a.n. Well, I stuck by my word and finished a new chapter in record time. Go me! I wanted to post this today for two reasons: 1. It's George Lucas's birthday (Happy Birthday Mr. Lucas!) and 2. It's MY birthday (Happy Birthday to me!). This may the last one for a little while (probably after the summer) so I hope you enjoy it! I'm looking forward to reading your reviews!

Chapter 29: Harsh Truths

The twin suns were high in the sky by the time the pair reached the homestead. Both of them were silent as Anakin gathered up the wrapped bundle that was his mother in his arms. The sound of the speeders alerted the home's occupants and they were soon met by Padmé, Beru, and the Lars men and as Anakin carried his mother by the gathered group, the sense of grief was overwhelming. The tears in everyone's eyes, and the look of love on Cliegg's face, said everything. No one wanted to intrude on this somber moment. Anakin carried his mother inside while Luca waited patiently outside with everyone else. It wasn't long before the young Jedi reemerged, his eyes hard and resolute, though remnants of tears still sparkled in the corners. The pain he was feeling was obvious, even to those who didn't have the benefit of the Force, and seeing the torment the young man had to have been going through, Cliegg spoke up.

"Thank you, son, for bringing her back. I know you did your best and I'm grateful that you could even bring her home. Owen and I will take care of things; you need your rest." Anakin shook his head.

"No. I can't. I need to stay busy. I'll be in the garage." He walked off, leaving no room for argument. Everyone else watched him go, no one wanting to deny him. Padmé started after him but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked up and saw Luca staring down at her.

"Let him go, Senator. He needs some time to think. He has just undergone a painful loss and it is still sinking in. It will be some time before he will be able to fully accept what happened. We just need to leave him be; he'll come around." Though she didn't know it, Luca could sense the hurt and turmoil raging within Padmé. She desperately wanted to go comfort him, to give him someone to talk to, to lean on. She knew Luca was right and she nodded begrudgingly.

"All right, Mister Redenov. You're right. I'll leave him be for now to give him some time for himself, but I can't promise that I won't try talking to him later. He needs someone to talk to, someone who will just listen."

"You're right Padmé and when he's ready, I'm sure you'll be right there to lend an ear. In the meantime, I suggest that you get some rest as well. I have a feeling you were up all night worrying about him." At her slightly sheepish look, which she managed to hide fairly well, Luca smiled knowingly. "I'll help out with things around here and by the time you wake up, Anakin should be ready for some company. I don't think he'd want you tiring yourself out on his account." Padmé looked like she was about to protest but the sudden yawn escaping from her told everyone just how tired she really was. Nodding her acquiescence, she turned and began walking towards the homestead. Beru accompanied her, leaving the three men alone.

Luca knew that the two Lars men were looking at him curiously. As far as they knew, they had never met him, yet here he was, escorting Anakin, taking charge, and talking familiarly with Padmé. Minding the curious stares, he made the introductions.

"Pardon me, I don't think I've introduced myself. I'm Luca Redenov." He held out a hand in greeting and waited as first Owen then Cliegg shook it.

"I'm Cliegg Lars and this is my son Owen. Shmi was my wife." Luca could hear the sadness in his voice.

"I truly am sorry for your loss, Mr. Lars. I know Anakin did everything he could and I wish there was something more I could have done to save her. From what Anakin told me, she sounds like she was a wonderful woman." The sincerity in his voice was real.

"She was."

"How do you know Anakin, Mr. Redenov?" This question came from Owen.

"I'm actually the security detail assigned to help protect Senator Amidala. I accompanied Jedi Skywalker here when he decided to come looking for his mother. As the good senator was going to follow him wherever he went, I was obligated to follow her."

"If you were assigned as her protection, why weren't you with them when they first arrived?" Luca didn't realize Owen could be so perceptive.

"We parted ways in Mos Espa. I have quite a few years of tracking experience and I thought that if we were going to be looking for Shmi, it might be better to split up to improve our chances of finding her. Apparently, Anakin and I followed similar paths and we both ended up near the same Tusken camp where she was being held. We did our best to rescue her and bring her back alive, but…well…" Luca truly was sorry about what happened with Shmi; he never would forget the fate of his own mother and it hurt him that Anakin had to be put through the same thing. A gentle hand on his shoulder surprised him and he looked over at Cliegg who was hovering next to him.

"I know you two tried and I'm grateful that you brought back home." An understanding between the two men seemed to have been reached and Luca nodded at the other man.

"Thank you. I know how hard it must be to lose her and I want you to know that I will help you out in any way I can."

"I appreciate it, Mr. Redenov. Now come, we should probably get started before it gets much hotter." With a nod, Luca and Owen followed Cliegg back into the home, all of them trying to not to think about the finality of the task at hand.

Not much later, Luca made his way to the Lars garage. Padmé was still resting, for now, and he had helped out Cliegg and Owen with Shmi's burial preparations. Anakin had remained in the garage, hiding himself away amongst all of the machines and spare parts. Luca knew how much solace the boy received from all of the inanimate mechanical devices surrounding him and, as much as he knew Anakin would have preferred to stay alone, he knew that it was time for the two of them to talk. The younger man would still be hurting and many of the truths Luca would reveal would hurt him, but it had to be done. He only hoped that Anakin could see that everything that had been done had happened for a reason.

Walking in, he noticed the boy at work on what looked like an engine. Not looking up, Anakin spoke.

"The shifter broke. Life seems so much simpler when you're fixing things." Luca didn't reply. "I'm good at fixing things. Always was. But I could…Why'd she have to die? Why couldn't I save her? I know I could have." Luca walked towards him, though he kept a respectful distance.

"Anakin, sometimes there are things no one can fix. Death is just another part of life. No one has the power to stop it. There is no one person or thing in the universe capable of stopping it. Not even you are that all powerful."

"Well I should be! Someday I will be! I will be the most powerful Jedi ever. I will even learn to stop people from dying!" Luca shook his head and took the opportunity to rest his hand on the anxious young Jedi's shoulder.

"Anakin..." He wasn't really surprised when the angry youth shook his hand off. The anger in his voice and his face was clear and if he hadn't been expecting it, Luca would have been thoroughly surprised at this sudden change in demeanor.

"It's all Obi-Wan's fault. And yours! He's jealous! He's holding me back! And you stopped me! They deserved to die for what they did!" He threw the tool he had been holding across the room.

"No, they didn't Anakin. You're letting your anger cloud your judgment. If you had acted on that anger, you wouldn't be able to live with yourself afterwards. Trust me."

"You keep telling me that! Trust you? Trust you?Why? You still haven't really given me any reason to do so. You told me to trust you about those monsters and my mother and look what happened to her! They tortured her! They abused her! I should have killed them. I should have killed them all. They should all be dead. Every single one of them. And not just the men. Oh no." He shook his head. "But the women and the children too. They're not entirely innocent either. They just let it happen; they're just as guilty as the men are. All of them are like animals, and they should have been slaughtered them like animals! I hate them." There was venom in his voice as he spat out the final words and Luca could only look at him sympathetically. Worn out, the young Jedi sat down, hot, angry tears in his eyes.

Taking a seat next to him, Luca spoke soothingly. "To be angry is to be human." Anakin scoffed at him.

"I'm a Jedi, I know I'm better than this."

"Anakin, you have just gone through a very traumatic experience. Anyone, Jedi or not, would have trouble adjusting. The fact that you listened to me and were able to see reason rather than exacting vengeance shows great strength and courage, strength and courage that are traits of a truly great Jedi. Your restraint showed a lot of growth, Anakin. You were able to overcome the dark demons that took a hold of you and now that you have, I know you will become a good, powerful Jedi." Luca knew he had to tread carefully. Anakin was still fragile and his emotions were still volatile. The slightest misstep could tip the boy over the precarious edge that he was standing on.

The two sat for a moment in silence as Luca allowed Anakin to collect himself and he sighed as he realized what he had to do. It was time: he had to tell Anakin the truth.

"Anakin," Luca prodded the boy softly and was rewarded with a glance in his direction. "I told you that there were certain things that I was keeping from you and that I would tell you when the time was right. Well, I think you're ready to know now. Now," he saw Anakin open his mouth but cut him off, "what I have to say may be unbelievable and even hard for you to accept, but please let me finish talking before you make any judgments. I will answer as many of your questions as I can but even then, there will still be a few things I have to keep from you. Agreed?" He watched as Anakin nodded before he stood up and offered a hand to the younger man. "Very well. Let's go somewhere a little more private and out of the way. Only you can hear what I have to say." Anakin stared at Luca suspiciously before he grabbed the proffered hand and stood up. Dusting off his slacks he followed the other man out of the garage and into the bright Tatooine sun, his mind still reeling with the emotional impact of his mother's death.

Luca led Anakin about a dozen meters away from the homestead. He knew that the young man was still in anguish over his mother's death and his emotional state was still quite fragile. What the young man would now hear would only exacerbate that state and Luca wanted to be sure that they were far enough away from the others in case he lost that tenuous hold he had on those emotions. He hoped that it wouldn't come to that, but based on experience, he knew that Anakin's emotions could get wildly out of control. He was taking all necessary precautions to prepare for that.

Judging the distance to be far enough, Luca turned and watched as Anakin trudged towards him. He could still sense the dark emotions raging inside the young man, though thankfully, he seemed to be in control of them. The time traveler took that as a good sign and settled himself on the ground in a meditation pose. As Anakin approached, Luca indicated to his companion that he should join him. The younger man did so and waited in tense silence for the older man to begin.

"You have been patient with me thus far Anakin, and for that I am grateful. I know how hard it is for you to place that kind of faith and trust in me and I don't want to lose it, which is why I am telling you this now. I hadn't really planned on telling you unless I absolutely had to; my mission could be placed in jeopardy even with the little bit you do know. However, I feel like events have progressed enough that my mission may be accomplished soon so it can't do too much harm if I tell you now. But first tell me: what do you remember about me and my mission?" Anakin stared at Luca. He was promised new information. What kind of game was this man playing? He decided to humor the older man.

"The Council told Obi-Wan and me that you were a time traveler from the future and that you were sent back here to save someone, someone who holds the fate of the galaxy in their hands. That's it; that's all I know, though I'm pretty sure you must have told the Council more, but they didn't wish to divulge that information."

"That's all the information you really needed to know up to now. Before I go any further though, I want you to promise me a couple of things. First, I want you to promise me that no matter what I tell you now, you will not divulge this information to anyone. It stays between you and me; no one else must know. This includes the Council, Obi-Wan, even Padmé. Okay?" Anakin nodded, though the statement about not telling anyone was curious. He didn't want even the Council to know? What was he going to reveal?

"Of course," Anakin replied, though suspicion laced his voice. "And the second thing?"

"The second thing that I want you to promise me is that no matter what I tell you, you will not try to drastically alter things. There are many things that have to proceed the way they have before and there are others that must be changed if my mission is to succeed. I hope that you will be able to make the right decisions once you know the truth and let everything else happen as they should. It will all turn out the way it needs to. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Very well then. Yes, I am from the future from a point in time approximately twenty-seven years from now. In my time, the galaxy had been beset by a darkness that has only just recently been eradicated. Millions of people and hundreds of planets fell to the evil that plagued us and only through hard work and perseverance did the light finally succeed. It is this darkness that I am trying to prevent. I don't want the galaxy to fall again; I cannot see that happen again."

"What was this darkness?"

"It was a man, a very powerful, manipulative man. He was meticulous and careful and he gained great power, enough power that he was soon able to declare himself emperor of the galaxy and he ruled it with an iron fist. Anyone who disobeyed him was dealt with swiftly and severely; no one dared to question him or the actions of his right hand, a man just as evil and dark as the emperor himself." Luca paused and raised a hand when he saw Anakin start to open his mouth in question. "I know what you're going to ask Anakin, and yes these men were very, very powerful. They wielded the Force as well as any Jedi and had the strength and power of the dark side on their side. They were called Lord Sidious and Darth Vader, two of the most powerful Sith Lords the galaxy had ever seen."

"The Sith? But the Sith have been long gone! Master Obi-Wan killed the last one ten years ago."

"That was merely the apprentice. I know your teachings have told you that the Sith work in pairs, that there is always only a Master and an apprentice. After the death of the apprentice, Lord Sidious took a new one, and when that one fell, he found what he needed in Vader, a young man he had been carefully, secretly grooming and manipulating for years without anyone knowing. When the time was right, he seized control of the Senate and the powers of the galaxy, using Vader to quash any and all opposition. They ruled for two decades and it was only when Vader was finally able to see the light, when he was finally able return to the man he had once been, that Sidious was defeated and hope and order was once again restored to the galaxy."

"But why didn't the Jedi try to stop them? Surely they must have tried."

"They did. Sidious was smart, though. Just before he managed to gain control of the Senate, Vader raided the Jedi Temple and slaughtered everyone inside. No one was spared from this monster's wrath or his master's murderous intent. Even most of the Jedi that were off-planet were killed by other means that had been carefully manipulated by the master. Sidious soon declared himself Emperor and condemned the Jedi as traitors so the people would turn against them. What few Jedi were left went into hiding and the last senators who remained loyal to the Republic worked in secret over the years and built a rebellion that finally managed to overthrow the emperor and topple his empire to restore peace and justice to the galaxy." Luca stopped and watched the expressions on Anakin's face as the Jedi processed everything he was being told. He knew that his tale was far from complete; Anakin would want more and he was ready to tell him more. He was hoping the revelation of things to come would help to soften the blow of the even bigger truths he had yet to reveal.

"If all of these events happen as you claim they will, then that must mean that this Sidious and Vader are alive now, right?" Luca nodded. "Then why don't you just tell the Council and let the Jedi help you track them down? You could spare everyone the obvious pain and suffering to come."

Luca sighed. "I wish it were that easy, Anakin. Though I am here to help prevent Sidious' rise to power, there are other things, certain things that must come to pass and if I were to interfere anymore than I already have, everything could drastically change. I have already altered the future by coming here, but it was necessary. My mission is nearly complete and I must make sure that the one I have come to save will stay on the correct path this time; he must not allow himself to be tempted to the other side." Luca could see that these words seemed to strike a chord in Anakin as he saw a sliver of comprehension appear on his face before disappearing beneath a mask of indifference.

"What is your role in all of this? Why were you the one that was sent back? And what about me? What is my purpose in your mission? Your presence here, and the fact that you have refused to tell me any of this until now, seems to indicate that I am involved in your mission somehow."

"You are involved, Anakin. You are more involved than anyone. As for me…well…Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, the right hand of the emperor…I'm him…or I was him." Anakin hid his shock well, though his wide eyes gave away his surprise. Luca continued before the Jedi could say anything. "I am here to save myself, and the galaxy, from that dark future Anakin. Or, more accurately, I am here to save this present's version of myself…you." If Luca thought the Jedi was shocked before, he was wrong. Anakin's disbelief, surprise, suspicion, and even anger resonated strongly in the Force. Luca prepared himself to intervene in case the anger roused the Jedi enough to act. But all Anakin did was sit there in silence, processing all the information that he had just been presented. It was several moments before he made a move to speak.

"You're Vader and you're me and you came back to help me, to save me from this dark future?"

"I know it's hard to believe Anakin, but if you search your feelings, you will know that everything I have said is true." He could feel the younger man probing the Force, searching for the truth. It wasn't long before he saw Anakin's shocked acceptance.

"How? Why?"

"The how is a little bit complicated, but I'll just say that I was given this opportunity by the Force. As for the why…Anakin, you will make some mistakes. You may be a Jedi, but you are still only human. It's fine to make mistakes; no one expects you to be perfect all of the time. Don't you think Obi-Wan or Master Yoda make a mistake every once in a while? What's important are the kinds of mistakes you make. Anakin, you are smart, strong, strategic. You are a great Jedi and a good friend, but like anyone, you do have your weaknesses." He could sense the indignation emanating from the other man. "Don't deny it, Anakin. Your weakness is your compassion for others, but that's not always a bad thing as the Jedi would have you believe. You care about people and their well-being; you want their happiness, even if it means a sacrifice of your own. But you have to be careful with that compassion. You can care about someone so much that you would do anything, even sacrifice yourself and your principles, to help them, to save them. This experience with your mother has shown you that. If I hadn't been there, you would have slaughtered everyone and you would already be on the long path to darkness. It is a hard, lonely path to tread and an even harder one to leave. Once you start down it, you may not ever come back. I couldn't let that happen, not again."

"If you knew all of this was going to happen, why did you let my mother die? You knew where she was the whole time; why didn't you save her?"

"Anakin, it pained me as much as it pained you to lose her like that. I lost my mother and to see her go through that again hurt. I really wanted to save her, to bring her back to you, but I couldn't. I've already interfered too much and only her death could push you to the brink. You had to see how close you are to the dark, how quickly and easily you can succumb to it. Her death was the catalyst that tipped me to the dark and it was a long time before I found my way back. It won't happen again if you can remember this moment and remember the pain and devastation that may follow. It's good to have compassion for others, to care about another person so much that you'd do anything for them. You just have to be wary of your actions and how far you would be willing to go to save someone. If I had told you I had the power to save your mother from dying, would you have been willing to do anything I asked, even if it meant sacrificing your Jedi teachings and your very soul, to do so?" Anakin's silence was confirmation enough for him. "That's why I had to do it Anakin. Some things happen for a reason and you have to let them. You can't always save everyone."

"Is that what happened? Is that what turned you into Vader?" The soothing tone of the Jedi's voice told Luca that Anakin had been listening to everything he had been saying. Luca nodded.

"I had visions of someone I cared about dying, just like the ones of my mother. I was obsessed with finding a way of preventing that, of stopping death. Then I was approached by Sidious and he told me that he could help me, if I did his bidding. I felt I had no other choice so I did. But my visions came to pass anyway and now I had sacrificed everything to the dark with no hope of coming back. It was many, many years before I was able to see the light and become myself again. That cannot happen again; I will save you, Anakin, and I will help you stay on the right path." With this strong declaration, whatever tension and suspicion had been between them had disappeared and Luca was pleased to see that Anakin was taking him seriously.

"Is there anything else you can tell me? Anything I should or shouldn't do?"

"No. As I've already told you, things need to progress the way they have before. I don't want to influence your decisions any more than I already have. Just remember what I told you, what I have revealed to you, and make the right decisions. That's all I ask. I don't want to have to come back again, okay?" Luca was pleased to see the small smile on his companion's face. They sat in silence for a little while before they got up and headed back to the homestead, each of them with a new understanding of the other.

A small group had gathered before a freshly dug grave where a new headstone rested. They all stood in silence as final goodbyes were said.

"I know, wherever you are, it's become a better place. You were…the most loving partner a man could ever have. Goodbye my darling wife…and thank you." Cliegg's voice tensed as he said his last words to the woman he had loved. Everyone watched as Anakin made his way to his mother's grave before kneeling down.

"I wasn't strong enough to save you mom," he began as everyone looked on. "I wasn't strong enough. But I promise, I won't fail again." There wasn't a hint of anger in his voice, only a solemn promise. "I miss you…so much."

A series of whistles and beeps caused everyone to turn around and they noticed a blue and white droid rolling up.

"Artoo? What are you doing here?" The confusion on Padmé's face as she questioned the little droid was obvious. He let out a series of whistles and clicks in response which Threepio translated.

"It seems that he's carrying a message from an Obi-Wan Kenobi. Master Ani, does that name mean anything to you?" Anakin and Padmé looked at one another before nodding.

"Thank you Artoo," Anakin thanked the little droid. "We'll head back to the ship and you can play it for us there." Artoo whistled in response before turning and heading back to the silver ship. Anakin faced what was left of his family. "You'll have to excuse us, I apologize."

"No need, son," Cliegg assured him. "I understand. Your mother would have too."

"Thank you. For everything. It makes me happy to know my mother was loved these last few years. She deserved it. And I'm glad to know that she was happy here."

"She was. We all loved her. Now, go. You have important matters to attend to." Anakin nodded and headed back to the ship, but not before firmly grasping Cliegg and Owen's hands in firm handshakes and pulling Beru into a gentle hug. Padmé followed suit and they trailed Artoo back to the ship, the protocol droid following behind them. Luca watched for a moment but took the opportunity to say his own good-bye to Shmi.

"I promise mom, I won't fail this time. Anakin will stay on the right path. He will make you proud." His words said, he left to join the others in the ship, missing the two apparitions that had appeared, ghostly smiles on their faces.