I wrote this fic approximately four years ago. The first two chapters were written then, and the following chapters will be written now. My writing tone is different now that I'm 20. In any case, I hope you enjoy the ride!

Everything was quiet. Darkness filled Anakin's vision, filled the whole universe entirely. He was aware of only one thing, that he had lost everything. There was nothing left that was his. His body, he had lost it during the fight with Obi-wan. His life, he had lost it on the Death Star, in the arms of his son. He had nothing. Not even his soul was his; he had lost it to the most beautiful woman ever. And his best friend, his companion who had been an acquaintance, a father, and then a brother, someone whose love he took for granted, he had betrayed and killed. He had destroyed everything he cared about.

But yet...even though he had destroyed everything, his son had come back for him. Luke had seen that there was something more to him, that he wasn't totally possessed by the dark side. He knew that there was still good in him, and it was true. He was the only one who had believed in him. He had saved him.

When he had found out that Luke was his son...that the children had survived, he had felt something that he hadn't felt in a long time. He had felt a need to be near him. He knew that this was the Anakin part of him wanting to see his son again. But he knew that he couldn't, that it was too late for him. He had let go of his son and any other kind of person when he had chosen his path.

Now he knew those thoughts were foolish. Luke was his son, and even though at first it was hard to see, he loved him. He knew now that he had been seduced by the dark side, and that he had let it control him. He only wished... he wished that he could have been with those that he loved.

No. He couldn't think of that. Over all these years he had forbidden himself to think of those that he had lost. He could feel the pain starting, but he refused to let it take over him. Instead he tried to clear his mind and focus on breathing. This was strange, since he hadn't actually breathed since...since...

He paused. No, it wasn't possible. He couldn't...his lungs, along with the rest of his body, were no more. And he was dead. He knew more than anything else that he had died. So how was it that he could breathe?

He took a deep breath, sucking in as much as he could, as if air was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. He could breathe! Joy, excitement and adrenaline pumped through his body, and he could feel himself smiling, as if defying the world. He flexed his fingers, moving them slowly, for they were stiff, and then clenched his muscles in his arms. He felt strong, and real.

Suddenly a thousand senses hit him hard, as if he had just gotten run over by a herd of racing banthas. Smells, senses, feelings...they all hit him hard, as if they were all trying to force themselves on him. He could feel the wind blowing gently against his body, through a layer of clothing.

He was lying on his back, in the middle of some forest. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and he suddenly felt incredibly tired, with a pounding head ache that kriffin' hurt. He decided that being run over by a herd of banthas wasn't actually that bad.

He sat up, rubbing his head. He was wearing his old Jedi suit. He even had his old lightsaber strapped to his side. He stared in amazement. He was in his old body again.

But he had died. The fight with the Emperor had taken it all out of him, and his body had been dying. He knew the feeling; it wasn't the first time he had been near death. And then finally, he was surrounded by nothing. Nothing was all there was, and he had become nothing. But then suddenly...what? Had he went back into the past?

No…for some reason he knew that he hadn't leapt through time. But he had died. So how was it possible that he was sitting in the middle of some forest, alive? And in his old body?

Suddenly he felt something in the Force. The feeling he got was from something, or someone, very strong in the Force. Reaching out to him through the Force. He jumped up and ignited his lightsaber, standing in his fighting stance. He felt out through the force to this unknown source of power.

And found…nothing. Even though he knew that there was unmistakably something in the Force, it had disappeared and he couldn't sense what it had been. Anakin deactivated his lightsaber almost casually, an old habit which he had never really lost. He wondered what it could be, but didn't find a need to rush to it.

Patience, he thought. Rushing head-first into this won't help anything. I need to approach it carefully. But for some reason his body seemed to react differently, his nerves on edge and adrenaline shooting through his body. Whatever it was that he sensed, he felt ready to face it, and strangely excited. He had never felt this alive since he was young…since he was a Jedi. A Jedi Knight, just like Obi-wan, and Master Yoda…Anakin felt remorse begin to seep through him, but he repressed it forcefully. This isn't the time, he consoled himself. I need to focus on the mission at hand.

He fingered the hilt of his lightsaber, pensive. He was stuck in the middle of some unknown planet, without any means of contacting another person, Or, Anakin thought morosely, any Jedi. He didn't know what had happened to Luke after he had….well, after then and he knew that anything could have happened to him. His brow pulled down as he worried about his son, but suddenly a new determination filled his eyes. He vowed to himself that if he could get off this planet, and if Luke was still out there somewhere, he would find him. He would make up for this mess. He had to. And the Force seemed to want him to go search for the source of power he had felt moments before. He jumped over a dead tree, and started running in the direction he felt the source of the push was located, a new determination burning in his eyes.

I'll make up for it, Luke. I will.

The black space in front of him was calm, and quiet, and Luke enjoyed the soft hum as he piloted through space with no one but R2 by his side. Now that the Empire had fallen, he had taken the task to reform the Jedi Order. It was a difficult task, but he had help and support of many around the galaxy. He had offers to join the government, but he had refused. It was certain he had changed a lot during his adventures, but those kind of things weren't for him. He was a Jedi, he would take the path of Jedi.

Luke had been traveling for a few months, recruiting force sensitives around the galaxy and training them. Once he was assured that their training was as close to complete as it could get in the short amount of time he had, he left them to recruit and train on that world. He checked up on most of them every month, to make sure all was well. He had hundreds of Jedi so far, but that number was still so small compared to what it had been many years ago, before he was born.

Luke was garbed in a Jedi robe, his hair longer than it usually was and his skin was dark. He had just left from a visit on Veresa, a hot planet made of mostly all sand dunes, where the people lived mostly hidden behind rocks. The training there had been hard, for both him and his students, but he had come to love it. They were all wild there, getting around by machines they called terasu, old, dirty pieces of equipment with four wheels that got them around efficiently enough. He had met many a worthy Jedi, and he was confident they would do well. Around his head was a red band, representing his high status.

They all wore them there, the lowest color being green. There had been only a few red bands there, making him respected. He also bore a few tattoos on his arm from that planet and a few other ones he had visited. Of course the people from Veresa had to make the largest one; they were a proud people. There were still a few remnants of the Empire there, and Luke had seen first-hand that just because the Emperor had fallen, it didn't mean his ways had too. They had fought hard against the last of the Empire, which they called mahirs. The people had fought fiercely, and Luke had been very proud of the Jedi he had trained. He smiled, remembering those moments.

He checked the radars and pushed a few buttons, redirecting course. R2 beeped and whistled in confusion and Luke grinned.

"Don't worry R2, we're not going far." he said, laughing slightly at his friend's distress. R2 was quite excited to find more candidates for training. "We're just going to stop by and meet up with some friends.

His X-Wing soared over to the right and jumped into hyperspace, flashing in a blink and appearing a few minutes away from the Millennium Falcon. Luke worked on the correct switches and commed the ship. Suddenly an old friend's face appeared on the screen in front of him.

"Millennium Falcon, Han Solo reporting." said Han's face as it popped up on the screen. "Identification?" Luke grinned; his friend's voice was gruff, as usual.

"X-Wing, pilot number 24356 reporting. Demanding access to land on your vessel." Han's eyebrow raised slightly, upset at being demanded to do anything.

"Permission granted," Han said somewhat grudgingly. "But make it quick, alright?" the screen went black as he slammed it shut. Luke chuckled and shook his head, his eyes gleaming happily. He had missed his friends. He realized in that instant how much he had changed, and wondered curiously how different they would be.

His X-Wing entered the landing zone of the Falcon, and Luke boarded the ship, hopping down and saying quick farewells to R2. He walked through the Falcon calmly and with a smile, remembering how many moments he had had on the ship. He rested a hand against the side of the ship, his eyes distant. He had spent so much time of his life here…he felt as if the walls welcomed him back. And suddenly he had a flash of memory of his trainer, Old Ben. He hadn't thought of him in forever, but the memory brought back so much pain he felt his chest heave. I lose everyone. he thought, clenching his jaw hard, trying to suppress the thought, and failing.

He had spent so much time on other worlds, and during those times he had lost many in wars and fights. Not as many as the war against the Empire, for sure, but he had lost them. And the way he dealt with their deaths wasn't the same, either; before he had been young, naïve and full of adventure; know he was a bit more hardened by war. There was no more oppression, but all their deaths dealt a hard blow on him. He hurt for both those who had died recently, and those who had died before. Luke snapped out of it as he heard footsteps click to a halt in the hallway, and his eyes widened in surprise. He had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't sensed the presence approaching him. He scolded himself silently, making sure to keep that in check. He knew well enough that letting his awareness down for even a second could result in death, or worse.

Han stood in front of him, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, and looking irritated. A grin slipped across Luke's face unintentionally as he perceived his friend a few paces away from him. He hadn't changed.

"Look buddy, you didn't exactly come at the right time." he said, sarcasm loading his voice as usual. "We've got places to be, so whatever it is you want, make it quick." Luke turned to face him, his hood somewhat concealing his features.

"I come for news," he said, realizing in shock once again how different his voice was compared to Han's. His accent had changed deeply, and he noted with some amusement that it was harsher, like the language of the last planet he had left. He knew the people there would be hooting and cheering rowdily if they had discovered how deeply his time there had changed him.

"Yeah, and what exactly would that…." Han's crossed his arms and peered at Luke, looking distraught for a moment. "Have we…" And then his eyes widened and his mouth dropped, looking completely and utterly shocked.

"…kid?" he whispered, the quietness of his voice echoing against the walls. Luke chuckled deeply. "Luke!" he exclaimed loudly and ran over to him, grabbing him into a fierce hug. Luke laughed the whole while, consumed with joy at seeing his old friend again. Han pushed him back so he could get a better look at him.

"How've you been, kid? We haven't heard from you for bout' a year now, after the Alliance Shortage!" Han literally beamed with excitement. He looked his old friend over. "You sure look different. You must have some stories to tell." He clapped Luke loudly on the back, grinning.

"It sure is good to have you back." he said warmly. Luke nodded.

"Yeah, it sure is." he grinned widely.

"Come on, you must be tired. I'll get you something to drink." The two men, still grinning amiably walked to the kitchen; Luke didn't need directions, he would never forget how to get around the Falcon. The whole ship was permanently itched into his memory. Luke sat down heavily on a chair, grateful to be able to have some rest. Han got them two drinks and placed them on the table as he sat. The pilot eyed his belt scrupulously.

"Is that a new lightsaber?" he asked, somewhat curiously, somewhat astonished. "I didn't think you would give away your old one." Luke looked down at the lightsaber attached to his belt and shook his head.

"No, I would never be able to let go of this." he moved his cloak, revealing a second lightsaber attached to his hip. His mind scrambled for an explanation, but in the end settled with saying, "It was a gift." Han assumed there was some story behind it all that began on some faraway planet, and reserved to let his friend tell him at another time. Instead he decided to switch the subject, leaning his elbow against the table and taking a swig with his other free hand.

"So how are the force sensies going? Find much of anything out there in the rim?" he inquired, referring to the Force sensitives in the outer galaxy that Luke had set out years back to find.

"I've visited many planets while I was away and the Jedi there are spectacular." Luke made a mental note to aboard the subject later on. He had many things to tell Han, and hopefully Leia, if she was here. "But what of you? You must have found some in your journeys."

Han hummed and arched his neck back, presumably remembering the exact moments of his "journeys". Luke had offered him a job to become a pilot for the Alliance, but Han had, in polite terms, refused. What had actually went on after that proposal involved many blaster shots and a few vulgar words, but Luke preferred to block that out from his memory. Instead Han had become something of a smuggler, unable to keep away from his old ways. But his new employ was a little more legal than before, while still keeping that sense of danger and adventure that Han just couldn't seem to live without.

Even though it would have been nice, and Luke wishes it were so, the victory of the Alliance hadn't swept over every planet in existence. There were still some planets that suffered, and he and many others were doing all they could to get rid of this. But sometimes their efforts were futile. Usually these planets were small, and out of the way; and even though Luke would love to be able to send many over, the number of people willing or able to serve were scarce, and there were much more important, as the government would say, to attend, which Luke deemed reasonable; rebuilding the Republic.

Han's job is to smuggle things in to those planets that are under control from the remnants of the Empire. He hates leaving those people with nothing but what he brings them, feeling useless as he's unable to attack them and set those people free. There were worlds where slavery still existed, where people were confined to the worst pieces of land ever given to human beings, but they still lived on. He wanted deeply to rush in, shoot a few people, and save them all, but it wasn't that easy; situations were more delicate than before, when the only thing he had to do was aim and shoot and everything was fixed. Now there were alliances, and politics; if he shot one person to save thousands, he might be endangering the lives of millions. And so for now, all he could do was smuggle in a few things and try not to shoot anybody. But that concept was rarely put to use with Han. And anyway, he felt better at the end of the day if he had successfully shot one of those Empire scumbags.

"We found quite a few, actually." he muttered, first staring off darkly and then grinning in satisfaction, probably remembering what it had felt like to shoot one of the Empire remnants. He turned to face Luke. "A few of em' are on the Falcon right now. They needed transport, and since we found em' we suggested that they come with us to follow your training. We were just about to dump them off on a world where we knew they would be taken well care of." he paused, soaking in the presence of the friend who sat in front of him. "We really weren't expecting to see you for a long time."

"I'll have to meet them soon." Luke felt content; finally, everything seemed to be working out. He sensed a flare in the Force, and turned quickly around to spot Leia, who was looking into the room with a smile.

"Luke!" she exclaimed, smiling. "Welcome back."

"Leia," Luke rose and met Leia with a brief hug, stepping back to place a hand on her shoulder. "You look beautiful. I can't tell you how much I've missed hearing your voice."

She was dressed in khaki pants and combat boots with her long hair pulled back. Around her shoulders was a bag, and Luke guessed that Han and Leia had just finished or were preparing for a smuggling job. She glanced over at Han. Luke was surprised to see the amount of affection contained in her gaze. He had known their romance to be something of a passionate thing, thrown together in terrible times, finding comfort in the arms of someone who, they felt, could protect them. But now there was something more, and Luke once again realized how long he had been gone; their glances held something deeper, something more powerful. Han stood and walked over beside her.

"I sensed you, as soon as you revealed your presence to Han. Sorry I couldn't make it right away; I'm a little burdened at the moment."

Luke raised an eyebrow, not exactly understanding her meaning. Leia's face became flushed and she laughed, moving the subject on to something else.

"Luke, we have so much to catch up on, but Han and I were just preparing for a stop on our next planet." she said, confirming Luke's assumptions. A few seconds after a siren went off, and Han looked up toward the sound.

"That's my cue," he said motioning toward the cockpit. "I'll talk to you later, Luke." he said and headed off to prepare for landing.

Leia seemed to want to join him, watching him go with something like longing and warmth. She turned to her brother motioning to her outfit.

"You're welcome to join us. There are probably a few Force sensitives, if what I've sensed is correct. You may be able to find someone worth finding."

She began putting together a large blaster, which she strapped around her back. Luke felt a pang of sadness as he realized how much both of them had changed. He barely recognized his own sister. He noticed that as she offered, her voice handled some kind of doubt, and the look in her eyes was somewhat pleading, but at the same time accepted whatever choice he would make. She didn't want this to end up like last time; him coming and going, leaving them for months without any news, and even longer without hearing about him. He nodded, smiling.

"I'll join you."

Anakin ran through the forest, the trees nothing but a blur around him as he searched furiously for whatever he had sensed in the Force. There was literally nothing to be found in this forest except for the occasional machine, buried in the vines and rusted over time. He assumed that years ago there had been some kind of battle that had taken place, but he paid it almost no mind. He raced through the trees, leaping and jumping, his lightsaber ready to be activated if needed.

What could it be? he wondered. I suppose it doesn't matter, as long as it has some means of getting of this moss pit.

He stopped suddenly on the crest of a mountain of rocks as he felt something in the Force. He paused, the shadows from the sun accentuating his face, and reached out slowly to it through the Force. And then Anakin went flying to the ground as the explosion in the Force pushed him away. He gasped, hitting his head to the ground and bounded up quickly to his feet, igniting his lightsaber and began rushing toward the source. He knew now where it was, and the sudden realization of its power sent his heart racing. Blaster shots rang out abruptly in the air, echoing against the walls of the rocks surrounding him and Anakin rolled and ducked almost automatically, his body remembering his old Jedi training when his mind had forgotten.

Dust from Anakin's jump and smoke from the blaster shots filled the air, masking his presence for a few seconds. Anakin's mind was already racing. As soon as his vision was clear he peered up and found a group of at least ten men staring down from above on rocks shrouded in trees. They had been very well hidden. Anakin cursed himself for not being careful enough while his mind was so focused on his mission. These men definitely weren't what he had been searching for; their presence in the Force was very dim, and he wondered if they were hiding themselves somehow. The air tasted of dirt and his mouth was dry. The clunking of blasters against legs could be heard as the men shuffled around overhead, and in Anakin's ears, his own quiet breathing that would have been hard, had he not been trying to remain as silent as possible.

"I'll kill you," said one of the men under his breath. His voice was full of hatred, and totally without mercy. Anakin pressed his back closer against the rock, concealing himself. He couldn't very well reveal himself; they would probably fire at him immediately, after hearing the man's death wish. He decided he would spring on them, overpower them, and then let them explain. As he stood to do so, gripping his lightsaber hard, his face met with the nozzle of a blaster, held in the hands of a highly trained female from the group who had snuck around stealthily to where he had been hidden. Anakin scowled angrily, and the girl's face remained emotionless, her weapon poised to his head.

"I don't want to fight you," Anakin said, trying to suppress his annoyance but the threat was not very well hidden.

The woman didn't move an inch, the only thing changing being the hostility in her eyes. Anakin's lightsaber ignited with a hum and he quickly thrust his Force powers to disarm her of her weapon, pushing out toward her body to make her fall. The girl staggered back, and when Anakin snapped his lightsaber to life and struck down, she was already on the move, lashing out with a kick directed to his legs that hit hard. Normally he would have been able take her down in mere seconds, but considering he had just returned from the dead he wasn't in top shape.

He noticed with an astonished confusion that his Force powers were very, very weak. He had barely been able to push the girl a few steps, let alone feet. He paused silently as he lay on the ground, the blaster pressing against his back and the dark skinned woman's harsh breathing above him, and then screamed, which tore into a howl as his flesh was pierced with a beam shot from a blaster. He tried to bite his bottom lip to silence himself but couldn't help but howl, as if the sound were trying to break free of his chest. He grabbed his lightsaber and lashed out with his good arm at the weapon, cutting it in half and Force pushed at her with all his power. Screams from the men could be heard as they jumped down.

"Get him!"

"Lieutenant, bind him! Don't let him get away again!"

He glared at the woman with deep loathing and gasped, clutching his limp arm. From above he sensed something falling toward him, a net, and cut through it easily. He heard indignant yells and then a blast, rupturing in his ears, and then once again he felt the beam pierce through his skin, and he yelled, but not as long as last time. His blood began to boil, his eyes becoming lost in the madness of the fight. He reached out to all the men and threw them across and into the rock in every direction, their armoured bodies slapping against the rock and denting it.

Anakin stood in the middle of the clearing of rock, breathing roughly and clutching at his arm, standing slumped over to one side in pain. He scowled, lightsaber ignited but resting by his thigh as he kept the men suppressed. Now that they were powerless and most of them disarmed, he needed to asses the situation. They had come after him, trying to kill him for reasons unknown. Perhaps it was a matter of territory, or just a traditional hate towards Jedi. Truly it didn't matter; all he wanted to do right now was cut of all their heads and throw them into a pit. Anger clouded his judgement, and he decided he would choke the answers out of them. He lifted up his hand toward one of the men, who looked up at him with fear, but the same time bravery, and hate. This man was courageous, but at the same time Anakin hated him too much to let him go easily. He let the Force wrap around him and let himself guide it, and then-

"Not so fast," whispered a voice quickly from behind him.

He felt the cold steel of a knife pressing against his neck, and found strangely that he couldn't push it away with the Force, and that he didn't sense anyone near him at all. He decided to use his fighting skills and threw out his elbow behind him to hit whoever it was in the stomach. The person shifted out of his way and moved Anakin with him, drawing blood from his neck.

"I'd drop that if I were you," said the voice, which Anakin assumed now was a man.

He felt a light tapping on the hand that held his lightsaber. The men and women he had been fighting had been released from his hold, and were sitting angrily and some smugly. He had a strong urge to tell the man behind him to go to hell and flip over him, breaking his neck, but he felt that his opponent was strong, armoured, and Anakin was outnumbered. Not that that had stopped him before, but at the same time he knew that they would just keep fighting him, and he wouldn't get answers. He closed his eyes, attempting to calm his emotions. Jedi do not fight with hatred, he reminded himself.

"Who are you?" Anakin asked, trying to suppress his dislike of the situation. The man laughed and Anakin received more than one loathing glare from the attackers. He felt, in answer, the knife press harder against his skin and he flinched.

"No questions." he whispered. "And no resisting this time. I'm not sure why you're weak, or how you got down here, but I'll tell you this." the man paused, and Anakin could almost feel the rage pulsing through his body that pressed against his. "I am never, not ever, going to let you forget for one second what a kriffing sith-pit you put us through." and then with a ferocious severity he cut all the way down Anakin's arm, and hit him savagely in the head with a blaster. And then everything was, once again, dark.