Chapter Two - The Shadow's Temptation

"There is a way we can look deeper into possible timelines."

Mace Windu's voice broke the heavy silence that had fallen. The Jedi Master turned his piercing gaze on Ben. "You mentioned a...portal...that brought you here?"

Ben nodded. "The World Between Worlds transcends normal space and time. Those who pass through its portals can witness events beyond their own era."

"Can your portal be reopened?" Mace's tone was skeptical but intrigued.

"I believe so." Ben considered for a moment. "The portal links special vergences across space and time. It responded when I sought this place and moment unconsciously. If I focus, I may be able to reconnect to its power. But I do not know if that's how it works. Nobody knows."

"Do it," Mace commanded. The other Council members murmured agreement, newcomer Anakin among them. Only Yoda seemed uneasy, claws tapping the stone floor. But he made no objection.

Closing his eyes, Ben reached out with his feelings, letting the Force guide him. The World Between Worlds was not a physical place, but a tapestry of luminous strands beyond mortal perception. He visualized the portal's energy signatures, the unique song of its cosmic strings...

The Chamber filled with piercing white light, coalescing into a shimmering tear in the fabric of reality. The Jedi stared in wonder, even the Masters unnerved by this evidence of the Force's deepest mysteries.

Mace leaned forward intently. "Can we travel through this...doorway, as you did?"

Ben considered the swirling radiance. "I believe so. But the visions may be disorienting. You must keep hold of yourselves." He paused. "And remain mindful - the future is never fully defined. What we see are only possibilities."

"Trust in the Force, we must," Yoda advised somberly. "If trapped in darkness we become, lose ourselves we could." The ancient Master approached the portal, ears flattened warily. "Ready, are we?"

Ben waited as the Jedi steeled themselves, then waved them toward the portal two by two. Yoda and Mace passed through first, then Ki-Adi-Mundi with wise T'ra Saa. Other Council members followed until only Anakin remained. He met Ben's gaze, jaw tight with nervous tension. Together, they stepped into the light.

Ben focused his senses on Anakin as the living Force blazed around them. If they became lost in the chaotic eddies of time, Anakin might drift farthest astray...

Blazing heat seared Ben's face, a harsh red light overwhelming his vision. Dark billowing clouds roiled overhead in a smoke-choked sky. It was a scene of nightmarish desolation - rivers of fire slicing through shattered black mountains. Mustafar.

On another portal - an observation platform ahead stood Darth Vader, a black cape whipping in the scorching wind. At his feet knelt a younger Jedi Knight - Luke Skywalker.

"I know there is still good in you, Father," Luke was pleading. But Vader only stalked closer, crimson lightsaber blazing. Their battle exploded furiously until Vader cut off Luke's hand, leaving him helpless.

Ben concentrated hard, willing the scene away before Anakin had to witness the full confrontation. The hellscape melted around them, replaced by a desert night and the twin moons of Tatooine.

An old man waited there, robes concealing Jedi garb. He held an infant, murmuring gentle words as he watched the night sky. A younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ben realized. And cradled in his arms...Luke Skywalker.

The vision shifted again. Now the Jedi Council stood within a royal palace, an astoundingly beautiful teenage girl rushing into the room. "Master Yoda..." she gasped, "Alderaan is under attack!"

She turned, revealing a face lovely despite its distress. Princess Leia Organa. Ben knew his mother had been adopted and raised by Bail Organa, though her true origins were hidden even from her.

He willed the vision toward hopeful days, not darker times. The palace dissolved. Now Leia stood triumphant amid cheering crowds, no longer a helpless girl but a leader daring to defy tyranny...

Ben emerged from the churning vortex back into the Council chamber, steadying himself against the sudden stillness. Anakin was shaking, face pale like he'd glimpsed his own phantom. The truth had shaken him, but the right shadows could still push him deeper into darkness.

With gentle care, Ben guided his grandfather into a chair. "Breathe. Release your fear into the Force." Anakin's taut shoulders slowly relaxed. He gave a small, pained smile of gratitude.

Mace Windu crossed his arms, brows lowered ominously. "These visions reveal much, though I wish we had seen more. A dark menace clearly emerges." He eyed Anakin reproachfully. "We must investigate who would corrupt a Jedi into a servant of evil."

"No," Anakin protested, fear cracking his voice. "The future - it can change! Those nightmares won't happen. I'll never..."

Yoda hobbled forward, raising a calming hand. "Always in motion, the future is. The gateway in the cave ahead, only one path, shows. But choose another direction, the traveler still may."

Ben spoke up. "Master Yoda is right. The dark timeline can still be averted - for Anakin, the Order, the galaxy itself." He turned to Mace Windu. "Have faith. Anakin faces temptation, not destiny."

Mace scowled, clearly unconvinced. But Yoda gave a sagely nod. "Return tomorrow, the Council will, when meditated more we have. Then decide the right course, we shall." With a tap of his gimer stick, he summoned the session to a close.

The Council members filed silently away until only Ben and Anakin remained. The young Jedi dropped his head into shaking hands. "The things I saw..." He lifted his eyes to Ben, anguished comprehension dawning. "Your parents..."

Ben chose his words with care. The future still hung by Anakin's thread. "In my time, the Sith Lord you saw rules the galaxy through fear and hatred. But for my generation, hope still survives." Gently, he asked, "What did you see in those visions, Anakin? How did it make you feel?"

Anakin's voice was hollow. "I saw...myself. More machine than man, consumed by rage." He shuddered. "And my children, left to wither in the shadow I cast." He fell quiet, then met Ben's gaze. "I'm afraid that darkness is already inside me. I don't know if I'm strong enough to resist."

Ben squeezed his shoulder. "Trust your better angels, Anakin. They will lead you through."

Anakin managed a faint smile. "Wisely spoken. Thank you for showing me the truth, Ben. I promise to reflect on what I must do now."

As his grandfather hurried away, Ben prayed Anakin would find the light's path again. So much depended on this one troubled soul's inner battle. Ben stood along in the light bridge ready to walk his own path on his own.