Star Wars: Crosscurrent: Betrayal
Star Wars: Crosscurrent
Chapter 14
The Real One
Luke concentrated harder through the force. From what he could tell, everytime there was an attack, on of the signatures would flash red, before becoming blue again. The one with the darker cloak was the evil Anakin, but how could he tell them. He didn't know how to form the words to show them. Luckily, Obi-Wan had stepped out onto the entrance along with the masters.
"Well, this is new", Obi-Wan commented almost nonchalantly. "Now I've seen everything", Obi-Wan commented as he too concentrated with the force. Just like everyone else, he drew a blank.
"I've got nothing. I can't tell which one is which", the wise master said. "If one of them is evil, he's hiding it with the skill of a very advanced master."
'Like a sith...' thought Luke. "Master Obi-Wan."
The wise master looked down at the son of Anakin. "Yes, Luke?"
"I know which one is which. Instead of searching their actual signatures, search for the backlash that their attacks give off", Luke suggested to Obi-Wan, loud enough for the other masters to hear. Obi-Wan put his hand to his chin and stroked his beard, doing as he suggested. The other masters followed suit.
"I see it..." Obi-Wan commented before activating his lightsaber. "Good job, Luke!" Obi-Wan appraised him before running to the battle. Luke wanted to fight too, but knew this wasn't his fight.
Padme awoke with a start. Something wasn't feeling right with her. It was as though she could feel Anakin in a state of stress. Quickly removing the covers from herself and getting out of bed, she quickly changed into her casual uniform and jogged to the entrance. Before she got completely there, she noticed that all the masters were standing at the temple's front door. Mace Windu had sensed her as she got closer to the entrance and intercepted her.
"Mrs. Amidala, it isn't safe for you to be here right now," Mace Windu said.
"Is Anakin okay?" Padme asked, starting to worry. Mace glanced over at the duel between Anakin and his clone.
"He's in a duel with a...sith," Mace said, crossing his arms. The whole ordeal was still confusing to him. A clone of Anakin, when could that have happened?
Padme noticed Luke standing next to Mace on the other side. She walked over to where he was standing, a hand on his shoulder.
"Luke, where's Leia?" she asked. Luke smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, she's still in her quarters," he replied, showing calm. Suddenly, his smile dissapeared, eyebrows knitted together. Padme noticed this, and gave him a comforting squeeze.
"Luke, what's wrong?" She asked. Luke took a small breath. This would be news to his mother.
"Father's fighting a clone of himself."
Anakin skipped backwards continuosly to keep from being hit with multiple agressive slashes aimed at his head and neck. This clone of his was aggravating him. He seemed to know a majority of his techniques and fought alot like someone he battled before. But Who? There were plenty of sith he fought during the clone wars.
"Still can't tell who I am?" The dark duelist said almost mockingly. Anakin stopped, kept his guard up and nodded. Dark Anakin put his lightsaber to his side, deactivating it.
"It's me Anakin, I'm Palpatine," he said, smirking. Anakin's face was simply priceless to Palpatine's eyes. Distress, shock, and anger flashed through his eyes all at once. Anakin's lips moved , yet no words formed.
Feeling through the force, he knew it was true, and he hated that. Anakin deactivated his lightsaber, stumbling backwards. His legs suddenly felt weak.
"What are you," Anakin took a breath before continuing. "What are you doing here?" Anakin's anger was slowly rising. Through years of training, he learned to channel it in a positive manner, but this threatened to throw his training out the window.
"You were a fool not to join me when you had the chance," Palpatine said, Anakin's own face looking at himself scornfully. This whole situation was confusing him. It was his possible future. What he was and can be.
"You old fool, not this time," Anakin recanted, catching his second wind. Both blades clashed furiously, as the dual combatants fought equally as vigorously. Avoiding an overhead slash by jerking his head backwards, Palpatine threw his blade like a javelin towards Anakin's unsuspecting head. Anakin jerked his head to the side, the blade slashing over his healed scar, reopening it. Anakin quickly smashed his palm to his face, clenching his teeth. Breathing deeply, he silently cursed his attacker.
"You piece of bantha dung," Anakin choked out, removing his hand. The scar was once again a mute red from being freshly cut. Anakin staggered a bit before shaking his head clear. Palpatine had a sadistic smile on his face, before raising his hand, calling the saber back to his now armed hand.
"Father!" Luke yelled. Anakin tilted his head to the side just enough to see him, and the Jedi masters. He blinked a few times before retutning his attention before his opponent.
"Do you love your wife and children?" Palpatine asked. Anakin scowled and jerked his guard up. "Leave my wife and children out of this!" Anakin yelled furiously. Palpatine simply smiled.
"I've seen your future," Palpatine said. Anakin's eyes narrowed. "What do you know about my future?" The chosen one asked, his brilliant blue blade continuing to hum.
"This isn't the prime reality, is it?" Palpatine continued, walking back and forth. Palpatine had sensed a disturbance during the fateful day he and Anakin had first fought. A disturbance in time.
"I remember, around the time that I had first given you the seat in the council. It seemed your whole, should I say pshyche, for lack of a better word, simply changed." Palpatine continued. Anakin was intrigued. It never crossed his mind that Palpatine would find out something so subtle.
"Isn't that right, Darth...Vader," Palpatine said, pausing to look at Anakin. Anakin's breath was shaky. He hadn't heard that name in 16 years.
"That's...not, not me anymore," Anakin stuttered. The grip on his saber loose and shaking.