Star Wars: Heir of the Force
Episode 3: Chapter 6
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He fell
For what felt like a millennium he fell.
Was he falling away from the light, or into it? He did not know anymore.
Memories passed by as fleeting images, both his triumphs and his failures. How many had he watched from barely old enough to walk all the way to their death beds? How many had he failed to save both from their enemies and from themselves?
It all felt so... pointless. Given a perspective such as this the lives of generations meant nothing. He could save a life but would later watch that person die regardless.
Yet he remained, always teaching, always being looked up to as if he were some perfect being, some infinite well of wisdom and knowledge that would guide countless into the light of perfection.
And now? Now he had failed, and now he fell.
Had it been enough? His warning, his actions? What if everything had hinged upon the taking of a life, a single life to spare countless. He had watched so many die for nothing, yet he could not save millions by killing just one.
Perhaps it was time to pass on, to leave the mortal realm once and for all, to join with The Force and those who had come before him.
No
He needed to succeed once more, just once more. To ensure future generations of peace, to ensure that there was a future.
For that single mission, that self-appointed task, the one called 'Yoda' would climb out of the pit he fell into, would push back the darkness of hatred and rage, would sacrifice himself a thousand times over.
He landed
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"Come now children, hurry into the tunnel."
One child hesitated for a moment, "What's wrong? Why are we leaving the temple?"
The elderly Jedi gave what they hoped was a comforting smile, "Everything is going to be just fine, we are just going on a bit of a trip for a little while, that's all. Master Yoda has a lesson to teach us."
That seemed to calm any fears, and the evacuation continued. Nearby, Kit Fisto looked over at another of his fellow council members and gave a nod. They weren't sure exactly how long they had but all of them trusted the eldest Jedi without hesitation. The orders had been rushed, but were clear, abandon the temple, and then Coruscant. Trust no clone troopers or members of the government. Preserve as many lives as they could and ensure that the vaults beneath the temple were secured or destroyed.
'It must be the Sith' the man thought, as he received confirmation of yet another explosive charge armed. Should the lower sections be breached they would detonate, taking any sort of dangerous knowledge along with them.
No one save for a Force wielder would have any use of such items that would warrant their destruction. For a moment he felt a pang of remorse. So much history might be destroyed, so much knowledge. He knew why, of course, and agreed with it but the fact still saddened him.
Hopefully, the worst would not come to pass as many of them now feared.
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Palpatine didn't bother hiding his anger as his personal guard informed him of their failure. Yoda's body had not been found, which meant he wasn't dead. Such a thing was unacceptable, and had he not still had use for the useless oafs he would have had them executed.
But he was weakened after the duel, a battle he had very narrowly won. Without Windu, or a suitable replacement, he lacked the confidence to send in a single extermination team to the Jedi temple. Even worse, the elite unit that had been trained and equipped to deal with such a mission was off with his apprentice removing the other Jedi threat.
It was another irritation in the splitting of their blasted order. Now the odds of him removing one without the other discovering the truth was highly unlikely.
He would need to activate Order 66 immediately. Unfortunately, the grand master had destroyed his control console, an act that now sent a shiver of doubt through his body. Had his plan been discovered? Was it the intention of his greatest nemesis not to defeat him, but rather slow down the operation and enable the others to regroup?
Sidious, naturally, had a plan for such an event, but it would require far more time to fully realize his dream. He could still declare the Jedi as traitors, however.
"Prepare my emergency bunker and backup communication line. We need to act quickly to prevent the Jedi's escape." The attendants did as ordered and any soldiers stationed on the planet were quickly diverted to his own protection detail.
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Padme had watched as Yavin 4 dominated the viewport, and then vanished an instance later as the transport ships had entered hyperspace. She didn't like this, didn't like the fact that they were leaving Anakin behind. Didn't like that their course was taking them straight into the hands of Republic forces, even if they weren't clones, and certainly didn't like the fact that she wasn't sure what was going on in the rest of the galaxy.
There were rumors, of course, and various bits of information being propagated across the holonet, but nothing concrete. What she did know was that the Separatists were supposedly on the run, and some say were cornered by the Republic's forces.
A news report of something big happening on Coruscant, something involving the chancellor. Had he enacted Order 66? Were they too late? Was he trying to justify the action? Had he succeeded in turning the citizens against those who had once been called 'guardians'?
No, she had to keep hope, had to keep believing that they had a chance, and they did have a chance. Already one massacre had been stopped, which meant that Yoda could have evacuated the Jedi on Coruscant as well.
Palpatine would be stopped, she just had to believe.
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"General, we have located the Separatist leaders, they have been detained and are waiting for interrogation at your orders."
Kenobi let out a mental sigh and nodded his head. Grievous was dead, the enemy leaders were captured and yet... it didn't feel as though this was the end of anything. Even if it was, the idea that Jedi were now so used to conflict as to casually suggest the use of interrogation, even torture, made him question once more what he was doing with his life. Perhaps master Yoda would have some advice?
Suddenly, he remembered the message and found an isolated room to access the encrypted file. A minute later and he walked out, pale yet hiding any discernible concerns. "Please summon the other Jedi on the ship and planetside. We have a priority message from the council for Jedi eyes only."
The other knight nodded slowly, confusion evident, but quickly did as he requested.
Less than a half-hour later and the members of the order that had been present on the mission were standing silent in one of the control room on Mustafar's surface.
"What are we going to do?" One of the less experienced inquired, uncertainty evident in their voice. None seemed to have an answer, as each option seemed less plausible than the last in their minds, that is until Obi-Wan came up with a solution.
"Rahm Kota"
This name gained him the attention of the room, as those who had met the man suddenly understood, while the others remained just as puzzled as before.
"I do believe he is one of the few Jedi who has a force composed entirely of militia and volunteers, no clone soldiers at all. Perhaps he is in the area and can lend us a transport while the clones finish with the droid forces?"
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Normally, Bail Organa was not a big fan of the gossip and whispers that constantly flooded the halls of the Senate building. Usually, he paid no mind to the rumors, and those spreading them, but for once he was relying on them.
All because of a single conversation that had taken place an hour or two prior. It had been a former Jedi, one by the name of Ahsoka Tano, that had come to him seeking aid. She had explained the current situation, that the chancellor was preparing to declare war on the Jedi, and that he was behind the entire war.
The Senator hadn't believed her, naturally, and had expressed his doubts. Then she had produced a holographic image of a sphere, an object labeled 'Death Star'. This single act had pushed the suspicions from his mind and earned her his trust. They needed to remove Palpatine from office, something he had secretly begun to plan with various other important individuals as the man's power continued to grow.
When asked what he could do her response had been simple, "Buy us time, as much as you can. If master Yoda can't defeat him, we need to save as many lives as possible."
Even then he had doubted such a thing was possible. If one of the most powerful Jedi to ever live couldn't kill a harmless old man, then something was truly wrong. He had even begun to reconsider how much of her tale was true, when he had heard of the 'attempted assassination'. With haste that surprised even him he had managed to locate Palpatine, who was doing an admirable job of showing his own weakness even as he continued down the halls with a vast armed guard.
"Chancellor, are you alright? What happened?"
If it were anyone else, they might have ignored him, but Bail had not become a leader, and senator, because of political favor. He had an uncanny ability to analyze others and see what many would miss. He knew what the man's biggest weakness, at least in terms of politics, was, his desire to be the center of attention and in control.
Sure enough, the man hesitated, before turning back to address him, "It was Yoda, he entered my office and attempted to kill me. I have barely survived. It appears as though the Jedi are taking over the Republic."
Forcing outrage and shock onto his features, because in his heart the man knew such a thing was ridiculous, he quickly stuttered out a response. "Th-the Jedi!? Supreme chancellor you must address the Senate and the people before rumor gets out. If not, they will think you have been killed and who knows what might happen to the fragile state of the government without you as a symbol and leader."
Play to the man's pride. Palpatine truly believed he was the sole source of the Republic's salvation, and the notion that chaos, perhaps even a fracturing of the Senate, might occur without him delayed his planned actions. "Yes… yes of course. I will call an emergency meeting now."
Delay him, buy us time, as much as you can safely do. Every minute might be a life saved.
Ahsoka might have thought he would just give them a few minutes, but Bail was planning on doing far more.
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"The Jedi, led by Yoda himself, have attempted to overthrow the Republic, to take control of our democracy!" Palpatine declared to the packed chamber, earning gasps from reporters and senators alike. Bail, however, merely continued taking notes in silence. "I was able to escape, but only just, and the traitor fled further pursuit into the city. I assure you that our forces are preparing even now to arrest those at the temple and are in pursuit of the dangerous man as we speak."
It appeared the announcement was ending, which meant it was time to strike, "A question, if you have time, chancellor."
Face twitching ever so slightly in annoyance the man turned to address the Senator, "I have little time for questions."
Bail nodded, "I understand that, I was just curious on how you were able to defeat the Jedi master."
This single statement redirected all the attention back onto the elderly man, and the previous speech began to fade a bit in the minds of the other attendants.
When no response was given the man pushed on, "I am aware you didn't specifically say you beat him, but if one of the two most powerful Jedi alive attempted to kill you and then were forced to flee without your guard present… well I mean that certainly is a triumphant victory on your part is it not? How were you able to emerge, relatively, unharmed?"
Palpatine gave a mental snarl. Without Windu being present he couldn't exactly claim another had come to his aid, and there had been no guards in the official report. This meant he would either need to have some sort of convincing lie involving hidden defenses that could defeat such a powerful being or admit his own abilities.
Neither seemed very practical, but he needed to answer quickly for the orders to go out to the various clone armies.
Time was slipping by him.
"The Force is not a Jedi exclusive ability," the reply began, "through many years I have learned many of its secrets as well."
"Correct me if I am wrong chancellor, but the other major group that wields power to such an extent would be the ancient Sith."
It was a trap, and Palpatine saw that now, but with such a declaration he could not dismiss it, especially with the other rumors that had circulated about him. Luckily, the vice chancellor rose to answer, "Even if the supreme chancellor were a 'Sith Lord' as you say, it is not illegal to practice such a thing or to be a member of this group."
Bail nodded, "Oh I am aware, but it is illegal to order the invasion of Naboo, orchestrate a war, and create plans for a planet destroying space station."
Sidious' eyes widened in horror, how had this mere man figured out such connections!?
"We have read reports about the Sith Lord Dooku who led the separatists, and a shadowy master standing behind him. Someone that I have heard was behind the Trade Federations rise to power, a powerful and manipulative individual. The facts are beginning to point towards this person being… you chancellor. We have received rumor that General Grievous had been destroyed, that the separatists have been captured. Will you honor the promise you made at the start of this conflict, to step down and return the emergency powers? To allow your terms to come to an end?"
Whatever remaining illusion surrounding the Sith began to fade away, with mutterings amongst the packed hall being the only break in the eerie silence. It was clear that Bail, or at least someone close to him, had been behind the attacks on his character, on the investigations aimed towards him.
"If the chancellor will not willingly step aside and schedule elections as he promised to do at the beginning of the crisis it now appears he had a hand in forming then I have no choice but to put in a vote of 'no confidence' in his leadership."
The irony was not lost on any who had been present during the Naboo invasion.
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The ruse had worked, with the clones being easily convinced that they needed to make an emergency return trip to Coruscant, while the army itself needed to stay behind and remove the last forces of the Confederacy still present on Mustafar.
A transport containing the dozen or so Jedi made it just past the planet's moon when another Republic warship intercepted it, and they were quickly brought on board and greeted by other soldiers, including hundreds of Jedi.
"We were on our way towards a few other requests." Kota explained as they made their way towards the bridge. "Most of them were from the other order. Apparently, Sidious was planning on striking against them first, we barely made it out before the Republic forces arrived."
"The other order…" Kenobi repeated, before his eyes widened, "Qui-Gon! Is he here?"
Shifting in place the other commander looked uncomfortable for a moment, before letting out a sigh. "He… stayed behind to buy the others time. I'm sorry Kenobi."
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Windu slowly circled the seated man, inspecting him for traps or hidden weapons. Instead all he found was a calm state, as one who had accepted his fate. "You've given up, so you have finally seen your own guilt then? Tell me where the others are and perhaps I will ask for leniency."
The other Jedi smiled, "I'm afraid they have already left prior to your arrival. I'm not sure where they are headed, probably to save as many others as they can."
"Save?"
"From your master, Palpatine. He is planning the mass extermination of the two orders is he not?"
A frown marred the younger's face, "Master? What are you talking about? The supreme chancellor is trying to preserve the Republic from your insurrection."
"Chancellor Palpatine is evil." Qui-Gon countered easily, "He is the Sith Lord we have been searching for, Darth Sidious. Surely you have seen signs of this already. If you step back and look at the bigger picture you will see the truth. Who truly benefits from the war more than anyone else? Benefited from the invasion of Naboo? Who has been instructing you on the Force and pushing you towards more aggression and anger?"
It began to make sense in the council member's mind. All signs did point to Palpatine being corrupt, but at the same time…
"It doesn't matter." He noted with finality, earning the shake of the elder's head. "Jedi, Sith these are just terms that we use for those we see as different. What matters is that the chancellor is preserving democracy, is moving towards a brighter peaceful future. If he turns his back on this, then I will destroy him too. I am more powerful than he is, more powerful than any Jedi or Sith. The Republic will have peace, even if it must become an empire to ensure it and your death will be the catalyst for its founding."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." A new voice called out, earning the attention, and aggravation, of the attacker.
From the sole doorway walked in a young man dressed not in Jedi robes but a plain garb nonetheless. A wielder of The Force who claimed to be neither Jedi nor Sith, and one who Windu had long since wanted to destroy.
Anakin
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"General Kenobi"
The man held back the urge to flinch. He had always hated that title, not just because of the connection to the war but also because it had always felt unearned. He had been assigned the rank because he was a Jedi, nothing more.
Turning, he spotted one of the few noncombatants allowed on the bridge, Padme Amidala. She continued up towards him before gesturing towards where several other groups of Jedi were discussing their next plan in whispered voices.
"Mind including the rest of us in your plans?"
He let out a deep sigh, unsure of how he had become the unofficial leader of the band of refugees, "It isn't that I do not wish to include you miss Amidala, it is simply the fact that we don't really have a strategy right now. Our goals are to pick up as many stragglers as we can before the clones can carry out their attack."
She nodded, "Eventually though you will have to make a decision on what to do afterwards. You can't keep running forever. Even if Yoda can defeat Palpatine the political fallout is going to be monstrous, along with the fact that the soldiers might continue hostilities for some time. This is all assuming the best-case scenario. If he isn't able to win…"
"I know… we are on our way to pickup another three members of the council as we speak. Once we have a greater number and can rest a bit easily, we will choose our next course of action."
Padme saw, and heard, something else though, something that reminded her of a conversation with the man's former master many years prior. "And you? What will you do after all of this is over? After the war is finally done?"
It was a question he had been asking himself for months, and one that he had not yet found an answer to.
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"We don't have to do this."
Windu ignored the statement because the boy was wrong. They did have to. If he was as powerful as everyone seemed to think then he would be a threat to the future. Maybe even a threat to his own position.
What if Palpatine saw potential in this child as well? Wanted to begin training him alongside of Mace himself? What if the chancellor decided that a younger apprentice would be better?
His grip tightened on the hilt. "Draw your weapon, or I will strike you down."
The youngest individual seemed to sigh in reluctance, before igniting a gray blade to counter his own purple.
He had heard that at the start of the war this boy had been capable of out-dueling Dooku. Personally, the master thought this had been grossly exaggerated by an inexperienced padawan and a knight who had been injured and wasn't thinking properly.
But there was the possibility that his opponent had used some sort of trick, some manipulation of The Force that gave him an edge that the former Jedi had not been able to counter.
Such tricks would not work on him though.
The 'Jedi' struck first, crossing the distance between them in an instance as his blade became a mere flash of purple light. He had been so sure that it would be a death blow, for few alive would be able to see, much less counter, such speed.
Apparently, the young man was one of them, and a gray beam easily stopped his own. Windu called upon The Force, putting more strength into the clash to continue pushing forward and cutting into his target, but Anakin didn't so much as budge, merely looking back into him with a hint of disappointment.
Rage burned inside of the dark-skinned man, he had been looked down upon far too often as of late, treated by those below his own skill as a failure. This brat would not be doing the same.
Pulling back, Mace spun around, a blur to the eldest still seated on the ground, and performed another furious strike against his enemy.
Once more he was parried, with no effort on the boy's part.
"Have you ever wondered about the eyes?" A calm question echoed through the room, originating from the one he was locked in combat with. "As I understand it yellow eyes are a sign of the Sith, of 'Dark Side' corruption. It isn't true though, not really. I mean yes, it is possible to change the color, but it isn't because of some 'evil power' they are tapping into."
The shaved man snarled and let loose a flurry of erratic strikes and thrusts, all a part of the saber style he had so expertly mastered. What he witnessed, however, sent a shiver of doubt down his spine. It was not one blade that defended, but what appeared to be several. The younger was moving so rapidly that his own eyes deceived him.
A slight flick of the wrist had the corrupted man leaping backwards, putting distance before the blow could be followed through. Clearly this was the reason that Dooku was so easily overwhelmed so many years ago. Makashi was not designed to deal with multiple adversaries, or multiple blades. It must have been some sort of illusion, there was no chance an individual without any formal training would be able to achieve speeds even he struggled to imitate.
"The Force changes our appearance to how we perceive ourselves." Anakin continued, as if giving a lecture or advice rather than in a battle for his life, "The eyes are usually the first to be altered, something about 'windows into the soul' and such. That golden hue is the individual's desire for power and self-indulgence."
Nearby, the bearded man nodded in understanding, "What of those who practice the opposite? I do not believe I have ever seen Jedi altered in such a way."
"Jedi philosophy is the opposite though, is it not? Rather than focusing on oneself it is the focus on others? That is why you see so few changes in them as compared to those who you have been taught use the 'Dark Side'."
Windu mentally snarled, gathered up The Force and launched a furious blast of power towards his target. He was being ignored, treated as if he weren't even a threat.
No one ignored him.
The energy ripped across the ground, carving grooves into the floor as it reached the younger man, who merely held his open palm out, stopping the power and dissipating it in an instance, and eliciting a response from the one not engaged in the battle, "That was very impressive, I don't think I have ever seen someone counter The Force in such a way."
"That's probably because I didn't counter it. Force users all seem to have this notion that The Force is unique to each person, that how one person uses it suddenly means it is an extension of them, but it isn't. The Force is part of all of us, we just tap into it in different ways. I merely absorbed what he sent into me just as you might do to enhance a jump or to seek a vision."
"Stop ignoring me!" The attacker interrupted, allowing his rage and darkness to take over, The Force powering his movements and strikes as he attacked again and again, relentless and recklessly advancing on the boy, who seemed to finally yield ground in the face of such an onslaught. Confidence, along with anger at his inability to finish such a 'weak opponent' clouded the man's mind,
The chosen one was quickly running out of room, however, and made one last attempt at negotiation. "Don't do this, I don't want to hurt you."
"Good" The man sneered, his face beginning to distort from the hatred and rage flooding his veins, "because I am going to kill you!"
Gripping the hilt with both hands Windu delivered a powerful downwards slash, intending on crashing through the defenses of his adversary. Instead, his blade found nothing but air, the younger man slipping past him with a grace and speed he hadn't been able to keep up with.
Less than a heartbeat later and his golden plated lightsaber fell to the ground, extinguished… along with his hands, each still holding on, tight with rage and hatred that seemed to consume every inch of him.
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