The Chosen One

===While I was hoping to have this scene be revealed in the story itself, I won't be able to do that for another two years. But it is such a tremendous, emotional masterpiece in Star Wars history, and so I just needed to share it with you. Here's your potential spoilers warning, but I still would like for you guys to be able to have it, as we already know what happens regardless. Seriously, I was getting emotional writing this entire sequence. And I love it.===
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"You can not hide forever, Luke," Vader says firmly.
"I will not fight you," Luke replies defiantly.
Vader pauses at the sound of his son's voice and calmly turns to walk in his direction, his lightsaber humming by his side. His son's ability to hide himself from his gaze is impressive, as are his abilities, but it is not enough. He himself has achieved great feats, and so too shall his son; by his side.
"Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way to save your friends," he declares.
He pauses once more, a satisfied smile stretching across his burnt face.
"Yes... your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong! Especially for the daughter of Shan," he remarks, sneering. "I must warn you, my son, love is a dangerous thing. You think it is your world... until it rips the heart out of you."
"That's not true, father! I know you don't believe that either!" Luke protests.
He falters in his step, doubt entering Anakin's mind as he hears that statement. However Vader swiftly crushes down on such weak thoughts with a growl and continues onward, narrowing his yellow eyes with simmering anger underneath his helmet.
"Your love for her is strong, but in the end she will be nothing but a nightmare..." he states ominously, before frowning. "Or perhaps... not just of her, but of... sister!"
Luke widens his eyes in horror, his body shaking with despair. Vader reacts to this new information with surprise, then sinister glee.
"So, you have a twin sister! Kenobi and Shan were wise to hide her from me," Vader says with a mocking sneer. "Now their failure is complete! If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will."
From out of the darkness, a blazing surge of defiant fury and hatred comes forth, and a green lightsaber springs forth.
"NEVER!"
Vader whips his gaze over in surprise, his breath catching as Luke lunges at him with the intent to kill. The young Jedi was caught under so much pressure, threatening to consume him no matter what choice he made: if he fights, then the Emperor wins. If he does not fight, he loses the ones he cares about... and then himself. But the threat of Leia being made into a monster by the Sith, proved to be the breaking point. He CAN NOT let that happen. And what better way to prevent that than by killing both Darth Vader and the Emperor?
Green clashes with red as Vader catches Luke's blade, deflecting what would've been a killing blow. His son pushes their sabers from side-to-side, slashing both support columns before shoving Vader back, swinging his lightsaber with a vicious snarl of rage. Vader is caught off guard by the fearsome assault, struggling to defend himself properly against his son. He wanted Luke to join him, and yet, he's acting like nothing more than a rabid dog!
In an attempt to regain his composure and self-assurance, Vader swings his lightsaber upwards so that both of their blades strike the ceiling, creating a bright shower of sparks over them. Luke is unfazed by it however, instead pressing his attack with even more fury at the thought of a Sith Lord trying to one-up him so pathetically.
Their duel moves away from underneath the platform and out into the open, green and red flashing brightly as their sabers clash. Vader deflects Luke's strikes with his saber, throwing in a few counter strikes, but the viciousness of Luke's swings do nothing but throws his saber aside, something that Vader was usually on the giving end of.
Reaching a narrow bridge, Vader leans out of the way of a swipe by Luke, blocking his next two strikes with his saber, and then ducks underneath a horizontal swing. Vader stumbles on his feet, grabbing the railing for support, and Luke instantly takes advantage of his weakness and begins hammering down on his lightsaber, throwing all of his strength behind every swing with a snarl as he glares down at Vader through a haze of red.
As Luke continues to hammer down on him, Vader's desperation becomes great enough that he even starts to feel a sense of despair for his son, helpless to stop him as he turns into... him.
In a final strike, Luke smacks Vader's lightsaber out of the way and then swings his own down with a roar, cutting through his hand. The railing is also cut apart, and Vader cries out in pain as he collapses onto the floor, his lightsaber hurtling down the shaft with the gloved appendage still attached to it. Luke points his lightsaber at his throat with a triumphant sneer, sickening glee filling him at giving Vader the same injury that he received only a year before. Vader stares up at him with wheezing breaths, his other hand held up in a placating gesture at finding himself on the receiving end of what he's done to so many people before him... and now his own son is becoming just the same.
Joyful laughter reaches their ears as the Emperor walks down the stairs from his throne, clapping his hands together in delight.
"Good!" he chuckles gleefully.
Observing the display of power and fury from Luke, Darth Sidious could barely contain his joy. When Lord Vader turned up nearly burned to death with all of his limbs lost, he lost so much of his potential, something the greatly frustrated his master. With the years having gone by, his crippled apprentice now sought to replace him, which is to be expected as it is the way of the Sith.
But now, it is he who will be replaced instead.
With the dark side, the boy was able to harness great power: in those few moments, Sidious could sense his potential, and what he would grow into: none would ever be able to stand in his way with the boy as his new apprentice. And perhaps, when the time comes, he should allow Luke's future child to overthrow their own father as well, and take his place just the same. They could continue doing so through their bloodline for generations to come: the Skywalker's would be his to command for all of eternity.
He could see it... he could see it so clearly!
"Your hate has made you powerful!" Darth Sidious praises. "Now, fulfill your destiny. And take your father's place at my side!"
Luke falters as he listens to the Emperor, his anger slowly turning into doubt and confusion. His... his father?
"Luke... do not give in to him," a woman's voice suddenly whispers in his mind. "You are strong."
Luke is taken aback as he's struck by images, memories, of someone else.
He sees three men standing in a room not unlike where he is now: a Jedi Knight, looking nearly identical to him, held a blue and red lightsaber to the throat of a much older man, while another person observes from a chair he was seated in... Palpatine. 
He sees that same Jedi in the company of a beautiful woman. The two were obviously close to each other, in a way that Luke could relate. The Jedi's face was full of kindness and devotion to the woman, who herself radiated with love and warmth.
He sees himself in the company of Mara, who is looking at him with a cheerful, if slightly mischievous smile. He smiles back at her, filled with love at the sight of such a wonderful woman. He opens his arms in invitation, and she embraces him...
"Remember what gives you hope," the woman's voice says, fading softly. "It is what Sidious will never understand…"
Pondering the woman's words, Luke slowly turns his head to look at his right hand, shakily making a fist with it, before looking more closely at Vader's hand… wires and a metal skeleton are fully exposed for him to see, making one thing clear: he is the same. He shares the same injury as Vader, just like he's going down the same dark path as… his father.
His father.
Horrified, Luke takes in a few deep breaths as the anger in him fades, releasing the dark side along with it. His father, Anakin Skywalker, fell to the dark side under the promise of saving the ones he loved. He almost fell to the dark side in the defense of the ones he loves… but no more. The dark side gave his father nothing but suffering, and it would surely do the same to him in the end, no matter how righteous his cause: the dark side does not know love, nor will it ever understand it.
With these thoughts in mind, a new sense of defiance surges forth in him, but it isn't based out of anger: it's based out of love. He deactivates his lightsaber and turns toward the Emperor with nothing but love for his father.
"Never," he declares calmly, tossing away his lightsaber with a shake of his head. "I'll never turn to the dark side!"
The Emperor looks on silently, a frown spreading across his face as he stares at Luke with an unreadable gaze.
"You failed Your Highness, because there's more to life than just power. The life of my father and his friends have taught me that. And I know who I am now," Luke states proudly, a smile on his face. "I am a Jedi! Like my father before me."
His lips pressed into a thin line, Darth Sidious glares at Luke with cold fury, his yellow eyes gleaming in outrage and disbelief. Luke looks back resolutely, not a shred of anger or contempt in his soul, which the Emperor finds even more infuriating than if he were ridiculing him: he just can't understand why!
"So be it… Jedi," he says, his voice dangerously calm.
----
Luke continues to stand firm in defiance of the Emperor, coincidentally placing himself between Sidious and his father, who still lay on the ground with labored breaths. In the face of such irritating insolence, the Emperor deemed it now necessary to cast his judgement on the fool.
"If you will not be turned…" he hisses dangerously, slowly raising his hands. "You will be destroyed."
From out of his gnarled fingertips, vicious bolts of purple Force lightning shot out and struck Luke directly. The young Jedi cries out in surprise and pain, stumbling over and falling to his knees against the railing. The attack lasted less than a second, but it already caused him more pain than he had ever felt in his life: even more so than losing his hand.
At the same time, Darth Vader struggled back to his feet, holding his handless arm in front of him as he glanced at Luke.
"Young fool," the Emperor murmurs mockingly. "Only now, at the end, do you understand!"
With a sadistic expression, Darth Sidious fires another blast of Force lightning at Luke, prompting cries of pain from him. He grips onto the railing with his robotic hand as tightly as he could to keep from falling over the edge, while the rest of his body spasmed from the lightning. Sidious eases up once more in order to approach him with slow, predatory steps.
Luke groans, weakly trying to get back to his feet in between lightning blasts. Vader returns to his master's side, walking just a pace behind him as the Emperor continues to advance. Before Luke could stand back up he's struck by another round of Force lightning, and he falls to the floor with a pained shout.
"Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the dark side! Not even your precious Jedi heroes could withstand my might!" Darth Sidious sneers in contempt, making his lightning as painful as possible. "You have paid the price for your lack of vision!"
Vader glances at Sidious briefly before staring back down at Luke, who convulsed on the ground with screams of agony.
"FATHER PLEASE!" Luke pleads with a helpless cry.
Darth Sidious was unrelenting and unmerciful, standing above the young Jedi as he unleashed all of his fury on him through his Force lightning. Vader's expression remained hard and unforgiving behind his mask as he gazed at Luke… but he still found himself looking at the Emperor with unease. Staring at his master for a few moments, he slowly turns his head to look down at Luke once more, Luke's pleas triggering something within him.
After what seemed like years of endless pain and torment, Luke gasps in relief as the lightning comes to a stop, moaning as he lay on the floor.
"So idealistically naive," the Emperor murmurs scornfully to himself. "Much like Naboo's late senator."
Vader stiffens up in surprise at the mention of his late wife, his eyes widening as memories are triggered in his mind: no, not his wife. The Jedi's wife. That is not who he is anymore! She is not… she is- no. They are both dead.
Luke also gains enough strength to look at the Emperor, albeit weakly, a stiff gaze of realization dawning on him.
"My mother," he says softly, gaining the Sith Lord's attention. "…it was you. You killed her!"
Vader whips his head around in shock, staring wide-eyed at the Emperor in a mixture of shock and disbelief; along with those feelings were the raging emotions of grief and swirling anger. Darth Sidious doesn't pay any attention to Vader, however, his surprise displayed through a single eyebrow being lifted as he stares down at Luke.
"Yes… I did," he replies slowly, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "And now young Skywalker, just like her… you will die."
Beside him, Vader slowly turns to look back down at Luke with guilt and regret, whereas the young Jedi futilely attempts to back away from the Emperor. Seeing this, the smile drops from Sidious face and is replaced by a snarl as he unleashes more lightning from his fingertips, causing Luke to scream in pain once more.
Vader looks on with wide eyes, standing as still as a statue as the Emperor unleashes his power on a helpless Luke. Bright flashes of purple lightning reflect off of his mask, his breathing much quicker and labored now. He tries to ignore it, forcing himself to remember who he is now. He is Darth Vader, feared Dark Lord of the Sith! Why should he do anything when he was betrayed by everyone—
"Including the Emperor."
Vader's thoughts are broken by the sound of a familiar woman's voice in his mind… Tano's voice…
"Why do you serve him?"
She would never understand... who does she think she is? She turned away from him!
"Is this what you want?"
What? Was that Shan's voice as well?! He dares—
"Your son is dying!"
Ahsoka's fierce statement reminded him of Luke's predicament, the agonized screams once again tearing into his very soul. No, that is Anakin's son, he is Darth Vader—no… is Luke his son?
"She always believed in you!"
He's struck by Jarik's proclamation, audible alongside the many voices howling from memories he's tried so hard to bury…
'He wanted to help you, but he never got the chance to do so!'
'Anakin, please!'
'You were my brother Anakin!'
'I loved you!'
He remains still as he stares wordlessly at the sight of Luke being tortured by the Emperor, his screams of agony echoing around the room and tearing into his heart. He turns to look at the Emperor, seeing the vicious scowl and seething glare on his face as he strikes Luke with Force lightning without a trace of sympathy and mercy.
He shuts his yellow eyes tightly to try and block out the screams—he is Darth Vader—but even with the accursed mask it was all he could hear—sympathy is for the weak! He is—but that's his son.
'There is still, good in him…'
'Anakin Skywalker was weak. I destroyed him.'
"No. Anakin Skywalker lives."
The calmness of her voice cuts directly through his heart, and he opens his eyes to once again see the sight of Luke convulsing on the floor with terrible screams, dying at the hands of a monster… while he just watched.
'Anakin, please!'
'Father, please!'
'Anakin!'
"ANAKIN!"
His blue eyes glimmering with determination, Anakin turns around and suddenly grabs the Emperor from behind, hoisting him effortlessly into the air. Darth Sidious yells in complete surprise from the action, thrusting his hands out wildly while shooting lightning in a desperate attempt to free himself.
When the lightning suddenly stopped Luke thought the Emperor was merely taunting him again; hearing him shouting out instead saw Luke lifting his head up with a confused look on his face, which quickly morphs into surprise at what he saw.
Sidious shot out as much lightning as he could, directing it all at his traitorous apprentice with all the power he could muster. But Anakin barely flinched, giving no indication that he could feel the pain as he carried the dark lord to the bridge. With him, Anakin carried all of his pain, all of his suffering, all of his sins, determined to throw it all away once and for all. With a defiant shout, he throws the Emperor over the railing before finally succumbing to the pain, collapsing to his knees.
Leaning against the railing, Anakin watches as Darth Sidious falls down the reactor shaft, his terrified screams echoing all around him whilst lightning still trailed from his fingers, getting smaller the more distant he becomes. The moment his body is out of sight, a tremendous explosion of blue fire blasts its way out of the reactor shaft and flows around the redeemed Anakin, carrying with it the echoing wails of the Emperor's spirit as his power is released.
When the fire and echoes fade into silence, the only noise that could be heard was Anakin's labored breathing, sound incredibly weak as he slumps to the ground.
----
Alarms were blaring throughout the station, Imperial personnel scrambling around in a desperate state of panic to flee the station. Nothing could've gotten them to return to their stations—not even the sight of a lone rebel carrying the battered form of Lord Vader. The young Jedi struggles to help his father, Anakin, onto an empty shuttle. He collapses just at the ramp, barely able to carry on, but also refusing to let his father die.
Anakin's breathing was labored now, no longer the frightening rasp of the respirator that all rebels grew to fear. And as Anakin spoke, even his voice modulator was failing.
"Luke, help me take this mask off..." Anakin says.
Luke looks at him, his brow furrowed.
"But you’ll die," he protests.
"Nothing can stop that now," Anakin replies grimly. "Just once, let me look on you with my own eyes."
Hearing his father beg, pleading with him even, after only ever knowing him to be an intimidating force of unrivaled power... it nearly broke Luke's heart, and so he agrees to his request. The helmet hisses as he slowly removed it, followed by him carefully peeling the mask away to reveal a the pale bone-white head of Anakin Skywalker.
Luke was taken aback, shocked at the sight. Before today he never thought much about why Vader wore a suit; Mara mentioned it being because of a serious injury he received when he was younger. And seeing the scarred pale face of his father, Luke finally understood why. But what caught his attention the most were his father's eyes—blue, just like his. And in the eyes that gazed back at him, he saw nothing but complete love and relief.
For the first time in over twenty years, Anakin was without the accursed mask in front of another person. And that person was his own son, someone that he could've never imagined he would meet. Although the motion hurt his face terribly, he just had to smile. If he was physically capable of it, tears would be falling from his eyes at the sight of his son.
"Now, go my son. Leave me," he urges.
But Luke was adamant on saving him. He was stubborn, just like Anakin was in his youth.
"No. You’re coming with me," Luke insists. "I won’t leave you, I’ve got to save you!"
Anakin looked at him, still smiling.
"You already have..." he murmurs, full of pride.
Suddenly reminded of all that he had done, Anakin's pride vanishes to be replaced by guilt and total shame as he remembers all of the wrongs he's done. All the atrocities he committed against innocent people, against his friends... even against his own family. Obi-Wan... Jarik... Ahsoka... Padmé.
His dear wife... his greatest love. And even after he turned on her in the most heartbreaking way possible, she still believed in him.
He didn't deserve her.
Luke did. He deserved to find love that he himself could not achieve.
"Luke, when you return to Mara, you must not make the same mistake I did," he tells her gently. "Love is a beautiful thing... but only when it is untainted by greed. Promise me this, Luke."
Luke is reminded of Mara and, seeing the sadness and guilt in Anakin's eyes, he's reminded of his mother too. He... can see her face now. Just like Leia could.
"I will, father," he promises.
Anakin smiles, relieved. And so... so proud.
"You were right. You were right about me," he whispers, feeling his life fade. "Tell your sister, you were right."
Anakin looks at Luke for as long as he could manage, and then closes them for the last time. He silently falls back, becoming limp in Luke's arms.
"Father..." Luke pleads, his heart throbbing. "I won’t leave you!"
But it was too late. Luke can see with his eyes just as he can feel it through the Force. Anakin Skywalker has passed on for good. He lower his head for a moment, tears leaking through despite his struggles to not cry. But at the same time, he also feels pride for his father, of who he was in the end.
The Force was with the Chosen One as he fulfilled his destiny... and he is now one with the Force.
Category:Books
Category:Side Stories
Category:Imperial Era Books