Children of the Force

Chapter 2 - I Know Who I Am

Author's Note: ANH continues... and Luke makes himself known. :)

~ Amina Gila

"Now do you see?" the Son asks, "This was always his destiny."

"When you do not appreciate the Light you have, you make it Dark. It did not have to be this way," the Daughter objects, solemnly.

"Yes," Luke agrees. He feels breathless, faint. This is all so much. "That's not... Anakin may have been destined to Fall, but that's only because of the actions of those around him. It didn't have to be like that." Of that, he's certain. Anakin was always so good and kind, and that never started changing until after he became a Jedi, learned to be a weapon to kill.

Luke still can't believe that he's dead, that he'll never be able to live again, that he's... going to be in the Force here forever, but at least he finally has the chance to know more about his father. He just never dreamed that his life would be like this.

And he – he wants to be like Anakin. He always has. That's why he was once tempted to run away and became a spice freighter pilot too, but Biggs pointed out that that was stupid, that he could just go to school and become a normal pilot, then do whatever he wanted. But he never had that chance because he's dead.

Now, he almost wishes he could be a Force user of some kind – he's not sure that he'd want to be a Jedi or a Sith – but obviously he won't be able to be that either. He has nothing now, nothing but... this.

"How do I see my father again?" Luke asks, "Can I talk to him?"

"You will have to learn," the Son replies, as the Daughter fades out. His connection to her doesn't feel nearly as strong as his to the Son's. There's something about the being's darkness that resonates with him, in a way he doesn't really understand. It's not as if he fears the Dark Side the way the Jedi do. Why would he? It's no different than someone giving into their darker desires, with the Force to fuel it. It doesn't have to make someone totally lose themselves.

"Can you teach me?"

"I can. The Force is angry with how its son has been treated, grandchild of the Force. That is why it's giving you this chance to make changes, for his sake. And before the galaxy leads itself to total ruin."

"I'll take it," Luke decides, firmly. But he has a couple million questions, first. "Why are you appearing to me, instead of the Daughter?"

"Our connection has always been strongest. She has one with another," he answers, mysteriously.

Luke doesn't take the time to ponder it right now. He just needs to know how he can appear to Vader. He wants to get to know his father in person.

***

Leia's mind feels muddled – she can scarcely tell the difference between reality and whatever it is her mind is concocting. The voices, whispers of everyone she once knew, keep insisting she needs to answer to the Imperials about the Death Star plans. It's not real. It's not. It can't be. But it still feels like it is, no thanks to the drug.

She tries to bury herself deeper in her mind to block it out. Often, in the past, such as when she was doing her Senate work and needed to calm herself, she'd just... breathe, reaching out metaphorically into the energy that surrounded her, letting herself feel it.

It reminds her a little of what Ben did all those years ago, when using the Force.

Doing that now isn't nearly as easy because it's her own mind that's tormenting her, but if she crawls into the furthest parts of it, it easier. She can only remind herself stubbornly to stay strong and ignore the voices.