Chapter 16: Duel of the Fate
Vader's blades parried each saber arc by the Jedi Master before he dashes forward and slashes at his hip which the Jedi Master was able to parried.
Ferroda deflected each strike by Vader, and the Sith swipe downwards at his leg, causing him to Force Blast him back into the wall. The Jedi Master leaped up and dash at him, elegantly blocking each of his strikes and deflecting before kicking Vader in the face.
The Sith preformed a backflip before he brought his sword downwards and then up, Electrostaff crackled as the two locked blades.
His great hatred for the Jedi impelled Vader to lunge at him savagely, bringing his durasteel blade down upon Ferroda's spine area. But effortlessly, the Jedi Master deflected the blow with a defensive turn of his own weapon.
Again Ferroda attacked. Once again their blades clashed.
And then they stood, staring at one another for an endless moment through their crossed lightsabers.
Lightsaber and swords clashed in Master Ferroda and Darth Vader's battle on the platform in Jabba's Palace continues to move down a certain direction.
Ferroda felt the shaking platform shudder with every blow and parry and thrust of their weapons. But he was undaunted, for with every thrust of his sword he drove the evil Darth Vader back.
Vader, using his sword to ward off Ferroda's aggressive lunges so he would be able to kill the old fool, spoke calmly as they fought. "The fear does not reach you. You are more foolish than I anticipated."
"You'll find I'm full of surprises," the confident Jedi retorted, threatening Vader with yet another thrust.
"And I, too," was the calm, portentous reply.
With two graceful moves, the Dark Lord hooked Ferodda's weapon out of his hands and sent it flying away. A slash of Vader's Electrostaff at Ferroda's feet made the Jedi Master jump back in an effort to protect himself. But he stumbled backward and tumbled up the few of the stairs.
Sprawled on the platform, Ferroda gazed up and saw the ominous dark figure looming above him at the bottom of the stairs. Then the figure flew right at him, its sable cloak billowing out in the air like the wings of a monstrous bat.
Quickly Ferroda rolled to one side, not taking his eyes off Vader, as the vast black figure landed soundlessly next to him.
"Your future is blinded to be true, Ferroda," Vader hissed, looming over the crouching Master. "Now you will face the true Mastery of the Force."
"The true Mastery of the Force is the light. The darkness is nothing but a poison." Ferroda stated, trying to fight off the evil presence that was coming from Vader.
"There is much the Jedi did not tell you," Vader continued. "That doesn't surprise me. They don't tell their students anything; they wouldn't tell their masters.
Vader's influence was incredibly strong; it seemed to Ferroda like a thing alive.
Vader, without a second thought, swung for Ferroda's head with his sword. Ferroda's green lightsaber intercepted the blow in a flash of bright green, causing sparks to shoot out. Before they knew it, Ferroda and Vader were in a sword struggle. Ferroda pushed as hard as he could, but Vader didn't look like he was budging. With his teeth clenched hard, Vader let out a cry of rage and shoved Ferroda backward.
Vader swings at Ferroda, parrying a swing, blocked a few strikes before Ferroda swiped at the man. Vader dodged the swipe, sending upward arcs towards the Jedi Master.
To follow it up, Vader rushed forward and beat Ferroda and begins slashing at him endlessly, ending it with a powerful side kick in his hip that knocked him out. Ferroda flew off far but stood his ground after a moment of skidding. Vader rushed forward, trying for the same combo, but this time, Ferroda blocked the opposing sword with his own green lightsaber. Now in another clash, Vader chose a new tactic so he wouldn't lose.
Vader blocked each of the slashes before beginning to hack away at the Jedi Master himself, apparently moving in all directions, disappearing every-so-often and appearing a few other times.
Thrusting his left hand forward at Vader's chest, and using the power of the Force, Vader was launched several dozen feet backward, landing in a pile of rubble.
In a magnificent jump, using Force Jump, Vader burst out of the rubble and landed in front of Ferroda with a boom. Vader, instead of using his sword, stretched out his right hand and made it into a shape as if he were holding a ball. Immediately, Ferroda began to rise into the air, clutching his throat desperately and beginning to kick the ground.
"Pathetic, you call yourself a Jedi Master. If you were a Master, you would have already defeated me." Vader remarked. Ferroda raised slightly higher into the air, before coming to a halt. That's when Vader slowly began to clench his fist.
Ferroda never felt anything like this throughout all his campaigns through the Clone Wars. His breath just... failed.
But he also had another idea instead of accepting his death and becoming one with the Force. Now with his left hand, Ferroda Force Blasted Skywalker into the wall and attempted to keep him there, trying to tighten his hold through the Force, forming a web with the Force so he could have Vader at the position of submission.
In a flash, both were using their own Force Abilities against each other, but at the same time, the Force against one another failed and they released each other. As Ferroda landed, both heroes readied their weapons. Ferroda quickly moved before Vader had the chance, throwing his green lightsaber at Vader, piercing the Chosen One right through the shoulder.
In the time that Vader was flinching, Ferroda Forced the green sword back into his hand, jumped at Vader, and crushed Vader's nose with the hilt of the blade. Vader cried out in pain, giving Ferroda the chance he needed to completely do a Force-powered dropkick on Vader, sending him back and making Vader land far; right beside the scarlet pit that once belonged to Jabba the Hutt.
Vader, eyes closed in pain, reached his right hand over to push himself up... and one of the tentative fingers reached out for Vader, causing him to twist the Electrostaff far enough and chop off its hand, but unfortunately, the sword went into the creature's mouth. Feeling it releasing him, Vader ripped his hand far from the hold of the beast before any further chances of it grabbing him occurred, and he hopped onto his two feet.
Standing up, Vader realized that Ferroda was right in front of him. Ferroda's green lightsaber was close to his throat.
"I'll admit, you have some skills, but—"
"—I am a Jedi. I call off the light side of the Force. Whereas you surrender to the dark, I don't allow it to consume me." Ferroda said.
Dashing up at him with his remaining weapon, Vader was on him in an instant. Ferroda leaped to the side and soared gracefully through the air as the boot that would have smashed his face to pieces impacted the sand. Vader intercepted a powerful swipe, sliding to the side as the Jedi Master approached before lunging forward but the Jedi Master intercepted his sword before kicking him on his stomach, forcing him onto his rump and for his sword to hang low.
Ferroda sliced at him before Vader grabbed his sword and blocked another strike. Ferroda sprang and his mind raced, and his connection to the force exemplified his movements as he sprinted towards Vader as he lashed out and struck at Vader with all the nimbleness and gracefulness and danger Makashi fueled him with, making him a deadly duelist. To his utter surprise, Vader's sword spun through the air as he effortlessly blocked every single one of Ferroda's precise strikes. Vader was losing ground under Ferroda's assault, but his defense held fast.
He kicked him on the ground harder this time and caused him to gasp as he clutched his armored stomach before staring up at his so-called victor.
The Jedi Master angled his lightsaber at Vader's throat once again when the Sith lunged up, beginning to hack away at him, kicking him in the hip and bodyslamming him to the point where his lightsaber rolled away.
Ferroda slammed Vader against the sandy ground, causing him to groan out of agony before calling out for his sword with the Force, poised to strike.
Vader started off with horizontal slashes, going at Ferroda with great power and skill. Next came vertical slashes, and then eventually, a combination of both horizontal and vertical slashes.
As their fight begins to draw to the palace, Vader's blade were pushing against Ferroda's lightsaber. They were dashing at each other with such mobility anyone else with less experience would have been dead. The problem is the two have never face combat with one another so they had to analyze each other.
Ferroda blocked each blow precisely, only having a few get through, causing minimal damage. Vader finally blocked one very powerful slash and skidded backwards a few feet. Ferroda hurried and used Force Jump to jump over Vader, landing behind him. Vader, seeing where Ferroda jumped to, and also sensing him with the Force, readied his sword...
Vader turned, swung his sword, and disarmed Ferroda... literally. Ferroda cried out in pain as his right arm, along with his hand and lightsaber, fell to the ground. Now, not only were there pools of sands in the area, but also one pool of blood.
Ferroda was extremely damaged, but he couldn't give up now. Grabbing the lightsaber out of his severed hand, Ferroda began to fight once again... left-handed.
Vader struck rapidly at Ferroda, ducking under a blow from the Jedi Master. He arcs his sword across the sandy ground, causing the Jedi Master to clutch his eyes though that prove some difficulty with his injured gap with his hand as he staggered.
Ferroda wasn't looking too good. Vader easily blocked each of his attacks, then gave Ferroda a few more slashes that ran through his body. Finally, after seeing how weak Ferroda was without an arm, Vader lowered his defenses.
"Unleash your power! If you want to stop me, I know you have it!" Vader taunted, it comes naturally. The dark side has its benefits.
Vader roared, a sound that disturbed Ferroda to the core, and begins hacking away at him with much more intensity, provoking Ferroda in dodging each of the strikes and parried them, but now Vader's strikes was hitting his shoulder and body parts ever so often. He felt himself getting more powerful than ever each time he had took a strike.
Watching the Jedi Master staggered back and clutching his shoulder delighted his anger. He was done with the Jedi intervention of his life and he had only wanted for them to leave him alone, but they have forced him on the dark path.
Vader, clutching the sword, menacingly approached Ferroda. He would be that heartless, uncontrollable monster that slaughtered those innocent Tuskens, relinquishing in the death of the Jedi Master.
Ferroda saw Vader coming, placed the lightsaber on the ground, and swiftly got to his feet, slashing at Vader but he gotten the upper hand and slammed him onto the ground, beginning to hack away at him.
On the planet of Tatooine, the duo fought like kinraths over a hunted kath hound. Their fight was completely brutal with both punching each other and Vader was causing bruises of all kinds to form on his body. The Sith was attacking the Jedi with all of his might.
It was only a matter of time before one of them decided to arm himself and take out the other. Despite the exasperation from Vader's resistance, Ferroda pushed the idea aside as his fists vigorously struck his adversary. It's painful that he has given into the dark side, he thought. But he must be prevented from causing further harm across the galaxy.
"You think you could stop me, Jedi? You are making a big mistake." Vader snarled, smashing him in the face.
Ferroda called for his lightsaber, but to his surprise, Vader called for it as well. Both kept their hold on the lightsaber.
"You don't have to do this, Skywalker! Stop fighting and come with me... to Coruscant! The Jedi... only wants to speak with you!" Ferroda struggles to yell, hoping he could put an end to Skywalker's resistance. He would explain that he had startled Skywalker to fighting him so he wouldn't be placed on trial and further damage wouldn't be done to the Jedi Order.
After some time, Vader twirled the saber hilt into the Jedi Master's direction, smirking as he activated it, and plunged it through the Jedi's shoulder, causing him to release his hold and to clutch the saber wound.
Quickly, Vader seized the weapon and approached, rage burning in his sickly golden eyes. Even slightly wounded, Ferroda was still able to fight.
"It's over. You're no fighter, Ferroda, just a pathetic fake. And you call yourself a Jedi Master." Vader scowled. Ferroda knew it was over.
Vader Forced the Jedi Master's emerald green blade into his right hand and took a vertical swing at Ferroda. Ferroda's remaining arm, the broken one, was cut right off before his hand tightened up into a fist and again the breath left his throat.
And with his own Lightsaber, Ferroda's legs were sliced off knee-down. Ferroda couldn't cry out; it was all simply too painful.
Vader quickly Forced Ferroda with his mind to meet him eye-to-eye. Putting his un-activated saber and his staff facing upwards below Ferroda's chin, Vader was ready to win.
Thoughts of what he could do to Ferroda dashed towards his mind. He could just imagine the saber activated stabbing Ferroda from throat to cranium in two separate places. He then crossed his arms... and sliced in an X-formation, cutting Ferroda into four pieces!
It had satisfied him! It had made him feel more powerful! If he strikes down Master Ferroda, he would have all the power in the universe.
"No, Anakin, don't, it would only show that you are a beast and prove to the Jedi that they are correct about you. I have walked down this path and it only led to endless pain and suffering. Don't you do too." Another voice emerged that cut through his thoughts and made him clench his teeth slightly.
It was at that moment Vader noticed Asajj Ventress along with the rest of the former slaves. He had noted there was a vast decrease among the slave army undoubtedly due to a high casualty count, yet somehow they managed to win as he could sense the pride and victory through the Force.
Slowly, he had realized instead of addressing him as Skywalker, Ventress had said his first name, and Anakin Skywalker begins to return, the light side of the Force nipping at him.
"And what do you propose I do, Ventress? Allow him to return to Coruscant where he could justify my turn to the dark side and cause more Jedi to come after me." Anakin growled, taking a moment to notice the unease in his friends as he kept Ferroda in a certain position.
"Yes!" Ventress exclaimed, nearly surprising him at the scary tone in her voice. "I don't want you to become a master of evil. Control your bloodlust in this fight because sending an alive Jedi Master back to Coruscant has great potential for political backlash! What authority do the Jedi have to arrest you, Skywalker?!" Her hands tightens up into fists. "If you kill him, people would only view the Jedi's claims as merit and would want you to be stopped!"
"They might do so again," Anakin replied impassively.
"Listen to yourself, Skywalker, you have been unbalanced. Kill him and your fall to the dark side would be complete and you would lose everything. Spare him and you would prove that all of this hasn't been for nothing." Ventress said, grasping Anakin's shoulder by now. While it is true she had craved similar vengeance to Dooku, for some reason, she couldn't imagine Skywalker becoming a monster.
Vader's eyes transferred between golden and ice blue before he pulled back, clipping the lightsaber towards his belt and walking off while the slaves grabbed the Jedi Master and likely would schedule a means of transport for him to deploy him back to Coruscant.
Vader clenched his hands up into fists as he closes his eyes and begins to search deep in the Force, pondering what he should do with the Jedi Master. Although his instincts was telling him to listen to Ventress and to spare the Jedi, the dark side of the Force was pleading for him to completely give into it and not allow the light side to take over or for it to co-exist with the darkness.
The dark side seeked power which is why it requires brute force for it to be neutralized, not pity pleads. The Sith would completely gain a victory if Anakin gives fully into the dark side. If Anakin kills him, his fate is sealed and the Sith would be victorious as no one, not even Yoda or Windu, would stand a chance against him completely raveled in the darkness.
Admittedly, the darkness was intoxicating and he had wanted nothing more but to give in into it, to gain all of the power in the universe so no one would be able to stand a chance against him, and for him to choose his own destiny instead of having it chosen out for him.
'Anakin, Anakin, NO!' It was the same voice that he heard almost four years ago, when he had massacred the Tusken Raiders, yet unlike before, he had heard it this time and comprehend it was Qui-Gon Jinn.
Qui-Gon! He had missed the man! The man wouldn't have allowed the rules of the Jedi Code and passed it onto a emotional student who Anakin is, wouldn't have deceived him for a secret mission, wouldn't have struggled with his loyalties between him and the Jedi Council!
Lastly, the man would have allowed him to to save his mother instead of abandoning her for her fate when he had received the vision of her death!
The lesson of the prophecy of the Chosen One sticks, and Qui-Gon returns to the Order keeping this knowledge to himself. The Jedi believe the Dark Side to be resisted by any means necessary... but only in the face of darkness can light restore the balance.
If Qui-Gon had lived to train Anakin himself, that lesson would almost certainly have proven true. Because by that point, even Qui-Gon had come to realize what Anakin eventually would: that the Jedi had lost their way.
He had intended to be like the man for the longest and he had wanted to continue his legacy!
He opened his eyes again and stared down at him, completely seeing the damage that he has done.
"Tend to him, deploy him back to Coruscant, and leave me," Vader commanded, causing each of them to nod.
They grabbed the maimed Jedi and left, including Ventress, leaving the Sith - well he did spare the Jedi - so what was he? Sith do not spare the life of their swore enemy yet Jedi does not aggressively attack an unarmed person and be on the point of killing him. Who was he? Anakin Skywalker or Darth Vader? Who did he truly wanted to be? He could be both but neither.
He grasped the lightsaber hilt on his belt and wrapped his tender robotic hand around the hilt.
He has been Darth Vader for a short time and it has increased his power yet Anakin had enough self-control, especially after getting Ahsoka as a Padawan. Is it possible for him to have the darkness and light inside of him as he is very powerful?
Arthur's note: Pretty certain many of you expected Anakin to kill Ferroda so I decided to subvert your expectations and do the exact opposite. Originally, Anakin would have kill Ferroda but I decided to practically send a message to the Jedi to leave him alone and pull a twist. It also left room for character development, concerning Anakin and Ventress.
May the Force be with you all always.