Author's notes: Hi Ho! Epi 2 on IMAX rocked although they cut out some stuff, which totally sucks. Very angering. We won't get into that. Sorry, it took so long to get this up. Trying to fight your siblings off the computer gets to be quite an ordeal around here. *sigh* siblings. Anyway, here it.
Chapter Nine
The Duel of Death
Ani stood looking up at the sky. The sun peeked out over the Massassi trees of Yavin 4's jungles. The light did not help lessen the dark shadow that seemed to be possessing Ani's mind. If his eyes were not telling him that it was really dawn, he would have felt for certain it was night out. To him everything felt dark and overshadowed. Something was just not right today. He could feel it out there. He knew what it was and it caused him to feel tense and uptight.
Paranoia ate at him. Fordon had finally come. He knew it. Fordon was out there in the jungles moving ever closer toward. There was nothing else but the paranoia. He scanned the area surrounding him, feeling as though he was being watched. He felt like evil eyes were burning holes into his back. He kept looking behind him and fingering his lightsaber in nervousness. He felt like the dawn's light was betraying him to the enemy.
He's coming for you, the voice in his head hissed, maliciously. He's going to kill you.
He tried to force the voice to shut up, but in refused to be quieted. It whispered doubts and fears in to his ear like some annoying bug. As Fordon drew ever closer, Ani felt his anger swelling. The little voice encouraged it. It continued to whisper enticing things about the power of the dark side.
Go on, it encouraged, let your anger grow. Let it help you destroy him. It has more power than you can possibly imagine.
He closed his eyes trying to block it out, but it was like a face that he held inside. He could even dimly make out its shape in his mind's eye. It was his bane. It awakened when he closed his eyes, haunting him. Beckoning to him. It hid there inside him, right underneath his skin. It laughed every time he tried to silence it. It was like a whirlwind inside of his head. He couldn't shut it out.
Fordon's touch washed over him. Ani felt sick inside. He was nearly here. Ani could feel the vague tremors in the Force as He drew nearer. Inside the Temple he sensed some of the students beginning to awaken. Could tell that they sensed something was amiss as well. He felt Luke's uneasy and Gabe's worry, but it all seemed so far off now. He desperately tried to push off Fordon's touch, but this time he could not. He stood out there for a long time. He had lost all track of time, in his attempts to rid himself of his creator's touch. He could not. With every step closer Fordon's Force hold became stronger. Ani was beginning to feel weak and crushed by it.
He jumped as a gentle hand touched his shoulder. He had not heard or sensed anyone coming. Startled, he turned to face Gabe's worried, pretty face. Unconsciously, he moved away from her and stood watching her almost suspiciously. She looked surprised and hurt, as he did so.
"Ani?" she murmured. "What is the matter?"
He flinched, as Fordon's hold became stronger still. "He…He is here. He's coming." Was all he could manage to get out.
"What!?" Gabe was now quite alarmed.
"Please, Gabe, just leave," Ani rasped.
Gabe shook her head, refusing to. "No, I will not. We can face this together."
"No," he snapped. "This is my fight! I will not let you!"
Gabe was completely taken aback by Ani's harsh manner. He glared down at her with a terrifying look in his eyes. She backed away, involuntarily, frightened and shocked.
"Ani," she murmured.
"Leave," he growled in a horrible voice.
She turned and fled back into the Temple. She would not just stay away and hide though. She ran as fast as she could to find Luke. He would know what to do.
Ani stared after Gabe, feeling awful at what he'd done. It was the only way to get her away though. Otherwise…he shuddered to think. He could not let her interfere with this. She would only get hurt. And he would not dare risk that. He stiffened up, suddenly, sensing the arrival of his loathsome enemy.
"Ani," a voice from his nightmares spoke from behind him. It was a cruel, raspy voice. One that sent tingles down his spine.
"Fordon," Ani turned to face his creator.
Fordon walked across the length of the field, and stopped about three meters away from him. "How good to see you again, Ani, after so many years. One might have thought you were avoiding me," Fordon smiled, cruelly.
Fordon was a tall, lanky ugly man. His hair was nearly white, hanging down to his shoulders, tied back in a leather thong. His features were hard and sharp, with ugly cat-like green eyes. His style of clothing was refined with a black cape leading him a sinister look. It was not altogether clear whether he was completely human or just a humanoid. Whatever he was, he was evil and dangerous. He had been taught personally by Dooku himself, and knew the old combat Form 2 almost as well as his master had.
"Why did you come here?!" Ani growled. The very sight of this man made his blood run hot in his veins.
Fordon laughed. "Now, Ani, let us not play games. You belong to me and I came to get you back."
Ani locked gazes with his hateful creator. "You are mistaken. I belong to no one. Least of all you."
"But I think it is you who are mistaken, my dear clone," Fordon hissed. "It was by my hand you were made. Don't you think I could unmake you."
Ani said nothing.
"Come now, Ani. We could rule the galaxy, you and I," Fordon said, slyly.
Ani snorted. "Why? So I can become like Anakin before me. A wretched sith always lurking in his master's shadow. Forever faithful to him. Never!"
Fordon seemed to ignore this. "We could, Ani, I could show more power than you could possibly imagine. I could make you the greatest Jedi of them all."
"The dark side, Fordon," Ani shook his head and laughed scornfully.
Fordon smiled, believing that he was getting to Ani. Ani let him think that. He walked, slowly, towards the sith, his lightsaber held loosely in his hand.
"All I want, Fordon," Ani hissed, "Is you dead."
His lightsaber sprang to life like a blue firebrand. Fordon's own blood red lightsaber sprang alive to meet it. It had a curved hilt, which supplied it with superior finesse and quicker precision. It was very much like his long dead master, Dooku's lightsaber. In fact, it might even be. Fordon watched the clone warily.
"If you will not come with me, Ani, I will be forced to kill you," Fordon threatened.
Ani shrugged. "This won't end until one of us is dead. It won't be me."
Holding his lightsaber in one hand, Ani whirled his blade in the Jung ma, 360 spin and sprang forward with a fierce yell. Their blades met with a bright flash and shrieking clash of noise. Ani feinted and cut low. Fordon parried, letting the impact slide off his blade. The Sith countered with a horizontal side swipe, which Ani parried with his blade upright, pushing the point of the enemy's blade safely away. Ani reversed the move with a slash down, that Fordon parried, holding his blade parallel to the ground.
As Ani's concentration grew, so did the speed of the duel. Their lightsabers flashed, bringing to bear every skill they'd acquired over the years. Blades whirled and clashed, locked in the duel of death. Ani was strong, quick, and young, but Fordon's grace of the Form 2 easily matched Ani's moves, as he spun to batter away another strike. There was an elegance and beauty in their dueling that came from a deep connection with one's weapon and the Force. It was like a beautiful, yet deadly dance. Their music was the clashing of their 'sabers.
Ani stepped up on a dead tree stump, which he used as a spring point for his flip twist. He slashed down at Fordon's head in mid-air, but Fordon blocked it, twisting to meet him. As Ani hit the ground Fordon's boot caught him, knocking him sprawling. Enraged, Ani surged to his feet, renewing the fight with ferocity. Ani parried another down stroke, whirled swiftly to the right, and with his back to Fordon made a blind reverse lunge. When Fordon moved to block it, Ani threw himself into a series of twists and reversals that battered the sith back.
Stroke for stroke, Ani and Fordon battled about the clearing, locked in combat that seemed endless and forever and could be won by neither. Ani felt an almost joy in the dark power of his anger that raced through him. It made him feel stronger and more powerful. He seemed to grow taller and his eyes to darken to near black, as hate filled him with the need to kill his creator. Fordon could feel it in him. He battled strongly, letting Ani have his taste pf power, while trying to shove down the touch of fear creeping up in him. Lunging and twisting, Fordon regained the offensive and counterattacked, slashing his lightsaber down at Ani's legs in effort to cut his legs out from under. Anticipating the blow, Ani was able to Sai jump safely over it, while parrying at the same time.
"You've been working on your velocities, Ani," Fordon smiled, as he parried another slash.
Ani growled back. "I've been working on more than that."
"Ani!?" Gabe's voice, suddenly, cut through the duel.
Ani slid to a stop in mid-attack. For a second, he was totally confused. What was he doing? Why hadn't Gabe stayed away? Fordon took full advantage of his confusion. He swung his blade down at Ani's head. Ani snapped back to awareness just in time. He ducked to the side, rolling away, but Fordon's 'saber still caught him on the shoulder. Pain and shock raced through him, as he stumbled away. The rancid smell of burnt clothing and flesh, made his vision swim. Once again, Fordon took advantage of his shock. He clubbed Ani over the head with butt of his 'saber. Ani hit the dirt, stunned.
Fordon laughed, maliciously. "Are you going to cry Solah, Ani?"
(And if you're at all interested in knowing what velocities are they're drills apprentices do to develop speed and tight control with their lightsaber. Each opponent fights the other in a series of attacks and parries and is repeated over and over again at ever greater speeds until opponent is felled or cries "Solah!", which is pretty much like yelling "Mercy!" So there's your lesson in SW knowledge. For more info. go get the Epi 2 Visual Dictionary. :) Back to the story.)
Hatred and rage boiled in him, turning his vision red. He shook off his pain, and scrambled to his feet. Again they took up the dance of death. Now the duel was becoming quite vicious; each trying desperately to harm the other. Ani's fury assault drove Fordon on the defense. Ani attacked with ferocity that seemed to stymie Fordon. Fordon was borne backward by the clone's wild assault. Their lightsabers scarped and grated against each other, echoing across the field with its fury. He struggled to keep the young Jedi at bay, trying to open enough space between them to defend himself. The Sith hardly seemed to block the blows, as they rained down fast and violently. Fordon barely blocked a blow that would have killed him, but it slid off his 'saber biting him in the side. Both were now equally wounded, and seething with hatred.
So infuriated was Ani that everything else seemed to fade away. There was only him and Fordon, and the need to kill him. Fordon used this against Ani. He managed to ward off Ani enough to start pushing him backward away from him. Ani didn't notice that Fordon was pushing steadily closer to the edge of the field and the trees around the edge of the jungle. The grass was littered with broken tree branches, winding vines, and fallen logs. Ani neither noticed nor cared. So it was a great surprise when he stumbled over a fallen tree limb. Fordon jumped forward, striking Ani with enough force to knock the Jedi sideways and off balance. He struck again, harder still, and this time Ani lost his footing completely, and tumbled to the ground. His head slammed against a tree and his lightsaber flew from his hand. Stars exploded in his vision, as his breath left his lunges in a whoosh.
For the third time Ani fell, stunned, to the ground. He lay there unmoving, trying to fight off the blackness that was threatened to take over his senses. Instead of pressing the advantage, Fordon in backed off to catch his breath and recover. He was thoroughly surprised at the power and speed that the clone possessed. He'd made Ani far better than he'd even hoped for. He remembered Dooku telling him about Anakin and how impressed he'd been by the padawan's control of the Force. He had tried to capture that as best as he could in the clone he'd made for Dooku. But before Dooku could even see his clone, Anakin had killed him and stolen the clone. It had taken decades of hard searching to finally find the location of his hidden clone. When he'd gotten there the clone had already been taken, much to his dismay, by Luke Skywalker. He wanted his clone back. But now when he was at last reunited with his arrant creation, Ani would not cooperate. He could not allow his clone to think he was higher than his creator. If he had to kill Ani he would, to keep safe the secrets that he held inside him and destroy the galaxy's next most powerful Jedi, so be it.
Ani lay in a crumpled position on the ground, waiting for Fordon to finish him. He'd failed, he was not strong enough. He deserved to die. His whole body hurt, with ever breath he took it sent shock waves of pain through him.
"Ani…," a voice seemed to whisper in his ear.
Ani blinked, recognizing the voice. "Anakin?"
"Get up or he'll kill you," Anakin's voice ordered him.
"I can't….," Ani murmured.
Fordon stalked toward Ani, raising his lightsaber to make the death blow.
"Will you join me, Ani?" Fordon offered one last time.
Ani shook his head, sending pain shooting through him. He groaned, ready to give up.
"Then I must kill you. You die a dishonorable death, my friend," Fordon smiled, evilly.
Fordon whirled his blade over his head. A ripple in the Force, stirred the air around him, but he hardly noticed. He was intent only on the task at hand. He saw something shimmer in front of Ani. Before he could even begin to ponder what it was, he was thrown backward by a powerful Force shove. He flew backward straight into a tree five meters from where Ani lay. Both opponents stared in complete amazement at the other, as they lay in pain on the ground.
"You will not give up, Ani! I won't let you!" Anakin appeared, suddenly, before Ani. His voice was like a whip. "You must fight like a Jedi. No more of this dark side power. It will destroy you."
"Anakin…," Ani felt the pain of his wounds intensely. "I…can't…"
"Get up!" Anakin ordered the clone.
Ani shook his head.
"Get up!" Anakin snapped. He proffered his hand to the clone, offering to help to his feet. "Remember, Ani, you and me, one and the same. On your feet."
Ani reached up with renewed ardor and took Anakin's offered hand. A warm glow raced through him. Anakin seemed to melt into him like honey into a hot liquid. A shiver ran down his body and his vision swam for a moment. Suddenly, he was no longer just a clone. He was Anakin Skywalker. Thousands of images flashed through his mind. Visions of beautiful times, the sad times, and the darkest times of his life. Some of them so intense that they brought tears to his eyes. The Forced washed over, around, and through him. Never before had he experienced such perfect oneness with the Force during his mortal life. The strength and power he felt was ten times more intense then the dark power he'd felt.
Fordon gaped at Ani, as stumbled back to his feet. He'd seen the ghost that had just stood before Ani melt into his clone. Now he felt the great power and energy radiating out of him through the Force. The clone now even seemed to be glowing with some strange inner light. Fear tingled down his spin as he stared at the clone.
Digging his hands into the earth, Anakin heaved himself up, breathing raggedly. Exerting all his strength, for pain and weakness still plagued his body, he whirled his lightsaber aloft. He fell deeper into the Force's healing power, washing away all pain within him. Here was a Jedi warrior that would not just lie down and die. He walked confidently toward Fordon.
"You tried to kill me, Fordon," Anakin growled.
Fordon looked completely taken aback.
"You should be afraid," Anakin smiled. "Do you know who I am?"
"You are just a clone," Fordon backed up a step.
"No," Anakin looked at him scornfully. "I am Anakin Skywalker."
With that he sprang forward, and again they took up there dance of death. Locked in combat they strained and flailed at one another. The Jedi hacked at the sith, who gave back slash for thrust, parry for stab. Crouching low with the lightsaber point held out in front, the red glitter of total war shining hot in Anakin's eyes. It was not the glitter of hate or malice, only the want to rid the galaxy of so foul a creature. Fordon circled, nervously, as Anakin closed in on him. Anakin leapt and struck, hacked and thrust, stabbed and slashed like a flash of summer lightning. Both were bleeding heavily from several wounds inflicted upon each other. Anakin did not seem to feel them. He swiped the blood and sweat away from his eyes, that dripped down from his hair and a gash over his right eye.
He leapt, nimbly, to the side, as Fordon jabbed out at him and swung his lightsaber in a flashing arc. Fordon barely managed to parry it. Anakin's movements were precise, his control of the Force that of a musician playing an intricate solo. It was beautiful to watch, flowing, graceful, and deadly. His blade spun so swiftly it seemed to blur into a blue shield. His reactions were fast, maintained by his deep and total connection to the Force.
Before Fordon realized what happened, Anakin had done a flying leap, kicking out, and disarming him of his lightsaber. With another swift kick, followed by a roundhouse punch, he laid Fordon low. Fordon sat on the ground, surprised for half a second. He rolled away from Anakin's follow up kick that would have knocked him out. Unable to get to his lightsaber, because of Anakin blocking it from him, Fordon turned to the next best thing. He whipped out a vibroblade, and before Anakin could jump back. He cut under Anakin's guard, flicked the blade up, laying Anakin's hand and wrist bare to the bone. Anakin cried out, striking the butt of his 'saber to Fordon's head. The Sith fell back, heavily, blinking rapidly. Anakin raised his lightsaber for the kill. Fordon rolled away, as Anakin's 'saber came flashing down, folding his body into a curling position, he knocked Anakin to his knees.
Fordon struggled to his feet, clutching his vibroblade, trying to call his lightsaber to his hand. His face was bathed in sweat and taut with fatigue. Anakin sheared the vibroblade handle in half and knocked Fordon off his feet with a sweeping kick. For a brief moment their eyes met, and for the first time in his life Fordon felt terror grip him. Anakin stood, towering over him. Fordon tried to drag himself backward to get away from Anakin. The last thing he saw was the whirling blue lightsaber come slashing down at his head.
Anakin stood over Fordon's body, his own body trembling with fatigue. Blood dripped off from a dozen wounds. Pain threatened to overwhelm him. For the first time he became aware of Gabe, Luke, and the Solos standing across the field. He wavered, unsteadily, looking down at his flailed hand. Blood ran down it and onto the grass, as he stared at it, almost disbelievingly. He'd almost forgotten what it looked like to see his own blood. Anakin Skywalker stepped from the clone's body. For a few minutes, he'd been whole again, as he'd once been. The sensation had been incredible, even for all the pain. All strength seemed to leave the clone. He staggered and collapsed onto the ground by his enemy's fallen corpse. He looked up into the bright blue eyes of Anakin, lulled into unconsciousness by his words.
"You and me, Ani. The same blood courses through your veins. One and the same…Anakin Skywalker," the ghost told him.
With that Ani lost all consciousness.
*******
Gabe raced through the Temple, desperately looking for Luke. She skidded around corners, and flew adown the halls in a frenzied search to find him. In her hurry, she dashed around the next bend, and slammed head on into Anakin Solo. He jumped back in complete surprise. He was with the rest of his family, including Luke on the way down to the cafeteria.
"Luke! He's here! Ani said he'd come and he did! He's-!" She blurted out.
"What!? Hold on a second," Luke interrupted her. "Who's here? What's going on?"
Gabe fought for breath, as she gasped out an explanation. "Fordon. He's here. He came back for Ani. Ani's out there battling him right now!"
"Oh no!" Luke murmured. "I felt a disturbance in the Force, but could not make any clear sense of it."
He pushed past everyone, and took off down the hall. He had to get to Ani before anything horrible happened. But even as he thought this he felt Ani's anger and hatred like a live wire through the Force. It spurred him on. He had to stop this duel.
Luke stared in an incredulity, as Ani's lightsaber swept through Fordon, delivering the final death blow. The duel was over and Ani, or what he thought was Ani, had won. He had seen things in the last few minutes that left him in complete shock. He'd seen the ghost of Anakin melt into Ani. Ani had become Anakin, he'd felt it. He hadn't even noticed that the rest of his family and Gabe had joined him. No one had moved through the entire duel. They couldn't.
Luke shook off the shock and ran toward Ani/Anakin. His pain was so intense that Luke could feel it through the Force, as if it was from his own body. Anakin stepped out of the clone's body and stood beside him. Luke skidded to a stop not more than a few feet away. Anakin seemed not to notice him. His attention was focused completely on Ani. Ani collapsed in a heap on the ground beside Fordon's headless corpse. Blood was pooling, slowly, around him, as he stared up into Anakin's eyes. From where Luke stood he could hear every word that Anakin said to Ani.
"You and me, Ani. The same blood courses through your veins. One and the same…Anakin Skywalker," Anakin whispered.
With that Ani passed out. Anakin turned to face Luke. His bright blue eyes, locked on Luke's for a moment. Take care of him, Luke heard a voice in his head whisper to him. Luke stared at his father, who smiled at him. Then he turned away and walked towards the jungle. As he walked he began to fade until he was absolutely gone. Luke could not begin to fathom what had just happened.
Gabe raced by him, and dropped to her knees beside Ani. Ani's breath was shallow and ragged, blood ran from his forehead and his flailed hand like small rivers. She unwound the sash around her and ripped it into long strips of material, compressing them to all of Ani's wounds. Leia and Jaina came up and began to help her. Ani half screamed when they tried to wrap his hand. He tried to curl up into a fetal position, but could not.
"We need to get him inside to the infirmary where Cilghal can take care of him," Luke said, snapping back to reality.
Between all of them, they were able to Force lift him up and carry him to the infirmary without causing him to much pain. Once there, they called for Cilghal and after that could do nothing but wait for her diagnosis.