Chapter 59 – Breakout

Author's Note: Chaos and chaos and more chaos. And I do not apologize for the plot twists in this chapter. :)

~ Amina Gila

"What?" Offee's voice reaches Anakin, overlapping with his own enraged cry of, "You would dare?" Distantly, he wonders when she was brought here, how long she's been here. Perhaps that is why he heard someone entering a little over a day ago or so. She never spoke, so he didn't realize she was present.

The Besalisk laughs, madly. "You are a failure to your master, Skywalker. Kenobi is under close guard, so your pathetic little apprentice will have to suffice."

No. No.

Anakin will not sit by here and wait for Ahsoka to die.

"I – I – we'll never get out of here," Offee argues, sounding surprisingly hesitant. "Ahsoka is a useful asset. She is strong, powerful. Killing her would be purposeless."

"You are weak, Barriss Offee," the Besalisk mocks, "Just as Lord Vader is." Anakin can hear the ray shield reactivate, can hear the footsteps slowly coming down the hall, and he panics.

He might be here, locked inside a cell, but he is not without power. The Force is with him. Always. That's what the Jedi believe, at any rate, right? And he is a Sith. He is stronger than the Jedi. He has touched the Force, both sides of it. He is the son of the Force, for all that he hates the power and the burden it has placed on him. While he may have been unable to save his mother, he will not fail to save Ahsoka. He will not stand by helplessly, watching, as another member of his family perishes.

Anakin digs deep down into himself, into the place which no one can touch as he taps into the Force. He is the Force; he is its son, and as a result, he can never truly be cut off from it. It has been a… theory on his part, but he has never tested it here in the cell. He has never had a reason to until now. The Dark Side trickles in, dark currents of power, feeding off his vengeful anger and hatred. He lets it come. The Light Side is overrated anyways. There is no peace; there is only passion.

He reaches out with the Force, exploding a wave of energy outwards, and ripping down the entrance of his holding cell to escape the confinement and plant himself firmly in the Besalisk's path, stopping him from approaching Ahsoka. "You will not touch her," he snarls, shuddering as the Force crashes into him, welcoming him into its loving embrace like a parent might, filling him with a power strong enough to put a supernova to shame.

Ahsoka gasps from behind him, and he glances towards her, briefly; she's watching him, eyes widened with… fear? Awe? Anakin doesn't know. It no longer matters to him. "You can do that?" she blurts out, showing no fear of him at least. He knows that his eyes are glowing an unrelenting Sithly yellow. Good. A twist of his hand has the ray shield on her cell down.

"Stay behind me," he warns, looking back at the Besalisk who has drawn two double-bladed lightsabers. "Stand down or die, Jedi," Anakin – no, Vader warns, the familiar feeling of bloodlust running through him, but this time, it's completely uncontrolled.

Maybe he understands, finally, why Sidious tried so hard to push him over the edge. This is a victory for him – but not for long. He'll meet his fate in due time, once Vader has had a chance to free himself and Ahsoka and escape, for he knows that the Jedi will never let him stay here now that they've learned what he's truly capable of.

With a snarl, the Besalisk leaps at him, but Vader pivots, ducking under the first strikes, dodging out of the way with a swiftness that only seems to anger his opponent. He can feel that this Jedi has Fallen; the Dark Side is strong in him, and while the Besalisk has the advantage in that he's stronger, bigger, Vader is more powerful, more skilled.

On the next strike, he uses the Force to block the end of the lightsaber with his left hand, reaching out with his right one and digging his prosthetics into the Jedi's wrist, crushing. There's a snap, and he cries out as one of his wrists is broken. One of four, though. That momentary distraction is enough for Vader to rip the double-bladed blue lightsaber from the Besalisk's grip. The hilt is big and long, designed for someone far larger than Vader, but he'll make it work. He knows how to use weapons like this, even if they aren't his preference; Sidious had him trained with all of the most commonly used weapons, including blasters.

Vader reaches out to his bond with Ahsoka, entwining their Force signatures together, silently soothing her, and promising to protect her, to keep her safe. Gathering the Force to him, Vader Force shoves the Besalisk backwards, hurling him to the end of the hall and lunging for him, swinging his new weapon with a lethal grace, each strike meant to maim or kill. He is not holding back.

The duel is fast and furious, Vader forcing the Jedi onto the defensive, scoring a glancing blow on his side, though it doesn't do much to stop him.

And then, the door slides open.

"What in the name of the Force is going on here?!" It's Tachi's voice that makes Vader and his opponent pause, looking back at the Jedi Master who is standing in the doorway, glaring at them both. And behind her – behind her… is Obi-Wan.

Vader reaches for him desperately, frantically through the Force, touching the bond between them and clinging to it like a lifeline. Obi-Wan accepts it, reaching back, offering silent, wordless comfort. And in the Force, the three of them – Vader, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka – shine. They are, the three of them, bound together by Force and by choice. They are family, and Vader will take solace in the fact that they will always choose each other, that they will always find a way back to each other.

"He's clearly trying to escape, Master Tachi," the Besalisk snaps. "Stop him."

"And how did you get in here?" she asks levelly before Vader has a chance to get a word in. "Strange that the Dark Side should surround you so strongly, Pong Krell, when you claim that you are trying to stop the Sith from escaping. You know it is impossible for someone to get free from the cells in here. They cut off the Force."

"He is no ordinary Sith," the Besalisk, Krell, snaps. "You should know that."

"Stand down," Tachi orders as Obi-Wan asks, quietly, "Anakin, are you alright?"

"Sidious sent him here to kill Ahsoka," Vader seethes.

"Never!" yells Krell leaping at her. She ducks back as if she had been expecting it, drawing and igniting her purple lightsaber to block his next flurry of attacks. Obi-Wan holds out a hand and a double-bladed lightsaber slams into his palm from outside the room, probably from one of the Temple Guards who Krell killed to get inside. He ignites the golden blades, exchanging a nod with Vader as they move in sync towards the Fallen Jedi.

Vader doesn't care about stopping Krell so much as he does about getting out. He doesn't want to be here anymore. He wants to be free. He wants to be with his family.

The duel has hardly restarted before several more Temple Guards race inside followed by other Jedi Masters, including some on the Council. "They're Fallen!" shouts Krell as soon as the other Jedi arrive. "Skywalker is trying to escape!"

"It's true," one of the Temple Guards chimes in, confirming Krell's words. "The Sith broke himself out of his cell. You can see all the debris on the floor."

"Krell is the one who has Fallen here!" Tachi snaps, casting a disgusted look at the Jedi Master.

If Vader wasn't stuck in the middle of all this, with a defenseless Ahsoka, he might find it amusing to see the way that the Jedi are fighting each other. "Lies!" Krell fires back. "You brought Kenobi down here so he could free his companions and escape."

"I brought him because we sensed a disturbance in the Force, and I knew that if something happened with Skywalker, Obi-Wan could talk him down," she hisses.

The Temple Guards move in closer, preparing to attack, and something in Vader snaps entirely, shattering beyond all hope of reasoning. "You won't touch her!" he screams at the Jedi, hurling the Force at the incoming Guards, knowing that at least one of them is a traitor who is colluding with Krell and who is planning to harm – kill – Ahsoka.

He throws himself into the fray, lightsaber flashing and spinning as he tears into the Guards. That, of course, promptly ignites a battle as Tachi attacks Krell again and Obi-Wan yells at the other Jedi Masters not to continue the fight. They don't listen, and from their perspective, they have no reason to, because Krell's words, the Temple Guard's words all seem like the truth.

Vader doesn't care. He'll escape from this place even if it's the last thing he does, and he'll make certain that Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are free. He doesn't want them, Ahsoka especially, to stay here any longer. Not when she's suffering so much because of it.

Time loses all meaning to him as he slaughters or injures the Jedi in front of him like he was born to do, like he was taught to do. He was an assassin, true, but he is so much more than that. He is Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, and that title has meaning. He is the most powerful Force user ever, and he ensures that the Jedi won't forget that.

A part of his mind is screaming at him not to kill the Jedi, just to immobilize them so that they can get out, and he tries, he really does, to hold back from delivering lethal blows. It can't always be avoided, but for the most part, he can leave them unconscious, electrocuted, maimed even. But severed limbs and broken bones are better than being dead, and he is aware that he could do so much worse.

At some point, Ahsoka picked up a lightsaber, and she's fighting next him. So is Obi-Wan. And Tachi. Evidently, she has been labeled an accomplice and is being targeted. She's fighting because they are, though she's only rendering people unconscious. Obi-Wan is holding back, too. But not Ahsoka. She's fighting with every bit of the fierceness in her, going to the same lengths as Vader is, albeit not as extreme, since she isn't as powerful.

And suddenly, amidst the chaos and bloodshed and death, Vader feels his master reaching out to him through their bond.

"My wayward apprentice, I trust you are showing the Jedi who you are," Sidious purrs into his mind. "Let them feel your power. I can feel your anger. They had it coming for imprisoning you like a wild animal. You are so much better, so much more. I know that you have been misguided by Dooku, but I am willing to overlook and forgive your mistakes if you come join me. Come to me, Lord Vader. Come to me, my boy. Together we can rule the galaxy."

"You sent Krell to kill Ahsoka!" Vader yells back at him through the Force, Force choking a Jedi in front of him and hurling her into the wall, leaving her stunned. "You killed my mother!"

"I am deeply sorry for her loss, but do not give up hope. The Dark Side is a pathway to abilities some would consider to be unnatural," Sidious replies to him, "And you the most powerful Sith ever to walk the face of the galaxy. If anyone can find a way to cheat death, you can."

Vader can't help but hesitate at that, wishing more than anything that Sidious' words are true. He knows that Sidious only seeks to have him at his side to use his power, but… the Sith Master must be destroyed, and if Vader goes to him, he will be the only one at risk. The rest of his family can escape, can go into hiding and be safe. He will – he will deal with Sidious. He can pretend to be loyal to him, and when the time is right, he can turn on him.

And if it's true, that he can find a way to bring his mother back…

Can he really refuse such an opportunity?

He already knows that the Jedi will be hunting for him relentlessly after this, and for good reason, since they'll realize how dangerous he can be. Sidious can hide him and teach him more of the Dark Side. If he is to ever overthrow his master, he needs to be stronger. He needs to be a true master of the Dark Side, no matter how much he has to sacrifice to ensure that. He – he cannot allow anyone in the rest of his family to come to harm, and if he has to sacrifice himself to ensure that, then so be it.

"I – but you sent Krell to kill Ahsoka. You will do it again, too. It's what you've told me."

"The Fallen Jedi had orders to free you and bring you to me," Sidious answers. "He overstepped his bounds." There is… something there that makes Vader think he might be lying, but he can't actually feel a lie. "You must understand," he continues, "That I have only ever sought to make you stronger. Your attachments were holding you back, but now, they are not. You have learned. You are learning. I have never harmed you without cause, my boy. It is always you, how quickly you learn, that determines the pain you endure."

Vader really, really does not agree with that. At all.

But…

But…

It is true, is it not, that he has never embraced the Dark Side like this, without fear? He did it to protect Ahsoka, but even now, he doesn't want to let go of it. It's too thrilling, too intoxicating. Before, on Tatooine, he had recognized that he was beginning to go too far. Maybe he has now. Maybe it is too late for him.

For a brief, desperate moment, Vader remembers the Light, remembers how he touched it once, how he… craved it, wanted more. He wants, so badly, to show Obi-Wan and Ahsoka and even Sidious that he is capable, that he can be better, that he can be something of his own choosing. Except it seems as though he can't, because when he had the chance, he chose to fight, to attack the Jedi, not just Krell.

Obi-Wan will probably be unsurprised, but he'll be disappointed nevertheless, and Vader wants to face that less than he's ever wanted to face anything in his life. He had been trying so hard to do what Obi-Wan would have wanted from him, because he trusted that Obi-Wan would guide him truly and not lead him astray. That is a trust that he has never been able to grant anyone other than his mother. Not even Dooku. Especially not Dooku. Dooku encouraged him to obey Sidious, encouraged him to kill, doing things against his conscience.

It was – at the time, it was right, it was the only way, perhaps, but that Dooku is his Sith teacher has only meant that Vader cannot grant him trust when it comes to guiding him along a better path. No, here, he has chosen to follow Obi-Wan, the Jedi who has promised to stay with him. They are… well, they are. It doesn't really matter what.

Vader snaps his awareness back to the present, shaking free from his musings, and with a glance, he realizes that it will not be long before they are overwhelmed entirely. So, he makes a decision, one that is the only one he can realistically make in this situation.

He enters a frequency into a comm that he steals from one of the fallen Jedi, a frequency that he has learned by memory just in case it's ever needed.

"Captain Del," he says into it, "This is Lord Vader. I have need of your assistance. I require an evac from the Jedi Temple. Volunteers only. Do not shoot to kill. Track me."

"Copy that, my Lord," Del replies, and Vader can feel a complex mix of emotions from the clone, even over the comm. "The 501st is behind you. Always. We're on the way."

The connection drops, and Vader calculates that they have ten or fifteen minutes left before their rescue arrives. He feels some guilt for calling upon the loyalty of these men, knowing that it will mean they are branded traitors, but at the same time, Vader refuses to be recaptured, and he knows that the clones can do far more for their own if they are away from the Republic.

He fights, throwing every ounce of his strength into the battle, using the Force liberally as he hurls blasts of Force lightning at his opponents or pulls down some of the decorative columns in the hallway where they currently are to buy them more time.

Time is a blur to him, but he feels the clones' arrival before he hears them. An explosion shatters the exterior wall of the Temple, and before the Jedi – or anyone – have time to react, clones are already leaping through the breach, firing stun bolts on the Jedi.

"Come on, it's time to go!" Vader yells at his allies, at Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Tachi.

Tachi hesitates the longest, but she finally manages to make it past the defensive line of clones, escaping onto the gunship that came to the rescue. As they fly away, Vader can't help but look towards the Senate building. He knows, however, that he is not to go there to meet up with his master. His destination is the Works, but first, he must ensure that the others, including the 501st, make it to safety.

They risked themselves for him, today, and it's a life debt which he can never repay except by offering them the greatest thing of all: freedom.

And that freedom will not be easy to obtain, not when there are so many clones who are owned by the Republic.

But Sidious is waiting for him, and Vader is not terribly inclined to make the Sith Master wait for long. Nothing good has ever come of it.

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