The Unseen

Chapter 25 - Homecoming

Anakin's hatred of Tatooine has only grown over the years, and here he is again, back on the dustball. He'd instructed Solo to land nearby the Lars moisture farm, so he could drop off the twins with his stepbrother's family, and immediately depart for Coruscant with Ahsoka. Despite their young ages, Luke and Leia clearly understand the enormity of what's ahead, though that may be, in part, due to their Force sensitivity. They're both amazingly gifted children, and Anakin can only mourn the years lost with them.

He pushes those thoughts aside as he disembarks from the Falcon, Ahsoka and the twins following behind them. Luke almost looks relieved, probably because he's finally back at a place which he knows, but Leia seems even more nervous than usual. Well, she'll settle in quickly enough. The Lars will make her feel right at home.

A man carrying a raised blaster approaches from the nearby homestead. It might have been more than a decade since Anakin last saw him, but he recognizes him immediately: Owen. He's much older now, hair grayer, but it's unmistakably him. Owen comes to a stop, looking between the small group, eyes narrowing when he sees the twins. Anakin can feel his surprise and happiness when he recognizes them.

"Anakin?" He sounds as though he can't believe it, and Anakin feels a smile forming.

"Owen," he answers simply, moving towards his stepbrother. "It's good to see you again and under much better circumstances."

Owen nods; he's not one for words. "I see you have Luke with you, and that must be his sister, Leia?"

Anakin raises an eyebrow. "You know of her?"

His stepbrother nods. "Kenobi told us of her when he took Luke to you." He frowns disapprovingly. "That man should have told us the truth from the start! Siblings, and twins, in particular, should never be separated, especially not without their parent's approval."

Anakin smiles again, this time wistfully. He knows and understands the sentiment behind the words. Here on Tatooine, everyone lives right next to slavery. They see and feel the pain of families being separated. Many of the moisture farmers were once slaves too. Family is – and always will be – more important than anything else. It's their culture, something which has been ingrained since birth. It's why Owen and Beru welcomed Anakin with open arms when he first arrived with Padme, even if he wasn't exactly terribly polite to them.

"It was not a good situation," Anakin grants, "But Obi-Wan did what he thought was best."

"It wasn't right!" declares Owen emphatically, huffing. He turns towards the twins with a genuine smile. "Welcome home, Luke and Leia."

Luke grins, dashing forward to embrace his uncle. Leia seems overwhelmed and touched by her reception, though she remains in place. "It's nice to meet you," she says politely.

"This is my sister, Ahsoka Tano," Anakin introduces. Solo and Chewie opted to stay on the ship, at least for now.

Owen steps back, giving Anakin an assessing look. "You aren't here to stay, are you." It's not even a question, but something in his voice makes Anakin almost feel guilty.

He shakes his head. "We have to go to Coruscant. I don't know if Obi-Wan told you what happened to me but... this is my mess. I have to clean it up." Accountability. It's something his mother taught him when he was still a child, and he feels – well, guilty isn't even a strong enough word. Instead of using her teachings for good, he ignored them, twisted them into something monstrous. Even if he spends the rest of his life atoning – he will – he won't be able to make it up to the galaxy.

Owen presses his lips together, inclining his head in the affirmative. "I know enough," he replies gruffly, blue eyes meeting Anakin's. They don't hold a shred of accusation. "You messed things up badly, Anakin, but our mother would be proud. Go, and our blessings will be with you."

He feels tears fill his eyes, and he harshly blinks them away. "We'll be leaving after the twins are settled, and once I've talked to you and Beru."

Ahsoka touches Anakin's arm briefly as the five of them head to the homestead, Luke chattering a mile a minute to Leia about the places on Tatooine and his friends. Beru comes out to greet them, and her eyes widen with surprise before she beams.

"I'm glad to have you here," she greets Anakin opening her arms to hug Luke. Leia hangs back, but Beru envelops her in a welcoming embrace as well. "I'm so happy to meet you, Leia," she says to her softly as she steps back. "Come. We can eat the afternoon meal together, and you can tell us everything."

"They're going to Coruscant," Owen states, standing in the back.

Beru nods knowingly. "Ah. Good." She gives Anakin a sincere smile. "Would you like to visit your mother's grave while you're here? It'll be a bit before the meal is ready."

Anakin hesitates. He should. He knows he should, but he's terrified. He disgraced everything his mother ever taught him; he did all the things she was against, and had she not died, she would never have forgiven him. Probably.

As if sensing his conflict, Ahsoka nudges him gently. "It's alright," she assures him. "I'll stay with the twins, and you can go. I can help get the meal ready."

"Nonsense," declares Beru, waving a hand. "You're our guests. You don't need to help."

Anakin gives Ahsoka a grateful look. "I'll go. I won't be long." He turns to leave, slipping past Owen on the way out.

"So, you're Beru, right?" he hears Ahsoka saying as he walks outside. "Anakin never really talks much about you or his life on Tatooine..." He forces himself to move faster so he doesn't have to hear them talk. He has so much to atone for, and he doesn't know how he ever will finish.

It's not hard for him to find his mother's grave. He vividly remembers her funeral, even if it was so many years ago. There's another grave next to hers now: Cliegg's. Owen hadn't mentioned him, and Anakin had refrained from asking, because he already knew. Obi-Wan had said something once a while ago.

Staring down at the well-kept pile of sand, a headstone at the front, Anakin can feel his eyes blur. He falls to his knees, bowing his head as the tears spill down his face. "I'm sorry, Mom," he whispers shakily. "I'm so sorry." He's... better now, much better than he was when Obi-Wan and Ahsoka dragged him off Mustafar and away from his attempted suicide, but there's still times – many times, actually – when the guilt feels like it's going to swallow him whole. He's left a legacy of bodies and ashes in his wake, certainly nothing to be proud of.

This may be the last time he'll be able to be here, to apologize and beg forgiveness from his mother though she is dead, and he doesn't even know what to say. How can he possibly apologize for what he did? "You probably hate me." He can barely hear his own voice now as he chokes back a sob. "I hate me. I made a mess of everything. I'm so stupid. It would have been better if I'd stayed with you."

It's the bitter, honest truth. Had he remained with his mother on Tatooine, Anakin knows he would never have been found by the Sith. Probably. And he never would have met Obi-Wan or Ahsoka or Padme or Rex... But the galaxy would have been a better place. Well, maybe not. Anakin knows his presence was preferable, but it was certainly not necessary for Sidious to carry out his plans for an Empire. But had Anakin not been there, it would have been harder. He actively aided the Sith in wiping out the Jedi – the younglings – only because he thought Padme and their child would die. And she died anyways, thanks to him.

"I miss you," he finally says to the empty air, turning his eyes towards the horizon. "I did everything wrong, things you would be furious over. I helped enslave the galaxy." He's talking to the spirit of his mother – maybe – but he's also... talking to himself. And it seems to be helping. "I don't think I'll come back from this. I want to, but – but Sidious is powerful. This is probably a trap, but I can't not go. I know you would want me to at least try, Mom." He exhales harshly. "I'm going to make this right," he vows. "I love you, Mom."

Drying his eyes on his sleeve, he rises, feeling far less burdened than he did before, and makes the trek back to the homestead. When he arrives, Beru has finished preparing the afternoon meal, while Luke is pulling Ahsoka and Leia around to show them the property. Anakin can't help the small smile which tugs at his lips. He's finally made peace with his past. Now it's time for him to move on and guarantee that the future will be better for the galaxy, for his family. After everything he's done, he owes them that much.