Ben's Hiding Something
A/N Since Vader is assuming Anakin will be back he didn't send the garrison of troopers to Tattooine.
A/N 2: Vader does want to get rid of Palpatine and he still hopes to bring back Padme, not realizing she wouldn't recognize him. Please let me know if you think I should bring her back.
Obi-Wan 'Ben' Kenobi along with Anakin and Luke Skywalker headed to the Docking Bay. Han Solo was there waiting for them. "What a piece of junk!" Luke exclaimed. Anakin turned to glare at his taller son.
"Appearances can be deceiving, son. I never would have been able to keep my podracer if it hadn't looked like a 'piece of junk'."
Han Solo had been about to argue himself before the younger boy stopped him. Why had he called the older boy son? He shrugged. "I'm ready to go if you are."
"Let's go," the elder man stated as he led the two boys onboard. Once onboard Han Solo made the jump to hyperspeed and sat back watching as Chewie played Sabaac with the golden droid. Anakin sat in the co-pilot's chair backwards watching the elder man closely. Han Solo, by contrast had swung his chair around.
"Anakin, why don't you toss Luke your lightsaber?" Anakin frowned but used the Force to float it to his son.
"How did he do that?" Luke asked, "I mean he didn't just throw it to me, it floated to me so slowly."
Anakin giggled and put his hand over his mouth as he mimicked Yoda, "You must unlearn what you have learned," he had heard when he had first started his training and Yoda had stopped by. "The Force is what binds the universe together," he hopped up explaining to his son. "It's it the trees, in this ship, in the droids, in everything. It's in you and in me."
"How is the Force in me?" Anakin smiled as he used the Force to lift him up before setting him down.
"Every being has some degree of midiclorians in it, it's what gives the Force its power, it's how we are able to at some degree control it."
"Anakin, I'll handle this." The smile fell off Anakin's face and Obi-Wan mentally cursed himself. Why had he done that? Anakin had been enjoying explaining the Force to his son, and to Anakin what he had done was like berating him. "The force is an energy field created by all living things, it surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together," Obi-Wan turned on a training droid. "Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing thru him."
"What happened to the Jedi, Master?" Anakin asked suddenly and Obi-Wan sits back and quietly looks at him feeling the blue eyes of his padawan boring into his, trying to get by his shields, probing. "Anakin," he cautions quietly, "In many ways they were too good, too trusting for their own health. They put too much trust in the stability of the Republic, failing to realize that while the body might be sound, the head was growing diseased and feeble, leaving it open to manipulation by such as the Emperor."
"You are hiding something from me, Obi-Wan?"
"Anakin, I'm so sorry."
"Master, what happened to the Jedi? Just tell me that."
"Oh, Anakin, Darth Vader was once a pupil of mine."
"After me, you mean."
"He turned to the Dark Side, he betrayed and murdered the Jedi. He hunted them down and destroyed them. Master Yoda and myself are the last of the Jedi."
"Why?"
"Come again?"
"Why did he turn to the dark side?"
"I'm afraid I'm not entirely positive."
"But you have some idea, right?"
"Darth Vader was afraid of loss."
"I know how he must feel," Anakin said sadly, "Do you think when I get back that I will be able to save my mother?"
Obi-Wan wasn't sure how to answer that question. He wasn't sure of much. The Jedi had destroyed themselves. Perhaps, to some degree, things needed to be different. If there wasn't the need for Anakin to keep secrets, would things have turned out differently? It was ironic Anakin stating that he knew how Vader felt. Obi-Wan sighed as Han Solo announced they were coming out of hyperspeed.
"There it is, Alderaan," Han Solo stated as he took the controls.
"Ben, I could feel it. I could see it with my eyes closed."
"Very good, young Luke. You have taken your first steps into a larger universe. Now please, give your father back his lightsaber."
"Sure," he stated tossing the lightsaber back to Anakin who with his quick reflexes caught it effortlessly.
"Um, do you guys see that?"
"It looks like a moon," commented Luke.
"That's no moon."
"It feels like...a space station," Anakin stated solemnly.
"Hold on, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."
"There are alternatives to fighting," Obi-Wan stated.
"What? Running away. I'm not running, Master. I am the Chosen One. I'm not a slave anymore and I won't run."
"Anakin, your life is more important than you know."
"I know, there is no death, there is the Force."
"What a load of baloney!" Han Solo exclaimed, "Even with your all powerful Force, there is death, I have seen it."
"It sucking us in!" Luke exclaimed as he watched.
"Is there some kind of storage compartments here?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yeah, follow me." Han Solo led them all, including the droids to his smuggling compartments and closed the door as he felt the ship dock and then become boarded. They became aware of labored breathing.
"It's him," Anakin whispered, "It Big Black Meanie."
Obi-Wan chuckled lightly as Luke pressed his lips together to supress the laughter.
"I feel something here, a presence I haven't felt since...the last time I was in the presence of my old master. He is the last Jedi Master, and the greatest." Suddenly, his voice raised, "I want this ship torn apart until you have found those droids!" Slowly, the breathing receeded. They waited patiently while the ship was searched. Finally, after the troopers were gone they came out.
"Gee, it's lucky you have those compartments,"
"It's not luck kid. I use these compartments for smuggling, I never thought I'd be smuggling myself. Just what have you got us into old man and what are we going to do now?"
"I'm going to have to disable the tractor beam."
"I knew you were going to say that."
"Wait here. Anakin and I will get you disguises. Come on, Anakin help me carry this box." Anakin looked perplexed but agreed.
"Hey, we need help with this," Obi-Wan stated his voice carrying as two troopers came to help. "Now!" Anakin throw out both hands and shot a Force wave although he couldn't remember it ever being so powerful for both stormtroopers were out.
"Luke! Han!" Anakin called as he got busy taking the troopers uniforms off. "Put these on." Han's fit almost perfectly but Luke was a little short. Anakin wondered how tall he had gotten as an adult. He hoped, he had gotten taller than Obi-Wan, he always thought it would be funny for Obi-Wan to have to look up to him. Qui-Gon, he remembered had been taller that his apprentice. Luke and Han carried the bodies back onto the ship.
"Now, I must go and disable the tractor beam."
"Have you ever done that before, Master? Perhaps, I could do it."
"Who do you think taught me?"
"Me? Oh, I bet I was a wonderful pilot, and a mechanic, always have been. Tell me, Obi-Wan, that my skills were legendary."
"They were. Now I must go. May the Force be with you."
"I knew he was going to say that."
"Whose more foolish the fool or the fool who follows him?"
"I'm coming too."
"Anakin, you cannot. You are too important."
"There is no death, there is the Force."
"Okay, but stick close to me."
"The princess is here," Anakin stated softly.