Summery : Five years after Mustafar, Darth Vader is but a shadow of the powerful Sith Lord he should be. To the point where the emperor must use the apprentice bond to force Vader to act. But why?

Chalk it up to two undaunted women who will not let even death stop them from saving the soul of the man they both loved.

Based on StarWarrior72's "The strength to do for his child"

Force-Speech

*Thoughts*

Disclaimer - I neither own copyright or receive money for anything. I write to improve my ability and for enjoyment.

We all need something to fight for:

Chapter 10: The First part of Reconnection

Lars Homestead:

It was with a bitter sense of defeat that Obi-wan noted that the family speeder was absent. He'd sped almost as recklessly as his former padawan would have to get there in time, but it was already far too late. They'd already been gone for quite some time when the Jedi arrived. He went down into the living quarters, sunk in despair.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, he pondered his next move. Even if he headed to Anchorhead right this instant, he doubted he'd be able to find the boy and his guardians before Vader did. The sense that his former padawan was very close was over-powering.

Indeed he'd already felt the rage that was becoming all too familiar now when he thought of Ana.. no, Vader. There was a spike of it in the Force just before he'd reached the residence. But as he sat there, he suddenly noticed that the Force suddenly seemed.. more bright, as if a part of the galaxy-wide Darkness had been purged from the planet. Obi-wan felt torn between trying to meditate about what was going on, and tearing out of the area to find Luke.

*Stop it Kenobi. The Force is obviously trying to tell me something and I certainly do not need to start acting rashly in this situation. The best thing is to wait and see, for I can't travel at this time of the day at any rate.* Obi-wan thought in disgust at himself. He decided to go to Luke's bedroom, hoping that the essence of the little boy would strengthening his ability to meditate. Such a beautiful child, far more bright in the Force than anyone he'd ever met, save for the boy's father.

When he reached Luke's room and settled himself on the floor, it was indeed if the boy's presence was right with him. In fact it was even more bright then he remembered, full of such happiness and contentment that Kenobi wondered at it. Even as he sunk into a meditative trance however, the presence became unsettled and then fear blossomed in the Force. And then suddenly Luke's presence vanished. Kenobi tried to break loose from his trance even as he sensed another presence he was all too familiar with.. Vader

Yet this was not the angry young man drunk with power that he faced down on Mustafar. There had been no connection between them on that fateful day, no sense of the brotherhood that they had shared. It had felt that a stranger had taken over Anakin's body after destroying the soul of the man.

Now however while the anger was bright and almost overpowering, Vader was reaching for aid... to protect? Master help me! I cannot reach the Force without your aid! I won't use the Dark Side in front of Luke even if I could!

Oh, this had to be mad! Yet the heartfelt plea in Vader's thoughts could not be ignored. Whether or not it was true, Obi-wan knew he had to help. For it was Anakin he heard in that cry of desperation. In the same tone that his screams of agony had been as Obi-wan walked away from the battle and his fallen brother burning alive. He could not turn away, not this time. As he flung his strength out along the link he received the barest of impressions.

Lightsabers clashing with everything tinted in a bloody hue, bodies strewn everywhere, most unconscious, a small form in the corner that he was trying to defend. Then a white-hot agony that he hadn't felt in a long time as the dual blades sliced deep in his right shoulder. The pain was too great for him to maintain the link, yet just as Obi-wan past out from the exertion and shared pain, he felt Anakin's silent thanks and assurance that the danger had passed. His last conscious thought was rueful *Well if he didn't know where I am, he does now.*

Ob-wan came back to his senses very slowly. His head throbbed as if he'd been beating it against the walls in frustration. For a moment he wondered where he was. Then he recognized one of Luke's toy ships in the corner opposite himself. Still disoriented he managed to drag himself to his feet and move slowly to the entrance of the homestead. Only to realize that he'd been out most of the afternoon. Tatoo 1 had already set. The last rays of Tatoo 2 high-lighted a approaching swirl of sand.

Obi-wan had his lightsaber out and lit before he was even aware of what he was doing. The swoop bike came to a stop some yards away and he tensed as he noted the black cloaked individual. A regulated whoosh-purr sounded unnaturally loud in the desert air as the being dismounted. Carefully for as he turned, Obi-wan noted that he only used one arm. The other was tucked in a sling cradling a small bundle that pressed against the Dark Lord. Bleach blonde hair spilled over the black glove and one tiny hand had reached up to grab a edge of the armor.

The Dark Lord had his head bowed watching his son. Checking to see if he had awaken the poor child? Obi-wan could only wonder if that was the case. Finally he looked up and seemed to freeze as he noted the drawn saber and Kenobi's defensive stance. "Give me the child, Darth. Or you will have to fight me to take him to your master." There was a moment of tense silence then Obi-wan could swear he heard a frustrated sigh from the Sith. "Do you not trust in the Force, my master?" Vader's deep echoing voice boomed out.

Obi-wan narrowed his eyes, but Vader was already moving forward, his exasperation plain in his stride. "We have no time for this. Luke has not woken since he feel asleep from his hysterics. He over-exerted himself to find me in Anchorhead as it was. Only a Skywalker.." Vader trailed off. He was now standing in front of Obi-wan and with difficulty, managed to move his right arm from the sling. "Take him if you will, but I will not leave. I cannot, for then the Emperor will know that I have renounced the Dark Side. And Luke will be in far greater danger."

Even as Obi-wan reached for the boy, the words just spoken registered fully. And Obi-wan saw why the Dark Lord could barely move his arm. The deep double burn-gash of two lightsabers cutting deep in his right shoulder had the arm flop uselessly as soon as he moved it from the sling. Though Vader made no sign that he felt the pain, Luke moaned softly and tightened his grip on his father. The fight had been very real then.

Sheepishly, Obi-wan withdrew his own blade and then shifted from grabbing Luke to helping get the pair down inside. For now he could sense the exhaustion in the death-masked form.

"You always manage to get into the worst possible scrapes, Anakin," Obi-wan sighed as he offered his shoulder to the taller man.

Simple words of sarcasm that in the old days would be his only way of hiding his relief that the younger man had survived another mission. Now however, it meant much more. Though they would have to shift through the disaster of the past, right now they were united over one thing. Luke, who had let go of his father and start to shift uncomfortably in the sling. Though it was impossible to tell though the mask, Obi-wan was certain his former padawan had a semblance of his daredevil smirk on his face.

"Perhaps so Master, but who has had to save your hide 10 times?" "9 times! I told you Cato Nemodia does not count!" Obi-wan responded almost automatically as they descended to the entrance of the house. Before anything else could be said however, Luke stopped moving and woke up. "Daddy, are you okay? You're feeling like you do when the 'bad man' hurts you," came the small frightened voice. Obi-wan watched as the black mask bent down over the boy. "I'm not feeling too wonderful Luke, but we're safe and have help now." Luke looked into his father's mask for a moment as if judging the truth in his words.

"Okay Daddy, I'm glad you and Ben are back together. You always did tell me that Grievous and ol' Dooku didn't stand a chance when you two were fighting them," Luke said finally with a giggle. Obi-wan felt his jaw go slack in shock. Then he remembered how Owen had asked him to keep the boy from dreaming of his father. "And to think this youngling managed to convince me that his dreams were nothing more the natural thoughts of any child uncertain of his heritage," the Jedi Knight said. They had entered the kitchen and Anakin moved to sit down in the sturdiest of the chairs.

"Luke has been contacting me in one form or another since 'that night' Master," Anakin said thoughtfully as Luke slid from the sling onto the cool floor. The boy then moved unsteadily to assist his father in sitting down, but Anakin waved him off. "No Luke, I can manage. You cannot hide the fact that you don't feel well either." Luke bit his lip but nodded, then tried to climb into his father's lap as soon as Anakin had settled himself. Only to be lifted into position by the Force as Anakin raised his left hand slightly.

Luke gave his father a huge grin as he was lifted up. He reached out to grab his father around the chest in a hug, careful of the respirator controls. Anakin tenderly returned the hug with his good arm while Obi-wan looked on in astonished awe. *This certainly does change everything* was the only thing Kenobi could think then. The moment was soon interrupted however when Anakin inadvertently touch the spot on Luke's back where the stun blast had hit.

The yelp of pain from the small boy nearly brought his father to his feet.

"LUKE! What is it?" Anakin asked in a urgent tone. The boy only hung his head and shuddered as Obi-wan moved forward to check what was wrong. "It's my back, it stings a lot. I didn't want to let go Daddy, it just hurt too bad." Anakin was silent for a moment then his vocoder sputtered. Yet Obi-wan realized that he could understand what Anakin was trying to say, none of which was appropriate for a child to hear.

*Which is why he's slurring it so that it cannot be understood out loud.* Obi-wan thought in amusement. I don't think that will work Anakin. My guess is that Luke has already picked up some of your more colorful speech.

The mask whipped to face him, even as Obi-wan felt Anakin's astonishment. Then, Blast! I told Luke that he couldn't use that language without getting himself in trouble and disappointing me. Anakin quickly switch the topic to a more immediate problem. The stun burst was probably at a high setting so it could interfere with my prosthetic. Since Luke took the full brunt of it, I'd say he was burned as well as stunned.

Obi-wan nodded and said out loud, "Ah, I see where the problem is. Well young Luke, that is a rather nasty burn, but fortunately I have a few things that should ease the pain.

Luke held still as Obi-wan stripped off his tunic and sighed when the burn cream was applied to the blister growing on his back. As Obi-wan slipped a new tunic over Luke head, he casually asked the one question that had been nagging him since Anakin's arrival. "Where are Beru and Owen, Anakin? I can't imagine that Owen would just allow you to take Luke without so much as a protest." Anakin shook his head and answered readily enough. "Indeed they probably would not. I had a cadre of the 501st with me and set them to stun and keep Owen and Beru away from interfering or worse. Though it's not spoken out loud, they only answer to me. Most of them broke their genetic conditioning after Order 66."

Luke piped up at this point. "Daddy's gonna bring them home as soon as he can, but he wanted to be with me for a bit before Uncle Owen started yelling. I don't want to have to give the 'bad man' too much more mad. He scares me." Obi-wan looked at Luke in puzzlement. "What do you mean when you say you give the 'bad man' mad, young Luke?" Anakin spoke as Luke nestled back against his father, "It appears that Luke can take control of my anger and focus it so that Sidious receives it, leaving me free to use the Force without the taint of the Dark Side."

"He can WHAT? That is utterly unheard of! You can't be serious." Anakin tipped his head to the side and said neutrally,"I believe it's a case of not knowing that it was impossible, Master." Obi-wan just shook his head and sighed. "In that context Anakin, you are probably right." He narrowed his eyes and added, "Still it seems that such an ability would provided a good excuse to take Luke." He waited for the explosive reaction such words should produce. But all he got was a snort. "I'd be quite content to leave Luke in the care of his aunt and uncle and returned to the emperor if I thought it would spare my son.

At this point it is not an option. The only option is to destroy Sidious, yet I'm hardly up to that task any more."

Luke had sat up with his back now pressed lightly against his father at Obi-wan's accusation. Now he spoke up in indignation, "Daddy's told me you two had a big fight and that was how he got injured. That he got super-mad and that he wasn't thinking right. But Ben, you weren't thinking right either. The 'bad man' was using everyone's mad to mess up their thinking." His eyes started to tear up as he added, 'Please help Daddy. I want his ouch to go away because it doesn't feel right."

Obi-wan gave a guilty start and nodded even as Anakin addressed his son. "Ben won't be able to fix it completely my son. But it won't hurt as much." Luke started to pout. "Yes he can! I can show him!" Before Anakin could protested, Luke had slid off his father's lap and grabbed Obi-wan's hand. "I know you can Ben, please?" he asked looking up at the older man. Obi-wan could feel the Force gathering around the young boy in great strength. "Alright Luke, I'll see what I can do." Anakin finally managed to voice his objections.

"He's been through too much today as it is, master. Surly this can wait." Obi-wan simply sighed. "It is not just your son that wishes this Anakin, in case you haven't noticed. I will simply be borrowing Luke's faith, and not his energy in the Force." Even as he finished speaking, Obi-wan placed his free hand lightly on top of the injury. Closing his eyes, he dove deep into the Force and let it flow. There was a long silence, only broken by the sound of the respirator.

Yet while Obi-wan thought that he was merely using the Force to heal the shoulder injury, Luke had other plans. His Nana had said that the suit made his father feel like he was walled off from everyone. And that it pained him as the 'bad man' had wanted. So Luke had decided that he would believe that Nana would help fix it, a little at a time. Luke simply broadcast his faith to Ben, not what that faith was fully for.

As Obi-wan came back to the here and now, Anakin's respirator sparked violently and then stopped. Obi-wan froze in horror as Anakin suddenly gasped for air. Luke had already scrambled up into his father's lap and was undoing the latches of his father's helmet and mask. Before either man could protest, Luke had managed to remove the helmet portion and was undoing the mask.

"It's okay Daddy, you don't need the mask," he told his father as he lifted it away. Obi-wan finally moved forward to do, what? He wasn't certain there was anything to do in this case.

He certainly wasn't expecting to hear a raspy yet deep breath. Luke had cuddled up to his father again and he was smiling. Anakin lifted his head and opened his eyes and Obi-wan found himself feeling a warped sense of past and present meeting. The last time he'd seen Anakin's face, it was the face that was familiar but the eyes were not.

Now almost the exact opposite was true. Stormy blue eyes stared out of a face made nearly unrecognizable by severe burns. "Anakin?"Obi-wan stuttered.

The voice that answered his query was recognizable as well, and full of mischief.

"Well master, it seems you might have 'overdone' it this time.."