The Road Less Traveled
This story is co-written by great authors and friends of mine who very graciously allowed this story they wanted to write also serve as a sequel to my first two fan fictions. Huge thanks guys! :D Each segment will have the writer noted.
Writers: Anakin's Angel (AnakinsAngel@aol.com), starwarsfan1000 (starwars1000@hotmail.com) and me, Julie the Tall Terror (tall_terror@hotmail.com)
Disclaimer: Anakin, Obi-Wan, & Qui-Gon, etc. belong to George Lucas. We are just playing.
Begun: 12/25/00
Completed: 02/20/01
Part 2 of 4
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Segment 7 is written by starwarsfan1000
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Vader walked along the side of the building. He looked out beyond and saw three teenagers, two girls and a boy, in the shade. They sat under a group of trees next to a racetrack. Their clothing consisted of light shirts and shorts. He moved closer to listen to them.
"Is this the urgent thing you needed me to help you with? Being a judge for your races," Luke said. How many sprints do they think I've judged today, He thought.
Mara looked at him, "Well, yeah."
"Come on Luke, you can't say you're not having a bad time?" Leia asked.
Luke sighed, "Well no."
Leia rolled her eyes, "Then lighten up and have some fun."
Suddenly there was a beeping sound. Mara got up and ran over to their pile of stuff and pulled out a comlink, "Yes." After listening for a couple of seconds, she turned it off. Walking back, she said, "I have to go. Master Windu has some urgent business that I have to help him with."
Leia hugged her friend, "See you later, Mara."
Mara stepped back, "Sure, see you Skywalkers later," and jugged off.
Vader froze at the mention of that name. So, he thought, these are the two younger children in the picture.
Vader smiled behind the mask. He wanted to test these Padawans, his kids in this universe. He pulled his lightsaber and turned it on. Let's see how well you handle a lightsaber, he thought.
The snap-hiss alerted Luke and Leia to the danger and they grabbed their weapons and ignited them.
Vader walked out of the shadows and enjoyed the moment of fear and panic on their faces and began to advance.
Luke brought his saber to a defensive position and thought, What is this thing?
******
Segment 8 is written by Anakin's Angel
******
Uni-V
As the green and blue planet of Naboo came into view, Obi-Wan felt a part of himself die. Nothing about this planet conjured anything but horrible memories. Losing Qui-Gon, rescuing Padmé from certain death, watching as Theed Palace crumbled to the ground. No, Naboo was nothing but a mass of rock and sadness. Flying low, he cruised over the tops of trees, searching for a place to land.
Thinking back three days, he thought of the last time he'd spoken with Padmé; She'd been so worried..
"You know we have to go-"
"As leader of this rebellion, I have every right to-"
"Padmé, please! Even if the danger that you may be killed wasn't there, you have every bounty hunter in the Galaxy looking for you!"
Padmé, red-faced and radiating tension, paced in a tight circle. They were going to fight without her. She knew Obi-Wan was right, it made more sense for her to stay here and be safe; Still, he knew she couldn't escape the feeling that she was running scared. With a nod of her head, she walked over to the jumpsuit-clad pilot. "You'll be careful? I can't lose you, too." She whispered.
Obi-Wan nodded. "Tylaa would kill me first, you realize?"
The former Queen smiled easily, "Yes, and I thank her for that. I will be commanding this...mission. Please be careful." The sadness in her voice spoke volumes.
Obi-Wan gathered her into a hug. "Being a Jedi does have its advantages," He whispered, pulling back and putting on his helmet. "The Force will be with us."
A nod. "May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan Kenobi." She stepped back, as the squadron on X-Wings came to life. They had received a distress signal from Naboo late the night before, from a pilot who'd been captured by the Empire. Some saw it as foolish, but she ordered the X-Wings to be configured with distress beacons that would turn on automatically, should a pilot go down.
Normally, they would not run off to assist one pilot....but with information from their spynet that the Empire was on Naboo, it became an opportunity they couldn't resist. Obi-Wan knew that the chances were great he might run into...Vader, but his former Padawan wasn't likely to be front and center for this battle. Looking out, he watched as she waved once more at him as he taxied down the center and out into space...
A flash of silver to his left brought him back to the present. "This is Blue Leader. Follow my lead." He watched as his squadron set down amongst the trees.
"Copy Blue Leader." He heard Tylaa's voice that time; leading her Red Team towards the opposite side of the forest.
As he set his X-Wing down, he became aware that something...no, everything was wrong. A crippling darkness choked the trees, hanging in the air like a foul stench. He was loathe to expand his awareness with the Force, so as to not alert anyone to his presence. Stepping onto the richly-scented forest floor, he winced as the horrible darkness grew closer...
..
On the other side of the forest, a faint, yellow glow dispersed as Anakin, Qui- Gon and Artoo stepped out into the trees. At first, the murky darkness that had hung in the air went unnoticed. It always took Anakin and Qui-Gon some time to adjust to the Force's response in each universe.
Reaching out, Anakin built a powerful shield around himself and his former Master.
That was when he felt it.
If the lightside of the Force was warmth and serenity....this, was cold and erratic. He'd felt this darkness before, when Padmé and Obi-Wan were killed by Palpatine. When he'd reached out and ended the miserable life of the two-faced Chancellor. He looked back at Qui-Gon, "We must be cautious. I can sense she was here, Master."
The Jedi Master nodded. "There is a great darkness here, Anakin."
Artoo moved cautiously through the trees, as vines and branches jutted out, getting caught in his wheels. He beeped in protest, his cutting attachment working to clear the path.
As the Force slowly came back to him, Anakin sensed that this was a Universe still under Palpatine's control; the evil Sith's Force signature was too strong to deny. "I cannot believe you sometimes, Aurora..." He mumbled to himself. Why? Why would she come here, knowing the dangers? There was something not right about the whole situation. Part of him was hurt that he didn't know his daughter, and former Padawan, as well as he'd thought. His thoughts surrounding his wayward daughter were cut short as blaster fire ripped through the foliage....
..
Obi-Wan crept along the forest floor, his senses working overtime to compensate for his not being able to fully harness the Force. He'd heard the blaster fire from just beyond a large grove before him, but it was as yet unanswered. Tylaa had just sent him a message confirming the same in her area. If the Empire was here, they were hiding themselves well. For now, at least. There was something else that he'd sensed, it was as if....
No, Anakin no longer existed.
Shaking his head, he rounded a corner, coming face to face with Mace Windu...
..
Qui-Gon's green saber flashed to life the instant he'd heard the blaster fire. Anakin, ahead of him with his blue-hued saber, slashed through the foliage with ease. Artoo and Threepio crept along behind, keeping silent. Anakin was fighting with himself, knowing that the journey would be easier with help of the Force, but unable to reveal himself to potential enemies.
It was a horrible feeling. A green blast shot out from his left, and was easily deflected with his saber. The shots were coming faster now, even as there was no sign of the shooter. He was immensely glad to have Qui-Gon at his side; The wise Jedi had fought many a battle in his 71 years.
"Perhaps droids?" Qui-Gon asked.
Anakin shook his head. "Droids aren't so accurate, even in the Empire." As he motioned for Artoo to clear the path ahead, what he saw before him was a sight he wouldn't soon forget...
..
Despite the warm, humid environment of the forest, Obi-Wan felt his blood run cold. Mace Windu? Cautiously, he approached the dark-skinned Jedi, his saber at the ready. "Mace?" He whispered, his voice loud even at a whisper.
There was nothing. No awareness, no acknowledgement. Hearing the Force screaming in the back of his mind, warning him that something was wrong, he moved into a defensive stance just as Mace fired his blaster. Obi-Wan deflected the shot, knowing that whomever this was, it was NOT Mace Windu. Still, the doppelganger pressed him forward, firing at almost point-blank range.
Obi-Wan knew he had to either find a way to disarm the man, or eliminate him. It. Whatever. Turning to block a shot, he found himself face to face with his former student.
ANAKIN?!
The momentary break in his concentration was all the dark-skinned man needed. As Obi-Wan's mouth gaped open, he felt a sharp, brilliantly hot pain climb up across his side...
..
For a long moment, Anakin stared at the sight before him. It was Obi-Wan, and he was alive! Naturally, he knew it was possible, but it was pretty shocking all in all. He'd heard Qui-Gon inhale sharply, and knew that no matter how much he missed Obi-Wan, it couldn't compare with what Qui-Gon must feel. "Master?"
Qui-Gon clasped his arm. "He's injured." He whispered, before running towards Obi-Wan.
Anakin followed, frantically trying to keep up with the venerable Master. From this vantage point, he could see that Obi-Wan was now surrounded by what appeared to be Mace Windu and Plo Koon.
Windu and Koon?
Igniting his saber, Anakin leapt into the fray...
..
His vision swimming, Obi-Wan defended himself the best he could. He could feel the Force skittering around him, but could not quite grasp it. A green lightsaber blade came to life with a snap-hiss behind him, and he thanked, whomever that was, for the help. He tried to send as much healing energy to the wound as possible, but it was nearly impossible without calling completely on the Force.
Spots began to dance before his eyes, and he watched the tall form of Mace Windu fall to the ground, lifeless. Taking a painful breath, he wondered why the Force picked this moment to call on him; For there was no other explanation as to why he was currently being cradled by Qui-Gon Jinn. "Master?"
..
Anakin glanced over his shoulder as Qui-Gon picked the unconscious form of Obi- Wan Kenobi up and into his arms. He saw Artoo in the clearing just ahead, beeping excitedly. They had to get out of here! As sure as he was that Aurora had been here, he also knew that she was NOT here right now. Lingering any longer would be disastrous, and he had to think quickly.
Logistically, he could carry Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Artoo to the next Universe, but he could not leave without Aurora. No, they had to find a ship. Grabbing his comlink, he called to Artoo. The little droid beeped back, alerting him to the fact that it was already taken care of. He had to smile; Artoo was always so resourceful. Although, he didn't want to ask how Artoo managed the task. "Master, this way-" He saw Qui-Gon running towards him, and hoped they would make it...
*******
Segment 9 is written by Julie
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Uni-V
Obi-Wan watched Qui-Gon with rapt attention as the older man dressed his wounded side. Too overwhelmed to speak, Obi-Wan could only stare. He still had not recovered from Anakin and Qui-Gon's sudden appearance. As he studied Qui-Gon, he noticed that he looked very much like he had before Darth Maul had killed him, more then 15 years ago, but Obi-Wan could sense he was much older then that. The wisps of gray Obi-Wan remembered hidden in his master's hair and beard was now the predominate color.
Qui-Gon finished applying the bacta patches, and looked at Obi-Wan sadly. "Its good to see you alive and well, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up, "I was about to say the same of you."
"Oh?"
"Yes," Obi-Wan grimaced. "You are supposed to be dead."
Qui-Gon contemplated that for a moment. "I see," He thought carefully of what to say next. "I will not be here long, Obi-Wan. I am not your Qui-Gon. Anakin and I have traveled here from another universe."
Qui-Gon waited with placid calm while a dozen expressions ranging from incredulity to absolute denial flitted across Obi-Wan's face. He finally settled on blank confusion, but was saved from replying as the ship shook.
"We are under attack?" Obi-Wan stated blandly.
Qui-Gon nodded and paused sensing outward. "Were. We have jumped to lightspeed now."
"You came here from another universe, but," Obi-Wan stated skeptically, "you will have to go back?"
"That is correct."
Obi-Wan sighed and tried his best to believe this absurdity that his senses and the Force were telling him was true. "You died, that Sith killed you on Naboo," Obi-Wan sounded as though he was trying to remind Qui-Gon.
"In my home, I survived that battle," Qui-Gon then stopped and looked up as the door swished open and their pilot entered.
Obi-Wan stared at the tall man who walked into the room. He was a Jedi Master and wore his great power quietly without arrogance. Obi-Wan could sense that he was actually a few years older then himself, yet like Qui-Gon, appeared younger. Everything about him said he was Anakin Skywalker.
Everything Anakin should have been.
Anakin glided to the bedside and knelt beside it. "I've missed you, Master."
Obi-Wan grinned boyishly. He thought he'd never hear Anakin call him that ever again. "What are you two doing here?"
Anakin sighed irritably. "To find a reckless young Jedi. She's -"
"Certainly her father's daughter," Qui-Gon interrupted and cocked one eyebrow, daring Anakin refute him. Anakin gave Qui-Gon a mock glare and smiled lopsidedly.
"You have a child?" Obi-Wan looked stunned.
"I have three children, however Aurora is a Knight now," Anakin explained.
"How old is the Anakin of this universe?" Qui-Gon inquired.
Obi-Wan became very still. "He would be in his mid-20s I believe."
Anakin frowned at Obi-Wan's odd tone of voice. The terrible darkness he and Qui- gon had sensed combined with Obi-Wan's distressful reply, led Anakin to change the subject. "Why were there clones of Jedi?"
"The Emperor Palpatine is using them to conquer the galaxy and kill us," Obi- wan's face contorted in pain. He watched their responses carefully. Qui-Gon was grim and Anakin looked ready to fight. And he could see that they both recognized the Emperor's name. With a sinking feeling, Obi-Wan continued. "All Jedi are outlaws. The Sith are determined to purge us and they are succeeding."
"How could just two Sith destroy thousands of Jedi, even with the help of clones?" Anakin spoke in almost a whisper.
Obi-Wan dreaded his next words, but knew they must be said. "Because the Emperor succeeded in turning you to the Darkside. My Anakin Skywalker is now a Sith called Darth Vader."
Anakin went pale and looked very sick. Qui-Gon reached out a hand to steady him and turned to Obi-Wan with sorrowful eyes. Obi-Wan expected Anakin to respond with anger, apathy, shock or even fear, but not despair and grief. Anakin dropped his head to rest against the edge of the bunk. When he finally looked up again he had regained his visible composure, but was still distraught.
"What can we do to help?" Qui-Gon asked softly.
"There is a rebellion starting, its small, but growing steadily," Obi-Wan suddenly paused on his last word. "But I can't take you there. Padmé -"
Anakin's eyes lit up briefly. For a moment Obi-Wan could see the eager child he had raised, but the sudden agony in Anakin's eyes was worse then he'd seen the day Shmi died.
"It would be better not to," Qui-Gon advised Anakin gently, but firmly.
Obi-Wan glanced back and forth between them warily as the answer came to him. "I'm sorry for your loss, Ani."
Anakin stood up and leaned against the opposite wall. "Thank you, Obi-Wan," He murmured. "Palpatine -" Anakin took a deep breath to steady himself.
Qui-Gon finished for him. "Palpatine murdered billions, including Padmé," Qui- gon's voice grew rough, "and you Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan could only nod, he knew exactly how they felt. They both turned to look at Anakin's haggard face and wait for his answer.
"I understand." Anakin replied hoarsely. "Padmé would only be hurt worse to see me."
"I'll take you our sanctuary, where the surviving Jedi are. Yoda will know how to help find your daughter, Ani," Obi-Wan reassured them.
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Segment 10 is written by starwarsfan1000
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Uni-A
Vader advanced on the twins. Suddenly Luke darted forward to attack, hoping to surprise Vader. After parring a few blows aimed at his legs, Vader shoved Luke of his feet and whirled to meet Leia's attack, aimed for his head.
Deflecting Leia's blow, Vader slashed at her stomach. Leia somehow managed to block the blows, even though she was forced back a few steps. Next Vader Force flung Leia into a wall, knocking the breath out of her and causing a moment of sharp pain in her back.
Spinning around, Vader deflected Luke's attack, aimed at his stomach. So, he thought, they've never fought two on one or they would have better coordination. They have only sparred with their Masters. Vader delivered a vicious uppercut that sent Luke's lightsaber spinning out of his hands.
By this time Leia had managed to stand up and catch her breath. He's toying with us, she thought, not making any effort to kill. She decided to try a new tactic, Luke, she thought to her brother, both of us attack at the same time.
Luke nodded and both of them charged Vader. Vader somersaulted out of the way and used the Force to fling Luke out of the way. Luke landed with a thud against a tree and dropped to the ground, dazed, with pain shooting through his back.
Turning his attention to Leia, Vader saw a look flash across her face, the look of someone who knew that they could not win. Using the Force, he shoved Leia into a wall.
Vader deactivated his lightsaber and walked back into the shadows leaving two very confused teenagers behind.
Luke got to his feet and ran over to Leia, "Are you okay sis?"
"I'm fine," Leia answered.
"What was that thing?" Luke asked.
Leia shrugged and replied, "I don't know."
Luke sat down against the wall next to her, "What I'd really like to know is why he just left. It makes no sense, he had us dead to right and just left."
"I can't answer that either," Leia said.
"Is there anything you can answer?" Luke teased.
"Probably not," Leia laughed.
*******
Vader walked along the wall, They can think on their feet, he thought, They will try something new without having practiced it.
Turning a corner, he thought, I will have to test them again. It would be prudent to look into more things here.
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Segment 11 is written by Julie
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Uni-V
"What are the twins are like?" Padmé asked the young Jedi Knight.
"They are 16 years old now. Leia looks a lot like you and she has Father's temper. She is a good negotiator and does all of the haggling when she and Master Gallia are away on missions. But we've known that since she was two years old when she nearly convinced Dad to let her have three cookies for dessert instead of one." Aurora took a deep breath.
Padmé tried to hide her amused grin from the younger woman. She'd never seen such a talkative Jedi before. In her experience, Jedi were calm, collected and rarely spoke of themselves or anything personal about their lives. Aurora talked happily in a normal pace, but due to her Force-enhanced lung capacity she could say a great deal before needing more air.
"Luke is a lot like Father. He loves to fly and will probably be as good a pilot as Father one day. Luke is often the rash one and Leia has to stop him from rushing ahead. However, his master says he is just impulsive and that he'll outgrow it with more training."
"So, who is training Luke?" Padmé asked.
"Master Yoda."
Padmé's eyes widened in surprise. "My husband," she said quietly, "told me that Master Yoda always disliked him and did not want him to be trained. I can't imagine that he would want to train any child of Anakin's."
Aurora frowned, "It was like that as well in my universe, but over the years I suppose Master Yoda has learned to accept Father. They still disagree on a lot of things, but Master Yoda has never let that control his treatment of us."
Aurora looked rather uneasy for a moment before continuing, "Actually, Master Yoda spoiled us. When we were very little, he would do silly things to frustrate Father. Like giving us candy before dinner," Aurora smirked. "Master Yoda and several other masters argued for *years* about who would get to teach Luke and Leia. I found out later that they had fought over me as well, and that Master Obi-Wan barely beat them to it. Of course, Father is our second master, and he had to approve who got to take us as Padawans."
"Second master?" Padmé asked.
"Oh, it's a rule that all Skywalkers must have two masters, 'to adequately train and monitor their growth in the Force.'" Aurora quoted and rolled her eyes. "But it's really just to keep us out of trouble."
"Here," Padmé indicated her universe, "Anakin was only trained by Obi-Wan."
Aurora bit her lip, "At home, he was trained by both Master Obi-Wan and Master Qui-Gon."
Padmé was confused, "Qui-Gon didn't fight the Sith on Naboo?"
"No, he did," Aurora explained. "And he was injured very badly, but he survived."
Padmé nodded her understanding and looked wistfully out of the window. An uneasy silence fell over them.
"Do you mind if I ask you something personal?" Aurora burst out suddenly.
Padmé blinked, "I suppose."
"Why didn't you have any children?" Aurora's face crumpled.
Padmé could see the worry in her eyes, concern that there had been children. Or worse, children who had not survived, "It never seemed to be safe. Between Ani's missions and the wars we both fought in, we didn't see each other much." Padmé's voice trailed off for a moment.
"And we agreed that it wouldn't be fair to put children through that," Padmé's voice once again reduced to almost a whisper, "And now I know we were right not to. If we had, Vader would have turned them into -"
Aurora laid a comforting hand on Padmé's shoulder. Padmé's head was bowed and her eyes closed, fighting tears. She regained her composure quickly and smiled sadly at Aurora in silent thanks.
A ping from the control board interrupted them. Padmé leaned forward in her seat expectantly. "We're here." Smoothly, she eased the ship out of lightspeed.
"There's Dagobah," she pointed out for Aurora as the approached.
"Its nothing but swamp," Aurora commented.
"Yes, mostly," Padmé answered as they dropped into the atmosphere, "But there are a few decent landing sites. We'll have to disguise the ship as much as we can."
The place Padmé had chosen was currently at mid-day in the planet's cycle and the mist hanging over it was at its least. Even so, landing was tricky. Aurora had to put all of her spare concentration into aiding Padmé as she navigated safely to the ground.
"Dreary looking, isn't it?" Padmé commented at the gray mist outside of the cockpit window. The two of them began unstrapping themselves from their seats.
"The Jedi's sanctuary is to the north of us, where the swamp is much denser," Padmé explained. "It will take at least an hour for me to hike there, even with your help."
A rush of humid hot air filled the cabin as the ship's hatch opened. The heavy mist wafted in and obscured much of the swamp and trees from view. Padmé stepped out first and walked right into a waiting Jedi.
Aurora halted at the base of the ramp. "Hello, Father," she said ruefully.
*******
Segment 12 is written by Julie
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Uni-A
"Master?"
Luke didn't even try to conceal how Yoda's words hurt him.
Yoda quickly reassured his Padawan, "Believe you, I do."
"But it was real!"
Yoda sighed, "Looked real, it did. Sounded real, felt real, yet unharmed you are."
Luke pondered that a moment. He was sore from being flung around, but not seriously injured.
"But, Leia saw it too!" Luke insisted. "And she fought it with me!"
"Hmmm, did she?" Yoda shook his head. "A vision you both shared, this is. If real this evil monster was, dead you'd both be."
Luke frowned at his master's concerned face. "But I saw it." Luke whispered stubbornly.
"Sense you in danger, I did not."
Luke's blood ran cold and he stared at Yoda.
"Speak of this no more today, we will. Appointment with the Chancellor, I have. Be ready to go, my Padawan."
"Yes, Master." Luke murmured quietly and hurried away.
*******
"You have got to be kidding!" Mara flung herself on the sofa and stared at her best friend.
"Oh, no," Leia said in disgust. "Don't tell me you don't believe it really happened either!"
"Hey, I'm just saying to does sound a little far fetched. Some big evil machine guy wanders into the Jedi Temple and none of the masters sense him?"
Leia grimaced. It did sound ridiculous. They looked up as the door slid open and Luke jogged in. He was scowling and didn't look up but ran straight to his room.
"Luke?" Leia called out in concern.
"Hey! You could acknowledge our existence you know!" Mara announced loudly from the sofa.
Luke came out sheepishly carrying his brown cloak and travel belt, "Hello Mara. Hello Leia. Has your day been as awful as mine?" He gave them a rueful look.
"Probably," Leia frowned. "Master Adi thinks I dreamed the whole lightsaber fight. What about you?"
"Worse. Master Yoda didn't even sense him."
Leia went pale and looked sick. And angry. "But it was *real*!"
"Look, I gotta hurry to some meeting Master Yoda is going to." Luke felt torn between duty and wanting to comfort his twin, "Mara, stay with her, okay?"
"Sure, Luke."
******
Darth Vader stealthfully followed Master Adi Gallia as she entered the large Jedi Council Chamber. As he had sensed, Master Yoda and Master Windu were not present and it was therefore safe for him to eavesdrop on the Council. He continued to walk silently behind Master Gallia as she nodded to the rest of the Council and took her seat.
Vader was careful to stand by a pillar. His cloaking skills were excellent, but it wouldn't do to take un-necessary risks that could give him away. Especially, while in a room filled with Jedi Masters. Vader only recognized those who held permanent Council seat and had never seen the beings holding the temporary ones. Nine of the twelve seats were filled and it appeared that they had been in a discussion for some time.
"Ah, Adi," Master Eeth Koth said, "Yugwen has finished informing us," he gestured to a few of the others who Vader did not know, "of the recent developments during our absence."
"Yoda and Mace have been delayed. They will not join us until mid-afternoon, and would like us to continue our debate without them for now." Adi relayed to the rest.
At once the discussion resumed full force and Vader was hard pressed to follow who was saying what.
"He was right!"
"How many times has Anakin sat here at told us we need rules for this? How many times?!"
"I've lost count. But it didn't seem important, Anakin was the only person in the galaxy who could do it."
"We should not have needed to worry about this now. Even he agreed that it might not have been an issue for another decade."
"Calm," Everyone quieted and looked at Yaddle, "What is past is past," she reminded them.
Ki-Adi Mundi raised one hand to gain everyone's attention, "This is just another example of what happens when we do not heed Anakin's warnings."
One of the new members, a female Twilek spoke up, "Has anyone sensed when he will return?" she glanced around her.
"From what he has told us, traversing universes can be quite time-consuming." Another of the unknown members answered her; "He has no control over the different rates of time in each one. It could be days, weeks, or theoretically longer. Though he has always returned to us within a month before."
"We can't even begin know how to form regulations for this without his counsel and approval." Eeth Koth reminded them.
As everyone in the room nodded in agreement, Vader felt a chill go through him. His environmental suit immediately worked on raising his body temperature back to normal. This was nothing like the Jedi Council he had slaughtered. He eyed them suspiciously and with growing dread.
"Anakin has held a seat on this Council for five years," Depa Billaba stated abruptly, "Since Yoda is not here to loudly argue, I feel that now would be a good time to address Mace's proposal that Master Skywalker be named a permanent member of this Council."
Something in Vader snapped. He would have caught his breath had his mechanical suit not been in control over his lungs. It couldn't be possible. The arrogant, controlling, and stifling Jedi would never have wanted him to be a member of their ruling body. Never.
But, here they had.
Rage and jealousy pooled inside of Vader's head and threatened to spill outward. Quickly, he moved to leave the chamber. The anger and envy boiled inside of him and he desperately tried to block out the heartfelt agreements, sincerity, and absolute confidence in Anakin Skywalker being expressed by everyone behind him.
*****
Segment 13 is written by Anakin's Angel
******
Uni-V
Silence hung in the air, nearly as thick as the Dagobian climate itself. Padmé, stumbling backwards clumsily, silently cursed the thick mist around her. Raising her eyes, she felt shivers race up her spine as she gazed into the pair of crystal-blue eyes that had haunted her dreams. "Anakin..." She whispered, falling and feeling the damp of the swamp beneath her knees.
Aurora was at her side immediately, entwining their shaking hands together. Distantly, she noticed that they had the same hands.... "I'm okay, honest." She whispered; the shaky tone of her voice giving her away. Aurora nodded, gently assisting her back on her feet.
"Father, I hadn't expected to see you-" The girl began, before being cut-off with a long-practiced glare from Anakin.
"We'll discuss this later, Aurora," Anakin ground out, unable to tear his eyes from the woman before him. "Padmé. It's...nice to see you." Internally wincing, he lowered his eyes at last.
Taking in the situation, Aurora nodded and moved to stand near the hulking form of Qui-Gon. Together, they watched as Anakin and Padmé moved closer to one another, as if drawn by some...Force. "Why don't we leave them for a moment?" she whispered. Qui-Gon nodded, and together they walked further into the trees.
..
Remaining calm, when everything inside her screamed that something was wrong, proved more difficult than she'd expected. A myriad of thoughts fought each other for dominance inside her mind. Watching as Aurora and...Qui-Gon, moved to allow them some privacy, her first thoughts were of how any of this could be possible. "Are you real?" she heard herself ask.
Anakin nodded, offering her his hand. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
She cautiously accepted his gesture, feeling the warm, human flesh inside her own. Gazing into his eyes, she noticed - for the first time - how much older he appeared. Lines spread out from his eyes, and around his crooked smile. "I..please forgive my hesitation. The Anakin Skywalker I know..." She trailed off, turning away. Pacing now, she stopped when she felt him gently reach for her arm.
"The Anakin Skywalker you know," he paused, his voice still the same, tender tone that she'd loved, "Is not me."
Somewhere, deep inside, she knew this. In spite of everything that screamed at her, telling her it was impossible. Nodding, she allowed herself to be led from the relative safety the ship had provided. Her heart was racing, faster than her mind, it seemed. She had given up, on him...on Anakin. On what he had become. While this man before her was not...Vader, it was taking her mind some time to catch up. They walked for a few silent moments, his hand entwined inside hers. The more they walked, the more her heart cried out...
For it to really be him...
For this to be real...
..
She was afraid of him.
He hadn't expected to see her, and agreed with Qui-Gon that it would be better if he didn't. Now...well, now he was left to deal with the impulsive actions of his daughter. Force only knows what she could have told Padmé. Rationally, Anakin knew why Padmé was afraid of him; from what Obi-Wan had told him, the Anakin Skywalker in this universe had hurt her more than words could describe. Allowing himself a moment of uncharacteristic rage for his alter-self, he quickly squashed down the emotion. He had to convince her that he was real.
And he would not hurt her.
Spotting a clearing, he led her towards a nature-made bench of wood and moss. Various creatures scurried about, mingling with the living Force around them. She sat down beside him, radiating fear, mixed with unguarded elation. "I see you've met Aurora?" He offered, lamely.
She nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes, she's a joy."
He could sense the fondness that Padmé had developed for his oldest, and knew then that Aurora must have told her. Loathe to say anything to upset her, Anakin merely drank her in. The same brunette hair, the same beautiful eyes, she was unchanged in his mind. She was also years younger than he. At his estimate, he guessed she was near thirty-standard.
His Padmé had died at thirty-eight.
"She's told you." It wasn't a question.
Padmé let out a deep breath, and squeezed his hand. "That she's from another universe, where she's my daughter? Yes, she has."
Lowering his head, Anakin could only laugh. "That's Aurora for you. Always jumps right in, heart first." He mused, lightly.
"Not unlike her Father?" She shot back, instantly regretting it. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to compare you to-"
He reached out and brushed a stray piece of hair from her cheek, feeling her shiver. "I guess some things remain the same, I see," She met his eyes for a moment, before turning away. "Aurora has your smile, you know."
..
Those words, combined with everything else, brought tears to her eyes. She was, at once, insanely jealous of the life her...other self had gotten to live. A loving husband, three happy children, it was so unfair! Yes, she knew that Aurora had her smile, and her hands, and her Father's unnerving way of getting under your skin. Wiping at the tears, she sucked in a lungful of air. Stars! What was happening? "Why are you here?" she managed, after another deep breath.
"I had to find my daughter," He stated, simply. "I hadn't imagined that she would end up here, or find you!"
"No, I hadn't either." And that was the truth. She watched his emotions flit across his face. He was older, yes; But no less handsome than he ever was. "Anakin," She began, clearing her throat, "I know why Aurora is here," His face showed obvious confusion, so she continued. "With the best of intentions, she...well, she told me that she wishes for me to return with her. With both of you."
Anakin let out a rush of breath, shaking his head. "Qui-Gon and I have searched everywhere for her!" he whispered, a touch of anger tainting the words. "She has no right asking that of you! No right!"
Having known the workings of his mind for years, Padmé watched as he struggled with the onslaught of emotion. "She had to be pretty sly to get past both you and Qui-Gon." She teased, trying to get a glimpse of those blue eyes once again. It worked.
"Sly?" He laughed, thinking of the times he'd scoured the Temple for her when she was small. "You could say that. I'm just thankful that Qui-Gon was able to keep a level head."
Just the mention of the older man brought back distant memories. Qui-Gon had only been in her life for a few days, yet had made a lasting impression on her. "I knew Qui-Gon for such a short time. He was a kind man."
A sigh. "Yes, and I know he'll be pleased to see you again," taking her free hand, he placed a kiss on it. "As am I."
Fighting the urge to crumble inside his arms, she stood up, pulling him up with her. "Oh, you always were a charmer, Anakin Skywalker..."
He laughed, seeing her smile, as if out of a dream. "And you always were an angel."
...
*****
Segment 14 written by starwarsfan1000
*******
Anakin stood in a loose circle with Padmé, Aurora, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, just talking. Suddenly a voice spoke up behind him, "Different are you."
Spinning around, Anakin saw Yoda standing behind him, "Master Yoda."
Yoda looked at Qui-Gon and Aurora, "Be here you should not."
Aurora looked at the ground, Qui-Gon bowed, "My Master, we are in this universe because Aurora decided she wanted to try and find a Padmé willing to go back to our universe."
Yoda gazed long at Aurora, "Strong in the Force, she is to hop universes."
"Yes, she is," Anakin said, "This place is gloomy."
"Bad time to be a Jedi, it is. Hunted down and slaughtered, we are," Yoda said.
"How long has this been going on?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Three years," Yoda replied.
"How many Jedi have been killed?" Anakin asked.
"Three-fourths of all Jedi are dead," Yoda said, "Only myself and Ki-Adi Mundi are left from council."
"Why are you on this planet?" Qui-Gon asked.
"The Force is strong here. Helps to hide us it does," Yoda said.
"Since we are here, could you help us?" Anakin asked.
"Know if you should, I know not," Yoda said, "Talk to Mundi we should."
"Soon, Master Yoda," Anakin said, then turned to Aurora, "We have to talk, now."
*****
End part 2 of 4