Chereads / Fanfiction Recommendations / Chapter 573 - Skywalker: Resurgent by Lennex MacDuff (Starwars)

Chapter 573 - Skywalker: Resurgent by Lennex MacDuff (Starwars)

Latest update:January 2, 2024

Summary:Luke Skywalker is one of the most powerful Force users to ever live. Fueled by his connection to the Force, his destiny was always bound for greatness and his battles always meant to be a legendary struggle of Light overcoming Dark. But what sort of future might he have now? Armed with new knowledge, will the galaxy be prepared? Star Wars, SI!Luke.

Link:https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13417393/1/Skywalker-Resurgent

Word count:186k

Chapters:15

Chapter One: Wake Up and Smell the Blue Milk

"Luke!"

I wiped the sweat from my brow as I stood up straight and stretched. I felt my back make a small 'pop' as I did so. That might be concerning for someone of my apparent age, but farm life does that sort of thing to you. Looking down at the vaporator parts strewn around the table, I gave a satisfied grunt as I took tally and noticed that I just had to put the thrice damned thing back together and I could be finished with it. The damn thing should hopefully not break again for at least another month.

"Luke!"

"I'm coming, Aunt Beru!"

I tossed the spanner I was using back onto the worktable, not even looking at where it landed as it fell unnaturally slowly onto the table to land gently while I turned towards the door. Picking up the pace a bit as I exited the workshop, I left the relatively cool interior and stepped up into the blazing suns of Tatooine. I had adapted to the heat of this world's suns years ago, but I still squinted in annoyance as I stepped into the midday heat. I quickly jogged up to the opening that led to our main dwelling on the farm and saw my Aunt Beru standing in the doorway.

My Aunt Beru was a very kind looking older woman whom I don't think I've ever heard an unkind word spoken against. She had graceful looking dimples that left long lines on her face, but didn't detract from her beauty. Her brown hair was worn short in what I was pretty sure was called a pageboy cut. As I approached, she smiled and kept wiping her hands with a rag to clean them, likely from working with the greenhouse we kept most of our crops in.

"Need something?" I asked her cheerily.

"For you to clean up and come inside," she answered, amused by my demeanor. "Lunch is ready and your uncle should be along soon."

"Sure thing," I replied. I smiled as I gave Beru a hug as I passed her and she jokingly protested, saying I smelled terrible.

"You smell like a sweaty Dewback, young man!" Beru laughed and swatted at me to let her go.

I laughed and released her as I continued further inside. Heading into the fresher, I started cleaning myself up, whistling a tune no one in this galaxy had ever heard of.

~Skywalker: Resurgent~

It had been almost three years since I woke up like this.

It was confusing as hell that first morning and I had first thought I was going crazy. I had the memories of being both Luke Skywalker and a whole different person at the same time. Memories of a planet called Earth and having a life there also filled my head. The amazing tales of the 'Star Wars' and the incredible heroes that went on incredible adventures, the epic battles, the philosophical discussions...

And of course...the Force.

I had spent the rest of that day sick in bed. I really was running a temperature that morning and had been glad for it. I had spent the rest of that day lying wide eyed in bed and occasionally screaming internally as I realized my situation and came to grips with it.

I was myself, but I was also now Luke Skywalker. Future Hero of the People, Rebel Leader, Jedi Grand Master and the Most Powerful Man in the Galaxy.

The problem was...I was also just fifteen years old now. I also remembered a lot about the context of Star Wars and the conflicts that recurred throughout the millennia. Conflicts I was now not just stuck in, but was supposed to play a pivotal role in.

One of the first things I vowed to do was to get familiar with where I was and what version of Star Wars I was in. Sure, I knew I was Luke Skywalker and I was on Tatooine, but there were so many comics, books, spin-offs and especially fan-created universes that I could be in any variation of Star Wars. I shuddered at the idea of being stuck in some of the more eccentric fanfics or in a different character's body.

Thankfully, I had my own data pad to play with while I sought answers to these questions. Tatooine may be a backwater by galactic standards, but even they understood and appreciated the value of high speed internet, or at least the local equivalent. I used the local equivalent of Google to do a search for key terms and individuals to try and establish just where I was and what was going on. I thanked whatever power sent me here that I could read and write in the local alphabet, Aurebesh, just fine.

By my best guess, I was in a movie/canon version of the universe. Palpatine was the emperor and Vader was still his right hand man. A summary of recent galactic history talked about the Empire and the rise to power, with all sorts of propaganda being thrown at me while I tried to read between the lines. Nothing of relevance came up when I looked for Starkiller, Ashoka Tano or Maul though. Not to say that they didn't exist here, but they weren't exactly public figures if they did. Ashoka would have just been another officer in a very large Grand Army of the Republic and just one more Jedi besides that. Maul was never a very mainstream kind of guy, even if he did survive getting cut in half on Naboo. I thought Starkiller at least might have some sort of mention if he existed, given his prolific style and role in the creation of the Rebel Alliance, but no dice there either.

Speaking of rebels; a search of them immediately brought me to several pages filled with information on known Rebel leadership, areas of activity, listed crimes, and offers of rewards for information leading to their capture and/or confirmation of death. I saw names like the recently defected senator Mon Mothma, who had given a blistering speech about her disgust with Imperial policy in general and the massacre at Ghorman in particular. I got a clue there that we were closer to the Legends version of canon as I saw she had been the main author behind the Deceleration of Rebellion and a pamphlet called A Call to Reason. I remembered that Legends Mon Mothma was more like a space-Thomas Jefferson than anything else. Of course, both documents were hard to come by thanks to Imperial censorship.

I saw Jan Dodonna and a half dozen other names listed with the word 'Traitor!' stamped beneath their names. My knowledge of Star Wars wasn't perfect, so I couldn't say with certainty who each of these people were or if they were ever mentioned somewhere I might have read or seen and I just couldn't recall them without context. I became frustrated by my lack of ability to recall everything I had ever learned, but eventually came to accept that with such a massive universe like Star Wars, which underwent a massive rewrite by Disney, I was lucky to remember as much as I did. I immediately proceeded to take notes on everything I could recall and kept it as vague and as secure as I could until I could procure a datapad with better security on it.

At least I could take comfort that my own memories weren't the only ones that were undependable in this galaxy. The Clone Wars were still talked about in fearful and awed tones for the incredible destruction they incurred throughout the galaxy. According to my own memories however, I recalled they were but the latest round in a long series of terrible wars. The Mandalorian Crusades, the Jedi Civil War, the Great Wars between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire, the New Sith Wars plus the countless skirmishes that occurred in between the bigger conflicts. All of these had ravaged the entire galaxy and wiped whole planets clean of life. But when coupled with Luke's own lessons at the local school, it seemed that if it didn't happen in the last century, it didn't really matter all that much.

Subsequent searches revealed that the worlds of Telos and Taris still existed, but the incidents where both planets were nearly wiped clean of life by orbital bombardment were only put down as footnotes in the history texts. Even a search for the Miraluka only generated general biological, cultural, and census data with no mention to Darth Nihilus wiping out their homeworld. Granted, those incidents happened so long ago when compared to other, more recent events like the Clone Wars. Still, it seemed to me like such a casual dismissal for such tremendous loss of life. I had begun to speculate if the lack of information of Force based conflicts and incidents was deliberately being done by someone. Palpatine, perhaps? Maybe work started by his master, Darth Plauges? I couldn't be sure.

The next day, I had been up and feeling better. It had taken only a few moments for me to become familiar with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Luke's original memories were filled with nothing but love and affection for the two people who had raised him. I couldn't fault him at all for this after meeting them with my own, newer perspective. They were both very kind and good people and I felt fortunate that they were here to look after Luke and through him, me.

Neither had seemed at all concerned or suspicious with me or any changes in my behavior after that first day. I might have felt like a different person after waking up with all this new knowledge and perspective but to them, I was just a typical teenager. I suppose me throwing myself into my chores around the farm didn't hurt as it made them grateful for my work ethic and gave me the opportunity to both be alone to think and to get a firsthand look at all the amazing technology I now had access to. The tech was all seemingly familiar to me and at the same time, fascinating. More advanced than anything Earth and I could actually understand it just fine! Luke's own mechanical knowledge was impressive by my reckoning, even if it was enhanced by the Force.

I remembered hours upon hours worth of research and discussions with friends and watching videos about the epic themes of Star Wars and the Force. Conversations about the nature of the Force, the effects it'd have on its users, and the incredible powers it made possible. I recalled many of the incredible feats possible to Luke and other great Force users throughout the millennia and it gave me any number of great ideas with which to take my own training. Of course, that was when I encountered my first real problem; I wasn't sure how to access the Force. I tried on my own a few times and knowing I could do it certainly helped, but I was flailing in the dark and I knew it. Even when I was certain I was touching it, it was like being handed a strange tool and having no clue on how to use it or for what purpose.

The original Luke Skywalker would go on to be a bastion of the Light. His own Force abilities were more than enough to earn him his legendary status. I had my own ideas on how to shape this galaxy, but Luke's training had to start somewhere and the Light Side offered a much safer start than the Dark. If I was ever going to measure up and be the man this galaxy needed me to be, I had to step up and get to work.

First, I had needed a plan.

~Skywalker: Resurgent~

Three Years Ago...

It was almost two weeks after I was out of bed that I decided to set out on my own. I had arranged for a day off after having knocked out my chores and clearing it with Uncle Owen the day before. He and Aunt Beru were surprisingly amicable when I asked to go into Mos Eisley and meet some friends. I was worried that I would be asked to stick around and work the farm again, but they both seemed happy that I was taking the initiative to go out on my own and meet some friends. I had only really interacted with them and Luke's friends and the other kids his age at the local school, which met for a few hours only three times a week.

Anyway, Uncle Owen was happy to give me the day off for all of my hard work and for actually being ahead with my chores. He even let me use the speeder. The only downside? The music in this galaxy sucked. Maybe it was just Uncle Owen's own taste, but this stuff was crap.

The small craft zipped over the sands at great speeds and towards the canyons Luke's memories told me he was supposed to stay away from. Not to be deterred, I drove until I got close to the canyons before I stopped the speeder and used the small scanner attached to the dashboard to try and track down my target. The whole time, I stayed mindful of the old blaster rifle Uncle Owen always kept secured between the front seats. Tuskan Raiders were no joke around here and the last thing I needed was to be ambushed.

Fortunately, I knew my target couldn't be far. He couldn't be if he was supposed to protect me in the event that something happened that threatened my life or at least my cover from the Empire. By my own reckoning, he had done so at least once or twice already if not more.

Getting a hit on my scanner, I smirked and floored the speeder, my heart beating in excitement at the anticipation of my arrival. It wasn't more than another two minutes until I came into sight of my destination. It was a small, two or three room hovel just sitting on the edge of a small outcropping of rocks. It looked well tended to, but didn't stick out at all on the landscape due to how well its sandy coloring blended into the area. The only signs of habitation came from the single commercial vaporator and the worn out looking speeder that was sitting under an awning on the side of the structure.

'Well, at least it looks like he's home,' I thought.

Not worried at all now since I knew the sand people wouldn't dare attack this place, I hopped out of the speeder once it was finished powering down. It wasn't more than a few moments later when the man himself walked out of shelter, clad in brown robes that fully obscured his features since he had his hood up.

I was slightly amused by that. Was he just sitting inside like that or was this his version of 'getting his duds on' to confront an intruder? I suppose that this was the Jedi version of strapping on a gun belt.

"Good afternoon!" I greeted loudly. "Do you recognize me?" I asked without further preamble.

The figure halted suddenly as he registered my words and observed me from the shadow of his large hood.

"I...believe so," he replied in a voice that was a bit rough. I presumed he didn't do much talking these days. "You're...the boy from the nearby farm, yes? The Lars family?"

"Yes I am," I confirmed cheerily. "But you already know my name, Obi-Wan, so let's cut the act and get to the part where you invite me inside to explain some stuff."

Jedi Master Obi-Wan 'Ben' Kenobi's face alone was worth the drive out here as he actually dropped his jaw and stared at me in wide eyed bafflement.

~Skywalker: Resurgent~

"Young man, I'm not sure who you've been talking to or what you've been told..."

"Oh, give it a rest, Kenobi," I said lightly as I walked into his small hovel. He had shaken himself out of his shock and I guessed had immediately fallen back on simple manners until he figured out what to do or say to me. I didn't really want to dance around the subject, so I decided it was best to just be direct right now and get this conversation moving along.

"I know who you are, who my father is and that you've been living out here not just to hide from the Empire, but from the Sith. And that you've been doing it to keep me and my family safe."

Whatever argument or story Kenobi had been working up to try and feed me seemed to get stuck in his throat as he fell silent again and got this look on his face halfway between shock and panic. While he composed himself, I took a look around at the interior of the hovel. He didn't really seem to have much, which I figured made sense since he was taught at a young age to live with few materialistic attachments. Still, I'd hoped to see something he'd have kept from his many adventures. The man had helped forge galactic history on more than one occasion. It seemed strange that he wouldn't have picked up at least one or two baubles to remember the old days or have acquired something since coming to Tatooine. Intellectually, I probably understood that it just wasn't his way, but it still seemed a little strange and maybe a little sad too.

Eventually, Kenobi found his voice again.

"How?" he asked me quietly. "Who told you?"

I sighed. "Perhaps we should both have a seat while I explain?" I asked him.

Kenobi nodded and gestured to the simple couch he had by a small sitting area in the corner of the main room. Accepting his invitation, I went over and sat down while he took the armchair beside it. He didn't relax though and instead chose to lean forward and look at me intently.

He had also lowered his hood by this point and I finally got a good look at his face. He had many of the wizened and older features of Alec Guinness, such as the deep lines and the shorter, less full beard which had turned white with age. But I could also clearly tell that he would have once been a shoe-in for Ewan McGregor in his younger years. I think it was his mouth which made me think that. He was clearly a man who once upon a time laughed and smiled (read: smirked) a lot. Although I don't imagine he had been doing it as much in recent years, the look was still there. It also didn't hurt that he still sounded a lot like an older McGregor.

'I wonder if I can get him to say 'hello there' at some point?' I thought.

"It was about two weeks ago," I informed him aloud. "I suppose the best way to describe it might be as a vision given by the Force, but it was so much more than that."

"The Force told you all of this?" Kenobi asked me. "Some sort of vision?"

"Not exactly," I sighed again. I had tried to come up with the best way to explain myself and my knowledge when it came up. Even for a galaxy as crazy as this one, waking up in the body of a fictional character you happened to know a lot about because you were a huge geek was still kind of a stretch. Luckily, I didn't really have to lie. At least, not too much.

"It's hard to explain," I tried. "But essentially; I woke up with a lot of knowledge in my head of all sorts of wild and crazy things. I've done my own research on general events that I remember and perhaps the weirdest part is that some of the stuff I know is either accurate, close to accurate, or just flat out contradicts reality as I know it. Some stuff though, I can be absolutely certain about."

"And..." Kenobi said slowly. "One of those things was me? My real name?"

"And that you were and are a Jedi," I told him. "That you were not only my father's Jedi Master, but that the two of you were like brothers. I know that you were a general in the Clone Wars, like many other Jedi Masters, and that you survived Order 66 along with Yoda. I know about your visit to the Jedi Temple after the massacre there, about Yoda's attempt on the Emperor's life, about your fight with my father on Mustafar and about my mother, Padme, dying after my sister and I were born. You brought me here and she went to Alderaan with Bail Organa. Do you need a moment?"

I finished with that last question as I could tell my words were having a serious impact on Kenobi's emotional state. The old man took up a haunted look in his eyes as I laid out the events of those horrible days and reminded him of his own loss in those times. I don't think he ever quite recovered from those painful experiences and honestly? I couldn't blame him. The guy lost everything and immediately went into seclusion on the ass end of the desert on a planet in the ass end of the galaxy. It didn't help much that as far as I was concerned, the Jedi Order had probably never raised him to learn how to properly handle loss and recover from mental trauma.

He nodded gratefully and shortly as he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. I waited patiently for him to say something next.

After two or three minutes, he finally opened his eyes and leaned forward again. His eyes seemed more clouded by memories still, but it was clear that he was still focused.

"That is all very specific knowledge," he finally said. "It is also quite a lot. All of that came from a Force vision?"

"Kind of," I allowed slowly. "Honestly, I've taken up the view that the whole thing is one massive knowledge dump. And it's not the most reliable either. For example, did you ever go on a series of adventures with a former padawan turned private investigator after you arrived on Tatooine? Probably involving the aid of some incorrigible characters who all teamed up with him afterwards for further adventures while you later came back here?"

He looked at me with an incredulous expression and with a raised eyebrow. "I think I would remember it if I had..." he said.

"I figured," I shrugged. I had just made a safe guess that the short children's books I had read as a kid weren't canon at all. "Honestly, there's a lot of stuff I'm trying to parse out between what might have been, what was, what is and what might yet be. Some of this stuff isn't even from the last millennium and yet my knowledge is so detailed, it's like I was there for most of it or had seen a holovid of it or something. Other stuff about the future is downright terrifying to consider given that I play some sort of role in many of those events."

I tilted my head curiously at him. "And while on the subject of things that might have been, did you have a relationship or at least some kind of romantic attraction to the former Duchess of Mandalore?"

Kenobi looked very surprised at that specific tidbit and began stroking his beard. "I'm beginning to realize just how detailed your knowledge is and how unsettling it might be. I'd certainly be lying if I denied the admitted usefulness of such knowledge. Are there others who you know this much detail about?"

"Yes, but don't ignore my question," I pressed, grinning at his obvious attempt to dodge the question. "You and Satine. Anything ever actually happen there?"

Kenobi stopped stroking his beard and gave me a very flat look. "You seem rather eager for an answer," he remarked.

"It might be important to other stuff I know," I insisted. "Ripples spreading out from events through the Force to affect other events and influencing them. So c'mon, let's hear it!"

Kenobi kept giving me that flat look as he answered, but I could swear I saw a spark of interest as he heard me mention 'ripples in the Force.' "Satine Kryze and I...were very fond of one another. We never had anything approaching a 'traditional' relationship as many would think, but we did care for each other a great deal. Her passing was a tragedy that still occasionally hurts me to think about, which is why I'd rather not elaborate further. Does that satisfy you?"

I nodded, giving him a smile as I did so. While I was admittedly curious about Kenobi's romantic past, I was already pretty sure of the truth of the matter based on Legends stories and the Clone Wars t.v. show. What was important here to me was the answer; not the question. I had to hear it from him and discern what sort of view he had taken on his past feelings of love for another. If only to give me a better idea of what sort of man I was really dealing with here, I had to hear one way or the other if he had steadfastly clung to the Jedi Order's preaching about the dangers of love and why it should be banned for their members, even after all that he's experienced and after all this time to think.

From his response, I could assume at least that he wouldn't lose his shit and turn on me if he saw me go on a date

"I imagine that you haven't told your aunt and uncle about any of this," Kenobi stated next.

"Not a chance," I snorted humorlessly. "They're good people and I love them, but this is way outside the bounds of what they'd be comfortable hearing about or being involved in. Thing is, I don't think there's going to be much choice in it as far as you and I are concerned in the next three years, give or take. After a certain point, I imagine you and I will both have to leave Tatooine."

"You know that something is going to happen?" he asked intently. "You're certain of this?"

"Oh yeah," I confirmed. "In a big way. My sister, Leia, will be captured for her role in acquiring the secret plans for an Imperial super weapon called the Death Star. Imperial Intelligence will assume correctly that she's a Rebel agent and Vader will capture her ship and kill most of the crew while taking her prisoner. But not before she hides the plans with two droids who manage to make it into an escape pod and come here looking for you at her request. She'll call you to go to Alderaan and give the plans to her father, Bail Organa. Originally, I'd come with you after a detachment of Imperial Stormtroopers burned down my farm and killed my aunt and uncle. I'm hoping we can change those circumstances, at least somewhat."

"Yes, I should certainly hope to do so as well," Kenobi said, now looking very interested.

"For starters, I'm going to need training," I told him. "I've got a lot of knowledge of ways to use the Force, the teachings of different sects of Force users and even a good idea of what a future version of myself should be capable of. What I don't have is enough of a clue to get myself started. At the very least, I'd like for you to train me on the core basics of the Jedi way. I need control and a lot of work with the fundamentals."

"You have no idea how strange it is for me to hear one so young insist that they need work on the fundamentals and not the more advanced and flashy techniques," Kenobi remarked dryly with a wry smile on his lips. For a moment, I smiled too as I caught a flash of the man in his prime. Of the famed 'Negotiator' with a cocky smile and a mountain of sass to throw at his enemies between lightsaber duels.

"Some of the best knowledge to have is of one's own weaknesses," I smiled back. "I also like to think that all this new knowledge has helped me gain a lot of perspective on life. The kind of perspective that usually takes a lot of growing up to do."

"Perhaps so," Kenobi nodded.

"On that note," I continued. "I'll also need a bit of help on getting my mind sorted. Everything feels like a bunch of datapads with their memory chips spliced together sometimes. I'd be happy to learn any techniques on fortifying one's mind that you could teach me. I definitely want to retain as much of this knowledge as I can, but I'd also rather not wake up one day and mix up what's real with what's imaginary."

"That'll have to be among the first things I teach you," he agreed. "Even from outside, I could feel that your mind was in turmoil. It hasn't stopped feeling that way since you came inside."

"Not trying to read my thoughts, I hope?" I asked, wondering if he could even get anything straight out of me if he tried. He wasn't wrong in his assessment. My thoughts were everywhere these last two weeks and staying focused on any one thing for a length of time was more of a challenge than it should have been.

"I can assure you that I have not and would not attempt to do so with you," Kenobi declared while raising his hands in a placid gesture conveying innocence. "I have only been aware enough to determine that your mind was highly active and that you came here with the best of intentions."

"Thanks for that," I told him. "I appreciate the courtesy."

"It was always my intention to train you someday," he informed me. "Your aunt and uncle would never have stood for it though. If it ever did happen, a certain level of trust and respect would be necessary between us. I am grateful that you chose to reach out to me and humbled that you would have me train you rather than seek to learn on your own. I vowed once to look out for you and I intend to keep that promise."

"Thank you," I told him earnestly. "I don't think there is anyone else I'd prefer to learn from than the best."

"Well, I don't know about 'the best,'" Kenobi replied, smiling again. "But I was pretty good. Once upon a time."

"'Pretty good,' he says," I responded sarcastically, rolling my eyes at him. "I'm sure a number of your enemies would have something to say over that. A pity the list is so short these days that we'd have trouble finding one of them."

"Oh, indeed!" Kenobi laughed.

We both had a small laugh over that before letting silence fall between us once again. I didn't think it was uncomfortable at all, but when Kenobi next spoke, his tone was suddenly much heavier and his face far more serious.

"Luke," he began. "About your father..." he trialed off.

"Hey, it's fine," I told him. "Really, it is. I know quite a bit about Anakin and what he's done, both before and after he became Vader. You don't need to tell me to be cautious or anything. I'm not going to rush to him and tell him who I am. That'd be suicidal."

Really, I had made my peace with that a while ago and had disregarded the idea entirely. I think it was the Luke part of me that felt that urge to seek him out right away and try to turn him away from the Dark Side. Thankfully, common sense and my fresh perspective on events told me how monumentally stupid that'd be. The urge was still a part of me, but I could ignore it easily enough.

"It's not that," he replied, but showed some obvious relief at my words. His expression turned mournful as the words began to pour out of him in a hesitant rush. "About what happened to him...on Mustafar and even before that. I...I wanted to tell you how sorry I was. What I did was necessary, but...there's no question in my mind that I could have done better by him. That I should have done better by him. He was my apprentice, but more than that, he was my dearest friend. I failed him but...I also failed you. You and your sister. I know it's not enough and I'm not sure how to actually say this but...I want you to know that...I'm sorry. I am so very sorry, Luke."

This sudden confession had honestly surprised me for a few moments until I began to understand where it was probably coming from. I don't think this conversation ever quite came up like this in any universe I was familiar with (not even with Obi-Wan as a Force Ghost), but it did fall in line with a lot of fan speculation on Kenobi's state of mind during his years in isolation. The guy got dumped off in the ass end of nowhere after the absolute worst days of his life all occurred back to back to each other. Worse, he could almost certainly feel most of it happening through his connection to the Force, even if he wasn't there personally for when much of it actually happened. A fraction of what he endured would traumatize anyone. Lesser men might have gone mad from it. In hindsight, it was lucky that immense guilt was all that Kenobi faced out here.

I thought carefully before speaking again, choosing my words carefully.

"I accept your apology, Obi-Wan Kenobi," I told him quietly, but seriously. "More than that; I forgive you and want you to know that I understand. What happened wasn't your fault. Anakin was set down his path by players and forces beyond your control. It's not your fault that the Jedi Order couldn't advise him well on his unique situations any more than it's your fault that Palpatine sank his hooks into Anakin in a way that none of you could stop. Even then, in the end, Anakin's choices were still his own. It wasn't your fault."

Kenobi sat there for another few minutes, too wrapped up in his own emotions and with his head held down to do much else. He didn't cry. I wouldn't have blamed him if he did, but he didn't. He just sat there and processed the emotional turmoil my words had brought him while I stayed quiet to let him do so in peace.

Eventually, I thought to give him the time and space to process all of this. I had just crashed into the guy's life and dropped a lot of new information on his head, so I figured the least I could do was leave the guy alone for a bit. We chatted for about another half hour before I offered to excuse myself, but not before asking if there was anything I could get him or if he had any parting advice for me to start training. He imparted a few useful tips like ensuring I began practicing by instructing me to make sure I was somewhere quiet, private, and could work at 'clearing my mind of thought and distraction.'

We had also worked out a pretty flexible schedule for training and meeting when possible. I brought him a communicator from my speeder outside and promised to consult him if anything came up and that we'd speak again soon. It'd be hard to keep it a secret, but I was confident that I could manage to sneak away from the farm for conversations and meetings every now and then. I knew Uncle Owen would never let me leave the farm if he knew I was being trained by 'Crazy Old Ben,' so I intended to keep it from him and Aunt Beru, who I knew would just worry herself crazy and eventually take her husband's side. Likewise, Kenobi acknowledged that my uncle was likely to shoot him if he tried to knock on their door and visit me openly. For now, we both agreed that playing our cards close to our chest was the safer and less complicated move.

~Skywalker: Resurgent~

The Present...

I sat down in my seat at the table let out a sigh. Aunt Beru had prepared another of her stews and it smelled delicious. Beside my bowl was a glass of the famous blue milk. It may not have looked it, but it was absolutely delicious. Seriously, no milk I'd ever had was this good. And it didn't hurt that it was one of the few Tatooine foods that was actually served chilled.

A moment later, Uncle Owen walked in. He was a large, but fit man as most people would expect a farmer to be. He had sandy, brown hair which was turning grey at the sides. He also had an overall stern face, but I knew him well enough that he was a rather kind man. His flat mouth would twitch into a smile at the smallest thing, although he did an excellent job hiding it while doing business with traders or the Jawas.

"Hi, Uncle Owen," I greeted as Aunt Beru set down his own glass of blue milk and greeted him with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. They both took their seats and we all began to dig in to our meal. "Anything interesting happening in town?"

Uncle Owen grunted as he took his first bite. It was a common question, although something of a running joke between most of the Tatooine farming community. The lack of activity around here was so profound, it was sure that the most minor change or occurrence would be talked about for at least a month after it happened, depending on the irregularity of it. There were still people talking about Biggs leaving for the Imperial Academy over a year ago.

"Just the usual," Uncle Owen confirmed. "Sandcrawlers were spotted the other day approaching the area. Looks like they're coming around a bit early this year to sell their wares. Beru, did you say something the other day about wanting some new equipment for soil purification?"

The two of them quickly got into a discussion of any new equipment Beru would need for her crop boxes or the greenhouse. I didn't outwardly react to his words except with a nod and a smile, but on the inside, I felt what I could only describe as the weight of the future, of destiny coming down on me. Whether it was just my own subconscious or the Force giving me that feeling, I wasn't sure. But I had a strong feeling that this would be exactly what I was waiting for.

I had stayed aware of when the Jawas liked to travel through this area to sell their wares. With the start of a new season coming up, they'd be making their rounds again to show off the usual collection of junk, scrap, and whatever they had managed to pick up or cobble together since last season. I'd been getting myself ready for the last year or so since I wasn't too sure when R2 and 3PO's pod was due to crash. However, I had a strong feeling that this would be the right time. I was going to comm Kenobi tonight to tell him the Jawas were in the area early and we should be on guard for anything signs of activity.

I would have to remember to keep a particularly sharp eye on the local skies for the next few nights.

Link:https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13417393/1/Skywalker-Resurgent