Don't Look Back
By: Scratch
Darth Vader sat in his meditation chamber, thinking. On that day,
his son, Luke Skywalker, had surrendered to some imperial guards, and the
guards had brought him to Vader.
Luke tried to convince him that he was still Anakin Skywalker, and
he still had a good place somewhere inside his heart. Vader denied it and
told the guards to put him in a holding cell. This was what he was, a
powerful Sith. The Dark Side gave him that power.
Did it?
Or was it just the hate and anger that made him forget the power
that could be gained from the Light Side of the Force, also? Jedi could be
powerful, too. Maybe even more so than Sith... no, they couldn't. But
somewhere deep down inside, he knew what he wanted, how many great hopes he
had had about becoming a Jedi. He knew he was cheating himself and his son
when he tried to persuade Luke to join the Dark Side. Then why, if he thought
all these things, was he being so stubborn? Why didn't he just... The Jedi
were the evil ones. They had...
They had taken his mother away...
Away from him. They had... No, no, he couldn't go so far in his
thinking. He couldn't look back. It was just too painful. He decided to
sleep away his painful memories.
Vader fell asleep quickly. Different thoughts whirled through his
head. Then... they stopped, as quickly as they had started.
And suddenly Vader was on a hot, sandy desert. He wasn't sure how
he had gotten there or what form he was in. He looked up at the sky, and he
saw two suns there. Pretty, glowing suns. Vader saw a small settlement in the
distance, and he proceeded towards it.
When he reached the crowded streets of Mos Espa, he looked at all
the strange and mean-looking aliens who stared blankly back at him. He walked
along the streets, and soon reached the slave quarters. He walked to an empty
path. He went a little more ways into the clearing, and then he saw a little
boy. The little boy did not run away, he just stared. He was not afraid.
Darth Vader looked down at him. He was about nine years old, and he
had blue eyes and sandy hair. He was dressed in ragged slave clothes. They
just stared at each other for a minute, and then the boy left without a word,
just a few curious looks. Vader sensed something about him... something
familiar.
Vader followed him. He knew that this boy meant SOMETHING. The boy
walked on a bit, and then went into one of the slave houses. He shouted,
"Mom, mom, I'm home!" A woman with tied-up brown hair who looked like she was
in her forties came into the room. "Oh, hello, Ani," she said, and hugged the
boy. Vader gasped. Now he knew! This was... his mother!!! So that meant...
Ani... the little boy was him!? Yes, it was!
Vader ran to the woman, tried to hug her. But she couldn't see him.
Vader was so sad. What was wrong? Didn't she know him? Then Ani's mother
walked away.
Vader watched Anakin as he talked with his mother, worked and talked
to his droid, C-3PO, ate dinner, and finally went to bed. He watched young
Anakin sleep. He looked at his face, full of hopes, dreams, and
determination. That was him once. He remembered.
Suddenly, his surroundings changed once more. He was transported to
a chamber in a huge city. Twelve beings were there, along with two Jedi
and... Anakin again, too. Vader sensed something about the boy's feelings at
the moment, they were restless, unsettled. The twelve beings were all
concentrating their gaze on Anakin, and it seemed to be making him
uncomfortable. One of the beings, perhaps one of the "leaders", seemed to be
testing the boy, and Anakin was afraid of how he was doing on their tests.
Vader felt Anakin's pain. Then they started to ask Anakin questions. To Vader
it felt like they were interrogating him, and he could tell Anakin felt the
same way. However, Vader was wise, and he knew it was all a test. Are you
strong? Are you afraid? Can you take it? It was all a test to see if he was
strong enough mentally to be a Jedi Knight. Anakin, however, was not
enlightened that this was his test. He felt claustrophobic almost, as if
there was not enough room for him, the Jedi, and their questions in this
chamber. Vader sensed Anakin's thoughts completely, after all, they had been
his own. He sensed rage in Anakin's thoughts and eyes. But Vader looked deep
down inside Anakin, beneath his rage, and below it... was fear. Fear leads to
suffering...
By: Scratch
Darth Vader sat in his meditation chamber, thinking. On that day,
his son, Luke Skywalker, had surrendered to some imperial guards, and the
guards had brought him to Vader.
Luke tried to convince him that he was still Anakin Skywalker, and
he still had a good place somewhere inside his heart. Vader denied it and
told the guards to put him in a holding cell. This was what he was, a
powerful Sith. The Dark Side gave him that power.
Did it?
Or was it just the hate and anger that made him forget the power
that could be gained from the Light Side of the Force, also? Jedi could be
powerful, too. Maybe even more so than Sith... no, they couldn't. But
somewhere deep down inside, he knew what he wanted, how many great hopes he
had had about becoming a Jedi. He knew he was cheating himself and his son
when he tried to persuade Luke to join the Dark Side. Then why, if he thought
all these things, was he being so stubborn? Why didn't he just... The Jedi
were the evil ones. They had...
They had taken his mother away...
Away from him. They had... No, no, he couldn't go so far in his
thinking. He couldn't look back. It was just too painful. He decided to
sleep away his painful memories.
Vader fell asleep quickly. Different thoughts whirled through his
head. Then... they stopped, as quickly as they had started.
And suddenly Vader was on a hot, sandy desert. He wasn't sure how
he had gotten there or what form he was in. He looked up at the sky, and he
saw two suns there. Pretty, glowing suns. Vader saw a small settlement in the
distance, and he proceeded towards it.
When he reached the crowded streets of Mos Espa, he looked at all
the strange and mean-looking aliens who stared blankly back at him. He walked
along the streets, and soon reached the slave quarters. He walked to an empty
path. He went a little more ways into the clearing, and then he saw a little
boy. The little boy did not run away, he just stared. He was not afraid.
Darth Vader looked down at him. He was about nine years old, and he
had blue eyes and sandy hair. He was dressed in ragged slave clothes. They
just stared at each other for a minute, and then the boy left without a word,
just a few curious looks. Vader sensed something about him... something
familiar.
Vader followed him. He knew that this boy meant SOMETHING. The boy
walked on a bit, and then went into one of the slave houses. He shouted,
"Mom, mom, I'm home!" A woman with tied-up brown hair who looked like she was
in her forties came into the room. "Oh, hello, Ani," she said, and hugged the
boy. Vader gasped. Now he knew! This was... his mother!!! So that meant...
Ani... the little boy was him!? Yes, it was!
Vader ran to the woman, tried to hug her. But she couldn't see him.
Vader was so sad. What was wrong? Didn't she know him? Then Ani's mother
walked away.
Vader watched Anakin as he talked with his mother, worked and talked
to his droid, C-3PO, ate dinner, and finally went to bed. He watched young
Anakin sleep. He looked at his face, full of hopes, dreams, and
determination. That was him once. He remembered.
Suddenly, his surroundings changed once more. He was transported to
a chamber in a huge city. Twelve beings were there, along with two Jedi
and... Anakin again, too. Vader sensed something about the boy's feelings at
the moment, they were restless, unsettled. The twelve beings were all
concentrating their gaze on Anakin, and it seemed to be making him
uncomfortable. One of the beings, perhaps one of the "leaders", seemed to be
testing the boy, and Anakin was afraid of how he was doing on their tests.
Vader felt Anakin's pain. Then they started to ask Anakin questions. To Vader
it felt like they were interrogating him, and he could tell Anakin felt the
same way. However, Vader was wise, and he knew it was all a test. Are you
strong? Are you afraid? Can you take it? It was all a test to see if he was
strong enough mentally to be a Jedi Knight. Anakin, however, was not
enlightened that this was his test. He felt claustrophobic almost, as if
there was not enough room for him, the Jedi, and their questions in this
chamber. Vader sensed Anakin's thoughts completely, after all, they had been
his own. He sensed rage in Anakin's thoughts and eyes. But Vader looked deep
down inside Anakin, beneath his rage, and below it... was fear. Fear leads to
suffering...