Blaze: woohoo, new chapter!
Darth: that's cool
Blaze: yup
Palpypie: hi
Tigerstar: hi
Anakin: hi
Blaze: DIE! HI! ANAKIN! (Tackles Anakin)
Anakin: uh hi?
Tigerstar: hiya
Palpypie: what did I do this time?
Blaze: I don't know, I just don't like you
Thrawn: hi
Blaze: take out Palpypie and I'll let you live
Thrawn: (blasts Palpypie into Jar-Jar land)
Jar-Jar: yay! Mesa have company
Palpypie: NOOOOO
Blaze: (laughs) here's chapter 3 and I hope that you like it and I know the ending is a bit abrupt but oh well, flames are used to roast Palpypie alive.
Forgotten Reality
Chapter 3
Battle of Coruscant
Prince Xizor narrowed his eyes as he made his way through the hallways of the Star Destroyer, the Chimera. All around him, stormtroopers and other soldiers roamed back and forth, occasionally throwing looks of curiosity in the direction of the Falleen Prince. Xizor ignored those looks as he made his way toward Grand Admiral Thrawn's command room.
Captain Pellaeon was standing outside of Thrawn's room and he narrowed his eyes as the Falleen made his way toward the room. "Hello Captain Pellaeon," Xizor greeted him.
"Prince Xizor," Pellaeon replied saluting in reply. "Grand Admiral Thrawn is expecting you."
"Yes, I know, Captain," Xizor replied before he walked past the captain and entered the command room. The room was dark except for the glow of holographic art work that lay scattered throughout the walls of the command room. Xizor narrowed his eyes as he examined the room before he turned his gaze to Thrawn who was sitting in his command chair identical to the command chair on the bridge.
His eyes looked nearly closed but Xizor could see scarlet slits beneath Thrawn's pale blue eyelids. "Hello Prince Xizor," Thrawn greeted him not opening his eyes.
"Grand Admiral, you wished to see me," Xizor replied.
"Yes, the Rebellion are planning a massive attack on Coruscant," Thrawn said.
Xizor shuddered at the mention of the planet where he nearly lost his life but before he could say anything, Thrawn added, "I have also received word that the Jedi General Anakin Skywalker has returned."
"Anakin Skywalker?" Xizor echoed. He had heard that name before; the name of the famous Jedi General of the Clone Wars, the man that everyone believed died close to the end of the Clone Wars.
"Yes," Thrawn said. "What I find rather odd is that when the Lord Darth Vader disappeared after the Battle of Endor, Anakin Skywalker returned. I have reason to believe that Vader and Skywalker may be one in the same."
Xizor narrowed his eyes. "The legendary Skywalker and the legendary Vader are the same person? Is that what you are trying to tell me?" he asked.
"Yes, Prince Xizor," said the blue skinned alien. "And it is likely that Skywalker will be participating in the upcoming battle. Coruscant is heavily defended and, if by pure luck the Rebellion wins, we will begin to take back the galaxy."
"Are you sure that the Rebellion is going to win?"
"I am not sure of anything, Prince, but I believe this, yes.," Thrawn replied. "But first, I wish to see the Lord Darth Vader for myself."
Xizor narrowed his eyes again. "It isn't likely Vader or Skywalker or whatever he's going by now will just waltz in here to speak with you," he pointed out.
"I understand, I was simply speaking of going to speak with him myself. He will participate in this upcoming battle, I know enough about Skywalker to know this from the information I gathered about him."
"And what's that got to do with helping me get revenge on him and the younger Skywalker?"
"Patience, Prince, you will get your revenge but right now we need to know our enemy before we can try anything," Thrawn replied.
Xizor gazed at the holographic paintings around him. "Grand Admiral, what do you suppose we do to get Skywalker here so that you may speak with him? I doubt he will just accept an invitation from you," he said.
"That is what tractor beams are for, Prince. We will go to the Battle of Coruscant, perhaps stop the Rebellion from taking Imperial Centre but if we cannot, I will get a chance to meet and study Vader at least once. That is all I will need to figure out a way to get you the revenge you so desire," Thrawn replied.
Xizor narrowed his eyes again. "Very well," he said.
Thrawn's eyes opened fully and he turned his scarlet gaze to Xizor. "What do you see around you, Prince?" he asked.
Xizor frowned, not knowing where the sudden question had come from. "Artwork, Grand Admiral," he said.
"Indeed but do you know where this artwork comes from?"
Xizor frowned. "No," he replied.
A small cool smile crossed Thrawn's facial features. "These are from Coruscant but they are only holograms, as you probably already figured out. I find that it is easy to determine the mind of someone from a certain place if you study the artwork from that place," he said.
"And why from Coruscant? I think we need to look at artwork from where the Rebellion originated," Xizor said. He wasn't entirely certain that Thrawn could determine how someone would act.
"Why not? We may as well determine how exactly the people of Coruscant will react to the Rebellion's attack," he said.
"And what have you determined?"
"I have determined that the beings of Coruscant will be relieved when the Rebellion take the planet from Imperial forces. This would mean that we cannot attack and attempt to take back the planet right away," Thrawn replied.
Xizor nodded. "Grand Admiral, when Skywalker does come here to speak with you? I do not wish to impose. I have a feeling that I would not be able to stop myself from taking it upon myself to exact my revenge," he said.
"I had a feeling you would say that. When Skywalker comes aboard, you will remain in your quarters," Thrawn replied.
"Yes, Grand Admiral."
"You are dismissed."
Xizor lowered his head before he turned around and made his way out of the Grand Admiral's command room. He wasn't used to obeying commands but he knew that if he wanted to get on the good side of the Grand Admiral, he needed to listen to him. Shaking his head to clear it, Xizor made his way down the hallways toward his quarters.
Anakin narrowed his eyes as he passed around in the quarters he shared with his son. The onslaught of regaining three memories that had occurred the day before had left him weak and Mon Mothma had insisted that he stay within his quarters until the battle. Anakin was a bit surprised that he had received a total of three memories no more than five minutes apart from each other. While he was resting, the others were preparing their starfighters and their squadrons for battle. After that, they decided to get some rest so that they wouldn't fall asleep while in the battle.
Shaking his head to clear it, Anakin glanced up as the door to the quarters slide open and Luke walked in, with Leia just behind him. Leia's chocolate brown eyes instantly narrowed but Luke was calm. "Shouldn't you be asleep, Father?" he asked.
Anakin shrugged. "I couldn't sleep," he replied stopping in his pacing before examining Leia with curiosity in his eyes. For some reason, Leia seemed to remind him of someone but he couldn't seem to pinpoint who it was Leia reminded him of.
Luke glanced at him. "Sorry, Father, Leia wanted to talk with me and I thought you were asleep," he said.
"You want me to leave in other words?"
"Leia doesn't entirely trust you yet," Luke admitted.
Anakin glanced at Leia. "Why?" he asked. "I never understood that. She doesn't trust me and can only look at me with something close to hatred in her eyes and yet I don't understand why."
Luke walked forward before placing a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "I cannot tell you, you need to regain that memory on your own, Taun We said so," he replied.
Anakin grumbled in reply but nodded and letting out a long yawn. "I'm going to try to go to sleep now," he said.
Luke nodded. "That's good idea," he said and Anakin walked over to his bed and lied down on it. The very instant he fell asleep, however, he found himself in the midst of a memory.
He was standing on a cart, beside a woman that looked nearly identical to Leia. Her dark brown hair was out of her face and her chocolate brown eyes were gazing around. Anakin gazed at her. "Don't be afraid," he murmured.
The woman gazed at him. "I'm not afraid to die," she whispered. "I've been dying a little inside ever since you came back into my life. I love you."
Anakin started. "You love me?" he asked sounding surprised. "I thought we decided not to love each other. That it would destroy us," he said.
"We are about to be destroyed as it is. But I truly, deeply, love you and before we die, I want you to know that," the woman whispered.
Then the two of them kissed as the cart was being pulled out into an arena of some sort. When they broke apart, the cart came to a stop and the aliens began guiding them toward two pillars. Anakin saw that Obi-Wan was also chained to one of the poles.
"I thought you didn't receive my message," he said.
"I retransmitted to Coruscant, just as you requested master, then we decided to come rescue you," Anakin said.
Obi-Wan glanced up at the chains. "Good job," he said sarcastically before he turned his gaze as three monsters were being let loose in the arena.
"This is not good," Anakin muttered.
"Just keep your mind clear and use the Force," Obi-Wan replied.
"What about Padmé?"
"She seems to be on top of things."
Padmé? The name echoed through the vaults of Anakin's mind as he brought himself out of his dream. The name sounded so familiar and now Anakin knew that this Padmé loved him and he loved her. What happened to her? And why does she resemble Leia so strongly? Anakin wondered silently.
For a long moment he was silent, gazing up at the ceiling and he felt someone kneel down beside him. "Father?" Luke's voice sounded and Anakin turned to look at him.
"What is it, Son?" he asked.
"We are near Coruscant and Mon Mothma wants you to get ready," Luke replied.
Anakin nodded before getting to his feet. He noticed that Leia was nowhere to be seen and he glanced quizzically at Luke who shrugged. "She left about ten minutes before you woke up," he said before he frowned. "Did you have another memory flash?"
Anakin nodded. "This time I saw a woman that resembled Leia so strongly that the only conclusion I can come to is that they are kin," he said.
Luke narrowed his eyes. "You think this woman is related to Leia?" he asked.
"I know it. The only thing is that this woman, Padmé was her name, look to be Leia's age. I…I think I had a memory flash of something that happened several years ago but I don't know how many years ago," Anakin murmured.
Luke narrowed his eyes but nodded. "Come on, Father, we can worry about that later, we have a battle to think about now," he said. He paused for a moment before adding, "Hopefully you won't regain a memory while you're in battle."
Anakin smiled. "Yes, I hope so," he replied.
Anakin guided his X wing starfighter out of the hangar bay of Home One almost as soon as the starship exited hyperspace. Luke was flying at his side and the other X Wings were flying around in the space beyond Home One. Ships were flying straight at them and varies colors of turbolasers shot across the silent space as the Battle of Coruscant began.
"Rogue Leader to Rogue Squadron, checking in," Luke called over the comlink in.
Anakin keyed in the frequency. "Rogue Two checking in," he called.
"Rogue Three checking in," a man that Anakin knew as Wedge Antilles said over the comlink.
"Rogue Four checking in," a man that Anakin knew as Wes Janson said over the comlink and the rest of Rogue Squadron checked in after him.
"Remember the plan, target the starships but don't destroy all of them," Luke called over the comlink. "By the way, father, good luck keeping up with me," he added over the private line.
Anakin just laughed before moving his starfighter in a downward dive as a starfighter, one that Anakin, with his massive memory lose, couldn't remember. He moved into a three sixty turn that brought him behind the starfighter before he blasted the fighter with his turbolasers and the fighter exploded into a bright flash of sparks that Anakin skillfully guided himself through.
"I may have sustained massive memory loss, son, but that doesn't mean I forgot how to fly," Anakin called over the private line as he guided the starfighter into a one eighty turn and dived downward as two starfighter flew at him. His sudden change of direction caused the two fighters to fly headlong into each other, exploding into a bright flash of light.
Anakin looked through the viewport of his X wing fighter and noticed that Gold Squadron, led by Han Solo, were also intercepting the fighters that were flying at him from the large ships that lay around the planet of Coruscant. Anakin blasted another starship before diving at a ninety degree angle to avoid another fighter and turned his ship in a one eighty turn that brought him behind one and blasted it before flying straight through the sparks.
"Are you all right, Father?" Luke called.
"A little toasted but I'll be all right," Anakin replied as if on cue, another memory flashed across his mind.
Flying straight through fighters that looked as though they were being piloted by droids, Anakin found himself locking down the trigger of the laser canon and making a second pass through the enemy wave, destroying a dozen more fighters in a heartbeat.
As he flew onward, a series of urgent whistles and tweets came to Anakin as the starfighter he was in rocked to its' shields.
Blue lightning coruscated across the console, and other fighters appeared to port and starboard. More bolts found their mark, throwing Anakin against the safety harness.
"Just what I needed," he heard himself saying in appreciation.
Swerving hard to starboard, he caught the first ship with a sideslip shot. The second fighter sheared off as quickly as it could from the expanding fragmentation cloud. As it did, Anakin raced into its aft wash and triggered the lasers.
A ball of fire, the droidlike fighter careened into a flak-dazzled fighter and two of them exploded. Anakin looked at the display screens, as if looking for something.
"Are you all right?" Anakin called.
"A bit toasted, but okay," Obi-Wan's familiar voice called back.
"Stay with me."
"Do I have a choice?"
"Always, Master."
And just as quickly, the memory ended and Anakin gasped as he was brought back to the present so suddenly that he nearly flew straight into a fighter and barely managed to avoid it by diving downward at a ninety degree angle.
"Father, father, are you all right?" Luke's voice called urgently through the comlink and Anakin got the feeling that Luke has being trying to contact him for a while.
"Y…Yeah, I'm fine, Son," Anakin called back gazing through the viewport as he attempted to locate his son.
"The battle's over. You did well though you weren't replying when I was trying to contact you earlier," Luke said.
"I…had a memory flash," Anakin admitted.
Before Luke could reply, another voice sounded urgently on the comlink. "Incoming Star Destroyer, just exited hyperspace," Han's voice called and Anakin, frowning and not knowing why the words 'Star Destroyer' sounded familiar.
He turned his gaze to his side viewport and saw a huge space ship exiting hyperspace nearby and he guided his starfighter beyond the Star Destroyer. "Luke, is that a Star Destroyer?" he called.
"Yes," Luke called back, his voice taut with shock. "What is it doing here?"
"It's not attacking," Lando's voice called over the comlink.
"It looks like its' waiting for something or someone," Wedge called.
"But what?" Luke wondered out loud.
Anakin narrowed his eyes when he felt a slight disturbance in the Force and he instantly stretched out with the Force. "Something's not right here," he murmured as he flew to his son's side. He didn't realize he had forgotten to mute his comlink. "They're searching for someone but who are they searching for."
"Father? What are you talking about?" Luke asked over the comlink.
Anakin blinked, not realizing that his comlink was on before he turned his attention back to it. "I sense something, Son, like a flicker in the Force trying to warn me of something. That Star Destroyer is familiar to me but I don't know why," he said.
Luke was silent for a long moment. "It's not firing on anyone for some odd reason," he said.
Anakin was about to reply when a sudden alarm went off through the Force and Anakin swore out loud. "Luke, tell the rest of the squadron to get out of here," he called just as his ship shuddered and he swore again.
"Father!" Luke called urgently.
"I've been caught in a tractor beam, Son, get out of here before they catch you to. I won't go down without a fight."
"Be careful, Father," Luke called and Anakin watched as his son and the rest of the squadron flew rapidly away from the scene.
"What is happening, Skywalker?" Mon Mothma's voice called.
"I've been caught in a tractor beam, Mon Mothma. I suggest you not to contact me again, these…Imperials could be monitoring these calls," Anakin called.
"All right, Skywalker," Mon Mothma said before her voice disappeared and Anakin let out a long sigh before leaning back in his seat as his X wing was guided into the Star Destroyer's hanger bay.
Well this isn't good, he thought.
Grand Admiral Thrawn was silent for a long moment after Captain Pellaeon told him of the current situation of the X wing they had captured. "And you are absolutely sure it is Skywalker?" he asked.
"Yes, Grand Admiral. He even introduced himself as Skywalker but what was odd was he seemed to be confused? He was surrounded by stormtroopers, people that I know he should have recognized but he didn't."
Thrawn narrowed his eyes. "If he does not recognize myself or you then I will know something is wrong," he said. "Bring him to me."
"Yes Admiral," Pellaeon replied before he turned around and made his way out of the room.
Thrawn turned his attention to his guard, the Noghri Rukh. "I want you to stay silent throughout this entire confrontation," he said.
"The Lord Darth Vader is coming here, as you have said," Rukh said in his catlike voice. "However I will stay silent, Lord."
Thrawn nodded slowly before he turned his gaze to the doorway just as it slide open and Pellaeon walked back inside with a very confused Vader behind him. At least Thrawn thought it was Vader, the last time he had seen Vader, the dark lord had been more machine than man while this man was the complete opposite. And yet he looked identical to the man Anakin Skywalker that Thrawn had seen from images on the HoloNet.
"Grand Admiral Thrawn," Pellaeon said. "This is Anakin Skywalker, as he introduced himself as earlier."
"Indeed," Thrawn agreed before glancing at Anakin as the man walked to Pellaeon's side, examining him curiously. The confusion in Anakin's eyes as he gazed at Thrawn was more proof that Anakin didn't recognize him or Pellaeon. Interesting.
"Hello Anakin Skywalker," Thrawn greeted him.
"Hello," Anakin replied lowering his head in greeting but suddenly his eyes glazed over and he staggered backwards a few steps. Thrawn glanced at Pellaeon as the Captain stretched out an arm to steady the man.
A moment later, Anakin gasped before blinking his eyes several times and a brief crawl of recognition shot across Anakin's eyes. "Thrawn," he whispered. "Grand Admiral Thrawn, the only non-human allowed as a Grand Admiral in the Empire."
Thrawn narrowed his eyes. "So you do recognize me," he said phrasing it as a statement.
Anakin shook his head. "Briefly," he said. "It was strange, it was as if I saw the day I first met you and then there was nothing."
"Perhaps you need to see a medic," Pellaeon suggested with a glance at Thrawn who nodded slowly.
Anakin shook his head. "No, I need to return to the Alliance before they fear the worst of me," he said.
Thrawn's eyes narrowed. "Do you know who the Noghri are?" he asked.
Anakin gazed at him with confusion in his eyes. "Who?" he asked. This caused Rukh to let out a hiss of surprise but he stayed silent when Thrawn threw him a quick glare.
"What of the Emperor?"
"That is the second time someone has mentioned an Emperor around me," Anakin admitted.
Thrawn's eyes narrowed even more. This is most interesting, he thought. "Captain, it would appear our friend here has suffered memory loss," he said.
"Memory loss?" Pellaeon echoed.
"Yes. And by the looks of it, he is suffering from massive memory loss," Thrawn replied before he looked at Anakin who was still gazing at him with confusion in his eyes. "You may go now if you wish, Skywalker."
Anakin hesitated but nodded and Pellaeon escorted him out of the command room. Thrawn gazed at him for a long moment and a few minutes after Anakin's X wing exited the hangar bay Prince Xizor walked in.
Thrawn smiled slightly as he looked at the Falleen prince. "I have just discovered something that we can use to our advantage," he said.
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: wow, I think this is my longest chapter yet
Darth: it's only chapter 3, or 4 if you include the prologue
Palpypie: hiya
Blaze: (shoots Palpypie with her candy arrows)
Palpypie: ow! (Runs off)
Blaze: hahahaha
Darth: that was funny
Blaze: I'll post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon and not until I get at least twenty reviews and sorry if I sound demanding.
