Chapter Text

From The Embers: In The Middle of The Night  

Both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are taken from their last thoughts back before the fall of the Jedi, thanks to whether a certain other stubborn Skywalker either prayed hard enough, or opened a time gate unknowingly somehow, or the Force finally just said no. Obi-Wan will find it strange to find his old friend is still, in fact, his friend. Just with a lot more remorse than he remembers.  

I summoned you, please come to me. Don’t bury thoughts that you really want. Within me lies what you really want. Come, lay me down, ‘cause you know this. In the middle of the night, just call my name, I’m yours to tame. I’m wide awake, all night long ‘til morning comes I’m getting what is mine, you gon’ get yours. These burning flames, these crashing waves wash over me like a hurricane. I’ll captivate, you’re hypnotized. Feel powerful, but it’s me again.  

—Rain Paris (In the Middle of The Night)

1. 

Obi-Wan felt like his whole being was forced through a hyperspace drop without any safety protocols, or physical ship making him gasp out loud as he slightly bent over, confusion hit him second once he realised, quite easily that he was alive, when he knew he wasn’t. His senses around him told him he wasn’t alone. That he was in the Jedi Temple. With Force Sensitives all around him.  

“He’s more machine now, than man.”  

His hand came up to grasp his head, trying not to give in to the pain suddenly pounding in his head, when he suddenly froze when he realised why he wasn’t so alone.  

There was a man next to him, who didn’t keep his pain to himself as he like Obi-Wan, was bent over in pain, a hand on his head, his face pinched in pain.  

Obi-Wan couldn’t help the stare, couldn’t help but recoil away from him. 

Because next to him, was a very alive, very human, Anakin Skywalker. 

./. 

Anakin really was no stranger to pain. 

But this hit him like a speeding spice runner. 

Which really should have hurt as much as his head as it did the rest of him. 

“I will not leave you here! I gotta save you!”  

If his boy hadn’t listened to him at least once in his life… 

Yeah, he could figure that out later, when everything around him was alarming him, telling him he wasn’t where he last remembered being, and that he wasn’t dead. 

Something had happened, he didn’t know what, but from his experience when things got messy? The reason would reveal itself when it felt necessary, annoyingly.  

He could deal with suddenly sensing Obi-Wan next to him later since he should really apologise first. 

But suddenly sensing a familiar Force presence that wasn’t there a second ago, had Anakin looking up, to see how in all of Sith Hell, Luke damn-well Skywalker appear in front of them, dressed in black like he last remembered seeing him, wobbling like his centre of gravity was off by a good mile before he started to collapse backwards.  

“Luke!” Anakin heard his own voice ( how?!) yell out as he was suddenly running. 

By the time he saved Luke from hitting the floor, he was kneeling with the young man that he knew as his son, who was now looking even younger crooked into his arm.  

And he was not waking up!  

“Luke!” He cried out, shaking him. 

“Luke! ” Obi-Wan swore he heard Anakin yell out as the man bolted. 

Obi-Wan froze in panic, then in confusion as everything he could sense about the man who was suddenly catching the boy(?) was firmly in the Light after what looked like the balling of all darkness into his centre then it being expelled with enough force it exploded out of the man, making the Force around them ripple violently back at him. 

He felt himself blinking several times before he shook his head and rounded them quietly, observantly. 

“Luke !” Anakin was saying as he shook the boy Luke now was in his arms in panic. 

Obi-Wan froze again. 

“What did you do!? ” Anakin was asking quietly, and when he received no response, he shook the boy again. “Luke!” He stressed again. 

Anakin was panicking. Not the blind panic, but his son wasn’t waking up, and wasn’t responding! How was he supposed to stay calm?! 

He tried really hard not to flinch, or cover Luke protectively when he felt a presence come nearer, only to look up and see Obi-Wan coming in closer with a frown full of wary confusion. Anakin felt himself breathe in relief when he saw that his old Master wasn’t reaching for his lightsaber just yet. He wouldn’t fight him if he did. 

“Obi-Wan...” Anakin heard himself say in surprise before he mentally shook himself. Luke took precedence. “He’s not waking up!” He panicked. 

Anakin saw curiosity overtake Obi-Wan, a feeling that had gotten both of them in enough trouble in the war, but at seeing it Anakin couldn’t help but sigh in relief again. He would rather see curiosity than adversity. 

“You know who this is?” Obi-Wan was asking. 

Anakin found himself nodding, not seeing that wary look returned to Obi-Wan’s when he looked back to Luke. 

“...I just don’t know how he’s here...?” Anakin breathed in confusion. 

If what he could sense, the bright Lights everywhere, then it was well before Palpatine’s clone order of 66. Before... everything went wrong.   

Obi-Wan kneeled on the other side of them, and Anakin looked at him, pleadingly. 

“He’s not waking up.” Anakin pressed. 

He watched as Obi-Wan looked Luke over. 

“Is he breathing?” He asked. 

Anakin blinked suddenly in a panic; he hadn’t checked! Then teethed his glove off his flesh hand to cup his son’s mouth, exhaling in panic.  

Breath. There was breath. 

He slumped in relief.  

“Anakin?” Obi-Wan was asking curiously when he didn’t respond. 

He looked up and saw the surprise tear across Obi-Wan’s face. 

“He’s breathing…” Anakin told him with a sigh of relief. 

Damn this child. 

“You answered to it...” Obi-Wan said in surprise. 

Anakin looked at him questioningly. 

“That is my name...?” He asked in confusion. 

Obi-Wan shook his head and lent forward for some strange reason and demanded his attention just by staring. 

Anakin felt himself frown. 

“Obi-Wan?” He questioned curiously, curling Luke closer on an instinct he didn’t know he possessed. 

“Blue.” His old Master muttered, in what sounded like awe. 

Oh. 

Ohhhh.  

Yeah, if he remembered, it made sense that Obi-Wan would too. 

Oh, he hoped no one else could. 

But he could figure that out later. Luke demanded his attention, and he shook him gently. 

“Please tell me you actually listened and left when I told you to.” Anakin muttered.  

“Luke?” Obi-Wan asked. 

He looked back up and nodded.  

“I told him to leave, the Death Star—” Anakin paused worriedly when Obi-Wan flinched. “Was going to blow up. He needed to leave. He didn’t need to die as well. Not after everything.” Anakin told him softly. 

Obi-Wan stared at him with a frown. 

Anakin couldn’t face the expression and looked back to Luke. 

“Why won’t you wake up?” He muttered softly. 

He heard Obi-Wan sigh out his confusion, then looked up to see the man shaking his head.  

“Maybe we should take him to the infirmary?” Obi-Wan asked instead. 

Anakin panicked. 

“But they’ll take blood, make a history!” He stressed, only to pause when Obi-Wan chuckled. 

“Then a med bot, one we can memory wipe.” Obi-Wan challenged. 

Oh. 

Yeah, well that would be easier. 

Anakin nodded and gathered the child he knew to be his son and made to stand up. 

“Oh .” Anakin breathed in surprise as he paused. 

Obi-Wan looked worried. “Something wrong?” He asked. 

Anakin shook his head. “He doesn’t weigh much...” He muttered out worriedly. 

Obi-Wan watched him nervously as Anakin settled Luke against him for the first time. 

Huh. He had feelings about this. 

Maybe if they were brought this far back, maybe...maybe they could change it from ever happening? 

/

/ 

Anakin settled Luke on a bed while he noticed that Obi-Wan called for a med bot. 

“What did you do...?” Anakin asked softly again. 

He was almost grateful. Only if it hadn’t harmed Luke in the process. 

“Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Anakin looked up curiously. “Obi-Wan?” He asked back. 

Before either of them could address the multitude of issues in the room, hell before Anakin could apologise, the summoned med bot arrived. 

By the time the droid left for supplies, Anakin had enough time to think, to get over the panic for his son, even though it was still present in the back of his mind. Was this how parents functioned all the time? It hadn’t been five minutes, and Anakin was already exhausted. 

“Obi-Wan?” He started, catching Obi-Wan’s attention. “I’m sorry. ...For everything.” He said softly. He knew he wasn’t enough. 

But it caused Obi-Wan to blink in surprise. 

Anakin watched as Obi-Wan took his Negotiator stance and tried really hard not to flinch because of it.  

“How did it happen?” Obi-Wan asked curiously. 

He could get his old Master didn’t just mean them coming here.  

“Yeah, I…I died. You can either thank or blame Luke for getting through to me before that happened...” Anakin answered.  

He watched the flicker of a frown criss-cross Obi-Wan’s face.  

“I think I’d rather thank him for getting you back.” Obi-Wan muttered.  

Huh. That was new. Anakin hadn’t spared a thought to think Obi-Wan might be happy about this.  

That took a minute to digest.  

“Anakin?” Obi-Wan pressed. 

He nodded, but then soon went back to frowning. “I don’t…actually remember much. I think you were there, sometimes? How…How old is Luke actually?” Anakin stumbled over.  

Since his son was actually looking more like a child right now. 

Obi-wan sided his head thoughtfully. “The last I spoke to him; he was nearing twenty. He was going after you.” He answered.  

Anakin scrunched his nose up in distaste.  

Twenty years? Just like that. Wasted. 

Anakin blew out a sigh. “It was like being around him, he showed me that I was locked inside a room I didn’t know I was in and didn’t know how to get out of. Being around him, showed me where the door handle was.” He tried to explain, and he looked to Obi-Wan. “…Yeah, that doesn’t make much sense…” He muttered. 

Anakin watched the hand wave Obi-Wan did flippantly.  

“No, in context, it makes sense. He called you back.” Obi-Wan settled on.  

Anakin nodded mutely. 

By fire, more like. 

Both of them jolted upright when the med bot returned. 

“Status?” Obi-Wan was first to order. 

“He seems to be suffering from a heavy dose of lightning discharge. He is in a medical coma. If you will permit me to place a bacta patch?” The med bot questioned, holding up a patch in its hand.  

Anakin skirted backwards to allow the droid space.  

They both watched as the patch was laid on Luke’s forehead, and the child’s body slumped in relief, causing both men to frown, having not sensed that Luke was in pain. 

It hit straight through Anakin painfully.  

“He will wake when he is well.” The droid supplied.  

“Is there anything else you need to do?” Obi-Wan was asking.  

Anakin let the conversation drift as he latched onto Luke’s hand while trying to find his son in his own mind. He tried not to recoil when he felt nothing but darkness from his child. 

How had he just … stood there when his child cried for help…? How had he allowed any of it to happen...? 

He looked up to see Obi-Wan crossing his hand over the droid, and the droid went about erasing all the information gathered on Luke. 

The droid nodded. “Have a pleasant stay. He may leave when he is ready.” The droid said, then walked off.  

Obi-Wan smirked happily.  

Then he looked back at Luke. If he hadn’t seen Luke de-age in front of him…? He wouldn’t have known that he was Luke at all. 

“How old is he now ?” Anakin couldn’t help but wonder. 

Obi-Wan blinked, then looked at Luke, categorising his features.  

“Five, maybe six, more likely four, give or take.” He answered after a minute or so.  

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan with a questioning frown.  

“How…?” He asked.  

“You think I would’ve left him alone?” Obi-Wan suddenly looked scandalised.  

Anakin blinked in surprise. “You watched over him?” He blurted out in surprise. 

It only caused Obi-Wan to burst out laughing.  

“The things I do for you, old friend.” Obi-Wan said merrily.  

It left Anakin swaying metaphorically.  

But, apparently, Obi-Wan thought nothing of his statement, hummed curiously and walked over and picked up a device to access the HoloNet. 

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked, watching Obi-Wan’s eyes read whatever information he was looking for. 

Obi-Wan looked up for a second to signal he heard, then was back to reading.  

“We need to know exactly when we are, right?” Obi-Wan questioned.  

Anakin shrugged one shoulder. 

Fair. 

“We seem to be just before the War comes to Coruscant…” Obi-Wan muttered out quietly.  

So, give or take, they were dealing with literal months before the Republic fell. 

“Is that enough time?” Anakin asked. 

Obi-Wan looked at him critically.  

“Time for what?” He almost demanded in question. 

“Enough time to incriminate Palpatine as Sidious?” Anakin added, realising Obi-Wan needed him to elaborate.  

Anakin blinked at the surprised face Obi-Wan pulled.  

“Why is this a surprise to you?” Anakin asked, frowning.  

“Last I checked, you were against the Republic.” Obi-Wan surmised.  

Anakin took a second, before conceding that Obi-Wan was right in that matter.  

While the Republic had its issues, there was way too much innocent blood on the Empire’s hands to say it was any better. 

“One of the lesser evils, we can agree on that, surely,” Anakin asked.  

Obi-Wan blinked, then begrudgingly agreed. 

The Republic failed because it was so weak, to begin with.  

“But surely you agree that things are better with democracy rather than tyranny?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Anakin frowned.  

After twenty years of tyranny? Yeah, he could agree wholeheartedly that it sucked. 

It confused Anakin how easily they came to a middle point, seeing both sides, while actually agreeing on something for once.  

They hadn’t agreed on anything…in a long time. 

Anakin just sighed exhaustedly. 

“This is exhausting.” He muttered. 

Obi-Wan chuckled.  

“Diplomacy often is?” He added cheerfully.  

“Last I remember that was still more your forte than mine.” Anakin grumbled in annoyance. 

At this, Obi-Wan literally burst out laughing merrily.  

Anakin stared at him in amazement.  

“What did I do?” Anakin asked, dumbfounded at how Obi-Wan could be laughing at that moment.  

Obi-Wan’s chuckling waned a little.  

“Oh, I have missed you.” Obi-Wan quipped happily.  

Anakin blinked at him rapidly, dumbfounded at him.  

Obi-Wan noticed.  

“You didn’t think I would?” Obi-Wan asked, his tone full of mirth. 

“Not…really?” Anakin muttered. 

Not after he could remember murdering the man. 

Obi-Wan just chuckled.  

“I found it easier to separate you, and…” Obi-Wan paused and looked indecisive about speaking further.  

Anakin could assume what Obi-Wan meant.  

But now that he thought about it… 

“Same.” Anakin added.  

Not that Anakin was running from all the misdeeds from the past twenty years, that technically didn’t happen, yet, and that he would do everything in his power to make sure never happened.  

From what time he was barely aware of, the misdeeds, that of Vader, and that of the Empire were too vast to say his hands were clean. 

But if they could make sure they never happened?  

Then they would only exist in his nightmares. 

Then he paused at the thought.  

“If we take Palpatine down, do we also take me down?” Anakin asked, siding his head thoughtfully.  

Obi-Wan jolted in confusion.  

“Pardon?” He questioned.  

“We’re incriminating Palpatine for the deeds of the next twenty years, then we should do the same for me.” Anakin added. 

He wouldn’t fight Obi-Wan. Not again. 

Obi-Wan stared at him incredulously, only to shake his head.  

“I’m not incriminating you.” Obi-Wan almost spat out vehemently.  

Anakin paused in confusion.  

“Surely, I am to blame as well?” Anakin questioned.  

He was still staring at him.  

“If I was to pull up your file, your history, right now, I would find no evidence of wrongdoing.” Obi-Wan said.  

Anakin frowned. “Well, sure, but—” He paused when Obi-Wan shook his head.  

“But if I was to dig into Palpatine’s history? Into Sidious’…?” Obi-Wan ventured.  

Anakin blinked.  

Right now?  

Yeah, if they looked in the right places, dug in certain areas where Palpatine was sure no one would look? They would find damning evidence. 

“Oh.” Anakin breathed in surprise. 

Now Obi-Wan was smirking.  

“See.” He urged.  

How in Sith Hell could his old Master see past everything Vader had done…? 

“But how can you…?” Anakin wondered. 

“See that you haven’t done any wrongdoing?” Obi-Wan questioned.  

Anakin nodded numbly, while Obi-Wan’s eyes sparkled.  

“Because you find your past actions to be wrong and wish to correct them. You will act to correct them. I am very sure that Palpatine has not and will not see the error in anything he has done.” Obi-Wan explained.  

Anakin breathed in, what he could only classify as a relief.  

By Obi-Wan’s standards, he was repenting. 

While Palpatine? Even in the end when he threw him into the reactor, had the man ever felt guilty for murdering children. 

Suddenly nothing mattered when he heard childish groaning and looked down to see Luke was coming around.  

“Luke?” He questioned immediately.  

The boy only scrunched his face up painfully, and groaned again, his limbs flinching subconsciously before his eyes popped open in confusion. 

“Where?!” The boy yelped out in confusion a second later.  

“Calm down, you’re okay.” Anakin said soothingly and stalled reaching out when Luke flinched backwards. Yeah, he deserved that.  

Anakin watched as the boy stared at him, then looked around him widely.  

“Where am I?” He asked.  

“Coruscant.” Anakin answered softly.  

The boy’s face lit up in a panic. “The Imperial Centre? How’d I get here?!” He yelped in fright.  

Both Anakin and Obi-Wan stared at each other incomprehensively.  

“No. Republic.” Anakin assured, trying to get his child to calm down.  

Luke’s face scrunched up. “No. Imperial Centre. What rock have you been living under.” The boy almost muttered lowly.  

Neither understood what was going on.  

Luke shook his head. 

“No. I don’t understand. Who are you!?” He questioned heatedly. 

Ice shoved itself into every corner of Anakin’s being.