Poof has a love-hate relationship with the Saga. On the one hand, it’s where he has his shinning moments as a Jedi Knight on the Jedi Council. On the other hand, he dies during the Saga era, and that wasn’t much fun at all.
Author Topic: Dawn of a New Age:An AU of ROTS-if Anakin allowed Mace to kill Sidious - updated 10/27
Milteck 
Registered: Jul '06
42103_Admiral Thrawn
Date Posted: 6/7 10:59pm Subject: CH 39
Great Hall

It was utter chaos in the Great Hall as the remaining enemy all rallied together and swarmed toward Yoda like a swarm of flesh-eating Yavin Piranha beetles toward its prey. Anakin charged headlong into the enemy and tried to use brute force to push his way through them, but the enemy was too many. Their sheer numbers formed a wall that blocked his path with those on the outskirts now fighting to keep the Jedi at bay while all those in the middle charged toward Yoda. Only Yoda’s incredible power and fighting skills kept the enemy at bay. But even the Grandmaster had limits and Anakin knew Yoda could not keep the enemy at bay forever.

Anakin charged forward and cut great swathes through the enemy ranks that fell upon him. He infused the Force to his lightsaber strikes that added crushing power to every stroke of his blade and it made impossible for the enemy to stand toe-to-toe with him. Those who managed to block Anakin’s attacks were still knocked senseless from the Force of the blow. Anakin’s rage begin to build inside him and he used to strengthen his attacks, making him feel like a giant juggernaut as he smashed through the enemy ranks while knowing they had no chance of being able to stop him. With every swipe of his blade, the enemy was knocked senseless from the power of Anakin’s blows and many were even knocked off their feet – either thrown back into their ranks or completely out of the ring of battle which allowed the clone commandos to take them down easily.

It was like fighting an army of Padawans. Some were more inept then others, but Anakin scowled at these Sith soldiers in contempt and found it laughable that not a single one had raised a Force shield to defend themselves from his attacks. That ability alone was so fundamental that every Jedi was taught it the very first day of lightsaber training and were not allowed to wield a blade until they learned it properly. It was clear these clones were trained by the Kamino to rely on their armor to protect them and that they simply did not have the knowledge to produce Force sensitive Clones. It confirmed what the council had argued all along that a Jedi could not be manufactured or cloned, but only trained from birth to become a Jedi Knight.

At the beginning of the Clone War, the Kamino had requested Jedi DNA and wished to infuse their next army of soldiers with Force sensitivity. Though Palpatine dismissed the request outright, it didn’t stop them from seeking audience with the Jedi Council and making their proposal directly to them. They argued that an army made up entirely of cloned Yoda’s, Master Windus, or even Skywalker’s would be unstoppable. It wasn’t surprising that the Jedi Council condemned the notion outright, and forbade their DNA or any Force sensitive DNA to be used for an army or even to create a select grade of Force infused officers to lead battles. Anakin had initially not been opposed to the idea and had debated with Obi-Wan about it whenever they talked privately about clones, but now he saw the embodiment of that Kamino dream here today and was disturbed greatly by it. The fact that Sidious had gone ahead and tried to build this Sith army was proof that the science was doomed to failure and that these soldiers here today demonstrated that Jedi could not be manufactured in a test tube, and had to be trained from birth in the ways of the Force otherwise they would never be able to use the gift properly.

The clones also felt distorted in the Force and it was not just the Dark Side, but their accelerated aging that warped them as unnatural and even unstable. Anakin could sense the madness from some of them from what they had been subjected too and clearly being able to touch the Force and unable to control it drove them to that state, since clones were programmed to push themselves to perfection. Whether it was due to their training or how badly they were beaten, many of the clones were going more insane than dark and all the Jedi could do for them was put them out of their misery.

Sidious should have sent battle hardened troopers. At least they would’ve had a chance against the Jedi, for these dark clones only had their numbers to rely on. Though they had killed and wounded many Jedi, they thus far had failed to topple the core leadership of the council. This move to destroy Yoda was an act of desperation, but if they succeeded it would at least bring a small victory to their failure and leave the Jedi Order leaderless for the first time in eight centuries.
Anakin couldn’t allow that to happen.

He pushed his way through the enemy ranks and struck down any who crossed his path. Formed up behind him, his troopers continued to lay down suppressing and covering fire that kept the enemy contained and secured the only way out of the Great Hall. Again; he lifted several lightsabers from the ground and activated them all. Those in the front ranks of the enemy began to panic and backed up tightly against each other as Anakin spun them again so fast until they hummed. One way or the other, he was going to clear a path through the enemy to Yoda.

The only drawback was that it would take time to cut his way through them all.

Time that Yoda might not have.

He sent the blades screaming into the ranks and was rewarded with the sound of the blades humming their tune as they cut their way through them. Anakin walked behind their wake and finished off any that his blades missed. From above, Cody and his Stormtroopers flew like wasps over the enemy and pelted them with unrelenting blaster fire. The enemy was sitting ducks for the troopers fire with no cover other than their comrades and only the crimson guard were trained enough to defend themselves with their blades. But even then, they were easily overwhelmed by concentrated blaster.

“Secure the exit and allow none to get past you,” Anakin ordered his troopers. A cold chill flowed through him as he gave that order, but it was more of a reflection of him giving that order under different pretenses then the path he was on now. He had not turned to the dark side and was trying to save the Jedi Order, not destroy it. He could have been the one leading this Sith army if he had come to the aid of Sidious, instead of allowing Master Windu to destroy him. Even afterwards, fate had not been adverted until now and the Jedi Order stood on the brink of obliteration until he had come to save them.

Fate had been adverted, at least for now…

The Jedi pushed through the enemy with ease and now completely surrounded what was left of the enemy ranks, but still there was simply too many to deal with.

All Anakin could see in the middle of the enemy horde was severed limbs popping up into the air and enemy falling as they rushed toward Yoda in a their insane attempt to overwhelm him. Yoda was moving so fast that it made it impossible to locate him amongst the enemy, with only his battle cries and flash of his lightsaber revealing his position.

“I can’t get to him,” Mace shouted across to him. “You are the only one who can make it to Yoda.”

Anakin didn’t respond to Mace, and instead weighed in his options while he dealt with a pair of clones that stood in his way. They tried to bring their weapons up to defend themselves, but Anakin brought his lightsaber down so hard against theirs that it not only knocked their weapons free but also broke both their arms. Anakin finished them both by bringing his lightsaber back down and decapitating them both.

“Anakin, did you hear me!” Mace demanded.

“Yes, I heard you!” Anakin shouted back, he just didn’t know yet how he was going to do it. There was irritation in his voice and Mace caught it, giving him that look he always gave when he disappointed him. Anakin recomposed himself and shouted out further, “I’ll get to Yoda and meet you in the middle.”

Mace nodded in approval and began to shout orders for the Jedi who were left in the center to rally around him.

Anakin had to fight the deep fostering resentment he felt toward Master Windu for always critically judging every action he made and otherwise making his life a living hell. Yet when he looked at him now, he discovered that the legend of the iron willed Jedi Master was indeed true and that he made those around him stronger because of it. He had been there and saw what he had done to Sidious, but that paled into comparison to what he did today. It was his iron will alone that kept the Jedi from breaking throughout the battle and kept them alive until Anakin came with his reinforcements. It also spoke volumes for his endurance, for his robes were torn into tatters and his face was bruised and bloodied with the nasty cut across his forehead was still freely bleeding. His robe was entirely soaked through with sweat and splattered with blood, making Anakin wonder how it was possible the Jedi Master was still standing.

It was at that moment that Anakin realized that Mace was not being disrespectful. The Jedi Master had just placed the burden of saving Yoda entirely on his shoulders and trusted in him to do it. He had more than just Master Windu’s respect; he now had his trust, confidence, and the belief in him as the Chosen One. He felt it in every Jedi, who all now believed in him as the Chosen One and fought harder not only for Master Windu, but for him. To be so accepted was something new to him and he was filled with the desire not to let him down.

Again he analyzed the situation and the distance was too far to Force leap. He continued to cut and hack his way through the enemy, with the enemy piling up around him as they fell to his blades. But it was taking far too long and he wasn’t willing to risk simply grinding it out with the hope that Yoda could hold on until he got there. Yoda was more than capable of taking care of himself, but there was simply too many of the enemy and only one mistake would be the death of him.

Force leaping was the only solution he could think of, but the distance was still too far. He also knew that he would have to jump low in order to make the distance, which made it too dangerous for him to attempt since the enemy would surely try to bring him down with their blades. He might not make it back down in one piece and would probably fall well short of the distance. The idea of being trapped and stuck in the situation of Yoda was unsettling and would not risk it unless he had no other choice.

An entire squad of clone troopers led by Cody swooped down and nearly scorched Anakin with the fumes of their jetpacks as they scorched the enemy while lacing into them with blaster fire. It was dangerous because it required them to swoop low enough the enemy could hit them with their blades, but was worth the risk because the flames of the jetpack was so hot that it would scorch and even cook all those unable to drop quick enough. It was a tactic the clones developed during the Clone War against clueless droids and they called it: Scorch and Burn.

“Hey watch it!” Anakin cried out as they passed overhead.

“Watch it yourself An’ika!” Cody shouted back in jest. It wasn’t funny, but clones had a cold sense of humor that was often very crude when it came to self preservation.

But as he watched them fly by it gave him an idea and called out, “Cody come back here, I need you.”

He broke formation after the Scorch and Burn and flew back toward him.

“Stop there and fly up a little higher.”

Cody looked confused, but complied until Anakin motioned for him to stop and remain where he was.

Anakin separated himself from the enemy to give him plenty of room. He motioned for his troopers to push forward. His men advanced past him in a firing line and poured down on the enemy unrelenting blaster fire.

The jetpack was the answer to his problem, though was now sure what he had in mind would actually work without killing them both. He knew the clone Jetpack would not support both of their weight, nor would he be able to accommodate a jetpack from a trooper to use for himself because they didn’t work without the jetpack bases grafted onto their armor. Since each individual suit of armor was tailor made to each clone, he knew that would never work and would have to try something far
more risky.

Anakin slammed the Force like an energy wave into the enemy with such power that it knocked them all backwards in a domino effect, banging senselessly against one another. The move pushed the enemy back far enough to give him the space he needed to try and save Yoda. “Do!” He chastised himself, remembering the most famous teaching of Yoda, ‘There is no try.’

“Are your boots incorporated into the armor or do they fasten on?” Anakin asked as he pulled out his grappling hook.

“They are pressure-sealed.” Cody answered while rapidly firing his twin stryker pistols down onto the enemy.

Before Cody figure out why Anakin was curious about his boots, he Force jumped high into the air and shot his grappling hook toward his right boot, and latched onto it. Cody cried out as he felt all of Anakin’s weight latch onto his right ankle and made the jetpack sputter which pulled them both back down like a sinking stone. He hit the booster on the jetpack to
increase the thrust, but it still wasn’t enough to support both of their weight.

“It won’t support the weight!” Cody cried out.

“Just hold on and keep it steady!” Anakin yelled back. He now freely dangled from Cody’s leg and began to swing back and forth in order to build up momentum he would need to make the rest of the distance to jump to reach Yoda. Anakin looked down to see the area in which Yoda was fighting for his life and aimed for that area as he swung back and forth.

“You got to let to go, An’ika,” Cody pleaded. The jetpack sputtered again and Anakin clutched onto the cable as they fell several feet before Cody was able to stabilize his pack to hold them.

“Keep it steady!” Anakin ordered. “I’m only going to get one shot at this.”

Cody complied as best he could as he held his position, but the jetpack was now whining from protest and would not be too much longer that it sputtered out completely. Anakin swung harder to give him enough momentum to be able to flip the distance he would need to reach Yoda before it was too late.

Anakin again looked down to see Yoda fighting for his life from and marveled how the Jedi Master held total control of the situation. His size really worked to his advantage and was able to remain allusive to their blows through his speed, acrobatic leaps, and sheer Force power that radiated from him. It was hard to believe that someone so old and tiny could rake so much power, yet Yoda made it look easy and stood as a giant among the enemy. His nearly 900 years of experience and knowledge also outclassed any opponent he might face, making him truly divine and beloved figure of the Jedi Order. It was difficult to think of the Jedi Order without Yoda being its figurehead.

He watched as Yoda continued to spin faster than his eyes could follow. His loud battle cries were more chilling than his swordsmanship and powerful Force attacks. It not only kept the enemy off balance, but it demoralized them to the point that they knew they had no chance against him as their comrades pushed them forward to attack Yoda.

He was swinging pretty good now and only needed a little bit more and would have enough momentum to make the acrobatic leap
that would drop him down into Yoda’s pit.

“I can’t hold out much longer!” Cody warned him. And from the strain in his voice, he could tell the Major wasn’t exaggerating this time and he had to let go.

He swung one more time with all of his strength. Cody howled as Anakin heard something pop and for a terrifying moment felt nothing supporting his weight. He re-coiled the rest of the grappling hook only to discover that the Cody’s boot was still attached. He looked back to find Cody fluttering above in rage, missing a left boot and was surprised to see that Cody did not wear socks – his right foot now completely bare. It was kind of funny to see a Clone Trooper flying around with only one boot while flailing at him angrily in Mandalorian.

Anakin threw himself forward to complete the last phase of the jump. Using the Force, he flipped in mid-air and used the Force to control his jump so he landed right on target. His lightsaber was already back in his hand as he completed the jump and hacked down two enemy clones that were taken completely by surprise as Anakin landed between them. He backed his way into the inner circle to find Yoda impatiently waiting for him.

“Come any later had you and died not by clones, but of old age I would have!”

“Terribly sorry, master,” Anakin replied with a grin. “But I had to break out of my cell before I could come to rescue you all.”

Yoda chuckled at that.

Within moments, they were fighting together in the makeshift ring that had formed around them. Anakin moved to the middle and fought while Yoda jumped, flipped, twirled, and kicked all around him. Yoda reached out to Anakin with the Force and drew him to him like a moth to the flame. Before Anakin realized what was happening, he found himself immersed in a Force meditation that connected them both together. Anakin jerked away initially from the contact and nearly had his head taken off by an enemy clone that had gotten past his defenses. He managed to duck just in time and slew the enemy by sawing his blade to the clone’s midsection, cutting clean through the joint in his armor between his stomach and waist. As he spun around to deal with the next onslaught of enemy, he tried to bring up a barrier between them. But Yoda was simply too strong and forced his way through to forge the link between.

“Be calm and relax,” Yoda spoke to him. Yet it wasn’t words Anakin was hearing, but thoughts shared between them that also soothed him into submission of the meditation. It was more than just simple sharing of thoughts; he could also feel, sense, and see everything that Yoda experienced. They were in essence now one mind and could now seamlessly work together with speed and precision far beyond anything he’d ever felt before.

“Try and relax,” Yoda said again, this time more insistently as the combat around them became more intense as the enemy redoubled their efforts to try and kill them. “Concentrate.”

“I’m trying!” Anakin vented. But in truth he was fighting harder to keep Yoda out than in.

Surprisingly Yoda didn’t snap back at him his maxim that there was no try, only do.

Anakin didn’t want Yoda to see or feel the dark fears that he had long kept hidden. He had told him and Master Windu what he had done to the sand people, but he didn’t want him to feel the fears he felt for his wife and now family. That secret was also now exposed, but he wanted Yoda to believe he could continue to be a part of their lives and a Jedi as well. It was an almost impossible burden for Anakin to bear, but he wanted to be the first who tried.

Anakin felt himself slipping into the bond and felt his resistance wane with every moment that passed. He knew it was
critical to their survival, but Anakin pushed back because he knew that two Jedi connected to each other would share their inner most thoughts and feelings. But regardless of how hard he tried to resist, his barriers crumbled to the power of Yoda and relented to opening the bond between them completely.

The moment Anakin gave himself to the meditation, everything changed.

Anakin had experienced the technique before during the Outbound Flight project and had felt how all the Jedi worked together as one. Yoda made Jorus C’Baoth’s Battle meditation look like it was done as an amateur, for his made Anakin stronger in both body and mind. There was a symphony of the Force now going on all around him and Yoda was the composer, orchestrating everything around him with such control and power that all Anakin could do was give himself to that power. It was like his eyes had been opened for the first time and he could see where each of the enemy was, what they were thinking, how each of them was about to strike and how to counter attack. Anakin could feel everyone and everything, from the individual streams of sweat that flowed freely from Master Windu’s bald head to individual dust particles that fell from the cracked ceiling.
Even the Jedi around him felt connected and, though the bond was not nearly as strong as the one between him and Yoda, it was still there. He gave them the strength to endure the horror of this attack and along with Master’s steely resolve they kept the Jedi from breaking. It would be Anakin who would be remembered for saving the Jedi Order, but it was Yoda and Master Windu who made the victory possible.

Finally; Yoda’s Force Meditation also had a surprising benefit of allowing them both to draw on the Force all around them to sustain themselves indefinitely. Anakin almost laughed as he discovered one of Yoda’s secrets and that through Meditation he could sustain an unlimited supply of Force that allowed him to keep going and going and going… It made Yoda almost impossible to defeat in combat and he would simply either overpower you or wear you down. Anakin felt that unlimited power course through his veins and couldn’t help but unleash it into the enemy.

“Try not to bruise me,” Anakin jibbed as he gave himself over to the meditation completely. “Padme doesn’t like to see me all beat up.”

Yoda didn’t respond to that and Anakin regretted bringing up the uncomfortable subject. He even felt a lapse in the Grandmaster’s concentration from dealing with the truth of their relationship, the disappointment in him for breaking the code, and the hardship that it now brought to him as the leader of the Jedi Order. Anakin confronted this by trying to bury his fears and feelings deep inside him, only to feel Yoda do the same thing as he confronted his own fears that his frailties or old age would finally be the death of him. The Force Meditation was a two edged blade and what one felt when linked the other felt as well, bringing out both of their fears – experiencing and sharing them. There was a new found understanding between them that each of them had fears that could lead to the dark side. Anakin allowed himself to watch Yoda for just a moment and could see for the first time how hard the Grandmaster actually pushed himself physically to the edge. Each time Yoda was forced to exert himself it brought him closer and closer to falling to the dark side. Anakin shared with Yoda the pull of the Dark Side that came with every passing moment and how succumbing to it would make the pain and feebleness go away. Anakin allowed Yoda to channel whatever Force he needed to sustain himself, though the Grandmaster only drew from it only when absolutely necessary.

But through the meditation, Yoda didn’t allow him to think on his fears for those he loved or his pain and pushed it to the back of his mind. Anakin’s fears about his future were soothed with the reassurance that they deal with them once the battle was concluded. Anakin felt the anxiety completely leave him, but also felt Yoda reassure him further that he would resolve this – accompanied by a genuine belief that things were about to change.

He then heard the voice of Qui-Gon tell him, “Anakin you are the Chosen One, you will bring balance.”

It made all of his fears go away and focused solely on what he needed to do to survive, along with Yoda.

“Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan have long believed you to be the Chosen One,” Yoda told him. “Now many more believe, including me.”
Yoda alone was unstoppable, but with the Chosen One now at his side there was force in the galaxy that could bring them down. Anakin stood as an unstoppable juggernaut in the center, while Yoda continued to spin and leap around him in a lightsaber flurry so fast that Anakin could’ve sworn he was really in two places at once. Within moments they expanded the size of the ring to twice its size and struck down any who advanced toward them. The clones who were left finally broke and panicked, but with no where to go it was they who were trapped. Some turned even on each other to break free only to be struck down by a Jedi’s blade or blaster fire.

Yoda flipped completely over him and when he landed cut the man charging Anakin’s blindside in half. The snarl he made to the others following him froze him in their tracks before they could take another step toward him. He then proceeded to lift them up with the Force and slammed them into others charging to the right. Watching Yoda, it was difficult to believe he was no longer a Jedi in his prime and that the ravages of old age were forcing him to rely heavily on the Force to sustain him. Yet Yoda refused to give in to the nagging pull of the Dark Side the promised to end his pain and Anakin allowed Yoda to
continue to channel from him whatever Force he needed to survive.

Anakin and Yoda became a tandem, working off each other strengths much in the same that he did with Obi-Wan. Every strike and move they made was more than just anticipated by the other – they were one and moved much faster and proficiently then they could otherwise on their own. It was the Force meditation link allowed them to mirror their movements to the extent that each knew what they were doing next and even anticipate the enemies movements or how they were about to strike.
It was a symphony of destruction they unleashed and not a force in the galaxy who could stand in their way. Anakin was the thunder whose power shook the enemy to the core with his powerful lightsaber swings and Yoda the lightning, whose speed and acrobatics made it impossible to strike him down. Those who he didn’t strike down with his blade, he smashed with the Force or choked the life out of them. Anakin used these tactics at first reluctantly until he saw Yoda do the same thing with his powers.

At that moment, Mace assembled brought down the hammer and charged toward their ranks like a battering ram with two dozen of his bravest Knights into the heart of the enemy ranks. What made Mace’s move more astonishing was he was not using his lightsaber to pummel then enemy, but his own fists as he smashed his way through them. Anakin watched as he smashed his fist into the clones helmet and watched it shatter into pieces, along with most of the enemy’s head exploding from the impact. Anakin knew that Master Windu had mastered the technique known as Shatterpoint that enabled him to find the weak point in virtually anything, whether physical or mental, and shatter it with the power of the Force.

Anakin saw how he did it and was tempted to try it himself, only to have Yoda stop him with the warning he was not ready to try it. Mace drew back out his blade and began to fight his way again through the enemy ranks, but that still did not stop him from striking the enemy with more blows of shatterpoints that never failed to either: cripple, crush, or kill the enemy he attacked. Anakin couldn’t resist trying it. Despite Yoda’s warning he focused on the Clone advancing toward him and found the weak point in the chest plate of his armor. He brought his free hand into a fist and slammed it into the clone’s chest plate. Not only did the force of the blow split the clone in half along with his armor, but it also formed a massive crack in the temple’s foundations that formed a huge crack in the floor that swallowed up more of the enemy as it expanded.
“Anakin!” Yoda growled. He then felt a slap of the Jedi Master’s cane against his shin that made him howl in pain. “Told you not to try that I did and now look what you have done!”

The crack continued to expand and the Jedi had to leap for safety as it expanded toward them. Despite Yoda’s criticism, he couldn’t help but be amazed by the power of what he had just unleashed and watched the crack go from corner to corner of the Great Hall. Statues crumbled and more of the enemy fell helpless to their deaths in the crack that swallowed them up hungrily like a sarlaac. It wasn’t until he realized the crack was not going to stop growing that he realized he might have made a terrible mistake.

“What is happening?”

“When you killed that last clone with a shatterpoint, you also found the shatterpoint of the temple’s foundations and have shattered it as well.”

“Oh…” Anakin said, now understanding why Yoda was so upset and that he may have just doomed them all. “I’m sorry.”

“Too late for sorry,” Yoda chastised him and added another slap of his cane to his shin. Yoda then sternly ordered, “Cover me, you now must!”

Yoda got in front of him and through the meditation Anakin could feel the Grandmaster focus hard on the crack continuing to expand at their feet. The foundations of the Great Hall continued to crumble and Anakin realized he had just put all the Jedi at risk for his brash action for the floor was continuing to crumble around their feet. Anakin suddenly found he was trapped to hold his position and the enemy didn’t hesitate to charge to finish them off. More fell through the crack to their deaths, but that didn’t stop many from making it and Anakin had to deal with them.

Master Windu didn’t panic and ordered the Jedi to hold their positions and not fall back. It was particularly brutal on those who he had led into the center who were currently in the most danger as the crack continued to grow. Some even found themselves now pinned against the edge of it as they fought the enemy, now knowing that one misstep one send them falling down to an agonizing death.

Then abruptly, the crack stopped growing and Anakin knew that Yoda had just saved them. The Grandmaster dropped his cane and then simply brought his hands together in a gesture that began to seal the crack. Yoda made the gesture look easy. It was something that not even 100 Jedi Knights working together could do and Yoda managed it with a simple gesture and a grunt of irritation afterwards. Anakin had no doubt the irritation was aimed at him, but the Grandmaster seemed to ease off him just a little bit after fixing what he just did.

“Reckless you are,” Yoda vented. “Unpredictable!” He stopped short of blaming Anakin for not just the crack, but for everything that happened here today. Anakin could feel in the meditation that Yoda felt an urge to make him the scapegoat for all of it by kicking him out of the order as a traitor. Anakin had violated the code and massacring the Tuskans only fostered serious doubts that he would ever truly become the Jedi he needed him to be. There might have been time not too long ago when Yoda or Master Windu would have tried to kick him out without a seconds pause, but that time was past and it was undeniable that he was truly one of them. Yet Anakin had come to save them and there was a promise made that kept Yoda’s faith in him strong. The meditation allowed him to feel that promise and that it had been made to someone other than Obi-Wan.
Yoda sighed in frustration. “What to do with you Skywalker, must I?”

“Stop holding me back,” Anakin replied. The sharpness of his tone made him hold his tongue from speaking further and wondered if those words had just sealed his fate. “Allow me to become the Jedi I was meant to be.”

“Meant to be?” Yoda motioned back to the outline of crack in the floor and asked, “Is this what you were meant to be Anakin – a destroyer of worlds or one who saves them?”

“It was an accident, I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“Of course not,” Yoda said. “Never mean to destroy worlds, those who have the power yet they do because they have no restraint on how they use that power. Learn restraint you must. Without it you are as dangerous to yourself as others.”

A picture of Padme’s face flashed in his mind that was also accompanied by Obi-Wan’s. There was then a glimpse of Anakin howling in rage and trying to kill them both for not being able to restrain not just his abilities, but his emotions as well. They would destroy him and all those he loved if he didn’t learn to control them.

“See now, why you must learn restraint,” Yoda said to him.

“I do,” Anakin answered. “And I will.”

“You must if you are to truly bring balance to the Force and become the Jedi we need you to be.”

 

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Milteck 
Registered: Jul '06
42103_Admiral Thrawn
Date Posted: 6/7 11:03pm Subject: CH 39
Though the crack had nearly destroyed all those in the Great Hall, it did have the side effect of further dividing the enemy into much smaller pieces that the remaining Jedi and troopers systematically finished off. The surge was so powerful that it broke the enemy’s back and all the outlying Jedi pushed forward to finish off those that were left. Major Cody and his 501st troopers continued to pour down blaster fire onto the enemy ranks while those at the entrance held their firing line intact as they brought down any who tried to get past them.

Cody broke out of formation with his squad and moved Anakin’s position to ask, “Shall I start taking prisoners?”

It was a difficult question to answer.

The number of the enemy continued to dwindle, yet none of them surrendered and each of the enemy fought to the death. Clones fought to the death and they were so distorted with dark side energy that there was no chance of saving any of them. They fought only to kill and destroy. The Kamino created the best soldiers the galaxy had ever known in their Arc and Alpha troopers – especially the Nulls. But these dark clones were the embodiment of bad science on a monstrous scale and to have Force sensitive DNA spliced into their genes and then twisted by the dark side was an abomination. The Kamino would have a lot to answer for after this.

Anakin turned to Yoda to get his thoughts only to find the Jedi Master already nodding that the choice was his to make. He was going to allow Anakin to make the choice and fully support it with his authority. It was a test, that much Anakin was certain, with the choice he made be scrutinized by the Grandmaster in the days to come. A cold shiver ran up his spine as he knew what had to be done and felt the Dark Side gnawing at his insides, but ignored them as he made his choice. He looked back at Cody and ordered, “No, don’t take any prisoners Cody.”

Cody nodded in understanding and carried out his orders. A clone never questioned an order or needed it to be repeated to them. Anakin knew he just sealed the enemy’s fate with that order and honestly didn’t regret giving it. Deep down he knew they deserved to die and, Jedi or not, he was happy to give the order.

That didn’t keep him from feeling guilty about it. With Yoda around him he couldn’t help but feeling like he just committed some great sin and that he had somehow failed his test. Yoda was beloved by all and was placed on a perch that everyone looked up too or aspired to become. Most Jedi simply loved Yoda, hung to his every word, and otherwise swore to follow him until the day they became one with the Force. However Anakin was one of the few aspired to become Yoda. With his future hanging in the balance, he just realized that if he lost Yoda’s respect then he minus well turn his robes because he was finished.

“What, think you?” Yoda asked him.

“Um…” Anakin started to say, unsure what to really say and confirmed that he had indeed just been tested. “I did what had to be done.”

“Indeed?” Yoda asked skeptically. “Truly?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what else I could’ve done.”

“No guilt, feel you?”

“A little,” Anakin answered. “But it’s not going to stop me from doing what must be done.”

“Good. Do what you must,” Yoda told him flatly. “It’s either us or them.”

Hearing Yoda speak with such ice in his tone startled Anakin and made him realize that Master Windu wasn’t alone in dabbling with the dark arts. But the scary thing about it was that Anakin understood why he used it and that there was nothing wrong in doing so. If Yoda didn’t do it, he would’ve succumbed to his frailties long ago and most likely not lived as long. It began to open his eyes to the truth about the Force and that a Jedi must become balanced with it.

“That’s not among the lessons you taught in your sermons,” Anakin jibbed him. “Are you not afraid such a course will lead us to the Dark Side?”

“Only weak-minded fools are susceptible to that,” Yoda answered with a snarl. He leapt right up to the enemy charging him and went right for his neck with his blade, he then pushed off the dying clone with his feet and back flipped in the air. He decapitated two more clones with a single swing of his lightsaber as he landed. “You are not one of those, are you Anakin?”
“No master, I am not.” Anakin assured him.

“Then nothing to fear, you do.”

“I cannot train myself to let go of everything that I am afraid to lose,” Anakin told Yoda. The words of advice Yoda had given him that day in the temple after he first told him of his nightmares had left him unsettled ever since. He knew he could not let go of Padme, his kids, and even Obi-Wan who he loved like a brother – father even. “If I am to become the Jedi you need me to be, then they must remain a part of my life.”

“Know that, I now do,” Yoda replied simply. “A different breed of Jedi you are. Unwise, my advice to you was.”

“Then what must I do?” Anakin asked Yoda, feeling there was better time than now to speak with the Jedi Master.

“Do?” Yoda stopped fighting just long enough to turn to Anakin and told him, “Already do what must be done, you have. The chosen one you are, bring balance to the Force you must.”

“I am trying…”

“No try, Anakin,” Yoda corrected him. “You either will or will not, there is no try.”

Anakin felt hesitant to do so. All of his life, the Jedi Council and even his mentor Obi-Wan held him back from his true potential. Now they were asking him to take the plunge as the Chosen One without ever having learned to fly. But the abilities had always been there and Anakin had the confidence to unleash his true potential without holding anything back. There seemed to be no limit to his powers, and for the first time felt like a God, whose will could not be stopped and whose powers could not be stopped. Even Yoda was looking upon him now as their savior and the very dynamics of his place in the hierarchy of the Jedi Order was beginning to change to his favor. He no longer feared anything and felt there was nothing he could not accomplish. It filled him with tremendous confidence and pride, along with the determination that he would not let any of them down; especially Yoda, Mace, and Obi-Wan.

“Become the Jedi you are destined to be,” Yoda encouraged. “Do it, only you can.”

He no longer focused on attacking individual opponents and now solely relied on the meditation with Yoda to unleash an unstoppable Lightsaber Dervish against the enemy. It was a Force infused area attack that only a lightsaber master dare perform because of the danger to not only themselves, but to all those around them who got too close. It was as risky to the wielder as to the enemy because the blade relied heavily on the Force to guide it, making it possible to strike yourself, even friends, if you weren’t paying attention to what you were doing. Anakin had no intention of losing any arms or legs today, especially from his own hand, and with Yoda nearby he made sure he wasn’t relying completely on the meditation to guide his weapon.

Already, his arms and back was beginning to strain from the intensity of his attacks as he twirled, spun, and slashed his blade into the enemy. His blade always struck at the right place through the enemy clones defenses and hacked through the joints in their armor. The meditation drew on Yoda’s long experience of lightsaber fighting and was able to draw on that to properly counterattack every move with precision.

“What if I fail?” Anakin blurted out. The question seemed to just come out and felt for the first time like his nerves might finally be getting to him.

“Then fail, we all do,” Yoda answered. “In this alone Anakin, you are not.”

Mace pushed his way into the center with his Jedi Knights and within moments more than twenty Jedi Knights formed up around them to secure the center while the masters converged in the middle. Anakin and Yoda relaxed as Master Windu approached them, accompanied by Masters Plo Koon to his right and Shaak Ti to his left.

“The enemy’s back is broken and the Great Hall is secure,” Master Windu reported to Yoda. “The Knights and our troopers are finishing off the last pockets of resistance.”

“Good, very good,” acknowledged Yoda with satisfaction.

Master Windu then turned to Anakin and gestured to his feet where the outline of the crack remained. “I will have to teach you the proper way to use shatterpoints if you are to use them in the future,” he said to him. There was a show of respect and was impressed by Anakin’s display of power even though it had nearly killed them all. The rest of the Masters just looked impressed and that the crack in the temple’s foundations had been the final straw that broke the enemies back.

Anakin watched as Aayla Secura and Roan Shryne pushed their way into the center. Aayla looked like a wreck and was about to begin weeping at any moment, but she composed herself well. Upon entering the center she walked directly up to Anakin and embraced him openly. Anakin didn’t shy away from embracing her back and holding her almost in the same way as he held Padme, except he didn’t love Aayla. Whether Aayla felt anything for him really didn’t matter and simply gave himself to the moment, giving her his shoulder to both lean and cry on.

It was really what she needed right now.

“I knew you were the Chosen One,” she whispered into his ear.

Anakin responded with a smile of thanks. He took in her sweet erotic scent and couldn’t help but feel aroused from the natural pheromones that Twi’lek women were renowned for. Despite all the blood and stink of battle that had soiled her robes and bruised her body, the beauty of Master Secura did not diminish or fade. It made him feel uncomfortable, but he didn’t show it as he continued to hold her as she buried her head against his chest to take away her tears.

He distracted himself by turning to the others. Roan looked like he was about to keel over to die and was using what little Force he had left to keep himself from collapsing. He was weak, that much Anakin could sense through the Force, but there was more to it than simply being exhausted because he could barely registered in the Force at all. It was impossible to ignore by those around him and made it clear that his abilities were sharply on the decline. Yet somehow he had found the strength to survive the battle and now the battle was over was not about to let anyone, especially Master Windu or Yoda, see him so weak and helpless.

Shaak Ti and Plo Kloon were both bloodied and bruised, but they still stood proud and strong with the look they could go another couple of more rounds with the enemy before they began to falter. Luminara was the last of the Jedi Masters to join them. Her black robes were torn to sunders and covered with filth, making her look more haggard then Anakin had ever seen her before in his life. Her headdress was gone and Anakin was unprepared to see her without it with her hair cropped short almost in a military style buzz cut that was neither lady like or appeasing to the eye. It also made her look old and haggard.

Aayla gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek before she pulled away from him. The Jedi Masters huddled around Anakin, Mace, and Yoda. They sought answers and guidance for what they should do next.

“I have also given the order that no prisoners are to be taken…”

“No need to dwell on what must be done, there is,” Yoda cut Master Windu off. Anakin could see that even though this dark army had come to annihilate them all, there were a few Jedi who felt uncomfortable doing the same to them. “Destroy them all, we must.”

“But Master Yoda, surely there is no need to eradicate them completely,” Plo Koon objected. “With a few survivors we could learn things about them, where they came from, who truly is responsible for this.”

“Darth Sidious is responsible for all of this,” Anakin told.

“Certain of this, you are?” Yoda asked him.

“I felt his presence in route to the temple,” Anakin answered. “Somehow he has found a way to cheat death and has returned to finish what he started.”

“Did he reach out too you Anakin?”

“Yes Master Windu, he did,” Anakin answered truthfully. “He also tried to stop me from coming here and slowed down our advance considerably, but I managed to fight my way through his traps to get here.”

Anakin than realized something was out of place and asked, “Where is he? I assumed he had led this army to the temple.”
“No, Darth Maul led them,” Mace answered. “He got past us, but Master Kenobi stopped him.”

“Who is watching over Padme then?” Anakin asked, beginning to get upset.

“Obi-Wan did what he had to do Anakin,” Mace answered. “Your wife and family is still safe. It is Darth Maul we still need to worry about.”

Anakin could scarcely believe it and began to fear for those he cared about now that Obi-Wan’s nemesis was reborn. “If Darth Sidious has learned how to bring people back from the dead then it could mean he could bring back anyone back from the grave. Maul might be only the tip of the iceberg of evil that could be brought back and unleashed upon the galaxy. When I served as his representative of the council, he told me of the Sith legend about Darth Plaguis and how he was able to save people from death.”

“That legend involves using the dark side of the Force on those still living to save them from death,” Master Windu countered. Anakin had difficulty hiding his irritation that such knowledge was being kept from him. It also appeared that Master Windu and Yoda were familiar with the legend even though it was now where to be found in the Jedi archives. “It is impossible to use the Force to actually bring back someone from the dead.”

“Impossible, you say?” Yoda rebuked. “Then how alive, Darth Sidious still is?”

“I don’t believe the Force is responsible.” Mace replied defensively. “I am only stating the facts as I see them. There is no way to bring someone back from the dead using only the Force.”

“And Darth Sidious was destroyed,” Plo Koon pointed out. “He couldn’t have brought back himself.”

“Could this Darth Plaguis have done it?” Aayla asked.

“No,” Anakin replied. Everyone turned back to Anakin who proceeded to explain, “He ended the legend by telling me Darth Plaguis lost his powers toward the end of his life and that his apprentice killed him in his sleep.”
“That also fits with what we know of the legend,” Mace confirmed.

“It’s unfortunate that we know so little of this Dark Plaguis when you do,” Luminara vented. Anakin was pleased to see that he wasn’t the only one on the council who was unaware of this legend. It made him wonder how much the Jedi Council really knew about Sith Lords, how many had been actually discovered, and if there could be even more out there.

“More the reason we should take prisoners,” Plo Koon again pointed out. “They might be able to fill in the missing pieces of what happened.”

It was at that moment that they all felt a great disturbance in the dark side. It sounded like a bomb went off deep in the heart of the temple and the temple again shook from what happened in its workings. Something terrible had just happened deeper in the temple and Obi-Wan was now in great pain.

“Master Kenobi is in trouble,” Master Windu concluded. “We must go to him at once.”

“In great pain, Master Kenobi is,” Yoda said. “Something terrible has happened.”

“Where is Padme?” Anakin blurted out. He couldn’t help but fear for her and if Obi-Wan was in danger, than he knew she also would be.

“Obi-Wan was watching over your family,” Master Windu told him. There was actually sadness in his eyes as he told him, “If something has happened to Padme…”

“No, I would know if something happened to her,” Anakin interrupted and he hoped it to be true. He reached out with the Force and tried to feel for her, but she simply wasn’t there. There had always been a feint connection between them even though she wasn’t a Jedi, and it alarmed him that he could neither feel her or his children. Yet somehow he knew they were still alive and it kept him from panicking. “She is alive and I must get to her.”

Anakin turned to leave and didn’t care if the Yoda gave him permission to go or not. His wife and best friend were in danger and no one was going to stop him from trying to save them.

“Anakin wait.” Master Windu called out to him.

“I must be the one to go,” Anakin declared. “Don’t try to stop me.”

Neither Master Windu nor Yoda tried to stop him as he pushed his way past the masters and ran toward the corridor leading to the library. Cody landed with a squad of troopers and volunteered to go with him, but Anakin waved them off and ordered them to remain to secure the temple. This was personal for Anakin and he didn’t want anyone else to be a part of it.

“Finish securing the temple and see to your wounded,” Mace ordered the masters. He then pointed to Masters Shaak Ti and Plo Koon and ordered further, “I want you both to take those Jedi who are still strong enough to fight along with any number of clones you need to secure the temple’s entrance. It still might not be over and I don’t want to be caught unprepared.”
“What of Skywalker?” Luminara asked. “Should we really allow him to go alone?

“I’ll watch over him and take full responsibility for his actions,” Mace replied. “Now move out.”

Mace waited until the Jedi were gone before asking Yoda, “Well, shall I go after him or not?”

“No,” Yoda answered firmly. “Do this on his own, he must.”

“To save Obi-Wan from Maul?” Mace asked concerned.

“No,” Yoda corrected. “He must save Obi-Wan from himself.”


 

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Milteck 
Registered: Jul '06
42103_Admiral Thrawn
Date Posted: 6/7 11:08pm Subject: Call for volunteers.
I am looking for 2-3 people who would be interested in reading my updates before I post them. I have been proof reading my opdates, but would like some volunteers who actively read my updates to read any future updates.

Perks include:
Being the first to know what happens in each update
I will read or proof any stories you post.
Also be willing to share some of my other stories...

If interested, please pm me

 

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Milteck 
Registered: Jul '06
42103_Admiral Thrawn
Date Posted: 6/7 11:11pm Subject: New PM List - Date Edited: 6/21 2:02pm (4 edits total) Edited By: Milteck
Here is my new pm list

Anakins_kiss
azeria_jade
Daramin_of_the_way
Darth_buddy
darth_drachonus
Darth_kripp
darthjishywishy
darthpandemonium
darth_sidious_1983
egkenobi
Flipside82
Force_chick
Hewes
Jedicam-ron
Jediknight_mat
Jedimaster_jen
Jedimasterjessica
Jedi_riches
Josh_halcyon
Kevin_solo
Lordpullus
Megacrafter2
Moangel
Raptor517
Silsolo
Spyman290
Talon_Kenobi
the_slilent_one
Ultima_1
Vaderlvr64
Waylela
Yoda-I_AM

Thanks for reading!!!

 

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EGKenobi 
Registered: Apr '05
18921_Obi-Wan Kenobi
Date Posted: 6/8 3:05am Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
Excellent update Milteck, love the way you described the battle. And now Anakin's going to save Obi-Wan....

Ooooh exciting.

EG

 

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Darth_Kripp 
Registered: Oct '05
23578_Darth Sidious
Date Posted: 6/8 7:26am Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
Nice update. Anakin's powers are still growing and as Yoda stressed, they may be dangerous...

I like this question: where is Darth Sidious? Indeed, after such a failure, what has he become?

 

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"Use my knowledge, I beg you!" (Chancellor Palpatine)
The Forcefather (ESB AU): http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=23789577&brd=10476&start=23817802
The Defendant's pleading (RotJ AU): http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/26069511/p1
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Ultima_1 
Registered: May '01
46574_NaNoWriMo
Date Posted: 6/8 8:30am Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
I loved the bit with Anakin trying shatterpoint and causing more damage than he intended and the part with him using Cody's foot as an anchor point to swing to Yoda.

Looks like things are starting to turn around now.

 

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Fanfic Padawan of NYCitygurl
Legacy of the Force: Endgame
http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28169084/p1/?1
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JediMaster_Jen 
Registered: Jun '02
42358_Jacen Solo
Date Posted: 6/8 9:29am Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
Great update. applause It's good to see that Anakin isn't going to be held back any longer.

Hopefully he'll get to Obi-Wan in time and be strong enough to do what needs to be done when he does.

 

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"Qui tacet consentit"~~ (silence implies consent)
Red Wings Rock!!!!!!! dancing
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Darth_Sidious_1983 
Registered: Jun '05
39902_Palpatine
Date Posted: 6/8 5:55pm Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
Darth_Kripp posted:
Nice update. Anakin's powers are still growing and as Yoda stressed, they may be dangerous...

I like this question: where is Darth Sidious? Indeed, after such a failure, what has he become?


Sidious is aboard one of the ships in the space fleet above Coruscant.

 

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... if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force.
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Raptor517 
Registered: Sep '06
42234_Venator-Class Star Destroyer
Date Posted: 6/8 6:20pm Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
Shatterpoint the temple...how typical for Anakin to overdo it the first time. Still funny, though.

Looking forward to the next update. Great job!

Raptor517

 

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Yoda-i_am 
Registered: Jun '06
24223_Yoda
Date Posted: 6/9 11:21am Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
ohhh I got chills reading this update.

Please post another one soon

 

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"Difficult to see, the future is"
"May the Force be with you"
"I NEED HELP"
workin on a new fic has to do with vader
wantin to make it a round robin if anyone is interested pm me
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megacrafter2 
Registered: Dec '07
Date Posted: 6/10 3:16am Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
Raptor517 posted:
Shatterpoint the temple...how typical for Anakin to overdo it the first time. Still funny, though.

Looking forward to the next update. Great job!

Raptor517


lol, thats exactly what i thought when i read that line.

interesting battle, obi-won, turning to the dark said you say? hmm

 

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Force_Chick 
Registered: May '08
15155_Anakin Skywalker
Date Posted: 6/10 1:31pm Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
Thank you for the update.

I loved the fight scene and Anakin's shatterpoint mistake. I hope that he can get to Obi-Wan and Padme before it's too late worried

 

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When Facism comes to the United States, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross. - Sinclair Lewis
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Milteck 
Registered: Jul '06
42103_Admiral Thrawn
Date Posted: 6/11 9:04pm Subject: My Beta Readers
Thank you Raptor517 and Spyman290 for volunteering.

I appreciate your help and really wanted those who beta-read this story to really enjoy doing it.

dancing

Thanks guys.

 

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Talon_Kenobi 
Registered: Sep '03
23962_Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 6/13 12:01pm Subject: RE: Dawn of a New Age: An AU Ending of ROTS. Updated 6-8
This is a great story, I would like to be added to the list if at all possible

 

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Draft Team: Kenobi's Talons
Starfighter Draft winner
The 3.5th Southern Nevada Jedi Draft Winner
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