Vader's second chance
A Star wars story
Chapter 18
Disclaimer: Disney owns everything except my plot.
Hello there everyone and welcome to chapter 18 of the story! I hope you are having a good day so far, and if you aren't I'll try to make it better with a bit of Star Wars awesomeness. I don't want to bore you guys, so I won't say much in the prologue. In this chapter we'll explore the connection between Anakin and Vader, as well as a duel that will shed some light on the differences between the two. In addition, Obi Wan and Luke are about to meet a very Snippy Padawan, something that will most definitely be interesting to read. Lastly, this chapter was really fun to write and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did. Now, without further ado, let's jump straight into it.
Jedi Temple, Moments after chapter 17, Anakin's point of view:
When Master Plo and I told Ahsoka that she was going to be my Padawan she was very excited. I was expecting that, I would have done the same if I was her, and I was quite glad she was taking so well. At one point I thought she would reject the offer and that my thoughts about teaching her were wishful thinking. Thankfully, I was wrong about that and she seemed very happy with the situation she had found herself in. She had started asking questions almost immediately and I was happy to answer them for her. When we left the gardens I sensed she was a little nervous, probably because she had never met Obi Wan before, so I resorted to chatting with her in order to help her calm down. After a few minutes of small talk we arrived at Obi Wan's quarters, which I should probably move out of soon, and upon entering, I realized that Luke was telling a story from the war against the Empire. Ahsoka had no idea what he was talking about, or even who he was, so I lowered my voice and told her to wait.
Luke-…So, Han and I led the scouting party through the forest and past their defenses. When I peeked out of the jungle to see where the bucketheads were I noticed that our forces were being pushed back. I grabbed Han and told him to take half the group and ambush the Empire from the left, while I took the other half and went to the right. We all opened fire on them at the same time and after a short battle the sergeant of the squad we had just helped told me that they weren't expecting Special Forces. Han answered him with the line "That's the point, Sergeant" and it became a running gag amongst the Rebellion and mainly Rouge Squadron.
Obi Wan-I must admit Luke, that is a funny story.
Anakin-I agree.
Obi Wan-Anakin. You're back.
Anakin-Yeah, and I brought a friend with me.
Ahsoka-Uh, hi. My name is Ahsoka. I'm Master Skywalker's new Padawan.
Obi Wan-Hello there. I'm Obi Wan Kenobi, Anakin's former Master.
Luke-I'm Luke, Master Kenobi's new Padawan.
Ahsoka-Aren't you too old to be a Padawan?
Luke-Well, I was reassigned. My previous master was killed during a mission and I'm not a Knight yet, so I had to get a new one.
Ahsoka-I'm sorry for your loss.
Luke-It's fine.
Obi Wan-…So, Anakin has actually said quite a bit about you Ahsoka.
Anakin-Only the good things, I promise.
Ahsoka-Yeah, I can see that.
Anakin-Ahsoka relax. You must never center on your anxieties .
Ahsoka-I know, I'm just a bit nervous.
Luke-Hey, when I got assigned to my first master I was nervous too, but I discovered that we were very much alike, even if we didn't look like it. You don't have worry about fitting in. If you're half as unconventional as Anakin you'll be fine.
Obi Wan-…I believe he does have a point.
Anakin-Oh, I have a bad feeling about this…
Ahsoka stayed with us for a couple more hours. We introduced her to our usual banter, told her about some of our previous experiences and generally got to know each other better. At some point I bothered to look at my holo-watch and noticed that it was late, so I took Ahsoka back to her own room and then decided to go see Padme. After sneaking out of the Temple I got on a speeder bike and drove there rather quickly, even by my standards. I arrived at her apartment after I few minutes and entered. I quickly greeted her and then got ready for bed. We both lay down and I wished her goodnight. Then, I closed my eyes…only to wake up in the middle of the Jundland Wastes, with Vader standing opposite me.
Vader-Anakin Skywalker.
Anakin-Lord Vader.
Vader-It appears that I was correct. We do still have a connection.
Anakin-I'm still not sure about who you even are.
Vader-Do not concern yourself with that yet. Perhaps you won't meet me this time around. I have already changed some things that could have such an outcome.
Anakin-So Luke's theory was right. You are from the future.
Vader-I see you have met young Skywalker. Powerful, isn't he?
Anakin-You'll never have such power Vader.
Vader-I already do. Let me show you.
The Sith Lord raised his arms in the air and with a flick of the wrist, the sand around us started to move in circles, trapping me in an arena of sorts, with him as the opponent. He took a step back and gave me space, while using one of his hands to grab his saber.
Vader-Anakin, if you believe you can defeat me, you are welcome to try.
Anakin-What if I don't want to fight?
Vader-Then we don't fight and I force you out of my head.
Anakin-Wait, you mean that this isn't really happening?
Vader-Of course not. You are welcome to leave whenever you want to.
Anakin-I'm not a quitter.
Vader-Or a fast learner.
Anakin-We'll see about that.
Vader-This is where the fun begins…
Vader grabbed his saber with one arm and ignited it. The blade wasn't anything I hadn't seen before, but for a moment, I could swear it was calling to me. I reached for my own saber and realized that it wasn't there.
Anakin-You took my saber so I can't fight?
Vader-No Skywalker, I am teaching you a lesson.
Anakin-What are you talking about?
The Sith Lord didn't respond. Instead, he reached out with his left arm and a gush of wind made the sand fly in front of him, separating us. When the sand went away, he wasn't there. I could still hear his mechanical breathing and instinctively reached for my saber, which had magically appeared on my belt. I ignited it and tried to use the azure light the blade emitted to see through the sandstorm that Vader had created, with no success. The man had de-activated his blade and I couldn't see him through the moving wall of sand that was surrounding me. Suddenly, I heard something behind me and turned just in time to see a ball of sand flying at me. I failed to dodge it and I fell to the ground. I instantly got up and started looking around, trying to pinpoint where the shot had come from.
Vader-You are fighting a losing battle. It is useless to resist.
Anakin-You're wrong! I can win this!
Vader-Your arrogance blinds you Skywalker. Soon you will realize your mistake.
Vader said nothing else and jumped at me from behind the storm, which seemed to clear around him, just enough so he could pass through. He ignited his blade again and tried to strike at my arm, which he almost succeeded in doing. I parried the hit at the last second and retaliated with a quick offensive slash, hoping to catch his off guard. He easily dodged it and jumped back into the storm.
Anakin-Where are you, you coward?
Vader-Do you not see how quickly fear can turn into anger?
Anakin-I'm not afraid of you! I'm stronger than you and I will win this!
Vader-You are blinded by pride. Open your eyes and realize your mistake. You can only defeat me through concentration and control. Power has nothing to do with this.
Anakin-If you really think that then come out and fight!
Vader-As you wish.
Vader's breathing still echoed around me, as if the sound was bouncing on some invisible wall, when he stepped out of the storm. He lifted his blade and took a Soresu stance. I took my Form V stance and attacked, impatient and furious at him for making me play his games. He blocked and dodged all of my strikes with surprising ease, but he didn't retaliate. He stood there, patiently waiting for my next attack. I continued assaulting him and he continued parrying and blocking my swings and strikes, no matter what I tried. Now I was angry. I threw my lightsaber at him with the Force and it spun in the air a couple times before finally reaching him. Then the most unexpected thing happened. He simply caught it with his hand. He calmly placed it on his belt and then clenched his fist. I was pulled towards him by the neck and I frantically started looking for a way to escape, but I couldn't find it. Suddenly I was thrown back and I landed on my back. I sat up and simply looked at him, finally admitting my defeat.
Anakin-So, I guess you win.
Vader-Yes, I do. You were faster than me. You could have waited for my attack and devised a plan, or used the literal tons of sand I was walking around to your advantage. Instead you were impatient. You rushed me without thinking, blinded by both arrogance and pride. And you lost. You lost in a scenario where you could have easily won if you had taken my advice and calmed yourself. You lost because you were arrogant enough to think I would be defeated this easily and because you were too proud to take my advice, which was something that would have clearly helped you.
Anakin-So, the lesson is that patience is a virtue and that I shouldn't allow my pride and arrogance to influence my decisions.
Vader-Indeed.
Anakin-So, this whole thing was a trial?
Vader-Yes. I wanted you to be prepared to face the challenges ahead.
Anakin-Is that why you lost?
Vader-What?
Anakin-Luke once mentioned that you and the Emperor lost to the Rebellion because of your arrogance. Is that true?
Vader-It is. You saw my defeat on Mustafar, did you not?
Anakin-That was you?
Vader-Yes. I was arrogant and drunk on power, not realizing the consequences of my actions. I lost because of that arrogance.
Anakin-Did Padme…
Vader-She survived. At least long enough to give birth. I believe Sidious killed her using Force Drain or some other Sith ability.
Anakin-Where was I?
Vader-I thought you were dead. You reappeared on the Second Death Star to save Luke.
Anakin-Do you know what I was doing all that time?
Vader-No. There was a rumor about you appearing alongside Ahsoka, but it turned out to be false.
Anakin-Look, I get that Palpatine is a Sith, but is a war really necessary?
Vader-In my time Dooku was in league with Sidious and they controlled the war entirely. I couldn't have stopped the Separatist movement because I returned only three months before Geonosis, but I'm trying to save as many as I can.
Anakin-So, I Guess you aren't a Sith anymore.
Vader-You guess?
Anakin-I don't think you are. You wouldn't have saved my mom or spared me and Obi Wan if you were.
Vader-That is true. Hmm…I believe our time is over. Now rise, Skywalker.
As soon as Vader said those words I woke up in my bed, next to Padme. She was already half awake herself, so I didn't pay any particular attention to my movements while getting up. I watched my Angel as she twisted and turned for a good minute, before finally beginning my day.
So…one whole chapter from Anakin's point of view! My apologies if the Ahsoka part seemed awkward, I simply didn't want Ahsoka to be so snippy this early on and maybe make her a bit less…disobedient in order to avoid stuff like the failure at the battle over Ryloth, where she accidentally got her pilots killed. Anyways, I generally don't want Anakin and Vader to be enemies in this story, because I believe it's more fun if he's conflicted about trusting him or not. Right now Anakin won't rush into a fight with him and even respects him a little, but he doesn't trust him that much. Now, on with the vision in today's chapter. The battle was inspired from Assassin's Creed Origins. A boss fight against one of your targets, Kalisto, takes place during a sandstorm. The entire point of the fight is to avoid projectiles and other attacks, while making quick and precise movements so you can damage her before she slips into the storm. It seems that, just like most AC Origins players, Anakin never learned about patience, at least until that fight. Anyways, I'll see you guys in the next one, but until then, May the Force be with you and don't forget to review.