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Chapter 18
For what felt like hours, Anakin sat in the seat where Obi-Wan had set him. He stared at the door leading out of the bridge but saw nothing, listened to the chatter of the few remaining troopers but heard nothing.
All he truly saw and heard were the nightmares in his mind of a future that couldn't be changed. Leia's desperate cries. The blast that killed her. The screams of the people on Alderaan as it blew apart. Bail running at him, horrified and shouting.
Same as he had when he'd had visions of Padmé's death, Anakin felt utterly hopeless and completely alone. He knew so much and could do so little. He had been told for so long to let go of what he feared to lose, but Leia wasn't even his to lose anymore. Yet he loved her. Alderaan wasn't his—and yet he cared. How could he let it go any more than he could let go of the slaves he knew suffered throughout the galaxy? He felt their pain, so how could he ignore it?
That was his other greatest failing: he didn't know how to let go. It was why he could never be a Jedi. Why he had failed so often and so hard.
But Anakin couldn't bring himself to do nothing. Even though he hated it, hated himself for it, he couldn't help himself. Some compulsion moved him. Before he realized he was doing it, he rose and turned to look out the viewport.
The Death Star was within range of Alderaan, a silver moon amidst a maelstrom of blaster fire and explosions. The Republic and Separatists waged war all around it. Most of the Republic vessels continued to hammer at various hangar bay shields and tried to break through the Death Star's defenses, seemingly with minimal luck. Sidious would have planned better to make his weapon impenetrable. It would take an endless stream of fire to create even a brief opening on one of the hangars. Or it would take a really hard hit to disable one of the power cores completely.
Anakin slipped down the steps, moving without thinking, and tapped at one of the consoles.
"Hey!" One of the remaining troopers approached but stopped at a slight distance. "You don't have authorization to—"
Anakin held up a hand to stop him. The man halted and frowned, perhaps expecting a Force choke or something sinister, but Anakin dropped his hand and went back to work.
"Artoo, run a scan and let me know how many people are still on this ship," Anakin said.
He pulled up reports from the hangar bay and from the escape pods. Half a dozen fighters and all escape pods remained functional and active. R2 ran his analysis from his usual place tucked in a back corner before rolling to Anakin and presenting his data in the form of a holo-chart above his dome head. Four people remained on the ship. It sat stationary, out of sight and mind, and only had enough people to prepare for immediate evacuation.
"Excuse me, but you do not belong here," said the other trooper, more irritated than the first. Anakin didn't recognize either, aside from them wearing the same face as all their brothers. "I must ask that you return to your seat and—"
"Get off the ship," Anakin said.
One of the troopers grabbed his blaster from its holster at his side, but Anakin caught the weapon with the Force, raised it, and crumpled it into a harmless ball of metal and screws. He tossed it across the bridge. When the other trooper snatched his weapon, Anakin did the same with that one. For good measure, Anakin reached with the Force, ripped a computer console out of the floor, and hurled it into another console—setting both ablaze and setting off a litany of alarms.
"This ship is going to crash. Evacuate immediately." Anakin turned away from the troopers and back to the controls. He opened communications with the rest of the ship. "This vessel is failing, and destruction is imminent. Report to the hangar bay or to an escape pod and evacuate immediately. I repeat, evacuate immediately." When neither of the men behind him moved, Anakin whirled on them and gave them a not-so-gentle nudge with the Force. Through the mask, he knew his voice sounded grotesque and cruel. "Move!"
When that didn't set either of the men into motion, Anakin reached out a hand on either side of him and clasped at the walls. He pulled, and the entire framework of the walls collapsed inward and shot sparks from stripped wires. Both officers stepped back, towards the exit. Hesitation flared through their eyes, for they'd been given orders, and good soldiers followed orders.
"Get off the ship," Anakin repeated, and he dropped his tone dangerously low. "Now."
"Evacuate immediately," one of the officers said into his comlink. He and his comrade turned to run.
Anakin glanced at R2, who whistled at him in confusion and let out a frustrated string of beeps.
"We have to take care of this, Artoo. I have to do this."
He returned his focus to the controls and scanned for the current coordinates of the Death Star. Not just any coordinates—he focused on where the reactor core should sit. If his memory served him well, it would be too deep to penetrate, but any damage to the surrounding areas would lead to system failures throughout the vessel. Any and all shield generators powered in that region would be crippled. If hit just right, at least. He focused with the Force to ensure no life forces existed in that portion of the Death Star. Most, he found, clustered on the other side of the station.
"Artoo, let me know when all officers are off this ship," Anakin said, and he set the coordinates but didn't activate.
He'd done this trick before, and timing would be everything. In the meantime, he diverted all life support and unnecessary power to the laser cannons of the ship. He'd take one, coordinated strike at the Death Star and hope it was enough power to get through the weapon's shields.
After he'd completed his adjustments, R2 beeped and projected a display revealing that four of the six starfighters had left the hangar and that the officers had, indeed, abandoned ship. He'd definitely get an earful from Obi-Wan about this later. If he survived.
"Get to the hangar, Artoo. Find a starfighter and have it ready to go."
R2 swiveled its head around, back and forth, and beeped in dismissal.
"Either that or we die." Anakin shrugged.
R2 offered a few shrill beeps in retort but swung around and evacuated as Anakin requested. Seems the droid had been spending too much time with Obi-Wan.
Anakin planned the time it would take to evacuate to the hangar and the time it would take to eject from the ship. He mapped out his trek and potential hang-ups in the space between the ship and the Death Star. Any openings weren't guaranteed to last for long. He overrode manual settings and set the ship to leap to hyperspace after the allotted time and locked the cannons to firing.
He ran.
Anakin dashed to the hangar and found R2 had pulled out a starfighter and aimed it towards the exit, as requested.
"Let's get moving, Artoo!"
Anakin flew into the cockpit and had barely closed the hatch before they rolled to the hangar exit. He fired up the engines at full power, shot into space, and swerved towards the Death Star and the point of impact he'd designated.
"Transmit a message, Artoo. Tell all Republic fighters to steer clear of the coordinates I'm entering. Tell them to avoid from here to there, but to stay close. We're going in."
Anakin whirled beneath the ship's trajectory, and most of the nearby Republic fighters either went up or down. Anakin remained low but raced towards the point of impact, avoiding contact when he could but fired on enemy fighters whenever they engaged. His mind wasn't in the fight. Instead, he scanned the Death Star for the nearest hangar bays and entry points. Only two hangar bays existed in that area, meaning few would be able to enter behind him before backup generators locked down all the doors. But it had to be enough.
He counted down in his mind, and at the precise moment he anticipated, the abandoned ship twisted into a curious streak of silver that stretched from its former position all the way to the Death Star. The ship materialized in a flash of blue from cannon fire as it exploded into the Death Star's outer skin. It crushed the framework of the Death Star inward and sent a cascade of explosions through the walls of Sidious' monstrous weapon. The ship exploded in a great eruption that stretched far and wide across the surface of the Death Star.
Visible lights flickered throughout the Death Star, and the hangar bay shields failed and the weapons around it died.
Anakin powered his starfighter into the opened hangar and pummeled through bewildered droids as he hit the floor hard and fast. He skidded several meters before coming to a stop, and then he hopped from the cockpit with R2 at his side.
"Stay with the ship, Artoo," Anakin said, not that he thought the ship needed defending but because he thought it might be too dangerous where he was going. Everything around Anakin would be at risk.
R2 let out a sad, tired whistle, beeped angrily, and wheeled back to the starfighter that lay on a pile of destroyed battle droids.
Countless droids poured through the door. Anakin merely caught them with the Force and hurled them against walls or against each other. The few stray blaster bolts that reached him he either dodged or caught with a barrier on his hand. He slammed through the droids that approached and made his way down the corridors where, at least in his memory, the bridge should exist.
The closer he got, the worse the visions in his head throbbed and muddled his senses. He assumed that meant he was going in the right direction. When he'd almost reached the bridge, he found corridors blackened with blaster fire and countless fallen droids shot down or sliced through with lightsaber precision and efficiency.
Anakin had a sensation of hope as he made his way to the control room of the Death Star. The teams who had infiltrated before him left no allied bodies behind. Then the doors to the bridge slid open, and the hope snuffed out.
Bodies of troopers scattered the bridge along with countless demolished droids. Half the room crumbled. Several Jedi Masters lay on the floor and groaned, too wounded to fight. On one side of the room, Obi-Wan writhed under a collapsed platform and console. Blood streaked his head and pooled on the floor beneath him from injuries Anakin couldn't see. On the other side of the room, Leia screamed in the arms of Senator Organa. Several hostages huddled in a corner under heavy guard.
Sidious stood at the viewport, his back turned to Anakin, his hands loosely folded behind his back.
"I have been waiting for you, my boy," Sidious said with the same kind voice he'd always used with Anakin. He turned as he spoke. "I have been waiting for you to return to your rightful place at my side." He waved a hand at the hostages. "I am sorry it had to come to this, but the Jedi have continued to deceive you, and—"
"Shut up," Anakin said.
"A show of good faith, then." Sidious smiled faintly at Anakin with the same familiar smile of the man who had looked after and cared for him for the past decade. The former Chancellor dipped his head at the droids and treacherous troopers holding Bail's group against their will. "Release them."
"Roger, roger," said the droids, and the troopers stepped back and lowered their blasters.
Bail glanced at Anakin, and no one moved. Anakin didn't dare suggest they move. It felt like a trap.
"You're free to leave. I only needed you as bait." Sidious nodded to the troopers. "Take them to the east hangar, as planned. There's a vessel prepared to depart." When no one moved, Sidious' face darkened. "Do not test my patience. It will not last all day. Leave before I change my mind."
Bail rose, Leia bawling in his arms, and the others joined him. Several friendly but disarmed clone troopers had been in the hostage huddle, and they formed a tight circle around Bail and the others. Rex was among them. A droid led them to the door, and Bail passed Anakin a sidelong look of some indecipherable emotion before exiting with the others. Anakin watched them go, ensured they were safely out of range, and returned his attention to Sidious.
Obi-Wan's lightsaber lay on the floor halfway between Sidious and Anakin. Several blasters also lay scattered across the bridge. Potential weapons for Anakin to use.
"Now, Anakin," Sidious said, and he folded his hands in front of him. "I have shown you I mean you no harm. I am not your enemy. All of this…" Again he waved his hands to showcase the destruction of the room and, briefly, Alderaan in the distance. "I do this to show you how important you are to me. I would go to any lengths to reach you."
"Anakin—" Obi-Wan tried to move under the debris, but he grimaced when he moved and collapsed under the weight.
Anakin took a step towards Obi-Wan but halted when quiet rage ignited in Sidious' eyes.
"Choose, Anakin," Sidious said, and some of the sugary sweetness left his voice. Something hard replaced it. Something cold. "Democracy does not work. You have witnessed it. My rule alone brought peace to the galaxy. And now we understand our future weaknesses—we can do better this time. Save more people, free more slaves. The hurting and the oppressed—we can save them. Which is a lot more than the Jedi have ever done, isn't it?" Sidious cast a fierce glare at Obi-Wan. "Just like with your mother…"
"Anakin, don't—"
"Choose, Anakin!" Sidious spoke over Obi-Wan, and hatred curled off his tongue. "Bow to me, and I will never let you hurt like that again. I will never ignore your suffering as the Jedi did. Join me, Anakin."
Anakin looked to Obi-Wan. His former Master struggled to lift his head. The wreckage shifted and he let out a pained groan. On the other side of the room, Masters Plo, Unduli, and Secura writhed on the floor. A few allied troopers struggled to get to their knees.
All people, in another lifetime, that Anakin would destroy by making the wrong choice.
"I will not join you," he said to Sidious. "What you intend to do is wrong."
Sidious' face crumpled. All of the kindly, paternal softness withered, replaced by the cruel Sith Anakin knew well from his visions. Anakin expected Sidious to reach for a lightsaber or to attack Obi-Wan in retaliation. He prepared to snatch Obi-Wan's lightsaber off the ground to resist. Instead of lashing out, Sidious merely pulled back his shoulders and stuck out his chest.
"Very well. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you continue to leave me no choice." Sidious wore no smile, but a light glinted through his eyes, something gleeful at what he was about to say and do. "I must inform you that I have installed bombs throughout the framework of the eastern corridors and hangar. They're connected to the Death Star itself and won't be detected—until it's too late. Senator Organa will pay for his treachery. I only apologize, Anakin, that dear Leia must die with him."
Anakin choked on a breath, and the visions slammed hard into him. The visions overwhelmed him of Bail and Leia dying in an explosion and being ripped into space. They hammered through his head, strangled the air out of his lungs. Stopped his heart. He leaned forward and clasped at the helmet over his head. It was coming true—it was true.
He spun to pursue the hostages, but a red and black shape flashed through the doorway. Maul rammed into Anakin with his full weight and a push from the Force, sending Anakin over the railway and onto a lower level of the bridge. Anakin flipped to his feet, but Maul stood with lightsaber ignited between Anakin and the exit.
"Activate the superlaser," Sidious told one of the troopers at the controls. No emotion showed on his face. Only cold and calculated cruelty. This was the man Anakin had given everything to serve. A man who cared about nothing and no one. "Destroy Alderaan."
"No!" Anakin lashed out with the Force and tried to hurl the trooper from his seat and away from the controls.
Two powerful grips through the Force caught and restrained him; Maul held his hands and Sidious clutched his throat and hoisted him off the floor. Anakin thrashed and pushed back with the Force, but he couldn't break their combined strength. Neither flinched at his meager efforts.
Maybe Obi-Wan had been right and Anakin was in no condition to fight.
The trooper punched at the computer and activated the superlaser. As before, it took time to draw the power it needed—one crystal ignited at a time.
"Now you must choose, Anakin. Your daughter… or Alderaan, but you cannot save both."
With the flick of his hand, Sidious tossed Anakin to the floor against the communications station. He marched to the door but allowed his troopers, the droids, and Maul to exit ahead of him. He glanced over his shoulder at Anakin, a tight smile on his lips.
"Unless, of course, you submit. The dark side has the power you need. Claim the power that rightfully belongs to you. Only then will you have the power to save everyone."
Sidious waved his hand and dragged down another section of the ceiling over the computer console in charge of the superlaser's operations. Then he swept away in his dark shroud and vanished out the door.