With the revelation of his son's survival comes the sudden death of Darth Vader.
One night, he dreams of teaching a sandy haired boy how to swim in the lake on Naboo and when he wakes up, all that darkness and hate and rage is nowhere to be found.
And so, Anakin Skywalker makes new choices.
He goes to Kamino, where he knows Palpetine has his DNA on file, and orders the techs to clone his damaged organs and limbs (all but the right hand. He's too used to the mech), and he spends almost a year there, letting them mend his long-broken body. It's painful, but Anakin Skywalker is nothing if not used to pain.
And he speaks to no one. No one knows where he is. Palpetine either doesn't know and is furious, or knows and doesn't care. Most think he's died, and the Rebellion celebrates, but they've still got a sith lord ruling the galaxy so not too hard.
And when the techs finish, Anakin Skywalker looks in the mirror at his less-pale but still deeply scarred face, at his long limbs and for the first time in two decades takes a long, deeply breath.
And disappears.
He steals an unmarked ship.
He finds a swampy planet that seems to be relatively uninhabited.
And he breathes.
Until one day, while in meditation, settled on the marshy grown, something pokes his knee.
And when Anakin Skywalker cracks an eye open to see what is disturbing his meditation, he freezes.
Because the wizened, green old Jedi standing there with his cane nudging the former sith looks both incredibly pleased to see him but also not pleased at all.
"A debt do you owe this galaxy, Skywalker," Yoda tells him. "Hide, you must not from your responsibilities."
"I've done enough damage for a few lifetimes, Master Yoda," Anakin responds.
Yoda huffs and sits next to him, looking at the swamp. "Blind were the Jedi, to your troubles."
"No. I made choices."
"And one more you must make," Yoda says. "Come calling, destiny always does."
Above them, the sound of a starfighter breaking atmo cracks through the calm of the Degobah swamp, and the presence of its pilot sings through the Force, right in Anakin Skywalker's ears.
He sighs deeply. "Kriff."
It earns him a smack upside the head from Yoda's cane.
"Language, young Skywalker," the old Jedi chuckles. "Or a bad influence on your son you will be."
