Fifteen

"You had a mother?"

The Son regarded Anakin with a droll expression that was filled with equal parts exasperation. "You needn't sound so repulsed by the notion."

Anakin made a weak effort to cover his flustered response. "It's not that! But…given your…um…unique existence," he phrased carefully, "I hadn't considered the possibility of your having a mother before."

"I wasn't born as mortals typically are, if that is what you're implying."

"Then how can Abeloth be your mother?"

"Do you imagine that you are the first Chosen One?" the Son queried with an amused smirk, "Let me clarify that you are not the first being to be born purely of the Force, and do not presume that you will be the last. That would be supreme arrogance on your part."

"I know that Abeloth is like me. Your father was forthcoming on that score, at least!"

"More that you are like her," the Son corrected, "Or, at least, what she once was."

"And what was she?"

"Something marvelous."

That was the last description Anakin expected to hear for the malevolent Force entity that had coldly and systematically ripped apart his entire life in less than two standard weeks, but he was growing used to being surprised. He had already suspected that there might be more to the story of her origin than he had been led to believe, though both she and the Father were staunchly intent on keeping him from the full truth. That was the very reason he had chosen to seek out the Son in the first place. The celestial being might be self-serving and cunning, but he could also be unfailingly candid…especially when he had nothing to lose by exposing the truth.

"So, tell me the story," he invited the Son softly, "I want to know everything."

"She was once known as 'the Servant,'" the Son began, "She was a mortal woman without a father, born purely of the Force. Like you, she had the ability to bridle my sister and me. Before she came to us, we warred with another almost constantly. Father was unable to diffuse the contention between us on his own. Our unending feud spilled over into the galaxy itself. That was the beginning of the age-old conflict between Jedi and Sith."

"They weren't always enemies?" Anakin asked.

"In the beginning, they were one. There were no Jedi or Sith, only the Force in all its facets and those who served and were guided by it. They surrendered to its will as one," the Son continued, "But as the conflict between my sister and I grew, so did the conflict between those who served the Force. It tore them into opposing factions, and that was not the will of the Force. Eventually, it gave an answer to the corruption that had taken place."

"Abeloth."

"She was not Abeloth then. The Father brought her to us as a helper. She was a mediator. A peacekeeper. I loved her as a son would a mother…and eventually that is what she became to me."

"What changed?"

"She was not immortal as we were. As she grew older, her ability to influence me and my sister lessened," the Son explained, "She gradually began to lose her grip on us, and when she did, the conflict with my sister re-ignited. It spilled over into the galaxy once more…and the Sith-Jedi wars began."

"Why did the Father not step in?"

"He was never very adept at controlling us," the Son recounted, "He wasn't so much inattentive as he was preoccupied with greater matters. His eyes were continually turned towards the forming galaxy and its fledgling inhabitants. That was his focus. But her eyes were on us."

"She loved you as well, didn't she?"

"She did. Dearly so. And it was that love that drove her to do that which was forbidden."

"And what was that?"

"She drank from the Font of Power and bathed in the Pool of Knowledge, an action that was forbidden to all mortals which she well knew. She did it because she imagined that it would grant her the immortality to stay with us for all eternity."

"The Font of Power? The Pool of Knowledge?" Anakin parroted with a scowl, "Am I supposed to know what these things are?"

"Before I existed, there was the Father and before the Father there was the Force. When I was brought forth, I drank from the Font of Power and became. When my sister was brought forth, she bathed in the Pool of Knowledge, and she became."

"And what did the Servant become when she did those things?"

"An abomination," the Son whispered, "Abeloth. It means 'bringer of chaos.'"

"What happened after that?"

"Father denounced her, of course. He would have destroyed her but, he was prompted by strident protests from my sister and I on her behalf so, he hesitated. Our abiding affection for her initially blinded us both to what she had become. That was a mistake.

"As she grew stronger and stronger, the galaxy was plunged deeper into war and bloodshed. The ways of the Force became perverted, twisted, and eventually became what you know today. The Sith annihilated themselves and that loathsome 'rule of two' came to fruition. The Jedi became blinded by their own hubris, filled with grandiose notions of moral superiority. The Force became something to be wielded rather than the Guide."

"That was Abeloth's doing?"

"And mine. And my sister's as well," the Son confessed, "Soon after Abeloth's corruption, my father whisked us away to the safety of Mortis as 'protection.' In our shared grief over her loss, the love and attachment my sister and I had for one another became…"

"…Complicated?" Anakin provided when he trailed off into silence.

"Yes. Which only served to heighten the resentment I felt towards my father," the Son said, "I blamed him for what Mother had become. I hated him because he fully expected me to become her executioner. I hated him for being right. At least with you he learned from his past mistakes."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"He granted you immortality…rather than waiting for you to inevitably seek it for yourself."

Anakin digested that revelation with a rough swallow. He had never been given a clear explanation for what had prompted his metamorphosis on Mortis. He had always assumed it was because he had assumed the Father's place and thus had come about due to the will of the Force. He felt a twinge of aggravation to learn that his transformation had been the reflection of the Father's will rather than that of the Force.

"Are you saying that the Father made me this way? That he chose this for me?"

"Of course, he did. What else did you imagine?" He studied Anakin's stony countenance, noting the anger that simmered behind his eyes. "He did not bestow that gift lightly. Does it not please you that you were found worthy?"

"Why would it please me?" Anakin snapped, "I didn't ask for this! My family is mortal!"

"Yes, but you could not oversee the galaxy or us as a mortal man. Surely, you realized that."

"Are you defending his actions right now?"

"My father is guilty of many questionable decisions," the Son acknowledged, "Your transformation is not one of them." When Anakin scoffed at that statement, he hummed in response. "How curious you mortals are."

"Why does that sound vaguely like an insult?"

"Even when a change is made for your betterment, it incurs your scorn rather than your gratitude," the Son considered, "What a contrary lot you are."

"I missed exactly what I should be grateful for," Anakin snorted.

"Eternity, of course," he replied, as if the answer should have been plainly evident to Anakin, "The decisions that have been made for you, you will make for others. The galaxy will reflect your will now. What do you imagine that it means to be the arbiter of good and bad? How is it that you crave the power to enforce your will upon others but want none of the responsibility that comes with it?"

"I don't want that power. I thought I did, but not anymore. All I want is my family."

The Son appeared genuinely stunned by his words. "You truly mean that," he breathed softly, "You are like my mother in more ways than you can imagine. I suppose that's not surprising. You do have the same origin after all. She was an answer…as you are an answer."

"That is where the similarities end! Maybe at one time in my life I was like Abeloth, but no more and never again."

"Guard your heart, youngling. You love too greatly just as she loved too greatly and as I loved too greatly. Be mindful. That can be your undoing. It has been before."

Anakin wasn't quite sure how to compartmentalize the Son's portentous warning. Was he implying that his love and devotion to his family was a bad thing? Was he saying that Anakin was wrong to desire mortality over eternity? Or did he mean that love would prevent him from doing the thing that needed to be done? Anakin didn't know, and he didn't want to waste time quizzing the Son for answers either. All of that seemed irrelevant in relation to his children's welfare. He couldn't be preoccupied with questions about his own future, not when Luke and Leia were still out there, and their futures were unknown.

"None of that matters now," he told the Son, "What happened after you fled here? What did you do about Abeloth? Did you just leave her out there to destroy what she wanted?"

"For a time, we did but not out of apathy. The thought of destroying her was unbearable. My sister was prepared to do what she must. She was always the obedient one. But I resisted. I could not see that Mother had become something distorted and amoral.

"By the time I finally yielded to our father's insistence, Abeloth had grown too strong. We could not destroy her, but we could imprison her…and so we did."

"Tell me exactly how you accomplished that."

"There was an ancient race vastly superior in their knowledge of the Force and their understanding of the mortal experience. They were a hive mind that housed the knowledge of centuries of history from a multitude of beings," the Son said, "My sister and I joined them for a time and learned from them. Together, we created incredible wonders, the most notable of which was Centerpoint Station."

"So, that is the station you used to build her prison. Your father never named it."

"It is aptly called the world puller," the Son clarified, "It was the most powerful space station ever constructed with the ability to move entire planets. As you know, we used it to create a series of black holes to hold Abeloth. We also created its smaller sister station to keep her confined there for eternity."

"But she's not confined and never has been! No offense to your 'ancient, superior race,' but your prison doesn't seem all that effective!"

The Son regarded him with a knowing smile. "You have only yourself to blame for that. Your very existence is what awakened her. She sensed your birth and responded to it. And every shift that you have ever sent out into the Force, she responds to that as well, though it is not clear that she may understand the true reason why. In a strange way, you and she are family."

"Is that why she's after my children now?" Anakin ground out, sarcasm blazing in his every word, "Because we're family?"

"No doubt she is drawn to your children due to that connection. But ultimately, she means to replace my sister and I," the Son replied, "She will compel your children to do as she did, and if that happens, they will be lost to you forever, Chosen One."

The pronouncement chilled Anakin, but he was careful to keep his expression neutral when he asked, "Where will I find them?"

"You must journey to Sinkhole Station and cross over beyond shadows. You will face Abeloth there."

"Will I defeat her? I've tried to look ahead, but I cannot see it."

"No one can see it," the Son replied, "What will be is the will of the Force."

"Why didn't you destroy her when you had the chance?" Anakin gritted in accusation, "You could have prevented all of this!"

The edges of the Son's characteristic smirk softened with the deep sorrow, and, for that brief moment, Anakin was able to witness his unbridled grief over all he had lost. "For the same reason Obi-Wan Kenobi could not destroy you on Mustafar even after all you had done," he whispered, "I loved her."

Abeloth called it Sinkhole Station.

That was their final destination. Luke thought the name was an appropriate one. The station certainly struck him as being a forgotten "hole" in the galaxy. From a distance, it had appeared as a gleaming beacon of light embedded in a canvas of infinite blackness. As they drifted closer and prepared to dock, however, Luke became aware of the dilapidated exterior and the numerous areas of disrepair. From what he could gather at a quick glance, the space station hadn't seen any kind of routine maintenance in quite some time. The interior wasn't much better.

The systems were fully functional, but they were also covered with a fine coating of dust from disuse. Only the scantest rays of artificial light glowed from the compartments above their heads while everything else was cloaked in murky shadow. The air had a musty quality, almost stagnant, as if it were not circulating properly. Luke suspected that might be the case given the muggy temperature within. It wasn't unbearably hot, but it wasn't exactly cool either.

It was also eerily silent. As they winded their way through the numerous corridors behind Duro-Abeloth, Luke noted the general emptiness of the halls. The lack of activity was jarring. A space station generally required a small crew to keep it running and maintained. Sinkhole Station had none of that. As far as Luke could discern, he, Leia and Duro-Abeloth were the only sentient creatures on that vessel. The bad feeling that he had been harboring for days now grew exponentially.

Leia continued to act strangely. Although Luke could now understand the reason for her growing agitation given all that they had learned about their father and the incredible power he had acquired, he didn't like how docile and unassuming she had become. That had never been his sister. Leia was a firebrand. She questioned everything and everyone, and the thing that she despised more than anything was being told what to do. She had always bucked under authority.

So, then it was very disturbing for Luke to witness her passive acceptance of everything Abeloth said and did. Nothing seemed to faze her at all. Not the emaciated Duro, the inexplicable travel out into unchartered space, and not even a seemingly abandoned space station. She was so focused on neutralizing the potential threat their father posed that she didn't see anything else. Luke, however, was not suffering from that same tunnel vision.

Consequently, he questioned everything. He mistrusted everything. He gladly assumed the mantel that his sister had worn so proudly. If Leia was too distracted to watch her own back, then he would do it for her. He would vet Abeloth even if Leia didn't see the need.

"Why are we here now?" he asked, not really expecting a straight answer.

He didn't get one either. "You ask many questions, boy," Duro-Abeloth replied.

"Maybe I wouldn't if you answered some of them!"

"I have been candid with you thus far, have I not?"

"But you're not really telling me anything," Luke insisted, "Why is this place so empty? Where is everyone?"

"I am taking you to the meditation chamber," Duro-Abeloth replied, "That is where you will cross over into beyond shadows."

Though it was an answer and much more information than Luke had anticipated, he didn't find the explanation satisfactory at all. Abeloth had yet to expound on what "beyond shadows" was or where it was located for that matter. He might have assumed wild space, but that theory hardly gelled given how close they were to the core worlds. He was further surprised that Abeloth's host would be a Duro because, until very recently, travel into the Core for non-humans had been strictly forbidden and was punishable by death. It was highly doubtful that the Duro would have had the freedom to roam about while the Empire was in power, so had he been cloistered away on Sinkhole Station the entire time? And, if so, why?

Luke had a myriad of questions, but he refrained from voicing them because he didn't want the answers to come from Abeloth. It was true that she would be forthcoming when she chose, but Luke couldn't shake the distinctive feeling that she wasn't telling them everything. She was hiding something, and he would be more likely to discover what that something was if he waited and watched.

When they finally reached the meditation chamber, it was hardly the bastion of tranquility one would have expected based on the name. As soon as they entered, Luke was immediately overwhelmed by the strong stench of unwashed bodies and sweat. He was repulsed by the smell alone. But it was when he glimpsed what was inside the meditation chamber that Luke knew without any doubt that he and Leia should not be there.

The cramped room was filled with sentients of varying species, all in differing states of obvious starvation. There were Twi'leks, Togruta, Mirialans, Rodians, Iktochi, Bothans, Wookies and humans all crowded together in that tiny space, apparently meditating deeply. All were Force sensitive. Luke could feel that strongly. It was also evident that they had all been there for some time. Like the Duro that was being commanded by Abeloth, their clothing was severely outdated, ragged, and dirty. Thin whisps of hair and mangy fur alike had grown tangled and matted. Fingernails were overgrown and unkempt. Pale flesh flaked away. Every being present was painfully wasted. One, in particular, appeared to be dead. None of that seemed to matter to the group, however, as most of them seemed insensible to what was happening around them.

"Who are all these people?" Luke uttered in a horrified whisper.

"They will not harm you. They are called Mindwalkers," Abeloth declared almost proudly, "and they belong to me."

As if to emphasize that fact, two of the meditators, a purpled skinned Twi'lek female and a wild-looking, bearded human male approached them and awkwardly prostrated themselves before the Duro. Luke took a hasty step backwards and pulled Leia with him when they did. Once again, his sister barely flinched over the scene before them.

With her face still pressed to the ground, the Twi'lek said, "Our beloved Queen of the Stars, you have returned to us at last!"

"This is a most joyful day!" the human male declared, "Most joyful indeed!"

Abeloth smiled down at them indulgently. "You may rise, my servants," she told them, "and greet my beloved children."

Luke balked inwardly at the declaration because he didn't consider Abeloth as a mother or anything close to family, but Leia merely stood with the same impassive expression. To Luke, it seemed her silence was acceptance. As far as he was concerned, however, he already had a mother and Abeloth was a very poor substitute. He might have voiced his dissent out loud if the Twi'lek and human hadn't suddenly begun devouring him and Leia with greedy, reverent eyes.

"Yes, yes," they murmured simultaneously, "They are beautiful, my queen."

"You will show them the way."

"Yes, yes," they replied again in unison, "Whatever you will is what we will do."

For the first time since their arrival, Abeloth acknowledged the deceased "mindwalker" in the far corner of the room. His emaciated body was slumped forward, his legs still crossed in a meditative pose. The human male followed his queen's line of sight and smiled almost maniacally, revealing a row of stained, uneven teeth. "Ma'On has completed his journey," he said, "He is yours now, my queen."

"You may dispose of his physical vessel," Abeloth told him, "It is little more than refuse."

The human nodded. "As you have commanded."

"After you have refreshed yourselves with the supplies that I have brought to you, you will deliver my children to me when you have finished," she said, nodding towards Luke and Leia, "I will be waiting."

As the human and Twi'lek scrambled to fulfill her command and dispose of the dead man, the silver sheen that had defined the Duros' eyes abruptly faded, leaving behind a faded, auburn color instead. He regarded Luke and Leia with those dead eyes, addressing them as himself for the first time since their initial meeting. He didn't acknowledge that he had literally spent the last several hours possessed by another being. Instead, he introduced himself.

"I am Gil'lis," he said, "and this is the meditation chamber of the Mindwalkers. I will show you what you must do and serve as your chief guide beyond shadows. Come."

Before Leia could nod her consent, Luke took a step forward and positioned himself between her and the Duro with a firm shake of his head. "With all due respect, Gil'les, but we're not going anywhere with you!"

He expected Leia to give him a hard time about his refusal and she didn't disappoint him. In her first real display of emotion in what felt to Luke like literal hours, she rounded on her heel to face him with a deep scowl. "What are you doing?" she hissed, "We've come all this way!"

"I'd like to think that I've been a pretty good sport up until now," Luke began in a measured tone, "But this is where I draw the line, Leia! Do you see where we are? Look around us! This is not normal!"

The Duro clucked at him and shook his head with a pitying expression. "Do you not understand, child? This is all an illusion," he said, "There is no reality beyond the Force. Nothing can hurt you here."

Luke tugged Leia closer, careful to keep a wary eye on the Duro as he muttered in an urgent underbreath, "I'm pretty sure that everyone here is out of their minds. Some guy just died, and they shrugged it off! At the very least, they need medical attention!"

"Why would we have need for that?" the Duro asked, his confusion genuine, "We are not ill here. We are free. The Force is all we require."

"You are starving," Luke countered in disbelief, "When was the last time any of you had a meal or took a bath or even left this space station of your own free will?"

"What need is there to leave when there is nothing beyond shadows?"

Recognizing that there was little point in trying to reason with the Duro because he was plainly past the point of logic or understanding, Luke focused on getting through to his sister instead. "Leia, you have to know that none of this is right," he urged, "We shouldn't be here! We should leave right now!"

"And go where, Luke?" she cried, "Do what? There is nowhere we can run that he won't find us! Only Abeloth can protect us now."

"These people are insane! Don't you see? If we trust her, we'll go insane too!"

"I'm already there! He's in my head all the time and I have to get him out, or I'll never be strong enough!"

"Strong enough for what?"

Her dark eyes blazed with a feral light. "To kill him," she said, "We have to kill him, Luke!"

Luke stumbled back from her and felt as if the literal wind had been knocked from his chest, his features awash with revulsion. "Is that why you brought me here?" he uttered, "No! I can't do that! I won't!"

"There is no choice!"

"Why? Because Abeloth says so?"

"You know what I've seen!"

"Yes, I do! But what about what you haven't seen?" he argued, "What about what made him turn back? Because he did turn back, Leia, and that matters!"

"No! That's a lie. It's a trick! He's evil! I know it!"

"What if that is what Abeloth wants you to think?" Luke countered softly, "What if it's not true?"

"And what if it is? I'm not willing to take that chance. Are you?"

Luke couldn't stop himself from mulling over the question though he wanted to dismiss it out of turn. That unknown had been driving his internal conflict for days now. If he could rely on gut instinct alone, he would trust his father without a second thought. Whenever he allowed his guard to slip just enough to feel his father in the Force, he always sensed worry, concern, love and even shame, but never evil. His father didn't feel evil.

But surely, he hadn't felt evil the first time either and yet he had become something monstrous. Luke knew too much about Anakin Skywalker's past and the horrors he was capable of committing…all for the love of his family, his determination to hold on to the woman he loved no matter the cost. What was so different now? His father had chosen that dark path once. Who could guarantee that he would not do so again? Hadn't Ben and Ahsoka always warned them that once a person started down the dark path that the darkness would dominate them for the entirety of their lives? Couldn't the same be said for his father? Could he possibly fall again? Luke didn't have the answers, and it was that uncertainty that made him hesitant to reject Leia's conviction.

"Maybe there's another way…" he argued weakly, "We can figure it out together. We always do."

"Not this time," Leia interrupted in a flat tone, "It has to be this way."

"But look at all these people, Leia!" Luke cried, gesturing wildly towards the numerous bodies in the room, "None of this is normal!"

"Maybe not. But she's not forcing them to be here. It's their choice!"

"Because they're crazy!"

"Do you think I'm crazy?" she asked. He didn't respond to her question right away but his reluctance to answer her quickly was enough. Leia took a step back from him, her jaw set with stony recalcitrance. "I want you with me. I need you, Luke, but I won't force you to follow me. That has to be your choice too." She held out her hand to him. "Trust me…"

He stared down at her hand, recognizing that they had in this exact moment countless times during their journey together. He had taken her hand every single time. But this time, Luke couldn't bring himself to do it. This time, she was asking for too much.

"I…I can't," he said as if the words where being physically ripped from his throat, "This doesn't feel right! Maybe I can't trust Dad anymore, but I can't trust her either."

Leia inclined her head in a crestfallen nod. "I understand."

"You're going to go without me?" he balked.

"I have to see this through to the end," she told him, "I'm not afraid."

"There is no need to fear beyond shadows," the Duro said, "There, you will find peace and freedom. There is no sickness. There is no pain. There is no death. There is only the Force…and it is beautiful."

Leia nodded again. "Yes. I will go with you."

Luke caught hold of her forearm in an iron grip when she started to turn away. "Please, don't go with him," he begged, his words thickened with unshed tears, "It's a mistake."

Despite his pleading, Leia gently but firmly disengaged herself from his hold. "I know I'm right," she whispered, "I'll prove it to you, Luke. You'll see."

He watched helplessly as both the Duro and Leia assumed meditative poses and he instructed her on how to detach herself from her physical body so that she could enter beyond shadows spiritually free. They chanted a distorted mantra of the Jedi prayer in tandem with one another. There is no life. There is no death. There is only the Force. I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me. They said the words again and again, until their voices blended into one and it was impossible to discern them. Over and over again, until the words were replaced with silence, their pupils faded to white, and they were gone.

Left alone with only the shell that Leia had left behind, Luke stared at the plethora of dirty, emaciated bodies surrounding him and wondered vaguely if his sister was destined to suffer the same fate. Had those few minutes been the last he would have with her? Would she even decide to return, or would she believe as the Duro did, that there was nothing worthwhile "beyond shadows"? The thought terrified him.

Luke didn't even realize how harshly he was sobbing until he felt a bony hand come to rest against his shoulder in a gesture of commiseration. He spun away from the skeletal touch and found himself face to face with the gaunt Twi'lek female from before. Her human counterpart had not returned with her. Luke didn't want to think too deeply about what he might be up to.

"There is no need to weep, my child," the Twi'lek soothed him softly, "Your sister has gone on to a better place." Luke grimaced as she continued, "I am Charan. I will help you reach beyond shadows if you are willing."

"I want my sister back!" Luke flared.

"That is a selfish thing you crave for her…the taint of the physical world."

It took every ounce of self-control Luke possessed not to snarl at her. Still, he wasn't entirely pleasant when he demanded, "Who are you people?"

"We are the Mindwalkers," Charan said, "We serve the Queen of the Stars."

"That tells me nothing! Why are you here? Where did you come from? What do you want from my sister?"

"We are from all over the galaxy. Pioneers and visionaries. We are seekers of truth, as is your sister."

"How long have you been in this place?"

She blinked at him, as if she found the question confusing or ridiculous. "Time is an illusion. It does not exist in the Maw. There is nothing beyond the Force."

"Then how are you and I talking right now?" Luke reasoned, "If nothing exists beyond the Force, then doesn't that mean that I don't exist either…and neither do you?"

Charan cocked her head to one side, considering his argument for a moment. She didn't seem to care for the idea of complete nonexistence because she said after a few beats, "There was a Republic when I came here," she said, "Does it still stand?"

"The Republic fell when I was four years old…when Emperor Preet came to power."

"Yes. Preet. I remember him. He hunted us like animals."

"Were you a Jedi?" Luke asked, his tone gentled with sympathy.

"I was a Sith," she replied, "But the Sith and the Jedi are no more. We are enemies no longer. We are one here."

Though she hadn't provided him with an abundance of information her account was substantial enough. Luke discerned that Charan and those with her had likely fled to Sinkhole Station to escape growing hostilities before the Empire rose. Perhaps they had meant to use the station as a hiding place from Preet and his extermination squad and had fallen into madness instead. Luke wondered if Abeloth had beckoned them there just as she had beckoned Leia.

"What's going to happen to my sister?"

Charan's dry, cracked lips peeled back from her decaying teeth. "She will become. It is the greatest honor one can receive."

Luke had no idea what that meant, but he couldn't imagine that it was a good thing, not after all he had seen. He shuddered anew when he considered that this fanatical zealotry might be the same fate that awaited Leia. But she wasn't there yet. These people might be lost, but she wasn't. Leia was desperate and afraid, but she wasn't gone completely. However, Luke knew that she would be if he didn't go after her. He looked at Charan, his blue eyes flinty with determination.

"Will you guide me into beyond shadows?"

Her smile widened and would have possibly beautified her face if it weren't so chilling. "I would like nothing more."