Chapter 9 - Lies of the Jedi, Truth of the Sith
Anakin couldn't believe it. At the start of the Alleyway he had just run down was another him. He wasn't moving or even reacting in anyway, but it was like someone made a sculpture of himself and painted it perfectly. He took one step back until a voice stopped him and seemed to make his whole body freeze all over.
"Relax child, it is only an illusion."
Anakin turned to look at the voice but saw nothing. Looking all around he still could not identify were the voice came from.
"Calm yourself, relax your tension. I am not here to harm you or your friends." As a dark figure materialised in front of Anakin.
"Who are you?" Anakin question wanting to back away but found himself rooted to the spot.
"My name is Darth Plagueis, and like the Jedi you called me here."
"I didn't call anyone."
"I'm afraid you did." Plagueis kneeled down, still almost a head and shoulder length above Anakin's face level. "An act of the force on that scale everyone who could feel it felt it."
"I didn't do it one purpose. I just…. I don't know."
"I believe you child. But what do you want to do with that much power?"
Anakin hesitated answering him looking back to the group of Jedi and Master Qui Gon.
"Ah I see. That is a good option child. The Jedi always go into the universe righting wrongs. Making the bad guys pay and the universe a better place." Plagueis informed him.
Anakin looked back towards the dark shadow trying to figure out the persons face. Plagues sensing Anakin's uneasiness let his shadow fade and showed him his real face. "You're a…"
"A Muun child. Don't let the mask make you feel uneasy. I was hurt by someone a long time ago and now I need it to breathe properly."
Anakin nodded. "My name is Anakin." Getting a little bit agitated.
"I understand Anakin. But is that what you truly want?"
"Yes." Anakin answered after a few moments.
"Yes it's the right choice to make Anakin. But maybe the method you have chosen is not as effective as you think."
"What do you mean?"
"The Jedi order will not grant you as much freedom as you think. They do not act with the interest of the ones around themselves as you believe, nor do what is right as often as you think." Plagueis motioned to the Jedi still fighting invisible enemies. "They right now could free your mother if they really wanted to help someone in need. Have they offered to take her with you? Give her a better life to ensure both of you are safe and cared for? Or right now did they just take what they wanted and are leaving her here to her own devices."
"You're lying! They wouldn't just leave her here!"
"Why don't we ask one?" Plagueis gave Anakin an option to get answers right now. He stood with shadows consuming himself and outstretched his arm, one of the Jedi Knights was pulled from the group and had his wrist caught in Plagueis' hand. Almost shocked and unable to come to terms with what just happened.
The Knight couldn't move before Plagueis ignited his own crimson sabre in his free hand and cut off the Knights right arm holding his own lightsaber. The Knight howled and tried to reach with his remaining arm to his stump but couldn't escape Plagueis' grasp. Anakin wanted to run in that moment but found himself frozen again.
"Now answer me truthfully. Why are you here?" Plagueis asked him.
The Jedi stifled his screaming for a moment and looked at the figure in front of him. "You're a…"
Plagueis had lightning escape from his hand shocking the Jedi making him howl in pain again. "I asked you a question. Answer only it. Again I ask you, why are you here?"
"…We were sent to retrieve Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn."
"If you do not answer me truthfully again. I'm will cease asking you kindly and begin taking more than just your arm!" Plagueis roared at him. "Now why are you here?"
The Knight hung his head in shame. "To retrieve Master Qui Gon and the boy that was in his report on this planet."
"Just retrieval?"
"Yes, if we couldn't find the boy we were to find Master Qui Gon and leave."
"And the boy and his mother?"
"We had no orders if they couldn't be found. We were to leave."
"What! You'd just leave us here!?" Anakin cried out getting the Knights attention. He had a slightly shocked look on his face as he realised his confession in front of the boy in question.
"Answer Anakin's questions," Plagueis ordered him.
The knight turned in Plagues' grasp to Anakin as much as he could. "If we couldn't find you we were to report back to Coruscant. The Queen that was here, her planet is still under an invasion and we need to focus on that. A lot of innocent people are on that world." He tried to convey as much as possible that Jedi are needed elsewhere in the galaxy. As he spoke he tried to use the force subtly to his own lightsaber in his severed arm.
"What about my mum?! Both options mean leaving her here and never helping her out of slavery."
The Knight seemed to be hesitating answering until Plagueis ignited his lightsaber again. "Okay! Okay!" He cried looking at the shadows in front of himself. Looking back to Anakin. "The Jedi code forbids attachments. Joining our order you would not be permitted to see her again."
Anakin was shocked at his confession and stood for a few moments trying to process what this new information meant. "I promised her I would come back to free her." Anakin almost whispered his head hanging down. His emotions almost stopping all together, and then an anger that he couldn't describe began to overtake him.
"They lied to you Anakin. They only want you as a servant for their order, never to truly allow you to-"
"Stop manipulating him Sith! Our order bring peace to the Galaxy. You would enslave and kill anyone in your way." The Knight shouted at him. On that note he used the force to pull his own lightsaber from the ground to his remaining hand. Plagueis noticed this and sent another bolt of lightning to the Knight making him lose control and send the lightsaber going past himself landing in Anakin's hands.
Anakin looked down at the object in his hands, not knowing what to do with it.
"Boy! Run now! Get the other masters to fight this Sith!" The Knight shouted his order to Anakin.
Anakin didn't know how to react anymore. His dream of joining the Jedi meant that he wouldn't be allowed to do what he truly wanted. He just stood frozen on the spot now but the odd feeling from before was gone and he felt nothing would stop him from moving now.
Plagueis grinned behind his mask knowing he had already planted the seeds of doubt in the boys mind. Now he just needed a final push. Plagueis waves his hand and the shadow swept over the Knight choking him and making him pass out, letting him fall out of his grasp to the ground unconscious. "Now Anakin." Plagueis addressed him kneeling down once again letting the shadows dissolve. "I am part of an order like the Jedi but very different. We do not have restrictions like the Jedi and can do what we wish. Also we can have an actual impact on the Galaxy. We can truly make a difference and not just a dent where we choose to operate."
"Can I save my Mum?" Anakin looked up at him with a small kind of hope in his eyes.
"Yes. The cost will be making an enemy of the Jedi and more people or even worlds than you can count. But you will see results from what you do and unlike the Jedi just now I promise you I will never lie to you. Nothing will be beyond your reach if you strive towards it."
Anakin stood there hesitating for a moment looking down at the lightsaber in his hands. Then back to the Jedi and Qui Gon. Plagueis looked up to The Jedi as well and felt another whisper in the force. This time directed at the Jedi Master Qui Gon. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind though, right now he had to focus on Anakin. Anakin looked back to Plagueis with an answer clearly in his eyes.
"Then yes. I want to make a difference on the galaxy and not be held back." Anakin answered him looking up into Plagueis' eyes with a determination only a child could when given a great challenge that he wanted to overcome.
"Then, come with me now. I will organise for your mother to be freed and removed from this world." Plagueis stated as he stood and extended a hand out to Anakin. Anakin took his hand and they began to walk away from the Jedi.
Plagueis' dark mist extended to the Jedi and they all collapsed to the floor, already exhausted from his extended use of the force he lastly took a small device from his pocket and floated it towards the collapsed Jedi Knight. When it got there it started to beep and countdown in its small chimes. Anakin and Plagueis were now far enough away that they could only subtly hear the explosion that killed the Jedi Knight, masking the wounds that Plagueis had administered leaving no trace.