Test of Time Book 1: A Father's Son

Chapter 19: In The Balance

After what felt like too long, the healer exited the room, walking up to a tense Anakin and Obi-Wan. Before she could say a word Anakin spoke. "Is he all right? Will he live? Is he going to make it?"

The healer hesitated, and anguish ripped through Anakin at the sight. She was trying to figure out how to lightly break the news to them, he just knew she was.

"We...have done what we can. Only he can decide that now. It seems his survival is now an...internal affair, would be the best way I can describe it. His will to live is the only thing keeping him tethered to us right now."

Deep concern was etched into Obi-Wan's features. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan had heard the hesitation in her tone; there was more. "And..?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Darkness. It's almost like the dark side is leading an assault against him to break his will and seal his fate. We can't do anything more for him. This...internal battle is one only he can fight."

Despair filled Anakin's expression. "Is there nothing we can do?"

The healer shook her head. "I am afraid not; he will be in a basically comatose state until he is able to pull through or..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Anakin spoke up immediately. "May I see him?"

"You will not be able to communicate with him."

"I understand that, but still, please let me see him."

She nodded. "Of course, Skywalker. Go on in..."

Anakin stepped around her, and he duly noted that Obi-Wan stayed behind to allow Anakin to be alone. Anakin made sure to shut the door behind him, the click echoing in the room.

Luke's deathly still form was laid out on the bed, his skin ghostly pale. As quiet and slow as he could be, Anakin took a seat by Luke's bed. His eyes grazed over the puncture wound in Luke's neck were the dart had struck home, and he grimaced, his anger rising once again. Why had Luke been a target? This killer, whoever he was, had been a professional. Anakin had felt no disturbance in the Force, nothing that was out of the ordinary until Luke had already been poisoned. This hunter had known how to shield himself

Then there was whoever had hired the assassin. Why had Luke been their target in the first place?

He sighed, suddenly feeling tired despite everything that was rushing through his mind. He needed to rest right now. He wanted to hunt down the assassin and make him pay for what he had done, but Anakin was in no state to do so; he would have to wait until tomorrow before he started on an endeavor like that. He was in no condition to be taking on an obviously well-trained assassin capable of killing a Jedi.

Anakin searched Luke's face at the thought. It was smooth and expressionless, but when Anakin reached out to him through their Force Bond...he was met with a flurry of pain, fear, weariness, and an assault of foreign darkness from an indecipherable source.

Anakin grimaced, retreating to himself at the onslaught of darkness. Sympathy filled him for the young man. As if being poisoned with such an agonizing substance wasn't enough, now he had to fight off such a strong darkness in this weakened state.

"You'll be all right, Luke, just hold on. If you really are as stubborn as me, you can't give up. Hold on," Anakin said firmly but softly, even if Luke couldn't hear him.

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Sidious stood in his own private living quarters, his eyes roaming the city without really seeing the buildings before him. His mind was...elsewhere. The Force had changed rapidly in the short few hours that had passed, yet the Jedi's Force Signature was still present. Sidious was furious at the discovery, more so when he felt The Hunter leave Coruscant. No matter, the filth would get what was coming to him. Right now, Sidious would focus on finishing the job himself.