Obi-Wan hadn't expected to die. Well, not so soon. He'd expected to die in a few years after he'd finally had a chance to train Luke. But the boy had run off to attend some college Owen refused to tell him the name of. He suspected the two of them had gotten into a fight about Luke staying on Tatooine yet again, but Owen was tight lipped whenever it came to the boy. Which was good, of course, but not when the state of the galaxy depended on Obi-Wan preparing the boy for his birthright.

So he'd decided to wait. Surely Luke would return for the holidays at the end of the semester? If not then, perhaps for the summer time. At least, that had been his hope. What was one more year?

But then Vader was suddenly there, a presence of such cold rage that he hadn't even recognized his former pupil. His former brother.

And...well. He was old. As much as he tried to defend himself, he was no match for Vader. He'd spent eighteen years on a desert planet while Vader was out there daily fighting on the front lines. Even with all of his limbs and working lungs, Obi-Wan was no longer what he once was.

He should have left for Alderaan when Bail had offered to let him train Leia, because now he was dead. But he couldn't bring himself to be too upset with himself. Not more than usual. Luke had an innate goodness about him-in fact, he often reminded him more of Padme than Anakin on many occasions. It was as if the universe had stuffed all of the good qualities of both his parents into one body, and if the galaxy needed anyone, it was someone like that.

So upon death, Obi-Wan spent his time searching for Luke. After reuniting and greeting his old master, Qui-Gon, he'd reached into the vastness of the Force that now surrounded him, looking for the familiar bright presence he'd grown to know over the years.

Given that the Jedi were dead, and what Force sensitives were left were in hiding, unaware, or twisted into a servant of evil, it wasn't that hard to find him.

Eriadu.

Obi-Wan drifted there, not letting himself be seen. He simply observed, expecting to see Luke hard at work on his studies.

And...technically that was what he saw. But Luke wasn't alone. Another man, older, sat with him in what looked to be a mechanic's shop built for student use. They were in depth in a conversation, and Obi-Wan frowned, stroking his beard as he listened.

In the afterlife, the Force was so much more potent, so the fact that there was something... wrong with the situation, or rather, the man, was very obvious. But what? He seemed like an ordinary gentleman, if a bit awkward. But there was something about his presence...he was tense beyond all belief. Obi-Wan was certain he'd never met a more wound-up man in this entire life, including Anakin. And it was barely perceptible, but there was a pause before everything the man said.

Something was off.

He was a ghost. No one would notice unless he actively willed himself to be seen, and even then, the only person who would see him was Luke. So he moved closer to the man, deciding to get a good look at him.

Again, there was nothing super out of the ordinary. Just some serious bags under his eyes (did this man ever get any sleep? He thought skincare on Tatooine was bad). But then, getting really close, he...noticed something in the man's ear. Just out of sight from anyone in normal social distancing range.

But up close, he could tell it was an earpiece. And getting even closer, he could just barely hear-

The booming voice of Darth Vader.

He was so stunned, he almost didn't comprehend what was happening. Then, emotions slamming into him, he disappeared back into the Force, searching out the cold dark presence that he'd never really stopped feeling since that awful night eighteen years before, and headed straight for it.

"What's wrong?" Qui-Gon asked as he passed him.

Obi-Wan didn't answer. He didn't dare. What the hell was even happening?!

He reappeared inside of a round chamber, standing next to none other than Darth Vader himself, angrily speaking into a communication device. "No, that is not the hydrospanner! I told you what it looked like-nevermind! Tell my son that you wish to see his skills in action yourself, so you will guide him. I will deal with your lack of mechanical knowledge later!"

Obi-Wan blinked at him. Then at the screen. Sure enough, it was a camera view of whatever this poor, overly stressed man was seeing. And he heard the man repeat what Vader told him with an oddly calm voice that didn't match what he'd sensed from him earlier. Then, he looked back at Vader.

Everything...made sense in the sense that now he understood how Vader had found him. But the rest of it…

Vader knew about Luke.

But...he wasn't capturing him? He wasn't turning him into a Sith? He was...doing some kind of group project with him? Through some random...aide? ISB agent?

This was nothing he'd ever expected from a Sith. He was dead certain that this was not at all normal behavior for a Sith.

He should have left it alone. He knew that. His energy appearing in the corporeal world was better spent on training Luke.

But the situation was too bizarre to ignore.

So he willed himself into visual being, and demanded, "What the hell do you think you're doing now?!"

Warnings beeped in his helmet as the sudden appearance of a ghostly Kenobi appeared in his meditation pod next to him sent him into a mini-heart attack. But his surprise was quickly replaced by pure fury. "What the hell?!" He demanded, standing abruptly.

He barely heard Piett repeat the words, followed by Luke enthusiastically saying, "I know, right? Why would anyone want to break into a poor college students apartment for no reason?!"

"Well, I am dead, no thanks to you, Darth." Obi-Wan stood before him not as the pathetic old man he'd just killed hours before, but as the young man who'd cut off his limbs and left him to burn instead of just humanely ending his pain and misery-

"You deserved it!" Vader snarled.

There was a hesitation on the line. "You...deserved...it?"

He was too busy glaring at the intruder to notice Luke on screen staring at Piett (and therefore him) like he'd gone completely nuts. "Uh….what?"

"You murdered a significant portion of the Jedi order, and killed younglings! I feel I was justified!"

Vader reached up a hand and began trying to strangle the ghost with the Force...but it didn't work. Obi-Wan just stood there, raising a brow. It was a familiar expression, and it sent white hot rage through him.

"Leave! NOW! You are dead!"

"Um...Leave...no, that can't be right, just...excuse me for a moment." Piett said hastily.

"Not until you tell me why you're talking to Luke through some random man while he's at school!" Obi-Wan gestured to the screen that no longer had Luke featured in it.

"My education is none of your business! Not any longer!"

"Your edu-? You can't be serious!"

"More serious than anything I've ever been about!"

"Stop being dramatic, if you'd really wanted to get a degree all you had to do was ask! You can't tell me you've sent that poor, overly stressed man in your stead, pretending to be you-"

"No, I'm pretending to be him and he's pretending to be me pretending to be him!"

Obi-Wan stared at him as though he were somehow the crazy one. "I'm...I don't believe this...You're giving me yet another existential crisis! I've...I've honestly lost count of how many you've given me-"

"Now who is being overdramatic?! You are dead!"

"Yes, and yet somehow you've managed to give me one! You're a Sith, except even for a Jedi this would be insane! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"You will leave me and my son alone! We will get our education in peace and you will not show up to fill his head with nonsense! You've stolen enough from me!"

Vader wished he hadn't killed the man so quickly. The thought that he'd be haunted for the rest of his life-

"Um. My Lord?" Piett's voice.

"Look what you've done, you've messed everything up again!" Vader snarled, pointing at the screen.

"Even if I wanted to, I honestly don't even know where to begin foiling whatever insane plan you've got cooked up this time!" Obi-Wan shook his head, suddenly looking drained. "Just...wow. I... what is even happening anymore?"

Then before Vader could hurl another insult, the ghost of his former master was gone.

He didn't have time to seethe. He didn't have time to think about the implications that apparently ghosts existed. Because as he glared at the spot where Kenobi had once stood, Piett asked again, "My Lord? Are you...alright?"

Reluctantly, Vader sat back down, still feeling like adrenaline had been injected into his veins. Given that the suit was currently pumping medication through his system, maybe it had. He doubted it. "I am perfectly fine. Where are you?"

"I went to the bathroom."

Urg. Again. Why was it that the bathroom seemed to be Piett's go-to place when he wanted a private word with him? He wished he'd pick somewhere else. "How much did you tell Luke of that conversation?"

"Uh. Well, I told him he deserved getting his apartment broken into before I realized you must have...been talking to someone else…?"

Vader ignored the question in his voice. There was no way he was about to explain that he'd just had an argument with a man he'd recently killed.

"We will need to fix...what's that?" He frowned, moving closer to the camera to see the poster taped to the mirror.

"Oh." Piett said. "It's a fundraiser sale for a scholarship."

"Yes, I see that, but it says the scholarship is for students with low income, correct?"

"Yes, My Lord."

An idea began to form in Vader's mind. "This is it. This is how I can conveniently get Luke money without raising suspicions."

"Oh, donating to the bake sale sounds like a great plan-"

"Yes, but this is also a fantastic opportunity to impress Luke! We'll join the bake sale, sell the most, and then I'll make sure the scholarship goes to him!"

There was a silence on the other end. "Or. You could just donate, My Lord."

Vader barely noticed (or cared) about the weariness and resignation in Piett's voice.

"No, I will make sure it is known that I am superior, and that I care the most about Luke's wellbeing!"

"...And how do you plan to get him the scholarship-?"

"I'll make it happen. Do not worry about that."

Another silence. "It will be done, My Lord."

"Good. Now, go. Tell Luke what you have decided...and suggest that he apply for the scholarship. It will look less suspicious if he applies."

Piett was still wondering about all the strange things Vader had yelled earlier when he returned to the work bench Luke was working at. If he wasn't mistaken, it sounded oddly like Vader had been yelling at himself, responding to a conversation he wasn't privy to.

Luke didn't even look up as Piett sat down, not until he placed the flyer on the table.

"...I got the impression you didn't like sweets." Luke said as he glanced at the flyer before returning to his work. From his tone of voice, Piett was certain the boy was at least miffed by his earlier behavior.

"I do not." He repeated after Vader. "But it is the concept I wish to point out to you."

Luke stopped screwing in a bolt to look up at him. There was a smudge of grease on his face.

"My son will not walk around with engine grease on his face. Wipe it off."

"What, are you telling me you have enough money to donate to this thing?" Luke asked, raising a brow.

"I said wipe it off!"

Piett couldn't help but sigh as he took the handkerchief out of his pocket and reached up, wiping the grease from Luke's face. The boy tensed beneath his touch, eyes widening. "Actually I decided to help sell pastries."

He managed to get the grease off before Luke yanked himself away. "Dude. Why are you like this?"

Piett listened to Vader's bewildered reply, and repeated, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Earlier you told me I deserved to have my apartment broken into, and now you're wiping engine oil off my face without asking."

"I did not mean what I said earlier. I...was not feeling well." Personally, Piett thought that was a weak excuse, and Luke didn't quite seem like he fully bought it either.

"Is this about...you know…your superior officer? Is he bothering you?"

"What does that even mean?" Vader asked, even as Piett began to panic.

"No!" He said hastily, wishing that Luke would drop the subject. "As I said, I wasn't feeling well."

"Because if you need to talk to someone-"

"Do you want to join me in the bake sale?!"

The words were out before he could stop them. He tried not to wince as the breathing in his ear almost sounded ominous.

But Luke blinked. Then, gave a tentative smile. "You could have just asked. I'll see what I can do with my schedule...but I'll try."

He barely dared to breathe...then Vader reluctantly said, "I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to spend more time getting to know my son in a less professional environment…"

Well. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But at least Luke had stopped referring to conversations Vader had no idea had taken place without his permission.

Dealing with the son of Darth Vader was much harder than he would have ever expected. Or, rather, it was hard in ways he never would have expected.

"Now about that scholarship…"