HAPPY STAR WARS DAY : D And May the 4th be with you : )
FYI Chapter 11 has been modified, in terms of how it's no longer being called Hello There Part 1, instead just Hello There.
Star Wars
Twin Suns Early Rise
Chapter 12: From A Certain Point of View
"What is it?" Luke asked upon receiving a cylinder-shaped device from Ben Kenobi; a local hermit, once known as the famous Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Your father's lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi," Ben explained as the young teen pressed a small button on the device, causing a long stick of blue energy to come out. Eyes widen in aww from the blade's tantalizing glow and the rhythmic humming sound it gave off. "Elegant weapon," Ben continued while Luke swung the sabre playfully. "Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. From a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire."
Unbeknownst to everyone Luke had recognized the weapon long before he'd turned it on. He'd seen it several times in his dreams about the dark figure called Anakin; a name that Luke's father shared. In those dreams, Luke saw this Anakin use the weapon to kill Tusken Raiders, an older man with a red-bladed energy sword, and even innocent children; stuff only seen in nightmares or horror stories.
The last time he'd seen this weapon in a dream, it was about the dark figure in a duel with a bearded man who Luke now realized was a younger version of Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi who also possessed a blue lightsaber. In that fight, Anakin attempted to jump over Kenobi, but the latter stopped the former's attack by cutting off three of his limbs. After the fight, Kenobi took Anakin's weapon as his defeated opponent fell into a nearby lava river, presumably burning to death.
Seeing this blade in real life was a sign that these dreams were something more. He didn't know what, but if he did have mystic powers as his sister had hinted, then perhaps it was those powers within trying to tell him something, something very important about the man who gave him and Leia life.
Deactivating the blade, Luke turned towards Kenobi. "How did my father die?" he asked.
Ben's face seemed to drop when asked this, with his body following suit. He tried to speak, though Luke could see him hesitate. He couldn't blame him. They'd been talking all morning, learning a great deal about Anakin Skywalker, including how he and Ben had been close long before the Clone Wars had begun. According to Rex, they were like brothers. His loss struck a massive blow to the hermit's heart, one he hadn't fully recovered from.
Deciding not the push him, Luke and the others simply waited for the Jedi Master to get his thoughts straight and talk when he was ready. "A young Jedi named Darth Vader," Ben said after regaining himself, "Who... who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil. He… helped the Empire hunt down and destroyed the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct."
This puzzled Luke as he'd been expecting a different recap than what Ben had given. What was even more confusing was when Leia slumped back down on the couch after hearing the fate of their father. It was assumed she was feeling pain upon hearing how exactly he'd died, but Luke could tell it wasn't grief she felt, rather instead disappointment. Why she felt this, or how he knew, Luke couldn't figure out. Just a couple more questions to add to the many others swirling around inside his head.
"Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force," Ben said, drawing Luke's attention back to the hermit.
"The Force?" he asked.
Ben's figure began to rise as an opportunity to change the conversation arose. "The Force is what gives a Jedi his power," he explained. "It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us. It penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together. There are those like myself, Vader, your father, the emperor, and even you who are born with a special connection to the Force. It allows us to do things ordinary people are not capable of doing."
So now it was confirmed, that Luke did indeed have powers. Yet he still didn't know for sure whether or not they were the source of his dreams about the mysterious figure named Anakin, or why he was having them in the first place. "What exactly can a person with these powers do?"
"Lot of things" Ben revealed. "Many who are strong in the Force possess the potential to enhance their physical reflexes, lift objects with their minds, heal wounds of the flesh, see visions of past, present, and future events; and those are just some of the many abilities that one may unlock through the Force. Of course, you must be cautious. Those like myself, your father, and the Jedi Order used our powers for good; to make the galaxy a safe, peaceful place. Whereas others such as Vader and Palpatine use their gifts to gain power, enslave others, and tear the galaxy apart.
"Though regardless of how you choose to use your abilities, to unlock the powers of the Force requires a great deal of training and an even greater level of commitment to mastering it."
"You will also need a teacher to show you how to do this," Rex added in. "Someone with years of training, and has proven their skills in the Force."
This was what Luke needed to know. "Ben, would you be able to teach me the ways of the Force, so that I could become a Jedi like my father was?" he asked. "To show me how to use my powers to help the rebellion save the galaxy from the Emperor, Vader and the Empire?"
Luke saw a smile appear on Ben's face when he asked this.
Putting a hand on Luke's shoulder, Ben responded, "It would be my honour to train you, Luke. If you promise to devote yourself to the ways of the Force, swear your life to protecting others and never give in to evil as Vader did, then I will do everything in my power to train you to become as great of a Jedi Knight as your father was, if not greater. I promise."
All of a sudden it felt like a spark had ignited inside of Luke, quickly beginning to burn strong, but in a good way; a power within he never knew existed until now. "I will Master Kenobi. I swear myself to you, to the teachings of the Jedi, and the Force. I will become a Jedi."
With Luke's fate now decided, both he and Biggs went back to their respective homes so that they could pack up their things; while also informing their friends and family of their plans to leave Tatooine.
At the same time, Rex headed off to Mos Eisley with R2 to find a ship that could take Obi-Wan, Luke and Biggs to a set of prearranged rendezvous coordinates where they'd meet up with rebel agents who'd get them to General Dodona's secret base, main headquarters of the Rebel Alliance.
With Beru having gone home with Luke, this left Leia alone with Kenobi inside the latter's hut, giving her the perfect opportunity to have a serious discussion with the Jedi Master.
"Why did you lie to my brother?" Leia asked.
Kenobi didn't flinch when he heard this accusation. "I did not lie," he replied calmly.
"Anakin Skywalker did not die nor was he betrayed by Darth Vader. They are the same person! I know this because I saw a secret recording created by my adoptive father, Bail Organa, admitting that Anakin turned to the dark side and became the Dark Lord of the Sith who serves as Palpatine's chief enforcer."
"I know. Your father told Rex this when he sent him here," Kenobi revealed. "But as I just said, I didn't lie to Luke about your father. What I said was true. From a certain point of view."
This just made Leia even more confused than before. "A certain point of view?"
"Leia you're going to find that the truths you hear in life are based on how people view things. Take Luke's view on the rebellion: he believed that the rebels were terrorists, but only because he never encountered them in person. Instead only witnessing news reports created by the Empire who seek to demonize any who oppose them."
This made sense yet it didn't help Leia understand why the Jedi Master's lie about Anakin wasn't a lie. "What does this have to do with not telling my brother about our father being Darth Vader?"
"Your father was Anakin Skywalker," Kenobi said. "A good man, dedicated to helping others, and who cared deeply about his friends and family. I'll admit, he walked on the edge at times and had difficulty controlling his emotions, but he wasn't heartless and cruel as Darth Vader is known to be. No, the Sith Lord we know today is a completely different person than the man your father was in every way. True Anakin became Vader as you say, but when he did so he ceased to be Anakin Skywalker, giving up all the traits and values that made your father who he was. Replacing them with a lifeless personality consumed by anger, an insatiable appetite for power, and a willingness to do whatever it took to feed it, even if committing the most heinous acts to do so. When that happened, the good man that was your father, Anakin Skywalker, a hero of the light, was no more. All that remained was Darth Vader, a monster forged from darkness, more machine than man. Twisted and evil. Do you understand?"
"Somewhat," she admitted though she was still confused. "But why not tell my brother this?"
The Jedi Master's next response came in the form of a question. "Tell me, when you learned who your biological father had become, did you feel guilty for the terrible deeds he committed throughout the galaxy, simply because you knew you were his daughter, despite knowing that you weren't responsible for any of it in any way?"
Out of nowhere, tears began to pour out of Leia's eyes as memories from the last few days began flooding in. Shutting them, she turned her head away from Kenobi, all the while trying not to think about the pain she'd been feeling over the terrible things her father had done over the years. Darth Vader was a real-life interpretation of evil itself. A creature who people only thought could exist in legends. He slaughtered and tortured countless lives; not just rebels, but loyal imperials and even innocent civilians too. He struck fear into the hearts of everyone. He symbolized all that was wrong with the Empire, and why the rebellion fought. And Leia carried his blood in her veins. It made her sick to her stomach. Question why such good people like her adoptive parents would knowingly take in the daughter of one of the most monstrous beings in the galaxy. When she finally looked up at Kenobi, feeling the tears sliding down her face, she remained silent; but the Jedi Master didn't need a verbal response. Instead, he reached out, gently grabbing her hand in a comforting gesture, speaking in a soft voice.
"It is not your fault. You are a good person whose heart is pure. Where you came from doesn't make you any less so, as long as you remain on the right path. Though know that by being a descendant of Darth Vader, you nonetheless still carry the burden that is his legacy. Such a burden is dangerous: it'll cloud your mind at times, putting your life as well as the lives of those you care about at risk; making your work as a rebel far more difficult than it was previously. It's what your adoptive father and I sought to protect you and your brother from when we hid you after your birth. You may know now, but I still hope to keep this knowledge hidden from Luke. I fear that learning about your father when he's only just begun his training will risk drawing him over to the dark side. The pain, the guilt he may feel as you do from the atrocities Darth Vader has committed may open his mind up to anger, to hate. Without proper training in the light to balance it, without being able to fully master his emotions he may end up becoming a servant of the Emperor as Anakin did; and perhaps an even bigger threat to use than Vader is. We can't allow this. You must understand?"
As much as Leia didn't like the lies, she couldn't help admitting that she was finally beginning to see Kenobi's reasoning. "Still… it isn't right to keep Luke in the dark," she said, using her sleeve to wipe her tear-stained eyes. "I mean we weren't supposed to learn the truth about our family until after the Empire was defeated. Yet because of some weird feeling and a misguided accident, I ended up finding out early. Meanwhile, my brother, who still doesn't know the full story, is about to begin his training to become a Jedi Knight and join the Rebellion in their fight against the Empire; both of which will most certainly lead to him facing Darth Vader, unknowingly his father."
"From my experience, nothing happens by accident," Kenobi countered. "What led you to discover the secret confession left by your father in his office, was the will of the Force. Just as it motivated you to seek out your brother, which, in turn, brought Rex here to Tatooine to recruit myself and Luke into your rebellion. It's what allowed your brother to take his first steps down the Jedi path. I confess I expect he won't take the truth about your father well at first like you did, especially when he learns how you've known far longer than he has. That is why I wish to train Luke first. It'll allow him to learn to understand his powers, mastering both them and his emotions so that he will have an easier time when he learns the truth. He'll still be upset at first, but by then, after a considerable amount of training, I hope he will be able to calm his mind, hear us out, understand why this secret was kept from him and eventually forgive us, while also coming to peace with the fate of your father."
Master Kenobi's explanation finally made complete sense to Leia. Given the fights she and Luke had gone through respectively with their legal guardians upon learning about their biological parents, Leia knew her brother wouldn't take well to their father being a dark lord of evil; or that people he trusted were still keeping secrets from him. Not to mention, according to Rex, Leia's actions by coming here were putting herself, her family, Alderaan, and maybe even the rebellion itself at risk; whereas Luke so far hadn't done anything to jeopardize galactic events in a bad way, but might end up doing so should he let his mind be conflicted by dark emotions as Leia had been. Keeping the truth hidden from Luke until his training was complete appeared to be the best thing for her brother. She didn't like keeping him in the dark but at least now she understood just how important it was for both his sake as well as the entire galaxy's that he did not learn the full story until he was ready. "I won't say anything to Luke, but only if you promise we can eventually tell him the truth."
"I give you my word he will learn when he's ready and the Force wills it," Obi-Wan assured, which caused a smile to form on the princess' face. "Now while we're alone I believe there is another matter that needs discussing," the Jedi Master said.
"And that is?" Leia asked.
"Your parents. The ones who adopted you and raised you from infancy."
He couldn't believe it. After spending his entire life on Tatooine, countless nights spent looking up at the stars, Luke Skywalker was finally going to leave the retched rock with his best friend and fulfill his dreams. Together they would travel the stars, go on adventures of untold imagines, and save the galaxy from the tyranny that was the Galactic Empire. At the same time, Luke would also begin to learn the ways of the Force from Ben, becoming a Jedi Knight, a guardian of peace and justice, like his father once was. It was all too good to be true, but the young Skywalker wasn't gonna let anything stand in way.
After returning to the Lars Homestead, Luke had gone straight to his bedroom to begin packing a small bag of essentials, as well as a few of his most cherished and prized possessions.
When he was finished, Luke planned to meet up with Biggs at Toschi's Station, hoping to say a final goodbye to their friends, then pick up Leia and Ben before heading over to Mos Eisley to find Rex; who they expected by then would have a ship ready to take him, his best friend, and his new mentor to the rebels while the clone got Leia home. She'd been gone for quite a while, and being the princess of a very influential planet like Alderaan, her disappearance 0was bound to be drawing attention.
As he packed, he thought back to his dreams about the dark figure who shared his father's name, and who wielded the same sword that once belonged to Anakin Skywalker; the weapon that now hung on Luke's belt. Ben claimed that Vader had betrayed and murdered his father, which Luke felt was right in some way. But if that were the case then why did those dreams refer to the dark man as Anakin? And why did he wield a sword that was supposed to have been his father's?
"So, it's true," a voice spoke up from behind, snapping Luke out of his train of thought. Turning around, he saw his uncle, arms crossed, standing at the entrance to his bedroom. "You're leaving soon."
Before they got home, it was expected that Owen would go ballistic upon hearing that his nephew was leaving home to join a war. To prevent another intense argument between uncle and nephew, like the ones they'd been having almost every day for the last week, Beru decided to break the news to her husband, alone. He was much better at controlling his anger when it was just his wife he was talking to. Though given the massive frown on the farmer's face and the dagger eyes he had pointed at Luke, it was obvious that his uncle wasn't any less happy. But that wasn't a surprise. Owen had never approved of Luke's dreams to leave Tatooine and see the galaxy. He'd tried so many times to mould his nephew into a moisture farmer so that one day he could take over the family farm. Yet each time he did so, the two would fight as Luke tried to defend his dreams. Just as he was going to do right now.
"Yeah," he responded. Standing up from the kneeling position he'd been in while gathering clothes from his dresser, Luke went over to the doorway where his uncle stood and faced the older man at eye level. "An associate of Leia's adoptive father, who happens to be an old friend of both my fathers and Ben's came and…"
"Beru told me all about that," Owen interrupted. "Including how your sister is as rebellious and foolish as you are. No surprise given who your father was."
Luke felt of surge of anger swelling up inside him, but the fact that this might be the last time he'd see the man who raised him for who knew how long, months, years if ever again, he did his best to push the anger aside.
"Look Uncle Owen, it's not that I'm unappreciative of you and Aunt Beru for taking me in and caring for me, it's just that I'm not you. I'm not cut out for maintaining vaporators all day and harvesting water for a living. I'm… something else. You can't see it, you never could. But just because you can't doesn't mean I shouldn't try to be who I'm meant to be. I'm leaving Tatooine today and if all you're gonna do is bitch about me not becoming a farmer, then I suggest you go do some farming or something. Don't make a scene worse than the one from last night."
In response, Luke expected his uncle to shout back at him. Instead, the farmer clenched his fists together as if trying to hold in something before speaking, though in a controlled, angry but not furious, sounding voice.
"I don't like this. Nor do I support it. But I know I can't stop you. I tried and failed to rid you of your delusional dreams since you were little. Now here you are, seventeen years old, and getting all ready to go off on some foolish adventure with that crazy old wizard Ben, and a sister who you only just met yesterday."
"Your point?" Luke said, crossing his arms in frustration.
"Sigh... just… be careful out there," Owen warned. "I know Tatooine isn't an easy place, but from what I hear, the galaxy is far more dangerous, especially these days under the Empire's rule. Plus, being a Jedi in training as you're about to be, they'll be a target painted on your back the moment the Empire discovers who you are. Stay strong and always remember, to have a weapon on hand."
Luke's arms loosened while his eyes and mouth widened in surprise. "I will Uncle Owen, and… thank you, for everything," he replied.
For once Owen smiled at his nephew. Then he did something Luke never would have seen coming; grabbing hold of Luke's shoulders he pulled the young Skywalker in and hugged him.
"I am gonna miss you, Luke," Owen confessed. "More than you'll ever know."
Though at first shocked by his uncle's sudden change of heart, Luke hugged him back. "Same here Uncle Owen. Same here."
Soon after he finished packing, Luke gave his aunt and uncle a final goodbye, then headed off towards Tosche Station using his uncle's old speeder bike. All the while the Lars watched from the farm's entry dome as their nephew sped away across Tatooine's desertscape until he was out of sight. Even after they could no longer see him, the couple remained where they stood in complete silence for a few long minutes until Beru eventually broke the ice.
"Hard to believe he's gone," she said.
"He just left like a couple of minutes ago," Owen scoffed. "Besides it's not the first time he's left the farm."
"Owen," Beru crossed her arms. "This is our nephew we're talking about. We raised that boy since he was a baby. He's the closest thing we'll ever have to a son. And this isn't like the other times he left. He's not just running off on some errand or going to hang out with friends in Begger's Canyon for a few hours or the day. This time he's leaving the planet, and he probably won't be coming back. Don't tell me you're not troubled by the idea that we may never see him again?"
"He made his choice," Owen responded, not showing the slightest hint of worry at such a thought. Turning around he began to head back inside. "Now c'mon, with him gone, we're gonna have our hands wrapped tighter than ever keeping this farm afloat. That is, at least until I can hire a couple of extra hands to replace him."
At this point, Beru should've scolded her husband for redirecting the conversation from their nephew leaving to maintaining the farm. But then again, that was who Owen was, always thinking ahead in terms of how best to care for the home he'd devoted his life to. It was just how he'd always been. No one could change him, not even Beru; no more than she could stop the twin suns from setting each day.
Simply rolling her eyes, she followed her husband back down to the farm.
I apologize for the delay in this chapter. Been caught up with some other projects. I'm working on the latest chapter right now, but also a couple of one-shots to celebrate the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series about to premiere later this month.
FYI the speeder bike Luke borrowed from Owen is the same one that his father used in Attack of the Clones when he went searching for his mother.