Bittersweet Devotion [Star Wars x Anakin Skywalker]

part four | redemption | 31.

"The droid... stole a freighter?" - Kylo Ren

"He's done horrible things. He's killed so many people... how can you expect me to trust him?" Luke's voice trembled, the conflict within him evident as his grip tightened on his lightsaber, the blue glow casting shadows across the cave walls.

Rain met his gaze, her eyes pleading for understanding. The cold air in the cave seemed to grow even more frigid as the weight of her words hung between them. "Luke, I know it's hard to believe, but we have to think clearly. You're letting your fear and anger control you, and that's not the way forward."

Han interjected from his position near the entrance, his blaster still at the ready. "Yeah, well, I don't need to be a Jedi to know that this guy's done more harm than good. You really think he deserves a pass?"

Rain glanced at Leia, hoping for some support, but the pain and fear in Leia's eyes made it clear that she wasn't ready to trust Anakin, not after everything he had done.

Luke took a hesitant step closer to Rain, his lightsaber still ignited but his resolve wavering. "Rain, move. I don't want to hurt you, but I can't let him walk away from this."

Rain took a deep breath, knowing that the only way to reach Luke was to tell him the truth, a truth that had been kept hidden for far too long.

"Luke, just wait. Did Obi-Wan ever tell you your father's name?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of urgency and sorrow.

Luke hesitated, his lightsaber lowering slightly as confusion clouded his features. "Yes... he told me my father was Anakin Skywalker."

Behind her, Rain heard Anakin's sharp intake of breath. She could feel his tension, his disbelief mingling with hope.

'Rain... is he our son?' Anakin's voice echoed in her mind, tinged with a longing that broke her heart.

'What does your heart tell you, Ani?' she replied softly, her own emotions swirling.

'The Emperor told me the baby died,' Anakin whispered, the pain of those words evident even in their mental connection.

Rain turned to face Anakin, her voice barely above a whisper. "He lied to you, Ani. The Emperor lied to you all those years ago."

Anakin's eyes widened, his breath hitching as the realization hit him like a speeder crash. "He... he lied? But... why?"

Rain stepped closer to him, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Because he needed you broken. He needed you to be consumed by anger and grief, to be his perfect weapon. But he didn't destroy everything, Ani. Our child... our children... they survived."

Anakin's expression crumbled, the years of manipulation and deceit crashing down on him. He staggered back slightly, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as he processed the truth. "All this time... all this time, I thought..."

Han, never one to let a moment of tension go unpunctuated, let out, "Do you two wanna share whatever it is that's going on in your heads right now?"

Leia shot Han a look, but there was a flicker of reluctant agreement in her eyes. Anakin, however, seemed lost in his own world, grappling with the magnitude of the Emperor's betrayal.

Luke, watching the raw emotion play out on Anakin's face, felt a strange sense of empathy. Despite everything, despite the horrors Anakin had committed, Luke saw the pain of a father who had been robbed of his children. Slowly, he lowered his lightsaber entirely, the blue light extinguishing as it fell to his side.