Ben has a second chance and goes on a mission with Luke . . . however, the
mission quickly turns disastrous when he is overcome with the illness that
plagued him all those years ago . . . . and while he's in a coma . . . he
has a dream . . . a dream that quickly turns the tables on who he is . . .
.
****************************************************************************
********
The Past Returns
Chapter Fifteen
- The Dream-
Over the next few months, Ben stayed in Leia's chambers, staying out of everyone's way. He searched the holo-net and read the news that kept getting updated. He found the planet Bakura and that a truce had been accomplished there.
Luke and Leia will be home shortly. Ben thought as he sat in front of the holo-net. He cleaned up the quarters and a few days later, Luke and Leia arrived home. They didn't speak a word about what had happened and Ben wasn't going to push it. Luke came to him that evening and told him that they would be departing.
Journal Entry 23:
One year has passed; I'm now twenty-three and Luke twenty-three. I'm on my trial period and during this time we've been going from world to world, not smuggling but gathering information. I have two more years to go. Every month Luke updates Mon Mothma on my progress. So far it has been good. This past year has been so hectic, I haven't really been able to write but we're in a lull right now. We're on a planet called Zhar. It has a bustling space port, and hopefully we will find some useful information. Luke is gradually showing me more things in the Force, mostly correcting any damage he thought I might have from training with Darth Sidious. These flashbacks I've been having are becoming more frequent and more bothersome. I remember bits and pieces and I haven't yet been able to piece them all together. Bits of past conversations come into my visions and they are disturbing because they speak of betrayal and hate. I don't like those emotions because they are that of the dark side and I am trying to be of the light side with the Jedi. It's just that I have this feeling of shadowing, like something is back there in my mind, telling me not to be a Jedi, to use my anger, but I try to ignore it. The weird thing is, is that I go in mood spurts where I totally lose my temper. This one time I was in a space port and this guy was cheating us out some credits. I told him nicely and he wouldn't listen. I blew up at him and in the end, his arm was broken. If Luke hadn't held me back, who knows what kind of damage I could have done? I need to figure out the past. That's the key to all of this."
* * *
Xedon stood, slamming his hands down on his desk, his face full of rage. His rage was directed at the subordinate who had just brought him bad news. "What do you mean he doesn't have him?!" Xedon raged. The subordinate shook, cowering back.
"I-I don't know, sir. Boba Fett just s-sent me a m-message that it will t- take him a l-little while longer than he expected," the subordinate stammered.
"This is going on far too long! I want Lord Pravanus or any of his relatives found and exterminated! If Boba Fett can't handle it, send our men!" Xedon sat down in his chair, taking slow, deep breaths, calming himself. In a slightly less angry tone, Xedon added, "And bring me Boba Fett."
The subordinate nodded and bowed, quickly leaving.
Xedon put his head in his hands. He didn't need this right now. His men better find that relative or there would be hell to pay.
* * *
Ben sat on a bar stool, drinking some kind of concoction that he knew he'd rather not know the ingredients to. He took a sip, looking up at the holo- net that showed some of the recent events that were happening on Coruscant. Luke was talking to the bartender, trying to get some leads on the criminal organization called Black Sun. They knew a lot already but Luke wanted to find someone that had used to be in it to get information on a few worlds that may be of use to the Alliance.
Luke walked over to Ben. "We have a lead. A small one but one that may be of use, so we'd better check it out."
Ben nodded and he got up, left credits for the bill, and followed Luke out of the bar.
As soon as they reached an alley, they knew that they had got swayed into a trap. Soon they were surrounded by six guys with blasters.
Ben looked around, his back to Luke. "What should we do?" Ben asked, looking around. He sensed another presence and looked up at the top of one of the adobe buildings to see a sniper. "We've got a sniper on the roof." With one small, unnoticeable wave of his hand, Ben used the Force to rip the sniper out of the guy's hands, sending it flying to another roof top that he couldn't reach. He heard clicks as the other guys on the ground readied their weapons. Ben's hand went to his lightsaber, hidden in the folds of his Jedi robe.
"No. Don't resort to violence. Not yet. I want to try to talk first," Luke whispered to Ben.
"Always the talker, aren't you? One of these times it's either going to be violence or our lives," Ben muttered.
Luke looked around to all the men. "Okay, gentlemen, what's the problem?" Luke asked evenly.
"Nice start. Real finesse," Ben muttered.
"Him," one of the men said, pointing to Ben. "And you too, since you're with him."
Ben's eyes widened a little. Him? What did he do now that he didn't remember? Ben's eyes focused on the man nearest to him. He noticed a small tattoo on the man's upper arm: Black Sun. What did the criminal organization have to do with him?
"If there's anyway to solve this without violence, we should try," Luke said.
"Look kid -"
"I don't want to have to kill you."
"Kill me?" The guys started laughing. "Did you hear that fellas? This kid is going to kill me! Ooooo," the guy said, mocking Luke. "I'm real scared."
"It's not working," Ben said through gritted teeth.
"I really hate when I have to do this," Luke said, annoyed.
"Let me try something," Ben said. Luke nodded, relaxing his hand. Ben walked up to the guy who had mocked Luke. With the Force, he made a vise- like grip on the guy's throat, making it difficult to breath. The guy started gasping for air. It felt good to do this. And for some reason, it felt very familiar, like he had done this previously. "Now, we can do it the easy way, or the hard way. The easy way, you might live. The hard way, you're dead. Basically you're bantha fodder either way but the easy way might be less painful. Now, are you going to give us the information or not?"
The man nodded, his face turning red. Ben released him and he fell to the ground, gasping for air. Then he looked up at Ben. "Get them," he growled.
Ben shook his head. "Bad move." One of the guys, a short one with brown hair, lunged at Ben. He dodged easily, sweeping his foot under the guy to knock his feet out from under him. The guy landed hard, out of play for the moment. Ben saw Luke fighting out of the corner of his eye, not yet using his lightsaber, just using simple Force techniques. Ben turned his attention to a very tall guy that kind of looked like an overgrown monkey. "You know, you should really try a face lift," Ben sneered. "Here, let me help." With a Force jump, he leaped into the air, kicking the guy in the chin. The tall guy flew back, hitting a wall and sliding down, eyes closed. Ben sensed someone behind him and shoved his fist back, connecting with one guy's stomach. The breath wheezed out and the guy doubled over, gasping. "Watch your step," Ben said, laughing, as the guy slipped on a piece of metal and fell backwards, lying still. Ben shook his head. He wouldn't be fighting again. Ben turned his attention to Luke. He had gotten two down. Now all that was left was the leader, who stared at Ben and then ran. Ben laughed. "That was interesting."
"Yes it was," Luke said slowly. "At least no one was hurt permanently."
"Yeah, maybe."
"Since that was a false lead, I'm going to try a man that I met in the bar. He used to work with the Empire, so he might prove valuable. You coming?"
"I want to make sure these guys are alright first, then I'll meet up with you." Hope they're dead. Ben's eyes widened at the thought. Where had that come from?
"Okay. I'll meet you back at the bar then."
"Right." Luke turned to leave. "Hey Luke." Luke turned around. "Why did you trust me when no one else did?"
"I don't know. Maybe because I grew up with you and I know you pretty well."
Ben nodded, a feeling of loyalty washing over him. "Thanks."
"No problem for an old friend."
Ben smiled and Luke walked out of sight.
Ben walked over to the guy that had slipped on the metal. The guy was actually still breathing. He opened his eyes, looking at Ben. Ben held out his hand, helping the guy up.
"Are you okay?" The guy nodded. Then his eyes went wide staring at something behind Ben. Ben swallowed, turning around slowly. The tall guy stood there. Ben's jaw dropped, not at seeing him up, but at what he was holding. A yellow lightsaber. "What the -" With a yell, the man swung down at Ben, who immediately jumped to the side, narrowly missing being sliced in two. "Get out of here!" Ben yelled to the four remaining men.
They ran as Ben steadied himself. How did this guy get a lightsaber? How did he know how to use it? The guy swung at Ben again, missing him by a hair. He didn't want to show that he had a lightsaber, but what choice did he have? Ben shook his head and gripped the handle of his duel-bladed lightsaber. He pulled it out, igniting one end. It glowed red in the dimming light. As they parried each other's attacks, Ben felt himself getting weaker.
Suddenly an overwhelming pain sliced through his stomach. He doubled over in pain. Then a spark somewhere deep inside him became an overpowering fire. It consumed him, his anger rising. Blackness surrounded him as he swung again and again, beating the taller man down. Then the man was down, his neck vulnerable. Ben's chest heaved, his breath coming out in heavy gasps. His eyes were cold as he looked down at the scared man. His anger at its peak, he raised his lightsaber, swinging it down.
Suddenly there was someone grabbing him, holding him back. His lightsaber flew out of his hands, landing on the ground, deactivated. The man slid backwards, shaking. He stumbled up and ran. Ben turned to see that it was Luke who was holding him.
"No," Luke said quietly. "Calm yourself."
Ben gasped for air, shaking. Luke let him go and Ben fell to his knees, his head in his hands.
"What have I done?" he whispered. It had just come over him. The anger. As if it had been bottled up inside of him for years on end. It had just come flowing out and he had almost killed a man because of it.
Suddenly a sharp pain sliced through his stomach, like the one before, but this time, he felt something dribble from the corner of his mouth. He lifted a shaking hand to his mouth, wiping it. He looked at his hand. Blood.
His eyes went wide as a flash of memory lit up before him. . . .
Ben laid in the bed in the infirmary, instruments hooked up to him. One whole side of the room was glass and it gave him a beautiful view of Coruscant, since he was on one of the upper floors. He watched as speeders and ships flew by. He closed his eyes and leaned back, taking a deep breath. Almost immediately thereafter he sat up, coughing, his chest heaving. Blood spattered the white sheet that covered the lower part of his body. His eyes widened. He had been coughing a lot lately but he hadn't coughed up blood yet. It must be getting worse, he thought . . .
Ben opened his eyes. He had been sick before? Like this? A wave of blackness surrounded Ben and he collapsed on the ground.
* * *
Luke sat in a chair, in Ben's hospital room, thinking. He glanced over at Ben, who was sleeping peacefully for the moment. Tubes were hooked up to him. It had been over five days and Ben still hadn't awakened. The doctor had said that Ben was in a deep coma and that he might not pull out of it. An unknown illness had come over him. The doctors were working night and day, trying to find a cure.
The doctor's words ran through Luke's mind. "Over seventy-five years ago, an illness, much like your friend's, came over a young boy. Doctors worked hard to find a cure, like we are now, but to no avail. Then, the boy miraculously got better and over the years, people came to forget about this disease, especially since no one else came down with it. I went over some past files, which is how I found out about this. There were some close results that they had figured out, so I'm going off of those. Even if we find an antidote though, I'm not sure if it will work. His body seemed very off balance and the damage might be too extensive. Also, it seemed as though this illness that finally reared its ugly head, as if it has been eating away from your friend for years."
Luke looked down. The doctor had said years, but how could that be? He was only twenty-three. Luke looked back at Ben. There was definitely more to this guy than he showed. At first Luke thought he was just an Imperial looking for a chance to right his past wrongs but now, now he wasn't so sure. Ben seemed to go through these spurts of anger. And what Luke saw frightened him. When Ben's anger controlled him, there was no stopping him. But where had all this bottled up anger come from? There was more to Ben's past, he knew it, he just didn't know how to find it.
* * *
Ben lay there, in his dream world. . . .
He saw himself in a park, on a beautiful planet with blue waters and green trees everywhere. He was with a boy, about eight years old. He, himself, was about five or six. The boy had short blond hair and blue eyes. A glint of light hit the necklace that this boy wore. It was a friendship necklace. Ben looked down at his chest where an identical necklace was. He looked back at the boy. "Come on Ben! Let's go to our tree house!" The boy began running towards a large tree.
"Wait up!" Ben said, laughing, caught up in the memory. . . . . . . .
"Bet you can't beat me!" his friend cried laughing as he scrambled up the tree. Ben went up after him, Damon beating him by a second.
"You're too fast," Ben said, smiling.
"I know." Damon tossed Ben a chocolate chip cookie and Ben took it, gobbling it up in seconds. Their tree house was covered in Star Wars pictures. Ben took his fake lightsaber off of his belt and set it down as he and Damon began playing with their Star Wars toys. Damon took off his lightsaber, setting it down next to Ben's. "Don't you wish that all this was real?"
Ben looked at Damon. "Yeah, it'd be so cool to fight with a real lightsaber!" Ben stood up, his hands on his hips. "I am a Jedi Knight, protector of the innocent. You shall be punished!" Ben said, pointing his finger at Damon, trying to keep a straight face.
"Oh, yeah? Try this Jedi Knight!" Damon cried, laughing as he picked up his lightsaber.
Ben grabbed his and they began fighting. Their battle ended up with them getting tangled and falling to the floor of the tree house, laughing.
Later they sat on the edge of their tree house, looking up at the stars, eating the snacks that Damon's mom had brought up for them. Ben laid back, looking up at the sky as a shooting star shot by. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. Wish I may, wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight," Ben said softly. He closed his eyes. I wish, I wish that star wars was real and that I could meet Luke Skywalker and I could become the greatest Jedi Knight ever and that Damon would be along side me the entire way.
He opened his eyes, looking at Damon. "Damon."
"Hmm," Damon murmured, his eyes closed.
"Do you ever wish to be a Jedi Knight?"
Damon opened his eyes, looking up at the stars. "I guess it'd be cool to be one, but it's not real, it'll never be real, so no, I don't wish because I know that it won't come true."
"Oh."
Neither of them said anything for awhile.
Then Damon spoke. "You're the best friend ever Ben," he said, looking at Ben.
Ben smiled. "Thanks. You are too." They looked up. The stars. How Ben wished he could go up there, to fly among the stars, to see other worlds, to meet new people. . . . . .
The memory faded as a dark shadow filled his mind. Ben watched as pictures flashed through his mind. Himself laughing as an entire world blew up. Him using the Force to crush the life out of a guard. Him killing Jedi and their Padawans. Him being trained by Darth Sidious. Then, him fighting his best friend. Then he heard the voice. 'You can't escape Ben. Once you start down the dark path, forever it will dominate your destiny. You'll never be free of the dark side and you'll never be a true Jedi Knight!'
Ben bolted up, sweating. He was in a hospital room, with tubes hooked up to him. He looked over to see Luke asleep in a chair. He lay back, breathing hard. That voice. It had sounded so familiar. He thought about it, trying to place it. Then he swallowed, hard. He knew that voice. It was his own! But how? Why? And the memories! Him and Damon? How could that be? Damon died before Ben even was born! Damon was his best friend? They grew up together? That just wasn't possible! The memory of his illness. He had had it before? These memories. He looked around and found his clothes piled on a chair next to his bed. He reached over and took out his journal. Somewhere, he had to find the answers. He flipped through it, a passage catching his eye:
Journal Entry 19:
"I know I haven't written for awhile, but so much has been happening. I hope I'm making the right decision, about using the chamber and beginning a whole new life. It broke my heart in two when Damon spoke to me so venomously and I don't want the guilt of destroying all of those innocent lives hanging over my head. If I make it and do begin a new life, then I will have a chance to at least correct some of my past. I know Damon will be gone but his son Obi-Wan should still be alive. If I can train with him and become a Jedi Knight, then maybe I can help people, if I still retained my abilities after coming out of the chamber, instead of destroying people's lives. When I awake, I will have no memory of my past life but maybe, when I'm older, I'll read this and remember my past and know how far along I have come. Who knows? Maybe I'll even meet Luke Skywalker. That would be awesome. I had always wanted to meet him but I figured I never was since I thought he was fictional. Well, the night is coming and I want to be done with this before it comes. Goodbye, and to my future self, good luck."
Those memories he had been having. They were his own? The lightsaber he carried, was his own? It wasn't his father's? No, no, it just wasn't possible. There was no way. "NOOOO!" Ben yelled, throwing the journal at the far wall.
* * *
Ben sat up, gasping for air. He blinked, looking around. He saw Luke sitting in a chair, asleep. He stirred, sitting up. He looked at Ben. "Ben! You're up!" Luke said, smiling. He stood, walking over to Ben. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just a bad dream." It was all a dream. It was all a dream. Ben told himself. Nothing that had happened was real. But the memories, those had been real. They had to be. Why else would they feel so real? The journal. No, that must have been some trick of his imagination. No way could he have been alive when Damon was.
The door opened and the doctor rushed in. "You're awake!" the doctor said. "I'll need to take some blood work." He motioned for the nurse to come in. She did, wheeling a large cart. She came over to Ben, rolled up his sleeve of his hospital clothing and wiped a numbing substance on his arm, where she would put the needle. With a small prick, she took some blood and then, putting a bandage on his arm, she left. "We should have the results by the end of the day. We'll know more about your illness then. Right now though, you should get some rest."
Ben nodded and laid back down, pushing his sleeve down as the doctor left. Luke sat next to him. "What happened?"
"You'll think I'm crazy."
"No, I won't."
Ben looked at Luke. "I had a memory flashback, once before I collapsed, one right now in my dream. How long has it been since I collapsed?"
"Five days."
"Five days," Ben repeated. "That memory took a while." Luke just sat there, a look of sincere concern on his face. "Okay then to my memory."
A half an hour later, Ben was finished telling Luke. "Wow," was all Luke could say when Ben had finished.
"Yeah, you're telling me. I mean, how could I have known Damon? He died way before I was even born."
"Yes, that is unusual."
"The weird part is, is that the planet I was on, definitely wasn't Tatooine, but I had grown up on Tatooine, with you, so how could I have been on a different planet?"
"I don't know. I really don't know."
The Past Returns
Chapter Fifteen
- The Dream-
Over the next few months, Ben stayed in Leia's chambers, staying out of everyone's way. He searched the holo-net and read the news that kept getting updated. He found the planet Bakura and that a truce had been accomplished there.
Luke and Leia will be home shortly. Ben thought as he sat in front of the holo-net. He cleaned up the quarters and a few days later, Luke and Leia arrived home. They didn't speak a word about what had happened and Ben wasn't going to push it. Luke came to him that evening and told him that they would be departing.
Journal Entry 23:
One year has passed; I'm now twenty-three and Luke twenty-three. I'm on my trial period and during this time we've been going from world to world, not smuggling but gathering information. I have two more years to go. Every month Luke updates Mon Mothma on my progress. So far it has been good. This past year has been so hectic, I haven't really been able to write but we're in a lull right now. We're on a planet called Zhar. It has a bustling space port, and hopefully we will find some useful information. Luke is gradually showing me more things in the Force, mostly correcting any damage he thought I might have from training with Darth Sidious. These flashbacks I've been having are becoming more frequent and more bothersome. I remember bits and pieces and I haven't yet been able to piece them all together. Bits of past conversations come into my visions and they are disturbing because they speak of betrayal and hate. I don't like those emotions because they are that of the dark side and I am trying to be of the light side with the Jedi. It's just that I have this feeling of shadowing, like something is back there in my mind, telling me not to be a Jedi, to use my anger, but I try to ignore it. The weird thing is, is that I go in mood spurts where I totally lose my temper. This one time I was in a space port and this guy was cheating us out some credits. I told him nicely and he wouldn't listen. I blew up at him and in the end, his arm was broken. If Luke hadn't held me back, who knows what kind of damage I could have done? I need to figure out the past. That's the key to all of this."
* * *
Xedon stood, slamming his hands down on his desk, his face full of rage. His rage was directed at the subordinate who had just brought him bad news. "What do you mean he doesn't have him?!" Xedon raged. The subordinate shook, cowering back.
"I-I don't know, sir. Boba Fett just s-sent me a m-message that it will t- take him a l-little while longer than he expected," the subordinate stammered.
"This is going on far too long! I want Lord Pravanus or any of his relatives found and exterminated! If Boba Fett can't handle it, send our men!" Xedon sat down in his chair, taking slow, deep breaths, calming himself. In a slightly less angry tone, Xedon added, "And bring me Boba Fett."
The subordinate nodded and bowed, quickly leaving.
Xedon put his head in his hands. He didn't need this right now. His men better find that relative or there would be hell to pay.
* * *
Ben sat on a bar stool, drinking some kind of concoction that he knew he'd rather not know the ingredients to. He took a sip, looking up at the holo- net that showed some of the recent events that were happening on Coruscant. Luke was talking to the bartender, trying to get some leads on the criminal organization called Black Sun. They knew a lot already but Luke wanted to find someone that had used to be in it to get information on a few worlds that may be of use to the Alliance.
Luke walked over to Ben. "We have a lead. A small one but one that may be of use, so we'd better check it out."
Ben nodded and he got up, left credits for the bill, and followed Luke out of the bar.
As soon as they reached an alley, they knew that they had got swayed into a trap. Soon they were surrounded by six guys with blasters.
Ben looked around, his back to Luke. "What should we do?" Ben asked, looking around. He sensed another presence and looked up at the top of one of the adobe buildings to see a sniper. "We've got a sniper on the roof." With one small, unnoticeable wave of his hand, Ben used the Force to rip the sniper out of the guy's hands, sending it flying to another roof top that he couldn't reach. He heard clicks as the other guys on the ground readied their weapons. Ben's hand went to his lightsaber, hidden in the folds of his Jedi robe.
"No. Don't resort to violence. Not yet. I want to try to talk first," Luke whispered to Ben.
"Always the talker, aren't you? One of these times it's either going to be violence or our lives," Ben muttered.
Luke looked around to all the men. "Okay, gentlemen, what's the problem?" Luke asked evenly.
"Nice start. Real finesse," Ben muttered.
"Him," one of the men said, pointing to Ben. "And you too, since you're with him."
Ben's eyes widened a little. Him? What did he do now that he didn't remember? Ben's eyes focused on the man nearest to him. He noticed a small tattoo on the man's upper arm: Black Sun. What did the criminal organization have to do with him?
"If there's anyway to solve this without violence, we should try," Luke said.
"Look kid -"
"I don't want to have to kill you."
"Kill me?" The guys started laughing. "Did you hear that fellas? This kid is going to kill me! Ooooo," the guy said, mocking Luke. "I'm real scared."
"It's not working," Ben said through gritted teeth.
"I really hate when I have to do this," Luke said, annoyed.
"Let me try something," Ben said. Luke nodded, relaxing his hand. Ben walked up to the guy who had mocked Luke. With the Force, he made a vise- like grip on the guy's throat, making it difficult to breath. The guy started gasping for air. It felt good to do this. And for some reason, it felt very familiar, like he had done this previously. "Now, we can do it the easy way, or the hard way. The easy way, you might live. The hard way, you're dead. Basically you're bantha fodder either way but the easy way might be less painful. Now, are you going to give us the information or not?"
The man nodded, his face turning red. Ben released him and he fell to the ground, gasping for air. Then he looked up at Ben. "Get them," he growled.
Ben shook his head. "Bad move." One of the guys, a short one with brown hair, lunged at Ben. He dodged easily, sweeping his foot under the guy to knock his feet out from under him. The guy landed hard, out of play for the moment. Ben saw Luke fighting out of the corner of his eye, not yet using his lightsaber, just using simple Force techniques. Ben turned his attention to a very tall guy that kind of looked like an overgrown monkey. "You know, you should really try a face lift," Ben sneered. "Here, let me help." With a Force jump, he leaped into the air, kicking the guy in the chin. The tall guy flew back, hitting a wall and sliding down, eyes closed. Ben sensed someone behind him and shoved his fist back, connecting with one guy's stomach. The breath wheezed out and the guy doubled over, gasping. "Watch your step," Ben said, laughing, as the guy slipped on a piece of metal and fell backwards, lying still. Ben shook his head. He wouldn't be fighting again. Ben turned his attention to Luke. He had gotten two down. Now all that was left was the leader, who stared at Ben and then ran. Ben laughed. "That was interesting."
"Yes it was," Luke said slowly. "At least no one was hurt permanently."
"Yeah, maybe."
"Since that was a false lead, I'm going to try a man that I met in the bar. He used to work with the Empire, so he might prove valuable. You coming?"
"I want to make sure these guys are alright first, then I'll meet up with you." Hope they're dead. Ben's eyes widened at the thought. Where had that come from?
"Okay. I'll meet you back at the bar then."
"Right." Luke turned to leave. "Hey Luke." Luke turned around. "Why did you trust me when no one else did?"
"I don't know. Maybe because I grew up with you and I know you pretty well."
Ben nodded, a feeling of loyalty washing over him. "Thanks."
"No problem for an old friend."
Ben smiled and Luke walked out of sight.
Ben walked over to the guy that had slipped on the metal. The guy was actually still breathing. He opened his eyes, looking at Ben. Ben held out his hand, helping the guy up.
"Are you okay?" The guy nodded. Then his eyes went wide staring at something behind Ben. Ben swallowed, turning around slowly. The tall guy stood there. Ben's jaw dropped, not at seeing him up, but at what he was holding. A yellow lightsaber. "What the -" With a yell, the man swung down at Ben, who immediately jumped to the side, narrowly missing being sliced in two. "Get out of here!" Ben yelled to the four remaining men.
They ran as Ben steadied himself. How did this guy get a lightsaber? How did he know how to use it? The guy swung at Ben again, missing him by a hair. He didn't want to show that he had a lightsaber, but what choice did he have? Ben shook his head and gripped the handle of his duel-bladed lightsaber. He pulled it out, igniting one end. It glowed red in the dimming light. As they parried each other's attacks, Ben felt himself getting weaker.
Suddenly an overwhelming pain sliced through his stomach. He doubled over in pain. Then a spark somewhere deep inside him became an overpowering fire. It consumed him, his anger rising. Blackness surrounded him as he swung again and again, beating the taller man down. Then the man was down, his neck vulnerable. Ben's chest heaved, his breath coming out in heavy gasps. His eyes were cold as he looked down at the scared man. His anger at its peak, he raised his lightsaber, swinging it down.
Suddenly there was someone grabbing him, holding him back. His lightsaber flew out of his hands, landing on the ground, deactivated. The man slid backwards, shaking. He stumbled up and ran. Ben turned to see that it was Luke who was holding him.
"No," Luke said quietly. "Calm yourself."
Ben gasped for air, shaking. Luke let him go and Ben fell to his knees, his head in his hands.
"What have I done?" he whispered. It had just come over him. The anger. As if it had been bottled up inside of him for years on end. It had just come flowing out and he had almost killed a man because of it.
Suddenly a sharp pain sliced through his stomach, like the one before, but this time, he felt something dribble from the corner of his mouth. He lifted a shaking hand to his mouth, wiping it. He looked at his hand. Blood.
His eyes went wide as a flash of memory lit up before him. . . .
Ben laid in the bed in the infirmary, instruments hooked up to him. One whole side of the room was glass and it gave him a beautiful view of Coruscant, since he was on one of the upper floors. He watched as speeders and ships flew by. He closed his eyes and leaned back, taking a deep breath. Almost immediately thereafter he sat up, coughing, his chest heaving. Blood spattered the white sheet that covered the lower part of his body. His eyes widened. He had been coughing a lot lately but he hadn't coughed up blood yet. It must be getting worse, he thought . . .
Ben opened his eyes. He had been sick before? Like this? A wave of blackness surrounded Ben and he collapsed on the ground.
* * *
Luke sat in a chair, in Ben's hospital room, thinking. He glanced over at Ben, who was sleeping peacefully for the moment. Tubes were hooked up to him. It had been over five days and Ben still hadn't awakened. The doctor had said that Ben was in a deep coma and that he might not pull out of it. An unknown illness had come over him. The doctors were working night and day, trying to find a cure.
The doctor's words ran through Luke's mind. "Over seventy-five years ago, an illness, much like your friend's, came over a young boy. Doctors worked hard to find a cure, like we are now, but to no avail. Then, the boy miraculously got better and over the years, people came to forget about this disease, especially since no one else came down with it. I went over some past files, which is how I found out about this. There were some close results that they had figured out, so I'm going off of those. Even if we find an antidote though, I'm not sure if it will work. His body seemed very off balance and the damage might be too extensive. Also, it seemed as though this illness that finally reared its ugly head, as if it has been eating away from your friend for years."
Luke looked down. The doctor had said years, but how could that be? He was only twenty-three. Luke looked back at Ben. There was definitely more to this guy than he showed. At first Luke thought he was just an Imperial looking for a chance to right his past wrongs but now, now he wasn't so sure. Ben seemed to go through these spurts of anger. And what Luke saw frightened him. When Ben's anger controlled him, there was no stopping him. But where had all this bottled up anger come from? There was more to Ben's past, he knew it, he just didn't know how to find it.
* * *
Ben lay there, in his dream world. . . .
He saw himself in a park, on a beautiful planet with blue waters and green trees everywhere. He was with a boy, about eight years old. He, himself, was about five or six. The boy had short blond hair and blue eyes. A glint of light hit the necklace that this boy wore. It was a friendship necklace. Ben looked down at his chest where an identical necklace was. He looked back at the boy. "Come on Ben! Let's go to our tree house!" The boy began running towards a large tree.
"Wait up!" Ben said, laughing, caught up in the memory. . . . . . . .
"Bet you can't beat me!" his friend cried laughing as he scrambled up the tree. Ben went up after him, Damon beating him by a second.
"You're too fast," Ben said, smiling.
"I know." Damon tossed Ben a chocolate chip cookie and Ben took it, gobbling it up in seconds. Their tree house was covered in Star Wars pictures. Ben took his fake lightsaber off of his belt and set it down as he and Damon began playing with their Star Wars toys. Damon took off his lightsaber, setting it down next to Ben's. "Don't you wish that all this was real?"
Ben looked at Damon. "Yeah, it'd be so cool to fight with a real lightsaber!" Ben stood up, his hands on his hips. "I am a Jedi Knight, protector of the innocent. You shall be punished!" Ben said, pointing his finger at Damon, trying to keep a straight face.
"Oh, yeah? Try this Jedi Knight!" Damon cried, laughing as he picked up his lightsaber.
Ben grabbed his and they began fighting. Their battle ended up with them getting tangled and falling to the floor of the tree house, laughing.
Later they sat on the edge of their tree house, looking up at the stars, eating the snacks that Damon's mom had brought up for them. Ben laid back, looking up at the sky as a shooting star shot by. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. Wish I may, wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight," Ben said softly. He closed his eyes. I wish, I wish that star wars was real and that I could meet Luke Skywalker and I could become the greatest Jedi Knight ever and that Damon would be along side me the entire way.
He opened his eyes, looking at Damon. "Damon."
"Hmm," Damon murmured, his eyes closed.
"Do you ever wish to be a Jedi Knight?"
Damon opened his eyes, looking up at the stars. "I guess it'd be cool to be one, but it's not real, it'll never be real, so no, I don't wish because I know that it won't come true."
"Oh."
Neither of them said anything for awhile.
Then Damon spoke. "You're the best friend ever Ben," he said, looking at Ben.
Ben smiled. "Thanks. You are too." They looked up. The stars. How Ben wished he could go up there, to fly among the stars, to see other worlds, to meet new people. . . . . .
The memory faded as a dark shadow filled his mind. Ben watched as pictures flashed through his mind. Himself laughing as an entire world blew up. Him using the Force to crush the life out of a guard. Him killing Jedi and their Padawans. Him being trained by Darth Sidious. Then, him fighting his best friend. Then he heard the voice. 'You can't escape Ben. Once you start down the dark path, forever it will dominate your destiny. You'll never be free of the dark side and you'll never be a true Jedi Knight!'
Ben bolted up, sweating. He was in a hospital room, with tubes hooked up to him. He looked over to see Luke asleep in a chair. He lay back, breathing hard. That voice. It had sounded so familiar. He thought about it, trying to place it. Then he swallowed, hard. He knew that voice. It was his own! But how? Why? And the memories! Him and Damon? How could that be? Damon died before Ben even was born! Damon was his best friend? They grew up together? That just wasn't possible! The memory of his illness. He had had it before? These memories. He looked around and found his clothes piled on a chair next to his bed. He reached over and took out his journal. Somewhere, he had to find the answers. He flipped through it, a passage catching his eye:
Journal Entry 19:
"I know I haven't written for awhile, but so much has been happening. I hope I'm making the right decision, about using the chamber and beginning a whole new life. It broke my heart in two when Damon spoke to me so venomously and I don't want the guilt of destroying all of those innocent lives hanging over my head. If I make it and do begin a new life, then I will have a chance to at least correct some of my past. I know Damon will be gone but his son Obi-Wan should still be alive. If I can train with him and become a Jedi Knight, then maybe I can help people, if I still retained my abilities after coming out of the chamber, instead of destroying people's lives. When I awake, I will have no memory of my past life but maybe, when I'm older, I'll read this and remember my past and know how far along I have come. Who knows? Maybe I'll even meet Luke Skywalker. That would be awesome. I had always wanted to meet him but I figured I never was since I thought he was fictional. Well, the night is coming and I want to be done with this before it comes. Goodbye, and to my future self, good luck."
Those memories he had been having. They were his own? The lightsaber he carried, was his own? It wasn't his father's? No, no, it just wasn't possible. There was no way. "NOOOO!" Ben yelled, throwing the journal at the far wall.
* * *
Ben sat up, gasping for air. He blinked, looking around. He saw Luke sitting in a chair, asleep. He stirred, sitting up. He looked at Ben. "Ben! You're up!" Luke said, smiling. He stood, walking over to Ben. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just a bad dream." It was all a dream. It was all a dream. Ben told himself. Nothing that had happened was real. But the memories, those had been real. They had to be. Why else would they feel so real? The journal. No, that must have been some trick of his imagination. No way could he have been alive when Damon was.
The door opened and the doctor rushed in. "You're awake!" the doctor said. "I'll need to take some blood work." He motioned for the nurse to come in. She did, wheeling a large cart. She came over to Ben, rolled up his sleeve of his hospital clothing and wiped a numbing substance on his arm, where she would put the needle. With a small prick, she took some blood and then, putting a bandage on his arm, she left. "We should have the results by the end of the day. We'll know more about your illness then. Right now though, you should get some rest."
Ben nodded and laid back down, pushing his sleeve down as the doctor left. Luke sat next to him. "What happened?"
"You'll think I'm crazy."
"No, I won't."
Ben looked at Luke. "I had a memory flashback, once before I collapsed, one right now in my dream. How long has it been since I collapsed?"
"Five days."
"Five days," Ben repeated. "That memory took a while." Luke just sat there, a look of sincere concern on his face. "Okay then to my memory."
A half an hour later, Ben was finished telling Luke. "Wow," was all Luke could say when Ben had finished.
"Yeah, you're telling me. I mean, how could I have known Damon? He died way before I was even born."
"Yes, that is unusual."
"The weird part is, is that the planet I was on, definitely wasn't Tatooine, but I had grown up on Tatooine, with you, so how could I have been on a different planet?"
"I don't know. I really don't know."