The Trace Which Remains

Thank you all for so much wonderful feedback! I love the fact that An Even Greater Sin touched the hearts of so many people!

This is the sequel to EGS, and if you haven't read it, I recommend you do so before reading this story. It is not absolutely necessary, but it will make things clear.

I don't own Star Wars or any pop-culture (mostly classic rock) I may parody within this fic. If I did... then... you could be sure that my Wish You Were Here fanfilm would be much further along.

WARNING! Slash, incest, rape, vulgar language, and violence. If any of these themes bother you, I recommend that you back out.

SUMMARY: Post-ROTJ AU. When Anakin is resurrected, will his son/lover face retribution from the Alliance and his friends for falling in love with the Dark Lord? And will Anakin be able to control his dark tendencies when Luke is in danger?

And, without further ado, I present to you the beginning of...

The Trace Which Remains

by Luke SkyWolf

Prologue: Specters of memories...

It was dawn of fifthmonth five, at the start of a new era of peace. The Death Star was nothing but cooling shards of shrapnel, the Emperor was dead, as was Darth Vader.

Vader was dead... but Anakin Skywalker was not.

Leia Organa had sensed a shift in the Force the previous night, as a presence, familiar yet new, was hurled into the realm of the living. She had known about Darth Vader's death, several hours earlier, and she had known her brother's intense sorrow.

Her brother, Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight.

He had admitted to Leia two nights ago the truth- that she was his sister, that Vader was their father-

That he was in love with Vader.

Leia pondered these things before she opened her eyes, bleary from a latenight celebration, and came to the conclusion that it was... strange.

Very strange.

She had no other words to describe it. Anything else would sound rude, and she was ever the diplomat. So although she still seethed at the idea of Vader's continuing existence, she took a strict vow to try to put the past of Anakin Skywalker behind her. She would say nothing to anyone that DID not need to know.

Like everyone.

Oh, maybe she would tell Han- when she was ready. Or perhaps Luke would tell him first. She could just picture the look of astonishment on her boyfriend's cynical features. Boy, would HE be surprised that Darth Vader had turned into Luke's father/lover.

Turning over in her sleeping mat, she grumbled slightly. She seriously hoped that Han would take that news as well as he had taken her siblinghood with the man he had perceived to be his rival.

If nothing else, it was definite confirmation that Luke was out of the race.

Oh, well. Leia was wide awake. No use lying in bed any longer. She sat up, glanced around the small, vacant hut the Ewoks had permitted her, and went about starting her day.

She had no delusions that it would be an easy one.

Luke Skywalker was awakened by the sensation of liquid on his chin, and he absently brushed it away with his free hand.

His other was pinned by a warm, heavy figure, who was leaning into Luke's right shoulder, soft strands of hair brushing against Luke's cheek. Luke smiled at the sensation, and shifted position slightly.

It was nice to wake up to someone beside him.

The previous night's events ran through his mind- the terrible battle upon the Death Star, the agonizing assault of Palpatine's lightning, the final sacrifice his father had given him.

And, most importantly of all, the pure joy of finding his father resurrected.

They had been through hell and back together. Luke had wound up twenty-two years in the past, to meet- and fall in love with- his young father. Palpatine had so very nearly cost them their hearts, their lives, their love, by manipulating the truths of Luke's identity and twisting the facts to make Anakin hate him. But they had overcome that hurdle- and the obstacle of mortality- through their love for each other.

Luke gave Anakin's broad shoulder a warm, tight squeeze, and nuzzled his cheek in that soft, wavy hair. It was a cool morning, but with Anakin in his arms, Luke was completely comfortable. Even his injuries were ignored.

He shivered, now, from a kind of giddy pleasure at not being alone. Finally, he had someone he could share his heart with. Now, if only the Alliance-

The Alliance!

With a start, Luke's eyes snapped open. In his deep emotions, first unbearable sorrow, then indescribable bliss, he had totally forgotten about the Alliance.

His heart grew uneasy, as he realized that they might not be as forgiving of Anakin's past as Vader as Luke was.

Anakin Skywalker woke up just as he sensed his son's fear. For a microsecond, he worried that it was an attack, but as he became fully conscious, he knew that it was something far less immediate.

Glancing up from his resting spot on Luke's shoulder, Anakin asked, "What is it?"

Luke's azure orbs- still red from dryness and crying, looked around anxiously, before finally meeting Anakin's. "What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?" This early in the morning, Anakin's mind wasn't quite fully functional yet, and he searched Luke's eyes for answers.

The boy spoke his fears out loud. "I don't think that many in the Alliance are going to appreciate your presence." He sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "It's not likely that they would be very accepting of a reborn ex-Darth Vader being my father AND my lover."

Was that what they were? They had never made a verbal agreement, but Anakin had no trouble with it anymore- he was far happier being in love with Luke than hating the boy. They were bloodkin, to be sure- he couldn't and wouldn't deny it- but their connection went far deeper than biology. He gave a nervous chuckle, and admitted, "I don't think that the Empire would have been any happier, had we reached our agreement in the way I was stupid enough to believe was right."

Luke smiled down at Anakin, and Anakin reached a hand- his right hand, for the first time in decades, made of flesh instead of steel- for Luke's face. The young man still had shades of boyhood within those deep eyes, but he was truly a man. Anakin had to wonder just what he looked like himself.

Luke spoke softly, and leaned into Anakin's hand. "We'll have to tell them the truth."

Shocked, Anakin sat up. "The truth? That I used to be the galaxy's most feared war criminal? That I was the one who committed the atrocities of the Jedi Purge? That I-"

"That you were the one to destroy the man who ordered those acts. You were enslaved, Father, and I think that, given a fair trial, you should be given a pardon." Anakin's spirit trembled to hear Luke use the word "father" so warmly. He looked down at the needles of the forest floor, and grimaced.

"You must not have been very comfortable, smashed against the ground like that."

Luke rose to look up at Anakin- even while sitting, their height difference wa clear. Smiling shyly, the boy answered, "I felt nothing but your arms." He stretched, though, and groaned. "Okay... maybe my body felt it. I didn't." His eyes twinkled with embarassed mirth, and Anakin couldn't resist ruffling Luke's sandy hair.

Luke bent at the touch like a purring cat, a wide smile on his dimpled lips. Anakin reached out and clutched Luke to his chest.

"Oh, my son, you have so much hope within you." His heart was higher than the canopy of this massive forest, and he rocked Luke warmly. "I do hope you're right, my son."

"So do I," Luke murmured.

Han Solo didn't like being woken this early in the morning. At all in the morning, for that matter. But when he saw the Princess at the open flap of his tent, tossing pebbles at his face to wake him up... he knew that he had no choice.

Stumbling to his feet, he ran a hand through eyes which looked at the universe with slightly hung-over vision. He bowed sarcastically. "Yes, your Highness-ness?"

She rolled her eyes, and asked, "Have you seen Luke come back at all?"

"You ask me. You just woke me up from a dream about knocking Lando senseless with that dish he broke off. I haven't seen anything this morning."

"Did he come back last night?"

He let out a slight bark of laughter. "Not if I remember correctly- which I'm pretty sure I DON'T. You'd be better off asking someone who didn't spend last night drinking himself into a happy stupor. Ask Chewie or something."

He turned to crawl back into his tent, but she grabbed his collar and dragged him to face her at eye level- which was very low. "Then you will HELP me find him," she threatened.

Solo wasn't a fool. He knew when to agree with Leia. So he did.

Leia piloted the speeder bike through the forest, Han clutching her waist behind her, looking for anything unusual. They were going quite slowly- she had told him that it was to see more clearly.

In fact, it was to delay the confrontation with the man who had been Vader.

She knew exactly where Luke was- she just didn't want to face him and his lover alone. Leia might have been a Senator and a Princess, but she had her limits. Hopefully, having Han around would help her keep her temper down.

And besides, it seemed like the easiest way to tell Han the truth.

They approached a clearing, and Leia could see the remains of a bonfire still somewhat smoking in the misty morning air. Pulling the speeder bike to a halt, she dismounted and walked into the open space, her hand on her blaster and her boyfriend at her flank.

Luke and Anakin looked up simultaneously, as a very wary Princess and a very confused smuggler strode up to them. Leia pulled out her blaster, and aimed it only degrees away from Anakin's head.

"You had BETTER know what the hell you're doing, Luke," she growled.

**********

Feedback is encouraged! Also, if anyone wants to do any fanart about this fic or EGS, feel free to contact me at the_skywolves@yahoo.com . I would also love links to any Luke/Anakin or Luke/Vader stories that anyone writes or finds!

L.S.