The Skywalker Destiny (Dynasty)
Chapter 12
Vader could not believe it. His own beloved son had destroyed the only happiness he'd had in almost a quarter century. It was as if the evil spirit of the Sith lived on in him. How could this have happened to such a good boy, whose mission it was to destroy the sith and bring his father back to the light? Vader knew he had taken the wrong path, but did not believe it of Luke. It was true. Luke had gone out to begin a rampage of terror, and he had blinded his father and left him home alone unable to act to stop him. What was he going to do, he thought as he lay there in his own perpetual darkness. The darkness that Luke was engulfed in was darker still, and he was about to inflict it on Coruscant in the night. Vader recalled with much shame and regret his own march on the Jedi temple. He feared it was Luke's destiny to repeat his mistakes. Right now, he wasn't feeling much compassion for Luke, who had just robbed him of his precious eyesight. He felt more sorry for the people in Luke's way. If he had done this to him, his own father, would he hesitate to do anything to strangers?
Vader knew he had been a bit too happy, too proud, too vain. Was this his punishment? He just couldn't seem to keep himself together, he was just healed from his old injuries only to be zapped with a new handicap, his hardest to deal with yet. He was blind now, and that was going to make everything more difficult. He found it hard to even get up. He felt lost and sinking in his new prison of darkness, as if he had lost all his bearings and sense of direction. As bitter as he was over it, he could not hate Luke. He had screamed it at him in his anger, it was a natural reaction. But he still felt love for Luke, and pity for anyone he was going to hurt. Another setback was not what he wanted or needed, but he had to overcome it. He pulled himself to his feet and tried to walk, trying to make it back to his chamber where he felt safer, and where he could contact his lucky medical droid, XC-454, holding out a nervous hope of possible recovery. It was frightening to try to move now. Before, when he'd been in the dark, all he had to do was ignite his lightsaber to show him the way. No light was going to help him now. He had heard of beings who could see using the force, and he was so strong in the force, it must surely be a skill he could master. As he made his way down the hallway toward his chamber, his outstreched hands groping along the way, he could indeed sense objects in his path in time to avoid them, but there was nothing he could do to actually SEE with the force, not to see as eyes see. No shapes or objects, just feelings. This wasn't going to be good enough. Still he managed to slowly find his way without stumbling once. He had almost made it back to his chamber when a voice spoke to him out of the darkness surrounding him.
"Anakin."
Vader, Anakin, who was he? He knew he hadn't felt like Vader for a long time now. The proof the evil Sith Lord was no more was not so much in the fact that he no longer needed or wore the suit, but because his heart had changed to one of compassion, and he was wise and caring enough to know Luke was doing wrong and wanted to stop him. Could anyone know that? Of course they could. Someone eternally strong with the force. Obi Wan, and Yoda. They had been keeping track of the situation, and now felt it out of hand. They had tried to reach Leia, but when she went back in time they lost the ability to sense her location. Here they had trained and sent Luke to defeat his father, and he had. But not in the way they had intended. In the worst irony of all, they were going to the person they originally set out to stop, but who was now their last hope. Through the force, they knew what had just occured. And they came to help. Someone had to.
Anakin stopped, braced himself firmly with one hand against the wall, and turned his head toward the noise. Instictively, he tried to look for the creature who had spoken the words, almost forgetting he couldn't see. "Who said that?"
The voice spoke his name again. "Anakin."
That was his name. He did not deny it any longer.
He tried to place the voice, a voice from the past, a voice Anakin knew well. He searched his memory. It sounded for all the world like, no, it couldn't be. Then he sensed it too, the strong presence- TWO strong Jedi forces- Obi Wan, and Yoda. They were there. Out of the darkness, they showed to him as an image of light. He got a little excited for a moment, thinking he could see, but soon realized they were only images sent to him though the force. He still couldn't see anything else. What was this, what did it mean? They were dead, both of them. He had killed Obi Wan himself. He had not sensed Yoda in the force in many years.
"Obi Wan? Is that you? Master Yoda?"
"Yes, Anakin. It is us." Obi Wan spoke.
Anakin was stunned. "How is this possible?"
"Many things are possible with the force, Anakin."
"Obi Wan, you, you're dead, we fought, you vanished...did you really die? Where did you go? When you disappeared, I stood there stomping your cloak..I thought it was a sorcerer's trick...but I could no longer sense you in the force. I know you were dead."
"Death is not as final as we once thought it was." Anakin cocked his head and waited for more, they had his attention. "Do you remember Master Qui Gon Jinn?"
"Of course I do. I haven't forgotten my childhood, I remember him well. I remember when Darth Maul killed him. I wa traumatized. I recall how we built him a funeral pyre, and set him ablaze..." His face gave an expression that he was lost in the long distant memory, seeing it all in his mind. "What about him?"
"Once he was one with the force, he found a way to come back."
"Come back? From the dead?"
"Yes, Anakin. A Shaman of the Whills discovered a way to maintain one's individuality in the force once you are in the afterlife. Qui Gon came back and taught Yoda and I, so we were also able to accomplish it.
Anakin looked stunned and speechless. Though his eyes were unable to react with any emotion, they could tell he was profoundly moved. "This is incredible. The force is more boundless and amazing than I had ever known. I knew it was the most powerful force in the universe and everything else was insignficant. This only proves it. I admit I am awestruck by this. Is there a way anyone can learn this power?"
"If you have the force." Obi Wan informed him. "If you keep far from the dark side, we will teach you as well."
Anakin did not speak, but nodded slowly in grateful acceptance. "Where is Master Jinn?"
Yoda grunted. "Know that, we do not. Travel much, does he, into the depths of the eternal force, making new discoveries. When see him again we do, much he will have learned, much he will pass on to us."
Anakin considered this, but did not ask more. It was more than overwhelming. He did ask one more question, one he was curious about originally. "Why have you come here?"
Obi Wan spoke directly. "We came to help you, Anakin. It seems you are in a bit of a situation here. We have been watching all along, and sensing from afar. When Luke joined you, we were deeply concerned. We tried to contact Leia, but were unsuccessful. She is alive, I feel her life force, but her whereabouts are unknown. Luke was supposed to destroy you, not join you!"
Anakin gave a weak laugh, it reminded him of something from the past."But at least we did destroy the Sith."
Obi Wan smiled back, and Anakin was able to percieve it into his mind through the force, though not with his eyes. "Yes, Luke did destroy Palpatine, his evil is finally purged from the galaxy. With your turn away from the ways of the Sith, they are truly gone- unless, Luke is to use the dark side..."
"Obi Wan, Master Yoda, I fear that Luke is headed down the same path I once chose, consumed by the dark side. Luke's urge for power is great, and it has overtaken his better judgement. He has gone out now, and I am sure he is not up to any good. We must stop him."
"We know this, Anakin." Obi Wan said. "That is why we are here."