Balance: The Darkness and His Light.
Chapter 3: Connection.
Kara 'Anika' Skywalker grew up in the harsh climate of Tattooine.
She coped with long working hours in the blistering sun, Watto's attitude and of course the attitude of everyone else who looked down on the small young girl.
At night, The Blonde haired child looked up to the stars and dreamed of flying. She wished to explore the vast void of space, visit each and every planet, making friends and freeing slaves along the way.
Alas, deep down she knew this could never happen. She was destined to stay a slave, to be passed around like a used glass, forever owned by a worthless person with worthless ambitions.
That was, however, until they arrived.
The Jedi.
Her saviors.
She barely had known them for a day when one of her saviors died, being killed by a sith lord. Whatever that was.
After that unfortunate incident, her other savior vowed to train her, and he kept that promise.
"You are doing very well Kara, but don't put too much emotion into your swing. Remember, anger leads to frustration, frustration leads to hate and hate leads to the dark side." Obi Wan reminded her, trying to help his Padawan with her troubling emotions.
"But emotions are what make us alive, aren't they? Without emotions we'd be like droids." Kara argued, still confused.
Obi Wan paused, trying to think of a way to phrase his response.
"Emotions aren't bad young one, but you must learn to control them, not let them control you. You must hold them down, not let them blaze. A Jedi must be patient, level headed and calm, you must always think of peace, never violence." He replied.
Kara frowned but began to understand.
"Remember the Jedi Code Kara, please, Remind me of it." Obi wan instructed.
"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is only the force." She replied, remembering each word perfectly.
She knew these words by heart, but found them incredibly confusing.
There is passion, emotion and chaos.
She saw couples outside the temple passionately kissing, hugging or talking to each other of their love.
Every being in the galaxy had emotions, they were born with them, they were a natural way of life.
And chaos was what she had saw back on Tattooine, when she had been in the pod races or watched a bounty hunter find his target.
All of these feelings existed, but the code told her to ignore them, push them deep inside. As if she was able to will herself to do so. It wasn't… natural.
It wasn't right.
Deep down she knew it wasn't.
She always felt off. Not whole, like she was missing something her whole life. She thought becoming a Jedi would help her, that she would be a hero and save people, bringing that feeling she had been missing. It didn't.
Being a Jedi wasn't even close to what she had imagined.
Sure they did intervene with some disputes, but they didn't free slaves, save kidnapped children or End wars. They… negotiated. They went where the senate told them to go.
They were pawns of the Republic, nothing more, nothing less.
Thankfully she wasn't the only one to see this, as she had spent some time with Palpatine. Despite being a politician himself, he saw the Republic for what it truly was. A failing system.
He was trying to use it to make real change, to help Jedi like her become something.. more. And to help everyone who was a part of the galaxy, not just the Republic.
She felt better, but not whole.
Not until she met Barry.
~ - ~
It had been a regular afternoon, where Anaki and Obi Wan had been summoned to report to Chancellor Palpatine about the various incidents on the 'Meta' controlled worlds.
A low beep rang through the air, alerting the group that someone had approached the door of the Chancellor's office.
"Yes?" Palpatine inquired, looking to the holotable as his security commed him.
"Chancellor. Your new assistant is here." Commander Fox reported.
"Ah yes, send him in would you? Thank you. Now, my friends, I would like you all to meet a friend of mine, he is also as you just heard, my new assistant. Bartholomew All'en." Palpatine stated, gesturing towards the doors of his office.
In walked a dark haired young man, he was wearing a crimson uniform that was not unlike the chancellors own robes. However the sleeves were not large, but well fitting.
"Hello, its nice to meet you. The Chancellor has told me many things about you all." He greeted, His smile lighting up the whole room, his emerald green eyes looking like rich crystals as the light made them shine.
Anika had never seen such a rich and beautiful green before, even after leaving Tatooine and travelling the galaxy with her master, never before had such a color struck her. He was calm, collected and had the same sort of kind aura the Chancellor did.
If he was a friend of the Chancellor, then he aught to be a good man. Obi Wan took the first step and bowed to the young man in greeting.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Bartholomew, I Am Obi Wan Kenobi." Said master replied to the boy with a polite smile.
"THE negotiator?" Barry gasped before suddenly returning to his normal pose, his cheeks a slight red and embarrassment seeping through the Force. "Forgive me Chancellor, Master Jedi. I-I have not met a personal hero before. Not to mention a very famous one."
Palpatine chuckled fondly, waving away the boy's brief error, it was nothing to be embarrassed about. Barry was a normal young man after all, he was bound to have idols and be prone to making mistakes and small mishaps. He clearly idolized the Jedi and their accomplishments.
Anika liked that Palpatine was patient and kind enough to know this, and obviously had a close, fatherly relationship with his new assistant. Almost akin to her own with him.
"Young Men loyal and full of love for the Republic are in short supply these days, I find his attitude quite refreshing." The chancellor said with a small smile.
"Indeed" Obi Wan agreed.
"Hi, I'm Anika Skywalker-"
"The hero of no fear, savior of Naboo, commander of the legendary 501st and adopted sister of Senator Amidala." Barry listed, eyes wide. It was clear he was in awe of her.
Anika felt uncomfortable, but in a good way. Usually when others listed off he'd achievements or titles it made her feel self conscious and annoyed. But with this boy. Well, man, she felt flattered and even truly appreciated.
"F-Forgive me. Its just that you Once saved my life." Barry murmured, looking away.
"Really?" She smiled.
"Yes, the battle of Nar Shadarr he was to be executed for orchestrating the breakout of a few dozen slave children. But if you had not shot down that pirate fighter, Bartholomew would have been executed. " Palpatine explained.
"Please Chancellor, call me Barry." Barry smiled, causing the older man to roll his eyes.
Anika blinked in surprise. She of course remembered the Nar Shadarr incident, despite it being some years ago. She hadn't known that it was an slave camp she had caused the ship to crash into though.
She had been scolded by the council and her master for taking Obi Wan's fighter and using it to stop the pirates while the negotiations were still going on. But it sounded like she did good after all.
"I had never seen someone fly quite as well as you did, you inspired me to become a pilot and find a way to help the Republic. Funnily enough I ran into the Chancellor a few days later as he oversaw the clean-up, he took one look at me, took pity and helped me get onto my feet." The young man told her, a small and grateful smile on his face.
"Of course he said he could never repay me, so he insisted that if I ever needed help with anything that I go to him. Well I needed a new assistant, someone young, who I could trust not to turn on me and deal with things I cannot." Palpatine smirked.
"So here I am." Barry shrugged.
Once again the Chancellor became a hero in Anika's eyes, not just someone she could turn to, but also inspire to be like. Barry was evidence of that.
"I do believe I've wasted enough of your time though, Chancellor I am here to pick up your list of duties for me."
"You never waste my time young one, here is the list. The ones at the top are priority, the rest are still important but are not as urgent."
"I see, I will attend to these at once. Chancellor, Jedi." Barry bowed, leaving the room.
Once Barry had left the room, discussions on the war continued.
"Quite the charming fellow. Isn't he?" Obi Wan said politely before continuing with his and Anika's report.
~ - ~ - ~
It was late at night, and Palpatine commed for Barry to enter his office. The Jedi had left the office hours ago, and the various senate sessions and meetings had finally finished for the day.
"Did You think they have any idea?" The young man asked Palpatine, his tone respectful and low. The smile was no longer on his face, and his eyes were dark. No longer holding a kind shine, but instead a cold sharpness.
"No, Your performance was exquisite my young apprentice, no doubt you could be an inspiring actor if you wished for such a life style. You have done well and I find myself proud of you." The Chancellor replied with a smirk, turning around in his chair to face his 'assistant'.
Vader grinned, his emerald green eyes turning a deep Crimson as he temporarily allowed his master to feel his presence and power.
Palpatine chuckled darkly. "You are growing strong, very strong my friend. Your power is beyond anything I have known, and I cannot hope for a better successor."
The older sith spoke the truth, he had gotten rid of the old ways. When apprentice sought to kill their masters, taking their power and authority once they were powerful and wise enough to do so. Now, a new way was to be taught. Where masters could promote their apprentices, still being guides and elders for if the younger ones wished to learn more or ask for advice.
The sith had changed and evolved.
"Thank you my master, it would not have been possible without your teachings.." Barry humbly acknowledged.
"Now, you said earlier this afternoon that you wish to show me a new ability you had discovered?" Palpatine reminded him, releasing his public appearance and showing his true self, Darth Sidious.
"Yes Master, may we walk to somewhere more quiet and less public." Barry requested.
"Of course, follow me." Sidious replied, gesturing towards the wall near his desk.
After a wave of his hand, the wall opened up to reveal a hidden large room. With adjacent hangar of course.
"This should be acceptable, you may proceed."
Barry held out his arm in a calling gesture, as if summoning his lightsaber. Instead of his weapon appearing however, crimson lightning sparked from his chest to his arm and into his waiting hand, creating a long blade of pure energy, sparking like lightning.
Barry did some simple moves with it and it behaved like a sword, cutting through the air with precision and ease.
"Extraordinary, you can use your energy to create a weapon akin to that of a sabre" his master hummed.
"There is more, I ask you to strike the blade with your own." Barry replied.
Sidious raised an eyebrow but did as his apprentice requested, taking out one of his hidden weapons before igniting the blade, clashing it against Barry's own.
The lightning remained, just as strong as a lightsaber, and after Barry used a bit more of his power, electricity sparked from the blade and across his masters lightsaber, shorting out the weapon, rendering it temporarily useless.
"You can disrupt the blade of your enemies, rendering them defenseless!" Sidious grinned, impressed.
Barry nodded and with the flick of his wrist, dismissed the lightning, causing it to disappear.
"You have surpassed me in power, strength and ability. Soon I will be able to promote you to the rank of master, and together we will rule the galaxy."
Barry shook his head. "Master, I wish go remain a student. I have much to learn, while I may have very different abilities to you, I have not surpassed you. I also do not wish to rule yet, I wish to continue being a servant."
Sidious frowned. His apprentice did not wish to be advanced? How…unusual. Still it was of his own request. "Very well Lord Vader, you will remain under my tutelage. However you will be given more privileges, I cannot have you not be rewarded for your achievements." The sith replied, putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder.
Barry bowed his head and nodded, pride and gratitude flooding through their bond.
"Thank you, my master."
~ - ~ - ~
[Padme and Anika's Shared Apartment. Coruscant.]
Anika plopped down next to Padme, sighing softly. The senator rolled her eyes as Anika put her head in the older woman's lap, pouting up at her.
She obviously needed comfort and some advice from her adopted big sister.
"What happened today?" Padme asked softly with a sigh.
"Ahsoka nearly got killed again, I got worried and anxious and may or may not have scolded her...in front of the boys." The Jedi muttered in reply.
Padme played with Anika's blonde locks, humming in thought as she read up on a new bill that had been proposed at the senate. "So you blew up on her then?"
"Yeah..I feel so ashamed. I just want her to be better than I was, but she keeps rushing into danger and taking too many risks-" Anika froze, realizing how familiar that sounded. So she looked up again, only to see Padme had raised an eyebrow while smirking.
"Okay so she got those from me." Anika mumbled with a blush, causing Padme to laugh.
"You are her teacher, and kind of like a mother to her. She was bound to pick up a few of your…quirks." The woman teased, causing Anika to lightly glare at her.
R2 rolled in, lightly beeping with laughter.
"Oi mister, some of those risks I take are in order to save your metal butt!" Anika pointed out. Glaring at her friend.
R2 merely blew a raspberry, shaking his domed head before rolling away, electronically beeping of his 'innocence'.
"Rolling tin can…" Anika muttered, making Padme laugh again.
"You need to apologize and make it up to your padawan, Obi Wan said Dex's does good deals around this time of year."
"Yeah, I know… Maybe I'll get her a Wookie cookie milkshake." Anika agreed.
"You spoil her." Padme teasingly sang.
"Hey, that's my padawan, of course I'm going to spoil her." The Jedi huffed in return.
"I also heard from a little porgy that a certain handsome young assistant caught your attention.." Padme said innocently.
Anika froze before getting up to turn and glare at the woman, making her laugh. they were definitely NOT going to talk about that.
"Who told you that." Anika asked calmly.
"Just Rex…. So you finally have the hots for someone huh?" Padme teased, only for Anika to growl and launch a pillow at the senator using the force.
(End of chapter 3)
Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy. Here is an update!