CHAPTER 10

They have been in this vehicle for almost 8 hours. Anakin found himself occupied by looking out the window. He has never seen ocean and cliff sides like this. And they were really beautiful. He sat in the back of this vehicle or truck. He looked over to his right where Ahsoka was asleep leaning against the window. Anakin thought about moving her so that she was laying more stretched out on the back seat, He didn't want her ruining her posture. Maybe if she wakes up he thought to himself. He would have moved her but she has been pretty jumpy lately and he didn't want to startle her. It was pretty quiet in the van at the moment. Donovan was driving now and Rats was in the passenger seat. Piper was next to Obi-wan and they seemed to be having a conversation, so Anakin decided to listen.

"It just sickens me to think that the Cavalry use the Jedi way to hurt and oppress people," Obi-wan stated. "How did they even get that way."

"I don't know entirely, but how do you know that there is a difference?" Piper asked.

"Excuse me!" Obi-wan got offended. Anakin was pretty offended too but he wanted to see his Master go off on her, as it was pretty funny to see him do it. Plus he was pretty tired.

"The Jedi have worked none stop to bring peace to our galaxy, we are in the midst of a war at the moment with people who believe that slavery and execution is the best kind of civilization!" "We want nothing more for there to be serenity throughout the galaxy and we will do absolutely everything we can to bring it."

"That's pretty much what the Calvary says," Donovan states from the driver's side.

"When have they said that!" Obi-wan stated.

Rats turn around. "Pretty much every time we questioned them, honestly what you said was almost word for word."

Anakin decided now was the time to help his old master out. "Yes, but the difference is that they have murdered innocents to achieve it. We have only hurt droids."

Ahsoka was awake at that moment but she pretended to be asleep, she didn't want her Masters knowing that she wasn't helping them on this argument. Because when Anakin said those words we have only hurt droids she thought of Lux's father and knew that that was a lie that the Jedi have been telling themselves.

"In their eyes, they haven't murdered any innocents either," Donovan replied.

"They only kill those who destroy their 'balance!'" Rats stated using his fingers to create quotations. "To them, they are cleansing the planet."

"To be honest we have killed more people in cold blood than them." Donovan stats.

"What! Why do you do that?" Obi-wan asked.

"Well because of what they do to innocents." Piper states. "You saw what they do! They have tortured people till they admit their guilt of passion and then will drag them through the streets till they die saying that it was the will of the force that they were not chosen to live."

Rats looked up "They will kidnap those who have premarital sex, have had an abortion, is openly gay and separate them from their loved ones take them to a sanctuary camp where they torture them til they are numb so they have no attachment or care for that person. And if they don't get numb they will kidnap their loved one and torcher and or sexually assault them and make the other watch until they say they don't care!"

Anakin looked over at Ahsoka getting horrible flashbacks to the night when they first met the Calvary. It made him shutter.

"We have never done things like that!" Obi-wan stated.

"We are not saying you have," Donovan stated.

"What we are saying is maybe you guys have done things you didn't think were bad but had a harmful effect on others."

"That's impossible," Anakin stated.

"I agree." Obi-wan conquered.

"Oh really, I am gonna tell you both a story." Piper began. "Well, rather two stories." "Once upon a time a father took his son to a storyteller contest. The first storyteller told a story of his great-great-grandfather who was an explorer. The explorer sailed the ocean seeking new land to claim in the name of his great powerful intelligent nation. He sailed for many years until one day he and his crew came to a beautiful tropical island. When they arrived he and his crew were greeted with open arms from the natives, he knew this because the natives gave him gifts of gold, flowers, and young girls. These people, however, had no knowledge of the wonderful technology that his nation had, so he took some of these natives back with them to their nation. He had informed his nation of the Natives and how they immediately needed to be enlightened to the wonders of their nation so many missionaries went back there to teach them and help them. Many years passed and the explorer returned to the island and the people had fully evolved into his nation's culture, so he built a statue of himself to commemorate his work."

"So he helped a group of people," Anakin stated.

"Sure you can say that." Piper continued. "The father then took the son to another storyteller. This storyteller was a woman who spoke of her ancestors. Her ancestors were peaceful people who lived simple lives on a group of small islands. The people believed in Gods, one of their main gods happens to be Abzula, the god of the ocean who would bring them their main source of food, fish. One day a large brown object appeared from the horizon of the sea, this object had many entities on it that looked like a humanoid white beast. Believing that it was Abzula who came in person to give them fish, they greeted these humanoid beasts with their typical offerings, rocks and blossoms. And since Abzula must have traveled very far to see them they had the most beautiful girls on their islands present these gifts. However, Abzula must not have been happy with these gifts as he violated the girls, kidnapped some of their people and took them away never to be seen again. Instead of giving fish, he left them with rats who destroyed their crops. He also left them with horrible diseases that killed over half of their population, then more of the humanoid beast showed up and enslaved the survivors of the plague and forced them to make large stone buildings. The survivors of the land died off and were never seen again." "Now the storyteller was finished and then the father asked the son this question, which I am also asking you two Jedi, What are the differences between those stories?"

Anakin and Obi-wan looked at each other.

"That is silly, there were many differences," Obi-wan stated.

Anakin began. "Well one was fact and the other was fiction."

"The explorer one was about creation, learning new things, and spreading wisdom while the other was about how a group of people ended," Obi-wan stated.

Piper smiled. "The son said the same thing in which the father replied that his answers like yours are wrong."

Obi-wan and Anakin looked at her with a confused face.

"The only difference was the person telling the story," Piper stated.

Obi-wan and Anakin then looked at each other. They were completely speechless. Obi-wan stroked his bread, while Anakin looked out the window. And for the first time, he began thinking about all the battles he fought and about why the locals would choose to align with the Separatist, maybe there was more of a reason than just, they're blind.

"Well, we are here!" Rats stated as Donovan slammed on the brakes making everyone jerk forward. "I swear could you be any more aggressive!" Rats yelled at Donovan.

"Well, I'm sorry at least I was driving so we could actually make it in time instead of what you were doing slowpoke!"

"Well, where is here?" Obi-wan asked.

"The edge of the city, we have to walk the rest of the way," Piper stated. "There's too much Radiation in the City to get through by any kind of vehicle." "Rats how are the IR levels."

"Not bad so far, but once we get to the city center we will definitely need our masks."

The six made their way out of the SUV. When Anakin got out he blinked for a few moments, there seemed to be nothing in front of them except for clouds. "Ahh, where is the city?" He asked curiously.

"Past the fog bank," Piper stated.

"It's usually cloudy through Angeles City," Donovan added. "Which is weird because it never used to be that way."

"We gotta get moving." Piper stated, "We have a long way to go."

Anakin gazed at the clouds in front of them. He didn't like the looks of it. The grey fog banked and moved lethargically. It slowly crept closer and closer towards them like it wanted to not only devour them but savor every moment. It was like a gateway into something evil, something ominous, something that felt unwelcoming. Shivers ran up Anakin's spine, he wasn't sure if he was ready for this journey, he had a bad feeling about it.

"Ciudad de los àngulos caídos." Rats whispered to himself.

"What?" Ahsoka asked.

"It's the nickname we gave the City." Rats replied. "Ciudad de los àngulos caídos. It used to be called the City of the Angles." "After the bomb people started saying 'Ciudad de los àngulos caídos.'"

"What does it mean?" Ahsoka asked.

"City of the Fallen Angels."