Shadows of the Sith
Disclaimer: Disney owns everything and I make no profit from this.
Chapter 5
Clawing out of Darkness! Anakin, having escaped the clutches of the deadly Alchemist, a Sith scientist who had once worked under Emperor Vitiate, goes to Yoda to report his findings to the Grandmaster, but gets more than he bargained for when he bumps into an old acquaintance who has it out for the redeemed Sith Lord…
Warning: For those who have not read my story "A Messed Up Destiny: Before the Dark Times", it is needed for context of what's going on here and for the other side stories I plan to write that will take place in the same universe. So I suggest you go read it or you'll be completely lost here.
Note 1: This chapter wasn't originally planned as the finale of this short story. Rather, it was meant to be the first one, but I've modified it and shall present it as an ending, seeing as I liked it too much for it to not be used in some way.
Note 2: Anyone remember Anakin's flashbacks from Book 1? Well, they're back now, and with a vengeance.
Note 3: The conversations between Anakin and Ferus regarding the mission to Korriban are referencing the cannon backstory of Ferus, and the particular incident will be elaborated on in the Author's Note below this chapter since it warrants its own section.
Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Anakin Skywalker's point of view:
Returning to the main part of the Jedi Temple felt like a blessing after having spent what felt like hours inside a Sith shrine and Nexus of the Dark Side, but good things can't last forever. In this case, it took about twenty seconds for the nice feeling of warmth and peace to be ruined by one Ferus Olin, professional jerk…and also Jedi Padawan, but I didn't care about the latter all that much.
Seemingly determined to ruin my day even more –as if a crazy Sith spirit hadn't been enough- that annoyance of a Padawan approached and fell in line next to me, a half-scowl clearly visible on his face. Weirdly enough, he said nothing for a while, which was very unlike him. I had been expecting at least one insult, but he surprised me by staying quiet for a change.
"I'm sorry for being an ass.", he said suddenly, the words spoken through gritted teeth.
His discomfort made me smile and I decided to take this a bit further before going to Yoda, since the chance to mess with Ferus Olin would be a welcome change after a tiring mission, my 'excursion' beneath the Jedi Temple being no different. "It really took this long to figure out you were an ass?", I questioned.
Ferus' scowl returned to his face fully as he moved his hand to stop me from walking away, not that it would have done anything had I truly wished to ignore him. "Master Siri requested that I apologize to you for the incident before you left for Jabiim.", he clarified, and I understood that maybe this wasn't the best time to be rude since he was -against all odds- actually making an effort to apologize.
Wanting him to understand that I hadn't realized that, I used the appropriate facial expression before responding. "In that case, I'm sorry for the insult.", I told him honestly, knowing how hard it was to apologize to someone you wanted nothing to do with, especially if that person had –from your point of view- harmed you in some way before. In the case of Ferus and I, numerous Force Chokes were the aforementioned harming, even if he deserved them almost every time.
Frustrated, Ferus stomped on the spot. "Ugh! Forget it! Why did I even try talking to you Skywalker?", he asked, exasperated for a reason I couldn't –or simply didn't have the energy to- understand.
"Did I do something wrong?", I inquired, genuinely curious as to why he was mad at me since, excluding the earlier insult, I hadn't pissed him off since before the campaign on Jabiim, which was more than sufficient to make me forget most of my interaction with Ferus beforehand.
"I said forget about it! I'm going to go wreck some droids!", the Padawan replied angrily, thinking I was messing with him again.
Gathering what little patience I still had left in me after the endeavor with the Alchemist, I took a deep breath, allowing the Light to flow through me as I fought the anger swelling in my insides and plastered a calm smile on my face, hoping that I could do something to prevent a Fall to the Dark Side that was one wrong step away from ending in catastrophe, and in the death of someone like Siri Tachi, who was dear to Obi Wan and a useful ally for future battles against Sidious.
"Why don't I come with you?", I proposed politely. "I could use the practice myself.", I then added, to make it seem like I'd have gone anyways, with or without him.
Ferus mumbled something about getting the chance to kick me off my horse, which immediately explained why he was mad at me today. He probably thought I still had that stupid superiority complex from when I was nineteen. Humming quietly to myself for a moment, I decided that this would be a good time to try and correct this misconception, which would –hopefully- help save the idiot from Falling to the Dark Side anytime soon.
"So? Are you coming?", I asked as I began to walk forwards, making him run to catch up to me. Ferus did, silently agreeing and probably thinking that he could best me in a duel, which I'd be happy to let him do, if only to prevent the Fall I could see coming from a mile away. Perhaps a talk with Siri would also be in order after this situation was dealt with, but that was something I'd deal with later, when I actually had the time to do so.
To say that it was strange for me to calmly walk besides Ferus Olin while the two headed for a friendly spar would be an understatement, or perhaps even more bizarre if the looks given to us by the other Jedi Knights and Padawans in the Training Hall were any indication.
The hushed whispers going around the room didn't surprise me in the slightest given the situation, but Ferus seemed to be annoyed by them, so I knew to put a stop to it before he snapped. Giving the closest Padawan a look that could make even Sith shake in fear, I silently motioned for the poor kid to come forwards, which caused him to plaster the most cocky look he could muster on his face and slowly walk to towards the two of us.
"What happened Skywalker?", the kid –barely older than nineteen- teased. "Has hell finally frozen over? Is that why you're hanging out with this loser?", he asked, mocking Ferus.
"No, Mustafar is still burning, at least it was last time I checked.", I replied jokingly, shrugging him off in Ferus' defense. He seemed to almost smile at that, but I pretended not to notice and kept my focus on deterring a repeat of this incident.
"Very funny...", the Padawan –or perhaps half-trained Knight, I wasn't sure- mumbled. "I bet he couldn't even beat you in a lightsaber duel!", the boy challenged.
I almost shook my head in disapproval, until I remembered that I could utilize this Padawan's pride against him. It had been the downfall of all the Jedi after all, so why should it not be his too? "And I bet you that you could bring every Jedi in the room upon the two of us and we'd still win.", I replied smugly, knowing that none of them would see the trap I had set.
"Is that a challenge?", asked a nearby Knight who looked barely a month older than me, having probably been given the rank due to the Clone Wars alone.
I was about to respond with an affirmative, but Ferus stepped forwards, cutting me off. "It sure is!", he replied with excitement. "Come on Skywalker, let's show them who they're really messing with!", Ferus exclaimed, running towards the nearest sparring room.
I allowed myself a chuckle at the irony of the statement, since these newly Knighted Jedi really had no idea who they had just challenged. They'd be no match for my skills, even without me having to use Vader's power on them. Besides, the latter was best left for the battlefront and not the Jedi Temple's main Training Hall, as my duel with Obi Wan from four months ago had made me realize.
Shaking the amusement away, I eagerly followed Ferus into the sparring room, ready to take some Jedi down and actually train instead of having to fight for my life against a horde of undead Sith Assassins. The five Jedi Knights and two Padawans followed me inside and we all ignited our blades, lighting the room in several shades of azure and sapphire lights as Ferus fell into step besides me and the duel began.
The more experienced Knights stepped forwards first, leaving the Padawans to wait for an opening in either of our defenses, which I wasn't going to allow. To the surprise of all seven opponents, I positioned myself in a Soresu stance, mimicking Obi Wan from the countless times I've seen him do this. If Ferus was startled by this, he didn't show it to anyone, which was surprising considering that I was actively looking for a reaction on his part. It then occurred to me that I may have underestimated him, but I didn't get the chance to ponder over this revelation due to a sudden attack from one of the Knights we were supposed to be fighting.
Had I been a lesser fighter, the swing would have disarmed me right there, and had I been more of a Sith Lord, my counter attack would have cost the Jedi his head, but I was neither, so I simply parried at seemingly the last second, looking completely relaxed and unleashed a flurry of attacks that even Count Dooku would have a hard time blocking, annihilating the Jedi's defenses and making him drop his saber to the floor. Knowing he was beaten, the Knight in question simply called the blade back to his hand and left the room, head hanging down in defeat.
Stealing a glance at Ferus, I was surprised to see him fending off both of the Jedi that had attacked him with relative ease, also using Soresu to do it. Had Obi Wan given him lessons, or had he been clocking in more extra training than I had assumed?
Deciding that it didn't matter at the moment, I turned back to the remaining Knight and two Padawans, as the image of the wall behind them shifted suddenly, the wall turning bloody and full of scorch marks as the screams of dying Jedi echoed around the…no! Now was not the time to get lost in my thoughts!
Charging at the Jedi, I made quick work of them, casually blocking strikes and doing everything in my -considerable- power to silently brag about my abilities, which –while unbecoming of a real Jedi- was a great distraction from the echo of death my mind was producing, as well as the bone-chilling darkness that seemed to come from beyond the Temple as Darth Sidious finally revealed…no! I was getting lost in the past!
My anger taking over, I swiped at the trio of Jedi, all of which were immediately disarmed –only figuratively, thank the Force- and declared that we had won just as Ferus finished with his own pair, pushing one into the wall and pulling the other's lightsaber into his left hand.
Our opponents were clearly disappointed because of their defeat –or getting a reality check, probably-, but their feelings were inconsequential. I had to leave immediately. I had to go see Yoda, so I could be done with his assignment and go to Padme, where I'd be safe from world-altering nightmares from the past and could just hug her until they went away, until I was safe.
Unfortunately, Ferus had to ruin that by running after me and –exhausted as I was from a full day of fighting- managed to catch up to me. "What do you want?", I nearly screamed at him, though it wasn't intentional.
Ferus was the one to be calm this time, and ignoring my obvious anger, he replied to me, calm as Obi Wan when drinking his tea. "What's wrong?", he asked me. "We won, you know.", Ferus added, perhaps thinking that the match itself had upset me somehow.
Regaining my composure, I lied through my teeth and told him that wasn't it, that I was just in a hurry. He didn't buy it, but his response was interesting. "Skywalker, I may not like you, but when I left the Order, I made a promise to help any Jedi in need, even you. The time has come for me to fulfil that promise, assuming that I can help somehow.", Ferus said calmly, more so than in any of our recent adventures.
I looked to the floor, pretending to be conflicted, but in reality I was just making sure he couldn't see my eyes on the off-chance they shinned yellow due to my state of emotions. "I…had a vision. During the spar.", I admitted hesitantly, not wanting to reveal more than necessary.
"What type of vision?", he asked kindly, which was rather odd to witness, especially since it was me he was being nice to.
"The type that should only stay in nightmares.", I answered in a low voice, not trusting myself to say anything else.
Ferus shook his head, as if shaken by this. "Look…", he began, clearly intending on changing the subject. "What I wanted to say earlier is…sorry for being a jerk to you. All the time since I came back.", he said, and I was puzzled momentarily, at least until I remembered that Ferus had actually left the Order long before the Clone Wars.
"Oh.", I mumbled out loud. "In that case, apology accepted. Besides, it's me that owes one to you, considering that I never told you after Korriban.", I added as I began to recall the incident in more detail. A Padawan had died that day, and it had been my fault. How could I have possibly forgotten about that until just now?
Ferus looked stunned for a moment, as if startled by my words. He soon collected himself though, and said his next line in a low –barely audible- voice. "I'm leaving again.", he said. "That's why I wanted to make sure I apologized. I didn't want to leave this unresolved."
I nodded sadly, understanding the need for closure all too well. "Did seeing me help?", I inquired, wanting to see if I could salvage this mess of a situation.
"I think…", Ferus replied, contemplating our most recent encounters. "I think it did, yes. I was being a jerk to you because I kind of hated you, but I think we're good.", he concluded.
I nodded again, this time satisfied with how this was turning out. "I'm glad", I said honestly, -and to my own surprise- actually feeling better after getting closure for something I'd forgotten about until now.
"I'm glad too.", he said simply.
"Out of curiosity, why did you come back?", I asked, wanting to satisfy my curiosity on the subject.
Ferus suddenly got a faraway look in his eyes, but it was gone barely a moment later. "I never intended to, if I'm honest. But when Master Siri called me back, asking that I help her with an important mission…how could I say no? And when the War broke out, I didn't want to leave her, but then Kenobi and she became a thing, and I knew she'd have someone looking out for her."
"You're a good man, Skywalker. And so is Master Kenobi. So long as you two keep her safe, I'm fine with whatever those two have going on. As for you…you saved my life twice before and during the Battle of Geonosis, so I guess we're good.", Ferus said. "I was just being a brat.", he added with a chuckle.
Extending a –mechanical- hand for him to shake, I smiled at him, feeling much better than I had five minutes ago. "We were both being brats.", I told him, amused. There was a short pause, during which Ferus waited for me to finish. "Thanks for helping me Ferus. I really appreciate it.", I added, but not as an afterthought. I was being honest. Ferus Olin had helped me greatly, even in ways he would never know.
"You're welcome.", he replied with a smile, his anger and frustrations gone from his presence in the Force. He smiled to me before turning away, leaving the Temple behind once and for all.
After a moment of staring at the empty hallway where Ferus had stood a few seconds earlier, I began pondering over the emotion I was feeling. I wasn't quite sure what it was, since it didn't feel like happiness or anger, hate, sadness, pain, fear or any other emotion I could identify…except one. Satisfaction. I felt calm and satisfied because I had received closure to a situation I had previously made myself forget, along with many aspects of the man Darth Vader used to be, but was it time to start remembering again? Was it time for me to try and write the armored monster's wrongs, now that he was dead?
With my thoughts turning to Obi Wan and Padme, and how I had already begun doing this for them, I decided that yes, yes it was time for that, and turned around, walking towards Yoda's quarters with a goal in mind that went beyond the mission to kill Sidious, to save Padme. While that was the objective, writing Vader's wrongs was a purpose, and I had every intention to do just that as I began listing the names of those I'd have to pay a visit to in the future…
And…scene! There you have it everyone! The finale for Shadows of the Sith! As you might have already seen, this chapter wasn't so much dealing with the literal shadows of their bygone Order, but with the mental shadow Darth Vader had been casting on Anakin Skywalker. Now, there is…a lot to unpack here, so let's jump into the regularly scheduled exposition!
Firstly, Anakin's mentality at the beginning of the chapter. In the first few paragraphs, we clearly see Anakin being tired, not wanting to deal with or talk to anyone and determined to go to Yoda and get the Mission Report so he can be done with the insanity that was the Sith shrine underneath the Jedi Temple.
He doesn't recognize that Ferus is having a hard time interacting with him and chalks his appearance up to 'wanting to annoy him' instead of what it truly was, in this case an apology, however half-hearted.
By the time he figures out that Ferus is struggling with his emotions, he's letting the fear of the former Jedi's Fall to the Dark Side take over and immediately tries to defuse the situation by playing on what he thinks Ferus' mentality is, without bothering to actually check his emotions and take a step back to access the situation.
Secondly, Ferus himself. The Mission to Korriban took place while Anakin was still a Padawan and it ended with a fellow Jedi dead due to Anakin neglecting to divulge important information. It really was more of a careless mistake, but the outcome of it was for Ferus Olin to leave the Jedi Order.
In the canon timeline (with added Legends continuity to actually include his character), Ferus never came back to the Order and became one of the founders of the Rebellion while running a business which was a front for selling fakes IDs to those looking to escape the Empire. He also encountered Obi Wan on a mission, but since Disney canon says Kenobi never left Tatooine things get a bit complicated regarding his future.
Timeline aside though, he wasn't a member of the Jedi Order at the time of the Clone Wars and only returned because of Obi Wan asking Siri to check on Anakin's mother back in chapter 3 of "A Messed Up Destiny: Before the Dark Times" He stayed because he didn't want to leave Siri without ensuring that someone would watch her back, but when she and Obi Wan got involved in Book 1, he slowly came to terms with it and realized that he couldn't stay.
The only thing he hadn't done was speak to Anakin because he was always on missions, hence the mention of Ferus trying to 'prank' Anakin in chapter 1 when the man only wanted to talk about something serious.
Ferus did eventually get the closure he needed and did make good on his promise to help any Jedi in need (that was a real thing in the Legends timeline) by helping Anakin move out of Vader's shadow, even if he'll never know that, as Anakin says.
Lastly, Anakin's mentality at the end of the chapter. Helping Ferus get closure on a chapter of his life made Anakin realize that he needs to do the same if he wants to destroy Vader forever (keep in mind that Vader's darkness is much more prominent here than in "Raging Wars" since that story takes place two months after this one.
He realizes that saving Padme and getting revenge on Sidious shouldn't be what he devotes himself to. Anakin instead borrows a piece from Vader's book and sets that as his objective, his goal, the leaving the title of "purpose" to be claimed by something else, which in this case is to "kill" Darth Vader in an (objectively more healthy) way that is closer to the balance he's meant to achieve rather than just picking either Light or Dark.
Therefore, we can expect this theme of writing Vader's wrongs to appear more often in future stories, along with everything that comes with this mission, seeing as it presents me with a variety of characters to choose from and many adventures to call back to.
Next time (meaning next story): Anakin, Obi Wan and Revan find themselves fighting a lost battle on Jabiim as the Separatists continue to push the Republic back in a desperate attempt to take control of the Star System, but will the three Jedi prevail against impossible odds, or are they doomed to die at the hands of Asajj Ventress and her armada of Battle Droids?
That's all for now everyone! Reviews are always welcome, whether it be to ask a question or to chat, and I'll see you all next story, but until then, May the Force be with you!