Saga Lost Along the Way (AotC era/post-RotS, Anakin/Vader, OCs) Updated 9/24!

Title: Lost Along the Way

Rating: PG

Timeframe: Chapters alternate between the Clone Wars and the Jedi Purge.

Characters: Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, OCs-Talin Venim, Athyn Sarethi, Ria, etc.

Disclaimer: Star Wars is the property of George Lucas, I do not make any profit from this story.

Author's Notes: My first Star Wars fic, not exceptionally long, around 8 chapters. First two are already completed, I'm posting the first now and then I'll do some tweaking on the second before I put it up. The story will be told from the viewpoints of several characters, though Talin Venim is the main character. All feedback is welcome, enjoy!

----------------------------------------------
Star Wars: Lost Along the Way

Chapter 1

THEN, 20 YEARS BEFORE YAVIN


Looking at the stars, all Talin Venim wanted to do was to go home. Redayn was a dusty planet, the surface a weak red in color. It was nothing like his homeworld, Camriel, a vibrant forest planet. But the night sky seemed to be the same. Talin realized that it was a silly thought; stars were stars, after all. They looked the same no matter where you stood. But his mind didn?t seem to care, and a feeling of nostalgia came over him. He was too young for this, that much was obvious to anyone. A fifteen-year-old padawan stuck on a barren planet that was about to be consumed by the sounds of battle.

His appearance exuded innocence. Slightly ruffled blond hair and large, green eyes were his most noticeable features. Though he was in his mid-teens, it was not uncommon for a stranger to mistake him for twelve or thirteen. Much to his own embarassment, he looked like a child playing in an adult?s clothes. His standard padawan tunic was loose fitting; he had to tie the belt so tight that it had a puffed up look in the chest area. He was thin, that was for sure. He had not had much of an appetite since the Clone Wars began. The boy was totally out of place on the battlefield.

He and his master had picked the wrong time to deliver supplies. Well, the wrong time for them, anyway. The military was ecstatic that the supplies had arrived. They had realized that the Separatist army that was thought to have been repelled was about to make a counterattack. Raids had increased over the past few months as the Confederacy became more desperate. Jedi were becoming necessities on even the simplest of supply runs. Perhaps it was for the best. There were only a handful of Jedi on Redayn as it was, and the Republic would need all the strength it could muster if it was to defend the capital.

Redayn was nothing special at all, but its location was of some strategic importance. From the red planet, a number of hypserspace lanes ran near the Core, and a number of them provided a direct route to a cluster of Republic production facilities. The factories were mainly producing missiles, which were quickly becoming key to winning major land battles. Droids had learned to adapt to the methodic fighting style of the clone troopers. The Republic needed an ever-growing amount of firepower to wipe out droids from a distance, lest the clones be slaughtered by overwhelming numbers. The war had consumed most of the galaxy, and the Republic was losing clones faster than they could grow them. But battle-capable droids were expensive, not that the Separatists were short on cash. Given the handicaps on both sides? armies, the conflict had quickly degraded into a war of attrition.

The Republic commanders had expected a battle at Redayn for some time now, but they lacked the necessary number of starships to repel the Separatist invasion force, and so the main battle took place on the surface. Before the war, colonists had spent almost all their time scouring the planet for whatever resources they could find. Thanks to that, the military knew every inch of the surface and used the terrain to their advantage when the battle began. The large rock formations provided excellent cover, allowing the clones to harass the droids from all sides, eventually weari

 

This is very good. Are you sure this is your first fic? Well, you have done an excellent job, and I hope to see another post up soon!

 

Interesting and well-written!

 

VadersMistress: Thank you, yes it is indeed my first. I hope you like the rest as well!

Dally: Thanks, I always worry if I'm writing well. When I read my stories back to myself the writing sometimes feels kind of awkward.

Anyway, on with the show! This next chapter will fast forward in time. Chapter 3, which I am currently in the middle of, will return to the battle on Redayn.

------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2

NOW, 10 YEARS BEFORE YAVIN

Camriel truly was gorgeous at dawn. From space it looked as if the entire planet was the color emerald, but on the surface it was a much different story. Birds ranging from crystal blue to fiery red could be spotted darting through the sky at all times of the day. The land beasts were simply majestic. Every move they made was graceful, and there was just as much of a color variety in them as the birds. Trees with rich, brown trunks towered over the inhabitants of the planet. Despite all of the activity from the various creatures, the world was peaceful. Even at the height of panic, one could not help but be soothed when on Camriel.

Ria felt all of her worries and tension melt away standing atop one of the planet?s magnificent waterfalls. Her dreams had become painful to experience lately. When she slept, she dreamed of the beast in the black armor. She remembered them all, and he often invaded her thoughts during the waking hours as well. That disturbed her greatly, but she was much more afraid of what would come in her sleep. She feared that one day she would find that she was not dreaming, and she would be face to face with his horrible death mask.

But, standing on this flat rock here on this waterfall, she was at peace. For the first time in what seemed like forever she thought of happier times. The exotic places she had been to, the friends she had made along the way. She thought of her training, the exhiliration of feeling for the first time as if she was one with the Force. More than anything, she wanted to be back there, in the security of the Temple. She wished that the Force could bend time so that she could go back. If anything, that was her sole motivation for living. The knowledge that through the Force anything was possible, and the hope that her dream could come true before her nightmare

Looking down at her reflection, she felt as if she was looking at another person. Her soft skin was now coarse, caused by fleeing from her pursuers too many times through the depths of too many planets. Her long, black hair was frayed and disheveled. She didn?t have the time to be concerned about such things anymore. Her tunic and leggings were cut up in several spots, and dried blood and bruises had become visible. Even her lightsaber looked to be in poor condition, something that she didn?t think was possible. It was caked with dirt and scuffed in several spots. Her weapon seemed to be showing her as much of a reflection of herself as the water below.

A shrill chirping caught her attention. She watched as a bright yellow bird dive-bombed the water and caught a fish, then climbed back up to the clouds. ?Beautiful, isn?t it?? Ria was surprised to see her master sitting on the western bank. ?They don?t hunt those ones anymore. Too beautiful to die I suppose. Wish I was that lucky,? the Jedi Knight Talin chuckled at his own joke.

Ria couldn?t help but smile, either. ?You?ve become quite good at masking your presence, master.?

Talin looked back up at his apprentice. ?A necessary trait these days. We should be working on that during your training sessions.?

Ria?s smile faded. ?We haven?t had the time for training lately, have we master??

Talin scratched the blonde stubble that covered his chin as he studied her. ?No. I suppose we haven?t.?

Ria looked away, embarassed. ?You,? she started, unsure if she should continue or not, ?you can sense it?can?t you?? She closed her eyes. ?I?m sorry, master.?

Talin rose to his feet, both hands on his belt, which Ria kn

 

Very cool story so far. I hope to see you update this one soon.

 

Jedi_Chani: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

Phew, this turned out longer than I expected! But, Chapter 3 is complete. I know that the format is a bit weird, but what I hope to accomplish by retelling the past is to explain the future. Why things happen a certain way. Why Talin has changed and how he has changed. Why the duel with Vader is so personal for him. I think I may be pulling it off, but I'll let you guys be the judge.
------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3

THEN

?What?? young Anakin answered back, frustration evident in his voice.

The Trandoshan Jedi Gratuuk ignored the feelings he sensed from the younger Knight. This was no time to get into another argument about it, not that Anakin would listen. Gratuuk could often be heard scolding Anakin for now minding his thoughts, though he would only end up becoming enraged himself. The other Jedi in the unit had given up on the pair. If the Masters Kenobi and Mu?har wanted those two to control themselves, that was their problem. ?We need to fall back and regroup! We?re losing too many clones here!?

Anakin and Gratuuk had become separated from their fellow Jedi, and indeed the bulk of the Republic forces when a gap had formed in the formation due to the onslaught from the Hailfires. The droids took advantage of the chink in their armor and forced themselves in-between the western flank and the rest of the clone forces. The formation on western flank quickly collapsed as superior numbers overwhelmed them. About a hundred clones on this side were already dead, and more would follow.

He knew that the Jedi-General Filius? crescent formation was a stupid idea right from the start. It was too much of a gamble to hope that the droids would blindly march right into an obvious crossfire tactic. Aside from that glaring error, there were too few troops on the flanks to ensure that they could still overpower the Separatists even if something did not go according to plan, and the rock formations were large enough in these parts for every clone to take cover. The fool never listened to anyone, especially not to Anakin. The young Jedi felt that he deserved more respect than he got from his superiors. It was too late now; Filius had stubbornly stuck to his original plan and now the Republic forces were paying the price.

?We?re not going anywhere!? he declared, ?If we can just get reorganized out here and concentrate our fire, we might live through this. Those droids won?t last long if they?re taking heavy fire from both sides.? He stopped for a moment and surveyed his soldiers, of which there were only a few hundred. A good amount were keeping behind the rock formations like Anakin and Gratuuk, periodically coming out to return fire, though they were such clumsy shots that it was a useless tactic. The rest were getting slaughtered. Anakin needed every clone out in the open if they were going to fight off the Separatists. He could see that the droids were not moving forward. They were afraid of creating pockets in their cluster formation. All they really needed to do was keep Anakin pinned until the situation on the other side could be dealt with.

Though there were three times as many clones on Filius? side, Anakin had no idea how long they would last given the barrage from the Hailfire droids and he desperately needed the other side to be fighting with full force in order to relieve the pressure on his troops. There were only a dozen or so AT-TE?s there to counter them, and they were going to fall even faster than the clones if someone failed to do something. There were Gunships in the air, but they were being harassed by droid starfighters and could not contribute much to the battle. Once this was over, Anakin planned to have serious talk with high command concerning the amount of resources allocated to defensive operations.

?We need to get rid of those Hailfire droids,? he declared.

?How do you plan to pull that off, Skywalker? We will be wiped out in seconds if we move the clones f

 

VEry good! I can't wait for more.

 

Chapter 4

NOW

Ria tried to ignore the stares. It seemed like there was not a single head that did not turn as soon as she entered the Wayfarers Club. She felt embarrassed, knowing full well how downtrodden she looked. She was out of place in this city. Kamian prided itself on its cleanliness. The buildings rose high into the air, every one of them made of a pearly white stone. The Club had its lights dimmed to accommodate the numerous traders that were accustomed to dark starship interiors. Still, it looked the same as every other place in Kamian, and she looked the same as she would anywhere else.

She continued to walk towards the bar. Most of the patrons muttered a few things upon seeing her and then went back to their drinks. Others were undoubtedly seeing a new ship?s cook walking in. The itinerary at the local starport told her that a Gammorean trader named Gorog was scheduled to leave within two standard hours. He was not on his ship, the Nerf Herder, and there was only one Gammorean in the establishment, so she figured that it must have been him. She walked over to the bulky alien, who seemed to be possessed by the slimy food in front of him, given the way he was eating.

?Gorog?? she asked, trying to keep her stomach down. He grunted in response. She noticed a silver translator droid standing next to him, trying not to look at its masters eating habits. ?Can you translate?? she asked the droid.

?Oh! Yes of course. What is it you would like me to translate?? it replied cordially.

?Ask him if he?s taking on passengers.? The droid translated her request from Basic to Gorog. He replied in his native tongue, still not bothering to look up from his food.

?He says: ?Possibly?.?

Ria looked away for a moment before turning back. ?Tell him I want him to take me to Ord Mantell, for free.?

The droid paused for a moment. ?I-I?uh, yes, one moment.? Apparently the droid knew its master well. It translated her request to Gorog. That got his attention. He practically jumped out of his seat when the droid finished, turning to Ria and shouting several things that she could not understand. She kept her cool, and he eventually stopped talking.

?Yes, well,? the droid stammered out, ?Edited for?content?the rough translation would be: ?No.??

Ria waved her hand in front of him. ?You?ll take me to Ord Mantell.?

Gorog stared at her, somewhat dazed, and repeated in his language. The droid looked back and forth from Gorog to Ria, not quite sure what was happening. ?He says: ?I will take you to Ord Mantell.??

Ria continued. ?You?ll take me for free.? Gorog said nothing. This was a harder sell, she could see. ?You?ll take me for free,? she insisted. Gorog repeated once more, much more slowly this time.

?He says: ?I will take you?take you?take you?take you for free.? Well, that has never happened before.?

Ria smiled and turned her eyes upward ever so slightly. ?Thanks for your generosity. I?ll be waiting on the ship.? Feeling much more confident, she walked out of the bar, still mindful of the stares. Gorog regained his senses and gave his droid a good whack in the head out of frustration before returning to his meal. ?Oh my!?

The large sun beat down on her skin from the peak of the sky. Ria placed a hand over her eyes so that she could see. Very few people walked the streets today. None of the merchants were working today save the poorest. Camrielan Security Guards patrolled with a nervous twitch. The city-leaders? council must have already sent word down through the ranks that the Empire was coming. It was just a matter of time before the columns of white soldiers marched through the streets with the beast leading the way.

She knew that they would take the starport before that happened, though. There were no Imperial troops when she had been there earlier, but the guards were busy making preparations. It would be wise to get there quickly.

Yet, as she walked, she could not shake the pangs of guilt that appeared every so often.

 

Well, it's been a little while, but here's Chapter 5.

------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5

THEN

Garnok?s walls were not going to withstand the assault for much longer. Made out of the local mineral, Fostite, they were easily damaged by even standard issue blasters. The military rifles and mounted cannons used by the battle droids tore through them like they were made of leaves. Fostite was meant to be refined and used as insulation. The colonial Governor had believed he was pretty smart to use it for construction, cutting costs by two-thirds. Certain Republic commanders were no doubt setting up a nice space on Kessel for him while they waited for the outcome of the battle.

There was no Clonetrooper standing still at that moment. Hundreds climbed atop the walls, firing down upon the mass of machines as they approached. Every minute or so a soldier would fall limply from the rafters, a single blaster bolt having caught them in the head. Standing atop the walls in one long row, they were essentially sitting ducks for the droids. Still, it was the best defense they had at that point.

Others patrolled every street, hunting down any droid that managed to sneak around the front line and slip into the city. A great many were hunkered down in Garnok?s central plaza. Originally a clean beige and lined with finely carved statues, it was now redder in color from the dust that the soldiers dragged in with their boots. The bluish-gray statues lay scattered about, currently being used as makeshift barriers. Clonetroopers monitored the area, waiting for Gunships to land in the flat square and begin ferrying away troopers.

For the Jedi, however, there was little to do in this tense stage of the battle. They stared at the wall, none wanting to speak. Though they knew that hundreds would die when it happened, they could not help but desire that the wall would finally collapse and end the arduous waiting period.

Anakin paced a short distance near the front gate, occasionally turning his attention away from the frantic Clonetroopers to stare coldly at Filius. The Jedi-General, leaning against the base of a lofty scout tower, could feel the younger Jedi?s stares, but he chose to ignore them. He fidgeted with his lightsaber, quite unwilling to dive back into combat so soon after he had reached the relative safety of the walls. Anakin Skywalker?s attitude was of no matter to him at this moment. He knew in his heart that it would have been courageous to charge the enemy after Anakin had pulled off his little stunt. The kind of tale sung about by warriors on the eve of battle. But, in his mind he knew that it was foolish. It was better to retreat and save one hundred men than lose them all.

Filius finally did look over at him, a look of contempt and aggravation on his weathered face. As far as he was concerned, Skywalker should still have been a padawan. Anakin turned towards him once more. His eyes spoke volumes. Filius broke away from the stare, tensing up. Anakin looked a moment longer and continued to survey the area.

Habisi would appear to be a corpse to any passerby. His beady eyes were shut and his body was flaccid. The gaping, charred hole in the middle of his stomach certainly added to the illusion. The Sullustan rested against the same tower as Filius, deep in a meditative trance. He concentrated on the movements within his body, trying to quicken his healing and keep himself alive at the same time. His breathing was shallow, his heavy chest rising only ever so slightly. Anakin was not sure that even the Force was going to help at this point.

The bitter Trandoshan had been given more fuel for the heated emotions he was so often scolded for. Gratuuk leaned against the once beige, now sun-baked wall, oblivious to the battle raging outside as he nursed the blackened stump that was now his left arm. A low growl that emitted from his lips had not let up since it began an hour or two ago. He knew the limb would grow back eventually, but the fac

 

Intense story, I enjoyed it. I hope you will update soon.

 

Good story!

 

Thanks, VaderLVR64 and Dally. I'm glad you liked the story. Chapter 6 is in progress, it should be up in the next couple of days.

 

Chapter 6

NOW

His head broke through the surface of the dark blue river, his lungs filling with air. As he squinted his eyes he paused for a moment. The orange sun beat down upon the water as it fell towards the horizon. Talin pushed his aching body towards the bank and managed to get on his feet.

The wound at his side continued to sting, aggravated by the icy waters. He managed to limp onto dry land, grunting the entire time. All the energy he had left in his legs was suddenly used up and they gave way. He hit the rich, brown earth on his knees, a few twigs snapping beneath him. He panted heavily, his lungs trying to make up for all of the air he failed to breathe while underwater.

Talin brushed his wet blond hair from his eyes, taking a look around the area. There did not appear to be any sign of the Empire. He pulled his dirty tunic from his belt and up towards his neck. The cut in his side was fairly deep; it would probably continue to hamper him. Vader?s lightsaber had cauterized it in the same instant it created it. However, the sight of burnt, black flesh was no more comforting than blood. He realized that dressing it would be useless.

What went wrong? He wondered to himself

It seemed that his entire plan had spiraled out of control in a single moment. Even now, the image of the gloating Sith Lord appeared before him. He was never supposed to know about her.

Without realizing it, Talin raised his fist into the air and beat down upon the soft ground. Once was not enough. He struck the ground again, shedding all care about Jedi Code?s and teachings and control.

He wasn?t supposed to know

Again. A stick broke beneath his fist.

I was supposed to be in control

Again. Pain throbbed with more intensity after each blow.

She was supposed to have time

Again. Blood trickled through his fingers.

I should have let it end there

Again. The hurt superseded the wound in his side.

Why did I have to keep pushing?

This time he stopped his hand in the air, his whole body shaking as if fighting against itself. The fist opened and his palm slapped the ground weakly. He gasped for air, his entire face a beat red.

He looked up at the sun once again.

Why is it so hard to die for someone?

***

The dusty brown speeder bike shuddered under the pressure. He did not care, pressing it even harder. It was pushing maximum speed at this point, and the engine could be heard sputtering. The machine did everything it could to meet the demands of its rider. Anyone that knew Darth Vader, however, realized that such efforts were not enough for him.

The monolithic trees zipped past him as he rode, shrinking into the background just as quickly as they appeared. Four Stormtroopers attempted to keep up, though unlike their master they were too concerned about the trees to increase their speed. They hung back, nothing more than dots on the horizon to Vader. It occurred to him that he should schedule extra training drills after this operation was finished.

He did not entertain the prospect of failing in this endeavor. He never allowed thoughts like that to cross his mind. To him, victory was nothing more than inevitability.

Vader glanced over towards his side. The scar on his dark armor was merely superficial. The Jedi had been no match for him, just like all of the others. No doubt those that remained would be equally weak. He let out a mechanical sigh.

This galaxy was too simple a matter for him. It seemed that everything bent before his will without him having to bend it. Part of him relished this, for truly this kind of power was what he had always desired. Yet another part of him hungered for a challenge. Perhaps that was why he had not killed the Jedi immediately.

It was for the best. Had he not allowed the Jedi to live he never would have found out about the other. It was only a brief glimpse of what was apparently a young girl. Looks mattered little. He now knew to be on the lookout f

 

Woo hoo! Great update. This story is very compelling, and you've done a great job with my boy (Vader).