VADER: MIA
EPISODE II: Return of the Chosen One
Chapter 14
Anakin had wanted to be on his way to Belkadan shortly after the Admiral had left, but an unforeseen problem with the shuttle's repulsor lifts had arose and he and Luke's departure delayed.
"Why does this always happen to me?" Luke said whining his disdain.
"Finish the repair my son, complaining will just draw out the repair and delay our take off longer," Anakin returned, telling Luke to keep his mind on his work.
The words had no sooner left his mouth than a twinge in the Force compelled him to look into the sky. Feeling an all too familiar presence, he didn't know who was coming but who ever was coming was Force sensitive.
He felt the same presence in the Force when he was the Emperor's apprentice. He'd never seen who was creating the presence but he knew it was the same. Keeping his eyes on the sky he asked, "Luke how much longer until the repairs are finished?"
"Ah, I don't know twenty, maybe thirty minutes," Luke answered taking his eyes off what he was doing and looking at his father.
What he saw in his fathers eyes somewhat scared him he'd not seen his father with the expression he had on his face and what emanated from him in the Force was equally distressing.
"You will stay here until I come for you, no matter what happens you will not leave this ship do you understand my padawan?" Anakin stressed, monetarily looking at Luke.
"Yes master," Luke replied, now standing by his father also looking skyward he asked, "what is it Father?"
"Nothing that concerns you my son, please just do as I have asked," Anakin returned in a softer voice.
Leaving the shuttle Anakin projected through the Force that he felt her presence, also issuing her a challenge he directed her to a spot where they could do battle. Pausing he looked back at the shuttle, feeling Luke's presence in the Force, his son, his family; anger started building in him. How dare the Emperor think that his new apprentice could end his life?
"You've made a grave error Emperor, and one I will gladly enjoy making you pay for," Anakin whispered as he paced the clearing.
He was eager to see who had taken his place as the Emperor's apprentice. Not known for his patience he stopped and looked skyward as his opponent's ship approached the clearing. His lightsaber in hand he thumbed the activator button as the ship landed and the landing ramp lowered.
Anakin continued thumbing the button of his deactivated lightsaber. Standing as he done in countless other battles, he stood ready; postured; his body reeking of self-assurance. However, during those battles he'd been wearing the Emperor's prison suit, now it was like the old days, no suit but the self-assurance was reeking full force.
What came down the ramp surprised him a little for the same feeling was emanating from her, not as strong, but there nonetheless.
Stepping from the ramp Mara smugly asked, "Where's the farm boy, because when I'm finished here he's next?"
"Where he is, is of no concern to you, what you should be worried about is whether I will kill you slowly, or make you suffer," Anakin replied angrily.
"That doesn't sound like a Jedi, that sounds more like the spoken words of a true Sith Lord," Mara shot back mockingly.
"Be that at is may, I hope you are prepared to die young one," Anakin said calmly not letting his anger get the best of him.
"You will try, old one you will try," Mara returned hoping but not confident that the comment might hit a nerve, "now enough with the talk lets get on with it."
Simultaneously the sound of two lightsabers activating echoed in the clearing. Slowly each circled the clearing with Anakin walking clockwise and Mara walking counterclockwise.
"What is your name young one, I will be disappointed if I didn't at least know your name?" Anakin asked
"I'd get use to disappointment then," Mara answered.
"Very well," Anakin replied with a smirk and a slight tilt of his head.
The two almost did a complete circle of the clearing before Mara made the first move using the Emperor's favorite move; launching her self like a missile she held her lightsaber in front of her as she flew twisting through the air heading straight for Anakin's chest.
Anakin easily side stepped her attack bringing his own lightsaber down as she passed, but Mara twisted at the last second blocking his attack and ending up standing off to his side a few meters away.
"You didn't think I was going to be that easy to kill did you," Mara asked with a chuckle.
"Killing someone is never easy but more often than not, it is a necessity."
"Now you sound like a Jedi, and I hate Jedi!" Mara yelled launching herself again at Anakin.
Crashing there lightsabers together each attacked and defended the others blows, with neither giving the other the opportunity of a lucky blow. Separating they taunted each other.
"I see you are skilled in the Djem So/Shein form," Mara commented, "I myself have mastered one form.""You call that mastery, you've no distinct form at all you have certain moves mastered but not the complete form, you fight like a padawan," Anakin said mocking her, standing in his defensive stance light saber held high and at the ready.
That comment said it struck a nerve that no one has ever done, pushing aside her training she let her anger take over.
"You'll pay for that comment Skywalker."
Mara then launched a series of attacks, easily blocked by Anakin. Her swings were not precise but erratic, nothing was as taught, she swung her lightsaber high and low using no particular form at all, it was more like a child having a tantrum, and Anakin used that to his advantage, by taunting her more.
"Oh we are the angry little Sith aren't we, didn't your teacher, instruct you not to let anger govern your moves but instead use it to strengthen your moves?"
Catching on to his little ruse Mara withdrew from her attack, commenting,
"Very good, Skywalker, not only should the attacks be physical, also mental, I'm afraid two can play at that game."
"There is nothing you can use that will sway me from my teachings upstart," Anakin returned.
"Are you sure? Mara replied, "I think you should know that once I've dispatched you, I am going after your son; he will not die as quickly as you will this I promise you."
That was all that Anakin needed to hear, it was one thing to challenge him, but to threaten his son this was unacceptable. Anger began to fill his body, his attack became as erratic as his opponent's had become; but with more structure not as easily defended as he was against her attack, but she did block all his advances.
He had threatened his family enough, chased his son half way across the galaxy, tortured his daughter; no this women would end no ones life, he loved his family he always did, he'd just forgotten what it felt like. Not remembering that feeling was what he become accustomed to, now it had returned something that over the past weeks he relearned, and he liked the feeling.
"Your thoughts betray you Skywalker, we know of your daughter, it is only a matter of time before we find out who, and where she is," Mara said continuing to taunt Anakin.
"Noooo!" Anakin screamed.
That comment pushed him to the brink his body began drawing more on the force, and the more he drew the more powerful his attack became. Drawing that much power from the force, he now took on a glow as the force quickly began to over load his body. In addition, as he had done in the chamber when the Emperor sealed him in the suit and finding out that his beloved Padme' was dead; he released the Force in a devastating push that crushed everything in its path. Mara sensed the coming attack a second before it happened, deactivating her lightsaber and using the Force, she somersaulted backwards then jumped behind the massive trunk of a gnarl tree.
Able to escape the brunt of the Force attack Mara was struck from the waist down by the push sending her body twisting and turning through the air where it finally came to rest against the trunk of another tree. There she laid unconscious, hopefully dead, Anakin thought but from drawing on the force as much as he did, he had neither the strength to go find out nor the strength to sense her through the Force. What he did have the strength for was a weak call to Luke. Sending out a call through the Force, the only thing he wanted to do was get back to ship and leave this planet, zapping the last of his strength Anakin slipped into unconsciousness.
Luke had just finished his repairs, he had felt what was going on through the Force, but keeping with his masters wishes, he stayed to finish the repairs. Nevertheless, every ounce of his body and will wanted to be by his father's side, to be there should he need his help. Now feeling the call from his father through the Force; a weak call at that, he knew that something was wrong. Stretching out with the Force, he felt two beings, that of his father whose presence was very weak, and that Mara whose presence was even weaker.
Dropping his tools he followed his senses to where his father lay, seeing Mara in the distance crumpled against the tree he gave her no further thoughts but turned to his father who lay barely conscious.
"Father what, what happened?" Luke asked a look of dread on his face.
"What happened is what needed to happen," Anakin answered his tone soft and weak.
"What, what can I do?"
"Bring me to the ship I need to go into a healing trance." Anakin said, and then faded back into unconsciousness.
Luke scooped up his father and using the Force to not only enhance his strength but also his speed, doing as he was asked he brought his father to the ship. Placing him in his quarters, he made sure he was comfortable then returned to the clearing to see who had done this to his father.
Approaching Mara, she still lay crumpled up against the tree. Bending down he turned her over to see her face. Moving her hair from her face, he was surprised at her beauty how could someone so beautiful want to kill, want to kill anything.
"Wow, she's beautiful," He whispered.
Then the thought of his father lying back at the ship entered his mind, standing he took a step back pulled his lightsaber from his belt and activated it. Pointing it at her head, he mumbled.
"If he dies, I will make it my mission to seek you out and end your miserable existence."
Wanting with all his might to cleave her from head to toe, something in the back of his mind stopped him. Something he couldn't put his finger on, but something gave him the feeling he meet her again.
"You live for now," he said turning and heading back to the ship.
Assuring that his father was secure in his quarters, Luke piloted the ship off Dagobah, he was just about to take the ship into hyperspace when a strange feeling came over him, and he heard these words in his head.
"Why farm boy?"