
"I can't argue that," said Anakin as he raised his hands in submission, an amused smile pulling across his face as he followed Luke through the hallway.
The Force hummed in content and peace as the laughter of the two men rang through the corridor.
But it would not last.