The Gods Of Mortis

Chapter 14. Terrible Awakening

Luke took a deep breath. Ben had been able to reach out just enough for Luke to sense him and close the distance. He was uncertain if Ben would truly be able to find him however. Luke had requested time to think and Abeloth, in Mara's skin, agreed to give it to him. She claimed she had all the time in the world and did not mind waiting a little longer. She had disappeared after that and Luke was left to wander the vibrant forest. But he had not been able to find his way out. He was just grateful he could reach beyond these woods at all to hear Ben.

Luke leaned his back against a tree. He should not accept this bargain. Anakin's ghost had said as much and the logical part of Luke knew he was right. But Abeloth had made some enticing points... Ben would be safe here. Anakin would never hurt anyone again. Luke could keep the balance, maybe then the galaxy would stop it's slow yet gradual decline. And yet... had he not promised Ben to get him home? Luke had promised. He did not take his promises, especially to his only child, lightly.

With another deep breath Luke straightened. There had to be a way out of Abeloth's little paradise, a way that Luke could find himself. A way back to Ben. He pressed his hand to a tree, delving into the Force within it. It was thoroughly odd... the Force flowed through all things. But in this tree the Force stayed put. It was not moving as it should. Abeloth was a twisted, unnatural entity of the Force, Luke supposed she was the source of the abnormality here. Luke grasped a branch and pulled himself up. He needed a better view.

~~~

"Are you okay?"

Anakin startled before poorly trying to disguise it. He smiled at Ben and nodded. "I'm okay."

Ben was far from convinced. He glanced behind them. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka were a ways off. "Look, I know we don't know eachother that well, but I know you saw them."

Again Anakin feigned innocence and shook his head.

"You bonded to me." Ben said, not at all deterred. "You saw the station, you felt what I felt. You saw Jacen..."

Anakin swallowed and sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No." Ben cut him off. "I'm glad you saw it."

"Why?" Anakin asked.

Ben shrugged. "I don't know. But maybe you deserve to know about Jacen and Mom, the whole family."

"Luke mentioned that name, Jacen." Anakin said. "Who is he to you?"

"He's my cousin." Ben said, glancing away a moment before looking to Anakin again. "Ah yea... you're gonna have a daughter too. Aunt Leia. She's Dad's twin."

Anakin's jaw dropped. "Why didn't Luke say anything?"

"Last I checked, you've only known your future son and grandson for a few days." Ben shrugged and offered a shy grin. "Guess Dad thought you had enough on your plate. Jacen is her son."

Anakin shook his head. "That's- That's wonderful." He breathed. He was going to have a son and a daughter. And they were going to have children of their own- but that image of Jacen with yellow eyes... "Ben, was that Jacen who-"

Ben shook his head fiercely. "I don't want to talk about him doing that." He said vehemently.

"I'm sorry." Anakin said, realizing his mistake in digging at a sensitive topic.

Ben took a deep breath. "It's fine. It's just..." Ben shrugged, hugging himself.

Anakin nodded sympathetically and did not push further. Instead he quietly dwelled on that fact that the great grandson of Shmi Skywalker was going to embrace the Dark Side and hurt those closest to him in the process.

They continued in silence for a while, their trek leading them through a rocky canyon.

"Who took Luke's hand?" Anakin asked.

Ben frowned and looked to him sharply. "Dad didn't say anything to you about his hand."

Anakin shook his head. "No. But in my vision, his hand was gone."

Ben thinned his lips. "It was a Sith. Dad doesn't like to talk about it."

He was trying to be dismissive, Anakin noticed. "Ben, back there I saw things." Anakin said, almost desperately. "Things I can't unsee, I can't understand and I can't let go of. I need to know who did that to Luke."

"Anakin..." Ben said, almost pleadingly.

But Anakin was not changing his mind as they stopped on the path. Ben tried to stare Anakin down, but that was out of the question. So he took a deep breath. "His name... he was Darth Vader."

Anakin swallowed hard. Luke's tired, broken voice rang in his head. "You're going to do this to me... you're Darth Vader."

"Anakin?"

Anakin stumbled backwards, hitting a rock before he sank to his knees. His vision swam and became blurry. Hands were touching his shoulders, cupping his face. His breath came out labored and loud and... mechanical? Like the monster.

"You're Darth Vader."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. You've changed." Padmé's voice sliced through his mind, sending in an icey clarity to his reality.

Obi-Wan was in front of him. He looked concerned and even frightened. Anakin shamefully buried his face in his hands. He did not deserve Obi-Wan's compassion. Or Ahsoka's friendship, Padmé's love, he could not possibly deserve the adoration of his children... if he had ever had that. Luke's first words to him made so much sense now. Why he had been so angry, so hurt over a stranger. Was Leia the same way? Was she hurting because of him? And what of Jacen? Had Anakin somehow influenced his grandson's fall? Why did Anakin chose the Dark Side over everyone he had ever loved?

Gruffly Anakin pushed Obi-Wan away from him. "Don't touch me!"

His friends slowly backed off. For that Anakin was grateful. Tears built up and spilled along his cheeks and hands.

"Anakin?" Ben's voice was small.

A sob shook Anakin's shoulders. "I will do such terrible things." He whimpered brokenly.

~~~

Luke easily scaled the tree and broke through it's canopy of leaves. The moment he did the golden paradise was gone. Mortis was still dark, stormy and broken. Wind whipped at Luke's face, the tree branches his clung to swayed viciously in the storm. And the Force... something had disturbed it. Something was wrong. Luke tentatively reached out in an effort to find the source. But in the turmoil of the storm, both physical and in the Force, it was hard to concentrate. He thought though, if just for a moment, he could feel Anakin. Anakin in a state of spiraling despair. Why? Luke tried to reach further, to find out what had happened.

Suddenly something wrapped around his leg. Before Luke could react it yanked him effortlessly down into the faked serenity below. Luke landed hard on his back. Immediately he rolled onto his side and scrambled to his feet. Abeloth stood there, looking terribly betrayed.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking." Luke said breathlessly.

Abeloth scowled. "You're trying to escape. You said you only wanted to think!"

Luke sighed and slowly strengthened his stance.

Abeloth noticed. "You cannot hope to best me, weaponless or not." Abeloth snapped, her chin raised as if to appear taller.

"Don't give me a reason to try." Luke said.

"I have given you time." Abeloth said suddenly. "What is your decision?"

Luke shook his head. "I have been here before, Abeloth. Power gained like this corrupts all too easily." Luke sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. "I can't. The answer is no. Let my friends and I leave Mortis."