SPOILER ALERT!!! THIS AND SUBSEQUENT CHAPTERS CONTAIN ATTACK OF THE CLONE
SPOILERS!!!!!!
Thank you for all your patience and reviews. I'm polishing the 2nd half of
this chapter and am working on the next four. Ilum and the setting that
this installment takes place in is from the Jedi Quest book by Jude Watson.
Events in that book are the ones being referred to.
Uneasily, Ani settled the Knight on the icy ledge. It had been decades since he had been here last. Ilum. "Maybe I'm not ready for this." He thought. "But I must." Ani tried to reason with himself. "How can I hope to help Luke's new order if I hide away from the universe? How can I hope to atone if I cower in fear? Fear is of the dark side and easy is never for Jedi." Ani recalled the visions that had come with Anakin's first quest to build a lightsaber. It had taken Ani a month to work up the courage to go through it again. Exiting his ship, Ani let his gaze travel up the slippery crag he had to scale. The wind blew raw. He pulled his scarf tighter about his neck. "I still think they should have moved the crystals somewhere else." With a smile directed at his thirteen year old self, Ani slowly started to climb.
Nearing the top, another important memory clicked. "What was it Obi- wan had told him? Base of the neck?" What could that have meant?" Ani crawled into the sheltering cave. "Base of the neck? Base of the neck and -." A sharp blow to his back sent him flying far, further into the chamber. "Watch the tail!" A huge beast stalked towards him, passing through the beam of light emanating from his torch. Gorgodons. Last time, Anakin and Obi-wan had had each other for support. Now, Ani had only himself. And he didn't even have a training lightsaber. As the creature advanced, Ani's gaze cast around for anything he could use for a weapon. Nothing. Still, thought the small part of him worrying about such things, he was controlling his fear. Seeing that its prey was cornered, the Gorgodon let out a shrill shriek that rang throughout the cave. The sound assaulting his ears caused Ani to duck in pain. Even the rocks grated from the reverberations, sending a fair amount of gravel showering from the ceiling. Despite the stinging hail, the reptile did not slow. The rain of stone gave Ani an idea. Feeling out through the Force, he started to pull at one of the larger rocks from its niche in the ceiling. It was already very loose, and Ani had to keep it suspended just long enough for the monster to spring. The Gorgodon was almost on him when the boulder hit it directly on the back of the neck. The beast collapsed under the stone as it crushed its spine. Heaving a sigh of relief, Ani crawled away. His senses stretched out through the Force to see if any other gorgodons were waiting in the shadows. He couldn't feel any. Okay. The easy stuff was over. Shrugging off his survival gear, Ani gathered the components of the blade he was planning on making. It was time to face his nightmares.
Ani stepped into the dark, letting his fingers trace the stone walls, following the path of the Jedi lore engraved there. It was incomplete. The line had died during the Purges, thanks to him. 'No, thanks to Vader.' Ani quickly reminded himself. Again, a Jedi stepped out from the wall. While one of a truly ancient order had greeted Anakin on his first visit, this one came from an era closer to the Old Republic. Through the Force this warrior's words rang clear, "Why do you choose a Jedi's path? It will only lead you to sorrow." As his guide moved deeper within the cave, Ani chose to answer as he followed. "I know it does. It already has, but I cannot repeat my mistake." As they had so long ago, disjointed voices spoke to him. "What was your mistake?" "I let myself turn to the dark side. I lost control over my anger. I lost control and it-" Ani stopped. Ani could feel something force the light spirits away. The darkness was tangible now. Surrounding him like a heavy fog.
Two tiny points of light coalesced from the mists in front of him. Whirling, the points grew until they resembled the size and shape of two orange bloodshot eyes mocking him. "No. Not again." Ani thought, his fear rose. The eyes had sockets to them now, red and black mottled skin crinkled in an evil smile. Ani was once again staring into the face of Darth Maul. Qui-Gon's killer. Vader's predecessor. His predecessor. "It led you to power! I told you." The Sith spirit rasped, a triumphant ring in his voice. "I was right! You now know the truth, anger leads to power, if you are brave enough to use it. But you learned the lesson too late. You didn't save your mother, did you?" Qui-Gon's killer mocked him. "You know better now, don't you? Well, look at this." Sounding almost surprised, Darth Maul pulled Ani into a vision. "How can you hope to save them, dark One, if you do not use your anger?" Fear clutched at his heart, as Ani saw what the Sith meant him to see. It was Luke. He was being hunted down by a pack of Imperial troopers. Ani watched his son trip and fall as a rifle lined up its target. The shot cracked through the air into a vision of Leia, pinned down in her chambers by blaster fire. As the door blew in, shrapnel sliced the air in a deadly crystalline rain. For a heartrending moment, Padmé's face superimposed upon his daughter's. And in Ani anger surged. He would not lose his family again! He would not! The dark mist was oppressive. "That's it." Lord Maul whispered. Ani was so ensnared, he didn't hear him. "Use your anger. Channel your fear, let it feed your hate and strike!" Deep inside him, Ani felt a starburst break. Power. All the power of the dark Force, roiling at his command. Surging to do his bidding. Just as he was about to let all the training and contemplation he had worked so hard on disappear in an explosion of dark power, Ani stopped. "No." Ani closed his eyes to the vision and visibly worked to contain his strength. "No. I will not turn for you, or them, or anyone else." He opened his eyes. And stared, not into Maul's blazing gaze but the cold, cruel sight of Palpatine. "But how can you save them, young Skywalker, if you do not try? You couldn't save your mother, the Jedi stole you from her. You failed to save your love, Padmé, thanks again to those weak whelps. Obi-wan wouldn't let you near her, even though he knew he couldn't protect her himself. Without your power, you fail Anakin Skywalker, Chosen One. And out of your failure, they all die." Scenes whirled through the mist. Over and over again, Ani saw the final moments of everyone he loved. Padmé's bloody, twisted body. Shimi, his mother, beaten, bruised and broken. And for his children, thousands upon thousands of tortured, painful possible ends. And no one could help them. "Anakin," Palpatine's voice wafted past his ears. "Save your family." Ani, still reeling from this final assault, maintained his calm. "I created you." Ani spoke quietly. "You are dead. Leave me." But it didn't work. Maul was back now. "You don't learn. I told you. You can't get rid of me. I will return, I am inside you. I always return." The Sith Lord laughed. A cold, chilling sound. "Go." An authoritative voice commanded. Strangely, that one syllable did what Ani could not. Maul faded away, his laugh fainter by the moment. Finally the burning eyes were the last to go, still mocking. The heavy mist lifted and Ani felt a solid and inviting presence that gave him courage. Looking up, Ani could not believe who he saw.
Anakin Skywalker stood before him.
Uneasily, Ani settled the Knight on the icy ledge. It had been decades since he had been here last. Ilum. "Maybe I'm not ready for this." He thought. "But I must." Ani tried to reason with himself. "How can I hope to help Luke's new order if I hide away from the universe? How can I hope to atone if I cower in fear? Fear is of the dark side and easy is never for Jedi." Ani recalled the visions that had come with Anakin's first quest to build a lightsaber. It had taken Ani a month to work up the courage to go through it again. Exiting his ship, Ani let his gaze travel up the slippery crag he had to scale. The wind blew raw. He pulled his scarf tighter about his neck. "I still think they should have moved the crystals somewhere else." With a smile directed at his thirteen year old self, Ani slowly started to climb.
Nearing the top, another important memory clicked. "What was it Obi- wan had told him? Base of the neck?" What could that have meant?" Ani crawled into the sheltering cave. "Base of the neck? Base of the neck and -." A sharp blow to his back sent him flying far, further into the chamber. "Watch the tail!" A huge beast stalked towards him, passing through the beam of light emanating from his torch. Gorgodons. Last time, Anakin and Obi-wan had had each other for support. Now, Ani had only himself. And he didn't even have a training lightsaber. As the creature advanced, Ani's gaze cast around for anything he could use for a weapon. Nothing. Still, thought the small part of him worrying about such things, he was controlling his fear. Seeing that its prey was cornered, the Gorgodon let out a shrill shriek that rang throughout the cave. The sound assaulting his ears caused Ani to duck in pain. Even the rocks grated from the reverberations, sending a fair amount of gravel showering from the ceiling. Despite the stinging hail, the reptile did not slow. The rain of stone gave Ani an idea. Feeling out through the Force, he started to pull at one of the larger rocks from its niche in the ceiling. It was already very loose, and Ani had to keep it suspended just long enough for the monster to spring. The Gorgodon was almost on him when the boulder hit it directly on the back of the neck. The beast collapsed under the stone as it crushed its spine. Heaving a sigh of relief, Ani crawled away. His senses stretched out through the Force to see if any other gorgodons were waiting in the shadows. He couldn't feel any. Okay. The easy stuff was over. Shrugging off his survival gear, Ani gathered the components of the blade he was planning on making. It was time to face his nightmares.
Ani stepped into the dark, letting his fingers trace the stone walls, following the path of the Jedi lore engraved there. It was incomplete. The line had died during the Purges, thanks to him. 'No, thanks to Vader.' Ani quickly reminded himself. Again, a Jedi stepped out from the wall. While one of a truly ancient order had greeted Anakin on his first visit, this one came from an era closer to the Old Republic. Through the Force this warrior's words rang clear, "Why do you choose a Jedi's path? It will only lead you to sorrow." As his guide moved deeper within the cave, Ani chose to answer as he followed. "I know it does. It already has, but I cannot repeat my mistake." As they had so long ago, disjointed voices spoke to him. "What was your mistake?" "I let myself turn to the dark side. I lost control over my anger. I lost control and it-" Ani stopped. Ani could feel something force the light spirits away. The darkness was tangible now. Surrounding him like a heavy fog.
Two tiny points of light coalesced from the mists in front of him. Whirling, the points grew until they resembled the size and shape of two orange bloodshot eyes mocking him. "No. Not again." Ani thought, his fear rose. The eyes had sockets to them now, red and black mottled skin crinkled in an evil smile. Ani was once again staring into the face of Darth Maul. Qui-Gon's killer. Vader's predecessor. His predecessor. "It led you to power! I told you." The Sith spirit rasped, a triumphant ring in his voice. "I was right! You now know the truth, anger leads to power, if you are brave enough to use it. But you learned the lesson too late. You didn't save your mother, did you?" Qui-Gon's killer mocked him. "You know better now, don't you? Well, look at this." Sounding almost surprised, Darth Maul pulled Ani into a vision. "How can you hope to save them, dark One, if you do not use your anger?" Fear clutched at his heart, as Ani saw what the Sith meant him to see. It was Luke. He was being hunted down by a pack of Imperial troopers. Ani watched his son trip and fall as a rifle lined up its target. The shot cracked through the air into a vision of Leia, pinned down in her chambers by blaster fire. As the door blew in, shrapnel sliced the air in a deadly crystalline rain. For a heartrending moment, Padmé's face superimposed upon his daughter's. And in Ani anger surged. He would not lose his family again! He would not! The dark mist was oppressive. "That's it." Lord Maul whispered. Ani was so ensnared, he didn't hear him. "Use your anger. Channel your fear, let it feed your hate and strike!" Deep inside him, Ani felt a starburst break. Power. All the power of the dark Force, roiling at his command. Surging to do his bidding. Just as he was about to let all the training and contemplation he had worked so hard on disappear in an explosion of dark power, Ani stopped. "No." Ani closed his eyes to the vision and visibly worked to contain his strength. "No. I will not turn for you, or them, or anyone else." He opened his eyes. And stared, not into Maul's blazing gaze but the cold, cruel sight of Palpatine. "But how can you save them, young Skywalker, if you do not try? You couldn't save your mother, the Jedi stole you from her. You failed to save your love, Padmé, thanks again to those weak whelps. Obi-wan wouldn't let you near her, even though he knew he couldn't protect her himself. Without your power, you fail Anakin Skywalker, Chosen One. And out of your failure, they all die." Scenes whirled through the mist. Over and over again, Ani saw the final moments of everyone he loved. Padmé's bloody, twisted body. Shimi, his mother, beaten, bruised and broken. And for his children, thousands upon thousands of tortured, painful possible ends. And no one could help them. "Anakin," Palpatine's voice wafted past his ears. "Save your family." Ani, still reeling from this final assault, maintained his calm. "I created you." Ani spoke quietly. "You are dead. Leave me." But it didn't work. Maul was back now. "You don't learn. I told you. You can't get rid of me. I will return, I am inside you. I always return." The Sith Lord laughed. A cold, chilling sound. "Go." An authoritative voice commanded. Strangely, that one syllable did what Ani could not. Maul faded away, his laugh fainter by the moment. Finally the burning eyes were the last to go, still mocking. The heavy mist lifted and Ani felt a solid and inviting presence that gave him courage. Looking up, Ani could not believe who he saw.
Anakin Skywalker stood before him.