A wise Jedi once said that fear is a path to the dark side. "Fear leads to Anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate leads to Suffering." Fear, anger, hate and suffering, the four eternal emotions that one cannot have. All my life, I played on both sides of our beloved galaxy in different battles and I've never strayed to being on the right side... until now.
In case you should know, my name is Valkyrie 1, I am a humanoid (nothing like a cyborg) with a young man's face and synthetic flesh, human emotions and blue body armor as a dead giveaway to my model.
80 BBY to 32 BBY
Being a prototype model built on Christophsis for 500 hundred other humanoids programmed to protect and serve in other sectors seemed to be like a tough idea for me, but mostly it's just fatal. I pretty much had something on my mind that none of my "brothers" or "sisters" had: To learn the ways of the Force. But since I'm an artificial being, all I can do is combat skills. All right, I guess you can wonder how I ended up in the custody of the Jedi Order.
Well, it all started with the arrival of the young Jedi Master Dooku and his apprentice Qui-Gon Jinn. I was trying out as a shoe-in for some irreplaceable lightsaber and combat training droids seeing who my competitors were: a few Younglings and some Padawans.
After a few wins and some slight repairs, I eventually got my own office in the Room of a Thousand Fountains as a psychiatrist for the Temple's non Force-sensitive.
"There is a reason why Jedi are trained since birth; it gives an interesting and compelling journey. Anybody who is too old to be trained is likely to easily succumb to the dark side of the Force."
"Chancellor Valorum! Did you know that I followed your career from its height in the Senate?"
"I'm sure it won't remind you of how far you have fallen."
And later on with Qui-Gon, during the Invasion of Naboo:
"I will take Anakin as my apprentice."
And that's where I said. "Qui-Gon, I don't mean sound rude, but don't you already have an apprentice, because it would be difficult to train two of them."
"Right for once, Valkyrie is."
"The code forbids it."
After joining the new recruit in the siege to take back Naboo, I was soon disappointed with the causalities before I quietly followed Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon battling a mysterious Sith assassin into the generator complex. I looked and watched Obi-Wan carrying his master in his hands.
"He is the chosen one…he will bring balance…train him."
32 BBY to 22 BBY
Armed with a blue lightsaber, my blaster and Qui-Gon's dying wish to have his former apprentice train the young Anakin Skywalker, I decided to learn a little more about him before the new chancellor Palpatine could get the news.
"So, Shmi…may I call you Mrs. Skywalker. How is it that your son came to be?"
"I don't really know what happened, he was…unexpected."
I told Anakin the news.
"So Anakin, I hear you dreamed about this kind of life?"
"One where I came back to free all the slaves?"
And by the time he was 16:
"All this time," I said to him. "And you still haven't come back for her?"
"I wish."
Just when it looked like Anakin would never get the chance to free his mother, or at least see her again, fate in the form of Senator Padmé Amidala from Naboo made her presence known.
"Ani? My goodness, you've grown."
"So have you."
In the midst of the instructed escort mission, he took her to Tatooine, where his story was being dragged back to his mother, injured and beaten by an entire tribe of Sandpeople. The moment she died was the title that popped into his head: "The Diary of the Most Powerful Jedi Ever". All he had to do was to get close to his subject: killing the entire tribe of Tusken Raiders.
I, on the other hand was with Obi-Wan investigating the mysterious planet of Kamino. Later on, we followed the bounty hunter Jango Fett to Geonosis, where its droid factories were the real deal, there were even battle droids left there from the battle of Naboo. The boss of the ongoing Sepratists rebellion was none other than Count Dooku, thinking we were all corrupt and degenerate, and it wasn't long before Obi-Wan and I were captured by a squad of droidekas.
"You must join me Obi-Wan, and together we can destroy the Sith."
Obi Wan flatly refused, so I had to do something to make the Dooku think I was tough like him instead of scared like me.
"You won't but I will. I mean, who knows? What if he is telling the truth?"
22 BBY to 19 BBY during the Clone Wars
I was soon reprogrammed and in alliance with the Confederacy of Independent Systems (much of my time spent in assisting the Kaleesh General Grevious and Dooku's apprentice Asajj Ventress) but it would not be too long before Anakin would do the same, only this time with Chancellor Palpatine, who turned out to be a Sith Lord.
"He must stand trial."
"He has control of both the Senate and the courts. He is too dangerous to be kept alive."
"I NEED HIM!"
What was he gonna do? Just let him die? I don't think so, so he sent Master Windu flying out the window.
"What have I done?!"
In the words of Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, it was all too easy. He could have told Obi-Wan that he and Padmé had eloped, and then fools would have made him the laughing stock of the Jedi Order. The path was now clear for him to go deep, deep, deep into the dark side of the Force.
He sold protection to the Younglings and the Initiates...Took the lives of the Padawans and their masters, while the clones took care of the Council members and the Grand Masters.
"The time has come. Execute Order 66."
Palpatine and Vader were running things, you heard me? The dark side was bad, but it felt good, so good that even Palpatine transformed the Republic into the first Galactic Empire. In no time at all, Anakin had enough material to construct his own Sith lightsaber, but never got the chance. He was too busy killing off the Separatist council on Mustafar. I don't know when he started changing, but it was obvious that something was happening to Anakin. It was amazing how he took to his new role as a Sith Lord.
"I have brought peace, freedom and security to my new Empire."
Anakin was feared by all, and pretty soon, I didn't care if Padmé knew about his life as Darth Vader or not.
"Anakin...you're breaking my heart...you are going down a path I can't follow!"
"YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness! ...You were my brother Anakin, I loved you."
"Lord Vader...rise..."
I couldn't believe it, my whole galaxy had changed forever.
19 BBY to 0 BBY
Life in the Empire wasn't so bad: no more Jedi, discipline in the Imperial Academy, an iron fist to those who refused...I could've done the time standing by Lord Vader's side at every minute. Unfortunately, it was the one thing me and Emperor Palpatine agreed on.
"Do what must be. Do not hesitate and show no mercy."
The truth is, I had been standing with a bunch of incompetent officers so long, every one of them was bound to think twice before screwing up Vader's intentions.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing."
And that's all it took, reprimanding that skeptical Admiral Motti made me and Vader second and third in-commands of the Imperial Navy. From the moment construction on Death Star began, we ran it all from the Star Destroyers to the lower sections of the Imperial Senate. If anyone got out of line with Vader or failed to appease him, the person in trouble would get a death sentence from either a slash from my claws or a big choke from Vader.
Everything was going fine, I was thinking a re-upping some new recruits for another training session, when somebody stole the plans for the Death Star. Bet you can guess who the thief was.
"You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor!"
There she was, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan caught red-handed in the act. So she hid the incriminating plans in an R2 unit. But it didn't help her from getting stunned by one of our stormtroopers.
"I am a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission-"
If her mouth wasn't so quiet, she would have clowned him about his helmet.
"You are about to find out what happens to those who defy me."
And find out she did, Vader threw everything at her...an ITO interrogation droid.
"And now, your highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base."
My claws...
"TELL US NOW!"
And the destruction of her home planet.
"You're far too trusting. Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration. But don't worry—we will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough."
By the time she was put back into her cell, a small army of Rebel sympathizers knew it was their duty to bust her out of the joint...for example, to disguise themselves through heavy security.
"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"
"I'm Luke Skywalker and I'm here to rescue you."
Breaking out of the Death Star seemed so easy, Vader came to the hanger and gave the elderly Obi-Wan Kenobi a reprisal duel.
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
So he did, and I was fortunate enough to escape the Death Star's destruction at the hands of an even smaller army.
Three years of searching and a month of discovery later, Vader went on a mad trek to find his son Luke Skywalker. Of course the first system he looked up was Hoth, where Rebels had set up a new base.
"That's it. The Rebels are there."
But later on, we couldn't believe the news that Luke had escaped and gone soft on Vader. So he decided to look for the crew of the Millennium Falcon, if for no other reason that Skywalker was with them. We arraigned a deal with administrator, Lando Calrissian of Cloud City to make the necessary preparations.
"Lord Vader, we only use this facility for carbon freezing. If you put him in there, it might kill him."
"I do not want the Emperor's prize damaged. We will test it... on Captain Solo."
I didn't know it at the time, but it was the beginning of a long duel.
"The Force is strong with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet."
Despite my efforts, and his revelations, Luke was no help at all! He was too shocked and totally in denial to hear his dad become a Sith Lord and use the Force for his dark needs of taking money, food and dignity through the Imperial needs. But that was okay, Luke turned himself in a year later on Endor and the two finally got to have a father-son talk about the amount of goodness that was still inside him.
"It is too late for me son."
I was in the Emperor's throne room on the new Death Star, they are discussing about how Luke's friends are being lured into a trap. Sounds like a trap in the shield generator base, which was foiled by an army of fluffy Ewoks. Oh no! Vader and Luke are dueling! What else can I do? I can't defy the Emperor now if all is lost for us. As I watched Luke and Vader clash their lightsabers under the platform, I soon heard from the dark lord himself that Luke had a sister, whom he also believed would be a perfect candidate from the dark side. But after cutting off his hand, Luke refused to kill his own father, I knew he still loved him after a thousand terrible things.
"I am a Jedi, like my father before me."
"If you will not bet turned, then you must be DESTROYED!"
"FATHER, PLEASE!"
As I stood there watching Luke suffer at the powers of the Emperor, I suddenly heard the words of Qui-Gon Jinn.
"He is the Chosen One...he will bring balance."
Vader's home, his family and his friends had all turned against him. Everything that he held near and dear was no longer dear or near, but he still had one act of kindness to fulfill the prophecy.
"Tell your sister, you were right."
So, that's how it all happened- the fall to the dark side, disrespecting his wife, bringing chaos to the galaxy- it all led me straight here. I started out as a training droid for the Jedi and became an honorary member of the Sith. I guess that's what happens when you train a force-sensitive beyond the age of one.
After joining Luke for his father's funeral and a victory celebration, the next chapter in my life had begun...the title popped into my head: "The Diary of a Rebel Warrior". If you want to know how my life ends, pick up a copy of Legacy of the Force: Invincible.