Episode IX: Legacy of the Chosen

Chapter Fourteen: The Lesson

Rey felt the color drain from her face.

"Vader?"

His eyes darted to the ground in shame.

She couldn't believe it. All this time, she'd been listening to the ghost of Vader. Had she really been straying that close to the dark?

An awkward moment passed as the two tried to figure out what to say. She sized him up, somehow expecting that he should have looked... different. Not so youthful. So human.

After all, hadn't this man ushered in one of the darkest ages the galaxy had ever known?

"You hate me, don't you?"

She glanced up as he broke the silence.

He turned away, running a glowing hand through his hair. "Obi-Wan was right, I should have stayed hidden—"

"No," Rey interrupted.

He met her eyes, searching for what she might mean. She glanced to the floor, unable to hold the painfully familiar stare.

Where had she seen those blue eyes before?

Then, she remembered, and somehow found the courage to face a ghost. "You're Skywalker."

"Anakin," he supplied with a small smile.

"Right. Anakin," she repeated, testing the name. "Why did you say Vader?"

"Why not?" A flicker of sadness crossed his face. "All the good things I did will forever remain in the shadow of Vader's legacy. No one even remembers my real name."

"That's not true."

"Did you?"

Rey looked to the ground. She, of all people, should have known the real name of her mentor's father, but Luke had never wanted to breach the subject. "All I knew was that you turned before the end."

"It's alright," Anakin reassured. "It's not your fault."

Rey's face scrunched in confusion, trying to remember what she had learned about Force Ghosts. Fortunately, when she was on Ach-To, Luke had explained them to her somewhat. Something about his mentor manifesting and calling down lightning to burn the Force tree?

If a Jedi was capable of something so destructive, what about someone like Vader?

"Why are you here?" she asked, taking a wary step backwards. "Why not visit Kylo Ren?"

He paused, trying to determine if she could handle the answer, then glanced away. "I've tried, but the dark side clouds everything. You are the only one who can reach him."

"You have a habit of answering only the convenient questions."

Anakin dipped his head, trying to hide a smirk. "I'm sorry. I'll try to answer more directly."

"Then why—"

Rey broke off as a wave of lightheadedness washed over her. She grabbed a nearby durasteel pillar for support.

Anakin started forward to help, then paused, his face creased with worry. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she answered, shaking her head. "It was one of the gnaw-jaws."

With a wince, she adjusted the shirt around her arm, realizing it was soaking through.

"You're bleeding," he insisted.

"Not badly," she reassured, hiding her arm and pressing the shirt more firmly.

"Can you..." Anakin began, giving a worried glance to Rey's wound, "Can you at least tie it?"