Something I love about Star Wars is how Luke didn't fix Anakin, he gave him the courage to save himself.
Anakin Skywalker is both a villain (and an abuser. I mean he tortured his own daughter and cut off his son's hand, come on) and a victim, that much is obvious. He is, most importantly, a slave. There has never been a single moment of his life where he wasn't/hasn't felt like he was a slave to something. Watto, the Republic, Palpatine, maybe even himself — you name it. He has never been free.
When Luke goes to the second Death Star, he is going to his father, to the suffering Palpatine is putting Anakin through (he is the main victim of Sidious's abuse and torture, something many people tend to forget). To the suffering Anakin is making himself go through, because, while it was heavily influenced by Palpatine, Anakin's choice to never leave was his own.
He Fell, and that wasn't his fault, but he chose to stay there. Many people — namely Padmé — gave him second chances. Padmé gave Anakin the chance to leave and stay together, but he didn't take it. He did all of it to save her, and it the end, he ends up believing he was the one who killed her (he 'destroys' his goal, because that's what the Dark Side does. You may begin as a noble person looking to save someone, but the Dark Side isn't good, and you will lose track of yourself along the way.)
And now here he is, inside a prison that is seen as his own suit. A prison he was put in, a prison he chose to stay in. By the time of ROTJ, he truly believes that it's over for him. That nothing can save him. That there's no hope. Anakin, the lifelong slave, is resigned to his fate. “It is too late for me, son,” he tells Luke, who willingly came to him wearing shackles.
And Luke, still believing that there is some humanity in Darth Vader's armor, doesn't deter. He doesn't let his father's words stop him. He shows that he's willing to give himself away, to die, just to save him.
Luke Skywalker, son of Padmé and Anakin and the last Jedi Master left, shows a man turned monster that he loves him unconditionally. He shows him that no, it's not too late for him, not now and not ever. And this — his selflessness, his compassion — is what finally gets through Anakin. Someone loves him, and he loves them back. And he would do anything to keep them alive, including killing his own Master and breaking his chains.
It's Luke's own sacrifice that inspires Anakin to give up his life. It's Luke's undying hope that motivates Anakin to finally break his own chains. It's Luke's trust in him that gives Anakin the courage to save himself, and in that single act, he saves the entire galaxy.
The light comes to him in the form of one Luke Skywalker, extending his hand for the last time — the light comes to him when he takes it.
The Prophecy is fulfilled when Anakin kills Palpatine and leaves the dark. The galaxy is saved when a father dies for his son.
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Gray Jedi
Anakin Skywalker x Reader
Masterlist - Join My Taglist!
Written for Fictober 2023!
Fandom: Star Wars
Day 23 Prompt: "No, you won't understand, ever."
Summary: Y/N left the Jedi Order over differences with their teachings and a love for Anakin Skywalker. Now, however, something is wrong with Anakin, and they might be the only one who can stop tradgedy from happening.
Word Count: 2,094
Category: Angst, Fluff
Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.
I'd spent the majority of my life as a Jedi, so I'd heard plenty of Masters utter the phrase "I feel a disturbance in the Force" or some variation of it over the years. I'd even felt a few myself, once or twice. But nothing had ever felt like the looming cloud of dread that hung over me now.
I hadn't been a Jedi for more than a year now, which made the feeling all the stranger. I'd left over a few differences with the Council and their rules, opting to become a Gray Jedi by technicality and a non-Force-user by practice. So the feeling of dark premonition battering me awake from my peaceful sleep was even stranger.
Even having let my connection with the Force fade a bit, I knew enough to not ignore this sign. Especially because the face of my former best friend, Anakin Skywalker, featured in every single flash this vision was giving me.
Anakin had been one of the reasons I'd decided to leave in the first place. Somehow, when I wasn't paying attention, I'd fallen in love with my best friend. And that kind of love was forbidden among the Jedi.
I'd put up with it for a while, for most of the Clone Wars. But finally, when it started to feel like Anakin might have returned my affections, it got to be too much for me. I couldn't have something with him and still be a Jedi. So I'd left.
Anakin had stayed, and I didn't blame him for it one bit. The Jedi were the only family he'd known since his mother, and the only family he had left since her death. I, probably stupidly, had never talked to him about my feelings. What reason would he have had to leave?
I'd been living a new, peaceful life as far away from the war and the Sith and the Jedi as I could get, and it had been going fairly well, all things considered. But now, something was clearly wrong.
I hadn't survived as long as I did in the war by completely ignoring my instincts. So, I grabbed my lightsaber and took off for the Temple, since that would be the best place to talk about my vision and to start finding Anakin.
When I got to the Temple, however, I found it almost deserted. Something was clearly, deeply wrong.
As I stood in the entryway of the place I'd once called home, I felt a harsh shove in the Force, like someone had physically put their hands on me and pushed. I stumbled, taking a few steps in the direction to keep from falling, then decided to keep going. I rested one hand on the hilt of my lightsaber, ready to draw at a moment's notice as I raced through the halls.
To my surprise, the shoving brought me right to one of the most relaxing, comfortable spaces in the Temple. Even more surprising, I found this one full of what must've been every youngling in the Order.
They looked at me questioningly, and I looked back the same way. That violent shoving in the Force had stopped, so what exactly did it want from me? Why had it dragged me here years after I'd left all this behind?
A moment later, I got my answer. The gaze of the younglings shifted from me to a point behind me, and chills went down my spine. I heard a familiar voice say my name, but nothing about his presence in the Force felt familiar.
Slowly, I turned, leaving one had on my saber. With the younglings behind me, I came face to face with Anakin Skywalker, the only man I'd ever loved. And he looked terrible.
His shoulders were hunched, and he held his lightsaber in his hand like he was ready for combat. His hair was a mess, and through the Force, I could almost see a literal cluster of darkness surrounding him. But worst of all, his eyes were yellow. Glowing Sith yellow.
"Anakin..." I breathed, keeping my tone carefully calm like I was talking to a scared animal. "What are you doing?"
"The Jedi have to be destroyed, Y/N. They are corrupt, and working for the downfall of the Republic."
"Anakin, what-"
"They've been keeping things from me my entire life. They're plotting against the Senate. This is the only way to ensure peace."
"Anakin... I understand that you're feeling hurt and angry-"
"No, you won't understand, ever! This is the only way!"
Anakin ignited his lightsaber, pure emotion and anger lacing his tone as he seemed to grow to the point of towering over me and the younglings. I should 've been terrified. Instead, I was feeling some anger of my own.
"You think I don't understand what you're feeling?" I demanded, raising my voice to match Anakin's tone. "You think I don't understand the anger, the betrayal that comes from realizing the Jedi aren't always right? That the thing you grew up with, your family, is enforcing a code that is actively hurting you? Do I need to remind you, Anakin, that I left the Order? A year ago?"
"It's not the same."
"No, it's not. Unlike you, I managed to develop somewhat healthy coping mechanisms and didn't listen to the Chancellor hissing in my ear, the snake."
"You're like the Jedi! You hate him! He's the only one who's been honest with me, who's helped me."
I sighed heavily and rested one hand on my hip. I could still feel the storm of emotions swirling around Anakin, but now I was determined to diffuse it.
"I don't hate the Chancellor Anakin, I just think he's a slimy politician. Ergo, not to be trusted. And usually not the honest type."
Anakin spluttered like he didn't know what to say, so I continued.
"Anakin, listen, I understand feeling angry and fed up with the Jedi. It's why I left! And I really don't mean this as an insult, but since you came to the Temple so late, they were especially terrible at accommodating you and helping you find healthy ways to deal with your emotions. But the Sith are absolutely not the answer either. Their path is an endless cycle of pain, anger, and hurt. You lash out, like you're doing now, in an attempt to stop the hurt. Then you feel more hate, for yourself and for the world rejecting you, as a result of what you did to try to stop the hurt in the first place. And other Sith, whoever it is that dragged you down this path, will manipulate, exploit, and abuse you through that pain to get you to do their bidding. I... I really don't want to see that happen to you, Anakin."
He took a long, long moment to respond, his eyes staring into the distance past me rather than focusing on any one thing. I just waited, trying to project all the warmth and love I'd ever felt for this man to him through the Force. Finally, he turned back to me.
"You don't know who the Sith is?"
"No. I stopped caring, to be totally honest with you, the day I left. I wanted to leave this life and everything that came with it behind."
"So why did you come back?"
I sighed, long and heavy. This was not a conversation I particularly wanted to have, especially not with a bunch of younglings listening in behind me, but it was that or let Anakin fall. The second option wasn't really an option, so that left me with the first.
"I got bodied awake by the Force in the middle of the night after spending a year ignoring it with a premonition that something bad was going to happen, and that I needed to come back here."
"And why did you listen?"
"Well... because you were in the vision, Anakin. I didn't get details, but I did get an overwhelming bad feeling, and I knew you were involved. So... I came back for you."
He narrowed his eyes at me, and I squirmed a little under the intensity of his gaze. There were so many bigger, more important things happening right now than my feelings for Anakin coming to light, but somehow that thought dominated my mind.
"You came back... for me?"
"Yeah, Ani. I mean... ugh, I can't believe I left the Order and now I'm still having to admit this, in the Temple no less." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, completely removing my hand from the hilt of my lightsaber. I had no desire to fight my way out of this one against Anakin. Then, I used every last ounce of willpower in my body to look the man I loved straight in the eye. "I love you, Anakin. I've loved you for a long, long time. A while ago, I thought maybe you might've felt the same way, but... that doesn't matter. The Jedi Code forbids that kind of love, that kind of loyalty and reliance on another person. But you, and the love for you filling my heart, have always made me happier and stronger than I was without it. I spent a long time trying to square that with the Jedi ideals, and I couldn't. So, for that and other reasons, I left.
"But Ani, for the record, it didn't and doesn't fit with the Sith teachings, either. The Sith have no room for love. Obsession, maybe, but not love. They thrive on hate and anger, and there's no lasting room for those emotions in a loving relationship. Or in a happy existence, for that matter."
"You... love me?"
"Very very much." I gave him the smallest smile, letting as much hope as I could muster shine through. Anakin blinked back at me, his grip on his lightsaber relaxing, and I thought I noticed that cloud of darkness shrinking quite a bit.
I took a deep breath, then held out my hand to Anakin. I'd already come this far, so why not.
"Anakin... come with me. Let's both get the hell out of here, leave the Sith and the Jedi behind. Let them fight their war with their Codes and their restrictions, their lack of love and their hate and their anger, and go make our own, happy lives together somewhere else. I can't pretend to have all the answers, but I've at least had some practice developing healthier strategies for dealing with big feelings than the Jedi ever gave me. Let's go figure out more together."
For a few long, heart-stopping moments, I thought Anakin would refuse. He'd raise his saber, let the darkness win, and end everything right here and now. Then, slowly, he retracted the blade on his lightsaber. The darkness had all but gone now, and the yellow had faded slightly from his eyes. Finally, he nodded and reached for me.
"I love you too. I have for a long time. After you left, I thought I'd never see you again."
I smiled, trying to keep the sadness out of my expression as much as possible as Anakin finally took my hand. Our eyes stayed locked on each other, and I pulled him closer to me.
"Well, it's a good thing I came back then, isn't it?"
Anakin nodded, slowly at first and then much faster as he pulled me the rest of the way to him, wrapping me tight in his arms. I hugged him right back, a warm glow surrounding me and spreading through every part of my body. Who or whatever had shoved me here with the Force seemed to let out a sigh.
"C'mon, Anakin," I said, pulling back gently, just enough to smile at him. "Let's get out of here."
He nodded, a small smile finally working its way onto his own face, and I led him away from the younglings without looking back. I hated to think what might've happened if I hadn't been here, but it didn't matter. It hadn't happened, and now Anakin and I were finally getting a shot at some kind of happy ending.
A disturbance still echoed through the Force as we left the Temple and returned to my ship, but it wasn't the one that had sent me running here. Something strange and terrifying was happening in the galaxy, but now, it was happening without Anakin. Hopefully that would make a difference, and even if it didn't, at least I'd have him by my side for the rest of whatever was to come.
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Everything Taglist: @rosecentury
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the specific Naboo religious sect that Padme belonged to believed very strongly in reincarnation
so the first time Darth Vader is introduced to Princess Leia of Alderaan once her father finally relents and allows her to take over his position in the Senate, when he takes note of her resemblance and looks up her birth date, his first thought is not "Padme's daughter survived"
it's "Padme reincarnated as the Princess of Alderaan"
he finds this conclusion fitting, and of course immediately pledges his loyalty to her
Leia doesn't know what this menace to society's deal is, and honestly doesn't care, and decides to use this to her advantage by telling her father
Bail, of course, is biting his nails thinking that Vader has figured them out, but thankfully no
this is about the time that Sabe and her fellow handmaidens show up, so Vader introduces them to Leia and they all naturally reach the same conclusion
when Ben distantly senses the disturbance in the Force and drags the whole Lars family off to come investigate, Darth "Anakin Is Dead" Vader takes one look at young Luke and doesn't even try to ask about his birth date (or, conveniently, his last name) before assigning him as "Anakin Skywalker Reincarnated"
Ben, hidden in the next room with Bail, is face-palming as hard as possible to try to distract himself from that particular shit show
and now that 'Padme' and 'Anakin' are in the same room, Vader of course tries to ship them, with Sabe's passive support
Bail, sweating: maybe,,, we should not encourage that,,,
Vader: Why.
Bail, full of hypocritical shit: uh,,, he's not suitable, for the future Queen of Alderaan
which only serves to offend Vader, because what, Baby Me isn't good enough for Baby My Wife now?
so Bail throws in a faked relationship with a certain spice freighter captain he hired on the spot to fill the role of his daughter's secret boyfriend
before Vader can get upset about Baby Padme dating someone who isn't Baby Anakin, Sabe eyeballs this dude with no official birth records and asks, what DID happen to Kenobi? or maybe that Captain Rex fellow from the war?
causing Bail to nearly stroke out, as he KNOWS that neither of those men are even dead, and in fact one of them is choking on his spit in the other room as he listens in!
(this fake-dating effort additionally backfires, not that anyone realizes it yet, because both twins start actually dating this scruffy-looking nerf-herder)
of course Vader immediately questions why Sabe suggested that Captain Solo might be Kenobi, and got hit with Sabe's "well, Skywalker was always psychosexually fixate on Kenobi, and all of us knew he was the hot one even if Padme settled for Skywalker"
Vader: ...What. Was that thing you said. About Skywalker.
Sabe: yeah, Skywalker literally couldn't shut up about the guy, even while he was having sex with his wife, luckily she was into that if you know what I mean
Vader: ...
Vader: no, that is the perfectly normal level of interest to have in Kenobi
Sabe, remembering the way Darksiders always seemed to fixate on Kenobi: ...uh-huh, riiiight
Vader decides he's Not Dealing With That, and pours that energy into his fixation on Finding Kenobi in order to kill him about it
Ben, one too-thin wall away, is seriously considering letting that happen so he doesn't have to hear any more of this
but, of course, eventually Sidious notices Vader's interest in the young Senator Organa
and Sheev Palpatine was, interestingly enough, from the same sect as Padme
which means that he quickly puts together what Vader has concluded about Leia as a reincarnation of Padme Amidala
but unlike Sabe (and Vader, who has seriously deluded himself), he is keenly aware that Anakin Skywalker can't have actually reincarnated into that farm boy who's spending all his time with the Senator now
so he's able to (correctly, for once) conclude that Luke must be Anakin and Padme's kid, who somehow survived all these years
and since the child survived...
well, he starts to eye Sabe a little more closely, and wonder how he can fit this into his plans for the galaxy...
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