'Rules of the Game' (Chapter Fifteen)
By Ennon
A/N- Miss Naye- Don't feel too bad for Anakin's current state as it's not something entirely detrimental this time.
Swspacecadet- I know what it's like working overtime on projects so I can relate!
I'm somewhat intrigued by what you said about the Mong Takeover being worth a separate story unto itself. I hadn't really considered that because my focus was more on how things would be dealt with rather detail the impact. My apologies for not having drawn that out in more detail but (just so you know), I plan on making good corrections/tweakings on ALL chapters once I've finished and I may very well add more detail to said Takeover at that time (and perhaps I may actually do an entirely separate story about the Mong Takeover one day- I hadn't thought of that before but I'm pleased this proved intriguing enough for at least you that I'm strongly considering it).. You made good calls about how confusing it's been to have all these new characters introed AND how I mixed up which parents was carrying Anakin's youngest! Well, I HAVE put in a character list at the head of Chapter Fourteen AND corrected that 'carrying' inconsistency and have posted the REVISED chapter up with those two additions so you can go back! Good advice about developing a smaller number of ideas in more depth and I like the term Coruscanti!
Raijan- Thanks for giving your opinion about these later chapters at this time and I'm glad you liked how the Mong were gotten rid of from Coruscant at that time!
CHAPTER BEGINS
While Anakin was back inside Vader's Suit and Mask leading Kitster the Wookiee on a chain trying to find out where the Quechu Central Command on the Quechu-Mong's capital planet was so he could locate and free all Coruscanti slaves, neither of them paid considered that at that moment, a hatch was opening from inside their Mong Shuttle underneath the floor of the Mong fresher. Suddenly, a tall probe shot up from the opening and scoped around. Since no one was looking, Artoo decided this would be the perfect time to take a look at this new environment so he could decide for himself what he could do to help out Anakin or Kitster out of whatever mess Artoo was certain they'd stumble into.
"You there!" Red Droid RF7 droned in Quechu to Anakin (inside Vader's Suit and Mask).
"Is there a problem?" Anakin replied (his vocoder automatically lowering his voice to Vader's pitch and translating it to Quechu- his earpiece having translated the Quechu into Coruscantic Basic).
"What's the meaning of taking that Scant Creature out in the open streets? Have you been away so long as to forget our laws?" RF7 asked.
" Of course not. I thought that since we want good attendance for the Arena, it would do well for our fellow droids to see the newest acquisitions captured," Anakin snapped.
"Hmm, you think that your captured Scant Wookiee would make a good challenge for our 'Scant Zabrak Champion?" RF7 asked.
"'Scant Zabrak Champion?" Anakin gulped- almost dropping Kitster's chain.
" He always gives the best performance possible the way he tears apart and destroys all challengers. If he can't defeat them by strength, he does an excellent number with that Coruscantic Force he has!" RF7 chortled (as best a droid could).
"You know of the Coruscantic Force?" Anakin gulped.
"I know we're not supposed to openly talk of these things but it makes it even more entertaining when he uses it to dismember his opponents and trying to break his chains!" RF7 chortled.
"Dismember?" Anakin gulped.
"Yeah, like what he did with Coruscanti Rancor they brought in three years ago. Tore that thing right apart before the entire audience with his galaxy's Force alone and didn't even physically touch it!"RF7 recalled as it rolled away on treads.
" Anakin, I don't want to have to fight something that tears apart other creatures with the Force," Kitster gulped(in Wookiee)
" I can't blame you there but it seems that all the Quechu Elite are almost as addicted to this savage spectacle as some were to Coruscant Death Sticks," Anakin replied to Kitster (via the Force).
"You mean, I'm going to have to fight that thing?" Kitster gasped (in Wookiee).
" We need to get inside there and I can't think of any other way but for you to have to appear to be the Challenger. Don't worry, I'll do my best to keep you unharmed," Anakin sighed to Kitster (via the Force).
" You said you felt a familiar Force presence here. Do you think that Zabrak could be. ..?" Kitster asked (in Wookiee).
"I can't feel him at this time yet there were few Zabrak Force wielders before the Mong so I'm not sure," Anakin replied (via the Force).
" Let's get this over," Kitster groaned (in Wookiee) while they made their way to the Arena.
Anakin and Kitster made their way towards it and it took some persuading on Anakin's part to let him (who was now inside Vader's Suit and Mask) remain with Kitster as they made their way to the Elevator beneath the Arena's Trap Door. Lining both sides of the passage were hundreds of cages- each containing a single Coruscanti creature.
"What does that phrase say in Quechu? You picked up their written language but I didn't," Kitster gulped (in Wookiee) as they were saw a single phrase repeated over each individual's cage.
While Anakin tried to translate it, they heard a creaking voice from one of the cages.
"Ruwee, is that you? I thought I saw your head explode along with so many others," an ancient Kaminoan female gasped.
"No, it's his great-grandson Kitster. You're Vlenoba Lamur," Anakin called out to her (via the Force).
"Ageless One? What are you doing here in that mask? You need to get out to save yourself from these creatures!" Vlenoba gasped aloud.
"I've come to free everyone the way My True Master would have wanted," Anakin explained (via the Force).
"Save yourselves. It's too late for me," the 78-year-old Vlenoba started to cry.
"What are you talking about? You were the one who first warned us about them 72 years ago. We're getting you and the others out of here," Anakin pleaded (via the Force).
"Where would I go? Who would be with me?" Vlenoba asked.
"We'd take you to New Alderaan and take care of you as long as you need," Anakin pleaded (via the Force).
"I remember when I was a child, I used to think of one day being a champion New Jedi Dame and maybe even passing it along to a family of my own – then, to re-awake and find out I'm too old to have a family," Vlenoba deeply groaned.
"We'll be your family on New Alderaan! We have Coruscantis from hundreds of planets living with us!" Anakin pleaded (via the Force).
"But not a single Kaminoan. The Mong considered us too delicate to bother breeding so. .." Vlenoba cried again.
"You're the very last Kaminoan! " Kitster groaned (in Wookiee).
"But Kamino had a billion inhabitants prior to the Mong Takeover," Anakin gasped aloud with his vocoder automatically translating it to Quechu.
Vlenoba sadly nodded.
"What do you care about that weakling race? It's your job to ready your Wookiee Challenger for the Zabrak Champion," sniffed a yellow droid called U8.
"If we live, we will return for you and the other last survivors and give you a home on New Alderaan. I promise!" Anakin exclaimed via the Force to Vlenoba.
Anakin realized at last the words above every prison cell lining the passage to the Arena Trap Door Elevator said the Quechu words 'Last of Species' above it and looked at Kitster then at Vlenoba realizing that the Mong had wiped out Kamino and worked every single other of its delicate creatures to death. Without the Kaminoans there to constantly tend and obtain new supplies in exchange for their unparalleled healing skills, Anakin didn't need to the Force to see that Tipoca City and every other settlement on Kamino had in 72 years become drowned piles of rust battered by the ceasingly stormy ocean washing over them. Their very city supports had likely crumbled and the once awe-inspiring machines and devises inside were now inoperable and unrecognizable. How many other habitations, technologies and innovations of the Coruscantic Galaxy would prove to be destroyed forever, Anakin wondered. But he and Kitster couldn't wonder too long as they had to get inside the Arena
"You haven't fitted the Challenger with his collar?"buzzed U8 as they were at the base of the Elevator.
"He hadn't tried to escape in some time so. ." Anakin tried to explain (in Quechu).
"His limbs will be free enough soon in the Arena. He needs our charged collar to keep from escaping," U8 explained as he put a large one on Kitster's neck.
"Now what? This seems to be charged with a different current than in the Corscant Galaxy and even Force Lightning seems to have no effect on it," Kitster gulped (in Wookiee) to Anakin- after having tried a little of it on his fingertips.
"A Force Wielding Wookiee! The Zabrak Champion will be pleased,"U8 exclaimed .
"Great! We were supposed to distract everyone in the Arena with Force displays while you went and disabled the Quechu Central Command. Now what?" Kitster gulped aloud in Wookiee.
"I'll stand as close I can to the Arena Ring to keep you safe until this is over. Then maybe when they praise you as the New Champion, I can take advantage of the festivities and disable Central Command to free the Coruscantis!" Anakin considered to Kitster via the Force.
They soon found themselves surrounded by millions of droids of all sizes and colors seated on all sides of them in the Arena and they weren't sure what they were going to do next but they saw a large block of carbonite being hoisted into the Arena.
"And from the savage wilds of the Scant Galaxy, we present our Challenger- a Force Wielding Wookiee named. .? Who cares because again tonight we have our Own Zabrak Champion! Thaw him out at once!" the droid announcer cheered.
Anakin and Kitster were rather dumbfounded as the carbonite melted and with light coming from the inside-out.
"Yes, we apologize to the audience for this rather primitive technique but since the Zabrak's a Scant Flesher and NOT a droid like us, this is how we've had to preserve him in fighting form these 72 years!" the announcer explained.
"It's Kha-tsel Sarin, Darth Maul's son!" Anakin gulped as he saw Kha-tsel in the same charged collar as Kitster had been placed in via the Force to Kitster the Wookiee.
"I smell New Jedi here! You dare challenge me?" Kha-tsel snarled as he blinked his eyes a bit and picked up the lightsabre at his side.
"He has Hibernation Sickness! I don't know how long blindness lasts in Zabraks but see if there's sand or dust on the arena floor to throw in. .." Anakin pleaded via the Force to Kitster.
"These droids keep everything sterile and spotless," Kitster replied back to Anakin via the Force.
"Oh, I can tell you're talking to someone ELSE with the Force, New Jedi and no droids HAVE it! There's another Scant Flesher amongst you! DARE to show yourself or I'll have you exposed before the entire Arena!" Kha-tsel snarled (in Quechu) as he blinked his eyes and suddenly could see again and swung his red lighsabre at Kitster's head.
"Anakin, why don't you throw me your blue lightsabre and I can buy some time?" Kitster pleaded via the Force to Anakin but Anakin had already jumped into the Ring.
"Leave him alone!" Anakin pleaded as he used the Force to jump 20 meters over and 10 meters down into the Arena looking every inch Darth Vader.
" I said the lightsabre not- ALL of you," Kitster gulped via the Force.
"Oh, now I can REALLY give the audience an entertaining spectacle! I've DREAMED of this from the time I was first told what you once looked like, Pops!" Kha-tsel snarled.
"Is that all you care about?" Anakin asked.
"Yeah, and to avenge my father Darth Maul and the Sith with your carcass! Can't you hear their applause? They LOVE it!" Kha-tsel sneered.
"If we are to fight, at least let Kitster free until it's over!" Anakin called out to the announcer droid while drawing his blue lightsabre.
"Another boring rule, New Jedi?" Kha-tsel snarled.
"But he's been given the collar…" the droid announcer pleaded.
"I can wear it in his place. It's only fair since your Champion has one!" Anakin pleaded (with his vocoder translating into Quechu).
"Fair enough, but our guard droids will keep him captive until the fight's finished," the announcer droid proclaimed as they handed Anakin the charged collar and he put it over Vader's Armor while two very large guard droids immobilized Kitster from moving while watching this.
"Now we can get the fight I've been waiting for all these years! If only my father Darth Maul could have seen me!"Kha-tsel chortled as he swung his red lightsabre at Anakin's Vader Mask.
" So you DO care about things besides fighting and cruelty?" Anakin sniffed- as he blocked Kha-tsel's red lightsabre with his blue one.
"Oh, another Jedi Mind Trick? Who cares? THIS is what I'm good for!" Kha-tsel snarled as he charged forward while Anakin rolled beneath him.
"I once thought destruction, cruelty and fear-mongering was all I was good for but My True Master showed me it wasn't too late to walk a more fulfilling path!" Anakin recalled.
"You bore our audience with your lectures," Kha-tsel boiled as he swung his red lightsabre to knock the blue one from Anakin's hand.
"Is being a toy for others' cruelty worth more than kinship? They're just using you the way Palpatine used me! " Anakin pleaded.
"That's not true! They LOVE me! They NEED me!"Kha-tsel boiled as he picked up Anakin's blue lightsabre with his left hand.
"Wielding two at once? Impressive!" Anakin conceded.
"And I'll use them BOTH to decapitate you," Kha-tsel snarled.
"Then what? They freeze you again until the next fight- and the next one until someone beats you or you eventually get too old for their entertainment?" Anakin asked.
"That's NOT TRUE!" Kha-tsel boiled as he put out his hands to try to strangle Anakin but Anakin saw he dropped the two lightsabres and picked them up himself.
" Isn't it?" Anakin asked.
"By my father Darth Maul, I'll get you yet, New Jedi!" Kha-tsel proclaimed-as he tried to knee Anakin in the nether regions.
"If you do, you'll never find out what being part of a family means!" Anakin proclaimed as he jumped up.
"What do I CARE!" Kha-tsel snarled.
"You keep invoking the father you never knew the way My True Master wanted to avenge his father when he didn't know MY identity. All beings want some kind of family!" Anakin laughed as charged forward.
"My identity as a Sith and a Champion is ALL I need!" Kha-tsel boiled as jumped over Anakin.
" Are sure that was all your father needed?" Anakin asked as he ducked under Kha-tsel.
"Of course it . .." Kha-tsel fumed as banged Anakin's Vader Armour with his fist.
"Then why did he insist on his original surname being passed onto. ." Anakin asked as blocked Kha-tsel's blows with his elbows and elbowed him back.
"What do I. .?" Kha-tsel snarled.
"Was it just vengeance that he wanted you born- or did he seek to create a family for himself with your original mother like the Zabrak one he'd been torn away from as a baby that he defied Palpatine to create you," Anakin asked- as he pinned Kha-tsel's arms back with his right arm and held his own blue lightsabre with his left arm to Kha-tsel's neck.
"He never defied. He. ." Kha-tsel boiled.
"Are you sure or is this just merely what you were told?" Anakin asked.
"He. .." Kha-tsel snarled.
" Isn't there SOME part of you that wished you could have gotten to know your birth mother Penelli who, being Padmé's descendent loved you even though you were implanted inside her against her will. Haven't you ever regretted your birth causing her death?" Anakin asked.
"GO AHEAD! KILL ME NOW! I can't stand listening to these twisted lectures!" Kha-tsel screamed- with a catch in his voice.
"You've been used by so many your entire existance but that doesn't mean you must KEEP being used. The Light Side can show you what the Force believes you're truly worth!" Anakin pleaded.
"WHY AREN'T YOU KILING ME! I'M GOOD FOR NOTHING ELSE AND I've injured you and wanted your death without the slightest hesitation!" Kha-tsel screamed.
"I did the same to My True Master and he had no reason to trust me or give me any chances whatsoever but instead he freed me- and I'm willing to do the same for you. ..because there IS good inside you!" Anakin proclaimed- as he took his blue lightsabre from Kha-tsel's throat.
Kha-tsel picked up the red lightsabre- and swung it towards himself when Anakin stopped him from impaling his own heart on the blade.
"STOP THIS! You've ruined our spectacle! We will take the three of you to the Golden Seer at once to decide your fates!" the droid announcer announced while Kha-tsel actually started to cry.