Disclaimer:
Star Wars does not belong to me, nor do any of the images displayed. This fic was created by me for entertainment purposes.
NA 1: This is a translation from Spanish. Before, I used to upload the translation from Google Translate, but I found this one and it seems better to me. Please comment to let me know what you think.
NA 2: If anyone wants to help with corrections or translations and serve as an editor, please send me a private message. I am too busy to do it myself. Again, my apologies to everyone.
NA3: También he publicado el original en español, ya pueden leerlo.
Star Wars Xion 3
Anakin opened his eyes and blinked. Reality adjusted and he breathed a sigh of relief, just before he was embraced.
-Anakin! -Padmé exclaimed, hugging him. She was kind of flat, but Anakin was a dwarf now and she supposed she couldn't be too picky about girls willing to hug him.
-I'm fine," Anakin said, "I just used the Force a little more than I should have," he added, looking at Obi-Wan behind Padmé. They were in a large room, but Padmé's maids were not around. Padmé pulled away from him a few seconds later and kissed him on the forehead.
-Ani, thank you. You have saved many lives, ours and those of the Gungans," said Padmé. You are our hero," she added happily. Anakin sat back and smiled and nodded.
-Even so, I could do nothing for Qui-Gon," Anakin said regretfully. Obi-Wan winced.
-Anakin, the queen is organizing a welcoming celebration for our Gungan allies and I have to help her. See you tonight," Padmé said, realizing they had things to talk about, and she kissed him goodbye. Anakin nodded and ran his hand over her bed. This was Padmé's room; her scent was everywhere.
-Anakin, what happened? -Obi-Wan asked. Anakin sighed, he preferred not to tell this guy anything. He was too stiff, but he also knew he would have him watching him for the rest of his life if he didn't say anything. Besides, it wasn't like Palpatine was going to find out anything, since he didn't have access to the Council.
-What did Qui-Gon tell you about me? -asked Anakin. Obi-Wan looked uncomfortable.
-Your midichlorian count is higher than anything the Jedi have ever seen before. You possess an affinity with the Force never before seen. Your perception also surpasses many Jedi and you possess an intelligence and wisdom beyond any child your age. Qui-Gon says your mental maturity surpasses mine," Obi-Wan said reluctantly.
-Obi-Wan, if it makes you uncomfortable that I'm more mature than you, you didn't have to say so. You're too honest. I was just asking you about my abilities," Anakin said with a smile, and Obi-Wan gritted his teeth. I know what happened with Qui-Gon. The Force led me to him for the purpose of reminding him of something he already knew, and that was how to be one with the Force beyond death. Not one how to return to the Force or how to be a part of it, but one how to continue to keep your mind and spirit beyond your physical death," Anakin explained.
-There is no such thing! -Obi-Wan said with restrained fury. Anakin grimaced and looked him up and down.
Obi-Wan looked to be well past his twenties, and someone who was trained by Qui-Gon shouldn't be so temperamental... Anakin grimaced again. Here the kid was him, he had no business making excuses for a guy who was well past his twenties.
-Obi-Wan, don't throw a tantrum. I'm not your father or your master, and you're the one who's supposed to take care of me. Besides, while I have a few virtues, patience is not one of them," Anakin chided, and Obi-Wan looked at him in a daze as he stared at him coolly. You are a Jedi, reflect, use the Force and be discerning. Don't waste our time throwing tantrums when the world doesn't seem to be what you thought it was," he added, and rose to sit on the floor, on his knees, and motioned Obi-Wan to sit across from him.
Obi-Wan felt embarrassed and sat down in front of him to begin to meditate and reflect. To a normal person, this would be very strange, but Jedi were not normal people and were always surrounded by the Force, which if they were willing to allow it, could clear up their doubts and lead them to a correct or appropriate answer if they really put their minds to it.
...
Just a few minutes later, Obi-Wan opened his eyes.
-There is no such thing in the Jedi teachings," Obi-Wan said. This time, he was not denying the possibility of something else. Anakin nodded.
-Then he didn't learn it from the Jedi," Anakin said. Obi-Wan frowned slightly, but in the end nodded.
-My master did not always agree with the Jedi teachings. He may have studied with other Force-sensitive groups and learned what you mentioned before from them," Obi-Wan concluded, getting his own answers in a matter of seconds, and Anakin knew they were true, both because the Force told him so and because of Xion's knowledge as a traveler.
-That's interesting," said Anakin, but that form of immortality was somewhat vague.
Did Force spirits, like Qui-Gon, have any life of their own? If not, perhaps it could be combined with technology to get more out of it, since one characteristic of the Force was its ability to interact with reality, and in theory that was not impossible.
-You're right, but how can we communicate with my master? -Obi-Wan asked reluctantly. Anakin shrugged his shoulders.
-I know what you know, and I suspect that even Qui-Gon doesn't really know what he has accomplished. If I hadn't come along, he might be even more confused than we are and not knowing what to do. So, other than meditating and trying to contact him as if we were looking for a ghost, I can't think of anything else. But it's not our fault, it's Qui-Gon's fault for being careless and not taking the things he learned seriously," said Anakin.
-My master was not careless! -Obi-Wan chided. Anakin shrugged his shoulders.
-Careless, negligent, ignorant, fearful, call it what you will. Now we can only wait and see if what he learned was effective and he can communicate with us again. If it's any consolation, I'm sure he succeeded and sooner rather than later we'll see him again," said Anakin to end the subject. He wasn't going to cry for someone he knew was still present in some sense. Now, let's get back to our business on this plane of existence," he added, and Obi-Wan looked at him blankly.
-Did you recover Maul's body? -asked Anakin. Obi-Wan shook his head in confusion. Anakin grimaced.
-He's still alive," Anakin said, and Obi-Wan looked at him in a daze.
-You wouldn't think he survived that," Obi-Wan said. Anakin shrugged his shoulders.
-I wouldn't bet against the Force," said Anakin. Can you organize a search party? -he asked. He didn't want Maul on the loose causing chaos.
-The Council masters will soon be here. We can tell them your concerns as soon as they arrive," Obi-Wan said. Anakin nodded. Those were his current limitations. He knew Maul was alive, but he could not search for him, and Obi-Wan would not leave his post as guardian of the queen to do so. Nor would he order ordinary people to pursue a Sith.
Anakin sighed internally and finally focused on himself, frowning at the sight of the pajamas he was wearing.
-There goes the rest of my dignity," Anakin said regretfully. Obi-Wan laughed.
-Anakin, your dignity is safe. The queen ordered a nurse to change you, all under strict medical secrecy," Obi-Wan explained. Anakin sighed in relief, and Obi-Wan laughed even harder.
-If you think it's funny, someday, if you ever lose consciousness under my care, I'll order you to change your clothes in a public square," Anakin threatened, and headed for the bathroom to relax a bit. Obi-Wan stopped laughing immediately, taking his threat seriously.
...
The celebratory parade took place in the afternoon, when the army of Gungans arrived in the city led by their leader. The queen received them and bestowed recognitions and honors on their leaders. Anakin was also honored, both by the humans and the Gungans, who had initiated the battle against the droids. However, thanks to the droids' quick deactivation, they barely had time to get through the Gungan shields before they were neutralized, giving them a victory without casualties.
As for the humans, Anakin destroyed the command ship before there were too many losses. The queen had been right in front of the viceroy to capture him when his droids were disabled in full ambush.
Finally, the space battle had been recorded from the spaceships, and Padme played a video of the feat for all to see, from her departure from the hangar to her return. The crowd cheered throughout her short but decisive intervention in the battle.
...
The Jedi arrived at nightfall accompanied by a retinue from the Senate, among them Palpatine, who walked alongside the Jedi with a broad smile, as if celebrating his victory. Anakin knew why this was so, for Palpatine had contacts on both Naboo and in the Senate, and although he was unable to ascend to Supreme Chancellor, Padme's actions and the situation on Naboo made him one of the favored candidates for the next election.
Because of this, Padme could do nothing against him, as her request to investigate Palpatine had been dismissed, even by the Jedi Council, who felt there was no reason to initiate an investigation against him. The Sith Lord simply had them by the beards.
Despite all this, Palpatine had not achieved what he wanted, which was to establish a precedent of rising to power using unconventional means. Although he was able to force his stay in his ambassadorial position, he had earned Padme's enmity. To her, the refusal of the powers of Naboo, the Senate and the Jedi Council itself to investigate Palpatine only confirmed her own suspicions. She had now become a staunch opponent of Palpatine and would strongly oppose all of his plans.
But Padme was not alone. She had her own support on Naboo and, in fact, Palpatine's current popularity was due to her. In terms of popularity, Padme was above Palpatine and her opinion weighed more heavily among the common people...
Anakin, who was watching the arrival of the diplomats from the side of the large entrance leading to the hangar, froze. In addition to Windu and Yoda, who were with the diplomats, and Palpatine, another Jedi had come: an elderly, petite, green-skinned woman. It was Jadle, who at that moment was coming down from the ship in which the diplomatic delegation had arrived, talking to the ship's captain.
According to Xion's memories, Dooku should have already killed Jadle upon learning of Qui-Gon's death, so she should not be there. Only Yoda and Windu should be present.
Anakin wondered what this change was due to and immediately received his answer. Of course, his reaction at the council should not have gone unnoticed. They didn't understand her surprise at seeing Jadle and now wanted answers, so they brought her here upon learning of Qui-Gon's death. This made it impossible for her to meet Dooku. In short, he couldn't prevent Qui-Gon's death, but he managed to save Jadle and didn't even say a word or try to do so...
Jadle and all the Jedi caught his shock at the sight of her. Anakin grimaced; he wanted to save Qui-Gon, and Jadle was of no use to him.
-Anakin, is something wrong? -Obi-Wan asked.
Anakin shrugged his shoulders. He noticed that Palpatine, who pretended to be interested in what the Jedi were looking at, took the opportunity to fix his attention on him, though only visually, as he dared not use the Force there.
-Something's up, but I suppose it can wait until we meet with the other masters. The fact that she's here means the Council is looking for answers," Anakin said. Obi-Wan nodded.
-Then we'll wait," said Obi-Wan, adopting the Jedi waiting posture.
...
-Hmmm... Anakin, can we go somewhere else? -Obi-Wan asked as he saw the Jedi masters looking around Padme's room.
Windu looked at the four destroyers that were in a heap, next to the big bed where Anakin was sitting.
-Padme doesn't want them, but these droids are a good piece of technology, even though their design is a waste, so I kept them. I've also been given a few dozen b1's," explained Anakin, who had plans for the droids and had already reprogrammed them to obey him. The Jedi masters approached the bed.
-Possess, a Jedi cannot," said Master Yoda.
-I am not a Jedi, and this is research material. I suppose knowledge of things is welcome anywhere," Anakin replied calmly.
-It is," said Jadle, interrupting Windu, who seemed to have a more eloquent retort to make. Padawan Obi-Wan," Jadle said, looking at Obi-Wan beside him. Obi-Wan tensed, "The Council has agreed to your testing to become a Jedi Knight," Jadle said in an elderly voice, but his movements were more agile and lively than Master Yoda's, though he was just as wrinkled.
-Insist on taking the boy as your Padawan should you? -Yoda said as Obi-Wan looked sideways at him.
-It was my master's will," Obi-Wan said. Yoda chewed his own saliva and then nodded helplessly.
-Young Skywalker, you have heard, you will be a Padawan and become part of the Jedi Order," Windu said. Anakin nodded and stood up to bow.
-Masters! -Anakin greeted in a respectful tone. Obi-Wan looked at him as Jadle smiled and Windu grimaced at his impudence. He was trying to make him uncomfortable with protocol, but Anakin didn't care about protocols and even understood their usefulness.
-Padawan Skywalker, the Council believes you can give us some explanations," said Yoda.
-Fewer than you think, but yes, I can explain some things," Anakin said and looked at Jadle to begin with. The Force indicated to me that Master Jadle would be killed shortly after my visit to the Jedi Temple. That surprised me, but Qui-Gon had already informed me of what the Jedi thought about the hunches the Force communicated to them, and since he indicated that they would simply ignore me, I did not mention the matter. I was more concerned with finding an answer to save Qui-Gon's life, but in the end I got nothing, only acceptance and a possibility.
"I had already given Master Jadle up for dead today, so I was surprised to see her alive. She shouldn't be here, though I've already reflected on it, and it was my own reaction to seeing her that caused her to be present. I suppose the Council summoned her to try to determine my reaction, and getting nothing, they brought her here, avoiding her encounter with death.
"That was too easy, but I guess, unlike Qui-Gon, who had "a scheduled date with death", Master Jadle's was just "an accidental encounter", a small variable, and she survived. This will be useful to me in the future, as the reasons are more important than I thought," Anakin explained, revealing all the information and waiting for questions.
-Young Padawan, Master Jadle was never in danger or near any dangerous encounter," Windu said. Anakin had already said all he had to say, clearly and without hiding more than necessary, so he did not reply.
Jadle's case was valuable to him and allowed him to understand things better for the future, so he considered it a valuable experience. The brown beast's disbelief was already something he had taken into account and had no relevance. Windu seemed to be waiting for a retort, but Anakin just looked at them for a couple more seconds, to see if either had any questions.
-Okay, now let's move on to the next point...
-Wait! -said Obi-Wan, interrupting him. He bowed to the masters for permission to speak. Yoda nodded with interest.
-Anakin, did you know what was going to happen to my master? -Obi-Wan asked. The other masters caught the meaning of his words instantly and frowned, but did not interrupt. Anakin nodded.
-As I once explained to Qui-Gon, seeing the future is not a probability of infinite possibilities, as the Jedi say," Anakin said, and Windu tensed, Yoda frowned even more, and Jadle looked contemplative. Obi-Wan was startled, contradicting the council with three of its most prominent members present was not something he would expect from his future padawan. Anakin smiled, for his reaction was not unexpected. It is outrageous, but true.
"I have more outrageous statements, because probability does not exist, there is only ignorance and lack of knowledge," Anakin said, but he decided to get serious and stop making fun of the Jedi. He left aside the playful and rebellious character of the original Anakin to embody the asocial traveler.
-You see, when I first met Master Qui-Gon, the Force warned me that he would soon die. That was a possibility, an exercise in probability, since everything was variable. I didn't know how, I didn't know why, I didn't understand the reasons. Then I learned some things about the jedi. That gave me a context and the possibilities gradually narrowed, until I met the Sith, and then the possibilities disappeared.
"All of them! Now there was only one certainty. The future was no longer a probability. The Sith outmatched him physically, in single combat he didn't stand a chance. His support had already been taken from him once and could be again. Jedi do not listen to warnings from the future, so there would be no reinforcements on their side.
"Padmé was also fighting a losing battle, I couldn't help. And lastly, myself. To help Master Qui-Gon, I needed the skills of a jedi, but for someone whose greatest feat is using a little telekinesis, I would only be a hindrance. My presence would only contribute to an early death and would make things worse, leading to instead of one, there would be three fallen.
"With more time, more tools and more training, it would be easy, but in this case, I was powerless. I had no way but to stand back and accept what had happened. Fortunately, Qui-Gon had his own way and in the end something could be saved," said Anakin. The masters were surprised and wanted to ask questions, but waited for Obi-Wan to nod in agreement before ending the conversation. Anakin did not wait to be asked.
-Okay, second point, why did Qui-Gon's body disappear? -said Anakin, and Windu nodded. That was his own doing. Obi-Wan and I assume it was Force knowledge he learned from other practitioners. Its purpose was to keep his consciousness in the Force after his physical disappearance...
-That's impossible! -Windu interrupted.
Anakin wanted to explain a few more things, but he also didn't care if these guys believed him or not about this. He had nothing to gain from it, so he kept silent and said no more. Jadle looked at Windu and in his expression was a reprimand, then looked back at him.
-Young padawan, if you meant to say something else, please continue," said Jadle in a kind voice. Anakin nodded, for he didn't mind either.
-The Force indicates to me that Master Qui-Gon succeeded in his transformation as part of it. But since we don't see him around here, I'm guessing there's more to this, and being successful isn't enough to communicate. I've also been thinking that if this is a Force thing, I may be able to help him. If there is one thing I am a prodigy at, it is my affinity for the Force, and since he is now part of the Force, a few searches on my part should yield some results.
"The truth is that I would like to ask you some questions, because you seem very determined to think that what he did is not possible, and I wonder what other things you think are not possible that are certainly as interesting as this," Anakin explained.
-Young Skywalker, a great ally knowledge is, but..." Anakin raised his hand to interrupt the "green troll". Obi-Wan nearly had a fit and turned pale. Anakin guessed that not even the brown beast Windu dared to stop Yoda's words.
-Master Yoda, I see you are fond of making simple warnings, but unless it is something I am unaware of or requires some explanation of my actions, please refrain from doing so with me. One of my virtues or shortcomings is to think about the consequences of each of my actions, and in the last few days, thanks to the two times I saw Maul, I have already understood the danger of relating to the Force and the nature of what you call the dark side," Anakin explained, unwilling to listen to advice for five year olds.
-Patience, one of your virtues is not," Master Yoda said, and Obi-Wan looked at him in surprise, after blinking to keep from fainting. The masters looked at Obi-Wan, and Anakin smiled, so they looked at him.
-Yes, I am aware of many of my faults, and yes, patience is not one of my few virtues," said Anakin.
-Padawan, you said you understand the nature of the dark side, can you explain it? -Windu asked. Anakin looked at him and then looked at Obi-Wan.
-Are you sure? There are children present," said Anakin. Obi-Wan gave him an indignant look, but before he or Windu could speak, Jadle intervened.
-Padawan Obi-Wan, please wait outside," said Jadle. Windu and Obi-Wan looked equally surprised, but Yoda nodded a second later, and Obi-Wan hurried obediently out. When he had left, Jadle looked at him and nodded to give him permission to talk about dark things. Anakin nodded.
-I have seen Master Qui-Gon's way of meditating, and it is the same as mine. He focuses on the Force and uses it to calm his emotions and increase his control and reason over his reflexes. It is an ongoing exercise program that will, over time, increase your own control of the Force. You could also call it power, but I would disagree with that, as so far I have seen no evidence of it.
"Then I met the Sith. There are only chills around him, an uncontrolled cold. He was pure passion, like those people who just scream and don't listen to reason, except those concerning their own desires. An unbridled animal, not even he himself should have control over it. I've seen it before, for someone like that only the Force would work, the fear of pain.
"Therefore, I concluded that there was no way for this individual to focus his abilities on control. With my current understanding of the Force and from my use of it, I have come to notice that, in fact, in certain moments of distress and despair, one could say, from a debatable point of view, that my power increases.
"With this in mind, the nature of the dark side is evident. A constant emotional overload will provide an apparent great increase of power in the Force. Obtaining it is not difficult either, just change the method of training. Instead of meditating on control, it's about focusing on emotions and empowering them in the Force, feeding it with them. But not for the purpose of control, but for the express purpose of raising them without any control.
"In the past, I had witnessed something similar in the training of fighting animals, where they were wanted to kill without hesitation and without caring about anything. They are not conscious of anything, and their masters only want a decisive fight. If we apply this to a conscious being, it is a tragic fate, but for a Force user it would be easy to get there. I understood that when Qui-Gon informed me that the Jedi were forbidden to love, and from the way he said it, that must be one of their most sacred rules.
"At the time, I didn't know the Sith, and I thought they were just taking the easy way out, brainwashing their members to gain greater control over the Force with ease. But now I understand that they fear the dark side, they don't want to deal with the possibility of their members falling into it.
"I don't agree with their way of doing things. Choice is very important to me, it's part of my own responsibility, and I don't consider denying it to be right. Besides, ignorance makes all his disciples vulnerable, and a Sith could handpick among them, which creates a window for his own destruction.
"Still, it's not the most extreme option they could have taken. As I mentioned earlier, it's the easy way out. Looking at that Sith and imagining an entire order of them, I can visualize chaos in the galaxy. I would understand if the common people decided to exterminate any Force-sensitive individuals born in this galaxy. Now that would be extreme measures," Anakin concluded. The Jedi Masters had been watching him in shock for a while now.
-Why do you say that the power of the dark side is false? -Windu asked after a minute. Anakin thought of a way to explain it simply.
-Imagine a mother who sees her child being crushed by a heavy beam. In her life, she has lifted more than fifty kilos, and that with extreme difficulty, but now her son is trapped under a five hundred kilos column. The mother is maddened, there is no reason, only emotion, pure desperation.
"In that emotional state, she lifts her spine and pulls out her son. Miracle? Evidently not. If the column weighed ten thousand kilos instead of five hundred, she wouldn't be able to move it. Increase in power? From a debatable point of view, yes. But is that the reality?
"No," said Anakin, shaking his head, "The reality is that his body always had that ability, and with effort and dedication, he was able to accomplish the same thing at one time, with full reason and control.
"In fact, with training and dedication, your body will become stronger and you will be able to be capable of much more, without relying on emotional overload.
"For all this, the power of the dark side is false. It is not an easy path to power, quite the contrary, it is a path to absolute insanity and self-deception, which will only limit your abilities by giving you the illusion of a power that in reality you already possess.
"Besides, the Sith seemed drugged and unable to free himself from this state. I suppose, like any addict, it would be necessary to beat him hard to get him to give up this path, and it would be a miracle if they managed to bring him back on his own. I wouldn't waste my time unless it's important to me," Anakin concluded.
The teachers reflected for a few moments. They seemed to have a lot to think about.
-Reflect on your words we must, young Skywalker," Yoda said, bidding him farewell. Windu nodded and left behind, but Jadle stayed behind.
-Young Padawan, did you see how I died? -Jadle asked, and the Force sounded its alarms.
Anakin understood that Jadle's encounter with Dooku and Palpatine was an accident. But if he mentioned the matter, they would come for him and it would not be an accident. In his current state, it would be certain death, like Qui-Gon's.
-I'm sorry, Master Jadle, I can't answer that question at this time," said Anakin. Jadle nodded and also left the room, which, being the hero of Naboo, was Padme's room.
...
Anakin sat back down on the bed. He was now on the Jedi path. His only obstacle, despite all the knowledge he had, was the love he felt for his mother, and he knew that people like Dooku and Sidious would not hesitate to try to take advantage of that. Sidious would also try to influence him with Padme, but Anakin didn't see her that way. He still felt no physical or personal attraction to her, so as long as he stayed away from the dark side, his life would be good.
On the other hand, Palpatine, though he no longer had Padme's support, would be elected Supreme Chancellor in a year. His clone army and his plans with the Separatists should already be in place, ready to explode in ten more years. Anakin knew that the miserable old man was as astute as he was at sensing danger and the future, but Anakin was more knowledgeable in certain dark aspects of the Force.
It was rumored that Palpatine's master, Darth Plagueis, knew some of these powers, but Palpatine was an idiot and killed him before he could learn anything, giving Anakin an advantage. As long as he didn't get desperate and bide his time, perhaps he could beat Palpatine at his own game. Otherwise, he could retire without personal loss.
With all these thoughts in mind, Anakin still had unfinished business in those parts. One of those matters was Maul. He had already told Obi-Wan that he was still alive, but he didn't know what the Jedi would do about it. As for him, he was sure he could locate Maul, but if he did and Palpatine found out, he would have to say goodbye to this world.
Anakin sighed and got up to pull out a toolbox that was under his bed and began to examine one of the destroyers.
Physically, this world was no different from the Stargate universe Xion visited, but the reality was different. Here there was no naquada or tridium. He could do something with neutronium, but he needed a technology to condense it that did not exist, so it was irrelevant.
In addition, Anakin did not want to use Xion's technological knowledge because he could not control it and it could fall into the hands of Palpatine, who would use it against him. The technology option was only viable if Anakin had enough power to protect it. Still, like Xion in the Stargate universe, he did not plan to increase the technology on this world, as that would only work against him and could create disproportions in any disaster that occurred. If Anakin decided to use technology, it would only be for his personal benefit, as he could not defeat Palpatine with technology when he had the entire galaxy under his control.
However, as a personal and strategic advantage, technology could be used to his advantage. Anakin did not forget that one of Palpatine's main powers lay in technology, such as the clone neural chip and the droid army. He had to find a way to sabotage this, but he could not act rashly, as this was a card he could only play once.