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Organization for Transformative Works
Future Past
“Your father was my best friend.”
Hearing about his father was something Luke always wanted to know, no matter what it was or what time of day it occurred. Ben always had the best stories about the young Jedi knight; a phenomenal pilot who fought fiercely for those he loved. There was the longest time where all Luke wanted was the chance to meet him, to know him like Ben had.
Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru didn’t talk about Anakin Skywalker, aside from the brief he was a space freighter pilot, and he was dead. They were always so cautious when he asked about him and got even more worried when Luke showed signs of wanting to be a pilot. It had made the hand carved wooden gifts of ships that were left on his grandmother’s grave even more special. Like there was silent support from them but not wanting to make it clear because of their feelings when it came to his father. It had taken quite some time before Luke had realized that neither Uncle Owen or Aunt Beru were the ones making and giving them. It had taken even longer for him to realize it had been Ben.
When Ben had taken him in, it had not been long for him to confess that he knew Luke’s father. Not just knew him, was friends with him. Luke learned so much from Ben’s stories and more often than not, Ben was absolutely calm and willing to share them. His father hadn’t been a simple space freighter pilot but actually a General in the Clone Wars and a crazy good pilot.
Luke wasn’t too bad himself, if he was being honest.
He craved more and more, and Ben had never run out of stories to share. It was like he and Luke’s father had spent a lifetime on adventures and soon, Luke even asked about any adventures he had that didn’t include Anakin Skywalker, ones stretching as far back as to Ben’s childhood, when he was Luke’s age and more. Because it wasn’t long before he loved Ben too. He felt connected to him immediately, drawn by some unnamed feeling that made him feel safe and warm and right. They just clicked together.
Ben told Luke about the Jedi Order, an entire culture like him – with the Force, as Luke learned the named feeling was – that defended and helped people the best they could. Always happy to talk about it, Luke never had a lack of questions to ask or Ben a lack of stories to tell. It made Luke dream about it, not just his father, but the Jedi and the Order as well. Thousands of people with lightsabers and abilities like his, connecting with one another and others, striving to make the galaxy a better place. A huge, beautiful Temple where they all lived and played and worked. Boundless knowledge and a thousand waterfalls. Luke would dream about it so hard, as if he did it enough, he would get that chance.
And Ben could get that back.
It didn’t work but that didn’t stop Luke from trying.
Their longest conversation about Ben’s past, with the Jedi and with his father, had been on a ship they had gotten a hold of while in hyperspace. It was one of the real small ones where there was little room to do anything but read and talk. Luke, young and eager, had curled up into Ben’s side with the older man’s cloak wrapped around his form and asked question after question. Ben nearly always had answers.
“And then I told him, good job,” Ben continued, his hand waving for emphasis. Luke giggled. Even being as young as he was, had quickly learned a lot of Ben’s wits. He knew his tones and expressions and he loved learning about them. Ben was the constant in his life. No matter where they were or what was happening, Ben was there to keep Luke safe and warm and happy as he could. And Luke learned him in return.
“You didn’t mean it,” he cackled, finding that hilarious. “You were sarcastic.”
Ben just smiled warmly down at him. “Ah yes, a bit of a flaw of mine, I suppose. As I have been told. His care and determination may have been commendable, but he also nearly got his charge and himself killed. We were chained to the poles when the Geonosians – they are a bit like giant insects –,” Luke squealed in delight as Ben continued, describing the physical attributes of his former captors. “They had released these three large beasts, starving and angry, to kill us.”
“They were hungry?”
“Yes Luke. It wasn’t their fault. The Geonosians had not given them any food and they were desperate. They wanted to survive,” Ben explained gently.
“Did they?”
“Sadly, no, beacon,” Ben murmured. Luke tucked in closer.
“That’s sad,” he murmured. “Did they hurt a lot?”
“They were taken care of, quickly, youngling. They felt little pain,” Ben assured. Whether it was true or not, it was to spare Luke pain. “The young Senator had freed herself and soon after, so did Anakin and I. There was a brief battle with the animals, your father had even calmed one enough to assist us. And then, Master Windu came with two hundred other jedi.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “Two hundred?” he questioned, disbelievingly.
“Two hundred,” he repeated. “They were all very brave.”
“Two hundred,” Luke echoed. “That is so many! I wish I could have seen them.” He wished he could have met them. Talked with them. Bonded with them. Ben’s eyes softened, as he ran a hand through Luke’s blonde hair, his voice lowering and his grief, although muted with shields, palpable within the force.
“I wish that too, dear one. More than you know.”
Present Past
Anakin couldn't stop staring at the teenager who wouldn't leave Obi-Wan's body and the growing irritation in the pit of his stomach just got worse. He was just ready to tackle this person and get to his former master’s side. What right did this child have, taking him away? Anakin was his padawan, former or not, and that would never change.
They had all gotten to the gunship without any setbacks. The troopers hadn't been able to salvage anything more than Obi-Wan's droid, R4, from the crashed ship, although were a little surprised with the extra addition of the boy. There was nothing in the desert to suggest where he had come from. No one had any real idea how this had happened or who this person really was. The name Luke meant little to nothing to Anakin or any of the others in their little entourage.
The boy was still tense around them, although Luke seemed vaguely calm around Rex - but only Rex - and they had all gotten into the gunship Anakin and the others had come in on. He had settled into the corner of the ship, carefully keeping Obi-Wan next to him. The older man had yet to make a move or give any indication that he would awake but Luke just adjusted the robes and brushed the light bangs from his face, giving frequent glances, eyes furrowed as he appeared as if he was studying Obi-Wan’s face.
Luke wasn't much younger than Anakin, perhaps a few years. Still a teenager but an older one. His hair was a sandy blonde, sweeping like bangs across his forehead. He was dressed in simple robes similar to most of those in the galaxy, although his were a little lighter, including the Jedi, with sand-covered boots. He didn’t even seem to mind the sand that much, not even bothering to wipe some of it off. Anakin did, however, constantly trying to work through the grains out of his mechanical hand and dusting off his clothes.
As they got settled into the ship, another trooper, who had previously stayed behind, tried to approach but Luke just glared fiercely, clutching Obi-Wan’s lightsaber. The trooper backed a step, out of the way of the blade that would surely pop up if Luke pressed just a tad more on the ignition.
"He's a medic, Luke," Rex murmured, assuring. It did little to dissuade the boy, but he didn’t ignite the blade so perhaps it could be counted as a win.
"What is your name?" Luke asked, eyeing the trooper.
"Lakeside, sir," the trooper responded.
Luke paused but it seemed to be the wrong answer. "My apologies, Lakeside, but I think it would be best to wait."
"Wait?" Anakin hissed, stepping forth. Everyone eyed him warily. They knew one wrong move could prove fatal for any one of them, including Obi-Wan. “He is bleeding, he can’t wait!”
Luke just ignored him and turned towards the two men at the front which just made Anakin bristle even further with anger. Ahsoka put a hand on his arm in attempt to calm him. It didn’t work very well. "Pilot, where are we heading?"
"General Skywalker's star ship, the Resolute," the co-pilot answered.
Luke’s mouth twitched. "Is the ship Negotiator, here?"
"No, sir."
The boy hummed and looked away, back towards Obi-Wan. He thought about this for a moment. "Fine. Is Medic Kix on the ship?"
Anakin blinked at him, blankly. How did this boy know all of this? How did he know Kix? How did he know Obi-Wan? Where did he come from? What did he want? A million questions were screaming and running around in Anakin’s head, making everything hurt.
The co-pilot answered for him. "Yes sir."
"We would appreciate his assistance then when we board," Luke nodded with his request. He didn't seem too pleased with the lack of Obi-Wan's ship, but Anakin was more concerned that he knew about specific ships and specific soldiers.
"Who are you?" Anakin demanded, stepping forward again. Luke's response was to get in front of Obi-Wan, protectively covering him with his own, a bit smaller, body. "How do you know my trooper's name? How do you know Obi-Wan?" he demanded. His hands had curled into fists, and he gripped them so hard his mech hand had actually creaked. The ship was into the air now, with the outer doors locking. The area became dark before the dim lights flickered on overhead.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Luke snorted but he sounded rather amused. That just infuriated Anakin more.
“On what?”
“Anything.”
Anakin’s lip curled and he nearly drew blood. “Look, kid. I don’t have a lot of patience right now. You are holding my master hostage, you came out of nowhere acting like you knowhim, and I really, really need some answers if you want to stick around.”
Luke stared at him, as if sizing him up for a challenge. “I warned that you wouldn’t believe me, but I will tell you some things anyways,” he sighed. “I suppose the Jedi are still around, the clones are still serving with them, and the Republic isn’t yet in shambles?”
There was a moment of silence as everyone looked at him, confused and surprised. “What do you mean? The Jedi and clones are fighting in a war together for the Republic,” it was Ahsoka who answered this time. She had been able to get a little closer to Luke, but he didn’t let even her get too close to Obi-Wan.
“Unless this is a really, really crazy hallucination, which actually might be possible considering where Ben and I were not a moment ago,” Luke started. “The only other option is that we have somehow went back in time. Me, physically, because if this is still the Clone Wars, then I haven’t been born yet and Ben…Ben must have gone back to his body of this time since he looks…younger now,” Luke explained with a shrug.
“Time travel?” Captain Rex asked, skeptically.
Luke nodded. “Yeup. It kinda happened to Ben’s colleague, Fulcrum, although I think that was different. She had been plucked from a moment in time forward from a Temple by someone else. Ben and I were in a warm, glowing cave. I blinked and then I saw you all,” he added with a shrug. “But like I said, it could also very possibly be a hallucination too. I had been in the middle of a sandstorm beforehand.”
“This is ridiculous,” Anakin replied, flatly, shaking his head. Grains of sand had fallen from his hair. “There is no such thing as time travel. You are playing us, and I don’t know what you want but you aren’t getting it. So, you are going to give me back Obi-Wan and-.”
“You really think I am playing you?” Luke asked, interrupting with a lip curled in incredulity. “I literally agreed to go to your star destroyer ship, which, I imagine, would be filled with troops. I wouldn’t have stood a chance if I were playing you,” he snorted and rolled his eyes. “Ugh, Ben’s stories were always so good, he never made it seem like you were dense.”
“His stories?” Ahsoka asked, curiously. “Who is Ben?”
“Ben,” Luke gestured to Obi-Wan. “He had to change his name when we went into hiding because well, he’s kinda famous. But he would tell me tons of stories about the Jedi, before and during the war.”
“Did we win?” Rex asked although hesitantly. He was taking this a lot better than other probably would have.
Luke looked up to him, uncertainly. “I suppose that largely depends on one’s point of view.”
Anakin narrowed his eyes. That sounded more like something Obi-Wan would say. He had always tried to explain things from different points of view. The knight had rarely thought it mattered. “Are you going to tell us? Or just keep playing these games?”
The boy shrugged and took a breath. “I think Ben would be able to explain it better. I don’t know a whole ton about the end of the war, as I was just a baby when it was over.”
“We are about to dock, sirs,” the co-pilot called back. Luke clutched Obi-Wan tighter as the rest of them took hold of the varying hand holds within the ship. The landing was a bit clunky, nearly knocking a few of them off balance, but the doors opened and artificial light from the docking bay on Anakin’s ship shone through brightly.
“Tell Kix he has a patient and to get the medical bay ready,” Anakin ordered a nearby trooper. The clone nodded and ran off quickly. Rex slowly approached Luke and helped him up, taking a lot of Obi-Wan’s weight, making sure to telegraph his movements. The less jumpy the teenager was, the better. “Let’s get to the medical bay,” Anakin told them, obviously peeved, which made the soldiers around him scatter as best they could. No one liked being around an angry or irritated Skywalker. “The sooner we get Obi-Wan some help, the sooner he wakes up and the sooner I can get answers on you,” he pointed at Luke, deliberately. “You better hope he knows who you are.”
