Test of Time Book 1: A Father's Son

Chapter 22: Luke's Story

Anakin felt the darkness all around him. It was closing in, beckoning for him to come, to join with it instead of resist. His head pounded, his lungs burned, and all he wanted was freedom from the oppressive force around him. Just when he was ready to give in to the darkness, to end the suffering, a bright light pierced through the darkness.

Instinctively he clung to it, letting the light draw him in until the darkness was completely chased away. Anakin took several steadying breaths as relief and peace washed through him, laced with the calm of the light side of the Force.

"It is good to see you again, Anakin."

Anakin jumped, startled; he'd thought he'd been alone. Looking up, however, his eyes fell upon someone he had thought he would never see again.

"Master Qui-Gon?"

Qui-Gon smiled. "Yes, it's me, Anakin; and before you ask, this is a vision. I'm appearing to you through the Force."

Anakin was dumbfounded for a few moments. "Wha—why?"

"It's time you received an explanation. You see, it's easier to show you than it is to explain."

"Explain what?" Anakin asked, confused.

"Why Luke is here. Yes, training from the Jedi is one reason, but it is nearly insignificant compared to the real reason. He's here for you."

Anakin simply stared at Qui-Gon for a few minutes. "Me?"

Qui-Gon ushered for Anakin to step closer. "Come; I will show you Luke's story, and then everything will make sense."

"How?"

"Just trust the Force, Anakin; that's all you need to do in order to see the truth."

Anakin realized Qui-Gon's voice was fading, and he glanced around; the light was starting to dim.

"Qui-Gon?"

Too late, he was gone, and Anakin found himself in utter darkness. Soon, voices floated to him out of that very same darkness.

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"He has much of his father in him." Anakin heard a woman speak, causing him to search the darkness in vain for the speaker.

"That's what I'm afraid of," came another voice, a man's this time.

A glowing blue light appeared, and Anakin walked towards it, seeing a peculiar scene in front of him. There was Luke, much younger and naive looking. He held a lightsaber in his hand...an oddly familiar lightsaber.

"You're father's lightsaber," came what sounded like Obi-Wan, though Anakin could see that no one was speaking in the now rapidly fading image; the voices seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time in a clear echo.

"I wish I'd known him," Luke said mournfully.

A new scene rapidly appeared, and soon Anakin was watching as Luke hopped out of a speeder, rushing towards a smoking building as he shouted for someone, or more than one person. Anakin recoiled as the what was lying in wait for the youth came into view; charred skeletons were all that remained of whoever Luke had been looking for, and Luke was now looking away in pain. The scene faded to black as Anakin heard Luke's voice once more.

"There's nothing for me here now...I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."

Again, a new scene came to fruition, and Anakin watched as Luke, a Wookiee, and a scruffy looking man rescued a woman who looked creepily like Padmé. As Anakin watched, the small group made their way to a large ship hanger, though Luke suddenly stopped, taking a few steps in another direction.