A/N: I'm sorry people. I have recently gotten back into reading fan fictions and now understand what it feels like when someone doesn't update! I promise there will be this and one final chapter. FOR SURE! Hahaha. Thanks for sticking with me!
Oh and I'll fix any grammar mistakes. I just wanted to get this out there for ya'll :)
Chapter 7
Hero
…someone told me, love would all save us. But how can that be? Look what love gave us…
"We can't just sit here and wait!" Luke exclaimed, jumping up from the metal bench that was attached to the wall. He had broken the hopeless silence that had fallen over the group as the hours passed. Leia's eyes shot over to her brother.
"The kid's right. I don't like this waiting around for something to happen," Han agreed from his place leaning casually against the light grey wall. Padme's brows knitted together for a brief moment, betraying her cool, passive exterior.
"Well if either of you have any ideas, please share them!" Leia retorted, sitting on the other bench next to her mom and Pooja.
At that moment, the heavy metal door opened, revealing Darth Maul and four storm troopers.
Leia crossed the small space and laid a calming hand on Luke's forearm once she saw his aggressive stance. The princess didn't want him to do anything stupid. Her focus shifted to the Dathomirian standing in the doorway, "What do you want Maul?"
He tisked in a way that sent shivers up Pooja's spine, "I thought you would want to know what is to become of you."
Padme glared silently at the sith lord, her face noble and cool. The sith lord evened his gaze with the Senator's, "At noon, you will be executed in the main square. My master believes it will crush the spirit of the Nubian rebels and place them back under the control of the empire."
"He is not the sith! He is Anakin Skywalker!" Luke shouted hotly, earning a disapproving glance from Leia.
"He was a sith lord! Or have you forgotten so quickly? It was not hard for my master to take control of Lord Vader's mind. In fact, he welcomed it," The sith lord explained. Padme snorted in disdain, her gaze calmly meeting the Dathomirian's. "As for you, Queen Amidala, I don't know how you cheated death last time, but I assure you it will not happen again."
Anakin rose slowly from the metal floor of the shuttle, waiting for the inevitable pain. He hadn't heard the sound, but the ex sith lord knew his head had hit the floor when he passed out. He felt nothing. Checking his head wounds, Anakin found them not only gone, but it was as if they had never been there. His temple was free of blood, and where the wires had burned his cheek, only smooth skin remained. The JEDI master was dumbfounded, running a hand through his thick hair in frustration. Looking down, he jumped backward in shock, unable to tear his eyes from the gruesome scene on the shuttle floor.
Laying face down in a pool of his own blood was Anakin Skywalker.
His mind reeled, trying to understand what he was seeing. Had he died? A hundred thoughts passed through his brain as he tried to make sense of it. Anakin had the strange feeling he had known all along something was amiss, his world had been too perfect. But what was happening now? Was he a ghost? That would explain the out-of-body sensation he was having, but not the secret tunnels being on the map in the Imperial base. Was he in an alternate universe? An alternate reality perhaps? Anakin growled in frustration, wishing someone could answer his questions.
Hearing screams coming from outside, the Jedi raced out of his shuttle and into the busy Nubian street. Another feeling of displacement washed over him as he surveyed the scene. Without him or the autopilot functioning, the ship had crashed nose-first into the wide sidewalk in downtown Theed. From the looks of the skid marks, it had scraped along the street before finally colliding with a solid stone building. What bothered Anakin the most was his lack of concern. He heard the terrified shrieks of civilians and had no drive to help them. It felt as if he was watching a movie, being disconnected from his surroundings. The fire that had begun in the shuttle, the people screaming, none of it registered. Sighing, he closed his eyes, willing the loud noises away so he could focus on figuring something out. Abruptly, the Jedi master opened his eyes, realizing it wasn't his mind that was drowning out the noises- they were actually gone. Looking around, Anakin watched in horror as the sky began turning black, coating the whole world in the inky darkness.
Soon there was nothing left in any direction. The Jedi master was immersed in an empty blackness, his body unwilling to move for fear of falling off of some unseen platform into the abyss. What was he going to do? He couldn't just stand there forever. Where was there, exactly? Where was he going to go?…Could he just stand there forever? Anakin took a deep shaky breath in an effort to stifle the oncoming panic attack, squinting into the dark in hopes of spotting something.
"Anakin."
Anakin smiled, relief washing over him as the familiar voice called to him in his mind. "Qui-Gon?"
A deep rumbling laugh was his response, "Anakin, trust in yourself. The Force will guide you."
"Guide me where?" The ex sith lord pressed, panicked at the thought of losing his mentor's voice and once again being alone in the darkness.
"Sidious is behind this, trust your feelings Anakin. You know it is true. You must face him. It is the only way to save your family." Qui-Gon responded sagely.
"Because it worked so well last time…" He grumbled quietly, before speaking directly to the Jedi master: "He's stronger than me."
"I do not need to correct you. Anakin, I fear Obi-Wan did not tell you this enough, but we are so proud of you. You have become the hero this galaxy needed in her time of despair. You are the only one who can defeat Lord Sidious. Now go. The Force will lead you to him."
Anakin nodded silently, fighting back tears as the familial voice faded away. The sense of helplessness began to creep back into his mind and he physically shook his head to clear it away. He couldn't waste any more time, Anakin decided. He had to find Sidious.
Emptying his mind with newfound determination, the Jedi master reached out, searching for his old master.
"Do you really think they will rescue Senator Naberrie?" Sibera asked airily, leaning over the balcony as she stared out at the quiet night. They were hiding out in one of the noble's mountain retreats until a new base could be constructed. It was a beautiful mansion, carved into the face of the mountain that overlooked all of Theed- from a safe distance.
"Pooja is Queen Amidala's niece, of course they will," The queen responded assuredly from her seat in front of the vanity. She began to rub the traditional Nubian face paint off with a cloth.
"Do you believe?" The Dathomirian pressed quietly, almost asking herself as she gazed down the mountain at the ruined rebel base. Thinking back on her short encounter with him, Sibera knew that she did believe Luke's story. She had never thought a person capable of doing so much good could also cause so much destruction, she just didn't think it was in human nature; but the handmaiden could not forget that night. The man who claimed to be Anakin Skywalker had listened intently to her story from below his black hood, his eyes filling with an intense hated she had never seen before. Sibera had actually been afraid the sith lord was going to hurt her. Then, as if the sun had come out, his blue eyes became warm and loving. His entire aura changing as he rushed to comfort Queen Amidala, suddenly playing the role of devoted lover. It was that show of duality that caused the Dathomirian to become a believer.
"I do. Master Jedi Skywalker's face is not one that is easily forgotten," Kylantha replied, a grin tugging at her mouth. "And I know he will bring the senator back safely."
The longer he wandered in the darkness, the less Anakin feared walking off of an unseen cliff. His strides became quicker and more confident. Where he was going was still unknown. As soon as the Jedi master had cleared his mind the Force had answered, and he was sure it was his father who was leading him to Sidious. Anakin just wished he could see where he was going. Touching his belt habitually, the ex sith lord realized that he was light saber-less and he laughed dryly, looking up into the blackness. Oh, you must be loving this Obi-Wan. How many times have I lost my light saber? Five times now? He gave himself the benefit of the doubt- maybe he never had it in the first place.
From out of nowhere, a bright light came into view. Anakin squinted, shielding his eyes from the stark contrast but immediately his hope was restored. Sending a silent thank you to his father, the Jedi master began running toward it, too relieved to use any caution. The bright light grew with every step Anakin took, but its color also dimmed to a dull grey as his eyes adjusted to it. Soon he could make out dozens of tiny white dots on a black background. The light was coming from a grey room with one wall open to space. The room was huge and commanding, a high ceiling and military vibe. He slowed his manic running to a halt as the reality crashed down on him- it was the main control room on the Death Star II. Where he was forced to choose between his master and his son. Anakin knew this was where Sidious was, but still had no idea where they were! And if he defeated the sith, would he just be alone in this black hell forever? No, Anakin thought. Qui-Gon wouldn't have done that to him- would he? Suddenly the ex sith lord became skeptical as a thought occurred to him; what if the Jedi wanted Sidious dead and knew he was the only one who could do it? It wouldn't have been the first time the Order had lied to him. What if they still didn't trust him and thought they could "kill two sith lords with one stone"? "Wait, did I just say 'kill two sith lords with one stone? Why did I change birds to sith lords but not stones to…what would I change it to? Ugh never mind!" Anakin frowned, forcing his mind back from its distracted tangent. He had to focus on this problem- what if this whole thing was a set up and there was really no way out? But it wasn't like keeping Sidious alive would help him any, he wouldn't be good company for eternity. The Jedi master began walking toward the control room determinedly; this was the only way he could help Padme, Luke and Leia and even if it was a lie, he would get to kill Sidious again.
"Luke, darling, calm down," Padme said gently from her seat on the bed. She had watched her son pace for over an hour- her sanity was wearing thin.
"We can't-" The Jedi began, stopping to look at her.
"I know, we can't just sit here and do nothing!" Leia quoted in annoyance, "But unless you are trying to make a hole in the FLOOR you aren't helping anyway!"
"Whatever happens, I'm glad I met you all, and I wanted to thank you for coming to rescue me," Pooja blurted out apologetically from her spot next to Padme. The senator wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.
"Don't thank us, we haven't actually rescued you yet," Han retorted jokingly, trying to keep the tone of the conversation light-hearted. Pooja flashed him a small smile before lapsing back into silence, playing with her royal robes.
Luke looked at the three women sitting before him; his beautiful mom, who's warm brown eyes were full of profound sadness, his cousin, who seemed to have accepted their fate, and his sister, who although was mourning their father, glanced about the room- obviously trying to find a means of escape. The Jedi sighed deeply as determination set into his mind; because his father wasn't with them, it was his job to look after the family.
"Ahhh, Lord Vader. I'm glad you could join me."
Even after hearing it for so long, Sidious' voice sent shivers up Anakin's spine as the large black chair turned away from the window toward him. The sith looked exactly as he had remembered him, the yellow eyes staring straight at him. Anakin sighed, collecting himself before his anger caused him to do something stupid.
"Yeah well it's going to be a pretty short reunion," He retorted hotly, unmoving from his place at the back of the room. Once he had entered the grey light completely, the room sealed itself, giving no indication that it was in an abyss. There was no way out it that Anakin could see.
Sidious laughed, "Really? I don't see any way you could sneak up on me this time. All you can do is put off the inevitable."
Anakin felt his throat begin to constrict suddenly, and grabbed for his light saber…right. Trying not to panic, although his lungs screamed for air, the Jedi master pulled one of the metal vents off of the ceiling and sent it flying toward the sith lord. Having aimed well, Sidious was forced to let go of Anakin's throat in order to block it and he was thrown to the ground. Wishing he could lay on the floor and gasp for air, Anakin jumped up in time to deflect another large metal object that was thrown his way. The sith laughed maniacally, beginning his onslaught. The Jedi master found himself jumping, running and using the Force to avoid being hit and was becoming exhausted; but it didn't look like Sidious was slowing down.
"This was your plan? To run away? I expected more from you, Lord Vader," He confessed snidely, waiting for the younger man to finally give in to his anger.
Glancing about the massive room, Sidious couldn't find his apprentice anywhere. He had disappeared into the shadows.
The sound of marching storm troopers grew near before the cell door opened with a woosh. Eight clones marched in with handcuffs, followed by Darth Maul.
"There is already quite the crowd," The Dathomirian explained casually as the prisioners were chained. "My master looks forward to watching you die."
"Sidious looks forward to seeing anyone die, it isn't anything special," Leia responded through gritted teeth. Maul chuckled in his deep voice.
"Oh, he will enjoy your's much more."
Weaponless and in handcuffs, Padme, Luke, Leia, Han and Pooja were helplessly led down the silent corridor and out of the base. As they got closer to the town square, the crowd of Nubians grew exponentially, but the noise did not. It seemed as if everyone in Theed had come to witness the gruesome events, but only to solidify their fears. Most of the people were dressed in dark colors and some even tried to touch their Queen Amidala as she walked past.
The five were led up on to a makeshift stage, shackled to the floor in clear view of the crowd. Luke's eyes darted nervously everywhere, trying to come up with even a horribly unthought out plan, hoping someone would be in the crowd that he would recognize.
"Sorry, we're closed for the afternoon," A large Nubian man said as he locked the door to his bakery.
"Why?" Sibera asked. She had just come down from the mountain to acquire some much needed supplies, but found all the shops closed.
The man looked at her as if she was crazy, "The Empire is about to execute some real high-ranking rebels. Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are two of 'em. Unfortunate for the galaxy really."
The Dathomirian gaped, her blood running cold. They had bee captured? Nodding her thanks, she turned and ran down the stone sidewalk toward the square, feeling for her blaster hidden in her bag.
Sidious closed his eyes, trying to sense Anakin's Force-signature, but heard a metallic noise coming from the opposite end of the control room as though someone had moved. Smirking to himself, the sith began to crush the metal pipes and vents that were near the noise, waiting to hear his apprentice scream in agony. He knew Vader would slip up- a fatal mistake, just like on Mustafar. Sidious was unprepared for the steel guard-rail that flew at him, smashing into the back of his head. Anakin took the moment's advantage and slowly closed his fingers into a tight fist, reveling in the chocking and gurgling sounds coming from his old master's throat. Stepping out from his hiding spot behind the generators near the wall, Anakin threw Sidious across the room, watching as his body crumpled to the floor. He wasn't dead, the Jedi told himself as he approached with caution. Bounding up the short flight of stairs, Anakin realized he was right and kept a firm hold on the sith's neck. Standing beside him, Sidious tried to focus his gaze on his apprentice, but blackness marred his vision. How could it have come to this? He had greatly misjudged Anakin Skywalker's strength compared to Darth Vader, all those years of trying to kill the Jedi side of him. And now the hatred and anger the sith had played up and let loose on the universe was directed at him.
"I told you it would be short," Anakin whispered venomously, almost reminding the sith of Vader. But looking up once more, his apprentice's eyes gave away what side he was on- a steady grey-blue glare stared back at him.
"Strangling me? A very peaceful death, seems you have quickly reverted to your old Jediways, Lord Vader," Sidious replied, willing his voice to stay strong. If he was going to die, he was going to at least make Anakin regret letting him go in such a humane fashion. If he was lucky, the regret would haunt his apprentice forever.
Anakin's face darkened and he thought he saw a flicker of fear in his old master's eyes. It figures, of course Sidious was a coward at heart. All siths were. Anger bubbled up within him. Anger that Sidious had begun cultivating when he was 19 years old! Listening to him talk about Padme and the Jedi, pretending that he cared only to take it all away from him, everything he loved! His angel, his Padme, his chance for a family, a chance to become a master Jedi! A predatory growl escaped Anakin's lips as tears welled up in his eyes. The sith created the monster that killed Padme, that had destroyed Anakin Skywalker the day he thought he lost his wife and child(ren). Sidious sighed raggedly, wheezing and Anakin turned his attention back to the sith. He was going to suffocate him, without a light saber there weren't a whole lot of other options, but without thinking, the Jedi master smashed Sidious' head into the metal floor. A twisted smile broke out on Anakin's otherwise handsome face and he did it again. A laugh escaped him and he did it over and over, without stopping once the sith's head had cracked open.
The ex sith lord pulled himself away from his old master's mangled corpse, sighing deeply. He was exhausted, physically and emotionally. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping him from collapsing into the growing pool of blood.
Looking at the mess on the floor, Anakin realized he had just had the best therapy ever…or had completely lost his mind.
Luke scanned the crowd once more, hoping to see a familiar face. Darth Maul was becoming increasingly impatient as he waited for Sidious to arrive and had begun to pace the stage. That was when he spotted her, the only non-human in the crowd, Sibera. She was pushing her way to the front, unaware of his gaze. Luke thanked the Force, there still might be hope for them yet.
Silence had fallen over the crowd and Luke looked up to see that the sith had finally arrived. He looked away, unable to bear his father's piercing golden eyes under the dark hood.
Darth Maul was talking, a speech that both explained the reason for the execution and terrified the Nubians, but Luke didn't hear any of it. He stared toward Leia, hoping she would turn to him, so he could reassure her.
"I love you both so much," Padme whispered, keeping her chin high even as Maul lined up her chest with his red light saber.
"I love you too mom," Leia replied, her voice cracking with emotion. Luke panicked, trying to locate Sibera in the sea of faces. What happened next, Luke could only describe as a gift from the Force.
The crowd remained deathly quiet as the Dathomirian sith lord prepared to execute their beloved Queen Amidala. All four of them looked away, unable to watch. The light saber hummed as it sliced through the air, but instead of the thud of a body hitting the wooden stage, all they heard was a collective gasp from the crowd. Leia and Luke were the first to pop their heads up. They couldn't believe their eyes, Sidious had blocked Maul's light saber with his own. The siblings watched their mom's face intently for an indication as to what was happening since both sith lords' faces were hidden by black hoods. As the queen lifted her gaze to Sidious, her eyes welled up with tears, and a smile broke out on her face.
Leia and Luke looked first at each other, then at Han, then back to their mom and Sidious. After what seemed like hours, Sidious- unmoving from his defensive stance, shifted his gaze from Padme to the four of them;
His blue eyes sparkled mischievously as he threw them a lopsided grin.
A/N: YAY! ANI IS BACK! A little more insane, but hey. If he did that to your Natalie Portman, you would want to smash his head in too. Sorry about the Sidious x Anakin duel…but it was hard to write about something so visual as a force duel. Aannddd…I don't like writing fight scenes. Next chapter it all ends. FOR REAL. I'm not kidding this time.
Review? Pleaseee :)
