Beyond - Legends Before the End (2021 FanFic Summer Olympics) Ben Skywalker, Anakin Solo Pentathlon

Title: Before the End

Timeframe: 10-26 ABY

Summary: Ben Skywalker and Anakin Solo and their adventures, right up until the end.

Disclaimer: George Lucas created Star Wars. Star Wars, LucasFilm Ltd. and all its content are currently owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company.


Note: These stories feature versions of these two characters as they are in my AU Legends story Knightfall I: Sins of the Father. Each of these stories is set prior to the beginning of Knightfall.

Pentathlon Events include:

1. 400 Word Cross Country: 400 words about your character or couple with any theme.
2. 110 Word Hurdle: 110 words in which the name or names of your character, couple, family, or friendship aren’t mentioned.

Plus a choice of any 3 events from the Decathlon Events. For my Pentathlon I have chosen:

3. Prime Time Coverage: 500+ words of action, adventure, or excitement with your chosen character, friendship, family or couple as the star.
4. 200 Freestyle: A 200 word story about your character, family, friendship or couple with a free choice of any theme.
5. Single Sentence Shot Put: A story told in a single sentence about your character, family, friendship or couple.

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Index of Pentathlon Events

I. It's Only Water / 23 ABY / 110 Word Hurdle

II. Starlight / 26 ABY / Single Sentence Shot Put

III. Fast Friends / 13 ABY / 200 Freestyle

IV. At What Cost... / 26 ABY / 400 Word Cross Country

V. ...do we embrace our destiny? / 26 ABY/ Prime Time Coverage

 

Note: First up the 110 Word Hurdle (110 words in which the name or names of your character, couple, family, or friendship aren’t mentioned).

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It's Only Water / 23 ABY / 110 Word Hurdle

“If we get caught, you’re taking the blame.”

“We won’t get caught. It’s a big place and there’s no way my father can keep track of all of us. Just trust me.”

“The last time I trusted you we ended up in the lake, soaking wet.”

“You wanted to go swimming. I made it happen.”

“I didn’t mean that I wanted to be pushed into a freezing cold body of water.”

“I promise, we’ll be back before he even knows we’re gone. Besides, it’s not like your parents or my father will punish us.”

“Oh, sure. The twins have gotten up to so much mischief lately, I’ll…”

“Going somewhere boys?”

 

I almost forgot that Anakin is older. And I have a feeling that the last line is Jaina, not a parent.

Great start, Jen. I am a big fan of both of these characters and it will be fun to see them hang out together.

 

Anakin is older in Legends, yes. In these stories, as well as my Knightfall fic, they are the same age. Jaina? Possibly.

Thanks for reading a commenting.

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Note: Next up is the Single Sentence Shot Put (A story told in a single sentence about your character, family, friendship or couple.)

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Starlight / 26 ABY / Single Sentence Shot Put

With broken bones mended and bruises beginning to fade, Ben sat alone on the balcony peering out into the Coruscanti night, wondering to himself if the starlight was the only place he could find Anakin now that his bright presence had faded from the galaxy.

 

fun with the 110 words and the the mischief boys.
a sad and touching moment in Starlight

 

Okay. I wasn't ready for this. The first entry had me laughing out loud (and like brodie I thought it was a sibling rather than a parent asking what they were up to), but the second one... well, the pendulum swung back to the other extreme, didn't it? I need to catch up on your AU (I know, I've been saying that for years, but I'll get there eventually, I promise) but I was kinda hoping that, being an AU, it would keep Anakin alive

Now that I know, however, I'm ready for more angst. Bring it on!

 

I have to echo @Chyntuck, the second one is especially heartwrenching after the humor of the first entry. Excellent start, though, and can't wait to see where you take it!

 

Those two certainly mischievous, aren't they? I would have loved to read about them growing up together in Legends, but alas, I'm lef to imagine it myself.

I didn't know what would come as I tried to pack a lot into one sentence. Glad you liked it.

It might have been. I'm not really certain who it was, ro be honest. I didn't have a specific person in mind.

It did. I'm sorry. I love my angst.

Well, all I can say is when you do catch up, you might be surprised.

The next entry will be angst-free, I promise.

I do like to keep my readers on a roller coaster of emotions, if I can.

Thanks for reading and commentng everyone!

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Fast Friends / 13 ABY / 200 Freestyle


Luke was waiting patiently when he saw his ex-wife and son headed towards him and his companion.

He felt a tug on his flight suit and looked down into the crystal blue eyes of his young nephew. He bent down and rested his hands on the shoulder of three year-old Anakin.

“Are you ready to meet your cousin?”

The little boy nodded. “Yes, Unca Wuke.”

As soon as Ben caught sight of his father, he broke into a sprint towards the man.

“Papa!” he called out.

Luke hugged the boy tightly before pulling back and nudging Anakin forward.

Ben looked at the other boy, then back at Luke. “Who dis, Papa?”

Luke smiled just as Gaeriel reached them.

“Ben, this is your cousin, Anakin Solo. Anakin, say hi to my son, Ben.”

Both toddlers looked at each other warily at first before Ben reached out tentatively. “Hi. I Ben.”

Anakin grinned; a lopsided grin so reminiscent of his father. “I’m Anakin Sowo. Nice meet you.”

The two boys then shocked the adults around them when they grabbed each other in a tight hug.

Gaeriel chuckled. “Fast friends, I see.”

“Bes’ fwends, Mama,” Ben quipped as he grabbed Anakin’s hand and tugged his cousin away so they could play together.

Note: It ended up being slightly more than 200 words.

 

and it was great fun to read with Ben and Anakin becoming best friends

 

Thanks! I needed a light hearted moment for them.

Thanks you so much. Glad you are enjoying it.

Two griping teens! What can you do?

Why, thank you.

Again, thank you.

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At What Cost…? / 26 ABY / 400 Word Cross Country

Ben Skywalker approached the door to the Council chamber and was about to enter when he noticed Anakin sitting off to the side; head down and a concerned look on his face.

“Hey, Ani, what’s wrong?” Ben asked as he walked over to his cousin.

”I know this is too much to ask, Anakin. You can say no. Please believe me when I tell you that, you can say no.”

Anakin shook his head; Luke’s words still ringing in his ears. But he didn’t want to say no. He would sacrifice what he had to for this mission. It was important. It was unbelievable.

He looked up and his blue eyes met Ben’s. A sad smile crossed his face for a moment before he stood.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he assured Ben. “I sept terrible and then Uncle Luke comm’d me early and asked me to meet him in chambers.”

Ben didn’t entirely believe him but accepted his answer anyway. “Yeah, he summoned me, too. Wonder what this is about.”

Feigning disinterest, Anakin merely shrugged. “I guess we should go find out.”

Both young men gathered their courage and stepped into the council chamber; one of them wondering what their fate would be and the other…

The other already knowing that you cannot escape your destiny.

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“Pendal is a crime-ridden world full of gangsters, gamblers and all manner of criminal,” Kyp Durron explained. “They survive off of street crime. They will lie, cheat and steal, so you’re going to have to be very careful.”

“Why us?” Ben suddenly questioned; his eyes settled on his father. “Aren’t we both a little…young for this type of mission?”

Anakin swallowed deeply as he awaited Luke’s explanation.

“We all think the two of you can handle a simple capture mission,” Luke conveyed. “Yes, you are both young, but you are also both very capable. We have faith in your training. You should as well.”

“Besides, you’re both so young, no one will think you’re there to capture Vizani,” Kyp tossed in for good measure.

The meeting was finished; Anakin and Ben had their orders, their ship and only a few hours before they were to leave for the world of Pendal to capture a rogue scientist who was developing weapons of mass destruction.

“I’m going to go see Tahiri and let her know that I’ll…”

Ben stopped walking. “Tell her that you’ll…what?”

Anakin cleared his throat. “That I’ll be gone for a…a few days.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ben asked again.

“Fine,” Anakin confirmed. “Meet me in the training salle later. We can get some sparring practice in before we leave.”

“Sure,” Ben said as he turned to walk back to the quarters he shared with his father and stepmother.

Anakin watched him go. “I will protect you, Ben. You will come home. I’ll make sure of it if it’s the last thing I do.”

 

"It's Only Water" Such mischief and great teasing.
"Starlight" -- oh, that's heart-tugging!

"Fast Friends" ... how utterly cute.

"At What Cost" ... Anakin's hesitation and tangible reluctance makes me worry. Tahiri will be more than irate if he doesn't come back in one piece.

 

I hope they all will make it back

 

Oh I have a baaad feeling about this! Fast Friends was the epitome of cuteness, with Anakin and Ben bonding instantly as toddlers, but after that, when I saw Anakin hiding something from Ben (and of course Ben would sense it, because they are bes' fwends) I thought that this has ominous written all over it. And now that he's going to say goodbye to Tahiri... oooooh, this isn't going to end well, is it?

 

You know me, I love to go back and forth between heart-tugging and lighthearted cuteness. Glad you liked and thanks for reading and commenting.

I hope so, too. But we'll see. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Well....

I loved writing that little story. They are such cuties as little boys.

Yes, he's hiding something, but what is it? Thanks for reading and commenting.

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…do we embrace our destiny? / 26 ABY / Prime Time Coverage


“So, this is Pendal, huh?” Ben asked as Anakin landed their ship on the outskirts of the capital, Tilam City. “Looks…”

Anakin looked at him when he stopped. “I think the word you want is disadvantaged. The information Uncle Luke gave us says the planet is well behind most of the rest of the galaxy in weapons technology. They still use slugthrowers."

Ben nodded. “I read the reports. Apparently this Kelvar Vizani is in the process of developing weapons that can destroy planets. Just like the death star.”

Anakin stood and shrugged into his cloak and reached for his lightsaber and made sure it was secure at his waist.

“He was last seen near a place called Boklee Casino,” Anakin said. “We should start there.”

Ben grabbed his own saber but left this cloak behind. The two sixteen-year-olds headed down the ramp of their ship and walked off in the direction of the capital.

“Are you okay with Uncle Luke having put me in charge of this mission?” Anakin asked after a beat.

Ben looked at his cousin curiously. “Some reason I shouldn’t be? You’ve been a Jedi way longer than I have. It makes sense.”

“Good,” Anakin responded. “Then I have something to tell you. While we’re here, if I give you an order, I need you to listen to me and do what I say without question. I need you to promise me. I know that’s a lot to…”

Ben waved him off. “It’s fine, Anakin. I understand. My father trusts you to look out for both of us. I promise I’ll listen to you.”

Anakin breathed a sigh of relief. This will be that much harder if he doesn’t listen to me.

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Tilam City was nothing like what either young man expected. Despite having read the council’s report on the planet, they were shocked to see the streets ridden with filth; gutters with adults and small children sitting amongst the garbage. The duracrete walls of the building were cracking and crumbling.

The people of Pendal were suffering. They had no reliable weapons to defend themselves against local thieves or any other outsiders that might wish to do them harm. Now, they also had a rogue weapons designer who was using their planet as his base of operations.

“You think Vizani plans on using Pendal as a test for his weapons when they’re done?” Anakin asked softly as they walked down the street; aware of eyes following their every move.

Ben nodded and in a solemn voice, answered. “I would.”

Just then they rounded a corner and Ben pointed. “Look, there it is. Boklee Casino.. It looks…”

“…dilapidated,” Anakin finished. “That can’t be a working casino. The whole building looks ready to crumble at our feet.”

Ben trudged forward, headed for the casino. “Let’s take a look inside and see what we fine.”

Anakin took hold of his lightsaber and instructed Ben to do the same. “Keep your senses sharp. We have no idea what we might be walking into.”

Ben acknowledged the order with a nod. He reached out with the force and opened the doors to the casino. They were both immediately hit with the smells smoke from death sticks and stale alcohol. The room was dimply lit and Ben couldn’t see more than a few centimeters in front of him.

“Disgusting,” Anakin muttered. “Let’s go. You go right and I’ll go left. The description we have of Vizani is that he’s just over two meters tall, black hair that’s shoulder-length and often…greasy and he has green eyes. If you spot him, be careful. We’ll meet back here.”

“Aye, Captain,” Ben quipped.

Anakin chuckled as they set off in opposite directions.

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“I’m being watched,” Kelvar Vizani remarked to his companion as they sat a Sabacc table nursing their drinks.

His companion didn’t look around at all. He merely nodded his head as he placed his next bet. “I know. Two Jedi. Both young. I can sense them.”

Kelvar looked at his friend. “How is…”

The man smiled; his face boyish despite his nearly sixty years of age. “It’s possible because I was trained as a Jedi a long time ago. Now, I’m going to get up and leave. I’ll take care of these two.”

“Wait!” Vizani called out. “Who are you, really?”

The man with dark, closed-cropped hair and brilliant sapphire blue eyes grinned. “You can call me Dev. Dev Morgan.”

With that, the man quickly found the exit and slid past Ben and Anakin unnoticed.

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Ben had nearly made his entire loop when he spotted Vizani. He had his lightsaber in hand as he approached the man and was at his back when he ignited it and simultaneously rested his empty hand on Vizani’s shoulder.

In a clear voice; “Kelvar Vizani, you are hereby placed under arrest by the Galactic Republic for crimes…”

The first blaster bolt whizzed past Ben’s head with only centimeters to spare. He ducked instinctively and immediately yelled out.

“Anakin! I have him! Blaster fire!”

Anakin was already running towards his cousin, his own purple-bladed saber at the ready. He deflected a few shots as he ran, but one managed to strike him in his right shoulder. Without stopping he reached Ben.

Orange saber deflecting bolt after bolt, Ben was also keeping a hand on Vizani. The man was struggling against his grip but had not managed to break free.

Suddenly the blaster fire ceased.

“I don’t want any trouble in here,” an older woman remarked. “Take the trash with you and get out of my casino.”

Cautiously and without extinguishing their lightsabers, Anakin and Ben led Vizani from the casino, his wrists now clad in binders.

Once outside, Ben breathed a sigh of relief. “That was close. We almost…”

The casino behind them exploded in a ball of fire sending all three sprawling to the ground. Ben landed on his back more than three meters away while Vizani had been thrown against a nearby fence, knowing the man unconscious.

Ben groaned as he tried to sit up. His heart pounded in his ears. Where’s Anakin?” He looked around but didn’t see anything but dust in the air and the smell of blood in his nose. He looked down and saw that his left arm had been ripped open; bone sticking through the skin.

Ben carefully stood and reached into his utility belt and found several bacta wraps. He wrapped his arm as best he could and turned to look in the direction of what was left of the casino.

As the smoke cleared, Ben saw Anakin just standing as well. He was about to call out to his cousin when he heard it.

Run, Ben! Run! Get out of here now!”

Ben’s first instinct when he heard Anakin’s voice in his head was to run to help his cousin. A split second later, he remembered his promise. Just as he turned, he heard it.

The distinct snap-hiss of a lightsaber; brilliant emerald-green blade came to life just barely seen through the still heavy smoke. It was followed by numerous other figures; all with blasters.

You promised me! Run, Ben, now!”

He saw Anakin raise his lit blade; not quite in time.

Ben turned and ran. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Several times on his way back to the ship, he tripped and fell; his vision cloudy with unshed tears. He reached the ship, his breaths heavy and labored. He approached the ramp when he felt him; heard him one last time.

”I love you, cousin. Tell them goodbye for me.”

Anakin Solo was gone.

Tears finally fell down Ben’s dirty cheeks, leaving tracks of sadness. Ben climbed the ramp slowly, anguish slowing him to a crawl.

Once seated in the pilots’ chair, he lifted off carefully. He guided the craft towards Tilam City, taking once last glance at the site of the casino. Smoke, rubble and the feeling of death were all that remained.

“Jedi Temple, this is…this is Ben Skywalker,” he began his transmission. “Mission to Pendal has…has failed. Ana…Anakin So…Solo lost. Vizani…escaped.”

He cut the recorder and transmitted then locked in his course home. The ship entered hyperspace and Ben allowed himself to break down.

Sobs wracked the teenagers fragile, broken body. Bruises were forming all over and his arm was throbbing. Blood loss was making him woozy.

Ben reached to the controls and flipped the autopilot switch. He knew he was in no shape to fly himself. With that done, he headed to his cabin and nearly fell onto his cot. Taking deep breaths and trying to focus through his ragged emotions, Ben was able to at last enter a light healing trance.

Just before he went completely out…

“Goodbye, Anakin.”

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Days later with his physical injuries healed, Ben sat out on the balcony of the quarters he shared with his father and Mara. It was a chilly night, and he was wrapped in a warm blanket. He couldn’t take his eyes from the stars. He remembered a story his mother used to read to him when he was a young child. He didn’t remember the details, but he did recall that in the story it was said that when someone died, their spirit lived forever in the starlight.

“I hope that’s true, Anakin,” Ben whispered. “I hope it’s true.”

“Ben!” Luke called out to his son. “Time for the briefing.”

With a deep breath, Ben unwound his long limbs and prepared to face his father and the rest of the Jedi Council and explain what had gone so wrong on Pendal.


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Note: Well, that concludes this Pentathlon featuring Ben Skywalker and Anakin Solo as they are seen in my story, Knightfall I: Sins of the Father. Hope you all enjoyed, and thanks for reading and commenting.

 

Riveting action and devastating personal loss. Congratulations on completing the pentathlon.

 

action and action but the end Anakin giving his life and Ben obeying and surviving.
Congrats on completing the pentathlon

 

Dev Morgan? I seem to remember a different story on here with a character named Dev Morgan, only that Dev Morgan was an amnesiac Ezra Bridger......

 

NO WAY!

I did expect that things would go very, very wrong on this mission, but not quite that wrong, and I certainly didn't expect Dev Morgan to show up. And, uh, did Luke actually send his nephew to get killed by Ezra for no particularly obvious reason? I need to read Knightfall now to find out, don't I?

Congrats on finishing the pentathlon as well! You're on a roll here!

 

"Fast Friends": Awww! This one was so cute and sweet.

"At What Cost": There's such a sense of foreboding here, especially after reading "Fast Friends".

So ominous, and really powerful writing.

"...do we embrace our destiny?": Incredible action writing but so heartbreaking! Poor Anakin. Poor Ben.

Awww.

This is such a beautiful idea, I love it.

Fantastic job on this pentathlon, and congrats on completing it!

 

So glad you liked the action. Ben is definitely devastated by the loss of his best friend. Thank you so much for reading and commenting.

Well, I seem to recall reading that same story you mentioned. But, is this Dev Morgan actually Ezra Bridger? I can tell you this, that question is answered in Knightfall.

He sort of popped up out of the blue. Even when I was writing, i had a certain character in mind, and things just went a different direction.

Well, Luke did send Anakin to be killed, but for a good reason, and yes, the answers you seek are in Knightfall.

Thanks so much, and thank you for reading and replying.

Glad you enjoyed Fast Friends. That one was my favorite to write; just two little boys becoming friends without any knowledge of where their futures would lead them. At What Cost... was the hardest to write because I knew where the story was going and what the end would be, so...yeah, I don't enjoy killing characters but the story demanded it.

At this point I wanted the readers to be worried for both Ben and Anakin, while also converying that Anakin already knew what was going on, yet still he was a bit nervous. Glad you liked the action writing, I don't think I'm very good at it.

Yeah, I know. I wanted just a few sentences to be able to convey the sadness and heardbreak Ben was feeling at that moment when he actually had to speak the words that Anakin was gone.

Thank you so much, I'm so glad you loved it. It seems like a rather nice idea to me. Thanks for reading and replying.