(no subject)

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

Luke is sitting at the bar with a glass of firewhisky, which he hasn't had in quite some time. Although he's pretty sure there's no established protocol for what to do when your dead nephew from the future tells you that, in one version of your future, you go Dark, but "get a stiff drink and brood" seems like a step in the right direction.

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[95-tan.livejournal.com]

A small redhead peers at him in concern.

"Sir? You look unhappy. Is there something you need help with?"

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

He turns around and forces a half-smile. "Thanks, but I think it's something I have to work out on my own. ... Have we met before?"

[95-tan.livejournal.com]

"I do not think so." She bows. "I amWindows 95, OS to Link."

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

"Nice to meet you." Sounds like a droid designation. Doesn't look like a droid... "I'm Luke Skywalker. Have you been here long?"

[95-tan.livejournal.com]

She nods. "I have been here for several months now." She pauses, midsection chugging. "Would you happen to know a man by the name of 'Anakin Skywalker'?"

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

"So have I. About six months." He notes the apparently mechanical sounds and decides other worlds have more high-tech droids before saying, "I do. He's my father. I take it you know him?"

[95-tan.livejournal.com]

"Ahh, so ne? He's been very kind to me before- helping to keep me virus-free and properly functioning." She smiles. "Do you have security functions as well, then?"

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

"No, I don't work here at all." He smiles. "I understand he's very good with electronics."

[95-tan.livejournal.com]

There's a blink of confusion- the two are apparently talking abnout entirely different security functions. She declines to try to sort things out in this case.

"Oh, yes, he and Hunter-san are my sources for virus scans now that I live here." She smiles. "He was especially helpful in helping me understand my role since this place is full of humans."

[empath-wiggin.livejournal.com]

A pair of hands appears on his shoulders, followed by a Valentine on the stool beside him. Her eyes are concerned. "Frell, love. I could feel you brood all the way across the bar. What's wrong?"

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

He turns around and forces a half-smile. "It's... I just found out something I shouldn't have, that's all."

[empath-wiggin.livejournal.com]

"What was it?" She's determined. "And it's obviously not nothing, love. You're feeling horrid. Even if I wasn't an empath I could feel that one." Her eyes are concerned. "I wanna help."

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

"... The answer to a question I probably shouldn't have asked." He sighs. "I don't know. Maybe it'll turn out it's a good thing that I know it in advance, maybe I can prevent it, but I wish I hadn't asked."

[empath-wiggin.livejournal.com]

She looks very concerned now, picking up on his conflcting emotion. "Well, if there's a chance of preventing it, I want to help." She leans over and takes one of his hands. "That timeline's not necissarily your timeline, love. For one thing, I'm not in it, and sorry, but you're kinda stuck with me now. I'm not going anywhere."

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

"I know. And I don't want you to." He squeezes her hand, looking away. "Whatever version of me it is in his timeline did something... very Dark. I don't know much on the details. He didn't bring it up, and I was hardly encouraging."

[empath-wiggin.livejournal.com]

"Luke, listen to me." She reaches over, and gently brings his face back so she's looking him in the eyes. "I'm not going to let you do that. I will die before I let you Fall. I mean that with all of my soul, Luke. That timeline isn't you. This is you. Here, with me." Her eyes are serious, passionate. "I love you, Luke. I know that it's not going to be easy, that there's going to be problems, but if there's anything I can do about it, I won't let you do anything Dark. I'll sit you down and talk at you till I'm blue in the face if that's what it takes. I'll smack you with the hilt of your 'sabre if it takes that." Her expression is serious, a determination to her manner and emotions. "I love you, Luke Skywalker. Love's not all fluff. It's doing what you have to for the other person. As long as I'm alive, you're not going to Fall."

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

He pulls her close, silent for a long moment. When he does speak, his voice is rough. "I know. I know you'd bring me back. It's... honestly, I'm more worried about them, about the family in that timeline that some version of me hurt. Some version of Leia, Han, their kids. I don't know what I did. It was one of their kids I was talking to, and he just... went quiet. Two-word sentences. I don't want to have hurt them in any timeline."

[redeemed-one.livejournal.com]

Anakin was on his way out the door to get the stiffness of sitting all day out, but he stops when he sees Luke.

"You look like I feel. Want to go out and work it out sparring?"

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

"... I don't think I should." He looks up. "What's the matter with you?"

[redeemed-one.livejournal.com]

"Eh. Got in a fight with your sister, met two of my grandchildren, and spent Force knows how long growing a Holocron crystal. I just need to get the aches out."

He looks Luke over. "What about you?"

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

"Two of them? Oh, Force. There's another one?" He slumps forward and lets his forehead rest on the bar. "Met one of them. Asked questions I shouldn't have, got answers I didn't want."

[redeemed-one.livejournal.com]

"Which one did you talk to? Jaina or Anakin? And what did they tell you?"

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

"Anakin." He sighs. "I should know not to ask people from the future questions about the future by now. I really should."

[redeemed-one.livejournal.com]

Anakin looks at him very seriously. "Luke. Whatever it is, it's not set in stone. Now, what did Anakin say?"

[desert-worm.livejournal.com]

Luke takes a moment to gather his thoughts, then speaks quietly. "I know I should be glad to know it. Maybe I can keep it from happening in this timeline, at least. But I wish I didn't know." He bites his lip. "Apparently I -- some version of me, anyway, in whichever version of my future he's from, went and got apprenticed to a clone of the Emperor. He didn't tell me any more than that. Not that I was exactly encouraging, but... he went quiet. Two-word sentences. I don't know what happened."

And I'm sure he implied I hurt Leia. More personally, more directly than the whole mess would have hurt her. But he doesn't want to bring that into it yet. Enough to worry about the broad-strokes future for a few minutes.