All these characters, and all this universe belongs to the almighty George, I've made no money off of this. (mutter, mutter)
If you want to post this story, ask me, PLEASE!!
My e-mail addy is on my profile.
Have fun!
16
"Gone." Obi-Wan whispered, grief and helplessness slumping his shoulders. "They're all gone." He glanced down at Anakin, who was holding his head in his hands. Obi-Wan could feel the emotional storm that raged inside of him, but he wasn't the only one struggling to control his feelings. Luke stood at the shattered window with his head bowed, and Padme sat on the empty bed, looking as hopeless as Obi-Wan felt.
"How did they get in?" Luke asked, his voice tight. "We should have sensed them."
"Why are we assuming it's they?" Padme asked, her body shook. "It would only take one to kidnap three kids."
"What about Leia?" Luke pointed out. "She's a fighter, it would take at least two to take them all down. But how did they get in?"
"How does any burglar get in?" Anakin asked, looking up for the first time.
Obi-Wan frowned. "Well, they..."
"Disarm the alarm, right?" Anakin stared at each of them. "And so they did. If I hadn't passed out, you two," he gestured at Padme and Obi-Wan. "would have been with them. They wouldn't have been able to get to them. And me or Luke, or both of us, would have sensed a fight, and gone to help."
Padme slid down to where Anakin was and looked at him. "This isn't your fault."
"Father, blaming yourself won't get them back, it will only give the Sith more time to get away. We've got to find them."
"Oh, no." Anakin said, pointing at Luke. "There is no we. You are going to stay here."
"What? Father, I need to help." Luke looked amazed that his father would even suggest such a thing.
" I don't want to put you in danger, Luke."
"I can take care of myself!"
"Can you stake your existence on that?"
"I-"
"Stop it, you two!" Padme glared at both of them, and Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief. That argument had time bomb written all over it.
"Arguing about who is going to do something about this isn't going to get us anywhere." Padme lowered her voice again. "We need to find out where they went."
"No need to worry about that." Qui-Gon's voice came from behind Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan turned to see his former master come in the door and take a quick look around. A breeze blew through the broken window, making them all shiver.
"What do you mean, Qui-Gon?" Padme asked, looking up at him. "Have they been found?"
"No." Qui-Gon said quietly "We're under attack, the first wave just hit Tatooine."
17
He stood before the battered and bleeding Rebel pilot, curling his lip at the pain coming off the man in waves. The blood ran from his ears in streams, running down his neck and staining his uniform. Vader pointed towards him, sneering again at his pain.
"Has he confessed?" He inquired, glancing at the bird-like being torturing the Rebel.
"Indeed he has, Lord Vader!" Ban Peega, his one good eye glaring at the prisoner, cocked his head almost regretfully as he called off the droid.
He continued, "He has just givin us the name of the being who destroyed the Death Star."
Vader supressed a sigh. No, fool, he gave us the scores of the last boloball game. Of course he gave us his name!
Pain blasting through his chest as he was forced to take another breath, Vader snarled "Well, what is it?"
Ban Peega flinched at the edge to Vader's tone "Here..." He handed a recorder to Vader with a shaking wing.
"It's set on a loop, just listen for a few seconds..." Vader rolled his eyes inside his helmet, he had better things to do then listen to this sniveling nestling.
A voice came from the recorder, shaky, and weak, racked with pain. "Sky...Sky...Skywalker!"
WHAT? Did he say SKYWALKER?
"Lord Vader?!" Ban Peega squealed, as Vader's hand convulsed, crushing the recorder.
If this was true, everyone who had heard it must die...
The Council room was even more packed then was normal; but then again, Anakin mused, that wasn't a huge surprise. The panicked masses of Coruscant all waited outside the gargantuan hall, waiting for word on how the Jedi were going to deal with this crisis. Anakin was sure they would come up with something, or so he told himself. But deep in his heart of hearts, he had no idea how they were going to get out of this one.
"Quiet! Peace, Jedi!" Yoda called out from his seat in the centre of the amphitheatre. "We must think rationally if an attempt to right this we will make!" He turned to a section of Jedi masters to his left. "The Jedi students hosted by you, where are they?"
"Gone, Master. They were taken by force this morning, right before this meeting." A speaker cried out, the masculine voice rising in pitch in worry that it couldn't conceal.
"The Sith have infiltrated us here twice already?" Ki-Adi-Mundi's voice carried a great deal of surprise.
"Apparently," Obi-Wan's voice rang out sarcastically "we need a little change of security."
But before any of the Jedi could respond to that, Anakin felt dizziness swamp him again. He felt his head roll and drop onto his chest, but he fought against the sensation, knowing that if he passed out again, something would happen.
"Father? Are you okay?" Luke's voice carried and within seconds a healer stood beside him.
"Anakin, focus on me." The healer's voice became faint, as if coming from a great distance. Anakin tried to focus on the hand the man held up, but his eyes wouldn't obey him anymore. He grunted in frustration, and pushed against the sleepiness with all his strength. He faintly heard a cruel laugh at his efforts, a snarl of contempt, and then the barrier was gone and he could command himself again.
He took a deep breath. "How long was I out like that?" he asked.
"About two minutes. Don't worry, we sent a guard of twenty to make sure none of the people outside were hurt." Obi-Wan looked out to the doors.
"What are we going to do?" Padme asked
"Oh, hello. I didn't see you there." Anakin blinked.
"Nice, Ani, now I'm all hurt." She put on a look of indignation, but it dissolved quickly. "But seriously, this can't keep happening. We need to do something."
"But we don't know where they are." Mace Windu came up beside them.
Anakin closed his eyes, and felt Luke stretch out beside him. Anakin frowned, searching. Then, as one, both father and son replied, "They're on Telos." They looked at each other, and Anakin felt a bond form between them, something different then anything he had felt before. He smiled, maybe there was hope for him as a parent after all.
18
He stood there, as the wind whipped at his cape, and the pain in his upper arm throbbed. The boy before him ducked, and he sliced at the huge instrument under which Luke sought refuge. It flew away, and Luke glanced at it, losing concentration for a precious second. In that second, with the hand holding the blue laser sword momentarily unprotected, Vader sliced downward. Luke screamed in agony as the red blade neatly cut off his hand at the wrist. Vader stepped forward, and held his saber to Luke's throat.
"There is no escape, don't make me destroy you." It would truly be a pity if he had to end it like that, but if Luke continued to resist his destiny, he would have to be killed.
The boy edged backward, and crawled onto a narrow beam, his injured appendage clutched under his other arm.
"Luke," Vader said, smiling beneath his breath mask "you do not yet realise your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength we can end this destructive conflict, and bring order to the galaxy."
"I'll never join you!" the young one snarled, angry and in pain.
Vader's smile broadened at the play of darkness on the child's face. "If you only knew the power of the dark side." He paused briefly, studying the boy's face, which was contorted in agony.
He threw out another taunt. "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."
Luke's anger raged at this comment, and Vader watched him swing down to another large instrument.
"He told me enough!" Luke spat "He told me you killed him."
Vader lowered his saber slightly. Ah, so that was what he'd been told. It was something Vader had wondered about.
"No," Vader purred, savouring the moment. "I am your father."
"No," Luke cried, shaking his head in disbelief "that's not true! That's impossible!"
"Search your feelings, you know it to be true." Vader turned off his saber and extended a hand. Yes, he would come now, and they would rule, father and son. Pain, not purely physical, streamed from Luke, like rays of light caught by reflective surface.
"Noooooooo!" Luke screamed.
"Anakin! Ani, wake up!" Anakin woke with a start, and took a deep breath. Luke's agony seared his heart.
"Are you alright? You're sweating." Padme looked at him with concern.
"Yeah." He sat up, and leaned against one of the poles of the tent that they shared. He wiped the cold sweat off his brow, and shuddered. He took a deep breath. He was safe, with friends and his wife, and he was still Anakin. He grabbed his robe and got up.
"Where are you going?" his wife pulled on her own robe and stepped beside him, leaning her head against his chest.
"I don't know, what time is it?"
"Almost three in the morning."
"Great." He groaned; he would never get to sleep again that night, the dream had been too real.
He shivered. No, it had not been a dream, it was a memory. He had been lucky, that wasn't one of the worst ones.
"Want something while we're up?" Padme glanced up at him.
"No, but thanks. I think I'll just walk around for a bit."
"Alone?" She looked sad, and he knew why. As much as he loved her he pushed her away at these times.
"Only for a bit, I'll be back soon." He pulled on some real clothes and walked out. The Jedi had decided to try and push the invaders out, or at least keep the attacks from spreading, so they had sent groups of defenders to worlds on the rim. He had been sent to Naboo with Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Mace Windu, Bant and Garren, a few of Obi-Wan's old friends, and to Anakin's immense worry, Luke. Padme had come along to "make sure she could pull their hineys out of Bantha doo doo." as she put it. Anakin suspected, however, that she felt that her presence kept them safe. He didn't argue with that, and besides, he liked having her with him. As long as, he reflected, she kept safe. He walked around the other tents and sat down on a grassy slope. He brought his knees up and bent his head into his hands. He never, ever wanted anything to do with the darkness, and if he had his way, neither would anyone else. The dark caused too much pain. He winced as he thought of what his daughter and his grandchildren might be going through. His head bowed in shame as he thought that they might be put through the tortures that he had invented. His soul had truly been as twisted as his body, in dire need of healing, until... Anakin smiled weakly in remembrance. Luke.
He rose from his place and walked over to where his son rested. He peaked through the tent flap and smiled at his sleeping child. The boy...man, he corrected himself proudly, he was a man now. The man was strong in the force, but his innocence had been taken away from him. Anakin's smile melted away as he thought that.
There was a small flash of light as someone came out of transit close by. A boy walked toward Anakin. Anakin winced inwardly; he hated it when they came from life so early. He motioned for silence, and moved a little farther from the tent so that they would not be heard.
"What is it?" Anakin whispered.
"The Jedi on Tatooine wanted me to tell Anakin Skywalker that the Sith are making moves in your direction, and to be wary." The boy looked exhausted.
"I'm Anakin, thank you for your message. Why don't you spend the night here? You look bushed."
"Thanks, I am." He smiled sleepily. "Are you related to Luke Skywalker?"
"Yes, I'm his father." Again Anakin was reminded of the dream.
"Really? I used to be his friend. I'm..."
"Biggs?" Anakin turned to see Luke stagger drowsily out of his tent. "Is that you?"
"Luke? I didn't know you were dead!" Biggs stared at the tired figure, and grinned.
"I'm not, I got sucked in. What are you doing here?" Luke smiled back, and moved beside Anakin.
"I had to give a message to your dad, it's so good to see you."
Anakin smiled. "Why don't you two catch up, I'll go grab you a sleeping bag, Biggs."
"Thanks, Mr. Skywalker."
Anakin walked off, mouthing the title. Mr. Skywalker, he liked the sound of that. He also liked the sound of Dad. All he had ever been called before was Anakin, or Chosen One, but never "DAD" it sounded good. He picked up an extra sleeping bag and headed back to where he could hear the muffled sound of laughing.
"Here you go." Anakin tossed the sleeping bag in the tent flap and called in, "see you two later. Try to get some sleep."
"What was that about?" Padme looked at Anakin as he walked through the tent flap. "I heard something going on, what is it?"
"A messenger arrived from Tatooine, he said the Sith are making moves to come here." Anakin sat down with a thump. " He was an old friend of Luke's, and they're doing some catching up."
"Who is it?"
"Biggs. Do you know him?"
"Yes, he..." She trailed off not really wanting to tell how this particular boy had died.
"What? Oh." Understanding came into Anakin's eyes, and shame. "I did it. Please tell me that I didn't- you know." He made a motion with his hand, like a clenching fist.
"No, he never even knew it was you. He was in the first Death Star attack."
"Oh." They sat for a while in silence.
There was a small call from the outside of the tent.
"Are you two awake?" Obi-Wan called from the outside. "We need to plan."
19
"We need to somehow get to Telos, and get back the ones who were kidnapped." Garen Muln said, pacing.
"Any longer and they'll be bantha poodoo!" Anakin lapsed into huttese and nodded, and tried to hold on to his impatience.
"We must plan, and above all, not rush into this!" Qui-Gon scolded them, shaking his head.
"If we do rush in," Mace Windu agreed "we run the risk of getting ourselves in a worse position then they are in now. Master Qui-Gon is right."
Anakin calmed himself. Control! He told himself sternly. There would be nothing he could do without control. He frowned, something wasn't right.
"Anakin, what is it?" Padme asked from beside him.
"I don't know, but things aren't like they were." Anakin turned sharply to his right, and spotted movement. A tall, dark cloud moved out from the cover of the trees and took on a form. Anakin heard Obi-Wan's sharp intake of breath, Padme's half-controlled snarl of contempt and hate, and the rising hum of power.
It was Palpatine.
"Is that tremor in the Force coming from you, Vader?" Palpatine smiled cruelly and cackled.
"What do you want?" Anakin felt his sword hand shake, the muscles all aching to drive home a blow that would cease Palpatine's existance. He took a deep breath, forcing down the dark emotions, dark thoughts.
"Why, only to speak with my former apprentice. You should be pleased, I've come to give you a message."
"Out with it, then."
"Why, Lord Vader, where are your manners?"
"That isn't my name, Sith."
"Oh," Palpatine purred, an evil and enigmatic half-smile twisting his features. "but it is. You may deny it, but Vader still lives in you, he's in your very skin. Why don't you let him out? I'm sure you want to..."
Padme took a step forward. "Get out of here before I-"
"You do what? Really, Your Highness, you are powerless against me."
Obi-Wan put his hand on Padme's shoulder, holding her back. "What is your message?"
Another cackle came from the dark man. "Only this. I hope you enjoy this, Vader!"
Anakin reeled back as horrific images filled his mind. Leia and her children chained to a wall in a dank, tiny, and dirty prison cell. The Jedi students who Luke had taught struggled at their bonds, and cried out when one of the dark clouds that surrounded them shot a streak of Lightning at them. Anakin yelled a challenge at the Sith who gloated over Leia, while she tried to shield her children. Jaina screamed, and Anakin sank to his knees, covering his head and ears to block out the sound. The image vanished, and Anakin was left, shaking in rage and fear that he could barely control. His head came up slowly, and he grabbed what control he could. He stared at the Sith Lord, willing with all his strength to be calm. Obi-Wan's hand rested on his shoulder blade, but Anakin shrugged him off. He got up, and brushed himself off, his eyes never leaving the laughing figure before him.
"Get out of here." Anakin gritted out.
"I suggest," Bant said softly "you do as he says." The Mon Cal Jedi glowed like a thousand suns.
"I will go." Palpatine said softly "But beware, Vader. I will see to it that you will see them die in front of you if you so much as try to stop us. Heed my warning." And with a swirl of blackness, he was gone.
"This isn't good." Qui-Gon muttered.
"Ya think?" Anakin snapped. Qui-Gon raised his brows at Anakin's sarcastic tone.
"I'm sorry, Qui-Gon. I didn't mean any disrespect." Anakin shuddered "But I keep seeing-" He broke of as another wave of nausea at the things those prisoners were going through shook him.
"It's all right," Qui-Gon said quietly "go cool off for a while. Then we'll decide what we are going to do about this."
"Right." Anakin nodded and stalked off to try and gain control over himself.
Padme watched as Anakin walked off, and turned back to the other Jedi. "Whatever he saw, it spooked him pretty badly. We need to find a way to get into the prison where they're being held without getting them killed."
"I have no doubt that Palpatine will keep his word about killing the little ones." Bant said, swivelling her eyes to rest on everyone standing there. "We need to get in there without letting them know that Anakin is with us."
"That'll be hard, the way he glows." Garen murmured
"The way most of us glow." Obi-Wan replied. He cocked his head, seemed to be listening hard.
"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan silenced him with a gesture and frowned.
"Do you hear that?" he frowned harder.
"What?" Garen asked, brows raised.
"It sounds like..." Obi-Wan stopped short as a scream erupted from one of the tents.
"What?" Padme cried, whirling around to face the direction of the scream.
"Ani?" Qui-Gon yelled, turning to face the tree where Anakin had sat.
"Anakin, where are you?" Padme looked around for her husband, but he was gone.
Anakin sat down on the roots of a large tree, holding his head in his hands. Leaning back against the trunk, he let a cool breeze ruffle his hair. He couldn't forget the horrific images that had filled his mind. Leia... the poor kids, they didn't deserve that kind of treatment. A tent shifted on Anakin's right; Luke's tent. He must be waking up. Anakin smiled weakly and reached out to his son.
"That's odd." Anakin mumbled. Luke or his friend couldn't be up, they were barely awake. There were two strong surges of intense fear, cut off as soon as they started, as though blocked. A nightmare, perhaps?
Not bloody likely.
Anakin was up and creeping towards Luke tent before he considered what he was up against. Another Sith attack? Possible, since the Sith probably felt that Anakin was harmless now, since he didn't want them to hurt Leia, the kids, or the students. How many? Staying low, Anakin saw one silhouette, yanking another off its feet and holding it by the throat.
One Sith against two sleeping kids? Anakin thought in disgust.
He smiled grimly, creeping closer, ready to pounce. One Sith against two sleeping kids and one wide-awake Jedi.
Gotta love the odds.
He lept off the ground and put his whole body weight into the ram. The Sith went down, and Anakin rolled out of the way, just ahead of a fierce tongue of Lightning. Anakin lept to his feet, as did the Sith.
Anakin and Palpatine faced each other; one neutral, the other filled with scalding rage at being robbed of it's prey.
"Vader." The Sith Lord snarled the name as if it were a curse.
"Get out of here, Sith." Anakin strove to be calm, he stared into the blood-red eyes that had once seemed so powerful.
"Never, you're mine." Palpatine hissed, circling.
Anakin refused to circle with him, that would give him a shot at Luke and Biggs. "Not any more."
"Do you think you can escape it, Vader?" Palpatine's voice turned to a mocking, persuasive, amused tone.
"What are you talking about?" Anakin resisted the urge to advance towards him.
"Your past. Did you ever truly believe that you could escape it?" The red eyes saw that the remark had hit home. Palpatine pushed his advantage. " Did you ever think that they would ever see you as anyone but Darth Vader? Did you? I am quite amused, Lord Vader."
"That's not my name, I believe I've told you that before." Anakin struggled to hold on to his composure.
"If you truly believe that, you are more foolish then I thought." Palpatine smiled cruelly. "Have you seen what I did to your son, Vader?"
"If you hurt him..." Anakin's voice turned to venom.
Palpatine cackled "See for yourself." He gestured behind Anakin, and Anakin slowly backstepped. Keeping his eyes on Palpatine, wary for an attack, he knelt at Luke's side. Luke moaned and Palpatine laughed at the sound. Luke's leg lay at an odd angle, and his face was very pale. Biggs lay behind him, a deep gash above his heart, on his collar bone. Anakin laid his hand on Luke's head, easing his pain. He did the same to Biggs.
Luke opened his eyes. "Father? What...?"
"It's alright, Luke. Rest. I've got everything covered, you'll be fine." Anakin soothed him.
"Biggs?" Luke struggled to turn to his friend.
Anakin held him down gently. "He was hurt, but he'll be alright." Anakin felt his senses scream.
"Father, look out!" Luke looked over Anakin's shoulder, eyes round.
Anakin spun, bringing his hands up to defend himself, when Palpatine struck him. Force Lightning struck his chest and Anakin felt the breath knocked out of him. Snarling, Palpatine struck him again. Anakin rolled out of the way, his sight blurring, his skin burning.
Palpatine laughed.
Anakin jumped at the sound; the hollow, hateful laugh that tormented his dreams and never left his mind. The laugh spoke of his hate of Anakin and all of Anakin's family, his contempt for Anakin's exsistance, and the pure bitterness that had consumed him since Anakin's betrayal. He fought to his feet and raised his hands in defence, trying to force the dark torment out of his body. Palpatine shifted his attack and Luke screamed. Anakin sent a blast of power towards the hate-filled Sith Lord, intercepting another attack. Palpatine suddenly ceased his attack, smiling.
"Vader, Vader, you disappoint me. I took you in, a lost little Jedi, and this is how you repay me?" Hatred filled his face again. "Half-human fatherless slave-boy!" Magma errupted from his palm, smoking, red and yellow-hot rock. Anakin dodged the first of the molten projectiles...
And took the second in the face.
"Ahhhh!" Anakin cried out, trying to swipe the burning substance off his face. Lightning blasted him, and Anakin flew backward to crash into a tree.
He sat up in the brush, and chuckled through the pain in his face. "This is going to be a long day." He picked himself up and took off, racing toward Palpatine. The former Emperor blasted him again, but Anakin's momentum carried him to smash into his attacker. They grappled, both blasting each other.
"You know, I remember you a lot smaller." Anakin breathed.
"That tin can over your head obviously enlarged it." Palpatine growled back.
Palpatine lunged for Anakin's throat, but Anakin grabbed his hand and forced him back.
"You know, it would help if you could reach my throat." Anakin panted again.
Palpatine snarled in reply.
Power built in both of them, and they blasted each other again. Power flashed between their hands and they both went flying backwards. Anakin landed on his feet, crouching in front of Luke and Biggs, and this time it was Palpatine, once more a black cloud, who flew into the bush.
Obi-Wan took off, sprinting towards the source of the sound. A blinding light pierced his brain, and a huge wave of power swamped him through the Force. He stopped short; nearly falling over when Bant crashed into the back of him. The light cleared, and Obi-Wan had his first clear glimpse of the clearing that he was standing in. The grass was scorched, and tents were strewn around everywhere. Luke lay on the ground, holding his leg and wincing. Biggs lay beside him, unconscious, with a huge bruise on his head and a gash on his chest. Anakin stood in front of them; crouched like a fierce mammal, facing a huge black cloud that was just picking itself up. The cloud whirled, and Palpatine stood there once more.
"I warned you, Vader." Palpatine snarled "Now you'll watch your child and your grandchildren die."
"Not if we get there first." Anakin shot back.
"We will see!" Palpatine smiled cruelly once more, then vanished, racing away into the dark woods.
"Wonderful. Just great." Obi-Wan sighed "Let's move as soon as we can."
"Yeah," Anakin said, turning around, and showing massive burns on his face, hands, and chest. "now it's a race."
If you want to post this story, ask me, PLEASE!!
My e-mail addy is on my profile.
Have fun!
16
"Gone." Obi-Wan whispered, grief and helplessness slumping his shoulders. "They're all gone." He glanced down at Anakin, who was holding his head in his hands. Obi-Wan could feel the emotional storm that raged inside of him, but he wasn't the only one struggling to control his feelings. Luke stood at the shattered window with his head bowed, and Padme sat on the empty bed, looking as hopeless as Obi-Wan felt.
"How did they get in?" Luke asked, his voice tight. "We should have sensed them."
"Why are we assuming it's they?" Padme asked, her body shook. "It would only take one to kidnap three kids."
"What about Leia?" Luke pointed out. "She's a fighter, it would take at least two to take them all down. But how did they get in?"
"How does any burglar get in?" Anakin asked, looking up for the first time.
Obi-Wan frowned. "Well, they..."
"Disarm the alarm, right?" Anakin stared at each of them. "And so they did. If I hadn't passed out, you two," he gestured at Padme and Obi-Wan. "would have been with them. They wouldn't have been able to get to them. And me or Luke, or both of us, would have sensed a fight, and gone to help."
Padme slid down to where Anakin was and looked at him. "This isn't your fault."
"Father, blaming yourself won't get them back, it will only give the Sith more time to get away. We've got to find them."
"Oh, no." Anakin said, pointing at Luke. "There is no we. You are going to stay here."
"What? Father, I need to help." Luke looked amazed that his father would even suggest such a thing.
" I don't want to put you in danger, Luke."
"I can take care of myself!"
"Can you stake your existence on that?"
"I-"
"Stop it, you two!" Padme glared at both of them, and Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief. That argument had time bomb written all over it.
"Arguing about who is going to do something about this isn't going to get us anywhere." Padme lowered her voice again. "We need to find out where they went."
"No need to worry about that." Qui-Gon's voice came from behind Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan turned to see his former master come in the door and take a quick look around. A breeze blew through the broken window, making them all shiver.
"What do you mean, Qui-Gon?" Padme asked, looking up at him. "Have they been found?"
"No." Qui-Gon said quietly "We're under attack, the first wave just hit Tatooine."
17
He stood before the battered and bleeding Rebel pilot, curling his lip at the pain coming off the man in waves. The blood ran from his ears in streams, running down his neck and staining his uniform. Vader pointed towards him, sneering again at his pain.
"Has he confessed?" He inquired, glancing at the bird-like being torturing the Rebel.
"Indeed he has, Lord Vader!" Ban Peega, his one good eye glaring at the prisoner, cocked his head almost regretfully as he called off the droid.
He continued, "He has just givin us the name of the being who destroyed the Death Star."
Vader supressed a sigh. No, fool, he gave us the scores of the last boloball game. Of course he gave us his name!
Pain blasting through his chest as he was forced to take another breath, Vader snarled "Well, what is it?"
Ban Peega flinched at the edge to Vader's tone "Here..." He handed a recorder to Vader with a shaking wing.
"It's set on a loop, just listen for a few seconds..." Vader rolled his eyes inside his helmet, he had better things to do then listen to this sniveling nestling.
A voice came from the recorder, shaky, and weak, racked with pain. "Sky...Sky...Skywalker!"
WHAT? Did he say SKYWALKER?
"Lord Vader?!" Ban Peega squealed, as Vader's hand convulsed, crushing the recorder.
If this was true, everyone who had heard it must die...
The Council room was even more packed then was normal; but then again, Anakin mused, that wasn't a huge surprise. The panicked masses of Coruscant all waited outside the gargantuan hall, waiting for word on how the Jedi were going to deal with this crisis. Anakin was sure they would come up with something, or so he told himself. But deep in his heart of hearts, he had no idea how they were going to get out of this one.
"Quiet! Peace, Jedi!" Yoda called out from his seat in the centre of the amphitheatre. "We must think rationally if an attempt to right this we will make!" He turned to a section of Jedi masters to his left. "The Jedi students hosted by you, where are they?"
"Gone, Master. They were taken by force this morning, right before this meeting." A speaker cried out, the masculine voice rising in pitch in worry that it couldn't conceal.
"The Sith have infiltrated us here twice already?" Ki-Adi-Mundi's voice carried a great deal of surprise.
"Apparently," Obi-Wan's voice rang out sarcastically "we need a little change of security."
But before any of the Jedi could respond to that, Anakin felt dizziness swamp him again. He felt his head roll and drop onto his chest, but he fought against the sensation, knowing that if he passed out again, something would happen.
"Father? Are you okay?" Luke's voice carried and within seconds a healer stood beside him.
"Anakin, focus on me." The healer's voice became faint, as if coming from a great distance. Anakin tried to focus on the hand the man held up, but his eyes wouldn't obey him anymore. He grunted in frustration, and pushed against the sleepiness with all his strength. He faintly heard a cruel laugh at his efforts, a snarl of contempt, and then the barrier was gone and he could command himself again.
He took a deep breath. "How long was I out like that?" he asked.
"About two minutes. Don't worry, we sent a guard of twenty to make sure none of the people outside were hurt." Obi-Wan looked out to the doors.
"What are we going to do?" Padme asked
"Oh, hello. I didn't see you there." Anakin blinked.
"Nice, Ani, now I'm all hurt." She put on a look of indignation, but it dissolved quickly. "But seriously, this can't keep happening. We need to do something."
"But we don't know where they are." Mace Windu came up beside them.
Anakin closed his eyes, and felt Luke stretch out beside him. Anakin frowned, searching. Then, as one, both father and son replied, "They're on Telos." They looked at each other, and Anakin felt a bond form between them, something different then anything he had felt before. He smiled, maybe there was hope for him as a parent after all.
18
He stood there, as the wind whipped at his cape, and the pain in his upper arm throbbed. The boy before him ducked, and he sliced at the huge instrument under which Luke sought refuge. It flew away, and Luke glanced at it, losing concentration for a precious second. In that second, with the hand holding the blue laser sword momentarily unprotected, Vader sliced downward. Luke screamed in agony as the red blade neatly cut off his hand at the wrist. Vader stepped forward, and held his saber to Luke's throat.
"There is no escape, don't make me destroy you." It would truly be a pity if he had to end it like that, but if Luke continued to resist his destiny, he would have to be killed.
The boy edged backward, and crawled onto a narrow beam, his injured appendage clutched under his other arm.
"Luke," Vader said, smiling beneath his breath mask "you do not yet realise your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength we can end this destructive conflict, and bring order to the galaxy."
"I'll never join you!" the young one snarled, angry and in pain.
Vader's smile broadened at the play of darkness on the child's face. "If you only knew the power of the dark side." He paused briefly, studying the boy's face, which was contorted in agony.
He threw out another taunt. "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."
Luke's anger raged at this comment, and Vader watched him swing down to another large instrument.
"He told me enough!" Luke spat "He told me you killed him."
Vader lowered his saber slightly. Ah, so that was what he'd been told. It was something Vader had wondered about.
"No," Vader purred, savouring the moment. "I am your father."
"No," Luke cried, shaking his head in disbelief "that's not true! That's impossible!"
"Search your feelings, you know it to be true." Vader turned off his saber and extended a hand. Yes, he would come now, and they would rule, father and son. Pain, not purely physical, streamed from Luke, like rays of light caught by reflective surface.
"Noooooooo!" Luke screamed.
"Anakin! Ani, wake up!" Anakin woke with a start, and took a deep breath. Luke's agony seared his heart.
"Are you alright? You're sweating." Padme looked at him with concern.
"Yeah." He sat up, and leaned against one of the poles of the tent that they shared. He wiped the cold sweat off his brow, and shuddered. He took a deep breath. He was safe, with friends and his wife, and he was still Anakin. He grabbed his robe and got up.
"Where are you going?" his wife pulled on her own robe and stepped beside him, leaning her head against his chest.
"I don't know, what time is it?"
"Almost three in the morning."
"Great." He groaned; he would never get to sleep again that night, the dream had been too real.
He shivered. No, it had not been a dream, it was a memory. He had been lucky, that wasn't one of the worst ones.
"Want something while we're up?" Padme glanced up at him.
"No, but thanks. I think I'll just walk around for a bit."
"Alone?" She looked sad, and he knew why. As much as he loved her he pushed her away at these times.
"Only for a bit, I'll be back soon." He pulled on some real clothes and walked out. The Jedi had decided to try and push the invaders out, or at least keep the attacks from spreading, so they had sent groups of defenders to worlds on the rim. He had been sent to Naboo with Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Mace Windu, Bant and Garren, a few of Obi-Wan's old friends, and to Anakin's immense worry, Luke. Padme had come along to "make sure she could pull their hineys out of Bantha doo doo." as she put it. Anakin suspected, however, that she felt that her presence kept them safe. He didn't argue with that, and besides, he liked having her with him. As long as, he reflected, she kept safe. He walked around the other tents and sat down on a grassy slope. He brought his knees up and bent his head into his hands. He never, ever wanted anything to do with the darkness, and if he had his way, neither would anyone else. The dark caused too much pain. He winced as he thought of what his daughter and his grandchildren might be going through. His head bowed in shame as he thought that they might be put through the tortures that he had invented. His soul had truly been as twisted as his body, in dire need of healing, until... Anakin smiled weakly in remembrance. Luke.
He rose from his place and walked over to where his son rested. He peaked through the tent flap and smiled at his sleeping child. The boy...man, he corrected himself proudly, he was a man now. The man was strong in the force, but his innocence had been taken away from him. Anakin's smile melted away as he thought that.
There was a small flash of light as someone came out of transit close by. A boy walked toward Anakin. Anakin winced inwardly; he hated it when they came from life so early. He motioned for silence, and moved a little farther from the tent so that they would not be heard.
"What is it?" Anakin whispered.
"The Jedi on Tatooine wanted me to tell Anakin Skywalker that the Sith are making moves in your direction, and to be wary." The boy looked exhausted.
"I'm Anakin, thank you for your message. Why don't you spend the night here? You look bushed."
"Thanks, I am." He smiled sleepily. "Are you related to Luke Skywalker?"
"Yes, I'm his father." Again Anakin was reminded of the dream.
"Really? I used to be his friend. I'm..."
"Biggs?" Anakin turned to see Luke stagger drowsily out of his tent. "Is that you?"
"Luke? I didn't know you were dead!" Biggs stared at the tired figure, and grinned.
"I'm not, I got sucked in. What are you doing here?" Luke smiled back, and moved beside Anakin.
"I had to give a message to your dad, it's so good to see you."
Anakin smiled. "Why don't you two catch up, I'll go grab you a sleeping bag, Biggs."
"Thanks, Mr. Skywalker."
Anakin walked off, mouthing the title. Mr. Skywalker, he liked the sound of that. He also liked the sound of Dad. All he had ever been called before was Anakin, or Chosen One, but never "DAD" it sounded good. He picked up an extra sleeping bag and headed back to where he could hear the muffled sound of laughing.
"Here you go." Anakin tossed the sleeping bag in the tent flap and called in, "see you two later. Try to get some sleep."
"What was that about?" Padme looked at Anakin as he walked through the tent flap. "I heard something going on, what is it?"
"A messenger arrived from Tatooine, he said the Sith are making moves to come here." Anakin sat down with a thump. " He was an old friend of Luke's, and they're doing some catching up."
"Who is it?"
"Biggs. Do you know him?"
"Yes, he..." She trailed off not really wanting to tell how this particular boy had died.
"What? Oh." Understanding came into Anakin's eyes, and shame. "I did it. Please tell me that I didn't- you know." He made a motion with his hand, like a clenching fist.
"No, he never even knew it was you. He was in the first Death Star attack."
"Oh." They sat for a while in silence.
There was a small call from the outside of the tent.
"Are you two awake?" Obi-Wan called from the outside. "We need to plan."
19
"We need to somehow get to Telos, and get back the ones who were kidnapped." Garen Muln said, pacing.
"Any longer and they'll be bantha poodoo!" Anakin lapsed into huttese and nodded, and tried to hold on to his impatience.
"We must plan, and above all, not rush into this!" Qui-Gon scolded them, shaking his head.
"If we do rush in," Mace Windu agreed "we run the risk of getting ourselves in a worse position then they are in now. Master Qui-Gon is right."
Anakin calmed himself. Control! He told himself sternly. There would be nothing he could do without control. He frowned, something wasn't right.
"Anakin, what is it?" Padme asked from beside him.
"I don't know, but things aren't like they were." Anakin turned sharply to his right, and spotted movement. A tall, dark cloud moved out from the cover of the trees and took on a form. Anakin heard Obi-Wan's sharp intake of breath, Padme's half-controlled snarl of contempt and hate, and the rising hum of power.
It was Palpatine.
"Is that tremor in the Force coming from you, Vader?" Palpatine smiled cruelly and cackled.
"What do you want?" Anakin felt his sword hand shake, the muscles all aching to drive home a blow that would cease Palpatine's existance. He took a deep breath, forcing down the dark emotions, dark thoughts.
"Why, only to speak with my former apprentice. You should be pleased, I've come to give you a message."
"Out with it, then."
"Why, Lord Vader, where are your manners?"
"That isn't my name, Sith."
"Oh," Palpatine purred, an evil and enigmatic half-smile twisting his features. "but it is. You may deny it, but Vader still lives in you, he's in your very skin. Why don't you let him out? I'm sure you want to..."
Padme took a step forward. "Get out of here before I-"
"You do what? Really, Your Highness, you are powerless against me."
Obi-Wan put his hand on Padme's shoulder, holding her back. "What is your message?"
Another cackle came from the dark man. "Only this. I hope you enjoy this, Vader!"
Anakin reeled back as horrific images filled his mind. Leia and her children chained to a wall in a dank, tiny, and dirty prison cell. The Jedi students who Luke had taught struggled at their bonds, and cried out when one of the dark clouds that surrounded them shot a streak of Lightning at them. Anakin yelled a challenge at the Sith who gloated over Leia, while she tried to shield her children. Jaina screamed, and Anakin sank to his knees, covering his head and ears to block out the sound. The image vanished, and Anakin was left, shaking in rage and fear that he could barely control. His head came up slowly, and he grabbed what control he could. He stared at the Sith Lord, willing with all his strength to be calm. Obi-Wan's hand rested on his shoulder blade, but Anakin shrugged him off. He got up, and brushed himself off, his eyes never leaving the laughing figure before him.
"Get out of here." Anakin gritted out.
"I suggest," Bant said softly "you do as he says." The Mon Cal Jedi glowed like a thousand suns.
"I will go." Palpatine said softly "But beware, Vader. I will see to it that you will see them die in front of you if you so much as try to stop us. Heed my warning." And with a swirl of blackness, he was gone.
"This isn't good." Qui-Gon muttered.
"Ya think?" Anakin snapped. Qui-Gon raised his brows at Anakin's sarcastic tone.
"I'm sorry, Qui-Gon. I didn't mean any disrespect." Anakin shuddered "But I keep seeing-" He broke of as another wave of nausea at the things those prisoners were going through shook him.
"It's all right," Qui-Gon said quietly "go cool off for a while. Then we'll decide what we are going to do about this."
"Right." Anakin nodded and stalked off to try and gain control over himself.
Padme watched as Anakin walked off, and turned back to the other Jedi. "Whatever he saw, it spooked him pretty badly. We need to find a way to get into the prison where they're being held without getting them killed."
"I have no doubt that Palpatine will keep his word about killing the little ones." Bant said, swivelling her eyes to rest on everyone standing there. "We need to get in there without letting them know that Anakin is with us."
"That'll be hard, the way he glows." Garen murmured
"The way most of us glow." Obi-Wan replied. He cocked his head, seemed to be listening hard.
"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan silenced him with a gesture and frowned.
"Do you hear that?" he frowned harder.
"What?" Garen asked, brows raised.
"It sounds like..." Obi-Wan stopped short as a scream erupted from one of the tents.
"What?" Padme cried, whirling around to face the direction of the scream.
"Ani?" Qui-Gon yelled, turning to face the tree where Anakin had sat.
"Anakin, where are you?" Padme looked around for her husband, but he was gone.
Anakin sat down on the roots of a large tree, holding his head in his hands. Leaning back against the trunk, he let a cool breeze ruffle his hair. He couldn't forget the horrific images that had filled his mind. Leia... the poor kids, they didn't deserve that kind of treatment. A tent shifted on Anakin's right; Luke's tent. He must be waking up. Anakin smiled weakly and reached out to his son.
"That's odd." Anakin mumbled. Luke or his friend couldn't be up, they were barely awake. There were two strong surges of intense fear, cut off as soon as they started, as though blocked. A nightmare, perhaps?
Not bloody likely.
Anakin was up and creeping towards Luke tent before he considered what he was up against. Another Sith attack? Possible, since the Sith probably felt that Anakin was harmless now, since he didn't want them to hurt Leia, the kids, or the students. How many? Staying low, Anakin saw one silhouette, yanking another off its feet and holding it by the throat.
One Sith against two sleeping kids? Anakin thought in disgust.
He smiled grimly, creeping closer, ready to pounce. One Sith against two sleeping kids and one wide-awake Jedi.
Gotta love the odds.
He lept off the ground and put his whole body weight into the ram. The Sith went down, and Anakin rolled out of the way, just ahead of a fierce tongue of Lightning. Anakin lept to his feet, as did the Sith.
Anakin and Palpatine faced each other; one neutral, the other filled with scalding rage at being robbed of it's prey.
"Vader." The Sith Lord snarled the name as if it were a curse.
"Get out of here, Sith." Anakin strove to be calm, he stared into the blood-red eyes that had once seemed so powerful.
"Never, you're mine." Palpatine hissed, circling.
Anakin refused to circle with him, that would give him a shot at Luke and Biggs. "Not any more."
"Do you think you can escape it, Vader?" Palpatine's voice turned to a mocking, persuasive, amused tone.
"What are you talking about?" Anakin resisted the urge to advance towards him.
"Your past. Did you ever truly believe that you could escape it?" The red eyes saw that the remark had hit home. Palpatine pushed his advantage. " Did you ever think that they would ever see you as anyone but Darth Vader? Did you? I am quite amused, Lord Vader."
"That's not my name, I believe I've told you that before." Anakin struggled to hold on to his composure.
"If you truly believe that, you are more foolish then I thought." Palpatine smiled cruelly. "Have you seen what I did to your son, Vader?"
"If you hurt him..." Anakin's voice turned to venom.
Palpatine cackled "See for yourself." He gestured behind Anakin, and Anakin slowly backstepped. Keeping his eyes on Palpatine, wary for an attack, he knelt at Luke's side. Luke moaned and Palpatine laughed at the sound. Luke's leg lay at an odd angle, and his face was very pale. Biggs lay behind him, a deep gash above his heart, on his collar bone. Anakin laid his hand on Luke's head, easing his pain. He did the same to Biggs.
Luke opened his eyes. "Father? What...?"
"It's alright, Luke. Rest. I've got everything covered, you'll be fine." Anakin soothed him.
"Biggs?" Luke struggled to turn to his friend.
Anakin held him down gently. "He was hurt, but he'll be alright." Anakin felt his senses scream.
"Father, look out!" Luke looked over Anakin's shoulder, eyes round.
Anakin spun, bringing his hands up to defend himself, when Palpatine struck him. Force Lightning struck his chest and Anakin felt the breath knocked out of him. Snarling, Palpatine struck him again. Anakin rolled out of the way, his sight blurring, his skin burning.
Palpatine laughed.
Anakin jumped at the sound; the hollow, hateful laugh that tormented his dreams and never left his mind. The laugh spoke of his hate of Anakin and all of Anakin's family, his contempt for Anakin's exsistance, and the pure bitterness that had consumed him since Anakin's betrayal. He fought to his feet and raised his hands in defence, trying to force the dark torment out of his body. Palpatine shifted his attack and Luke screamed. Anakin sent a blast of power towards the hate-filled Sith Lord, intercepting another attack. Palpatine suddenly ceased his attack, smiling.
"Vader, Vader, you disappoint me. I took you in, a lost little Jedi, and this is how you repay me?" Hatred filled his face again. "Half-human fatherless slave-boy!" Magma errupted from his palm, smoking, red and yellow-hot rock. Anakin dodged the first of the molten projectiles...
And took the second in the face.
"Ahhhh!" Anakin cried out, trying to swipe the burning substance off his face. Lightning blasted him, and Anakin flew backward to crash into a tree.
He sat up in the brush, and chuckled through the pain in his face. "This is going to be a long day." He picked himself up and took off, racing toward Palpatine. The former Emperor blasted him again, but Anakin's momentum carried him to smash into his attacker. They grappled, both blasting each other.
"You know, I remember you a lot smaller." Anakin breathed.
"That tin can over your head obviously enlarged it." Palpatine growled back.
Palpatine lunged for Anakin's throat, but Anakin grabbed his hand and forced him back.
"You know, it would help if you could reach my throat." Anakin panted again.
Palpatine snarled in reply.
Power built in both of them, and they blasted each other again. Power flashed between their hands and they both went flying backwards. Anakin landed on his feet, crouching in front of Luke and Biggs, and this time it was Palpatine, once more a black cloud, who flew into the bush.
Obi-Wan took off, sprinting towards the source of the sound. A blinding light pierced his brain, and a huge wave of power swamped him through the Force. He stopped short; nearly falling over when Bant crashed into the back of him. The light cleared, and Obi-Wan had his first clear glimpse of the clearing that he was standing in. The grass was scorched, and tents were strewn around everywhere. Luke lay on the ground, holding his leg and wincing. Biggs lay beside him, unconscious, with a huge bruise on his head and a gash on his chest. Anakin stood in front of them; crouched like a fierce mammal, facing a huge black cloud that was just picking itself up. The cloud whirled, and Palpatine stood there once more.
"I warned you, Vader." Palpatine snarled "Now you'll watch your child and your grandchildren die."
"Not if we get there first." Anakin shot back.
"We will see!" Palpatine smiled cruelly once more, then vanished, racing away into the dark woods.
"Wonderful. Just great." Obi-Wan sighed "Let's move as soon as we can."
"Yeah," Anakin said, turning around, and showing massive burns on his face, hands, and chest. "now it's a race."