Part VI
Each day it seemed that Luke changed in some way. It was a truly amazing thing to see a child start to become their own person. Luke was very adamant about what he did and didn’t like. If Luke didn’t like a certain food, he would simply refuse to eat it. No amount of cajoling on Obi-Wan’s part would get him to relent. Even if it meant that he would get no treat afterwards, Luke would not eat anything his palate found unattractive. It was a trait that he had most definitely inherited from his father. Anakin had always been the most finicky eater, completely unable to comprehend the idea of rich sauces and exotic flavors. His young partner’s favourite food had always been the plain, simple fare at Dex’s. Luke was exactly the same and Obi-Wan was certain that he would have loved Dex’s special.
A trait that Luke seemed to have inherited from both of his parents was his desire for peace. His method of gaining it, though, was one of the few traces of Padmé that could be seen in the little boy. While he would not shy way from open conflicts, Luke was much more comfortable when he could negotiate peace between his friends. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but wonder what Anakin would have thought of his son being called “The Little Negotiator.” Obi-Wan himself found it both amusing and bittersweet, especially knowing that it was their surname of Kenobi which had caused the adults to give the boy the name. And even though he was not yet three and a half years old, Luke himself took pride in the name, his face splitting into a wide grin whenever he heard it.
“Daddy, we ‘lated to the real N’gotator?” Luke asked one night at dinner.
Swallowing the food already in his mouth, Obi-Wan paused to consider how best to answer the question. The truth was what he would have preferred. Even after more than three years it still pained him to hide the truth from the boy whom he loved above all else. Were the choice his, Luke would have always known the truth of his parentage. Unfortunately, the boy had been (and still was) too young to understand the truth and was now at an age when he would not understand why he should keep the truth a secret from others. After all, what boy didn’t want to be the son of the Hero With No Fear.
Sidious had made sure that all of his Empire knew the extent of the Jedi’s betrayal of its greatest hero. The “murder” of Anakin Skywalker’s wife and child was seen as great a tragedy as the man’s own demise. The fact that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader was something known only to a few beings in all the galaxy. In fact, Obi-Wan was certain that only himself, Sidious and Vader knew the truth. One day Luke would know as well, but that time had not yet come.
“We very well could be, Luke,” Obi-Wan responded vaguely. “According to the stories, the Negotiator was taken from his family when he was just a little boy. Even younger than you. He could be my brother, but I wouldn’t known it because my parents—your grandparents –died when I was young. I don’t know if I had a brother. Would you like it if he was your uncle?”
Luke nodded his head vigorously, nearly upsetting the fork-full of noodles he had just wrestled into submission. “Uh huh. He’s one of the bestest heroes. Ever.”
“Oh really?” This time amusement won out and Obi-Wan couldn’t keep the wide grin from his face. “And what about Anakin Skywalker? The Hero With No Fear?”
“No fear’s bad,” Luke announced before shoving his fork into his mouth. “Dane-der-us.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Obi-Wan reminded him automatically. “And, you’re right, it is very dangerous. Dangerous or not, he was still one of the good guys.”
“The other bestest.”
Obi-Wan was certain that Anakin would have been thrilled with the fact that Luke thought he was a great hero. He would have loved every moment of being a father. Obi-Wan could still remember how at ease he had always been among the younglings. They had worshipped him and he had enjoyed spending time with them. No matter what their age Anakin always treated them as though they were adults, never talking down to them. Obi-Wan had taken his cues on raising Luke from Anakin’s treatment of the younglings. Even as an infant, Obi-Wan had talked to Luke as though he were fully aware of everything. There were things that needed to be edited, true enough, but he didn’t shield Luke from the realities of the world. He hoped that it would make Luke a stronger person in the end.
“Hey, Luke, how would you like to go to the big waterfall tomorrow?”
Vader didn’t know what brought him to Endor. It had been years since he’d even thought of the brief trip he’d taken to that planet when he was thirteen. When he was a boy it had been the greatest trip of his life. Of all the planets he had visited with his Master, Endor had always stood out. At least until Padmé had returned to his life. Their trip to Naboo and everything that had followed after had taken the commanding space in his memories, the past that he and Obi-Wan had shared pushed into the background.
Now Obi-Wan was the only one left from his past. His mother and wife were both dead and, mostly likely, so was his child. Despite his original belief that the child with Ben Kenobi was his own, Vader was no longer quite so certain. Obi-Wan was nothing if not overly compassionate. Chances were it was an orphan that Obi-Wan had come across in his travels; a Force sensitive child that he could turn into another emotionless drone of the now-defunct Jedi Order.
But, unwilling as he was to admit to it, the boy would be well cared for. There were very few complaints Vader had as a result of being raised by Obi-Wan. After the initial awkwardness, Obi-Wan had come to genuinely care for him. And though he didn’t like to admit to it now, as Anakin Skywalker, he had cared for Obi-Wan as well. There was a time that he would have given his life to protect the older man. Not any longer, though. Obi-Wan had destroyed his life and he planned on making the older man suffer for it when they met again.
They would meet again. Vader wouldn’t rest until he made sure Obi-Wan suffered just as much as he had over the past three years. Obi-Wan had destroyed his body and taken his life, he deserved to suffer greatly for those crimes. As Anakin Skywalker he wouldn’t have been able to achieve his vengeance, but as Darth Vader he would ensure that Obi-Wan finally received his comeuppance.
It was a struggle for Vader to hold onto his determination as he stood at the base of the falls that had awed him in his youth. The rational part of his mind knew that he should leave Endor before his sentimentality was able to sway him from the path he knew he should take. He needed to bring Obi-Wan down.
Taking a risk, Vader brought his hands up to his mask and began to unfasten the clasps. He had never removed it in a natural environment, but in that moment he longed to feel the mist that particular waterfall created against his skin. The removal of his gloves would have been best, however, thanks to Obi-Wan, he no longer had flesh hands with which to feel anything.
The feel of real air filling his lungs was a shock that Vader hadn’t expected. It was very rare indeed when he wasn’t on some star cruiser and had become used to the pressurized air as a result. In a way, the unfiltered felt lighter, if such a thing was possible. Breathing unassisted was still a strain on his recovering lungs, but it was not as difficult at the moment. The shudder that his lungs normally took with each intake of breath was minimal and he didn’t find himself wheezing with each exhale.
If he closed his eyes, Vader could almost convince himself that his body was still whole and that it hadn’t been ravaged by the fires of Mustafar. However, he was not so delusional as to fall victim to such fantasies and quickly opened his eyes. There was no point in becoming sentimental because of a location. Fond memories or not, Obi-Wan was still the man to have stolen his life. And when they met again, Vader would kill him. He could do nothing else. Even out from Sidious immediate control, Vader hadn’t yet gained his complete independence. He wouldn’t have that until he could survive indefinitely without being bound to the black suit which kept him alive.
Vader was aware of what Sidious would read into his visiting Endor on what would have been Anakin Skywalker’s 27th birthday. The Sith lord would blame it on a sentimentality that he’d spent the past seventeen years eradicating from him. Vader preferred not to think of what the consequences of that would be.
His senses no longer as sharp as they had been, Vader didn’t hear the speeder until it was nearly in the clearing. Rebreather mask clutched tightly in durasteel hands, Vader disappeared into the surrounding forest. He needed to replace his mask before he could depart. He was using an open-air speeder that would take him back to his transport and he wasn’t quite ready to chance his still-healing lungs at such high speeds.
Not giving the new arrivals much thought, Vader lifted the wretched face plate into position, hooking it into its proper slats on the neck of his suit.
“I do wish that you would wait for me to stop before vaulting off the bike,” an all too familiar voice chuckled. “You’ll get there even if you have to wait a precious few seconds for me to stop.”
“Let’s go, Daddy!”
There was giggling and through the foliage, Vader could make out the shape of a small child running towards the shore of the pool. Setting his mask aside, Vader slowly crept closer to the edge of the forest, his mental shields locked as strong as possible to ensure that Obi-Wan couldn’t sense him. Because it was Obi-Wan who was in the clearing, of that Vader had no doubt.
“Slow down, Luke!” Obi-Wan called after the boy, laughing at the antics Vader couldn’t quite see. “You need to sit down to take off your boots or you’re going to topple over. Luke!”
Vader startled when he heard the boy’s name. Luke. It was one of the names he had Padmé had discussed for their unborn child. There had only been time for a few brief conversations, but the last names they had decided on were Luke for a boy and Leia for a girl. It was no mere coincidence that Obi-Wan was playing the father to a boy named Luke.
The air around him began to crackle as a rage Vader thought he had repressed rose to the surface. Relieved as he was that his child had survived Padmé’s death, he didn’t want his son believing another to be his father. He should know the truth of his heritage. That he was the son of the greatest hero of the Clone Wars and the greatest senator to ever serve the now-defunct Republic.
“Daddy, swim now!”
There was a splash of water that accompanied the entreaty so Vader glanced towards the pool that was created by the waterfall. And in doing so saw his son for the first time. The first thought Vader had was that Luke was short, even for a three year old. But then, he had been short until he reached his mid-teens. In the brief flashes Vader could see through the leaves, he could glimpse very little of Padmé in the boy. Vader could only see the man he had once been reflected in the joyful features of his son. Luke was happy, truly happy in a way that Vader couldn’t remember being as a child. Luke was bounding through the water without a care, laughing uproariously and insisting that Obi-Wan join him.
Knowing Obi-Wan as well as he did, Vader honestly didn’t expect him to comply with the boy’s wishes. So it was with utter shock that he watched the older man dive naked into the pool, much to the boy’s delight. Obi-Wan himself was grinning widely as he emerged from the water. Without a beard and his hair cropped short, Obi-Wan looked as young as he had when they’d first met more than a lifetime ago. The smile made him younger even because even when he’d first known Obi-Wan Kenobi he had already become set in his reserved ways. It was a shock to see Obi-Wan smiling and laughing, cavorting in the water without a care for who might see him.
And while every instinct was screaming for him to charge forward and confront his former master, Vader remained hidden in the trees. Watching. Watching as his son played. Watching as Obi-Wan guarded over him. Watching as Luke called for his father’s attention. Watching as Obi-Wan lived the life that was his by rights.
Watching until the right moment came to strike.
It seemed a proper thing to do to take Luke to the falls on what would have been Anakin’s 27th birthday. It was a small thing, but he wanted to acknowledge his friend’s birthday in some way. He wanted to make sure that Luke knew that day was special. Obi-Wan would have done something for Padmé’s birthday as well, but had been saddened to realize that he didn’t know when her birthday was. All of the years he’d known her and he didn’t know when her birthday was.
“Daddy, swim now!” Luke shouted as he sprinted towards the water.
As his little fish commanded, Obi-Wan could do nothing but comply. Obi-Wan stripped down and dove into the water. He opened his eyes while he was still underwater, searching out Luke and angled his body that way so that when he emerged he was able to scoop Luke up into his arms.
“Daddy!” Luke shrieked in delight, winding his arms and legs around Obi-Wan in a tight grip. “Again! Again!”
Spinning about in a circle, Obi-Wan flopped back into the water. He didn’t submerge himself completely and managed to keep both his and Luke’s heads above the water. Not that Luke would have noticed if they had gone under. As it was, Luke was giggling madly, his whole face alight with joy. Obi-Wan himself wasn’t able to make himself as carefree as he normally was. Something was off. Obi-Wan couldn’t quite figure out what it was, but there was something niggling in the back of his mind. As though he and Anakin were being watched. Reaching out through the Force, Obi-Wan could sense nothing beyond the usual wildlife that inhabited the surrounding forest.
Pushing such unproductive thoughts away, Obi-Wan turned his attention back to Luke. It was important that Luke enjoy himself. He wanted Luke to have happy memories of his father’s birthday.
Once he had managed to coax Luke out of the water for a bit, Obi-Wan started telling him about Anakin. Silly little stories that honestly had no meaning, but that were parts of the life he and Anakin had lived. About the little droid Anakin had built when he was twelve that would clean his room. It had been a handy little thing, that Obi-Wan himself had used more than once until Anakin had dismantled it after it threw out some of the other little devices he had been working on, thinking they were garbage. Anakin winning the pod race on Malestare that he didn’t think Obi-Wan knew he entered. Obi-Wan didn’t get any further than that because Luke immediately demanded to know everything about pod racing. Obi-Wan could only shake his head in wonder. Like father like son.
“I can tell you now that you are not getting anywhere near a pod racer,” Obi-Wan informed the boy.
“Daddee,” Luke whined, his face scrunching up. “Fast is fun.”
“Fast is fun?” Obi-Wan echoed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Oh, Luke, you will be the death of me.”
At the moment, Luke was far too young to understand the true meaning of his words. He just grinned and asked if he could maybe drive one when he got older. Obi-Wan merely shook his head and pointed out a small lizard scurrying about near the edge of the water. As predicted, Luke took off after the green creature immediately, trying to catch the poor thing as it darted about the wet sand.
Even as he kept an eye on Luke, Obi-Wan couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to all the times he’d told Anakin the exact same thing. It had always been said jokingly, Obi-Wan never realizing just how drastic a turn their relationship would take. In the end he had been the one to kill Anakin. Or Vader. At the end Obi-Wan had had a hard time distinguishing between the two. Just before the flames had started, Obi-Wan had seen a brief flicker of blue in those frightening reptilian eyes. It had passed so fast that, with the distance that separated them, Obi-Wan had been almost certain that he had imagined it. There was no way that he could have seen such a thing with how far away he’d been standing.
“Daddy, look! I catched it!” Luke shouted as he brandished the squirming lizard. “Can I keep him?”
“And just where will you keep him?” Obi-Wan asked as he heaved himself to his feet.
“In the ‘fresher. We can bring sand home and some flowers. And I’ll catch him bugs to eat,” Luke rambled on, his eyes never wavering from his new little friend.
“If you keep him in the ‘fresher, where will you and I take baths?”
The wide grin told Obi-Wan all that he needed to know. As much as he loved the water and swimming, Luke had never been a fan of baths. Obi-Wan suspected it was the soap and the fact that it required him to get clean.
“If you want to keep him, you’ll have to find another place for him to live,” Obi-Wan said, doing his best to contain a smile.
“The salad bowl?”
“Try again, little man.”
“Sink.”
“Not happening.”
“In the glass bowl where my fish used to live?”
“How about we just let him live here?” Obi-Wan suggested. “It is his home, after all.”
Luke pouted about it for a moment, then set the lizard back down on the sand.
Obi-Wan ruffled Luke’s damp hair, smiling down at him. “Don’t worry, we’ll come back and visit him.”
From the shadows, Vader watched it all. It enraged him that Obi-Wan was masquerading as Luke’s father, but what he couldn’t figure out was why Obi-Wan was telling him about Anakin. It made no sense whatsoever. If Obi-Wan was going to pretend to be the boy’s shoulder he shouldn’t have told Luke about his real father. It would only end badly when Luke found out the truth. Because he would. Vader would make sure of it. Obi-Wan would pay for what he’d done.
All of it.