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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga - OT A Sith's Folly AU (Luke, Leia, Anakin, Darth Vader)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by BadCookie, Mar 7, 2016.

  1. BadCookie

    BadCookie Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Feb 12, 2016
    Title: A Sith's Folly
    Author: BadCookie

    Summary: Having foreseen the embers of treason, the Emperor Darth Sidious has evoked an ancient Sith ritual meant to purge all remaining light from his apprentice’s soul. But he failed to anticipate a Jedi’s tenacity. Anakin Skywalker has returned, and together with his children, he may yet fulfill his destiny to destroy the Sith, and their Empire. Set post A New Hope.



    Prologue

    “Rogue Four and Rogue Five, form up behind Two and Three. Ready attack pattern gamma.”

    “Copy, Rogue Leader. Attack pattern gamma."

    The X-wingsveered smoothly across the blackness of space, maneuvering around each other with practiced precision. In the blink of an eye, they had assembled in a tight formation of twos, moving as one towards an imagined enemy.

    Glancing left and right from his cockpit, Commander Luke Skywalker of the Rebel Alliance surveyed the squadron’s new flight pattern. As always, Rogue Group kept expert synchrony, flying in perfect tandem.

    It still amazed Luke how easily this crew had shaped up, and how naturally it had become a formidable team. Not even a year ago, they had all been strangers from different squadrons in different corners of the galaxy. This was a ragtag group if there ever was one, but they had all flocked to Luke like a beacon after the Battle of Yavin. They said they would follow him, much to the former farmboy’s shock. He had never led anyone before in his life, and now these ace pilots wanted to serve under his command. It was unbelievable. At the time, he had even found it ridiculous. Him, a squad leader? Who in their right mind would think that was a good idea? But the rest had happened as if by fate. Soon after Luke was made Commander, the new Rogue Squadron was born, and none too soon. They had already seen more action in their short tenure than many other squadrons would see in a lifetime, making them one of the most successful starfighter squads in the Rebel Alliance.

    Luke brightened at the memory. His whole life had changed so quickly it was still hard tobelieve it wasn’t all just a dream. Caught in retrospect, he wondered what would have happened had he never left him homeworld of Tatooine, but quickly halted that train of thought before it got a hold of him. It would only served to bring back painful memories. He had learned that during this last year. It was in the future where he should focus, and with that in mind he turned back to his controls. He had a drill to complete, one that had already roused his excitement to exponential heights. Just the thought of it was enough to exhilarate him.

    “Alright, Rogue Two,” he said, turning to his drill partner. “Let’s see if this really is as crazy as we made it sound during briefing,”

    Zev made a ready gesture from his cockpit. “Roger, Rogue Leader,”

    “Crazy is our best tactic, sir,” Dak’s eager voice blasted over the comm. “The Empire can’t handle crazy. Too many regulations.”

    The open link filled with laughter from the rest of the squad. Luke shook his head, even as he joined in. It was hard to keep the persona of a Commander sometimes, especially when Dak was around.

    “Well, let’s hope they don’t catch on to our brand of crazy any time soon. This should throw them off for a good while.”

    “It was a fool proof maneuver back in the day,” said Hobbie, evoking his ‘expertise’ yet again. “They won’t know what hit ‘em. This tactic isn’t even mentioned at the Imperial Academy, since it was used by Jedi pilots.”

    An interest in old piloting techniques was one of Hobbie’s many quirks. He always had some curious historical anecdote or other to share with the rest of the squad. But this latest duo maneuver had been of particular interest to Luke. He just couldn’t pass up the opportunity of bringing it back from the bowels obscurity. The idea had obsessed him for weeks. It was all he could think about, and for a very specific reason. The newly christened attack pattern gamma, whose original name was long lost to the Empire’s cleansing of Republican records, was a tag team combat tactic developed during the Clone Wars by none other than Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.

    A grave feeling of loss suddenly overcame Luke, just as it had when he first learned of this olden tactic. It was a familiar sensation, of which he knew he would never be free. It was always lurking at the back of his mind, and crept up on him like a dark shadow when he least expected, sinking him in a wave of crushing grief time and time again.

    Anakin Skywalker. Once the greatest star pilot in the galaxy. Luke’s father.

    No amount of time would ever ease the heartache he felt every time he thought of Anakin. Growing up, Luke had always felt his father’s absence sharply, like a persistent tugging at his young heart. But the recent revelation of his true legacy had brought that old pain into new focus. Anakin Skywalker was a hero. He had been a Jedi Knight, a protector of peace and justice in the Old Republic, admired throughout the whole galaxy. And then he was murdered, ruthlessly stolen from Luke by an evil monster. A monster that still plagued the galaxy, unchecked and unchallenged. Unpunished.

    Jaw clenching tight, Luke shook his head and took a deep calming breath. He tried to steer his thoughts away from his father’s killer, knowing it would lead to nothing good. He would not think like that. A Jedi would not think like that. He breathed out slowly, consciously letting his negative feelings escape into the Force. It was a trick he managed to teach himself a while back, based on what little he’d been taught. His gaze had drifted down the ship’s control panel, and his mind wandered away to impossible dreams. He always felt closest to Anakin’s memory while piloting. When he was young, he had often fantasized how his father would have taught his how to fly, had he been given the chance. Perhaps that’s why he had jumped at Hobbie’s suggestion. Reviving his father’s own technique was as close to learning from Anakin as he would ever get.

    “I’m in position, sir. Just give the word.”

    Zev’s voice cut through the haze of Luke’s melancholy, wrenching him back to the present. All around him, the squad was settled and waiting. He must have been lost in his thoughts for a while. He shouldn’t have let that happen. Clearing his throat, he checked the squad’s tight formation again before speaking.

    “Right. Rogue Two, begin the assault on my mark. Let’s give Home One a good show.”

    Zev laughed, but Luke could detect the smallest hint of nerves. “Yes, sir. Only, let’s try to forego any explosions for now.”

    “Copy, Rogue Two. Begin attack pattern gamma.”

    The two X-wings broke apart from the formation, swerving in opposite directions to begin the maneuver. They picked up speed, all the while trying to keeping in perfect tandem from afar while doubling back in a tight curve. Luke tiched, already seeing they had overshot each other in the initial turn. The fighters were now facing each other, but not perfectly aligned. But they could fix it, he thought. He just had to cut speed, even if it altered the final stroke. Zev continued on his present acceleration, doing the impossible to align with Luke’s slower fighter. The new speed worked, to some extent. They were now almost in line, but they had run out of time for any more alteration to their course. It was enough to attempt the final stroke, Luke decided.

    “Let’s finish, Zev.”

    “Alright,” answered his partner, and he kept going. His voice had lost the touch of nerves, replaced by frustrated determination.

    Luke accelerated to match Zev’s speed, putting the two X-wings in a collision course, off center as it was. He felt waves of adrenaline pumping through his body, a string of sweat falling down his brow. In an instant the fighters were right on top on each other, less than a ship’s length apart. There was an obvious disjunction between them, but even with that they would have definitely collided if not for a split second swerve and turn at the very last moment. The fighter looped tightly around one another, almost touching wingtips. They both opened fire as they angled right around, creating a turning wheel of rapid laser blasts that would have hit anything around them. It lasted mere seconds until the two X-wings completed their u-turn and detached, each accelerating back the way they came. This maneuver was meant to produce a sudden 360 assault on surrounding enemy ships. But it could only work if the two fighters had approached at high speed and in perfect alignment. There would have been no opening, had their course been identical.

    Luke thumped the controls with his fist in frustration. But he quickly calmed himself, knowing it was foolhardy to hope for a perfect run on the first try. “Good work, Rogue Two,” he said. “That was alright.”

    Despite their dubious performance, cheerful shouts blasted through the comm as the rest of the squad congratulated Luke and Zev. None of them would admit to it, of course, but they had all been a little worried about this test flight. It was a tough maneuver to pull off even outside of battle. They’d known that just from the descriptions, but at least they had managed to go through it without colliding into each other. They must have decided to call that a promising start.

    “I told you they’d get it!” Dak yelled. “No problem! This’ll send the Empire running, for sure! Just they wait!”

    Luke had to shake his head, laughing with the others. “Alright, Dak. Let’s just run through it a few more times first. There’s still have a lot of work to do. I’d like to tighten the flank even more, and shorten the meeting point. We can’t leave any openings. We won’t have much time to think when we do this for real.”

    “Yes, sir.”

    “Rogue Three and Four, break up. Begin the assault when ready.”

    The two fighters detached from the formation, putting enough space between them to start the exercise. Luke adjusted his course to deviate from the others, unable to keep a euphoric grin from splitting his face. Even though the exercise did not as well as he had hoped, he was still thrilled, absolutely ecstatic. His grip on the ship controls was even shaky from the sheer delight he felt at that moment. Luke’s smile broaden as fanciful images of a young Anakin Skywalker boldly executing this maneuver darted through his head. This would have been you , he thought. You would have been where I am now. The idea of following his father’s footsteps, of carrying on his legacy, filled Luke with a kind of vindication that empowered his resolve. He knew, deep in his heart, that Anakin would be proud on him. He could almost feel his father watching him now, somewhere in the depths of his mind.

    He would get this maneuver down perfectly, no matter how long it took.

    Fired up, he turned back to rejoin the squad and spoke into the comm. “Did you get all that, Artoo?”

    His astromech whistled in affirmative. He had gathered all the data from the run for Luke to go over later. Already, the little droid had some careful observations to offer, which he beeped while Luke steered his X-wing into position.

    “I know,” said Luke absently, watching as Rogue Three and Four took up positions. “We’ll need to gather more speed in the next run. That should make up for any delay.”

    Artoo’s answer was a series of nervous beeps and anxious twists of his domed head.

    “Don’t worry,” Luke laughed, glancing back at the anxious droid. “We just need to practice. It’s going to be fine.”

    The next whistle sounded skeptic, but Luke just rolled his eyes and turned back to his controls. That’s when he felt it. A surge of violent and cold dread. It pierced through the Force and gored his skull like a blade. Luke shut his eyes, curling in on himself. Hot pain swelled against his chest, leaving him winded. He breathed in sharply, exhaled slowly. He concentrated, willing his mind to calm.

    “Commander, are you alright?”

    “Commander?”

    “Luke, can you hear me?”

    Concerned voices sounded through the comm and Artoo beeped at him anxiously from outside the cockpit, but Luke didn’t answer. He had to focus. The cold feeling persisted, but he could isolate it now. It was a raw throbbing in the Force, like a strong current pounding against his head. It felt remote somehow, and he suddenly realized the pain was not his own. It came from further out, hurtling towards them.

    Something was approaching.

    “We have incoming.”

    No sooner had those words past his lips that a single TIE Advanced starfighter warped out of hyperspace right in the middle of Rogue Squadron.

    Luke’s eyes had not even landed on it before he was barking into the comm. “Break!”

    A string of curses in a myriad of languages screeched through the link as the entire squad darted away from the intruder, leaving it at the center. It’s sleek dark surface reflected their silhouettes as they hurtled about, like a piece of cold obsidian looming in their midsts.

    Luke was still yelling into the comlink. “Home One, this is Rogue Leader. We’re under attack!,” he said, making sure to keep the enemy ship on his scopes. “TIE fighter on starboard side.”

    “Copy, Rogue Leader. How many are there?”

    “Just one.” Luke paused then, suddenly puzzled. “It hasn’t opened fire.”

    There was a moment of confused silence from the comm, which only served to convince Luke of how odd it really was. An answer came after a few seconds. “Roger, Rogue Leader. We’re jamming its transmissions. Princess Leia is on her way. Stand by.”

    “Copy,” said Luke, his thoughts racing.

    The TIE fighter had not moved at all, either to attack or in self defense. It just drifted slowly from the spot where it appeared, without propulsion. Luke narrowed his eyes. Was the engine dead? Was the pilot dead? No. There was definitely someone in the darkened cockpit. The searing pain still resonating through the Force was coming from inside. Luke shook his head, trying to block it somehow.

    The rest of Rogue Squadron had also turned towards it. They seemed about ready tostart blasting away at the trespasser. Luke’s own finger was hovering just inches above the trigger, shaking with the effort not to fire. His eyes were locked on the angular TIE fighter as it floated before him, looming silently amid the X-wings. It was the same kind of fighter Darth Vader piloted. The sight of it made him sick. How many rebel pilots had this ship slaughtered? How many lives had it ended? Slowly, his finger came to rest right on the trigger, heat rising in the pit of his stomach. This wasn’t payback, he told himself. It was his duty as a rebel. It was the right thing to do.

    No, Luke.

    His hands tore away from the ship’s console as if burned. That voice again, gentle and otherworldly. “Ben?”

    There was no answer at first, just a solemn presence surrounding him. Luke had heard the old Jedi master before. He had felt his voice guiding him during his assault on the Death Star, urging him to trust in the Force. Luke calmed his mind, reaching out with his senses. Ben?

    A soft whisper resonated through the Force. Peace, Luke.

    Then the presence faded away. The young pilot sat in his cockpit, his dead mentor’s words echoing in his mind. The TIE fighter still hadn’t moved, although the swells of agony flowing from it in thick waves had never stopped. Luke grimaced. He had never felt another person’s pain quite like this before, even when they were right in front of him. But this was different. The pain felt so...close, so real. It was alarming. Someone was badly hurt, maybe even dying. Whoever they were, they were helpless, alone, and surrounded by a squadron of hostile star pilots ready to blast them into oblivion.

    “Form a perimeter,” he said suddenly. “Don’t engage. He’s not going anywhere.”

    Wedge spoke up immediately. “Sir, this could be a trap. I don’t think we should—”

    “We wait for word from Command, Rogue Three,” Luke’s voice was decisive, allowing no arguments. “That TIE looks like it’s malfunctioned. It won’t give us any trouble.”

    There was a hesitant silence, but only for a moment. “Yes, sir.”

    Prompt and vigilant, the X-wings surrounded the drifting vessel, cutting off all possible escape routes and keeping a clear line of sight. They waited there silently, watching the fighter’s shadowy cockpit for any sign of life.

    Leia’s voice came through the comm a few moments later. “Luke, tell me what’s happening,” she said, a hint of worry laced in her words.

    “A single TIE fighter jumped out of hyperspace right in the middle of our exercise,” he said. “It hasn’t moved, so it’s probably in bad shape.”

    “Does it look damaged?”

    “A little, but the pilot is injured.”

    “How do you know?”

    Luke regarded the imperial fighter, thinking. “I just know. He might be in serious trouble.”

    There was silence from Leia’s end while she considered this. “What TIE model is it?” she finally asked.

    “An Advanced x1.”

    Only high ranking imperial officers have those prototypes. If we capture him, we might be able to get some valuable information from him.”

    Luke nodded, even though Leia couldn’t see. “I agree. He’s stranded as it is. Even if he could, he won’t put up much of a fight.”

    Luke listened as Leia conferred with someone at the other end of the comm. He couldn’t quite make out what was being said, but he could tell it was a heated discussion. For a grisly moment, he feared they would deem the idea too risky and order him to take down the TIE. He held his breath until Leia came back with their decision. “We’re beaming him in. Have your squadron escort him back to Home One’s main hanger. You’re to open fire if he tries anything.”

    Luke let out a sigh of relief. “Copy, Home One.”

    Leia then left the comm station, no doubt making her way to the hangar bay to prepare for their guest’s arrival. Their course of action settled, Luke switched to addressed the squadron.

    “Let’s round him up, Rogue Group. We’re bringing him in. Whoever he is, he’s a prisoner of the Alliance now.”

    “Roger that, Commander.”

    The X-wings formed up closer around the TIE fighter, their blaster cannons locked and ready to fire. Luke pitched forward to join them. That’s when he realized his hands were shaking. Minutely at first, but as he watched they began to shudder with wayward tension. He grasped the controls tighter, willing them to settle. Why was he so scared? This wasn’t just apprehension. It was dread. The Force was choking him with it, like a warning. But it wasn’t for what the enemy ship might do.

    All of a sudden, the TIE fighter was caught in Home One’s tractor beam, and it began to glide towards the open hangar bay on the side of the star cruiser.

    Luke watched as it was dragged helplessly towards the larger frigate. “Artoo, is he trying to send any transmissions?” he asked.

    The astromech beeped in negative. The TIE fighter was deathly quiet. Why didn’t the pilot even try to call for help? Why was it even out here, alone?

    Luke’s mind raced until the captured fighter finally crossed the bay shields in Home One’s main hangar, and dropped slowly onto the deck. In seconds, it was surrounded by dozens of armed soldiers, their weapons aimed right at the ship’s black tinted screen. Leia was at their front, her face stern and hands steady on her pistol. Han was at her side, holding his own blaster at the ready.

    “Talk about rolling out the welcome wagon, You Worship,” said the former smuggler, scowling suspiciously at the imperial vessel. “We don’t even know who’s in there.”

    Leia didn’t spare him a glance. Her focus was completely dominated by the TIE fighter. Now that it stood right in front of her, it seemed monumental somehow. It was almost like she’d dreamed of this exact same moment before. It set her stomach aflutter. She didn’t understand why, but she couldn’t bring herself to think of harming its occupant now.

    “We’re taking the pilot into custody,” was all she said, her voice resolute.

    Han sighed in exasperation, but raised no further argument. “Whatever you say, Princess.”

    Luke was landing his X-wing with the rest of Rogue Group. He jumped out and hurriedly handed his helmet to one of the flight crew. The tension in the hangar was intense. All around, pilots and mechanics were frozen in place, or moving cautiously as if in expectation of an attack at any given moment. All of their attention was locked on the captured ship.

    Paying no mind, Luke dashed towards the TIE fighter and pressed through the gathered soldiers until he got to the front.

    “You always make friends so easily, kid,” Han said without turning. “They just drop out of the sky to get to you.”

    Luke didn’t reply. His eyes fixed on the cockpit. Automatically, he pulled out his blaster from its holster to mirror the other soldiers, but he didn’t raise it. It didn’t even occur to him he might be in danger.

    Leia was calling out in a booming voice. “You are surrounded! But the Rebel Alliance is prepared to show you leniency, if you cooperate. Come out peacefully and you won’t be harmed!”

    The hanger was utterly quite and everyone waited for an answer. But none came. Luke’s free hand twitched nervously.

    Leia also shifted her blaster in agitation. “We will use force if you won’t cooperate! This is your final warning!”

    Still nothing. The silence was becoming oppressive.

    Han huffed, growing weary. “Maybe he’s dead.”

    Luke shook his head. There was someone in that ship. The presence was so sharp now, strained and confused. It was almost like they were reaching out to him. You’re alive. I know you are.

    Leia was waving her arm overhead. ““Technicians! Open it up. You two cover them.” She gestured the soldiers forward while the mechanics set to work. They climbed up to the hatch and pried open the external control panel, the two soldiers standing at either side of the cockpit.

    The hatch slid open with a hiss, and the soldiers leveled their weapons at the interior. There was a moment where nothing happened and everyone held their breath. The hangar was uneasy. Luke couldn’t see inside the cabin from his vantage point, and he had to fight the primal urge to vault up to the hatch himself and see. It was a struggle not to give in.

    One of the soldiers finally moved and kneeled down slowly. He reached in, seemingly inspecting something. More quiet moments passed, and suddenly the soldier jolted back up, eyes wide. He twisted around and motioned for Leia to come up quickly.

    The young rebel leader stepped forward immediately. “ Is he dead?” she asked, climbing the front of the TIE fighter.

    The soldier shook his head vehemently. “He’s alive,” he said. “But take a look.”

    Frowning, Leia lowered herself and peered into the cabin. She seemed confused for a few seconds, bending a little to take a closer look. Then shocked recognition dawned on her face. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth, and she twisted to meet Luke’s stare with eyes blown wide.

    Luke felt his heart drop to the deck. The panicked look Leai was giving him was felt like a cold knife in his middle. It tore opened the dam of emotions that had been building up in his chest since the TIE fighter suddenly appeared. Without a second thought, he jumped onto the imperial ship and dropped to look inside.

    He saw a man. Long golden hair and pale skin, dressed in dark robes. He was slumped on the pilot’s seat, hanging limp from the security harness. His eyes were closed, but restless, darting from one side to the other behind his eyelids. A large gash was bleeding from the side of his head, and his shoulder was seared badly, his robe burnt right through to a gaping wound.

    Luke was breathing wildly, his heart almost bursting out of his chest. This couldn’t be. It was impossible. It just couldn’t be!

    As if awoken by his raging thoughts, the man’s eyes began to flutter open. Luke’s breath caught in his throat as bright blue eyes strained to focus on him. Their gazes met, perfect mirror images of each other, and the rest of the galaxy disappeared. There was nothing but recognition, and utter disbelief. The man’s lips quivered, and all he muttered was a single word.

    “Luke.”

    A choked sob escaped from the young Jedi to be, just as those blue eyes rolled back and faded into unconsciousness. Luke was shaking now, his vision blurred by unbidden tears while a drone of voices began to overtake the hanger. Luke was deaf to it. This was the same face he’d spent countless hours examining through every single holovid he could get his hands on. Those features were as ingrained in his mind as his own. Laying in that TIE fighter’s cockpit, alive and in the flesh, was his father. Anakin Skywalker.

    TBC


    Thank you for reading! Thought?
     
    AzureAngel2 likes this.
  2. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Fascinating And awesomely plausible. I look forward to what happens next. Your Luke and Leia characterizations are spot on, as well.

    @};-
     
    AzureAngel2 likes this.