Sacrifice - A Star Wars Fanfic

Chapter 25

"Luke!"

        Anakin wasted no time in dropping his saber in stunned shock and sprinting towards his son, his hands instantly underneath the boy's sagging head. A choked gasp left Luke's mouth and he coughed, his blue eyes clouded and his body more frail that usual.

        Anakin chose to ignore how Vader was silently approaching them from behind, his respirator the only sound as Anakin frantically pressed his hands against Luke's chest wound.

       "F-Father..." Luke gurgled, but was cut off by a firm look from Anakin.

        "Don't say a word. Why...why would you—"

        "You were going to." Luke said with a weak smile, another rattling gasp leaving him.

       "Luke. Keep your eyes open, come on." Another shock shook the station and Anakin stumbled, holding onto his child tightly. They were running out of time. Quickly, he kneeled down, trying to stay calm, and picked Luke up bridal style. He brushed a limp strand of blonde hair out of the boy's face and pressed a kiss to his temple, keeping pressure to his chest and slowly turning back to Vader.

        "He cannot survive a wound of that extent." Vader said simply, his voice almost choked as the eyes behind the lenses stared worriedly at the young boy. Anakin just scowled.

        "If you want to make it off this station alive, I suggest you come with us. And he'll be fine." Anakin gritted, fury and panic threatening to overcome him.

        He moved towards the turbolift at a fast pace, Vader on his tail. Once they reached the docking bay, they saw several officers and troopers running around frantically, none of them paying them any attention as they desperately looked for a ship to escape on.

        A klaxon alarm was blaring throughout the area, but was mainly ignored. Anakin took a deep breath and took another look at Luke's pale face and partially responsive eyes. His eyes caught sight of the ship they had arrived in and he stalked towards it, determined.

       "Father..." Luke cried again, his voice even frailer than his body.

        Anakin looked back down at the boy, unable to fathom that he had failed his child...he had failed as a parent...it had been his responsibility to watch after both him and Leia and he had been stupid enough to leave Leia down in the midst of a battle on the moon of Endor, and to not notice that Luke had been attempting to stab himself as a distraction for Vader to attack Sidious.

        "Please...p-put me down..." Luke groaned, one of his hands weakly pressing at the gaping hole in his chest. The wound had instantly been cauterized thanks to the design of lightsaber blades, but it was still extremely painful...and possibly fatal.

        "Luke, we have to leave." Anakin insisted, beginning to walk up the ramp of the shuttle. However, a gloved hand on his shoulder stopped him cold and he spun to face Vader.

        "We should respect his wishes." Vader said calmly.

        Anakin snarled. "He's been stabbed. He's losing energy quickly and needs medical attention. I am not putting him down to allow him and us to be blown up along with this pitiful excuse for a space station. You would feel the same if you had any sort of soul inside you, Anakin."

        Vader sighed, looking around the docking bay and then back towards Luke, the boy struggling to remain conscious. "We have time."

        "No." Anakin said firmly, walking up into the shuttle and settling Luke onto one of the cots kept inside. He turned to move to the cockpit before a hand grasped at his, pleading.