Episode 5 - Namesakes
War rages on! Sith forces stretch the Republic armies thin, forcing its leaders to regularly convene in an effort to repel the Sith Invaders! In the midst of the fighting, Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker manages to find time to spend away from the frontlines of the conflict and spend time with his youngest grandson, Anakin Solo! Meanwhile Darth Talzin is in pursuit of the older Skywalker, seeking to kill him for the death of her mother: Asajj Ventress!
Somewhere on Tatooine…
"No! Get back! You won't take her!" Asajj Ventress screamed as she attempted to use her old Sith Lightsabers to frighten off the two hooded figures. One of them drew a double bladed lightsaber with two red blades like Asajj's own and proceeded to attack her while the other figure approached the spot where a frightened young half-breed girl hid. The girl was half-human and half-Dathmorian, her long black hair kept in dreadlocks. The girl watched as the taller figure with the double blade struck down her mother, slicing her legs off just below the waist.
"MAMA!" the girl exclaimed tearfully as the figure grabbed her by the arms and knelt down to her level, a dark smirk appearing on the tattooed face of the figure beneath the hood.
"Come now child. It is time your training began." Darth Akul said as she picked the child up and started carrying her back towards the darkened transport nearby while the other picked up Ventress's lightsabers and began to follow the taller. The girl struggled against the figure's grasp but to no avail. Asajj however was still alive and crawled onto her stomach, reaching out to try and stop the two but her connection to the force was too weak.
"NO! STOP!" she screamed at the two but was ignored.
"MAMA! MAMA!" the girl screamed as a man burst up from within the moisture farm living quarters with a blaster rifle in hand.
"Drop her or I drop you!" he yelled as a look of fear flashed across Asajj's face.
"No! Don't! Get out of here!" Asajj yelled but the figures had already stopped.
"Kill him." The first ordered as the second turned and raised their lightsaber, suddenly pulling Asajj's husband towards it with the force, impaling him through the chest, causing both Asajj and the girl to cry out in anguish.
"Lady Talzin?" a foreign voice asked, causing Talzin to suddenly sit upright in her bunk aboard a Sith Destroyer. It had been a nightmare. Talzin sighed heavily as she climbed out of her bunk, summoning her lightsabers to her hands and clipping them to her belt before opening the door to reveal a Sith Trooper on the other side.
"What do you want?" she asked in annoyance.
"Apologies milady, but we've got a positive identification on the target. He's on the move near the Dathomir System." The trooper replied as Talzin scowled.
"Good. Set an intercept course and make the jump to lightspeed the moment we're ready." Talzin ordered as the trooper saluted.
"Right away ma'am." The trooper replied before running off. Talzin then looked at the twin curved lightsabers at her sides, looking at them quietly in thought.
"It's only a matter of time Skywalker. A matter of time before you pay for killing my mother." Talzin hissed as she headed for the bridge.
Meanwhile in the Dathomir System…
A heavily modified H-Type Nubian Yacht dropped out of hyperspace. The modifications to the typically regal vessel were clear even from a distance. The Chromium hull plating had been completely stripped off and replaced by gunmetal grey armor plating with a series of yellow decals along it. Two small blaster cannon turrets had been mounted on the top and bottom of the ship's main hull with a pair of forward mounted laser cannons protruding from the forward nose cone with a small concussion missile launcher mounted in the cone between the laser cannons. Sitting at the helm of the once regal vessel was the fearsome visage of Anakin Skywalker while his grandson Anakin Solo sat in the copilot's seat.
"I'd say the hyperdrive test was a success wouldn't you say grandfather?" the younger Anakin asked.
"Yes. Now all that remains is a proper test of the ship's weapons systems and finally a name to accompany it." The older Anakin stated.
"Don't forget the shield test." Solo commented.
"I never forget the shields." Skywalker replied.
"Where did you find this old thing anyway?" Solo asked.
"It was actually a gift to your mother from her cousin, Pooja Naberrie. I offered to buy it from her." Skywalker explained as Solo's eyes lit up in realization.
"Oh so this is that same ship! I'd wondered what mom did with it. But why did you buy it from her?" Solo asked. He then sensed a slight sadness in his grandfather that made him regret asking.
"Because your grandmother used to pilot a vessel of the same model when she was alive." Skywalker said softly.
"Oh. I wish I could've met her. Everything I've heard about her in the history holos and historical archives make her sound like a remarkable woman." Solo said, sensing pride welling up inside his grandfather.
"The archives and holos don't even begin to describe how remarkable she truly was, although they do capture her beauty quite well." Skywalker said as Solo spun towards the inside of the cockpit. HK-47 was with them albeit shut down at the older Anakin's insistence, a request the younger had no qualms with. There was also a black hued astromech sitting inactive nearby. Solo noticed this astromech curiously.
"Changing subjects slightly, what's with the astromech?" Solo asked.
"That is R4-K5. He was my astromech during my time as Vader. After I switched to using my X1 Advanced, he became unnecessary and he was assigned to work aboard the Lusankya back when it was an Imperial vessel. After the fall of the Empire, I tracked him down and requisitioned him. It might sound strange to say this but I felt guilty about the way I treated him so I'm trying to make it up to him." Skywalker explained as Solo smiled at him.
"Only you would feel guilty about mistreating a droid. Not that it's a bad sentiment though." Solo said as Skywalker flexed his left hand.
"I feel that I relate more to machines now that I'm a cyborg." Skywalker said as Solo spun back around towards the front.
"According to Uncle Luke's recounting of when he first met your old master Obi-Wan, he said that you were more machine than man." Solo said as Skywalker let a chuckle escape.
"I suppose that's true, from a certain point of view." Skywalker said, hoping Obi-Wan's spirit was listening.
"Anyway, thanks for getting me off Coruscant for a while. I was going crazy just being cooped up on the Lusankya waiting for Master Marek to get away from the admiralty for a while." Solo said as Skywalker gave a dismissive wave.
"I figured you would appreciate the escape. Besides, I needed a capable mechanic to help me test this ship's capabilities." Skywalker said as Solo smirked thoughtfully.
"Got any more old ship models I should know about?" Solo asked as Skywalker turned towards him slowly. Solo could tell there was a smirk on his grandfather's face despite the Vader mask obscuring it.
"As a matter of fact I happen to have a few old Eta-2 class light interceptors left over from the Clone Wars. Also one or two Delta 7Bs that I am currently restoring." Skywalker replied.
"Wow you've become quite the starship enthusiast haven't you?" Solo asked.
"The ships remind me of better times. And getting to repair them is therapeutic. Has your master taught you moving meditation?" Skywalker asked as Solo looked curious.
"It's the first I've heard of it." Solo replied.
"Then that is what I shall teach you on this trip together. It is a technique that allows the Force to guide our hands while we are in a state of meditation. By allowing the force to guide our actions in this way, it gives us a better understanding of the force's subtler actions. For instance, I once went into a state of meditation while performing maintenance on one of the old interceptors I mentioned. When I emerged from the meditation, not only had I repaired the interceptor's shield emitters, but I had enhanced them significantly. Doubling the overall strength while halving the power draw." Skywalker explained.
"I'd like to learn that. It might come in handy in the future." Solo said as Skywalker chuckled.
"A word of caution though. Sometimes going into a state of moving meditation doesn't always result positively. I went into a moving meditation once at a repair bench on Yavin and when I emerged…I still don't know what it was I had built. All I know is that your aunt put it up on display along with the younglings' art projects under the name 'Ani Skywalker,' another example of her insolence." Skywalker grumbled.
"She's just trying to lighten your spirit." Solo said as Skywalker nodded.
"Yes I am aware. I imagine having me for a father-in-law is not easy for your father or your aunt." Skywalker said as Solo shrugged.
"I wouldn't know but I know you make a fine grandfather." Solo commented.
"I appreciate the sentiment but you are still not getting a Podracer for your birthday." Skywalker said as Solo put on a face of faux disappointment.
"Aw come on, please?" he asked but Skywalker didn't answer as he started gazing out the cockpit viewports as if searching for something.
"Grandfather?" Solo asked worriedly.
"Do you feel that? A disturbance in the Force." Skywalker said as Solo began looking out the viewports.
"I sense it too." He said as they both looked straight ahead in time for a Sith Destroyer to drop out of hyperspace in front of them. Skywalker quickly pulled back on the controls, narrowly avoiding a collision with the destroyer.
"Oh slag!" Solo yelped as the Sith Destroyer immediately opened fire on the yacht. On the bridge, Darth Talzin snarled at the vessel.
"That's him! Lock tractor beams on him and pull him into the docking bay! We'll finish him off there!" Talzin ordered. Back on the yacht, Solo leapt from his chair and reactivated HK and R4.
"Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, Ma-." HK said but was cut off when the ship was rocked by an explosion.
"We're under attack, man the turrets! Don't let them get a target lock on us with their tractor beams!" Solo ordered as HK hurried to the weapons controls. R4 immediately hurried for the turbolift, moving down to a lower level to perform emergency maintenance. The ship suddenly shook violently.
"They've got us in their tractor beam!" Skywalker said as he started accessing some of the controls.
"Can you shake us loose?!" Solo asked as Skywalker reduced power to the engines but didn't deactivate them.
"Divert all power from the engines to maneuvering thrusters and when I give you the signal, I want you to undo what you just did!" Skywalker ordered, priming the forward weapons as he spun the ship around to face the Destroyer. He then fired two concussion missiles, using the force to propel them even faster, the missiles intercepting the tractor beam and traveling along the beam's trajectory until they impacted into the tractor beam emitter, destroying it in a fantastic explosion and freeing the yacht.
"NOW!" Skywalker ordered as Solo diverted power to the engines, the Yacht tearing off towards the Destroyer again but pulling up in time to fly low over the Destroyer's hull. On the bridge, Talzin let out an enraged groan.
"After him! Blow him out of the sky if you have to! And prepare my fighter!" Talzin ordered as she stormed out of the bridge. The Destroyer entered a pursuit course after the smaller yacht, firing its turbolasers at it but Skywalker, being the ace pilot, was able to nimbly avoid the blasts and began to pull away from the Destroyer. The turrets on the yacht were futilely firing back at the Destroyer.
"HK hold fire! That turret's not going to do any good against a Destroyer!" Solo yelled but a sensor alarm indicated otherwise.
"Correction: I believe it will do marvelously against these Meatbag starfighters." HK argued as three squadrons of Sith Starfighters started chasing them.
"This is where the fun begins." Skywalker commented.
"Should I put in a distress call?" Solo asked but Skywalker merely pointed to the communications console.
"They're jamming our communications!" He replied as Solo groaned.
"How are we supposed to escape them?" Solo asked. Skywalker merely looked out the viewport to see Dathomir fast approaching.
"We'll lose them in the planet's atmosphere! Brace yourself!" Skywalker instructed as they made a break for the planet's surface, the Sith fighters in hot pursuit. Among the fighters was a red and black fantailed starfighter, the fighter rapidly approaching. HK noticed the fighter's approach.
"Warning: Master there is a new starfighter approaching! Preliminary analysis indicates it is a Ginivex class starfighter!" HK warned.
"Shoot it down!" Skywalker ordered, HK complying, turning the yacht's guns on the fighter. In the fighter's cockpit, Darth Talzin snarled as she evaded the droid's laser fire.
"You're not getting away from me so easily Skywalker!" Talzin sneered, firing on the yacht but its shields were able to withstand the blasts.
"That fighter's still on our tail!" Solo exclaimed as he checked the tactical readouts.
"The force is strong with this one." Skywalker replied as they entered the atmosphere, the hull glowing red. They were flying over one of the planet's landmasses near a part of the planet covered in the twilight of the late evening. Talzin continued firing on the Yacht, her fighters still in close pursuit. Back on the Yacht, HK spotted an opening with one of the other fighters and targeted it, scoring a direct hit on its cockpit and causing it to explode, the debris taking out two fighters behind it while the force of the blast damaged Talzin's fighter, causing her to veer sharply off course, damaging the upper wing.
"NO!" Talzin screamed angrily as she was forced into an emergency landing on the planet's surface. Meanwhile the yacht flew in low over the trees. HK then turned away from the gun controls.
"Report: Master the Sith fighters have broken off their pursuit." HK reported.
"Yeah but they've got us trapped here." Solo said as Skywalker began bringing the ship in for a landing.
"Patience my young grandson. They may know that we are on the planet but they will not know our exact location. We will wait them out." Skywalker said as he set the ship down in a heavily forested area of gnarled and dead looking trees shrouded by a thick fog. As soon as the yacht had landed, Skywalker began powering down the ship's systems.
"So what do we do? It's us versus an entire Sith Destroyer." Solo asked as Skywalker stood up from his seat.
"The force is strong with this world. They will not be able to sense our presence so easily and the fog will obscure their vision. We have the advantage." Skywalker stated.
"Analysis: The cyborg Meatbag is correct Master. The current environment is-…" HK said before suddenly falling silent and looking around.
"HK? Are you alright? It's not like you to not complete a sentence." Solo said as HK approached the viewports but remained silent.
"He's starting to scare me now." Solo said but Skywalker wasn't convinced.
"What is it HK-47?" Skywalker asked.
"Confused Statement: Masters, my signal receivers are picking up a strange signal being broadcast from nearby. I cannot be one hundred percent certain but I believe I recognize the signal." HK reported as Skywalker opened the turbolift doors.
"Then we shall investigate this signal together. Come Anakin, we best stick together." Skywalker said as they entered the turbolift, arriving on the bottom level of the starship near the boarding ramp which was already being lowered. R4-K5 was welding a damaged stabilizer back into place as they arrived.
"R4 stay with the ship and engage the security systems. I don't want any intruders." Skywalker ordered the droid, the Astromech beeping a confirmation in a series of low beeps and tones.
"I don't think he likes you." Solo said as they approached the edge of the boarding ramp, Solo looking out into the dense fog with slight apprehension.
"He didn't like me even before I became Vader. He was in the Jedi Temple before and during Order 66." Skywalker said as they walked out into the dark mists of Dathomir with HK close behind them.
"HK, can you pinpoint the signal's origins?" Skywalker asked as HK stepped up in front of them, his blaster raised in caution.
"Affirmative." He replied, leading them into the mists.
…
Elsewhere on the surface just outside the forest, the surviving Sith fighters had landed and the pilots were rushing to the damaged starfighter piloted by Darth Talzin. One of the pilots reached the fighter and peered inside the cockpit but saw no one inside.
"Lieutenant! Lady Talzin isn't here!" the pilot called.
"Keep searching!" the lieutenant replied, turning away before hearing one of the pilots let out a pained scream coupled with the hiss of a lightsaber activation. The pilots turned with blasters drawn to see the pilot near Talzin's fighter skewered through the chest by a red lightsaber. The pilot fell to the ground, dead, revealing an angry Darth Talzin standing behind him.
"Who told you to break pursuit Lieutenant?!" Talzin asked as she stormed towards him.
"W-We thought you were-! Our orders come from the Empress! We're under orders to verify the death of you or any of the Lords and relay the information to her directly!" the Lieutenant groveled as Talzin snarled in frustration, raising her lightsaber to strike him down but lowering it after a moment and turning towards the line of gnarled trees surrounded in fog.
"Put me through to the Destroyer, I want every soldier we have scouring this forest!" Talzin ordered.
"My lady?" the lieutenant asked.
"Skywalker is here! We have him trapped here on the surface and if we can find him, we can end him!" Talzin ordered.
"Y-Yes ma'am! Right away ma'am!" the lieutenant replied as he ran back towards his fighter, leaving Talzin to look the tree line over curiously. She could faintly sense Skywalker's presence but she could also sense another presence in the force, one she didn't recognize, a powerful presence in the Dark Side but also a presence she never thought she'd feel again.
"Talzin." She heard a voice whisper in her mind, causing the Dathomiri Nightsister to shake her head with a cringe.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" one of the pilots asked.
"I'm fine." She snapped as she looked into the mists with increased suspicion.
…
Meanwhile, both Anakins and HK journeyed deeper into the forest, the assassin droid leading them.
"This place is strong with the Dark Side grandfather. I can hear the voices of the dead crying out in pain." Solo said as Skywalker noticed some of the trees had strange black sacks hanging from them. The sacks were too large to be natural, and could easily fit a humanoid lifeform inside them.
"We have entered into the territory of the Nightsisters of Dathomir, Anakin. We must be cautious, for they will not hesitate to attack us." Skywalker said as Solo noticed the sacks, recognizing them as Dathomiri burial sacks which held the bodies of the dead inside them.
"Are they concealing themselves from us through the force or is that what this mist is for?" Solo asked but they then heard a metal clanking sound as HK stepped on something, causing him to stop and look down.
"Exclamation: Masters!" HK called, activating an illuminator on the side of his head as the two Jedi gathered around. Lying on the ground, partially buried in the mud appeared to be some kind of skeleton.
"What is that? The body of some creature?" Solo asked as Skywalker grabbed hold of the skeleton's arm and pulled on it, bringing the entire upper torso up out of the ground.
"This was no lifeform. I recognize this. It is the remains of an old Trade Federation Battle Droid." Skywalker said, tossing the remains away where they banged against the ground. Skywalker then stretched out with the force and moved the mists away from in front of them. What they saw caused Solo to freeze in awe and horror.
"Wh~oa." He said as they beheld the site of a former battlefield. Strewn across the ground were the littered remains of destroyed battle droids and their abandoned war vehicles, including at least one destroyed AAT. The droids had been there for decades, ever since the Clone Wars. Most were partly buried in the mud.
"Statement: It appears the Confederacy of Independent Systems was here, but my own records of known Separatist battlefields contain no references to Dathomir. Probing query: What were they after?" HK asked as Skywalker led them deeper into the forest, using the Force to dispel the fog until they came across a large wall made of metal.
"Statement: The signal I am receiving is coming from this structure." HK reported as Skywalker looked up at the metal wall.
"HK, I don't think this is a permanent structure." Solo said as he looked up, taking note of the four wings indicative of an old Trade Federation Landing Craft. Skywalker then stretched out with the force and pried open the lander's forward bulkhead doors.
"I guess this lander got left behind when the droids finished whatever they were doing here." Solo said as they stepped into the old lander, Skywalker finding a ladder and beginning to climb.
"Statement: Masters, I believe I recognize the signal now. It is a droid control signal using old Separatist droid control frequencies." HK reported as Solo began to climb the ladder after his grandfather.
"So wait, the transmitter is still functional?" Solo asked as HK followed after them, the three reaching a cargo bay on the lander's port side.
"More than that, Anakin." Skywalker said as Solo blinked at what the cargo bay contained. There was at least one MTT along with several transports full of battle droids still on their transport racks. There were even a few Super Battle Droids and a handful of inactive Destroyer Droids. All of the droids and vehicles were in pristine condition.
"Are they still functional?" Solo asked as Skywalker approached an inactive droid, opening the back panel and pressed a button on the display.
"This droid is fully charged and a diagnostic indicates full functionality. These droids are fully operational. Touch nothing, we don't want to wake them up." Skywalker said as Solo pondered for a minute.
"Or do we?" he asked, earning Skywalker's attention.
"Are you suggesting we reactivate them and send them against our pursuers?" Skywalker asked as Solo arched a curious eyebrow.
"Can we not?" he asked.
"The droids are programmed to attack Jedi. Unless we had a copy of the Separatist Droid command codes, we cannot control them. Besides, I am more interested in why they were here on Dathomir during the Clone Wars." Skywalker said as they headed for the ladder.
"Request: Master, might I be permitted to remain a while?" HK asked as Solo looked at him suspiciously.
"Why?"
"Answer: Why, to replenish my armaments, Master. It would be a shame for these weapons to go to waist, Master." HK said as Solo looked at Skywalker who looked at them but didn't react.
"Alright but be careful. We don't want these droids coming back online and coming after us." Solo said as Skywalker jumped down the ladder.
"Statement: Master your words of distrust wound me. I am here to ensure your wellbeing Master. I would never do anything to endanger your life…well, not deliberately anyway." HK said as Solo rolled his eyes as he approached the ladder.
"That's what I'm afraid of." He replied before jumping down the hole, leaving HK alone amongst the inactive droids.
…
Meanwhile, Talzin scowled up at the sky as Sith landers ferried dozens of troops as well as a number of tanks reminiscent of the old TIE Mauler. They were similar in design but instead of three forward laser cannons, they had a pair of blaster cannons on the inside arcs of the "wings" above the tracks while a single large laser cannon sat mounted beneath the cockpit. Among the Sith vehicles were Sith Infantry Walkers, the same single person combat walkers the Sith had used at Yavin IV that were equipped with a chin mounted flamethrower and two blaster cannons on the sides.
"Send the tanks in first! Clear us a path!" Talzin ordered as the tanks started up, rolling towards the forest, plowing down the trees in their path. Talzin quietly leapt onto the back of a quadruped walker similar to an AT-AA in design but lacking the back mounted AA gun, and carrying four small blaster cannon turrets that provided a full 360 degree area of protection. In the center of these turrets, in the middle of the back of the walker was a semi open area on the back where a Sith Infantry Commander stood observing a holographic display of the surrounding area.
"Milady, the Destroyer has scanned the surrounding area and we believe we may have located the Jedi's vessel here. We can't be sure though, there's a strange signal interfering with our scans." The Commander replied as Talzin glared out at the mist shrouded forest as the walker followed along behind the tanks and smaller walkers.
"We'll find them. They're here, I know they are." Talzin sneered. She then heard the voice whisper in her ear again.
"Talzin, what are you doing?"
This caused the Dark Lady to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"Milady?" the Commander asked as Talzin looked towards a mountain poking up out of the mist in the distance. She then heard another voice speak to her but this one was different.
"Come to the mountain, child." The voice said, a strange soothing tone to the voice but with a darker undertone echoing as it spoke.
"Commander, ready a speeder bike for me. There's something I need to investigate on my own. Continue the search in my absence. And if you should find Skywalker, destroy him." Talzin said as she climbed off the walker.
…
Solo had emerged from the lander to find his grandfather standing out in the center of the vacant battlefield, looking out at the forest around them.
"This place gives me the creeps, grandfather." Solo said as Skywalker knelt down, looking down at the ground as if looking for something.
"What is it?" Solo asked as Skywalker reached down into the dirt and brushed some of the dirt away, revealing a round object. He quickly fished the object out of the dirt, revealing it to be a humanoid skull.
"Any idea as to who it was?" Solo asked as Skywalker used the force to unearth a full skeleton. What remained of the humanoid was clad in remarkably well preserved primitive red clothing, a crude bow-shaped weapon lying next to it.
"A Nightsister." Skywalker said as Solo looked around.
"Okay now I'm confused. Why would the Separatists fight against the Nightsisters? You'd think they'd be allies." Solo said as Skywalker stood to his feet, noticing a mountain poking out of the mists in the distance.
"I sense a presence in the Force. We are not alone out here." Skywalker said as he started walking towards the mountain.
"Anyone you know?" Solo asked as he followed after Skywalker.
"I'm not sure but the presence does seem…familiar. Like I know someone from here." Skywalker said, confusing Solo.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"You know the nature of the force. It is the life force of all things. It surrounds us, binds us. But it can also leave its mark on us. Places that are strong in the force can leave its mark upon the people who call it home." Skywalker said as Solo thought of something.
"Sort of like a droid's manufacturing seals. It tells you who made it and the factory seals usually tell you where it was built, right?" Solo asked as Skywalker gave him a nod.
"A very astute observation, Anakin. Impressive, most impressive." Skywalker said, pleased with his grandson's wisdom, as Solo smiled up at his grandfather.
"So then who do you know who's had the same sort of mark left on them by this place?" Solo asked as Skywalker pondered and came to a stop.
"There is only one that I know to have had this feeling of the force around them. These 'marks' are difficult to sense the first time you encounter them but the more frequently you encounter them, the more you notice the marks that the force has left upon them. But this one I recognize. I have encountered it many times before." Skywalker said as a voice on the wind whispered in their ears.
"Skywalker."
"I know that voice." Solo said as he looked around.
"As do I." Skywalker said as he closed his eyes inside his helmet, entering a meditative trance.
"Is it you, my old enemy?" Skywalker asked in his trance. Solo noticed the wind picking up around them, the force becoming stronger, but it wasn't the Dark Side they felt.
"Only enemies in life." The voice whispered on the wind.
"Why are you here?" Skywalker asked, his voice showing sadness at the voice's presence.
"She is here." The voice whispered.
"She? She who?" Solo asked quietly.
"What is there for me to do? I cannot help her." Skywalker asked.
"Try."
"She will not listen to me, and what reason has she to even bother?" Skywalker asked.
"Try." The voice whispered again. Skywalker sighed in sad frustration.
"What must I do? What can I do?" Skywalker asked.
"Speak the truth and she will listen." The voice whispered.
"She won't listen. Not to me." Skywalker replied.
"Please." The voice begged as Skywalker sighed and bowed his head.
"Very well, I will do this for you, if anything so I can save you even if it is too late." Skywalker said as Solo noticed a path appearing in the fog, leading towards the mountain.
"You already have, Skywalker." The voice whispered as Skywalker emerged from his trance and started towards the mountain.
"Come with me, Anakin." Skywalker said as Solo followed after him, hearing strange mechanical sounds in the distance.
"What is that?" Solo asked.
"War machines. The Sith are attempting to find us." Skywalker said as they walked through the mist, following a trail of battered and destroyed battle droids that were decades old along with the skeletons of long dead Nightsisters.
…
Meanwhile Darth Talzin rode up to the base of the mountain on a Sith Speeder Bike. It was shaped like a standard s-swoop bike but had the control veins of the typical Imperial Speeder Bike. She climbed off the bike and walked towards the entrance to a large cave, the cave giving off an eerie green glow.
"Come in, come in. You are welcome in my home." The second voice Talzin had heard echoed softly from within the cave. Talzin started to enter but suddenly heard the first voice.
"Don't." the voice whispered. Talzin shook her head attempting to clear her mind of the voice as she pressed on into the cave. As she entered, Talzin found the skeletons and corpses of long dead Nightsisters and destroyed battle droids littering the ground. Talzin was mildly disconcerted by the sight but ignored them as she approached a stone table in the center of a large cavern surrounded by a glowing green mist emanating from pools of green water along the edges of the cavern.
"Welcome my child. Welcome home." The second voice said as the fog began to gather around near the opposite side of the stone table. Talzin looked around, not noticing the fog.
"Who's there? Why have you summoned me?" Talzin asked.
"You are Dathomiri. A force witch. A Nightsister." The voice said as the fog began to swirl upwards, creating a pillar of green mist.
"Half-Dathomiri. My father was a human." Talzin replied, still looking for the source of the voice.
"But the blood of the Nightsisters runs through your veins, child. You feel a sense of familiarity here, don't you?" the voice asked as Talzin turned towards the table and saw a figure forming in the mist pillar.
"Who are you?" Talzin asked as the figure materialized to that of an elderly woman with pale white skin and black markings almost exactly like Talzin's. She wore an elegant red cloak that identified her as that of a Nightsister Elder.
"You already know my name child. You were named after me. Talzin." The woman said as Darth Talzin pondered for a moment.
"My mother mentioned a Mother Talzin once. Are you her?" the Sith Nightsister asked as the woman smiled and gave a nod.
"Yes child. I am Mother Talzin and I knew your mother, Asajj Ventress very well." Mother Talzin replied. Darth Talzin scowled at the mention of her mother and glanced away from her namesake.
"Then you should know something. My mother is dead. Murdered, by the Jedi." Talzin said, clinching her fists.
"Yes I sensed her death through the force, child. And I sense that the Jedi responsible for her death is here now on Dathomir." Mother Talzin said as the Sith Nightsister scowled and took hold of her lightsabers but didn't activate them.
"And I will be the one to end him." Talzin said but Mother Talzin shook her head.
"You cannot defeat Anakin Skywalker on your own, child. He is a Master at killing both Jedi and Sith alike. After all, he's the one that first trained your Master in the Jedi Arts." Mother Talzin said as the Sith Nightsister snarled.
"But he has to pay! He has to pay for killing her!" Darth Talzin yelled as Mother Talzin smiled at her younger namesake.
"Then make him pay, you shall. The Hero without Fear is on his way here right now. You can feel it, as can I. But in order to destroy him, he must lose something he cares for. His own flesh and blood, his own kin! Take from him that which was taken from your own mother when your master ripped you from her arms!" Mother Talzin said as Darth Talzin pondered for a moment before grinning.
"Yes. Destroy his namesake and you destroy Skywalker." Talzin said as Mother Talzin smiled down at her.
"I shall assist you with this task my child. I need only to cast one…simple…spell." Mother Talzin said as she began to chant in the Dathomiri language while moving her hands around in a circular motion over the table, causing the green mist to swirl up into the air near the ceiling before flowing downward towards the table. It then started to flow towards Darth Talzin's face, flowing in through her mouth and nostrils as the dark Nightsister magicks flowed into her. Once it had stopped, Darth Talzin looked at Mother Talzin with a grin, a green glow to her eyes.
"How do you feel my child?" Mother Talzin asked as Darth Talzin's grin widened.
"I feel as if I could slay a thousand Jedi." Darth Talzin said as Mother Talzin smiled.
"Then go, go and destroy Skywalker." Mother Talzin said as Darth Talzin turned and started to walk out of the cave, her lightsabers in hand and ready to fight.
…
Meanwhile the Sith forces were continuing their march. The Sith Commander stood watching the horizon from the back of the Command Walker when one of the tank pilots suddenly ordered a full stop. The Commander leaned against the railing, peering down at the tanks as one of the troopers ran to the tank that had given the order. A few seconds later, the trooper rushed to the Command Walker.
"What's the meaning of this, soldier? Why have we stopped?" The Commander asked as the trooper saluted.
"Tank's pilot saw something sir! Looks like a starship! Might be the Jedi's!" the trooper replied.
"Excellent. We'll cut off the Jedi's escape. Surround the vessel!" the Commander ordered as several troopers rushed towards Anakin's Yacht but as they approached, they were greeted by the sight of a fearsome looking protocol droid standing at the top of the boarding ramp, sporting a blaster rifle.
"Warning: Your increased proximity to this vessel will not be tolerated, Meatbags! Turn back now or else I shall be forced to initiate the termination of hostilities with maximum prejudice!" HK-47 ordered. The troopers looked at each other.
"A droid giving us orders? Do you have any idea who we are?!" the trooper commander asked.
"Statement: Your identity is irrelevant to me, Meatbag. The only fact that is relevant to me is that you seek to bring harm to my Master which I cannot allow. This is your final warning: Turn back now or be destroyed." HK threatened as the lead trooper shook his head.
"Enough of this, blast him-DAUH!" the lead trooper cried out as he was shot in the head. The other troops looked up to see HK's blaster rifle was smoking and pointed at them.
"Assassination Protocols: activated." HK said as the other troopers raised their blasters.
"You stupid droid! You can't beat a whole army on your own!" one of the troopers yelled.
"Correction: I don't intend to fight you on my own." HK replied as the antenna on his head extended upward. Suddenly the troopers heard a strange sound, a loud rhythmic metallic thumping sound coming from within the fog. From the command walker, the Commander heard the thumping sound and started looking around for the source. He then noticed one of the lesser officers on the walker backing away from the holoprojector with a frightened look on his face.
"Commander, sir, you might want to see this!" the officer said, pointing at the holoprojector. The Commander turned around to see a massive blue block moving towards their comparatively small red one. The troopers at the yacht all stepped away to look in time to see a wall of battle droids emerge from within the fog, marching forward, their blasters raised and pointed at them. Suddenly the droids opened fire, mowing down the Sith Troopers at the yacht in a rain of blaster fire. HK promptly walked down the boarding ramp, a personal deflector shield activating as he stepped into the front of the droids, letting the droids pass by. On the command walker, the Commander was furious.
"Where did those droids come from?! Shoot them! Blast them! Someone, anyone, FIRE!" the Commander ordered as the Sith tanks and walkers opened fire on the droids but the droid army knew no fear, continuing its steady march.
"Those droids are finished! They're no match for our tanks! They're-WHAT THE-?!" the Commander yelped as one of the Sith tanks exploded. Out of the fog emerged a line of three AATs, the tanks firing on the Sith vehicles.
"They have tanks?!" the Commander asked mere seconds before one of the walkers flanking the command walker was destroyed by one of the tanks. Marching along behind the droid army was HK-47, flanked by a pair of BX Commando Droids and a CIS Tactical Droid.
"We have the advantage general. The enemy was not prepared for our surprise attack." The tactical droid reported in its monotone and emotionless voice.
"Command: Do not let any of the Meatbags approach the Master's vessel. Query: Are the starfighters prepared?" HK-47 asked.
"Yes General. Shall I deploy them now?" the tactical droid asked.
"Command: Hold the fighters until you receive alternate instructions. They are to assist the master's escape from the planet." HK replied.
"Roger-roger." The tactical droid replied as the two droids returned their attention to the battle before them.
…
Skywalker and Solo were nearing the entrance to the mountain when they heard the first sounds of the battle in the distance, causing them both to stop and turn back towards the source of the sounds.
"What is going on over there?" Solo asked as Skywalker turned back towards the mountain.
"A battle. Somehow, HK-47 is managing to hold the line. Perhaps he found use for one of the old droid tanks." Skywalker said but Solo wasn't convinced.
"I dunno. That's an awful lot of blaster fire for one droid." Solo said as he turned back towards the mountain only to be blocked by his grandfather's gloved hand. Solo looked ahead and saw what his grandfather saw: a lone figure approaching them from within the mists, one they both recognized: Darth Talzin. There was an unnatural green glow about her eyes and a dark and almost rabid grin on her face.
"Steel yourself for a fight." Skywalker said softly as they unclipped their lightsabers from their belts.
"I've been waiting for you Anakin Skywalker, we meet at last." Darth Talzin said as she ignited her lightsabers, letting their red glow illuminate the fog around her.
"Talzin Ventress, I have been waiting for you as well. We have much to discuss." Skywalker said as he and Solo activated their lightsabers, assuming fighting stances.
"I have no intention of talking with you Skywalker but you do have a lot to answer for, starting with the murder of my MOTHER!" Talzin screeched before suddenly vanishing into thin air. Both Anakins were suddenly looking around for her, neither of them noticing a shadowy figure appear behind young Solo, brandishing a dagger with a jagged blade. Before she could bring the blade down, Solo rolled forward just as Skywalker brought his lightsaber around. Talzin quickly blocked by activating one of her own lightsabers and leaping back, sheathing the dagger and reactivating her other saber as Solo stood back up.
"Is that all you've got?!" Solo asked but Skywalker raised his hand towards him.
"Anakin!" he scolded, silencing the youth. Talzin grinned before lunging at the former dark lord but Skywalker was quick and blocked her, blow for blow. Talzin then had to block a blow from the younger Anakin, the grandfather/grandson duo keeping her trapped between them.
"Listen to me Talzin! Whatever lies your master has told you about your mother's death, do not believe them! Your mother died of natural causes! I saw it myself!" Skywalker said as Talzin snarled at him before suddenly vanishing.
"Why should I believe you?! You've killed more people than I ever could! I bet you don't even feel remorse!" Talzin taunted from all around them, her voice echoing from the shadows.
"Where is she?" Solo asked as they looked around.
"No, I do feel remorse. I feel the burden of every life I've ever taken upon my shoulders, be they Jedi, Sith, or anyone else. Count Dooku, the sand people who killed my mother, every Jedi I killed during the purge, the solders I executed as Vader, every life lost at Alderaan, my Master: Obi-Wan Kenobi, even my own wife Padme Amidala! I feel the weight of all those lives upon my spirit! But your mother's is not one of those lives taken as I did not kill her!" Skywalker called into the shadows. Suddenly they noticed the red glow of her lightsabers appear in one of the trees above.
"LIAR!" she yelled before dropping down towards them with her lightsabers reared back for a vicious blow, her landing sending out a shockwave in the force, knocking the unprepared Solo away where he hit his head on a tree, knocking him out, but Skywalker was more experienced and had prepared for her shockwave, the towering Jedi Master not even budging from his spot. She then brought her lightsabers around for an attack but was blocked by Skywalker.
"What motivation would I have for deceiving you?" Skywalker asked as they stared at each other through the glow of their lightsabers. Talzin snarled at him before unleashing an anger fueled flurry of swings at him, but the far more experienced Jedi Master blocked her easily.
"Because you are a liar! You were a Sith Lord and you turned your back on all of it!" Talzin yelled between blows.
"The Dark Side is not the answer, Talzin. Join me and together we can stop the Sith from creating more like you!" Skywalker replied.
"What do you know of me?! I'm the daughter of Asajj Ventress! You should be trying to kill me right now!" Talzin yelled before vanishing again. Skywalker immediately turned towards his unconscious grandson. He suddenly raised his left hand towards him just in time to stop a shrouded dagger from piercing his throat. He held the dagger back through he force as Talzin reappeared holding the dagger.
"I know that you were taken from her against your will. She tried to stop Darth Akul but was unable to due to her weakened connection to the force. She told me this herself before she died." Skywalker explained, still holding the dagger in place through the force. Talzin then turned and charged the Jedi Master, the dagger in hand and a lightsaber ignited.
"Before you KILLED HER!" Talzin screamed as she drew closer. Skywalker raised his lightsaber defensively, blocking her attack and slicing the dagger in two with his lightsaber.
"Listen to me, Talzin! Your mother was my enemy, I do not deny this, but when I saw her on Tatooine before her death, I let go of my hatred for her. She was one of my greatest rivals during the Clone Wars and I was able to let go and forgive her! Such forgiveness is not beyond you now!" Skywalker explained as he deflected Talzin's blows, the Sith Nightsister attacking with increasing speed and fury.
"NEVER!" she screamed before suddenly getting launched away by a powerful Force push, tumbling across the ground before finally stopping.
"If only you knew the peace that comes with the light side. Your master was the one who took you from your mother's arms! We should be working together to stop her! Join me Talzin, it is your destiny." Skywalker said, extending a hand as if pleading for her to take hold of it but Talzin was still enthralled by the Dark Side and climbed to her feet, the dagger in her hand reforming itself in black wisps of smoke.
"I'll never join you! You killed my MOTHER!" Talzin yelled before charging at him. Skywalker merely lowered his hand and prepared to defend himself when…
"TALZIN STOP!" a voice yelled, causing Talzin to stumble and fall to the ground, the dagger landing on the ground past Skywalker. Suddenly a blue wisp of fog rolled in towards her, entering her eyes and mouth before turning green and dispersing. The dagger even disappeared in a puff of black smoke. When Talzin opened her eyes, the green glow to them was gone. Realizing the Sith Alchemy that had enchanced her was gone, she quickly leapt to her feet and ran off into the fog. Skywalker merely watched as she fled, the sound of a speeder bike revving up shortly afterwards and racing away. Skywalker then heard a moan from nearby as Solo came out of unconsciousness.
"Wha-..what happened? Where's Ventress?" Solo asked as Skywalker helped him to his feet with the force.
"Gone. She escaped." Skywalker replied, a look of disappointment crossing Solo's face.
"Blast. We could've stopped her here and now." Solo said.
"It would seem our plans in dealing with Talzin differed, Anakin. You sought to stop her from committing more atrocities by eliminating her. I sought to achieve the same goal but by convincing her to turn her away from the Dark Side. A Jedi does not seek destruction and death, Anakin, but peace and life." Skywalker said as Solo rubbed the back of his head.
"You're right. I guess it's this place. The Dark Side is just so strong here, I guess it clouded my judgment a little." Solo said as Skywalker placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder.
"The Dark Side is not to be taken lightly my young grandson. You must learn to resist its influence at all times." Skywalker said.
"Grandfather, I have a question though. The voice we both heard, who was it? I'd heard it before but I can't remember whose it was." Solo asked but Skywalker remained silent, looking away. Solo followed his gaze and saw something in the fog, a feminine figure cloaked in the robes of the Jedi but with a bald head and tattoos matching those of the Nightsisters. The figure seemed saddened by the turn of events but gave a small smile of gratitude towards the two.
"Is that-…was that Asajj?" Solo said as the figure vanished into thin air.
"Come, Anakin. It is time we left." Skywalker said as they started towards the yacht.
…
A few minutes later, the yacht was airborne with both Jedi and both droids aboard, easily slipping away unnoticed by the Sith Destroyer as a swarm of old Separatist Vulture Droid fighters attacked it, allowing the Jedi vessel to escape into hyperspace without incident.
"So explain to me why you disobeyed my grandfather's order to not reactivate those droids?" Solo asked, annoyed at the assassin droid's disobedience.
"Explanation: Master, I do apologize for my insubordination, however, I may have neglected to mention that I possessed a copy of the old Separatist Droid Command Codes from my tenure in one of their computer banks on Mustafar. Using the code, I was able to reset and reprogram their Identify: Friend/Foe systems and direct them to target only the Sith and their forces. By my calculations, had I not done so, the Sith would have blocked all avenues of escape and forced you into open combat, which could have resulted in your termination. Oath: It is my solemn duty as your bodyguard, to use my full range of functions to ensure your safety and wellbeing." HK-47 explained.
"Well…grandfather what do you think?" Solo asked as Skywalker glanced his way for a moment before turning back towards the front.
"The droid's actions should be commended, although I don't appreciate being left in the dark in regards to his possessing those command codes." Skywalker said as Solo nodded.
"So, just curious, are any of those droids stowed away on board or are you and R4 the only droids here?" Solo asked. HK's antenna rose slightly.
"Answer: Well Master, I did bring a few droids with me, although my purpose in bringing them was not malicious. Explanation: I have overheard some of your fellow Jedi Meatbags mention a distinct lack of effective sparring partners at the Jedi Training Center on Ossus and I happened to find a few potential sparring partners." HK said as a pair of IG-100 Magnaguards entered the bridge carrying electro staffs, earning Skywalker's attention.
"Statement: There are approximately eight more in the cargo hold." HK added.
"Grandfather?" Solo asked, looking to Skywalker for judgment. Skywalker merely shook his head as he turned back to the front.
"Droids." He mumbled.
"Agreed. Droids. Can't live with them sometimes and you can technically live without them, but sometimes they really surprise you." Solo said as Skywalker chuckled.
"Indeed." He replied.
"So aside from the Sith, the Dark Jedi, and all that mess. I really enjoyed getting to spend some time with you, grandfather." Solo said as Skywalker turned towards him.
"As did I. We shall have to find some time and do this again…only without the Sith getting involved." Skywalker said as Solo nodded.
"You can say that again…say, it just occurred to me, we still haven't thought of a name for this ship yet." Solo said as Skywalker turned back towards the front.
"On the contrary, I already have a name picked out." Skywalker said.
"Oh yeah?" Solo asked.
"I'll call her, Twilight II." Skywalker said as Solo smiled.
"I think it works perfectly." Solo said as he sat back in his seat, watching the stars as they flew.
Meanwhile…
Darth Talzin sat scowling in her quarters on the destroyer, clinching her fists in anger. She kept trying to figure out what had happened to make her lose the powerful magicks that Mother Talzin had imbued her with. Something had suddenly made her lose all focus, briefly giving her a feeling of warmth and love. Her thoughts briefly drifted back to her mother, recalling the day she was ripped from her arms. Talzin glanced towards a small holo emitter on the nightstand, with a wave of her hand, the emitter activated, projecting a hologram of Asajj with an infant Talzin, a human man with long brown hair standing next to them, both smiling at the infant, a look of joy on their faces. Talzin stared at the hologram, tears beginning to well up as the few items in her room began to violently vibrate. She then clinched her eyes shut in a grimace, a small mouse droid fitted for cleaning suddenly lifting up off the ground before suddenly being crushed by the Force as Talzin grieved in anger and fury.
"Talzin…it is your destiny." She heard Skywalker's voice echoing in her mind.
"Skywalker…you…will…pay." Talzin hissed, her eyes opening, now a red and yellow coloring.
End Episode 5
This episode directly ties in to the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode: Massacre.
A/N: I swear I need to set an alarm for me to remember to post these episodes on time.