Chapter 7

"Anakin."

Vader opened his eyes, puzzled. He should have been sitting in the cockpit of the Desert Angel, awaiting his emergence from hyperspace. But he found himself in the gardens of the Jedi Temple, in a meditative stance and with Luke by his side.

"Anakin."

He turned slightly. Walking down a gravel pathway, smiling fondly, was Qui-gon Jinn.

"Don't be alarmed, Anakin," Qui-gon told him. "You're neither dead nor hallucinating."

"Am I dreaming then?" he asked.

"In a sense," Qui-gon replied. "Dreams are normally the mind's means of sorting out the day's memories, but dreams can also put their dreamer into deeper touch with the Force."

Luke opened his eyes. A puzzled frown furrowed his brow. "Who are you?"

"An old friend of your father's, Qui-gon Jinn," he replied.

His eyes widened in recognition. "I remember! Yoda gave my father your lightsaber!"

"As I wished him to," Qui-gon said with a smile. "Come, let's walk a ways together." He extended a hand toward Luke.

"This is too bizarre," Luke murmured as he accepted Qui-gon's aid in standing. "We're sharing a dream and talking to a dead Jedi."

"If this is the most bizarre thing that has ever occurred in the Force, then I'm a nerf herder," Vader retorted with a laugh.

They strolled through the gardens, simply reveling in their surroundings for a moment. The Jedi Gardens had been a haven of peace, both for adherents to the Order and citizens of Corusant – they had been one of the few areas of the Temple that were open to the public. Unlike the government-owned parks and most private gardens, these grounds had been untouched by modern landscaping and were only minimally tended, ensuring that the greenery remained as close to its natural state as possible. Plants, trees, and shrubs from all over the galaxy grew wild, and birds and insects added a constant background thrum.

"You've come far, Luke and Anakin," Qui-gon told them, ducking underneath the bud-heavy boughs of a flowering tree. "Obi-wan, Yoda, and I are all quite proud of you."

It took Vader a moment to find the words. "Qui-gon… I… I'm sorry that I failed you."

"And how exactly did you fail me?" Qui-gon asked, looking rather amused.

"How didn't I?" he replied. "I turned against the Order, I slaughtered so many Jedi, I destroyed all this…" He gestured about him to indicate the garden and Temple. "All in the name of the dark side. You thought me the Chosen One, but how could the Chosen One cause so much destruction?"

"You are the Chosen One," Qui-gon assured him. "That cannot be changed. But even prophecy doesn't prevent one from making his or her own choices."

"The Chosen One?" Luke repeated, puzzled.

"The prophecy of the Chosen One," Qui-gon explained, "is as old as the Order itself. According to the prophecy, the midichlorians themselves would father a Jedi stronger than any other, one who would bring balance to the Force. When I met your father, Luke, and learned the circumstances of his birth, I knew without a doubt that he was the one foretold to bring balance."

"But I never brought balance…" protested Vader.

"You will," Qui-gon replied with a gentle smile. "You will."

The certainty in the old Master's voice and expression only unsettled Vader. Qui-gon had placed so much faith and expectation on a slave boy who had grown to become the most infamous Sith in the history of the galaxy. How could Vader live up to the ideals of the Chosen One when he didn't even know what those ideals were? He had no desire to disappoint Qui-gon, but when he had already done so much evil, how could he hope to bring the balance?

They reached a simple wooden bridge that crossed a wide stream, the sole manmade artifact in the gardens. Qui-gon stepped onto the planks and leaned against the railing, staring into the waters. His expression darkened, betraying an enormous weight of worry. Concerned, Vader walked across the bridge to stand beside his Master's teacher.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I was sent to warn the two of you," he replied gravely. "Your mission to Byss is far more than you realize."

"Kain knows we're coming, doesn't he?" asked Luke.

Qui-gon nodded. "The Sith will meet you at their fortress. They intend to convert or destroy you. This will quite possibly be the most difficult challenge you will ever face." His eyes took on a faraway look. "I fear that only one Order will survive this battle."

Vader's grip on the railing tightened as realization struck. The prophecy!

"Yes, Anakin," Qui-gon replied as if reading his thoughts. "The mortal battle between the Jedi and the Sith will be yours to fight."

At once the pieces fell together. For the first time in decades, his life was beginning to make sense. All his life he'd questioned his destiny as the Chosen One, attempted in vain to decipher it, even denied it entirely. And now, at long last, he would fulfill his calling and redeem himself… or die trying. He wouldn't let himself consider a second fall to the dark side.

"You won't fight alone," Luke said firmly, clasping his father's shoulder. "I'll be by your side every step of the way."

"If you choose to aid your father in his battle, Luke, you must realize that there can be no turning back," Qui-gon warned.

"I won't let him fight Kain and Palpatine alone," Luke insisted.

"Very well," Qui-gon replied. "You both must use utmost caution. The Sith fortress is a place of powerful evil – more so than any other place in the galaxy. There are forces within that will try to entrap or smother you. Kain and Palpatine will be at the utmost height of their power as long as they are within its walls. If you are to defeat them and their legacy of darkness, you must utilize all you have been taught. Remember that the dark side can appear to be desirable, but in the end its power will enslave you. Trust in the Force… and in your bond of love."

"Wait a minute," Vader countered. "Whatever happened to 'a Jedi shall not know love?'"

"Here we go again," Qui-gon said with a roll of his eyes. "You know, I'm infamous in the Jedi Order for being its resident heretic, and I think that's the one part of the Code I've taken the most issue with."

"I don't understand it either," Luke said. "Why forbid love? To me, love is the opposite of hatred. Since the dark side is based in hatred, why wouldn't the light side be based in love?"

"A good question," Qui-gon replied. "Perhaps your father can answer it for you."

"Qui-gon…" protested Vader.

"Anakin, this wound has festered in your heart for years," he interrupted gently. "In sharing your pain with Luke, perhaps that wound can finally begin to heal."

He wanted to argue further, but he couldn't. "Very well. All emotions are closely linked, Luke. For every positive emotion, there is an opposing negative emotion that nonetheless evokes a similar reaction and, in some part, stems from that positive emotion and can even coexist with it on occasion. Excitement and panic, for example, are expressed similarly but are vastly different at their core – for one stems from happiness, the other from fear. The same applies to joy and anger, serenity and despair…"

"Or love and hate," Luke finished.

"Or love and hate," Vader agreed. "And under the wrong circumstances, a positive emotion can rapidly mutate to its negative counterpart."

"The Order knew all this," Qui-gon added. "And rather than risk a Jedi being seduced by the 'dark sides' of their emotions, they incorporated Codes that would reduce or eliminate such emotions. Jedi were conditioned to put aside their personal pleasures and fears, to avoid getting involved in situations that might trigger those feelings, and to put their duties ahead of their own passions and desires… or even their lives."

Vader recalled the Emperor's scathing denunciation of the Jedi at their last encounter – "There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no fear, no anger, no joy, no despair, and most blasphemously, no love. Only duty. Only mindless, undeterred, unquestioned loyalty toward whatever pet project the Council has pledged itself to. The negative emotions are forbidden – they only lead to the dark side. The positive emotions are forbidden – they only lead to negative emotions and, again, to the dark side. All emotion is evil because it makes Jedi think, question, and stray. And so the Jedi have erased emotion entirely from their Order."

"But in my honest opinion," Qui-gon continued, "such measures only made the problem worse."

"What do you mean?" asked Luke.

"I'll give you an example. On Corusant, someone is killed in a traffic accident every five seconds. A startling statistic, yes, but how does one react to it? Would the answer be to barricade oneself in their apartment and avoid any travel whatsoever? That would be an option, but in doing so one would cut themselves off from ever escaping their comfort zone, from exploring the opportunities beyond their self-contained world. The more viable solution would be to exercise caution when driving, to obey the traffic laws and use common sense in the traffic lanes. And yes, there would still be the possibility of being involved in an accident, but that risk can be reduced if care is taken."

"I understand," Vader replied. "If one seeks to avoid the danger by avoiding the situation, they can never learn and grow from the situation. They can face the situation, but do so with caution and preparation."

"This is not to say that you simply jump blindly into every situation," Qui-gon replied. "You don't jump off a cliff or smoke a death stick just to see what it's like. You use your own judgment, your own brain, rather than relying on someone else's judgment."

Luke nodded. "The Order decided to ban the possibility of a Jedi falling to the dark side by simply banning emotion. But in doing so they denied their adherents the privilege of ever experiencing the joys of love, parenthood, and true friendship. If the Jedi were allowed to experience emotions, but were encouraged to exercise caution and learn to control the darker emotions, they would have been strengthened."

"And there never would have been reason to expel Anakin from the Order for his actions," Qui-gon finished. "And he wouldn't have fallen."

Vader shook his head. "The Order will have your hide, Qui-gon, for saying they brought their destruction upon themselves."

"They should have known," Qui-gon replied, "that you couldn't do it alone, Anakin. That you would need the aid of an equal, a comrade… a son."

Luke's jaw dropped.

"Yes, Luke, you share your father's destiny. You may not be the Chosen One, but as his son, you will play a key role."

Before either of them could say anything in reply, Qui-gon reached over and embraced Vader.

"I must leave you now," he said quietly. "I cannot go where you go."

Vader returned the embrace. "Thank you, Qui-gon, for believing in me. You gave me so much."

"And thank you, Anakin, for bringing me joy," he replied. "I imagine that if I'd ever had a son, he would have been a lot like you."

He couldn't hold back a snort of laughter. "No wonder you never had children."

Qui-gon chuckled. "Take care, young ones. May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you," Luke replied.

Break…

Qui-gon stayed awhile longer in the representation of the gardens after Luke and Anakin left. Stang, how those two had grown and matured in the last few years! They were fine men, and the Order would be in good hands when they finally became Knights.

Much of the Order, however, did not share Qui-gon's opinion. Oh, there were a few adherents, yes, but Obi-wan was considered biased, as he'd been Anakin's Master. A'Sharad and Aayla Secura were young (comparatively speaking), and their voices didn't carry quite as much weight as the voices of Council members such as Ki-Adi-Mundi and Mace Windu. Their greatest ally was Yoda, who had experienced a radical change of mind after having a chance to train the two Skywalkers, but even with the wise Master on their side, they were greatly outnumbered in their stance supporting Anakin.

He sighed heavily as if trying to expel the apprehension pooling in his chest. Even if Anakin brought the balance, he was far from redeemed. The Order seemed to think that they had been betrayed by the elder Skywalker, and he feared that some sort of justice – vengeance was more like it – would be demanded.

Break…

"Cheerful place," Luke muttered.

The fortress of Byss loomed before them, a stark black shadow against the blood-colored fires of sunrise. The basalt edifice threw square shoulders against the sky, windowless, with a single doorless entry gaping open like the maw of a beast. On each side of the doorway reared black marble statues of mythic Dathomirian stallions, blazing eyes set with rubies and hooves plated with steel, bony membraned wings flaring wickedly from their shoulders.

"This fortress was built by Darth Bane, the sole surviving Sith after the devastation of the Sith Wars," Vader explained. "He infused its corridors with the dark side, making it a domain of utmost darkness. The Force-strong are known to experience disturbing visions and premonitions within its walls, and it was rumored that any Jedi to enter the fortress will be driven mad by what they see."

They climbed from the cockpits of their fighters and slid to the rocky ground. Side by side they confronted the stronghold, sizing up their foe. The building seemed to stare back at them, almost as if it had been imbued with a sentience of its own.

"Why would anyone want to go in there?" Luke asked.

"You don't understand the dark side like I do, Luke," Vader replied. "It's an addiction, a madness. It holds you captive to its whims. The slightest glimmer of light is agonizingly painful. To a Sith, this is a refuge, a place where they can indulge freely in the dark side."

Luke turned to look at his father. He seemed to be transfixed by the fortress' image, lost in memories.

"You okay?"

He shook his head. "This place… it smothers you… suffocating any light… Palpatine used to bring me here so many times… I now see why."

Luke saw why as well. The Emperor had sought to crush any vestiges of light out of Vader, and what better way than to conduct his training in a place of such overwhelming darkness?

"Let's go back to our ships," Luke suggested. "We can bomb this place from the sky."

"That isn't an option. This fortress is well protected. Palpatine brought it well up-to-date by shielding it and installing gun turrets. We have to destroy it from the inside."

"The question is, will we be able to get in?"

"Of course. Palpatine wants us alive, remember?"

Luke shuddered. "It feels… strange… walking so willingly into a trap."

"They want us to face them on their ground, Luke," Vader replied. "And unfortunately, we have no choice. The best we can hope to do is attempt to flush them out and face them on somewhat equal grounds outside the castle."

"I guess…" Luke replied unsurely.

Vader placed a hand on his shoulder. "But we have an added advantage, Luke. The Sith are backstabbers by nature. The close comradeship that exists between a Master Jedi and his Padawan are nonexistent between the Sith Master and Sith Apprentice. We have the power of love on our side."

That relieved much of Luke's anxiety. "All right then, let's go in."

The doorway loomed before them, as if seeking to swallow them up. Luke stepped forward, but Vader put out a hand to stop him.

"There are security measures," he told him. "I don't think you'll be able to get past them."

"What sort of…"

There was a metallic clattering from the inside of the building, and three droidekas barreled into view. They unfolded and assumed battle stances, their wickedly curved bodies gleaming in the fiery light.

Vader stepped forward, pulled the glove from his left hand, and placed his palm on the curved shell of the foremost droideka's head. The droid whirred a moment, then gave an affirmative beep and folded itself away again, rolling back into the fortress. The others followed suit.

"The lead destroyer has sensors built into it," Vader explained, pulling his glove back on. "The handprints of every Sith ever inducted into the Order are programmed into its memory banks. I may no longer be a Sith, but I can still gain entry into their headquarters if I so choose."

"What if Palpatine had your handprint removed from its memory?" asked Luke.

"Sith records cannot be erased. Part of our own Code, if you will."

Luke recalled something Yoda had once said. "Once down the dark path you start, forever will it dominate your destiny."

"Thank you for the reminder," Vader said quietly, but without any real anger or hurt. "That is what the Sith teach – that there is no leaving their Order. But I hope to prove them wrong."

They entered the fortress. Almost instantly the darkness seemed to enfold them like an icy fog, penetrating their flesh and settling into their bones. The corridors were narrow and cramped, further heightening the sensation that the dark side had closed a tight hand over them. Even the glowpanels set into the ceiling every eight meters or so did little to dispel the gloom.

"Which way?" asked Luke.

"The Archives are located on the third floor," Vader replied. "There are lifts, but if Palpatine truly seeks to capture us, a lift is the worst place for him to corner us."

"Then is there a staircase?" asked Luke.

"This way."

They entered a small but ornate chamber, where a gray ferrocrete stairway spiraled up to the higher levels. The chamber walls had been paneled in golden-brown wood, quite in contrast with the dark hallways, but the atmosphere was no less oppressive. The glaring relief portraits of past Sith Masters carved into the paneling probably didn't do much to improve the mood.

"Eww, who's the woman over there?" asked Luke, making a face.

"She was Darth M'kbeth, Palpatine's master," Vader replied, studying the visage. Darth M'kbeth would have been lovely had her features not been tattooed and twisted into a vicious snarl. "I'm not sure what species she was, but I suspect some sort of half-breed, seeing as most humans don't have fangs or pointed ears."

"Unless those are side-effects of the dark side," said Luke with a grimace.

"The dark side's effects are far more damaging," Vader replied quietly.

"Damaging to its foes, you mean," came a hoarse snarl.

Darth Kain descended the staircase, his saber ignited. His steps were confident, his stance haughty, and he glared down at them with all the contempt of a tyrannical monarch.

Luke and Vader drew their own weapons. They hadn't expected to confront Kain this soon.

Kain sprang, bringing his blade down with staggering force. The weight of his entire body went into the strike that Vader barely deflected. Luke came at Kain from behind, slashing at his vulnerable back, but a second crimson blade hissed to life to block the attack.

Flashes of ruby and sapphire and emerald illuminated the room as Kain battled the two Jedi. Sparks showered the floor, and the tang of ozone burned their throats. For a time, the battle seemed evenly matched between Kain's fury and Luke and Vader's paired attacks.

Vader landed the first blow, taking off Kain's left arm to the shoulder. The Sith screamed in agony. Luke took full advantage of his opportunity, plunging his own weapon into Kain's back and searing through his heart. The Sith collapsed… and vanished.

Luke gaped. Vader shook his head, bewildered.

Kain's sneering laugh filled the chamber.

"It was an illusion," Vader snarled. "They're toying with us!"

"They're hoping we burn ourselves out fighting their demons," Luke said. "They're making the final battle easier on themselves."

Vader extinguished his blade. "I have a very bad feeling about this, Luke."

"I know the feeling," Luke replied.