When the Force Gets Bored (Star Wars Time Travel AU)

Chapter 4

"You can pilot, right?"

"Uh, yeah, but I've never been in a..."

"Great. And you still have the time-traveled copy of Anakin's lightsaber?"

"Well, yes, but I don't know how to -"

"Great. So here's what we're going to do..."

Obi-Wan had no intention for this encounter to be anything like the last one, if simply because there was no Anakin and his legendary piloting skills (which he would put to better use not crashing ships, but hey, it happens), making dumb decisions and executing suicidal plans that somehow ended up saving the day.

Honestly, he just wanted to see the look on the chancellor's face when the wrong Skywalker showed up, leaving his carefully concocted plan in tatters.

~

Luke just casually cruised into the hangar bay.

He wasn't in a starfighter or anything. And he wasn't exactly recognizable as a Jedi or anything. So while Obi-Wan had their forces occupied (and, as he said over his comm link, he didn't have Anakin to save his skin in every situation and don't repeat that to Anakin ) he just casually infiltrated the enemy ship, dusted off a bit, and waited for Obi-Wan.

Seriously, these separatists needed to not focus entirely on battle. Things like this would be way too easy.

Waiting got a little boring after a while, so he resorted to kicking his dad's old lightsaber around - which he would have felt guilty doing if the actual artifact wasn't in this same galaxy right now, in the brave and capable-of-using-a-lightsaber hands of his father. He still couldn't get over that.

Obi-Wan was taking a long time. Would it have taken this long if Anakin had been with him?

~

Ugh, this was taking forever. Seriously. He just wanted to get going already -

"Hey. Who is that?"

"Yeah, who is that?"

A squeaky and extremely irritating voice seemed to come from the side of a hallway. Luke turned around to see... droids? Looking at each other dumbly. He decided to guess they were Clone Wars Era sepratist droids. The Force seemed to confirm the answer.

They pointed blasters at him. "Who are you?"

Ugh what was that voice ?

"I was expecting the Jedi."

"Those two. You know?"

"Generals Kenobi and Skywalker."

"Roger roger, roger roger, roger roger."

Luke huffed. "Honestly, why do you sound like that?"

Then - finally - Obi-Wan decided to be done (and alive , thank the Force), and before Luke knew what was happening, all of the battle droids were on the floor, sliced in half, and there was a younger version of the old hermit from Tatooine, apparently with all his speed and agility back, holding his lightsaber in his hand. He deactivated it and put it on his belt.

"It's been a long time since I did that. Or that out there. Honestly, if they hadn't turned around and gotten temporarily confused by your ship, I would have been totally dead without your father around. Do not mention that to Anakin. Ever."

Starry-eyed at the mention of his father - who was alive right now, because of time travel , oh he was so lucky -

"Luke, we need to go. Eventually they're going to recognize me and conclude that you're a Jedi too, and here to help me. If they're confused it's not Anakin, they can deal with it."

"But I'm not a Jedi."

"Do you have a lightsaber on your belt?"

"Yes -"

"That's Jedi enough for the separatists. Come on."

~

"I was hoping for Kenobi, and of course, you to come along with him, Skywalker..."

"Oh, please. You're mad at him for stuff that happened when he was a padawan." Anakin rolled his eyes. "I hate to break it to you, but he took a padawan. Who grew up and also took a padawan. The generations are moving on without you. As famous as it is for me and my master to show up places, Ahsoka's getting involved in the action sometimes too."

Anakin hadn't even activated his lightsaber, though Ahsoka had activated hers, as had Maul. He was so entirely unbothered by the situation - he hadn't activated it getting here, either. Mandalore may be known for its warriors - who had even fought Jedi - but Anakin was Anakin.

As much as he loved his lightsaber, it hadn't been necessary, staying clipped to his belt the entire time.

"Listen, my son from the future recently arrived, and he's getting all the fun right now, getting to go fight an actual Sith in order to rescue-but-not-rescue another Sith. I'm stuck here, dealing with you - the biggest threat being that you took over Mandalore. Which is easy. Well, not easy, but I could have done it if I wanted to. So please. Can we make this quick?"

Maul seemed to process this, and his mask of ultimate control turned to complete confusion. "I'm sorry Skywalker, but what?"

It was so out of character for that look to show on his face, Ahsoka almost laughed. She definitely smiled.

Anakin did laugh though. "Yep. Time travel! My master now has memories from twenty years in the future now, too. It's awesome! Well, no, the future is not awesome, but I've had scary visions before so it actually doesn't bother me as much as the prospect of my wife dying."

Maul continued to stare at him. "Son... time travel... sith... wife?"

Ahsoka, trying not to giggle, began to sneak away. While they had him dumbfounded by Anakin, this would be the perfect time to trap him. "Rex," she whispered into her commlink. "We've got him. Well, we've got him confused."

Rex sighed. "Anakin is telling him all about the time travel, isn't he?"

"Yep."

"Alright. We're coming."

~

Once the clones had arrived, they walked in and heard Anakin ranting, "And apparently I got killed there? Like, honestly. I must have been really distracted."

"That's... not what Sidious had forese-"

"Ugh, Palpatine. I'm like so done now that I hear he's been manipulating me. Like, ew, of course I'm not going to turn to the dark side. Why would he even think that? Never. Ever."

Maul stared at him, as if contemplating whether it was a good idea to say anything. "Palpati-"

"Yeah, I know who your Sith is. And honestly, for the Force's sake, now that I know it, it's been so obvious this whole time. How was I this blind? I am glad I have a son though. He seems like a good person. A perfect mixture of me and Padmé. Lovely. I'm going to love this kid, and so is Padmé. I wonder if she's already pregnant! She might be. If she's not I can't wait. If she is I can't wait to tell her. Or maybe she knows and she's waiting to tell me. Either way I already know the gender and name so that's nice. And - oh, look. While I was talking about the future you ended up captured. That's cool."

Maul didn't even seem to care. Honestly, Rex was surprised Anakin hadn't literally talked his head off.

~

Halfway across the galaxy, two female senators - one republic, one imperial - who happened to share a great many common features stood face to face. One wondered where she was. The other wondered how this girl had popped out of thin air.