Luke found his father the next morning already set to head back to the temple, gazing out over Coruscant in deep thought. Luke quietly approached Anakin, coming to stand beside his father with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Luke asked him.

"Yes, I did, Luke; you can ask Padmé."

"I'll take your word for it. So, are we, ah, going in to train today?"

Anakin nodded. "We're going to start working on your lightsaber technique today. I figured that's the one with the most room for improvement, from what Obi-Wan told me and what I've seen."

"All right then; when do we leave?"

Anakin glanced back at him and smiled. "Right now."

A little startled, Luke followed after Anakin, a little eager as well as nervous to start training with his father.

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"Luke, what in the name of the Core are you doing with your stance?"

Anakin eyeballed the other Jedi as he shook his head, deactivating his lightsaber and straightening up. "I understand that you're lunging, but don't spread your feet so far apart; do you know how easy it would be for me to put you off balance?"

Luke straightened up as well. "I've always fought like this; it's just what feels natural."

Anakin sighed. "Well it's a habit you're going to have to break, because it's going to get you killed one of these days. It's like you're pausing in the middle of an unnaturally large step. Here, I'll show you some forms I want you to run through and memorize. You don't want your feet any farther apart than this, and you're going to have to learn to be a little faster on your feet...we'll work on that too."

Luke nodded mutely, watching closely as Anakin slowly walked him through the forms, being very specific on where he needed to put his feet and how he needed to hold himself. After Anakin finished, he fixed Luke with an analytical stare. "Do you think you've got it now?"

"Yeah, I think I do."

"I'll stop you if you make a mistake and show you what you did wrong. When that happens I want you to restart at the very beginning of the form."

"Yes, sir."

Luke started the form without Anakin's guidance, and as he slowly went through the movements Anakin gradually circled him, keeping a sharp eye on his every move. Luke was an impressively fast learner, he'd give him that; in fact, Anakin had noticed Luke learning as they'd sparred, mirroring and quickly adapting some of Anakin's movements to himself. Anakin was confident that it wouldn't take Luke long to learn everything that Anakin had to offer him.

Anakin stopped his train of thought and cut in, pausing Luke halfway through one of the motions. As he spoke, he corrected Luke's position. "You keep going back to that wide stance of yours and you're arms are too rigid. If you want to learn the Djem So form you have to learn to relax and keep your movements fluid."

Luke let out a long sigh but nodded, seemed to mentally berate himself for a few seconds, and then started again from the top. Anakin continued his observational circle with a slight frown on his face. Unwillingly, he found his mind wandering back to a topic he hadn't thought over for a while, and it seemed he was once again trying to connect the dots. However, this time his mind had so much more material to work with and Anakin was confident he'd be able to put something together. While he studied Luke's movements, he let his mind wander to carefully examine the crumbs he'd been able to gather from Luke so far.

For some reason, Anakin still had the nagging sensation that the contamination of the blood samples back on Tythe hadn't really been a mix up. He'd have to see if he could get ahold of the information on the blood samples—namely Luke's—and then he could figure out what really happened. Luke had seemed rather keen to keep something about that entire ordeal secret.

Following that similar train of thought, Anakin started to carefully look over everything that Luke had said about himself so far. Luke's mother had died the day he was born because of the actions of his Jedi father. He'd been raised by his aunt and uncle on Tatooine, Anakin's home planet where he knew his own step-family lived. When they were murdered, he'd been taken in by Obi-Wan for a short period of time and started his Jedi training before Obi-Wan was killed by a Sith. For some reason, Obi-Wan had been in hiding on Tatooine, though from what and why, Anakin still didn't know. Also, Luke had somehow come into possession of R2-D2 and C-3PO, the two droid companions Anakin and Padmé would never willingly let leave their possession.

Anakin stared at Luke a little harder, no longer paying attention to Luke's technique like he was supposed to be doing. He studied the young man closely, but with a new purpose and at a different angle. Padmé had said herself that Luke had Anakin's eyes, and Luke's hair was also the exact shade as Anakin's was, albeit less unruly. Luke had also said that he was twenty-three going on twenty-four, and when asked about his time travel he had stated that he had been sent back roughly twenty-three years into the past, which meant he would most likely be born soon if he hadn't already.

Padmé was pregnant right now with their child.

For a moment Anakin froze, a thought settling over him as pieces started together fit perfectly in his mind. Was there a possibility that this man, this blonde haired youth in front of him, was...

Suddenly Anakin stopped the line of thought before it could get any further. No, there was no way that was the truth. Luke had said his father was a Sith Lord, and Anakin would never become a Sith. He was a Jedi Knight; he would never turn to the dark side. He would never hurt his own son, as Luke's father had when he took Luke's hand and probably countless times before and after that as well. Anakin would never, ever hurt Padmé, as Luke had said his father had hurt his mother. No, that couldn't be it, that piece just didn't fit. He would never do those things; Luke's father was someone else, not Anakin.

Besides, if Luke was his son, Luke would have told him whether the Force wanted him to or not.

Anakin gradually came back to himself and pulled out of his train of thought rather roughly as he refocused on what Luke was doing, pausing once again to fix the young man's technique.

"Your arms are too high," he muttered, stepping in and gently but firmly fixing them.

Luke shook his head and restarted once again. While Anakin watched him, he realized he'd missed quite a few of Luke's small errors in form while he'd been lost in his thoughts. He silently cursed himself, stepping in to correct everything he had apparently missed while he'd been wasting his time following a train of thought that ultimately led to yet another dead end and more questions he needed answered.

On Luke's fifth run through the form, Obi-Wan's voice suddenly resonated behind him. "Running Luke through his stances?"

Had Anakin not been a Jedi, he would have jumped. However, he remained still, cursing himself once again but this time for letting his focus drop so much that someone had managed to sneak up on him. Of all the people to sneak up on him, it had to be Obi-Wan as well! "Yes, I am; he's got a few errors there I want to fix before we move forward."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Well, I'm here to take over for you for a little while; Chancellor Palpatine wants to see you."

Anakin frowned. "Did he say why?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, he didn't; just that he wanted to see you as soon as possible."

Anakin huffed in frustration. "All right then."

To his mild surprise, Obi-Wan stopped him before he could leave. "Anakin...be careful of your friend."

Anakin studied him closely for a moment, suspicion sparking in his eyes as several different conclusions popped to the front of his mind. However, he pushed the thoughts aside and gave Obi-Wan a terse nod before heading out the door to go meet with the chancellor.

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Obi-Wan sighed and turned to Luke. "Here, you can take a break from that and the two of us will work on your meditation over there." He waved dismissively towards a spot on the floor where there wasn't anyone to bother them, doing his best to hide his weariness. This war and all these politics were starting to wear on him.

Luke nodded, making his way over to the designated spot in silence, appearing to be lost in his own thoughts; perhaps it was the perfect time to do some meditation after all. Obi-Wan took the few moments he had to silently studied the boy; he looked so much like Anakin it was unnerving.

The two sat down on the ground across from each other and Obi-Wan gave Luke a small, reassuring smile. "We're going to try and completely immerse ourselves in the Force this time, Luke. I'm going to help guide you through it, Okay?"

"All right."

The two settled into silence, and Obi-Wan was able to easily immerse himself in the Force. He wasn't too worried about Luke being able to put himself in the trance-like state, as it seemed Luke had that part down to a base instinct. It was immersing himself even deeper once he was in the trance that Luke didn't have much experience with, and that would be where Obi-Wan would guide him.

Obi-Wan reached out towards Luke's presence, curiously similar to Anakin's, and felt recognition flow through the younger Jedi as he sensed Obi-Wan's presence. Luke reached out to him in return, and Obi-Wan slowly started to guide him further into the Force's depths. Obi-Wan soon found that even in a deep trance, Luke's mind was full of thoughts, his conscious jumping everywhere even as he somehow managed to maintain a perfect, peaceful calm. It was rather amusing for Obi-Wan to witness.

However, it didn't take them long to shift away from the lesson at hand; it seemed the Force had other plans for them. Slowly, with a lazy, dream-like quality, a vision came over Obi-Wan. No, not a vision...a memory; from Luke. They had traveled so far into the Force together that Obi-Wan could now see Luke's memories. Curious as to what the memory was and sensing that it held the answer to one of the many mysteries surrounding the young man, Obi-Wan allowed himself to drift closer to the memory, eventually falling into its depths...

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Luke was cautiously creeping through a carbon freezing room. He was younger than he was presently, and it seemed he was ready for someone, someone Obi-Wan couldn't see yet. As Obi-Wan watched, Luke slowly put away his blaster, tension and anticipation evident in Luke's stance.

Obi-Wan heard Luke's unwanted companion long before he saw him.

A harsh breathing sound resonated from someone using a respirator, and both Obi-Wan and Luke turned simultaneously to see a tall, masked figure dressed entirely in black.

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker...but you are not a Jedi yet." The voice was harsh and mechanic as its hissed words pierced the air, and had Obi-Wan not currently been in shock he would have shivered from its menacing tone.

Skywalker?

Luke seemed to release a long breath he'd been holding, slowly ascending the stairs to face the masked man. They stood face to face in silence for a few moments, simply staring at one another before Luke activated his lightsaber. Obi-Wan did a double take as he saw Luke's weapon; it was an exact replica of Anakin's lightsaber. In fact, if Obi-Wan didn't know better, he'd say it was Anakin's weapon.

That harsh breathing sound continued to echo around the room as the man slowly—almost lazily—activated his own blood red lightsaber.

A Sith, Obi-Wan realized, his unease growing at what he was witnessing.

The two stared each other down for a few more seconds before Luke suddenly lunged forward and they engaged in combat. It only took a few seconds for the masked man to push Luke to the floor, but Luke kept his blade raised, getting back on his feet without taking his eyes off of the Sith. Luke took a step forward, and the man took a step back, then again as if he didn't want to fight Luke. Though since this was a Sith, he had to have a reason for his tactic; the Sith were ruthless and heartless, and they would not retreat unless it was part of their overall plan.

The two engaged in combat once again, and this time the Sith nearly took off Luke's head with a powerful swing. "You have learned much young one," the man announced, pointing a finger at Luke as he spoke.

"You'll find that I'm full of surprises," Luke retorted rather acidly as he lunged at the Sith once again. However, this time the Sith easily disarmed Luke, who had to roll painfully down the steps to avoid the man's falling blade. Luke rolled out of the way just in time as the Sith jumped down the steps and landed where Luke had been only seconds earlier. Luke slowly rose to his feet, standing at the edge of the carbon freezing chamber.

"Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker. Obi-Wan knew this to be true."

Luke's expression grew angry. "No," he growled firmly, glaring at the Sith and backing up a little more; he was now as far as he could go, barely above the freezing chamber. The Sith swung at the weaponless Luke, who toppled into the freezing chamber trying to avoid the crimson blade.

"All too easy," the Sith said, turning his back for a moment to start the freezing process. While his back was turned, Luke jumped out of the chamber and grabbed onto the tubes and wiring above the chamber. "Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought."

Emperor! Obi-Wan thought, sent even further into shock.

The Sith suddenly looked up as Luke climbed higher to avoid him. "Impressive." He swung again, showing that Luke was currently out of range of his lightsaber. "Most impressive."

At that moment Luke dropped to the floor, using the pipe the Sith had slashed to blind the Sith long enough to summon his lightsaber back to his hand, turning to immediately re-engage the Sith once again.

"Obi-Wan has taught you well; you have controlled your fear. Now, release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me!" the Sith taunted as they continued their fight.

Eventually, by some miracle, Luke drove the Sith over the edge of the platform they were standing on, watching the darkness for a moment to see if the Sith would come back before Luke deactivated his lightsaber and swiftly left the room.

Cautiously, Luke navigated further through the building, tensed for an ambush at any moment as he cast his gaze towards the dark corners and held his lightsaber in a painful grip.

As Luke reached a large, circular window, the mechanized breathing sound came again and Luke froze, quickly turning around and reactivating his lightsaber at the sudden reappearance of the Sith.

However, Luke was met with a surprise as the Sith activated his lightsaber and instead of attacking Luke with the deadly blade started chucking large objects at the very inexperienced Jedi with the Force. Luke was able to cut down a few of the hurtling objects, but soon lost his focus, getting horribly beaten with the numerous flying objects until the window behind him was shattered by one of the flying projectiles, and Luke was pulled out of the window by the powerful wind. He landed barely clinging to a walkway, hardly able to pull himself up and breathing heavily as he slowly gathered his senses again. With the utmost caution, Luke slowly made his way out of the chamber he had landed in. However, as he started down the hallway that was his only way out, he almost had his head separated from his body yet again by the Sith Lord.

Luke retreated quickly, fiercely pushed back by the Sith as once again they were locked in a deadly duel. Obi-Wan found himself deeply scared for the young man's life as Luke barely avoided the Sith's blood red blade. The Sith shoved Luke to the ground, holding his lightsaber mere inches from Luke's chest.

"You are beaten; it is useless to resist." The bloodied, exhausted Luke shakily pushed himself away across the floor as the blade came closer, trying to avoid the violent death that it promised. "Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."

The words seemed to spark something inside of Luke almost immediately. Luke swung his lightsaber with renewed energy, knocking the red blade away as he sprang back to his feet. Miraculously, Luke landed a blow on the Sith's shoulder, retreating once again to a safe distance. In the Sith's fury, the man cut part of the safety railing off that Luke had been pressed up against before, in a flash of movement Obi-Wan almost missed, he disarmed Luke by cutting off his hand at the wrist. Luke cried out in agony, clutching at his wrist as he fell to his knees, and Obi-Wan cringed at the young man's pain.

"There is no escape," the Sith declared, towering over Luke's suddenly frail-looking form. "Don't make me destroy you."

In a desperate attempt to get away from the Sith in front of him, Luke scooted over the beam he was sitting precariously on, as far away from the Sith as he could be.

"Luke! You do not yet realize your importance! You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training; with our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict, and bring order to the galaxy!"

Luke wasn't hearing any of it. He pulled himself up with his remaining hand, balancing on the poles beneath his feet as he cradled his freshly injured arm to his chest. "I'll never join you!" Luke growled venomously.

"If you only knew the power of the Dark Side...Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father..."

Luke glared icy daggers at the Sith. "He told me enough!" Luke slipped around to the other end of his perch, clinging to the pole like a lifeline as he hunkered down. "He told me you killed him!"

"No...I am your father."

Shocked wasn't a strong enough word to describe the expression on Luke's face. As the shock started to fade, a fresh agony filled Luke's features as he avidly shook his head as if the action would dispel the horrors that he was being forced to face. "No...no...it's not true...that's impossible!"

"Search your feelings, Luke! You know it to be true!"

"NO! NO!"

Luke's agony at the discovery hit Obi-Wan like a tidal wave and caused him to stumble backwards at the raw emotion he could sense from the young man, but yet he somehow managed to keep watching.

"Luke...you can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this! It is your destiny."

Luke looked down with the expression of a trapped animal dawning on his features, his mind obviously working at lightspeed to find a way out of his current situation.

"Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son!"

Luke glanced around desperately for a way out, looking down at the expanse of open space that disappeared into a black hole below him. As he looked back at the Sith—at his father—it seemed he had come to a decision.

"Come with me: it is the only way."

Luke glanced down once more, back up at his father in stubborn yet also somehow resigned defiance, and then let go, shocking both the Sith Lord and Obi-Wan as Luke plummeted down to a certain death. However, just when Obi-Wan was sure that the young man was doomed to a gristly death, Luke was sucked into an air vent, sliding and rolling through several air tunnels until he finally came to a rough stop. Unfortunately, it opened below him just as he managed to push himself onto his hands and knees, and Luke fell out of the vent, managing to cling onto a weather vane for dear life before he could fall to a guaranteed death.

Obi-Wan watched as—eventually—a ship came and Luke was brought to safety. The memory rapidly began to disappear, and Obi-Wan felt not only himself but Luke as well as the two of them slipped out of their deep immersion of the Force, Luke rather quickly.

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Obi-Wan came back to himself in the present, sitting in shock across from a sweating, trembling Luke. Obi-Wan openly stared at Luke, still trying to recover from his new discovery. Finally, Obi-Wan managed one hushed question.

"Skywalker?"

Luke seemed to jerk out of whatever state he had been in a few seconds ago at the sound of his last name, leaping to his feet. "I need some air," he gasped, chest heaving, obviously in a panic as he sprinted out of the room. Obi-Wan quickly got to his feet as well, though something in the Force told him to let Luke go. He decided he had to find himself a secluded spot where he could be alone for a long time anyway.

He had plenty to think about.