Staring at the Apex of the Dark Side
By Chad 'Graeystone' Harger
Obi-Wan dropped Luke off at Owen and Beru's house. Now truly alone Obi-Wan piloted his land speeder out into the desert with the intention of dying. Obi-Wan started losing hope during his trip to Tattoonie and the loss was complete after he dropped off Luke.
There would be no more battles, no more Republic, no more Jedi. The council was gone murdered by Palpatine. Obi-Wan knew he and Yoda could not return to fight Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader now. They were too entrenched on Corcuscant and they were most likely prepared for either of them. Even if they killed Darth Vader, Palpatine would be a bigger problem. Yoda admitted to Obi-Wan that the battle with the Emperor took too much out of him.
Thinking about Anakin angered Obi-Wan. The traitor was supposed to be the chosen one. Obi-Wan speeded up the land speeder. Anakin was supposed to be loyal to his teacher and the Jedi Council. Obi-Wan speeded up the land speeder. Anakin was supposed to bring peace to the galaxy. Obi-Wan speeded up the land speeder. Anakin was supposed to be his brother and now he was a monster called Darth Vader! Obi-Wan speeded up the land speeder.
The warning indicator on the land speeder flashed indicating Obi-Wan was pushing the craft to fast. If he went any faster the landspeeder would either shut down or blow up. Obi-Wan did not care.
Obi-Wan looked at the approaching cliffs. Beggar's Canyon the locals called it. Only the most skilled pilots could make it through. Obi-Wan smiled as the cliffs approached. He had no intention of making it through. He pushed the landspeeder as he got closer. He also felt his anger rise and he did not care. Nothing mattered anymore except for Anakin.
"Anakin!" yelled Obi-Wan. His eyes widened with hatred. He knew what that meant and he did not care. He was going to die anyway.
The Dark Side of the Force whispered to him saying why should he die alone when his former padawan and student should also die? Why should the student make a mockery out of the teacher with an act of betrayal? Not even suffering by fire was enough! He should have suffered more!
"Yes, he should suffer more," said Obi-Wan with the giddiness he felt of the Dark Side.
Obi-Wan laughed like a madman as the landspeeder was almost on top of the cliffs. His eyes widened at the elation he felt. He laughed as he jumped out of the landspeeder. The craft exploded when it slammed into the cliffs. Obi-Wan landed in a kneeling crouch ten feet away from the fireball. He reached out to the Force not caring whether it was the light or dark side of the Force he tapped into to protect him.
Obi-Wan smiled knowing there would be no one to judge him anyway. The Jedi Council was gone. The Jedi Creed burned to ashes when the Jedi Tower was destroyed. Now he could give into the temptations he fought against most of his life. No one could stop him and the first thing Obi-Wan would do was to teach his former student an even more painful lesson. Obi-Wan knew he would fight his former brother again. Whether it was Anakin or Darth Vader, one of them was going to learn the painful lessons of the Force.
Obi-Wan made his way back to civilization formulating his plans for revenge. The Dark Side of the Force slowly consumed the Jedi Master and Obi-Wan did not care for in his mind there was nothing left of value.
At the same on Corcuscant a Sith Lord and his apprentice felt a disturbance in the Force. "Lord Vader, did you feel that?" asked Emperor Palpatine.
"I have my Master," said Darth Vader. "Another Jedi perhaps?"
"Yes, but not in the way you think," said Emperor Palpatine. "I have only felt this twice before. First with Darth Maul then with yourself."
It took a few moments for Darth Vader to understand what Palpatine meant. "A Jedi has fallen to the Dark Side."
Palpatine smiled with evil. "Very good Darth Vader. You are indeed an excellent student."
Darth Vader did not know what his master had in mind. "Dealing with Jedi is one thing but another Sith? I have not thought about it," he said.
"We Sith are territorial and the galaxy is my territory," said Palpatine. "It does not matter if the other is a scum Jedi or the great Sith Lord Exar Kun. If this person does not join us, then kill him!"
Darth Vader bowed and said, "Yes, my Lord."
Emperor Palpatine smiled at Darth Vader as the Dark Lord left. If Darth Vader died then Palpatine would have a new student. To Palpatine the best thing about being a Sith Lord was that apprentices were always a credit a dozen.
Verian IV was an inhabited planet until last week. Darth Vader wiped out the colonists from space because they opposed Palpatine's decision to declare himself Emperor. Darth Vader felt the presence of the possible Sith from orbit. Taking a shuttle and five clone troops with him, Darth Vader piloted the shuttle down to the planet and landed it by one of the destroyed villages.
Vader and the troops exited the shuttle. "Over there," said one of the troops who held a scanner. "There's a life reading coming from the main street."
They walked down the main street and found their target. Their target was kneeling on the ground with their back toward them. Vader recognized the sand brown robe as Jedi design. He tried to use the Force to try to see if he could recognize this person. The only thing he could sense was that this person was indeed a Force user and a male. The person had the robe's hood over his head blocking any view. Vader could not tell if this person was human or alien.
"I am Lord Darth Vader," he said. "Emperor Palpatine has sent me to offer you a chance to join us."
The person answered by stretching his arms out to the side. He closed his open hands into fists. Vader heard the clone troops gasp for air as they reached up to claw at their throats. Vader tried to act but he was too late. The Force user twisted his fists and the clones' head violently turned to the side. Vader heard the sounds of necks being snapped. The five clone troops fell to the ground dead.
"You are strong with the Dark Side," said Vader with appreciation.
Now the person stood up but did not turn around. "Its poor decorum to discuss the Force in front of those who are without it." Vader knew the person spoke in a rasp to hide his identity.
"They are dead and we are alone so we can talk," said Vader.
"There won't be time for much talk," replied the person. Now he turned to face Darth Vader. He slowly reached up and pulled the hood back. "Hello Anakin or should I call you Darth Vader now," said Obi-Wan.
Darth Vader took quick gasps of air in reaction to his surprise. The surprise quickly vanished. Obi-Wan's skin was deep tan and his eyes a golden yellow. It was the two signs of someone who is in the early stages of being taken by the Dark Side of the Force. "You have succumbed to the Dark Side," said Vader. "I am amazed."
"You'll be dead long before it sinks in," said Obi-Wan. "By the way old friend, wouldn't one of those clones happen to be Commander Cody?"
Darth Vader reached out with an open hand. "Cody is elsewhere doing the Emperor's bidding. Obi-Wan my friend, we do not have to fight. Once again we can be student and teacher! The things we can learn and teach each other. Nothing could stand in our way. Not even Emperor Palpatine."
Obi-Wan laughed manically. It was a sound the Dark Lord never heard from Obi-Wan, not as Anakin or as Darth Vader. "I'm not here to rule but to destroy! You and Palpatine were right about one thing! The Jedi had to be stopped! I on the other will do the both of you better! It's because of both the Jedi and Sith there is so much suffering! You know the teachings of both Jedi and Sith! The Jedi taught that Force users aren't to feel hope and peace and the Sith teach that both are an enemy! We are a plague upon the galaxy and we all must die! I am going to start with you because the first kill must be sweet! We may have the Dark Side in common but that doesn't mean I'll let your betrayal slide! You will be my first and my favorite to fall at my hand!"
Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and jumped at Darth Vader. Darth Vader activated his own lightsaber. He would show Obi-Wan that everything that happened to Anakin had not slowed him down. "I see you built a new lightsaber," said Obi-Wan as the two blades connected. "A green blade. The color of envy suits you well Darth Vader."
While reveling in the Dark Side and fighting his former student, Obi-Wan soon realized Darth Vader had not slowed down even after being nearly burned to a crisp. It did not mean Obi-Wan would just roll over. Giving into the Dark Side had given the already accomplished warrior many new insights on how to fight.
Obi-Wan blocked a high strike from Darth Vader. Obi-Wan grabbed the other's wrist and with the moment distraction he kicked Darth Vader in the knee as hard as he could. Darth Vader pushed Obi-Wan back with the Force. Obi-Wan quickly recovered and got into his fighting stance.
"You have taken to the Dark Side quite well," said Darth Vader. He bent his leg and pushed the pain away with the Force. "My original offer still stands. Join me or die."
Obi-Wan shook his head. Vader was trying to buy time. Obi-Wan attacked hard and instantly put Darth Vader on the defensive. Darth Vader was also a quick study as both Obi-Wan and Emperor Palpatine told him.
Darth Vader waited for an opening of his own and managed to sucker punch Obi-Wan in the face. Obi-Wan dropped his lightsaber. Darth Vader went right for Obi-Wan not letting him get a chance to recover his lightsaber.
Obi-Wan jumped backwards into the air. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two good sized rocked. Using the Dark Side of the Force he levitated them both. He landed and launched one of the stones at Darth Vader. The Dark Lord blocked the first one with his lightsaber but he did not count on the other. The other stone struck his hands and his lightsaber fell out of his hand.
Both of them recovered their lightsabers through the Force. Darth Vader ignited his lightsaber but did not engage Obi-Wan. Instead he waited for his opponent to come to him. Darth Vader waited for Obi-Wan to get to the halfway mark. Darth Vader raised his hand and squeezed his fingers. Darth Vader got the desired result as Obi-Wan dropped his lightersaber and fell to the ground. He grabbed his neck trying to break the invisible grip.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance," said Darth Vader. "Mercy was always your weakness."
Obi-Wan managed to get to his knees. "Your deafness has always been your weakness. I said I lost all hope and without hope there's no mercy. I have learned the ways of Dark Side very fast and I'm no longer merciful! I'll bet that suit of yours has lousy insulation!" he said. Obi-Wan raised his arms and stretched them out at Darth Vader. Dark Side lightening flew from Obi-Wan's fingers and struck Darth Vader. The Dark Lord was thrown back ten feet and landed hard. Obi-Wan collapsed to the ground from the lack of air.
Both of them painfully got up. Neither of them showed any weakness. Both of them gave into their hatred. It was Obi-Wan who dug deeper for drawing hatred from the Dark Side. Obi-Wan pulled Darth Vader toward him through the Force and struck him with more Dark Side lightening while the Dark Lord was in midair. Obi-Wan felt his body feel strange but he did not care if he ended up looking worse than Palpatine. "Why did you go over to the Dark Side?" he yelled as he slammed Darth Vader through a wall of a building.
Obi-Wan ran over to the hole and saw Darth Vader trying to get up. Obi-Wan grabbed Vader's cape and lifted him into the air and slammed him into the floor. "I'm still your master so answer me now!" yelled Obi-Wan.
"I," rasped Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan grabbed Darth Vader by neck and lifted him up with one hand. He carried him over to another wall and slammed him into it. "No, I want to see your face when you answer me!" yelled Obi-Wan. He reached up with grabbed Vader's mask and using his hate filled powers, Obi-Wan ripped the facemask off of Vader's helmet. "Now tell me in your real voice! Tell why you fell to the Dark Side you son of a bitch!" screamed Obi-Wan at the top of his lungs.
There was a long silence. Obi-Wan could feel the internal battle within his former Padawan. Then Obi-Wan saw the impossible as a tear fell from Vader's right eye. The Sith never shed tears. For a moment Obi-Wan could see Anakin in those eyes. "Because. . .love. . .Padme. . .save. . .her. She. . .mattered. . .not I," he gasped.
The words were like light that pierced Obi-Wan's own darkness. He let go of Anakin. Obi-Wan fell to his knees in despair. "What did I do?" he cried out. "By the Force what did I do?"
Both of them were on the floor and very weak. Obi-Wan put the mask back onto Anakin before he asphyxiated to death. "What has become of us?" Obi-Wan asked with fear. The Jedi were dying off and he fell to the Dark Side. He could not imagine what was happening to Yoda right now. He wondered if Yoda also gave into the Dark Side. "Will all become consumed by the Dark Side now?"
"Master. . .Obi-Wan, you must listen to me while there's still time," rasped Anakin.
"Anakin, I'm sorry I did this," said Obi-Wan.
"I won't die but the Dark Side will consume me again. For you its not too late," said Anakin. "You must know the truth about the prophecy. Palpatine's teacher deceived the Jedi. He passed himself off as a Jedi prophet and purposely misinterpreted the prophecy. Later he faked his death and bided his time for someone like me to appear. I think he was the one who influenced my birth. It was why my mother doesn't know how she got pregnant. Palpatine killed his teacher and took over the plan."
"Then what was the prophecy about?" asked Obi-Wan.
"I was to make a choice that would decide the future of the galaxy and Jedi," answered Anakin.
Obi-Wan immediately understood. They all misunderstood Anakin's importance. Anakin's decision to become either a Jedi Master or a Sith Lord would determine the future. "If we had only let you become a Jedi Master then none of this would've happened," said Obi-Wan.
"Maybe, maybe not. There was my marriage to Padme and her pregnancy to take into account," said Anakin. "I know she died. . .please tell me how she died. Did I kill her?"
Obi-Wan had to be careful in how he answered. If he answered wrongly then the twins would be exposed and Anakin would instantly slip back into the Dark Side. "Anakin, you must know that she died peacefully," he answered. After the twins were reported to be in good health, Padme died and both Obi-Wan and Yoda felt her die peacefully knowing her children were safe. Anakin did not ask about the children and Obi-Wan was relieved. "I have to know, how can you fight against the Dark Side like you are right now? Nobody has ever done that. How is it that I'm doing it?"
"I think it goes back to the choice. The Jedi have made mistakes. Thinking that once a person goes over to the Dark Side is one of them," said Anakin. "My resentment toward the Jedi was that they never gave anyone a second chance and it was one of the things that drew me to the Dark Side."
Obi-Wan thought about the criminals he heard of who were redeemed and became productive members of society. Could the same thing happen with a Sith? Fresh hope flowed through Obi-Wan and he drew strength from it. "Anakin, maybe I can help you."
"I'm sorry Obi-Wan but you can't. I've slipped too far into the Dark Side. It would take something like a true family to help me," said Anakin. "If I had only gotten to mother sooner."
"Don't say there's nothing we can do," said Obi-Wan with frustration. He immediately got his emotions under control. He had to fight these negative feelings no matter what.
"Not our generation," said Anakin. "We are far too gone for such a thing. The fact that you were able to come back from the darkness shows it can be done but it will take new ideals to make it work. I can't work on something like that while fighting the Dark Side."
Obi-Wan could feel an idea on the edge of his mind but first he had to help his friend. "I have to help you in some way."
"I know my child was going to be a male. Padme told me after one of her medical examinations. If he lives please raise him to be a Jedi if he has the potential," said Anakin. "Don't make my child deny his emotions and feelings like we have. Teach him to control his emotion but not to bury them. He must accept the anger and hatred but not to give into them but rather find an open and honest way to deal with them. If he becomes a Jedi Master make sure he never makes the same kind of mistakes the council did. To deny Jedi the kind of love I had for Padme will only result in the same kind of tragedies I have caused."
"Say your child is still alive what should I tell him about you?" asked Obi-Wan.
"Tell him that Darth Vader killed me," said Anakin. "It is after all the truth from a certain point of view." He reach over and grabbed Obi-Wan by the collar of his cloak. "Now leave! I can feel the Dark Side returning! If you don't leave the system now I will end up ordering your death!"
For the last time Obi-Wan hugged his friend. He felt his tears fall from his face. "Goodbye my friend," he said. He got up and walked away from Anakin.
"If you do as I ask then give him my lightsaber so he can redeem it. A lightsaber should never be soiled by a Sith's hand," said Anakin.
"I understand," said Obi-Wan as he left the building.
Obi-Wan left the building and he could feel Anakin fight the Dark Side as much as he could. For the sake of both Anakin and his twins, Obi-Wan broke out into a run. He reached out through the Force and summoned both lightsabers to him.
Obi-Wan made his way to his ship and immediately took off and returned to Tattoonie. As he entered hyperspace he felt Anakin's fading voice in his mind say, "Goodbye my brother. May the Force be with you."
"Goodbye my brother," replied Obi-Wan. He wanted to tell Anakin the same thing about the Force but it was too late and Anakin was beyond him.
Obi-Wan's ship exited hyperspace. He slept through the trip and let the autopilot do the flying. An alarm woke him up indicating he was home. He deactivated the autopilot and landed in the spaceport at Mos Eisley. He exited his ship where a human bay attendant waited for him.
"Hey, where's Obi-Wan?" asked the attendant.
"I'm Obi-Wan," answered Kenobi. "Are you on death sticks or something?"
"Yeah right," said the attendant. "If you're Obi-Wan then I'm Jabba the Hutt. Obi-Wan isn't much older than I am old man."
Obi-Wan wondered what the man was going on about when he noticed his reflection on the bright metal of his ship. His eyes widened with horror at what he saw. The price of using the Dark Side lightening stared back at him. Using such power aged him at least twenty years and his hair and beard was white. Obi-Wan rolled up a sleeve. He even lost muscle mass. Obi-Wan was fortunate he did not end up in worse shape like Palpatine did.
"Hey, you ok?" asked the attendant.
Obi-Wan did not have time to answers questions or worry about his condition. He had more important things to do. He reached out with the Force to touch the attendant's mind and said, "Obi-Wan did land his ship here and everything is fine." As an afterthought Obi-Wan asked, "Do the Sand People consider the sight of the Great Massacre as still cursed?"
"I guess Obi-Wan did land his ship," said the attendant. "No Sand People dare go there."
"Thank you for your help," said Obi-Wan as he broke the mind link.
Obi-Wan left the hanger and decided to build his new home in the area where Anakin's mother died. Since no one would go to that region Obi-Wan felt he could safely watch Luke Skywalker until he became of age.
Darth Vader entered the Emperor's chambers. "Master I have returned," said Darth Vader.
"I see you are alone," said Emperor Palpatine. "I take it this new Sith will not be joining us?"
"He will be joining no one except in the great beyond," answered Darth Vader.
"I have read the reports you sent while en route," said Emperor Palpatine. "Such a hard fought battle. I wish I was there."
"In the end I won and that is what matters," said Darth Vader.
Palpatine laughed and said, "Well said, Lord Vader, well said. Such devotion deserves a reward. My scientists have some new upgrades for your cybernetics and I am sure you are in need of some repairs and rest."
Darth Vader would not admit to being injured to anyone including the Emperor. To show weakness in front of him was a fast way to end one's life. "As you wish my Master," said Vader. He bowed and walked toward the exit. The doors opened and Darth Vader stopped. "Master, I must admit that I may have lost some memories. I am yet not used to the cybernetic implants in my brain. There is something about a woman called Padme. Did I kill her?"
The Emperor smiled with cruelty and took the opportunity to twist Darth Vader a little bit more. "She claimed to have loved you yet she betrayed you. You had no choice but to kill her in self-defense. The only good that came out of it was that you became much stronger."
"Then the memory is of no relevance," said Darth Vader. "I shall retire to my chambers to meditate before seeing the doctors."
Darth Vader exited the room. Deep within his mind and heart he could feel the man he once was. For a second Darth Vader could hear Anakin's outrage at his mother's manipulations concerning her pregnancy and now the Emperor's lies about Padme's death. Darth Vader balled his hands into fists. Both the Sith Lord Darth Vader and the Jedi Anakin Skywalker vowed that someday they would get justice and revenge for what Emperor Palpatine did to them. And if his own son was alive and it meant turning him the Dark Side to accomplish the deed then so be it.
The EndAfterwards: Meh, not much really to say about this one except that in a sense I wanted to explain how Obi-Wan aged so badly between Episode's III and IV. There seems to be a too big of an age gap between the original Obi-Wan and the Episode III Obi-Wan. I saw how Palpatine's body went downhill fast because of what he did so I thought, why not the same with Obi-Wan?
Staring at the Apex of the Dark Side is copyright 2005 Chad Harger. Please do not reprint or reproduce this story without author's consent. This story is not meant to be sold nor is it to appear in any for profit magazine, online magazine, or other for profit outlet. If you wish to post this story on your private non-profit website, the email me at 'charger (at) velocity (dot) net. Any requests to post this story sent to my e-mail posted at will be deleted. That e-mail is for fanmail only.