Part Three: Luke comes to terms with his heritage, and he and Anakin face their greatest foe, the cunning and manipulative Darth Sidious.
Chapter 1: Fathers & Sons
Summary: Parents and offspring are at odds, and Luke finds comfort from an unlikely source.
# # #
Laark rubbed his forehead. "It's more difficult than I thought it would be. He's more difficult."
Alin nodded. "At least he's better than his father. If you want to hear about difficult-"
"Oh, I don't know how you've managed Anakin all these years! He's so forbidding." And an annoying, self-centered jerk.
"He was not always so."
"He's better now?"
"Oh, yes. Finding his son has helped his moods." His father smiled. "You're fortunate that young Luke doesn't have Anakin's temper."
"But he broods." Laark sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He picked idly through the remains of his dinner. "His thoughts are so dark that sometimes they depress me! Can you imagine? I never get depressed!"
"Those are the times when your job is most important."
"I know that!" He frowned. Was his father insinuating that he wasn't doing his Lightshining properly? "It's just difficult."
"No one said it would be easy."
Another cliché. Honestly! He sent Alin a Look. "He's learning a lot from his father. He's getting very powerful."
"He'll be one of the great ones."
"And Sith likes him."
"I noticed. Please stop playing with your food."
Resigned, Laark put aside the fork. He was an adult, a Lightshiner with his own Skywalker, yet his father still treated him like a child. Well, soon he would bond with Mari Darklighter- if they could get Luke bonded first- and they would have children of their own. Then his father would have to treat him as an equal. "If he becomes really powerful, will he still need me?"
"More than ever. Eventually you may become his only link with reality."
Anxiety coiled in his gut. Or possibly that was his dinner. "If that's true, then why does the Great Lord leave you behind when he goes Outside?"
"Every relationship is different, Laark." His father stood and gathered the plates. "Anakin and I have been together since childhood. You and Luke are trying to squeeze a lifetime of knowledge and bonding into a short period. Because of that, your relationship will be more intense than the one I have with my lord."
Intense. Laark considered the word. It wasn't quite correct. "He expects a lot from me," he said slowly, thinking aloud, "but I don't think he realizes it. He's...emotionally demanding. The Great Lord said Luke was raised without love, so I expect that's why he needs so much."
"Probably," his father answered absently. He hesitated, then placed the dishes on the counter and turned to face him. "Laark… Luke has passed his Trial. It's time for you to understand that he's his father's son."
"I should hope so." He tried for a grin, but his father remained grave. "What do you mean? He's nothing like Anakin. You just said he's better than him!"
Alin hesitated, clearly trying to select appropriate words. "You must be careful. If you ever break his trust, he will never forgive you, and nothing will ever be the same between you."
"Break his—" Laark bristled. "Yeah, well, what if he breaks mine? What about that? What about me?"
"When that happens, you will forgive him and continue on."
When. Not if. Laark shook his head. "None of this makes sense. I don't understand. Nothing in our relationship seems fair."
The elder Lightshiner breathed an amused sigh. "No, it's not fair. But that is our destiny, the purpose of our existence— to serve the Skywalker."
His father seemed tired. Resigned. Maybe it was to be expected after a lifetime of dealing with Anakin.
"Laark do you remember the Second Direction of Lightshining?"
He felt his jaw clench. Of course he remembered! He remembered everything! "Self-preservation." But that caution was for past generations. He and Luke would be different. They hadn't grown up together; Luke had no solid expectations. He could be guided.
"Don't forget it."
Laark nodded, then slouched in his chair after his father left. How would it be when he was bonded with Mari? Would she demand as much of him as Luke did? Would she accept that she'd always be second to his duties with Luke? She was pushing for their bonding- more emphatically now that he had his Skywalker. She hadn't been like the other girls; she had stood by him and believed in him even when he didn't have a Skywalker, but he knew she shared his relief at Luke's appearance. It meant he wasn't an oddity among Lightshiners and that he had taken his place as one of the most powerful men on Sith. For who was greater than Lightshiners? None but the lords they served.
He found that he enjoyed this taste of power he was sampling. Luke shared it with him; Laark didn't think this was customary, and he hesitated to ask his father for fear that Alin would mention it to Anakin who would speak to Luke who would- Well, he didn't want to risk losing any of his newfound influence. It was also immensely helpful that he could read Luke's mind as easily as he did everyone else's. His father said that he was special among Lightshiners, that not every one had the Gift.
He was special, and Luke was one of the greats. It was inevitable that destiny had brought them together. They were going to rule the galaxy. Luke would command everyone but Laark. And the Lightshiner would guide the Skywalker.
This was Sith's way.
# # #
"You are learning that controlling your power is the most difficult part of having it." Anakin studied himself in the mirror and straightened his tunic. "You must resist its lure and not indulge every urge."
Luke swiveled in the chair and leaned his chin on its solid back, watching his father dress. "I suppose. But I've learned so much about the Force, sometimes I want to unleash it just to see what I can do."
"Go ahead. It is safest to try that on Sith."
"I will." He wondered if his father would assist him with such an experiment. "What's on tonight's agenda? Elisa Darklighter again?"
"Yes." Anakin tugged at his cuffs and nodded approvingly at his reflection.
"Are you going to bond with her?"
"No."
Luke sighed. It was the same every evening. In the months since he'd passed his Trial in the treecave, it seemed as though his father thought he could be left alone every night. Which he could, of course; he wasn't a child. But he couldn't demand Laark's constant presence because his Lightshiner had a life of his own, and he was finding the evenings to be very long and lonely. He wondered if that was his father's intention, to make him so isolated that he would be anxious to bond. But there were many things he needed to discuss with his father, and there never seemed to be time. His days were spent in training and studying and the evenings in private contemplation.
"Will you be staying home tomorrow night?" he asked casually.
"No." Anakin swirled his cloak around his shoulders and once again admired himself in the glass. Then he looked at his son. "Why? Do you need me to stay?"
"No," he lied. "I just wondered." It was ridiculous to feel like an unwanted child, but sometimes his father had that effect on him. "If you require that I stay home one evening so that you may discuss what is on your mind, feel free to say so."
"Well...I'd like to talk about what we're going to do when we go back."
"Back," Anakin echoed.
"To the-" He caught himself before he said 'rebellion'. "To the war."
The elder Skywalker turned to the dressing table and slipped on a pair of black gloves. The total effect of his father's costume was an elegant but eerie reminder of Vader. "We have already discussed this several times."
"No," Luke pointed out carefully, "you've told me what you want. We haven't truly discussed anything. You know I don't agree with-"
"Yes, yes. I don't want to spoil my pleasant evening by becoming involved in one of your irrational arguments." His father smiled at the mirror. "I bid you good night."
"Have a great time," Luke muttered under his breath as Anakin strode from the room.
His father could try avoiding this topic as much as he wanted, but his son had no plans to let him off the hook.
Luke was filled with restless energy that had no outlet here. He left the house, preferring instead to explore the shadows of the night. He wandered from the unnaturally correct garden into fields that were only slightly more rustic in appearance. It was very quiet.
"Hey, Sith!" he called, his voice shattering the peculiar stillness. "Haven't you ever heard of birds? I like birds! How about some birds here?"
Part of him actually expected a response, but there was nothing. He sat cross-legged on the grass that was cool but not damp. Of course not- dew would mar Sith's perfection. "Don't you ever want to mess things up a little? Just a bit- you know, like maybe a rain shower? Birds. Even artificial ones. Can't you make one that sings?"
Almost immediately, he heard a very loud chirp from somewhere high above him. Involuntarily he ducked his head and felt a small splat hit it. Then he looked up and received what he hoped was a raindrop square in the eye. Without further warning, a deluge of rain fell, and he sat very still until it ended. He wiped his face with his hands and looked around cautiously. There was a small circle of wetness surrounding him, and he was thoroughly soaked. Everywhere else was dry. He burst into laughter. "I'm glad somebody here has a sense of humor!"
Luke crawled to a dry spot and stretched face down on the ground, turning his cheek to the grass. "I like you," he whispered, spreading his fingers on the coolness. "I know you like me. I'm glad. But I wish we could talk… differently. I get lonely sometimes- do you? Or are you part of the lives of everyone? Do you feel with all of us or just with Skywalkers? Do you- My father says I ask too many questions. Even Laark says so. But I want to know more. I wish you could tell me everything.
"Do you know everything, Sith? Can you explain what Laark tries to tell me, that you and I are one? I'm you and you're me. I understand how your consciousness could be a man, but how can I be a planet? Or doesn't he mean it literally?" Luke sighed. His old friends would think him crazy if they saw him talking to a planet, but his Sith friends would think it normal. Which of them would be right?
He closed his eyes. A sleepy lassitude stole slowly over him, and he began to relax. His dark thoughts drifted and evaporated, his mind numbed, and Sith closed around him gently.
# # #
In Elisa's bed, Anakin Skywalker jerked away from her and sat up. "Luke?"
"What is it?" She raised her head.
He climbed out from the tousled sheets and reached for his clothes. "My son. He's-" He shook his head. There were no words to describe what he was feeling.
He was only half-dressed when he headed out of the house.
# # #
In the kitchen, Laark stopped mid-sentence. The dish he'd been wiping slipped from his grasp and broke in a dozen pieces on the stone floor. "Luke!"
"What's wrong?" Alin grabbed his arm.
He stared unseeingly at his father. "I can't- I can't feel him. He's gone!"
"Gone? Dead?"
Laark shook his head. "I don't think so. I didn't feel anything happen. He's just… gone." Suddenly mobilized, he threw aside the towel and flew out of the kitchen at a full run. His father followed.
He hesitated in the garden. Not the garden, no, Luke had been here but this was not the right place. He raced through the stone fence and across the fields. From the corner of his eye he saw a figure running toward them.
"It's Anakin," his father said, panting the couple words. "He felt it too."
Laark didn't answer. He concentrated all his thoughts on Luke, but there was no response. He came to an abrupt halt. "Here," he said with certainty. "He's here. Or...was here."
His father was kneeling a few meters away. "The ground is wet."
Blood? He felt his dreams dying. No- he would know if Luke was dead. He examined the damp area, tore off a blade of grass and brought the wetness to his tongue.
"Water. Pure water." He turned around. Where could it have come from?
The Great Lord joined them. "Where is my son?" His ferocious gaze locked on Laark.
"I don't know." It was an unforgivable admission for a Lightshiner to make, but he faced Luke's father without a quiver.
"Why weren't you with him?"
"I was at home." Which the Great Lord knew very well. "He said you were staying home tonight," he added with malicious innocence.
The pale eyes became malevolent slits, then Skywalker whirled around. "We must find him."
He's MY Skywalker, Laark wanted to say, and I'll find him. But it wasn't wise to upset the Great Lord any further. So the three of them fanned out and examined the small valley, though Laark knew their search would be futile. Wherever Luke was, he wasn't… here.
He was proven wrong almost immediately and thanked the stars that he was the one who heard the low moan. Without calling to the others, he followed its source and found Luke curled on his side under a small tree. He knelt beside him and lifted the blond head. "Lord? Are you all right?"
Luke's lashes twitched and remained closed. Laark probed his Skywalker's mind gently, but it was sealed more strongly than he'd ever known it. It made him afraid.
"Father!" he called. "Lord! He's over here!"
It was inevitable that Anakin would snatch Luke from his arms. Laark refrained from any possessive comments and watched passively as the Great Lord held his son with more gentleness than he'd credited the old bastard with having.
"Luke. Luke. Wake up."
"I don't think he's asleep," Laark offered helpfully.
Anakin frowned at him, and his own father sighed. Laark subsided into silence again. At least Luke didn't treat him the way they did. Luke liked him.
As if sensing their combined concerns, Luke opened his eyes. He gave them a vague, dreamlike smile. "Hi," he said softly.
Anakin drew back. "Are you drunk?" he demanded, the tenderness erased.
Laark snarled mentally. Of course Luke wasn't drunk! How did his father put up with this obnoxious idiot? "No," he answered for his Skywalker. "He's… dazed."
"Dazed," Luke repeated with a giggle. He struggled to sit up. "Where was I?"
"I think you are the one with the answer to that," Anakin said stiffly.
He didn't dare probe the elder Skywalker's mind, but he silently asked his father for confirmation of his suspicion. Jealous. Anakin was jealous of his son! But why? What did he sense?
Luke's smile held amazement and maybe a little triumph. A dawning wonderment made his eyes glow. "Sith. "I was...with Sith. It took me… inside." His lips moved but no more words came forth.
Laark sank back on his heels. If this was true- he'd never heard anything like it, not in any of the diaries or records, not even in legend. He looked at his father. Alin appeared both surprised and disturbed, and his gaze was focused on Anakin. Laark turned back to his young lord and tried once again to probe his thoughts. This time he was more successful- except that Luke sensed him immediately.
Hi.
Lord...what did you learn?
Take a look.
He accepted the offer, then realized almost immediately that he shouldn't have. There was a sudden, overwhelming inrush of sounds and lights and strangeness, things he couldn't comprehend. He broke their contact, gasping. I can't!
Luke took his hand and held it in a cool grip.
Anakin glared at him. "You will never leave my son alone again," he ordered.
"I didn't leave him alone- you were supposed to be with him!" He shook off his father's mental warning.
Anger seemed to control Skywalker. "Do not cross me, young one. You will obey my command. My son's well-being is your charge. You will not allow him to wander off again."
That made Luke sound like one of those pet-things that he'd heard about. Domesticated animals that people on other planets kept as toys. "If you treated him properly, he wouldn't be so lonely that he had to wander off to find someone to talk to." And found Sith to be his companion, Laark realized a split second before the Force knocked him to the ground and squeezed the air from his lungs.
"No!" Luke scrambled to his feet and held up a forbidding hand toward his father. "Let him be. My Lightshiner is my business, not yours."
Anakin Skywalker looked at his son with something akin to derision on his face. "Interesting, the moments when you decide to claim your rights as a Sith," he drawled. "Would that you did it all the time." He turned and stalked back toward the house, Alin Lightshiner following at his heels.
Luke helped him stand. "Are you all right?"
"Yes." He brushed off his clothing and felt his throat carefully. "I guess."
"Good." Luke put his arms around him, and they hugged. "I have so much to share with you! But not now- I've spoiled enough of your evening. Go home and we'll talk in the morning."
He shook his head. "You come with me. My father will probably be with yours for hours. You don't want to go back there. In fact- we can put up a tent! I always wanted to camp! Did you know our fathers did that when they were children? We never got that chance, and I think it's time we did!" He chattered on, knowing how it relaxed Luke. Later they would talk seriously, and he would learn more of Sith's hidden mysteries from his Skywalker. He knew Luke would share this information with no one else, not even the Great Lord.
This would make him the most powerful Lightshiner ever. There was great satisfaction in the knowledge that both he and Luke knew more than their fathers ever had.