Ghost Of Me - Anakin Skywalker x Reader (BOOK 2)

Chapter 22

Inexplicable waves of sorrow had washed over Luke. He felt hopeless, exhausted, and miserable; as though his entire world had come crashing down.

Just days ago, he had been an ordinary kid with an ordinary life, and an ordinary family. Everything was just... normal. His parents were dead, but as far as he knew, it was a typical accident and he was at peace with that.

Now that he knew the truth, or at least a version of it, he couldn't help but feel wrong. A part of him, a rather large part, did not want to believe any of it. His parents were Jedi, he could wield the Force, and a droid on this very ship was the Princess of Alderaan's saviour. In his mind, this was crazier than fiction.

While seated on the edge of trunk in the quarters Han had kindly let him sleep in, he studied the cylindrical weapon that was his father's lightsaber. This was the only item of his father's he had ever owned. He could not help but feel connected to the item.

When it was ignited in his hands back at Ben Kenobi's hut, he could almost feel his father's presence. He could imagine Anakin Skywalker looking at him with a smile on his face, proud of his son. Luke, of course, had never seen Anakin Skywalker. He could imagine what his father may have looked like though. He could picture him with the same blue eyes and dirty blonde hair that he possessed. Perhaps his father shared some of his cheeky optimism and often reckless charm.

A light knock against the open door to his quarters caught his attention. He saw the kind, smiling face belonging to Leora and felt some of his anxiety melt away.

"Hey, kid," she said, maintaining her welcoming smile.

"Hey," Luke muttered.

He forced himself to smile, though he was certain Leora would see straight through the facade. He wanted to be strong for her.

Luke moved to the right side of the trunk, creating space for Leora. She stepped into the quarters and took a seat beside him.

"You okay?" She asked, her tone soft and warm.

Luke was still holding Anakin's lightsaber hilt, rotating the weapon in his hands. His imagination dared to wander; to imagine the incredible things his father had done while holding the lightsaber. He could picture his father, victorious on the battlefield. 

"Luke?" she repeated. "You with me?"

"Sorry," Luke responded, immediately awoken from his daydream. "I'm okay. I just... I just feel overwhelmed. It's a lot to take in, you know?"

Leora nodded considerately. Luke could not explain how or why, but he knew Leora understood exactly what he meant. He knew she understood, in a way no one else ever had.

"Believe it or not, I understand what you're going through... to a degree," she reluctantly admitted. 

"You do?"

"Somewhat," Leora unclipped her own lightsaber from her belt and looked at it wearily. 

Luke noticed her lightsaber hilt strongly resembled his father's. They were both crafted of the same metal and possessed a similar graflex style. He wondered whether or not this was an intentional choice.

"When I was around your age, I fought in the Clone Wars. I did not have time to comprehend what it would mean; for the galaxy, for my friends, or for the Order. I had days to learn offensive combat forms; not weeks. With barely enough training, I also had to try and lead my own Battalion as a General. My inexperience didn't only put my life at risk, it put good men's lives at risk."

The thought sent an icy chill down Luke's spine. He could not imagine going to war at his age; especially not in a high ranking position of authority. He could not imagine the impact this would have on someone's soul.