Anakin's Fall
By Mellaithwen
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: Anything recognizable as Star Wars or anything affiliated with it belongs to George Lucas, and not me.
Summary: The last fight between Master Obi Wan Kenobi and Padawan Anakin Skywalker. My version of the scene in Episode 3.
Spoilers: Inspired from the trailer, but mainly spoilers regarding Anakin's identity in Episodes 4-6
Bold Italics are Anakin's thoughts and normal italics are his memories
Molten lava shot up all around them. Dirty, unsteady ground rumbled and shook as the volcano continued to erupt. Two figures in the middle of it all. General Kenobi, esteemed Knight of the Jedi Order, and Anakin Skywalker, Kenobi's former Padawan.
They were both excellent fighter. Obi Wan was known for his quick learning and had been Padawan to a great Jedi, and know Obi Wan had taught Anakin. His protégé.
Obi Wan took the defence, intent on not having to injure his Padawan.
"Stop this!" He cried as he blocked a blow to his abdomen
Anakin, however, took the attack stance. Blow after blow he was driving against his Master, intent on winning this fight.
"Never!" Anakin growled and threw himself against his Master. Obi Wan was taken by surprise and landed on to the rock hard, with Anakin pinning him down.
Anakin raised his sabre, ready to deal the fatal blow when Obi Wan's own blade stopped him, inches from the Jedi Masters neck.
Obi Wan's face held much more than pain as he fought to keep Anakin's blade away from his neck. Regret shone through his bright green eyes as he looked up at boy he had known as a son. His long hair, wet with perspiration, his teeth gritted, snarling, pressing his sabre down on his Master.
Obi Wan had once found it so easy to look Anakin in the eyes, the innocence that was once held there had matured into resilience, stubbornness, even curiosity and now only pure hatred lay in those beautiful orbs of his.
"It doesn't have to be like that." Obi Wan cried through his teeth, gritted, as he tried to push the lightsabre away. He could feel the heat pulsing against his skin, an inch closer and –
"Anakin, please!" Obi Wan begged, praying something of the old boy he had known was still there beyond this mask of darkness.
Anakin looked into Obi Wan's eyes and in the few seconds that he was lost in them, Obi Wan pushed him back enough to rise. He stood, prepared for a fight, but wanting no such thing. The former Padawan had had enough.
"This will end now, old man!"
Now, you will die Obi Wan Kenobi.
Anakin charged at Obi Wan again, Obi Wan had seen it coming, and would not fall victim to it again. He had taught Anakin better than this, surely the boy realised how predictable his moves were getting! Obi Wan spun to the left of Anakin's form.
The boy tried to turn at the same speed, but failed. The force, in all its great goodness and light, was no longer his complete ally. Anakin lost his footing and fell over the edge.
"NO! ANAKIN!" Obi Wan shouted and dived across the floor to grab hold of his former Padawans arm.
He was so close, he had almost touched the tips of Anakin's fingers, but the boy continued to fall. Obi Wan desperately tried to see through the dust to know the boys fate. He could just make out his lithe form hanging on. Anakin hung onto a ledge, dangling, dangerously close to falling into the lava.
"Anakin, take hold of my hand!" Obi Wan shouted over the grumblings of the land around them. Anakin's hatred had dimmed somewhat, and now panic shone through.
He looked at the rock his Master was leaning on.
Leaning to get to me, to save me.
It was crumbling beneath the Jedi Master's weight, if Obi Wan continued to lean over the edge, he, and the edge, would fall straight into the fires of the pit, straight into the lava.
Let him lean, let him die.
Anakin continued to stare deep into Obi Wan's eyes. Memories suddenly assaulted the younger of the two.
"Anakin, be careful!" A voice called amid the buzz of the populated city.
"I will Master!" The child's voice shouted back as he ran around the fields with a new friend. The slight breeze blew through Obi Wan's growing locks, and made Anakin's braid sway.
Anakin clutched to the rock as the fire-y wind blew past him. He closed his eyes tightly as more memories came more frequently, more jumbled.
"NO!" Obi Wan cried as the rocks fell.
Complete darkness. Anakin was buried under the rubble. He coughed and spluttered at the dust all around him.
"Master," He called weakly.
"Anakin! ANAKIN!" A concerned voice reached his ears. Frantic hands dug at the rock pinning the boy. The boy could see through a large crack his Master trying to get to him.
"Anakin? Talk to me! Please!" The man was close to tears. He kept throwing the rock to one side, desperate to free the boy. His hands bled but he ignored it all.
"Anakin!"
The largest piece of rock was moved and Anakin was almost free, save for a few rocks that lay atop of his ankles. Obi Wan smiled in relief to see Anakin conscious and mostly unharmed. The Jedi Master was about to move the remaining rocks when he was thrust backwards into the ground. He landed with a sickening thud.
He did not lie there, he was dazed but he still got up on shaky feet.
He was running back towards Anakin when the boy cried out. Obi Wan ducked as rocks came flying towards his head.
Obi Wan took hold of his lightsabre and ignited it. It shone bright BLUE in the darkness his eyes had gotten accustomed to.
"Come ,come Jedi, come, come." A voice gurgled as the unseen evil made itself known.
The Sith walked towards Obi Wan, his lightsabre shining deep magenta.
"Come, Come."
Balls of fire whizzed past the two Jedi. Obi Wan was still staring at Anakin, the seconds ticking by slowly. Anakin looked up.
Time seemed to slow as he remembered more, feelings he shouldn't know coming back to haunt him, emotions he shouldn't feel making themselves known once more.
He was afraid, but not of his own survival, but for his Master. He was still weak from his many fights with their captor, torturer, in an attempt to keep Anakin away from the Sith.
To protect the child, Obi Wan took every lashing, every fight, every punishment, and the Sith had no complaints. Obi Wan wouldn't give in easily, it would be more of a pleasure to break him.
And now, his Master was fighting a losing battle. The smell of burnt flesh and blood hung in the air. As the two men fought Anakin had managed to free one of his ankles and soon after the other was free. He got up slowly not to draw any attention to himself. He took his lightsabre out of its clasp on his utility belt and used to force to throw himself towards his Master.
They fought side by side against the Sith. Obi Wan had weakened him, and now with Anakin's help they could beat him and finally leave this place.
"Anakin! Please!" Obi Wan pleaded and outstretched his arm further. "Just grab hold, we can sort this out! You don't belong with them, you belong in the Order!"
Side by side.We had fought side by side, once.
"What if I don't want to be a part of your precious Order!" Anakin's tone showed none of the remorse he felt inside, the same regret he had seen in his Masters eyes.
"Then, then we can leave here and go our separate ways, just please grab hold!"
If only.
Anakin scoffed, but on the inside there was a part of him, deep inside that wanted to do just that. Walk away from it all. From the pain of losing Padme, his beautiful wife, and now his only true father.
The ledge was still crumbling, but Obi Wan made no point of moving. His hand did not waver, nor did his balance.
Anakin looked up at Obi Wan.
He wouldn't lose him. If he let go, he could leave it all. All of the pain and suffering. All of the choices he had had plagued him would evaporate. They wouldn't follow him into death. Into being one with the force, and the only thing he hoped for that he would not be denied it.
"No," Obi Wan whispered. Anakin swallowed the lump in his throat and once again he looked up at his Master for the last time in search of guidance, support. Obi Wan was not afraid any more, the hatred was gone.
"No, Anakin." Obi Wan said more firmly "Don't!"
But it was too late. As Anakin was looking for the courage inside of him to let go, to fall he found the memory in his mind the ending to the memory he had remembered earlier.
He wasn't sure why but in that moment he sent it to Obi Wan through their bond, and with one last 'Goodbye' through their bond he fell to his apparent death.
Obi Wan felt a great pain in his heart as Anakin hit the flow of lava and sank beneath its deadly waves. He cried out through the skies, sobbing for the lost Padawan. He called out again and again, and was about to jump in himself when he felt Mace Windu's approach from the galactic ship that had landed.
The dark skinned Jedi grabbed Obi Wan by the shoulders and span him around, calling out his name but the Jedi took no notice. He merely stared at his hands as if they were not his own.
He did not see Palpatine leaving his ship, nor did he see the interest the old man took in the volcano's pit. Obi Wan had turned away, and never saw Palpatine's followers drag Anakin out of the lava, the boy was burnt and near death.
Nothing could save him, but the Emperor would not give up. He would do everything to keep the boy alive. He had the universe's great resources at his fingertips. Anakin's power was vital to his plans for taking over the galaxy.
The last thing Obi Wan truly felt as he crawled away from edge, was the last remnant of the memory Anakin had sent to him.
They were exhausted. They had fought for what seemed like an eternity, but finally, Obi Wan had dealt the last blow to the Sith's black heart and he had fallen to the ground in a bundle of darkness.
Obi Wan dropped his lightsabre and fell to his knees in exhaustion. He hung his head against his aching body, his hair falling in front of his face.
"Master!"
Anakin could see his Masters shoulders heave. Obi Wan looked up and smiled at Anakin despite his pain. He finally managed to get himself onto his feet, though it took quite some time. Anakin kept by his Masters side. As they walked out of there, Obi Wan noticed the tiny limp in his Padawans steps and saw that the boys ankle was swollen.
"Anakin!" He gasped "Your ankle!"
"Oh," Anakin noticed with mild fascination. "It's nothing, it doesn't even hurt Master." Anakin assured him, it was true, only after Obi Wan had pointed it out to him did he even notice the swelling, but Obi Wan would hear none of it. He took the boy in his arms and carried him for the rest of their long journey to find home.
They trecked for quite some time, aimingfor the city, from there it would be relatively easy to end this mission and get to Coruscant.
When a wave of pain thrust through Obi Wan he doubled over, still clutching the child in his arms.
"Master! Are you all right? What's wrong, let me down, there's no need!"
"I'm fine Anakin, everything's going to be ok, I promise."
Once, a long time ago, Obi Wan might have believed his own empty assurances. His lies, that hung in his mind. He wondered if Anakin had made sure of that in spite. As if to point out how wrong he had been.
Once, a long time ago, the Jedi Master would have believe himself, but not any more. Not now. The galaxy was changing. The War against the Dark Side had truly began, it had taken it's most recent victim, in the form of Anakin Skywalker.
So what did you think? Let me know in a review!
I had the memories lying around and thought about using them like this. As for the ending, since the logical next step would be him becoming Vader I wanted Anakin to still have a part of him left, who he was in Episode II. That if he did have the choice, he'd rather have died than turned, this might be wrong, and it will be portrayed differently in the film, but it's what I wanted to write at the time. I have always harboured a strong dislike for Anakin but he did love Obi Wan as a father at some point and I didn't want him to have completely lost that. After this Anakin is gone and Vader is in his place.