Chapter II: Clearing Things Up

Look; I'll clear you up on a couple o' things before I move on. First off, Han Solo was one of my smuggling buddies before he got involved with this kriffin' war. Second, I was in the Alliance for quite a time- even causing the failure of a mission or two. You may be asking Why? What for?.

First off, I (not necessarily me) blew the cover of my squad. They'd gotten themselves to the safety of our ship while I'd fended of the stormtroopers. Stormtroopers?! I may hear you civilian readers gasp out. Yes, the white-armored former clones.

Once I'd cleared the danger from my path, Vader showed up. Vader?! I may hear you gasp once more. Yes... is the answer I'd groan back in return to those people who would be constantly interrupting me.

I knew in an instant Vader wasn't surprised to see me.

He'd told me before, Your demise in my hands is inevitable.

He'd decided to remind me of that fact.

I decided to remind him of the fact that I was a Jedi (At the time I had been training to be a Jedi).

We talked of foreseeing one's demise in the hands of the other.

He'd interrupted me in his baritone voice, Enough talk.

With that he'd ignited the blood red blade of his lightsaber, the crimson blade extending just a meter from the hilt.
I did the same, igniting the azure blades of my twin lightsabers at the same time as I loosely held them in each of my hands, the blade of each growing to just about a meter from the hilt.

We traded blow for blow; blocked strike after strike.

One single, powerful blow was simply too much against my failing strength.

One. Only one.

The crimson blade neatly cleaved through my right forearm, causing a cry of pain to escape my lips.

I was defeated.

Defeated by the Dark Lord.

A day I'd never thought I'd see.

The single day I never planned to see.

The same beast that had killed my parents.

My Jedi parents.

As I was on my knees as I watched the lightsaber from my left hand clatter to the ground a few feet away from my crumpled body as I cradled the stump that was now left of my right arm.

He stared at me through unseen pupils, You clearly knew this was coming.

I decided to simply nod, my gaze distant and away from the moment I thought to be my demise; the moment I thought to be the end of me.

I looked back at him, my emerald pupils on the crimson blade that was stained with the deaths of more people than I could meet, more people than I could ever see with my own eyes.

The crimson blade that was stained with the deaths of my parents' fellow Jedi, the friends they trusted with their lives.

No. My mother had taught me that lesson clearly.

My parents' fellow Jedi were their brothers and their sisters; their mentors and their pupils.

They had been their other family.

Just like now my only family is my brothers and sisters; my three brothers and my sister.

The flesh of my flesh and the blood of my blood; my family.

I'd suddenly decided on the stupidest thing to ask since I wanted to see my parents again. I wanted to be with them; give them all the hugs they deserve. Shed all the tears I had left unshed for nearly two decades (That is... well, now it'd be nearly two decades. Then- when I'd faced Vader- it'd only been seven.).

They had died when Riley and I'd been ten; we'd been born far from the Core Worlds and Coruscant just hours before the Empire had risen from the ashes of what had been left of the Republic and the Old Jedi Order.
I'd felt them die; felt their hearts stop as they became one with the living Force. I'd remembered standing before the Sith and his ignited crimson lightsaber as I protectively stood in front of Riley, Troy, Jay, and Amelia (oldest to youngest for the reader's knowledge) as I'd said in the best adult voice I could muster, even at the age of ten, You'll have to get through me to get to my brothers and sisters. I knew he could kill me in an instant and then he'd kill my brothers and sisters, too.

He didn't.

He'd just stared at me long and hard, prob'bly contemplating whether I was worth the kill or not. Then he'd just walked away, leaving us orphans.

I'd decided to get the quick yet painful death my parents had had nearly two decades earlier, far from that Imperial factory on Coruscant.

Whatever happened to your family?

Then- at the time- I'd silently laugh at my own question when I'm left alone with my own thoughts. Now... I'd understood why he'd never answered my question. He hadn't even known then.

Vader had his lightsaber raised to kill me then and there. I cringed with tears threatening to escape my squeezed-tight eyelids and waited for the killing blow for me to join my parents.

It never came.

I looked up to see his arms physically shaking. I felt his mental barriers were crumbling before my eyes. The metal hilt of his lightsaber clattered to the durasteel ground.

I felt something I'd never felt before from the feared Dark Lord of the Sith.

I'd felt... fear.

Fear?, I'd wondered, my face contorting to show the confusion building up, Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, is afraid? Of what?

He seemed to feel my thoughts; he must have.

He answered in his baritone voice, sounding like a deepened whisper, Close your eyes and stretch out to me.
My heart seemed to stop for what seemed like an eternity. I hesitantly did what I was told.

I saw flashes of molten colors; some blues and greens; plenty of reds and yellows and oranges (I saw some black in there... seeming like it was charred; like it was burned.).

I felt pain and health; life and death; loyalties changed; betrayals and realizations; darkness and light.

I felt... love... and hate.

And it all happened in seconds.

I opened my eyes and was left speechless.

He was on his knees, a fair distance separating us... a rather fair distance of the polluted air separating us.
I swallowed the frightened lump in my throat and stuttered, Wh-what happened to you? His baritone voice was nearly silent as he looked away from me. Too much.

But I felt something I never felt within the Dark Lord.

I felt light. One, single bright light shining through his heart and into the Force.

Was I a fool to feel such a thing from a man with the title of Executioner? Or did a bit of my brain suddenly call out to me and say You know you feel the light shining through. You know there's still a chance to redeem his darkened heart.? I'll take the first one as a no and the second as a yes.

He stood up in an attempt to leave. In an attempt to leave me to rot in my place as I was on my knees, the stump that was left of my right arm.

I gazed at him, a fire of pure hate in my eyes.

So you're just gonna leave? Just like that?

He turned around, his cape following him like a shadow. He knew what I'd say next. I knew he knew that.

You're gonna leave me to rot just like you did seven years ago?

He walked up to me to the point that he was at least two feet from me. He knew I was strong.

He knew I was capable of defeating him.

I will make you a deal. He decided to say. A deal?! I'd exclaimed in return. He nodded his helmeted head. I was hesitant to ask him, What is it? He began to explain his deal. I will protect you from the Emperor and in exchange you must do something for me.

I instantly shook my head. The one thing I've heard of you doing was going back on your deals. I won't be the fool to accept your little deal.

He nodded his helmeted head once again.

I have heard your former partner Fett was to be paid for bringing you to the Emperor dead.

I scoffed and declared, I can deal with my own affairs, Vader. I heard what seemed almost like a chuckle. Just like your father. Stubborn to the core regardless of the situation. I felt what seemed like a flame in my eyes and snarled, Don't you dare to speak of my father! He glared at me long and hard, just like he had seven years earlier. I added, He was a better man than you could ever be. He nodded then boomed out in that baritone voice of his, He looked up to me at one point. He began to walk away once more then turned back to say, He looked up to Anakin Skywalker in both of our lives.

I was left speechless and voiceless by his proposal.

Could Anakin Skywalker- Hero of the Clone Wars, Hero with No Fear, the Chosen One- be Darth Vader, the [second] most feared man alive? I was left to wonder for a decade longer after I'd found out.

How could such a symbol of good- one so noble and pure- turn to the very symbol of evil- the other so dreaded and dark? I was left unanswered for what seemed like an eternity.