All these characters, and this entire 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!!
Have fun!
20
Luke packed up his things, wincing slightly as his weight landed on his damaged right leg. Palpatine had attacked him and Biggs so fiercely that Luke had been caught off guard. The instant of hesitation had cost Luke a healthy leg, and nearly sent Biggs to the nether realm. Luke had been thrown backward onto the ground and he had heard the bone snap in his leg. Palpatine had shot Luke with Force Lightning until Luke couldn't fight back, and had been about to kill Biggs in front of Luke. The tongue of dark energy had swooped down, like a lightsaber, ready to cleave Biggs's head from his shoulders, but Anakin had jumped in time to prevent it. Luke heard voices arguing in the distance. Anakin's voice was definitely one of the two, and the other one was feminine. It was probably Padme. Luke stepped out of his tent into the early morning sunshine and stretched, careful with his leg. He strode over to where Biggs rested, and saw the Calimarian Jedi bent over him, healing him.
Luke stifled a sigh. Why was it, he mentally complained, that it was his friends that always got hurt?
The arguing voices rose a notch, but were still to muffled to make out. Luke stretched out with the Force and pinpointed the place where Anakin was. He limped over, trying to keep his weight off his leg, which now throbbed without mercy. He came up behind the arguing couple, and stopped, out of sight, when he heard their words.
"You know I have no choice here." Anakin said "They can't be left to the Sith, and I may be the only one who can get them out."
"Why does it always have to be you?" Luke's mother replied, her voice tight with tension. "Maybe if you weren't so eager to show Leia you're good you'd see reason. Ani, this is insane, you can't take the Sith all alone."
"I've worked alone in the past, and it hasn't hindered me. I work better that way."
"Ani, when will you see that you're not immortal? The Sith, if they work together, can and will overpower you. We should go in together, as a group. They won't be able to take us all."
"Maybe not, but you're not a Jedi. If we all go, there's a good chance you'll be hurt. I'll lose control, you know that, the Sith know that, and everyone else knows that. I don't think I'm immortal, and I know they'll overpower me, but I might be able to sneak out with Leia and the others if I don't have to worry about anyone else."
"So that's all I am to you, Ani? A worry?" Padme's voice trembled.
"You know that's not what I said. But if you go, you'll be hurt and I won't be able to stop it."
"No, I won't. I can protect myself."
"Yes," Anakin agreed "but not against the Sith. You can't negotiate your way out of this one, Your Highness, I'm going to go it alone this time."
"Have you told Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon? I'm sure they'd have something to say about all this."
"No, and I don't plan to either." Anakin sighed "They'd try to stop me, but this time I know I'm right and they're not."
"Like when you decided to follow Palpatine?" Padme asked quietly
There was a long silence after that. Anakin finally spoke quietly "That was low, Padme."
"If it's the only way to get you to listen, then I'll say what needs to be said. What about Luke? Have you mentioned this plan to him yet? Or do you just expect him to wake up one day and not have a father?"
Anakin blew out a regretful breath "No, I can't tell him, he'd want to come along. He was injured, and he needs rest." Another sigh "Padme, by the time this mission is over I want him to have at least one parent, he's been orphaned far too many times already. I caused most...no wait, all of them"
"Is that what this is all about?" Padme cried "Anakin, you aren't responsible for every wrong that's ever been committed. You're injured as well, and you can't keep blaming yourself, no matter how much you want to."
"I want to?" Anakin cried, "You think I want to? I would like nothing better then to forget everything that ever happened after I fell until right before I died. How can you think I want to keep remembering everything I did?"
"You keep trying to make up for what you did, and you don't let yourself forget. Anakin, face reality. It's been eleven years since you lived, eleven years of begging for forgiveness. I can understand the first few years of that, but eleven? Come on Ani, let it go. You changed back, we all forgive you, for skies sake move on!"
"How can you say that?" Anakin's voice was so soft that Luke had to strain to hear him "How can you tell me to let it go? The echos of my evil are still ringing in life. I can't just let it go. Padme, I'm glad you forgave me, and I'm glad that I've begun to atone for everything I did, but it isn't enough. Why can't you see that?
"I don't want to leave with this open wound behind me." Anakin's voice grew soft, gentle, but firm. "I wish I could be around for longer, but I can't. The prophecy isn't forfilled yet; I still have one last round to play before I can call it quits. But I don't want to leave like this, Padme, not with you glaring at my back. Please, I'm sorry, I just want to do the right thing. I wish you could see that. Please don't hate me for this, but I am going to go. Can you forgive me for this?"
"Anakin, if you don't come back..."
"Then I'll go down protecting my family. This has to be done, Padme. You and I both know that I'm the only one who can get a power boost large enough to keep the Sith out of here. I felt the Sith move out of here recently, and I know that everyone else did too. That means that I'm going to be fighting in the Sith dimension, on their turf, and to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure that I'll be coming back. But I don't want to go there thinking that the one I love with all my heart, and all my soul hates me. Don't make me leave for the nether realm like that." He chuckled at her weakly "I might not want to come back up if I know I'll expect a lecture from Obi-Wan and a cold silence from you. Obi-Wan's lecture I could take, but your silence is more then I can stand."
"Anakin, I can forgive you for going to try to rescue Leia and the kids and students. I can accept that you're not going to tell Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon or Mace Windu. But running away from telling your son that you're leaving and might not be coming back anytime soon I can't accept. Luke deserves to know before he receives condolences from people who learned your fate before him. All I ask from you is to tell him. Don't you think he deserves it?"
"Of course I do." Anakin sighed "I'll tell him before I go. I promise."
"All right." There was a heavy silence "Anakin, come back, just please come back."
"I will come back. Don't worry, Angel." Luke turned away, walking slowly and painfully back to his tent. He didn't want to hear any more. He shook his head, his face contorting in deep inner pain and helplessness. His father wasn't planning a rescue attempt, he was planning suicide, and Luke didn't want to let him go alone.
"But that's exactly why he didn't want to tell me he was going." Luke muttered to himself, looking at the ground. He stumbled into his tent, slumping onto the grassy surface, and tried to ignore the fire that raged inside his leg. He sighed, knowing that there would be nothing that he could do to help his father come back.
21
"Luke?" Anakin called into the small tent "Are you awake?"
"What?" Luke mumbled groggily "Oh, yeah, come in." Anakin stooped to get into the small tent flap, and looked up to see a tired Luke. Anakin tried not to smile; Luke looked awake, but his hair looked as if he'd just touched a live electrical charge. Anakin sat, and swallowed, trying to remember the small speech he'd made up the night before. Padme had been quite insistant that he tell Luke he was going to try and rescue Leia, Jacen, Jaina, Anakin, and the rest of Luke's students from the Sith dimention, where they now were. He paused, looking hard at Luke. There was a conflict going on inside Anakin's son, and the most prominent of the whirl of emotions was fear. Not the blind terror of someone who recognised Anakin as Darth Vader, but anxiety. What did Luke know?
"What's bothering you, son? Tell me, please."
Luke hung his head, as if in shame. "I heard you and mother arguing last night. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to evesdrop, but I couldn't help but listen." He looked up at Anakin, his face somber. "You're leaving?"
"Yes." Anakin replied, relieved that the burden of telling Luke himself was lifted from his shoulders. He sighed, wishing he hadn't been forced to make this decision at all. "Luke, I'm going to be blunt with you, not because it will make this easier, but beacause I think you deserve it. There's a good chance that I won't be coming back soon, but I swear to you that as soon as I do, I'll find some way to contact you or your sister."
"If you come back at all." Luke said, eyes tracing the burns on Anakin's face."The Sith don't play games."
"I know." Anakin said, smiling lopsidedly. He grew serious. "Luke, have you forgotten what happens to spirits who are injured?"
"No, they go down to the nether realm, and have to climb back up. But what if you can't? Then what?" Luke kept his face pointed away, so that Anakin couldn't see it.
"That's right at the end! Before that, Luke." Anakin kept his tone as soothing as possible, as he had seen Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon do, to mend the hurt in his boy's soul.
"They get a..." Luke tensed up, turned a little, so that one eye faced Anakin. "Power boost. That's why you're going, so you can get a power boost. That's the reason, isn't it."
"No," Anakin shook his head "I'm going so that I can get our family and your students back. Luke, once I get that boost I'll be able to set up that barrier that you envisioned. That will be able to keep the Sith out of here for good."
"You sound so certain that you'll get a power boost, but I thought you said that it hadn't been proved that you'd get one.
"I'm willing to take that risk."
" You'll have to get badly injured. But you weren't planning on coming back, were you?"
"Luke, this is the only way this will end." Anakin looked at Luke, suddenly very concerned. The storm brewing inside Luke was only getting larger. "Luke, they'll be all right, I promise."
"It's not that." Luke slumped "This is going to be the second time that you'll leave us to save a family member. When I get back here, after I've lived my life, I want you to be here, not trapped in the nether realm."
"Hey," Anakin bent his head down so that in would be level with Luke's. He turned Luke's face towards him, and looked him straight in the eye. "who said anything about being trapped? I can and will get back here, and you can count on the fact that I'll be here when you get back here." He sighed "I have to go, Luke." He stood, turning to go.
"Good luck, Father." Luke called after him.
"Farewell, Luke" Anakin turned back, to look at Luke one last time, then turned and left. He wanted to be on his way as soon as possible, but he had one last stop to make.
"Padme?" Anakin crept back inside their shared tent, and saw his wife sit up against a pillow.
"How'd he take it?" She asked him, worried.
"He heard us talking about it last night, so he already knew."
"Oh." Padme fell silent, then looked up at Anakin "I..." She looked down again. "Be careful, Ani."
"You know I will be." He knelt down beside her, and put an arm around her shoulders. To his surprise, they were ridged, and trembling. She leaned into his arms, and he hugged her tightly. He tried to memorise the feeling, because he knew that there would be nights where he would miss it terribly.
"I'll be back soon, you know that." He tried to soothe her.
"Do I?" She whispered raggedly.
"Well, if you don't, I'm telling you now. I'll be back soon, I promise." He kissed her, cherishing her warmth. He broke away from her regretfully, and rose to his feet once more. She got up as well, and stood shivering in the chilly morning.
"Anakin, be home soon."
He smiled weakly "You sound like my mother." But seeing the seriousness in her eyes, the smile faded. "I will, don't worry." He turned, unable to bear the regret much longer, and began to walk away. But after a few paces, he turned back. Padme stood there, watching him go. She raised her hand in a gesture of farewell, and he returned it. He turned once more and left the camp, and some of his loved ones behind.
"Ani? Anakin? Where are you?" Obi-Wan called out to his friend, and frowned when he got no answer. Padme walked up to him, looking tired and upset.
"What's wrong? Do you know where Anakin is? I've searched everywhere for him."
Padme hesitated, then nodded. "I suppose it's all right to say now, but he didn't want you to know."
"What? Oh no, what did he do now?"
"He left to go get Leia, the kids, and the students."
"He did WHAT?" Obi-Wan jumped up, ran a few paces, then turned back. "How long ago did he leave?"
"He left last night, about four standard hours ago." There was a distortion once Jedi got into the Sith dimention. It was impossible for Jedi to be transported instantaneously, as could be done in their own dimention. The same thing happened to Sith who broke into the Jedi dimention.
"Let's try to catch up to him, maybe we'll be able to help him." Obi-Wan paused "Get Luke and Qui-Gon, I'll get the rest."
"Okay, let's move."
22
Anakin crept through the warped landscape, hiding from the various monsters that the Sith had most likely sent out to watch for him. He was ahead of Palpatine in their race for the kids; hopefully. But Palpatine knew where they were, and Anakin had to search a fair bit. He felt a disterbance in the sense of this relm, a bright spot in all the darkness, but it could be a Sith trap, or it could be a few of Luke's students, seperated from the rest to get him off track. Then again, Anakin thought, they might not have expected me this early.
A very big, and very important maybe.
Anakin rested at the base of a twisted tree, it's branches reaching toward the sky like a clawed hand, it's leaves withered and brown. He shivered as an acidic stench of something made his throat burn. His hand trembled as a thousand nightmares ran before his eyes, and he got up to breathe comfortably again. He leaned against the gnarled bark and spun as a howled shriek split the air, followed closely by the terrified scream of the prey. The scream died off at the end, and Anakin turned away from the sense of agaony. He shivered, looking out at the twisted land, where so many lost souls walked the the zombies from horror holo's. The fact that chilled him most was that he reconised some of the gray faces, that he had sent them here, to this bleak fate. He continued on his journey, bringing his hood up to conceal his features. He glanced around, wary. He didn't think he attracted too much attention, wearing a "borrowed" black cloak and tunic. Palpatine had taught him to conceal his spirit, and had never guessed that it might be used against him.
Hopefully.
There were so many things that depended on Palpatine's ignorance, and Anakin hoped it wasn't one too many. But there wasn't anything to be done about it now, he was too far into the Sith relm to just turn back and go home, even if he wanted to. But there were days that he wished he hadn't left without Obi-Wan, or Luke.
Every night he wished Padme was beside him.
A zombie brushed against him, and drew back in fear. Anakin turned to glance at the man, and stiffened. The zombie stared back at him.
It was Admiral Piett.
"My apologies, my Lord." Piett stammered, throwing himself down to lie at Anakin's feet.
Anakin swallowed, and tried to sound angry and contemptous. "Get off my boots, fool." He snarled, hoping that it didn't sound too fake.
"O-of course, Lord Vader."
Anakin froze "What did you call me?"
Piett was paniced "My upmost apologies, my lord Sith! I didn't mean to remind you of the traitor. I-I will do whatever you wish..."
"Stop dirtying my robes, filth." Anakin spat at the now sobbing Imperial. He glanced from side to side to make sure he wasn't attracting too much attention. To his surprise, no one was even looking at him, just walking back and forth across the barren plain. He needed to get to the kids...
Oh... he thought, looking down at the man who had commanded his super star destroyer. Here's an idea.
"My command is this, Admiral," he paused, draining his voice of all it's regained humanity "take me to where they're keeping the Jedi."
"Skywalker's whelps, my lord?..." Whelps, did he call them whelps? "... Of course, as you wish... but I'm afraid I can only tell you where they're being held. As you know the security is great..."
"That does not concern me, Admiral. Tell me where they are." He waited for a few seconds. "Quickly!"
"Y-yes, my lord. They are being kept in the Great Sith Complex, level four. If I may say so, my lord, I suggest you hurry, for some fear that Vader is coming, dispite the threats."
"I will be the judge of how quickly I must go, fool, not you." He leaned close "You act as if you are more afraid of one Jedi then you are of me." Anakin snarled one last comment "Be gone!"
Piett scrambled away.
Anakin continued his journey, stalking through the black crators and potholes that decorated the landscape.
He heard a choking sound and looked down. A young man sat huddled there, covering his face with his hands.
He wasn't glowing, but Anakin had a feeling about him.
Anakin moved over to him, and the boy tried to move away, but Anakin put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Are you one of Skywalker's students?" Anakin muttered
"Leave me alone!" The boy looked up and Anakin recognised him.
It was Kyp Durron.
"Hush! It's alright, I'm here to get you out."
"How can I trust you? You could be just another one of the Sith, trying to bring me back. HMMMPH!" Anakin clamped a hand down on Kyp's mouth, and moved him further into the bush.
"This should be the proof you need." Anakin removed his hood, revealing his glowing face.
The boy's eyes widened "Jedi!"
"Yes. Now listen to me, Kyp, and I'll tell you how to get out of here. Do you trust me?"
"I'll do anything to get out of here." Kyp squinted up at Anakin as he raised his hood again. "Who are you, anyway?"
"My name is Anakin."
"No, you can't be...are you? You're Darth Vader?"
"I was." Anakin removed one layer of his robe and handed it to Kyp. "Here, take this. Go straight north, but stick close to the brush. You'll hit the borderlands, and then you'll be able to teleport...do you know how to do that?"
Kyp nodded "The woman who was hosting us taught us how to do that as soon as we were able to stand."
"Good. Any questions?"
"Yes, one. Why are you telling me this?"
Anakin blinked at him. "Because that's how you get home, and I doubt you want to stay here."
"I'm coming with you."
"How'd you get a target lock on that?"
Kyp cocked his head. "You're going to free the others, right?"
"Yes."
"Get the Chief of State and her kids back?"
"Right again."
"Do some serious butt kicking?"
"That's not my main objective, but there's a high likelyhood of some of that."
"Well, then, I'm there."
"Is there any way in Life or Death that I could send you home?"
"Nope, you're stuck with me."
Anakin rolled his eyes to the sky. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Besides," he grinned. "who would give up the chance to travel with Anakin Skywalker?"
"You'd be surprised, many people would just want to go home at this point."
"You one of them?"
"Not a chance in Hell. Come on,kid. Follow my lead." Pulling the cloak tight around him, he bent over and started again across the dark land.
"You know, we could just be going in one great big circle." Kyp said, glancing around two days later. "The landscape never changes, and everyone looks the same."
"We aren't going in circles." Anakin muttered back to him.
"How do you know?"
"We *aren't* going in circles."
"Alright, then, have it your way." Kyp chewed on his lower lip worriedly. "Doesn't it bother you that we haven't been stopped? It can't be this easy."
"Sure it can."
"Okay, it can, but it isn't. And why are you so quiet, anyway? Are you okay?"
"I see a lot of familiar faces, it isn't a very good sign. Someone's going to recognize me, or you, and then we're cooked."
"Ahhh, you have a point."
"And why are you so talkative today?" Anakin glanced around, making sure they weren't followed.
"Someone's got to talk, it makes things less depressing, don't you find?"
"It..." a tremmer made itself felt through the ground. "Uh oh."
"What's that?" Kyp stopped, hand going automaticlly to his hip.
"I don't know," Anakin kept walking, picking up his pace a little. " I don't want to know, either. Now *move* Kyp, don't slow down, just keep walking." Anakin led him through some bushes, and suddenly looked down into a huge crevasse.
"Ooops." Kyp leaned over the side, looking down. "Is that a river down there?"
"Yet another thing I don't want to know." Anakin looked back, towards where they had come from, then leaned over to get a better view of the cliff. "Not a bad view."
"Anakin?"
"I didn't think they had cliffs this high here."
"Anakin..."
"Whoa, that is deep."
"ANAKIN!!!"
"What?" Anakin turned around, looking straight into the very large fangs of a very large...
"VITSA! JUMP!!!"Anakin grabbed Kyp and yanked him over the edge. Falling, they heard the vitsa hiss and leap after them, long body uncoiling to try to grab them.
They both plummited towards the gray water, just metres away from the monster that followed. Anakin called on the Force, shoving Kyp and himself towards the rock wall beside them, away from the vitsa's head. He tried to soften their fall, wishing with all his heart that Kyp at least would survive the icy waters...
They hit with enough force to knock the wind out of both of them, the waters trying to drag them under. Anakin struggled to stay afloat, gasping for air. Kyp surfaced and coughed, spitting up water. Anakin grabbed him and pushed him toward a rocky outcropping that was sticking out the surface of the rolling rapids. Kyp grabbed it, sputtering and coughing, and Anakin pushed him so that he could grab the rock face. Anakin got on behind him, and heard the snarl of the vitsa as it was pushed past them, farther down the river.
"What was that?" Kyp coughed.
"Vitsa."Anakin panted back to him, nearly out of breath from the narrow escape.
"Mind telling me what that *is*?"
"Something the Sith make in their spare time. They use it to catch Jedi who are lost in the borderlands."
"Alright, so the Force wouldn't work on it?"
"No, it'll work, but I didn't think we wanted to reveal our presence that much. A fighting vitsa's not a quiet vitsa." Anakin shuddered.
"What's wrong?" Kyp asked, frowning.
"They probably have a couple of those things guarding the kids. I wonder how they're sating them."
"Sating them? I don't like the sound of that."
"Vitsa's are probably one of the Sith's more...vile creations. They hunt and send Jedi to the nether relm for food. They drink our blood, or whatever we have that's the equivilent of blood. The stronger the Jedi is, the more appatising. I was wondering when we would run up against one."
"Oh, and why didn't you tell me this before?"
"You never asked."
"You know what? I think we need some more communication skills."
"We're on a need to know basis, kid. I know things that you don't need to know, I'll tell you when you do." He paused "When we get a little closer to where we're headed, I'll tell you more about the Sith's creatures. But you don't need to know now. Are we clear on that?"
"Sure, just warn me next time we need to dunk in the river."
"Will do."
They started the long climb up the vertical rock face.
22
Obi-Wan frowned as he searched the gray horizon. Nothing; Anakin was so far away that his presence could no longer be felt from here. He shook his head, words that were not known to be part of his vocabulary shooting across his mind.
The Great Sith Complex loomed before the two weary travelers. At least, they hoped it was the "Great Sith Complex."
"Is that it?" Kyp murmured through the side of his mouth.
"I think so, but I can't be sure."
"I think it is, too. Mind telling me about some other thing that might come shooting around the corner any time now?" He looked around and saw a rodent scurrying across the ground. "What's that?"
"Vittacita, it's a little weasel thing, but when it's threatened, it can grow to one hundred times it's regular size. It also has a ability called acid spit, which is self-explanitory."
"And that?" Kyp nodded toward a large bird-like creature with the head of a lizard.
"Belisall, they aren't very dangerous because they're slow as hell, but if they ever catch you they pack a hell of a bite. They're used as guards for anything the Sith feel the need to guard, because their cry can be heard from a long way away. It can deafen you if you're close enough."
"And that?" Kyp pointed at a large creature with hideous, deformed features, and a mouth full of very sharp teeth.
"You know what? I don't want to know. Let's not find out, shall we?"
"Sounds like a plan to me."
They strode towards the double doors, and Anakin heard Kyp mutter a quick curse under his breath. They walked through them, glancing around warily. Anakin pulled up his cloak to keep his glowing face hidden. Screams of pain and dispair sounded all around them, accompanied by the calls of creatures, and the laughter of Sith.
"Ah, brothers!" A racous voice greeted them.
"I'm not your brother, idiot, so don't name me as such." Anakin said in his best "Sith" voice.
The Sith cackled merrily "Of course not. You..." The Sith's eyes widened as he looked into Anakin's hood, and caught a glimpse of his glowing face.
"Jedi!!!" He screamed, loud enough for the entire complex to hear. "The Jedi are here!" He ran, screaming.
Anakin cursed and ran after him, still cursing vehemently. Kyp ran at his side, looking annoyed.
"How are we going to catch him?" Kyp asked breathlessly, suddenly skidding to a halt to avoid running into Anakin's back.
"We don't." Anakin backed up slowly, motioning Kyp to move back with him.
"What is it? Anakin..." Kyp trailed off as he saw the enormous, rearing shapes that were slithering towards them, hissing maliciously.
23
Luke grimiced as Obi-Wan walked back into camp, eyes downcast. This place was enough to get anyone depressed, and not finding Anakin was having it's effects on Obi-Wan. Luke walked up to him timidly.
"We'll find him, Ben."
"I know, but this is definitly one of the stupider things he's done." Obi-Wan smiled "It's also one of the bravest. Those two things tend to coincide in Anakin; whenever he does something brave, it's also really stupid."
He looked at Luke tiredly "He is the only one brave enough to do something like this, though."
Anakin Skywalker and Kyp Durron screamed like little girls as they ran from the nest of hissing Vitsas that they'd awakened. They sprinted around a corner, pushing their ethreal bodies to their limits. The Vitsa's were one pace behind, but unable to gain. They snapped at Anakin's heels as he grabbed Kyp and tossed him up onto a rafter. Anakin leapt up a second later and they crawled into a duct.
"What is it..." Kyp panted "With your family and enclosed spaces?"
Anakin coughed out a laugh. Then motioned for silence.
Insects were everywhere, crawling and skittering around them. Anakin made a noise of utter disgust, Kyp agreeing wholeheartedly.
They crawled over a small opening in the ceiling below them, and Anakin stopped to listen.
"It's about time you got here, Sidious! What took you?"
"Jedi. Vader's here?"
"Yeah, he's around."
"Check everywhere, I want him found. Remember, he's mine."
"What if he's in the ducts?"
Anakin's eyes widened, and he shoved Kyp back, moving back himself.
"Then," Palpatine's voice got louder at every syllable "you FIND him!"
Force lightning screamed through the ducts, barely missing them. Anakin sighed in relief.
"Kill the students, I'll kill Vader's progeny."
"Ohhhh, no you won't." Anakin whispered. He turned back to Kyp "Follow that guy, find and free the students, I'll get Leia and her kids and provide a distraction."
"May the Force be with you, Anakin."
"And with you, Kyp."
Leia felt groggy as she woke. The air smelled dank and there were screams and laughter all around. Jacen woke and shivered.
"Someone will come, won't they Momma?" Jacen whispered
"Yes, honey, I'm sure they will. And do you know what will happen when they do?"
"They'll-"
"Get the bloody tar kicked out of them." A dark shape approached them, and leaned down to sneer at them.
"Leave me alone!" Jacen yelled, waking his siblings and the Jedi students lying next to them.
A short, cruel laugh emerged from the Sith Lord's form. "I don't think so, little one. And once Sideous gets back, I'll take the personal pleasure of torturing you...Ahhhhh!" The Sith screamed as Jacen's power erupted, scorching hot. Anakin and Jaina joined him, pushing the evil thing back.
"Enough of this!" A new form came up beside the first, and shot Lightning out of his fingertips. The children whimpered once, then were silenced.
"Can you not keep control of three children?" The voice was amused and scornful.
"Why don't you try taking care of four of the Skywalker line, Sideous?"
"I will." The shape whirled, took on a recognisable form.
"Palpatine!" Leia whispered, holding her children close.
"Why, hello, Your Highness, How good to see you again. I will enjoy hearing you scream while I kill you. Goodbye." He moved towards her, hands raised.
A loud war cry rang out from the ceiling, and Palpatine jerked and looked up...
Just in time to see Anakin Skywalker's feet smash into his chest.
"Oooooofffff!" Palpatine went down, as did his former follower. Anakin rolled and came up between the Sith and his children.
"Skywalker!" The former ruler of the galaxy snarled. "I warned you, and not even your vaunted power can save you or your family now. You'd do better to fall to your knees and beg for mercy then fight."
"I'll never bend knee for you again. Ever." Anakin whispered, his eyes darting from the hateful figure to the others massing behind him.
"If you do not fall to your knees now, Vader, I will remove them."
"You can try, but I will resist, and I'm sure you'll leave here with less then you came with." Leia saw her father take a step back, to better protect her, and brought his hands up in front of him. There was a grim, yet strangely accepting gleam in his eyes.
"Father?" Leia whispered
Leia, my child, Leia heard Anakin's voice in her mind when the fighting starts I want you to rally all the ones who are here with you and get them out of here. Do not look back, just keep moving. I'll keep them busy here...No, child, don't respond to me now, just do as I ask. Please...
There was a long pause after that, as if Anakin didn't want to say something, something painful and full of the deepest regret.
Leia, please don't turn back for me. This is how things were always meant to be. I may not be back, and if I'm not please know how proud I am of you and your brother. Know how I love your children...
And tell your mother that I love her.
"Ahhhhh!" A ghastly battle cry went up among the Sith, and they charged. Anakin stood, defiance full in his eyes, and determination on his face. Raising his hands, he matched light for dark, and fought.
"Father! No!" Leia screamed.
GO Anakin's cried in her mind NOW Leia! I can't fight and worry about you being back there at the same time. I can do this if you run. GO!
Sobbing, Leia grabbed her children from the ground, their manacles falling from their wrists, clattering to the ground as her father's power opened them. She ran, tears streaming down her cheeks, gathering the Jedi students, running for the exit.
Leaving her father, the one she never knew, to cease to exist.
They ran unhindered, no Sith lords blocked their way, no demons rose up to chase them back. All of the Sith had been called to help with the fight. They ran, sprinting on towards the light where they would be safe. Someone appeared in front of them, and Leia screamed in frustration, in deep pain, because the newcomer didn't glow. The newcomer squinted at them and was joined by others. Leia collapsed, still sobbing, but grateful the Anakin's sacrifice had not been in vain.
"UNCLE LUKE!" Jaina squealed, jumping into Luke's arms.
Padme ran to Leia, hugging her and rocking her, shaking with joy. Luke's students' all started talking at once, and a Mon Calimari dressed in Jedi robe ran from one to the next, checking for injuries, healing those that had them.
"Oh, Anakin will be so glad you're okay. Did he get you out? Where is he?" Padme held Leia away from her, looking into the eyes that were so red from crying.
"You, you don't know?" Leia asked, stifling another sob.
"What? Oh no, what happened?" Padme's voice shook "Oh no, Ani..." She covered her face, then turned to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, who were coming towards them.
"What is it?" Obi-Wan frowned, then his eyes widened, and he bowed his head.
"Anakin." Qui-Gon murmured, his shoulders slumping slightly.
24
Anakin fought, slowly being pushed back. His powers were weakening, but he knew this wouldn't end unless he stopped it now. With a spasm of power, he pushed the Sith back once more, but the Lightning kept coming, and he couldn't hold it much longer. A tongue of the black energy struck his arm, and the arm went numb, the muscles twitching out of control. Anakin cried out, in pain and in defeat, and tried in desperation to hold on a little longer. But the attacks didn't cease, and soon Anakin's shield was gone. The Lightning coursed over him, cutting limbs from his control. He fell, wanting nothing now but confirmation that Leia and the others were okay.
Then he would submit to the sleep that taunted him, staying cruelly just out of reach.
Rough hands and claws yanked him to his feet, and held him up. He lifted his head, only to drop it again, in utter weakness and despair. He had to survive, somehow, for just a few more minutes.
"Enough! Skywalker's mine!" Palpatine took form, and walked towards Anakin with casual menace.
"I've been waiting a long time, boy. You took much from me, but I am going to receive my payment now." Palpatine sneered "But don't worry, I know you're a fair man, so I'll be sure to take payment out of your family as well."
"Monster!" Anakin whispered. Something deep within him sighed, and Anakin realised that the refugees had made it to freedom. It was time.
"Do you like apples, Sith?" Anakin asked, lifting his head to face the Sith lord. Palpatine was silent, looking at Anakin like he thought that Anakin was crazy, and some Sith in the back began to laugh.
"Well," Anakin said pleasantly "They're all safe, and I just got a power boost the size of Coruscant." He began to glow fiercely, his form dissolving into brilliant white flame. Bright energy flew from his hands and shot towards his home, and Anakin sensed it was strong enough to deflect anything the Sith could give it.
"HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?" Anakin yelled joyously. Sith screamed, and shielded their faces with their hands.
"Goodbye." Anakin sighed, sending strength to the ones he loved.
Sleep claimed him, but he went with a smile.
There was a huge, bright explosion from deep in the Sith dimension, and bright white energy swooped overhead. Leia felt a push from the energy, but was too exhausted to do anything about it. She let it carry her to the Jedi territory, and saw Luke and everyone else doing the same. The energy let her fall, then spread and solidified over the Sith dimension, forming a barrier of bright light. In the dim light of the dawn hours it shimmered and shone.
"Anakin..." Obi-Wan whispered
"That's the power boost?" Luke frowned. He sounded fine, but his face was full of despair. He looked so desolate that Leia almost started crying again.
"He must have known...that this would happen." Obi-Wan replied, stumbling over the words. "As he faded, he must have used the last of his strength to build this. The Sith won't get out again for a long while."
"Father...ooh" Luke groaned, and clutched his stomach, Leia felt light-headed, and she heard the children moan.
"What's wrong?" Padme asked, fear easily heard in her voice.
The students were starting to groan to. "I think we're going home." Luke grunted. "Thanks for everything, I'll remember this place forever."
"No, you won't." Qui-Gon sighed. "You will have no memory of these events, of anything here, since you will live again. The trip will take all of your memories from these past weeks. I'm sorry."
"You mean we won't remember anything?" Jacen asked in disappointment, and in fear.
"Not as anything more then a fleeting dream, little one."
"Did you know about this?" Luke asked, panicking.
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
"And you didn't tell us?" Luke looked angry, and Leia felt the pang of betrayal deep in her gut.
"What good would it have done? There is a good side to this, Luke" Obi-Wan's tone softened the hurt inside Leia.
"What is it? I won't ever remember who Father truly was, or what happened to him." Luke's voice was laced with anger and bitterness.
"That's just it, you will remember." Obi-Wan smiled gently "When you truly die, it will all come back."
"Not that it will matter, Father's gone." Leia yelled.
"No he isn't." Obi-Wan gave Leia a quizzical look "He has just gone to the nether realm, but he'll be back. He is strong enough to climb back out, don't worry. He will be back, I promise you."
Students started to disappear, vanishing without a trace, and Leia started to lose consciousness.
"Goodbye." She whispered.
26
"Pray I'm wrong about this one." Han muttered.
Luke groaned, opening his eyes and shaking his head. "What?"
"Luke!" Han spun and turned around, ecstatic. He shook Luke and looked up as the others started to waken.
"Leia!" Han embraced his wife, but Luke frowned. He kept feeling like there was something really important that he was forgetting, but it wouldn't come to mind. He felt sadness, and fading fear, but he didn't know why. All around people were waking, and the thought slipped away, never to return.
The young ones vanished, and Obi-Wan turned to the ones standing behind him. Padme turned away, and he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I was telling the truth, you know. He will come back." Obi-Wan paused, looking into her face "But you know that. To think that Ani won't be back is to almost demean his strength. And you know, better then anyone, I think, how strong that man is."
Qui-Gon smiled and nodded "He'll be back soon."
"Soon." Padme murmured. As they started to walk away, Obi-Wan snorted softly and rolled his eyes.
"I won't even notice he's gone." Obi-Wan sighed and straightened his tunic, knowing from the deep, knawing, raw feeling deep in his gut that he would.
He sighed again and slowed, falling behind Qui-Gon and Padme. Looking back at the protective barrier that Anakin had set up in his final moments in this dimension, he rose up to his full height and smiled, seeing in his mind's eye the triumphant smirk Anakin would be wearing right about now.
"Come back soon, Ani." Obi-Wan turned back to his friend and his master, and left the Sith behind.
Leia sat, many weeks later, at the small office in the Imperial Palace, working over a new proposal. She sat up, and turned around, feeling that someone or something was watching her. For a moment she felt a soft sigh by her ear, she was certain she heard a soft, happy, masculine laugh from the same direction. And the softest words, spoken by a strangely familiar voice that she couldn't put a name to, spoke in her ear, in her mind.
Thank you.
Epilogue
Breathing hurt, more then it had ever hurt before, but that didn't bother him, anymore. Luke looked down at him, and Anakin smiled at him, wanting his son to be happy.
"...Tell your sister you were right."
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Have fun!
20
Luke packed up his things, wincing slightly as his weight landed on his damaged right leg. Palpatine had attacked him and Biggs so fiercely that Luke had been caught off guard. The instant of hesitation had cost Luke a healthy leg, and nearly sent Biggs to the nether realm. Luke had been thrown backward onto the ground and he had heard the bone snap in his leg. Palpatine had shot Luke with Force Lightning until Luke couldn't fight back, and had been about to kill Biggs in front of Luke. The tongue of dark energy had swooped down, like a lightsaber, ready to cleave Biggs's head from his shoulders, but Anakin had jumped in time to prevent it. Luke heard voices arguing in the distance. Anakin's voice was definitely one of the two, and the other one was feminine. It was probably Padme. Luke stepped out of his tent into the early morning sunshine and stretched, careful with his leg. He strode over to where Biggs rested, and saw the Calimarian Jedi bent over him, healing him.
Luke stifled a sigh. Why was it, he mentally complained, that it was his friends that always got hurt?
The arguing voices rose a notch, but were still to muffled to make out. Luke stretched out with the Force and pinpointed the place where Anakin was. He limped over, trying to keep his weight off his leg, which now throbbed without mercy. He came up behind the arguing couple, and stopped, out of sight, when he heard their words.
"You know I have no choice here." Anakin said "They can't be left to the Sith, and I may be the only one who can get them out."
"Why does it always have to be you?" Luke's mother replied, her voice tight with tension. "Maybe if you weren't so eager to show Leia you're good you'd see reason. Ani, this is insane, you can't take the Sith all alone."
"I've worked alone in the past, and it hasn't hindered me. I work better that way."
"Ani, when will you see that you're not immortal? The Sith, if they work together, can and will overpower you. We should go in together, as a group. They won't be able to take us all."
"Maybe not, but you're not a Jedi. If we all go, there's a good chance you'll be hurt. I'll lose control, you know that, the Sith know that, and everyone else knows that. I don't think I'm immortal, and I know they'll overpower me, but I might be able to sneak out with Leia and the others if I don't have to worry about anyone else."
"So that's all I am to you, Ani? A worry?" Padme's voice trembled.
"You know that's not what I said. But if you go, you'll be hurt and I won't be able to stop it."
"No, I won't. I can protect myself."
"Yes," Anakin agreed "but not against the Sith. You can't negotiate your way out of this one, Your Highness, I'm going to go it alone this time."
"Have you told Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon? I'm sure they'd have something to say about all this."
"No, and I don't plan to either." Anakin sighed "They'd try to stop me, but this time I know I'm right and they're not."
"Like when you decided to follow Palpatine?" Padme asked quietly
There was a long silence after that. Anakin finally spoke quietly "That was low, Padme."
"If it's the only way to get you to listen, then I'll say what needs to be said. What about Luke? Have you mentioned this plan to him yet? Or do you just expect him to wake up one day and not have a father?"
Anakin blew out a regretful breath "No, I can't tell him, he'd want to come along. He was injured, and he needs rest." Another sigh "Padme, by the time this mission is over I want him to have at least one parent, he's been orphaned far too many times already. I caused most...no wait, all of them"
"Is that what this is all about?" Padme cried "Anakin, you aren't responsible for every wrong that's ever been committed. You're injured as well, and you can't keep blaming yourself, no matter how much you want to."
"I want to?" Anakin cried, "You think I want to? I would like nothing better then to forget everything that ever happened after I fell until right before I died. How can you think I want to keep remembering everything I did?"
"You keep trying to make up for what you did, and you don't let yourself forget. Anakin, face reality. It's been eleven years since you lived, eleven years of begging for forgiveness. I can understand the first few years of that, but eleven? Come on Ani, let it go. You changed back, we all forgive you, for skies sake move on!"
"How can you say that?" Anakin's voice was so soft that Luke had to strain to hear him "How can you tell me to let it go? The echos of my evil are still ringing in life. I can't just let it go. Padme, I'm glad you forgave me, and I'm glad that I've begun to atone for everything I did, but it isn't enough. Why can't you see that?
"I don't want to leave with this open wound behind me." Anakin's voice grew soft, gentle, but firm. "I wish I could be around for longer, but I can't. The prophecy isn't forfilled yet; I still have one last round to play before I can call it quits. But I don't want to leave like this, Padme, not with you glaring at my back. Please, I'm sorry, I just want to do the right thing. I wish you could see that. Please don't hate me for this, but I am going to go. Can you forgive me for this?"
"Anakin, if you don't come back..."
"Then I'll go down protecting my family. This has to be done, Padme. You and I both know that I'm the only one who can get a power boost large enough to keep the Sith out of here. I felt the Sith move out of here recently, and I know that everyone else did too. That means that I'm going to be fighting in the Sith dimension, on their turf, and to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure that I'll be coming back. But I don't want to go there thinking that the one I love with all my heart, and all my soul hates me. Don't make me leave for the nether realm like that." He chuckled at her weakly "I might not want to come back up if I know I'll expect a lecture from Obi-Wan and a cold silence from you. Obi-Wan's lecture I could take, but your silence is more then I can stand."
"Anakin, I can forgive you for going to try to rescue Leia and the kids and students. I can accept that you're not going to tell Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon or Mace Windu. But running away from telling your son that you're leaving and might not be coming back anytime soon I can't accept. Luke deserves to know before he receives condolences from people who learned your fate before him. All I ask from you is to tell him. Don't you think he deserves it?"
"Of course I do." Anakin sighed "I'll tell him before I go. I promise."
"All right." There was a heavy silence "Anakin, come back, just please come back."
"I will come back. Don't worry, Angel." Luke turned away, walking slowly and painfully back to his tent. He didn't want to hear any more. He shook his head, his face contorting in deep inner pain and helplessness. His father wasn't planning a rescue attempt, he was planning suicide, and Luke didn't want to let him go alone.
"But that's exactly why he didn't want to tell me he was going." Luke muttered to himself, looking at the ground. He stumbled into his tent, slumping onto the grassy surface, and tried to ignore the fire that raged inside his leg. He sighed, knowing that there would be nothing that he could do to help his father come back.
21
"Luke?" Anakin called into the small tent "Are you awake?"
"What?" Luke mumbled groggily "Oh, yeah, come in." Anakin stooped to get into the small tent flap, and looked up to see a tired Luke. Anakin tried not to smile; Luke looked awake, but his hair looked as if he'd just touched a live electrical charge. Anakin sat, and swallowed, trying to remember the small speech he'd made up the night before. Padme had been quite insistant that he tell Luke he was going to try and rescue Leia, Jacen, Jaina, Anakin, and the rest of Luke's students from the Sith dimention, where they now were. He paused, looking hard at Luke. There was a conflict going on inside Anakin's son, and the most prominent of the whirl of emotions was fear. Not the blind terror of someone who recognised Anakin as Darth Vader, but anxiety. What did Luke know?
"What's bothering you, son? Tell me, please."
Luke hung his head, as if in shame. "I heard you and mother arguing last night. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to evesdrop, but I couldn't help but listen." He looked up at Anakin, his face somber. "You're leaving?"
"Yes." Anakin replied, relieved that the burden of telling Luke himself was lifted from his shoulders. He sighed, wishing he hadn't been forced to make this decision at all. "Luke, I'm going to be blunt with you, not because it will make this easier, but beacause I think you deserve it. There's a good chance that I won't be coming back soon, but I swear to you that as soon as I do, I'll find some way to contact you or your sister."
"If you come back at all." Luke said, eyes tracing the burns on Anakin's face."The Sith don't play games."
"I know." Anakin said, smiling lopsidedly. He grew serious. "Luke, have you forgotten what happens to spirits who are injured?"
"No, they go down to the nether realm, and have to climb back up. But what if you can't? Then what?" Luke kept his face pointed away, so that Anakin couldn't see it.
"That's right at the end! Before that, Luke." Anakin kept his tone as soothing as possible, as he had seen Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon do, to mend the hurt in his boy's soul.
"They get a..." Luke tensed up, turned a little, so that one eye faced Anakin. "Power boost. That's why you're going, so you can get a power boost. That's the reason, isn't it."
"No," Anakin shook his head "I'm going so that I can get our family and your students back. Luke, once I get that boost I'll be able to set up that barrier that you envisioned. That will be able to keep the Sith out of here for good."
"You sound so certain that you'll get a power boost, but I thought you said that it hadn't been proved that you'd get one.
"I'm willing to take that risk."
" You'll have to get badly injured. But you weren't planning on coming back, were you?"
"Luke, this is the only way this will end." Anakin looked at Luke, suddenly very concerned. The storm brewing inside Luke was only getting larger. "Luke, they'll be all right, I promise."
"It's not that." Luke slumped "This is going to be the second time that you'll leave us to save a family member. When I get back here, after I've lived my life, I want you to be here, not trapped in the nether realm."
"Hey," Anakin bent his head down so that in would be level with Luke's. He turned Luke's face towards him, and looked him straight in the eye. "who said anything about being trapped? I can and will get back here, and you can count on the fact that I'll be here when you get back here." He sighed "I have to go, Luke." He stood, turning to go.
"Good luck, Father." Luke called after him.
"Farewell, Luke" Anakin turned back, to look at Luke one last time, then turned and left. He wanted to be on his way as soon as possible, but he had one last stop to make.
"Padme?" Anakin crept back inside their shared tent, and saw his wife sit up against a pillow.
"How'd he take it?" She asked him, worried.
"He heard us talking about it last night, so he already knew."
"Oh." Padme fell silent, then looked up at Anakin "I..." She looked down again. "Be careful, Ani."
"You know I will be." He knelt down beside her, and put an arm around her shoulders. To his surprise, they were ridged, and trembling. She leaned into his arms, and he hugged her tightly. He tried to memorise the feeling, because he knew that there would be nights where he would miss it terribly.
"I'll be back soon, you know that." He tried to soothe her.
"Do I?" She whispered raggedly.
"Well, if you don't, I'm telling you now. I'll be back soon, I promise." He kissed her, cherishing her warmth. He broke away from her regretfully, and rose to his feet once more. She got up as well, and stood shivering in the chilly morning.
"Anakin, be home soon."
He smiled weakly "You sound like my mother." But seeing the seriousness in her eyes, the smile faded. "I will, don't worry." He turned, unable to bear the regret much longer, and began to walk away. But after a few paces, he turned back. Padme stood there, watching him go. She raised her hand in a gesture of farewell, and he returned it. He turned once more and left the camp, and some of his loved ones behind.
"Ani? Anakin? Where are you?" Obi-Wan called out to his friend, and frowned when he got no answer. Padme walked up to him, looking tired and upset.
"What's wrong? Do you know where Anakin is? I've searched everywhere for him."
Padme hesitated, then nodded. "I suppose it's all right to say now, but he didn't want you to know."
"What? Oh no, what did he do now?"
"He left to go get Leia, the kids, and the students."
"He did WHAT?" Obi-Wan jumped up, ran a few paces, then turned back. "How long ago did he leave?"
"He left last night, about four standard hours ago." There was a distortion once Jedi got into the Sith dimention. It was impossible for Jedi to be transported instantaneously, as could be done in their own dimention. The same thing happened to Sith who broke into the Jedi dimention.
"Let's try to catch up to him, maybe we'll be able to help him." Obi-Wan paused "Get Luke and Qui-Gon, I'll get the rest."
"Okay, let's move."
22
Anakin crept through the warped landscape, hiding from the various monsters that the Sith had most likely sent out to watch for him. He was ahead of Palpatine in their race for the kids; hopefully. But Palpatine knew where they were, and Anakin had to search a fair bit. He felt a disterbance in the sense of this relm, a bright spot in all the darkness, but it could be a Sith trap, or it could be a few of Luke's students, seperated from the rest to get him off track. Then again, Anakin thought, they might not have expected me this early.
A very big, and very important maybe.
Anakin rested at the base of a twisted tree, it's branches reaching toward the sky like a clawed hand, it's leaves withered and brown. He shivered as an acidic stench of something made his throat burn. His hand trembled as a thousand nightmares ran before his eyes, and he got up to breathe comfortably again. He leaned against the gnarled bark and spun as a howled shriek split the air, followed closely by the terrified scream of the prey. The scream died off at the end, and Anakin turned away from the sense of agaony. He shivered, looking out at the twisted land, where so many lost souls walked the the zombies from horror holo's. The fact that chilled him most was that he reconised some of the gray faces, that he had sent them here, to this bleak fate. He continued on his journey, bringing his hood up to conceal his features. He glanced around, wary. He didn't think he attracted too much attention, wearing a "borrowed" black cloak and tunic. Palpatine had taught him to conceal his spirit, and had never guessed that it might be used against him.
Hopefully.
There were so many things that depended on Palpatine's ignorance, and Anakin hoped it wasn't one too many. But there wasn't anything to be done about it now, he was too far into the Sith relm to just turn back and go home, even if he wanted to. But there were days that he wished he hadn't left without Obi-Wan, or Luke.
Every night he wished Padme was beside him.
A zombie brushed against him, and drew back in fear. Anakin turned to glance at the man, and stiffened. The zombie stared back at him.
It was Admiral Piett.
"My apologies, my Lord." Piett stammered, throwing himself down to lie at Anakin's feet.
Anakin swallowed, and tried to sound angry and contemptous. "Get off my boots, fool." He snarled, hoping that it didn't sound too fake.
"O-of course, Lord Vader."
Anakin froze "What did you call me?"
Piett was paniced "My upmost apologies, my lord Sith! I didn't mean to remind you of the traitor. I-I will do whatever you wish..."
"Stop dirtying my robes, filth." Anakin spat at the now sobbing Imperial. He glanced from side to side to make sure he wasn't attracting too much attention. To his surprise, no one was even looking at him, just walking back and forth across the barren plain. He needed to get to the kids...
Oh... he thought, looking down at the man who had commanded his super star destroyer. Here's an idea.
"My command is this, Admiral," he paused, draining his voice of all it's regained humanity "take me to where they're keeping the Jedi."
"Skywalker's whelps, my lord?..." Whelps, did he call them whelps? "... Of course, as you wish... but I'm afraid I can only tell you where they're being held. As you know the security is great..."
"That does not concern me, Admiral. Tell me where they are." He waited for a few seconds. "Quickly!"
"Y-yes, my lord. They are being kept in the Great Sith Complex, level four. If I may say so, my lord, I suggest you hurry, for some fear that Vader is coming, dispite the threats."
"I will be the judge of how quickly I must go, fool, not you." He leaned close "You act as if you are more afraid of one Jedi then you are of me." Anakin snarled one last comment "Be gone!"
Piett scrambled away.
Anakin continued his journey, stalking through the black crators and potholes that decorated the landscape.
He heard a choking sound and looked down. A young man sat huddled there, covering his face with his hands.
He wasn't glowing, but Anakin had a feeling about him.
Anakin moved over to him, and the boy tried to move away, but Anakin put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Are you one of Skywalker's students?" Anakin muttered
"Leave me alone!" The boy looked up and Anakin recognised him.
It was Kyp Durron.
"Hush! It's alright, I'm here to get you out."
"How can I trust you? You could be just another one of the Sith, trying to bring me back. HMMMPH!" Anakin clamped a hand down on Kyp's mouth, and moved him further into the bush.
"This should be the proof you need." Anakin removed his hood, revealing his glowing face.
The boy's eyes widened "Jedi!"
"Yes. Now listen to me, Kyp, and I'll tell you how to get out of here. Do you trust me?"
"I'll do anything to get out of here." Kyp squinted up at Anakin as he raised his hood again. "Who are you, anyway?"
"My name is Anakin."
"No, you can't be...are you? You're Darth Vader?"
"I was." Anakin removed one layer of his robe and handed it to Kyp. "Here, take this. Go straight north, but stick close to the brush. You'll hit the borderlands, and then you'll be able to teleport...do you know how to do that?"
Kyp nodded "The woman who was hosting us taught us how to do that as soon as we were able to stand."
"Good. Any questions?"
"Yes, one. Why are you telling me this?"
Anakin blinked at him. "Because that's how you get home, and I doubt you want to stay here."
"I'm coming with you."
"How'd you get a target lock on that?"
Kyp cocked his head. "You're going to free the others, right?"
"Yes."
"Get the Chief of State and her kids back?"
"Right again."
"Do some serious butt kicking?"
"That's not my main objective, but there's a high likelyhood of some of that."
"Well, then, I'm there."
"Is there any way in Life or Death that I could send you home?"
"Nope, you're stuck with me."
Anakin rolled his eyes to the sky. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Besides," he grinned. "who would give up the chance to travel with Anakin Skywalker?"
"You'd be surprised, many people would just want to go home at this point."
"You one of them?"
"Not a chance in Hell. Come on,kid. Follow my lead." Pulling the cloak tight around him, he bent over and started again across the dark land.
"You know, we could just be going in one great big circle." Kyp said, glancing around two days later. "The landscape never changes, and everyone looks the same."
"We aren't going in circles." Anakin muttered back to him.
"How do you know?"
"We *aren't* going in circles."
"Alright, then, have it your way." Kyp chewed on his lower lip worriedly. "Doesn't it bother you that we haven't been stopped? It can't be this easy."
"Sure it can."
"Okay, it can, but it isn't. And why are you so quiet, anyway? Are you okay?"
"I see a lot of familiar faces, it isn't a very good sign. Someone's going to recognize me, or you, and then we're cooked."
"Ahhh, you have a point."
"And why are you so talkative today?" Anakin glanced around, making sure they weren't followed.
"Someone's got to talk, it makes things less depressing, don't you find?"
"It..." a tremmer made itself felt through the ground. "Uh oh."
"What's that?" Kyp stopped, hand going automaticlly to his hip.
"I don't know," Anakin kept walking, picking up his pace a little. " I don't want to know, either. Now *move* Kyp, don't slow down, just keep walking." Anakin led him through some bushes, and suddenly looked down into a huge crevasse.
"Ooops." Kyp leaned over the side, looking down. "Is that a river down there?"
"Yet another thing I don't want to know." Anakin looked back, towards where they had come from, then leaned over to get a better view of the cliff. "Not a bad view."
"Anakin?"
"I didn't think they had cliffs this high here."
"Anakin..."
"Whoa, that is deep."
"ANAKIN!!!"
"What?" Anakin turned around, looking straight into the very large fangs of a very large...
"VITSA! JUMP!!!"Anakin grabbed Kyp and yanked him over the edge. Falling, they heard the vitsa hiss and leap after them, long body uncoiling to try to grab them.
They both plummited towards the gray water, just metres away from the monster that followed. Anakin called on the Force, shoving Kyp and himself towards the rock wall beside them, away from the vitsa's head. He tried to soften their fall, wishing with all his heart that Kyp at least would survive the icy waters...
They hit with enough force to knock the wind out of both of them, the waters trying to drag them under. Anakin struggled to stay afloat, gasping for air. Kyp surfaced and coughed, spitting up water. Anakin grabbed him and pushed him toward a rocky outcropping that was sticking out the surface of the rolling rapids. Kyp grabbed it, sputtering and coughing, and Anakin pushed him so that he could grab the rock face. Anakin got on behind him, and heard the snarl of the vitsa as it was pushed past them, farther down the river.
"What was that?" Kyp coughed.
"Vitsa."Anakin panted back to him, nearly out of breath from the narrow escape.
"Mind telling me what that *is*?"
"Something the Sith make in their spare time. They use it to catch Jedi who are lost in the borderlands."
"Alright, so the Force wouldn't work on it?"
"No, it'll work, but I didn't think we wanted to reveal our presence that much. A fighting vitsa's not a quiet vitsa." Anakin shuddered.
"What's wrong?" Kyp asked, frowning.
"They probably have a couple of those things guarding the kids. I wonder how they're sating them."
"Sating them? I don't like the sound of that."
"Vitsa's are probably one of the Sith's more...vile creations. They hunt and send Jedi to the nether relm for food. They drink our blood, or whatever we have that's the equivilent of blood. The stronger the Jedi is, the more appatising. I was wondering when we would run up against one."
"Oh, and why didn't you tell me this before?"
"You never asked."
"You know what? I think we need some more communication skills."
"We're on a need to know basis, kid. I know things that you don't need to know, I'll tell you when you do." He paused "When we get a little closer to where we're headed, I'll tell you more about the Sith's creatures. But you don't need to know now. Are we clear on that?"
"Sure, just warn me next time we need to dunk in the river."
"Will do."
They started the long climb up the vertical rock face.
22
Obi-Wan frowned as he searched the gray horizon. Nothing; Anakin was so far away that his presence could no longer be felt from here. He shook his head, words that were not known to be part of his vocabulary shooting across his mind.
The Great Sith Complex loomed before the two weary travelers. At least, they hoped it was the "Great Sith Complex."
"Is that it?" Kyp murmured through the side of his mouth.
"I think so, but I can't be sure."
"I think it is, too. Mind telling me about some other thing that might come shooting around the corner any time now?" He looked around and saw a rodent scurrying across the ground. "What's that?"
"Vittacita, it's a little weasel thing, but when it's threatened, it can grow to one hundred times it's regular size. It also has a ability called acid spit, which is self-explanitory."
"And that?" Kyp nodded toward a large bird-like creature with the head of a lizard.
"Belisall, they aren't very dangerous because they're slow as hell, but if they ever catch you they pack a hell of a bite. They're used as guards for anything the Sith feel the need to guard, because their cry can be heard from a long way away. It can deafen you if you're close enough."
"And that?" Kyp pointed at a large creature with hideous, deformed features, and a mouth full of very sharp teeth.
"You know what? I don't want to know. Let's not find out, shall we?"
"Sounds like a plan to me."
They strode towards the double doors, and Anakin heard Kyp mutter a quick curse under his breath. They walked through them, glancing around warily. Anakin pulled up his cloak to keep his glowing face hidden. Screams of pain and dispair sounded all around them, accompanied by the calls of creatures, and the laughter of Sith.
"Ah, brothers!" A racous voice greeted them.
"I'm not your brother, idiot, so don't name me as such." Anakin said in his best "Sith" voice.
The Sith cackled merrily "Of course not. You..." The Sith's eyes widened as he looked into Anakin's hood, and caught a glimpse of his glowing face.
"Jedi!!!" He screamed, loud enough for the entire complex to hear. "The Jedi are here!" He ran, screaming.
Anakin cursed and ran after him, still cursing vehemently. Kyp ran at his side, looking annoyed.
"How are we going to catch him?" Kyp asked breathlessly, suddenly skidding to a halt to avoid running into Anakin's back.
"We don't." Anakin backed up slowly, motioning Kyp to move back with him.
"What is it? Anakin..." Kyp trailed off as he saw the enormous, rearing shapes that were slithering towards them, hissing maliciously.
23
Luke grimiced as Obi-Wan walked back into camp, eyes downcast. This place was enough to get anyone depressed, and not finding Anakin was having it's effects on Obi-Wan. Luke walked up to him timidly.
"We'll find him, Ben."
"I know, but this is definitly one of the stupider things he's done." Obi-Wan smiled "It's also one of the bravest. Those two things tend to coincide in Anakin; whenever he does something brave, it's also really stupid."
He looked at Luke tiredly "He is the only one brave enough to do something like this, though."
Anakin Skywalker and Kyp Durron screamed like little girls as they ran from the nest of hissing Vitsas that they'd awakened. They sprinted around a corner, pushing their ethreal bodies to their limits. The Vitsa's were one pace behind, but unable to gain. They snapped at Anakin's heels as he grabbed Kyp and tossed him up onto a rafter. Anakin leapt up a second later and they crawled into a duct.
"What is it..." Kyp panted "With your family and enclosed spaces?"
Anakin coughed out a laugh. Then motioned for silence.
Insects were everywhere, crawling and skittering around them. Anakin made a noise of utter disgust, Kyp agreeing wholeheartedly.
They crawled over a small opening in the ceiling below them, and Anakin stopped to listen.
"It's about time you got here, Sidious! What took you?"
"Jedi. Vader's here?"
"Yeah, he's around."
"Check everywhere, I want him found. Remember, he's mine."
"What if he's in the ducts?"
Anakin's eyes widened, and he shoved Kyp back, moving back himself.
"Then," Palpatine's voice got louder at every syllable "you FIND him!"
Force lightning screamed through the ducts, barely missing them. Anakin sighed in relief.
"Kill the students, I'll kill Vader's progeny."
"Ohhhh, no you won't." Anakin whispered. He turned back to Kyp "Follow that guy, find and free the students, I'll get Leia and her kids and provide a distraction."
"May the Force be with you, Anakin."
"And with you, Kyp."
Leia felt groggy as she woke. The air smelled dank and there were screams and laughter all around. Jacen woke and shivered.
"Someone will come, won't they Momma?" Jacen whispered
"Yes, honey, I'm sure they will. And do you know what will happen when they do?"
"They'll-"
"Get the bloody tar kicked out of them." A dark shape approached them, and leaned down to sneer at them.
"Leave me alone!" Jacen yelled, waking his siblings and the Jedi students lying next to them.
A short, cruel laugh emerged from the Sith Lord's form. "I don't think so, little one. And once Sideous gets back, I'll take the personal pleasure of torturing you...Ahhhhh!" The Sith screamed as Jacen's power erupted, scorching hot. Anakin and Jaina joined him, pushing the evil thing back.
"Enough of this!" A new form came up beside the first, and shot Lightning out of his fingertips. The children whimpered once, then were silenced.
"Can you not keep control of three children?" The voice was amused and scornful.
"Why don't you try taking care of four of the Skywalker line, Sideous?"
"I will." The shape whirled, took on a recognisable form.
"Palpatine!" Leia whispered, holding her children close.
"Why, hello, Your Highness, How good to see you again. I will enjoy hearing you scream while I kill you. Goodbye." He moved towards her, hands raised.
A loud war cry rang out from the ceiling, and Palpatine jerked and looked up...
Just in time to see Anakin Skywalker's feet smash into his chest.
"Oooooofffff!" Palpatine went down, as did his former follower. Anakin rolled and came up between the Sith and his children.
"Skywalker!" The former ruler of the galaxy snarled. "I warned you, and not even your vaunted power can save you or your family now. You'd do better to fall to your knees and beg for mercy then fight."
"I'll never bend knee for you again. Ever." Anakin whispered, his eyes darting from the hateful figure to the others massing behind him.
"If you do not fall to your knees now, Vader, I will remove them."
"You can try, but I will resist, and I'm sure you'll leave here with less then you came with." Leia saw her father take a step back, to better protect her, and brought his hands up in front of him. There was a grim, yet strangely accepting gleam in his eyes.
"Father?" Leia whispered
Leia, my child, Leia heard Anakin's voice in her mind when the fighting starts I want you to rally all the ones who are here with you and get them out of here. Do not look back, just keep moving. I'll keep them busy here...No, child, don't respond to me now, just do as I ask. Please...
There was a long pause after that, as if Anakin didn't want to say something, something painful and full of the deepest regret.
Leia, please don't turn back for me. This is how things were always meant to be. I may not be back, and if I'm not please know how proud I am of you and your brother. Know how I love your children...
And tell your mother that I love her.
"Ahhhhh!" A ghastly battle cry went up among the Sith, and they charged. Anakin stood, defiance full in his eyes, and determination on his face. Raising his hands, he matched light for dark, and fought.
"Father! No!" Leia screamed.
GO Anakin's cried in her mind NOW Leia! I can't fight and worry about you being back there at the same time. I can do this if you run. GO!
Sobbing, Leia grabbed her children from the ground, their manacles falling from their wrists, clattering to the ground as her father's power opened them. She ran, tears streaming down her cheeks, gathering the Jedi students, running for the exit.
Leaving her father, the one she never knew, to cease to exist.
They ran unhindered, no Sith lords blocked their way, no demons rose up to chase them back. All of the Sith had been called to help with the fight. They ran, sprinting on towards the light where they would be safe. Someone appeared in front of them, and Leia screamed in frustration, in deep pain, because the newcomer didn't glow. The newcomer squinted at them and was joined by others. Leia collapsed, still sobbing, but grateful the Anakin's sacrifice had not been in vain.
"UNCLE LUKE!" Jaina squealed, jumping into Luke's arms.
Padme ran to Leia, hugging her and rocking her, shaking with joy. Luke's students' all started talking at once, and a Mon Calimari dressed in Jedi robe ran from one to the next, checking for injuries, healing those that had them.
"Oh, Anakin will be so glad you're okay. Did he get you out? Where is he?" Padme held Leia away from her, looking into the eyes that were so red from crying.
"You, you don't know?" Leia asked, stifling another sob.
"What? Oh no, what happened?" Padme's voice shook "Oh no, Ani..." She covered her face, then turned to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, who were coming towards them.
"What is it?" Obi-Wan frowned, then his eyes widened, and he bowed his head.
"Anakin." Qui-Gon murmured, his shoulders slumping slightly.
24
Anakin fought, slowly being pushed back. His powers were weakening, but he knew this wouldn't end unless he stopped it now. With a spasm of power, he pushed the Sith back once more, but the Lightning kept coming, and he couldn't hold it much longer. A tongue of the black energy struck his arm, and the arm went numb, the muscles twitching out of control. Anakin cried out, in pain and in defeat, and tried in desperation to hold on a little longer. But the attacks didn't cease, and soon Anakin's shield was gone. The Lightning coursed over him, cutting limbs from his control. He fell, wanting nothing now but confirmation that Leia and the others were okay.
Then he would submit to the sleep that taunted him, staying cruelly just out of reach.
Rough hands and claws yanked him to his feet, and held him up. He lifted his head, only to drop it again, in utter weakness and despair. He had to survive, somehow, for just a few more minutes.
"Enough! Skywalker's mine!" Palpatine took form, and walked towards Anakin with casual menace.
"I've been waiting a long time, boy. You took much from me, but I am going to receive my payment now." Palpatine sneered "But don't worry, I know you're a fair man, so I'll be sure to take payment out of your family as well."
"Monster!" Anakin whispered. Something deep within him sighed, and Anakin realised that the refugees had made it to freedom. It was time.
"Do you like apples, Sith?" Anakin asked, lifting his head to face the Sith lord. Palpatine was silent, looking at Anakin like he thought that Anakin was crazy, and some Sith in the back began to laugh.
"Well," Anakin said pleasantly "They're all safe, and I just got a power boost the size of Coruscant." He began to glow fiercely, his form dissolving into brilliant white flame. Bright energy flew from his hands and shot towards his home, and Anakin sensed it was strong enough to deflect anything the Sith could give it.
"HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?" Anakin yelled joyously. Sith screamed, and shielded their faces with their hands.
"Goodbye." Anakin sighed, sending strength to the ones he loved.
Sleep claimed him, but he went with a smile.
There was a huge, bright explosion from deep in the Sith dimension, and bright white energy swooped overhead. Leia felt a push from the energy, but was too exhausted to do anything about it. She let it carry her to the Jedi territory, and saw Luke and everyone else doing the same. The energy let her fall, then spread and solidified over the Sith dimension, forming a barrier of bright light. In the dim light of the dawn hours it shimmered and shone.
"Anakin..." Obi-Wan whispered
"That's the power boost?" Luke frowned. He sounded fine, but his face was full of despair. He looked so desolate that Leia almost started crying again.
"He must have known...that this would happen." Obi-Wan replied, stumbling over the words. "As he faded, he must have used the last of his strength to build this. The Sith won't get out again for a long while."
"Father...ooh" Luke groaned, and clutched his stomach, Leia felt light-headed, and she heard the children moan.
"What's wrong?" Padme asked, fear easily heard in her voice.
The students were starting to groan to. "I think we're going home." Luke grunted. "Thanks for everything, I'll remember this place forever."
"No, you won't." Qui-Gon sighed. "You will have no memory of these events, of anything here, since you will live again. The trip will take all of your memories from these past weeks. I'm sorry."
"You mean we won't remember anything?" Jacen asked in disappointment, and in fear.
"Not as anything more then a fleeting dream, little one."
"Did you know about this?" Luke asked, panicking.
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
"And you didn't tell us?" Luke looked angry, and Leia felt the pang of betrayal deep in her gut.
"What good would it have done? There is a good side to this, Luke" Obi-Wan's tone softened the hurt inside Leia.
"What is it? I won't ever remember who Father truly was, or what happened to him." Luke's voice was laced with anger and bitterness.
"That's just it, you will remember." Obi-Wan smiled gently "When you truly die, it will all come back."
"Not that it will matter, Father's gone." Leia yelled.
"No he isn't." Obi-Wan gave Leia a quizzical look "He has just gone to the nether realm, but he'll be back. He is strong enough to climb back out, don't worry. He will be back, I promise you."
Students started to disappear, vanishing without a trace, and Leia started to lose consciousness.
"Goodbye." She whispered.
26
"Pray I'm wrong about this one." Han muttered.
Luke groaned, opening his eyes and shaking his head. "What?"
"Luke!" Han spun and turned around, ecstatic. He shook Luke and looked up as the others started to waken.
"Leia!" Han embraced his wife, but Luke frowned. He kept feeling like there was something really important that he was forgetting, but it wouldn't come to mind. He felt sadness, and fading fear, but he didn't know why. All around people were waking, and the thought slipped away, never to return.
The young ones vanished, and Obi-Wan turned to the ones standing behind him. Padme turned away, and he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I was telling the truth, you know. He will come back." Obi-Wan paused, looking into her face "But you know that. To think that Ani won't be back is to almost demean his strength. And you know, better then anyone, I think, how strong that man is."
Qui-Gon smiled and nodded "He'll be back soon."
"Soon." Padme murmured. As they started to walk away, Obi-Wan snorted softly and rolled his eyes.
"I won't even notice he's gone." Obi-Wan sighed and straightened his tunic, knowing from the deep, knawing, raw feeling deep in his gut that he would.
He sighed again and slowed, falling behind Qui-Gon and Padme. Looking back at the protective barrier that Anakin had set up in his final moments in this dimension, he rose up to his full height and smiled, seeing in his mind's eye the triumphant smirk Anakin would be wearing right about now.
"Come back soon, Ani." Obi-Wan turned back to his friend and his master, and left the Sith behind.
Leia sat, many weeks later, at the small office in the Imperial Palace, working over a new proposal. She sat up, and turned around, feeling that someone or something was watching her. For a moment she felt a soft sigh by her ear, she was certain she heard a soft, happy, masculine laugh from the same direction. And the softest words, spoken by a strangely familiar voice that she couldn't put a name to, spoke in her ear, in her mind.
Thank you.
Epilogue
Breathing hurt, more then it had ever hurt before, but that didn't bother him, anymore. Luke looked down at him, and Anakin smiled at him, wanting his son to be happy.
"...Tell your sister you were right."