Star Wars_ Rise And Fall Of Darth Vader Part 3

"But I wanna go!" Anakin said. "It's what I've always dreamed of doing." Turning away from Qui-Gon, he looked imploringly to his mother and said, "Can I go, Mom?"

Shmi smiled. "Anakin, this path has been placed before you. The choice is yours alone."

Anakin hesitated only a moment, then said, "I wanna do it."

"Then pack your things," Qui-Gon said. "We haven't much time."

"Yippee!" Anakin shouted as he ran toward his bedroom, but then he stopped dead as an awful realization suddenly occurred to him. Letting his gaze travel from Qui-Gon to his mother and back to the Jedi again, he said, "What about Mom? Is she free, too?"

"I tried to free your mother, Ani," Qui-Gon said, "but Watto wouldn't have it."

What? Anakin felt as if he'd been kicked. He walked slowly back to his mother and said, "You're coming with us, aren't you, Mom?"

Still seated beside her worktable, Shmi reached out and took Anakin's hands in hers. "Son, my place is here," she said. "My future is here. It is time for you to let go."

Anakin frowned. "I don't want things to change."

"But you can't stop the change," Shmi said, "any more than you can stop the suns from setting." Then she pulled her son close against her and hugged him tight. "Oh, I love you," she said. Precious seconds pa.s.sed, then she held Anakin out at arm's length and said, "Now hurry." She gave his back a slight push before he trotted off to his bedroom, but without so much enthusiasm.

C-3PO's skeletal form had been deactivated and stood as silent and still as a statue as Anakin entered his room. Anakin flipped a switch on the droid's neck, and a moment later C-3PO's eyes winked on. "Oh!" the droid said, wobbling slightly as if he were surprised to find himself in a standing position. "Oh, my." Then he saw the boy. "Oh! h.e.l.lo, Master Anakin."

As Anakin gathered up some of his belongings, he said, "Well, Threepio, I've been freed, and I'm going away in a starship."

"Master Anakin, you are my maker, and I wish you well. However, I should prefer it if I were a little more ... completed."

'I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish you, Threepio, give you coverings and all," Anakin said as he stuffed some things into a travel sack. "I'm gonna miss working on you. You've been a great pal." Anakin slung the pack over his shoulder, then added, "I'll make sure Morn doesn't sell you or anything."

C-3PO's head recoiled slightly, and with genuine concern he said, "Sell me?"

"Bye," Anakin said as he left the room.

"Oh, my!" the droid exclaimed from behind.

Qui-Gon and Shmi watched Anakin emerge from his room. Suddenly, Anakin remembered the explosive implant within his body. He looked up at Qui-Gon and said, "Are you sure I'm not going to blow up when we leave Tatooine."

"I made sure that Watto deactivated the transmitter for your implant," Qui-Gon said. "When we reach our destination, we'll have the implant surgically removed."

"Okay, then," Anakin said. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Until the moment that Anakin led his mother and Qui-Gon outside the hovel, it hadn't occurred to him that he had no idea when he might return to Tatooine. What if I never come back? He suddenly felt like he was on remote, as if he were not in complete control of his own legs as they carried him into the harsh sunlight. It was hard to think clearly. Everything that had happened since the Jedi arrived on Tatooine seemed more like a dream than a reality.

He felt an awful ache in his chest as he said good-bye to his mother, but because he didn't want to disappoint Qui-Gon, he tried not to make a big deal of the situation. He began to walk away with Qui-Gon, tried to concentrate on the path before him, but with each step, his legs felt increasingly heavy. He walked only a short distance when he stopped, then turned and ran back to his mother.

Shmi dropped to her knees and held Anakin tightly. Failing to fight back his tears, Anakin cried, "I can't do it, Mom. I just can't do it."

"Ani," Shmi said, holding him at arm's length so she could see his pained face.

"Will I ever see you again?" he sobbed.

"What does your heart tell you?"

Anakin tried to listen to his heart, but all he sensed was its ache. "I hope so," he said, then added, "Yes ... I guess."

"Then we will see each other again."

Anakin swallowed hard. "I will come back and free you, Mom. I promise."

Shmi smiled. "Now be brave, and don't look back. Don't look back."

Anakin did as his mother instructed, lowering his gaze to the sand-packed street as he followed Qui-Gon away from the hovels. Each step was an effort to stay balanced, as if he could not completely trust his legs from stopping or turning him back toward his mother. He trudged forward, trying to keep up with Qui-Gon's measured strides. He choked back a sob and felt his throat go dry. Thanks to the arid air, he did not have to wipe away his tears, for they evaporated faster than he could cry.

Making their way out of Mos Espa, Qui-Gon and Anakin stopped briefly at the market place so Anakin could say good-bye to his friend Jira, an old woman who sold fruits called pallies. Seated behind her small fruit stand, lira's weathered face brightened at Anakin's approach. Anakin announced, "I'm free." Before Jira could comment, he handed her some of his winnings and said, "Here. Buy yourself a cooling unit with this or else I'll worry about you."

Astonished, Jira gaped for a moment, then said, "Can I give you a hug?"

"Sure," Anakin said as he leaned in close to Jira.

"Oh, I'll miss you, Ani," Jira said as she released him. "You're the kindest boy in the galaxy." Beaming, she wagged a finger at him and added, "You take care."

"Okay," Anakin said. "I will. Bye." He trudged off with Qui-Gon.

Anakin and Qui-Gon were at the very outskirts of Mos Espa when Anakin had a strange feeling .. . Like we 're being followed. He doubted that the feeling was worth mentioning, but a moment later, Qui-Gon stopped fast and spun as he activated and swung his lightsaber at something behind them. Once again amazed by the Jedi's speed, Anakin gasped as the lightsaber swept through a spherical black repulsorlift device that had been hovering in the air at their backs. Neatly halved, the shattered contraption fell to the sand. Qui-Gon bent down to examine the parts as they sizzled and sparked.

Anakin said, "What is it?"

"A probe droid," Qui-Gon said. "Very unusual. Not like anything I've seen before."

Anakin had heard of probe droids before. They resembled security droids, which were engineered to watch over places, but their specialized sensors and programming were more for spying. He'd heard rumors that some probe droids were equipped with weapons, and that the Hurts used them as a.s.sa.s.sins.

Glancing around for any sign of the probe droid's unknown owner, Qui-Gon rose quickly and said, "Come on." He turned and began to run, leading Anakin away from Mos Espa and into the desert wastes.

Anakin did his best to keep up with the tall Jedi as they raced over the dunes. But by the time Anakin sighted Queen Amidala's long, sleek starship just up ahead of them, he was trailing some distance behind the Jedi. Anakin had never seen a ship like it. Its surface was so highly reflective that it was literally blinding in the sunlight, and Anakin had to squint to look at it directly. As he fell farther behind Qui-Gon, he feared he'd never reach that beautiful ship.

"Qui-Gon, sir, wait!" Anakin yelled as he trudged forward across the shifting sand. "I'm tired!"

Qui-Gon spun and Anakin thought the Jedi was looking at him, but then heard the hum of an engine approaching from behind. Qui-Gon shouted, "Anakin! Drop!"

Without hesitation, Anakin threw himself down upon the sand just as a scythe-shaped speeder swept past him. Anakin lifted his gaze to see a black-clad figure ignite a red-bladed lightsaber and leap from the speeder. As the speeder hurtled forward without its rider, Qui-Gon activated his own lightsaber just in time to block a strike from his deadly a.s.sailant.

"Go!" Qui-Gon shouted to Anakin. "Tell them to take off!"

Again, Anakin obeyed the Jedi without question. As he got up and ran, he caught but a glimpse of the dark warrior's face, which was covered with jagged red and black markings. Anakin didn't stop to ponder whether one color was the creature's skin color and the other was tattooed. He just kept running. And as tired as he was from the long run from Mos Espa, he never ran faster than he did when he bolted for the starship. He practically flew up the landing ramp and into the ship's forward hold. Just inside the hatchway, he found Padme talking to a tall man in a leather tunic.

"Qui-Gon's in trouble!" Anakin blurted out between gasps. "He says to take off! Now!"

The man scowled at Anakin and demanded." Who are you?"

"He's a friend," Padme answered for Anakin as she grabbed the breathless boy's arm and led him to the ship's bridge. The man followed them as they entered the bridge, where two other men - an older fellow in a pilot uniform, and a younger man in a robe - were checking the controls.

"Qui-Gon's in trouble," said the man who had followed Padme and Anakin.

The young man in the robe hunkered down beside the pilot and said, "Take off." Then he peered through the ship's viewport, pointed and said, "Over there. Fly low."

Anakin stood behind the robed man and followed his gaze to see Qui-Gon dueling the dark warrior. In the short time he'd known Qui-Gon, Anakin had come to regard the Jedi as an invincible being, but now, he genuinely feared for Qui-Gon's life.

The ship's engines fired, then it lifted from the ground and began moving through the air toward Qui-Gon's position. Anakin held his breath as they pa.s.sed over the fighting figures, then glanced at a monitor that displayed the forward hold. A moment later, Qui-Gon rolled into the hold and collapsed against the floor. Anakin realized Qui-Gon had leaped to the ship's still-extended landing ramp. He made it!

The robed man ran from the bridge to the forward hold and Anakin followed. Qui-Gon was still catching his breath as he introduced Anakin to his Jedi apprentice, Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi.

Anakin's departure from Tatooine was followed by a dizzying series of events: his arrival on the skysc.r.a.per-covered world of Coruscant, home of the Galactic Senate and the Jedi Temple; his meeting with Yoda, Mace Windu, and the other members of the Jedi High Council, who tested his abilities with the power that they called the Force; the Council's subsequent rejection of Qui-Gon's request to train Anakin to become a Jedi, even though Qui-Gon insisted that Anakin was the "chosen one." Anakin's mind spun. Chosen one? Chosen for what?

Before Anakin could begin to fully comprehend his situation, he was traveling again with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, as they escorted the ornately attired Queen Amidala back to Naboo, which had been invaded by the droid armies of the Neimoidian Trade Federation. On Naboo, Anakin was stunned to discover that Padme Naberrie had impersonated a handmaiden for security reasons, and that she was really Padme Amidala, the true Queen of Naboo.

Suddenly swept up into the battle between the Trade Federation's droids and the inhabitants of Naboo, Anakin had just taken refuge in a starfighter c.o.c.kpit when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were confronted by the same dark warrior who'd appeared on Tatooine. Although Anakin had not intended to commandeer the starfighter to destroy the large ship that controlled the Federation's droids, his actions brought a swift end to the invasion.

After the battle, Anakin found Obi-Wan at the queen's palace. From Obi-Wan's grim expression, Anakin knew what had happened. Qui-Gon Jinn was dead.

Three days later, the Jedi Council honored Qui-Gon's final wish, and allowed Anakin to become Obi-Wan's apprentice. When Anakin realized that even the newly appointed Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the former Senator of Naboo, was aware of his role in destroying the droid control ship, he thought he'd gone as far as a slave from Tatooine ever could.

But his adventures were only beginning.

INTERLUDE.

Darth Vader never pondered what might have happened if Qui-Gon Jinn had not discovered young Anakin Skywalker, or if Anakin had not won that crucial Pod-race. Nor did he wonder whether Anakin's life might have taken a different path if Qui-Gon - instead of Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi - had survived the duel with the Sith Lord Darth Maul on Naboo. On Tatooine, Qui-Gon had a.s.serted that nothing happened by accident, and although there were many things that Vader would have disagreed upon with Qui-Gon, he would have agreed with this, because Vader believed in destiny.

He believed it had been Anakin's destiny to leave Tatooine and become a Jedi, just as he had been destined for everything that had happened after that. It was pointless to speculate how his life might have been different.

Now, still en route to Endor, the black-masked Dark Lord wondered if Luke Skywalker had any illusions about being able to control his own destiny. Vader thought, If he fights me, he will fail.

Still, Vader would have been almost disappointed if Luke were to surrender too soon, without any effort to resist the power of the dark side. After all, Anakin Skywalker had been a young man once, and he had not surrendered easily. . . .

CHAPTER 6.

As a Padawan apprentice to Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi, Anakin Sky walker was eager to become a Jedi Knight. However, the hallowed halls of the Jedi Temple did not encourage eagerness, and the Jedi Masters insisted that Anakin devote himself to serious study of the Force and the history of the Jedi.

He learned about the nature of the Force, the energy field that was generated by all living things, and which suffused and bound the entire galaxy together. Ancient Jedi had learned to manipulate the Force and chose to use it selflessly to help others. They identified two sides to the Force: the light side, which bestowed great knowledge, peace, and serenity; and the dark side, which was filled with fear, anger, and aggression. Long ago, a group of Jedi had turned to the dark side and were exiled to an unknown region of s.p.a.ce, where they came to dominate the Sith species and to call themselves Sith Lords. Jedi investigators concluded that Qui-Gon Jinn's killer was a Sith Lord, the first to appear in Republic s.p.a.ce for a thousand years.

Anakin also learned about midi-chlorians, micro-pic life-forms found in all living things, which could determine the scope of a Jedi's powers. A blood test had determined that Anakin's body contained more midi-chlorians than any known Jedi, even the great Jedi Master Yoda, which led some Jedi to believe that he had the potential to become the most powerful Jedi ever.

The Jedi Archives were filled with many Jedi Holocrons, ancient devices that projected holograms and served as interactive educational tools, and it was through the Holocrons that Anakin learned more about the prophecy of the Chosen One, a Jedi who would destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force. He could only imagine the ramifications of the prophecy, but he felt very, very proud as he recalled how Qui-Gon Jinn had told the Jedi Council that he believed Anakin was the Chosen One.

But Anakin was also bitter that he had not been chosen by Obi-Wan, who had only accepted him as an apprentice out of obligation to Qui-Gon. Because Anakin had not been trained since infancy at the Temple like nearly all other Padawans, various Jedi Masters accepted the fact that he lacked the discipline of his fellow students. They were less accepting, however, of his arrogant behavior when he demonstrated his abilities.

I'm more powerful with the Force than some of my instructors, Anakin thought, and they know it!

Like eagerness, pride and arrogance were not acceptable characteristics for any Jedi, even if he really did turn out to be the Chosen One. Many Jedi remained cautious of him.

They 're just jealous.

Anakin enjoyed praise from Obi-Wan, but often became sullen when he was reprimanded. Obi-Wan a.s.sured him that he himself had been frequently reminded by Qui-Gon to be more mindful of the Force, but somehow even the slightest criticism managed to leave Anakin feeling stung. At first they tell me to do my best, then they tell me I've gone too far!

Obi-Wan was sympathetic. He knew that Anakin's upbringing - as well as his formidable powers - set him apart from the other Padawans and even alienated him from some of the Jedi Masters. After all, Anakin had an unfortunate history with the word "Master."

They don't know what it's like to be born into slavery.

He also had difficulty adjusting to an environment that discouraged anger as well as love, as such emotions could cloud a Jedi's judgment and lead to negative thoughts and actions. The boy could no sooner forget his mother than he could stop loving her. Nor could he stop missing her, or resenting the fact that the Jedi order discouraged contact with relatives.

Why won't they help me free my mother? It's not fair! It's not right!

Countless times, Obi-Wan explained that every Jedi had to obey the directives of the Jedi Council, and could never use the Force for selfish purposes. He urged Anakin to consider how freeing one slave on Tatooine might lead to the deaths of others, as some slavers might prefer to destroy their "property" than release them from bondage. The Jedi also had to answer to the Galactic Senate, and for the time being, the Senate had little interest in anything that happened on Tatooine.

Why do the Jedi have to answer to anybody? Anakin wondered.

Despite Anakin's desire to distance himself from the slave he had once been, he was unable, or unwilling, to shed the other aspects that had defined him on Tatooine. He still dreamed of glory, still craved adventure, and never lost his appet.i.te for high-speed thrills and the desire to prove himself in compet.i.tion.

Over the years, Anakin's actions often tested his master's patience. At age twelve, he flew in illegal garbage pit races in the bowels of Galactic City on Corascant. When he was nearly thirteen, he constructed his first lightsaber, which he soon used to bring about the end of a notorious slaver named Krayn. At fifteen, while on a mission with Obi-Wan to serve as peacekeepers at the Galactic Games on the planet Euceron, he competed in an illegal Podrace to win the freedom of a slave. At seventeen, his rivalry with another Padawan led to a most unfortunate outcome on the ancient Sith home-world of Korriban. Later that year, unusual circ.u.mstances led him to enter a Podrace against his childhood nemesis, Sebulba, on Ryloth.

Eventually, Anakin realized that Obi-Wan was the one Jedi who refused to give up on him. He came to regard Obi-Wan as the father figure he never had, although Qui-Gon Jinn had certainly come close in that area. In time, Anakin and Obi-Wan learned to trust each other and became close friends. As with Obi-Wan's former partnership with Qui-Gon, they gained a reputation as a capable team, so attuned that they could sense each other's presence across great distances. Although they were most often called upon for diplomatic missions, they were also dispatched on many dangerous a.s.signments.

Much to Anakin's surprise, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine took a special interest in him and his activities. Time and again, Palpatine told Anakin that he was the most gifted Jedi he' d ever met, and that he envisioned Anakin would someday become even more powerful than Master Yoda.

But for all of Anakin's confidence in his powers, all his accomplishments and victories, and all the lessons learned in the decade that followed the Battle of Naboo, nothing prepared him, at age twenty, for his reunion with Padme Amidala.

"Ani?" said Padme, taken aback at the sight of the tall young man who stood beside Obi-Wan in her apartment on Coruscant. The two Jedi had just returned from a mission to resolve a border dispute on Ansion when they'd been instructed to meet with Padme, who had continued to serve her homeworld as a Galactic Senator after completing her second term as the elected Queen of Naboo. Also present in the apartment were Jar Jar Binks and a Naboo security officer. Padme and Jar Jar had not seen Obi-Wan and Anakin in ten years, and Padme beamed at Anakin as she said, "My goodness, how you've grown."

Hoping to sound mature, Anakin replied without thinking, "So have you." What a stupid thing to say. The last time I saw her, I was shorter than her! Hoping to recover from his embarra.s.sment, he added, "Grown more beautiful, I mean." Did I just say that? "Well, f-for a Senator, I mean." Everyone in this room must think I'm an idiot!

Padme laughed, "Ani, you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine."

Anakin felt crushed. He'd thought of Padme every day since their first encounter, and he didn't want her to think of him as "that little boy."

She's even more beautiful than I remembered.

Although the old friends were glad to see each other again, the circ.u.mstances of their reunion were grave. The Galactic Senate had grown so corrupt that the citi zens of many worlds were threatening to end their allegiance to the Republic and create their own govern-ment. A former Jedi, the charismatic Count Dooku, had begun to organize this Separatist movement, and many believed the situation would erupt into an all-out civil war. Because the Jedi order was unprepared for such a ma.s.sive conflict, many Senators wanted to create an army to defend and preserve the Republic.

Hoping to find a peaceful resolution, Senator Amidala had traveled to Coruscant to cast her vote against the Military Creation Act, but was nearly a.s.sa.s.sinated upon her arrival. In a terrifying ambush, her starship was destroyed and six people, including one of her bodyguards, were killed. At Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's request, Obi-Wan and Anakin had been appointed to protect Padme.

To make matters worse, in recent weeks, Anakin had been disturbed by a series of dreams that his mother was in danger. He considered whether the dreams had been some kind of premonition of the attack on Padme, but sensed that the visions were unrelated. In the most startling nightmare, his mother had been transformed into a gla.s.s statue and shattered before his eyes. It was just a bad dream, Anakin tried to convince himself as he focused on his a.s.signment.