Never Again

Summary: Young Luke is missing his family. His mom has gone in to make sure his dad is safe, while his sister is sick. All he wants is to see them.

AN: Done for Angstober 2022, Day 7.

Luke hugged Squishy Bear tighter as he looked across the city. He was sure, one-hundred percent sure, that he was looking at his home.

He hoped.

It was hard to tell. He knew it was a really tall building and he lived on the top floor. But there were so many tall buildings. But that one, that one far away, that was it. He knew it.

Was Mommy there right now? It had been a long time since she left. A very, very long time. She had never been gone this long before. Something had happened. Something serious and scary.

The night before Mommy had left, he sat with her on the veranda as they watched a building far away on fire. Mommy said that it was the Jedi Temple and she cried. When he asked why, she just said because she was sad. He hugged her.

Daddy came sometime later. Mommy was so happy to see him. She ran and hugged him. He ran and hugged her too. Luke ran and hugged them both. Daddy picked him up and squeezed him tight. He smelled funny. It reminded Luke of burnt food.

"Are you alright?" Mommy asked. "I heard there was an attack on the Jedi Temple. You can see the smoke from here."

"I'm fine," Daddy said. "I'm fine. I came to see if you and the twins were safe."

"Captain Typho is here. We're safe."

"And Leia? How is she holding up?"

"Resting," Mommy said sadly. "The new medicine leaves her tired." Daddy nodded and gave Luke another squeeze. Mommy asked, "What happened?"

"The situation is not good," Daddy said. "The Jedi have tried to overthrow the Republic."

"I can't believe that! Anakin . . . what are you going to do?"

Daddy looked at Luke. Luke smiled at Daddy. He didn't smile back.

"I will not betray the Republic," Daddy said. "My loyalties lay with the Chancellor and with the Senate . . . and with you and our family."

Daddy left shortly after that in his really cool fighter ship. Mommy cried. A lot. Luke patted her back and told her it was ok.

He wished Leia could be there to help Mommy feel better, but she was sick. Really, really sick. She had been given a special room with a special bed and lots of machines. She couldn't get out of bed because she was so sick. Mommy and Daddy were very worried about her, especially Daddy.

He couldn't always visit them. He was busy. He was fighting in the war! Saving people! Though that meant sometimes he was gone a long, long time. Like Mommy had been now.

He wanted to go home. He wanted to see Leia. He wanted Mommy. He wanted Daddy.

But no matter how much he asked or cried or shouted or kicked and screamed, no one would take him to them.

He knew Mommy had gone to look for Daddy. Obi-Wan had come over and asked where Daddy was. Luke was supposed to be in his room. This was an adult-only conversation, but he snuck out anyway.

"Anakin is their father?" Obi-Wan asked.

Mommy looked away.

"I'm sorry," he said and then left.

Then Mommy spotted Luke. He thought she was going to be angry. But instead, she scooped him up and took him to his room. She told him she had to go.

"Where?" Luke asked.

"I need . . . I need to go see your daddy. I need to make sure he is safe," she said.

"What about Leia?"

"She . . . She'll be fine. Your aunties and the medical droids and the doctors will watch over her. I won't be gone long."

But she had been gone long. Very, very, very, very LONG.

And what if she came back and saw he wasn't even there? Sometime after Mommy had left some troopers and other men came and took him away. Luke didn't even want to go with them! He wanted to stay at home! But they picked him up and took him to this stupid, stinky, bad place!

So now he watched his home from afar wishing for his family . . .

He felt something.

It was hard to explain. Daddy called it the Force. That other feeling. It felt like a hand ruffling his hair. It felt like . . .

DADDY!

It was Daddy! Luke was sure of it. One-hundred percent sure of it!

He paused and tried to feel it again. Nothing but a lingering coldness. But that didn't matter. It was Daddy. Daddy was . . . somewhere close. Maybe back home? Maybe looking for Luke and realized he wasn't there? And he would be here soon! Luke could go home soon!

Luke jumped up and down a few times. He threw Squishy Bear into the air. He missed catching him, but he quickly snatch him off the ground. And he waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

He felt Daddy a few more times. They were all soft barely-there touches. But Luke did know Daddy was getting closer each time.

And then he was close. Really close!

Luke bounced around by the door. He heard the click of the lock and he dashed forward the moment the door started to slide open.

"DADDY!" he yelled as he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Daddy's legs. Daddy was big and tall, and Luke could only hug his legs.

Something wasn't right.

The legs felt different. Hard.

They weren't the right boots. Daddy wore brown boots. These were black.

Luke looked up.

A black mask.

Luke screamed.

He backed away but tripped and fell. He landed on his bottom. The man slowly stepped forward, so Luke screamed again.

"Luke," a voice said. A deep voice.

Tears started rolling down Luke's face.

This wasn't Daddy! Where was he? He was so, so, so sure it was Daddy! He had felt him!

"Luke," the man said again as knelt in front of me. "It is me."

The tears burned Luke's cheeks and made his vision blurry. He looked behind the man. Was Daddy there? But no it was just this scary man.

The man reached out with a big hand covered in a large black glove. The man was covered in black.

"It is . . . Daddy," the man said. "It is me, Luke. It is Daddy."

Luke blinked a few times as he tried to chase the tears away. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. But no matter what, he didn't see Daddy. This man wasn't Daddy. He didn't sound like Daddy.

The large hand landed on his head and gently stroked his hair.

"It is Daddy," the man repeated.

And Luke felt it. Not the hand on his head. But in the Force. That feeling he had been feeling for a long time. Now it was here in this room coming from this man. The feeling of Daddy was coming from this man . . .

Luke scrambled up to his knees and crawled over to the man. He placed his hands on the mask.

Yes. This was Daddy.

Again, Daddy put a hand on Luke's head. His other hand rested on Luke's back.

"Take this off," Luke said. His voice wavered but it was strong, because he was brave.

"I . . . cannot," Daddy said.

Luke frowned. "Why not? I don't like it. It's scary."

"I know," Daddy said. He sounded sad. "But I need it to breathe."

Luke's frown deepened. That didn't make sense. Daddy didn't need a mask to breathe!

"I want to go home," Luke said. "I don't like it here. I want to see Leia and Mommy."

Daddy stiffened, which was odd because he was already stiff. But now he seemed frozen. In fact, it felt colder in here.

"They did not tell you?" Daddy said.

Tell him what?

"They did not tell you the fate of your mother or sister?" Daddy asked.

He was angry. Luke didn't like that. It was scary.

He tried to step away, but Daddy's hand on his back was hard, and didn't move.

"Daddy," Luke said. His voice was no longer strong and brave. It was small and uneven. "Can we go home, please?"

The mask tilted to look at him.

"We cannot," Daddy said.

"But . . . what about Mommy? And Leia? When can I see them?"

"You won't see them. Never again."