Title: Darkness To Light
Author: sabor ice
Summary: Two alternate endings to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Author's Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: I will not be using direct dialogue from the movie script. I am including interpretations from both the movie and the video game. Also, the first conversation going on with Obi-Wan in which some of the sentences are italicized, means he is contemplating with or thinking to himself. This, however, is not suggesting Obi-Wan has split personalities or is going insane. He is merely exhausted and his mind is playing tricks on him. Therefore, he is just seeing things from every possible angle.
Comments: Yes.
Darkness To Light
(with First Alternate Ending)
Remember the hologram? Oh, indeed the hologram was the truth. It was the hard, cold, bitter truth. You should have seen this coming. Another failure on my part, was it? I've been feeling like that a lot today. Then, you know what must be done. I will do what I must. I will go beyond what I have ever known as a Jedi. I will take back the child who has grown into a man. I will destroy my friend and pupil before he destroys me. You're beginning to sound like a follower of the dark side. Kill or be killed. It is also the way of the Jedi, to perserve and ensure justice no matter what the cost. The Sith only seek to destroy. My mind will never be clouded like his. You're love for him does that all ready. He's like my brother. My love for him is what could save him. There is good in him yet. I can bring him back to the light. You will try.
"No one's ever died trying," Obi-Wan told himself aloud now, even knowing that it was a lie upon its face. He rephrased the statement. "I will try, even if it means dying."
He heard the voices of C-3PO, Captain Typho, and Padmè. He hid behind the ramp to Padmè's ship and waited for her to board. He was slightly relieved when she did not allow Typho to join her. He didn't want to have to worry about another person walking into a death trap. After the small footsteps of Padmè and the clunky steps of the droid passed, Obi-Wan swiftly, yet silently, ascended into the silver ship. Once inside, he found a spare compartment to hide in, for he knew Padmè would not go if she knew he was on board. Closing the compartment door, Obi-Wan blew out a sigh and tried to ease his mind. He knew he'd need all of his strength for whatever was to come.
After awhile, he felt the ship land. The door in the back of the cruiser opened and Padmè descended the ramp. The presence of molten lava and falling ash meant they could only be on the planet of Mustafar. Obi-Wan opened the compartment door and immediately ran into C-3PO.
"Oh, General Kenobi!" the droid said, surprised.
"Stay here, Threepio," Kenobi instructed, brushing past him.
Standing at the top of the ramp with his hand on his hips, he began making his way onto the hot, rocky surface. He looked up when Anakin began choke-holding Padmè.
"Let her go, Anakin!" he shouted.
Reluctantly, Anakin released his grip and the unconcious Padmè crumpled to the ground.
Obi-Wan watched his former apprentice, who had now become the apprentice of a Sith lord. The thought scorched his mind. He wanted to believe that this Anakin, his Anakin, would turn back into the bright little boy he had first met on Tatooine all those years ago. But, it would never happen. This wasn't his Anakin any more. This was someone Obi-Wan no longer recognized, except from a memory.
"You turned her against me!" Anakin declared.
Obi-Wan snapped back to attention.
"You have done that yourself," Obi-Wan replied.
"You will not take her from me!" Anakin stated, flinging his cloak to the ground.
"You anger and lust for power have all ready done that," the Jedi Master answered, dropping his cloak to the ground as well.
The two drew their lightsabers and began circling one another. Obi-Wan managed to go beside Padmè as Anakin ranted on. She still lived, but he didn't know for how long. Anakin lashed out ferociously at him. He began using the Force to raise containers and throw them at Obi-Wan. They swordfight as they make their way off of the landing platform and into the main hallway. Anakin kicked Obi-Wan, causing the man to drop down to a lower level. Quickly, Obi-Wan regained his footing and stood to face his former pupil again.
"So, you think you can stop me, my old master?" Anakin snarled.
"I will do what I must," Obi-Wan replied.
"You are too weak, old man! I have a power greater than even Master Yoda and Darth Sidious!"
"You're over-confidence will be your downfall."
"And, your faith will be yours."
The fighting continued into the Control Room. Defensively, Obi-Wan jumped onto the table view screen in the center of the room.
"Don't make me destroy you, Obi-Wan. You don't know the power of the dark side," Anakin said.
"I've heard that one before," Obi-Wan retorted.
Anakin forced Obi-Wan back into the Conference Room. Sparks flew everywhere in the partly closed quarters as Anakin jumped upon the table. Obi-Wan slid across the table, knocking the younger man off. Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin's lightsaber as he fell while using the Force to summon his own. Anakin does the same, retrieving his weapon. The battle intensifed.
"The flaw of power is arrogance," Obi-Wan said.
"You hesitate," Anakin noted, watching his opponent. "The flaw of compassion."
The two locked sabers, trying their hardest to force one another back. Obi-Wan used the Force to push Anakin away as Anakin did the same to him. The two combatants flew backwards, momentarily stunned. After regaining their footing, they continued battling out of the Conference Room and onto an exterior balcony. Ripping objects from the wall using the Force, Anakin cornered Obi-Wan. The thin strip of a ledge he now stood on had ended. Quickly, Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder to find somewhere to move. A pipe connected the Main Collection Plant and the Control Center. Jumping down onto the flexing pipe, both opponents landed and resumed fighting across it until they reached the Main Collection Plant.
Obi-Wan and Anakin battled on the top of the multispired collection panels, jumping from one to the other. At the end of the collection cluster, a huge spray of lava covered the attachments that held up the collectors. The frame began to melt, and it rained lava. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan ran for cover under the collection cluster. They continued to fight in the lava rain, darting from cover to attack, then quickly retreating to cover. Support for the entire structure began to fall away, and the collection cluster fell into the lava river. The two continued their fight, climbing to the highest point on the tower as the rest melted away and rode down the swift current of the lava river.
As the tower began to sink under the lava, Obi-Wan found himself trapped on the end. Grabbing a rope from the collector arm, he swung outwardly; Anakin followed him, doing the same. Their sabers clashed as they continued to swing past each other. Swinging outward again, Obi-Wan released his grip on the rope and flung himself onto a small platform on the river of lava. Anakin jumped down onto a worker droid, which was slightly faster.
"It doesn't have to end like this. Please, Anakin, come back to the light and let me help you," Obi-Wan pleaded, exhausted.
"I'm finished talking, Obi-Wan. It ends tonight," Anakin replied, leaping onto the platform on the other side of Obi-Wan.
"I've failed you. I never taught you to think for yourself," the Jedi Master stated. "If you can't see the truth, then you really are lost."
The fighting continued until Obi-Wan jumped to the safety of the black edge of the lava river.
"It's over, Anakin, I have the high ground!" yelled Obi-Wan.
"You underestimate my power!" Anakin shouted back.
"Don't try it," Obi-Wan said in an almost hoping tone of voice.
Anakin followed Obi-Wan. As he leaped over his former master's head, he turned half-way and sliced through Obi-Wan's arm before the man could react. Obi-Wan fell down on one knee before Anakin cut into his leg. Laying on his back now in agony, Obi-Wan tried to use the Force to retrieve his lightsaber. It rolled down the slope of burnt dirt and into the lava below. He looked up at his assailant.
"I wish it didn't have to end this way," Anakin said, peering down relentlessly at his former mentor.
"I may have failed, but there will be others. Someday you will be freed from this darkness so that you may once again live in the light," Obi-Wan replied.
There was a silent moment between the two, in which nothing but the exploding rocks and lava was heard around them. Anakin looked down at his prey, but saw that Obi-Wan was not afraid. He was not afraid to die.
With one swift movement of his lightsaber, Anakin beheaded Obi-Wan Kenobi.
His fierce eyes looked up ahead at the aircraft that had landed on the platform. His master had finally arrived to greet him. Anakin climbed up the side of the rocks and leaped onto the landing platform. His hate had overcome everything. Obi-Wan was dead. He sensed Padmè was now, too. There was only one thing left to do.
He stood and waited patiently until Darth Sidious came before him.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi is dead," he said.
"Good, my young apprentice, good," the Sith lord replied happily.
"So is Padmè," Anakin added, his eyes gleaming.
Without a moment's notice, Anakin ignited and ran his lightsaber through his master. The Sith lord crumpled to the ground, dead. The Clones who had accompanied him looked over at Anakin.
"I am your master now!" Anakin told them. "I am the new ruler of this galaxy. Henceforth, it shall be so."
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Second Alternate Ending
"It's over, Anakin, I have the high ground!" yelled Obi-Wan.
"You underestimate my power!" Anakin shouted back.
"Don't try it," Obi-Wan said in an almost hoping tone of voice.
Anakin followed Obi-Wan. As he leaped over his former master's head, he turned half-way and sliced through Obi-Wan's arm before the man could react. Obi-Wan fell down on one knee before Anakin cut into his leg. Laying on his back now in agony, Obi-Wan tried to use the Force to retrieve his lightsaber. The weapon moved slightly, but inevitably stayed on the ground where it had been dropped. He looked up at his assailant.
"I wish it didn't have to end this way," Anakin said, peering down relentlessly at his former mentor.
"I may have failed, but there will be others. Someday you will be freed from this darkness so that you may once again live in the light," Obi-Wan replied.
There was a silent moment between the two, in which nothing but the exploding rocks and lava was heard around them. Anakin looked down at his prey, but saw that Obi-Wan was not afraid. He was not afraid to die. Anakin stood erect and dis-engaged his lightsaber. He looked down at the pathetic man, who was blinded by his own doom. He placed his booted foot on Obi-Wan's stomach and rolled him down the hill. His body stopped just short of the lava river. He would soon be engulfed in the fiery magma. Obi-Wan was as good as dead.
Anakin's fierce eyes looked up ahead at the aircraft that had landed on the platform. His master had finally arrived to greet him. He climbed up the side of the rocks and leaped onto the landing platform. His hate had overcome everything. There wasn't anything blocking his vision; he had never seen things clearer in his whole life. There was only one thing left he needed to do.
He stood and waited patiently until Darth Sidious came before him...
Obi-Wan lifted his head, coughing out the black smoke and ash that had entered his lungs. His eyes stung and could hardly stand to stay open. Pain shot through his arm and leg where Anakin had injured him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the lava river only inches away from his feet. He rolled away from it and managed to pull himself into a crouched position. He heard the commotion on the landing platform above. He had come this far; he couldn't give up now.
After retrieving his lightsaber, Obi-Wan slowly made it toward the rock wall and began climbing. Once he could climb no more, he mustered up what strength he could, pulling in the Force to aide him. He leaped onto the landing platform and watched as Anakin's lightsaber ran through the chest of Darth Sidious.
"I am your master now!" Anakin told the Clones. "I am the new ruler of this galaxy. Henceforth, it shall be so."
"I don't think so," Obi-Wan said.
Before Anakin could turn around, Obi-Wan used the Force to pull away his lightsaber and used his own to cut off his opponent's arm. Anakin groaned in pain at the loss of his other arm. The Clones raised their weapons, but were quickly destroyed by Obi-Wan's lightsaber. He watched them pile onto the ground before turning his attention back to the Sith laying on the ground. Anakin tried to use the Force to pull objects down onto Obi-Wan. He failed before having his mechanical arm removed as well.
"For someone so powerful, you did a terrible job of killing me," Obi-Wan said, circling him.
Pathetically, Anakin's stubbed arm reached up towards him.
"Help me, my old friend," he said.
Obi-Wan's heart sank as he had flashbacks of Anakin as a boy, then as a young man. The battles they had fought and won together, the times they shared companionship and laughter, had all ended in pain and heartbreak.
"You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you," Obi-Wan said sadly.
The other man's face turned grim and cold.
"I hate you!" Anakin growled.
It was not the Jedi way to kill an unarmed person. But, the Jedi were no more, and it was all because of this thing laying before him.
"I'm so sorry it had to end this way," Obi-Wan said.
Obi-Wan held his lightsaber firmly in the palms of his hands. Then, he struck the broken and bloodied, once Anakin Skywalker down. He let out a deep sigh, holding back what tears formed in his eyes. He threw his lightsaber down into the lava river.
"Good-bye, my old friend," he said, turning to leave. "I will see you soon enough."
The End.