The Gods Of Mortis

Chapter 13. The Future Past

Ben gingerly stepped over the rubble. The tower had been a hard climb up, but eventually Ben had come upon the room he was drawn to. Luke was long gone, that much was apparent to Ben. He could not sense his father's presence. But he could feel something calling to him. Something familiar.

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka followed, the four Jedi carefully traversing the ruins with their lightsabers ignited for much needed light. Ben stopped and then suddenly moved forward, seeing a metallic glint on the floor ahead. There. Ben knelt down and retrieved the forgotten lightsaber.

"Luke's?" Anakin asked.

Ben nodded and stood up again, showing the lightsaber to his friends. "I don't feel him anywhere." Ben sighed as he placed the lightsaber on his belt. "Could he..."

Anakin shook his head. "Don't think like that. If we find the Son maybe we'll find him too."

"Doubt it." Ahsoka called. She had wandered a few yards deeper into the hall. She raised her lightsaber to the runt ceiling.

"Kriff." Ben muttered as they joined Ahsoka. Pinned to the ceiling by the dagger was the Son. His eyes a blank stare.

"What happened here?" Obi-Wan wondered aloud, stroking his beard.

"Maybe Luke?" Ahsoka guessed with a helpless raise of her hands. She glanced at Luke's lightsaber. "Or Abeloth."

"Why would Abeloth kill him?" Ben shook his head.

"Whatever the reason," Anakin began as he reached up, grasping the hilt of the dagger, "Luke is still lost and we don't have time to theorize." He pulled the dagger free and the Son's body fell to the ground. "What if we meditate together?"

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"What?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "That's a rare thought process coming from you."

"Very funny." Anakin rolled his eyes. "I mean what if we use the Force as one? We might be able to find Luke, maybe help Ben to contact him."

"That could work." Obi-Wan agreed after a moment of appraising consideration. "What do you think, Ben?"

Ben shrugged. "At this point I'll try anything."

~~~

The Jedi went out to a grand balcony on the tower. It seemed sturdy enough and more importantly less oppressive than inside. Anakin directed Ben to sit down. He had Ahsoka sit across from him and then took up Ben's right side. Obi-Wan sat on the boy's left. Gently Anakin pressed his finger tips to Ben's temple, then did the same to Ahsoka. His friends followed suit and laid their fingers against eachother's temples.

"We'll follow Ben." Anakin said, looking to the nervous boy. "It'll be okay."

Ben nodded slightly, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Together the Jedi called on the Force, an easy feat in and of itself. But on Mortis, it was a much more intimate experience. Ben was a powerful beacon beside Anakin. He leapt into the Force, Anakin holding on tight. Thanks to the three Jedi Ben was given a greater sense to seek out his father. Anakin stood right beside him, lending the boy his strength, feeding it into Ben's own. But as he did Anakin oddly began to lose touch with himself. The more he poured into Ben the less he could distinguish between himself and Ben as individuals. It was mind bending, surreal, and it was a closeness he had never felt before.

And suddenly, Anakin was not Anakin. He was in a dark room, crowded with children. He felt scared. Petrified. In anguish as terrible war ravaged the galaxy and he was scared to touch the Force again. To feel the pain and horror again. It was too much for Anakin. No... too much for Ben. But there were other comforts. A woman with fair skin and red-gold hair, a laughing smile and a tight hug. A boy with dark hair, a hand reaching out to him, encouraging him. That same boy warping into a man with bloodied yellow eyes, watching with a wicked smirk while a terrible pain wracked through Anakin's- Ben's body and mind. Even worse was the betrayal... he trusted this boy... this boy who taught him, who guided him, who loved him. Who killed his mother, tried to kill his father and tortured him in a sadistic attempt to turn him to the Dark Side.