' All That Glitters' (Chapter Sixteen)
By Ennon
A/N- In a break with my usual deal, I'm going to withhold commentary on Ch. 15's Reviews until the end of this chapter- for reasons that will become apparent as this chapter unfolds.
CHAPTER BEGINS-
In 790 AY, eight months after the Coruscantis Awakenings from 72 years of slavery with muteness and no memories, Anakin Skywalker (disguised in Vader's Suit and Mask), Kitster the Wookiee (Chewbacca's descendant) and Kha-tsel Sarin a Zabrak(son of Darth Maul) were in the Quechu-Mong Galaxy capital world of Quechu being led by guard droids to the quarters of the Golden Seer to await their fate.
"Got any ideas how to get us out of this?" Kitster growled/barked (in Wookiee).
"NO communication among prisoners!" a guard droid barked as they were being marched.
"Don't worry! They can't detect Force links," Anakin exclaimed via the Force.
"What did you say? Why aren't you including ME in this conversation?"Kha-tsel boiled to Anakin via the Force.
"Anakin, I don't want him in on this," Kitster silently sighed via the Force.
"We're all in the very same position now. No time for exclusions," Anakin argued via the Force.
"Thank you! Now, explain why you didn't let me impale my heart with lightsabre?" Kha-tsel asked via the Force.
"Yeah, I was wondering that myself!" Kitster scoffed via the Force.
"Because you were beginning to acknowledge that part of you that DOES contain the curiosity and longing for the Light Side- and you wouldn't have reacted so extremely if it didn't bother you," Anakin explained via the Force.
"HA!" boiled Kha-tsel.
"Yeah, right," scoffed Kitster via the Force.
"Your great-grandfather Ruwee told me I should give Kha-tsel a chance and I think we'd all do well to pad in his tracks!" Anakin argued via the Force.
"I'm not my great-grandfather or our more distant ancestor, Chewbacca. I'm me!" Kitster sighed via the Force.
"You'd have gotten to be the New Champion and been idolized by the Quechu had you let me impale myself," Kha-tsel sneered via the Force.
"I have no interest in being a Master of Evil again- especially for others' amusement and suicide would have snuffed out whatever good exists in you and condemned you forever to the Dark Side!" Anakin explained via the Force.
"It's what I wanted!" Kha-tsel sneered via the Force.
"I once thought that,too," Anakin sighed via the Force.
Suddenly, Anakin heard excited beeping from inside his earpiece
"Artoo, what are you doing here?" Anakin asked aloud.
"I said no communication!"the guard droid buzzed in Quechu as he took off Vader's Mask from Anakin's head- but not before he heard Artoo relate a very significant bit of information.
"UGH! What a hideous Flesher face you have- even more hideous than the Zabrak's and Wookiee's! Put the Mask back on so you don't upset and revolt our citizens before your time with the Golden Seer!" the guard droned in Quechu while millions of droids watching the group being marched chirped and beeped rather alarmingly at the site of Anakin's human face.
"Can you tell us about this Golden Seer? " Anakin asked as he put Vader's Mask back on.
"It's none of the prisoners' business until we reach the quarters!" the guard droid barked in Quechu.
"What do you know about this entity?" Anakin asked Kha-tsel via the Force.
"Why should I tell you?" Kha-tsel sniffed via the Force.
"Because you're about to share our fate and maybe something you could mention about him could clue me in to how to save us," Anakin pleaded via the Force.
" You actually think you could trust me to help you?" Kha-tsel sneered via the Force.
"It's to all our benefits that we work together," Anakin exclaimed via the Force.
"We have to work with this Zabrak?" Kitster sighed via the Force.
"For the time being at least. Whatever happens, we say NOTHING about the others or where they are located!" Anakin exclaimed via the Force.
An entire battalion of droid guards opened two 200 meter tall doors and led the three with their ten droid guards guarding them on the inside.
"ALL kneel before the Golden Seer called to see the Arena Contestants who are urged to beg for mercy !" a droid announcer droned in Quechu (which Anakin translated in Basic via the Force for Kitster)
Kha-tsel then Kitster both kneeled but Anakin stood standing.
"Why aren't you kneeling?" Kitster and Kha-tsel both asked via the Force.
"I've only kneeled to those who've earned my genuine respect these past 786 years. I didn't beg for mercy when I was guilty of horrible crimes so why should I now when I've done nothing wrong?" Anakin sniffed.
"SILENCE! NO COMMUNICATION!" a guard droid snarled as he and another droid tried to pull Anakin down onto the floor with their combined bodyweights of over 500 kilograms but Anakin managed to struggle to remain standing.
" I don't understand why you want ME to see these Arena Contestants. You know I can't abide those kind of spectacles," Anakin heard a rather affected and pompous voice sniff in Quechu from around the corner.
"Oh, no! It couldn't be!" Anakin groaned to himself.
"Darth Vader/Threepio, what are YOU doing here?"Anakin and C-3PO asked aloud in alarm at the very same time (with Vader's vocoder taking down Anakin's speech down an octave or so and translating it into Quechu) as Threepio came from around the corner into the large elevated throne podium.
"Golden Seer, these Arena Contestants refused to fight to the death and must be dealt with. The black masked one here refuses to show proper deference," a large purple-plated advisor droid barked in Quechu.
"Threepio, it's me. Anakin Skywalker- your maker! You need to let us go and free the other Coruscanti slaves so we can bring them home and you need to tell the Mong to never try to enslave us again!" Anakin pleaded but but still with Vader's vocoder on.
"Anakin Skywalker! It's totally beyond my capacity to believe a human could survive 831. .." Threepio sniffed before Anakin took off Vader's Mask and replica black gloves and shook his blond hair loose.
At once all the droids in the room squawked their alarm.
"Yes, Threepio. It's me! And, as I earlier said, you need to get them to let us go and. ." Anakin implored.
"I'm C-3PO, Golden Seer of the Quechu fluent in over six-million. .. and one forms of communication," Threepio exclaimed in both Basic and Quechu.
"Yes, I know all that. I originally programmed you myself 822 years ago," Anakin groaned.
"But. . . how can you look more than eight centuries younger than your alleged chronological age. And how could you be Darth Vader?" Threepio asked (in both languages- as he would reply to Anakin from this point on)
"For whatever reason, the Force has preserved my youth and enhanced my strength all this time and I was once but haven't been Vader in 786 years. I only wore this to gain entry to. .. rescue you," Anakin exclaimed after snapping his right thumb and middle finger.
"Rescue? But I no longer have need of that! This is my home and I've learned to be quite content being a deity instead of slave," Threepio sniffed in both languages. "A deity?" Anakin, Kitster and Kha-tsel gulped.
"Well, yes. When they rescued me from the Escape Pod 763 years past they immediately saw that I had the precise pigmentation of their capital world's mid day solstice sun!" Threepio exclaimed.
Anakin did his best to calculate what he'd just heard and came to an alarming conclusion.
"Kino put you in that pod just before he set the Mong's Anti-Matter Devise to detonate!" Anakin gulped.
"You know of Prince Anakin Organa-Solo of New Alderaan and Naboo? You definitely have the continence of his grandfather but how could still be alive and youthful," Threepio asked.
"Would you quit asking me that and get the Quechu to free the Coruscant Galaxy and Coruscanti slaves?" Anakin pleaded.
"I can't possibly do that. After all the trouble they've gone to enshrine and worship me, it wouldn't be proper to cause that hardship for my followers," Threepio sniffed.
"Proper!"Anakin sputtered- and for some reason could hear a certain long-deceased Corellian Scoundrel's sarcastic laughter ringing in his head.
" I'm a Protocol Droid and it would go against all protocol to upset their way of life," Threepio sniffed.
"You asked me how I could go from being Jedi Anakin Skywalker to the Sith Darth Vader then back again to New Jedi Anakin Skywalker? How could you work with those who Kino gave his life to save our galaxy from enslavement from?" Anakin asked.
"If I dare say so, Master Anakin. Who are you to ask me why I'm not opposed to slavery?" Threepio asked.
"When I was Vader, I supported it but I didn't before and I haven't since and. ." Anakin groaned.
"But why didn't you make an effort to rescue me 763 years ago?" Threepio asked.
"We thought you'd been disintegrated along with all other traces of Kino's ship after the Detonation," Anakin sighed.
"But did you really try? I'm sure you'd have gone the extra light year for Artoo," Threepio sniffed.
"That was a horrible time for our family. Not only did we lose Kino but that was the closest I've ever come to returning to the Dark Side," Anakin sighed.
"May I ask what happened?" Threepio asked.
"It's fair enough. In the Yavin Four Celebration Temple, where he'd graduated from Padawan to New Jedi just months earlier, we held his Memorial Service but Han showed up drunk and belligerant. I got so furious at him that I nearly Force choked him to death. .." Anakin recalled.
"You. .. Force choked General Solo?" Threepio asked.
"Yes, I'm quite ashamed of what I did- and seeing my family's and all our friends' faces have that look of terror and dread that I hadn't seen since I was Vader. If it weren't for Padmé, Luke and Kino's Force Ghost pleading. .. " Anakin sighed as he shook his head.
"But how could you have been Darth Vader? Vader cut off Master Luke's hand and tried to kill him but you loved your son and. ." Threepio sputtered.
" I still DO love my original family but I'm sorry to say that back then I was capable of doing horrible things to those who loved me. It's not unique in humans," Anakin sighed.
"You've had to live with all that Vader did all these centuries? No wonder you were envious of my Memory Wipe and I fully agree with that assessment," Threepio sniffed.
" Memory Wipe. Oh,yes, when we first were re-introduced, I made that remark and. .." Anakin recalled.
"And that's why when the Mong bitterly complained about how sad, depressed and barely functional their slaves were with their memories of former lives haunting them, that's why I told the Quechu that a Memory Wipe for sentient creatures would be beneficial to all," Threepio beamed.
"You came up with that idea? Do you have any idea what trouble that's caused? How only a few folks older than 72 survived to tell the younger generations about our former lives and I'm one of the tiny number that it's any kind of shape to work with them to rebuild!" Anakin boiled.
"You mean, you weren't content as slaves when you didn't have memories?" Threepio asked in puzzlement.
"No! How could we be? We never got to make even the most elemental decisions over our own lives!" Anakin sighed while Kitster and Kha-tsel nodded in agreement.
At once another droid came in and buzzed something in Threepio's ear.
"Who! Artoo! HERE!" Threepio asked.
"Now what?" Kitster asked via the Force.
"What do you care about some droid," sniffed Kha-tsel via the Force.
"He's more than a droid. He's been a friend for ages!" Kitster explained via the Force as several guard droids led the protesting Artoo in.
"Yes, yes! Release my friend at once! Oh, I can hardly wait to catch you up on the last seven centuries as we spend the next few centuries together," Threepio beamed.
Artoo made some protesting beeps.
"But you'd be free here! You wouldn't have to take any more orders,"Threepio protested.
"Artoo never DID take orders. That's why he's here in spite of my orders!" Anakin laughed.
"What do you mean you have to protect Master Anakin and his Wookiee friend? Aren't you forgetting what Chewbacca threatened when he lost at 3-D chess. .?" Threepio sputtered.
Artoo beeped some more.
"Oh, I never knew that! So that's why you were on Chewbacca's back in Bespin! He'd fixed you, Threepio, and was trying to put you back together. I wish I'd known so I could have thanked him for that,too," Anakin sighed while scratching his chin with his right fingers.
"If you were Vader, why didn't you say anything to me when I was in that ridiculous position?" Threepio sniffed.
"I totally had disarranged my priorities back then," Anakin sighed.
" Artoo, they tell me that you tapped into our central computers and have vital information. You erase those at once or I'll have no choice but to let them disintegrate you," Threepio insisted.
Artoo sputtered some more.
"Now, Artoo. You'll be in a place where we are worshipped. I hadn't realized how much I LIKE being worshipped since Endor," Threepio chuckled.
Artoo chirped again.
"You mean, you prefer being disintegrated to helping those who worship me?" Threepio sputtered.
Artoo pleaded a bit.
"The Quechu say they want a Public Execution for Master Anakin and the other Coruscant Fleshers but they insist his face be covered by that Mask to minimize mass panic!" Threepio explained.
"Threepio, you once had to translate Jabba's voice when ordering Luke's Execution by Sarlaac. You're in a position to free the Coruscanti slaves. Why don't you use that power?" Anakin asked.
"I don't have any powers. I haven't been able to float since Master Luke was next to me that time in Endor," Threepio protested.
"You have the power of being worshipped. Use it for the good!" Anakin pleaded.
"But I. .." Threepio sputtered.
"I hate to do this to you but. .." Anakin gulped and ran as quickly as he could in his replica Vader Boots – knocking several droid guards down like bowling pins with the Force and his own strength as he made it to the podium where he managed to unhinge Threepio's head from his torso before anyone else could react.
At once every droid in the Audience Hall (except Artoo) chirped and whirred in a panic.
"But sir. .." Threepio's disembodied head protested.
" Since I built him, I know where a certain fingerprint is from where I touched his neck from where the sauter hadn't yet cooled and since I'd just had a broiled vecto wing, you'll find there's grease molecules imbedded within the fingerprint my 9-year-old finger made. Carbon date the grease molecules and factor in the finger growth and you'll prove it's all MINE!" Anakin said while holding Threepio's head aloft.
"You mean?" Threepio asked.
" I brought your Quechu god INTO the Universe 822 years ago and I can take him OUT if my demands aren't met," Anakin insisted as several smaller scanner droids matched the fingerprint with Anakin's and carbon dated the embedded grease molecules which proved Anakin's claim.
Several guard droids started to run towards the podium when Anakin held Threepio's head higher and started spinning it around while they started to back off in a panic.
"Oh, MY! I'm getting dizzy! Artoo, Help!" Threepio pleaded.
"If you kill me, you may never find out how to put back the Golden Seer's head on the right way!" Anakin warmed.
"We can restore him on our own!" a guard droid snarled as it lunged towards Anakin.
"But you have an entire galaxy of Coruscanti sentient beings who could EASILY finish the job and tear all of you apart. I realize I'm an extreme example of Force wielder, determination and strength but my galaxy's sentient beings ALL have the potential for extremes! It's to your benefit that you get the Mong to release all of us and end slavery for all time," Anakin pleaded.
"Oh, Father of Golden Seer, restore him for us! We'll agree to any demands!" the more senior Quechu pleaded.
"Okay, here it goes!" Anakin gulped as he bolted Threepio's head back onto his torso.
"Where I am? Oh, my head's back on my body again! You did it, Master Anakin!" Threepio beamed.
"Yes, I did! Now here are our demands. You release every single Coruscanti slave in your galaxy and ours. You give us enough Mong slaver ships to transport every single being back to our home systems. You are to withdraw all Mong from our galaxy at once. You allow NO attempts at any kind of slavery or memory wiping again. Finally, most important, you let us rebuild our Galaxy without any kind of interference or spying- and we'll leave YOU alone," Anakin insisted.
"The Council agrees as long as it's alright with the Golden Seer,"the senior droid counselor conceded.
"But Artoo, you're sure you don't want to stay here? " Threepio asked.
Artoo reiterated his refusal.
"What do you mean how could I have not thought how slavery was going to affect everyone in the Coruscant Galaxy? It seemed perfectly neat and orderly from here!"Threepio sniffed.
"Oh, you ARE my creation alright. Too many suffered because I refused to see how anyone else's problems were worse than mine for too long when I was Vader," Anakin sighed.
A month later, with Anakin, Kitster, Kha-tsel Sarin, Vlenoba the Kaminoan and Artoo's ship leading the way, a star-system sized cluster of one time Mong Slaver ships carrying every single former Coruscanti slave in the Quechu-Mong galaxy crossed into the outmost edge of the Coruscant Galaxy.
"Yes, Artoo. It was good to find out what happened with Threepio and I'm glad he's happy but I don't think I'll be seeing him again.Better we leave things as is," Anakin sighed-as he put Vader's Mask on the floor and he was back to his usual attire that he'd worn for over five centuries of sleeveless tan tunic with a utility belt complete with his Jedi lightsabre, and brown slacks ending above his bare ankles and feet.
Artoo pleaded.
"Yes, I appreciate that you chose entirely on your own to return with us to keep helping us out but I'll miss you in fifty years time when you visit Threepio for a year,"Anakin sighed as he patted Artoo's hood.
"Anything else, you need to tell me before I take the Final Vows?" Kha-tsel asked.
"Your eyes have changed from that unnatural Sith yellow to their intended color of green and I can tell it's permanent not a guise so you're ready!" Anakin insisted.
"You were right about me wanting a family.Do you think the others will accept me?."Kha-tsel asked.
"Hopefully and Ithink your example may encourage Coruscantis to stop putting so much emphasis on outer appearance and more on inner character," Anakin sighed.
"I think I may be ready now! When do the nightmares stop?" Kha-tsel asked.
"When we realize that who we were is not who we are anymore. You've been given this opportunity to make a clean slate for yourself and do good the rest of your life. Don't throw this away as so much of your previous existence was," Anakin pleaded as he hugged Kha-tsel.
"There IS Passion for that represents the Force itself but we New Jedi use it for the good and to help those in need and never in anger, vengeance or cruelty," Kha-tsel said with Anakin repeating afterwards.
"Jedi Anakin, didn't you once tell me that the Old Jedi denied its existence?" the 76-year-old last Kaminoan, the New Jedi Dame Vlenoba asked.
"Yes, they tried but Our Founder understood that without passion, there could BE no Light Side and there would have been no opportunity for the Jedi to be revived if passion had been denied," Anakin sighed.
Kitster the Wookiee growled a bit a query.
"Kitster, that's a very good question. You asked whether I think Palpatine could have been turned to the Light Side. Our Founder and I used to ponder that from time to time," Anakin sighed.
" But he kidnapped my father and did so many horrible things to you and your family and. .." Kha-tsel sputtered.
" I know and I think at the time of Palpatine's mortal death, he probably could not have been and he definitely was beyond that possibility when the Force caused his Force Ghost Implosion but I think in some earlier time in his life it would have been possible had he sincerely wanted that," Anakin sighed.
"You sure are calm about all that after what he did,"Vlenoba remarked.
"I wasn't always! It took over two centuries before I could say that name without spitting. Let's continue the vows, Kha-tsel!" Anakin gulped.
"You think my birth mother Penelli envisioned this day to give herself strength after I had been implanted in her?" Kha-tsel asked once he completed the vows to become a New Jedi.
"Knowing my many times great-granddaughter, I'd say that was a good probability," Anakin sighed
"You've done it, Ani!" Qui- Gonn's Ghost beamed as he became visible with a blue aura to all Force wielders.
"Is this the one who my. .father .. . killed?" Kha-tsel gulped.
"Only my tired body NOT my spirit, Friend" Qui-Gonn Jinn's Force Ghost exclaimed.
"This is what you and Our Founder wanted," Anakin insisted as he went on his knees while the puzzled Kha-tsel did the same.
"Indeed, you have not only freed the Galaxy from the Quechu but you have also now eliminated the Sith's Last Remnant by Conversion. Much of the Prophecy has been completed!"Qui-Gonn's Ghost proclaimed.
" You mean, five thousand years of prophecy, eight hundred odd years of living and it ALL gets taken care of by my chanting and happening to have built the Quechu's Golden Seer and using him as the ultimate bargaining chip and one conversion?" Anakin started to laugh.
"Chosen One, I said much but you still have a great deal of work ahead of you as you help the galaxy rebuild itself!" Qui-Gonn admonished.
"But that could take centuries!" Anakin gulped.
" Quite so but you wouldn't have your youth preserved and strength enhanced all this time if. .." Qui-Gonn's Ghost started to say.
"If the Force didn't think I/he was capable of accomplishing it!" Anakin, Vlenoba, Kha-Tsel and Kitster all groaned at the very same time which prompted Qui-Gonn's Ghost to laugh.
Artoo asked what was going on and then chirped after Anakin explained.
"Yes, Artoo, we're all in this together!" Anakin laughed-as they all took a good look at the Coruscant Galaxy through the window while they started their return.
A/N- NOW I can give answer my Reviewers here!
Miss Naye- Yeah, they did get into rather deep stuff for a time here!
Eppieblack- Is your name derived from Hephzibah because if it is, then you have definitely lived up to your name for it means 'my delight is in her' in the original Hebrew and I'm majorly impressed as to how you picked up the subtle clues and put together the Golden Seer's ID as being Threepio! Brilliant! Thank you for that and for having read all fifteen chapters in one night! Glad you got a good laugh out of this and I hope this newest chapter lives up to your expectations.
Swspacecadet- Your comments are constructive so why wouldn't I take them in a positive spirit. Don't feel 'creepy' saying constructive things and I'm thankful you appreciate my work and consider my stories entertaining!