Glad you guys liked the decision scene. I was kind of worried about it, thought I made it much too psychological . . . Anyway, here's the next chapter!
BGTom: If by a DBZ fighting scene you mean that anime where the warriors shoot balls of energy at each other, yes, there will be such a moment in the chapter. You definitely read my mind on this one! As for the show itself, I'm afraid I don't know much about Dragon Ball, only seen a few episodes at my brother's insistences!
Lordwindwalker: You wanted to know what Shatterpoint is about? I'll give you a short description, but I'll avoid any spoilers for those that haven't yet read the book. The action takes place in the middle of the Clone Wars, a few months after Attack of the Clones. Jedi Master and Council Member Depa Billaba is sent to Karuun Kal, a planet in the Al'har Star System, with the mission of training the indigenous tribes (the korunnai) in the art of guerrilla warfare, against the Separatists. Depa eventually completes her task but fails to return to the Temple. Worried, Mace Windu, her former Master, decides to go to Haruun Kal (which, in an ironic twist of Fate, happens to be his homeworld) find Depa and bring her back. It's a very well written book, much darker than your usual Star Wars novel.
Chapter XIII – Moments of Belief and Balance
A popular fable says that, in order to chance one's Fate, one must make monumentally different decisions. It is not always true.
Sometimes, even the smallest choice may change one's path in life irrevocably.
It is not the grand wars that shape a Galaxy's history, but the small battles, which are fought in secret, away from the eyes of the world.
Many have said that the Clone Wars have been only a showdown between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, with the victor being the government with the most resources, ships and personnel. Not true.
The real war was never about control of the Galaxy, but about the eternal struggle between Good and Evil.
And the real combatants have been the Jedi Knights, valiant warriors and peacekeepers. They have been the true targets of the mastermind behind the Clone Wars.
The war's reason was to weaken the Jedi Order. To turn it into a mere shadow of its former glory.
And, eventually, with the right amount of force applied at the opportune moment, destroy it.
Many of the Galaxy's residents slept peacefully in their beds, believing that, with General Grievous' demise, the war was finally over. What they did not know was that the peace they longed for would come only after many more years of hardships and turmoil.
Under the guidance of a man whose spirit was ultimately forged in the fires of war.
x x x
Anakin screamed. It was all he could do, as white tendrils of energy covered his entire body in thousands of searing caresses. He felt his knees give way underneath him, as he hit the floor, hard. The last remnant of his strength was being sucked out of his being by the onslaught of dark lightning.
A high-pitched, almost maniacal laughter rose above the young man's screams. Obviously, his tormentor was taking great pleasure in causing him pain.
Abruptly, the lightning stopped and Anakin had to steady himself on his forearms, to keep from hitting his head on the ground. All around him, the room seemed to spin madly, as his pain-numbed brain struggled to comprehend where he was and what he was doing.
"You didn't like that, did you, Anakin?" Palpatine asked, in a sweet voice. "I don't blame you. Having to experience Darkside lightning is never an enjoyable experience."
Anakin focused his eyes on Palpatine's hazy form. He wanted to yell, to throw himself at the dictator, but no part of his body seemed to respond.
"I remember when my Master applied some of this lightning on me. He always said that a good dose of pain is the best possible teacher for unruly apprentices."
"I am not your apprentice!" Anakin forced himself to articulate.
"Yet" Palpatine corrected him, smugly. "Your stubbornness is only a minor problem, which will soon be overcome!"
As if to prove his point, the Chancellor once again lashed at the defenseless Knight, whipping him mercilessly with electricity.
Anakin writhed helplessly on the floor, his body shook by shattering waves of excruciating pain. He wanted to get up and defend himself somehow, but the storm of dark energy kept him firmly in its grasp.
Stop! Stop! Stop! He frantically yelled in his own mind, as if he could abate the torment with sheer force of will.
No more!
But the attack didn't stop. Instead, it seemed to intensify. He felt his head slam into the boards of the floor, as his body was seized by uncontrollable spasms.
"Stop!"
And it ended. Anakin felt the lightning slowly leave his battered body. But is had not been his voice that had screamed, he realized, as he began to gain his awareness. Through the haze of pain that covered his eyes, he could see a man's silhouette interposed between himself and Palpatine.
"I will not allow you to harm him any further!" resonated a determined voice.
Obi-Wan! Anakin instantly recognized the cultured Coruscanti accent. It could only be him!
"Master Kenobi" Palpatine drawled, on a pleasant tone, "I suggest you get put of the way, unless you wish to suffer a similar fate!"
"You'll have to kill me first!" Obi-Wan countered, his voice straining with the force of the anger and disgust that he felt toward the Chancellor.
"That can be arranged" Palpatine answered, smoothly.
Unexpectedly, he launched another round of lightning, but Obi-Wan was ready. Igniting his lightsaber in a flurry of motion, he held it high, if a defensive position, using the blade to block the lightning.
That only seemed to enrage Palpatine even further, making him increase the power of his assault. The air cracked with the intensity of the dark power flowing through it. Obi-Wan tightened his grip on the weapon, for it was the only shield between him and the devastating strike.
"You are foolish, Master Kenobi, if you believe you can defeat me!" Palpatine snarled, his face contorted in fury and effort. "No Jedi can do that!"
"Your overconfidence is your weakness!" Obi-Wan said, slowly rotating the blade and spreading waves of lightning in all directions.
"Your faith in your pitiful Order is yours!" Palpatine lashed out, venomously. A dark tendril managed to sneak its way past Obi-Wan's defense, making the Jedi Master lose his concentration. That second was all Palpatine needed. Igniting his blade, the Chancellor lunged toward Obi-Wan, with a wide slash. The point of the lightsaber managed to avoid the Jedi's clumsy parry, searing a wide gash over his chest.
Obi-Wan cried out, his weapon tumbling from his hand and extinguishing.
"So, this is to be the end of the mighty Obi-Wan Kenobi" the Sith chuckled, attacking once more. "I expected you to be more of a challenge!"
The ruby blade however, didn't find its target, as it was intercepted by another one.
Palpatine looked up in surprise, only to see a pair of dark, stormy eyes, gazing fiercely at him.
"I don't think so" Anakin said, a feral smile twisting his full lips. "Your fight is with me, Sidious!"
"If you insist, Jedi Skywalker!" Palpatine spoke, the dangerous edge in his voice becoming apparent. Moving swiftly, he raised his weapon, delivering a long swipe toward Anakin's legs. The Knight anticipated the move and lowered the point of his blade, parrying the strike and forcing Palpatine to retreat, with a few strong pushes.
"I see the war has taught you much" the Chancellor observed, impressed. "However, you still have much to learn!"
Thrusting his lightsaber, he aimed for Anakin's heart. The young man moved to parry once more. but Palpatine changed the direction of the attack at the last possible second. The red blade passed through cartilage, muscle and bone.
Anakin screamed once more, as his remaining natural hand was severed from above the wrist. However, his hold on the lightsaber with his bionic arm never wavered, as he continued to deflect his opponent's strikes, pushing the maddening pain in the back of his mind.
"Enough!" Palpatine rasped, curling his withered fingers in midair. Anakin felt his throat constrict, as if an invisible iron chain was being wound tighter and tighter around it. He tried to breathe, but no air would enter his lungs. He frantically kicked his legs, as he was lifted from the ground by the strange power.
"This is but one of the benefits of the Darkside" Palpatine explained, on the tone of a salesman advertising his product. "Now what do you have to say, foolish boy?"
Anakin struggled to speak, but all he could do let out a few gurgling sounds. His vision was beginning to fade, as the effects of oxygen deprivation made themselves known. He kept hearing an annoying ringing in his ears, his head was throbbing and his starved lungs burned in his chest.
"There was no way you could succeed against me, Anakin! Only now, do you see the price of your arrogance!"
The young Knight was almost unconscious and could barely hear the Sith Lord's goading words. Darkness stirred at the edge of his vision, edging closer and pulling him deeper into Oblivion. He held onto consciousness with all of his remaining power, but this was clearly a battle that he could not win.
"A pity you have to die this way. You could have been one of the most powerful beings of all time!"
Anakin closed his eyes, giving in to the other's overwhelming strength. He could not go on.
It was pointless.
The Darkness finally engulfed everything around him. He felt himself dragged into a warm cocoon, inside of the obscure haze. Abandoning the fight, he allowed unconsciousness to take him.
It was pointless to resist.
No!
His body suddenly jerked, as an explosion of white filled his eyes. He could not succumb in the face of the Galaxy's scourge! He was the Chosen One!
But he had no more strength to pull him away from Death's clutches. He could not free himself.
The bright, incandescent veil of white spread even further over his eyes, making him cringe in surprise. He could almost see something there, in the heart of the light, a pale silhouette, contrasting against the background . . .
The light wrapped itself around him, seeming to protect and nurture him. It burned with intensity around him, only to vanish in an instant. In its wake, it left totally new surroundings.
For a moment, he thought that he was in a jungle, judging by the lush vegetation all around him. But large and wide permacrete walkways and a glass dome through which the sun's rays poured from above made him realize that he was in a greenhouse.
Directly ahead of him, he could see a bright clearing. A child, appearing to be no more that five years old stood in a makeshift swing, smiling and giggling. Behind her, a tall man, clad from head to toe in a black uniform gently swayed the swing.
The girl's crystalline laughter was like a blessing to Anakin's ears and, for reasons that he could not comprehend, he felt his heart beat faster and a warm glow starting to burn within himself.
Maybe I will have a daughter like her, he thought, the joy inside himself increasing. A child of my own, to raise and love.
The swing stopped swaying, as the girl looked toward him. Anakin gasped, amazed. The child's delicate face was framed by dark-brown chocolate curls and her full lips smiled mischievously. But it was her eyes that caught his attention. They were a dark blue, as the night sky, sparkling with mirth.
The child turned her head toward the man standing behind her.
"I love you, Papa" she said, in a cute, lilting accent.
"I love you, too, my little angel" the man answered, a deep fondness and warmth lining his deep voice.
At that point, Anakin was struck speechless, as he realized that the girl could only be his offspring! He saw so much of her mother in her; and yet, there were traits of his own as well mixed in the child's visage.
The only thing that he could do was stare at her. Indeed, she resembled an angel: she was dressed in a silken white dress, her curls adorned with two white ribbons. With one arm she held onto the swing and with the other she clutched what appeared to be a stuffed toy to her breast.
"You are, and will always be, my all" the man spoke, the strong emotions that he felt for his progeny shining in the Force like a new-born star.
And then he knew: he was seeing a rare glimpse into the future, given by the Force. Laid out before his eyes, he looked upon what was to come. A bright future, maybe full of happiness and unbridled joy.
A future that would be permanently destroyed if he allowed Palpatine to have his way.
"I believe you, Papa. I believe in you!"
His child . . . his own flesh and blood would be born and live in a very dark world if he abandoned the battle now! He would not disappoint her! Not as long as there was still some life left in him!
Calling upon the Force's aid, he allowed the rippling current to swarm around him like a cyclone. But he himself stood perfectly still, willing his mind to empty of all thoughts and emotions. He needed all of his focus if he wished to brake Palpatine's hold over him.
Wave after wave of calmness swept through him, making him almost forget about the intense pain that his body was enduring. He allowed his Soul to completely empty itself, as he stood, the quiet eye of the storm, the pillar of strength in the middle of the Force's turmoil.
And, in the first of a series of very rare moments in his life, he felt himself in Balance.
Extending his reach in all directions, he started pushing against the solid wall of Darkness that Sidious had erected around him. On the first tries, nothing happened, but Anakin couldn't allow himself to feel despair. He was to be the father of a wonderful child and he wished that his precious girl would grow up protected from the ever encroaching Darkness.
The child's image gave him the power and sheer force of will to continue.
His efforts were soon rewarded, when he felt a small, barely noticeable crack in the dark wall. Directing all of his strength toward it, he started to gradually make it larger, slowly tearing down the wall, bit by bit.
When he felt the gap to be large enough, he set his senses to feel beyond it. What he felt almost made him leap with happiness. Palpatine was so entrenched on pulling the life out of him, that his own shields were down!
Gathering the Force as his weapon, he lashed out at the dictator and struck his unprotected mind.
He felt everything around him shake, as Palpatine cried out in pain, almost deafening. Then, he was aware of an intense pain once more, as his Soul crashed back into his body.
Couching and retching, he rolled on the floor, struggling to gain control of his almost unresponsive body.
Close to him, Palpatine was feeling almost the same, only that his pain was clouded by a heavy fog of amazement. How had Skywalker managed to do that? He remembered holding him in the air, in a strong grip, feeling as the boy's life slowly drained away. He had enjoyed tremendously seeing the mighty Chosen One, writhing and struggling in his grasp, as he bathed himself in his life energy. Feeling the boy's anger and hate crash into him had been almost orgasmic, as he continued to drink his life away. It was like a dark ambrosia, feeding his own strength and leaving him craving for more.
But just as he was about to reach his climax, a single jolt of the Force struck past his wall and hit him in the full! Only in those seconds did he realize his own foolishness! He had been so absorbed with what he had been doing, that he underestimated Anakin's abilities.
And that had cost him dearly.
Still lying on the ground, his breath coming in ragged gasps, Anakin ventured to raise his gaze, only to find himself gazing directly into Palpatine's face. However, any appearance of gentleness had vanished from the Chancellor's face. His wrinkled skin was stretched taut over the bones of his cheeks, his thin, cracked lips twisted in a dangerous snarl, revealing a series of yellow, rotten teeth.
But the eyes were the ones that chilled the young Jedi to the bone. They were an inhuman shade of orange, with a demonic fire seeming to blaze within their depths.
"Skywalker" he rasped, on a hollow voice, "this will be your last act of defiance in this life!"
Raising his bony hands over his head, Palpatine started drawing heavily on the Darkside, calling it to him, forcing it to do his bidding. A searing bolt of dark energy started to gather in the Sith Lord's fingertips, as Anakin realized that the strike that would come was to be fatal. In the few seconds that he had left, his eyes searched for Obi-Wan. He found him slumped against an upturned piece of furniture, folding two blood-stained hands over his chest, in order to stop the massive hemorrhage. The Jedi Master's eyes were also wide with horror, as Anakin realized that Obi-Wan was much too wounded and weakened to be able to help him.
"Your end is here!" Palpatine snarled, as he hurled a massive bolt of Force energy toward Anakin. The young man could only shield his face with his hands, as he silently prayed in his mind for a quick end.
But it never came.
At the edge of his vision, Anakin could see a dark silhouette move with unfathomable speed. Before he could do anything, the person interposed itself between him and Palpatine.
And was hit by the blast's full power.
Anakin could only look on in shock, as the man's body was thrown back and over him, making him almost cry out. Gritting his teeth, the young man pushed the other off of him and turned him around, to see his face.
Only to find himself staring at the Mace Windu's chiseled features.
"Master . . . Windu!" he whispered incredulously, gripping the other's wrist and feeling a very low pulse. "You're alive?"
"Only just" the elder man coughed, dark blood spluttering from his mouth.
Anakin felt sorrow, remorse and shame grip him, for it was he who had turned on the Council Member, wounding him.
"Why?" he asked, hoarsely.
"Because you are far more important that me" Mace answered, wiping the blood from his mouth.
"But . . . I turned against you! I broke almost every law in the Code!"
"Shut up, boy!" Mace ordered, a thin smile relaxing his features. "I feel your regret and I forgive you. However, you must learn to forgive yourself, if you wish to be of any help to this Galaxy."
The tall Master's body was shaken by spasms, as another wave of blood came out.
"The Galaxy will rest on your shoulders one day, son. I have faith that you will be strong enough to handle it. I believe in you, Anakin. Only now, at the end, I truly believe!
With a final spasm, Mace Windu's body went limp, as his spirit ascended, to become one with the Force.
Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Anakin raised a shaky hand and closed the Master's eyes.
"He was alive?" came Palpatine's surprised remark, as everything seemed to spiral out of his control.
Clenching his fists and ignoring the throbbing pain in the cauterized stump that had once been his left palm, Anakin lifted himself from the ground. His stormy eyes fixed Palpatine with an unblinking gaze, as if goading him to try anything else.
"If I wasn't a Force adept" the Sith remarked, on a hissing tone, "I would have believed that you have a fool's luck, boy!"
"There is no such thing as luck" Anakin answered, coldly. "Only the Force."
Hissing again in rage and anger that every one of his plans of the night had been shattered by the young Knight standing in front of him, Palpatine sent another wave of Force lightning,. intent on finishing him off.
Anakin, however, had no intention of giving up the fight. Raising his prosthetic hand in front of him, he once again called upon the Force to give him strength.
And it obeyed, for it seemed to love Anakin, as it had never done another before.
The dark jolts sizzled through the air, but this time they hit their mark, impacting with Anakin's outstretched hand. Palpatine could almost laugh with glee, as he imagined through what torment the young Skywalker was going.
When no screams of agony could be heard, the dictator looked more closely. What he saw made him gasp in shock.
None of the bolts touched Anakin, as they seemed to enter his hand, without causing any damage at all! With a small pang of panic, Palpatine realized that the young man was absorbing the lightning!
Stopping his assault, the Sith Lord stared at Anakin's unfazed form. A bright fire blazed in the Jedi's eyes, as currents of electricity buzzed through the fingers of his hand.
"My turn" he said, quietly. Opening his palm, he sent back the entire charge, directing it toward Palpatine, in a condensed sphere, as Yoda had done against Count Dooku, on Geonosis.
Palpatine had only a millisecond to throw himself to the ground, as the massive amount of energy slammed into a wall, blasting it to pieces with a deafening sound. The Chancellor gritted his teeth, as large chunks of the obliterated wall hit him in the back. Gripping tight onto the power of the Darkside, he gathered strength to pull himself up from the pile of debris under which he had almost been buried.
"Stop this, Palpatine" Anakin said, firmly. "Give yourself up and I will appeal to the Jedi Council to give you clemency."
The fact that he was receiving pity from his almost destroyer made Palpatine's rage burn even hotter, flooding his body in an incandescent wave.
"Never, Jedi!"
"Than so be it" Anakin spoke, his tone not losing any of its power. Plunging himself even deeper in the mysterious currents, he allowed the Force to give him insight and help him make his choice. Palpatine could only look on, in astonishment, as for a few seconds, the scruffy, wounded, blood-covered Jedi seemed to disappear, replaced by something far grander, as the light of the Force swirled around him. For a few fleeting moments, Palpatine could see his aura, burning at an almost blinding intensity, a white-hot flame, surrounding the young man. The dictator realized all too well what he was seeing: a rare glimpse of the Chosen One's true potential. His anger soared even higher, at the thought that he was being denied control of this power, which would, one day, surpass his.
From the corner where he lay, fighting against the searing agony in his chest, Obi-Wan watched on, in amazement, seeing the same thing that Palpatine had.
Seeing a small glimpse of the Chosen One in his most powerful form.
Seeing and for the first time, believing with all of his heart that Qui-Gon had been right.
And, suddenly, Palpatine lunged forward, with an inhuman shriek, gripping Anakin by his wide shoulders and, with a insane cackle, pour dark lightning through the young man's tall frame. Obi-Wan could only look on, helplessly, as Anakin pursed his lips, struggling against the pain, no sound coming out of his mouth.
Through sheer force of will, one can accomplish almost anything, Obi-Wan remembered his Master's wise lectures, as he saw them illustrated in front of his eyes. Fighting his twitching muscles, Anakin slammed his metallic hand over Palpatine's face. For a moment, Obi-Wan couldn't understand what the other Jedi was doing, until he heard the Chancellor's agonized screams rend through the office.
And the stench of charred flesh grow even heavier in the air.
Jolting to his feet, Obi-Wan realized, with dawning horror, what Anakin was trying to do. He was gifting Palpatine with the effects of his own torment, using his own body as a catalyst for the lightning. The plan was obviously functioning, as the Sith's movements grew more sluggish and his yells more quieter.
But the same thing was happening to Anakin as well, Obi-Wan understood. The young man was willing to give his own life, in order to stop Palpatine!
Gathering his remaining strength, Obi-Wan hauled himself up, using one hand to apply pressure to his chest, stopping the bleeding and the other to lean against the wall for support. Ignoring his body's protests, he slowly inched his way to the two men locked in deadly combat. Willing the Force to aid him, the Jedi Master sent a shockwave between the two, separating and flinging them in opposite sides of the room.
His strategy worked, as Anakin tumbled out of harm's way and Palpatine flew into a shelf full of porcelain vases, breaking them under his own weight.
Limping heavily, Obi-Wan knelt in front of Anakin, who was struggling to get his bearings back.
"Why did you do that?" he asked, as Obi-Wan helped him up. "I almost had him!"
"But is the price of your own life worth paying?" the older man asked.
"If it will ensure a better future for the Galaxy, yes."
"You are forgetting that I won't allow you to forfeit your own life" Obi-Wan reminded him, shaking his head at the young Knight's premature wisdom. "Now come, we must get out of here!"
"What about Palpatine?"
The Chancellor lay in a mass of broken porcelain, moaning softly as he fought to regain consciousness. His previously handsome face was now hideously scarred, his skin turning a repulsive shade of gray from the devastating effects of his own lightning.
"Unless you haven't noticed" Obi-Wan pointed out "he is much too strong for the two of us to handle alone. If we wish to leave this place in one piece, now is the time!"
"But if we don't kill him now" Anakin insisted, stubbornly "he will bring more darkness and suffering to the Galaxy!"
"I'm not even sure that anything can kill him" the Jedi Master spoke, in a gloomy, foreboding tone. "His day of reckoning will come! But not today!"
Anakin nodded ascent, surprised by the steel lining Obi-Wan's voice.
"I didn't know you could see the future as well" he joked, as they both limped to the broken window, supporting each other's weight.
"Call it more of a hunch" Obi-Wan said, as they reached the window. "Any ideas?"
"We leave the fast way" Anakin stated and, before Obi-Wan could ask just what he meant, the young Jedi took out a roll of steel cord, with a grappling hook attached to it, from his utility belt. Spinning the cord through the air for a few moments, he took careful aim and threw the end with the hook out the window. A clunking sound could be heard, as he hook attached itself to something and Anakin pulled on the cord, to test its resistance.
"You don't honestly want us to rappel down a hundred stories" Obi-Wan said, disbelievingly.
"You got a better plan?"
When the older man shook his head, Anakin wrapped the cord around his waist, securing it firmly.
"Hold on to me" he ordered. "I got only one hand left to use and I can't support you with it!"
Obi-Wan quickly obeyed, wrapping his arms around the younger man's shoulders and holding tight. Anakin took a deep breath, gripped the cord with his remaining arm and jumped out the window. He felt Obi-Wan's grip on his shoulders tightening and the cord grow taut.
"Poodoo" he swore, as the force of the fall sent them slamming in the side of the building.
"Careful, Anakin!" Obi-Wan winced, as his back hit the hard permacrete wall.
"I'm doing the best I can!" the Knight answered through gritted teeth. Activating a reel on his belt, he started to lower them slowly, on the cord.
A loud, harrowing laugh instantly made both of them look up. On the window's broken frame, stood Palpatine, his yellow eyes shining with a sinister light in the night's darkness.
"There is no death, there is the Force" he cackled, mocking the Jedi Code's sacred edict and, before anyone could do anything, he severed the cord with a swift move.
Anakin let out a string of Huttesse curses, as both he and Obi-Wan plummeted through the air. Reaching out, he used his bionic arm to grab fold of one of Obi-Wan's wrists. Twisting the current of the Force around him, he used the last remnant of his physical power to try and somehow slow down their descent.
He felt his head hit something hard and his vision faded out, as darkness once again encroached around him.
They fell through the night's cold air, as Anakin finally surrendered and allowed unconsciousness to take him.
x x x
On Corellia, the old scout lay on his bed. His breath came in shallow pants, as he desperately held on to life. The dark-skinned, blue-eyed Hekaryan shaman's voice still resonated in his mind, but he didn't struggle against it anymore. It was soothing, in a way, clearing his mind of fear and anxiety.
We must rejoice, for the Son of the Suns walks the path of the Light.
The man felt an odd sense of peace at the shaman's words. He never understood just who the Son of the Suns was, but he felt joy in hearing that he had not sccombed to the Darkness that was poisoning the Galaxy.
Perhaps there still remains a small glimmer of Hope, in these dark times.
The old man could only agree, as the flame of life slowly flowed out of his weakened body.
Although Hope may be frail, it is very hard to kill.
The Corellian smiled, contentedly. He felt a warm light enclose around his being, calming and soothing. If this was what death really felt like, he realized, he had nothing to fear. Closing his eyes, he relaxed himself. Everything would be fine, he knew it. Darkness dwelled over the world now, but one day, Light would destroy it.
Smiling slightly, he finally released his grip on life, allowing himself to gently drift upwards, becoming one with the Force in a flash of blinding Light.