The Spark of War
Author's Note: I was inspired by Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist and the start of the Ishvalan war, so here we go! I also delve into Anakin's slave life a little more, because in The Phantom Menace slave life didn't seem as awful as it should be. Clones VS. Dark Jedi VS. droids, instead of Clones VS. Droids, sounds like more fun don't you think? I hope you can find all my references to Gladiator, Code Geass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Princess Bride, and Blood-C!
I have read the new Darth Vader comic, it's gloriously awesome, Vader returns to both Tatooine and Geonosis without being emo and whiny and he Force chocked Jabba the Hutt and slaughtered more Tusken Raiders, it was AWESOME!
I got the Thrawn Trilogy from the library, getting really excited to start those books, and yes, Thrawn will be in the story eventually.
This fanfic is dedicated to sharp52092, who got me back into Star Wars because of their fanfics.
Darth Sidious was furious; rumors of a new Force cult originating from his home planet of Naboo had reached him.
If this were a Dark Side cult, he could use them to bring chaos to Naboo and thin the Jedi even more, but no, they were adherents of Revan. The Prodigal Knight, Revan the Butcher, the Revanchist, Darth Revan.
They adhered to some ridiculous notion that one could walk a path that was neither Dark nor Light. It was absurd, true power of the Force lay in the Dark Side, but still, this cult could serve his uses, he could use it to his advantage, yes, he only needed to alter his plans to make use of them.
Darth Tyranus appeared before Palpatine in a hologram.
"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Count Dooku asked.
"Go to the Naboo system, order Zam Wesell to assassinate a random child in the Theed marketplace, make sure there are some of these Revanites nearby. It will spark our war; I can use these cultists to destroy the Jedi."
"As you wish, Master," Tyranus replied. He ended the transmission.
Amid the bustling marketplace in Theed, a young child walked beside her mother.
The child looked up with a warm expression at the volunteer security officer. They were very friendly and cheerful, they liked kids.
The girl smiled and the officer returned it for a second, the child saw the man's face twist into a cruel smile as he pulled out a blaster and fired it.
The child cried out in pain and shock, her mother caught her, screaming in panic as the fake security guard began running away.
Two Revanites, Kento and Mallie Marek, were on the assassin before she could escape, Zam Wesell didn't even have a chance to speak before she felt Kento's lightsaber go through her heart. She was dead when she hit the ground.
The citizens of Naboo stared in horror at the crumpled body of what appeared to be a member of their volunteer security force. The "man" was murdered, murdered by the Dark Jedi. They didn't see the Clawdite assassin that had murdered the child.
"The Dark Jedi killed our security volunteer!" someone shouted. "And a little girl too!"
"Monsters! Sith! Traitors!" they raged, some pulled out blasters to fire at them. Kento and Mallie used the Force to shield themselves, the Master would be displeased, but they had stopped the assassin from further bloodshed, surely he could calm them and explain what happened.
The enraged crowd rushed at the Force users in a fury, even as the Dark Jedi retreated. What they hadn't seen was Zam Wessel's true alien form as a shapeschifter, a Clawdite.
Count Dooku, Lord Tyranus was satisfied. His Master would be pleased.
The spark of war had just ignited.
He can barely see the woman underneath him. Anakin Skywalker is grateful; he knows that he'd be disgusted by her no matter how beautiful she was by any beings' standards. She's using him for a cheap thrill. He is a slave in Gardulla's pleasure dens, between his Podracing, the gladiator arena and this; he knows this is the worst it can get.
He doesn't care, he doesn't have a choice, Gardulla is cruel, she's punishing him for losing the race, and he can only bear it. A few minutes more and he'll be done with his last "customer" for the evening.
"Oh…oh kriff me, harder slave! Rough!" the voice demands.
And the galaxy condemned males for their bedroom antics, Anakin thought with disgust. He complied with the command, that's all it was. This person was a stranger, just someone paying his mistress for his body.
I wonder what it'd be like to have a normal encounter, no money, no orders. Just me and…someone else? Someone who'd care about me. It's a dream, a silly dream. My own personal fantasy.
He's pounding in and out of her now, she's screaming, he resists the urge to strangle her, he could make an excuse that she died of exhaustion, but they'd figure out if he killed her.
He remembered he couldn't do that; this human woman was apparently a Senator for some far away planet system called the Lahara System. Politicians, they are disgusting, using their wealth that was supposed to help them represent their system in the Republic for a sex tour on the outer rim. Anakin detests politicians. They are all repulsive puppets, tangled in strings.
He wonders how beings enjoy sexual relations, often when running errands, he sees teenager kiss and flirt and sometimes grope each other, consent is a foreign concept to him, because it's something he's never had.
Anakin grunted his release as he finished, it's over and now he can go home to his mother. She'll tell him he won't always have to be a slave, that she doesn't judge him and that she understands that he doesn't have a choice, but one day he will, and that he'll pick someone special.
"We're not finished! Do that again!"
He obeys, he disappears into himself, imagining that he's far away from Tatooine and with a woman, whose name he doesn't know, but she's so beautiful, she takes his breath away.
She's good and kind, someone who won't judge him for what he is. But she's beautiful. She'd have brown hair, he'd always found brown hair to be appealing to him, her eyes would match that. She'd be shorter than he was, and lovely, her figure would be…oh he didn't know, he had no idea how to figure out whether or not a girl was pretty.
He'd often heard talk of woman's chest and breasts, he'd seen plenty of that, but it was all the same to him.
When you'd seen one naked female, you have seen them all, that was his belief, but some of them could be downright ugly. He'd seen plenty of ugly bodies.
For the second time that night, he climaxed and steadied himself on the bed. He pushed himself away. He watched her get up.
Senator Bremack smirked at him, "You're well worth the money I paid."
She turned and left and Anakin Skywalker sighed. Soon, I'll be free and I'll do whatever I want, and I won't ever have to feel this dirty again.
Anakin Skywalker blinked, he brought his mind back to the present; he had been busy repairing a servomotor when he heard voices talking not too far away.
Anakin saw her, the woman he'd been forced to sleep with years ago, but in his mind, it might as well have been yesterday.
"Is that you, you son of Sith harlot?" the Senator asked with disdain.
How dare this woman insult his mother, a woman far better than she ever was! He glared at her and felt elated he could express himself to her as a free man with no threat of being blown up by a slave implant.
"Sleemo!"
"I remember you; it's been a long time since you charged up my loading ramp," Senator Tyreca Bremack smirked.
Padmé gave her colleague a stern look, they were hardly friends but to see her colleague belittle one of her staff was disturbing. She was hardly naïve and caught the sexual euphemism immediately. What startled her was Anakin's response.
Anakin stopped working, setting his tool down and standing up to his full 1.88 meter height.
"Kriff you, you kriffing harpy!" Anakin snarled.
"Kriff me, you already did, and I paid a great deal of money for you."
Padmé understood immediately where this discussion was going. Anakin had once told her that he was from Tatooine, she knew of the Hutt pleasure dens and it didn't take a genius to figure out what went on inside.
"You whore yourself out to Amidala too? Is that how you got your job, you lowly slave?"
Anakin was beyond incensed, enraged to the point he couldn't see straight he took two steps forward and grabbed her by her throat with one hand, lifting her off the ground until her feet dangled six inches above the floor. Tyreca Bremack gasped for air, struggling against his inhuman grip.
"Can I kill you now? I would like ever so much to crush your neck, just a little. It is a longtime fantasy of mine!"
"Anakin, enough!" Padmé ordered him. "Let her go!"
Anakin released Senator Bremack, she gasped for air. "As you wish Milady." He backed away. "I apologize for disturbing you, Senator. I'll return to work immediately."
He moved out of the room quickly, to get away without running.
"You're despicable!" Amidala glared at her colleague, she knew Senators could be corrupt, but this was repulsive. Such antics were expected if she were some criminal underworld thug, not a highly respected Senator of the Lahara System.
"Oh come now Senator, I need to have a reprieve from work somehow, oh I forgot Padmé, the only thing you care about is your work!"
"You don't even know his name, and you used him for sex like a cheap thrill!" Amidala snapped. Padmé was hardly a prude, but she'd seen the close relationship that Sola and Darred had and knew that sex was part of that. But Padmé was far too busy to pursue a relationship, and one night stands were cheap and empty in her mind. If she was going to give her body to someone, she wanted it to matter, to make her life better, fuller, as her sister often told her.
"You like him don't you? I think you have a fantasy of him bending you over and making you his Bantha!"
Amidala resisted the urge to slap her, but she was failing.
"You should pay him for a night, spread your legs, he's fantastic, you could use a good—"
Amidala did what came to her mind first; she slapped her colleague, hard enough for her face to turn red.
"Anakin Skywalker is part of my staff; I won't have you insult him in front of me! Whatever his past with you is, it doesn't matter now. Now I have something to hang over your head. I'm sure your constituents would be displeased to find out you're using their funds for your personal sex tours."
"You slutty prude!" Tyrecca snarled.
"Isn't that an oxymoron?" Padmé smirked.
"It seems I've overstayed my welcome, I'll be returning to Coruscant tomorrow," the Senator turned and left.
Padmé stood in the hanger, deep in thought, she didn't know too much about Anakin's life before she met him, just that he was from Tatooine.
She found him, finishing his work, he looked up at her.
"Senator," he glanced over at her.
"Are you all right?" Padmé asked gently, setting her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm…fine. I apologize for my behavior; I shouldn't have threatened Senator Bremack. She…"
"She incensed you, I understand, I've wanted to strangle her myself, for completely different reasons."
Anakin smiled and laughed.
"I'll be on my best behavior from now on, I promise you."
He looked up at her, "You haven't asked me any questions."
"Do you…remember them?" Padmé tried to phrase the question in a way that wouldn't sound too intrusive.
"Yes, I remember what time it was, their faces, what they wore. I remember everything they did to me. How they touched me, I remember all of them," he sighed.
"I'm sorry," Padmé knew it sounded cheap, like something she could say could make it any better. "I wish I could have helped you."
"There was nothing you could do, the Republic didn't exist out there; mother and I had to survive on our own."
He picked up his tools and put them away. "Goodbye Senator," he turned and left.
He was making his way to the temple when two of his Apprentices approached him.
"Master! Master!" Kento and Mallie Merak called to him. "There has been a terrible misunderstanding!"
They told him everything, withholding nothing.
Anakin was displeased, but not angry. "This isn't mere coincidence, someone wanted to turn them against us. The Theed government? The queen? No, someone else. The Sith?"
He was troubled by it, he enveloped himself in his Jedi robes, concealing his face behind his mask. He would have to meditate on this, someone was planning something, and he was willing to use the Order of Revan as the scapegoat.
Master Obi-Wan Kenobi made his way down the ramp and toward Senator Amidala's office. He greeted Amidala warmly.
"Senator, I understand the situation has become much worse from when I departed Coruscant."
"We've been trying to analyze the security footage, but we can't see anything conclusive."
"Where is the Order of Revan located?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Outside of Theed, near the swamps," Padmé informed him, she gave him the coordinates to the location.
Obi-Wan Kenobi made his way through Theed, to the Temple of the Order of Revan. He stepped inside, noting the interior was very beautiful.
He was walking towards him when he saw a figure approaching him.
"Hello there," Obi-Wan greeted him. "Who might you be?"
"I am the Revanchist, Grandmaster of the Order of Revan. You are…"
"Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan replied.
"Ah, I have heard of you, "The Negotiator" is what they call you, yes?" Anakin asked.
"Yes that is what they call me," Obi-Wan began circling him slowly; he noted the man had his hand on a lightsaber hilt. The lightsaber was fine craftsmanship, only someone with Force talent could make such an elegant weapon.
"Say...how should a citizen who detests his own government live his life?"
"What are you some kind of radical?" Obi-Wan asked.
"What's wrong? Why not duel? Your opponent is just a man. Or have you finally realized? The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed."
"I am here to assess whether or not your "Order" is a threat to the Republic. From what I can see it certainly is."
The Revanchist tilted his head in amusement.
"From a certain point of view, Master Kenobi," the Revanchist replied. "Where is your Padawan, Carnor Jax?"
"Not here, he's back on Coruscant."
Obi-Wan kept his focus; the man was strong in the Force, unusually strong. He would have to consult his Master Qui-Gon, and Masters Windu and Yoda about this man.
"Other than your views of the Republic, you seem a decent fellow, I hate to kill you," Obi-Wan joked.
"You seem a decent fellow, I hate to die," Anakin chuckled. He could see himself being friends with Master Kenobi under other circumstances.
Blades clashed as they began their duel, Anakin hoped that he could reason with the renowned Jedi Knight. He'd heard stories about Obi-Wan Kenobi for years.
"Excellent, Form III: Soresu, Way of the Mynock," Anakin complimented. Each blow was deliberate and precise, Obi-Wan was hoping to wear him out and disarm him.
"I see you are familiar with Form VI, Niman, the Way of the Rancor," Obi-Wan noted.
This man, this Dark Jedi was a fine swordsman, he was holding back and the Jedi Knight knew it.
"You are wonderful!" Obi-Wan was very impressed.
The ferocity of the blows, but still calm and collected, he was an astonishing warrior. Obi-Wan wondered who his Master was, he claimed to be nether Jedi or Sith.
Obi-Wan's well placed strikes were blocked with ease and the Jedi kept his pace steady, letting the Revanchist drive him back, easing himself into the Force, letting it flow through him, directing is motions, his attacks and defense.
Anakin was amazed, never had he encountered a truer master of Soresu, Obi-Wan had no equal, he was a mirror of his own skills and power. He would have given anything to be his Padawan learner, but it would have been impossible, he heard that Jedi took children of all species to the Jedi Temple when they were six months old. He had discovered Revan's holocron at the age of nine, the Temple would have never granted him an exception.
In another life they could have been brothers.
Anakin was curious, Obi-Wan Kenobi's Padawan learner, Carnor Jax was not with him. He'd heard the stories of the ambitious young man, that the Jedi Council considered him to be the Chosen One, having a high Midi-chlorian count. The adulation had made the boy arrogant.
"Thank you, I have worked very hard to become so," Anakin replied.
He whirled, spun and slashed with his blade, two-handed strikes that were faster than most could follow, Obi-Wan blocked every single blow became a wall, a wall of defense that would not yield.
Anakin stretched out his hand.
Obi-Wan stared in surprise as Anakin used the Force to pry open his hand, forcing him to drop his lightsaber. Anakin called it to his hand and he deactivated it.
Obi-Wan called his saber back to his hand.
The two men stared at each other intently. Obi-Wan saw a droid walk into the room. It was an HK model assassin droid.
An assassin droid spoke, "Query: Shall I kill the Jedi meatbag for you Master? How I hate that term!" HK-47 asked eagerly.
"Stand down, HK-47, you'll do what I tell you," Anakin had found him on Mustafar during his many travels and had reactivated him. He found the assassin droid to be humorous especially his quirky term for sentient beings, "meatbags".
"Statement: Master, you are truly a horrible person, you have brought me, an assassin droid, to a planet full of pacifists! I'm in hell! Shall we kill something to cheer me up?"
"No!" Anakin stated flatly.
"What do you intend to do, Revanchist? The people are calling for blood; it's unusual for this pacifistic planet to react this way."
"I intend to change the galaxy," the Revanchist replied.
Obi-Wan was wary, this man was dangerous, and he was still pondering his discoveries. He needed to report back to the Jedi Council.
"Be careful, you've caused a lot of trouble for the Naboo, I'll be watching you."
"Farewell, Obi-Wan Kenobi, may the Force be with you," the Revanchist told him as he turned his back and walked away.
Obi-Wan returned to Theed, Amidala greeted him.
"Did he say anything about what happened?" Padmé asked.
"No Senator, all he did was challenge me to a duel. "He said he wants to change the galaxy."
"What do you mean by that?" Padmé asked when suddenly, a hologram filled her desk, she looked over at her colleagues; they all had a hologram in front of them. She turned on the Holonet, there he was, the Revanchist.
"I am the Revanchist, and I have a message for the crooked, inefficient government. But the Senate IS the people. Chosen from AMONG the people. To speak FOR the people. At least it's supposed to be, it's not like that. Not anymore. You who sit on Coruscant with your endless debates, bribes and corruption. Fear us; we will topple your corrupt Republic."
The Revanchist held up a puppet, a demented caricature of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
Padmé felt her anger rising, Sheev Palpatine was her friend and colleague, how dare he insult him.
"To the politicians, you are unworthy of your positions; you're all puppets, tangled in strings! Strings!"
He held up a puppet and crushed it in his hands. "The democracy you serve doesn't exist, you only serve yourselves! So you must be destroyed, along with the Republic! The galaxy cannot be changed with pretty words alone."
"Those without power, seek us! Those with power fear us! We are the First Order!"
"To the few in the Senate who have truly cared for their people, you have nothing to fear from us, but I will crush the corrupt under my boots!"
"To Her Excellency, Senator Amidala, I know you're trying to discover my identity. I propose a wager, this war I wage is for the very Republic itself, the democracy you love is a sham, The First Order will shape the galaxy the way you always hoped it would be, and once the dust settles, a prize for the winner. A penalty for the loser."
Padmé's eyes narrowed.
"I will destroy the galaxy…and create it anew!" He ended the transmission.
Padmé had been against the Military Creation Act, but this, this was far too much. She knew now, she was changing her vote. This man had declared war on her, not to mention the entire Republic. She hated war, but she hated the Revanchist more.
Anakin sat back, recalling the most important day of his life, the day he discovered Revan's Holocron in Watto's shop, hidden away in a nondescript box.
"Young Skywalker, will you learn from me? Will you embrace my teachings? If I grant you power, could you go on? I propose a deal. In exchange for this power you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract and you accept its conditions, while living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. With my knowledge and power I will make you a king. The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?"
"Yes! I hereby accept the terms of your contract! Master Revan."
Anakin shut off the holoprojector. He sighed again, "The power of the king will condemn me to a life of solitude."
But he was prepared for that, he had accepted his fate.
"That was the turning point. Since that day, I've lived a lie: The lie of living. Nothing but lies. I was sick to death of a galaxy that couldn't be changed. But even in my lies, I refused to give up in despair. But now, the Force, this incredible power…it's mine."
Anakin held up Senator Amidala's holoimage, cupping it in his hand reverently. He let an evil grin cross his face, "Well, then…"
Let the game begin.