No Turning Back Pt. 2: Staying the Road
By: Eriks leadinglady
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Disclaimer: Star Wars and all affiliated characters belong to Sir George Lucas. I just collect the action figures and write stories based on my imagination.
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Please read Pt 1: Finding the Path before beginning this story! Otherwise, you might become very flummoxed and then frustrated. I like my reader to be happy and up-to-date. Thank you.
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Chapter One
She had heard bogs described before, but in person, they were much muddier than expected, and trees and plant litter covered the entire floor where there was not the muddied water. It was amazing that her ship had even landed on land; perhaps she was a better pilot than she had anticipated; or perhaps she just had luck on her side; she bet on the latter.
Holding a crying Leia, Padmé descended off her escape pod and walked carefully towards a clearing. All around her, there were batches of low-hanging trees and shrubs, making it hard for her to find her way. Then she came across a large pond – or maybe it was a lake – and she had to divert her path in order to go around it. She passed a group of fallen trees, some hollow logs, and nearly jumped at every sound that escaped from within the forests. Truly, she had no clue what she was doing here. She was looking for Yoda, but was that really worth the wrath she would face from Vader if and when she got caught?
But he told you to come here, her mind whispered. And you listened.
Was it a trap? Was his telling her to come here just a way to punish her for escaping? Or was Yoda actually here, meaning she could at last get help?
Padmé pursed her lips and continued her walk. There were just too many questions that she didn't have the answers to; she could only hope that Yoda, if he was here, would know what to do.
Although she could be asking too much just by wishing that, it was the only hope she had. She needed hope, no matter how small.
She paused in her journey and took a moment to observe her surroundings. Even though she had been walking for what seemed like days, it didn't appear as though she had covered much distance. Just as she was about to continue anyway, a rustle sounded a few feet to her left. Her eyes shifted over to the sound and then her body followed. The sight she saw was one greatly appreciated.
It was Master Yoda.
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Vader was slumped in his seat, head resting on fist, and scowling. Although he should have been mad, he was only bemused and maybe slightly frustrated. He kept sorting through the matter in his head, but to no avail. He did know, however, three facts:
Padmé and Leia escaped.
He let them escape.
He gave Padmé the location of her one hope, Master Yoda.
Vader frowned. He knew the facts, yes, but he didn't understand them. He was an omnipotent being, and yet his two pawns were allowed to escape, leaving him very, very vulnerable. If they reached Yoda, then Yoda could be let out of exile and brought to face Vader. Maybe this was in his best interest, however. If Yoda were back out in the open, then Vader could kill him. He had the power to do so, and could have done so long ago, but something was preventing him. If he killed Yoda, then all the Jedi would be gone, and he, the last and only Force-user, would rule the galaxy.
But Vader was already ruling the galaxy, thus he had no need to kill Yoda; he never wanted to waste his time or energy. Plus, he felt as though the Force didn't want him to kill Yoda, for whatever reason. Even Vader, although he was selfish, had to follow the wills and whims of the Force.
Deciding to be patient, Vader would wait and see what happened. Perhaps he wanted Padmé to have a little freedom from him, and he wanted Leia gone anyway. The Sith in him demanded that he kill her, but she was his daughter, even if she was useless, and he wanted her to live. He wanted her to have a separate life, and when Padmé returned, if she still had Leia, then he would have no choice but to kill the toddler. He didn't like it, but it would be necessary for him to eliminate the threat.
Still, while they were both gone, perhaps Vader could have some fun of his own.
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It took a moment for Padmé's common sense to take over. Even though she was looking for Yoda, she never expected to actually be able to find him; it was supposed to be hard, and yet here he was.
"Expecting you I have been," said Yoda as he wobbled toward Padmé. He stopped when he was a foot away from her. "Planned your escape has been."
"How?" asked Padmé, and when Yoda began moving forward, she followed him at a matched pace.
"The will of the Force it is. Uncertain, though, it was, and your friend, Obi-Wan, helped he did."
"Obi-Wan? But he's dead, isn't he?"
Yoda nodded. "Yes. But live on through the Force he can. Sending secret messages to Darth Vader is what we have been doing. He knows not of what we do."
Yoda's anastrophe did not help Padmé's confusion; in fact, it encouraged it. "His thoughts are not his own, then? I don't understand, Master Yoda."
"In a way true that is. All this time, controlling his thoughts and actions the Force has. Completing his destiny Skywalker is."
"Anakin?" questioned Padmé thoughtfully. Her voice then turned cold at the thought of him. "He's dead, Master Yoda. There is no good left in Vader. How can Anakin's destiny be fulfilled?"
Abruptly, Yoda stopped and turned to face Padmé. "No! Wrong you are. Skywalker's destiny is to bring balance to the Force. The last of the Sith he is."
"Then he has to die." Padmé's voice was hollow. Although she hated Vader, the thought of him being dead was still a pain to her. Then there was absolutely no hope.
"Turn from the Dark Side Skywalker could."
"But wasn't it you who said that there is no returning from the Dark Side?"
Yoda gave a curt nod and continued walking. Padmé noticed that they were nearing a small hut.
"Impossible it is," said Yoda. "But the chosen one Skywalker is. Possible for him it may be. No other Jedi has ever married another. Makes him different that does. Makes him adept to love which a Sith knows not. Help him you must."
Padmé shook her head. "But I can't! I have tried, Master Yoda, but he is too evil. I fear he is lost forever." She paused. "And he is all-powerful. Nothing can stop him."
"Granted him these powers the Force has. If fails he does, strip him of these It will."
"Why does he have all these powers?"
"The Force works in mysterious ways. Impossible to see that is."
At last they got to the hut and Padmé followed Yoda inside. It was small, but it smelled like fresh stew and bread. Before then, Padmé hadn't realized just how hungry she was. Yoda silently got her a bowl and prepared the meal for her. While she ate, he explained the situation some more.
"Have a young daughter you do. Capable of learning the ways of the Force she is. Training with me is the only option. Train Luke Vader will. Someone to match Luke's powers we need. Go back to Vader you will."
Padmé nearly choked on her stew. "What?"
"If returned Leia is, killed she will be. Stay here and train she will, until she is older. Help Vader and stay by him you must. Part of his destiny and yours this is. If you fail, badly this will end."
"What if he kills me?" asked Padmé, aghast. She clutched Leia tighter as if that would keep them both safe.
Yoda's ears drooped as he looked her straight in the eye. "A risk we must take."
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Blowing up villages with fiery-balls from Heaven was fun. No one knew this as well as Vader.
The residents of the village ran and screamed, trying to escape the flames, but it was futile. Even if one lone figure managed to escape, that one was either killed by lightning, the earth, or an ice pick; whichever Vader felt was appropriate.
This particular village on Corellia had done nothing in particular to deserve this fate. It was nothing like Sodom and Gomorrah, nothing like Amalekite, and had absolutely nothing in common with Ninevah.
These people were completely innocent: no treason, no injustices, and no ineptitudes. Just people living out the day – plowing, planting, farming, eating – and then everything going wrong with balls of fire from Heaven. Once they learned that it was Vader making these atrocities, things seemed to make more sense, but the justice still did not.
But Vader, with a sick smile gracing his countenance, looked completely at home and gleeful at the pain he was inflicting.
This was his idea of fun on a day off.
Perhaps he should have less.
Perhaps Padmé needed to return because, although it didn't appear so, maybe Vader needed her.
Luckily enough for him, the Force decided that he needed her, too.
And after his little rendezvous with the villagers and returning to his ship, he found Padmé in his quarters and all hell broke loose.
A/N: Welcome everyone to Part 2! Please bless me with your thoughts - you don't even have to pay two cents! It's completely free! What a bargain : )
Love, Hate, Envy, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, and Sloth,
E. Ll