The Real Rise of Skywalker VI (Patreon)

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As much as he loved their new understanding and closeness, he knew it couldn’t last forever. They simply had too much to do. He had too much to do and not a lot of time to do it. The Sith had been hard at work for centuries. He had barely a decade to put everything they needed into motion.

But it wasn’t all bad. In fact, the very next day after reaffirming their love for one another and committing to a brighter future, Anakin woke up and knew, “It’s time.” He smiled at her as the sun peeked in from the window, still low in the sky.

“Hmm?” She asked sleepily, wiping her eyes and lifting her head off his chest.

He reached for her neck and pulled at the string of a necklace. Her eyes dipped down to it in surprise, and she stared at the glimmering golden Krayt Dragon pearl she had been wearing for over a year and a half at this point. Her eyes widened and she turned them to him, “You mean?” She asked in excitement.

“I’ll have to get you a replacement.” Anakin chuckled as they beamed at each other.

She squealed in happiness before kissing him hungrily. And then she launched herself off the bed, trying to drag him up, “Come on, come on!”

He laughed as she nearly dragged him to the floor but got to his feet. “Slow down. Don’t get too excited. It usually takes weeks to actually build them.” Padmé almost fell over in disappointment and started pouting outrageously at him. “We’ll need to go and get the kids as well. They’re all ready to build their sabers too.” Padmé nodded, pecked him, and then hurried him out of the room so she could get dressed. He’d have to change his clothes too once he got back home.

…

“PAPA!” Ahsoka was as excited as always to see him, taking a running leap and snuggling into his chest.

“Someone’s excited!” Anakin smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

“Padmé!” Aayla and Kali ran to hug their friend as well.

“So you two are okay again, big brother?” Ani asked, crossing his arms. Padmé’s absence had been quite conspicuous over the last month. “You’ve been really grumpy lately.” He grumbled.

‘Oh, holy kriff, I totally forgot in the rest of the mess.’ Padmé almost balked, ‘That’s actually Anakin! Gosh that’s going to be awfully confusing when he’s fully grown.’

“Padmé and I are happy again.” Anakin confirmed.

“We’ve agreed to marry once I turn sixteen!” Padmé beamed and the three girls squealed. They were all over Padmé in an instant, congratulating her. And Padmé nearly died of cuteness when Ahsoka asked if that made her ‘mama.’

Ani was happy as well and hugged Anakin. “Does that mean I’m going to have to call you King Amidala?” He teased his older brother, making Anakin laugh.

“We’re combining our names.” Padmé decided then and there. She wanted to be a Skywalker, but if she was going to be Queen permanently and eventually Empress, or something similar, she would need to keep her royal name. Plus, it would make things a lot less confusing for the Anakin/Ani situation.

“I’m so proud of you both.” Shmi had overheard and she walked over, throwing her arms around the happy couple.

“Thanks mom.” Anakin kissed Shmi on the cheek. “So!” Shmi smiled, “Did you just come over to tell us the good news?”

“Nope.” Anakin chirped cheerfully, watching the kids’ faces. “It’s time to learn how to build some lightsabers!”

“EEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!” The squeals from his tiny students were loud enough to shatter glass. And their eardrums.

…

“Do you all have your crystals?” Anakin asked as they settled in the workshop.

“Yes!” The kids all had necklaces like Padmé, but they had to go grab the other crystals too since not all of them hung around their necks.

“Good.” Anakin said, before he used the Force to move a heavy crate to the center of their circle. “Now, your saber’s construction will inform us quite well on what kind of form you will specialize in. It’s also dangerous, and you will rely heavily on the Force to keep from making catastrophic mistakes. Today, we will only be learning about the components and how to arrange them as the actual construction can take weeks.”

“Awwww!” The four children chorused and even Padmé was pouting, though she had already known.

Anakin chortled, “Now, look closely.” His black-bladed saber lifted off his belt and floated before them. “Notice how there are no screws or anything truly holding it together. That’s because those components are all internal.” They heard tiny little sounds from the hilt, before it started to split apart and revealed its internal construction. “The saber can be split into three main assemblies.” One of them floated above the others. “The emitter assembly. This section is what actually produces the blade. The shape of the emitter can even change the style of blade that the lightsaber produces. For example, the only other black saber that I know of is of Mandalorian make. It has a slit-shaped emitter and the blade it makes is shaped like a regular sword because of it. Most lightsabers are constructed so that the emitter is round, as that allows the blade to be equally potent no matter which part of it touches something.”

Padmé frowned, “Wait, but it’s a blade made of plasma that is so hot that it can cut anything. What does that really matter?”

“Good question, and nearly anything. There are several materials which resist lightsabers.” Anakin smiled at her. “It matters because with a blade shaped like a traditional sword, parts of it are more unstable and you will actually start draining the saber’s energy cell, which normally can go decades without needing a replacement. Also, because the blade is wider, it moves differently in the air while you are spinning it. Generally speaking, it’s more of a hassle than helpful.”

Padmé nodded and the kids were also listening intently. Anakin continued, “Now, the emitter assembly has other roles. This knob here controls the power output. This is how you can power it down from a regular saber to a training saber. This knob is special to my lightsaber as it is a dual-phase saber. This allows me to adjust the size of the blade, from its regular length all the way up to three meters.”

“Ooooh!” Kali clapped, “I remember that when you killed the Krayt Dragon! I thought the blade looked bigger than normal!”

“Good memory!” Anakin praised her and she smiled happily. The components swapped places, emphasizing the crystals. “Now, the second part is the crystal chamber. This is where your Kyber crystals will live. The Jedi normally have to travel to Ilum or planets like it to collect their crystals, passing a trial inside the icy caverns and facing their fears. The Kyber is the heart and soul of your lightsaber. It is what takes the energy from the power cell and focuses it, allowing the emitter assembly to transform it into a blade.”

Finally, the last set of components rose to the top. “And last but not least is the power assembly. This is what powers the entire show. Little brother has already made some improvements there with his power cell design.” Anakin winked at his younger self.

“Wizard!” Ani cheered.

Anakin grinned at all of them, before waving a hand. Dozens of components came flying out and settled in front of each of them. “Now, these are all of the components standard lightsabers need. This might not be all your sabers need. Again, you will have to follow the Force and my instructions. For today, you will be learning how to properly assemble each of them under my supervision.” He floated datapads in front of all of them. “Study those closely and then, when you’re ready, begin assembling everything. Be patient. You won’t be building anything today.” He rapidly reconstructed his saber and then put it on his belt.

He watched as the kids, eager to begin and get closer to actual lightsabers, studied the schematics for too short a time. Ahsoka was the most eager and therefore the quickest to get started. He smirked as he noticed her mistakes. “Done!” She exclaimed, “Did I do good, Papa?”

Anakin made a show of looking her work over under the curious, eager gazes of the rest. “EHHHH!” He buzzered her and crossed his arms into an ‘x.’

“Huh?!” She looked shocked and then teared up. “But-!”

“I told you to be patient, little one.” Anakin chided her gently. “Look here.” He pointed at the biggest mistake. “See these? You put them backwards. Do you know what will happen if you ignite this lightsaber?”

She frowned, “W-wouldn’t it just cycle the power in reverse?” He was so proud of how far her vocabulary had come since he collected her. She had always been intelligent.

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Anakin chuckled, “But that isn’t the case. At best, it will short out the saber. At worst… BOOM!” He yelled and they all jumped, squeaking in fear.

“No boom! No boom!” Ahsoka shook her head. “Ouchie!”

“Yes, biiiig ouchie.” Anakin patted her head gently. “Now, take it apart and spend some more time studying the schematics.”

All of them actually grabbed the datapads and spent much more time studying them. They had no idea how dangerous even building them could be!

It was hours later that Anakin gave them all a stamp of approval. “Good job, everyone.” He clapped. “That was perfect.”

“YAY!” The kids cheered and Padmé smiled.

“Now, you’ll be practicing that at least once a day for the next few weeks. The PROXYs are programmed to recognize any mistakes, so they’ll be able to evaluate your work as you proceed to actually build the sabers.”

“Wait, won’t you be here to make sure we’re doing okay?” Aayla raised her hand. Padmé also looked a little alarmed.

Anakin shook his head, “No, I’ll be leaving tomorrow and will be off world for a while.” He looked at Padmé meaningfully, “There are a lot of time-sensitive things I need to take care of, and I can’t delay any longer.”

The kids all started to sniffle, and they sprang at him. Padmé also looked morose as she hugged him. “I’ll miss all of you too.” He murmured, pecking Padmé on the cheek. “Now, we’re going to focus on the most important part of today’s lesson. Everyone grab all of your crystals and pearls.”

They all did so, and he directed them to sit. “We’re meditating with them?” Aayla asked curiously.

“That’s right.” Anakin nodded, “This meditation will help you see how big your sabers will be, how much material you’ll need to start shaping, etc. So close your eyes and focus on the Force and your Kyber. It will show you the way.”

They all did so, and Anakin closed his eyes too, basking in the power of the Force within the room. And later, once they had all come out of their visions and started picking up small ingots of metals from his stashes, Anakin smirked. At least none of them would be losing a saber like he had on Geonosis.

-]|[-

“Will I see you in the morning?” Padmé asked as they finally made their way back to the palace. She had spent some time thanking Sabé profusely for giving her the push she needed, and also for covering for her for a second day. Sabé was merely happy to have her friend back and was dizzyingly happy over how much better Padmé looked.

Padmé asked Anakin to raise her best friend’s Midichlorian levels up so that she could start training too. Anakin made her quite strong in the Force for his love, though nowhere near as strong as Padmé and the kids. He assigned her a PROXY to start teaching her. It put a smirk on his face when he thought about how Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would react if they made their way back to Naboo.

But that was then, and this was now. She had his hand firmly in her grasp as they walked to her suite in the palace. He shook his head, “No, I’ll be gone before breakfast. I have to get to Exegol and see what progress has been made, ship all completed shipyard parts over to Naboo so we can begin building our defenses as well as the asteroid crackers. I also need to get started on making allies.”

She frowned severely. “How long will you be gone for?” She asked.

“Not sure.” Anakin sighed, before looking down at her, “Being away from you will be torture.”

“Then we’ll have to make the best of it tonight.” She whispered as they began to have dinner. And despite not being tired, they went to bed, where her lips were on his immediately. But then she shocked him as she reached down and grabbed him.

“Woah, woah, slow down, angel.” He backed off of her, eyes wide in shock.

She pouted, “I’ve already seen everything, Ani. Lived it, it felt like. We both know I’m older than my age now.”

He shook his head, “No. None of that until we’re married, at least.” He said firmly. He would not be convinced otherwise. His will was Durasteel.

She looked up into his eyes for a few moments, before she smiled. “Oh really?”

‘Oh no.’ Anakin felt dread wash over him. It was The Smile™. The one that could make him act like a fool. ‘How does she know that smile! She didn’t learn that until we had already been married for six months!’

She pushed herself up with her elbows and kissed his jaw. “I’ve been a good girl, haven’t I? Please, daddy?” She whispered into his ear, grinning evilly.

And Anakin’s will had its mask ripped off, revealing it to be dry pasta instead.

-]|[-

He was still lamenting how easily she had him wrapped around her finger as he soared into Hyperspace. How in the Sith hells had she taken their age gap and turned it into a kink for them?! She had never done that in the past!

It was with a sardonic smile that he mumbled, “Well, what Padmé wants, Padmé gets.” He shook his head. He didn’t exactly regret becoming one with her once more, but kriff if he didn’t want to punch himself in the face for it. The fact that he could feel their bond even in Hyperspace now told him that it was entirely unbreakable now. Nothing could ever get between them, and he was happy for that.

But now wasn’t the time for that. Now was time to focus. Exegol took several hours to reach, and he arrived well before his Lucrehulk. As he had hoped, the Sith world was still entirely uninhabited. He felt rather hopeful it would stay that way, but he wouldn’t hold his breath. The orbital shipyard had churned out a good number of parts he needed, and now that he had an actual carrier, he could begin moving everything.

Once again, his mind turned to the Star Forge. He knew where Rakata Prime was thanks to the data he had stolen from Exegol’s computers and knew the debris had still been scattered there. Rakatan technology had self-repairing systems too, so he knew that part of the debris could be valuable. Just because most of it had been unusable when the Sith scientists had tried to recreate it then didn’t mean that that would still be the case now. If he could bring back parts for study, perhaps he and Ani would be able to recreate it, albeit much-less steeped in the Dark Side.

As he was already in the Unknown Regions, he was relatively close to it. He could map a new Hyperlane to it… But he didn’t know how time sensitive it was for him to get back to Coruscant. He had been shocked when he felt Dooku was still there. Yet another difference from his own timeline. Dooku had reclaimed his spot as Count of Serenno years before the Invasion of Naboo from what he knew.

Sighing, he settled down to meditate. Unlike the Jedi who repudiated the Dark, he did not. He could still search the Force for answers without the growing Veil obscuring his vision, even on a world as Dark as Exegol. ‘Why hasn’t Sidious approached Dooku yet?’ His vision began abruptly, and it was nothing more than a quick flash. Maul killing Qui-Gon. He frowned as he got final confirmation that there were important differences in this version of the galaxy. Qui-Gon’s death would have been the catalyst for Dooku leaving the Order here. It was completely different from the version of events he remembered.

He opened his eyes and punched the floor in frustration. This meant that he couldn’t necessarily trust his knowledge. People being different ages was one thing. Events completely going in a different direction was another. But the Invasion of Naboo had happened like chronowork, so clearly some events would line up properly. That was going to be frustrating.

But it also provided opportunity. ‘Can I make it to Rakata Prime and back in time to make a difference with Dooku?’ He questioned the Force. He smiled as he got his answer.

He used one of the PROXYs he’d built to send the Revenant back to Naboo. He needed his X-70B II for this.

-]|[-

“What the kriff is that?!” Anakin blurted once he came out of Hyperspace and saw the planet for the first time. A thousand years ago, Darth Bane had come here to find Revan’s Holocron, and while there had been a sort of ring-like structure around the planet, most of it still had been more like an asteroid field surrounding it.

Apparently all of those damn pieces of rubble had come together in the last thousand years. He couldn’t spot so much as a single floating piece. He pursed his lips, “This is ridiculous. Just what did the Rakatans actually build? Their tech was self-repairing, sure, but this is just something else. It’s become a completely different structure all on its own!”

He flew the ship down towards the Temple of the Ancients. He was really hoping Bane hadn’t reactivated the disruptor field, because there were no more Rakata to learn how to bring it down if he had.

Thankfully, luck was on his side. The temple was overgrown but otherwise in pristine condition. He knew it had been bombarded during the Galactic War, so it was just another sign of the wizard engineering skills of the Rakatans.

Another thing was that he could feel the cloying fury of the Dark Side all around him. The Rakatan Infinite Empire had built their entire society around the Dark Side and the tech they infused with it. Even now, twenty-five-thousand years later, this place still, “feels worse than Korriban! What would it take to cleanse this vergence of the taint, I wonder?” He mused as he entered.

He pursed his lips as he followed the Force. The entire area was… sterile. “I thought there would be decayed corpses. Maybe pieces of skeletons. Battle droids from the Order of Revan. Something.” But no matter where he looked, he could find nothing. And worse, the place had been ransacked. He could see places that looked vaguely like the Jedi Archives, but they were empty. Devoid of knowledge.

He continued on and finally came across a Rakatan computer terminal. Grinning eagerly, he trusted the Force to guide him in operating it. He was able to turn it on quickly… and was promptly disappointed. “Kriff.” He muttered. The terminal must have been damaged at some point. Like everything in this damn place, it had repaired itself… but all the data on it had been lost. He couldn’t even pull up an operating system.

He dragged his hand down his face in disappointment. ‘Though I suppose I should be counting my blessings. The last thing anyone needs is a Star Forge under Sidious’s command. Let him play with his Death Stars.’ But it would be awful to have come here for a total waste of time. The terminal was functional. If he could cleanse the Dark Side from it, he and Ani would surely be able to learn much from its construction.

Using the Force, he quickly disconnected the terminal from its moorings and hauled it over his shoulder. As he walked to the top of the tower, he worked on cleansing it of the Dark Side’s taint. Unfortunately, the rest of the temple was essentially barren. Bane had taken Revan’s Holocron and basically anything of value when he’d been here. With nothing else to find there, he leapt from the top of the tower for the expressway down. He stored the terminal in the cargo compartment and made his way to the helm.

“Did you find anything interesting, master?” PROXY asked him.

“Just a decent find that ended up being a disappointment.” Anakin sighed. “Let’s get out of here.” He took the ship up and out of the atmosphere. His eyes didn’t leave the ring once they were in space. They should explore it too, right?

Apparently that was a definite yes, according to the Force. He started feeling an incessant pull and followed it, flying almost a quarter of the way around the ring before slowing. As they traveled, he realized that the ring wasn’t as uniform as he had thought. Many ‘modules’ seemed to be bigger or smaller than the rest. He couldn’t see any obvious entry points into the structure, so he’d probably have to cut his way in. “PROXY, keep the ship stable here.” He commanded as he went to go put on an EVA suit. Minutes later, he was floating down to the mammoth structure and igniting his lightsaber. He jabbed it into the metal and felt it give way easily, so clearly it wasn’t stronger than regular materials.

But he was hearing a hiss, and he rapidly backed away. The second he pulled his saber out; he was shocked to see air pouring out from the tiny hole. Eyes wide, he used the Force to control his saber instead. He cut a large hole and then ripped out the plug with the Force. An explosive amount of air rushed out and he let out a curse. “How the hell was there an atmosphere in there?” He wondered as he again used the Force to jet inside. He then reached out for the plug and jammed it back in the hole. It was still allowing the atmosphere out, but at least it wasn’t sucking him towards the hole.

“Now… what goodies live in here, hmm?” He mused aloud as he looked around. “A door?” He asked dumbly. What good was an internal door with no kriffing entries to the structure? He opened it and slipped inside, before stopping short. “Uhhhhhh.” He gaped at the sight of what could only be described as an actual habitation module. “What. The kriff.” He muttered. There was water in here! The only thing missing were fish swimming in it!

What in the Sith Hells had he discovered?! He made his way down the stairs and around the… fountain? That made him realize there was definitely artificial gravity in here. This entire place seemed designed to have inhabitants within it. It made the utter lack of anyone in here incredibly creepy.

He reached the bottom level, and his feet carried him to a door that seemed unlike the rest of the material. He opened it with the Force and entered what seemed to be a large… vault. “Well… this looks promising.” It was clearly built out of a different material than the rest of the ring. “Is this…” He squinted and got closer to the door, “Beskar?!” He ignited his lightsaber and tapped it. “Yeah, this is Beskar. Who the kriff wasted this much Beskar on a vault?! This room is massive!” He extinguished his blade. “Hmmm, no obvious way to enter it.” He grinned, “Guess I know what that means!” He raised his hand and used the Force.

And then the smile fell. Nothing was happening. He couldn’t feel a damn thing. “…One doesn’t just make a vault with zero way in.” He pursed his lips. He wanted to rub his chin, but the EVA suit was in the way. He knew that there was some sort of atmosphere in here but hadn’t bothered to test if it was breathable. Well, this was orbiting a planet completely corrupted by the Dark Side, so maybe that was what he needed? He channeled the Dark Side of the Force into the room, and nearly flinched when Sith writings lit up the black walls in blood red. “What the?” He muttered, realizing as he looked upon the writings that the door of the vault still had yet to open.

He bit his bottom lip as he stopped channeling the Dark Side. The writings dimmed and vanished immediately. His brow was furrowed, “I wonder…” He began channeling the Light Side as though he were preparing to use the pinnacle of Light Side techniques: The Wall of Light.

This time, blue writings like those of a Jedi Holocron lit up the walls. And still, the vault doors remained closed. But now Anakin’s heart was racing. There was only one being that could have been behind this vault. Heart racing in anticipation, he began simultaneously channeling the Dark Side. The Sith writings lit up the wall, before they slowly bled into each other and became purple. There was a dull thunk, then several smaller clicks rang out, and the vault doors opened.

Anakin grinned madly as he looked inside the vault. There was only one single item inside of it, floating of its own accord. A hexagonal dodecahedron. A big one. It was a Holocron with glowing purple writing all over it. It certainly was no Jedi cube or Sith Pyramid. Anakin immediately activated it, and it opened, becoming something akin to a Hexeract. The purple light shone outwards and then collated into the form Anakin had been expecting: Revan.

The mask was a different color than Anakin remembered from his studies. “Well now, it’s been so many years since I left this Holocron here.”

“Master Revan.” Anakin bowed his head to the man. “I thought Bane found your Holocron.”

“Only the decoy.” Revan replied, “If you can call a legitimate Sith Holocron a decoy.” He looked at Anakin curiously. “You’re young.” Revan said, “Much younger than I would have expected for someone capable of entering this vault. What is your name?”

“Anakin Skywalker.” He smiled at the hologram. “And I’m much older than I look. This is not my first body.”

“Ah.” Revan’s countenance seemed to change, though you couldn’t tell from the mask. “I had hoped that such a dangerous technique would be avoided. That is one of the blackest techniques I’ve ever come across. What forced you to steal another’s body? It also begs the question of how one such as you was able to find the Light once more.”

“The body wasn’t stolen.” Anakin was quick to assure him, “It was a cloned body grown specifically for that purpose. My first body was…damaged beyond repair.”

Revan changed again, “Well, that’s better than I feared.” The hologram became somewhat friendly. “What has become of the galaxy since my death?”

Anakin grimaced, “It is a… travesty.” He said shortly. “The Republic has become corrupt to the point of allowing individual Corporations voting seats on the Senate while the Outer Rim rots. The Jedi have lost their way completely. You would be disgusted with them if you were here, Master Revan. And the Sith…” He sighed, “Bane’s Order would have been just over a decade away from seizing the galaxy completely and turning it into a beaten down and desperate mess.”

“Would have been?” Revan asked, and Anakin got the sense of an eyebrow being raised.

“There was time travel involved.” Anakin said, smiling sheepishly. “On my part.”

“Well you’ll be entertaining if nothing else.” Revan said with some amusement. “What are your goals?”

“To tear apart the current order.” Anakin replied, “To create a new system free of corruption. Free of slavery. To lead the galaxy to a new, better dawn.”

“Pretty words.” Reven let out a dry chuckle. “But the road to hell is paved with good intentions. You’ll be leading a bloodbath to do so.”

“Did you not do the same?” Anakin asked while crossing his arms, “The Republic is simply too corrupt now. Even if I simply kill Darth Sidious and retire with my beloved wife, the Republic will still crumble around us. They’ve got centuries of manipulation putting us in this position. We’d need centuries of diplomacy to fix this mess now. And slavery is the one issue I will not abide. I will end that institution or die trying.”

“Conviction.” Revan smiled behind his mask. “And the power of the Light and Dark Side behind you. You are worthy. My knowledge is yours.”

Anakin bowed his head. “Thank you, Master Revan. May I ask what this place, this ring is?”

“You have not figured it out?” Revan asked in amusement.

“…The Star Forge.” Anakin replied, “Though obviously, it isn’t in its original form. This is a place that makes no sense.”

“It shall make much more sense once you understand what the Star Forge truly was.” Revan replied, “The Star Forge wasn’t merely a foundry. It didn’t just take raw material and convert it into weapons. Thinking of it in that way is to completely misunderstand it.”

“What was it then?” Anakin asked curiously.

“Alive, Anakin.” Revan replied and Anakin’s eyebrows disappeared into the EVA suit’s helmet. “The Star Forge was alive. It had its own consciousness. Its own… maliciousness.”

“Sithspit!” Anakin cursed, “You mean that it twisted those who used it?”

“Yes.” Revan nodded, “It was designed as the most powerful weapon of a hateful people infused with the Dark Side to fuel their slave empire. Its technology drew on the Dark Side of the Force itself. It enjoyed the terror and devastation its fleets would bring. It grew more powerful from the negativity surrounding it. And so it twisted those who used it into doing its bidding. They weren’t thralls, per se, but they would find themselves doing things against their better judgement.”

“Kriff, is that why you Fell?” Anakin was shocked by what he was learning.

“No.” Revan replied, “I had already started along that path due to my nightmares of the Sith and the horrible truths of the Mandalorian Wars. I realized what the Star Forge did early on, and so I took a tiny piece of it no larger than a fingernail for study. Malek, however, stayed on it. He fell further and further. When its original form was destroyed, it turned into this ring. But it was merely reassembling itself aimlessly. That’s why the architecture appears strange.”

“And what did you learn from the piece you took for study?” Anakin asked him.

“Everything.” Revan replied. “The Star Forge wasn’t just a weapon. It didn’t simply create fleets. No, Anakin, the Star Forge created life.” Anakin’s jaw dropped, “All the Star Forge required was fuel and the Force to sustain itself. It was truly infinite. It could create water. It could create oxygen. Food.”

“HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!” Anakin yelled in astonishment.

“It is something I learned long ago and still find myself astonished by at times: All things are possible using the Force.” Revan replied, “I gave the fragment to the Ongree, and they used it to create an entire microsociety and microenvironment within Nar Shadah. When one of them died, they were fed to the fragment, which would allow it to create anything they required to survive. Centuries later, the fragment itself had grown from what amounted to a shaving to a complete machine called the Infinite Engine.”

“This is…” Anakin breathed out, “unbelievable.”

“Yes.” Revan nodded, “I know not what has become of the Infinite Engine, nor whether the Ongree still exist.” Anakin grimaced, “But I learned much from the technology of the Infinite Empire.”

Anakin smirked in triumph, “Your knowledge will be invaluable, should you choose to share it, Master Revan. My disciples will be eager, especially my younger self. He has a gift with technology even I don’t possess.”

“Then let us be off. The ring’s presence in the Dark Side may have been greatly diminished from the loss of its capabilities, but it is still tainted. One should not linger here. Not even ones such as you or me.” And with that, the Holocron deactivated itself. Anakin picked it up, smiling in triumph as he left the vault behind. When he got back to the hole he had made for the ship, he was not all that surprised to find that the hole had already sort-of closed itself. Rolling his eyes, he blew the plug out and soared out of the hole. He stored his immense find inside his bedroom on the ship. Inside was a small vault made entirely of Phrik, and it was where he would store things that absolutely could not fall into the wrong hands. He couldn’t wait to begin learning how to make Dark/Light locking mechanisms from Revan.

With that finished, he allowed the Force to guide him once more, plotting out a Hyperlane from Rakata Prime to Jakku. From there, he plotted the way to Kitel Phard, and then Faless, where he could get onto the Corellian Trade Spine and get himself to Coruscant.

 -]|[-

As Anakin was returning to the known galaxy, Padmé and the kids were hard at work and nearing completion of their lightsabers. “Papa’s going to miss it.” Ahsoka teared up as she put the finishing touches on her lightsaber.

“Yeah.” Aayla and Kali were both feeling morose as well.

“Maybe big brother will be back soon?” Ani asked hopefully.

Padmé patted them on their heads. “I’m sorry, little ones. Anakin will definitely not make it here to see them be ignited for the first time. I’m sad about that too.” She murmured, “But I know just how proud he’ll be of all of us.”

“But I want him to be here!” Ahsoka let out a sniffle.

“So do I.” Padmé sighed sadly. “But he can’t be. What he’s doing now is too important for the future. You know he would be here with us if he could delay this. Try not to be sad. This is supposed to be a happy day for us, right?” She smiled at Ahsoka, giving her chin scritches. “Hey, I have an idea! Let’s record it when we ignite them for the first time!”

The little Togruta giggled from it, “Thanks Padmé. That’s a great idea!” She sniffed and looked down at her hilt.

“You’re welcome.” Padmé closed her eyes, the parts all floating before her and finally assembling itself. Little clicks rang through the air as it dropped into her hand. “Done!” She exclaimed in excitement.

“Show us, show us!” The kids chorused for her.

“Not yet!” She grinned, “You have to finish yours too!”

They grumbled for a moment, before focusing up. Slowly, their lightsabers all took shape. Padmé kept careful watch with the Force, ensuring that they weren’t making any mistakes. She knew they weren’t. They hadn’t made a mistake on their dry runs in three weeks. It had become second nature now. But the last thing they needed was for this to be the one run that they screwed up.

Once they were all ready, they exhaled joyously and stood up. “We’re FINISHED!” They cheered and jumped up and down in excitement.

“Yes, we are!” Padmé stood too and turned on the Holocam, “Let’s go one at a time, shall we?” All of their sabers looked somewhat similar. That was because all of them had used Phrik, Aurodium, and Beskar in the construction, albeit different amounts of each. Padmé’s was primarily Phrik with Beskar and Aurodium accents, creating a beautiful and elegant sword fit for a Queen. She jerked her wrist and ignited her saber for the first time, revealing a shimmering golden blade.

“YAAAAAY!” They all cheered as Padmé held it in front of her with a smile.

Padmé grinned back at them, “And thank you for the help, Ani!” She winked at her lover’s younger self as she raised her left arm. She was wearing a gauntlet that was part Mandalorian Crush Gaunt and part Gungan Personal Deflector Shield. She activated it and a kite shield, also golden, formed in front of her.

“Wooooah, you look so beautiful and wizard, Padmé!” Aayla was marveling over the Queen.

“So pretty!” Kali and Ahsoka were grinning brightly.

“You never did really like any of the standard forms.” Ani chuckled at her.

Padmé extinguished her shield and bowed. She had a cheery grin on her face as she said, “Now, I’m pretty sure little ‘Soka is going to explode if we don’t let her go next, sooooo…”

Ahsoka had a beaming grin on her face. Her two sabers had rectangular hilts rather than circular ones with a slight curve to them, and one of them was much smaller than the others. They were almost entirely Phrik with Aurodium accents. She ignited the two, revealing brilliant white blades that looked almost like white fire. They all clapped for her, and Ahsoka beamed as she threw herself into a butterfly twist out of nowhere. They yelped in shock, but Ahsoka hadn’t been close enough to potentially hurt any of them.

“Ahsoka!” Padmé chided, but the littlest one grinned unrepentantly and extinguished her sabers.

“My turn!” Aayla called out before anyone else could call dibs. Her sabers looked very standard, though they were made mostly of Beskar with Phrik accents and reinforcements. Parts had even been anodized with white. The emitter assemblies had what looked like viewing ports, which would allow the blades to shine through them. She ignited both of them, revealing two dark, deep blue sabers. Unlike the standard Jedi ones, these didn’t seem to have white cores that bled color. They were just a solid, dark sapphire. She quickly went through a routine that Anakin had taught her. They all applauded.

“Me, me!” Kali called out, revealing her saber. Her sabers looked to be almost entirely Beskar, with some patterns engraved in it with Aurodium inlays. The emitter shroud had some slightly-flared flanges with a trio of vertical cutouts on every third. The hilt also had a heavier curve than Ahsoka’s. She ignited it, revealing a blade that was as black as Anakin’s, though the surrounding aura was a fiery red like her skin instead of white.

“Why such a big curve?” Padmé asked curiously.

Kali flushed a little, “I really like Makashi, and big brother said that the curve would help.” She twirled the saber a bit in a Makashi stance. “Oooh, that felt even better!” She grinned happily. “Looks like you’re the rotten egg, Ani!” She teased their boy.

Ani grumbled, before revealing his creation. The core of the saber was Beskar, with Phrik inlays running through it. To their surprise, despite the saber itself being the size of a regular lightsaber… it had an emitter on both sides. He ignited the blades, revealing it to be a double-bladed lightsaber that the Jedi would have recognized as being very similar to Exar Kun’s vicious blade. The blades themselves were a deep, rich purple, not unlike Aayla’s blades. He twirled it skillfully and even extinguished and ignited individual blades, guided by the Force.

They all clapped for him, and he beamed, bowing slightly. “They’re all amazing!” Padmé praised them, “Though I think me and Ani will have quite a bit of work to do to master ours.” She said sheepishly. She needed a whole kriffing fighting style created! “Now, let’s send the recording to Anakin! I’m sure he’ll be proud of all of us!” They eagerly went to do that and await his response.

…

Padmé was right. Anakin was super proud of all of his munchkins. He couldn’t wait to start teaching them properly and said as much in his reply. He also apologized for missing their first activations and promised to make it up to them. Hitting send, he shut off his Holotable and stared at nothing in particular as he thought of his younger self’s lightsaber in particular. “…What the kriff.” He said blankly.

-]|[-

Anakin appeared in Coruscant’s space and immediately activated the cloaking technology of his X-70B II. He quickly got through security undetected, and by the time he entered the atmosphere and had to turn it off, he was hidden amongst the tens of thousands of other ships coming and going from the planet. Unlike the last time he was here, he didn’t have his presence blaring loudly. This was much more of a stealth mission than his first visit to the planet.

When he landed and had PROXY leave him there, he stretched out his senses surreptitiously. He wanted to ensure his target was there and smiled when he sensed the man. His aura was uncorrupted unlike what Anakin remembered, so hopefully he was still in time. Closing his eyes, Anakin playfully jabbed at the Jedi Master’s mind, before retreating, and in the Jedi Temple, Master Dooku startled out of his meditation.

-]|[-

It was unbecoming of a Queen and her especially, she knew, but Padmé couldn’t help but slam a fist down on her bed, making the remote for her Holoviewer jump. She grabbed it out of the air and turned it off, before flinging it across the room in disgust.

She had truly, honestly hoped that Anakin would have been wrong about this at least. But he hadn’t been. Nute Gunray’s first trial had gone exactly as Anakin had predicted. In other words, the evil, greedy, spineless hunk of bantha poodoo hadn’t even received a slap on the wrist. They had used every trick in the book to ensure a mistrial, and so Gunray remained Viceroy of the Trade Federation as they set up another trial.

It was simply ludicrous. That worm had invaded her world and been responsible for the deaths of a hundred thousand of her people in less than two weeks. And he walked. Free. Not even under Republic guard. Oh, there would be more trials, she knew, but she also knew they would go exactly nowhere, just as the first. “It’s really true.” She pinched the bridge of her nose between her eyes, “The Republic truly is lost. How can democracy function when even an open-and-shut case like this isn’t prosecuted fully?”

She was… angry. Furious even. And she was failing to release her anger into the Force. And then a flash drew her attention, and she gasped. “Ani!” She got up to hug her love, but he held up a hand to stop her.

“I’m not actually here, angel.” He smiled sadly, “I just felt your emotions… I knew you’d need comfort after watching Gunray’s trial.”

She looked sad as she walked to him and put a hand on him. Her hand passed right through with a white light, and she drooped. “…I truly thought it would go better.” She turned from him and began to pace, “We took so many resources from him and still…”

“I know.” Anakin said gently. “Do you want me to kill him?” He asked curiously. She froze in response. “I could.” He continued. “He’s still on Coruscant. It would be oh so easy.” He tempted her.

She closed her eyes, imagining it. Imagining her love extracting justice from that waste of Midichlorians. She shook her head, “No. No, not like that.”

“Are you certain?” Anakin asked again. “He wants us both dead for what we did. He’ll put out hits on us.”

She froze, worry for her friends and family filling her. She closed her eyes again, searching the Force for answers. But for once, it had no answers. She thought about all he’d shown her and asked a question. “He’ll help form the Separatists, won’t he?”

“He will.” Anakin replied, “Under Count Dooku, in the original timeline. Something I’m hoping to prevent. He would be a good man to have on our side.”

It was a crossroads, she knew. “No.” She said again, surer this time. “Let him try. We’ll send his assassins back to him in boxes if need be. He’ll still be useful for our plans.”

Anakin smiled, “I’m proud of you, love.” She beamed back, “You were furious, but you were able to control it. Harness it for something more productive. You didn’t let it consume you. I think that soon, you’ll be ready to start touching the Dark Side.”

“Come back home soon, Ani.” She tried to touch his face, knowing that she’d be unable to. “I need you here. With me.”

“Soon.” He replied, before fading away. She sighed and summoned her lightsaber and gauntlet. PROXY activated the second she approached and took up his training saber. She ignited her sword and shield and threw herself at the bot, eager to work off some steam and tire herself out.

-]|[-

It was over a week before Dooku finally found him. “So, you’re the one.” The classy, refined gentleman remarked as he slid in front of Anakin. They were at Dex’s, which was a place he knew his former Padawan and grand Padawan loved to frequent. “You’ve put the Council into quite the tizzy.”

Anakin chuckled, “It’s the Council. A feather falling the wrong way would put them in a tizzy.”

“Ah, you know them!” Dooku raised an eyebrow, “Strange for one they have no real knowledge of.” Anakin merely smiled mysteriously. “Well, you’ve been trying to get my attention for over a week now. Did you have fun interrupting my meditations?”

“Of course.” Anakin smirked at the older man. “I could simply have walked into the temple to talk with you, but then I would have had to cause a mess.”

Dooku shared his amusement, knowing after what had happened to Master Mundi that the Council would have very little hesitation in considering such a move to be altogether too aggressive. “And just what can a humble Jedi like me do for you?”

“Oh, it’s not what you can do for me, but what I can do for you.” Anakin replied, “Such as your little quest to find the Sith.”

Dooku froze. “I beg your pardon?”

“Ever since you were a mere Padawan, you’ve believed the Sith weren’t truly gone.” Anakin replied, “One of the few in that Order of fools who didn’t have blinders on when looking at the Republic. You designed your lightsaber specifically for lightsaber combat, something which the Order hasn’t considered a priority in centuries. You always felt it would be you who would defeat them. You have even started to believe that it is possible to use the Dark Side without being corrupted by it and have been searching for answers.”

Dooku stared at him with wide eyes. “You have… quite the intuition.” He said carefully. “And knowledge of me you should not possess.”

Anakin smirked and leaned back, “I know a lot of things I shouldn’t, Yan Dooku.”

“…Such as the identity of the Sith?” Dooku asked, careful to hide his eagerness.

“Oh yes.” Anakin replied, though he offered no more information.

“…How have the Sith returned?” Dooku asked when it became clear Anakin was not going to volunteer anything more.

“That is the wrong question.” Anakin replied, “And I’ll tell you the same thing I told your Padawan and grand Padawan; ‘returned’ implies they ever left.” Dooku’s jaw tightened slightly. “They’ve been here all along. The Jedi never killed Bane.” Dooku’s eyes widened in shock, “They’ve been right under your noses all along, Master Jedi. He and his line have been working from the shadows ever since, undermining the Republic, taking power from the Jedi, growing their rot within the very institutions you all depend on. They’ve done this for centuries and they’ve had their hands in nearly every important event for at least the last hundred. The moral decay and corruption in the republic works to their favor and is to their design.”

“Then it is as I feared.” Dooku looked weary. “I’ve always felt that the corruption in the Republic was growing too much. I warned the Council, time and again, that we were too beholden to the corrupt Senate.”

“I wasn’t aware you enjoyed talking with walls.” Anakin shot back.

Dooku seemed to shrug his… eyebrows. “Evidently so.” He said sardonically. “You’ve come here for a reason. You want something from me.” He became serious once more. “Why? Why come here? Why come to me specifically?”

“Because we want the same thing.” Anakin said simply, “A galaxy free from corruption. And we both understand that as it is now, freeing it from said corruption is impossible. We’d need centuries of tireless work to bring the Republic back to glory.”

“…You wish to burn it all down to build anew atop the ashes.” Dooku accused him.

Anakin leaned forward, “I’ll speak plainly, Dooku. If I left this meeting right now, walked into the Sith Lord’s lair, and ended him and the Sith threat for good… within a few decades at best, the Republic would still collapse. The greed, corruption, classism, racism, speciesism, and overbloated and ineffectual nature of the Senate has grown too bloated. It isn’t a melting pot, but a primed detonator that’s been lost and forgotten. It will collapse under its own weight. That is inevitable. The Republic is weak and will only get weaker. The only question is who will pick up the pieces.”

Again, he saw Dooku clenching his jaw. He seemed to be thinking quite hard. Dooku then changed the subject, to Anakin’s slight surprise. “You know of my interest in the Dark Side. I felt your presence the last time you were here the same as every other Jedi. Is it truly possible?”

Anakin smiled sadly, “Not for you.”

The elder’s eyes narrowed, “You don’t believe I am strong enough?”

“It has nothing to do with strength.” Anakin replied gently, watching as confusion rippled through Dooku’s visage. “The Order believes the Dark Side to be the easy path, but they couldn’t be further from the truth. The Dark is easy to use and easier still to get lost in. The Sith talk about breaking chains, but they are as out of balance as the Jedi are. Embracing the Dark Side while abandoning the Light is a chain all of its own. It takes a strong mind and indomitable will, yes.” He nodded, looking in the older man’s eyes. “But that by itself is not enough. You need an anchor to be able to pull yourself from the depths. And an anchor is exactly what you lack.”

Dooku mulled over this, frowning. “How is it that I lack an anchor?”

“Rage is good for the Dark Side.” Anakin said, “And once you know how to use it and ignore the corrupting whispers, it is enough. But hatred is the most powerful Dark Side emotion. The easiest one to lose yourself to. Tell me Dooku, what is the opposite of hate?”

“…Love.” Dooku realized, pursing his lips.

“Love.” Anakin agreed. “Not passivity. Not serenity. Not calmness. Love. Something the Jedi deny themselves. Something they forbid. Using the Dark Side without falling to its corruption requires you not to let go of your emotions, but to use them without succumbing to them. But because of your dogmatic upbringing and Code, ninety-nine percent of your Order are incapable of facing darker emotions. They don’t know how. That initial hit of Dark Side is a drug all of its own. As I said… it’s easy to get lost and drown in it. To become something you’re not. To justify atrocities to yourself.” His gaze was no longer on Dooku, but on something far away.

Dooku was frustrated at the answer. Frustrated because he understood what the younger man was saying. And he understood that he would never be able to face that corruption. After a few moments of silence, he finally asked. “Who is the Sith Lord?”

Anakin leaned back again and crossed his arms, “You’re closer to him than you know.” Anakin smirked as the abject confusion shone in Dooku’s eyes, “He’s even a friend.” Anakin mocked, “You’ve shared your disdain for the Order and Council with him many times.”

“No.” Dooku gasped as shock whipped through him.

“That’s right.” Anakin’s smirk widened, “Congratulations. While your Jedi Order sits in its ivory tower, sure that the Sith threat was destroyed, the Dark Lord himself just got elected Supreme Chancellor. Your friendship with him and your disgust with the Republic and the Order would have put you in quite the position, wouldn’t it, Master Dooku?”

Dooku’s jaw clenched again. “You think I would have joined him?!”

“I don’t think you would have. I know you would have.” Anakin leaned in, “For if I didn’t exist, Qui-Gon Jinn would be dead to Darth Maul.” Pain rippled through Dooku at Anakin’s assertion. “It would have been the spark you needed to finally leave the Order behind you. And soon enough, Sidious would have come calling. Whispering in your ear that you both shared the same goal.” He then shrugged, “Of course, it all would have been a lie. The Sith don’t do partners, no matter what he would have whispered in your ear. You would have served him until you were no longer useful, and he could trade you for a younger, more powerful model.”

“What do you want with me?” Dooku finally asked the burning question.

Anakin smiled and held out his hand, “Why, your friendship, of course. We both want what is best for the galaxy, and we both know neither the Sith nor the Republic itself has the answer. We look for a new path.”

Dooku hesitated for a long moment and then reached across the table to take Anakin’s hand.

-]|[-

Shock rippled through the Jedi Council as they looked at one of their best and brightest standing in the center of the room. “Why, Master Dooku?” Mace Windu looked more tired than he had in a long time.

“You already know why.” Dooku replied, “I’ve not been exactly silent about my discontent. I’ve been saying for decades that I believe the Senate to be corrupt. That we Jedi do not do enough for the common good of the galaxy. We’re practically myths in the Outer Rim now.” He said passionately, “I haven’t accepted a mission from this Council since the disaster at Galidraan. I thought I could do some good by remaining a Jedi, but I no longer feel that way. I’m afraid my destiny now lies outside this Order.”

All of the Masters in the room felt the stirring of sadness as they realized this was real. They were all forced to release those feelings into the Force. Yoda’s ears were still drooping when he asked, “Sure you are, of this path? Nothing we can do, to convince you away from it?”

Dooku shook his head, “No. I will no longer waste my time and energy, Master Yoda. I thank you for all you’ve taught me, but I cannot continue to follow a Code I no longer believe in.”

“Then go in peace, my old Padawan.” Yoda said finally, bowing his head.

“May the Force be with you.” Windu let out a sigh.

Dooku bowed to them once, before turning and making his way to the door. “I can only pray you begin to listen to the Force once more, rather than ignoring it.” And then he was gone, having gotten the last word in. He had little to pack. The Jedi ensured that with their reluctance to form attachments with anything. Despite that, saying goodbye to his home of several decades stirred up unexpected feelings within him. With a shake of his head, he turned off the lights for the last time and left without another glance. He was nearly to the lower levels when an old friend crossed his path. He smiled slightly, “Qui-Gon.”

His old Padawan bowed, “It’s been some time, my old Master.” Dooku inclined his head in acknowledgement, “Twelve years.” He said suddenly. “Twelve years since Galidraan. Why now?”

Dooku chuckled, “I suppose it’s true. There’s nothing faster in this galaxy than rumor.” He shook his head, “I merely realized it was time, Qui-Gon. I’ve been wasting my breath and energy here. It’s time for a fresh start.”

“Oh, that’s all true.” Qui-Gon said, “And to be honest, I’ve been feeling a similar urge.” Dooku’s eyes widened, “Oh, don’t look so surprised, Master. I did learn everything from you.” Dooku let out a chuckle, “Though it’s only recently that the feeling has solidified.” Qui-Gon smirked at the older man, “You’ve spoken with Anakin, haven’t you?”

Dooku let out a laugh, “You’ve learned well, my old Padawan.” He said warmly. “Are you planning on leaving as well?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” Qui-Gon replied, “Mainly because Obi-Wan is nearing his trials. Your grand Padawan is quite impressive, you know? Though I feel he too may end up leaving. He’s been… restless since Naboo. Part of me wonders if he only hasn’t already left to prove those who doubted him wrong.”

“Our entire line? Master Yoda will be forbidden Padawans from now on.” Dooku chortled.

Qui-Gon smiled, “You’ve never met, have you? Will you come meet him at least once before leaving?”

Dooku looked at him for a moment, before nodding. “Yes. Yes, I think I shall.” He followed after his old student, ready for one last moment in this temple before he faced his future.

-]|[-

In a dark part of the galaxy, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas came out of Hyperspace. The man looked unwell, as he had for the past several months. He hadn’t been sleeping well at all. The Cassandran male had always possessed the gift of Foresight, but lately he had begun to consider it more the curse of Foresight. His Force Visions had always been potent and always guided his actions. He had become a member of the High Council decades ago and also been summarily kicked out of it for ideas that were too radical. As if reopening the Order to attachments and love was something extreme.

But they had been getting worse and worse lately. He could see a terrible darkness in his every nightmare. He had already done something that would no-doubt get him removed from the Order entirely if it was discovered: ordering a clone army at the planet of Kamino. To cover his tracks until the time was right, he had even erased the planet from the archives. He had only learned of the planet from Hego Damask, an acquaintance who could also feel that the galaxy was heading in a dark and dangerous direction. His worries were likely monetary though.

Still, aid was aid, and Damask had even provided Sifo-Dyas with the funds to pay the Kaminoans. And still, the nightmares wouldn’t go away. If anything, they had grown even darker and more intense. He spent weeks meditating, asking the Force for answers. For a glimmer of light in the darkness.

And finally, around the time of the Naboo Invasion, he had his answer. He had dreamed of a great weapon against the coming darkness located on a moon of all places. He was ironing out the details for the Clone Army for the Republic at the time, so he wasn’t able to act on it. But as soon as he was free, he took off from the wet, watery world and did not even head back to Coruscant to check in with the Council and Damask. He needed to find that weapon to aid them against the darkness!

Of course, Sifo-Dyas had no way of knowing that his gift of Foresight was being used against him. He had no way of knowing that Hego Damask was secretly Darth Plagueis and was using Sifo-Dyas to further his own agenda. He had no way of knowing that Plagueis was using Sith Alchemy to incite these nightmares himself.

And with Plagueis’s murder at the hand of his own Apprentice, all Sifo-Dyas knew was that the closer he got to Yavin-4, the less his nightmares plagued him. It made him eager to reach it and discover what the weapon was.

The moon was covered in jungle and rainforests and didn’t have any real sentient creatures living on it anymore, merely animals. But the moon had been the site of a surprising amount of galactic history. It was where Revan had died as well as where Freedon Nadd had fallen and where Exar Kun had been put down. He allowed the Force to guide him, still feeling unsettled and sleep deprived, but eager. “A temple?” He asked as he set down. “There are many on this moon. I wonder which this is?”

He exited his ship and made his way to the temple, eager to find the weapon. The stone doors opened with the Force, and he entered, using his lightsaber for light. Down he descended, going lower and lower, not feeling just how dark this temple was due to his sleep deprivation and nightmares muddling his senses.

And at last, he entered the room his feelings had led him to. “A tomb?” He asked quietly, suddenly feeling unsettled. He was cautious, trying to pay attention to the room to spot any traps. But there were no traps. The room was the trap. The stone doors slammed shut behind him and wouldn’t budge no matter how much he tried to pull on them with the Force. Sconces in the room lit up with green fire, engulfing the tomb with an ominous light.

“FINALLY.” A voice called out, and Sifo-Dyas was horrified as a spirit appeared in the room with him.

“No!” Sifo-Dyas said, utterly horrified. He knew this corrupted spirit. The man before him was middle-aged with blue eyes, a clean-shaven face, and black hair that was slicked back and pulled into a long ponytail. His face was covered in veins, making him look diseased. And in the center of his forehead, a burn scar in the shape of what looked like an upside-down, two-legged spider rested. “Exar Kun!”

“Oh, I’ve waited millennia for this.” Exar said in rapture, and Sifo-Dyas readied himself for the fight of his life. Exar didn’t give him one. Raising a hand, the Dark Lord of the Sith picked Sifo-Dyas up like a ragdoll and slammed him all around the room. The Jedi Master was helpless against the threat, unable to summon up any true resistance. Even Force Light would have burned away the dark spirit, to say nothing of a Golden Flash, but Sifo-Dyas was too exhausted and haunted by his nightmares to use them. He merely cried out in pain as his body impacted the stones harshly. “I see my mistakes now.” Exar said in rapture, “And now I shall RECTIFY THEM!”

And with that, the dark spirit which had spent millennia trapped inside this temple used every shred of darkness he could conjure on this technique he had developed. It had one purpose and one purpose only.

Sifo-Dyas’s spirit was torn from his body as Exar Kun’s spirit invaded it, raping him in the darkest way imaginable. The Symbol of the Dark Lord flashed an angry red in the center of his forehead before vanishing. “Yes. YES!” Exar Kun was reborn, and he was ready for his revenge.

“What have I done?!” Sifo-Dyas was still tethered to his body and coherent enough to realize his mistakes.

Exar smiled viciously at him. And then he grabbed the defenseless spirit with his bare hands, “My thanks.” He said with a smile that would curl the paint off of the walls. And then he used Drain Knowledge on Sifo-Dyas, shredding the kind Jedi Master with the Force while stealing all his knowledge at the same time. And as he felt how weak these Jedi were, he roared with delighted laughter.

Waves of the Dark Side rippled throughout the Force. On Naboo, Ani, Aayla, Ahsoka, and Kali woke up and cried out in terror. In the palace, Padmé and Sabé almost fell over, grabbing their heads in shock. On Coruscant, Jedi younglings began to cry for no real reason and knights held onto their lightsabers with white-knuckled grips. Masters frowned and tried to center themselves. Anakin, who was getting ready to make his way back to Naboo, stiffened as he felt the Force darken itself out of nowhere. A new Wound in the Force had just ripped itself open.

And in the highest office of the Executive Building, Darth Sidious glared at nothing as he felt a challenger to his dominion arise. Snarling, he reached out to this new Darkness. The two Dark Lords sensed each other and Exar Kun’s arrogance got the better of him. He immediately challenged the Dark Lord of the Sith for Supremacy over the Dark.

Darth Sidious responded.

-]|[-

Done!

How was that for a fucking surprise? Exar fucking Kun reborn. Poor Sifo-Dyas.

Also, since I know at least one person is going to ask, no, there isn’t a lemon. I just couldn’t resist. LOL

Anyway, the muse is FINALLY off Star Wars… and onto Solo Leveling. Whoooooo!

I still have ONE more chapter of this fic ready to go which will be posted next week on the third, and then I have three SW one-shots/Pilots I wrote as well. Unfortunately, I kinda just…. ran out of planned stuff for this fic. Well, almost. There was one more thing, but it wasn’t enough for a chapter. I have way too many goddamn ideas for this series, lol. Still, I hope you all will enjoy the shots as well. They’ll be interspaced with whatever else I happen to have ready.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed!

Cheers!