10 years old Luke Skywalker already loved his new life, with his father (and his friend Obi-Wan) who had come two weeks ago to take him to live with him. But now Luke was afraid and tears were streaming down his face, he had had a nightmare and he longed for his father to hug him, yet he was afraid to wake him up, so instead he crawled into Anakin's bed as quietly as possible and pressed his body to his side. (Sorry that it's long and not 1 sentence)
Anakin woke at the touch, of the small shivering body pressed against him. He turned, took his son into his arms and whispered, “What’s wrong Luke?”
Luke sniffled, more tears coursed down his face. “I had a bad dream.”
The sheets rustled as Anakin sat up, and quickly turned on the lights using the Force. He had platitudes ready on his lips, ones he had heard before, ones he had been told before.
“It was only dream.”
“Dreams pass in time.”
Anakin knew that was not always the case and, if Luke’s Force abilities were anything like his own, then this dream of Luke’s could be something more serious than simple, if frightening, images created by his unconscious mind.
“Tell me,” he coaxed gently, taking Luke into his arms. and bringing the blankets over them both.
For a moment there was quiet, the only sounds were Luke’s sniffles and the throb of the hyperdrive as it powered their small vessel across the galaxy.
“I saw ships, lots of ships,” Luke told him whispering, frightened. “Imperial ships. They were... they were...” Luke broke into sobs.
Anakin waited, his own Force senses casting a sense of foreboding throughout his body. This was more than a dream, and he held his son’s sobbing body tightly. He lifted a hand, placed it gently to Luke’s head. “Let me look, Luke.”
A little nod.
Anakin closed his eyes, feeling his son yield to his gentle mind probe, and there was...
... a mass of ships exiting hyperspace around a planet... Tatooine... one lone shuttle descending. The Lars farm, abandoned. Stormtroopers ransacking, searching... finding a room with little boys toys and clothes. A dark figure, with white, gnarled, hands clasped before them....
....Rage. So much anger and hatred at being denied his prize.
The ships... all the ships. Moving in. The shuttle leaving. And then....
.... fire!
As one all the Stardestroyers began pounding the planet with cannon fire.
Mos Eisley.
Mos Espa.
Beggars Canyon.
The Hutt’s palace.
The farm.
Anchorhead.
The Dune Sea.
Owen and Beru huddling in the old settlers hut. Beru crying as the air outside turned to flames and the hut....
Luke cried out. Screamed!
Anakin was thrown from Luke’s mind.
The door to the tiny cabin slashed open and Obi-Wan stood there, hair dishevelled, face pale, robes loose as though just thrown on.
“Anakin, I sense...”
The younger man nodded, held his son close as the boy wept. His eyes, his own weeping eyes, met Obi-Wan’s. His voice was hoarse, “He’s found out about Luke’s existence as we feared.”
“Tatooine...” Obi-Wan stated flatly, his voice full of horror.
Anakin tightened his arms around Luke who was lost in his grief and fear. “Gone.” It was true, he could feel it now in the Force; the space where once life existed.
Obi-Wan sank to the bunk’s thin mattress. He slumped, head down, hands clasped between his knees. “What do you want to do? If he knows about Luke...”
“We stay on this path,” Anakin stated, with some surety. “It’s the right one, I feel it and so do you.”
Obi-Wan nodded he reach out, placed a hand on small blond head of the weeping child. Luke was tired, worn, body sore from sobbing. He looked to Anakin who nodded sadly, then he closed his eyes, gathered the Force to him and quietly suggested. “Luke, sleep.”
ooOOoo
A continuation of my Anakin turns up on Tatooine when Luke is about 10.
Thank for the Ask!
