Beyond - Legends Enter the Foreign (time travel AU - Anakin Skywalker, Ben Skywalker, Tahiri, Allana, OCs & more)

Stang. I was hoping to meet Tahiri later in this post. 'Sokay. Sounds like some things haven't changed, she's still as crazy as always.

Yay for Arden & Elias' reconciliation scene! Atta way to knock some sense into the boy, Myri.

Anakin inhaled deeply and nodded. As Ben and Kala Di continued to talk, Anakin watched the desert sweep by, his thoughts turning absently to the objects that lay hidden beneath the dunes. In his youth he had met many treasure hunters who hoped to uncover Tatooine?s ancient riches, but few had been successful. The desert rarely gave up its treasures.

He remembered the last day he?d been here, the day he had buried his mother. She was out there somewhere, her gravestone probably claimed by the desert long ago.

The desert heat continued to wash over him, weighing down his eyelids. After a few minutes he gave in and closed his eyes, the sound of the engine lulling him to sleep.

This whole passage read like something out of a novel. Ani & Ben scenes are my favorite. They have such a great rapport. I wonder how long Ben plans to draw out the process of bringing Anakin up to date on galactic history?

at the idea of pretending to be named after his own namesake. Amazing update, well worth the wait!

 

At least the Jedi haven't been slaughter to extinction again. It's good for Anakin to see the outcome of his actions even if doesn't know he was a part of it.

 

I have been far too quiet here. Sorry, Vi. I just reread the last few chapters hoping to scare up some specific feedback for you, but I didn't get very far, for perhaps an odd reason: I have no idea where you're going with this or how it's going to develop, and I find myself just trying to absorb every detail. Somehow with your writing, this effectively translates to me looking intensely at the story and occasionally grunting inarticulately at you, "Story good. Need more" and going back to the story trying to figure things out, which I never do. Pretty much everything you've written has this effect on me. It's beautifully done in every detail: the canon characters are in character, the OCs are believable and interesting, the plot is compelling, the narrative flows beautifully, the descriptions are clear and easy to visualize, the dialogue has great timing, the whole schmear. I love it. I just can't quite manage to pick it apart the way I often do in feedback, because my brain is too busy trying to take in the whole of it.

So. Um. Story good. Need more.

 

Ugh, note to self: new job and fanfic do not mix. Yep, I started a second job last week, and I've been trying to impress the new boss by taking on as many hours as possible. Which, when combined with the other job, results in some insane fatigue and laziness on my part. No post for this week; I haven't quite gotten it where I want it before sending it to the beta, so I'm going to wait. Replies later, and I'll keep you posted on what to expect next week.

EDIT: Replies!

LT ? Stang. I was hoping to meet Tahiri later in this post. 'Sokay. Sounds like some things haven't changed, she's still as crazy as always.

-- I?ve really enjoyed writing Tahiri, and I hope she doesn?t disappoint when she does show up!

Yay for Arden & Elias' reconciliation scene! Atta way to knock some sense into the boy, Myri.

--Ah, young love.

This whole passage read like something out of a novel. Ani & Ben scenes are my favorite. They have such a great rapport. I wonder how long Ben plans to draw out the process of bringing Anakin up to date on galactic history?

--Aw, thanks, LT. I?m thrilled that you think so. I really love writing the Ani/Ben scenes. As for how long until the big reveal? well, it?s coming fairly soon, I?d say.

at the idea of pretending to be named after his own namesake. Amazing update, well worth the wait!

--Lol, I thought that was a nice touch. Glad you liked it; hopefully I?ll sort out my RL stuff enough to get this back on track.

Mom ? At least the Jedi haven't been slaughter to extinction again. It's good for Anakin to see the outcome of his actions even if doesn't know he was a part of it.

--I agree. And just wait until he does find out about his part in all of this?

Gabri ? I have been far too quiet here. Sorry, Vi.

--No worries, dear. I completely understand RL.

I just reread the last few chapters hoping to scare up some specific feedback for you, but I didn't get very far, for perhaps an odd reason: I have no idea where you're going with this or how it's going to develop, and I find myself just trying to absorb every detail. Somehow with your writing, this effectively translates to me looking intensely at the story and occasionally grunting inarticulately at you, "Story good. Need more" and going back to the story trying to figure things out, which I never do. Pretty much everything you've written has this effect on me.

--Lol, that is an interesting reason, but I admit I?m somewhat proud to have had this effect on you.

It's beautifully done in every detail: the canon characters are in character, the OCs are believable and interesting, the plot is compelling, the narrative flows beautifully, the descriptions are clear and easy to visualize, the dialogue has great timing, the whole schmear. I love it. I just can't quite manage to pick it apart the way I often do in feedback, because my brain is too busy trying to take in the whole of it.

-- Thanks, Gabri. That means more to me than you know.

So. Um. Story good. Need more.

--I promise to get the next chapter to you as soon as I can muster up some more energy. That dare challenge really took it out of me last night. (Er, this morning, I mean.)

 

~~

Chapter Six


Anakin had spent the better part of an hour following Ben throughout the camp, being introduced to the children and a few of the adults. Despite the fact that many of the children were orphans, they seemed relatively well-adjusted. Some of the youngest ones followed after him, laughing as they tugged playfully on his robes. Anakin didn’t mind their attention, occasionally making faces at them; he could tell from Ben’s reactions that he had not expected him to be good with kids. Again, Anakin wondered what had happened in this time to make Ben so cautious around his own flesh and blood.

Ben led him toward a group of teenagers who were sitting on the sand, eyes closed. “These are the older apprentices,” his grandson said with a gesture.

Anakin surveyed the scene. “Padawans?”

“Sort of. There aren’t enough masters for all of the children, so we do the best we can.” Ben nodded at a middle-aged blonde woman standing with a dark-haired girl. “Karanya over there is Kala Di’s mother. She has another daughter and a son, too. Right now she trains both her daughters.”

Anakin let out a low whistle. “Yoda would never approve.”

“Yoda’s not here.”

The woman, Karanya, caught sight of them and began walking toward them.

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” she said, smiling brightly.

Ben smiled in return. “Karanya, I’d like you to meet Anakin. We picked him up on our journey. Anakin, this is Karanya Nal.”

Anakin extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

“Please, no formalities. Call me Karanya.” The woman must have been very young when she had Kala Di. She looked to be around Obi-Wan’s age. “I see you prefer the traditional robes?”

Anakin looked down at his tunic, then over at Ben. “Um… is that bad?”

Karanya shrugged. “I don’t know where you’re from, but most of the Jedi we know like to be as discreet as possible.” She eyed the robes again and grinned. “Although I must say, that style would have stood out even before we went into hiding.”

Anakin gave her a half smile in return. Yes, the outfit certainly had stood out. Some Masters had thought his color choice to be evidence of a more disturbing trend. Maybe he just liked colors that didn’t immediately remind him of sand.

Karanya turned to Ben. “Kala Di tells me you turned down our dinner invite?”

Ben ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’ve already got plans. Sorry.”

“Oh, that’s okay. You know you’re always welcome though.”

“I know.” Ben kicked the sand. “Hey, is Tahiri around?”

“No, she went off into the desert last night, almost as soon as she got here. I think she wanted time to meditate alone.” Karanya looked past Ben. “Hey, Valin!”

Anakin turned to see a brown-haired man walking toward him. The man raised a hand in greeting. As he came closer, a small child emerged from behind him. She clung to the man’s pant leg, silent.

Karanya leaned down and smiled at the girl. “Hi, sweetie.” When the girl shrank behind her father, Karanya smiled and looked up at Valin. “When did Tahiri say she’d be back?”

“She’s on her way now, but she’s about two hours out.” The man glanced at Ben. “Myri says hi, and she wanted me to tell you that Ulin is still working on the datapad.” He grinned. “According to her, ‘there’s a crazy huge level of security on this piece of junk.’”

Ben groaned. “Any idea how long it will take?”

“Ulin says a day, maybe two.”

“Perfect,” Ben said, shaking his head. “Just perfect.” He paused for a moment before gesturing toward Anakin. “Sorry. Valin, this is Anakin. We picked him up on the way here. Anakin, meet Valin Horn.”

Valin shook Anakin’s hand. “Nice to meet you.” For a moment, Anakin thought he saw a strange look in the other man’s eyes.

Karanya spread her arms wide. “Well, I guess we’ve got some time before this datapad gets cracked. I’d better get back to Dira.” She smiled warmly at Anakin. “It was very nice to meet you.”

The three men watched her walk away. Ben turned to Anakin and gave him a wry grin. “Overwhelmed yet?”

Anakin mentally counted off all the people he had met that day. “Almost,” he admitted. “But I think I can manage one more.” He kneeled in the sand and leaned his head to one side, seeking out the child hiding behind Valin. “May I?” he asked.

Valin nodded. “Be my guest.”

Anakin held a hand out to the girl. “Hi. I’m Anakin. What’s your name?”

The little girl looked up at Anakin with big, dark eyes and smiled timidly. “My name’s Carin, and I’m this many.” She held up six fingers and giggled.

Anakin let his jaw drop. “You’re six! Boy, when I was six I wasn’t nearly as grown up as you!”

The girl’s face lit up as she took a couple steps forward and gripped Anakin’s hand. “Would you like to come over to our tent? I’m helping Daddy with dinner!”

Valin put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder and drew her to his side. “That’s enough, Carin. I’m sure Anakin already has plans. Why don’t you go find your brother?”

The girl lowered her head. “Yes, Daddy.” Without another word, she took off across the camp, kicking up sand behind her. Anakin watched her disappear into the waning light.

“She’s usually very shy,” Valin explained quietly, not quite meeting Anakin’s eyes. “Like her mother.” The melancholy on his face was unmistakable. He sighed and gave Anakin a half-smile. “Do you have someone waiting for you back home?”

The emptiness again. The feeling of unfamiliarity, of being alone in a galaxy where nothing was the same, not even the fabric of the Force.

“I did.”

Valin nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Anakin tried to smile, but found that he couldn’t. His thoughts turned once again to all of the strange changes that had taken place in this time. Ben had said he would tell him everything eventually. He hoped it was sooner rather than later.

Ben stepped closer to Valin. “Did you bring the boys with you?”

“Yes, Tahiri asked me to. They’re back in my tent, sleeping.”

Ben raised one eyebrow. “Tired from the trip?”

Valin chuckled. “They couldn’t sit still for two seconds the whole trip, and as soon as we got here they crashed.”

“Why am I not surprised? Okay, well, Anakin and I are going into the desert for a while; if you hear anything from Myri about the datapad, let me know right away.”

Valin clapped Ben on the shoulder. “You got it. Be careful out there.”

Anakin watched his grandson adopt a pose that looked eerily familiar. His head tilted slightly, Ben gave Valin a wry grin and said, “I always am.”

As Valin headed off in the same direction as his daughter, Anakin glanced sidelong at Ben. “Taking me somewhere special?”

Ben crossed his arms over his chest. “I am indeed. You know how to ride a swoop?”

Anakin shook his head. “You really don’t know anything about me.”

“Right, I forgot. You raced those pod things.” Ben raised an eyebrow at him. “All right, follow me.”

“I can pilot a lot of things,” Anakin mumbled. He followed Ben as the other man began to walk. “And it’s called a podracer.”

Ben waved his hand in the air without looking back. “Whatever you say, Gramps.”

~~


The desert was very still tonight.

Oh, no doubt there was a sandstorm brewing on the eastern edge of the Dune Sea, or a herd of dewbacks disrupting the otherwise peaceful evenings of farmers near Mos Eisley. But here, in the Jundland Wastes, all was quiet. Even cruising near top speed on her swoop bike, Tahiri Veila could sense the absolute calm of her surroundings.

She hadn’t expected it. In a way, it worried her. In her mind, stillness made the Jedi presence even more obvious. Maybe that was why she preferred daylight on Tatooine. When everyone else was awake, she imagined that their lifeforces were like a shield around the tiny Jedi enclave. It was a silly notion, but one that gave her some level of comfort. She knew she shouldn’t worry; the protection she and the other Masters had put on the camp was strong enough.

For now.

The stillness probably wouldn’t have bothered her so much if it hadn’t come on the heels of several small disturbances in the Force. Alone, they might not have caused much concern. But they had come one after another, first the ripples from the Inner Rim – the attack on Denon, most likely – then that strange, fleeting distortion of the Force somewhere inside Sith space. Now a strong yet unfamiliar presence had come with Ben to Tatooine, and she had to wonder if all these events were connected. Could it be that this stranger Ben had picked up was the reason for the calmness of the desert? Or was she simply reading too much into a peaceful evening?

She’d only been away from Tatooine for a few weeks, checking on the other enclaves, but it seemed much longer than that. There was never any guarantee that she would make it home; each time she left, she wondered if it would be the last time. She was thankful to be here. She was thankful for the sand and the dry desert air and the tents full of younglings that had survived until she could return to them.

She was especially thankful that nothing had happened to the two boys in Valin’s care. Yes, they were safe aboard the Errant Venture, but she’d had the niggling feeling that they needed to be here, on Tatooine. Perhaps it had something to do with the string of disturbances she’d sensed.

Or maybe she just missed them too damn much.

The suns were already descending fast toward the horizon. She would barely make it to the enclave before nightfall. Tahiri leaned slightly forward in her seat and listened once more to the stillness.

She kept getting the feeling that something big, something important, was about to happen. The question now was whether it would be revealed in a sudden, Force-driven explosion of clarity, or if, like every other sentient in the galaxy, she would have to wait for the answers.

~~


Lord Dominius sat across the conference table from his lieutenants, Darths Varice and Misra. Alone in the room, just the three of them, he was reminded of his old history lessons and the tales of the ancient Sith Triumvirate. It had been a flawed system, made up of three incredibly powerful Dark Lords. If Dominius were to resurrect the Triumvirate – hypothetically, of course – he would probably choose these two women as his co-rulers. They were more loyal to him than Sith usually were, and they were not without their gifts. Darth Varice was the polar opposite of her younger brother, Raze; she was calm and calculating, as cunning as she was beautiful. And then there was the fair-haired human, Misra, who possessed a brutal command of the Force and the physical strength to back it up. Yes, they would make for an interesting Sith Triumvirate, if nothing else.

Dominius leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingertips together. Varice and Misra were suitably surprised by his announcement. They exchanged glances before looking over at him.

“You’re certain it was Skywalker? He is quite adept at disguising himself. Might it not have been a decoy?”

Dominius was not offended by Lady Varice’s doubts. It was merely her way, asking so many questions. She liked to be thorough.

“I am certain of it,” he replied. “He may be able to hide from the Force, but he cannot hide from me. I would recognize that face anywhere.”

“And it’s true that you will be renewing the Jedi Hunt?” Misra scratched at the polished surface of the table, but her eyes were locked on Dominius.

“The decision was made shortly after Denon; Skywalker’s reappearance simply pushed our plans up a bit.” Dominius gave Misra a sly smile, baring his sharp white teeth. “So to answer your question, yes.”

Misra glanced over at Varice and shifted ever so slightly in her seat. “You know how angry the twins will be when they learn that you are leading the Hunt.”

Dominius was a patient man, but the thought of those two young upstarts made his usually cool reptilian blood boil just a little. For now, he held his feelings in check. “Ferrus and Festus are the least of my concerns, Lady Misra. You will inform them that they are to remain on Vjun for the time being. No doubt we will be meeting them there soon enough.”

“You don’t think Skywalker will be foolish enough to actually go there, do you?” Varice was young and hadn’t had as much experience with the foolhardiness of the Skywalker line.

“I know that he will be, Lady Varice. And he will be expecting to fight us, too. But for now, let us see if we can’t track down any more of their secret enclaves, shall we?”

Varice pulled out a datapad. “The trail went cold after Heibic. We have no new leads.”

“What about the information from Denon?”

“The only salvageable communications equipment was a subspace transceiver. It’s likely that the Jedi have already changed their frequency, but I think it would be worth our while to continue monitoring subspace using this device.”

“The original report mentioned an illegal HoloNet transceiver.”

Varice sighed. “That would have been quite a find for us; however, the Jedi destroyed it during the attack.”

Dominius stroked the end of his chin with his long fingernails. “Very well. What have you discovered from the subspace logs?”

“A team of Lessers has been following the leads from the logs, but so far they’ve all been dead ends. We think the Jedi might be using couriers to relay their messages. It would explain why we’re having trouble tracking them.”

“Or,” Misra interrupted, “they might not be in contact at all. Perhaps they’ve truly isolated themselves from each other, and the transmissions from the Denon enclave have nothing to do with Jedi business.”

“No,” Dominius said, standing up from his chair. “They were in contact. Skywalker knew what happened there.” He paced across the room and pressed a button at the end of the table. A hologram of the galaxy appeared above their heads. “This is what we know,” he said, zooming in on the portion of the Inner Rim where Denon was located. “The Jedi hid on a heavily populated planet at the intersection of two major trade routes. We have always assumed this was their strategy: hide amidst a crowd, and no one will notice you.”

Varice and Misra were silent, watching him pace.

Dominius zoomed out and shifted the map, focusing in on a single planet. “It was the same on Arkania several years ago. With hundreds of billions of lives, we nearly overlooked Katarn’s secret base.” He let his hand fall to his side and stared at the glowing blue map.

“My lord?” Misra said after a moment. “Are you saying that’s not the reason?”

“We’ve monitored communications, restricted the HoloNet, spread our web of spies across the Empire and into Alliance space. None of it has worked. Before Organa Solo died, the Jedi were at least more willing to come out and fight us, but now… now they keep to the shadows.” He shook his head. “They’ve learned a thing or two from us, I’m afraid. It’s time we stopped thinking like conquerors and started thinking like the old Sith.”

“Hide under your enemy’s nose,” Lady Varice murmured.

Dominius turned to her, eyes wide. “Yes, yes… for a millennium, the Sith hid in the most obvious places. Sidious lived on Coruscant; he kept himself in plain sight! We have the right pieces, but we’ve been putting them together the wrong way.” Dominius shifted the hologram back to Denon. “Here. Denon is good for drowning out Force signatures, but it’s also near the border of the Empire. We would never have expected our enemies to be hiding there. They were practically standing right in the center of a potential invasion corridor! Arkania was also directly in our path.”

He could feel his skin warming; his pigmentation was already changing from cool green to a light shade of orange. But he couldn’t help himself; to think that they were making some kind of progress after years of fruitless searches. And he had to admit, it felt good to be focusing on the Jedi once more. He had missed the Hunt.

“Lady Varice. Lady Misra.” He forced himself to settle down and looked from one woman to the other. “The arrival of the Jedi on Vjun is imminent. I expect some of us will be sent there to welcome them. In the meantime, however, I want both of you to go through all the data from Denon, keeping in mind what we discussed. Even if we manage to capture Skywalker and Cain, we will still need to find the other enclaves.”

“We understand,” Misra said, bowing her head.

“Unless I say otherwise, you are to commit yourselves entirely to this task.”

“Yes, my lord.”

As the two women turned to leave, Dominius waved Varice over. “Tell Raze to be ready; when I leave for Vjun, I want him at my side.”

The Zabrak nodded. “As you wish, my lord.”

~~


Ben left the Jedi enclave at a modest three hundred kilometers per hour, not quite top speed for the old Zephyr-G swoop he was riding. He felt Anakin behind him, but as the camp grew more distant and the desert swallowed him whole, Ben drowned everything else out. There was only the sound of the wind, the sting of sand, the fading heat from the suns. Despite the incredible vastness of the world around him, Ben didn’t feel overwhelmed. For the first time in weeks – probably months – he felt some measure of peace.

For a long time he wasn’t sure that he got the same thrill from flying as most of the rest of his family, and after a while he realized that he didn’t. He was a Skywalker who didn’t get excited at the idea of taking off for places unknown or dodging laser blasts in a dogfight. He did, however, enjoy the solitude, the feeling of disconnect he got whenever he flew. For a little while, he could forget about everything that had gone wrong in the galaxy. He could forget about what it was he had to do once he stopped this swoop.

He really wasn’t looking forward to that. Not one bit.

Ben had started to untie two of the parked swoop bikes when he noticed Anakin standing off to the side, looking as though he wanted to say something.

“Problem?”

Anakin glanced over his shoulder. There was no one in sight. “Not exactly,” he said, taking a step toward the swoops. For the briefest moment, Ben thought he saw tears in Anakin’s eyes. “Is your father my son?” he finally asked.

Ben had always assumed Anakin Skywalker was unaware of his wife’s pregnancy at the time of his fall. From their discussion aboard the Daybreak, it was clear now that he had known; but did he sense that she was carrying twins? Hadn’t Dad mentioned once that Vader was surprised to learn of Aunt Leia’s true identity?

What if Anakin went back tonight? Ben didn’t know how this time travel stuff worked, and he had no way of knowing if and when Anakin would return to his own time. If he was still going to become Darth Vader, it would be a fatal mistake to tell him about Aunt Leia. The less he knew about the future, the better.

Unless Ben decided to tell his grandfather everything. Every terrible secret.

“Ben?”

“Sorry.” Ben looked over at him and blinked. “Is my father your son?” He tried not to look too confused. “Who else would he be?”

“I mean, I’m not your great-grandfather or anything like that, right?”

“No, just a regular grandfather.” Not that he’d ever known what one of those was like. “And yes, he was your son.”

Everything around Anakin – the air, the Force itself – seemed to go still. “Was…” he murmured.

Ben nodded. “Yeah.” He led his swoop away from the others. “Come on. There’s something I need to show you.”

Ben gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the handlebars. So much for serenity.

It was supposed to be a fairly long trip across the Jundland Wastes, but for Ben it passed by all too quickly. The first of the twin suns was setting when he spotted their destination up ahead. He signaled to Anakin and began to slow down. The small, synstone hut nearly blended into the rocky surroundings, but Ben would have known it anywhere. He’d spent many long hours here over the last few years. Beyond the structure, he saw the top of the Daybreak. Artoo must have already gone inside the hut.

This was where it had all started. Well, Ben thought, from a certain point of view. In many ways, his father’s journey had begun here. In many other ways, Luke Skywalker’s path had been laid out long before he set foot in old Kenobi’s hut. Ben still wasn’t sure if the results of his father’s life were a matter of destiny, bad decisions, or just plain bad luck.

The home had long since been gutted of anything useful by scavengers, but it would provide shelter enough while Ben talked to his grandfather. Ben parked his swoop next to the crumbling hut and waited for Anakin to join him. The younger man had already dismounted and was standing at the edge of the precipice, his eyes closed as a gentle wind ruffled his hair.

“Everything in this galaxy feels so different now.” He shook his head and looked over his shoulder at Ben. “But Tatooine is still the same. The only place that feels right.”

Ben tried to smile. “Not everything stayed the same.”

Anakin cocked his head to one side as if listening to music only he could hear. “Jabba’s gone.”

This time Ben cracked a grin. He kept forgetting how long it had been since Anakin had stepped foot on this planet. “Strangled to death by my aunt during a rescue mission.”

Anakin nodded and looked back at the hut. “Who lived here?”

“My father’s first mentor,” Ben answered. “I was named for him, in a way.”

“In a way?”

“He changed his name to Ben when he came to Tatooine. ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ was too much of a giveaway, I guess.”

Anakin didn’t even try to hide his shock. “Obi-Wan lived here?”

Ben nodded. “A long time ago.”

Anakin reached out and ran his fingers along the rough exterior. “What happened?”

“It’s a long story.” A long and terrible story that he wasn’t sure he could tell properly, especially not to the man who was responsible for so much of it.

“I have time,” Anakin replied.

Ben looked out at the twin suns, the first one already dipping far below the horizon. “You may not be ready to hear it.”

“I need to know.” There was something in his voice that forced Ben to meet his gaze.

Fear.

The setting suns cast a mixture of gold and purple light across Anakin’s face. Ben stared at him for a long moment, the sadness he carried in his heart rising to the surface. He wished he could promise his grandfather that everything turned out fine in the end, but it just wasn’t true.

And by the look in the other man’s eyes, he could see Anakin already suspected part of the truth. Holding back the rest would be an insult.

“You’d better come inside.”

Anakin followed Ben into the hut as the first sun disappeared from the sky.

~~

 

Is Tahiri the mother of Valin's boys? Not that I expect you to tell me, Vi, but I did enjoy Tahiri's ruminations.

The Sithly proceedings on Vjun were spine-chilling. Your post-FOTJ galaxy is a lot more fully realized than I thought. I mean, you've hit just the right combination of political machination and internal power struggle, plus you have the ominous note of impending doom down pat. I hope we get to visit more of the Jedi enclaves soon.

We've been on Tatooine for what, two posts now? - and I feel like the Dune Sea is already a character in its own right.

The passages where Ben/Anakin/Tahiri is racing along in a swoop are great favorites of mine. Keep up the good work.

Anakin followed Ben into the hut as the first sun disappeared from the sky.
FINALLY. Though Ben's going to have to censor himself a quite a bit if he wants to keep Leia out of it. Actually, there really is no way to keep Leia out of it, only to keep silent about her connection to Luke, Ben, and Anakin. Thank the Force she stuck with Organa for her maiden name.

EDIT: You found a job! Good luck with Darth RL - as a friend, as well as for purely selfish reasons (I want to find out what happens next damnit).

 

Anakin didn?t mind their attention, occasionally making faces at them; he could tell from Ben?s reactions that he had not expected him to be good with kids.

Oh, the irony. Although I rather like the image of Anakin making faces at children tugging on his robes.

Again, Anakin wondered what had happened in this time to make Ben so cautious around his own flesh and blood.

Well, Anakin, there's also the little fact that time travel tends to be disconcerting.

?According to her, ?there?s a crazy huge level of security on this piece of junk.??

You know, there wasn't a whole lot of Myri to be had in LotF, but the bits we saw were perfectly in line with your characterization of her here.

The emptiness again. The feeling of unfamiliarity, of being alone in a galaxy where nothing was the same, not even the fabric of the Force.

That would be strange, to have the Force itself feel so different.

She knew she shouldn?t worry; the protection she and the other Masters had put on the camp was strong enough.

Hey, I missed that first time around. Tahiri's a master, huh? Interesting.

?Lady Varice. Lady Misra.? He forced himself to settle down and looked from one woman to the other. ?The arrival of the Jedi on Vjun is imminent. I expect some of us will be sent there to welcome them. In the meantime, however, I want both of you to go through all the data from Denon, keeping in mind what we discussed. Even if we manage to capture Skywalker and Cain, we will still need to find the other enclaves.?

Hmmmm.

For a long time he wasn?t sure that he got the same thrill from flying as most of the rest of his family, and after a while he realized that he didn?t. He was a Skywalker who didn?t get excited at the idea of taking off for places unknown or dodging laser blasts in a dogfight.

That's a nice touch, I think. Nothing says Ben would have to feel the same way about flying as his father and grandfather (and mother, much of the time) did.

Unless Ben decided to tell his grandfather everything. Every terrible secret.

Hmmmm again.

?No, just a regular grandfather.? Not that he?d ever known what one of those was like. ?And yes, he was your son.?

Everything around Anakin ? the air, the Force itself ? seemed to go still. ?Was?? he murmured.

Aw. What an awful thing for Anakin to have to face, especially before Luke's even born.

?Everything in this galaxy feels so different now.? He shook his head and looked over his shoulder at Ben. ?But Tatooine is still the same. The only place that feels right.?

Ben tried to smile. ?Not everything stayed the same.?

Not everything about Tatooine stayed the same?

And by the look in the other man?s eyes, he could see Anakin already suspected part of the truth. Holding back the rest would be an insult.

?You?d better come inside.?

Well, now you're just going to have to really get cracking on the next chapter, young lady.

Hey, look, I managed to be coherent this time.

 

I've had the feeling for the last few posts that Luke was gone, but I kept hoping that he would pop up. Now you've confirmed he's gone.

I'm looking forward to Ben's tale.

 

Just upping this. I hope you find time to update soon.

Vi, I swear, every time I log on your colors change!

 

I love teh colors.

I don't have a good excuse for my absence, although I have plenty of poor excuses. It's the big reveal scene, I just can't get myself to finish it. I swear I have a lot of stuff written - it's just those little transitions that take me forever to do.

I think I will also blame work while I'm at it, lol. I've been working about twice as much as usual these last couple of weeks, and my hours change every day, so it makes me lazy when I come home. Basically, you guys just need to kick my butt and tell me to update.

Replies and an update asap! *crosses fingers*

 

Could I trouble you for a PM when you update?

 

I'm here! I'm here and I'm all caught up and now that means you have to get cracking on posting the next part so I don't have to wait anymore.

I am so confused. There's so much going on and so many things to keep straight, and all of the characters keep mentioning events and relationships that they know about but that we don't. If it's as intricate as DFC I say bring it on. You work best that way.

The sadist in me really liked how you so casually dropped the bomb of the news that both Luke and Leia were dead. Throwaway mentions, each! And I'm pretty sure I know who the boys are that Tahiri picked up, but I won't mention in case I'm right as I don't want to spoil others who potentially read my comment.

Get cracking, chica! You should post tonight to celebrate your purty colors.

 

Mmmmmmmmm....colors..........Green....

 

?My father?s first mentor,? Ben answered. ?I was named for him, in a way.?

?In a way??

?He changed his name to Ben when he came to Tatooine. ?Obi-Wan Kenobi? was too much of a giveaway, I guess.?

I always thought Obi-Wan Skywalker had a cooler ring to it than plain old Ben. It could have been his nickname. x]

Great job! Looking forward to the next chapter!

Peace,
Bea

 

Just caught up you should really continue soon. pm list if it is not too much trouble.




........BJ

 

Finally! Replies!


LT ? Is Tahiri the mother of Valin's boys? Not that I expect you to tell me, Vi, but I did enjoy Tahiri's ruminations.

--I guess you?ll just have to wait and see.

The Sithly proceedings on Vjun were spine-chilling. Your post-FOTJ galaxy is a lot more fully realized than I thought. I mean, you've hit just the right combination of political machination and internal power struggle, plus you have the ominous note of impending doom down pat. I hope we get to visit more of the Jedi enclaves soon.

--I admit, I don?t feel I?m all that good at writing political machination and stuff, so this is good to hear. And while a lot of planning went into creating this AU world, there?s also a lot of unexplored territory left.

We've been on Tatooine for what, two posts now? - and I feel like the Dune Sea is already a character in its own right.

-- It feels like that when I write it, too. This might sound kind of weird, but sometimes I think Tatooine is on the verge of swallowing Ben and Anakin whole.

The passages where Ben/Anakin/Tahiri is racing along in a swoop are great favorites of mine. Keep up the good work.

--Thanks! I was worried that they would get boring after a while. All that sand.

FINALLY. Though Ben's going to have to censor himself a quite a bit if he wants to keep Leia out of it. Actually, there really is no way to keep Leia out of it, only to keep silent about her connection to Luke, Ben, and Anakin. Thank the Force she stuck with Organa for her maiden name.

--Yeah, sorry about the wait. It?s coming up in a few minutes! And you may be surprised by what Ben decides to reveal?

EDIT: You found a job! Good luck with Darth RL - as a friend, as well as for purely selfish reasons (I want to find out what happens next damnit).

--Lol, thanks babe. The new job has been much less stressful than my other one, and it?s nice to have some extra cash flowing in. The down side is that I?m working more and napping more. But the plus side is that I do have some downtime in the mornings when I can work on this story.

Gabri ? Oh, the irony. Although I rather like the image of Anakin making faces at children tugging on his robes.

--Yeah, it?s not like I?m trying to get people to think back to a certain traumatizing scene in RotS, no, I?d never do that?

Well, Anakin, there's also the little fact that time travel tends to be disconcerting.

--It is that.

You know, there wasn't a whole lot of Myri to be had in LotF, but the bits we saw were perfectly in line with your characterization of her here.

--I?ve got to say, that was one of the few highlights of LotF for me, getting to see Myri and Syal with actual roles. Glad to know I got her characterization right.

The emptiness again. The feeling of unfamiliarity, of being alone in a galaxy where nothing was the same, not even the fabric of the Force.

That would be strange, to have the Force itself feel so different.

--I know I?ve read several passages comparing the flow of the Force to the flow of a river, and I really like that analogy. So I guess what Anakin is picking up on is the Force after seventy years of eroding the bank of the river. (That sounded a lot more poetic in my head. )

Hey, I missed that first time around. Tahiri's a master, huh? Interesting.

--She is indeed.

That's a nice touch, I think. Nothing says Ben would have to feel the same way about flying as his father and grandfather (and mother, much of the time) did.

--It could have more to do with all the stuff he?s dealt with in his life than with any natural preference. I honestly can?t remember if I ever read anything about Ben and his thoughts on flying, so I?m just going to say that in this world, this is how

 

~~

Chapter Seven


Vjun was a dark world.

It wasn’t just the constant presence of ominous clouds or the never-ending drizzle of acid rain, although these did provide an atmosphere conducive to dark thoughts. No, it wasn’t just the sky that made Vjun a world of nightmares; it was in the soil, in the blood of the surviving population. The mad inhabitants of this planet had corrupted it, twisting it into something wholly different, something crazed and malicious and desperate.

Darth Festus loved it.

He was human, and young. Large blue eyes peered out from a pale, gaunt face. He had the appearance of an aristocrat or one of those tragic heroes the holofilms were once famous for, and he looked perfectly at home in the gloomy mansion that served as their headquarters.

His brother, on the other hand, was not quite so comfortable.

“We shouldn’t be here,” Darth Ferrus muttered, leaning forward in his chair. He was a distorted mirror image of his brother: same blue eyes, same dark hair, but taller, more muscular, and not quite so pale.

Festus levitated a datapad in the air before him. He spun it around slowly, watching the dim light reflect off its shiny surface. “I don’t mind it,” he said.

Ferrus scowled. “Well of course you don’t. You’d probably be content to spend the rest of your life in this hellhole.”

Festus tilted his head toward his brother and quirked one eyebrow.

Ferrus sighed. “It does suit you.”

“Thanks.” Festus let the datapad drop into his hand. “You know I’m not any happier than you about constantly being passed over.” He looked off into space as his voice grew quiet. “I would love to be out there hunting the Jedi. But you heard the Master.”

“I know, I know. Our work here is very important.”

“And he did say that we would see the Jedi soon enough. They may end up coming here after all.”

Ferrus stood from his chair and began to crack his knuckles. “I just hate having to wait for Dominius! He’s always trying to keep us out of the loop.”

“Usually I would agree with you, brother, but this time I suspect he is simply following orders. When the Master wants to reveal his plan, he will. Until then, we continue with the experiment.”

Ferrus shuddered. “Again, one more reason I’d rather be somewhere else. I’ll never understand your interest in Doctor Mezzon’s experiments.”

“There’s a lot you don’t understand.”

Ferrus frowned. “What are you watching?”

Festus angled the datapad toward his brother. “See for yourself.”

Ferrus grabbed the device and sidled up next to his twin. The screen was just big enough that he could make out two figures. Doctor Mezzon was one of them, and he was standing over a table where a young Mon Cal was strapped down, squirming violently. The doctor held a scalpel up for the Mon Cal – and the camera – to see.

“Gross,” Ferrus said, thrusting the datapad away from him. “And you, too.”

His brother’s smile was a wicked thing to behold. “You’re always trying to flatter me.”

Ferrus made a dismissive noise and returned to the chair opposite his twin. “I still don’t approve of this whole thing,” he mumbled. “Even if they are technically Jedi.”

Festus began to spin the datapad in the air once more. “How fortunate for the rest of us that we don’t have to wait for your approval.” He sent the datapad flying toward his brother’s head. Ferrus snatched it out of the air with his left hand and made an obscene gesture with his right.

The comm unit on the wall crackled. “My lords?”

Festus bowed his head in mock reverence and gestured toward the comm. “After you.”

Ferrus rolled his eyes. “What is it, Yaanis?”

“Priority message from Coruscant, Lord Ferrus.”

The brothers exchanged a knowing look.

“Patch it through.”

~~


Artoo was waiting for them inside Kenobi’s hut, taking his customary place in front of a round, wooden table. The table – along with a few other pieces of furniture – was a recent addition to the old hut. It was Tahiri who had decided they should fix the place up, back when she and the other Masters had chosen Tatooine as one of their enclaves. Ben had even helped her repair the roof and clean up the mess left by scavengers. It wasn’t exactly cozy, but it was livable.

Ben ran his fingers across Artoo’s dome as he passed by; he received a happy chirp in response. Ben took a seat on what might have once been a bed and watched his grandfather enter the dwelling. Anakin had to duck his head coming through the main archway, and he looked a bit uncertain as his eyes swept the room. Ben wondered if he was picturing Obi-Wan Kenobi eating here, sleeping here, maybe even dying here.

Again, Ben felt the weight of secrets on his shoulders as he waited for Anakin to sit down. There was so much to tell, so much that his family had endured. How could he even begin? What exactly could you say to a person who had tried to destroy the galaxy?

Tell him who he is.

They were his own words. For years, Ben had hoped he might hear a different voice – one of his parents, or his aunt even – whispering guidance in his ear. But it had never come, and the only voice he heard in there was his own.

“I spent most of the speeder ride wondering how I would start this conversation.” In his ears, his words sounded almost too calm, too detached. Ben frowned and continued. “Like Artoo said, it’s been forty-seven years since you died, and a lot has changed.”

Anakin nodded. He was hunched forward, forearms on his knees, hands clasped tightly together. Ben noticed that his grandfather’s left leg had started to shake.

“I figure we’re going to have to come to it sooner or later,” he said, trying not to stare at Anakin’s nervous shaking. “So, I might as well start at the beginning.”

Deep breath.

Say it.

“You turned to the dark side. I don’t know when, exactly, and I don’t know why or how. We believe it happened at the end of the Clone Wars.”

Stars, why was his voice so calm? And why was Anakin still staring at him as though he hadn’t heard a word? Ben swallowed.

“The reason I don’t know more is because the Emperor hunted down all the Jedi and did his best to erase them from public memory. That includes you; only a few people knew that you were once Anakin Skywalker. Everyone else knew you as Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith.”

He couldn’t go on, not until he got some kind of reaction from his grandfather. The leg had stopped shaking, but apart from that, Anakin was deathly still, positioned the same way he’d been when he first sat down.

Didn’t you hear me? He wanted to scream it, slap Anakin in the face with it. Say something…

Anakin took a long, quiet breath, his eyes narrowing at the floor. What Ben wouldn’t give to know what was running through his head. Sadness? Shock? Disbelief? Anakin lifted his eyes to meet his. Then it clicked.

“You’re not surprised.”

Anakin looked away a little too quickly. “He told me.” His voice was soft and strained. “Before I came here, he told me he was a Sith Lord, the one we’d been looking for.”

“Palpatine.”

Anakin nodded, still looking away. His expression was bitter. “Darth Sidious. My friend.”

Ben felt that last word like a punch in the gut. If he hadn’t already been sitting, he probably would have needed to. “Friend?”

Anakin looked up at him, and for a second, Ben thought his grandfather might get down on his knees and beg forgiveness. “I met him when I was nine,” Anakin explained, his tone touching on pleading. “He’s watched out for me since then.”

Ben paused before answering. But of course, that made a perversely beautiful kind of sense, didn’t it? Who would ever suspect that their mentor might betray them?

Must be a trend.

“It makes sense,” he murmured.

“But how could no one have known? I’m the poster boy for the war effort, my face is everywhere!” Anakin was standing now, pacing across the room. He stopped dead and turned to face Ben. “And what about Padmé?”

The first part was probably the easiest to explain. “You fought Obi-Wan Kenobi, and you lost. You were forced to wear full body armor to stay alive. Your face was concealed, and your voice was altered by the mask. You must have had replacement limbs, too, because you were as tall as a Wookiee in your armor.”

Anakin flexed his gloved right hand. “But what about Padmé? And the baby?”

Ben took a deep breath. Come on, Dad. Give me something here.

Silence.

Ben exhaled. “It wasn’t just the one baby, Anakin. She was carrying twins.” He held up a stopping hand as Anakin’s eyes went very, very wide. “Again, I don’t know the details, but at some point she went into hiding and gave birth. The twins were separated so that you wouldn’t be able to find them.”

Anakin practically fell against the closest wall. “Twins?” His voice was weak. “There’s going to be two?”

“There were two.”

Anakin faltered for a moment, but he pressed his lips in a grim line and continued. “What are their names?”

Ben hesitated. This was the part he wasn’t so sure about. If his dad and his aunt were compromised, the galaxy was doomed. On the other hand, if his aunt survived, she might still have children… and they’d be right back to square one.

“I wasn’t sure if I should tell you all of this. For all I know, you could return to your time and still end up as a Sith. Only this time around you’d have information that could destroy any hope of saving the galaxy.”

Anakin slid down along the wall into a seated position, eyes never leaving Ben. “Please,” he whispered.

Force, what had he gotten himself into?

“I suppose,” he said, “if you’re going to truly understand just how screwed up things have gotten, you need to know the truth.”

Or the version of it that I see fit.

Stop it.

“My dad was Luke Skywalker. He was brought here, to Tatooine, to be raised by his aunt and uncle. Obi-Wan watched over him from afar, waiting for the right time to train him as a Jedi. That’s why he was living here.” Ben indicated the sparse interior of the hut.

“The other baby was a girl, my aunt Leia. Her mother took her to Alderaan, where she was raised as Bail Organa’s daughter.”

“And Padmé?” His grandfather’s single-mindedness was a bit disturbing in this instance.

“She died while Aunt Leia was still young. I’m sorry, I don’t know more.”

Anakin was strangely silent; Ben wondered if this was how he always took bad news. Darth Vader had apparently been famous for acting out rather violently when things did not go his way, but Anakin was almost the opposite. If anything, he was internalizing everything, turning inside himself. Ben felt his stomach tighten as he realized that maybe he and his grandfather weren’t so dissimilar.

“When you look in the mirror, what do you see?” They are his father’s words, spoken to a ten-year-old boy.

“It depends,” he answers. “Sometimes I see a Jedi. Mostly I just see me, though.”

“What else?” His father always knows when he is withholding. He waits silently for two minutes before Ben answers.

“Sometimes I see the dark side.”

“In you?”

“No.” He remembers the mirror and what he saw there. “Waiting for me.”

As strange as it seemed, Ben would have felt more comforted if Anakin had just thrown a temper tantrum or something.

“My dad couldn’t remember her at all,” Ben said after a moment, bringing himself back into the here and now. “He and Aunt Leia grew up without knowing the truth about you. They didn’t even know they were twins.”

Anakin leaned his head back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. For a moment, Ben felt as though he were intruding on a private conversation; it reminded him of the few times he had caught his mom or his aunt having a one-sided conversation with his dead father.

At least he’d always assumed it was one-sided. They never told him if Dad answered.

It was several seconds before Ben realized Anakin was crying. He had expected this reaction earlier – much earlier, in fact – and somehow the delay had thrown him off.

“You did turn back, eventually,” Ben said as gently as he could, given the circumstances. “Took over twenty years, but you finally killed Palpatine and saved my dad in the process.”

—arms wrapped around him, pulling him away as he kicks and screams and cries—

—a gentle yet firm mental touch—

—a goodbye, and a shock wave in the Force so powerful that it swallows everything around it, including Ben’s heart—

He could still feel Jag’s arms and Jaina’s hands, alternately pulling and pushing. He could still remember the way his knees hit the floor when they reached the ship. He could still hear blasterfire and sirens and Mom screaming through the comlink.

Maybe that’s my family’s curse: a line of fathers destined to die for their sons.

Anakin’s brow was deeply furrowed. The tears had already been wiped away. “But if I killed Palpatine, then why are there…?” He trailed off as understanding dawned. “You still have more to tell me.”

Ben nodded. “A lot more.”

~~


Anakin listened for nearly two hours as Ben described, in excruciating detail, the changes the galaxy had undergone since the time of Darth Vader. Anakin learned that his children had eventually been reunited and become galactic heroes. He learned of Obi-Wan’s death, and Yoda’s. He learned of the New Republic and the dangers his children had faced as they tried to rebuild what their father had destroyed. He learned of the alien race that had brought the New Republic to its knees. There were some familiar names and places – he discovered at last what had happened to Outbound Flight and Vergere and Zonama Sekot. There were grandchildren and Jedi and so many deaths. There were more Sith.

He realized as he listened that there wasn’t anything he could say or do that would ever make things right. He was fairly certain that any attempt at an apology would elicit little more than a cynical remark from Ben. And he would deserve it, too. He deserved to be scorned and hated.

You shouldn’t even be feeling sorry for yourself, he told himself. There was so much loathing in that inner voice.

I know. Gods, don’t you think I know?

Anakin had done his best to sit still and listen as Ben turned what was left of his world upside down. His grandson would pause every so often just to stare at him. It reminded Anakin a little of being nine again and standing in front of Yoda and the rest of the Council, as though there was something inherently wrong about him that needed discovering. Ben’s eyes were a different shade of blue than the ones Anakin saw every day in the mirror, but there was an intensity to them that he recognized from his own reflection. And he would stare and stare, and Anakin tried not to wither under his gaze, twisting his fingers together until his left hand was nearly numb.

He had allowed himself to remain hopeful, which was a mistake. He’d thought there couldn’t be anything worse than the Emperor or these Vong creatures, but there was. His name was Darth Caedus, and he was a personal betrayal of everything Anakin’s children had fought for. Bad enough that Anakin had become a Dark Lord of the Sith. But then his grandson had followed in his footsteps, and everything that might have been salvaged was instead destroyed.

It all started when Jacen was captured by the Yuuzhan Vong, Ben explained. They had broken a part of him – Vergere had broken a part of him – and he had never really healed. His fall was a slow one, thirteen years in the making.

For Anakin, it was not all that unfamiliar a story.

The worst part of it all – at least in Anakin’s mind – was what Jacen had done to his family before he died. Ben skimmed over the details of his parents’ deaths, but Anakin heard enough to know that his son had died saving Ben from Jacen. Ben’s mother – who had apparently known Vader in her youth – died a couple of years later. Jacen’s twin sister had been the one to finally defeat him, but at the cost of her own life.

Anakin wasn’t sure he wanted to know what had happened to his daughter.

They had been sitting in silence for several minutes when Anakin finally gathered enough courage to ask Ben a question.

“Do you have any holos of them? Of my children?”

Ben glanced at Artoo, who until now had very quietly been sitting off to the side. “Yeah, we have a few.” He jerked his head toward the table, and the little droid rolled forward. “All right, Artoo. I need you to pull up that collection of still-holos I programmed. Start with Aunt Leia.”

Artoo warbled a sad reply and began to cycle through a series of images. The tabletop and the air around it glowed blue.

Anakin swallowed hard as four images displayed in a constant loop. The holos of Leia showed a middle-aged woman whose striking beauty was tempered by war, worry, and too many sleepless nights. He could see hints of Padmé in her face and her eyes, but she was different. Her features were sharper, more commanding. Had she known where that came from? Had she known that she shared her penetrating stare with the man she once loathed to call her father?

He stared at Ben, as if gazing long enough would allow him to see backward in time to a place where his Leia was innocent and carefree. His voice cracked as he spoke. “How did my daughter die?”

Ben shifted uncomfortably. “Bravely,” he murmured. “And she took four of those Force-damned Sith with her. Not the students but the full-fledged Lords.” He pressed his fingertips together and stared down at them. “She glowed. Tahiri said my cousin Anakin glowed like that before he died. She was… frightening to look at.” Ben spoke carefully, as if remembering something too terrible to be expressed in words. “I think in those last moments, she was probably one of the greatest Jedi I’d ever seen.” He gave Anakin a wry grin. “And I’ve seen my share, believe me.”

Anakin nodded and looked away, lifting his fingers to the edges of the holoimage. Artoo stopped on the first hologram, one in which Leia was staring past the recording unit, a faint smile on her lips. Her hair was pulled back and coiled at the base of her neck, and she wore a pale tunic and dark pants with a belt slung low on her hips. A lightsaber hung from one of the belt clips.

He had done this. He had killed her. It was his fault the Sith had survived, his fault that there were not enough Jedi to stop the Yuuzhan Vong and the dark side from ripping his family apart. Everything that had happened to the galaxy, to his children, to Ben… it was all because of him.

“Can I see my son?” he asked quietly.

Ben nodded and placed a hand on the droid’s dome. “Artoo?”

The little droid hesitated, turning his sensors toward Ben.

“I know you miss him, Artoo. Please.”

The droid swiveled its dome back toward the table, and a blue-edged image of an older man appeared before them. As he had done with Leia, Artoo cycled through a few holos of Luke, repeating them over and over. Anakin watched in awe as he looked at his son, older here than Obi-Wan, almost as old as Qui-Gon had been when Anakin had first met him. This was the son Padmé had been so sure about, the one she’d been dreaming of as he grew in her womb. His hair was mostly gray, and there were lines etched deep in his skin, but his face was kind. There was even a faint hint of mischief in his eyes.

Anakin felt a swell of pride. If everything Ben said was true – and he had no reason to doubt him – Luke had been everything his father should have been. He had been brave and true. He had been compassionate and selfless. Yes, he had touched the darkness over the years, but he hadn’t been consumed by it. And yet… and yet Luke was forced to watch his friends and family perish, was forced to sacrifice his own life to save Ben and the others. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair.

How much suffering could he have prevented, simply by refusing the dark side?

“Thanks, Artoo.” Ben sat there silently as Artoo shut off his projector. The light from the moons spilled through the slits that served as windows, illuminating the room enough for Anakin to make out Ben’s features. Anakin twisted his hands together, staring at the place where the holos had been.

“Do you have any others?” he whispered.

“I have a few more, mostly of my parents and me,” Ben replied, “but I lost most of them when we went on the run. That’s why I started putting them in Artoo – to have a backup.” He glanced away for a moment. “I destroyed some of them when I was younger, too. Anything with Jacen in it.” Ben shook his head. “It was a stupid impulse. I lost a lot of holos of my cousins and my aunt and uncle that way.”

“I can understand why you’d want to be rid of him.”

“Yeah, well, I regret it now. I could have shown you what Aunt Leia was like before all this happened.”

Artoo chirped at Ben and activated his holoprojector.

“Artoo, no—”

But the droid interrupted Ben, reassuring him that it was okay. Anakin wondered what kind of holo would worry Ben. Maybe he thought Anakin was too emotionally drained to handle any more ghosts from the past?

The hologram was somewhat grainy. It began with a flicker of static, then settled into the shape of a girl standing upright in a long, white gown.

With a jolt, Anakin realized who he was looking at.

“General Kenobi. Years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire.”

She was young, perhaps younger than Anakin himself. Her regal bearing, her measured voice; it was so painfully reminiscent of Padmé. He wondered if Leia had picked that up from her before she died.

“I regret that I am unable to present my father’s request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack, and I’m afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed…”

While Leia continued her message, Anakin noticed that Ben was leaning forward, mouth open and eyebrows raised. Anakin turned his eyes back to the image, consumed by it.

“…This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”

Artoo shut off the projector. Anakin felt a shiver along his spine at the sound of Obi-Wan’s name on this girl’s lips. And then there was the mention of her father – it hurt to know she was referring to Bail Organa and not to him, that he was the one she was running from.

“I’ve never seen that before,” Ben murmured. “I mean, I knew about it, but I guess it never occurred to me that Artoo would save it.”

“That was the message that brought them together?”

“Yes.”

“How old was she there?”

Ben looked down at his fingers, counting under his breath. “Nineteen.”

Nineteen? That was even younger than Anakin, and several years younger than Padmé. Nineteen! And Ben said she’d already been a senator for a year before sending this message.

He knew he didn’t have any right to be, but Anakin was proud of his daughter. She had accomplished so much, doing things for the galaxy that he could hardly imagine. And she had done it while facing almost constant war and the loss of her family, one by one. She was truly her mother’s daughter.

Anakin had always known that the combination of his Force potential with Padmé’s brains and good looks would make for some impressive babies.

“What are you smiling about?”

Anakin looked up, horrified. “Am I smiling?”

“Yep.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t worry about it.” Ben dismissed his concern with a wave. “You’ve got to find something to be happy about if you’re going to avoid falling to the dark side.”

“If you’re trying to cheer me up, I’ve gotta tell you, you’re doing a terrible job.”

For the first time since leaving the camp, Ben smiled. Really smiled. “We should get some rest. I think it’s past your bedtime, Gramps.” There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he said with mock concern: “It has to be taking a lot out of you, trying to keep pace with a young kid like me.”

“Okay, you claim that you get your sense of humor from your mom, but I’m telling you, that is a Skywalker trait right there.”

“Maybe you should take the bed. Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself sleeping on this hard floor—”

“You’re just asking for it, aren’t you?”

~~


The Sith Temple had been built atop a natural spring of pure Force energy, and when the rays of the setting sun hit it, it gleamed particularly fierce. The obsidian center spire of the temple stood taller than all others near it, and light seemed to bend and refract around it so that as bright as the rest of the building shone, that single tower remained bathed in shadow.

It was from this point that Darth Krayt looked down on the capital of his empire.

He had known it by a few names, though Coruscant was still the one he liked best. The people of this world had struggled to reproduce that which had been destroyed or disfigured by the Yuuzhan Vong, but they couldn’t remove all evidence of the invaders. Darth Krayt had a sense for all things Yuuzhan Vong. He had, after all, been their prisoner, subject to their experiments and their Embrace of Pain. The experience had left a lasting impression. The vonduun crab armor he wore now seemed to enhance that impression. Whatever it was, he could feel the flora and fauna of Yuuzhan’tar that lay in the city’s underbelly.

The Sith Master turned away from the viewport as the doors to his chamber opened. Light spilled into the room, illuminating the empty throne. Krayt stepped away from his perch and descended the steps, stopping one step above the officer and the child who had entered the room.

“Leave us,” Krayt ordered.

The officer saluted before turning crisply on his heel and exiting. Krayt watched him go.

“You look strong today,” he said once the door had closed.

The little boy was six years old, with dark blond hair and a cherubic face that contrasted sharply with the military cut of his black uniform. He bowed his head. “I feel strong, Papa.”

Krayt smiled. “I am glad to hear it. The medics said you were very ill.” He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I told them my son would not be weakened by a mere virus.”

The boy nodded his head. “I did the healing thing, like you showed me.”

“Excellent. I am pleased with your recent progress.” Krayt drew the boy closer. “But now I have a new task for you, the most important you have ever been given.”

“I won’t fail you, Papa,” the child replied, brown eyes bright with anticipation.

“I know you won’t. Now come with me, son. We have much to discuss.”

~~

 

Miiiiiiiiine

*looks like a stalker*

.... *doesn't care*

Edit: I kind of hate you right now. Though from previous talks I suppose I knew more or less what was coming. Now what does that say about what kind of sadist I am?

Loved Anakin getting glimpses into who is children were and how they died. When do things dovetail into this AU, exactly? Does the Dark Nest Trilogy happen? Parts of LotF? Or is the post-NJO world a creation of your own that borrows from canon? I'm trying to shape/bridge the past to the present in my head and it's complicated, heh. I want to know specifics about what happened to Luke, Leia, and Jaina. I suppooooose you don't have to answer, but can I ask a vague question? Do you have plans to expand on events of the past? Or will we only get glimpses and snippets as they pertain to how to propel the story forward?

*looks irresistible and not pathetic at all* Plzzzzzzzzz?

Krayt has a son? Anakin may not know Krayt, but he sure as hell knows Hett. This will be very interesting to see what, if anything, goes down between them somewhere down the line.

 

Dang, so many people gone.
I really like how Ben and Anakin interact.

 

I knew that "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi" was coming as soon as Artoo started cycling through old holos.

I'm glad that Leia went out with a bang. I never liked how they played down her role as a Jedi in later books (did she really need to be retrained by Saba? really? ).

So, um, Vi, I am to see you back but YOU KILLED EVERYBODY.

That six-year-old boy is going to have the mother of all daddy issues. Yikes. Actually they all have daddy issues. Specially Anakin. Wonder what happened to Jag in this AUverse? Am impatient to return to Tahiri, Elias et al.

 

very intresting wonder what will happen next good update keep it up



..........BJ

 

Sign me up for that PM list. nothing like getting hooked on a new story during final exams!!! hahaha. Great job. Look forward to see how the explanation of the big bads are soon, and just what Anakin plans to do about it.

 

This has me intrigued. thanks for getting me hooked

 

Ben paused before answering. But of course, that made a perversely beautiful kind of sense, didn?t it? Who would ever suspect that their mentor might betray them?

Must be a trend.

A sad, sad trend.

I loved that Artoo played the recording.

Oh, and add me to that PM list. I almost missed this!

Great chapter!

Peace,
Bea

 

Oh Viiiiiiiii.