Chapter 4: Introductions and Schemes

Luke finds himself standing in the doorway to the refectory. An alloy metal plaque was embedded in the wall on his right with the letters resh esk forn esk cresh trill osk resh yirt engraved into it. After a minute of staring at the plaque, his stomach decided to remind him that he still has not eaten with a rather loud rumbling noise.

At his approach, the doors slid open with a quiet whirr. Before he even stepped foot inside its premises, the refectory was proving to be livelier than the rest of the temple. A cacophony of sounds immediately bombarded him; voices talking at once, the clinking of flatware, the screech of chairs against the floor. A thought occurred to him that maybe this is where all the Jedi were hiding.

A buffet style bar was on the far-right side and toward the back of the room were windows displaying a backdrop of the city skyline. Spread around the room were rectangular tables that currently seated groups of knights and padawans.

Holodisplays were hung sporadically around the room. He watched images flash across the screen, news reports from distant planets, but none that he knew. Subtitles scrolled along the bottom and he could just barely hear the low murmur of the holodisplays over the sounds of people talking.

Almost distractedly, he stopped and stared, taking in the sight of so many Jedi congregating together. This was a rare sight, one he wanted to commit to memory. Hopefully, if he succeeds in his mission and returns to his time, this will be a common occurrence. That thought made him pause. Can he go back to his time? Was that even possible?

His stomach rumbled again, and Luke pushed the thought aside for later contemplation, venturing further into the room. The buffet had a decently long line and Luke joined in behind a young Twi'lek girl. There were stacks of flatware already prepared and he quickly grabbed a plate.

He piled his plate with what he thought looked appetizing and then sat down at the nearest empty table. He was busy picking at something called risotto rice when a loud thud startled him. He glanced up to find the familiar face of a Togruta. She had dropped her plate in front of the seat across from his.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, then sat down without waiting for a reply. "I'm Ahsoka Tano," she said conversationally. "We didn't get to properly introduce ourselves before...you know."

"You mean before you arrested me?" Luke asked, raising a brow.

Ahsoka had the decency to look apologetic. "I'm sorry about that. We weren't sure if you'd be a threat."

Luke gave a reassuring smile. He had no hard feelings about what had happened. "It's alright. Wouldn't be the first time."

A silence fell between them. It was not awkward per se but neither of them was familiar with each other to start a conversation. Luke decided to try the nuna legs while Ahsoka dug into some nerfsteaks. He watched her for a moment, wondering what sort of connection she had to his father. He was eager to know more but didn't want to annoy her with questions. How could he ask her without seeming intrusive? He chewed while he thought, before deciding it was easiest to start simple.

"The other Jedi, from before, who was he?"

Ahsoka nodded to herself, as if she expected him to ask that. "That was my Master, Anakin Skywalker."

Luke did his best to appear impassive. So, his theory is correct. Skywalker truly is Anakin Skywalker, his younger father before he became Darth Vader. That familiar syrupy feeling overwhelmed him, and he had to bite his lip to contain his smile. That smile soon disappeared when he realized there were two Anakins in this timeline. A Jedi and a Sith. He didn't know how they'd react to the other, but he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

Wait. Something Ahsoka said registered in his mind. My Master. His father had a padawan? That was certainly surprising. Is she still alive in his time or had she been killed like the others?

"If you want, I can take you to meet him," Ahsoka offered. "Although, I understand if you don't want to considering before..."

Luke couldn't stop the rush of excitement that rose up inside him. This was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. Through great effort, he tried to look nonchalant and hoped it was convincing. "Sure, I'll be glad to."


According to Ahsoka, Anakin could be found at the main hangar, located at the top of the northernmost spire. It wasn't far from the refectory, but like his visits to the Council, it required a lengthy turbolift ride to the top.

The entire way there, a million questions filtered through Luke's mind. The main question being: what did his younger father look like? Both Obi-Wan and Yoda had made comments about his resemblance to his father. Luke has wondered, not for the first time since Bespin, what his father looked like behind that mask.

As soon as the doors opened, he heard the shrieks of welding metal and the hum of machinery. They immediately entered into a spacious area filled with Delta-7 and Eta-2 interceptors. Across the hangar bay, an extendible landing platform reached out toward the city. From here, Luke could see everything to the horizon.

In the far distance, a dome-shaped building rose high above its surroundings. He recognized it instantly—the Senate building. He's seen enough holonet Empire Day celebrations to know what it is. If that is the Senate, then he must be on Coruscant. Leia had tried to describe it to him once, but she said no amount of detail could compare to actually being there. Standing here now and looking out, Luke had to agree.

Ahsoka led the way toward a Corellian G9 Rigger-class light freighter. The exterior was rusted and the paint was starting to chip off in places but was otherwise in decent shape. Its rustic appearance reminded him of the Millennium Falcon. If Han were here, he would say the Falcon was better looking. As they neared, Luke spotted someone half-buried underneath with their legs sticking out.

Ahsoka stopped just short of the person and crossed her arms. "Skyguy," she said as a way of greeting.

"Snips? That you?" They rolled out from underneath the freighter and Luke saw his father's true face for the first time.

He couldn't help but stare with blatant awe at his father. He was around the same age as Luke was, with the same cleft chin. A long silver scar cut across his right eye down to his cheekbone. His hair—a darker shade than Luke's own but still blond—just barely reached past his ears, the ends curling slightly. Their gazes met, and he was shocked to realize they had the same blue eyes. It was almost like looking into a mirror. He now understood those comments about his resemblance to his father.

Did he look like this under that mask?

Anakin stepped forward, wiping his grease-stained hands on a rag. He was tall, Luke noted. Certainly taller than him but not as tall as Vader. Which was strange considering they were the same person.

"You must be Luke," Anakin said, giving him an appraising glance. "I'm Anakin." He stuck out his hand.

Luke reached for it and was momentarily unnerved to feel durasteel under his grip. He had known his father had prosthetic limbs, but he hadn't realized Anakin lost an arm this young. "Nice to meet you."

He couldn't believe he was actually introducing himself to his father. The situation was so bizarre that he didn't realize he was still holding Anakin's hand. Anakin was quick to pull his hand back, offering him an awkward smile. "I uh...I'm sorry about...you know, the situation before."

He seemed nervous, and Luke found it comical to see. Who would have guessed Darth Vader was once the nervous type? Much like with Ahsoka, Luke was quick to reassure him. "Don't worry about it. No harm done."

"We met up at the refectory. Thought we'd come see what you're up to," Ahsoka said.

Anakin crossed his arms. "Been repairing the Twilight. Nothing new."

While he was desperate to learn more about his father, Luke couldn't help but be curious about the ship behind him. "Did you modify that yourself?" he asked, gesturing to the freighter.

Anakin grinned, seeming to visibly light up. "It was bantha fodder when I found it, but with a few simple modifications, it's good as new. Well, almost."

Luke raised his brows impressively, eyeing the freighter with newfound interest. "Is that an M-class 850 hyperdrive sequencer?"

Anakin blinked in surprise. "You know mechanics?"

Ah, kark. He should get in the habit of thinking before speaking. Especially in his situation, he wouldn't want to accidentally reveal something he shouldn't. Luckily, with his knowledge of mechanics, he could play it off. "I have a ship back home I make my own modifications to. I know a few things."

He shrugged, pretending to be casual about it when internally he was elated. Since he was a child, he'd always known he shared his love for mechanics with his father. He wondered suddenly what else they had in common, besides their looks.

A loud groan came from Ahsoka. "Great, now we have two nerds crazy about ships. As if Skyguy isn't enough."

Anakin smirked. "Two against one."

Ahsoka childishly stuck out her tongue.

The easy banter between them was amusing, and Luke found himself wondering what happened to this version of his father.


From several stories above, Vader watched as the aerial traffic moved methodically back and forth, the occasional glint of sunlight twinkling like stars. He found himself lazily tracking each passing speeder, watching until they disappear from sight before following another. After tracking five more speeders, he grew tired of the repetition and gazed off into the distance at the familiar building.

It was like he was looking at a memory frozen in time. Entirely illogical yet as real as he can see. He had half a mind to consider the possibility of this being an illusion Sidious had conjured—it would not be the first time he has done so. The sight of the old Jedi temple, untouched by Darkness, should have been a key indicator. However, it was the feel of the old temple that convinced him it is not.

It felt too real.

And the two Jedi from the lower levels…that was no coincidence. If nothing else, he can be sure this is not one of his Master's illusions. Sidious had never managed to create something this realistic. It begs the question of what exactly this is.

If not an illusion, then what?

His eyes unintentionally drift to where he knows the Jedi Council resides, the center spire. They're probably there now, discussing inconsequential matters that usually end up being a waste of time.

Time…what were the chances that…

In the early days of the Empire, when he was not hunting Jedi survivors, he meticulously studied both Jedi and Sith holocrons. There was no purpose in doing so besides wanting to strengthen his connection to the Dark Side. Holocrons contained vast amounts of knowledge, useful to those who knew how to exploit them. Vader was no exception. During one of his studies of a Jedi holocron, he stumbled upon the concept of Force Nexuses—gateways that could lead to variations in the time. Such an idea seemed preposterous, and he had wiped it from his mind, deeming it Jedi nonsense. Now though, in his current situation, the idea was appealing.

Could it be possible? He remembers being on the second Death Star, his blade ignited as he prepared to fight—

Luke. His son.

That's right, Luke was here too. They must have both passed through a Force Nexus. It would certainly explain the situation as well as the presence of the two Jedi in the lower levels.

Blond hair, a familiar scar across his eye…orange complexion, blue-white montrals…

The Jedi and the Apprentice.

At the sudden realization, his respirator seemed to skip, going out of sync for half a second. No, it's not true. And yet…it was. If the Apprentice is still associated with the Jedi Order, then, if he remembers correctly, it must be early on in the Clone Wars.

Long repressed memories suddenly awakened, memories of a different life. Leading his battalion into battle, standing back-to-back with his former Master as their sabers move in sync, laughing with his padawan over a joke, her smile as she greets him each time he comes home—

He pulls himself away from those thoughts, shutting them down quickly. Now was not the time to dwell on such things. If he has traveled back during the Clone Wars, then the Jedi Order has yet to face their imminent eradication, she is still alive, and Sidious reigns as the Supreme Chancellor.

The thought of his Master makes him pause, his gaze shifting towards the Senate building. At this point in time, Sidious has yet to come into his full power, choosing to operate from within the shadows. Right now, he is weak, vulnerable.

An easy target worth eliminating.

Vader possesses knowledge of the future; knowledge Sidious would kill for. It would be easy to tempt him into revealing himself. He was now faced with an opportunity: revenge against his Master. It would not be the first time he has contemplated such an idea. Since learning of his Master's lies, the concept of revenge has been prospering. Sidious manipulated him into believing he killed his wife and unborn child.

It seems in your anger…you killed her.

Leather creaked as he clenched his fists. He will get his revenge, one way or another. If there's one thing he learned while under Sidious' tutelage, it was that patience truly is a virtue. And Vader is a patient huntsman.

Sidious may be vulnerable, but he is not defenseless. He knows his Master did not teach him everything, for it is the way of the Sith to kill one another. He likely has contingencies in place.

In order to enact his revenge effectively, he'll need the element of surprise. Something so unexpected Sidious will never see it coming. Something like…Luke.

The Sidious in this time does not know about Vader's son. He'll never suspect a self-proclaimed Jedi such as Luke Skywalker. If Vader can convince his son to join him in destroying Sidious, they may have the advantage.

His gaze shifts back to the Jedi temple. The Jedi have his son detained, probably debating his fate. If Vader can keep the Council distracted, he could attempt to sneak in and free him. However, storming the temple will draw unwanted attention.

Attention that Sidious will no doubt be interested in.

No, he must stay out of his Master's vigilance for as long as possible. The only other method is to draw Luke out into the open. He knows the Council won't be easily fooled into giving him up. He glances at the Senate building again. But perhaps an…exchange will prove valuable.