CHAPTER NINETEEN

CONSEQUENCES OF BEING A GOOD FATHER

Anakin's jaw, as many other times, fell in amazement. Padmé squeezed his hand trying to comfort him, but it wasn't working as good as she expected it would. Anakin's hand started to shake, his face torn pale. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. He opened them again and tried to speak.

"That can't be possible, I'm supposed to be the chosen one. What. . . is this for some time? Maybe I could recover", he said. Obi-Wan looked at his feet for a while and raised his head.

"I'm afraid this is permanent, Anakin. While you were sending strength to Luke, your abilities and skills went inside him too. You have trespassed everything that qualified you to be a Jedi to your son", he answered. Anakin was about to cry when a thought crossed his mind.

"Then he could be a Jedi, he could full fill my place and do what I was meant to do".

"Anakin, I'll never have that, my son will not be a Jedi, it's too dangerous", Padmé said a little upset. She didn't wanted Luke to go in dangerous mission like his father.

"But Padmé, he simply has to. he will have to do my job".

"Ani, it's too dangerous".

"I'll leave you alone so that you can discuss this". Obi-Wan left the room and closed the door. Padmé sat up and held Anakin's hands in hers. She gave a deep breath.

"Ani, you are very tired and confused. You've just heard that you can't be a Jedi anymore, and you are desperate to do something about it. I don't think that forcing Luke to become a Jedi will make things better in any way". Anakin looked down and nodded. His wife was right. He was very frustrated.

"You are right. We shouldn't force him to do something he doesn't want. We should let him decide". Padmé knew this was a possibility, but she didn't mention it. She wanted to raise her children with Anakin, at their home. She didn't wanted Luke to grow up at the Jedi temple in Courasant.

"Ani, I don't want Luke to be taken away from me. I can't loose him", she said without looking at him. "It's so unfair. . . You saved Luke's life, but at what cost?"

"Padmé, I would do it again if I had to. but I can't do it again, can I?". Anakin looked at his hand, the one that Luke had held the night when he lost all his powers. He smiled because he knew that he had saved his son's life, but deep inside, he was crying.

"No, Ani. You can't". It hurt her so much to say that. Although she didn't like when Anakin was away from her when he was in all those missions, she wasn't happy to see him like this. being a Jedi was a very important part of his life. And now, it was gone.

"Please, Padmé. Let Luke choose his future. If we love him, we should be happy for the choices he'll make when he's older. Come on, just think about it". He rubbed her back and smiled at her. Padmé smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

"Alright, I'll think about it".