As always, thank you to everyone for your comments! It's good knowing that this story is being enjoyed. To Lord Fell - Mace is going a little crazy, and as to whether he finds Anakin here is your answer. It's getting about time to wrap this thing up - only about five chapters more (I think I counted right...it's been a long day). : )
12
Beep.
Beep! Beep!
Calmly Mace Windu reached out and turned the alarm off. He knew he was in the Stalynia system already. More importantly, though, he knew he was in the right system. He didn't have to be Master Yoda to sense that Anakin Skywalker was down there.
The R4 droid bleeped a question, but Mace ignored it. To make sure the droid stayed quiet he switched off the automatic pilot, leaving the ship in his control.
There was no room for distractions. This was his journey.
Of all the things that had gone wrong in the Republic, particularly those that were his fault, this was his chance alone to be vindicated.
Bringing back Anakin Skywalker was the only way.
For over a month he had been alone, away from the Jedi Order. Rumors circulated that he was dead, that he turned to the Dark Side, that he somehow managed to leave the galaxy altogether.
Mace seriously doubted this last option.
Inter-galactic travel was – impossible. Everyone knew that.
Never mind the fact that Obi-Wan and Anakin reported mysterious evidence of beings from another galaxy ten years ago when they journeyed to the strange planet of Zonoma Sekot. Mace would never forget that briefing.
Taking a deep breath, Mace assured himself that the Chosen One was indeed down on the surface of Stalynia. Gently he guided the ship down through the atmosphere.
"Guess I should have take a closer look at my surroundings," he told himself. With another breath he looked beyond the small starfighter.
The large, blue and green planet of Stalynia rested before him. It seemed soft and subtle, compared to the bright, blinding glow of Coruscant, despite the fact that he had adjusted to the softer tones of Alderaan.
No wonder Anakin wanted to come here. Mace was surprised the entire planet was not covered in expensive resorts for the rich, all touting a break from the hustle and bustle of life and a brush with the wonders of nature.
Mace snorted at the thought. Civilization could be so contradictory. No wonder Anakin wanted to get away from it all.
But what on earth was he doing here, of all places?
He'd never even heard of the system.
Mace was not one to give into fanciful ideas about dreams and foresights. He was a simple Jedi. The world existed as he saw it – everything connected together in the Force in such a way that he could see, no know, the correct path.
Other Jedi liked to talk of the will of the Force, Mace preferred to find these paths. When he found them, he did not have to wonder at the will of the Force.
The Force told him what to do; the correct action was always the brightest. Every time it was the same. Mace did as he always had done, choosing the right action that would create a single outcome from many –
Everything after that was up to the Force.
So while he had never heard of this planet he was now descending to, Mace followed the Force to this place.
Anakin Skywalker was key.
All along Mace had been able to see that the boy was central to the future of the galaxy. Ever since the boy first walked into the Council Chamber, thirteen years ago, Mace knew.
There was a prophecy about a chosen one because the Chosen One would be the most important key of all.
Mace had just been lucky enough to recognize it.
Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One.
The transmission cut out, filling the small bungalow with silence. Despite this, Anakin's ears rang. Over and over, the words of Supreme Chancellor – Emperor Palpatine ran through his head. Anakin knew he would never quite get used to the fact that Palpatine now called himself Emperor, but that was of no concern. He was far away from the Republic, or the Empire, or whatever it was.
Frankly, the new name for the galactic government did not bother him. He had no attachment to the Republic. For if the Republic were as great as everyone said, why did it not save him from nearly ten years of horrific slavery?
Anakin snorted.
This was not the day to start ruminating over things that could not be fixed. He merely told the thoughts to stop, and away they went. As for his resentment…
It remained.
A lot of his emotions went unchecked these days. With the Jedi no longer there to berate him for feeling things that were natural to a human, he sometimes let himself enjoy everyone of them – from joy and peace to anger and fear.
Through letting himself feel the emotions, the emotions that were of his self, he found himself craving one thing:
Vindication.
That fleeting sense that he was right, they were wrong. He could do what he wanted to do, what he needed to do, and it was alright to do so.
Someday, he promised himself, he would be in a position that made him answer to no one; he could make things exactly as he wanted them to be.
He would make things as they should be.
Right now, Palpatine was the one person that brought him closer to that promise. Palpatine told him that frequently in the political arena the ends justified the means; that sometimes things just have to get done, no matter how they do so.
It just seemed so amazing that Palpatine understood everything that Anakin was going through. Looking back, he had to wonder why he felt so wary of Palpatine before. There was nothing to fear about the old politician. He was just a politician; once they are removed from their little world they really became quite harmless.
Regardless of any titles that may have been held during the politician's time in office.
For all his honesty, Anakin did not divulge one thing – his love for Padmé. That was still something sacred; it had no bearing on things between him and Palpatine. Plus, would he really want to hear Anakin prattle on about such things?
It was all so trivial.
What was not trivial, however, was the problem of the Jedi. Anakin now saw them for what they were – strict, narrow-minded, and dogmatic. He would be much better off out here where he could serve the Force without having to fear the Masters looking over his should like an overbearing slave owner. Anakin had the slight feeling that Palpatine wanted to take some kind of action against the Jedi, but he felt that as long as the Jedi left him alone then it was not his concern. That was something the Jedi and the Emperor could work out back on Coruscant.
In the back of his mind, he knew he wanted to take out revenge against the Jedi who took Padmé away from him. First, there was the whole issue of Jedi not being allowed to love. Then, the Jedi shipped him off to the edge of the galaxy just to get him out of the way, keeping him away from her for so long. When he finally returned they treated him like a dumb child, wanting to be rid of him again.
Well, two could play that game.
He could rid himself of them, as he already had done. They would be fine, just as long as they did not try to come and find him. The only person that would be received well here on Stalynia would be Padmé. Anakin would have it no other way.
The sweeping grassland grew larger in front of Mace's cockpit. He guided his fighter down to the planet, ignoring the scan searching for the signature of the starfighter Anakin was known to have flown out of the Temple hangar. Instead, he reached out with the Force.
The bright spot in the Force created by the boy's unnatural connection to it made him almost impossible to miss.
It was like a beacon screaming "Anakin Skywalker is HERE."
Something was wrong. It was Anakin alright, but he was drastically different. Mace knew that there had been a lot of things troubling him when he left, but had not suspected something quite like this.
Cold, dark…power…resonated from the area where Anakin had taken up settlement.
Anakin would always be young to Mace. However, nothing here exuded the one thing that came with youth: innocence.
Whatever innocence Skywalker might have had when he arrived was now long gone.
That is, if he had any when he left the Order a month ago. Mace wished he had paid more attention to him. Perhaps he could have prevented this from happening. He saw the connections, it was his job to take care of – or ruin – them.
Strengthening his resolve, he flew the craft low to the surface of the planet. Just to his left, the sea came up against the land. Mace's ship picked up the starfighter that he knew lay ahead. Within a few seconds, he could barely make it out sitting next to a makeshift hut.
Anakin was here. That was his personal fighter.
Someone was here.
For a fleeting second, Anakin almost believed it was Padmé and got up from his seat so fast that he knocked over the chair he was sitting on. As soon as he was on his feet, though, his spirits sank as it dawned on him that it was not her. Anakin needed no second sense with the Force to tell him that it was a Jedi. Grim, he walked to the entrance to the hut, and stuck his head out.
He did not care who it was, a Jedi meant only one thing for him –
Trouble.
Sure enough, the figure coming up to him was a Jedi; there was no mistaking that robe. And there, glinting in the light, was a lightsaber. For a second, Anakin just stood in his spot, his mind almost frozen.
Many times he thought about what would happen if a Jedi were to come here, but he always assumed that it would be Obi-Wan, maybe Yoda on a long shot. To Anakin, that bouncing lightsaber proved everything he believed.
The Jedi have always been against you…insulting your abilities by holding you back and not teaching you things you deserve to learn…
Palpatine's words echoed in his mind, only he no longer recognized them as such – they were whispered by the darkness that lurked inside Anakin
Stiffening, Anakin stepped out of the hut. He knew he had to confront this Jedi. He wondered if it was even someone that he knew from the Temple. But that would be too lucky for him. There was no one there that cared about him. While Anakin now hosted no great love for the Jedi, he did not want to kill this one. He merely wanted to be left alone, and alive this person could take that message to the Council.
Peace was all Anakin needed. He might even consider going back to the Order, once he was able to have time alone to figure out all the thoughts going through his mind.
A few more steps brought the visitor into focus for Anakin. A fleeting feeling of surprise went through him as the hood pulled back he found himself looking at the face of Mace Windu.
One of the revered Masters was actually here.
His jaw dropped slightly then aware of what he was doing, he promptly shut it.
"Hello, Anakin," Mace said softly, coming up to stand in front of him.
"Master Windu," Anakin muttered. He made no move to step closer to the Jedi.
"How are you doing?"
Anakin looked around before answering. Like he would ever explain what was really going on.
"Fine, all things considered," he finally responded.
Mace nodded.
"What do you want?" Anakin asked bluntly.
"Only to see if you will return."
"I'm not going back. My place is here."
"We need you Anakin. I don't know if you've heard–"
"About your new little Emperor?" Anakin cut in, finishing for him. "I've heard. What makes you think I care? I have no attachment for the Jedi."
"Surely you want justice restored to the Republic."
"Justice? How can you sit there and spout words about justice? The Republic is dead! Surely you've heard about that."
"The Republic is not dead – it does not have to be dead! That's what I'm trying to tell you, Anakin! If you come back, if you rejoin the Order, then the Republic can be restored!"
"What makes you think that I want to restore the Republic? What makes you think that I want to bring about your precious 'balance'? Yes, Master Windu, I know that's what you are thinking of most!"
"Anakin, what has happened to you?"
"Why do you care?" he hissed. His eyes narrowed, becoming two small glittering points under his hood. The soft afternoon light threw an eerie glow onto him, casting half of him in shadow.
"I care because you are Jedi! You are the Chosen One. I know you are, Anakin!"
Mace could not have chosen any others that would have had a worse impact. Fury welled up in Anakin at those words.
Once more he found himself succumbing to his anger.
To be continued...