Star Wars - The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader Page 5

  "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 Padmé 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," Padmé 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 Padmé 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 passed 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 Kenobi.

  * * *

  Anakin's departure from Tatooine was followed by a dizzying series of events: his arrival on the skyscraper-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 Padmé Naberrie had impersonated a handmaiden for security reasons, and that she was really Padmé 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 cockpit 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 Podrace. Nor did he wonder whether Anakin's life might have taken a different path if Qui-Gon - instead of Obi-Wan Kenobi - had survived the duel with the Sith Lord Darth Maul on Naboo. On Tatooine, Qui-Gon had asserted 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 SIX

  As a Padawan apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi, 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 space, 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 space 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 assured 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 appetite for high-speed thrills and the desire to prove himself in competition.

  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 circumstances 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 assignments.

  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 Padmé Amidala.

  * * *

  "Ani?" said Padmé, 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 Padmé, 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. Padmé and Jar Jar had not seen Obi-Wan and Anakin in ten years, and Padmé 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 embarrassment, 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!

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

  Anakin felt crushed. He'd thought of Padmé 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 circumstances 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 massive 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 assassinated 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 Padmé.

  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 Padmé, but sensed that the visions were unrelated. In the most startling nightmare, his mother had been transformed into a glass statue and shattered before his eyes. It was just a bad dream, Anakin tried to convince himself as he focused on his assignment.

  It was Padmé's idea to use herself as bait to lure the mysterious assassin into the hands of the Jedi.

  Hearing her plan, Anakin said, "It's a bad... I mean, it's not a good idea, Senator." Beside him, R2-D2 beeped in what may have been an agreement. Although Anakin had been secretly happy to have had this moment alone with Padmé in her apartment, he almost wished Obi-Wan were with them right now, instead of meeting with the Jedi Council, so that he could discourage Padmé, too.

  Padmé said, "Moving me to a different suite will only delay another attack."

  "But what you're suggesting is far too dangerous. You could get hurt."

  "That is a possibility," Padmé said. "But if we prepare for an attack here in this suite, and really cover every angle, then we would have an advantage over the assassin, wouldn't we? And Artoo can help..."

  Looking away from Padmé, Anakin shook his head and said, "It would still be too risky. For all we know, there may be a whole army of assassins."

  Padmé stepped closer to Anakin, forcing him to turn back to her and meet her gaze. She said, "I have no interest in dying, Anakin, but I don't want any more innocent people to lose their lives because someone wants me dead. If you can understand that, then you'll help me do this."

  As much as Anakin wanted to apprehend the people who had tried to kill Padmé, he knew that Obi-Wan would not readily approve the idea of using Padmé as bait. Despite his better judgment, Anakin said, "All right, Senator. I'll help you."

  Obi-Wan didn't learn about the plan until later that evening, when Padmé was already asleep. Despite their preparations and the watchful presence of R2-D2, Obi-Wan and Anakin had to move fast to intercept the pair of kouhuns - small, deadly arthropods - that invaded the sleeping Senator's apartment and stealthily slithered their way onto her bed. The Jedi had to move even faster to catch up with the assassin who'd unleashed the kouhuns.

  Traveling by airspeeder and instinct, the Jedi pursued their quarry for more than 100 kilometers through the skies and streets of Galactic City before their hunt ended in a crowded nightclub. Although the assassin appeared to be a fair-skinned female human, she was actually a Clawdite shapeshifter who wore a dark elastic bodysuit that remained taut when she changed forms. Inside the nightclub, her attempt to shoot Obi-Wan in the back had resulted in the Jedi using his lightsaber to literally disarm her. The C
lawdite was still in shock as Obi-Wan carried her through an exit that led to an alley outside the club. Anakin walked alongside them, and the look of simmering rage in his eyes was all the power he needed to encourage the local denizens to clear the alley.

  The Clawdite moaned as Obi-Wan eased her trembling body onto the alley floor. Anakin hoped she would stay conscious long enough to provide some answers. Obi-Wan looked into the Clawdite's eyes and said, "Do you know who it was you were trying to kill?"

  "It was a senator from Naboo," the Clawdite muttered.

  "And who hired you?"

  The muscles in her face spasmed as she tried to maintain a human visage. She muttered, "It was just a job."

  Kneeling beside the Clawdite, Anakin felt his anger rise at this creature who considered killing Padmé "just a job." It took all of his self-control to maintain a calm, gentle tone as he leaned forward and asked, "Who hired you? Tell us."