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Chapter 33

Of course the name rung a bell. Back on Tatooine, when he was only a young boy, there had been a slave cloning experiment. Many of the bigger, more active slave traders had complained that they didn't have time to shuttle back and forth between planets, stealing bondservants from their homes and ruining their lives. Besides, many of the slaves they embezzled were practically useless anyway.

So, many of the more scientifically-inclined slavers had gotten together and decided to clone some of their better, more useful servants. Perhaps they could one day sell their counterparts to the far reaches of the Galaxy. The operation screamed it would make billions, assuming it was successful, and though Anakin was only 6 years old at the time, he had long shown great promise and so was forced to take part.

The cell of DNA they took from his body grew into a human baby, identical to him in every single way. The scientists accelerated the baby's aging until he was about 6, and then they sent him to live with Anakin and his mother. Same as the rest of the clones, they wanted to see how he would settle in, if he could learn the ropes of being a slave.

Originally, his name was simply a number, 364. But Shmi had decided to call him Ace Ademar, because in her native language, it meant the best one. A strong, fierce, noble warrior. A protector of all. Shmi had hoped that that was who both boys would become, no matter what happened to either of them. And it had been Anakin's idea to give him the last name Skywalker, so he would feel like a part of their family.

And Ace truly had been a part of the Skywalker family. He and Anakin had quickly become like brothers, Shmi a mother to them both. In the year and a half Ace lived with them, the clone had quickly become the boy's best friend. His brother, no matter where he had technically come from.

But the happy time had not lasted. After about 18 months, every one of the clones had fallen ill with an incurable sickness. They had all been taken out of the homes they were put into to be treated, the scientists said. They claimed the problem would be fixed soon and then they would return. Anakin had held onto this promise, vowing to his brother that he would see him again.

The Skywalker family had later been informed that Ace Ademar was dead.

So how was it possible that this was the boy he had known? Deep in his heart, Anakin could sense it was true, but it felt so terribly wrong at the same time. How could this be the boy he had known, lived with, dreamed of being a Jedi with? When had Sidious come in and corrupted him? And why had the scientists lied about his death?

Amid all the mental turmoil and confusion, the only word Anakin could get out was, "No."

Vader only scoffed. "Don't pretend you don't feel the connection, Anakin. Like you don't know its true. I know the Jedi haven't brainwashed you that much."

"I haven't been brainwashed by the Jedi, Ace, you've been brainwashed by the Sith! He has forced you to believe a lie!"

"Do not call me by that name! That was the name of slavery, of dark times and weakness. I am now the most powerful of all, and you cannot stop me from taking over the Galaxy." He arched an eyebrow and his eyes held a curious, almost hopeful gaze. "But you could join us, Anakin."

The Jedi shook his head. "No, I cannot."

Vader spit on the ground. "I knew you would reply this way. The Chancellor has his hopes, but I know where your true loyalties lie."

"Yours were once with me. With right and good!"

"Times change. Now they are with the power Sidious can give me."

For a second, Anakin could only stare at his long-ago friend. His new knowledge would only make the fight harder for him, he knew. But he also realized that the friend he had once known was long gone. If there was nothing left of him, it could hardly feel like murder when Anakin finally killed him. "My loyalties remain with right, Ace. With the good I can do the Galaxy as a Jedi."

The snarl returned, hiding his former brother and twisting him into the fiend Vader once again. "Fine then, little Ani boy. But you will regret your choice."

The viciousness in Vader's attack was far fiercer than anything Anakin had formerly been through. He was exhausted, in pain, and his soul was burdened by numerous worries. The final round of their confrontation did not last long.

Vader pushed his lightsaber overtop of Anakin's, keeping it paralyzed there for a second, and then Force-Pushed him into the walls of the Temple. The agony came again, but this time, Anakin could not fight it off. He tried, though, forcing himself to think of his sister, of Obi-Wan, Koresck, Mace, the younglings, Padme and their child.

But no matter how hard he pushed, the blackness pushed harder, forcing him into submission. Finally, he could fight no more. The darkness enveloped him, silencing everything.

Koresck could not be sure how he knew, but he was positive that his best friend was in trouble. Anakin hadn't been in any condition to fight Vader in the first place, not after the day he'd had, beginning with that press conference and continuing on to find out that his mentor was a Sith Lord. He had to be physically exhausted, not even to mention emotionally spent. Koresck didn't have to have battled Vader, to know that you had to be on your top game to face someone like him.

He felt like he had to go make sure Anakin was still alive, but at the same time, how could he leave Mace and the younglings? He had to stay and make sure they got there safe, then he could go back and check on Anakin.

But if Vader was going to kill him, it would've long been too late by then. Anakin could be dead at that very instant because of his delayed action. Koresck took a deep breath; he knew his official duty, but he also knew what was necessary for him to do right then.

He turned to Mace. "I have to go."

Mace didn't question him; he'd never understood Anakin, nor Koresck and their rash decisions. But he now knew that they would act on them with or without his approval, and trying to convince them otherwise would only waste time. Time they didn't have right then.

But one of the younglings had not been around long enough to know this. "You can't leave! How will we find the ship?"

"You just follow these stairs all the way down to the bottom of the Temple, they lead straight to a back alley behind it. And the ship, you know, it's pretty big. Difficult to miss."

No one replied to Koresck's sarcastic comment, except Mace and he only with a nod. Koresck didn't care anyway. He simply took it as his invitation to leave.

There were a few more flights of stairs before reaching the bottom of the Temple, but Koresck flew down them, fear pumping adrenaline through his veins. He ran out just in time to meet Vader standing over an unconscious Anakin, lightsaber raised to strike him dead.

Koresck rushed forward, faster than he'd ever moved in his life, and thrust his lightsaber just in front of Vader's, looking up into his ugly yellow eyes. Pure surprise and shock reigned there. Koresck grinned. He would take advantage of that.

Spinning around, the Jedi kicked the Sith backwards, then backflipped to avoid his sweeping red lightsaber. Koresck landed facing Vader, legs bent slightly at the knees and arms out, fully prepared for his next attack.

Vader glared. "So there are more of you filthy rats hiding in the Temple."

"I would be very careful what sort of animal insults you throw in my direction," Koresck replied evenly, though he could already feel the anger welling up as it began to shake his body.

"Oh?" Vader raised an amused eyebrow as if he were talking to a 5-year-old swinging a play sword. "And why is that?"

"Because I just might go all animal on you." And with that, Koresck allowed the change to take over him. The magic of the Canis Orphus ran through his body and his whole form rippled, shifting into something otherworldly. Vader stood so stunned, he couldn't move a single muscle, much less stab at the morphing being in front of him.

When the change was complete, the thing standing before him was clearly no longer a Jedi. Though it had the appearance of a wolf, it would hardly take a youngling to see that this was no ordinary dog. Koresck as a wolf stood 6-feet tall at the shoulders and his black eyes glowed in the semi-darkness, reflecting an almost human radiance. But when his teeth pulled back in a fearsome snarl, it was obvious that a good deal of the being was also animalistic. And when he took a step forward, headed toward the Dark Lord himself, he felt fear like he had never felt before.

But Vader would not show it. How could he go back to his master and tell him that he had been defeated by little more than a puppy? No, this being would die like all the rest of the filthy, useless Jedi. Vader lifted his lightsaber, then brought it crashing down upon the shoulder of the great beast.

And nothing happened. The saber bounced right off the sepia brown fur and the dog simply looked from his uninjured limb, back at the Dark Lord as if to say, Is that the best you can do?

Fury ran through Vader. How dare this creature defy him? He hacked again and again at the animal, but not even a lightsaber could break through the invincible fur; the once-Jedi never flinched.

Finally, Koresck pulled his lips back into the only true wolfish grin one could ever see and said, "Now, it's my turn."

Then he lunged at the Sith Lord, nearly closing his razor-sharp teeth over Vader's head. But somehow, he managed to duck the snapping mouth and race around the enormous creature. Koresck whirled around as fast as he could, but one of the few problems with this form, one of the only weaknesses it contained, was an extreme lack of agility. It wasn't until he was facing Vader again that he realized how fatal the flaw could be: there was Vader, standing over Anakin again, lightsaber poised to murder the defenseless Jedi.

"If you kill me," Vader swallowed to keep his voice from trembling, "you had better believed that I will take him out first."

"Fine, then." Koresck replied. His voice was growly as a wolf, hiding the way his heart twisted at the thought of letting the Sith go free. "But if you don't get out of here right now, well, I won't be giving out anymore chances."

Vader, Sith Lord as he was, had no qualms about turning tail and sprinting in the other direction.

Koresck stared after him, promising himself that one day he would make this wrong right. Someday, someday soon, he would kill Darth Vader.

Thanks for reading! Please review!

Author's Note: OK, so I know not everyone was all for the werewolf thing, but I still really hope you liked this chapter!

And for those waiting on Acacia and Obi-Wan, don't worry! I promise they will make their return in the next episode of Burned By The Dark!