Anakin felt the darkness all around him. It was closing in, beckoning for him to come, to join with it instead of resist. His head pounded, his lungs burned, and all he wanted was freedom from the oppressive force around him. Just when he was ready to give in to the darkness, to end the suffering, a bright light pierced through the darkness.

Instinctively he clung to it, letting the light draw him in until the darkness was completely chased away. Anakin took several steadying breaths as relief and peace washed through him, laced with the calm of the light side of the Force.

"It is good to see you again, Anakin."

Anakin jumped, startled; he'd thought he'd been alone. Looking up, however, his eyes fell upon someone he had thought he would never see again.

"Master Qui-Gon?"

Qui-Gon smiled. "Yes, it's me, Anakin; and before you ask, this is a vision. I'm appearing to you through the Force."

Anakin was dumbfounded for a few moments. "Wha—why?"

"It's time you received an explanation. You see, it's easier to show you than it is to explain."

"Explain what?" Anakin asked, confused.

"Why Luke is here. Yes, training from the Jedi is one reason, but it is nearly insignificant compared to the real reason. He's here for you."

Anakin simply stared at Qui-Gon for a few minutes. "Me?"

Qui-Gon ushered for Anakin to step closer. "Come; I will show you Luke's story, and then everything will make sense."

"How?"

"Just trust the Force, Anakin; that's all you need to do in order to see the truth."

Anakin realized Qui-Gon's voice was fading, and he glanced around; the light was starting to dim.

"Qui-Gon?"

Too late, he was gone, and Anakin found himself in utter darkness. Soon, voices floated to him out of that very same darkness.

*****************************************************************************

"He has much of his father in him." Anakin heard a woman speak, causing him to search the darkness in vain for the speaker.

"That's what I'm afraid of," came another voice, a man's this time.

A glowing blue light appeared, and Anakin walked towards it, seeing a peculiar scene in front of him. There was Luke, much younger and naive looking. He held a lightsaber in his hand...an oddly familiar lightsaber.

"You're father's lightsaber," came what sounded like Obi-Wan, though Anakin could see that no one was speaking in the now rapidly fading image; the voices seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time in a clear echo.

"I wish I'd known him," Luke said mournfully.

A new scene rapidly appeared, and soon Anakin was watching as Luke hopped out of a speeder, rushing towards a smoking building as he shouted for someone, or more than one person. Anakin recoiled as the what was lying in wait for the youth came into view; charred skeletons were all that remained of whoever Luke had been looking for, and Luke was now looking away in pain. The scene faded to black as Anakin heard Luke's voice once more.

"There's nothing for me here now...I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."

Again, a new scene came to fruition, and Anakin watched as Luke, a Wookiee, and a scruffy looking man rescued a woman who looked creepily like Padmé. As Anakin watched, the small group made their way to a large ship hanger, though Luke suddenly stopped, taking a few steps in another direction.

"Ben?" Luke asked, and Anakin turned just in time to see Obi-Wan struck down by the red blade of a man in a full body black suit.

"NO!" Luke and Anakin both screamed, the former taking aim with his blaster and firing at the...were those clones? They weren't dressed in the clone attire, but they were similarly dressed.

The scene went black and Anakin heard Obi-Wan's voice again. "You must go to the Dagobah system."

Luke training with an older-looking Yoda came into Anakin's view, the events flickering by at a rapid pace. At one point things slowed down to a regular pace as Luke paused in his training, peering into the vines. "What's in there?"

"Only what you take with you."

Upon venturing into the foliage, Luke came face to face with the man of black again. He cut off the man's head with his lightsaber after a brief fight, and in a shower of sparks the face behind the mask was revealed to be Luke's own.

The darkness returned, and Luke's voice floated through that darkness.

"I can't keep the vision out of my head. They're my friends; I've got to help them!"

Yoda's almost desperate voice followed close behind. "You must not go!"

"But Han and Leia will die if I don't!" Luke snapped back.

"If you choose to face Vader, you do it alone," Obi-Wan's voice said as the darkness peeled away to show Luke ascending a short flight of stairs towards the man of black, whom Anakin assumed was Vader.

"...you are not a Jedi yet," Vader hissed.

Anakin watched as the two exchanged in a brief fight, and Anakin found himself growing nervous as he realized almost immediately that Luke was far outmatched. "You have learned much young one," Vader growled again after a while, pointing a finger at the youth.

"You'll find that I'm full of surprises!" Luke lunged forward, but the Sith disarmed him, and he was forced to dodged Vader's blade by tossing himself down the stairs. To Anakin's annoyance, the scene faded to darkness, resuming elsewhere in the fight. It seemed the two had moved to a different hall, as Luke was trying desperately to protect himself from a heavy barrage of random metal machinery Vader was throwing at him. Anakin wanted desperately to jump in and assist his newfound friend, but he couldn't; he was powerless to do anything but watch.

Eventually, Luke was overpowered, falling out of the shattered window behind him. Luke managed to catch himself on the walkway far below and tried in vain to leave the room. Right before he could get away from the room, he was engaged by Vader once again as the man appeared around the corner, pushing Luke back towards the very end of the walkway.

Anakin growled at the man as Vader knocked the tired and bloody Luke to the ground, Anakin standing firmly by Luke's side despite being unable to do anything for the youth.

"Hold on Luke, you'll be fine, hold on," Anakin murmured.

Vader, meanwhile, leveled his red lightsaber at Luke's chest as Luke shook weakly on the ground, slowly squirming backwards to avoid the blade that promised death. "You are beaten; it is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."

A spark of fury ignited in Luke's eyes, and Luke knocked the saber away, scrambling to his feet and backing even further away down the walkway. It was all in vain though, because just after Luke finally landed a blow to Vader's shoulder, the Sith cut off his hand.

"No!" Anakin shouted as Luke screamed in pain, dropping to his knees before Vader. He was completely trapped, pushed to the end of the walkway.

"There is no escape," Vader hissed. "Don't make me destroy you."

Luke did not answer; he simply slipped further away from him, backing away slowly along the beam of the gantry behind him. Anakin stood on the pole between the two, watching anxiously with a hand stretched out in instinctive protection in front of Luke.

"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!" Vader stated in his booming voice.

"I'll never join you," Luke growled acidly at Vader as he cradled his injured arm to his chest.

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

"He told me enough! He told me you killed him!" Luke spat with a potent venom Anakin had never heard from the youth before.

"No...I am your father."

Shock and grief ripped through Luke and flashed across his face, as well as fear. It hurt Anakin to witness it. "No...no...it's not true...that's impossible!"

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

"NO! NO!"

Anakin shrank away from the raw agony in Luke's tone. This Vader character must have done horrible things to earn such a reaction from Luke. Besides the obvious, anyway.

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

Luke was still in shock from the previous revelation, but Anakin could see the gears starting to work in his head as he registered this new information and searched desperately for a way out of his situation.

"Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son," Vader stated, reaching a hand out to Luke in an almost fatherly manner.

Luke looked back at the man, and Anakin stood tense, waiting to see what Luke would do; he didn't like the look that was crossing Luke's face.

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

Luke suddenly dropped, letting go of the pole he'd been holding onto on the gantry and eliciting a cry of shock and panic from Anakin as Vader simply stared at him. However, Anakin was relieved to see him get sucked into one of the air ducts and get rescued by the woman from earlier who looked like Padmé.

The scene went black, and another emerged of an older, much more exhausted looking Luke sitting with a spirit form of the older Obi-Wan.

"I can't kill my own father," Luke was telling Obi-Wan. His voice was soft-spoken, but Anakin recognized the firmness of his choice in the youth's tone. Luke would not do it.

"Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope," Obi-Wan replied softly, the image fading away. His voice came one last time through the darkness.

"You must face Darth Vader again."

A new image rapidly appeared, and Anakin was shocked to see Luke, dressed all in black and in cuffs, being handed over to Vader by several of the clone-like soldiers and an officer in a dimly lit hallway.

"This is the Rebel that surrendered to us," the officer said. "Although he denies it, I believe there may be more of them and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area."

Vader glanced between the man and Luke, obviously trying to figure out what was going on as Luke gazed calmly back at him. Anakin was doing the same thing, peering at Luke curiously.

"He was armed only with this," the officer finished, handing Vader Luke's lightsaber.

"Good work, Commander," Vader said. "Leave us. Conduct your search and bring his companions to me."

Luke listened to every word Vader said intently, his face flashing with a deep seated worry at the mention of the search for just a moment, but he otherwise kept his expression impassive. "Yes, My Lord."

When they were alone, the two walked down the hall side by side. "The Emperor has been expecting you," Vader said eventually.

"I know, Father," Luke said calmly, keeping his eyes fixed ahead. Anakin walked between them, still unseen.

Vader glanced at Luke, the mask hiding his true reaction to Luke's words as he studied the young man. "So, you have accepted the truth."

Luke finally turned to face Vader at the Sith's words, his expression serious and his voice clear. "I have accepted that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father."

Anakin froze, his entire body suddenly flushed cold, eyes wide in shock. He couldn't move a muscle, paralyzed. No, no he must have heard wrong...but he knew he hadn't. Luke had spoken clearly and firmly. Anakin's breath turned shallow as he glanced between the two who had stopped in their tracks as well.

This...this Sith that he saw, the man before him who was more machine then anything else, who had killed Obi-Wan relentlessly, cut off Luke's hand, and from what Luke had told him caused the death of his wife could not be Anakin. He refused to believe it, but the facts were all right in front of him.

The blood sample ordeal back on Tythe, the strong Force Bond Luke and Anakin shared, why they looked so alike, why Luke hadn't said who his father was, the unexplained emotions towards Padmé Anakin had picked up on...it was all right there, staring him in the face this entire time, and he hadn't seen it. No, he hadn't wanted to see it because of what it would mean, because of the dark future it suggested ahead of him. He felt stupid for denying it but he was still suffering from the shock. What...what had happened to him? A deep, devastating sorrow settled over Anakin as he stared at the Sith that was himself from the future. Eventually he turned his gaze back to Luke, whom he could now see in a new light.

The light a father sees his son in.

"That name no longer holds any meaning to me," Anakin heard Vader—himself—growl at Luke, shaking Luke's lightsaber at him.

"It is the name of your true self, you've only forgotten," Luke shot back, chin set in determination that mirrored Padmé's stubborn expression. "I know there is good in you; he Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully."

Anakin watched in a daze. Luke really must love him to be willing to try and save him even now, though Anakin knew it was no use. The Council had taught it to him since day one: once one fell to the dark side, they would never return.

Vader said nothing and Luke turned away, walking to the window and putting his hands on the railing. "That was why you couldn't destroy me. That's why you won't bring me to your Emperor now."

Vader was silent for a few heartbeats as he gazed at Luke and Anakin held his breath in anticipation despite the fact he knew Luke to be wrong simply by looking at this...version of himself, this future him.

Vader activated Luke's green lightsaber and Luke tensed instinctively, turning his head just so towards the sound cautiously.

"I see you have constructed a new lightsaber," Vader said, inspecting the weapon. "Your skills are complete."

After sheathing the weapon Vader turned away to the opposite railing, his back to Luke. "Indeed you are powerful as the Emperor has foreseen."

Luke turned to face the Sith slowly, evaluating Vader as Anakin watched in overwhelmed silence, still struggling to process what was happening. "Come with me," Luke said softly.

"Obi-Wan once thought as you do," Vader said quietly, turning back around. "You don't know the power of the dark side! I must obey my master."

Luke shook his head slowly, holding Vader's gaze. "I will not turn...and you will be forced to kill me."

Anakin felt sick. "Don't you dare do it you fool, he's your—our—son!" he muttered.

"If that is your destiny," Vader said slowly, and Anakin immediately felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't believe what he was hearing!

Luke walked up to Vader in three short steps. "Search your feelings, Father, you can't do this! I feel the conflict within you, let go of your hate!" Luke said, his tone getting harder and his words coming out faster near the end, pleading.

"It is...too late for me, my son." Vader turned away, Luke's expression turned devastated, and Anakin felt faint, grabbing the railing to steady himself. "The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now."

The clone-resembling soldiers appeared on either side of Luke to escort him, and Luke slowly nodded. "Then my father is truly dead," Luke said, voice clear, disappointment and mourning clear in his expression before he was escorted away. His words struck Anakin hard, and he stared after Luke with tears burning his eyes as they led him away, Luke's gaze never leaving Vader's form.

When Anakin looked back at Vader, the SIth was slowly moving to the window, obviously in deep thought as he leaned against the railing.

Once again the scene changed, and Vader was leading Luke into a room on a space station to a chair where a wizened old man Anakin guessed was the Emperor sat. Luke remained bound.

"Welcome, young Skywalker. I have been expecting you," the Emperor purred. His voice was disturbingly familiar, yet at the same time, Anakin couldn't place it; this was twenty something years into the future, so time could have distorted their voice if Anakin really did know who it was. "You will no longer need those," the Emperor stated, waving his hand and removing Luke's cuffs.

Luke looked up at the Emperor wearily. "Guards, leave us," the Emperor ordered, waiting until the red-dressed guards had disappeared to speak again. "I'm looking forward to completing your training. In time you will call meMaster."

"You're gravely mistaken. You won't convert me as you did my father," Luke said calmly.

"Oh, no, my young Jedi. You will find that it is you who are mistaken. About a great many things," the Emperor said gleefully as he approached Luke and Vader.

"His lightsaber," Vader said, handing the Emperor the weapon. Anakin stood tall and firm by Luke's side, heart aching at what he was witnessing but wanting to be by his son's side, even if he wasn't really there.

"Ah, yes, a Jedi's weapon; much like your father's. By now you must know your father can never be turned from the dark side. So will it be with you," the Emperor said sinisterly.

"You're wrong," Luke said with a smug smirk, refusing to break eye contact with the Emperor. "Soon I'll be dead...and you with me."

Anakin looked at Luke, shocked. What was he talking about?

The Emperor simply laughed. "Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your Rebel fleet."

A little of Luke's bravado slipped away and for a moment his eyes broke away from the Emperor's, though he still kept his courage about him. The Emperor laughed again.

"Yes, I assure you, we are quite safe from your friends here."

"Your overconfidence is your weakness," Luke told him, an almost mischievous look in Luke's eyes similar to Anakin's.

"Your faith in your friends is yours!" the Emperor snapped, returning to his throne. It took him a few moments to get there, but Anakin had the feeling that such an appearance of weakness was misleading.

"It is pointless to resist, my son," Vader told Luke.

Anakin shot the man a glare as Luke looked down, his expression gradually losing its bravado and confidence.

"Everything that has transpired has done so according to my desires," the Emperor said from his seat as Vader and Luke approached. "Your friends, up there on the Sanctuary moon, are walking into a trap, as is your Rebel fleet. It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops await them. Oh...I am afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive." The Emperor laughed again and Luke's face fell to despair.

"Come boy, see for yourself," said the Emperor, gesturing to the window. Both Anakin and Luke went up to the said window, witnessing a small fleet stuck in the crosshairs outside between the battle station and the fleet of Imperial ships outside and getting picked off one by one. "From here you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance, and the end of your insignificant Rebellion."

Luke turned, and Anakin noticed he was eyeing his lightsaber, which was beside the Emperor. "You want this...don't you? The hate is swelling in you now. Take your Jedi weapon. Use it. I am unarmed. Strike me down with it; give in to your anger. With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant."

Anakin looked despairingly at Luke—his son—struggling not to give in. Luke truly did know the consequences acting on anger brought, as he said earlier. Mournfully, Anakin knew that he could not help his son at all, reminding himself that this was one of Luke's memories.

"No," Luke said, though Anakin heard his voice shake a little at the end.

"It is unavoidable. It is your destiny. You, like your father, are now mine!" the Emperor hissed.

As the minutes ticked by and more people died outside, Luke became more and more tortured by the scene he was witnessing and the taunting words of the Emperor; Anakin could see him starting to slip.

The Emperor was all too happy to tempt Luke once more.

"As you can see, my young apprentice, your friends have failed. Now witness the firepower of this fully operational station."

"He's not yours," Anakin growled angrily at the Emperor, useless as it was a thing to do.

The Emperor pressed a button for a comm, and Luke glanced desperately between the Emperor and the fleet outside, panicked. "Fire at will, Commander."

After the destruction of several fleet ships, the Emperor spoke again.

"Your fleet is lost, and your friends on the Endor moon will not survive. There is no escape, my young apprentice. The Alliance will die." Luke looked at Vader accusingly, his eyes asking why his father just stood there and watched as the Emperor did this to his own son. "As will your friends."

Luke's eyes returned to his lightsaber.

"Good...I can feel your anger. I am defenseless. Take your weapon; strike me down with all of your hatred, and your journey to the Dark Side will be complete."

It was obvious that Luke had to force himself to turn away from the Emperor, his movement jerky. Then, suddenly, Luke whipped around, summoning his lightsaber to him. Luke quickly lashed out at the Emperor, but Vader's crimson blade got in the way. The Emperor simply laughed as Luke found himself forced into another battle with Vader.

So far into the battle, Luke, still driven by the anger that had caused him to lash out in the first place, kicked Vader down a flight of stairs, and Anakin couldn't help but wince. The Emperor chuckled behind Anakin, who was standing tense just behind Luke as he watched the fight.

"Good. Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you."

Luke paused, anger still in his eyes before he managed to slowly reign in his temper, the fight gradually draining out of him as he gazed at Vader and sheathed his weapon. Vader started to approach him from below at the same time. "Obi-Wan...has taught you well."

"I will not fight you, Father," Luke said softly, a slight tremble in his voice as he drew back.

Vader drew closer, ascending the stairs, and Luke instinctively stepped back, warily watching Vader. Anakin was just as cautious, instinctively fingering his lightsaber although he couldn't do anything even if he wanted to. The only sound was the hum of Vader's activated lightsaber and both Vader's and Luke's heavy breathing.

"You are unwise to lower your defenses!" Vader exclaimed, swinging his blade swiftly at Luke, who was quick to reactivate his lightsaber and block the advance. Anakin felt his anger spike at seeing Vader attack Luke, but he quelled it with great effort, continuing to watch in silence.

Luke broke away, retreating up to an overhanging walkway where he gazed down at Vader, who was now breathing rather heavily. "Your thoughts betray you, Father. I can feel the good in you; the conflict," he called softly down to Vader.

"There is no conflict!" Vader stated firmly.

"You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before and I don't believe you will destroy me now," Luke told him as he started to move along the walkway he was standing on. With a start, Anakin realized what he was hearing now was what he had heard from Luke when the darkness had descended on him earlier. He was seeing what happened instead of hearing bits and pieces.

"You underestimate the power of the dark side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny!" Vader flung his lightsaber at Luke, who just managed to dodge the flying blade; but the walkway crashed down below, and Luke disappeared from view.

"You kriffing—" Anakin shouted at Vader's retreating back as Vader went after Luke. He cut off, reminding himself he couldn't be heard here. He could hear the Emperor laughing as Vader searched for Luke.

"Good...good!"

Anakin had to follow Vader to see what was going on, and he was quick to do so, searching for Luke just as Vader was currently doing. He was having a very difficult time relocating Luke, so he couldn't gauge any reaction out of him for what was going on. Vader crept slowly through the darkness as he searched for Luke.

"You cannot hide forever, Luke," Vader called.

"I will not fight you!" Luke called out, voice echoing around them so it wouldn't be easy to pinpoint his location.

"Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for...sister! So, you have a twin sister! Your feelings have now betrayed her too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will!"

"Never!" Luke screamed, suddenly coming out of the darkness in a charge right towards Vader that had Anakin instinctively throwing himself out of the way. Luke rained furious blows down on Vader, and Anakin realized that this was the moment Luke had told him about a few moments ago. This was when he had given into his anger.

Mercilessly, Luke advanced on Vader, raining down blow after blow. Eventually, Luke managed to push him to the walkway over the reactor shaft, where Anakin watched Luke overpower Vader in his rage and promptly cut off the Sith's hand. Vader cried out and Luke leveled his blade at Vader's chest, panting, anger still burning in his eyes.

The Emperor laughed behind them. "Good, good! Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny, and take your father's place at my side!"

Luke turned back to Vader, who had a hand raised in pitiful defense, shoulders and chest heaving with every breath. Luke looked down at his mechanical hand, moving the fingers slowly before he looked back to Vader, eyes drawn to Vader's own mechanical limb that Luke had just severed. Anakin watched in relief as Luke gradually came back to himself, staring in horror at what he'd just done.

Luke deactivated his saber. "Never," Luke told the Emperor, turning around and shaking his head, eyes alight in righteous determination. Anakin had the sudden urge to strangle the youth when Luke tossed his lightsaber away, even if it was a gesture of removing temptation from him. "I'll never turn to the dark side. You've failed your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

Anakin swelled with pride at that statement, beaming at Luke, who was standing straight and defiant before the Emperor, unwavering.

"So be it, Jedi," the Emperor hissed. Anakin's skin prickled at the danger in the Sith's voice. "If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed!"

With Luke rendered defenseless, the Emperor shot a deadly bout of Sith Lightning at the youth, and Luke instantly crumpled. Anakin gave a shout of alarm, running to his son's side as Luke clung to whatever was closest to keep from falling into the reactor shaft behind him. Over on the walkway Vader stood up, and Luke reached out to the Sith as if pleading for help.

"Young fool. Only now, at the end, do you understand," the Emperor snarled. He zapped Luke once again with the lightning, causing Luke to recoil from Vader, coming dangerously close to falling down the shaft as the electricity continued. Luke managed to pull himself up, electricity still sparking off of him as the Emperor stopped again, drawing closer.

"Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the dark side!" the Emperor sneered as Vader took up the spot next to him, watching silently as Luke continued to be electrocuted. Luke fell to the floor, convulsing and trying so hard to keep his screams inside. "You have paid the price for your lack of vision!"

Anakin kneeled down beside the withering Luke, trying but failing to help him up since Anakin could not do anything here. Luke managed to pull himself up, reaching out to Vader feebly. "Father, please!" he cried out before collapsing back to the ground and continuing to writher and scream in pain. The Emperor increased the intensity of the lightning, which snaked all around Luke and across the floor. "Help me!" Luke begged again, his voice almost lost in the crackle of the lightning as he curled weakly into a ball. Vader simply watched, and Anakin glared murder at him once again, his hands on Luke's shoulders.

"Don't just stand there and watch, you spineless coward, do something! Stop him! This is your son!" Anakin shouted at Vader, standing and getting up in the Sith's face. He didn't care if no one could see or hear him; he wouldn't just stand by and watch like Vader was currently doing.

"Now, young Skywalker: you will die," the Emperor stated smoothly. Anakin turned and saw the smirk appear on the man's face, and immediately felt pure hatred rush through him towards this man.

Luke had now been electrified so long he was smoking, his form stirring oh so slowly as he moaned and gasped in pain. As the Emperor started once again to electrify Luke, this time to finish the job, Anakin knelt by his son, trying not to let the crushing feeling of helplessness get to him. Luke convulsed violently at the Emperor's mercy, his screams filling the room. How could Vader just stand there and do nothing? "Do something, help him, please!" Anakin screamed at Vader, his voice cracking.

Vader looked between Luke and the Emperor, as if he actually had to think about it! "Now!" Anakin yelled at him.

To Anakin's slight surprise, at that very moment, Vader grabbed the Emperor, picking him up and carrying him over to the reactor shaft. Anakin saw Vader's armor short circuiting as the Emperor's lightning sparked over him, and Anakin saw Luke raise his head, watching Vader in amazement as he chucked the Emperor over the edge and down the shaft. Vader collapsed, and by the sound coming from the machine that kept the Sith alive Anakin could tell that he was dying. Luke painfully dragged himself over to Vader, weakly pulling his father away from the edge, holding Vader up by himself.

Once Luke had gathered his strength, Anakin watched the weakened Luke put Vader's arm around his shoulders before he started to carry the armored giant through the space station. The two managed to make it to the hanger, and for a second Anakin had hope that perhaps the redeemed Vader might make it. However, Luke finally crumpled under Vader's weight. Desperate to get them both out of the space station alive, Luke dragged him to the lowered ramp of a ship before he collapsed himself to gather his breath.

Vader was hardly breathing, and Luke held him up to see if he was still alright.

"Luke...help me take...this mask off," Vader said weakly.

Luke stared at him, shocked. "But you'll die!"

"Nothing...can stop that now. Just for once...let me...look on you...with my own eyes."

Luke looked like he was going to argue, but found himself at a loss of words and simply nodded, working on taking off the pieces of the mask. Anakin knelt beside the two of them, watching solemnly as the mask came off of Vader, revealing the man underneath. Anakin jerked in shock when he saw the pale, sickly, scarred man underneath; what had happened to him to put him in that suit?

Vader smiled at Luke as Luke put a hand on his shoulder, and Anakin was mesmerized to see his own eyes in such a damaged face. "Now...go, my son...leave me," Vader croaked.

Luke shook his head, eyes pleading. "No, you're coming with me! I'll not leave you here, I've got to save you."

"You already...have...Luke. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister...you were right..."

Anakin saw a flash of panic cross Luke's face as Vader's voice started to fade. "Father..."

Vader's eyes had closed, and he was starting to go limp.

"I won't leave you," Luke said, his voice breaking and emotion clogging his tone. Anakin could still hear the double meaning to his words.

Don't leave me...

It was too late, though. Vader had already passed. Anakin saw an expression he was all too familiar with flash over Luke's face, and Luke hung his head in overwhelming sorrow.

The scene went to black and Anakin saw flames flicker to life. He followed that light until he had found Luke standing in front of a funeral pyre. He didn't have to look to know that Vader's body was the one he was burning. Luke watched him burn, shoulders tense and in obvious mourning. He was the only one there as well, Anakin noticed. Eventually, Luke seemed to make the best peace that he could with his father's passing, and Luke left, heading back to a celebration a little ways off. He stopped at the edge of the celebration though, obviously not in a festive mood. He turned, his attention caught by something, and Anakin did as well. There, he could clearly see Obi-Wan and Yoda's Force Ghosts. As he watched, another one began to materialize, and he was shocked to see himself, as he was in this very moment, materialize next to them. Luke smiled when he spotted him, and Anakin's ghost smiled back, looking down for a moment before he looked back up and gave a small smirk.

*********************************************************************************

The scene faded, and Anakin found himself back in the world of white with Qui-Gon. Anakin simply sat quietly on his knees, no words for what he had just seen. Qui-Gon seemed to realize this, because he didn't press Anakin to speak a word. "Before you wake...you should know that Luke's having a vision of his own right now."

"Of what?" Anakin asked quietly after a few moments.

Qui-Gon gave him a sympathetic look. "Your fall."

Anakin looked away, keeping his eyes down, unwilling to say anything. Qui-Gon put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "You two will have a lot to talk about. It was nice to see you again, Anakin. Good luck."

Anakin didn't need to ask what he meant. He didn't have time to anyway, because in that next moment Anakin was awake, staring at the ceiling. He looked over at Luke in the bed beside him, who was tossing violently in his sleep.

My son, Anakin thought in a daze. Dreaming about me becoming a Sith.

Warmth had gone through him at the thought until the Sith part came back to him.

His son. My son.

Anakin got off the couch and crossed the room, sitting down in the chair by Luke's bed. He folded his arms on the mattress, and watched his son, waiting patiently for him to wake up while he processed everything he had just found out.