Test of Time Book 1: A Father's Son

Chapter 7: Back to Battle

Luke, bored out of his mind and now clearly seeing his father's point for avoiding the medical wing, was currently using the Force to levitate a piece of fruit into the air as entertainment. He sighed, breaking his gaze away from the fruit and looking around. He felt perfectly fine, but if he so much as tried to get out of bed he received a harsh scolding from the medic.

Anakin appeared in the doorway and leaned on the doorframe. "Having fun?"

Luke looked up at him and snickered. "Yeah, I'm having a blast," he said sarcastically, deciding to take a leaf out of Han's book for a moment.

Anakin smiled and made his way into the room, mischief sparkling in his eyes. "I pulled a few strings, so if you can prove to me that you're in good enough condition to be up and moving like you've been saying you are, you've got clearance to leave."

Luke perked up immediately; this was a version of his father he could get used to. "Really?"

Anakin nodded, and Luke immediately swung out of bed. It turned out his arm and wrist had been dislocated, but they were fine now; his legs still ached just a little but he knew he could move around. His back also still hurt, but it wasn't the serious pain it had been earlier. As he stood up, he weaved just a little, but covered it up with some tentative steps forward. "Wow, I was beginning to forget what walking was like," he joked.

Anakin smiled a little. "You're free from the medical wing; and you're welcome."

"Oh sweet relief," Luke said dramatically. Anakin laughed and shook his head.

"Come on, Luke; Obi-Wan just got orders from the Council. We were going to try and recover those files from the rubble, but it seems something's come up. Obi-Wan's waiting for us in the hanger."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like something that needs immediate attention."

Anakin nodded, already out the door with Luke following close behind. "From what I've gathered; he hasn't exactly told me what the issue is yet. He said he'd tell us both at the same time."

"I guess it saves him the trouble of repeating himself," Luke said.

"I suppose."

Father and son eventually reached the hanger, hastily making their way over to a grim Obi-Wan who was standing by the fighters they had used on Tythe. "We're going to Coruscant. Immediately," Obi-Wan said when they approached him.

Anakin perked up at the news, his face lighting up; however, he was quick to settle back into seriousness. "What's happened?" he asked warily.

"It seems this entire ordeal has been a wild Bantha chase meant to distract us from the Separatist's real plans; they've launched an assault on Coruscant and succeeded in capturing the chancellor. We've been tasked with rescuing him from General Grievous," Obi-Wan informed them.

"How did they manage to get the chancellor?" Anakin asked incredulously, and Luke could feel the wave of concern coming off his father for the man whom he guessed was a friend of Anakin's.

Obi-Wan shook his head, making his way over to his personal red fighter. "I wasn't told how, they were otherwise preoccupied. However, I was told that the battle has moved from the surface of Coruscant to space above Coruscant, and they are currently trying to keep Grievous from escaping with the chancellor, so we need to leave now." Obi-Wan's eyes settled on Luke. "Are you sure you're up for this? It's going to be dangerous, and I'd feel a lot more comfortable if you had more training and rest."

Luke nodded. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I am, Master Kenobi, don't worry about me."