Chapter 3: Lessons of the Dark Side

Anakin and Mace Windu stood on a high dune studying the small Tusken encampment below. The full moonlit night illuminated several skin and straw-made huts spread throughout the oasis. But only one had two guards standing beside the entrance. Through the Force Anakin could sense his mother's feelings of pain, and love enclosed through its thin walls.

"Master she's down there, that one right there" Anakin pointed to the hut.

"Alright Anakin we'll move quickly, and quietly. Stretch out with your feelings, keep fully alert."

"Yes Master."

They used the Force to jump down from the dune. They moved quietly and methodically past each hut, and finally reached the guarded one. Anakin grabbed his light saber, turned to look at Mace for approval, and Mace nodded. Anakin ignited his weapon; the blade began to cut through the thin material. Mace used his body to block the glow of blue light from the energy blade. Anakin kicked out the burned material, and quickly went inside.

He was horrified, and angered by the sight before him. Shmi Skywalker's beaten broken body was tied to a rack. Her bloody wrists were bound to a thin bar that her limp head laid upon. The candlelit room revealed gashes, and bruises on her face from several beatings. Mace and Anakin quickly untied her wrists. Her weak body fell into Anakin's warm embrace.

"Mom…mom…mom." It was the only word that managed to come out of his mouth at that moment.

The caked blood around her eyes made it difficult for her to look at him. "Ani? Ani is it you?" She whispered through the pain from her broken ribs.

"I'm here mom your safe" He cradled, and rocked her slowly in his arms.

"Oh you look so handsome." She said with joy in her voice as she touched his face.

He kissed the inside of her wrist gently. "I missed you." He said in a low voice holding back his tears.

Anakin felt a mixture of joy, and sadness reuniting with her. He and Mace could sense that her life force was barely hanging on by a thread.

"My son, my grown up son, I knew you'd come back to me. I'm so proud of you Ani."

"Save your strength mom we have to get out of here."

"Now I am complete."

"Stay with me mom everything's going to be ok." He could feel her getting weaker with each breath she struggled to take.

She stroked his face, and worked hard to focus her fading vision on him. "I…love"

The words just barely escaped from her mouth as he watched, and felt her last breath, and the light in her eyes fade away. Her body slowly fell lifeless in his arms. Shmi's eyes were still open, but there was nothing behind them.

Mace watched quietly; his heart ached for the young man. I'm sorry Anakin, so very sorry. He put his hand on Anakin's shoulder.

Mace's voice was barely audible to Anakin. He was in his own world far away in the deep recesses of his mind. This couldn't really be happening; it was just too horrible to be true. He had failed; he had failed to save her. There is no reason mom should be proud of me, he thought to himself. An enormous amount of guilt, and pain swelled up in his heart. The emptiness and disbelief rattled his mind, and body. He looked down at her, and gently closed her blank eyes, and caressed her face. Why, how could anyone want to hurt such a kind, and loving woman, to beat, and torture senselessly?

The thought of them enjoying, celebrating her screams, and tears of agony being inflicted on her fragile body sent him deeper into the dark cloud that was taking hold of him; encircling his thoughts, and feelings. As he studied her face with Tusken tribal carvings in her cheek; darker emotions began to replace guilt, and sadness. The emotions of anger, rage, and a thirst for revenge; seemed to make him feel more powerful. His face and mouth were frozen as he slowly lifted his head up. There was no sparkle, no blue in his eyes just blackness; the darkness of hatred, and rage. As if almost in a trance; he laid her down, and began to be pulled to his feet by a Force stronger then he'd ever felt.
They're going to pay for what they've done to you mom; he thought as he began to reach for his light saber.
But at that very instant he felt, and saw his weapon fly at lighting speed out of his belt, and into the hands of Mace Windu.

Anakin turned his head slowly almost droid-like to look at the frightened, concerned look from his Master.

"What is in your mind young Skywalker?" Mace asked standing in front of him while holding the Padawan's lightsaber tight in his hands.

"Give it back Master." He said with grinding teeth, and clenched fists.

"No Anakin." He said firmly, but quietly.

"They're all going to die; I'm going to slaughter them like the animals that they are for what they've done." He screamed at the top of his lungs."

Anakin tried to move around him, but Mace stood in front of him, and put one hand firmly on his shoulder while looking straight into the Padawan's dark eyes.

"Anger and hate is wrong, do not feed into it, you must concentrate, and use the pure side of the Force to find your way back."

"I must do this, let me go, you can't stop me. I don't need my weapon. I'm going to crush their bones; I want to feel their blood on my hands." He tried to remove Mace's hand from his shoulder, but it wouldn't budge.

"This is not who you are, and it's not who you want to be. Do not go down that path, there is no going back. The dark side will twist, and consume you until you will no longer exist. You will not know who you are, and neither will anyone else. You'll drive everything and everyone that has any meaning to you out of you life."

As his Master spoke, the words began to become clear, and tangible. His thoughts of destruction, and murder started to be replaced. Her name and lovely image started to break through the dark cloud his mind was shrouded in. Padme, he'd lose her. A series of past moments of their happiness together played in his memory. It was at that moment that he realized how much he truly loved, and needed her.

"Yes Anakin you'll lose her too." Mace said while nodding his head, and giving a serious look.

Anakin lowered his head. "I can't lose her." Tears began to pour out. He dropped to his feet, and put his hands over his face.

Mace took a deep breath. "Yes, I know Anakin." He kneeled down on one knee, and patted Anakin's shoulder.

Anakin looked up, and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. "Thank you Master Windu."

"You're welcome, but you must learn to not embrace attachment. You must control your thoughts, passions, and feelings. You are still very vulnerable to the dark side."

"I know Master, but I will not go down that path , I promise you."

"You must make that promise to yourself."

"I will, I have." He nodded to Mace, and touched his own heart.

"Good, now let's figure out how we're going to get out of here." He rose up, pulled Anakin to his feet, and gave him back his lightsaber.

Anakin held his mother in his arms, and Mace followed close behind. They both stretched out with the Force to detect any danger surrounding them as they made their way quietly back to their speeders. Mace helped Anakin tie Shmi's body firmly to the back of the speeder. They both turned on the engines, and set off into the night back to the Lars homestead.

Dune after dune passed by them. It all seemed like a bad nightmare to Anakin, who was still trying to take it all in as his thoughts of the nights' events began to set in. I can't believe you're gone mom; there was so much I wanted to say to you. I never even had the chance to tell you about Padme, and how much we mean to each other.
You would have loved her as a daughter; I know you would have. He admired the moon's luminescent glow that reflected off of his shining tears.

The anger and hurt of his mother's brutal passing had nearly set him on the path to the dark side. He didn't know what had come over him, and it frightened him to death to even think about it. He was grateful to Master Windu for stopping him, and trusting him enough to give him back his lightsaber. What will the Council think when Master Windu tells them everything that happened in that hut? He thought to himself. He shook his head, and remembered what Master Windu had said to him, "You must learn to not embrace attachment. You must control your thoughts, passions, and feelings. You are still very vulnerable to the dark side." The question was, could he do what Master Windu, and the rest of the Council insisted of him ever since he had begun his training as a Jedi? Attachment was forbidden, he knew that, but he also knew how much he loved, and needed Padme. He stretched out with the Force to feel her life presence. He sensed fear, and sadness within her, but he knew she was safe, and let out a sigh of relief.

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Padme tossed, and turned as she tried to fall asleep in an unfamiliar bed that seemed far too empty, and cold. It was just the other night that she was lying in Anakin's arms; after they had first made love underneath the stars. She had awoken in bed next to him, now she was all alone with this long and difficult day coming to a close. She wondered where he was, if they had found his mother, and if they had been able to save her.

Her bloodshot eyes stared off into the blackness that surrounded her. Padme's head ached as she thought to herself: I should be out there with him helping him, comforting him. Her heavy heart told her how much he needed her at that moment, and a new feeling began to grow inside her. Padme realized how much she desperately needed him.
She never knew so much fear could come from love. He had said that they wouldn't be long, but that was hours ago. What if something happened to him; what if I never see him again? Just the thought of never seeing his handsome face, or tasting his sweet lips sent shivers up her spine. The tears gushed out of her sobbing body until the blackness blended into her slowly closing eyelids, drifted her into sleep, and to pleasanter thoughts in her dreams.

This was a challenge to write, but I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. Hope you all enjoyed it as well. I see these scenes, and hear the dialogue in my mind. Then to actually write it, and see it come together is quite an experience. Your reviews are most appreciated. I should have Chapter 4 up by next week.