A MESSED UP DESTINY

A STAR WARS STORY

Chapter 44

Disclaimer: Disney owns everything and I make no profit from this.

Hello there everyone and welcome to chapter 44 of the story! I do believe I owe you guys a behemoth of a chapter, so I'll keep the prologue short. In this chapter we get the long-awaited conclusion to the latest Arc in the story, which will be followed by some classic Clone Wars-style action right after. I'm…unsure of how big this chapter will actually end up being, so please excuse any delays that may occur.

Note: After much deliberation, I am splitting this chapter in two to ensure that the story will be back on track now that I've returned, as future arcs need some extra time to be fleshed out, and I want to focus on this instead of devoting my time to brining this (originally massive) chapter to an end. I will still do so, but this choice has made things considerably easier for me.

Also, I know I took some time off to deal with a personal issue, but I assure you that my resolve has never been stronger! Additionally, the personal problems I mentioned in the now deleted Author's Note have been resolved, and everyone is okay.

Anyhow, I don't have anything else to say up here, so…without further ado…let's jump right into it!

In the Belly of the Beast! With Anakin Skywalker reporting back to the Jedi Council with information crucial to the Phantom Case, questions are raised by his discovery, and a massive secret will have to be revealed to the Jedi, but as Sidious comes close to discovering the plots against him, Anakin and Captain Bloodhound are called into action to try and stop the Dark Lord before it is too late. Meanwhile, with Sidious closing in, danger at an all-time high and time running out, will Anakin's team escape the Sith Lord's eye, or will everything Anakin and his friends have worked for come crashing down with the discovery of a grand secret?

Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Anakin's point of view:

Having slipped into the Jedi Temple through the abandoned lower levels, I quickly made a stop before going to the Council Chambers so I could copy the data disk, with the original being sent right down to Captain Bloodhound, ready for Revan to deliver to Padme when it was safe to do so.

With that taken care of, I made haste to visit the Council, eager to inquire if they had any leads on Sidious, since Jedi Shadows were notoriously much more flexible in both means and methods of work, so they might have come up with something already, and if not, pointing them in the Chancellor's direction wouldn't be all that hard to do.

The doors to the Council Chambers opened loudly, and to my surprise, they were already in session, with everyone but Obi Wan present, though some were only here via hologram. For them to take the time to do this, something important must be going on.

"Masters.", I greeted politely as they all turned to look at me, a sense of urgency present in the air. Something was definitely happening, and it was a good thing I was here to help.

"Knight Skywalker.", Windu greeted in return. "I hope you've brought us something substantial Anakin, because with what we've just learned…", he trailed off, and for Windu to talk in anything but a formal manner, to address me by my first name even…something was very wrong.

I raised an eyebrow as the Masters exchanged worried looks, all of them anticipating the worst by the way their emotions were shifting in the Force. Unwilling to let them wallow in fear, I held my head high, trying not to think about what could have spooked them all –even Yoda- like this. "Masters, during my investigation I discovered important information in regards to Phantom…and perhaps even a clue to the identity of Darth Sidious. It would appear that this killer is merely an agent of someone else, with a mysterious woman known as 'Angel' spearheading the operations he's involved in. From what I understand this is a new development, but the curious thing is the datapad they were both after.", I explained before presenting said piece of evidence.

"It contains information on meetings that the Chancellor once held with Count Dooku. Dates, locations, even transcripts and audio logs. Phantom and Angel were trying to recover it, and a squad of Clone Troopers was attempting to destroy it in an abandoned incinerator in the Works. When I stepped in the troopers opened fire on all of us, and we had to work together to defeat them. Phantom was downed, but Angel and I managed to handle the hostiles. This relates to another incident that took place shortly before the debacle on Naboo, where troopers wearing the same armor attacked me in the Undercity. I…Council, I believe that they are working directly under Sidious, and that it was on his command that they tried to destroy this evidence.", I continued, adding my personal thoughts and making my voice shake towards the end, to make my shock more believable.

Whispers immediately erupted around the room, with Windu letting out a heavy sigh and Yoda running a clawed hand through what little hair he had left. "If Darth Sidious to destroy this evidence wanted, then connected to the Chancellor he surely is.", the Grandmaster proposed, and a heavy silence filled the room, none of the Masters willing to continue this train of thought, all knowing where it would lead.

Master Windu was the first to break the silence, saying the words that none of them wanted to hear. "And perhaps…he could even be the Chancellor." There was even more silence after that, but I was determined to continue, unwilling to let Sidious sense all these negative emotions.

Cursing myself for the next words I'd utter, I opened my mouth to speak again, hating every vowel that came out of it. "We can't say for certain. He might not be a Sith Lord per say, but I advise we still send as many Shadows as we can spare. Putting him under watch and observing his reaction will be a good way to verify this possibility.", I said, and every single person in the room nodded with immediate agreement, the reasons for this irrelevant for the time being.

"We need to address the matter of this 'Angel'. Skywalker, have you learned anything that could clue us in on her identity?", Master Luminara asked, visibly shaken by the topic she was trying to move away from.

I shrugged innocently, since I wasn't going to tell them a thing that the Council didn't absolutely need to know. "I wish I could say for certain that I have proof of her identity, but without evidence we can only guess at who she may be, though I feel like she isn't working alone. Someone else is calling the shots here, I'm sure of it!", I exclaimed loudly, wanting to take the attention away from Padme's secret identity.

Windu was the first to perk up after my response. "That will have to suffice for now, because we have bigger problems. In the few hours you were gone, our Shadows noticed something disturbing. It seems that a group of Soldiers with gear mimicking that of the Old Republic era are running around Coruscant, waiting in the shadows. They've been spotted removing armored bodies from a crime scene, and we know for certain that they are heading towards the Temple, if they aren't already here.", he said, and my blood ran cold as ice.

Surely they couldn't have discovered Revan's men so quickly? Hasn't he clued them in on discretion? Or are the Jedi Shadows too good at their job? Was involving the Council a mistake? "We were wondering if your interaction with Angel gave a clue as to who they might be." Mundi was speaking now, and the Council had noticed my reaction. Suspicion was running rampant in their minds, I could feel it.

I…I couldn't let them discover everything our group has worked so hard to hide! If they found out, then so would Sidious, and then… I'd rather not think about that aftermath. Clearing my throat, I took a moment to collect my thoughts, pacing around the room to make it look like I was trying to remember something, and when I finally spoke up, I did everything in my power to ensure my voice wouldn't crack underneath the unseen pressure. Too much is at stake for this to go wrong…. Force, give me strength…

"Actually, yes! She did mention something!", I announced, but the doubts had already been placed in their minds. "Those men are…uh…", I froze up. Anything I'd reveal here would surely affect the mission, and if the Council knew… Worse, if they thought I was in on it –which I was, but that's just a detail-…

Just as Windu was about to accuse me of withholding information, Yoda raised his hand to stop him, and everyone fell silent. The Grandmaster then looked me dead in the eyes, and spoke. "Alright, it is. Tell them, you may.", Yoda assured, and Qui Gon's voice echoed the same sentiment, as did Revan's. Taking a deep breath, every instinct I had was telling me that I could under no circumstance ever truly trust the Council…but I ignored it, and finally spoke.

"In truth, Masters…there are a great many things that I have not disclosed to you. I hope that the following will not go on record?", I dared to ask, and Yoda nodded, prepared to defend me if the need arose, while covertly pointing a finger at a deactivated recording device behind Obi Wan's chair.

Shooting him a thankful look, I breathed in once more, and as the air went through my lungs, Vader's heavy breathing filled the room, but it seemed like only I could hear it. Ignoring the sound, I continued, not wanting the Jedi to start assuming things. "After the Battle of Jabiim, Master Yoda sensed a disturbance in the Force deep beneath the Temple, and entrusted me with the investigation. When I went down there, I discovered soldiers clad in archaic gear from the Sith Empire of the Old Republic, mixed in with Assassins and Marauders. Faced with a threat, I stepped in to fight them, and managed to take down quite a few in combat. Once I was done, I moved forwards, but stopped as I sensed a surge of the Dark Side, and all of the defeated hostiles rose back up, reforming themselves from the ashes I'd reduced them to.", I said to the Council, and by my way of speech, Yoda had understood I wasn't going to share the whole truth just yet.

He gave a nod of understanding, knowing that it was my choice, that they shouldn't and couldn't force me to reveal information I didn't want to. Knowing that I had the Council's full attention –obvious by the way Master Gallia silenced Mundi to avoid interrupting me with an exclamation of how impossible my story was-, I continued, now feeling more confident in myself since I was in control here. I had the freedom to decide what to share and what to hide, and it felt good.

"To make a long story short, I received help in defeating these adversaries from someone I'm sure you'll meet eventually, and learned that they can only be struck down after being blasted with an ancient Jedi power known as 'Force Light'. I snuck a Holocron full of information on it and other archaic abilities out of the Archives a year ago, but there are other sources available if you'd like to learn it. This power proved to be capable of cleansing Dark Side remnant, and was the only thing to keep me alive. When I ventured deeper into the trouble spot, I discovered that the apparition of a Sith Scientist once in Emperor Vitiate's employ had summoned them in, the reemergence of the Dark Side brought on by the War having given him the strength he needed to return from the Netherworld of the Force. My ally and I fought with and killed him once more, but knew that he was only the beginning. Since then, more of these 'Sith Phantoms' have been appearing around the Galaxy, influencing the weak-minded and raising their armies to do the bidding of the Sith, hence the need for a Task Force dedicated to stopping them. These Soldiers you spotted serve that exact purpose.", I finished, and in the same second, the room erupted with both a multitude of questions and far too many cries of denial, exclaiming that I was lying.

Overwhelmed, I tried to take a step back and focus on the Force, but I felt Revan ping me through our Bond. "Another Phantom spotted, near the Li Merge building. I sent a squad your way, but there's three of them on Nar Shaddaa, and I'm a little busy!", he mentally exclaimed, probably having just avoided a saber to the head. It wouldn't be the first time he's rushed into battle alone, come to think of it, and with no lightsaber, things were bound to get a little heated.

Sensing the urgent need to depart, Yoda quickly nodded to me, silently promising he'd handle the Council. I shot him a grateful smile and dashed out of the room, trying not to think about the fact that this Phantom was far too close to Sidious' hideout for comfort…but perhaps this could prove useful if I managed to get inside undetected. Depriving him of some of his Holocrons, especially the Great Sith Holocron, the device used to store all 'important' teachings of the Sith across the eons. It was Ancient, and getting out of Sidious' hands could prove catastrophic for his plans if I didn't get killed in the process…but it was worth the risk…and a job for later, since Bloodhound was calling me. Time to get to work…and to see what this Sith Phantom is really made of…

Sprinting down to the lower levels, I answered the second I was out of sight, only to be met with the sounds of heavy blaster fire on the other end. "My Lord, we've tracked down the target, but he's engaged in combat already. From available intelligence, the guards of Lord Sidious are the ones trying to kill this Phantom.", Bloodhound reported calmly, his concerns a prime example of how a good strategist should think.

Immediately upon hearing those words, I refrained from cursing. Looks like stealth wasn't an option here, and much more was at stake than my slip-up in the Council Chambers. "Copy that Captain, hold your position and await my arrival.", I answered mechanically, and Bloodhound nodded as his men shuffled about to keep themselves out of sight.

A few minutes of dashing across Coruscant and jumping around on balconies and later scaffoldings, I finally landed right behind the Captain, but he didn't jump like Rex would have. The man –spirit, technically speaking- didn't even flinch, only greeted me with a practiced and relaxed 'sir', before filling me in on the situation.

"My Lord, we've located the Phantom as I've said, but it appears that he was an accomplice of sorts. We're uncertain of their powers and abilities, but their certainly giving Lord Sidious' guards a hard time.", Bloodhound said as one of Sidious' Clone Troopers was thrown out of the window he'd just begun pointing at, as the silhouette of a Royal Guard fell dead on the floor the corpse had just fallen from.

The cause of this was clear by the tendrils of energy that were just now retreating from the dead guard's body, returning to their caster after having sucked the life out of his enemy. Force Drain. This Phantom would be more dangerous than others, since even Revan's men weren't immune to this horrible power.

Being spirits, a tether to the physical realm had to exist for them to remain here, which was also true for Sith Phantoms and their troopers. But unlike them, where Force Light diminished the Phantoms' powers and their connection to the Dark Side, therefore making them unable to keep these tethers intact, Bloodhound and his men had tethers made of Light, which could be 'severed' if corrupted by the Dark Side, which would have the same effect Force Light had on Sith Phantoms, or if destroyed by powers like Force Drain and Force Destruction, abilities that sapped away and destroyed Force Energy respectively.

Really, while the latter two powers worked regardless of who they are being used against, we'd need to proceed carefully. I finished this line of thought just as more screams erupted from above us, torrents of fire filling the Li' Merge building's hallways as Troopers and Royal Guards alike were roasted alive.

Bloodhound advised that we wait for the struggle to be over before jumping in, but if we did so then Sidious would surely get here, I could sense him trying to contact his guards and ordering the Force to show him what was happening here. For a moment, calling for Jedi reinforcements didn't seem like a bad idea, but even most Council Members would be unprepared for something like this, and knowing that the Jedi in question were still arguing, they'd probably send some half-trained Knight or a Master-Padawan team. So, with little time and no backup, I formed the troopers around me into a squad, ordering two snipers and a guard to reach higher ground and wait for my signal to fire.

There remained seven soldiers around me if Bloodhound was to be counted amongst them, and I insisted to the one on the front, leading the squad since I knew this place the best, which admittedly wasn't too well since I'd only ever been here once or twice as Vader, but even with that, I could still protect them all better as Squad Leader. And with that decision made, the lot of us moved forwards, and into Sidious' lair.

While moving through the place, I did my best to place a Force Illusion around our squad, which meant we'd have to move a little slower than usual, but that more a good thing than an impedance, since judging by the sights of destruction around us, it was probably for the best. Lightsaber marks littered the walls as the rotting stench of death filled the air, Force Drain having utterly sacked even the corpses of Sidious' men. Screams of death and agony echoed around the ransacked halls as we moved forwards, careful to not make noise as Sidious' presence moved out of the Senate Building.

In a stroke of grand luck, he was stopped in his tracks by Senator Organa, who had found his hurry suspicious and wanted to ask where he was going. I could feel it in the Alderaanian's Force Presence, and I'd have to thank him next time we crossed paths, as every second he delayed Sidious, that was one more second for us to escape unimpeded.

The Sith Phantoms had certainly done a number on the place. That was for certain. Entire hallways were blocked off by collapsed ceilings and walls had been ripped apart, which meant that our target didn't know how to Phase through objects. Good. This would make things easier at least. Suddenly, a blast of Force Lightning sent a guard flying only two halls away, and none of us were keen on getting fried today, so we tried to move around the commotion, but as we did so, I heard something odd. Someone was speaking Sith, and while that wasn't unusual for Phantoms, the way they addressed whoever they were speaking to was.

"Tu've (See Duobe' Stai. Dazek j'us Ari Nihilus, Kad Nu Sua (See Su j'us", the Sith Phantom said, causing my heart to nearly jump out my chest. It was a more ancient dialect, and I was quite certain I'd gotten a syllable wrong, but Darth Nihilus had certainly been mentioned, and the most destructive Sith Lord in Galactic History, the once man who could drain the life from whole planets was here, and he was being addressed as a servant of some kind. The only reply had been a bloodcurdling scream, which didn't help my nerves at all.

Probably having recognized the name, my men tensed, with Bloodhound looking in the direction nervously. "My Lord?", he inquired for orders, or perhaps for me to translate what had been said. I did both right away, afraid that if I allowed myself to think about this I'd spiral down a road of panicked thoughts and lose my focus, which would cause the illusion to fade and that wouldn't be good for anyone.

For a moment, I hesitated, wanting to call Yoda and ask for some kind of advice or order, if only to tell him to check the Achieves for Nihilus' mask, but I heard the fear in the Captain's tone, and I couldn't bring myself to ignore it. Maybe Vader would have, but I was simply unable to. "He said that his partner had done good work, but wasn't needed anymore. Addressed him as 'Lord Nihilus'.", I answered, willing myself not to stutter.

If the men could, they would have gone pale underneath their armor, had Bloodhound not objected to this information. "But sir, when Lord Revan was telling about securing the Jedi Temple in case of an attack, he mentioned that his mask, the thing possessing his remnant, was in the Achieves, that we could never let anyone get to it.", he said hesitantly, almost afraid of consequences. He'd once served under a Sith Lord however, so I couldn't blame him.

Regardless, the Captain was right. After a hasty call to Yoda, who confirmed the Sith Lord's mask –and by extension spirit- to still be under heavy guard, it became clear to me that the 'Nihilus' must have been a copycat of some kind. Or…a doppelganger, which meant that this Phantom was powerful if it managed to summon him.

Deciding to calm the men down before Sidious –whose presence was drawing nearer- reached us, I relayed this information to the team. "It appears this Phantom is using a powerful Force Ability known as Doppelganger. This power allows the user to summon a carbon copy of themselves usually, but with enough skill and practice, anyone can be summoned in as an obedient soldier which can be controlled either directly, or simply follow orders.", I explained to them so that they'd know what we were dealing with.

There was a collective nod of affirmation from the team, and Bloodhound suggested we move forwards. This Phantom needed to be taken care of, and now that the fake Nihilus had been released from existence, the men weren't in much danger, so as the last of Sidious' Royal Guards was being chocked to death, with the illusion still active, everyone took positions, and I gave the signal to our snipers.

Two shots rang through the air simultaneously. The first missed, the second hit. Having been blasted in his backside, the Phantom fell to one knee, before jumping into air, igniting his single-bladed lightsaber as he flipped in mid-air. He gathered a blast of Force Lightning in his left hand, but instead of firing as I thought he'd do, he coiled it around his lightsaber, and the dark blue energy became one with his blade, leaving a cracking aura on the saber.

The moment I ignited my own and stepped out of the shadows to face him, the squad mimicked me, blasting away at him. With every bolt he deflected, a single bolt of lightning went loose, seemingly in a random direction, but that didn't deter me. I swung at him, the Phantom blocked, and we both went flying, the additional energy in his saber having now dispersed.

The Phantom –Copycat, I'd call him- cackled loudly, and his laughter filled the empty halls, the corpses around us being the only things to lessen the echo. "Stupid Jedi! A Sith Master is on his way, I sense it! I must only keep you long enough for him to get here, and you can't defeat me anyways! I come from Darth Bane's line, and we are the strongest of all Sith!", he exclaimed, bragging to me, as if I hadn't once the latest one in that Line of Sith myself.

Deciding to answer calmly, to irritate him, I replied to him as the team closed in, ready to go for the kill. "Your overconfidence is a weakness.", I chastised, doing everything in my power to make him feel like I was actually scolding him, and flashed my golden eyes in Copycat's face with a wide grin.

I sensed his immediate surprise, but what took me aback was the reaction to my words. Falling to his knees, the Phantom bowed before me, pleading for me to forgive his disrespect. "My Lord, a thousand apologies! I hadn't known our disciples have infiltrated the Jedi Order! Please I beg you, have mercy!", he cried out, and his honesty was truly shocking. I'd never met a Phantom who'd behaved in such a way, but perhaps this was a special case. Where others were self-serving, his loyalties laid with the Line of Bane entirely.

In truth, I allowed myself a moment to feel pity for him. Something terrible had happened to him, to show this amount of fear. Or perhaps he now viewed me as I once had Sidious when he was Emperor. Clearing my throat, I applied an auditory illusion to my voice, making me sound exactly like Darth Vader and silently thanked Revan for his insistence to work on this ever since the debacle on Ryloth with that…scumbag Phantom.

"Forgiven, my friend. So long as you repay me for the damages you've caused.", I said calmly, not wanting to send Copycat into another outburst.

The Phantom immediately agreed, insisting that he would do anything it took, and I couldn't help but smile, thought I forced myself to ignore the sadness his desperation brought me. Force, what have the Sith come to…

"Good.", I assured him, and he gave what I assumed to be a weak smile underneath his hood, but as was the case with all Phantoms who wore no helmet or mask, I couldn't see underneath it. "The Sith Master in charge is a vile, self-serving creature with private ambitions. He doesn't intend to follow Lord Bane's commands of there only being two Sith, since by the time my training began, I was the third apprentice in line. He simply discarded the others when they got too powerful.", I told him, letting my anger at Sidious' actions leak into my voice, though him not following the tradition wasn't the cause, obviously.

Copycat pushed himself to his feet, and a wave of anger exploded through him. "Insolent worm! How can he do this to Lord Bane's order! He's a disgrace!", the Phantom screamed, and Sidious having just entered the building, I could only pray he didn't hear it.

"Quiet!", I urged hastily. "I want you to summon Lord Nihilus to battle again. Send him to delay Sidious as much as he can. When your Doppelganger is beaten, sever your ties to the physical realm and return to the Netherworld. You will have earned your rest.", I told him, and Copycat eagerly agreed as Bloodhound tried his hardest not to snicker while the Sith Phantom trotted off.

"My Lord, that was excellent! If I may sir, only you!", he laughed, and snickers from the rest of the squad soon filled the room, letting us relax a little and calm our nerves before moving forwards.

I nodded to him with a smile. "That's me! Lord-of-tricking-Sith-Phantoms!", I exclaimed a tad louder than I should have, but thankfully neither Sith in this building seemed to have heard it, since upon scanning their Force Presences, I felt no such thing. Instead, there was only determination from Copycat, and actual surprise from Sidious as 'Darth Nihilus' came out of the shadows to face him.

Satisfied with what we'd managed to accomplish, I lead the team through some half-wrecked corridors, reaching the place where Sidious' vault was. The door was locked, but a member of the squad, a former Republic slicer who'd died in the New Sith Wars got on it right away, and the rest of the men assumed positions as Bloodhound stayed by my side, giving me a little time to converse with him.

"So…how are you liking this new life?", I asked, trying to start on something simple.

Bloodhound, recognizing that we were talking informally, switched his tone and allowed himself to relax. "Well enough I suppose. It's…it's good to be part of a team, to be a leader. They listen to me because they choose to, not because of rank. We're all pretty tight, and sharing War Stories from our pasts is a good pastime. I'd kill for some caf though.", he said, making me chuckle.

It was good to see that he –and presumably the others- were adjusting well to this whole thing, seeing as life was pretty monotonous for them, as it was for any soldier really. A constant switch between missions and downtime, trying not to die as you went through the day, one foot in front of the other, and a blaster in hand. Oftentimes I myself felt more like a soldier than a Jedi, it seemed to take a backseat with everything going on, not that I ever did anything because it was my 'Jedi duty' anyways.

"I'll see if something can be arranged.", I answered in mock-seriousness, and just after Bloodhound nodded an affirmative, the Vault's door swung open, revealing massive chamber, rows of Sith Artifacts and texts lining the walls. At the center of it all, the Great Sith Holocron. All the knowledge since the first ever Sith Lord, practically in the palm of my hand. It felt good to know that Sidious wouldn't have it anymore, but there was no lust for the power held within, and that brought me great satisfaction.

"Alright everyone! Take whatever you can carry and mobilize every available unit! I want this vault empty before Sidious shows up, or else we'll be in big trouble!", I announced, and everyone got to work.

With some help from Revan, who'd finished with his mission on Nar Shaddaa, we'd cleared out everything in the room within minutes, and I took the chance to swipe all his security codes and credit accounts before securing the Great Sith Holocron tightly in my mechanical grip, and fleeing the Vault as Sidious snarled in rage as he realized what was happening, sensing the artifacts being moved. I could feel him sprinting through the building now, swiftly jumping over the corpses of his guards as he dashed towards us, but the last of our troopers was out by the time he got here.

I handed Revan my artifact and he took a moment to admire it before dashing off with the rest of the troops. And as Sidious let out a bloodcurdling scream of fury, one that could make Darth Vader shake like a leaf, I commanded the Force to bring down the ceiling on his head, and as it did, the floor beneath him crumbled, letting Sidious fall into the abyss bellow, the stench of death emanating from the lower levels he'd fallen to.

When I got back here in the morning to investigate with the other Jedi and Coruscant Guard, I'd definitely tell them to bring breathing masks. The stink was nearly unbearable! The rubble that had covered Sidious exploded from the torrent of Force Lightning he'd used to free himself, and I quickly ducked away, praying to the Force that he didn't see me and, not wanting to test my luck, sped off, dashing across rooftops in the Coruscanti night until I was back in the Jedi Temple.

The moment I collapsed on my bed after showering in my quarters, I felt Revan pinging me through the Force, telling me that everything had been dealt with, with anything not Force-related in Sidious' stash having been delivered to Padme so she could start shifting through his data, and with his funds having gone directly to Fulcrum. He'd put them to better use that Sidious ever could have, so that was good news. Smiling at my friend through the Force, I let out an involuntary yawn, and fluffed my pillow before I allowed the quiet peace of the Temple to lull me to sleep.

And…there you have it everyone! Chapter 44 and ½ of A Messed Up Destiny! Admittedly, this would probably be ten thousand words if I added in Obi Wan and Jango's adventure, so that will be all until next week. Thank you to everyone who showed support during what have been some very trying weeks, and another massive wave of gratitude to all those who've followed and favorited the story, especially everyone who has left a review. I'm a person who works with feedback, and your comments have helped me improve my writing. So my thanks to all of you wonderful people!

Anyhow…we have a lot to cover today, and will do so in great detail, so without further ado…let's jump right in to the exposition!

Firstly, Anakin and the Council. The relationship between Anakin and the Jedi Council has always been notoriously strained, so much so that the two parties distrusted each other greatly back in the original timeline, and because of the Council taking actions that Anakin views as wrong, he doesn't trust them as a collective. Even though he knows that they are trying to do good, he can't bring himself to trust them because no matter their intentions, these are the people who put politics above doing what's right.

The Council sent teenagers, some barely having begun to experience puberty, out on the Battlefronts to fight in a War. The Council ignored his pleas for Ahsoka's innocence during her unfair trial. They sent Ahsoka, a female Togruta who was at the time underage, into a planet filled with Slavers during the mission to Zygerria, ignored his worries about his men on Umbara, did nothing to help the slaves of Tatooine, and stopped him from doing so for the sake of dogma.

While Anakin recognizes that there are good people with seats on, he's seen them make more than enough terrible decisions in his life to want to trust them, and even him informing them about the Sith Phantoms happens only because he's in control. If Yoda hadn't backed him up, he wouldn't have said anything, but even with the Phantoms being important, he's still trying to distract them, to protect Padme and the others from their eyes, to ensure that the people he trusts to help him stop Sidious don't have their efforts impeded by those who claim to do the right thing, but never do.

Secondly, Anakin robbing Sidious. Admittedly, I found the idea silly at first, like something straight out of Ocean's Eleven, but I grew to like after figuring out that it's a good way to get some new Force Abilities in the roster, especially some that aren't widely known. Doppelganger, Force Teleport, Force Flight, Invisibility, Sith Illusions, Alchemy, all are very interesting and useful, but never featured anywhere because no one knows them.

Anakin has been training all this time, mastering the powers he already knows, and it's about time we complete the power roster. And with Sidious no longer having access to the Holocrons which one can learn these abilities from, he'll have to outsmart Anakin if they ever fight, because he won't be in control. And Anakin himself isn't one to just learn and use something, no. He's an inventor by nature, so reinventing some of these powers to serve different purposes, even passing some of this knowledge down to others is something he'll surely do once he gets the hang of them.

Thirdly, Revan and Anakin's team. Honestly, I regret not using these guys more, since I think their concept is so cool, but alas, the storyline didn't feature them until now. Anyhow, now that they have been featured, I've tried to expand on their lore a little, and Anakin's conversation with Captain Bloodhound –who used to serve under a Sith Lord by the way, so he's used to a similar situation to Imperial's serving under Vader- is my attempt at humanizing them since they are people, just…dead…people. Eh, the point is that we'll see more of them in the future, so keep an eye out for them.

Fourthly, the Sith Phantom. Honestly, I got the idea for an enemy using Doppelganger from a friend of mine, who reminded me that this power exists. And just so there isn't any confusion, Doppelganger usually works like this: The Force user can create a physical duplicate of themselves, a carbon copy if you will, that they can either give orders to, or directly control themselves. It is very draining for the user and only after much training can they even fight while using this power, but with extensive training and skill, one can –in theory and according to legends- even summon duplicates of other people to fight for them, but the stronger the person, the more drained the Force User will be. And of course, the copied individual will always be less far less powerful than the real person, because their power depends on the energy the Force User is expending.

So basically, the 'Nihilus' in this chapter, is one such Doppelganger summoned directly by the Sith Phantom, who I personally envision as a Sith Apprentice of some sort, perhaps someone who was killed by their master, because of his cowardly and obedient nature, and prefers to have his summoned copies fight for him, but isn't afraid to fight when it comes to the order of Bane being threatened, which is why Anakin convinces him to delay Sidious, because he knows that Copycat will do as requested, with as much fight as he has left in him.

Fifthly, Sidious' lair and the repercussions of Anakin's mission. With his Sith Artifacts gone, Sidious is no longer able to contact their Holocron Guardians to seek new Force powers, and is therefore limited to what he already knows, thought this knowledge is almost complete anyways, so that isn't the problem. Losing the Great Sith Holocron on the other hand is a major hit that will extensively damage the Grand Plan, since it has destroyed Sidious' reputation as a Sith Lord.

If you guys remember, there still are Sith Tombs around the Galaxy, which contain the Spirits of Dark Lords like Darth Bane, who we saw in the Clone Wars TV show when Yoda went to Korriban. Sidious has now lost all respect from Bane and the other Spirits residing in the Valley of the Dark Lords, since he has failed to protect what is arguably the most important artifact in Sith History.

Also, Anakin manages to swipe some of his illegal credit chips, temporarily depriving him of an easy way to access a major part of his illegally acquired funds, but that is a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, though it is sure to paint an even greater target on his back if Sidious discovers it was him who did all this.

Lastly, the future. I feel like after the next chapter –which will be about Obi Wan's mission to Concordia with Satine and Jango- we need to back away from Sidious' schemes on Coruscant and move back into some more basic Clone Wars action, since I want to cover some of the major battles. As of right now, I have plans for Kamino, Felucia, Saleucami, Geonosis and the whole situation with Senator Bonteri on Raxus, so we'll be spending ample time with the 501st and if all goes well, then Domino Squad will also be featured.

Next time: Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi and his companions go up against the deadly Death Watch, with a heavy Darkness looming in their Leader's heart and a big secret about to be thrown into the Light, will they manage to get away intact, or will they escape with broken minds?

That's all for now everyone! Reviews are always welcome, whether it be to ask question or to chat, and I'll see you all next chapter, but until then, May the Force be with you!