Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Moderator: LadyTevar
Re: Scars of Mustafar (New Chapter 12/25/08)
I just finished reading up on this story, DF. I'm definitely a big fan now!
∞
XXXI
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Re: Scars of Mustafar (New Chapter 12/25/08)
The One Left Standing
The Hutts referred to it as “obeyja”, the Rodians used the term “lutuk”, and the Shryiwook language of Kashyyk used a series of grunts and growls unpronounceable to almost every other sentient species known in the galaxy.
But Galactic Basic had a word for the increasing chaos in the Senate District as well, “pandemonium.”
The influx of Clone soldiers had been impromptu, but mercilessly effective. Although many clones were content to sit out the battle, there were enough commanders out there who felt that their existence was threatened enough that they joined in the fracas.
Soon the entire complex had been surrounded, and the initial gains made by the droid armies had been reversed one the droid air support had faltered and the clones had brought heavy weapons to bear. With a modest distance between them and the nearest fighting, Bow and Thire had taken a moment to attempt to coordinate their next move.
“The tinnies are getting beaten back,” Thire said, but the question remains, do we go in and help Skywalker?”
“I don’t see how we can do otherwise,” Bow replied. “We’ve hitched our repulsors sleds to Skywalker’s mag-lev and if he loses we’re done for sure.”
Thire was still not convinced. “ISB is still in between us and the fighting upstairs though. I know for a fact they’ve got nasty surprises in there that not even I was cleared to learn about when they started building the place. Every one of those natural born meatbags in there is more devoted to the Empire than even we are, and we were bred for it.”
Bow already had an answer to that dilemma. “We’ve got gunships, and we know Skywalker is in the top of that building, we can bypass all of the ISB traps and be to the General in minutes!”
“That’s risky; you know the General doesn’t like people getting in his way.” Thire said. “I’ll call the gunships and see if they can get us some recon from up there and maybe we can set something up.”
A massive explosion put the clones’ plan on hold. They rushed to the scene in an attempt to get a vantage point, and saw the smoldering ruins of a fighter tank, and scores of clones lying dead on the pavement. Thire and Bow were forced to flee themselves as the flaming wreckage of a gunship came hurtling out of the sky, nearly crashing down upon them.
“What in blazes…oh no…” Bow said, tensing up as the Annihilator droid came into view. Standing at three and a half meters tall, and bristling with powerful guns, the Annihilators were the most powerful weapons boasted by the Droid Army. They were shielded as well, and capable of destroying anything that the Clone Army had thrown at them. These droids were single handedly for many of the Confederacy’s final victories in the Outer Rim before they were shut down. When the Separatists surrendered, every clone who had survived those battles had hoped that no more would ever rise again.
Now they were facing one again, fielded by their own government at that. Bow’s body burned with betrayal, Thire had only heard of the droids, but their reputation preceded them. “You ever have to fight one of those things he said?”
“Once,” Bow said as he adjusted his helmet, saying nothing more and indicating to Thire that he was not keen on the idea of discussing it further.
A moment of uneasy quiet passed. “I’ll call the AT-RT’s,” said Thire. “Between them and the fighter tanks we’ll have enough to…”
“Keep them back!” Bow snapped. “They’re not armored enough; they’ll be ripped to shreds! I saw one of those things tear through an AT-TE like it was bantha butter, we need heavier firepower!”
“Commander Cody said he was bringing in an AT-AP, he shouldn’t be much longer. “ Thire countered, “We need to hit those things now though before they can rout the forces that we have here now!”
“And how do you propose we do that? There’s still too many of the Magnaguards on the ground to get in close to plant explosives, and even if we did there’s still the matter of those shield generators! The only way we could stop them right now if we were lucky enough to get bomber support and if we do that we’ll level the whole district with us and the General in it!”
“Then there’s nothing we can do except try to stall them until more firepower arrives, or General Skywalker ends things inside. But waiting is just going to get us killed!” Thire countered.
“But engaging those things head on is what those spooks inside want us to do. Even the AT-AP’s aren’t guarantee enough...unless….” The beginnings of a plan formed in Bow’s mind. “Where did you get that BARC speeder you came in on?”
“The bike? It was reassigned to us after the pilot was killed during the kidnap attempt on Palpatine, we’ve been using it for patrols, but the guns on that thing are weak.”
“Does it still have all of its kit?” Bow asked excitedly.
“It should, although I don’t know what a BARC trooper has that can take out a big droid like that.” Thire said, unsure of what his comrade was thinking.
“We just might have a chance yet. Let’s go make sure that it’s safe and fully stocked, and once we do, we’ll go help our boys in stalling that thing until Cody’s team arrives.”
The explosions outside of the building did not go unnoticed, but failed to break the stalemate in the duel raging within. Neither Anakin nor Palpatine were relenting, and with each passing effect both combatants were getting angrier, which boosted their connection to the Force.
Anakin had an advantage in raw power but he had seen little of his Master’s fighting technique, whereas Darth Sidious had the decided advantage of being able to witness Anakin fight on numerous occasions in person or via recording. Each time Anakin attempted to utilize a maneuver from his repertoire he was blocked, most notably when technique he used to amputate Dooku’s hands was parried deftly with a short sweep of the blade that had caused Anakin to lose his balance for a brief second. Anakin was then forced to counter with a parry of his own that saw his blade nearly deflected back into his own body, singing his clothing.
“You’re a far better duelist than your last two students Master; perhaps your teaching skills aren’t as sharp as you thought!” Anakin quipped as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.
Sidious was quick to respond. “You are bold Lord Vader, but you remain on the brink of your defeat! Those explosions outside are the sounds of your treasonous plot collapsing!”
At that moment Sidious broke off the attack and stepped backwards, Anakin noticed that he was near the edge of the shattered window, and he could not help but notice the Annihilator droid below, decimating the clone forces surrounding the building.
“Your loyalty endears you to those who fight with my young apprentice.” Sidious said, keeping his lightsaber activated as he crept closer. “But it is also your greatest weakness. The Jedi exploited it to suit their own plans, and because you failed to learn from your mistake it was simple for me to do the same. Accept your fate, and die with the satisfaction that your children will not grow up to be as witless as you!”
The comment had caused Anakin to snap, he gathered the Force to him, and released it in a powerful attack. The attack struck Sidious hard enough that the Sith Lord dropped his lightsaber to the ground, but strong enough to prevent him from releasing another bust of Force lightning. Anakin shifted his lightsaber to counter the attack again, but he was perilously close to the edge. The same edge that Mace Windu had been tossed over on the fateful night he had turned to the Dark Side.
With Both hands on the hilt, Anakin held his ground, but as Sidious drew closer the intensity of the attack threatened to overtake Anakin, and send him plummeting into the battle raging down below.
It had been some time since the war ended, but the Clone Commander known as Cody did not take long to readjust to the incredibly hostile environment of a battle, and after his failure to stop the fugitive Jedi General Kenobi on Utapau, he was eager to redeem himself to General Skywalker, whom he still had a great personal admiration for.
Cody’s men were back on Coruscant when the call went out, awaiting their next deployment and were thus scattered about the Imperial City with a brief shore leave. But Cody did find a couple of clones eager to help, and was thus able to crew one of the powerful All Terrain Attack Pods under his command.
“Cody, this is Thire, what’s your ETA?” came a voice over the comm. channel the clones were operating on.
“We’ll be there in a Coruscant minute,” Cody replied.
“Good, we’re getting the poodoo beaten out of us by an Annihilator Droid.”
That had Cody worried. “Thire, say that again? I thought you just said….”
“You heard me right, it’s a kriffing Annihilator. We need you here now, Bow has a plan but if you don’t get here in time then were all going to wish we were back in the vats.”
Cody sighed. “Here I thought I’d get to shoot something made out of meat for once. What do you need me to do Thire?”
“This part you’ll like, Bow is going to take out the shields on that thing, all you have to do is unload with everything you got and make sure it blows up!”
Cody’s dismay turned into predatory excitement. “Roger that Thire. But you better make it fast, We’re coming around the block now!”
“Did you hear that?” Thire said as Bow finished working on the BARC Trooper’s kit.
“Loud and clear,” Bow said with no hint of emotion in his voice.
Bow had found exactly what he was looking for in the gear left behind with the speeder bike. A full set of Reverse Pulse Polarity grenades normally reserved for commandos such as the ARC and BARC troopers. They were the most powerful handheld EMP weapons used by the Clone Army, and although they wre grenades they took slightly longer to detonate than the standard grenades used by clone troopers. Bow was now in possession of nearly a dozen of them. It was not a popular weapon, because it disrupted the Clones own weaponry just as well as it disrupted the droids it targeted.
Bow said nothing else as he jumped on the speeder bike and armed all of the grenades. He accelerated as fast as he could, knowing that he had to close the gap in time and hit the Annihilator with everything it had before the grenades detonated, which would disable the speeder bike while also electrocuting him.
The Annihilator was preoccupied with its destruction of the force of clones already engaging it. Some clones bravely attempted to get in close with their vehicles and grenades, and were cut down for their efforts. It did not notice at first as Bow made his way on a straight path towards it, ready to disable the droid and give Commander Cody the chance to incinerate it.
”Keep distracting it boys, just a little longer!”
Eventually the powerful droid did notice the speeder bike though, and it turned its powerful guns towards the bike as it shrugged off the attacks of the few clones that had survived its onslaught.
Knowing that he did not have much further to go, and knowing that if he failed then there would be little chance of beating that droid. Bow had no option left to him but to keep his foot on the accelerator, even as the distance between him and the droid rapidly disappeared. The droid opened fire, but its massive guns were too far apart to hit a small target at close proximity.
Bow heard the chirping sound of the detonators activating, and he began to feel a tingling sensation just as his speeder was within a few meters of the shielded droid.
Thire watched as the speeder bike carrying Bow plowed into the annihilator droid just as the EMP was detonating. The combination of the suicide attack and the multiple proximity EMP detonations overwhelmed the droid as expected. Thire looked back and saw the AT-AP. Cody must have noticed the explosion as well, because the AT-AP had already begun to open fire. With its third leg already bracing it for support, the pronounced heavy projectile launcher struck true at the center of the Annihilator’s mass, destroying it utterly.
The clones surrounding the wreckage threw their hands up into the air with a cheer. The EMP blast had done severe damage to the other remaining droids as well, and it was now much easier for the attacking clones to finish off their prey. Thire hefted his own rifle to join the attack, but not before snapping his arm up in a quick salute in tribute to Bow.
Sidious stepped closer, and as his confidence grew he intensified the blasts from his hands, focusing all of his power and concentration into the attack. With Anakin on the precipice, there would not be a repeat of his last counter.
“It’s over Lord Vader! Accept the futility of your efforts now and die with dignity!”
Anakin’s rage flared at the remark and for a brief second his blade pushed forward, but he could not gain ground as Sidious drew ever closer. He was forced to back up again, his right heel was now unsupported and he had to bring his foot up onto his toe in order to maintain his balance.
Sidious was now so close that Anakin could see his face up close in great detail, the old man’s yellow eyes burned with a psychotic light that Anakin had never seen before, and his mouth was twisted into an expression of demented glee. He was now seeing the true face of his Master, the most powerful schemer in galactic history, and saw none of the intellect that he had associated with Sidious. Anakin’s vision began to blur, and for a second his head was filled with terrible thoughts. His children, his beautiful and beloved children, were both adorned in Sith robes, with the same disfigured visages of Darth Sidious.
He could not allow that to happen.
Summoning all of his strength and energy Anakin released his right hand from his lightsaber, shifted all of his weight onto his left ankle and started to pivot. He released his energy and spun around on his left foot, whirling his body faster than Sidious’s eyes could track, the last part of Anakin to make the turn was his left hand, still holding the lightsaber. It was pulled away so quickly that Sidious failed to react in time. With the lightsaber no longer absorbing his energy the blasts coming from Darth Sidious shot out through the window, hitting nothing in particular. As Sidious struggled to regain control, he failed to anticipate what happened next.
Halfway through his spin Anakin’s right arm reached up to grip his lightsaber, with the lightsaber above his head, Anakin slashed down before Sidious could move out of the way. Anakin’s blade cut through Darth Sidious at the Dark Lord’s left shoulder just below his neck, exiting the right side of his body above his waist.
Darth Sidious, known to the galaxy as Emperor Palpatine, Dark Lord of the Sith and absolute ruler of the galaxy, was dead.
Drained from his expenditure of energy, Anakin slumped to his knees, and regarded the corpse of his one time friend. For so long he had regarded the man as an ally, and now he was dead. Dead because, like the Jedi, Darth Sidious had paid the price for abusing Anakin’s loyalty and used Anakin to serve his own ends.
The enormity of his situation was not lost upon him. Once a boy growing up as a slave on the sand blasted world of Tatooine, Anakin was now at the very center of the galaxy, and along with the title of Sith Master, it was his for the taking.
Anakin focused his senses, learning that the battle outside had ended he stood up and noticed the lightsaber of Darth Sidious on the floor, now deactivated and lifeless. He picked it up and regarded it for a moment, before clipping it to his own belt and making his way out of the room.
The fighting was over for now, but Anakin’s work was not finished. His vengeance upon Darth Sidious would not be complete until he had taken everything that Sidious had cared about, including the Empire.
Hundreds of meters below the surface of the city, in a dwelling long since abandoned, the death of the Dark Lord was noticed.
Yoda had just returned to his newfound residence, gathering small grubs and lichens for an evening meal, when his senses perked up. It was as if, all at once, his senses were reawakening from a long sleep. He immediately stopped where he was and sat, adopting a meditative position to concentrate his thoughts.
”Dissipated, the fog of darkness has. But remain, a cloud does. A cloud that one day will grow and grow until it becomes the fog again. Made his decision Anakin Skywalker has, forever will it dominate his destiny.”
Yoda stood again, brushing himself off gathering his things together for his dinner. However, he could not help a small smile, satisfied that at least the one responsible for his exile had been suitably dealt with.
The Hutts referred to it as “obeyja”, the Rodians used the term “lutuk”, and the Shryiwook language of Kashyyk used a series of grunts and growls unpronounceable to almost every other sentient species known in the galaxy.
But Galactic Basic had a word for the increasing chaos in the Senate District as well, “pandemonium.”
The influx of Clone soldiers had been impromptu, but mercilessly effective. Although many clones were content to sit out the battle, there were enough commanders out there who felt that their existence was threatened enough that they joined in the fracas.
Soon the entire complex had been surrounded, and the initial gains made by the droid armies had been reversed one the droid air support had faltered and the clones had brought heavy weapons to bear. With a modest distance between them and the nearest fighting, Bow and Thire had taken a moment to attempt to coordinate their next move.
“The tinnies are getting beaten back,” Thire said, but the question remains, do we go in and help Skywalker?”
“I don’t see how we can do otherwise,” Bow replied. “We’ve hitched our repulsors sleds to Skywalker’s mag-lev and if he loses we’re done for sure.”
Thire was still not convinced. “ISB is still in between us and the fighting upstairs though. I know for a fact they’ve got nasty surprises in there that not even I was cleared to learn about when they started building the place. Every one of those natural born meatbags in there is more devoted to the Empire than even we are, and we were bred for it.”
Bow already had an answer to that dilemma. “We’ve got gunships, and we know Skywalker is in the top of that building, we can bypass all of the ISB traps and be to the General in minutes!”
“That’s risky; you know the General doesn’t like people getting in his way.” Thire said. “I’ll call the gunships and see if they can get us some recon from up there and maybe we can set something up.”
A massive explosion put the clones’ plan on hold. They rushed to the scene in an attempt to get a vantage point, and saw the smoldering ruins of a fighter tank, and scores of clones lying dead on the pavement. Thire and Bow were forced to flee themselves as the flaming wreckage of a gunship came hurtling out of the sky, nearly crashing down upon them.
“What in blazes…oh no…” Bow said, tensing up as the Annihilator droid came into view. Standing at three and a half meters tall, and bristling with powerful guns, the Annihilators were the most powerful weapons boasted by the Droid Army. They were shielded as well, and capable of destroying anything that the Clone Army had thrown at them. These droids were single handedly for many of the Confederacy’s final victories in the Outer Rim before they were shut down. When the Separatists surrendered, every clone who had survived those battles had hoped that no more would ever rise again.
Now they were facing one again, fielded by their own government at that. Bow’s body burned with betrayal, Thire had only heard of the droids, but their reputation preceded them. “You ever have to fight one of those things he said?”
“Once,” Bow said as he adjusted his helmet, saying nothing more and indicating to Thire that he was not keen on the idea of discussing it further.
A moment of uneasy quiet passed. “I’ll call the AT-RT’s,” said Thire. “Between them and the fighter tanks we’ll have enough to…”
“Keep them back!” Bow snapped. “They’re not armored enough; they’ll be ripped to shreds! I saw one of those things tear through an AT-TE like it was bantha butter, we need heavier firepower!”
“Commander Cody said he was bringing in an AT-AP, he shouldn’t be much longer. “ Thire countered, “We need to hit those things now though before they can rout the forces that we have here now!”
“And how do you propose we do that? There’s still too many of the Magnaguards on the ground to get in close to plant explosives, and even if we did there’s still the matter of those shield generators! The only way we could stop them right now if we were lucky enough to get bomber support and if we do that we’ll level the whole district with us and the General in it!”
“Then there’s nothing we can do except try to stall them until more firepower arrives, or General Skywalker ends things inside. But waiting is just going to get us killed!” Thire countered.
“But engaging those things head on is what those spooks inside want us to do. Even the AT-AP’s aren’t guarantee enough...unless….” The beginnings of a plan formed in Bow’s mind. “Where did you get that BARC speeder you came in on?”
“The bike? It was reassigned to us after the pilot was killed during the kidnap attempt on Palpatine, we’ve been using it for patrols, but the guns on that thing are weak.”
“Does it still have all of its kit?” Bow asked excitedly.
“It should, although I don’t know what a BARC trooper has that can take out a big droid like that.” Thire said, unsure of what his comrade was thinking.
“We just might have a chance yet. Let’s go make sure that it’s safe and fully stocked, and once we do, we’ll go help our boys in stalling that thing until Cody’s team arrives.”
The explosions outside of the building did not go unnoticed, but failed to break the stalemate in the duel raging within. Neither Anakin nor Palpatine were relenting, and with each passing effect both combatants were getting angrier, which boosted their connection to the Force.
Anakin had an advantage in raw power but he had seen little of his Master’s fighting technique, whereas Darth Sidious had the decided advantage of being able to witness Anakin fight on numerous occasions in person or via recording. Each time Anakin attempted to utilize a maneuver from his repertoire he was blocked, most notably when technique he used to amputate Dooku’s hands was parried deftly with a short sweep of the blade that had caused Anakin to lose his balance for a brief second. Anakin was then forced to counter with a parry of his own that saw his blade nearly deflected back into his own body, singing his clothing.
“You’re a far better duelist than your last two students Master; perhaps your teaching skills aren’t as sharp as you thought!” Anakin quipped as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.
Sidious was quick to respond. “You are bold Lord Vader, but you remain on the brink of your defeat! Those explosions outside are the sounds of your treasonous plot collapsing!”
At that moment Sidious broke off the attack and stepped backwards, Anakin noticed that he was near the edge of the shattered window, and he could not help but notice the Annihilator droid below, decimating the clone forces surrounding the building.
“Your loyalty endears you to those who fight with my young apprentice.” Sidious said, keeping his lightsaber activated as he crept closer. “But it is also your greatest weakness. The Jedi exploited it to suit their own plans, and because you failed to learn from your mistake it was simple for me to do the same. Accept your fate, and die with the satisfaction that your children will not grow up to be as witless as you!”
The comment had caused Anakin to snap, he gathered the Force to him, and released it in a powerful attack. The attack struck Sidious hard enough that the Sith Lord dropped his lightsaber to the ground, but strong enough to prevent him from releasing another bust of Force lightning. Anakin shifted his lightsaber to counter the attack again, but he was perilously close to the edge. The same edge that Mace Windu had been tossed over on the fateful night he had turned to the Dark Side.
With Both hands on the hilt, Anakin held his ground, but as Sidious drew closer the intensity of the attack threatened to overtake Anakin, and send him plummeting into the battle raging down below.
It had been some time since the war ended, but the Clone Commander known as Cody did not take long to readjust to the incredibly hostile environment of a battle, and after his failure to stop the fugitive Jedi General Kenobi on Utapau, he was eager to redeem himself to General Skywalker, whom he still had a great personal admiration for.
Cody’s men were back on Coruscant when the call went out, awaiting their next deployment and were thus scattered about the Imperial City with a brief shore leave. But Cody did find a couple of clones eager to help, and was thus able to crew one of the powerful All Terrain Attack Pods under his command.
“Cody, this is Thire, what’s your ETA?” came a voice over the comm. channel the clones were operating on.
“We’ll be there in a Coruscant minute,” Cody replied.
“Good, we’re getting the poodoo beaten out of us by an Annihilator Droid.”
That had Cody worried. “Thire, say that again? I thought you just said….”
“You heard me right, it’s a kriffing Annihilator. We need you here now, Bow has a plan but if you don’t get here in time then were all going to wish we were back in the vats.”
Cody sighed. “Here I thought I’d get to shoot something made out of meat for once. What do you need me to do Thire?”
“This part you’ll like, Bow is going to take out the shields on that thing, all you have to do is unload with everything you got and make sure it blows up!”
Cody’s dismay turned into predatory excitement. “Roger that Thire. But you better make it fast, We’re coming around the block now!”
“Did you hear that?” Thire said as Bow finished working on the BARC Trooper’s kit.
“Loud and clear,” Bow said with no hint of emotion in his voice.
Bow had found exactly what he was looking for in the gear left behind with the speeder bike. A full set of Reverse Pulse Polarity grenades normally reserved for commandos such as the ARC and BARC troopers. They were the most powerful handheld EMP weapons used by the Clone Army, and although they wre grenades they took slightly longer to detonate than the standard grenades used by clone troopers. Bow was now in possession of nearly a dozen of them. It was not a popular weapon, because it disrupted the Clones own weaponry just as well as it disrupted the droids it targeted.
Bow said nothing else as he jumped on the speeder bike and armed all of the grenades. He accelerated as fast as he could, knowing that he had to close the gap in time and hit the Annihilator with everything it had before the grenades detonated, which would disable the speeder bike while also electrocuting him.
The Annihilator was preoccupied with its destruction of the force of clones already engaging it. Some clones bravely attempted to get in close with their vehicles and grenades, and were cut down for their efforts. It did not notice at first as Bow made his way on a straight path towards it, ready to disable the droid and give Commander Cody the chance to incinerate it.
”Keep distracting it boys, just a little longer!”
Eventually the powerful droid did notice the speeder bike though, and it turned its powerful guns towards the bike as it shrugged off the attacks of the few clones that had survived its onslaught.
Knowing that he did not have much further to go, and knowing that if he failed then there would be little chance of beating that droid. Bow had no option left to him but to keep his foot on the accelerator, even as the distance between him and the droid rapidly disappeared. The droid opened fire, but its massive guns were too far apart to hit a small target at close proximity.
Bow heard the chirping sound of the detonators activating, and he began to feel a tingling sensation just as his speeder was within a few meters of the shielded droid.
Thire watched as the speeder bike carrying Bow plowed into the annihilator droid just as the EMP was detonating. The combination of the suicide attack and the multiple proximity EMP detonations overwhelmed the droid as expected. Thire looked back and saw the AT-AP. Cody must have noticed the explosion as well, because the AT-AP had already begun to open fire. With its third leg already bracing it for support, the pronounced heavy projectile launcher struck true at the center of the Annihilator’s mass, destroying it utterly.
The clones surrounding the wreckage threw their hands up into the air with a cheer. The EMP blast had done severe damage to the other remaining droids as well, and it was now much easier for the attacking clones to finish off their prey. Thire hefted his own rifle to join the attack, but not before snapping his arm up in a quick salute in tribute to Bow.
Sidious stepped closer, and as his confidence grew he intensified the blasts from his hands, focusing all of his power and concentration into the attack. With Anakin on the precipice, there would not be a repeat of his last counter.
“It’s over Lord Vader! Accept the futility of your efforts now and die with dignity!”
Anakin’s rage flared at the remark and for a brief second his blade pushed forward, but he could not gain ground as Sidious drew ever closer. He was forced to back up again, his right heel was now unsupported and he had to bring his foot up onto his toe in order to maintain his balance.
Sidious was now so close that Anakin could see his face up close in great detail, the old man’s yellow eyes burned with a psychotic light that Anakin had never seen before, and his mouth was twisted into an expression of demented glee. He was now seeing the true face of his Master, the most powerful schemer in galactic history, and saw none of the intellect that he had associated with Sidious. Anakin’s vision began to blur, and for a second his head was filled with terrible thoughts. His children, his beautiful and beloved children, were both adorned in Sith robes, with the same disfigured visages of Darth Sidious.
He could not allow that to happen.
Summoning all of his strength and energy Anakin released his right hand from his lightsaber, shifted all of his weight onto his left ankle and started to pivot. He released his energy and spun around on his left foot, whirling his body faster than Sidious’s eyes could track, the last part of Anakin to make the turn was his left hand, still holding the lightsaber. It was pulled away so quickly that Sidious failed to react in time. With the lightsaber no longer absorbing his energy the blasts coming from Darth Sidious shot out through the window, hitting nothing in particular. As Sidious struggled to regain control, he failed to anticipate what happened next.
Halfway through his spin Anakin’s right arm reached up to grip his lightsaber, with the lightsaber above his head, Anakin slashed down before Sidious could move out of the way. Anakin’s blade cut through Darth Sidious at the Dark Lord’s left shoulder just below his neck, exiting the right side of his body above his waist.
Darth Sidious, known to the galaxy as Emperor Palpatine, Dark Lord of the Sith and absolute ruler of the galaxy, was dead.
Drained from his expenditure of energy, Anakin slumped to his knees, and regarded the corpse of his one time friend. For so long he had regarded the man as an ally, and now he was dead. Dead because, like the Jedi, Darth Sidious had paid the price for abusing Anakin’s loyalty and used Anakin to serve his own ends.
The enormity of his situation was not lost upon him. Once a boy growing up as a slave on the sand blasted world of Tatooine, Anakin was now at the very center of the galaxy, and along with the title of Sith Master, it was his for the taking.
Anakin focused his senses, learning that the battle outside had ended he stood up and noticed the lightsaber of Darth Sidious on the floor, now deactivated and lifeless. He picked it up and regarded it for a moment, before clipping it to his own belt and making his way out of the room.
The fighting was over for now, but Anakin’s work was not finished. His vengeance upon Darth Sidious would not be complete until he had taken everything that Sidious had cared about, including the Empire.
Hundreds of meters below the surface of the city, in a dwelling long since abandoned, the death of the Dark Lord was noticed.
Yoda had just returned to his newfound residence, gathering small grubs and lichens for an evening meal, when his senses perked up. It was as if, all at once, his senses were reawakening from a long sleep. He immediately stopped where he was and sat, adopting a meditative position to concentrate his thoughts.
”Dissipated, the fog of darkness has. But remain, a cloud does. A cloud that one day will grow and grow until it becomes the fog again. Made his decision Anakin Skywalker has, forever will it dominate his destiny.”
Yoda stood again, brushing himself off gathering his things together for his dinner. However, he could not help a small smile, satisfied that at least the one responsible for his exile had been suitably dealt with.
"If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little."
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
-
Darth Fanboy
- DUH! WINNING!
- Posts: 11182
- Joined: 2002-09-20 05:25am
- Location: Mars, where I am a totally bitchin' rockstar.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (New Chapter 12/25/08)
Sorry for the short chapter, but I wasn't going to toss in filler to artifically inflate the length. This story is nearly finished though, and I have quite literally been waiting for years to write that chapter.
The last couple of chapters have featured a few references that you might miss, including one of my favorite SDN quotes ever and a reference to the ANH opening crawl.
Thank you for reading.
The last couple of chapters have featured a few references that you might miss, including one of my favorite SDN quotes ever and a reference to the ANH opening crawl.
Thank you for reading.
"If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little."
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
The Emperor is Dead! Long Live the New Emperor!
ALL HAIL THE NEW DARK LORD!
ALL HAIL THE NEW DARK LORD!
I've been asked why I still follow a few of the people I know on Facebook with 'interesting political habits and view points'.
It's so when they comment on or approve of something, I know what pages to block/what not to vote for.
It's so when they comment on or approve of something, I know what pages to block/what not to vote for.
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Kartr_Kana
- Jedi Knight
- Posts: 879
- Joined: 2004-11-02 02:50pm
- Location: College
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
Great chapter great conclusion to the last ones cliff hanger! If you're almost done does that mean there's going to be a sequel?
"Our Country won't go on forever, if we stay soft as we are now. There won't be any AMERICA because some foreign soldier will invade us and take our women and breed a hardier race!"
LT. GEN. LEWIS "CHESTY" PULLER, USMC
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Crazedwraith
- Emperor's Hand
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- Joined: 2003-04-10 03:45pm
- Location: Cheshire, England
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
Nice chapter.
Palpatine has learned the 'move soul into a clone' trick has he not? So he's going to wake up on Byss mighty pissed?
Palpatine has learned the 'move soul into a clone' trick has he not? So he's going to wake up on Byss mighty pissed?
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Darth Fanboy
- DUH! WINNING!
- Posts: 11182
- Joined: 2002-09-20 05:25am
- Location: Mars, where I am a totally bitchin' rockstar.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
Check the last post on page 8, I edited that out because of continuity error on my part. Dyas never gives up the secret in this fic now.Crazedwraith wrote:Nice chapter.
Palpatine has learned the 'move soul into a clone' trick has he not? So he's going to wake up on Byss mighty pissed?
"If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little."
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
IRCC, Palaptine didn't learn the 'clone trick' until about 12 years after the Empire was founded (in canon).
I've been asked why I still follow a few of the people I know on Facebook with 'interesting political habits and view points'.
It's so when they comment on or approve of something, I know what pages to block/what not to vote for.
It's so when they comment on or approve of something, I know what pages to block/what not to vote for.
-
Darth Fanboy
- DUH! WINNING!
- Posts: 11182
- Joined: 2002-09-20 05:25am
- Location: Mars, where I am a totally bitchin' rockstar.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
Yes, hence my fixSolauren wrote:IRCC, Palaptine didn't learn the 'clone trick' until about 12 years after the Empire was founded (in canon).
."If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little."
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
fucking AWESOME
Fanboy, you have given me great joy with this fanfic. This is better than anything I ever read in the EU.
Fanboy, you have given me great joy with this fanfic. This is better than anything I ever read in the EU.
∞
XXXI
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Sidewinder
- Sith Acolyte
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- Joined: 2005-05-18 10:23pm
- Location: Feasting on those who fell in battle
- Contact:
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
AWESOME!!! This is probably the MOST BADASS Anakin Skywalker I've ever seen-- hell, the MOST BADASS 'Star Wars' character, PERIOD.
Now if only we can convince Lucasfilm and Lucasarts to hire YOU instead of the lobotomized morons who write 'Star Wars' stories right now.
Now if only we can convince Lucasfilm and Lucasarts to hire YOU instead of the lobotomized morons who write 'Star Wars' stories right now.
Please do not make Americans fight giant monsters.
Those gun nuts do not understand the meaning of "overkill," and will simply use weapon after weapon of mass destruction (WMD) until the monster is dead, or until they run out of weapons.
They have more WMD than there are monsters for us to fight. (More insanity here.)
Those gun nuts do not understand the meaning of "overkill," and will simply use weapon after weapon of mass destruction (WMD) until the monster is dead, or until they run out of weapons.
They have more WMD than there are monsters for us to fight. (More insanity here.)
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
Wow. I've been following this for years and it's been definitely worth the wait.
The lightsaber battle alone would have been enough, but there was something very... Star Wars about the interwoven battle outside the palace between clones and droids.
And now to watch the credits...
The lightsaber battle alone would have been enough, but there was something very... Star Wars about the interwoven battle outside the palace between clones and droids.
And now to watch the credits...
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Darth Fanboy
- DUH! WINNING!
- Posts: 11182
- Joined: 2002-09-20 05:25am
- Location: Mars, where I am a totally bitchin' rockstar.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
Chapter 39: Honesty and Loyalty
Anakin Skywalker regarded the body of his former Master curiously, as if half expecting him to arise once more and announce that this was just another one of his tests for Anakin. But the Force reassured Anakin that the former Dark Lord of the Sith had seen his last day.
“Now comes the hard part…” He thought to himself.
It was a rather subjective thought. For a warrior like Anakin, storming the heart of the Empire and killing one of the most powerful force users and history was not necessarily easy, but it was certainly easier to plan and enact than navigating the complicated web of politics and intrigue that would allow him to actually take reign of the galaxy.
There was however, a way to accomplish this quickly and decisively, but only if the former Jedi acted fast while the government was still in turmoil. Anakin activated his communicator, beginning his search for the man who would pave the way for Anakin’s ascension.
“Commander Bow, this is General Skywalker, how is our perimeter holding up?”
There were a few seconds of silence that immediately told Anakin something was wrong. The silence ended with the voice of a clone, but not the one Anakin expected.
“General, this is Commander Thire, my men and I have assumed control of the perimeter and it remains intact.”
In that moment, Anakin knew Bow was dead. “Commander Thire, I know there’s a long story, but give me the short one.”
Thire heaved an audible sigh as he recalled the death of his fellow Commander. “Annihilator droid shot us to pieces sir, Commander Bow managed to disable it so that we could take it down but he was killed doing so.
The loss stung Anakin. The loss of anyone under his command had always hurt, but Bow was the second Commander since the supposed end of the war that had been killed fighting for him. “Thire, I’m giving you command of the 501st in the area for the time being. Has anyone left the building since the fighting began?”
“Nothing at all has come out of that building save for the pile of scrap metal we’ve built up around it. Shall I send some men in?”
“I appreciate the offer Commander but I need every clone possible outside keeping this building secure, nobody is to leave without my authorization.”
“Understood sir. Errr…Sir? I take it by our conversation that your uh…’meeting’ with the Emperor went well?”
“Assume whatever you want Commander, but the only information officially leaving this building is the information that I allow to leave. If you even suspect that the troopers are going to start gossiping I want you to crack down with whatever means you have at your disposal. It only takes one overzealous civilian with holonet access within earshot of a couple chatty troopers to cause a galactic panic. Is that clear?”
“Loud and clear sir.”
Confident that he had gotten his message across, Anakin ended the conversation. “Very good, I will contact you with further orders soon, Skywalker out.”
Closing his eyes, Anakin sought out his quarry with the Force. Confusion and anxiety permeated throughout the building, but not of the sort that would indicate that the Emperor’s death was widely known. But Anakin knew that if anyone had witnessed his battle with Palpatine, it was the man he was looking for.
After nearly a minute, Anakin discovered one being giving off the pulsating sensation of fear, obviously far more terrified than anyone else in the vicinity.
“I have you now!”
The reverberation of Palpatine’s death woke Obi Wan from his sleep, and the Jedi Master felt as if the sun was shining straight through his eyelids. Of course that was impossible as Obi Wan was currently occupying the guest quarters aboard Bail Organa’s personal starship.
“Palpatine must be dead, could it have been Anakin?”
Obi Wan hoped with all of his heart that perhaps Anakin had come to his sense and redeemed himself, and that balance was being restored to the Force, but that hope was soon dashed.
“No, the shroud isn’t gone, but it has dissipated. I can only feel it at the very fringe of my perception, but it is there.”
Half expecting the ghost of Qui Gonn Jinn to materialize and begin explaining things, Obi Wan paused for a second, but he knew that his mentor was gone. Still, it didn’t take Obi Wan to come to the proper conclusion by himself.
“Palpatine may be dead, but unless Anakin can be stopped the shroud will one day return to what it once was. He must be defeated.”
Now Obi Wan realized what Qui Gonn meant when he said that Anakin was no longer the Chosen One, because Anakin was now the cause of the imbalance.
Obi Wan returned to his meditations, confident that Bail Organa or Garm Bel Iblis would provide an official confirmation later. His quest was now much simpler, while he would do his best to serve the Rebellion honorably and restore freedom to the galaxy, defeating Anakin was now his top priority.
The new insights though provided Obi Wan with a new conundrum though, if defeating Anakin was now the key to restoring balance in the Force, did that mean Obi Wan was the new Chosen One? Had his destiny changed? Or was he supposed to seek out the new Chosen One, and aid in that being’s quest to defeat his former pupil.
As a Padawan, it was frustrating to listen to Jedi Masters create more questions than answers from their wisdom. Obi Wan was now learning that for a Jedi Master, it was even more so.
Sate Pestage scrambled hectically, hoping to find one of the many hidden tunnels that his former master had in installed during the later days of the war. He knew that he was close, which made him even more frantic, and with good reason. With Palpatine dead, there was nobody who could prevent Anakin Skywalker from killing him outright.
At last he found what he was looking for, the Emperor was fond of concealing his passageways with elaborate artworks and sculptures from around the galaxy. In this case, it was an Alderaanian moss-painting of a trio of native thrantas in flight.
Delicately, Pestage pressed the heads of each thranta in sequence, activating the micro circuitry controlling the locks. The door began to raise slowly, and Pestage’s heart raced as he made his escape.
Just as he was about to reach the passageway though, something seized his foot causing him to fall forward. He flailed his arms, but could not restore his balance as his face smashed into the duracrete floor. The fall did not break the grip on whatever had Pestage, and the frightened Grand Vizier of the Empire screamed as he was dragged away from the door by his ankle.
After being dragged nearly ten meters, Pestage stopped. Although he could still feel a tight grip on his leg he risked standing up, as he made it to his feet he heard an all too familiar voice behind him.
“Going somewhere Pestage?” Anakin Skywalker said.
Escape was out of the question.
Stuttering, Pestage attempted to reply. “I was just…I just…”
Anakin cut him off with a firm voice. “Save it, despite what you might think about me Sate I am actually a very reasonable individual provided that those I deal with give me two things. Do you know what those two things are?”
Pestage shook his head in the negative, which did not surprise Anakin. “The two things that I expect from everyone I deal with are honesty and loyalty . In exchange for your honesty, I’ll allow you to live and we’ll both walk away fairly content. OF course I’ll be freezing your assets though and you’ll be on the run with whatever hidden funds you’ve managed to hide from Palpatine, which can’t be much. However, in exchange for your loyalty, not only will I allow you to keep on existing, but I’ll also allow you to retain your wealth, your social status, and your lofty political position and all of its associated powers.”
Suddenly the idea of running out through the secret door was far less enticing than it had been, and Sate was suddenly becoming quite loyal to Anakin Skywalker.
Exhaling deeply, and “Of course General, I am at your disposal.” He said, unaware that Anakin’s offer was being given added weight via subtle suggestion from the Force.
“Then let’s get right to business.” Skywalker said, as unseen tendrils of the Force reached out to gauge the sincerity of Pestage’s responses. “Tell me briefly what you know of the Emperor’s hidden identity.”
“I know that he was in fact, Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith. I also know that at some point, you became his apprentice and took the name Darth Vader.” Pestage replied promptly, divulging everything.
“Good, and how many others know of my fight with Palpatine?”
“Not a single being other than me, the feed was connected to my office, and can only be accessed by myself and the Emperor.”
Anakin smiled, knowing exactly how he could use this situation to his advantage. “Very good, you’ve proven your honesty this is what you will do to prove your loyalty. Take only your most trusted men, the ones that will follow your orders without question no matter what they see. Promise them whatever you must. You will gather for me every piece of evidence regarding Palpatine’s connection to the Separatists, and a holo-recording of our duel with the audio unfortunately unavailable. We will need to make a very convincing case for my speech to the Senate in order to legitimize my ascension to the throne. I know no mechanism for succession exists, or if there was ever a plan to implement one but I will offer the Senate the opportunity to vote on my claiming the throne as a gesture of goodwill. Before that is done you will speak to every Senator, and I mean every Senator that was directly in Palpatine’s pocket and do whatever it takes to ensure their support.”
Pestage bowed his head and clasped his hands in acknowledgement, reinvigorated by his newfound chance to retain his own power despite the daunting task he was being given.
“One last thing,” Anakin said. “How many Senators are being kept in check by Darth Sidious and not Palpatine of Naboo?”
Pondering the question, it took Pestage a few moments to come up with the answer. “No fewer than fourteen senators all of whom are fairly influential, and a number of representatives attached to the offices of others including Senators considered ‘dissidents’ to Imperial Rule but still active members of the Senate.”
“Let them know that the new Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, will continue to reward them if they support Anakin Skywalker as Emperor, and tell them that Lord Vader will meet with them personally as soon as Skywalker takes the throne. Schedule the meeting somewhere discreet and have them all killed. I don’t want there to be even a single shred of evidence of the Sith.”
“But sir…err…My Lord!” Pestage protested. “If I gather the evidence you asked for to present to the Senate showing your battle with the Emperor, wouldn’t that reveal your Sith identities?”
Anakin dismissed Pestage’s fear with a wave of his hand. “That is why I’m having you erase the audio portion of your recording, all that evidence will show is the Palpatine of Naboo was a powerful Force user, and coupled with the tale of betrayal I am going to present to the Senate it will prove far more damning than outing him as a Sith Lord.”
As Pestage bowed again, and left to perform the tasks given to him, Anakin looked down the hallway to where the secret passage was. He was set to seal it shut when he realized that the passage led straight into the tunnels which would eventually lead to the Works, where Palpatine had once conducted training sessions in secret with past Sith Apprentices, and where a certain Jedi Master was being imprisoned.
Confident, that his Master had imprisoned Yoda sufficiently, and unable to sense the old Jedi through the Force, Anakin was content to leave him to die. There was no time for him to go and check, and the only others who could do so would be the Royal Guardsmen. But Anakin knew the Guardsmen were not to be trusted, and he headed off to deal with them.
“They should be looking for me by now. If the old traitor were as smart as he believed himself to be he would have had them present at our battle rather than thinking he could lull me into a false sense of security.”
Regarding the door, Anakin finally went about sealing it, destroying the moss painting for good measure to keep the door sealed permanently.
Anakin turned around to see a crimson wall of armored warriors standing before him, blocking his path. Anakin regarded the Guardsmen with contempt as he unhooked his lightsaber from his belt. “I was wondering when you’d show up…”
The Guardsmen looked on with an unseen surprise as Anakin flashed a smile and activated his lightsaber.
Sequestered on Averam, Bail Organa hid safely under the hospitality of a noble family friendly to House Organa and secretly sympathetic to the cause of the building Insurrection. He was seated at a desk, making an encrypted transmission to Garm Bel Iblis using the co-opted communications network for the former CIS.
“I’ve just received confirmation from your informant in ISB Garm, although we can’t know if Skywalker’s coup was successful or not, we do know that it has officially taken place. The transmission was cut off just as the fighting broke out. There hasn’t been a word leaked from Coruscant yet save for the Senate District still under martial law and the Clone Army imposing curfews in the adjoining districts. That was hours ago.”
“If it’s been that long with no official Imperial response then there’s a chance Skywalker succeeded. COMPNOR is usually very quick to squash negative rumors about Palpatine.”
“It won’t change much either way. Skywalker will be far better than Palpatine in some regards, but I fear that he will militarize the Empire far more. The Outer Rim will be neck deep in Star Destroyers with him in charge of the budget.”
“It’s still a big galaxy, there are plenty of places to hide, I’m not convinced he’ll actually be able to legitimize any claim of leadership should he make it.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Bail admonished. “Skywalker’s reputation is far from diplomatic, and his demeanor nothing less than blunt. But he is incredibly powerful, even amongst the Jedi he was regarded as such.”
The image of Bel Iblis sighed. “Which brings us to my next point, I haven’t been able to dig up anything on Ben Cody whatsoever save for what little I have gathered from meeting the man. The only information in his background is that he served under you in the Alderaanian military and there is nothing in those records about any Jedi abilities.”
Bail was annoyed at what Bel Iblis was implying. “I will personally vouch for General Cody until every star in the galaxy is cold and dead. “
“How can you be so sure? If he was once a Jedi like Skywalker was then the two could be working together! This kind of deception isn’t unheard of. For all we know the entire Battle of Dantooine could have been a ruse to gain our trust!
A tight feeling caused a knot in Bail’s gut, he had to be careful not to betray Obi Wan’s trust. “I wish I could do more to reassure you Garm, but for his own safety and for Alderaan’s safety I have to keep General Cody’s true identity a secret. But what I can tell you is that Anakin Skywalker is the reason that he’s in that armored life-support system and that he certainly has no love left for what his former colleague has done to him. If this information came to light, then Skywalker would bring nothing but death and destruction to my planet, whether he has the Empire with him or not.”
Garm Bel Iblis’s adamant posturing had turned somber. “I see. You’ll have to forgive me Bail, I’ve been rather paranoid as of late.”
Bail was quick to adopt a conciliatory tone. “With good reason, I understand. But we must never forget that there are still people in this galaxy we can trust, and if we don’t trust those who have earned it then we’ll self destruct long before the Empire ever has a chance to finish us off. General Cody has sacrificed more than anyone I have met in the brief history of our struggle, and he sacrificed even more during the War with the Separatists when he thought he was fighting for the right side. In time he will tell you everything you want to know, but for now it’s best to leave that sleeping gundark lie and…hold on, I’m getting another transmission.”
Iblis’s hologram watched as Bail regarded a data terminal on the same desk, after a few moments, the Alderaanian turned his attention back to his Corellian counterpart.
“It’s just been announced that Anakin Skywalker will be addressing an emergency session of the Senate later today. It looks like you were right.”
Anakin deactivated his lightsaber as he regarded his handiwork. A few of the corpses were missing their heads and limbs, a few had visible blaster wounds on them, and the rest were still smoldering from the Force lightning. He mused for a moment if Grievous was as efficient in his slaughter of the Guardsmen during the Separatist raid on Coruscant.
“All too easy.” He said as he made his way down the corridor, spying a pair of COMPNOR officers frozen in fear having witnessed the fight.
Anakin noticed them. “Don’t just stand there,” he barked at them. “Get this mess cleaned up.”
Anakin Skywalker regarded the body of his former Master curiously, as if half expecting him to arise once more and announce that this was just another one of his tests for Anakin. But the Force reassured Anakin that the former Dark Lord of the Sith had seen his last day.
“Now comes the hard part…” He thought to himself.
It was a rather subjective thought. For a warrior like Anakin, storming the heart of the Empire and killing one of the most powerful force users and history was not necessarily easy, but it was certainly easier to plan and enact than navigating the complicated web of politics and intrigue that would allow him to actually take reign of the galaxy.
There was however, a way to accomplish this quickly and decisively, but only if the former Jedi acted fast while the government was still in turmoil. Anakin activated his communicator, beginning his search for the man who would pave the way for Anakin’s ascension.
“Commander Bow, this is General Skywalker, how is our perimeter holding up?”
There were a few seconds of silence that immediately told Anakin something was wrong. The silence ended with the voice of a clone, but not the one Anakin expected.
“General, this is Commander Thire, my men and I have assumed control of the perimeter and it remains intact.”
In that moment, Anakin knew Bow was dead. “Commander Thire, I know there’s a long story, but give me the short one.”
Thire heaved an audible sigh as he recalled the death of his fellow Commander. “Annihilator droid shot us to pieces sir, Commander Bow managed to disable it so that we could take it down but he was killed doing so.
The loss stung Anakin. The loss of anyone under his command had always hurt, but Bow was the second Commander since the supposed end of the war that had been killed fighting for him. “Thire, I’m giving you command of the 501st in the area for the time being. Has anyone left the building since the fighting began?”
“Nothing at all has come out of that building save for the pile of scrap metal we’ve built up around it. Shall I send some men in?”
“I appreciate the offer Commander but I need every clone possible outside keeping this building secure, nobody is to leave without my authorization.”
“Understood sir. Errr…Sir? I take it by our conversation that your uh…’meeting’ with the Emperor went well?”
“Assume whatever you want Commander, but the only information officially leaving this building is the information that I allow to leave. If you even suspect that the troopers are going to start gossiping I want you to crack down with whatever means you have at your disposal. It only takes one overzealous civilian with holonet access within earshot of a couple chatty troopers to cause a galactic panic. Is that clear?”
“Loud and clear sir.”
Confident that he had gotten his message across, Anakin ended the conversation. “Very good, I will contact you with further orders soon, Skywalker out.”
Closing his eyes, Anakin sought out his quarry with the Force. Confusion and anxiety permeated throughout the building, but not of the sort that would indicate that the Emperor’s death was widely known. But Anakin knew that if anyone had witnessed his battle with Palpatine, it was the man he was looking for.
After nearly a minute, Anakin discovered one being giving off the pulsating sensation of fear, obviously far more terrified than anyone else in the vicinity.
“I have you now!”
The reverberation of Palpatine’s death woke Obi Wan from his sleep, and the Jedi Master felt as if the sun was shining straight through his eyelids. Of course that was impossible as Obi Wan was currently occupying the guest quarters aboard Bail Organa’s personal starship.
“Palpatine must be dead, could it have been Anakin?”
Obi Wan hoped with all of his heart that perhaps Anakin had come to his sense and redeemed himself, and that balance was being restored to the Force, but that hope was soon dashed.
“No, the shroud isn’t gone, but it has dissipated. I can only feel it at the very fringe of my perception, but it is there.”
Half expecting the ghost of Qui Gonn Jinn to materialize and begin explaining things, Obi Wan paused for a second, but he knew that his mentor was gone. Still, it didn’t take Obi Wan to come to the proper conclusion by himself.
“Palpatine may be dead, but unless Anakin can be stopped the shroud will one day return to what it once was. He must be defeated.”
Now Obi Wan realized what Qui Gonn meant when he said that Anakin was no longer the Chosen One, because Anakin was now the cause of the imbalance.
Obi Wan returned to his meditations, confident that Bail Organa or Garm Bel Iblis would provide an official confirmation later. His quest was now much simpler, while he would do his best to serve the Rebellion honorably and restore freedom to the galaxy, defeating Anakin was now his top priority.
The new insights though provided Obi Wan with a new conundrum though, if defeating Anakin was now the key to restoring balance in the Force, did that mean Obi Wan was the new Chosen One? Had his destiny changed? Or was he supposed to seek out the new Chosen One, and aid in that being’s quest to defeat his former pupil.
As a Padawan, it was frustrating to listen to Jedi Masters create more questions than answers from their wisdom. Obi Wan was now learning that for a Jedi Master, it was even more so.
Sate Pestage scrambled hectically, hoping to find one of the many hidden tunnels that his former master had in installed during the later days of the war. He knew that he was close, which made him even more frantic, and with good reason. With Palpatine dead, there was nobody who could prevent Anakin Skywalker from killing him outright.
At last he found what he was looking for, the Emperor was fond of concealing his passageways with elaborate artworks and sculptures from around the galaxy. In this case, it was an Alderaanian moss-painting of a trio of native thrantas in flight.
Delicately, Pestage pressed the heads of each thranta in sequence, activating the micro circuitry controlling the locks. The door began to raise slowly, and Pestage’s heart raced as he made his escape.
Just as he was about to reach the passageway though, something seized his foot causing him to fall forward. He flailed his arms, but could not restore his balance as his face smashed into the duracrete floor. The fall did not break the grip on whatever had Pestage, and the frightened Grand Vizier of the Empire screamed as he was dragged away from the door by his ankle.
After being dragged nearly ten meters, Pestage stopped. Although he could still feel a tight grip on his leg he risked standing up, as he made it to his feet he heard an all too familiar voice behind him.
“Going somewhere Pestage?” Anakin Skywalker said.
Escape was out of the question.
Stuttering, Pestage attempted to reply. “I was just…I just…”
Anakin cut him off with a firm voice. “Save it, despite what you might think about me Sate I am actually a very reasonable individual provided that those I deal with give me two things. Do you know what those two things are?”
Pestage shook his head in the negative, which did not surprise Anakin. “The two things that I expect from everyone I deal with are honesty and loyalty . In exchange for your honesty, I’ll allow you to live and we’ll both walk away fairly content. OF course I’ll be freezing your assets though and you’ll be on the run with whatever hidden funds you’ve managed to hide from Palpatine, which can’t be much. However, in exchange for your loyalty, not only will I allow you to keep on existing, but I’ll also allow you to retain your wealth, your social status, and your lofty political position and all of its associated powers.”
Suddenly the idea of running out through the secret door was far less enticing than it had been, and Sate was suddenly becoming quite loyal to Anakin Skywalker.
Exhaling deeply, and “Of course General, I am at your disposal.” He said, unaware that Anakin’s offer was being given added weight via subtle suggestion from the Force.
“Then let’s get right to business.” Skywalker said, as unseen tendrils of the Force reached out to gauge the sincerity of Pestage’s responses. “Tell me briefly what you know of the Emperor’s hidden identity.”
“I know that he was in fact, Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith. I also know that at some point, you became his apprentice and took the name Darth Vader.” Pestage replied promptly, divulging everything.
“Good, and how many others know of my fight with Palpatine?”
“Not a single being other than me, the feed was connected to my office, and can only be accessed by myself and the Emperor.”
Anakin smiled, knowing exactly how he could use this situation to his advantage. “Very good, you’ve proven your honesty this is what you will do to prove your loyalty. Take only your most trusted men, the ones that will follow your orders without question no matter what they see. Promise them whatever you must. You will gather for me every piece of evidence regarding Palpatine’s connection to the Separatists, and a holo-recording of our duel with the audio unfortunately unavailable. We will need to make a very convincing case for my speech to the Senate in order to legitimize my ascension to the throne. I know no mechanism for succession exists, or if there was ever a plan to implement one but I will offer the Senate the opportunity to vote on my claiming the throne as a gesture of goodwill. Before that is done you will speak to every Senator, and I mean every Senator that was directly in Palpatine’s pocket and do whatever it takes to ensure their support.”
Pestage bowed his head and clasped his hands in acknowledgement, reinvigorated by his newfound chance to retain his own power despite the daunting task he was being given.
“One last thing,” Anakin said. “How many Senators are being kept in check by Darth Sidious and not Palpatine of Naboo?”
Pondering the question, it took Pestage a few moments to come up with the answer. “No fewer than fourteen senators all of whom are fairly influential, and a number of representatives attached to the offices of others including Senators considered ‘dissidents’ to Imperial Rule but still active members of the Senate.”
“Let them know that the new Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, will continue to reward them if they support Anakin Skywalker as Emperor, and tell them that Lord Vader will meet with them personally as soon as Skywalker takes the throne. Schedule the meeting somewhere discreet and have them all killed. I don’t want there to be even a single shred of evidence of the Sith.”
“But sir…err…My Lord!” Pestage protested. “If I gather the evidence you asked for to present to the Senate showing your battle with the Emperor, wouldn’t that reveal your Sith identities?”
Anakin dismissed Pestage’s fear with a wave of his hand. “That is why I’m having you erase the audio portion of your recording, all that evidence will show is the Palpatine of Naboo was a powerful Force user, and coupled with the tale of betrayal I am going to present to the Senate it will prove far more damning than outing him as a Sith Lord.”
As Pestage bowed again, and left to perform the tasks given to him, Anakin looked down the hallway to where the secret passage was. He was set to seal it shut when he realized that the passage led straight into the tunnels which would eventually lead to the Works, where Palpatine had once conducted training sessions in secret with past Sith Apprentices, and where a certain Jedi Master was being imprisoned.
Confident, that his Master had imprisoned Yoda sufficiently, and unable to sense the old Jedi through the Force, Anakin was content to leave him to die. There was no time for him to go and check, and the only others who could do so would be the Royal Guardsmen. But Anakin knew the Guardsmen were not to be trusted, and he headed off to deal with them.
“They should be looking for me by now. If the old traitor were as smart as he believed himself to be he would have had them present at our battle rather than thinking he could lull me into a false sense of security.”
Regarding the door, Anakin finally went about sealing it, destroying the moss painting for good measure to keep the door sealed permanently.
Anakin turned around to see a crimson wall of armored warriors standing before him, blocking his path. Anakin regarded the Guardsmen with contempt as he unhooked his lightsaber from his belt. “I was wondering when you’d show up…”
The Guardsmen looked on with an unseen surprise as Anakin flashed a smile and activated his lightsaber.
Sequestered on Averam, Bail Organa hid safely under the hospitality of a noble family friendly to House Organa and secretly sympathetic to the cause of the building Insurrection. He was seated at a desk, making an encrypted transmission to Garm Bel Iblis using the co-opted communications network for the former CIS.
“I’ve just received confirmation from your informant in ISB Garm, although we can’t know if Skywalker’s coup was successful or not, we do know that it has officially taken place. The transmission was cut off just as the fighting broke out. There hasn’t been a word leaked from Coruscant yet save for the Senate District still under martial law and the Clone Army imposing curfews in the adjoining districts. That was hours ago.”
“If it’s been that long with no official Imperial response then there’s a chance Skywalker succeeded. COMPNOR is usually very quick to squash negative rumors about Palpatine.”
“It won’t change much either way. Skywalker will be far better than Palpatine in some regards, but I fear that he will militarize the Empire far more. The Outer Rim will be neck deep in Star Destroyers with him in charge of the budget.”
“It’s still a big galaxy, there are plenty of places to hide, I’m not convinced he’ll actually be able to legitimize any claim of leadership should he make it.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Bail admonished. “Skywalker’s reputation is far from diplomatic, and his demeanor nothing less than blunt. But he is incredibly powerful, even amongst the Jedi he was regarded as such.”
The image of Bel Iblis sighed. “Which brings us to my next point, I haven’t been able to dig up anything on Ben Cody whatsoever save for what little I have gathered from meeting the man. The only information in his background is that he served under you in the Alderaanian military and there is nothing in those records about any Jedi abilities.”
Bail was annoyed at what Bel Iblis was implying. “I will personally vouch for General Cody until every star in the galaxy is cold and dead. “
“How can you be so sure? If he was once a Jedi like Skywalker was then the two could be working together! This kind of deception isn’t unheard of. For all we know the entire Battle of Dantooine could have been a ruse to gain our trust!
A tight feeling caused a knot in Bail’s gut, he had to be careful not to betray Obi Wan’s trust. “I wish I could do more to reassure you Garm, but for his own safety and for Alderaan’s safety I have to keep General Cody’s true identity a secret. But what I can tell you is that Anakin Skywalker is the reason that he’s in that armored life-support system and that he certainly has no love left for what his former colleague has done to him. If this information came to light, then Skywalker would bring nothing but death and destruction to my planet, whether he has the Empire with him or not.”
Garm Bel Iblis’s adamant posturing had turned somber. “I see. You’ll have to forgive me Bail, I’ve been rather paranoid as of late.”
Bail was quick to adopt a conciliatory tone. “With good reason, I understand. But we must never forget that there are still people in this galaxy we can trust, and if we don’t trust those who have earned it then we’ll self destruct long before the Empire ever has a chance to finish us off. General Cody has sacrificed more than anyone I have met in the brief history of our struggle, and he sacrificed even more during the War with the Separatists when he thought he was fighting for the right side. In time he will tell you everything you want to know, but for now it’s best to leave that sleeping gundark lie and…hold on, I’m getting another transmission.”
Iblis’s hologram watched as Bail regarded a data terminal on the same desk, after a few moments, the Alderaanian turned his attention back to his Corellian counterpart.
“It’s just been announced that Anakin Skywalker will be addressing an emergency session of the Senate later today. It looks like you were right.”
Anakin deactivated his lightsaber as he regarded his handiwork. A few of the corpses were missing their heads and limbs, a few had visible blaster wounds on them, and the rest were still smoldering from the Force lightning. He mused for a moment if Grievous was as efficient in his slaughter of the Guardsmen during the Separatist raid on Coruscant.
“All too easy.” He said as he made his way down the corridor, spying a pair of COMPNOR officers frozen in fear having witnessed the fight.
Anakin noticed them. “Don’t just stand there,” he barked at them. “Get this mess cleaned up.”
Last edited by Darth Fanboy on 2009-01-14 11:05pm, edited 1 time in total.
"If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little."
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Darth Fanboy
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Re: Scars of Mustafar (*BIG TIME UPDATE* 12/28/08)
Epilogue: Anakin Ascendant
The following is a transcript of Anakin Skywalker’s speech to the Imperial Senate following the death of Emperor Palpatine.
“To the esteemed members of the Imperial Senate, I appreciate your attendance on such short notice. It is to my great regret that I must inform you of the death of the First Galactic Emperor, Palpatine of Naboo.”
“Understand however, his death reveals a dark truth, that coupled with the dire circumstances surrounding the events that took place less than a day ago here in the Senate District require nothing less than a full explanation to you and to the uncounted quadrillions of beings you represent.”
“As part the recent campaign to seek out the traitorous Jedi responsible for the death of my wife, the Imperial Ambassador Padme Amidala Skywalker, Imperial Forces engaged a Separatist battle cruiser over the planet of Telos. During the battle, we uncovered evidence that the Jedi were indeed working with the Separatists, as the fugitive Jedi Quinlan Vos was seen using a Separatist Gunship as his personal transport. Indeed, Vos was the one responsible for the murder of my wife and it was one of his operatives who attempted to kill my children shortly afterwards!”
“But as I set out to personally apprehend the Jedi, I was nearly killed as Imperial ships bombarded Telos, destroying the world utterly.”
“Understand that the bombardment of that planet was not carried out under my orders! In an attempt to assassinate me, Moff Wilhuff Tarkin had boarded my flagship without my knowledge and gave the order. Some of you will be happy to know that Tarkin has already been executed for his crimes against the people of Telos. The wanton massacring of Imperial Citizens will never be tolerated as long as I am alive!”
“Before his punishment was carried out, Tarkin revealed that he was acting under orders. As a Moff, Tarkin only answered to one individual, his majesty the First Galactic Emperor, Palpatine of Naboo. It was only then that the pieces began to finally come together. Between the Jedi luring me to Telos, and Tarkin taking advantage of it in order to kill me, the pair of betrayals finally began to make sense. That was when I began suspecting that Palpatine and Quinlan Vos were in collusion.”
“I immediately raced back to Coruscant in complete shock, faced with such a terrible revelation I needed all of the evidence I could find so that I could ease my mind and clear the name of our Emperor from the seeming blasphemy spouted by Tarkin, who would have said anything to spare himself from his own fate.”
“When I confronted the Emperor though, all I found was the darkest confirmation of all of my fears.”
At this point, Skywalker procures a small data drive, and begins playing a holo-recording for the audience to see. A large flickering image of Skywalker locked in a lightsaber duel with Palpatine plays as the audience gasps in shock.
“Honored Senators and Representatives, it is to my great dismay that I must tell you that Palpatine of Naboo was secretly a Jedi Master.”
“Along with the former Jedi known as Count Dooku, he used a series of surnames in order to seduce the leaders of industry and finance across the galaxy and create a droid army while their allies on the Jedi Council raised a hidden Clone Army. Their aim it appears was to create a galaxy-spanning war that, no matter who won, would leave the Jedi with total control of the galaxy.”
“Some of you might be asking, ‘What of the Jedi killed during the war?’ ‘What about the Jedi Rebellion?’ and ‘Weren’t you a Jedi General Skywalker?’ Well the answer to those questions has a frighteningly simple explanation.”
“The collusion was between the Jedi Council and Palpatine, in fact, over the course of the war, none of the Jedi involved in the collusion were killed until the war’s final days. The reason for this is because the Jedi Council got greedy and turned on their ally Palpatine. Their battles were fought hidden from the public view until I was eventually drawn into the conflict, and I was forced to step in as the Jedi Council finally made their move directly. I was completely unaware of Palpatine’s own Jedi training until yesterday.”
“With the council out of the way, Jedi Master Palpatine was now unopposed in the galaxy, and with the Clone Army holding a decided advantage in the war, he made his move to transform the Republic into the current Galactic Empire, as he would have done to the former Confederacy should they have been victorious.”
“My own involvement in the whole affair turns out to be that of an uninformed pawn. From the first days of my training I was ostracized by the Jedi, the result of my joining their order late in life. Of course this was in no way justified save for the fact that I was not as easily indoctrinated as those raised in the temple from birth! Eventually I was involved in the power play, and I became convinced as you were by Palpatine’s argument that the Jedi were attempting to take over the Republic. While that part was true, the rest of his deception is far more painful to me.”
“Bringing us back to recent events, it was Palpatine who ordered his agent, the supposedly ‘fugitive’ Jedi known as Quinlan Vos who escaped arrest far too often for it to be coincidence, to kill my wife and set in motion the events that would lead to my downfall. If you are unconvinced, I refer you to the evidence I have provided. Provided with the help of Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, who remains in Imperial service despite the betrayal he felt after learning of the Emperor’s treachery.”
“Palpatine feared me, but not because of my powers, he feared me because of my ideas. H would have transformed the entire galaxy into his own dictatorship with the continued existence of countless sentients at his whim; I want to create a society free of fear from war, slavery, and death. While Palpatine secretly fostered the corruption he so publically condemned, I have aspirations to actually provide a solution.”
“While our Empire was founded under false pretenses, that does not mean we should abandon it! Palpatine may not have believed in the ideals that you and I share, but we believed him because we thought he shared in our ideas for a safe and secure society! We thought he believed in the protection of our civil liberties.”
“Ladies and Gentlebeings of the Senate, as of this moment I am now asserting my claim to the now vacant throne. As a gesture of good will though, I will allow you the chance to vote, to approve or deny my claim. I do this because this galaxy needs strong leadership, but a strong leader cannot rise without the support of the people he seeks to lead!”
“As Emperor I plan on restoring many of the freedoms of all Imperial Citizens, and relinquishing some of the executive powers granted to this office by the Senate during the War, executive powers unjustly retained by Palpatine. I seek not to oversee every detail of our legislative process, or issue decrees and whims like a tyrant.”
“My only wish is to assure the continued safety and ongoing protection of Imperial citizens. We have seen that the Republic was wholly unprepared to do this at the onset of this war, and that Palpatine was more interested in his own aims.”
“I beseech you all, do not give up on the ideals that we founded the Empire upon. Palpatine may have made us an Empire in name, but he could not have done it if we did not support the fundamental truths that united us in opposition to the Separatists during the war.”
“I ask this of you with a heavy heart, I move forward now a widowed father of two. It is my greatest hope that, although they will never know their mother, my children will know peace and security throughout their lifetime. That hope extends to your children and families.”
“I await your decision with humility and respect.”
There was little debate, and although some political commentators and even some senators would draw eerie comparisons between this event and Palpatine’s own rise to power, the decision to approve of Anakin Skywalker as the Second Galactic Emperor was overwhelmingly in favor.
The response of the citizenry of the Empire was a mixture of disbelief and reassurance. While Palpatine had been beloved to many, the word of the “Hero With No Fear” was unimpeachable to more.
Anakin’s rise to power was unprecedented in Galactic History. He had risen from poverty and slavery to become the ruler of the entire galaxy.
But no matter how powerful he became, he still plunged deeper into darkness, a course chosen by Darth Sidious long ago. Even with his concessions, Anakin’s insistence on the continued militarization of the Empire scared and enraged many, and the Rebellion continued to grow.
At the center of that Rebellion, in the far reaches of space, Obi Wan Kenobi still lived. He vowed to fulfill the mission he failed to carry out when he had the chance. Anakin Skywalker had to be stopped, true democracy had to be restored to the galaxy, and the force had to be restored to balance.
Even though the former friends had become mortal enemies, and now travelled different paths, they still shared one undeniable legacy.
The scars left on both men at Mustafar would never fade.
~The End~
Look for a sequel to begin sometime within the next year.
The following is a transcript of Anakin Skywalker’s speech to the Imperial Senate following the death of Emperor Palpatine.
“To the esteemed members of the Imperial Senate, I appreciate your attendance on such short notice. It is to my great regret that I must inform you of the death of the First Galactic Emperor, Palpatine of Naboo.”
“Understand however, his death reveals a dark truth, that coupled with the dire circumstances surrounding the events that took place less than a day ago here in the Senate District require nothing less than a full explanation to you and to the uncounted quadrillions of beings you represent.”
“As part the recent campaign to seek out the traitorous Jedi responsible for the death of my wife, the Imperial Ambassador Padme Amidala Skywalker, Imperial Forces engaged a Separatist battle cruiser over the planet of Telos. During the battle, we uncovered evidence that the Jedi were indeed working with the Separatists, as the fugitive Jedi Quinlan Vos was seen using a Separatist Gunship as his personal transport. Indeed, Vos was the one responsible for the murder of my wife and it was one of his operatives who attempted to kill my children shortly afterwards!”
“But as I set out to personally apprehend the Jedi, I was nearly killed as Imperial ships bombarded Telos, destroying the world utterly.”
“Understand that the bombardment of that planet was not carried out under my orders! In an attempt to assassinate me, Moff Wilhuff Tarkin had boarded my flagship without my knowledge and gave the order. Some of you will be happy to know that Tarkin has already been executed for his crimes against the people of Telos. The wanton massacring of Imperial Citizens will never be tolerated as long as I am alive!”
“Before his punishment was carried out, Tarkin revealed that he was acting under orders. As a Moff, Tarkin only answered to one individual, his majesty the First Galactic Emperor, Palpatine of Naboo. It was only then that the pieces began to finally come together. Between the Jedi luring me to Telos, and Tarkin taking advantage of it in order to kill me, the pair of betrayals finally began to make sense. That was when I began suspecting that Palpatine and Quinlan Vos were in collusion.”
“I immediately raced back to Coruscant in complete shock, faced with such a terrible revelation I needed all of the evidence I could find so that I could ease my mind and clear the name of our Emperor from the seeming blasphemy spouted by Tarkin, who would have said anything to spare himself from his own fate.”
“When I confronted the Emperor though, all I found was the darkest confirmation of all of my fears.”
At this point, Skywalker procures a small data drive, and begins playing a holo-recording for the audience to see. A large flickering image of Skywalker locked in a lightsaber duel with Palpatine plays as the audience gasps in shock.
“Honored Senators and Representatives, it is to my great dismay that I must tell you that Palpatine of Naboo was secretly a Jedi Master.”
“Along with the former Jedi known as Count Dooku, he used a series of surnames in order to seduce the leaders of industry and finance across the galaxy and create a droid army while their allies on the Jedi Council raised a hidden Clone Army. Their aim it appears was to create a galaxy-spanning war that, no matter who won, would leave the Jedi with total control of the galaxy.”
“Some of you might be asking, ‘What of the Jedi killed during the war?’ ‘What about the Jedi Rebellion?’ and ‘Weren’t you a Jedi General Skywalker?’ Well the answer to those questions has a frighteningly simple explanation.”
“The collusion was between the Jedi Council and Palpatine, in fact, over the course of the war, none of the Jedi involved in the collusion were killed until the war’s final days. The reason for this is because the Jedi Council got greedy and turned on their ally Palpatine. Their battles were fought hidden from the public view until I was eventually drawn into the conflict, and I was forced to step in as the Jedi Council finally made their move directly. I was completely unaware of Palpatine’s own Jedi training until yesterday.”
“With the council out of the way, Jedi Master Palpatine was now unopposed in the galaxy, and with the Clone Army holding a decided advantage in the war, he made his move to transform the Republic into the current Galactic Empire, as he would have done to the former Confederacy should they have been victorious.”
“My own involvement in the whole affair turns out to be that of an uninformed pawn. From the first days of my training I was ostracized by the Jedi, the result of my joining their order late in life. Of course this was in no way justified save for the fact that I was not as easily indoctrinated as those raised in the temple from birth! Eventually I was involved in the power play, and I became convinced as you were by Palpatine’s argument that the Jedi were attempting to take over the Republic. While that part was true, the rest of his deception is far more painful to me.”
“Bringing us back to recent events, it was Palpatine who ordered his agent, the supposedly ‘fugitive’ Jedi known as Quinlan Vos who escaped arrest far too often for it to be coincidence, to kill my wife and set in motion the events that would lead to my downfall. If you are unconvinced, I refer you to the evidence I have provided. Provided with the help of Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, who remains in Imperial service despite the betrayal he felt after learning of the Emperor’s treachery.”
“Palpatine feared me, but not because of my powers, he feared me because of my ideas. H would have transformed the entire galaxy into his own dictatorship with the continued existence of countless sentients at his whim; I want to create a society free of fear from war, slavery, and death. While Palpatine secretly fostered the corruption he so publically condemned, I have aspirations to actually provide a solution.”
“While our Empire was founded under false pretenses, that does not mean we should abandon it! Palpatine may not have believed in the ideals that you and I share, but we believed him because we thought he shared in our ideas for a safe and secure society! We thought he believed in the protection of our civil liberties.”
“Ladies and Gentlebeings of the Senate, as of this moment I am now asserting my claim to the now vacant throne. As a gesture of good will though, I will allow you the chance to vote, to approve or deny my claim. I do this because this galaxy needs strong leadership, but a strong leader cannot rise without the support of the people he seeks to lead!”
“As Emperor I plan on restoring many of the freedoms of all Imperial Citizens, and relinquishing some of the executive powers granted to this office by the Senate during the War, executive powers unjustly retained by Palpatine. I seek not to oversee every detail of our legislative process, or issue decrees and whims like a tyrant.”
“My only wish is to assure the continued safety and ongoing protection of Imperial citizens. We have seen that the Republic was wholly unprepared to do this at the onset of this war, and that Palpatine was more interested in his own aims.”
“I beseech you all, do not give up on the ideals that we founded the Empire upon. Palpatine may have made us an Empire in name, but he could not have done it if we did not support the fundamental truths that united us in opposition to the Separatists during the war.”
“I ask this of you with a heavy heart, I move forward now a widowed father of two. It is my greatest hope that, although they will never know their mother, my children will know peace and security throughout their lifetime. That hope extends to your children and families.”
“I await your decision with humility and respect.”
There was little debate, and although some political commentators and even some senators would draw eerie comparisons between this event and Palpatine’s own rise to power, the decision to approve of Anakin Skywalker as the Second Galactic Emperor was overwhelmingly in favor.
The response of the citizenry of the Empire was a mixture of disbelief and reassurance. While Palpatine had been beloved to many, the word of the “Hero With No Fear” was unimpeachable to more.
Anakin’s rise to power was unprecedented in Galactic History. He had risen from poverty and slavery to become the ruler of the entire galaxy.
But no matter how powerful he became, he still plunged deeper into darkness, a course chosen by Darth Sidious long ago. Even with his concessions, Anakin’s insistence on the continued militarization of the Empire scared and enraged many, and the Rebellion continued to grow.
At the center of that Rebellion, in the far reaches of space, Obi Wan Kenobi still lived. He vowed to fulfill the mission he failed to carry out when he had the chance. Anakin Skywalker had to be stopped, true democracy had to be restored to the galaxy, and the force had to be restored to balance.
Even though the former friends had become mortal enemies, and now travelled different paths, they still shared one undeniable legacy.
The scars left on both men at Mustafar would never fade.
~The End~
Look for a sequel to begin sometime within the next year.
Last edited by Darth Fanboy on 2009-01-16 04:07pm, edited 1 time in total.
"If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little."
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Excellent finale.
-
Master_Baerne
- Jedi Council Member
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Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Very nice. You have my sincere compliments.
Conversion Table:
2000 Mockingbirds = 2 Kilomockingbirds
Basic Unit of Laryngitis = 1 Hoarsepower
453.6 Graham Crackers = 1 Pound Cake
1 Kilogram of Falling Figs - 1 Fig Newton
Time Between Slipping on a Banana Peel and Smacking the Pavement = 1 Bananosecond
Half of a Large Intestine = 1 Semicolon
2000 Mockingbirds = 2 Kilomockingbirds
Basic Unit of Laryngitis = 1 Hoarsepower
453.6 Graham Crackers = 1 Pound Cake
1 Kilogram of Falling Figs - 1 Fig Newton
Time Between Slipping on a Banana Peel and Smacking the Pavement = 1 Bananosecond
Half of a Large Intestine = 1 Semicolon
-
Kartr_Kana
- Jedi Knight
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- Joined: 2004-11-02 02:50pm
- Location: College
Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Good show, good show! Looking forward to part 2.
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LT. GEN. LEWIS "CHESTY" PULLER, USMC
Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Wow
I've been asked why I still follow a few of the people I know on Facebook with 'interesting political habits and view points'.
It's so when they comment on or approve of something, I know what pages to block/what not to vote for.
It's so when they comment on or approve of something, I know what pages to block/what not to vote for.
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Crazedwraith
- Emperor's Hand
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Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Awesome finale, Fanboy. Does the sequel take place immediately after wards? Or is there a gap of some years?
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Darth Fanboy
- DUH! WINNING!
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Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Plan for this Alt Timeline is as follows:
-Work is underway on this fic's "EU", which will be called "Tales of the Skywalker Empire", and will be a collection of short stories that fill the gap between Scars of Mustafar and the sequel.
-The as yet untitled sequel will take place roughly the same time as ANH, but it will not begin for some time now.
-Work is underway on this fic's "EU", which will be called "Tales of the Skywalker Empire", and will be a collection of short stories that fill the gap between Scars of Mustafar and the sequel.
-The as yet untitled sequel will take place roughly the same time as ANH, but it will not begin for some time now.
"If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little."
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
-George Carlin (1937-2008)
"Have some of you Americans actually seen Football? Of course there are 0-0 draws but that doesn't make them any less exciting."
-Dr Roberts, with quite possibly the dumbest thing ever said in 10 years of SDNet.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Fanboy, you are my favourite purveyor of AWESOME. Good show!
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XXXI
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Sidewinder
- Sith Acolyte
- Posts: 5466
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Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Palpatine a Jedi master?! That's an INCREDIBLE act of genius on Anakin's part, almost out-of-character so. Despite the fact the late Darth Sidious is undoubtedly spinning in his grave, I must say it's an awesome, AWESOME idea.
By the way, will Starkiller (protagonist of 'The Force Unleashed') have an important role in the sequel, e.g., as the new "Chosen One" under Kenobi's tutelage? Or is his role utterly insignificant in this AU?
How about Han? Will his sympathy for non-human species get him booted out of the Imperial Navy, as it did in the original timeline? Or will he remain an Imperial officer, maybe the Crown Prince's (Luke's) wingman?
I'm also curious about Imperial equipment in this AU. My own ideas for Vader's Empire has the Imperials using X-Wings, as Corellia remains loyal in that AU. Will Corellia remain loyal to the Empire in this one? Outright secede from the Empire and join the Rebellion? Be split, with some factions advocating secession and some advocating loyalty, and maybe some advocating neutrality comparable to Kentucky's during the American Civil War?
By the way, will Starkiller (protagonist of 'The Force Unleashed') have an important role in the sequel, e.g., as the new "Chosen One" under Kenobi's tutelage? Or is his role utterly insignificant in this AU?
How about Han? Will his sympathy for non-human species get him booted out of the Imperial Navy, as it did in the original timeline? Or will he remain an Imperial officer, maybe the Crown Prince's (Luke's) wingman?
I'm also curious about Imperial equipment in this AU. My own ideas for Vader's Empire has the Imperials using X-Wings, as Corellia remains loyal in that AU. Will Corellia remain loyal to the Empire in this one? Outright secede from the Empire and join the Rebellion? Be split, with some factions advocating secession and some advocating loyalty, and maybe some advocating neutrality comparable to Kentucky's during the American Civil War?
Please do not make Americans fight giant monsters.
Those gun nuts do not understand the meaning of "overkill," and will simply use weapon after weapon of mass destruction (WMD) until the monster is dead, or until they run out of weapons.
They have more WMD than there are monsters for us to fight. (More insanity here.)
Those gun nuts do not understand the meaning of "overkill," and will simply use weapon after weapon of mass destruction (WMD) until the monster is dead, or until they run out of weapons.
They have more WMD than there are monsters for us to fight. (More insanity here.)
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Crazedwraith
- Emperor's Hand
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- Location: Cheshire, England
Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
Nitpick: Corellia's allegiance should have no effect upon X-Wings. They are made by the Incom Corporation which is not based on Corellia at all.
Plus Corellia remained loyalist to the Empire for quite a while IIRC. Even by the time of Starfighters of Adumar; Wedge couldn't go home there.
Plus Corellia remained loyalist to the Empire for quite a while IIRC. Even by the time of Starfighters of Adumar; Wedge couldn't go home there.
Re: Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)
As much as I hate the EU's hard-on for reusing the same characters over and over again (Han Solo, Luke, Leia, all of those dudes), it would be an excellent idea to use at least a few of the same characters in the AU, because they were some of the best characters in Star Wars, and it helps tie the AU to the OT. Which would be important to have for both luring new readers and maybe one day publishing it.
Just don't have Han Solo in every fucking story set years later. Let some other kid get his shot at the big time, you know?
PS Must include Lando Calrissian as some sort of businessman, legit or otherwise.
Just don't have Han Solo in every fucking story set years later. Let some other kid get his shot at the big time, you know?
PS Must include Lando Calrissian as some sort of businessman, legit or otherwise.
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XXXI