Test Of Time Book 2: The Past Meets the Future

Chapter 1: The Split Mending

(0riginal Timeline)

"I know, Luke, I know, but I just can't believe you!"

Luke Skywalker gave a heavy sigh, leaning his head back against the wall for a moment. Had he not been recovering from a literal hole in his chest, Luke would have gotten off the bed and gone over to his fuming sister in an attempt to calm her down.

Luke shook his head. "What's so hard to believe Leia? I know my story would sound crazy under any other circumstance, but come on: I'm the walking proof," he said, gesturing to his still-healing torso.

"It's not that I don't believe that it happened, it's kind of hard to deny, it's just...just..." Leia seemed to be struggling for the right words.

"It's just the part about father," Luke said softly, and by the look on Leia's face, he'd hit the mark. "Leia, you can't harbor this grudge against him all your life—"

"Like Force I can't!" she snapped harshly, and Luke winced at her tone.

"I was with him practically every day, I know what he was like. Vader was the complete opposite of our father! Leia, please, you're holding this heavy grudge against a man who doesn't deserve—"

"That man is more monster than anything!" Leia seethed.

"Vader isn't who he always was, Leia," Luke said patiently.

"So, if he's such a great father, I bet you have a logical explanation for the hole in your chest!"

"I already told you, this wasn't his fault: this was the Emperor. Father couldn't do anything because he'd been momentarily stunned. And he was devastated when he thought I'd died." Luke was surprised at the hard edge that crept into his tone, but he didn't try for a softer tone. Leia wasn't listening, and perhaps he needed to try a firmer hand to help her see past the masked machine they'd both been terrorized by for so long.

Leia scoffed. "I'm sorry, Luke, but I can't just suddenly accept that man as my father just because you come back with this story. I haven't forgotten everything he has put us through, all the suffering in this galaxy because of him. Besides, if he had really changed, wouldn't this time have changed to? How do you know that after you left, he didn't fall to the dark side again at a later date?" Before Luke could argue his point any further, Leia turned on her heel and left the room.

Luke groaned once she was gone, staring up at the ceiling. Ever since Luke had told Leia and Han what had happened, Leia had been much colder to him and—much to Han's dismay—easier to irritate. Han himself had been skeptical of Luke's story to begin with, but had eventually taken Luke at his word, especially since it was the only way to explain Luke disappearing into thin air one moment and reappearing severely injured five minutes later.

However, both of them were reluctant to accept Luke's news about Anakin, and they both asked that same question. If Anakin really did change, then why was this time still the same?

Luke had pondered the question himself for long stretches of time—which he had plenty of here in his room—since he didn't have that answer either. The best he could come up with was that the timelines had split into two instead of becoming one single future. Which meant Luke hadn't changed their past, unfortunately.

Finding himself confused once more on the matter, Luke relaxed back into the bed. He was going to need a long nap after getting so worked up by his discussion with Leia. Luke grumbled under his breath at the thought of being stuck in bed any longer, but it was much better than being dead, so he couldn't complain too much.

As his eyes fluttered shut and he neared unconsciousness, he found himself slowly slipping into a dream that felt more like a memory...

"Luke, get back here!"