Chapter 14: Memories of the Past
The planet was full of smoke as Sim looked out of the window. Lava flowed everywhere and mountains erupted, as if in anger over something or something that was about to happen. He used the force to detect if anyone was nearby and got the reply from the force he wanted. He opened the closet door as he made his way to the outside. But before he turned the corner, he checked his belt as he felt for his lightsaber and found it right where he wanted it, clipped to his belt. He was about to do something he wished he never wanted to do. He stepped from the edge and found himself at the end of the ramp.
Outside Anakin and Padme were talking as Padme seemed to be pleading with Anakin over something.
"Anakin, come back, I love you!" shouted Padme with tears coming from her eyes. But Anakin was too blind to see it as he only saw Sim at the top of the ramp and instantly his anger ignited.
"LIAR!" shouted Anakin with lust and anger in his eyes. Padme immediately swung around to see Sim at the top of the ramp to her ship. He had somehow snuck aboard her ship to find Anakin.
"No!" shouted Padme as she tried to look at Anakin but his anger had already consumed him
"You're with him!" said Vader angrily, "You brought him here to kill me." Vader instantly brought his hand up as he began to Force-Choke Padme, who was pleading for him to stop, but his anger had already take control of him.
Sim walked down the ramp as he shouted, "Let her go, Anakin." This seemed to infuriate Anakin further as he squeezed harder. Sim repeated again, "Let..her..go!" Finally, Vader released his grip as Padme collapsed unconscious to the ground. Sim looked at her trying to sense if she was still alive.
"You turned her against me!" shouted Vader as if he was accusing Sim of choking her.
"You have done that yourself," replied Sim as he glanced away from the lump of body that is Padme back to Vader. Immediately he began to pace around as he let his robe fall to the ground.
"You will not take away from me!" shouted an angered Vader as he moved as if he was a bull ready to kill.
"Your lust for power and your anger has already done that," replied Sim as he began to pace around, trying to get near Padme's body to check her pulse and health.
"I have one question for you Vader, why? Why did you betray everyone that cared for you? Why did you go to the dark side? Why did you push the people that love you away?" asked Sim as they began to circle, "you've allowed the Dark Lord of the Sith to control you until... until you've become the very thing you swore to destroy."
"Do not try to lecture me with your Jedi ways. I can see through the lies that the Jedi have told the galaxy. I thought the Jedi were good but they are the true bad guys and I will protect the galaxy from them," replied Vader as he walked away from Padme and turned his back to Sim. Sim immediately moved toward Padme and checked her pulse. She was luckily still alive, though, barely.
"Lies? What is sad is that you've become so consumed by the dark side that you've allowed your own lies to deceive you until you actually take them to be the truth," said Sim coldly for the first time Anakin had heard.
"Shut up, Sim! You don't understand the power of the dark side. You are too weak to. I have become more powerful than anyone including you and your jealous!" shouted Vader. Sim could see that whatever part of Anakin that was good had been tossed away and all that was left was evil in a shell.
"Is that what it is all about? Power?" shouted Sim.
"No, I am achieving this power to save my wife!" said Vader calmly for the first time since the talking had begun.
"Are you mad? Why don't you look at your wife?" said Sim in disbelief, "She's unconscious because of you. This isn't about her this about your quest and lust for power! You always were one to want power."
"Don't make me kill you!" replied Vader, neither denying nor accepting what Sim said.
"Kill me for what? Telling you the truth? That's a great excuse, Anakin," replied Sim.
"I've had enough of you. I am going to get rid of once and for all. If you're not going to join me, then that will be your fate," shouted Vader as he pulled out his lightsaber and turned toward Sim.
"Only a Sith deals in absolutistic. I'm sorry that you've allowed yourself to be blinded by power. You truly have become the very thing you swore to destroy," said Sim as he let his robe fall to the ground and unclipped his lightsaber, "this is the end for you my friend."
Vader narrowed his eyes on Sim as he shouted, "You will try!" as he ignited his lightsaber and struck at Sim. Sim ignited his lightsaber as a black blade hummed to life as the two clashed. Sim blocked Anakin's moves as he went on the defensive and twirled his lightsaber, meeting every block of Anakin. Inside his head, Sim shouted for his body to stop fighting but he no longer had control over himself. The battle wore on as they fought in every part of Mustafar until finally they came to the dreaded part where Sim was on top of the black beach.
"Its over Anakin, I have the high ground," shouted Sim as he deignited his lightsaber.
"You underestimate my power!" said Anakin as he challenged Sim.
"No Anakin, you are overestimating your own. Please, don't try it!" shouted Sim as he got ready for the inevitable. Anakin seemed not to care about his warning as he force leaped across the air but before he landed Sim turned and with one twirl of his lightsaber he cut off Anakin's limbs, letting him fall to the ground. Suddenly his vision began to fade away as he blurred.
Sim shot up as he found himself in a dark room. He looked around the room and realized it was nighttime and he had been dreaming again. He looked at himself and realized that he was sweat drenched along with the bed. He put his head in his hands as he coursed it through his hair. These dreams had been happening for the past week for some odd reason. He had tried to meditate them away but they didn't leave him alone.
Sim moved out of bed as he walked outside to see the time, it was almost 7:00 in the morning, about time for him to wake up. As he got ready for his usual day, he got into the refresher and took a long shower to think about his dream. All it seemed so real and the memories always scared him to the core, he would never forget that day, no matter what he tried. He walked out of the shower as he began to dress. He put on his usual black Jedi pants as he pulled on his black-colored Jedi undershirt before he pulled on his light brown/tanish Jedi vest. Finally he put on his pure black Jedi robe and walked out of the door and into the kitchen. He found Han, Lando, Chewie, and Leia sitting at the table eating breakfast as he entered.
"Good morning, old man," said Han with a cocky smile. He would always say that to Sim even if he wasn't really that old.
"Shut up, Han. Good morning, master," said Leia as she poured him coffee and he sat down to eat his pancakes. Lando said hi and nodded while Chewie gave his usual growl in his own tongue saying, "Good morning".
After breakfast, Sim immediately departed them as he went to the top of the hill. He always loved feeling the warm breeze come against him as if energized him with light and got rid of any doubts within him. He closed his eyes as the wind passed him and made his robe wave alongside it. It reminded him of the top of the Jedi Temple in Courscant before the Empire and Anakin's fall. Both he and Anakin would stay up there and meditate rather than have to be in the regular boring meditation room. He remembered how they always got in trouble for that but didn't stop causing Master Windu to finally give up and let them to continue. He was so full in the feelings and memory that he didn't even realize that Leia was coming up the hill. She stopped next to him as she bathed in the wind and sun, her own robe flowing behind her. She turned to her master.
"Master, why do you dress like that? I've always wondered since I've seen in the old records that Jedi dressed in light brownish-tannic color clothing but you and father didn't. Father wore entirely black while you wear black except for your light-brown vest," asked curiously Leia.
"Well, neither of us was very strict followers of the code, well as strict as Obi-Wan and the other masters wanted us to be. Anyways, I found this to suite me the best while Anakin found wearing entirely black to suit him the best," replied Sim with a slight smile.
"So are we going to begin training or what?" asked Leia with a grin.
"Yes, my padawan we will. In fact, I have a few new tricks to teach you," said Sim as he walked up to a boulder. Leia followed suit as they stopped in front of it. Sim touched it as he felt its rough, gradient texture.
"You see this Leia. Well, I want you to destroy it so that it is complete dust," said Sim without taking his eyes away from the boulder. Leia just looked at him quizzing.
"Uh, well, could you demonstrate how you do that?" said Leia as she tried to avoid showing that she knew no clue on how to accomplish the task.
"Very well, then," replied Sim as he pulled his hand up. He gently touched the rock as he focused his force powers through it. He used his emotions to stir up his powers as he became one with the rock. He could feel its texture as if he was actually it. Using this he forced the light to break it. Outside, Leia just watched as nothing happened. Suddenly, Sim just glanced at the rock as it completely disintegrated before there eyes into a pile of fine dust. Leia eye's opened wider than a saucer as she glanced at the pile and then at Sim. She couldn't even say anything but Sim told her what to do,
"Now your turn, my apprentice," said Sim as he moved away and the trials began.
Suddenly he felt a jolt of pain as a something flashed in his eyes. A red blade battling another lightsaber blade as the two came together before the wielder of the other blade fell to the ground exhausted. He was obviously outmatched by the red blade user as he found himself at death. The image disappeared right before the end as Sim opened his eyes. He turned to Leia who was looking at him with surprise,
"Leia, I want you to work on this. I have something to do and won't be back for a couple of days, now," said Sim as he turn and ran back to the house leaving Leia shocked.
Lord Vader and Inhalator walked up the hallway of the Executor as they went to the Command Room. They had finally gotten the ship back from repairs and they were headed off to find a rogue Jedi out in the Outer Rim. Although it wasn't Sim Nam but it still was some Jedi and he wanted to personally kill him.
As he walked into the room, any chatting that had been taking place had abruptly cut off, leaving the room silent. He walked up to Admiral Piett as he looked him in the eye.
"Is my shuttle ready? Do we have the coordinates?" asked Inhalator in a cold, commanding voice.
"Yes, my Lord. Everything has been prepared for you and our intelligence has notified us that the Jedi doesn't know that we have found him," said Piett with a sting of fear and nervousness in his voice. He was obviously scared of the Sith pair and that was exactly how they wanted it to be.
"Very well, when I come back, have Jedi Knight Coffish Grimen removed from the search list," said Inhalator with a tinge of evil in his voice as he walked into his ship. Vader watched as his apprentice left and boarded his ship, knowing he would accomplish his task with great capability.
The shuttle immediately departed the place as it flew to the planet that they had found the Jedi. Vader knew that the Jedi Knight would not stand a chance against a Dark Lord of the Sith. It was a shame that he had been a friend of his master at the old Jedi temple, but that did not concern Inhalator who knew that Vader no longer cared for the name or meaning of Anakin or Skywalker, which he neither did too.
The shuttle made its way through the atmosphere as it streaked across the planet. Finally it came to a remote part of the planet with a small hut in the middle of a forest, this was the hideout of Coffish. Inhalator smiled as he sensed his presence.
Inside, Coffish was doing some of his chores when he heard and felt something. He heard the sound of engines and then using the Force he felt a presence that he had not felt a long time before. His eyes opened up wide as he realized who it was, although he didn't know exactly but if felt similar to someone's force signature that he had been trying to hide from for the past 20 years. He force-called his lightsaber as he went outside to have his fears only confirmed. The shuttle ramp opened up as Darth Inhalator came out into the view with his black robe flowing in the wind.
"Hello, Jedi Knight Coffish Grimen. You might not know me, but you probably know Lord Vader. I am his son and apprentice," said the Dark Lord as he walked over to the Jedi Knight.
"I see he has corrupted his own son to the dark side. What an unfortunate event," replied Coffish.
"Do not care for that, as I am here to eliminate you. You will no longer be a threat to us," shouted Inhalator as he let his anger take control of him and flow through him.
"I do not care for death. It is the way of the Force and I will do so," said Coffish as he ignited his lightsaber, revealing a green blade.
"Very well, then. This is the end for you," shouted Inhalator as he lunged at the Jedi and attacked him
Coffish saw the Sith Lord attack him as he brought his lightsaber up to deflect it. He was a combatant of Form III and his main policy was to stay on the defensive. Inhalator struck hard and in big slashes as Coffish tried to block them all, but only barely. He found himself retreating as Inhalator pushed him farther and farther. He was slowly gaining the upper hand. Inhalator immediately slashed at Coffish who blocked it only to have another swipe at his midsection come but he leaped out of the way. Inhalator immediately did a jab attack as Coffish easily deflected it but didn't see the foot coming as he was kicked in the gut and went flying a couple of feet. He instantly got up as his blade met with Inhalator's and the two clashed again. As the two went into a deadlock, Coffish could see that his opponent was truly a dark side user, just looking into his piercing yellow eyes. Suddenly he found himself in the air as Inhalator used the force to slam him against a tree, causing him to lose his grip on his lightsaber as it tumbled off. Inhalator pointed it at Coffish's neck and smiled.
"That was far too easy. You've become weak over the last 20 years in exile and are no match for me, Jedi scum," said Inhalator as he edged his blade closer to Coffish's neck.
"I guess I have. But at least I know I died being a Jedi, not like you or your father, you scum!" shouted Coffish with rage. He didn't care know as he was about to be killed in any fashion anyways. He would soon join his fellow dead Jedi's in the netherworld of the Force.
Inhalator brought up his blade as he got ready to kill his prey. He was about to kill another Jedi and prove his worth to his father. Nothing would stop him from achieving his goal and making his father proud. Nothing! The Sith brought his blade down as Coffish closed his eyes but suddenly Inhalator found his blade blocked but not by Coffish's green blade. Inhalator's anger rose as he stared at the blade, knowing only that one person in the galaxy wielded a black blade that was blocking his own right now. He looked up to see the face of Sim Nam.
Sim looked at him straight as Inhalator backed up and brought his lightsaber up again. Coffish opened his eye to see he wasn't dead and Inhalator was backed up. Instead another Jedi was helping him. His eye's shot open as he realized who it was,
"Sim Nam!" asked Coffish in disbelief. Sim turned to him as he smiled.
"Yes, my friend. I'm still alive," said Sim with a cocky smile.
"Not for long, though. I will destroy you here Sim, once and for all. Once I do that, my father will be more proud for killing two Jedi, including his number one enemy," said Inhalator with a smile. He didn't waste any time as he lunged at the legendary master of the Force.
Sim with ungodly speed instantly brought his lightsaber as he let his emotions release. Suddenly Inhalator found himself outmatched as Sim leaped around him tormenting him and blocking his every swipe with ease. Although the Sith was a master Form V user, Sim was a legendary Form IV user, easily outmatching the young cub. Inhalator found himself barely blocking Sim's occasional attempts to hit him, knowing well that he was only being played with. This further ignited Inhalator's anger as he swung madly trying to hit the Master but instead he fell into the trap. Sim instantly blocked his blow and disarmed the Sith Lord before Force launching him a couple of hundred feet straight back into his shuttle, knocking him unconscious. Using the force, he picked up the shuttle and ignited its engines, letting it roar off to space, no matter what the pilot wanted to do.
Sim smiled as he watched the shuttle fly off. He instantly turned back to Coffish who had gotten up and walked over to Sim. He embraced his old friend as they looked at each other,
"Ah, it has been too long, my old friend Sim. You look like you haven't aged a bit since we last met. I'm glad that you came and saved me. I owe you big-time," said Coffish with a smile in his face.
"No, no, no, my friend. I'm only doing my job to protect my fellow Jedi. I had a vision about this battle and came here as fast as possible. Luckily, our two planets aren't far apart, letting met to come at the final moments before he killed you," said Sim.
"Yes, it seems that I've become old and worn out over the years. I'm no longer any good lightsaber combatant as I used to be," said Coffish in a degraded voice.
"NO, you're still an excellent lightsaber duelist, but even age doesn't allow the best of us to fight to our capability," said Sim as he patted his friend on the back and directed him toward the Falcon.
"I brought a ship here and I will be relocating you to another planet that will be far safer," said Sim as he went up the ramp.
"No, I must stay here. where could I go?" said Coffish who stopped.
"Don't worry, I've got the perfect place for you," said Sim with a twinkle in his eye. Coffish immediately gave up as he entered into the Falcon as it roared off into space.