Interlogue
The Themes of Star Wars in this Novel
A/N: So, firstly, I must seriously thank you all! Thank you all for reading and thank you all for following. If anyone wishes to recommend to me their own writings and stories they feel they want to share, please do. I do like reading stories and I feel I owe it to you to reciprocate.
The first section of the story is completed. I hope I have been somewhat successful in my aspiration and vision so far. As I said, rather than writing a fun, interesting and relaxing story; I want to create a story where a rift in the force causes the same characters to react, and experience new emotions within their consciousness and psyches.
Presently, Star Wars is all that is on my mind. It is consuming me. The emotional drama of it, and the characters. George Lucas is truly right. It is a soap opera, in space. I feel bad. I feel bad for many of its aspects…. The turn of Anakin Skywalker, The death of all the Jedi… The prequels essentially are a tragic arc because it has to build upon the darkness in the originals, that Luke, Leia, Han and the other protagonists heroically defeat, in an epic conclusion that is Return of the Jedi. And I feel Star Wars, with its mysticism, spiritualism and characterisations is a tale of hope and energy. I wish to keep to that.
However, it is precisely because Star Wars is so removed from us… not a hint of the planet Earth, which makes it all the more real and depressing. Writing and producing something from it is something that has eased this burden from me.
The central theme of this novel is my firm belief that Anakin Skywalker is not Darth Vader yet until he is literally put into the menacing and monstrous suit. Until he loses his body, his love and his unborn child and has no one to love him and care for him – except Palpatine, in whatever way that can be considered.
Ahsoka wasn't there in mind when Revenge of the Sith was made, because clearly she does care for him despite everything he is become. Remember, she is not Obi-Wan. Ahsoka was a little girl who had Anakin as a brother, friend and mentor. They were devoted to each-other across the three years. And when the Council turned their back on her and were willing to expel her to certain execution, it was Anakin who was the only one who stood up for her, proved her innocence and saved her. In Rebels, she forgives him immediately and refuses to leave him despite the fact that she would most certainly die from him now. Because now, yes, Anakin isn't Anakin anymore and is Vader. It's his peak in the dark side. It's too late at that point, until the arrival of Luke. I am sure however, as we now know from the comics and expanded material that touch upon the conflict in Darth Vader post Empire Strikes Back after Luke refused to join him, and he saw Luke, Padme and his Mother falling from Bespin, that at that point he would not kill Ahsoka either. He stopped executing officers randomly in Return of the Jedi.
Right now, however, at this crucial time, contrary to what many people think, Anakin is not going to just kill Ahsoka. His whole world, built from the experiences in his life, is centred around the people he loves, his mother, Padme, Obi-Wan and also, Ahsoka.
Anakin did not necessarily want to kill Obi-Wan. In the original novelisation, he offered Obi-Wan a chance out, to walk away, 'for old time's sake'. However Obi-Wan had been persuaded, very reluctantly so, that there was no other option but to neutralise his former apprentice, and refused this 'offer'. In the film he hides no intention of that either. He reasons well and hardly with Anakin, but more or less condemns him for taking this path - turning Padme away from himself, becoming the very thing he 'swore to destroy'. Coupled with his anger at Obi-Wan having antagonised Padme from him, this provokes him into initiating the offensive in the duel with his Master.
Anakin was furious with Padme for, what he perceived was her bringing Obi-Wan to end his life, and Obi-Wan did not deny it. In his eyes, he has turned over his whole life and soul for her, and she betrays him this way. Domestic violence is never acceptable or condonable, but it is unfair to label Anakin so, when he had already turned to the dark side, and there was a quite a clear provocation.
You all may have heard: that in the original script or deleted scene of Revenge of the Sith, Anakin actually begs Obi-Wan to save him while he has been amputated and burns on the ground on Mustafar: and Obi-Wan refuses. This is heart-breaking.
I feel Anakin could have been saved and redeemed at that time. Allow him to see his wife and his child being born, give him the option of defeating Palpatine, and then try him and execute him. If his child is born and his visions don't come through, I'm sure he will be filled with remorse and accept whatever penalty is imposed upon him. A little more conjecture, and this depends on the interpretation that his visions were inevitable, planted by Sidious or the Sith, regardless of his actions, but if they still do come to a pass, I believe his children could sustain him enough.
This scene was there in original comic of the story and a variant in the novelisation. Personally, I do not think Obi-Wan would ever refuse to save Anakin, and I think it is right that that scene was cut out.
Does Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader deserve redemption? People say: that this is just a film and in the real world, a serial killer who kills children will never be considered to deserve redemption. I do not believe that is true. Anakin is not a serial killer. He was a brave soldier who fought on different sides during a complex intergalactic conflict. As Darth Vader, he truly was monstrous and evil, and people are right not to forgive him.
But let's say, Joseph Goebbels killed Hitler at the end of the war to save his son. What would people think then? Legally, I am told, for this act, the Allies would not have executed him, but he would still be imprisoned for the rest of his life. The victims of the Nazi atrocities and the Holocausts will never forgive him, but I believe, history may. If Goebbels was a true war hero in the first world war who saved many people's lives, posterity, by the time of today, we will view him as a tragic hero, remembering that if it were not for him, the war would not be won, and we may still be facing an extremely dark and despairing time, of racial oppression and fascism.
A/N: Firstly, I don't exactly think keeping this note here is a violation of rules, as it isn't an author's note, but an explanation of characters and themes of this novel, that are hence relevant to the story. As such it does not really impede the quality of the story, in my opinion. Please give me notice to bring this down, if it does happen to be the case and I will find another way to work this through. Thank you. :)
Now, the second section shall commence. Thank you for sticking to the story so far. May the force be with you all.