Beyond - Legends The Souls of Demons (AU Dark Luke, Light Anakin) updated 12-12-06

Hiya all *waves*

This is my most ambitious and complex work EVER, so thank you so much for taking the time to read it! The idea actually came to me shortly after seeing RotS for the first time...Anakin's fall made me look at Vader completely differently, and the thought popped into my head...what would the part of him that was still Anakin have felt if Darth Vader had succeeded in turning Luke to the Dark side?

What was intended to be a short exploration of Vader's character became my first fully outlined fanfiction novel. I've put a lot of myself into this story, so I hope you enjoy!

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SUMMARY: Vader turns Luke to the Dark Side but is horrified by the monster his son becomes. He defies the Sith, hoping to become the Jedi Anakin Skywalker once more, but can he save Luke from Darkness when he still fights a demon inside himself?


The Souls of Demons

By Pyxelle

Chapter 1

?Anakin, you bring Luke in here this instant!?

Luke looked at his father with wide-eyed innocence, his hair dripping water in his eyes as the summer squall continued to pour down on them. ?I think you?re in trouble, Daddy.?

Anakin had winced at Padmé?s angry voice, but now he glared at his four-year-old son. ?Its just as much your fault as mine, young man. If I?m in trouble, you?re in trouble.?

?Anakin Skywalker!?

?Coming!? Anakin held out his hand to Luke. Without a word the child handed over the tiny lightsaber he had been holding, and Anakin scooped him up and began to run through the rain towards the house. One of the house droids immediately began to clean the water and mud they tracked in, but Anakin paid them no attention.

Padmé stood in front of them, her hands planted firmly on her hips and her eyes stormier than the weather outside. Beside her, Leia imitated her mother?s posture, although her gaze was directed at Luke rather than Anakin. Leia was fiercely protective of her twin ? as he was of her. Finally Padmé spoke.

?Just what do you have to say for yourself?? She demanded.

?What?? Anakin asked. ?I told you I was taking Luke outside for practice.?

Padmé threw up her hands in exasperation. ?For goodness? sake, Anakin, you?re both soaked!? She stepped forward and took Luke out of Anakin?s arms. The child was indeed shivering, but that didn?t stop his protestations.

?I-I-I?m not that c-cold, Mom,? He chattered, and Anakin felt a quick flash of guilt. ?I like practicing with Daddy.?

?And I like healthy younglings,? Padmé said, sending one last murderous look towards Anakin. ?Come on, let?s get you into dry clothes.?

Anakin watched as Padmé walked away without another word. Then he looked down at Leia. ?She?s really mad, isn?t she?? He asked his daughter.

Leia nodded solemnly. ?You thould have lithened, daddy.? Her serious voice was somewhat lost in her lisp.

Anakin chuckled. ?Yes, I ?thould? have. I better get cleaned up and apologize, huh??

Leia nodded again.

?All right then, why don?t you check on Luke and I?ll go set things right with Mommy ? does that sound good??

?Thounds good, Daddy.?

Anakin saw Padmé walk past him to put Luke?s wet clothing into the clothing receptacle.

?Padmé,? he said, walking behind her and putting one hand on her shoulder. ?I?m sorry. I just lost track of time, and Luke was having so much fun?? He ran his hands through his hair. ?He?s so promising, Padmé, and-?

?I don?t want to hear it,? Padmé said, keeping her face away from him. ?You killed me, you know. I?m not going to forgive that.?

Anakin stepped back at her words. ?What did you say??

Her voice held a tightly controlled anger. ?I said you could have killed him. I know that you can ignore the elements, but your son is four years old.?

?He was fine,? Anakin said shakily. That wasn?t what he had heard ? he knew it. You killed me, you know. ?Naboo?s summer storms are mild.?

?Usually, Anakin. But this region?s known for surprise hailsto

 

Not bad for your fisrt post on this forum. Sure ya put a lot of effort and work into it. Great story!!!!!!!

 

Interesting that Luke would say he's 'dead', and at the same time, still care enough about his sister that he'd threaten his father over her welfare.

But I do have to warn you - no harm must come to Hanny-Bear, or Acme Bombs have been known to explode in this forum.

 

*claps and yells hysterically* *thinks for a moment* *dashes off and comes back with a box of confetti* *thinks for a moment* *calls in a brass band* *thinks for a moment* *decides to stop thinking and post a comment, having sufficiently expressed self's joy*

You found the site! My cup is full. I had so much fun rereading the opening scene. So dramatic! Little Luke and Leia are so precious.

*thinks for a moment* *plane flies overhead with banner reading YAY!! PYXELLE'S HERE!!!!!!*

 

Thanks Cody, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Ponytricks - well, I consider myself forewarned...gulp...

As to Luke's concern over his sister, this is only the first of 18 chapters (so far, still writing it) and I am muchly into characer development, so his motivations will be explored later.

Bantha: Wow, what a welcome! Thanks! If anyone couldn't tell, Bantha's the one who referred me here

 

Ooh interesting start, but, but MY LUKIE!!! ]

Excellent writing though!

Hmm I think my sister Kiara betas this? You've made her have a most unfortunate love for Anakin Skywalker. Tsk tsk.

 

Holy Hera, small world! Yes, she does. (and she's awesome, btw.)

Thanks for the compliment, and if I am to blame for her unfortunate love for Anakin...hmm...not sure what to say to that...

Oh, darnit, just looked at the time and I gotta go to work. Later!

Pyxelle

 

Hmm ONE of you Jedi.netters are! And she's always raving about your story, so I THINK It's this one...pretty darn sure....but I'll ask her when SHE gets off of work. Have fun!

Edit: So I asked, and she said it is! Tsk Tsk. Now we have to put up with her love of the prequels because of him. I fault you.

 

This is really good! The part that hit me the hardest was Vader's realization that now 'there were three', and that realization changes everything. Such a small thing, but so out of place in his normal, natural order. I really liked the dreams, and how he no longer dreamed but had visions that ...wandered. Well done.

Urs

 

Very nice beginning!

It's interesting to see an evil Luke shock Vader

I look forward to more

 

Incredibly well articulated and descriptive post! You had me hooked from the moment Padme said, "You killed me."

I would like to be PMd with updates, please.

 

Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad people are enjoying this so far.


The Souls of Demons

Chapter 2

By Pyxelle

OoooOoooO


A soft sobbing from the veranda was what woke him, but it was the absence of his newly wedded wife that drove Han from their bed. He followed the anguished sound, finding her where he knew she would be, alone, sitting on a wrought iron chair beside the lake. Her face was hidden in her hands.

?You know, most brides don?t cry all through their honeymoon,? he chided gently, coming up behind her. ?Unless they?re crying out because of?well, I?d better not finish that thought. I know how good you are with a blaster.?

His joke earned only the faintest of smiles from Leia. ?I?m sorry, Han. I didn?t mean to wake you.?

Han wrapped his arms around his wife. ?I know, Leia. It?s all right.?

For the last few nights, that had been enough to comfort his beautiful wife, but tonight she shrugged his hands from her angrily. ?No, it?s not all right. This was all a mistake.?

?Our wedding?? Han couldn?t keep the shock from his voice, but the stricken look on Leia?s face assured him that was not at all what she had meant.

?Oh, God, no, Han?? she clasped his hand, her fingers still wet from her tears. ?Not ever that. I just meant coming here?to Naboo. I thought it would bring some closure, but it hasn?t?all it?s done is make my heart ache for what I?ve lost?and what I never had.?

?Leia??

?Did you know that Anakin and Padme got married right here on this very spot?? Leia said suddenly, and Han shook his head mutely. He hadn?t known. ?They did. I?ve been going through the security holos regarding Senator Amidala. They recorded everything, did you know that? I have to wonder how anyone slept knowing that they were under nearly constant surveillance. But even though they kept their marriage secret right until the end, a record was made. My mother wore a gossamer gown of lace?my father looked so young, so pure, so strong?so like Luke. They were so in love. Not even the cold reproductions of a holo could hide that.?

A tear slid down her cheek. Han wiped it away gently, and but Leia's eyes stayed far away as she continued.

?Anakin stood on this very spot and pledged his undying love to her?and then he killed her. He fell to the Dark Side and he destroyed the woman he loved.? Her hand clenched?and beside them, a vase full of violet Tatooine lilies exploded. ?In an instant. He destroyed everything.?

Han resisted the urge to step back from the anger and coldness in Leia?s voice. This was not the first time something like this had happened. ?Leia?keep calm. Remember what Lu?what you were taught. Don?t let it control you.?

Leia laughed then, a harsh laugh that held no mirth. ?Luke didn?t teach me anything, Han, and you know it. I can?t control what?s happening to me, and I can?t focus it?and the one person who could teach me has fallen into darkness. How long is it before I do the same? How long before I become the evil I?ve fought against since I could pick up a blaster? How long before I, too, betray the ones I love??

?That?s not going to happen!? Han told her harshly, spinning her around a little too roughly. Leia refused to meet his eyes. ?You are not destined to follow Anakin or Luke. The Skywalker line is not corrupted, if only because you escaped it. Leia, I love you. We will get through this together?I promise you.?

Leia finally looked up at him.

?Don?t promise,? she whispered. ?Anakin made too many promises?and they were his undoing.?

?Leia.? Han didn?t know what to say, so he just crushed her to his chest tightly. He had never expected to get married ? hell, he had never expected to have any sort of real relationship. He had been a rogue, a free spirit that couldn?t be tied to another? but since he had met the headstrong princess, everything had changed. He had changed.

It still didn?t make him any better at knowing

 

Very nice update.

I really like how Obi-Wan was able to get through to Anakin before he did any harm to Leia.

Looking forward to more

 

Thanks, Kelia. I'm going to take your advice and break up the posts a bit.

So here's the next part:

The Souls of Demons

Part 3

By Pyxelle


?Emperor Palpatine,? General Torren said through the holographic communication device. Even through the electronic reproduction, his face was tight with fear. ?I?I regret to inform you that we have lost contact with Lord Vader?s shuttle.?

?What?? the Emperor hissed.

?Was he attacked?? Darth Eivel asked beside the wizened emperor. His voice was sharp.

?There was no evidence of an attack, Lord Eivel. But we have had no contact with him for over forty-eight hours now, and scans of the system show no sign of his shuttle.? The General hesitated. ?He insisted on going to the surface alone, your Highness. It is possible that he was captured.?

?Lord Vader would not allow himself to be captured, General,? the Emperor snapped. ?Continue your search. I will check on your progress later?personally.?

The hologram flickered and died. Eivel shook his head. ?I sense something is amiss, Master. I can?t feel Lord Vader at all. Even his death should have caused a ripple in the Force ? but it?s as if he?s disappeared. I can?t explain it.?

?I agree, Lord Eivel.? The Emperor regarded him with eyes that blazed red from the power of the Dark Side. ?The time has come for you to prove your skills, my young apprentice. You must seek out Lord Vader and return with him. I must know the truth of this.?

Lord Eivel bowed deeply, a tight, satisfied smile on his face. ?I am ready, Master. I will not fail you.?


OoooOoooO


?I can?t believe it,? Anakin whispered, flexing his fingers in awe. It was the first time he had felt the sensation of air against his palm in over two decades. ?It?s incredible.?

?Thank you, Master Skywalker,? the Jenuiite medic bowed its opalescent head deeply. ?We are most pleased you are satisfied with the results.?

Anakin looked up at the medic from the medical bed he was still lying on. ?How long was I under??

?Three months.?

Anakin stared at the medic incredulously. Had he really been at the Jenuiite Genetic Center for that long? It couldn?t be possible!

?Were there complications??

?Not exactly,? the Jenuiite continued. ?The damage to your body was extensive, Master Skywalker, and even the organic systems that still had partial functionality were dependent upon cybernetics. If I do say so myself, we have never faced such a challenge in genetic reconstruction.?

?Three months.? Anakin?s voice was soft. ?I?ve lost another three months of my life??

?We did warn you about the risks, remember, and that included an unpredictable recovery time.?

?Yes, you did warn me?and I have not forgotten any of the risks.? That was true enough. There was a reason hyper-accelerated genetic reconstruction was illegal. Too many things could go horribly wrong. Even the Emperor had deemed it too dangerous to be available to the public.

?Speaking of?? he didn?t really want to ask. ?How did the post-procedure tests come out??

?We are very happy to tell you that we found no genetic abnormalities caused by the reconstruction process, major or minor. Neural tissue is stable. We found no inconsistencies in the brain scan taken after the procedure from the one before.? The Jenuiite shook his head slowly. ?Quite frankly, I was amazed. The odds of having such a complete success in a case like yours, where not only did we have to recreate almost sixty percent of your cells but also had to do it from tissue twenty years after the damage occurred?well, they?re literally astronomical.?

Anakin took a deep breath in relief?and surprised himself by releasing it in a laugh. He had not felt this free in years. Goosebumps tickled his skin, another sensation nearly forgotten.

?A mirror,? he asked suddenly, pushing himself up so he was sitting. The goosebumps traveled along his skin to prickle his back. It was a wonderful feeling. ?Do you have one??

The Jenuiite

 

Holy crap! That was fanfreakintastic! I want more and you are going to give it to me!

 

I love Dark Luke fics and Anakin out of the suit is an added bonus. It's great so far and I am looking forward to more.

Arkady

 

Yay! You've decided to post this story here!

I've been reading this story over at TF.N, and it's one of the best fanfics I've ever read (I'm a sucker for a good Anakin redemption fic).

Out of curiousity, when can we expect another update over on TF.N?

 

I love that I've got people asking about this story on multiple threads.

As to when a new chapter on ff.net, well, within 24 hours,actually... a short chapter(for me) but finished. Getting ever closer to the lightsaber crystal quests everyone keeps asking about...

*grin*

Pyxelle

 

Chapter 4


?There is no evidence of Darth Vader, Lord Eivel,? Captain Vesra said quietly. ?We tracked his homing beacon here, but it seems that the shuttle had been scrapped for parts some time ago. There was not even enough to determine if Lord Vader had still been on that ship.?

?And the salvage crews??

?They claim no knowledge of where the shuttle came from ? but that is not surprising. These types of deep-space riff-raff seldom tell the truth about anything.?

Eivel smiled thinly. ?Perhaps they would be more forthcoming if I spoke with them in person,? he said softly. ?Captain, I-?

The sudden touch on the tapestry of the Force was light, so light that Darth Eivel almost missed it. Only his extensive training over the past year allowed his finely attuned senses to catch it. The slight brush on his mind caused him to shoot from his seat in an instant. The Captain?s eyes widened in fear as Eivel opened himself to the Dark Side of the Force, breathing it in, focusing the anger and frustration he had felt these past few months into a tight beam of power.

?Lord Eivel?? The Captain?s voice was tremulous.

?Captain!? Eivel snapped his eyes towards the starship Captain, a cold satisfaction filling him at the fear in the Captain?s eyes. He had found that the merest hint of the Dark side allowed to show in his eyes was usually enough to control his officers. He very rarely had to discipline any of them, and that was how he liked it. Over the past year his officers had come to learn that the worry that they had felt due to Darth Vader?s angry habit of disposing of poor command material ? permanently ? was something that they didn?t have to be concerned about with Darth Eivel. He had been a compassionate man before his training, after all, and he didn?t see the point in wasting talent. ?Repeat your scans. Has anything changed??

The captain did so with hurried fingers. Numbers scrolled past in a whizzing blur.

?No, my lord.?

?You?re certain??

?Yes.?

Eivel paced for a moment, his hands clasped behind his back. He had felt it, he knew. Vader?s touch on the Force was distinctive, and even for that brief moment he was certain he had felt his father ? although, there was something different about it that he couldn?t quite put his finger on. ?Captain, bring up the star charts of this region. Holographic display.?

Planets and stars exploded around him as the holographic display burst into life. Eivel walked among them, his path seeming almost aimless, the illusion heightened by the fact that he had closed his eyes before he had even begun to move.

?Father. Show yourself to me,? he said softly, his voice nearly imperceptible. ?Father, I?m searching for you. Help me.?

There was no response. Eivel let his mind travel along the Force to where the brief disturbance had momentarily flowered. His hand traced along a holographic planet as his mind focused deeper and deeper into the Force.

?Here,? he said abruptly, his eyes snapping open. ?What is the name of this system??

Captain Vesra swiftly checked his star charts. ?That would be the Jenuitte system, Lord Eivel. An unaffiliated planet.?

?Unaffiliated??

?They have no Imperial Presence to speak of, though they are registered in the Imperial Database, and our latest intelligence shows no indication of a Rebel presence, either. The Jenuitte focus on genetic research, my lord.?

?Genetic research?? Eivel frowned. ?What sort of research??

?Varying. Mostly minor cosmetic procedures.? Captain Vesra coughed and looked at Eivel in some embarrassment. ?It?s a sort of ?beauty spa,? Lord Eivel. Many of the wealthier Outer Rim inhabitants go there to, ah, try and restore their youth.?

Why would Father go there?

?Set a course for the Jenuitte system, Captain,? Eivel ordered. ?Estimated time of arrival??

?Two days, my lord.?

Two days too long. ?I want to be there in thirty six-hours at the latest, Captain,? Eivel said in his customary quiet voice. ?Do

 

I'm not a writer, but I think this is very good.

Arkady

 

Non-writers welcome to comment too

I should have written "fanfic aficionados"

Thanks for the compliment!

 

Holy crap. Okay..this is interesting. Very interesting.

 

Ooh nice updates! Anakin young again, very eenteresting. My LUkie...so evil... And I love your Han and Leia...very well written.

Need.More.NOW!!!

 

Add me to your PM list, please! - NF

 

You caught my attention with the reversal of roles for Luke and Anakin.

You caught my imagination with with sheer possibilities of things that might be.

And lastly, you've created yet another addictive thread for me to watch with great interest.


I have to say, the discription in your title caught not only my attention, but my roommate's as well, as he was reading the story over my shoulder. I saw the discription and though, how can I NOT check this out.

Oh, lunnetta, I swear that I am not stalking you, we just share a common interest in fantastic stories.

Keep up the great work!