Chapter Text
Anakin deftly caught Luke as the young boy collapsed, unconscious, and shot a glare at Obi-Wan. “Was that really necessary?” He snapped, scowling.
“Anakin, he’s the son of a Sith lord! I was just trying to prevent any unnecessary violence. Has he given you any reason to trust him so far?” Obi-Wan replied, unperturbed by the unconscious body between them.
Anakin huffed before replying. “No, he hasn’t,” he answered shortly, because it was the truth. But… there was something about that boy that he couldn’t quite pin down. It felt as if the Force itself had brought them together. Anakin didn’t mention this to Obi-Wan, though.
Luke was lighter than he expected as Anakin carried him up the loading ramp of their shuttle. He seemed younger asleep as well. The lines in his face softened out, and he looked less tense. That was something Anakin had noticed about the boy through their brief encounters. He was contemplative, always lost in deep thought, and it made him look older than he really was.
Now that he’d been presented with a chance to study Luke’s face, Anakin recognized a sort of… softness to it that he couldn’t quite place.
Oh well. It didn’t matter. They’d bring him to the Council, just as Obi-Wan wanted, and then they’d be reassigned and would likely never see Luke again. That was the way these things always worked.
Anakin set Luke down on an empty bunk for the duration of the journey before finding one for himself. He was looking forward to getting some rest. It had been a relatively sleepless night the evening prior, what with the nightmare of his mother and interrogating the Father, and then there was the display of power he’d put on not long ago. It had been a long, strange day. It wasn’t long after he’d laid his head to rest that sleep overcame him.
In his dream, Anakin found himself wandering the dark halls of an unfamiliar space station. Men in armor filed past him. He thought for a moment that they were clones, but the helmets were different, and their voices were not like that of the clones he was so used to. Who were these soldiers, exactly? As he continued to explore the space station, a whole squad of troopers walked right through him, and it was then that he knew he was dreaming.
It wasn’t often that he dreamt, and when Anakin did, it usually spelled trouble for him, his loved ones, or both. So, what did this dream mean? Was it a vision of a past long gone, or a warning of something that was to come? All Anakin could do now was keep going and see what the dream had to offer.
A cold feeling washed over him, and in that moment Anakin knew that he was on the right path. He felt called to follow it by the Force, and so he carefully tried to reach out and see where he needed to go. He could not help but sense the dark side clinging to the station, practically choking it.
Anakin stumbled suddenly when he felt the dark side reaching back, calling him.
He hastily caught himself, leaning on the wall for support as he attempted to catch his breath. The onslaught had caught him unawares, and it had been powerful, more powerful than any pull Anakin had ever experienced before. Why had the dark side called him so? What did it want? Anakin wasn’t sure he wanted those questions answered. He took another moment to steady himself before slowly standing up and resuming his trek.
Not going to let himself be surprised like that again, Anakin immersed himself in the Force. He let it surround him, shelter him. He breathed it in, exhaled, and repeated the exercise. He wasn’t often able to achieve this sense of peace, but he could tell that the Force was assisting him, just this once. Now, with his senses open, Anakin could truly see the path the Force wanted him to take. He let it lead him, unconscious of the steps he made.
At the end, Anakin found himself at the foot of a throne, unaware of how exactly he’d gotten there or how long it had taken. Behind the throne was a large wall of transparisteel and he could see a battle raging. One fleet, which reminded him of Seperatist battleships but were far too old and battered to actually belong to them, were clearly losing. The other fleet looked vaguely Republic and clearly had the upper hand. Beneath the battle sat a small green moon that he couldn’t immediately identify.
A scream from behind him made Anakin whirl around suddenly, trying to spot it’s source. There on the mezzanine stood a tall, dark figure wearing a mask beside a shorter, hooded man. Lying in front of them was Luke, shouting in pain as the hooded man hit him with a barrage of Sith lightning.
“Luke?” Anakin gasped, his mouth opening and closing in shock. He ran over to the boy and tried to shove the Sith away from him, but he merely fell right through. Ah, right. He was dreaming.
But was this a dream, or was it a vision? A vision of some past, or a future yet to come? He hoped it wasn’t a vision. Anakin had his own experiences with Sith lightning, and he would not wish it on a soul.
“Father, please!” Luke cried, jarring Anakin from his thoughts. Anakin scowled. One of these men was Luke’s father? And he was letting this horrible torture continue? Anakin was so confused and angry at the thought that he didn’t even hear what the robed man said next. Before he could even begin to ponder it, however, the man wearing the dark suit lifted up the Sith like it was nothing even as the electricity coursed through his body and threw him down the ventilation shaft.
The next thing Anakin became aware of was the man’s labored breathing, his suit obviously damaged by the lightning. Luke crawled over to him, and the tenderness with which he cradled the man’s body, Anakin knew that this was Luke’s father. But how? Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had said that Luke was the son of a Sith Lord, he supposed.
Then, Luke sat up and looked Anakin right in the eyes. The intensity in the gaze was unsettling.
“Anakin,” Luke addressed him, still cradling his father’s body. “You have to stop this from happening.”
“I… I will,” Anakin stumbled, surprising himself with how quickly he answered. Why did he trust this boy? Why was he so eager to protect him?
“Thank you,” Luke smiled softly and Anakin could see the tears in his eyes. Then, Luke turned to look into his father’s mask. “We’re going to save you,” he whispered, and then everything began to fade away, until all that remained was the sound of the broken man's breath.
“Anakin. Anakin. Anakin,” a cold voice whispered to him and suddenly scenery burst to life around him. Anakin was back on Mortis, surrounded by green and rocks. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, trying to decipher if he was still dreaming.
Then, out of the mist rose… himself? Anakin quickly rose to his feet as the man who looked exactly like him approached.
“It's true what they say. You are the chosen one,” the man said, and Anakin found himself smiling a little at the words. It helped to have it confirmed, to think that maybe he could live up to everyone’s expectations of him.
“Join me,” he crowed, and then began to grow taller, his features morphing into those of the Son. “Together we can change the balance of the universe, my friend.”
“You must know I will never join the dark side willingly,” Anakin spat at the Son, taking a step away from him. The offer repulsed him.
The Son shook his head, almost amused by his words. “How simple you make it, light and dark...as if there is one without the other. Aligned, you and I can restore balance wherever we go, peace to the universe,” the Son explained as if he were talking to a young child instead of Anakin, clasping his hands together with a sickening smile on his face.
“By becoming a Sith. Never!” Anakin refused, turning on his heel to walk away and ignore the man.
The Son was clearly not pleased with Anakin’s actions. He began to growl, throwing clenched fists into the air as fire sprung up from the earth and surrounded him.
“We will destroy the Sith and the Jedi!” The Son roared, and then the flames exploded around him, changing him into the terrible beast that had taken Ahsoka hostage not even a few hours ago. Then, the Son sprung forward to attack him, and-
Anakin gasped as he bolted upright. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, willing the vision away. He didn’t even want to think about what that meant. Anakin just wanted to forget it and move on.
“Were you having a nightmare?” Ahsoka asked, approached him as he slid his legs over the side of his makeshift bed. Anakin sighed.
“Something like that,” Anakin replied dismissively, not wanting to worry Ahsoka. Across from them both, Luke still slept, his chest rising and falling every few seconds.
The ship hit a bout of turbulence and Anakin stumbled a little, almost falling onto Luke. He caught himself before he could, but found himself immobilized as he stared at Luke’s face, reminded of his dream.
Why had Luke asked for his help? And why had Anakin agreed so readily?
Luke reminded him of something else, too. Or rather, someone. There was something of Padme in his nose, and in the gentleness of his features, especially now that they were smoothed out in his sleep.
“If you're done napping, I could use a little help here,” Obi-Wan called from the front of the ship, breaking him from his reverie.
“Ben…” Luke sighed in his sleep, making Anakin freeze. When he showed no other signs of waking, Anakin continued on.
“I'm coming,” he called.
Someone grunted behind him, and Anakin spun around to see what was wrong. His breath caught in his throat.
The Son stood across from him, holding Ahsoka and a now very much awake Luke captive.
“Leaving so soon? Not without these two, you won't,” The Son smirked as the floor beneath them opened. In an instant they were gone, Ahsoka’s and Luke’s cries drowned out by the roaring winds.
“Ahsoka! Luke!” Anakin screamed uselessly. Then, filled with a new fury he returned to the cockpit.
“What's going on?” Obi-Wan asked, having sensed something wrong with Anakin. Anakin scowled and took the seat beside him.
“The Son took Ahsoka and Luke,” Anakin explained hastily, not bothering to give any more details as he messed with the controls.
“What in the blazes are you talking about?” Obi-Wan frowned, and Anakin snapped.
“Move. Let me fly!” He ordered, finally taking control of the steering. Anakin veered through pillars of stone and clouds of fog, chasing the Son in desperation.
The Son began to gain speed, and within moments he had vanished from his sight altogether. Anakin didn’t let this stop him, however, he just pressed the ship’s engine even harder. As they came through the fog, he spotted a giant glowing tower quickly approaching.
“Look out!” Obi-Wan cried, retaking control of the ship and veering out of the path of the tower. Anakin grunted and wrested the control back into his hands, but it was too late. The damage had already been done.
The landed roughly, skidding to a dangerous halt. Obi-Wan lay across the dashboard, jolted by the impact. Anakin gripped his head, furious.
“I... didn't think you saw it,” Obi-Wan tried for an explanation, quickly moving to exit the cockpit. Anakin sprung to his feet to follow the man.
“It was a giant tower! Of course I saw it,” Anakin snapped in return. Obi-Wan’s quick decisions that day were really starting to pile up disastrously, and Anakin didn’t like it one bit. First with Luke, and now with the ship…
“Any sign of him?” Anakin asked after stumbling down the ramp, which left him feeling off balance. Their crash landing had not been suited for deboarding.
Obi-Wan sighed, surveying the landscape before them. “No. But I think it's obvious where he's taken them,” he mused, looking right up at the glowing tower.
“We must hurry,” Anakin decided, stepping forward to begin the trek.
Obi-Wan rushed to stop him, moving in front of Anakin and placing his hands forcefully atop his shoulders. “Anakin, this wasn't a mistake. He brought us here for a reason. We must not get involved. Any conflict here could have dramatic repercussions for the universe at large,” he reasoned.
“I don't care. He's too powerful for Ahsoka. I won't leave her alone,” Anakin defended. “And… and Luke too,” he tacked on hastily. “If he’s hurt because of all this, you’ll be responsible, seeing as you’re the one who kidnapped him in the first place!”
Obi-Wan frowned. “I’m sorry about that, but Luke is a danger too. We are in the middle of something we don't truly understand. We'd be wise to confer with the Father first.”
“There's no time,” Anakin told him in return.
“This is what he wants, to divide us!”
“It's my fault he took them!” Anakin shouted, his guilt fueling his anger/
“You must feel how strong this part of the planet is with the dark side,” Obi-Wan warned. “The Father will know what to do.”
“He can't help us,” Anakin decided, staring determinedly at the tower. He would do whatever it took to get them back.
-
Somewhere between learning that the truth about his father had been kept from him and getting imprisoned in a Force-induced sleep, Luke had decided he was no longer Ben Kenobi’s biggest fan. He didn’t exactly have much time to dwell on that, however, as his feet dangled over the open sky and he could be dropped to his death at any moment.
Now with this, and dangling over Cloud City, Luke was starting to get used to deadly heights.
Dangling beside him was Ahsoka Tano, his father’s padawan. He almost felt sorry for her as she continued to struggle against the grip on her. She grunted as she tried to wrench her arm from his claws.
“Aren’t you going to help?!” Ahsoka shouted over the wind when she finally noticed his lack of action.
“No!” Luke answered, shouting in order to be heard. “He’s obviously taking us somewhere! Wouldn’t you rather escape from there than to fall to your death here?”
That gave Ahsoka pause, as she actually began to consider the consequences. “I… I suppose you’re right. Sorry.”
“It’s alright,” Luke assured with a smile. He didn’t begrudge her actions. Luke had a few years of experience on the young togruta. He’d recently learned that sometimes the best thing you could do was wait patiently. Luke had been taught that lesson the hard way when he rushed in to save his friends from Darth Vader, and look how that had turned out for him.
Not very well, that’s how.
They weren’t made to wait long. The Son took them to the tower and chained them to the wall. Luke’s forehead creased with worry when he realized he couldn’t access the Force. He’d been planning to rely on it to help them escape. Well, he’d lived without it for nineteen years, and he could survive without now.
“So… you wanna tell me anymore about why your father is a Sith?” Ahsoka asked once it was clear the Son wasn’t returning any time soon. “I didn’t think Sith liked children very much.”
“Well, he wasn’t always a Sith,” Luke shrugged and smiled softly, thinking of Anakin, the brave Jedi he’d briefly gotten to know.
“That’s right. You said he was a Jedi, and that’s why this… Ben trained you?” She replied with distaste. Luke almost laughed. If only she knew she was talking about Anakin and Obi-Wan.
“He was, once.”
“Who is your father? Is he the Sith lord every one is looking for?” Ahsoka pressed further. She was definitely a curious, fire-y girl. Leia would’ve liked her.
“No, he’s not the one you’re looking for. And as for who he is… I don’t really know. I never knew him growing up and only learned that he was my father a few months ago,” Luke answered without really lying. It was true he didn’t know his father well, but he couldn’t exactly go spouting off that he was Anakin Skywalker.
“You’re not with him, are you?” Ahsoka asked cautiously.
“No, never. I would never join the Sith. I want to save my father. The light is the only way,” Luke answered firmly.
“Good. That’s… that’s good,” Ahsoka replied, and he could hear the smile in her voice. She was starting to warm up to him, he could tell.
“Ahsoka?”
“Hmm?” She hummed absentmindedly.
“I’m going to get us out of here. That’s a promise.”
They worked together for a long while, trying to break the chains that keep them suspended. They alternated between trying to access the Force and using brute strength to rip the cuffs from the wall, but nothing worked.
“You cannot keep us here. You hear me?” Ahsoka shouted at nothing after they give up on their futile work.
“Save your energy. You have been left to die,” an unknown voice croaked from the darkness. Luke stiffened, searching the room for the source of the words.
A small alien creature slithered out of the darkness. Something about his sudden appearance had Luke feeling uneasy.
“Then we will escape!” Ahsoka replied forcefully, seemingly unaware of the darkness surrounding the alien.
“Impossible. I have been here for more years than I care to remember,” the alien said smoothly, approaching Ahsoka. The alien hadn’t even looked at Luke once.
“I am a Jedi. We don't give up easily,” Ahsoka retorted in a matter of fact tone.
“Jedi? Huh. But so young. Where is your master?”
“He will come for me.”
“And if he does not?” The alien drawled, clearly trying to antagonize her.
“He will! He’ll come for both of us,” Ahsoka said proudly, and then threw Luke a little smile. It seemed he’d won her approval. Luke smiled in return.
The little alien began to climb up the wall of their prison, pressing the release on Ahsoka’s chains. “What makes you so sure?” He continued, trying to get a rise out of her.
“Thank you,” Ahsoka offered, rubbing her wrists to try and ease the pain. Luke’s own wrists throbbed, and he was eager to be able to put his arms down.
“The chains? The chains are the easy part. It's what goes on in here that's hard. Don't you see, child? You are alone now. If you are to survive, you must forget your master.”
“Hey! Leave her alone,” Luke snapped, not liking the tone the alien was taking with Ahsoka. Something about this whole thing seemed wrong. The alien threw a glare at him over his shoulder and Luke’s eyes widened.
“Here, Luke, let me,” Ahsoka offered, moving to release his own chains, but as she lifted her hand the little creature sprang at her.
“Ow!” She cried, nursing the wrist that the alien had just bitten. Luke tried to move towards her and help but he was immobilized by the cuffs on his wrists. “What have you done?!” Ahsoka shouted, reeling on the alien.
“You are mine now!” The creature growled, and Luke watched in horror as it shifted and then grew, morphing into the Son.
They’d been played, Luke realized, and now he’d done something to Ahsoka.
Ahsoka collapsed to the floor, her body growing stiff and her skin lost it’s color. Her veins darkened, as if poisoned, spreading across her body. She would look dead if not for the fact that her eyes sprung open, sporting a new yellow color.
“...Ahsoka?”
The girl in question growled, springing to her feet and throwing herself at him. She held her hand high in the air and began to squeeze. Luke stood helpless, his hands restrained as she used the Fore to choke the air out of him. His feet kicked at the ground in vain.
“Ah… Ahso...ka!” Luke coughed out, feeling himself go lightheaded. Ahsoka grinned and then the image of that began to go a little fuzzy. The edges of his vision blackened and Ahsoka only pressed her grip down harder to the point of crushing his throat.
Just when he thought he was done for, the Son of all people came to his rescue.
“Ah, ah, ah! Ahsoka, dear, let the boy go. We need him alive, after all,” the Son chided. Ahsoka paused before reluctantly letting him go. Luke sagged against the wall, gasping in breaths of air. It was impossible to ignore how much it hurt. He’d heard many stories about how fond Vader was of crushing windpipes. Luke had hoped he would never have to experience it.
“Why do we need him alive? Not so long ago he was claiming to be an avid supporter of the light,” Ahsoka asked the Son while glaring at Luke, never once looking away.
“The boy is Anakin’s, of course. And what better way than to turn the father than to hurt the son?”