"Remind me never to piss you off General Windu!"
An uncharacteristic chuckle emerged from Windu's throat at Rex's quip as the Jedi Council member moved towards the stone door that had closed behind Maul and Ahsoka shortly beforehand. The battle against whatever form of spirits had attacked them was clearly over, but their mission was not yet complete. Anakin was pleased to see that Windu wanted to quickly move forward.
Beside him, Anakin was aware of Bil administering a bacta patch to himself, sealing the minor wound he had taken and preventing it from becoming infected, all whilst Masana stood beside him, worry in her eyes.
"You doing alright there Bil?" Anakin asked out of his own concern, hoping the grey skinned knight wouldn't mind.
"I'm good Skywalker. Not the first injury I've taken. Besides, we got bigger things to worry about right now, such as that nerfherder of a Sith that just stole your apprentice!" Bil responded with a smirk, finishing off attaching the bacta patch before moving to join Windu at the concealed doorway.
A sigh of despair escaped Masana, followed by a roll of her eyes as she moved to join Bil, frustration at her friend's reckless nature evident. Anakin couldn't help but wonder if this was how Obi-Wan felt about him sometimes.
"They make an interesting duo, don't they Sir?" Rex drew Anakin's attention next, the Clone Captain's face hidden behind his helmet, concealing the smirk that Anakin knew was there.
"They certainly do. But that sort of comradery is what will make them so effective together. I bet they'd give myself and Ahsoka a run for our money in a saber duel."
"I bet Sir. The two of you aren't easily beat. The 501st know that firsthand!"
Rex's words brought back a memory for Anakin, from a time when an organized sparring match between himself and his Padawan had turned into a tag team match up against twenty different Clones… simultaneously.
Anakin could still see the smirk on Fives and Echo's faces as they had pinned Ahsoka down, only to be pushed back moments later by the feisty Togruta. Ridge had moved in to help, and ended up flat on his shebs in retaliation.
Rex and Jesse had attempted to take down Anakin, and they had done a good job of distracting him too, buying time for Hardcase of all people to jump onto Anakin's back in an attempt to throw his balance off.
Anakin had naturally responded with his own counter, throwing Hardcase forward and into the horrified Rex and Jesse.
In the end, it had been Kix that had taken Anakin down, much to everyone's surprise. The Clone medic had been the last man standing and stuck between Ahsoka and Anakin, but even then he hadn't given in, and had instead used his opponents against each other.
Ahsoka had darted forward in an attempt to knock Kix to the ground, and the medic had simply sidestepped the attack, resulting in Ahsoka's fist crashing into Anakin's jaw instead, knocking him cleanly to the floor. Naturally, Rex and Jesse had seized the opportunity to pin their General down and remove him from the fight, leaving Ahsoka alone. The Padawan had been so horrified by her accidental friendly fire that all Kix had to do was push her to the floor, pinning her and removing her as well.
It had been an illuminating experience at the time. Anakin knew that if both he and Ahsoka had been allowed to use the Force, or even their lightsabers, the fight would have likely ended very differently.
Alas, it did not, and despite his defeat, Anakin couldn't have been more proud of his men, as well as his Padawan.
"Well, on the bright side, at least we've got some more people in the galaxy who could take down me and Ahsoka if we ever turned evil huh?" Anakin finally replied to Rex as the memory faded from his mind, smiling at his Captain and slugging him on the shoulder in a friendly manner in the process.
"Don't joke about that Sir. If you and Commander Tano were actually trying to kill us, you'd succeed with ease. Hell you two could probably conquer the galaxy together in under three rotations!"
"A galaxy run by Darth Skyguy and Darth Snips huh? Sounds like fun."
"Yeah for every insane person in the galaxy!"
Anakin couldn't help but laugh at Rex's deadpan tone. It was always good to see Rex come out of his shell, so to speak. When they had first met, the Clone Captain had been very similar to Cody in a lot of respects. He was very 'by the book' which Anakin appreciated. Over time however, he was pleased to see that not only Rex, but the 501st as a whole had developed their own personalities, and were more than willing to joke around when they got the chance. It made them work better together in Anakin's eyes. If they could trust each other enough to be themselves, then their trust in each other on the battlefield would be far stronger than most Jedi-Clone partnerships.
"Got it!" Windu's voice drew Anakin and Rex's attention back to the situation at hand. Whilst the duo had been reminiscing about past experiences, the Jedi Master and his companions had been seeking a way to open the door Maul had escaped through, and had apparently succeeded.
Approaching the group, Anakin was able to witness the large stone door open, exposing a dark chamber behind it.
There was however, no sign of Maul.
Or Ahsoka.
"How did you do that?!" Masana asked, confusion rolling off of her Force signature. Anakin felt much the same. How had Windu opened the door so easily?
"This door, and the Shrine in general were created to respond to the presence of a dark side user. I simply delved into the Force and used my abilities to deceive the Shrine, opening the door in the process. It was not an easy feat, but it worked." Windu explained as he stepped back from the now open door, turning to face the team, determination etched in his face.
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Bil spoke, beginning to move forward before Prosset intervened, grasping hold of Bil's wrist and pulling him back, much to the surprise of the Jedi Knight.
"Careful Bil! This isn't going to be as easy as it seems." Prosset spoke, gesturing to what looked like an inscription engraved onto the nearby stone wall. Much like the scripture they had seen earlier, Anakin could not read it, but no doubt it was important. The last one had provided them with a hint to solve the puzzle at the entrance. Perhaps this one offered another hint?
"What does it say?" Anakin asked, looking to Windu for answers. If anyone could read ancient Sith, which Anakin assumed the language was, it would be the Council member. He had after all been able to translate the previous writing.
"I cannot translate all of the words, but the important part suggests that this is a trial designed for two at a time, no more no less." Windu spoke, eyes narrowed as he slowly read over the scripture again and again.
"That sounds suspiciously a lot like the 'Rule of Two'. I thought this place was built before that?" BIl inquired, picking up on something Anakin had forgotten. How had a chamber inside the Shrine been constructed with the 'Rule of Two' in mind before said rule even existed? Or had it been added in later?
"The Sith always had an obsession with a Master and an Apprentice working together, but against each other, even before Darth Bane's time. Perhaps this chamber and the challenge it presents was a way to test the bond between teacher and pupil?" Prosset speculated, directing his questioning at Windu, who nodded in agreement.
"It would seem logical. For now we must proceed with caution. Two at a time." Windu responded, turning his head to analyze the team around him, very clearly mentally dividing them into groups of two. "Skywalker, you and Captain Rex will enter together. Knights Tide and Valen will enter after you, whilst Master Dibs and I enter last. Once you have completed the trial, wait for us at the exit. We stand a better chance of surviving and navigating this Shrine if we all stay together."
Anakin didn't like the idea of sitting and waiting whilst Ahsoka was in danger, not when he and Rex could begin to search for her and Maul whilst they waited for the others to complete their trial.
But Windu was unfortunately right. The ghostly entities they encountered earlier, along with the beast at the entrance demonstrated the dangers the Shrine posed to even the strongest of Jedi.
"I don't like the idea of sitting around doing nothing, but ok. May the Force be with you all." Anakin spoke, voicing his own opinion in a way he hoped hadn't offended Windu.
Judging by the small smile, as well as respectful nod that came from Windu in reply, he hadn't. It was a funny day when he and Windu were amicable towards each other.
"Ready Rex?" Anakin turned to speak to his loyal Captain, who had his twin blaster pistols ready in his hands for whatever lay ahead.
"Always Sir."
With that, Anakin moved into the chamber, Rex beside him.
The duo made it through the threshold of the door before it slammed shut behind them suddenly, leaving them trapped in a large circular chamber, walls covered in ornate markings and images similar to the ones lining the walls outside. A deep red glow pulsated off the walls, bathing them in crimson light, setting Anakin further on edge than he already was. Who knew what he and Rex were about to face together. So far it seemed like nothing but an empty room.
"You reckon we just gotta find the exit or something General?"
"I get the feeling it's not gonna be that easy Rex."
"Nothing ever is. I've got a bad feeling about this Sir!"
"You and me both."
"CT-7567."
The sudden echo of a new, yet darkly familiar voice hit Anakin's ears like a rush of the Force, and from the way Rex too spun on his heels, he too had heard the voice.
Igniting his saber, Anakin brought the blade up before him, ready to defend both him and Rex as the figure of a towering Besalisk approached, twin saber staffs in his hands, but the blades not yet ignited.
"Krell." Anakin growled under his breath as the dead Jedi Master sneered in response, his golden eyes focused entirely on Rex, who through the Force Anakin could feel was terrified, not that he would ever admit it.
"How are you here!? Dogma killed you!" Rex shouted, hands tightening on his pistols, which were currently aimed at the fallen Jedi's head.
"A Clone would never understand how. You and your kind are too stupid!" Krell said, voice sarcastic, a roll of his eyes accompanying his words, further angering Rex.
Anakin shared the anger that Rex felt. He had wanted to destroy Krell himself for what he had done to his men on Umbara! Anakin had wanted to disembowel him for his actions, wanted to make him suffer a slow and agonizing death!
Pong Krell might not have realized it at the time, but Dogma had granted him mercy via execution. Had Dogma not done so, Anakin would have… and he would have done so one million times worse.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Anakin spotted Rex fumbling with his blasters briefly, something that to most people would look like a nervous twitch. Anakin knew the truth however. His loyal and brilliant Clone Captain didn't have a nervous twitch. He had just been switching his blasters over to stun mode to avoid any lethal deflections from Krell's lightsabers.
'Krell' however, clearly did not realize that.
"Ha! Look how the mighty Clone Captain falters. No wonder your entire legion was slaughtered with ease. Not to mention those your precious 'General' holds so dear!"
It was then that something else caught Anakin's eye, something behind Krell.
A pile of bodies, limbs twisted and bent in unnatural directions, some missing limbs altogether, sat behind Krell, lightsaber marks evident on each body. Judging by the dark smirk on Krell's face, it was clear that the Besalisk had killed them, and had enjoyed doing so.
"No… Jesse…" Rex's voice was soft as his own eyes moved to the pile of bodies, his keen observation recognizing the unique armor design that Jesse wore.
Anakin's eyes widened as he saw more familiar armour designs amongst the pile of bodies, and each one only made the growing bit of despair in his stomach grow larger.
Kix was there, as was Ridge. Appo and Dogma, and Fives as well. Every body was broken and mutilated, a clear demonstration of Krell's brutality.
Anakin wanted to look away, but he found he couldn't. He had to face this. Had to face his men, even in death.
Echo was there, as was Tup. Hardcase and…
A flash of cream broke the endless white and blue. There was a body there… a body that wasn't a Clone.
Krell's smirk widened suddenly as he turned to the pile of corpses, reaching a large hand down to remove one.
Anakin watched with dread, praying that the body wasn't who he thought it was.
Second later, his worst nightmare became a reality.
Obi-Wan. It was Obi-Wan. Krell reached down, his large hands grasping the cream coloured robes of Anakin's Master, before rolling him over to reveal a heavily scarred face.
"Obi-Wan!" Anakin could help but cry out in anger at seeing his brother in everything but blood dead. It wasn't the first time he had to see Obi-Wan's dead body, but at least last time it had been a deception.
This time however, it was not. There was no way one could survive such a wound to the face.
"Oohh Skywalker, if this death upsets you, I wonder what the next one will make you feel?" Krell spoke with dark glee as his hand moved through the corpse pile once again. Anakin hadn't realized when Krell's saber had been ignited, but judging by the blue light the Besalisk was swamped in, it had happened at some point when Anakin had been lost staring at the bodies of his men. Any attempts to blindside this monster would only result in defeat. He had clearly been expecting them.
But how was he here? He was dead… wasn't he?
"Tell me Skywalker, how does this make you feel?" Krell spoke as he finally found what he was looking for, his hand retracting from the pile with a severed head grasped in his fingers.
In that moment, Anakin's entire world collapsed. Every negative emotion that could possibly exist rushed into his head, fuelling him with rage and anger and hatred and despair, as he looked into the vacant eyes of Padmé Amidala's head.
In her youth, and before she had become the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka had always been taught that a Jedi fought defensively. They never attacked first, instead they chose to wait and defend, and to not give into their anger. A Jedi did not attack. That was not their role. Yes, there were some more aggressive saber forms that one could learn, but even those could be used primarily to defend. To strike first was an act of aggression, something the Jedi did not advocate. To act aggressively was to call upon the dark side, and she had been a Jedi, not a Sith.
However, under Anakin's tutelage, and from her experiences in the Clone War, something that was started by an act of Jedi aggression in the first place, Ahsoka had been forced to adapt… or die.
Anakin had taught her how to strike first, how to catch your foe by surprise with a vast array of strikes and flurries with her saber, and all without relying on her anger or her hatred of those she was fighting against to fuel her movements. Instead, he had taught her how to protect those she held dear by striking first. That way, she could still fight defensively, even with an aggressive style.
And even now, standing back to back with a Sith Lord who had caused so much suffering to those she cared for, she still sought to fight in the way Anakin had taught her. She and Maul needed each other, and thus they had to defend each other.
Lunging forward with her golden blade, Ahsoka broke through one of the ghostly forms defenses with ease, clearly catching it by surprise with the act of aggression. The figure didn't have time to defend itself, and instead found itself impaled on a burning golden blade.
The ghostly figure released a yell of agony before vanishing from existence right before Ahsoka's very eyes, removing one opponent from the fight before it had truly begun.
The second figure that advanced upon Ahsoka chose that moment to attack, swinging with it's blade towards her neck, an action that Ahsoka was quick to block and counterattack from, unleashing a series of strikes with her own blade, crashing against the crimson saber of what she assumed were Sith ghosts. Maul really needed to explain this one to her, once the fight for their lives was over of course.
Continuing to shift her blade in several directions, intercepting and deflecting attacks that were aimed at her, Ahsoka began to plan her own counterattack. She doubted that ghosts could get tired, what with them already being dead. She however had no such luxury, and whilst she had an impressive stamina, she knew that she would not last long in prolonged combat.
Behind her, Ahsoka was keenly aware of Maul's own struggle. He seemed to be fighting three ghosts simultaneously, keeping them from sneaking up behind Ahsoka whilst she dealt with only a single ghost. Ahsoka had to admit she was impressed by the way he effortlessly twirled the saber staff he had pillaged in his hands, the twin red blades constantly crashing against the lightsabers of the ghostly figures that were attacking him, forcing them back despite Maul being outnumbered. Ahsoka could see now why Maul was such a threat. No way would she stand a chance against someone like him in a legitimate duel.
Refocusing her attention on the ghost she was fighting and trusting that Maul was more than qualified to handle the situation he had found himself in, Ahsoka decided now was the time to strike. She needed to break through her opponent's defense, and she knew how to do it.
Bringing her blade up to defend her centre line, Ahsoka locked sabers with the ghost, sparks cascading from the point of contact between the two beams of burning plasma as they pushed against one another, trying to gain some control over the other. The ghost she was against was strong, there was no doubt about that, but even the strongest person could fail.
And whether it knew it or not, the ghost had left itself exposed.
Smirking beneath her helmet, Ahsoka lunged out with her foot, crashing it into the ghost's ankle, causing it to stumble and groan in pain, breaking the saberlock in the process, and leaving it open to a swift downwards strike from the armoured Togruta, one that would have separated head from body had her foe not been a ghost.
The ghost vanished from existence much like the previous ones, leaving Ahsoka victorious over her opponents once more.
'If only Anakin had seen me. Hopefully he'd be proud!' Ahsoka's mind whispered to her, a rush of pride flooding her body at her victory. It wasn't everyday that one could say they had successfully beaten the ghost of a former Sith!
A dark chuckle from behind her drew Ahsoka's attention back to her unlikely companion. Maul was still in the midst of dealing with three opponents at once, and if she was feeling his Force signature right, he was having fun doing so!
Twirling her golden blade in her hand, Ahsoka began to move towards Maul to assist him, only for the Zabrak to shift his style suddenly.
His saber hilt twirled in his hands in several sharp arcs, catching one of the ghosts in the torso in the process, removing it from existence, before reaching out with the Force to restrain the other two. Ahsoka watched as Maul's lightsaber was extinguished and clipped onto his waist with one hand, whilst the other held a claw shape, grasping hold of both ghosts with the Force by their necks.
Another dark chuckle escaped the Sith Lord as he lifted his hand up, sending the apparitions careening towards the ceiling, crashing into it with a harsh crack before he repeated the motion with his hand in a sharp downwards arc, bringing both of the ghosts crashing down into the floor.
If Ahsoka didn't know any better, and despite them being ghosts, she could have sworn she heard the sounds of bones breaking from the impacts, bones that were likely either the spine or the neck.
Sure enough, seconds later the two broken ghost bodies faded from existence, leaving Ahsoka alone once more with Maul, who turned to her with an odd look upon his face, one that Ahsoka would almost call impressed.
Anakin snapped. There was no other way of putting it. He didn't care if he was no longer being discreet about what he felt for Padmé. He didn't care if Rex or Krell could figure out his attachment. He just wanted revenge.
He wanted to murder Krell… and nothing was going to stop him!
Releasing a roar of rage, Anakin began his assault, his own saber crashing against Krell's in harsh strikes, trying with all his might to destabilize the Besalisk before he could counterattack.
Krell however merely laughed in response, his own saber blocking each and every strike from the raged fuelled Jedi Knight, a sadistic smirk ever present on his face.
Several successive strikes later, and Anakin found himself stuck in a saber lock, his eyes locked and staring with hatred towards Krell's, the smirk never leaving the Besalisk's face.
"Do not worry Skywalker. She did not suffer, nor did Kenobi or your human droids. Rest assured that once I am done with you and the 'good captain' I shall track down your pathetic Togruta runt and dispose of her as well."
Another scream of fury escaped Anakin before he had the chance to stop himself, one of his hands breaking away from grasping his saber hilt and instead pushing out to unleash a harsh Force push against Krell instead, an action that had more effect than he anticipated.
Krell was sent flying backwards, his body crashing into the far wall with a resounding thud and a groan from the fallen Jedi Master. Despite the impact however, Krell was back on his feet within moments, twirling his doubled sided blue blade in one of his hands whilst another began to reach for the second hilt on his belt.
The hilt however was rendered useless seconds later, as a series of unexpected blaster bolts flew from behind Anakin. A few were deflected in time, but not before one of them bypassed Krell's panicked attempts to defend himself and destroyed the ignition switch.
"Nice shot Rex!"
"Thank you Sir."
"Test tube scum!" Krell boomed in response, beginning to advance with a murderous glint in his eyes, his remaining saber continuing to deflect several stun blasts from Rex with heavy, yet precise swings.
Seizing his moment, Anakin moved to defend his loyal Captain, clashing his blade against Krell's and pushing him back, before unleashing a series of aggressive strikes at the Besalisk in hopes of throwing him off balance.
Krell met each strike with ease, his saber twirling in his hand as he continued to defend against the combined strength of both Anakin and Rex. Hopefully, it would only be a matter of time. All Anakin had to do was provide Rex with the perfect opportunity to take Krell down. The Captain and his men had done it once before, and he had full faith that Rex could do it again.
Reaching into the Force, Anakin unleashed another harsh push towards Krell, pushing him back again, but not to the same effect as before. Clearly the Besalisk had been anticipating another assault via the Force.
"How pathetic Skywalker, using the same tactic to try to defeat me! Kenobi taught you poorly."
'Alright then, if that's how you want to be!' Anakin's conscious whispered in his head, a smirk growing on his lips and he reached out with the Force again. This time however he did not push.
He pulled.
Krell yelped in surprise as he was suddenly yanked forward, stumbling over his own feet and nearly losing his balance in the process. Seizing the opportunity once more Anakin pivoted his blade and moved to strike, attempting to sever the arm holding the double bladed saber from Krell's body.
The Besalisk roared in rage as he barely deflected the strike, followed by three more blows from Anakin, each causing him to stumble once more as he desperately tried to regain his footing.
On the fourth strike, Krell clashed blades with Anakin, sparks erupting over the saber lock that emerged from the conflict.
"Jedi scum. You and your kind will die!" Krell hissed across the dueling blades, golden eyes boring into Anakin's with extreme hatred. He could tell that Krell wanted to kill him, even without the endless threats.
"Shame you won't get the opportunity." Anakin quipped in response as he saw movement behind Krell, followed by the sounds of several blaster bolts being discharged.
Krell gasped once, his grip on his saber loosening in an instant before it dropped out of his hand, his body collapsing to his knees to begin with, before falling face down onto the floor. Anakin glanced over Krell's fallen form to spot several neat blaster burn marks in Krell's back, clear evidence of Rex's actions.
Seconds later, and much like the ghostly Sith they had fought earlier, Krell's body vanished into thin air, along with the pile of corpses that Anakin had seen.
On the other side of the room, the sound of stone moving drew Anakin's attention, a doorway presenting itself in the process, encouraging him towards it.
"Um…. ok? What the kriff was that?" Rex's concerned and confused voice echoed across the now empty chamber, his helmeted head darting between where 'Krell' had fallen and the newly exposed door.
"If I were to hazard a guess Rex, I'd say that Krell was a test of some kind, perhaps engineered by the Sith Shrine to find those worthy of proceeding. I can only assume we passed." Anakin replied as he gestured for the Clone Captain to follow him towards the door.
"Oh. Well in that case I'm glad we passed Sir. Does this mean I'm a qualified Sith Lord?"
Despite the situation they were in, and despite the one they had just escaped, Anakin couldn't help but emit a loud laugh at Rex's deadpan response.
"I guess so Captain. Darth Skyguy and Darth Rex sound like a good double team if you ask me."
Rex chuckled in response himself this time around as he moved alongside Anakin, his twin blaster pistols surveying the new corridor that had been exposed via the newly opened door.
Leading the way, Anakin stepped through the threshold of the doorway and into the corridor, Rex right behind him. Once they were clear of the door, it slammed shut behind them, startling them both.
"Guess we can't go back that way. What's the plan General?" Rex asked as he trained his pistols down the large hallways before them, as if expecting an attack. Anakin too was tense, his saber still ignited and ready to strike if necessary.
Part of him wanted to lead Rex down the hallway, to look for Ahsoka, and to destroy Maul for kidnapping her.
But another part of him knew the dangers of rushing off without support. He might have Rex, but in a place as dark and corrupted as this, Anakin knew he needed more support.
He needed Windu and the others, and that meant he had to wait.
"We hold here Rex, as ordered."
Author's thoughts
Well... that was a fun one to write... especially the vision that Rex and Anakin saw. Time for a bit of explanation though methinks.
The chamber they are in presents them with a vision of one of their greatest fears. For Ahsoka, it was Anakin being disappointed in her and not wanting her. For Maul, it was Sidious.
For Rex, it obviously had to be Krell. But for Anakin it was harder to create a single fear, a she has many. However, the one I went with was the one that makes most sense to his character, and that is his fear of not being able to protect people, and fear of losing them, hence the big pile of corpses with Obi-Wan and Padmé in it. In the trial, Anakin has to help Rex overcome his fear of Krell, and work together to defeat the vision of the Besalisk. In doing so however, Anakin also succeeds in saving someone he cares about, and thus he in turn defeats his own fear of not being able to protect people. Hopefully that makes sense. Fingers crossed. XD
So, aside from that, not much else to really say about this chapter, as it was all combat based with no real story development. Nice chapter will be a bit different though. A bit more slow paced. Hope you don't mind.
Thanks once again to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for his help with the story. :)
Next time round Rex asks for permission to speak freely about something, Masana reveals who her Master was to Rex, and Ahsoka and Maul find themselves face to face with the power source of the weapon inside the Shrine. I wonder what it could be?
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
yan orlando3002: No need to worry. The story isn't dead. I'm committed to finishing it, even if it takes forever. Progress and updates can just be slow sometimes. I'd rather not rush it if that's ok?
Anyways, I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far... and sorry if it's made you afraid for some reason. Hopefully it's nothing too bad. XD
There will be more 'peaceful and fun' chapters coming soon, so don't worry about that. Things are going to start turning dark soon though, so brace yourself. Revenge of the Sith grows ever closer. XD
the Mandalorian terminator: No need to apologize. Review whenever and however often you want. Nothing saying your have to, not that I don't appreciate it. :)
I'm glad you enjoyed the action centric chapter, as well as Ahsoka fighting 'vision' Anakin with the Rebels references. Despite it being a dark scene, I had fun writing it, just as I did the scene in this chapter with Krell. :)
I did hear about the Bad Batch spin off yes. I'm happy for the Clone fans that they get more of the Bad Batch, but honestly I'm not too excited myself. The Bad Batch was the one thing I didn't enjoy about season 7 (yes I liked the Martez sisters... shoot me if you wish). They just weren't really my cup of tea, as they say. Still glad their fans get more of them. :)
Dream Plane: Action packed indeed, especially after the slow pace start to this arc. Gotta make the action fans happy too. :)
I'm glad you like the way I write villains. They are some of the most fun to write in this story, especially the likes of Maul and Sidious. Gotta have a good compelling villain for the hero to go against after all.
Mysterious Guest One: Honestly... no... but yes... not no... but yes again. Let me explain.
No... I don't like putting her in situations where she suffers, because she is my favorite character and I want to protect her from anything that could harm her.
However... yes, because without the conflict and struggle, Ahsoka's character can't go anywhere, and both she and the story become boring. As painful as it is to make her suffer, it has to happen to progress the story.
Doesn't mean I like doing it to her, or any character for that matter, even Anakin! Hopefully that helps. :)
calaro: Having a second saber would prove useful for Ahsoka right now, since she is a Jar'Kai user. However she'll be sticking to one for this story. Wanted to try something different.
tf330129: Still going. :)
1saaa: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. It was fun to write some heavy actions scenes again. Chaos all round.
That's a fair point to mention actually. Ahsoka couldn't bring herself to kill 'Anakin' until her life was directly threatened by him. Then she strikes him down, albeit unwillingly. Hopefully that doesn't foreshadow anything in the future. Any speculation of your end? XD
Cat-Gods-Of-The-Cat-People: Thanks! I'm please the action was clear and engaging. I always worry that people won't be able to follow along with it, so I'm happy you were able to this time around. Fingers crossed the rest of the action is easy to follow as well. :)
Cliffhangers are sometimes fun and sometimes evil aren't they. More of those to come I'm afraid. (the evil ones that is)
RyanSquad: Looks like you sort of got your wish with this chapter. Anakin was forced to face his greatest fear in some respect. At least he conquered it... this time. XD
Time for some philosophical debate huh? Cool... I'm game. Please don't take offense to anything I say though as it's not meant that way. I just perceive things a bit differently to some I guess.
Anakin isn't an inherently bad guy, I agree. He's shown time and again that he is a hero and someone with good intentions. His methods might be somewhat more darker at times, but he gets the job done and seeks to preserve and help everyone he can, a lesson that he teaches to Ahsoka.
When you compare him to the likes of Tarkin and Palpatine, I agree that he is no where near their level of villainy. They do evil deeds for the LOLZ essentially. They don't care who they hurt in the process, and they get sick enjoyment out of it in the process as you said.
That said... as good as Anakin is, he still murdered children willingly... twice. Yes... the first time he was acting out of anger for the loss of Shmi, but that doesn't excuse his actions whatsoever. As for Order 66 and the Jedi Temple assault, Anakin's actions there (and yes... Anakin has to be held responsible for Vader's actions as he chose to take the knee before Sidious) are just as heinous and disgusting. Anakin led a genocidal campaign and killed children again without a second thought. Killing children is perhaps the worst possible thing you can do, and there is no excuse for it whatsoever. Yes, Anakin was manipulated and treated like crap by the Jedi Council, but he made the choice to become Vader and commit genocide, so he is responsible for it 100%. Anakin did have a lot of issues that's for sure. His hero complex and desire to save everyone no matter the cost is what caused his downfall. He fell for a good cause in a way, but he went the complete wrong way in the process and acted purely selfish. His love for Padmé was possessive and ultimately destructive, both for their relationship and for the galaxy as a whole.
In a way, you could say that Anakin fell in with the wrong crowd with Palpy and Tarkin, leading to him being the unwilling sidekick of their evil plans. However he is still at fault for his crimes.
The best comparison I can make would be if someone like Himmler or Goebbels decided to turn against Hitler in the final hours of the assault on Berlin. Does that excuse the crimes of Himmler and Goebbels? No... at least not without serious work towards 'redemption'. Vader wasn't given a chance to redeem himself of course, as he gets killed off moments after his heroic sacrifice for Luke.
All in all it matters little. We've all got our interpretations of his character and story. I know he is your favorite character, so you are going to support him, which I commend you for. It's good to be passionate about his story.
I personally have my issues with him and don't see him as a nice person, but that doesn't mean I'm going to write him as a complete narcissistic bastard in the story. That said, I'm also not going to shy away from exploring the darker aspects and opinions of his character either. I can't afford to be biased, or else the story won't work if that makes sense. All I do I try to do for the good of the story, and I'm sorry if that upsets you and would understand if you don't want to read anymore.
Philosophy over. :)