AN and Disclaimer: I don't own SW or any of its characters…I just love them to pieces! I dedicate this story LVB, who gave me the plot bunny for it. I took it and ran with it. So enjoy!
Farewell…
"Daddy, where are we?" 7-year-old Ben Skywalker asked as the Jade Shadow landed on an arid planet.
"Tatooine," Luke answered his son as he finished landing their ship.
"Never heard of it," Ben said scrunching up his nose as he looked through the windows of the Jade Shadow. How could anyone live on a planet like this?
Luke laughed and stood up. As he walked past Ben, he messed up his son's hair slighty. "Come on Ben. There's something I want to show you."
Ben scrambled out of the co-pilot's seat and followed his father out of the ship. Once they had left the ship, they made their way towards a run down dwelling of some kind. Luke took a deep breath the closer they got to his childhood home. This is when he wished that Mara had come with them, instead of staying behind on Denon.
But Ben had to know about his family history. He knew a little, but not all of it.
He knew that his grandfather was Darth Vader. But he didn't know that before Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader had once been part of a family. It might have been a broken family, yet it was a family nonetheless.
"Why are we going towards that old home?" Ben asked.
"That's where I grew up." Luke said smiling.
"Really?" Ben asked looking up at his father, wide eyed.
"Yes."
"But why did you leave daddy?"
"Well that's a long story."
"It was a long trip here daddy. And we still have to go home." Ben said in a straightforward voice that reminded Luke of Mara. He chuckled at his son softly.
"How about I show you what we came here for, then I will explain everything."
"Okay!"
Luke took a hold of his son's hand and led him towards the side of the dwelling where there were four small stone markers. Each marker had a flat surface with some kind of writing that Ben had never seen before.
"What are these?" he asked.
"They are grave markers. Your great-grandparents, as well as your great aunt and uncle are buried here."
Ben looked at the stones with a confused look on his face. "But where are grandma and grandpa?" he then asked.
"You see your grandma was a senator from Naboo," Luke said sitting down on the ground. Ben sat next to him. "So she was buried on Naboo. Remember when we went there?"
Ben nodded yes.
"Good," Luke said smiling. "As for your grandpa, he isn't really buried anywhere."
"Why not?"
Luke went on to explain, to the best of his fatherly ability, what took place on the second Death Star and how Darth Vader became Anakin Skywalker right before he died. Ben had heard part of the story before, but never in such detail.
By the time Luke had finished the story, the twin suns of Tatooine were slowly setting. "Come on. We better get going. Night time on Tatooine isn't a safe time," Luke said picking up his tired little boy and carried him back to the Jade Shadow.
As Luke and Ben made their way back towards the ship, something dawned on Luke. This wasn't just a trip to teach Ben about his family history, but also a trip for Luke to say goodbye to the ghosts of his past. He had always been worried that his son may follow the path that his father did. But now it didn't seem that way so much.
Now Ben knew most of his family history. Well except the part where his mother had been sent to kill his father. But that was a completely different story for another time.
"Daddy are we ever going to come back to Tatooine?" Ben asked as Luke lay him down on one of the bunks aboard the Jade Shadow.
"Perhaps someday. But you go to sleep right now."
Ben turned over and fell fast asleep. Luke smiled gently then kissed his son's forehead goodnight as he left the bunk and headed back out into the starless Tatooine night. There he starred out over the rough and rocky terrain of Tatooine.
The planet was much like his own life had been for the most part – rough and rocky. But then things became smooth and peaceful after the war with the Yuuzhan Vong had ended and Ben was able to be with him and Mara all the time.
The more he thought about it, the more he had been right earlier. This was his opportunity to say goodbye to the past and focus on the future.
Yet it was two shimmering blue lights off in the distance that reminded him that the past was always there to visit at least. But never to relive. He smiled gently before boarding the Jade Shadow and preparing to head home.
Obi-Wan Kenobi placed his hand on Anakin Skywalker's shoulder. "Come on. Its time to head back Anakin. Padmé is waiting."
Anakin smiled gently. "I know," he said turning and following Obi-Wan back into the living Force.
That day Luke had made his father proud. Anakin knew how hard it was to face your past. And Luke had done a wonderful job at it. Before disappearing into the Force, he took one last look at the Jade Shadow.
"Farewell my son…"