Author's Note: FYI, for those of you who didn't see it... I am updating Heritage Foretold now. If you are interested in the backstory for my OCs Demantis and Anakin Windrider, you should check it out!
Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. The following work is not intended to add to, promote or distort this series. This is a work of fanfiction, and the author does not profit in posting. This is simply a writing exercise written for fun.
Had he any face to smile, he would have. It certainly felt as though the muscles that would have been there contracted. The sight of the young Jedi Master delving into the ancient techniques of his tribe certainly brought pride into his heart.
He too had been an adept of the burning light and was astounded to find that her descendant would also carry such compatibility.
But as he watched young Luke from his place in between all things, the stars glimmering in and out around him as those locked this purgatory sped on by, he began to wonder. Demantis had hated him always. That fact had been loud and clear, even if it's origin was still complete mystery to him. One would assume that Anakin would be a clearer target for his demented grandfather.
What made Luke such a focal point of that mad man's hatred?
Placing his left fingers to his cheek, the great sleeves around his arms falling away, he traced the space that had once been his visage. Though the image was not there, he could still feel everything that once had been. It was as though the light was stolen from him there, making it impossible to see his face. But he remembered it.
Both men looked like him, that fact was unmistakable. And it wasn't even the blond hair that caused the resemblance. In truth, the closer to his appearance was Anakin, but only because of small aspects of his features. But Luke... Luke had to be destroyed. Demantis would have it no other way, and Anakin Windrider did not understand why.
Yes, Luke had a pure heart, but all hearts had darkness in them. Yes, Luke was as fast a learner as he had been, likely cementing Demantis's distorted opinion that this line was half Windrider. But knowledge can be destructive. There were a million ways to change the past. Demantis could have eliminated the young Skywalker's light as a child. Yet he was obstinate it was impossible.
"Shmi?" he wondered aloud, his voice echoing in the chasm of endless space, "What didn't you tell me?" And as his heart reached out to her, begging for answers, he found his eyes returning to Coruscant. Returning to the forms of two very troubled men and the strong women holding them emotionally upright... Just as Shmi had for him. And he prayed they would understand what took him his dying breath to learn.
That sometimes power isn't the solution.
As Obi-Wan sighed and sat down on the couch, Anakin did his best to mind him. It was foolish dwelling on the situation at hand. The clones had arrived, each armed with various forensic tools to track these dangerous villains. Patience was the only thing he could have right now. And it was something hard to find with the whirring of various machines around the house. Though the machines were hardly the true things irritating him.
He found his heart being torn in two at the fact that, once again, he was being ostracized. And that Padme was a culprit was hurting even more.
As soon as the three assailants departed and the three masters arrived, he turned to her, hoping she would have answers. Instead, all he got was clear avoidance of the subject, her eyes falling on Luke and Leia with absolute hesitation. It infuriated him. Keeping that fury at bay was rather difficult given the state of the evening. Especially given his burns from Luke's strange attack.
His only consolation was that he was not the only one peeved by the situation at hand.
Luke stood on the balcony, meditating, running through the fight over and over again with his mind. His normally calm face shown extreme frustration, though at what, Anakin could not possibly fathom. The man had power, control and respect. What more could he want with his life?
It was these three things that Anakin sought desperately, starting from the very moment he understood what being a slave meant. And despite years of honing his skills, he still lacked in these three areas drastically. It peeved him to know that someone who was in possession of such a wondrous stature would treat it as nothing. Yet, it also left him curious.
"Luke?" He called out to him, startling the man a moment, based on the slight exhale, "Can I talk to you for a moment?" A slight nod was all he received in response.
Walking over to the edge of the veranda, Anakin seated himself beside the man. They stared off into the hazy night sky a moment, not saying a word as they both deliberated the start of the conversation. To Anakin's surprise, Luke was the one to offer the first words. Solemnly, he informed him, "They were after us more than they were after Padme."
Taking a deep breath and then exhaling his anger out, Anakin nodded, "I suspected as much."
Kicking his legs over the edge and leaning back, Luke shrugged, "I don't like it personally." he admitted, his voice tired, "Their attacking her is a round about way to get to me. Leia too."
Frowning, Anakin inquired, "And what did you do to piss them off so much?"
Luke was silent a moment, clearly thinking deeply on the topic. "I don't honestly know." For the first time since he met him, Anakin actually believed Luke's answer. There was no round about to it. He clearly did not understand this groups intentions, other than to kill him. "I keep thinking it's because of how strong I've gotten."
That answer surprised Anakin, and he had to resist the urge to stare at the man intently. Not once in his life had he ever heard the idea that strength brought on conflict of this nature. He'd always believed it repelled it. It was only logical after all, the weaker feared the strong. Yet Luke seemed so sure.
Smirking, as though caught in some ironic, cruel joke, Luke shrugged once more, "It amazes me. I try so hard to live up to everyone's expectations, become what I am... and all it does is bring more hurt to people." He paused and sighed, "I keep telling myself, I get stronger to protect the weak, yet more weaknesses appear as I grow more powerful. And detaching myself from what is important seems to make all the lines of morality disappear, making me distant from the reality of it all... so I grow even stronger, hoping to scare off anything that hurts those I care about. I'm trapped in this vicious cycle."
Surprised at his confession, Anakin nodded, "When I was first told to let go of attachments, I wondered to myself 'why?'... I couldn't escape that question." He smirked a bit, "I mean, it made no sense to me at all. I grew up knowing that the sand moved, the suns set but-"
"-people never stray." Luke finished for him, both surprising and pleasing Anakin at once. It had been so long since he'd felt this with anyone, this peculiar bond in the moment. At last, despite years in the order, he'd found a kindred spirit, someone who understood his burden... Other than Palpatine, anyways.
"Right." Anakin agreed, "My mother believed that every person was important. She never took a life, that I know of, nor spread ill words... And she wanted me to do the same, as much as I could, anyways. That was clear. So when I was told that my relationships with others should not matter, should not grow, I grew so confused. I understood it was for clarity when the situation was difficult, but it felt wrong to ease those situations... So I too push to get stronger. And I too continue to find fault with myself." He turned and found Luke smiling slightly, nodding his head a little.
After a time of silence, Anakin's sharp mind started wondering, and he found voice to his musings, "What will you do next then? If these warriors are still after you, something has to be done."
Luke nodded and stood upright, "I will continue the cycle." He then turned about and meandered into the living area where Leia and Padme were seated. Obi-Wan was nearby, his face contorted in confusion as he stared at readings on a DataPad. Anakin nodded to him as he followed Luke indoors.
To his surprise, Leia stood up and scowled at him, "I don't like this Luke." She outright told him, her voice firm, "I'm not strong enough if they return..." her eyes then turned away towards Padme, "It's too risky."
Luke nodded and stepped forward, "You're stronger than you think." He told her, placing his right hand on her shoulder, "Capable of everything I am... and you know it." She still frowned, her eyes falling to the floor by the door as she shrugged his arm off.
"If you die..." She warned him, not finishing her statement.
Sighing a little, Luke nodded and then embraced his sister. Anakin felt something in his heart stir, as though he was touched by the sight. It eased the burning, but only a little.
Soon after, Padme stood up and stretched her arms wide, allowing the man to hug her as well. To his surprise, Anakin felt no possessiveness or jealousy. Something inside knew this was platonic. A mother and her son. It said, though he fought to ignore that voice with all his might. He would not cave to desperate impossibilities.
Luke soon nodded to Obi-Wan and then turned about, extending that same right hand to Anakin. When Anakin took that hand into his, he was surprised by the grip on it. His hand was mechanical. A prosthesis. Kindred indeed, he realized.
"Best of luck to you." Luke told him, "With me gone, you'll have to protect Padme with Leia. I'll return when I can." Frowning for a moment, Anakin soon donned his crooked grin.
"I'm always protecting her anyways." He admitted in jest, "Shouldn't be a problem, Darklighter." It was only for a second, but Anakin saw it. A glimmer in the man's eyes that shown him the name Darklighter was not his. That it belonged to someone important. He's honoring a lost friend.
And once Luke walked away, closing the door behind him, Anakin took a deep breath and turned back towards the others. Inside, he steeled himself for a great undertaking. Like Luke, he knew there was only one option right now. He too had to continue the cycle.
Only he was less certain on the how.
Their hideaway was hardly pleasant, being a run-down, mid-level apartment blocks away from the Senate hall. Having driven a speeder swiftly through side streets to get there, the three Sith warriors panted with each step as they entered their latest abode. Swollen, burned and scathed, the three collapsed into the first place they could find that appeared welcoming.
Shame was not an issue. This was survival.
"What power!" Pestillis growled, her fury working its wonders in assisting with her recovery, "How did that brat acquire such a deadly technique?"
Sighing a little as she rolled over, Anhillis confessed her own opinion, "It wasn't a Jedi ability."
"Certainly not." Her master agreed with her, "And it seemed to drain the man considerably as well." Now seated in her comfy chair, Pestillis glanced across the room towards a small, shattered mirror in the distance. She appeared more ragged than ever, wrinkles creating caverns so deep in her face, small villages could pop up any moment. Her eyes were deeply sunken, the green color fading from them, and her lips were curling.
She looked dead.
A slight gasp turned her eyes towards her champion warrior. Devaro was curled up in the fetal position on the ground, his peach skin red from blistering pain while his orange skin became chalky from sweat and searing. Though he was still breathing, his movements were slight. If it weren't for her own pains, she would have likely done something to assist him.
"Here I thought we had the advantage." She confessed, disappointed, "Perhaps Lord Demantis isn't all he claims." A cold presence suddenly penetrated her back, traveling up her spine like small needles being dragged over her skin. She winced and moaned in pain.
"Or perhaps you did not heed my warning on Skywalker." Demantis suddenly snarled into her ear.
His nails ran down her arm gently, bringing fresh pains to her skin. Wincing, the old hag informed him, "He was alone. It was just him and that bitch-"
"-and then his sister showed up, young papa in tow. Both his source of immense strength." Demantis teased, as though he'd expected that, "And Devaro had only a taste of power in him. You were too impatient, striking too early. And now Skywalker is aware of our increase in strength."
Frowning, Anhillis fought to sit up straight, "And now what will we do?" she demanded, clearly still unimpressed with this ghastly master. In hearing her tone, Demantis waved a hand, covering her in shadows that pinched at her skin, making her scream in agony. When he was finally satisfied with her injuries, he waved the fog away.
"Skywalker likely took note of how strong we've become." the creature pointed out as he tugged on his beard, "To match our growth, he will accelerate his. He will go to my homeland and learn the ways that will kill me. But those ways require a level of concentration a loving heart cannot muster." He then sat down on the glass table before them, a grin on his face, "We must ensure he hasn't the focus to use such skills... Like the fire that burned you all."
"Then while he is away, we kill Organa." Pestillis decided, finding her master shaking his head.
"Would you trap us in this time?" He inquired, "We need the power of both twins to use the Gamragist one last time. The return trip. To kill her would be to doom us all." Pausing as his orange and red eyes closed, Demantis smirked, "She must be maimed, of course, her mother killed, her father polluted with rage... And Skywalker must have an opponent to match him that he could never destroy. Someone that shakes the foundations of his dogma. Such a shame that Masana has disappeared, I was counting on her rattling his resolve alongside Devaro."
His eyes then turned to Anhillis, his head tilting slightly to the side as he reached inside his pocket. He pulled out another ancient orb, this one silver in entirety. "Remember our dear little Padawan guest?" he asked of the exhausted Mirialan.
She could only scowl at him.
It was morning when Luke left the atmosphere. Leia could sense it, even as she lay in bed, fighting her own nightmares now that her twin was gone. Despite growing up without him, his absence now made her feel as though she was defenseless, though what she was defending against was still ambiguous to her. Part of her believed it was the temptation she felt to change everything. Another part believed it was something darker.
So rather than lay in bed and accomplish nothing, as she was inclined to do, Leia pulled herself from her covers. After making her bed and dressing in her Jedi garb, Leia meandered out into the destroyed living room and took a deep breath. This was it. This was her moment.
If Luke believed so much in her, why couldn't she?
Settling in training herself, Leia performed several of her favorite exercises out on the veranda, her blue lightsaber contrasting with the smoggy morning sun. By the time she'd finished this routine, Padme had awoken, already dressed in business attire and clearly seeking a cup of anything warm. The hue of her skin showed clearly that last night had shaken her. The gleam in her eyes, however, shown the stubbornness to get past it all.
Leia smiled as she watched her go by, glad to see that she was collected despite all she'd learned in the past few days.
She found her mother to be anything but fragile, filled with the type of strength Leia learned to admire young. Something deep inside her teased that she'd chosen Padme Amidalla as a role model for a reason, and the reason was spelled out clearly for her.
Stepping inside to the small table and seating herself in one of the chairs, Leia retrieved her own beverage, water, from the kitchens with a grin. "You seem well." She pointed out with a smirk, receiving only a nod from Padme, "And you seem ready to go out."
Shrugging as she read from a DataPad, Padme reminded her, "Work." Stunned she'd forgotten than herself, Leia nodded with an 'I see.'
While Padme continued to read, Leia closed her eyes to meditate, hoping to keep herself at a level calm without Luke. It wouldn't do to worry the young senator so soon.
The sounds of Padme collecting her things alerted Leia to her intended departure, something enforced as Teckla, her handmaiden, assisted her. Leia stood up as well, fetching her cloak from a hook by the door with the Force. She wrapped the cloak around her comfortably, noticing how the cut let her hands hide inside her sleeves. Soon all three women were ready for departure, with brave Captain Typho at the door to escort them.
They were to attend a crucial vote at the capital, one Padme's ruined party had meant to sway. Leia only hoped that, between the golden tongues of herself and her mother, they could get the senators back on course and spare the galaxy a calamity. Something inside her warned that these feelings would disappoint her.
"Leia?" Padme suddenly asked from beside her in the speeder, her voice hushed despite the sounds of the winds passing by, "Does Luke trust me?"
Stunned by the question, it took Leia a moment to respond. Soon after, however, she grinned and nodded, "He does. Why?"
Her face still etched with worry, Padme sighed and admitted, "Then why won't he let me tell Anakin about you? Why won't he believe me when I say that Anakin can be trusted?"
Not expecting such a touchy subject while in earshot of the others, Leia frowned a moment as she tried to find the words that would clarify this for her mother. The problem was that several of these words would injure her as well. "Because Luke doesn't want to be hurt." It was the best explanation she could think of. It was her explanation too, the reason why she, when on the topic of Anakin, would side with her brother more so than her mother.
It seemed that Padme understood, for her eyes grew somber as the Senate came into view. Leia turned to observe the structure, not sure if she wanted to read anymore into her mother's eyes. They were the eyes she remembered in her dreams as a young child.
Watching the building come closer, a new feeling appeared beside the sorrow in her heart. This feeling was murky, tiring and heavy. Something bad is going to happen today. Leia realized, wishing with all her heart that her brother hadn't left her behind.
Author's Note: I know it is a short chapter, but that ending really seemed to tie everything in well. It seems like my new writing method is working for now, so we'll have to see what happens with it. Hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks again to those of you that reviewed/followed/favorited my story last time!