Redemption - A Star Wars Fanfic

Epilogue

The world gradually took shape as Luke blinked his eyes open and sat up, studying his fuzzy surroundings.

"Hello?" He croaked, coughing lightly.

"Oh, you're awake." A voice cooed.

He felt arms ease him back down and a cool compress pressed against his forehead. He sighed in pleasure, relishing in the chill of the soaked towelette on his head.

"Is your head still bothering you dear?" The voice asked.

"Not anymore." Luke slurred, letting himself relax as the feeling of being safe settled around him. A hand wrapped around his own, squeezing with reassurance.

"That's good. Your father was so worried. Blamed himself. I, of course, just said you had overworked yourself with all that training, that's all." The voice said with a smile in her tone.

Luke felt confusion take over him. What was the woman's voice talking about? He blinked his eyes and forced them to focus, settling on the figure above him. She sat next to him on the bed he was lying on, still easing the compress to his head.

"I...I don't understand." Luke said, regretfully pushing away the pressure on his forehead. The woman withdrew, not looking happy with his stubborn attitude.

"What do you mean dear? You simply passed out. There's not much to it." The woman said.

"But...I was...the medcenter." Luke stuttered, still trying to clear his cloudy eyes.

"Medcenter? Goodness, did you have another nightmare?" The woman asked in concern.

"I...I don't think so." Luke mumbled.

"Mother?" A familiar voice called from the doorway. The woman glanced up and smiled at the figure at the door.

"Come on in. He's awake." The woman said.

The other woman entered, moving to Luke's other side. Luke rubbed his eyes frustratedly and finally got a clear view.

But he quickly reeled back in surprise.

"Leia?"

It was his sister all right...but she looked different. Less battle worn, and more full of life. How she should've been if it wasn't for the Empire.

"Hey. Are you alright?" She asked, oblivious to his inner turmoil.

Then, Luke's time-travel adventure came rushing back to him.

He turned to the other woman and found a tear slip. She was older than when he last saw her, but it was definitely her. "Mother..."

"Luke, what's wrong?" She asked
concernedly, pressing a hand against his shoulder.

He smiled, holding back tears. "Nothing. Nothing, I just...I'm happy to be home."

"You never left." Leia said slowly, looking nervous.

"Right. Of course." Luke said with a smile right before being hit with a wave of memories from a childhood he was supposed to have.

A broad smile washed over his face. A world without the Empire and the war, a world with his family alive, a world with the Jedi, a world with peace.

The door opened again and two older men, plus a slightly younger man, walked in the room.

"Luke!" The first man said, darting forward hastily and tackling the boy in a hug. "Thank the Force...I worked you too hard, I'm sorry. I should've noticed you were getting tired...oh I was so worried, please tell me you're alright." The words came out rambled and Luke smiled.

"I'm alright Father." Luke said with a chuckle.

Anakin slumped in relief. "That's good."

Luke glanced up at the other two men. "Obi-Wan. Han." Luke said, smiling.

Obi-Wan nodded at him with a smile, looking less worn then when Luke had first spoken to the hermit Ben on Tatooine.

Han, however, smirked and winked, still treating Luke like the younger brother he never had. Luke couldn't fight his smile.

His family was safe and they were all gathered together. Based on his family's words, Leia and he were Jedi, like their Father, and living a perfectly happy life. And the Jedi anti-attachment rule had obviously been changed a bit since Leia and Han kept stealing glances at each other. Luke fought the urge to roll his eyes at their antics.

Life couldn't have been better.

All flashes of Vader, the Emperor, and just the Empire itself were forced into the back of Luke's memory as he stared lovingly into his father's blue eyes.

He was alive, and a Jedi...never having turned in the first place. And Luke had changed that personally.

The thought made him smile even harder.

Once everyone had left Luke to rest a bit, Luke had asked Anakin to stay. He had, looking concerned, but brushed it off when Luke reassured him several times that he was just fine.

"Father...do you remember the Battle of the Invisible Hand?" Luke asked.

Anakin smiled. "Of course. Like it was yesterday...why?"

"Well...do you remember a key event from that battle?" Luke pressed, hoping his theory was correct.

Anakin's eyes widened drastically. "Do you mean-"

"I just passed out at the medcenter after mother gave birth. I...don't remember much from there."

Anakin stared in complete shock, and then laughed. He gave his son another tight hug, his laughs slowly dissolving into happy sobs.

"I've missed you." Anakin said. "When you passed out that day, you just disappeared. I was frantic, as was your mother. I think they had to give us both sedatives to calm us down."

Luke laughed. "I missed you too." He gripped tighter to the lifeline that was his father.

When they finally pulled apart, Anakin brushed Luke's tears from his cheek. "You really have done a wonderful thing Luke. You saved me from a terrible fate. I can't ask for anything more than that."

Luke smiled, wiping his misty eyes. "But was it the Jedi way? I mean...it was revenge...revenge for my family and your death...was it really the right thing to do?" Luke asked, still hesitant about the time travel concept and failing his fellow Jedi.

Anakin just smiled. "It's not revenge Luke. If the Force willed it to be so, then it was so. There's no need to worry. I'm never leaving you again."

Luke looked into his father's eyes once more, satisfied with the fact that the cold, emotionless, and opaque eye lenses would never burden Anakin again.

"I knew there was good in you." Luke said before coming in for his third and final hug, knowing and feeling that his father was alive...and had also been given a second chance....

A chance for redemption.

fin

•••

A/N

IT'S OVER!

*GROSS SOBBING*

But like I said the previous chapter, I have a new book I'm writing, so not all hope is lost. :)

I love you guys, you have made this 4-month book journey a great one.

Hope you all continue to read!

May the Force be with You,

- lucky_ducky_123