Chapter Text
"Luke, I am your father."
No. No, that's not true. That can't be true. The darkness always lies. Darth Vader lied to him in hopes of turning Luke to the Dark Side.
There was a desperate fanaticism in his words. The Dark Lord was telling his newfound son about the power in their Force. He said something else about running the Empire, but Luke immediately ignored these words, shocked by the brazen lie of his “father”.
The young Jedi vehemently denied his relationship with Darth Vader. Light and Darkness. There is nothing in common between them.
His father was a good man who lived a short but honorable life, which Darth Vader cruelly took from him. So he was told.
Yoda only confirmed his fears. Luke did not understand how he could continue to live with this burden.
Devastation.
Disappointment.
Luke's idealized image of his father was shattered into tiny pieces. Leia didn't understand. No one understood the reason for his bad mood. And Luke wasn't going to share his feelings with anyone. He just wanted to have a father. It would probably be better to remain in the dark for the rest of his life than to learn such details about his biography.
Son of a Monster.
On that fateful day when Luke went out to defeat his father and Darth Sidious, Han and Leia were disabling the Death Star.
And then…
Luke watched his father, Darth Vader, die in his arms, having managed to return to the Light. He saved him. He saved everyone from the greatest threat, by melting his son's heart. Emperor Palpatine was dead. And with him, the Galactic Empire was dead. It was a victory. But there was no relief, Luke had been depressed for a long time.
He had heard that Anakin had truly been a great man before his fall. A well-trained Jedi, superior to many in the Force. The Chosen One.
Dry facts. Nothing more.
Luke was so eager to know about his father, only to end up losing him anyway? It's not fair. Darth Vader was supposed to die. But even the most notorious monsters don't deserve to be forgotten completely. Luke was so touched by his father's selfless act that he was genuinely proud of him at that moment. Then the bitterness of loss overcame him. Everything became as before.
He had no father again.
When Luke first learned that his father was a Jedi Knight, a great sense of pride washed over him at that moment. He wanted to be one too. His dad would teach him everything, show him what it was like to be a Jedi. Their teachings, rules, techniques, and lightsaber combat. Anakin would support him, comfort him in moments of weakness and failure, praise him for his first achievements.
As it turned out later, Han took several very valuable items from the Death Star before they finally destroyed the station. They were mostly weapons.
"Hey, Luke! Catch!" Han tossed the boy a strange cube-shaped object. "A present."
"What is this?" Luke turned the cube over in his hands, surprised. Neat red glowing stripes were outlined on the edges. In addition, the young Jedi was able to discern incomprehensible, previously unseen symbols, the meaning of which he did not understand at all.
"I don't know," Han shrugs disinterestedly. "What's the difference? A beautiful trinket, keep it as a keepsake."
"You are sure?"
"Don't worry, I don't need it. There were things much more valuable there."
In fact, he was afraid to touch an unknown thing once again, which could harm him and his loved ones. He didn't know how unknown artifacts worked, so he decided that later he would just ask the Ghosts of Force. If the cube was on the Death Star, Palpatine needed it for some purpose. It was impossible to let the artifact fall into the wrong hands. And Luke tried to hide it with himself.
"Happy birthday!" Leia, his dear sister, almost sang as she uttered these words. "Happy birthday, Luke!"
Luke smiled warmly and hugged her. "Happy birthday, Leia."
The Jedi was flattered when he saw the real celebration. It was probably Leia's doing; only she could have initiated and organized such a party, which they usually didn't arrange, and if they did, it wasn't this big. Luke had celebrated his last birthday on the Millennium Falcon because he didn't have time, so he just drank alcohol with his best friends. Even then, it seemed unusual and strange to him that his birthday with Princess Organa coincided in such an incredible way. Now it was their common holiday.
As soon as he entered the room, the cheers of the Alliance's supporters followed. All of Luke's friends and comrades-in-arms were here, everyone he had fought with on the side of good for liberation.
Wide tables were filled with an abundance of food and snacks, which alternated with bottles of strong wine of various varieties.
"You've aged now, boy, be happy," Han put his arm around Luke's shoulder, hugging him tightly, causing Luke to feel his unfortunate forearm crack.
"Oh, mom, save me," the young Jedi moaned.
"What?" Han looked at him.
"I say, thank you, buddy," Luke smiled tightly and carefully tried to release the smuggler's grip, otherwise he would have to make a prosthetic arm, not just a hand.
"Han!" Leia managed to pry her brother out of Solo's arms. "Have I gotten old too?"
"That's not what I meant, lady!" the princess's lover denied, noticing her puffed-up cheeks and displeased look.
"It's okay," Skywalker's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Chewie, who was wearing a small blue cap on his head. He couldn't help but laugh, covering his mouth with his hand. "What's that?"
"This?" Solo, pleased, also paid attention. "This is my gift to you, boy."
Chewie was clearly unaware of this and made a surprised noise, which caused Luke and Leia to laugh even more, while Han pretended not to understand their laughter, since he was seriously giving Chewbacca away.
"Yes, yes, you're going to follow your new master on foot now," he told Chewie, which made Chewie growl with displeasure. "That's it, calm down. I won't give you up to anyone. Did you really believe that?" Chewie objected to him again, and Solo waved him off. "Oh, come on."
Luke smiled happily as Han handed him one of his favorite guns.
"Yes, I know that you like to wave a sword more and you control it with your Force like a god, but look at this little girl," Solo couldn't help but praise the characteristics of the blaster he had given his friend. He noted all the advantages and some weaknesses, but in the end, he declared that it was a very good weapon, and he, Han Solo, was a little jealous of Luke.
"Thanks," Luke gave him his smile again. "Really. Thank you."
"You're the one to thank, hero," Solo waved it off. "You saved the entire galaxy."
"I didn't do anything," Skywalker insisted.
"That's it, stop embarrassing him," Leia took Luke's hand, drawing her brother's attention to herself. "Luke."
He turned his gaze to the girl for whom he had once harbored bright but unrequited feelings. Luke accepted this, sincerely rejoicing at her rapidly developing relationship with the smuggler. Admittedly, Luke would have chosen him himself if he were in Princess Leia's place. Now that he knew they were related, he felt even better. He had let go of the ridiculous situation between them, including that stupid kiss. No more innuendos.
"You know how much I love and cherish you," she said breathlessly, as if about to lose consciousness. "Ever since we met and everything we've been through together; you've become my brother. And when I found out that you really are my brother..." Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. "Your contribution to our common cause is invaluable. During all this time, we had small victories and big failures, but we coped with it together." She looked at him with burning eyes as she said this, squeezing his hand with her tiny hands. "You've been so dedicated, and I know your passion for piloting, so..."
"You're not..."
"Yes, Luke. Your X-wing is on the runway. Your personal one."
"Leia, I cannot accept such a gift," the Jedi pleaded, shaking his head.
"He's yours, Luke," she insisted. "Please accept it as my thanks. It's not worth a fraction of what you've done for us. You're the most precious thing I have, so let me do what little I can for you."
He did not want to accept such a valuable and touching gift for him, because he simply could not return the favor to his beloved sister. Skywalker had been preparing for a long time and had put a lot of effort into making a necklace with a kyber crystal. It really looked very pretty, but, as Luke thought, it couldn't be compared to what Leia had given him, even though the kyber crystal was considered quite rare in itself and wasn't usually used as an ornament. However, she was delighted and kissed him, this time just on the cheek.
At the end of the evening, when it was already dark and the stars appeared in the sky, mesmerizing Luke, who did not leave the Jedi indifferent, Skywalker went out onto the balcony to clear his head and think about his own.
It was a memorable day, the best of his life, the second since the momentous day when the Empire fell, but his lonely signals echoing in the Force remained unanswered, which couldn't help but upset Luke.
Suddenly, he felt someone's presence behind him and hopefully turned around, but immediately wilted.
"Happy birthday, young Luke Skywalker," the Force Ghost Obi-Wan congratulated the Jedi.
The old Jedi saw Skywalker's sadness and knew who he was waiting for, but he remained silent. Kenobi also knew that Luke's loneliness would once again remain unrequited.
"I thought he was coming to my birthday, but he didn't come," the Jedi said sadly, turning away again. "Again."
The pockets of rebellion were not completely suppressed, so Luke stayed in the rebel camp for a while, and side by side, they defeated one after another pathetic outbreak of the dying Empire.
He didn't sleep at night. Luke saw his father’s-tired eyes in front of him and shuddered every time he heard any sound like heavy, prolonged breathing. Luke was tossing and turning in his bed and desperately trying to fall asleep. Now he didn't like the nightfall at all. If the young Jedi could somehow distract himself during the day, then at night he faithfully waited for Him.
Anakin Skywalker. Darth Vader. He had suffered for so many years to find the long-awaited peace. Where is he now? One of the Ghosts of the Force? Something else?
Luke tried to focus on meditation, but it didn't work. His mind was torn by an endless stream of thoughts, which all eventually led to thinking about his father. The boy desperately called out to the Force, looking for at least the slightest presence of Anakin in it. But his pleas went unanswered for a long time.
His loneliness was unrequited.
At that moment, he felt like a very small child who wanted parental attention. His father's figure often surfaced in his mind, but Luke couldn't make out his face or even the slightest outline. He didn't know what Anakin Skywalker looked like. The figure often appeared in his dreams, but more often with his back to him. His father moved away from him every time, and Luke desperately ran after him, calling out to him, but received no response.
How long has it been since they blew up the Death Star? A week? A month?
It so happened that he got up in the middle of the night and walked in circles, languishing from the agonizing expectation. He was waiting for him.
"Why doesn't he come?" There's desperation in Luke's voice. "I don't feel it at all."
"The training of a Jedi and the great responsibility placed on his shoulders is the only thing that should bother young Luke Skywalker," Obi-Wan Kenobi, once a former Master who became a Ghost of the Force, answers him monotonously.
"No!" Luke turns his displeased gaze to the Master. "I have to see him! He'll definitely come to say goodbye!"
"Even if he comes, what will you tell him, child?"
He fell into a stupor after these words. Obi-Wan was right. If Anakin had suddenly appeared to his son, Luke would have had nothing to say to him.
"I want to talk to my father. I want to learn more about him."
"Sometimes ignorance is good," Obi-Wan retorted.
Luke lowered his head. A seed of doubt arose inside, but he wanted to see his father even more. Perhaps he should step back from the obsession? Not everything is meant to be, so what's the point of trying if it's impossible to change everything?
"Having turned back to the Light, your father is ashamed of his Dark Side. He won't want to reopen his wounds. To hurt you. Darth Vader won't want to come to you."
"Anakin Skywalker."
"Luke?" Obi-Wan looked with undisguised surprise at the determined young man, who clenched his fists tightly.
"I want to talk to my father, Anakin Skywalker, not Darth Vader."
"The restless boy."
Luke turns away from his Master and continues to walk in circles around the room.
"I would give anything to see him. At least for a few minutes."
"Time travel would be the only way to get to know Anakin the way you want him to be. Before he fell to the Dark Side."
"Do you know?" Luke turned sharply to Obi-Wan, hoping that he would tell him a secret.
"I know, but don't expect anything to come of it," the Force Ghost replied skeptically. "You are not a Jedi master; your Force is not great enough to master this art."
"So... apart from the Jedi masters, no one else can travel through time?" the questioning tone was replaced by an accusatory one. "Then why didn't you save my father from the Darkness?"
"Luke," Obi-Wan frowned at the young man, hastening to moderate his ardor. "It's not that simple. This art was banned by the Jedi Order, and then completely forgotten, because it carries destructive power. It was a long time ago, before my time. Even I don't know him, so I can't help you. The art was considered so dangerous that it could kill the caster. You really shouldn't be interested in this; you won't find anything."
Luke was shocked, but the old Master's words did not convince him. The young Jedi's excessive curiosity only served to further fuel his interest.
"And... there are no other ways?"
Obi-Wan carefully measured the restless Jedi with his gaze.
"Once upon a time, there was a very valuable artifact that could move its owner both into the past and into the future. It is shaped like a small cube. I have never seen it; I believe the Order was safely hiding an artifact that was later stolen by Darth Vader."
"Anakin?"
"No, Darth Vader."
Luke nodded in agreement. He had heard about Order 66. Those were dark times for the Jedi Order. He did not go into details because he knew that it was difficult for the Master to talk about it. This is his personal tragedy.
"I don't understand," the young man was still confused by what he had heard. "If such a powerful artifact ended up in my father's hands… Why didn't he try to fix the past himself?"
"I've often wondered this question, child, until I found the old recordings. You see, the cube accepts only the true manifestation of Light. He responds to a man with a pure soul, whose motives are noble and clear. Your father was blinded by rage and couldn't influence the cube."
"Can a cube have a mind of its own?"
"In a way."
"That's why Emperor Palpatine couldn't get him," Luke whispered in amazement. He walked away and was lost in his own thoughts. "What if I can?"
"Luke? What are you talking about?"
The young man shook his head and began to look around the room in search of his belongings. If his suspicions are correct…
"Luke, what are you doing?" Obi-Wan tried to call out, but to no avail.
Without any words, Luke showed the stunned Master the cube Han had given him, which glowed with a bright blue light.
"Hmm, I think it used to be red," Luke murmured thoughtfully. "It's him, isn't it?"
"From where? Where did you get it, Luke?"
"We found him on the Death Star," the young Jedi explained. "Why was he there? Unless it was just another monstrous idea of my father's..."
"Listen, Luke," Obi-Wan tried to urge Luke to heed his advice, "I know how important it is for you to see your father, but... it's better not to interfere in the past. The slightest change can have terrifying consequences. If this is fate, everything must remain in place to maintain balance. Remember what you've been taught. You're a Jedi."
The boy thought about it. Involuntarily, he remembered his dying father, whom it was painful to look at. Luke was surprised that Vader had actually lived for many years in this hideous costume that kept him alive. Yes, only Palpatine could have come up with such a terrible torture, forcing Anakin to exist and serve the Darkness all his life. No, Luke does not justify his own father, but he is sure that Vader did not want and did not choose such a life. It would have been easier for him to die, but who would let him? He's the most important piece on Darth Sidious' chessboard.
Luke closed his eyes and squeezed the cube hard until his knuckles hurt. When he thinks about Emperor Palpatine, anger boils up in him. True evil. The young Jedi remembers that day with pain. Those wrinkled hands, emitting lightning, disgusting laughter. But Luke learned back then that hatred leads him down the path of his father. He came to his senses in time.
Anakin wasn't old at all, but you couldn't look at him without crying. Bald, covered with welts and scars, supported by artificial respiration. This was how Luke saw the most dangerous Sith in the Galaxy without a helmet. Terrifying everyone who gets in his way. It seemed outwardly that he was almost the same age as Palpatine.
What was he like before? Luke couldn't stop thinking about it.
No matter what his father was, Luke was genuinely drawn to his only living parent. And he wanted it to be different. Yes, he had an uncle and aunt who took care of him, but... It's Dad.
"You're right," Luke smiled at him. "However, nothing will happen if I look into the past with one eye. Just for a few minutes. I'll take a look at it and come right back. If only I knew how. Help me, please."
Obi-Wan shakes his head in disapproval, which angers the young man.
"Is that so? You've been lying to me from the very beginning! You said that my father was a Jedi knight who was ruthlessly slaughtered by Darth Vader. And now you're looking for understanding and trust? How can I trust you after this?"
The words of the distressed boy had an effect on the confused Obi-Wan, who did not want to remember past mistakes. He still thought he could fix it back then. But he didn't do it. He did not listen to the young Anakin Skywalker and did not help him. Now a young Luke Skywalker stands in front of him with the same worried expression on his face, seeking support from his Master.
Obi-Wan sighs heavily.
"Do you see these symbols on the cube? Its edges can be rotated. If you turn the numerical edge away from yourself, you will get into the future, if you turn it towards yourself, you will get into the past. Turn it as many times as the time years have passed since then. When you're done, turn the crystal face. Then you will be able to open a portal to the past. But the portal will only open in the timeline when Anakin Skywalker still existed, not Darth Vader."
"Where do I need to go?" Luke whispers, mesmerized.
"On Mustafar," another heavy sigh follows from the Ghost of Force. "Where it all ended."
Luke resolutely gathers his gear for the road. He doesn't care about the late hour; he will do anything for his father. Luke hesitated, but took his father's lightsaber in his hand. He made his own, but it's a memory that he always carries with him and carefully preserves. The Jedi hastily tucked the sword into his belt. No, he can't leave it here.
"And one more thing, Luke. When you arrive at the temple, don't do anything stupid. Don't talk to anyone. Especially with Anakin."