Chapter 20 – Alter of Mortis
Author's Note: *cackles* I warned you! ;)
~ Amina Gila
"And now you see who you truly are. Only the Chosen One could tame both my children." The Father walks up behind Anakin, who stands over the kneeling forms of the Son and Daughter. Just a few hours after the sky cleared, and morning came, they had flown in with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, with orders to kill them. Anakin saved both their lives, but it's taken a lot more out of him than he expected. He is only human, after all. He's never used the Force so strongly before, to the point that he practically felt completely One with it. It's not surprisingly it's taking such a toll on him. But he doesn't have time for this. He has a missing padawan to find.
"I've taken your test. Now fulfill your promise and let us go," Anakin demands.
"Ah, but first, you must understand the truth," insists the Father.
"We're a little short on time right now," Anakin retorts, turning away, eyes narrowing as he regards the Son. He stalks over to him. "What have you done with Theseus?"
Ahsoka and Obi-Wan – who he's certain have both been wondering what happened to him –tense, exchanging worried glances.
The Son only smirks in response, suddenly transforming into his bird form before flying away into the sky, cackling. If he wasn't so worn out, Anakin might have thought to use the Force to try and stop him like he did only minutes before, but he's already high in the sky by the time the thought crosses his mind.
"What did happen to Theseus?" asks Ahsoka anxiously.
"Yes, I've been wondering that this whole time," Obi-Wan frowns.
"The Son took off with him last night, and the Father demanded I do nothing until morning," he explains, shooting a glare at the Father.
"Before you leave, you need to understand the truth," the Father speaks up again. Why does he keep repeating that?
"Then tell me," Anakin snaps.
"All of you, leave us," he orders in response.
"Do not trust him," Ahsoka whispers, narrowing her eyes as she looks at him.
"You think?" he says dryly. As if he even could at this point.
"I said leave us!" Shooting a final glance over their shoulders, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka head off. The Daughter has already disappeared from sight. "Do you feel your destiny?" asks the Father, "You must see it now. I am dying, and you must replace me."
Is he seriously asking him – "Replace you?" echoes Anakin, "I can't stay here!"
"But this is yours," the Father insists, motioning at their surroundings, "It has been foretold that the Chosen One will remain to keep my children in balance."
No, no there's no way he can stay here. The galaxy needs him more than anything. He won't be helping anyone by staying here. "No," Anakin repeats firmly.
"I cannot force you to do this. The choice must be yours. But leave and your selfishness shall haunt you and the galaxy."
His words are unsettling, but when people talk like that, Anakin has long since learned against arguing with them, so instead he asks, "Where's Theseus?"
"You must let the Force guide you." That doesn't really answer his question at all, but he can hardly expect a better answer from someone so cryptic.
Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are waiting outside the ship when he arrives. "Ready to go?" Obi-Wan asks.
"How are we gonna find him?" Ahsoka asks.
"The Father said to 'follow the Force'," Anakin replies, walking up the ramp. "We'll have to try meditating."
"That's a first," Obi-Wan quips. Anakin ignores him. They need to get moving.
**w**
Theseus jerks against the chains pinning him to the wall, his frustration only growing by the moment. If he could get these stupid things off with the Force... In a place like this, it's driving him up the wall to be able to have such strong access to the Force but be unable to use it for something so simple.
And he seriously needs to get out of here. He has no idea what this being wants with him, but for all he knows, it could be to lure Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan out here, right into some sort of trap. He can't let them happen.
He hears a sudden movement and turns his head to see Revan walking towards him. The masked figure stops in front of him. For a moment, he gets the feeling that something is wrong about this. Something doesn't seem quite right, but he shakes it off. Revan already appeared to him when he was awake earlier, there's no reason it's too strange to happen again. "You have been left here to die."
Well. That was a nice greeting and awfully comforting thought. "I'll escape," Theseus retorts. He's not going to sit around and do nothing. But first he needs to figure out how to get these chains off.
"Escape is impossible." Okay, can he at least try to be a little more motivating?
"Very inspiring," Theseus says dryly, "But it's not as though I'll have to do it by myself anyway." The others will come looking for him, he knows that much.
"No one is coming for you. You're here alone." No, that's ridiculous. He suppresses the fear inside of him that maybe they won't even know how to find him in the first place. Anakin and Ahsoka for sure will find him. They'll come because they always do.
"They'll find a way here," he shoots back determinedly.
"A conflict on this planet could have repercussions for the entire galaxy if care is not taken," he warns ominously, and Theseus stiffens slightly. That's... not good news. Then why did that being kidnap him in the first place? Isn't that dangerous? "At the risk of the fate of the galaxy, your master will not try to find you. He'll leave you behind here forever. He doesn't consider you important enough to even try."
"That's –" Theseus cuts himself off. What is he going to say? Ridiculous? He knows Obi-Wan cares about him, but he doesn't know how much. Obi-Wan's never speaks of his emotions. So instead, Theseus glares back. He has a point, as much as he doesn't want to admit it. He knows that Obi-Wan will always chose duty over anyone, no matter what. That's what he should do, so why does it hurt?
The figure in front of him seems to be practically reading all his thoughts. "He never wanted you, you know. He only took you because Yoda told him to. He'd be happy to get rid of the burden."
Theseus flinches back against the wall as the words seem to practically cut through him physically. The thought flits across his mind that Revan is speaking to him in a way he never has before, but he's too lost to think about it clearly. Besides, it's not like he's ever carried on a conversation with Revan more than once before. He knows what he's saying has truth to it, anyway. Obi-Wan didn't want him. Does he consider him no more than a burden?
"Why do you think he never praises you for anything? Why all he does is criticize?"
What can he say to that? It's honestly the truth. Anakin praises him more than Obi-Wan does. It hurts, but he figured it was because the Jedi Master had high expectations. Things he can never live up to, but that's his fault, not Obi-Wan's. Still, that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.
He can't shake the sudden feelings of anger and bitterness twisting inside of him. He tries not to think negatively towards his master, but he has to admit that sometimes he can't help it. And... it's probably his lack of emotional control on the planet that's suddenly making him so upset about it. "I don't really see what any of that has to do with the situation at hand," Theseus retorts finally, "Maybe you could tell me something helpful, that might actually help me escape." Because if all you're going to do is keep trying to talk me into being mad at my master, I'd much appreciate if you left.
"It's perfectly natural to upset with your master," Revan continues, though he doesn't sound much like the one Theseus has seen in his visions. This is... wrong. It doesn't make any sense. But he can't deny what he sees in front of him, can he? He couldn't well be hallucinating all of this. "Don't lie to yourself. You know he's teaching you to be as mindless as a droid, but you have needs, too. You can't give more than you get. You need to learn to trust your instincts and take care of yourself."
"Stop manipulating me," Theseus snaps, anger surging. He can't deny the words anymore, and it's infuriating. Everything Revan is saying is of the Dark Side, right? He shouldn't even want to listen. "You're not real!" Is this another vision? Something like what many experience on Ilum, of their worst fears?
As if in response, the former Sith steps forwards, snapping the chains on him free. Theseus stumbles forwards, nearly faceplanting on the floor with the chains so unexpectedly no longer holding him in place. Wait a minute. Did Revan seriously physically interact with the world? He's – he's supposed to be dead!
"The Jedi are preventing you from becoming who you were always meant to be, Theseus."
"Well, their rules have serves us for millennia. I won't defy them simply because I can't understand." Theseus straightens, eyes narrowed.
He laughs, the sound sending a shiver down his spine. "Don't you already?"
He's not entirely wrong, Theseus has to admit, if only to himself. "It's not my place to question them." That's really what Obi-Wan always tells him. That it's not his place to question his superiors, something Ahsoka hasn't quite seemed to understand. Maybe Anakin is easier on her. No, wait. Of course, he is, because he's... Anakin, and he's always so gentle with everyone. Except the people he's fighting against, obviously.
"Precisely my point," the man replies, "You make it so simple, dark and light, as if there is one without the other."
"I'm not going to start using the Dark Side," Theseus snaps. He's beginning to get extremely annoyed.
"You already have used the Dark Side. What else were you using when you killed the person who killed your Twi'lek friend?" How does this being even know about that?! "But what happened doesn't make you evil. Everyone has dark emotions. Light does not have all the answers. If you're using it for good, does it really matter if you're using positive or negative emotions?"
"That's not..." He trails off. He can't deny it. Not entirely. To a point, the means are justified by the end.
"You need to accept yourself." His voice drops a little, and something in it urges Theseus to listen to him, though he doesn't know what. "You may have been trained as a Jedi, but they simply abandoned you. How can you continue to believe they are good? You don't matter to them!"
"Stop it!" Theseus shouts suddenly. He can't handle hearing this anymore.
Just then, the door to the room slides open, an all-too-familiar figure striding into the room. But the sight of her makes Theseus' blood run cold. Ahsoka's eyes are practically glowing yellow, and her skin is darker, almost as though it's covered with a gray film. She's – No, no, this is impossible. What in the world happened to her?!
A shift in the Force catches his attention and when he glances back, Revan is gone. The Son stands a few feet away.
"What have you done to her?!" Theseus shouts, whipping out his lightsaber and pointing it at the figure. No wonder he didn't sound like Revan at all. He never was him in the first place. All this time he thought he was talking to his ancestor – even if he didn't sound exactly like him – and instead, he was talking to his kidnaper.
The Son only laughs in response. "I have done nothing," he replies.
"Stop lying to me," he snarls, stalking closer to the being.
"He didn't do anything to me, Theseus," Ahsoka says, taking a step closer to him. "He merely showed me the truth."
Theseus turns back to her, hardly even sure how to react to the sight of his best friend now Fallen. His emotions are raging so wildly right now. And it doesn't help that as much as he wants to deny it, there's so much truth in the things the Son was saying to him. "Join me," she requests, "We've always done everything together. This doesn't have to be any different. The Jedi left you here. You know I'll never do that."
"I..." Theseus trails off, unsure what to say. Something inside him aches, longing to stay at her side forever. They've been together his entire life, forming a bond far stronger than anything he's had with anyone else. It's different, in a way, from the one he has with Anakin, in part because of how long they've known each other and are the same age, in part because of... something else he can't quite place. It just is, and he never, ever wants to let her go, as much as being a Jedi requires that of him. He wants to assure her that he'll stay by her side forever, but that means going against everything he's believed his entire life.
"The Jedi are falling short, Theseus," Ahsoka points out. "They never should have allowed the war to happen."
"I can't join the Sith," he replies finally, crossing his arms. He forces himself to meet her gaze squarely, even though all his thoughts are screaming at the wrongness of it. For as dark and violent and short-tempered as she is, she was always so light. Now... she isn't, and it hurts to see. Her presence feels strange, warped by the Dark Side.
"Do you feel it?" she inquires, holding a hand out to him in offering. "The anger? The pain? The –"
He does. It's screaming through his mind, because how could this have happened to her? But this is too much for him to let go of.
"No!" she protests sharply. "You must embrace it. Accept it!"
"If you join me, we can find a way off this planet together," the Son promises, "And end the war. We will restore peace to the galaxy."
Theseus's instincts tell him better than to trust a Sith, but when he looks to Ahsoka, her expression promises the truth of it. "He will," she assures. "I've seen it."
Now, he has to ask himself the one question he's been dodging this entire time. Is one soul really worth that of the suffering and deaths of countless others? Of course not. If there's even a chance of the Son telling the truth, and if Ahsoka believes him...
"Yes," the Son encourages, "Follow your destiny, and become like your ancestor."
If this is truly his destiny, does it really matter how much he doesn't want it? It will happen, regardless of what he says or does to stop it. There's not even a point in fighting it any longer, and something is urging him to give in.
And then he does. He lets the Dark Side flow through him, he lets himself feel the Force in its entirety, something he's been holding back so much since what happened with Vraz. Now he feels more... complete, but it still hurts.
"Perhaps the disturbance in the Force will be great enough to catch the Jedi's attention," muses the Son. "They may be able to find you here. They will try to force you and your friend to come with them. You must unbalance them. Perhaps you can persuade your friend the Chosen One to join us as well." Theseus honestly isn't sure how much he likes this plan, but what other choice is there now?
"How?" he inquires finally.
"Confuse him. Distract him. Perhaps begin with taking on the role of your ancestor?" he suggests.
**w**
It's already dark out by the time Anakin reaches the tower. Or maybe just that this part of the planet is always dark, since there's no way he's spent an entire day already looking for the padawans. He, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka just figuring out where to go when the Son showed up at the ship and kidnapped Ahsoka. Both padawans are gone now, and just knows something very, very bad is going to happen to them.
Either way, he's completely worn out by now, after using the Force far more deeply than he ever has before and then spending the next several hours crossing the mountainous landscape and climbing up an almost vertical slope.
Finally, Anakin pulls himself over the edge, approaching the tower. It's then that he spots two figures on a ledge higher up on the tower. Ahsoka is standing with her back turned towards him, and a dark robed figure is next to her.
Something about her in the Force doesn't feel quite right. And the dark figure... whoever it is feels somewhat familiar too, though Anakin can't quite place it. "Ahsoka?" he calls cautiously, taking a step closer.
"Ahsoka!" he calls again when there's no response. Something's not right, but he's not sure what. "It's me, you're safe now. Let's go." And why does he sense the Son literally right in front of him even though he can't see him? The Son definitely isn't disguising himself as the robed figure, so what in the world is going on?
"Are you proud of me, Master?" Ahsoka asks suddenly, her voice sounding strange and very much unlike her. What?! It almost hurts that she even has to ask that. Maybe he never told her, but he thought it was obvious. And she sounds far, far too eerily calm.
"What?!" he exclaims, "Of course, Snips. Of course, I'm proud of you. Now let's get out of here."
"He's right," she retorts, "Right about everything. You must join him. He only wants what's best for the universe." ... What in the world is she talking about? She turns around, and he sees yellow eyes staring down at him. Even her skin looks odd.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" he blurts out.
"Always with the criticism, Master," she bites back, "Never really believing in me, trusting me. Well, I don't need you anymore." That stings in a way nothing else ever has. It's so much like how he feels towards his own master, and he tried to be better than that. He tried. But this... it's not like anything she's ever said before, and if she's ever mad at him she never hesitates to tell him, so where is this coming from? The Son did something to her.
"Ahsoka, Ahsoka, listen to me," Anakin urges, "He has done something to you. Snap out of it! This isn't you, Ahsoka."
"Isn't it?" she retorts, "I feel more like myself than I ever have."
Just then, someone else steps into view on the ledge next to Ahsoka. He's wearing completely black robes, and the mask on his face... Anakin definitely recognizes it from his history studies at the Temple. He looks like Revan – which doesn't make any sense. "Join us, Anakin," the Revan-imposter says. The mask is distorting his voice, but still, it sounds almost familiar. "The Jedi cannot help the galaxy anymore."
This... he's not the Son, is he? Anakin doesn't think so, but he does feel another presence. It's so frustrating to not be able to trust his own eyes anymore. "They can and we are," he replies, eyes narrowing on the figure.
"Do you call leading a war helping the galaxy?" Whoever this person is, they definitely seem to be siding with the Sith. He can feel the Dark Side surrounding them too, though their presence is very well shielded.
"Do you call sitting back and allowing the Sith to take control helping the galaxy?" Anakin retorts.
"The Jedi are the ones who stand in the way of peace!" insists the figure, "We must stop them."
"I'm never going to join the Sith," Anakin snaps. He's getting really, really tired of this.
Ahsoka suddenly spins around. "Then you will be forced to kill us!" she growls suddenly, igniting her lightsaber. A chill of icy horror runs down his spine. No. The Son – somehow – has completely control of her right now. He has no choice but to fight her, even if he can't – won't ever hurt her. Even if she were doing this of her own free will, he won't.
"Wait!" calls the masked figure after her, but she ignores him, landing on the ground in front of Anakin and slashing at him. He ignites his lightsaber blocking her blow as he takes a step backwards. She lunges forwards again, slashing blindly and missing almost every single time. It's a clear indication that she's not in control, since Ahsoka never fights that sloppily. And frankly, there's no Jedi who would unless they're high on pain medication, probably. Anakin continues to back away as she wildly swings him.
The figure leaps off the ledge, landing next to them. A purple lightsaber springs to life in his hand. Anakin freezes. Theseus?
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