Past and Future Father

by Clone_trooper_Finn

Summary:

Title may change later on

Luke and Vader time travel to the clone wars

Chapter 1: 1

Luke’s lightsaber met Vader’s in a bright flare of plasma, the impact shuddering through his arms. He stepped back into a defensive stance, blade angled to deflect the heavy, deliberate strikes hammering toward him.
Without warning, Vader reached out with the Force, wrenching a massive boulder from the forest floor and hurling it at him. Luke twisted aside, the rock shattering into bark and soil where he’d stood. He turned, scanning the trees—

Vader was gone.

Luke kept his blade up, senses straining. The forest hummed with wind and distant wildlife, but the familiar pull of his father’s presence was suddenly… muffled.

Then—pressure. An unseen grip closed around his throat, lifting him before hurling him over a broad shoulder. Luke hit the earth hard, his saber skittering out of line before he rolled to his feet, panting.

Vader emerged from the shadows, crimson blade hissing to life.
“Good,” he said, voice deep and mechanical. “You have grown stronger. But you still hesitate. You see the opening—and you let it pass.”

He reached to his belt and produced a heavy durasteel cuff etched with faint circuits. With a click, it locked around Luke’s wrist. Instantly, the Force went silent, like air sucked from the galaxy.

Vader’s helmet tilted slightly. “Can’t have you using the Force.”

Luke glanced down, spotting strange symbols carved into the ground beneath them. Ancient lines spiraled outward, glowing faintly—and moving.
“Uh… Father, I’ve got a question,” he said warily.

The symbols spun faster, threads of light weaving upward like ghostly chains.

“No, Luke,” Vader rumbled, seizing his forearm in an iron grip. “You can’t go—you’ll run again.”
“No, Father—look!” Luke’s voice was sharp now, pointing at the runes.

Before Vader could reply, the light flared—blinding—and everything went black.

Luke woke on cold, damp grass under an alien sky. His head throbbed, the air thick with the scent of rain. He pushed himself up just in time to see Vader striding toward him through the mist.
Luke scrambled back, but Vader was on him in two steps, clamping a massive hand around his wrist. The other hand, gloved and cold, pressed to his cheek.
“Sleep,” Vader commanded.

Luke’s vision blurred. The forest dimmed. He slumped into unconsciousness.

Vader caught him easily and lifted him into his arms. As he walked, boots crunching over twigs, his sensors scanned the terrain. The readings confirmed what his instincts already told him—lush, untouched, saturated with life. Not their time.
A flicker of movement ahead.

Two figures stood in a shaft of daylight—one in Jedi robes, the other in clone armor and tunic. Vader’s blood ran hot. Obi-Wan Kenobi. And beside him—

Himself.

Younger. Whole. Draped in the Jedi tunic of Anakin Skywalker. Naïve. Weak. The memory of that idealism twisted in Vader’s gut, though a darker part of him thought: useful.

Vader crouched, removed the inhibitor cuff from Luke’s wrist, and locked it around his ankle instead. Then, drawing in a slow breath, he strode forward.

“Help!” Vader’s voice rang out—urgent, almost desperate. “My son—he’s injured!”

The younger Anakin froze, eyes locked on the armored giant cradling the boy. His expression was equal parts confusion and disbelief. Obi-Wan’s gaze sharpened, his hand drifting toward his saber while his face stayed composed.

Vader took a step closer, letting just enough panic slip into his tone. “Please—help him. I can’t lose my son.”

Obi-Wan activated his comm. “General Kenobi to Commander Cody—we have an emergency.”

The younger Anakin still hadn’t moved, staring openly now. “You know… you sound oddly familiar.”
Vader tilted his head just enough to hide the flicker of annoyance. “I’ve been told I have one of those… voices.”

Obi-Wan raised a brow but said nothing. It was going to be one of those days.

Chapter 2: 2

Summary:

Had motivation today:)
Fives is playing with fire

Vader sat in the cramped trooper transport, cradling Luke carefully in his arms. Little Anakin’s wide eyes followed him, full of curiosity and cautious awe. Vader felt a knot in his stomach, a mixture of disgust and… nostalgia. Seeing his younger self so weak, so untested, made him feel almost ill.
“So… Vader,” Anakin said after a moment, tilting his head. “You’re a Jedi?”
Vader’s response was a simple, quiet, “No.”
Anakin blinked, then shrugged. “Alright, No need to be rude” he muttered, a faint frown crossing his forehead. Vader rolled his eyes under his mask, and for a brief moment, a small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.
His gaze drifted to Captain Rex, who gave a crisp salute. The trooper transport shuddered as it touched down on the deck of a Republic Attack Cruiser. The sight felt oddly familiar—almost home—but still wrong, like stepping into someone else’s memory.
Vader carefully laid Luke on a medical bed , covering the ankle cuff with his robe. Then he turned and left the room, walking briskly down the corridor.
He almost collided with Obi-Wan. Vader felt the old anger stir but managed to keep it suppressed. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “For helping my son.”
Obi-Wan nodded, his expression calm as ever. “Of course.” And with that, he walked away.
A few minutes later, Vader returned to the medical bay and froze. Anakin was talking to Luke, gesturing animatedly while Luke listened, half-asleep but curious. Vader’s chest tightened. This Anakin already had Padmé. He didn’t need his past self bonding with his son, past Anakin can’t have both.
“Hey,” Vader said, voice sharp, “I want to talk to my son alone.”
Anakin raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Sure,” he said, stepping back and out of the room, Vader scoffed quietly.
He knelt beside Luke’s bed. “Stay away from Anakin, young one,” he warned.
“But… why, Father?” Luke asked, squinting up at him. “He’s you, and you’re him.”
Vader’s hand tightened slightly on the edge of the bed. “I told you before… Anakin Skywalker is dead.”
Luke sighed, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Father, I won’t leave you. I know there’s still good in you. You don’t need to be jealous that I talk to him…. as he is still you…. and he’s still my father too.”
Vader felt the weight of those words. He sighed behind the mask, his mechanical breathing the only sound in the room. “Just… listen to me,” he said, placing a gloved hand gently on Luke’s cheek. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Luke smile “I know but maybe don’t kidnap me.” Luke says with a slight laugh as Vader also laughs a little “rest for now” he says.
Vader left the room, his cape brushing against the floor. He almost collided with Kix in the corridor.
“So… your kid is looking healthy so I just recommending some rest” Kix says with a small grin.
Vader exhaled through the mask, a rare, almost human sigh of relief. “That is… good,” he admitted, allowing himself to sound softer—just enough to seem like he is not a threat but a worried father.
After a few hours, Luke stirred awake. The medical bay was quiet, the hum of the cruiser’s engines a steady backdrop. Sliding off the bed, he padded down the hallways, his eyes taking in every detail.
He’d heard stories about the Clone Wars—about the bravery of the clones themselves. And now, here he was, walking among them. More than that… this was his chance. If he played things right, maybe he could find a way to save his father before he ever fell to the dark side.
“Hey, who are you” a voice called from behind.
Luke turned to see a clone trooper strolling toward him, helmet tucked under one arm, a lopsided grin on his face.
“Hey,” Luke said, smiling politely. “Name’s Luke. What’s yours?”
“Fives,” the trooper replied, flashing a confident grin.
Luke’s smile widened. “Nice to meet you, Fives.”
“So,” Fives said with mock seriousness, “what’s a pretty face like you doing on an attack cruiser?”
Luke chuckled. “Oh, my father and I got a little… lost. Jedi Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker are helping us out. And—you’re good looking, by the way.”
Fives smirked and gave a casual shrug. “Yep, I know.”
Luke laughed and shook his head.
“So, want me to show you around the ship?” Fives asked, leaning on the bulkhead like he had all the time in the galaxy.
Luke hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “No thanks, not right now.”
“Suit yourself,” Fives said with a grin.
As Luke walked off, Fives turned toward the barracks. “Yeah,” he muttered to himself, already picturing Echo’s face, “I definitely have to tell Echo about this one.”

Chapter 3

Summary:

another chapter up
kind of cringe

“No, Fives, I don’t care who you think you saw,” Echo said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This isn’t 79’s. Go back to work.”
Fives groaned dramatically. “Fine. But when I’m right, I expect an apology.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Echo muttered, already turning back to his datapad.
With a sigh, Fives trudged off toward his post, muttering something about how no one ever listened to him.
Meanwhile, Luke wandered down the bright corridors of the cruiser, curiosity tugging him from one hallway to the next. As he rounded a corner, he nearly collided with a familiar figure.
“Hello,” Luke said brightly, smiling.
“Hello, young one,” came the warm, precise reply. It was Obi-Wan Kenobi—but not the weathered hermit Luke had known. This Obi-Wan was younger, sharper, composed. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing good,” Luke replied. “Name’s Luke.”
Obi-Wan smiled faintly. “Well then—Obi-Wan Kenobi, at your service.”
Luke chuckled. “Yeah, I figured.”
Obi-Wan gave him a small nod as he passed. “We’ll see you soon, then, kid.”
“Yeah… see you later,” Luke said, shaking his head with an amused grin.
Turning another corner, Luke nearly bumped into a much larger figure—towering, armored, unmistakable.
“Oh—hey, Father,” Luke said, a little awkward but smiling.
Vader regarded him silently for a long moment. Then, his modulated voice rumbled: “Come. I will train you. Properly this time.”
Luke’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Yes,” Vader said with a solemn nod. “If you are to fight in battles, you must know how to survive. The Jedi never taught you discipline. I will.”
He produced Luke’s lightsaber from beneath his cloak and handed it over.
“Thanks, Father!” Luke said, almost bouncing as he accepted it. He hurried after Vader, eager.
As they strode through the hall, Luke asked, “So… what kind of training? Force techniques? Like that sleep trick you keep using on me?”
Vader’s mask tilted slightly. “No. You cannot use the Force. Not here. You have no skill in masking your presence. That foolish younger version of me would sense you immediately.”
Luke pouted. “Fair… but my saber form isn’t bad. It’s my own style.”
Vader gave a low chuckle. “Ture. But you will learn to use everything around you. The battlefield does not care about style or does it play fair.”
Luke smiled, eager. “Alright. Let’s start.”
Training Bay – Hours Later
The hiss and crackle of sabers filled the chamber. Vader blocked Luke’s strike with effortless strength, shoving him back. Luke recovered quickly, leaping in with a spin and sweeping his blade in a wide arc. The motion stirred a gust of wind through the training bay.
“Impressive,” Vader rumbled—then extended a hand. Luke was slammed to the ground by a controlled push of the Force.
Luke gritted his teeth, springing back to his feet. “You know, Father, this would be a lot easier if I had the Force, too.”
A deep chuckle rolled from Vader’s mask. “You may be right my boy but you have to know how to fight without the force so when you like you know cuffed and left forceless you are know how to fight.”
He reached behind him, seized an empty supply crate, and hurled it toward Luke.
Luke cut it cleanly in half, sparks flying. “Yes—thank you for throwing things at me,” he said dryly. As he jumps out of the way of an other crate “hey stop it” Luke says.
“Very well,” Vader replied evenly. “I will stop.”
Luke arched a brow. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Another crate flew at him.
“Really, Father?” Luke groaned, slicing it apart mid-air.
Vader’s deep laugh echoed through the chamber. He followed it with a sudden blast of Force, slamming Luke back against the wall.
“Sorry, boy,” Vader said coldly. “Even with family, you never lower your guard.”
Luke coughed, then staggered back up, saber humming in his grip. As he manages to block another hit form Vader “Got it.” Luke says as he looks at Vader.
Vader extinguished his blade and clipped it to his belt. “Good. Enough for now. It will be mealtime soon. You should speak with the clones. But not with him.” His tone sharpened, venom dripping through the vocoder. “Not with the younger version of me. Do you understand?”
Luke nodded, brushing dust from his tunic. “Alright… but why?”
“Because he cannot learn who you are,” Vader said darkly. “Or what you know. The consequences would be… disastrous.”
With that, he swept from the chamber, cloak trailing behind him.
Luke exhaled, rolling his shoulders. “I think he needs some quite time” he muttered, sheathing his saber before heading off to find the mess hall.

Chapter 4: 4

Summary:

Luke eats with the clones Rex notices something interesting about Luke
As Vader talks to Anakin and rials him up

Again kinda cringey chapter

Luke stepped into the mess hall, tray in hand, and glanced around. The place buzzed with clones in white-and-blue armor, laughing, talking, and wolfing down rations like they hadn’t eaten in days. Spotting an open seat, he slid onto the bench next to a trooper in blue-marked armor.
“Well, well,” the clone drawled, giving him a once-over. “If it isn’t the son of the grumpy robot man.”
Luke blinked, then let out a laugh. “Yeah… it’s Luke.”
The clone grinned. “Name’s Echo. And that blondie over there,” he added, pointing his fork toward a clone with a captain’s pauldron, “that’s Rex.”
“Nice to meet you,” Luke said, smiling warmly.
Rex glanced over at him, nodding politely. But as his eyes lingered, something unsettled tugged at the back of his mind. There was a strange familiarity about the kid—something in his face, his presence. He couldn’t place it, but it nagged at him all the same.
Echo, meanwhile, smirked and leaned closer. “Gotta admit, Fives was right. You are kinda cute.”
Luke’s cheeks flushed, and he tried to cover it with a laugh. “Uh… thanks, I guess.”
Across the table, Rex raised an eyebrow. “Cute?”
Echo shrugged, grinning like he’d won something. “Just saying what everyone’s thinking.”
Luke chuckled nervously, suddenly very interested in the mystery meat on his tray.
Vader stood in the shadows of the corridor, watching.
There was his younger self—Anakin Skywalker—talking animatedly with Obi-Wan Kenobi. The sight made Vader’s stomach twist. Weak. Naïve. Still clinging to friendship and trust. But beneath all that light, Vader could sense it: the shadow already stirring in him, the anger waiting to surface.
A smirk tugged beneath the mask. What will it take to make him see? To make him realize?
Vader stepped forward, his voice low and mechanical. “Hello, boy.”
Anakin turned, brow furrowing. “You want something?”
“No,” Vader replied evenly. “Merely… observing. You and Senator Amidala seem quite close.”
Anakin scoffed, crossing his arms. “She’s a friend. That’s all.”
“Oh, really?” Vader tilted his head. “Then why does your voice rise in anger the moment she’s mentioned?”
Anakin’s jaw tightened. He turned sharply, walking away.
Vader’s modulated voice followed him, cutting through the corridor like a blade. “You know what you will become. Save her.”
Anakin froze mid-step, every muscle going rigid. He didn’t turn, but his thoughts churned like a storm. What does he mean?
Without another word, Vader strode off, his cape billowing behind him.
Anakin finally forced himself forward, but his mind was still racing as he entered the mess hall.