During the past decades, the Emperor had done his best to turn the Jedi Temple into a monument to his own corrupted power—and those twenty-three years of dark history, Luke knew, would not be easy to revert. In some places it came down to simply removing the Imperial insignia inside the building and cleaning up the unused dusty spaces; but some of the chambers were either sealed off or completely destroyed, and it would take much more time and effort to restore the Temple as it had been in the past. Yet one place, according to Anakin and Ahsoka, remained practically unchanged: the Temple garden. It would seem Palpatine had appreciated his morning strolls, like any ordinary old man, and made sure this part of the Imperial palace had been kept in good shape. Luke liked it here; it was a bright, open, spacious territory which somehow felt cozy and private at the same time. On this fresh spring morning, it was particularly pleasant to be outside, with the sun shining bright in the cloudy sky and birds singing their melodic song somewhere high above. In the last few weeks, the young man would come here often for meditations in the tree shade together with his father; but now Luke was alone as he made his way further into the garden, his mind and heart heavy with thoughts and feelings.
It had been three days since his father's passing. Luke had known it would be a hard hit, and braced himself as best as he could; but the heavy lump in his throat and the knot in his stomach still refused to disappear so far. Leia and Han had both been supportive, as well as Chewbacca, Threepio and Artoo, each of them comforting Luke in their own ways. And with Ahsoka, they comforted each other—it felt nice to be able to relate to someone who understood his feelings fully, bringing them even closer together. His heart still wished there could have been some other way, allowing his father to live on; but his mind reminded him it'd been Anakin's choice as much as everyone else's. Even if he had at one point felt some resentment for the Republic and their ultimatum in regards to his father, it was long replaced with pensive acceptance. Things would be alright in the end, Luke knew; and it was okay to not feel alright for some time.
Heading deeper into the garden's center, he waved at Vaneé who was busy cutting the branches of some bushes. The old man smiled in return and nodded at Luke respectfully as he passed by him. Anakin's former attendant had turned out to be an experienced gardener, readily accepting the role of a caretaker at the Temple and helping restore the place to its former glory. At first Luke had been a little worried in regards to how the man would take his father's departure, remembering Vaneé's great attachment to his former master. But by the time it happened, Vaneé had been busy reconnecting with his relatives from Naboo who had all come to Coruscant to visit him. Once again reunited with his family, Vaneé accepted the news of Anakin's passing with solemn calmness, still grateful for all the years he'd been allowed to spend in his service. As far as Luke knew, Vaneé was planning to go on his first trip to Naboo in the coming weeks, and it felt good to see genuine happiness on the old man's face.
Finally, the young man approached a tall spreading tree at the center of the garden. Its branches moved gently in the wind, casting a big shadow on the patch of grass underneath. Luke took out the gold and silver lightsaber made by his father and placed it carefully on the ground against the tree trunk. Stepping away again, he glanced up at the sun in the sky, some of its golden rays leaking through the foliage and shining off the metallic surface of the lightsaber. The entire Temple was overflowing with the Force, but in this spot it was especially strong, making Luke feel like a familiar presence was almost within his reach again.
"Hello, Father."
For a moment Luke stilled as he attempted to put together his stray thoughts before continuing.
"I…have been fine, I suppose. Still trying to get used to how things are now. In some ways, it feels like I went a few years back into the past, where it's just me, Leia and Han again… but something is missing. I guess it will stay that way for a while."
The young man smiled slightly to himself, suddenly remembering something.
"Though those two are going to have their hands full with Shmi, I bet. She's doing great—and the Force is already strong with her. When she grows up, I guess I'll have to take her on as a padawan…if she wants to, of course. Maybe she'll be into gardening instead—who knows."
Luke paused, listening to the quiet rustling of leaves, as if they were saying something in response.
"Ahsoka's been really busy these days too. Not entirely sure with what—she says it's some classified Republic intelligence info. But she's okay. I think…I think she already had to go through this twice, in a way—first when you disappeared, and second when she learned of Vader. Except it was much more painful for her back then. I feel like this time, her heart is finally at peace."
Luke thought back to everything else he'd wanted to say, but his mind went blank, as if asking him to take a break. He proceeded to stand in place for a few more minutes, eyes closed as he breathed in the fresh air, face bathing in the sun.
"I guess that's it for now," he said, once again looking at the hilt in the grass. "I'm really pushing my time here. They're expecting me to be present at today's Senate meeting. Honestly, now I understand why you disliked those so much." A small smirk flashed on Luke's face, disappearing just as quickly. Some part of him, too, was at peace; but another ached for a reply that never came.
He had done so much, saving the Alliance, becoming the hero of the Republic and finally maturing as a true Jedi knight… yet right now, Luke once again felt like a small child who simply wanted his father back. The task of restoring the Order, which was intimidating enough before, now seemed practically insurmountable; but Luke reminded himself that he would not be alone in his efforts. He still had his friends—his family. And together, he knew, they would be able to achieve that which others might think impossible.
Picking up the lightsaber and attaching it to his belt, Luke cast one last look at the tree.
"See you later, Father."
"Same place, I suppose?"
Luke's heart leapt as he froze in place, breathless, not daring to believe what he just heard.
The smooth male voice that came from behind his back sounded both familiar and unknown to him—like he'd heard it in a distant memory or a dream—but the presence…
The presence he knew very well.
Turning around, Luke saw a shimmering figure of a man in light Jedi robes. He looked a little older than Luke had remembered him from the holos, with more lines on his face and slightly longer hair; but there could be no mistake. An overwhelming wave of unfathomable relief came over him, and he couldn't help but cry out the word that he'd gotten so used to saying in the past year.
"Father!" the young man gasped.
The spirit nodded at him warmly. "Hello, Luke."
There was a pause as Luke stared at his father, joy and surprise gradually giving way to mild frustration. "Why didn't you tell me?" he blurted out, his tone slightly hurt.
Anakin looked at him with a guilty gaze, his voice apologetic. "I didn't tell anyone. I…did not want to give you false hope in case I wouldn't succeed at coming back." He furrowed his brow. "Although I'm surprised that Obi-Wan didn't let you in on this."
Regarding Anakin for a moment, Luke shook his head and sighed, letting go of his vexation. He supposed he could see where his father was coming from. "Well, Obi-Wan has a good track record of keeping things secret," he said in a good-natured way.
Throwing his head back a little, Anakin let out a small but sincere chuckle. "Yes, I suppose he does," he agreed. His smile then faded when he suddenly noticed a shocked, blank expression on his son's face. "What?" Anakin asked, arching his eyebrow.
"It's just that…" Luke paused. "I didn't know you could laugh."
"Neither did I."
"And you look and sound so...different, too."
"Better than before, I hope."
Now it was Luke's turn to chuckle. "That's for sure," he said with a smile. It was amazing, he thought, to be able to actually see his father's emotions, instead of trying to discern them from the subtle changes in his disposition or the Force. And he could only imagine what a relief it must have been for Anakin to finally be free of his broken, battered body.
"How do you feel?" the young man asked.
Anakin paused as he looked for the right word before giving his answer.
"Whole."
Luke studied his father quietly, letting him gather his thoughts as he went on.
"I am still aware of…everything. The things I have done…the evil I have caused." His voice took on a solemn tone. "I can still feel the pain of guilt and regret…and it's something I will have to carry with me, as long as I exist."
Lowering his chin, Anakin brought his artificial hand closer to his face. "But now…" His fingers curled into a relaxed fist. "I see that I am more than just my pain."
A pause hung between them as Anakin slowly dropped his hand and cast a long look around the sunlit garden. He then drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, shoulders relaxed. Luke wasn't sure whether Force spirits could smell the fresh air, or sense the sun's radiant warmth, or feel the gentle breeze against their skin—but he somehow knew that his father was enjoying all these things right now just as much as him.
"A wise Jedi master once told me that nothing happens by accident," Anakin spoke up again, gesturing around himself. "All of this…was made possible through the will of the Force."
Luke's gaze followed the motion and then shifted back to his father's face. "So," he said, "what happens now?"
"Whatever you choose to happen."
"But you said it's the will of the Force that moves everything forward, not our choices."
"Are you sure these are not the same thing?"
Luke shook his head. "Do all Force spirits have to be so cryptic and vague?" he asked in amusement.
Anakin smiled. "Maybe."
For a while they stood in comfortable silence before Luke asked another question, a hint of concern in his voice.
"So this is not just some one-time thing, right?"
"Yes. We will speak again soon." Anakin furrowed his brow slightly. "I'm always by your side, Luke," he reminded. "Even when you cannot see or hear me."
Luke nodded. "I know, Father." He let out a sigh. "I just wish we had more time…well, together."
"And it's my fault that we did not." A small shadow crossed Anakin's features as he looked aside. "Because of me, we never got to live all those years as a family. I ruined my own future, and came too close to destroying yours." Shifting his gaze back to Luke, his face once again brightened. "But you gave me a second chance. A chance to remember what it feels like to love—and to be loved."
Stepping forward, Anakin put both of his hands on his son's shoulders; his touch a warm, ephemeral tingle.
"Luke," he said, "thank you."
Something light yet overwhelming bloomed in Luke's chest, making him take a deep breath. He tried to think of some words to say, but could only swallow and nod softly in response, feeling his eyes suddenly become wet. Quietly, they both took in the precious moment, as the Force around them hummed in delight.
"Now, I have another visit to make," Anakin said, hiding his hands inside his sleeves. "Wouldn't want to leave my padawan unsupervised for too long."
Luke smiled understandingly and nodded once again. "See you soon, then?" he asked.
"See you soon, Son," Anakin said as his form faded into the light, "and may the Force be with you."
