Star Wars Fan Fiction
by
~kwawin
PART II
Anakin and Obi-Wan are sitting in a classroom at the Jedi Academy. Four other padawans and their masters are also in attendance. Jedi Master Mace Windu is the instructor for this course on the history of galactic warfare. As Mace pauses his lecture, Anakin raises his hand to ask a question.
"Yes, Anakin?"
"Master Windu, sir. I know the Force is to be used for defense and never for attack. But... if I knew that an enemy was going to destroy me in the future, wouldn't I be defending myself if I struck him down first, now, before he becomes more powerful and attacks me later? Kind of like the 'preemptive strike' used by the King of Stio?"
Mace glances at Obi-Wan, who is staring at Anakin, troubled by his apprentice's rather pragmatic proposal. Windu looks back at the boy.
"Well, young padawan. Suppose you do strike him down now, in the present. How then could you know for sure that he would have attacked you in the future? What if intervention by a third party prevents him from ever harming you? Or perhaps some other circumstance will transform that enemy into your ally."
"Well, wouldn't the Force tell me these things, if I'm using It to see into the future?", the boy retorts.
"Careful, Anakin. Remember what Master Yoda said about the future sometimes being clouded and always in motion. These sometimes distorted visions are often just our emotions disguised as revelation. Do not be deceived by feelings of fear and hatred, Anakin. They can only lead to the Dark Side."
Anakin lowers his eyes, deep in thought.
Master Windu checks his timepiece. "Very well, everyone. That will be all for today." As the class disperses, Obi-Wan notices Adi Gallia standing outside the room. She motions for him to come to her.
"Master Kenobi. I have an urgent message here for Anakin, but I think you'd better read it first." Obi-Wan takes the note and reads it with an anxious look. "Shmi Skywalker? Here?!" Adi glances over at Anakin. "Yes. She arrived at Wr'Ithan Legatia two days ago and is staying as a guest of the Chancellor. She is requesting that her son be brought there to see her." Obi-Wan crushes the note in his hand. "I have a bad feeling about this. Why is Shmi, a slave, the guest of the Supreme Chancellor? And why must Anakin leave the Academy to see her?"
"She is no longer a slave, Obi-Wan. Shmi is free now and she came here to Coruscant see her son. The Chancellor requested that she stay with him as his honored guest. He feels it's the least he can do to show his gratitude for Anakin's role in the liberation of Naboo. And Chancellor Palpatine is also concerned about bounty hunters. You know they sometimes steal newly freed slaves like Shmi to sell to slave traders. The Chancellor wanted to avoid besieging the Academy with a Republic Guard escort. Not to mention drawing any unwanted attention from the media. Since no bounty hunter would be foolish enough to touch a Jedi, Anakin will be quite safe leaving the Academy, especially with us escorting him. There's nothing to be worried about, Obi-Wan. The Chancellor is just being cautious. And I think it will help Anakin greatly to see his mother again."
Kenobi turns away from Adi to look over at the boy. She moves in closely behind him as she speaks. "Eventually, he will find out about her being here."
Obi-Wan sighs and slowly walks over to Anakin, who's talking to another padawan. The young girl leaves as she sees Anakin's master approaching.
"Anakin..." Kenobi places his hand on the boy's shoulder. "We need to talk."
~
Adi, Anakin and Obi-Wan are being escorted into the Supreme Chancellor's residence. Kenobi is still apprehensive as they are seated in the atrium. Examining his extravagant surroundings, he recalls how Chancellor Valorum was railroaded out of office... and how Palpatine stood by as the Queen of his own home planet hastily called for his "friend's" removal. Obi-Wan still likes Valorum. He believes that the former chancellor is a good man, undone by political infighting and innuendo.
Kenobi has reservations about this new chancellor... and his prodigal lifestyle. Valorum was content with just a couple of "simple", practical, senatorial apartments. Not Palpatine. He claims that he's trying to restore "honor and dignity" to the Office of the Chancellery. That's how he persuaded the Congress to move his official residence to this one-hundred and forty-seven story high-rise. Although he says most of it is used for administrative purposes and staff residences. Still... an atrium? With waterfalls? How many more slaves could been freed, if the Senate spent more money enforcing anti-slavery laws instead of...
Was that a peacock running by?!
"Don't worry, Obi-Wan", Adi reassures Kenobi. "The Chancellor and I are friends. He is a good man. This is just his way of thanking Anakin for his role in saving Naboo." Obi-Wan glances over at the boy, who's watching the peacock, fascinated.
"The Chancellor will see you now. Please walk this way." A protocol droid leads the trio around the atrium to a very large door which opens to a grand ballroom. The room is spectacular: six large crystal chandeliers, a grand concert piano next to an antique harp, dozens of rare paintings and sculptures, luxurious furnishings from the finest designers in the galaxy. And a beautiful fairy-tale queen standing at the back of the room. Anakin doesn't even recognize her at first.
"Mom?! Is that you?!" Anakin runs across the room to his mother, who stoops down with her arms opened wide. "Anni!" She hugs and kisses the boy. "Oh, Anni! Anni, it's so wonderful to see you again! I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too, mom!" He hugs his mother tightly.
Shmi kisses Anakin again. "I told you we would see each other again!" Shmi pulls back, proudly inspecting her Jedi son. "And just look at you, so handsome in your uniform!" She hugs the boy again and strokes his hair. Obi-Wan watches Palpatine walk over to the happy mother and child.
"Well, young Skywalker... Anakin... we meet again."The Chancellor extends his hand to the boy, who shakes it and bows.
"Hello, sir."
Palpatine smiles. "I'm very pleased you're here. Your mother has waited a very long time to see you again. You're all she ever talks about. She's obviously very proud of you. And she loves you very much."
Anakin smiles and glances over at a beaming Shmi. He looks back at the Chancellor, who is still holding his hand.
"I hear that you're making great progress in your training at the Academy."
"Yes, sir."
"Well, keep up the good work, young man. I feel that you will go very far someday, Anakin." He places his other hand on the boy's shoulder and stares deeply into his eyes. Anakin blinks and looks away. Palpatine releases his hand and stares over at Adi and Obi-Wan. He smiles as he walks over to greet them. "Hello Master Gallia, Master Kenobi... we meet again as well. Welcome to my home." He extends his hand to the Jedi knight, who shakes it without bowing.
"Thank you, Chancellor."
"My dear friend Adi here tells me that you are Anakin's master now."
"Yes, that is correct."
"Well," Palpatine grins, "he should make an excellent knight someday, given his special talents. I'm sure you will agree with me that his mother will be a helpful, positive influence on the boy and his training. She will be staying on here as my guest, so Anakin is welcome to visit her as often as he likes. This is just my simple way of thanking him for what he did for my people."
Obi-Wan looks over at Anakin, who's sitting next to his mother, proudly explaining his new padawan hairstyle.
Shmi smiles at Obi-Wan, then turns back to Anakin. "Well, Anni. Where is Master Qui-Gon? I was sure he would come with you."
Anakin suddenly stops smiling. Palpatine turns and stares at the boy.
"Master Qui-Gon... died, mom. He was killed by a Sith warrior on Naboo." Anakin sadly lowers his head.
The Chancellor slyly eyes Obi-Wan, who glances back at him.
Then Anakin holds his head high. "I'm more determined than ever to be a Jedi knight. And someday, I'll avenge Master Qui-Gon's death."
Palpatine walks over and places his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Anakin, I realize how fond you were of Master Jinn. He was a fine man. A brave and noble knight. But, you mustn't dwell on such thoughts of revenge. The one who slew Qui-Gon was apparently some lone madman, a crazed fanatic, single-handedly trying to revive an ancient and forgotten religious war. The Sith are extinct now, and have been for over a thousand years. There is no one left to take revenge upon. Forget about him, Anakin, and dedicate your life to serving those who still live."
Shmi takes Anakin's hand. "Yes Anni, the Chancellor is right. You must not think about those things. You must go on to do great things and help many people. This is what Qui-Gon would have wanted, not revenge." She looks up to Obi-Wan, searching for confirmation in his eyes, but he slowly stares down at the floor instead.
The room becomes eerily silent, as the Jedi knight senses an uneasiness, a disturbance in the Force. He can feel the Dark Side, but it is faint and aloof. Kenobi questions his wisdom in bringing Anakin here without consulting Master Yoda first. He curses himself for being so headstrong. Master Qui-Gon would have never been this reckless with his padawan. Obi-Wan slowly looks up at Palpatine, watching him stand over the boy and smiling, with his hand still on Anakin's shoulder.
Palpatine. The generous benefactor, who took the boy's poor mother into his home.
Shmi. The loving mother, whose presence has drawn her son to Wr'Ithan Legatia.
Kenobi. The novice master, who carelessly delivered his padawan here.
Thirty uneasy minutes pass. Adi Gallia had an urgent call and left twenty minutes earlier. Kenobi is now sitting down at the piano, trying to quell his feelings of self-doubt. He starts pecking out an old folk tune. It's a song Qui-Gon sang on many a cold and lonely night, as they sat around a campfire, far away from home. Obi-Wan silently cries out to his dead master.
"I can't do this alone! Master, why did you leave me? I was only a padawan myself! What if I fail, what if I lose Anakin? There was so much more I needed to learn from you!" Kenobi closes his eyes for a few moments, still bitterly grieving over Qui-Gon.
"NO!!" A sudden cry of defiance silences the dark voices of fear and anger. Obi-Wan has no time for his sorrows. He has a promise to keep. Master Kenobi will finish what Master Jinn had started. And the Force will be with him. His resolve strengthened, the Jedi Master takes a deep breath, opens his eyes, and closely watches his padawan.
Anakin is talking and laughing with his mother. He's telling her all about the past two months: the battle of Naboo; his training at the Academy; and his ongoing friendship with Padme, who's really Queen Amidala, ruler of the Naboo.
The droids keep bringing out all kinds of wonderful treats. Anakin is eating more sweets tonight than he has in his entire young lifetime. Palpatine is coming and going. An aide will walk in and whisper to him; he'll politely excuse himself, then leave for about three or four minutes. The Chancellor's done this three times already... Kenobi is counting. And Palpatine is always careful not to stay away too long. Every time he returns, he sits right there next to Shmi, like a loving husband, proudly listening to "their" son discuss what he learned in school today. Speaking of which, Anakin brings up one of today's lectures.
"Chancellor, sir, can I ask you something?"
"Why, certainly Anakin. As long as it doesn't involve the Military Appropriations Bill. I thought Senator Organa's 'filibuster of a speech' would never end!" Palpatine starts laughing at his own senatorial joke, which no one else gets. Apparently you had to be there. Obi-Wan grimaces, as Anakin fakes a grin. Shmi pleasantly obliges with a forced smile.
"Well sir, today at the Academy, I asked if it were ever okay to attack an enemy first, before he had a chance to attack me. Like the preemptive strike used by the King of..."
"Well, that goes without saying." Anakin is interrupted by Palpatine, who has stopped smiling and stares intently at the boy. "It's a matter of survival. Your main objective in life is to survive, Anakin. Never forget this. And you must do so by whatever means necessary, even if others criticize your actions as harsh or excessive. As Chancellor, I am charged with maintaining order and protecting the galaxy. I shall not allow petty political criticisms to distract me, lest some minor planetary infraction escalate into galactic revolution. I must stay focused, ready to strike down the enemies of the state, before they can rise up to destroy it." Palpatine blankly stares off for a moment, as he thinks to himself, "And I shall strike them down, as newborn scorpions crushed underfoot!"
He stares back at the boy. "You too must stay focused, Anakin. Be always prepared to strike first. You cannot wait for your enemy to come after you. You must seek him out and destroy him, whether he's in the Outer Rim of the galaxy... or in your own household."
Obi-Wan angrily bangs the piano keys, as he jumps up and quickly walks over to his padawan.
"Anakin, we're leaving. Say good-bye to your mother."
"But, I..."
"Say good-bye to your mother", Kenobi commands Anakin again, who sadly turns and hugs a stunned Shmi.
Palpatine stands and faces Obi-Wan. "It is unfortunate if something I said offended you, Master Kenobi. But you know what I was telling the boy is the truth..."
"...From your point of view. These are not the ways we teach at the Academy, Chancellor. I trust that you will honor my request to never raise this subject again with Anakin when... or if... he is brought here again. Goodnight." The Jedi knight turns and bows to Shmi, then takes Anakin's arm and briskly walks away. As they leave the room, the boy glances back to see his mother slowly standing.
Palpatine takes a few steps forward, snarling under his breath, "How dare he insult me this way!" Then he turns to see Shmi staring longingly at the door. The Chancellor takes her into his arms and strokes her hair.
"Don't worry, my dear. Didn't I tell you that I would take care of everything? I shall see to it that you and Anakin are together again... permanently." He kisses Shmi tenderly on her cheek. Then on her lips.
Part I Part III
