Blaze: yay, next chapter
Palpypie: you're getting closer to ANAKIN DYING!!!
Blaze: hahahahaha, you can't make me cry anymore
Palpypie: whaaaaa (dumbfounded)
Blaze: mwahahahaha, YOU SHALL NEVER KNOW! (Runs off)
Anakin: all right, who gave Blaze candy? (Glares at Obi-Wan)
Obi-Wan: (points to Han)
Han: (Points to Jaina)
Jaina: (points to Leia)
Leia: (Points to Jacen)
Jacen: (Points to Shimmra)
Shimmra: (Points to Tsavong)
Tsavong: (points to Dooku)
Dooku: (hides candy and widens eyes innocently) it wasn't me
Blaze: (pops up) hint, hint, hint, hint (disappears)
Anakin: huh? (Shakes head) never mind, here's chapter 13 and Blaze hopes that you like it
Chapter Thirteen
Han was confused. Never in his entire life has he ever been confused but the sudden change in Vader's behavior, the cheerful laughter that came from him, it came so much as a shock to him that Han was sure he was dreaming. He could tell everyone else in the room was as confused as he was, all except his future children, which was still a shock to him, the old man and the green dwarf.
"What just happened?" he asked finally. Judging by the looks Leia and Chewbacca were throwing him, they were thinking the same thing.
"It's hard to explain to those who do not have the Force within them," the old man that Luke called Ben said. "I'll put it simply, Vader was once Anakin and now he is Anakin again."
"That doesn't clear things up for me," Han said and Chewbacca growled in agreement.
"Understand it better you would if had the Force within you, you did," the little green dwarf Han learned was known as Yoda said. Han still couldn't understand most of what the green dwarf was saying because of his strange dialect but he was able to make sense of almost everything he was saying.
"And yet you believed that no one could come back from the dark side," Ben said glancing at Yoda.
"You believed that?" Jaina echoed sounding a bit shocked. "Where I come from, there have been at least two different Jedi that came back from the dark side. Thanks to Uncle Luke."
"Believed at once, once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny," Yoda said softly. "But wrong I was, it would appear."
Jacen narrowed his eyes. "What I just realized is the future is getting even more messed up," he said.
"Yes," Anakin Solo agreed. "From what Uncle Luke told us, Anakin Skywalker did not return until he was on the brink of death back during a battle known in the future as the Battle of Endor."
"Since the Yuuzhan Vong came to the past, the future has changed dramatically," Jaina said. "That is why Anakin Skywalker came back ahead of schedule but that also means we are getting close to the outcome of the prophecy that the Jedi Qui-Gon gave to us."
"What prophecy?" Han asked getting even more confused.
Jaina glanced at him. "Qui-Gon told us 'nothing will ever be the same but what was silent shall now speak, what was wrong shall be righted, the prophecy shall be completed with the loss of the one that was chosen, the darkness shall be overthrown, and the future and past will once again be separated,'" she said.
"But that makes no kriffing sense," the captain of the Millennium Falcon protested his eyes narrowing.
"None of us know the meaning of this message," Jaina said.
"I can decode a few parts of it but not all of it," Ben said. "What I can figure out is what was silent shall now speak may mean that Luke will gain his speech back. The prophecy shall be completed with the loss of the one that was chosen, I hate to say it but I think that means the prophecy will be fulfilled and either during the fulfillment or after the fulfillment Anakin will die."
Yoda nodded gravelly. "Figured out that much I did as well," he said.
"Luke is not going to like hearing that his dad is going to die," Han said. He made a point not to mention what Leia might feel if her father died. Judging by the way she reacted when Vader told her the truth, she might be glad to see Vader die. Han was still surprised that his future wife was the daughter of Vader, Vader of all people.
"We will not tell him," Ben said.
"We cannot tell him," Jacen agreed. "If Luke learns this, he may attempt to protect his father's life and if he dies, everything that has ever come to be in the future will be destroyed. I hate to say it but Anakin Skywalker must die if the future is to be righted again."
"What's the big deal?" Leia said coolly. "I wouldn't mind if Vader died right here and now."
"Now that we do," Yoda said. "But between Anakin and Luke a great bond of love has formed. Broken that bond shall be and try to prevent it Luke will if knew the truth he did. If prevent this fulfillment Luke does then destroy the already chaotic future he shall. Protect Luke and Leia we must, Anakin must, everyone must, or become enslaved by the Yuuzhan Vong we all will."
"That is why we must gain the Rebel Alliance as our ally," Ben added.
"You think the Empire is bad, you have not lived during the time of the Yuuzhan Vong, we have," Anakin Solo said, his ice-blue eyes narrowed as he gazed at his mother. "Do you want that? Do you want the people you wanted to free to become enslaved and destroyed? The Yuuzhan Vong wants this galaxy for their own territory and they will not want to share it with anyone. We've tried negotiating with them but we have been unable to do so."
"Especially with Shimmra and Tsavong leading the Vong," Jacen added.
Leia glared at her future children but Han noticed she was thinking hard about what their future children had told them. "If we can take out Shimmra and Tsavong, would that not put the Yuuzhan Vong at a disarray?" she asked.
"We've tried," Jaina said. "But we were unable to do so."
"Hopefully we can get the Chiss Empire to help us," Ben said.
"Yes we helped them in the future but I know that they do not know about that," Jaina said.
Han narrowed his eyes again. "And what happens if these Chiss people don't help us?" he asked.
Jacen, Jaina and Anakin exchanged glances. "Then we don't know what to do after that," they said in unison.
Father, what happened back there? Luke asked silently as he followed his father down the hallways of the Executor, toward the bridge.
Anakin glanced back at him before smiling slightly. "If you understood the Force more then you would understand what happened," he replied before he put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "I know the only reason you came with me was to turn me back to the light side of the Force and that is what happened back there."
Luke gazed at his father. Vader's gone? he asked silently.
"Vader's gone," Anakin replied.
They arrived to the bridge at that time and Luke gazed around as the captains and sergeants stationed on the bridge instantly stood at attention. Anakin waved to them and they went back to their work as an older man walked over to join him with a slightly younger man after him.
"Your Majesty," the older man greeted him.
"Admiral Ozzel, Captain Piett," Anakin greeted them. "How far are we from the Unknown Regions?"
Ozzel glanced at the navicomputer console. "About ten parsecs, your Majesty," he said.
Anakin nodded once in reply before he walked over to stand before the large viewports of the Executor and Luke, after a brief hesitation, walked over to join him. He found his thoughts drifting to the words that Qui-Gon had told the Solo siblings when they were first brought to the past. Father? He said silently and a bit hesitantly.
"Yes, Luke?" Anakin asked out loud glancing at him and causing those who were within earshot to step back in surprise.
Luke gazed up at his father. You seem to know what Qui-Gon meant when he told the Solo siblings those words, especially the line, 'the prophecy shall be completed with the loss of the one that was chosen.' What does that mean? he asked silently.
Anakin gazed at him for a long moment before he turned his gaze to the viewports but not before Luke saw a gleam of sadness in his father's eyes. He frowned before walking to Anakin's side and putting an arm around his waist, much to the surprise of everyone on the bridge.
He could tell by the postures of those he could see out of the corner of his eye that they were waiting for Anakin to ask Luke to stop or something else. But Anakin merely put his arm around Luke's shoulders. "I would explain it to you, Son, but I can't," he said.
The word 'Son' caused a stir in the sergeants and lieutenants on the bridge of the Executor and Admiral Ozzel walked to Anakin's side, his eyes wide. "Did I hear you right, your Majesty?" he asked a bit hesitantly.
Anakin blinked before glancing at the Admiral, a brief gleam of confusion in his eyes before it disappeared. "You heard right Admiral," he said softly. "Luke is my Son."
"If he is your son then does that mean he is your heir?"
Anakin was silent for a long moment as he examined a suddenly very interesting starline that flashed in front of him. "No," he said finally, causing Luke to glance up at him. Anakin didn't meet his gaze as he said softly. "If I die then the Empire dies with me, that is all there is to it."
Luke frowned. He knew that there was an underlying meaning to what his father had said but he couldn't seem to figure it out. Ozzel was shocked but he didn't question Anakin's statement and he walked backwards to join Captain Piett. Luke gazed at his father. What did you mean by that? He asked silently.
"It's not of the moment, Son, come, why don't we continue your training?" said Anakin.
Luke, still confused by Anakin's statement, nodded before following Anakin as his father led the way off of the bridge and toward the training room.
As they walked, Luke found himself wondering why his father would say such a thing. If I die then the Empire dies with me, that is all there is to it, Anakin's words repeated themselves in his mind and Luke felt a bit sick at heart at the thought of his father dying.
As he walked, he spotted a flaming haired woman walking down the hallway and Luke noticed that she was slightly pale. The woman came to a stop in front of Anakin. "I want to know what happened to the Emperor," she said.
"If you are here to blame me for his death, Jade, then don't because I was not responsible for it, it was the fault of the Yuuzhan Vong and Palpatine too," Anakin said.
The woman known as Jade glared at him and Luke suddenly remembered her first name as Mara, his future wife. "Why would the Yuuzhan Vong killed him?" she demanded.
"Because he lied to them about the location of someone," Anakin replied. "Besides, from what I've heard about them, they would kill anyone, even if they did tell them the truth."
Mara was silent for a long moment, her eyes narrowed and Anakin said softly, "stretch out with the Force, Jade. I know Palpatine taught you how to use the Force, use it now to see that I am telling the truth."
Mara frowned and Luke felt her reach out with the Force and she turned her emerald green gaze to Anakin. "You're right," she said softly. "But why would these Yuuzhan Vong kill Palpatine?"
"I do not know," said Anakin.
Mara glanced at Luke. "Hello," she said.
Luke lowered his head in greeting though a faint blush was reddening his cheeks and Mara glanced at Anakin. "What's the matter with him?" he asked.
Anakin stiffened at Luke's side and Luke lifted his head to glance at his father. "There is nothing the matter with him, Jade," Anakin said coolly, a brief gleam of anger in his eyes. "He is mute."
Mara glanced at Luke before looking back at Anakin. "My apologies," she said. "I didn't know."
Anakin narrowed his eyes and Luke glanced at him again. Let it go, Father, she didn't know, he said silently.
Anakin glanced at him. Very well, he said silently before he glanced at Mara. "Fine," he said just as his comlink beeped and he glanced at it. "Why don't you go with Jade? She can show you around the Executor."
What about you? Luke asked silently, a bit uneasy about being left alone with a beautiful girl.
Don't worry about me, I just want to speak with Obi-Wan and Yoda, Anakin said silently.
"Come then," Mara said and Luke glanced back at her. "I'll show you around." She glanced at Anakin and Luke noticed her eyes had hardened slightly. "I'll make sure he doesn't fall down any reactor cores, your Majesty," she said the last two words scornfully before she turned around and led the way away.
Luke started to follow her before he glanced at Anakin. Don't you two get along? He asked silently.
Anakin shook his head. While I was Vader, I always thought she was trying to steal the Emperor's favor so we don't see eye to eye, he said silently.
"Are you coming, Skywalker?" Mara called.
Luke hugged his father goodbye before he turned around and jogged after Mar as she led the way down the hallways.
Anakin walked into the room where Obi-Wan and Yoda were currently located. The others were in a room across the hallway and Anakin noticed the Solo siblings were speaking with Leia and Han but he couldn't hear what they were talking about. Obi-Wan glanced up. "Hello Anakin," he greeted him.
"Hello Obi-Wan," Anakin replied taking a seat beside his brother in everything but blood. "We should be reaching the Unknown Regions in a few days, two at the most because we are only about five parsecs away."
Obi-Wan nodded. "What about Luke?" he asked.
"What about him?"
"His your son so, technically speaking, he is your heir."
Anakin smiled sadly before shaking his head. "No," he replied. "What I told the Admiral on the bridge is the truth. If I die then the Empire dies with me."
Obi-Wan stiffened, his eyes widening. "You know?" he asked.
"Of course I know, Obi-Wan," Anakin replied sadly as he gazed through a nearby port window. "I didn't want to believe it at first because I only just found my son and my daughter but I know is unavoidable. I am the Chosen One, no matter what happened since I turned to the dark side, and the prophecy Qui-Gon gave to the Solo Siblings stated the prophecy shall be completed with the loss of the one that was chosen. I put two and two together and I discovered that the only way to right the future is to fulfill the prophecy and if I have to sacrifice myself to do that, I will."
Obi-Wan put his arm around Anakin's shoulders. "Anakin," he said softly. "Are you really ready to sacrifice yourself?"
Anakin gazed at him. "Obi-Wan," he said softly, "I will sacrifice myself if it means saving my son's and my daughter's life."
"A noble declaration," Yoda said. "Great peril in the future I see. Dead Emperor Palpatine is but still out there the Yuuzhan Vong are. If, correct we are, then fulfill the prophecy you shall and righted the future shall be."
Anakin smiled slightly. "Does everyone know?" he asked.
Obi-Wan nodded. "The only people that don't know are Luke's future wife and Luke himself," he said.
"Let's keep it that way," Anakin said. "I know that Leia doesn't care whether I die or not but I know how much it will hurt Luke. We've only just found out each other was alive and I know he doesn't want to part with me nor do I with him."
"Qui-Gon said that you would die, he never said when," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"True that is," Yoda agreed.
Anakin let out a long sigh. "I guess you are right," he murmured though he couldn't help but wonder about Qui-Gon's message again. Something was nagging at him in the back of his mind but he couldn't figure it out. Qui-Gon's prophecy was trying to tell him something, trying to make him see a part of the prophecy that he didn't at first. But Anakin couldn't seem to figure out what it is that he is supposed to see and he had a feeling that he wouldn't learn what he was supposed to find out until the time arrived.
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: that was chapter 13
Darth: it was short
Blaze: yeah, I know
Palpypie: ANAKIN'S GOING TO DIE!
Blaze: mwahahahahahaha, you don't know anything! Hahahahaha (runs off screaming like a maniac)
Darth: all right, who gave Blaze candy again?
Anakin: (points at Ahsoka)
Ahsoka: (points at Mace)
Mace: (runs Palpypie over and points at Obi-Wan)
Obi-Wan: (slices Palpypie in half and points at Palpypie)
Palpypie's Ghost: (points at Dooku)
Dooku: this time, it wasn't me (points at Leia)
Leia: I don't like candy (points at Han)
Han: (points at Boba Fett)
Boba Fett: I didn't do it (points at Anakin)
Anakin: (trying to get rid of the candy he gave Blaze) I didn't do it
Darth: where's Palpypie? I'll blame him
Blaze: (from somewhere in the Antarctic) GOOD CHOICE!
Palpypie: why me?! (Takes off running screaming like a girl)
Darth: (brings out nuclear tipped missile launcher) I'll make it easy this time
Blaze: (still in Antarctica) please review and I'll post chapter 14 as soon as I possibly can but please try to help me get 130 reviews before the next chapter is posted and sorry this chapter wasn't that long, I'll make the next one longer, I promise.