Chapter 7
Karone
watched the oncoming Quantrons in mute shock. Never before had she seen
so many Quantrons in one place, not even during her time as Astronomer.
Thousands upon thousands of Quantrons stood in rows as far back as the eye
could see. And only and she Tommy stood against them. She and Tommy
were the last hope that Zordon would probably ever have. I guess this
is when all my years as Astronomer will finally pay off. Even though I
regret my years under the forces of evil, they did give me very good
training. Because of that training I had, and with the help of my powers,
I should be able to defend myself for awhile against them. But after
that...
Her
thoughts were cut short as a group of Quantrons lunged for her. She
dodged the blow from the first one and swept the feet out from another.
But another Quantrons kicked her in the side, knocking her back. She
stumbled slightly before catching herself and delivering a swift side kick to
its head. It fell to the ground, and she ran forward and used its back as
a jumping off point. She jumped off its back, scissor-kicking another as
she was in the air. She looked around quickly and saw that she had been
separated from Tommy. While she defended herself against yet another
attack by the Quantrons, she searched for him everywhere. A flash of red
caught her eye and she turned to her right to see Tommy holding his own against
the Quantrons. She smiled slightly as she saw he was faring very well.
Suddenly,
a sharp pain in her abdomen brought her attention back to the present. A
Quantron had gotten a lucky shot off of her, because of her distraction. Alright,
enough of that. Concentrate on the task at hand.
The
self pep-talk seemed to work as she plowed through the Quantrons as if they
were made of water. One by one she took them down, not wasting a moment
to think about what to do next. Though she was making good progress, she
soon found herself completely surrounded by the creatures. Karone quickly
assessed her options before pulling her lightsaber out of her belt. She
ignited it quickly and swung it around, slicing the closest Quantrons in
half. She swung the lightsaber expertly as she faced off against yet
another group, which had quickly replaced the first.
Meanwhile,
Tommy was doing an excellent job of holding his own. In fact, he was
doing even better against the Quantrons than Karone was. All the years of
studying karate, all the years as being a ranger was definitely paying off.
As he fought against them, he felt as if he was finally using all of his
abilities. Being a ranger was his life, something he had really missed
after his retirement.
As
a wave of Quantrons rushed at him, he flew into a mighty tornado kick, knocking
many of the creatures aside. He flew into a series of kicks and punches,
knocking his way quickly through the many Quantrons. Using every skill he
possessed, he delivered a swift whip kick followed by another tornado
kick. He ended it with a series of punches, knocking any Quantrons that
were remotely close to him away.
Suddenly,
a Quantron ran forward, head butting him. Tommy stumbled backwards,
almost losing his footing completely. As he struggled to clear his head,
the Quantrons rushed forward and grabbed him. They held onto his arms and
legs, making any kind of movement impossible. His struggles were useless
as he was half carried, half dragged him through the throngs.
It
was as if pure luck hit him at that moment, for he was able to loosen his
lightsaber. He ceased his struggles as a sudden though passed through his
head. The Quantrons, surprised by his ceased movements, loosened their
grips slightly. The slight opening was all that Tommy needed. With
a strong jerk of his hand, he pulled his lightsaber out of its holder and
ignited it. He sliced it through the air, knocking any Quantrons near him
away. Tommy looked around and saw that the Quantrons were once again
closing in on him. He slowly backed up, trying to assess the
situation. Suddenly, he backed right into a solid being. He turned
around, raising his lightsaber in preparation to destroy the thing he had run
into. Instead, he found himself face to face with his own teammate,
Karone.
"Tommy!"
she screamed in surprise as she saw the lightsaber he had raised above
her. He grimaced slightly and turned back around. The two stood
back to back, Quantrons closing in at every angle. Karone turned her head
slightly, just enough so she could see Tommy out of the corner of her
eye. "What are we going to do now?"
"Fight,"
he said quickly as he knocked three Quantrons away. Karone bit her lower
lip as she swung her lightsaber at the Quantrons in front of her, knocking them
away instantly. The two circled, still back to back, working through the
hordes of Quantron as best as they could. But their best wasn't good
enough. No matter how hard they fought, the Quantron kept coming.
Karone felt her muscles beginning to tire as she stumbled slightly into Tommy.
Suddenly,
a wave of fiery light engulfed the Quantrons, causing them to disappear as soon
as the light touched them. As the light engulfed Tommy and Karone they
grabbed onto each other, the Quantrons forgotten as the fiery light burned at
their suits. But as soon as the light had come, it was gone. They slowly
let go of each other and looked around. The Quantrons were gone. A
rumbling laughter from behind caused them both to slowly turn around, looking
skyward.
There,
standing above them, was none other than Dark Spectre himself. He glared
down at the two rangers, his rock armor shining a bright red. This is
what the war between good and evil for the rangers had come down to. In
order to save Zordon, and the rest of the universe, they would have to battle
the leader of the Alliance of Evil. They would have to fight their
greatest enemy in order to reach their greatest ally.
Karone
felt a wave of fear pass through her as she stared up at the intimidating form
before her. Even when she had been Astronomer she had been afraid of Dark
Spectre, for no one crossed him and lived. Good, evil, it did not
matter. If they opposed him, they died. She shuddered slightly as
she remembered what had become of Ecliptor and Darkonda when Dark Spectre had
heard of her deflection to the side of the rangers. Words could not
describe the pain that the two had been through. He's evil. Completely
and totally evil. And we have to get through him in order to save
Zordon. But how can we defeat him? It's never been done.
On
the other hand, Tommy stared directly into the eyes of Dark Spectre, not even
flinching as fire flew out of the creature's eyes. He was not
afraid. He could not be afraid. Not when everything he had worked
for depended on this battle. He was not going to let himself be defeated
now. Not with Zordon's freedom so close. He would not die
today. He had survived facing his great fears, facing the dark side of
his soul, facing a person he had cared so deeply for. He had stared death
in the eye many times before and he was no longer afraid. He was never
going to give up. Not now, not ever. He and Karone would come out
victorious, no matter what price they had to pay.
"You've
put up a decent fight, rangers," the creature said, spitting out he
last word. His voice boomed out, filling the air around them with his
voice. "But now, it is time for you to die."
"I
don't think so," Karone hissed, swallowing her fear. Dark Spectre
stared down at her, her voice sounding slightly familiar. In a flash of
light, the wand which Karone had used during her days as Astronomer appeared in
her hands. She brandished it as if it were a sword, clenching the wand
tightly. "We will never die by your hands."
With
those words, she threw the wand forward with everything that she had.
Every emotion, every strength, every pain was put into that throw. Every
part of her was in it and she watched as it traveled through the air.
Dark Spectre did not even have a chance to react, for the speed at which she
had thrown it was immense indeed. The wand struck him and pierced his
armor, going directly into his heart. He roared in pain, the ground
shaking as his roar echoed through the planet. He slowly tilted forward,
directly above the rangers.
"Karone,
c'mon!" yelled Tommy. "We have to get out here!" He
grabbed her hand and with a burst of adrenaline, the two flew away from the
spot where Dark Spectre loomed above and fell to the ground. As they ran,
they could hear him hoarsely screaming out orders behind them.
"Where
are we going?" Karone asked her voice strained. Her only answer was
a slightly shrug of his shoulders as he dragged her through the ruined town of
KO-35. "Tommy, he isn't dead. It takes a lot more than
just that to mortally wound him. He's just hurt!"
"I
know, Karone," Tommy answered, searching the town. "Right now,
we have to find a place to hide until we can get - "
His
sentence was cut off as both of them stepped onto a boarded walkway. The
wood beneath them creaked and a second later, gave out on them. Both
rangers fell, screaming, into the darkness below. Down they fell,
tumbling in the air. They hit the ground, landing painfully on the hard
dirt.
Karone
slowly pushed herself up, wincing as she felt pain in every part of her
body. She wiped dust off of the front of her helmet and looked around,
brow wrinkling as she looked for Tommy. Her heart stopped as she saw him,
completely unmoving on the ground beside her. She ran over to him,
limping slightly on a sprained ankle. She flung her helmet off as she
knelt down besides him.
"Tommy!"
she called, shaking his arm. "Tommy, are you okay?"
She
received no answer. Fear began to build as she slowly undid his
helmet. His eyes were closed and his face was very pale. Karone grabbed
his wrist, searching desperately for a pulse, but could not find one. As
she felt her panic begin to take over, a sudden noise from behind caused her to
jump. She stood up slowly, wiping her tears away. She crept
forward, lightsaber clenched tightly. She turned the corner and found
herself face to face with -
"Zordon!"
she whispered, her voice filled with relief and awe. "You're
here!"
"Yes,
Karone. You have found me." he said, his voice lending her calm and
strength that she could not have found otherwise. "But I'm afraid
our time to become reacquainted is very short."
She
nodded, not able to say a word. "There is a switch on the back of
the tube. Once it is hit, I will be freed from this energy tube that
imprisons me."
Karone
nodded and rushed forward, hands trembling as she searched for the
switch. She quickly found it and with a flick of her wrist, she hit
it. Immediately, the room was filled with a bright light. A sense
of peace settled over her momentarily as she felt the presence of Zordon all
around her. The light slowly disappeared, leaving Karone all alone.
She looked around, searching for Zordon but could not find him.
She
ran into the other room where Tommy lay. As soon as she entered it, she
skidded to a stop. There, kneeling besides Tommy, was Zordon. The
mage's head was bowed as he slowly put Tommy's hand on the ground where it had
laid. Zordon turned as he heard Karone's approaching step, eyes downcast.
"Zordon?"
she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is he...?"
Her
question trailed off as she saw the look of great sorrow on the face of the
mighty mage. He nodded once, giving Karone all the assurance that she
needed. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks as she walked over to her
friend and teammate. Though she had not known him for that long, there
had been a connection between them. There had been a deep connection that
gave them the ability to create a short-lived but meaningful friendship.
She walked forward unsteadily, falling to her knees when she stood next to
Tommy.
"We
must leave now, Karone," Zordon said quietly, gently lifting Tommy's body
up. "It is not safe for us here."
She
nodded, following Zordon as he walked towards the place where she and Tommy had
fallen. Before she could ask how they were going to get out, Karone found
herself standing in front of the Astro Megaship. She looked around,
confused by the sudden teleportation. She led Zordon onto the ship,
taking him to the medical bay where he could place Tommy. All this was
done in complete silence. As soon as Tommy was laid down, Zordon turned
to Karone.
"Take
him home, Karone," Zordon said. "He deserved to be buried in a
place that he loved. I am afraid that I must now take leave of you.
There are others in great need of my help."
Karone
nodded absently and with that, Zordon disappeared in a cloud of gold. She
stood in the medical bay, staring into space when suddenly a thought came to
her.
"DECA,
put the ship into autopilot towards Earth. I have to try to bring Tommy
back."
"Yes,
Karone," DECA said. Karone felt the ship begin to move, but she paid
no attention to it. She turned the machines on and attacked them to
Tommy, determined to try. I will not let him die. He has fought
too hard for it to end like this. But before she could do anything, a
voice called to her from behind.
Karone,
let it go.
She
turned around, her voice pale as she stared at the image before her. Tommy
stood - well, floated before her. An aura of gold covered him and he
smiled at her. It is my time to die, Karone. I am a warrior - I
have to go out fighting.
"Tommy,
no," she said. "It isn't your time. You have to come back
to Earth with me, to be with those that you love. You have to keep on
fighting, defending those that you love."
Tommy
shook his head. No. This is the path I must take. If I
continue on the path that I was on, I would never be able to stop
fighting. Fighting would become my reason to live and my reason to die.
I understand what Obi-Wan said to me. On this path, I will be able to
help others. I will be able to live through those that I have touched or
that I will touch. This is the choice that I make, Karone. Tell the
others that I will miss them, but I have to do this. Tell Kat that I will
always love her and I am sorry for how I treated her. Wish her luck for me. Goodbye, Karone. And may the power
protect you.
With
that, he disappeared in a golden glow. Karone stared at the spot where he
had just stood, tears shining in her eyes. "Goodbye Tommy. We
will all miss you."
*****
Queen
Amidala found herself scurrying down unfamiliar halls, following someone she
had never met before, pushing back the shock she felt at seeing Senator Leanna
Ortega lying motionless on the ground. Dead. Lying in her own pool
of blood. A well-renowned worker for peace killed by those that opposed
her. And all I can think about is that could have been me.
The
echo of a blast tore Amidala away from her thoughts, bringing her back to the
present. She pulled a blaster out of her sleeve, clutching it tightly to
her chest. She followed Mace Windu carefully, trusting his skills in the
Force to get them to their ship.
Mace
Windu slowly crept through the halls, relying on the Force to guide him to the
ship. With the help of the Force he was able to make his way through the
battle-stricken halls. Though he knew that he could go out fighting then
and there, there was something about Amidala that made her - important. This
one is very important, though I cannot figure out why. She is important
both to the future of her planet and to the future of the Jedi. But for
now, we have to get out of here in one piece. Both of us are needed
elsewhere.
His
powerful form led the way, lightsaber poised for action. Even though she
had never actually seen him in battle, Amidala knew that he had great skill
with the lightsaber as well as with the Force. She had heard many stories
of the Jedi Master, each of them more awe-inspiring than the last. Even
with the short time she had been following him, he had already gotten them
through crowds of stormtroopers without even breaking a sweat.
The
sounds of blasters caused Amidala to spin around, her finger poised on the
trigger. There she saw a dozen white stormtroopers chasing after them,
sending bolt after bolt of blaster energy towards them. Mace Windu jumped
in front of her, using his body as a shield to her. With precise motions,
he was able to deflect every bolt that the stormtroopers sent at him.
More and more stormtroopers appeared and the bolts flew from every angel
possible. Wrinkles appeared on his forehead as he moved his lightsaber
with lightning speed to deflect every blast. Suddenly, stormtroopers
began falling, ones that he had not even deflected bolts at.
Amidala
is blasting them. The information came to him suddenly as he
continued to reflect the blasts, stormtroopers falling quickly now. He
was not really surprised, because he had heard of her exploits on the planet
Naboo. But still, she was young and he had not been sure if she would be
able to act that quickly. He watched as more stormtroopers appeared,
causing him to deflect the blasts even faster than before. We have to
get out of here before anything happens that not even I will be able to
prevent.
"Start
down the hall and wait for me around the corner," he ordered in a calm yet
firm voice. Amidala looked at him in shock, opening her mouth to
argue. But something, and she did not know what, stopped her. She
was not sure what it was, but she knew that arguing with him would be a waste
of time and energy. Instead, she turned around and ran at top speed down
the hall. Everytime she would spot a lone stormtrooper, she would shoot
it down with her blaster.
She
quickly reached the end of the hall and turned around to see where Mace Windu
was. To her surprised, he was close behind her. As he neared her,
he pointed her towards the right. She nodded and started down the path.
They had not made it very far when she heard a shout behind her. She
twisted her head sharply and saw stormtroopers slowly pouring in behind them,
close to where Mace Windu stood. Without a second though, she started
backtracking down the hall, shooting bolts of energy at stormtroopers as she
did. She tried to get the ones that were closest to him, so that he could
get away. Suddenly, all she saw was the blur of a figure jumping towards
her. As Mace Windu landed besides her, the two turned and ran down the
hall.
As
they turned another corner, Mace Windu finally found the door he was looking
for. He punched in the code quickly, pulling Amidala inside as soon as
the door opened. He closed the door just as he heard the stormtroopers
reach the corner. Amidala gave a sigh of relief as the horde of
stormtroopers run by, not even stopping to check the door. She turned
around and looked up in surprise.
"Mace
Windu, look!" she called out, walking forward. He turned around to
find that his ship stood behind them. Dozens of ships stood motionless
around them and farther down the room was a long runway that the ships
could take off of. She smiled ass he realized that they had walked right
into their escape. "It looks like luck is on our side for now."
"Luck
has nothing to do with it, Queen Amidala," he stated, making his way to
his ship in the back. She followed him, puzzled as to why he did not pick
one of the closer ships. As the two boarded the ship at the end, she
found herself shocked by the personnel on the ship. Standing in the
center of the main meeting room stood many of her soldiers. But the
creature that captured her attention the most was the Jedi known as Yoda.
"Come
you have," Yoda stated in the same tone that Mace Windu had used moments
earlier. He showed no surprise whatsoever that they had managed to get
through a building full of stormtroopers and into a room that held the ship
that they needed to be on. Mace Windu nodded at Yoda's statement and the
two of them slowly walked out of the room, giving off the fact that they wanted
to be left alone for the time being.
Amidala
stood in the room for a couple of seconds, not quite sure of where she should
go. A soldier came over to her, seeing her confusion. "Milady,
the Jedi wish that you go to the bridge where you will be able to contact your
planet."
She
nodded and left the room, refusing any help to find the bridge. She
trudged down the halls, trying to think of what to tell her advisors and her
planet. As she turned a corner, she heard voices traveling down the
hallway. Curiosity filled her as she recognized the voices as those of
Yoda and Mace Windu. What she overheard was something that she wished she
had not.
"What
are we going to do about Obi-Wan and Anakin?" Mace Windu asked quietly as
he and Yoda sat facing each other, unsure of where the rest of the Jedi Council
was. Yoda stared at him, his eyes filled with the wisdom that he had
collected over the years.
"Nothing
we can do there is," Yoda croaked. "Face their enemies they
must."
"Then
we are going to meet with the mages?"
Yoda
nodded. "Discuss important things with them we will."
"Are
you sure there is nothing that can be done for Obi-Wan and Anakin. Both
are important to the Jedi cause," Mace Windu said, though he already knew
what the answer was going to be. He wanted to hear the answer from Yoda
himself, the oldest and arguably the wisest of the council members.
"Alone
they are for now. Come out for the best we hope."
Amidala
felt a stab of pain in her heart as she heard those words. Anakin and
Obi-Wan have to face enemies and there's nothing we can do to save them?
I wish I could find a way to help them - both helped me greatly when my
planet was under attack. What if something happens to them? Anakin
is just a little boy. I don't want anything happening to him.
With
those words echoing through her head, she started once again for the
bridge. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she did not notice that
Yoda and Mace Windu had stopped talking. They sat in silence for a few
minutes, listening to her facing footsteps. When they sensed that she was
finally gone, they once again began their conversation.
"What
of the young girl? The young Eran?" asked Mace Windu urgently.
"Where is she?"
"On
the ship, she is," explained Yoda, gesturing to the medial facility that
was down the hall. "Being studied, she is. Find out what is
wrong we will."
Mace
Windu nodded as he digested this information. For some reason that girl,
just like Amidala, was important to the future. It was not determined
what she would contribute to, but she was important and they needed her to
live. Speaking of the future, he suddenly remembered about their plans.
"Where
are we going to meet the sages? How many of them are there going to
be?" Mace Windu asked.
"Far
away on a planet will we meet them." Yoda announced.
"Two there only are, important they will be."
Mace
Windu nodded as silence once again filled the room. But they had nothing
else to say to each other, as they prepared for the events that they knew would
change many lives, including their own. They were not quite sure of the
events that would take place, but they did know that it would cause many
changes.
*****
Justin
took a deep breathe as he rushed at Scorpina, trying to knock her boomerang
away. The two clashed harshly in a
deadly embrace, neither getting the upper hand right away. Justin winced as his muscles tightened,
exhaustion finally catching up to him after days of little to no sleep. Scorpina felt his hesitation and, taking
advantage of it, knocked him to the ground.
She leapt forward to deliver a devastating blow but Justin kicked her in
the stomach, knocking the wind out of her.
He
slowly got to his feet, wincing again as he felt the wear and tear that his
body was enduring. He cursed quietly
under his breathe as he thought of the years in which he had let his
self-defense abilities slide in order to concentrate fully on science. True, he had always had more power when using
his mind than when it came to fighting, but the difference was much more
prevalent now than it had ever been. At
that moment, he wished he could turn back the hands of time, so he could find
more time to get back in shape.
Scorpina
circled him cautiously, a slow yet wicked smile on her face as she watched
him. She could feel his exhaustion
oozing out of every move he made. His
punches lacked force, his defense sloppy.
She brandished her boomerang, light flickering off the sharpened
points. All of her years of practice in
solitude were finally paying off. After
she had been expelled by Lord Zedd all those years ago, she had been
practicing, waiting for the chance to prove why she was the most coveted
assassin in the galaxy. Now, her chance
had come at last. She circled the
weakening ranger, knowing that her time of glory was to come.
“You’ll
never defeat us, weakling,” she spat out, watching Justin’s every move with a
cautious eye. No response came from the
boy as he fell into a defensive position.
Attacking the villainess straight on would be foolish, for she was a far
better fighter than he had ever been. To
defeat her, he had to do so with the strongest power he had: the power of his
mind.
She
lunged at him with a snarl, brining her boomerang down to finish him off. He lunged out of the way and turned around
just in time to kick her squarely in the small of her back. Scorpina gave a cry of surprise as her weapon
flew away from her and skidded across the floor. She turned towards Justin just in time for
him to knock her down again, this time with a powerful tornado kick. Adrenaline rushed through Justin’s body as he
silently prepared for his next attack.
Scorpina got up slowly, glaring at him as she did. Failing to destroy such a young opponent was
unforgivable in the villain community.
She would not fail. Not now, not
ever.
“I
tire of this, little boy,” she hissed, her fists clenching as he stalked
forward, her long tail outstretched behind her.
Justin jumped at her, pulling his lightsaber out as he did. Scorpina swung her tail, a tail so full of
venomous juices that it could kill many people, let alone a single ranger. Her tail sailed at his chest, intent on
taking him down then and there. As her
tail neared him, Justin swung his lightsaber with all of his might. The lightsaber met skin and in a flash of light,
singed the tail off completely. Scorpina
screamed in agony, falling to the ground.
She clutched what was left of her tail, black blood flowing from the
wound. The entire lower portion of her
tail was gone, leaving her without any of her poison.
Justin
stared down at his opponent, then turned to glance at his lightsaber in
shock. Never would he have thought that
this sort of damage could be done with a weapon like his. This was not something that should fall into
evil’s hands. Who knows what could be
done if that was too happen.
Pain
was the only thing on Scorpina’s mind as she clutched at her bleeding
tail. She slowly stood up, glaring at
Justin in completely hatred. He had
destroyed the best and most intimate weapon she had ever possessed. Now, he would pay. In a move that was so obscure that he had did
even notice, she pulled a small blaster out of the top of her boot. Though she rarely used it, the blaster itself
was very powerful. It had enough power
to take out portions of an army, not to mention a single ranger.
Justin’s
failure to notice the blaster was all that Scorpina needed. In less time than it took for a person to
blink their eye, she leveled the blaster at his chest and shot it point blank
at him. Justin flew back in shock and
pain as he felt the force of energy that was directed at him. He hit the ground, hard. He attempted to stand up, but Scorpina shot
at him again and again. Stars exploded
before the young man’s eyes as his vision began to go blurry. He silently asked Kat to forgive him, for the
mistake that had cost him not only the battle but possibly his life. As his vision started to slip away, he
vaguely noticed that Scorpina had stopped shooting at him and was slowly
beginning to stand up.
Kat
ducked as Goldar’s sword flew through the air in the spot where her head had
been just seconds earlier. She reacted
to his aggressive attacks by knocking him aside with a forward kick, solidly
landed in the center of his chest plate.
A bead of sweat rolled down Kat’s face as she readjusted the grip on her
dagger. She had no clue how long she had
been battling Goldar, but it seemed like centuries had gone by. She was not beginning to tire, though; at
least not yet. It did not look as though
Goldar would let up anytime soon, and she knew that her strength would let out
sometime.
Even
though it had been years, she was not out of shape. In fact, she was in the best shape of her
life, even better shape than she was in as a ranger. Maybe it was the years she spent as a cat;
maybe it was an aftermath from the spell.
Whatever it was, Kat was thankful for it. Unfortunately, Goldar’s skills had also
improved over the time. He was more
skilled, more deadly than he had been when she had fought against him. Kat knew that her skills alone would not
defeat him. She needed help; she needed
more power.
Without
any warning, Goldar thrust his sword forward directly at her heart. She danced out of the way, but the sword
managed to catch her on the shoulder.
Sparks flew from her uniform as she fell to the ground. If I
hadn’t gotten out of the way, I would have been a goner. She rolled out of the way as the sword flew
at her, attacking Goldar’s exposed abdomen with a series of hammer fists and
hook punches. He staggered back
slightly, giving her enough time to get back on her feet.
The
two slowly circled each other, waiting for the other person to make the first
move. Goldar had been surprised at the
strength and power Kat had shown, for it was nothing like he remembered the
once weak girl. Something had changed
over the course of the years. Somehow
she had become stronger and more mature.
Yes, that was the word. She knew
that even though she was a ranger, she was not invincible. She knew that any of the battles she fought
could be her last. Maybe that was why
she was fighting now like it was her last battle. Maybe it would be. That was up to him to decide.
Goldar
lunged first, swinging his sword as if was going to attack. Kat immediately readied her dagger in order
to deflect the blow that was aimed directly at her. At the last minute, he suddenly relaxed his
sword and kicked her in the chest with a swift whip kick. She fell to the ground, for the kick had
taken her by surprise. As she hit the
ground, her breath was taken away by the impact. She struggled to regain her breath as Goldar
ran over and kicked her in the ribs. Kat
winced in pain and quickly rolled out of the way of another attack. She carefully readied her dagger as she
slowly got her breath back.
She
quickly stood back up and swung her dagger at Goldar. He brought his sword down and the two clashed
in a series of sparks. She adjusted her
grip slightly, causing Goldar to momentarily lose his balance. She took advantage of his by a front kick to
his abdomen and a knee to his groin. He
fell to the ground heavily, his sword falling from his hands. She moved in, adrenaline pumping as she
brought her dagger up to knock him out.
Suddenly, she froze in shock as she was hit from behind. She stumbled to the right, turning around to
find Scorpina holding her smoking boomerang glaring down at her. Kat’s breathe caught in her throat as she saw
an unconscious Justin lying on the ground behind Scorpina.
“This
is the end,” Scorpina hissed as she crept over to Goldar and helped him
up. The two henchmen readied their
weapons, creeping forward menacingly towards her. Kat stood up quickly and backed-pedaled, not
taking her eyes of the villains. If she
did, it would be over. She had to get
away from them.
Suddenly,
to the surprise of all of them, a cloud of smoke suddenly appeared in the
middle of the room. Kat watched in shock
as the ruler of Goldar and Scorpina appeared, none other than her former master
and foe, Rita. The two henchmen
immediately fell to one knee and bowed their heads before her. Rita nodded at them before turning her
attention to Kat.
“This
is my last offer, Kitty Kat,” cackled Rita, smiling wickedly at Kat. “Join us, and you will live. Refuse us…”
Rita
allowed the sentence to trail off, giving Kat the full effect of what would
happen to her. But Kat would not allow
the sorceress to defeat her. She would
not join them.
“Never,
Rita!” yelled Kat, her voice hoarse. She
held her head high, her dagger still held out in front of her. “I will never join you.”
The
smile on Rita’s face disappeared, replaced this time by an ugly sneer. She turned to her warriors, nodding once at
them. The two smiled and both of them
pulled out small blasters, the same type that had caused Justin to pass
out. Rita pointed her wand at Kat and
with a single motion, the dagger flew from Kat’s hand and onto the floor in
front of the villains. Kat’s eyes
widened in alarm as she found herself defenseless against the two. She groped for a weapon, hands shaking as she
pulled out her lightsaber. She barely
had time to turn it on before shots were blasted at her again and again. Without even thinking, she deflected the
shots with the lightsaber. The energy
shots flew everywhere as more and more were deflected. A stray blast went directly into the force
field that surrounding the battling Zhane and Andros, and a blast hitting the
same spot that Kat had swiped at earlier.
A mini-explosion occurred at the base of the force field and when the
dust cleared, the force field was gone.
Zhane,
tired and sweating, felt his adrenaline pumping as he saw Kat being backed into
a wall. His fear rose as she saw Justin,
unmoving, in a pile of broken objects.
He jumped over Andros, kicking his former friend and teammate in the
head, determined to get to Kat before it was too late. But he could only watch in horror as Kat’s
defense finally broke and the blasts started to hit her. She fell to the ground, hoarse screams of
pain coming from her. Zhane knocked
Goldar and Scorpina away and ran to Kat’s side.
He kneeled by her side, cradling her body in his arms.
“Zhane,”
she whispered as she clumsily grasped his hand in hers. He winced as the saw the many burns on her
uniform, knowing that many more lay underneath.
“I’m sorry. I tried.”
“I
know Kat,” he whispered. “I know.”
“Enough
of that!” Rita screeched as she turned to her warriors. “Destroy those two and Earth will be ours!”
Zhane
slowly put Kat down behind him and turned around to face them. He was not afraid anymore. He had done all that he could and his fate
was beyond his hands.
*****
Feelings
she had not known for a long while bubbled up inside Kanara, utter helplessness
taking the place of any other thought.
She forbade herself to look down for if she did, she would see the
bottomless pit that she dangled dangerously above. All her plans and thoughts of destruction,
power, and evil flitted from her mind as she could only think of one thing:
staying alive. Dread slowly grew as she
was hit with the sudden realization that she would not make it out of this
situation alive. None of her training
had ever prepared her for a situation like this. She had never been in this position before
and she did not know how she was going to make it out.
She
slowly tried swinging from side to side in order to try and get her legs to
wrap around the bar that she was holding onto.
But with every swing she attempted, her hand would begin to slip from
the bar, filling her with panic. She
immediately stopped swinging and instead tried to grab the railing with her bad
hand. Pain shot down her arm and into
the rest of her body, causing her to let of a screech. She tried as hard as she could to hold on,
but her damaged hand would not allow it.
She let go of the bar with her bad hand, panic screaming through her
mind. For a brief moment she wondered
why the routine flash of purple had not come and healed her hand of its
pain. Maybe because she could not think
straight it would not come. Maybe
because she was already using all of her powers to force herself to hang onto
the small bar that was keeping her from falling to her death. Whatever it was, Kanara knew that this could
be the end. And it took all of her
strength and powers to keep from thinking that she would die.
Obi-Wan
stared at her, his thoughts and emotions being completely twisted by the turn
of events. For the first time in his
life, he had no clue what he was going to do.
None of his training could have prepared him for a situation like
this. The options on hand were incredibly
perilous. He knew that she was evil and
that he could let her die. But another
part of him had seen the good in her that was hidden deep beneath her evil
mask. His emotions were being split
completely in two as he watched her struggle to hang on. On one side, he wanted her to endure
suffering and pain for everything she had put both he and Anakin through and
for all the pain she had caused for the rangers and all the innocents she had
hurt. Yet, on the other side, he had
seen parts of a different person in her eyes.
A person that was full of goodness and love, one that he did not want to
destroy. He slowly weighed his options,
good and hard before finally coming to a decision.
Kanara
squeezed her eyes shut, waiting until she no longer had the strength to hold
on. This was the end – she knew that
much. Nothing could save her now, not
even her own powers in which she had depended on for the last couple years. But in the small corner of her mind, a small
voice pushed itself to be heard.
No! I
will not die! screamed the familiar
voice. It was the voice of a long
smothered Kimberly Harte. After years of
trying to break through the wall of evil that had surrounded her, she was
beginning to work up the strength to finally do so. You
have already destroyed everything I stood for and all of those that I
love. You turned me into a psychotic
evil bitch who would do anything – or anyone – for power. I will get out of this, if just to make up
for everything that you’ve done. I will
not let you have my life!
It is my life now, weakling, hissed the
voice of Kanara. I am the ruler of this body and this life and I will not let you stand
in my way of completely domination. I
own this body, just as I own you.
You will never own me, bitch, whispered
Kim. I
will not let you control me any longer.
Not now, not ever. Now that I
have found the weakness in your powers, I will not back down. You may have won the past battles, but you
will not win the war. I will make sure
that you never hurt anyone as you have before.
I promise you this, and I am not one to break my promises.
You will never win, little girl, Kanara
sneered. This is my life now and I will
have it. I will destroy you once and for
all when I get out of this. And no more
will I have to listen to the whining, annoying little voice that is too stupid
to realize her life is over. I am the
ruler of this body, just as I will be ruler of the world.
No, Kim quietly said. You
will not control my anymore. I will find
a way to get past you and I will not stop until I have done so. This I promise you.
As
if Obi-Wan could hear the battle that was taking place in Kanara’s mind, he
made his final decision. He quickly
stood up and rushed over to where the dangling girl was hanging for dear
life. He knew that if he let her fall to
her death, he was just as bad as they were.
Just as bad as those of the Dark Side.
He had become a Jedi in order to protect people and to save the lives of
all people, no matter who they were. If
he were to let her die, he would fall into the Dark Side and there would be no
saving him from there. No. He would not let that happen.
“Give
me your hand,” Obi-Wan ordered as he reached for her, encircling her good wrist
with his hand. Kanara looked up at him
and he was surprised to find there was a difference in her eyes. Yes, the darkness was still there, but there
seemed to be a fire in them, a fire that was from a long oppressed girl who was
determined not to give up. Kanara shook
her head as she held up her burnt hand.
“I
can’t,” she screamed, suppressed sobs evident in her raw voice. “It’s too painful to hold onto anything!”
“If
you want to live, give me your hand!” he yelled at her, not wanting to let her
fall when he was this close. She winced
slightly as she slowly pushed her hand towards his. He quickly grabbed onto her wrist and pulled
her forward with all of his might. Time
seemed frozen for a moment as Kanara felt her good hand slipping from the
railing and from Obi-Wan’s grip. He did
not have enough force or energy to pull her away from the pit.
In
a gesture that was either very foolish or very brave, Kanara released the
railing and grabbed Obi-Wan’s wrist with her own hand. He struggled with all of his power to pull
her onto the small platform that they had been fighting on just moments
earlier. All of the emotions, all of the
energies left inside of him burst forth as he pulled her with his last reserves
of strength. As he did, they toppled
together onto the small platform. Obi-Wan
panted slightly as he felt all of the exertion that he had put forth moments
earlier begin to lessen. He had saved
her.
Kanara’s
breathe started to come to her as she realized that she was not going to die
today. She tried to move, but her muscles
screamed in protest. She slowly pushed
herself up, agony filling her as she did.
She looked down at the Jedi beneath her, gratitude filling every ounce
of her soul.
Only
one time before had anyone ever saved her life like that – that time felt like eons
ago now. Her boyfriend, her love Tommy,
had saved her from certain death years ago, and she could still feel the love
that they had for each other, for she was feeling something very much like it
right now as she stared down at Obi-Wan.
For a split second, a strange feeling arose in her as she stared down at
the Jedi. Her cold heart seemed to fill
with an emotion that she had not felt for years.
“You
saved my life,” Kimberly Harte whispered, the first time she had been able to
control her words in years. “You knew
what a monster I was, and you saved me.
I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”
“You
don’t have to,”
“Are
you …”
Her
body stiffened suddenly as her eyes widened in sudden fear. She looked down at Obi-Wan, sorrow reflecting
in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
A
flash of purple overtook her, the light so bright that it momentarily blinded
Obi-Wan. He blinked to clear his sight,
finding himself staring into the eyes of a cold-blooded killer. Kanara smirked back at him now. “I figured out how to thank you – since I won
because of you. Now, you’re mine.”
She
laid her weight on top of his, grabbing his wrists with an iron grip. She licked her lips as she stared at him,
leaning forward and slowly licking the side of his neck. One of her hands let go of his wrists and
slowly traveled down his body, stopping as she came to his waist.
Her
eyes glinted wickedly as she stared in his eyes. “Let’s see if a Jedi is really as good as
I’ve heard.”
Suddenly,
with a sudden movement of her hand, a knife appeared in her hand. She slowly cut the front of his shirt open
before every so carefully lightly slicing his skin.
Obi-Wan
became rigid as he felt the knife biting into his skin, a sharp gasp eliciting
from his lips. Kanara smirked at him
mockingly as she held the knife above his skin.
“What? Don’t want a little pain
with your pleasure?”
Obi-Wan
tried to dislodge her from above him, but to no avail. She paid no attention to his attempts,
instead waving her hand as she frowned at his wrists. Shackles appeared around his wrists, leaving
her hands free. She continued making
little slices on his chest while her other hand traveled slowly down, watching
his reaction the whole time. He closed
his eyes, knowing that his decision though seemingly right, was the wrong thing
to do.
*****
Far
across the universe, on the planet known as Phaedos, a lone warrior paced back
and forth, waiting for the arrival of the invited parties. The warrior searched the sky as she paced,
all of the muscles in her body tensed in nervousness. If the invited few could not get to the
meeting place or if they arrived too late, the universe would be
destroyed. She took a deep breathe as
she continued her pacing, glancing over at her surroundings as she did.
Everything
was prepared for the arrivals. Though
dust covered many of the columns and altars that stood in the wind-worn temple,
a fire blazed brightly in the middle.
The fresh air blew through the open walls of the temple, causing ragged
garments to sway gently in the breeze.
Suddenly,
a blinding flash of gold light appeared before the warrior. She shielded her eyes from the light, for
looking directly at it would cause her momentary blindness. When the light disappeared, an old yet powerful
mage stood before her. A slight smile
crossed her face as she recognized the mage.
“It
is good to see you again, Zordon,” she said, her lightly accented voice filled
with relief. It was the first time in
nearly two centuries that she had seen him out of his time warp. He wore the traditional robes of the Eltarian
mages, the robes the brightest of white and made up of the finest of silk. A tired smile crossed Zordon’s face as he
looked at her.
“As
it is you, Dulcea,” he said quietly, sorrow evident in his voice. Dulcea frowned slightly as she stared at
Zordon but before she could ask any questions, he turned towards the fire. Memories washed over him as he watched the multicolored
flames that blazed before him. It seemed
only yesterday that the two of them had learned of their spirit animals. She, the wise and stealthy snowy owl and he,
the courageous and strong lion. And then
his rangers had gone on the same quest…
Memories
of the rangers flooded through him as he turned away from the fire and looked
back over at Dulcea. “Do you know when
the Jedi will arrive?”
She
shook her head in uncertainty. Zordon
sighed and turned to glance at the vast forest that the temple overlooked. “I am tired of this fight, Dulcea. I have seen too much during my years as a
ranger and mentor. And I have lost more
children than I can count.”
Dulcea
stepped forward, placing a hand of comfort on his shoulder. “But your children do not give up, even when
it is hopeless. They are fighting for you
right now, fighting against the evil that you have stood against for so long.”
“I
know,” he whispered, a lone year welling up in his eye. “And I have lost another.”
He
glanced over at Dulcea just in time to see the confusion and shock rush through
her features. She was unable to voice
her thoughts as she stared at him, uncomprehending.
“They
freed me from Dark Spectre’s grasp,” he explained. “But the cost was too much. I have lost one that has grown so much from
the beginning. He changed from an
uncertain, young boy to a mature and strong leader. Tommy is dead. The falcon has flown free,”
Dulcea
took a sharp intake of breathe as she heard his words. She remembered the boy – she had knocked him
down because of his seemingly arrogance.
But even with the arrogance that he had, there was a light burning
inside of him. He was a fighter for the
people; he started his career as a fighter and she knew, without asking, that
he had ended as a fighter. That is the
way it was with rangers like him.
“I’m
sorry, Zordon,” she said softly, knowing that her words were not enough to help
the pain he must be feeling. “He was a
brave fighter.”
“I
know.”
Silence
passed between the old friends as they watched the trees of the forest gently
swaying in the breeze. The war seemed so
far away in the peacefulness of the jungle.
It seemed like the war was all a bad dream, one that they had suddenly
woken up from. But they knew that it was
just wistful thinking. The war was
greater than ever now, and they had to stop if before it was too late.
A
load roar from above caused both Dulcea and Zordon to turn around and glance up
at the sky. A large ship was slowly
lowering itself next to the temple that they stood on. They watched carefully as the ship carefully
landed in a small clearing close by.
Dulcea walked over to a small platform at the end of the temple, waiting
for the inhabitants to come out. She
watched as two figures walked out, one of them a small green creature with
large pointed ears and an aura of wisdom that she could feel even from so far
away. The other was a strong looking
dark male with a feeling of intensity around him. She walked slowly to the very end of the
temple as they made their way up to her.
Soon,
the two figures arrived before them.
Zordon walked out of the temple to greet them, bowing down slightly as
they stopped before him. The two figures
repeated the gesture to him and turned to stare up at Dulcea. She bowed and the figured followed. They looked up at her in curiosity, silently
asking why she had not greeted them along with Zordon.
“I
cannot leave this temple,” she stated simply.
“If I do, I will quickly wither in age and die.”
They
nodded at her words and followed Zordon up into the temple. They glanced around silently and quietly,
taking in their surroundings. The tall
dark male turned to Dulcea and Zordon asking, “Are you Dulcea and Zordon of the
Ranger Council?”
Zordon
nodded for both of them, carefully taking in the aura around them. The two were most definitely powerful, not
only because of the way they moved but because of the goodness and strength
that seemed to radiate from them.
“Then
I presume that you are Master Yoda and Master Windu of the Jedi Council,”
Zordon stated, watching them nod in acknowledgement. “Then we shall begin with the ceremony.”
The
four of them slowly made their way over to the blazing fire, each standing on
different sides with their arms outstretched to their sides. They easily and quickly joined palm to palm
with each other, though it was a bit difficult in Yoda’s case. Each closed their eyes, emptying their minds
in preparation. Dulcea took a deep
breathe and began the ancient ritual.
“A
darkness has slowly but surely filled our land, causing pain and destruction to
every creature of light. Escape is
useless, for the evil, our enemy, is slowly growing and taking over. We, as four representatives of the land, join
together for this time only in order to help our people and the people of all
universes. Our powers alone are not
enough, but once combined they will be a pushing force behind a resistance.”
“Combining
our strength we know is not enough. The
key to our success is anyone who is able to take our freely given power and use
it to blanket and wipe out as much evil as possible. We now combine our strengths in order to push
against the evil before us.”
“The
power of strength I present,” boomed Zordon, his voice echoing through the
sudden darkness of the sky. As he said
that, a spirit in the shape of a roaring tiger burst from him and flew into the
fire. The flames turned a golden yellow
in color as they started to blaze even greater.
Though the flames were now closer to the participants, they paid no
attention to it. They were too deep into
the ritual to notice any outside force.
“Let the spirit of all of those who defended their people with this
power help the universe now in the time of need.”
The
flames changed from golden yellow into the shape of long-deceased rangers. The faces of ancient rangers, names now
forgotten, appeared faces grim. Rangers
from all times, all walks of life appeared, each letting off a spark of energy
to add to the fire. Zordon felt tears
begin to run down his face as he felt the presence of his young children
calling to him, whispering in his ears.
His most recent children shone out behind his closed eyelids, smiling
down at him. Each added a spark of
energy to the fire, giving it the power it needed.
“The
power of courage I present,” announced Mace Windu. The spirit of a springing panther burst from
him as he said the words, jumping into the fire. The flames turned a light brown and grew even
more. “Let those that have died in the
line of their cause help us now in our time of need.”
Spirits
of Jedi Knights flew through the fire, each adding their sparks of the
Force. They flew around Mace Windu,
voicing their support and buzzing with energy.
Strength flowed through him as he felt the Knights, a smile crossing his
face for the first time in a long while.
“The
power of compassion I present,” said Dulcea.
As she did, a spirit of a screeching snow owl burst forth and whisked
into the fire. The fire turned a bright
green as the flames once again intensified.
“Let those who have sacrificed themselves for others help us through
this.”
Spirits
of past ninjetti guides burst from the fire, roaring as only animals can. They surrounded Dulcea, nuzzling her lightly
and giving her strength and courage. A
few lone animals stopped and mournfully chatter in her ears, crying for their
children overtaken by darkness. A pink
crane screeched its pain as it felt the cold heart of its one-time ranger
taking joy in destroying others.
“Present,
I do, power of wisdom,” croaked Yoda.
The spirit of a giant sea creature burst forth and slithered into the
flames. The flames turned a deep blue as
the flames once again intensified, now burning so brightly that nothing else
could be seen. “Deep wisdom from Jedi
will be shared, I see.”
The
flames burst suddenly only all of them, but the fire did not burn. Instead, as it touched them, the flames burst
into a wide array of colors. Dulcea
raised her head to the sky and in the tongue of the ancient Phaedian, she began
to speak.
"Gre
keneara meia banr ayiew mikalos!" she screamed. “Let the powers combine and be taken to the
key!”
In
a burst of color the flames shot forward and joined in the sky above them. They danced around each other in a dance of
color before finally joining together in a bright golden light. It shot off away from them and with that, the
four lowered their arms, slowly sinking down to the ground in exhaustion.
*****
Anakin
felt his fear rising with every moment that he stayed in the site of the robed
figure. The figure seemed to be watching
him carefully, taking in every reaction that Anakin had. He felt as though the being could see right
through him and could read all of his thoughts and feel all of his
emotions. He was nothing like Anakin had
ever seen – or felt – before. He had
powers of a Jedi, yet they were darker, more sinister. He did not know what it was, but he did know
that he did not like it.
“You
don’t like the powers, little one?” whispered Sideous. “At least, you don’t like them now. But in time, you will see the how…useful and
commanding the power is. Open yourself
up to the Dark Side – let it flow through your every thought and every action.
Anakin
shook his head, fists clenching as he held firm his decision to resists. No! I will not let him destroy me. I will become stronger than he is – I will
become a Jedi.
Sideous
laughed lightly as he heard Anakin’s thoughts.
“A Jedi will never be stronger than I.
The Dark Side is much more powerful than the Force that Obi-Wan and the
Council use. The Dark Side gives me, and
can give you, power that has never been felt before. It can give you strength that is
unimaginable.” He bent forward, his
beady eyes showing beneath his dark hood.
“And I can give you all that you want.
I can make you ruler of the universe.
You will be in control, not having to listen to the “rules” made up by
the Jedi. No one will control you – you
will not be anyone’s slave anymore.
Isn’t that something that you’ve always wanted?”
“No!”
exclaimed Anakin. “I don’t care what you
say. The Dark Side is made up of evil
and hatred. It will only hurt me and
those that I care for. I will never let
the Dark Side control me.”
Silence
met the boy’s words, a silence so thick that Anakin once again felt his fear
rising. This being, though not making
any kind of attacks, caused Anakin more fear than he had ever felt. This being was so immersed in evil that
Anakin could not think straight.
“Let
yourself go, Anakin,” Sideous whispered.
“I too used to believe what the Jedi taught. Until one day, someone showed me the real
power. When I found out the real power
that the Force can have, I knew that I had chosen the right side. The Jedi Council, afraid that they will be
taken over, never let anyone become as strong as they are. That’s why they call it the Dark Side – they
don’t want to lose their power. Why
wouldn’t they want stronger fighters with them?
Why do they keep the Jedi Knights so weak, keep them from growing
stronger. Listen to me, boy, and I can
help you with things that you have only dreamed of.”
Anakin
said nothing as he looked away from the Darth Lord. What the being was saying about the Jedi – it
almost made sense. I mean, why do the Jedi keep from growing stronger. If they were stronger, they could help to
keep the peace better. Is that why they
didn’t want to train me? Because they
thought I was going to become too strong?
“Yes,
they are just trying to hold you back.
They don’t want you to become too powerful, because if you do, they will
not be able to control you. Do you want
to be controlled? You’ve spent your
whole life as a slave – do you want to work so hard just to be a slave to the
Jedi?”
Anakin’s
head shot up as he stared at Sideous. No!
I’m not going to be a slave to the Jedi.
I’m going to be part of them.
They had good reasoning to be wary of me, I guess. I do fear things and that fear could turn
into worse things. If I’m not careful, I
could fall to the Dark Side.
“I can give you what you want,” said Sideous
lightly. “I can give you everything that
the Jedi don’t want you to have. I can
protect you from pain. They haven’t done
that, have they? They’ve failed you and
they’ve failed to protect those that you love.”
“No
they haven’t,” argued Anakin. “Death
comes to everyone, no matter how hard you fight against it. People are going to die no matter what
happens.”
“But
their deaths could have been prevented.
They didn’t die of old age – they were brutally and horribly
killed. That’s not very good protection
from the Jedi, is it now?”
“It
doesn’t matter,” said Anakin darkly.
“Things like that won’t happen again.
I will do my best to protect others and then the failures of the past
won’t matter anymore.”
“Oh,
but you are wrong. They will keep on
failing to protect those that you love and then someday, they will fail to
protect you. If you join me, I can keep
that from happening. I can give you
glory and power.”
“I
don’t believe you!” yelled Anakin, anger filling his voice. Sideous smiled a slow smile as he felt the
anger radiating off of Anakin. Yes, the
boy had potential. And now, that
potential could be used to his advantage.
“I
can help you. Do you want me to show
you?” Sideous proposed lightly. Anakin
looked at him in shock and surprise, his anger for the being forgotten. No one could read the future, for the future
was uncertain. Many different paths
could be taken, depending on the choices that were made. “I can show you the future. And all that you want to know.”
“Can
you really?” asked Anakin in curiosity.
He had a nagging feeling that something bad was happening, but he pushed
the thought aside as he took a step closer to Sideous. He might be able to see the future, if the
being was telling the truth. And if he
knew the future, then maybe he could keep those he loved from being hurt.
“Come
closer. I can show you what my power can
do for you.” Anakin hesitantly took
another step closer. As he did, Sideous
stood up and grasped Anakin’s hand, almost to the point of pain. Anakin gave a slight cry, but Sideous paid no
attention to it. Instead, his eyes
seemed to be staring at something on the wall behind Anakin. Before Anakin could ask what was there, a
vision suddenly appeared in his mind.
Anakin was fighting, desperately pushing
through the crowd of stormtroopers, trying to get to Amidala before it was too
late. He fell back as he was punched in
the face, stumbling to the ground. Power
like he had never felt before flew around him and, without thinking, he accepted
the power and pushed through the troopers, just in time to save Amidala from
being killed. The power he had felt
moments earlier was gone, but he could not forget the way it had felt as it
gave him the much needed strength to save her.
Obi-Wan fighting against him, anger
radiating in his master’s eyes. With
every swing of his lightsaber, Obi-Wan pushed Anakin closer towards the edge of
the pit. Finally, with one final swing,
Anakin fell into the pit, lava eating away at his skin. The power once again filled him, this time
giving him the strength to pull himself out of the pit and onto the
ground. Obi-Wan was gone, deserting his
apprentice. Instead, Chancellor
Palpatine was there, lifting him from the ground, helping him with his wounds. As Anakin began to black out, he could still
feel the power flowing through his veins.
The world was changing now. Anakin could see the Jedi being wiped out,
destroyed by their own choice, because they lacked the power and the people to
live on. Anakin could feel the real
power as he turned to smile at the woman by his side. The two clasped hands, watching with a bit of
sadness as the Jedi were no more.
Anakin
opened his eyes, the power he had felt in the visions still swirling in the air
around him. He looked up at Sideous,
wonder reflecting in his young eyes. “Is
that the future? Is that what is really
going to happen?”
Sideous
nodded gravely, releasing the young boy’s hand.
“Yes. The Jedi race is slowly
dying out for they do not know the true power.
Join me and I can give you everything you want – I can help you to
become the greatest power in the universe.”
Anakin
stared at him in indecision, not noticing the small smile that crossed Sideous’
face. He could feel what the boy was thinking. He knew the decision Anakin was going to
make. Anakin sighed, making his
decision. He opened his mouth and was
about to speak when suddenly, a golden light pushed the two people apart. Anakin fell to the ground hard, squinting at
the golden light. Sideous stepped back,
his eyes closing to slits as he felt his powers blocked by the light.
Anakin
watched in awe as the light twisted and shimmered, finally forming into the
shape of a person. Puzzlement filled his
features as he stared at the familiar shape.
“Tommy?”
Tommy
nodded, smiling down at the young boy.
Peace radiated from every inch of his spirit as he bent down to eye
level with him. Yeah, it’s me.
“But
that means…” Anakin bit his lip as sudden realization hit him.
Tommy
nodded, eyes sympathetic as he stared at him.
I’m dead, Anakin. My time on this plane of existence is
over. But that doesn’t mean that my
journey is over. I have one thing left
to do before I leave for good.
Anakin
cocked his head. “What?”
I have to make sure you make the right
decision. Tommy said, his voice filled with seriousness. There
are many things in this universe that may seem too good to be true. Be careful when you are making decisions, for
the consequences of them will be shown through every action you do and every
thought that you think. Do not let evil
convince you that their way is better – be strong.
“But
he showed me the future,” whispered Anakin as he stared at Tommy. “If I accept the power, I can help people so
much more.”
No, you can’t. Tommy said slowly. He only
showed you a portion of the future. A
future that may never come to pass. What
he didn’t show you was the pain that you could cause or that you will
feel. He didn’t show you the evil that
will have filled you. Before I leave, I
give you this final gift. Good luck,
Anakin. May the Force by with you.
Gold
sparked in Anakin’s eyes as he once again felt visions descending on him. Tommy’s figure disappeared as the gold
surrounded Anakin and made it impossible for Darth Sideous to disturb him.
A young girl stared frightfully at him,
telling him information that he had wanted to get out of her. And yet, Anakin allowed her entire planet to
be destroyed, pleasure surging through him as he felt the people of the planet
screaming out as they were vaporized into nothing. He smiled, a dark, twisted smile as the young
girl began to cry for her killed people.
Anakin, covered in black armor from head to
toe, fought against Obi-Wan, hatred seething from every inch of his soul. Obi-Wan, old and out of shape, was slowly
being pushed back. Anakin felt a dark
happiness arise as he took and swing and killed his one-time master.
Anakin fought against a young boy, his own son. His son that he had never known about because
Amidala had run away from him when he had let the Dark Side take over. He chased his son through the ship, taking
pleasure in cutting off his son’s own hand.
He gave his son an ultimatum – join him or die. He watched in mild regret as Luke jumped off
the platform and down into the pit.
Anakin watched as his own son was being
electrocuted by Darth Sideous, the same man that had convinced him to join the
Dark Side. He watched as his son writhed
in pain, because he had refused to join the emperor.
Anakin could feel pain filling every inch of
his body as electricity ran through him, killing him slowly as he walked. The pain was too great – everything he had
done over the years, everyone he had killed came back to him, causing him to
stumble in regret and grief. He was
dying – destroyed by the own evil that he had embraced for so long.
As
the visions disappeared Anakin stared at Darth Sideous in horror, realizing
what he had almost agreed to. He pushed
himself away from the being, shaking his head as he felt the evil reaching for
him. “No. I will never join you. I will never fall to the dark side, never
give in. I will live to be a Jedi. I will not let evil control me or
anyone. This ends now.”
Sideous
watched in fascination as Anakin’s eyes suddenly turned gold in color and his
hands suddenly crinkled with golden energy.
Anakin stepped forward with unseeing eyes, one hand outstretched towards
the evil being. Sideous held his own
hands out, energy bursting from them and onto Anakin. Anakin felt pain registering as the bolts of
lightning hit, but he paid no heed to it.
He kept walking forward, his hand reaching closer to Sideous with every
step.
Darth
Sideous gasped in shock as Anakin’s hand touched his arm, causing the Darth
Lord to freeze in his place. Sideous
felt the souls of all those who had died for the good of the universe flowing
through him – all of their strength, courage, compassion and wisdom filling him
with pain. He stared at the boy in
wonder before exploding in a burst of ashes.
Anakin, though, paid no heed to the now empty space in front of him,
instead still feeling the golden energy passing through him.
He
could feel everything around him, from the room next door to people all over
the universe. He could see Obi-Wan,
screaming in pain as Kanara opened cuts all over his body. Suddenly, she froze in mid-strike, feeling
the loss of the evil Lord. Golden light
overtook her, much as it did the emperor, but when it disappeared, she was not
destroyed. She fell off of Obi-Wan, the
knife forgotten about as she hugged her body, tears streaming down her face.
He
could see the Erans, dying of the disease that Kanara had bestowed upon
them. His heart ached for them, but he
knew that nothing could be done to save them – they were too far into the
sickness to be cured. He closed his
eyes, tears streaming down his face as he felt their lives flickering and
slowly, but peacefully, dying out. He
wept openly as he saw Floita give her final breath, a smile crossing her face
as she succumbed to the illness and into eternal peace.
Far
across the universe, he saw the ravaged planet of Earth, its three defenders
slowly losing ground. He watched as the
villains stiffened in fear, for they felt the loss of the Darth Sideous, even
so far across the universe. They felt
his pain as the light fell upon them, causing them to explode in dust. Andros screamed as the machines controlling
him gave one last push before dying out, leaving him lying on the ground,
panting in exertion and loss.
He
saw evil all over the universe, some exploding to dust others so far away that
they merely fainted in exhaustion. He
felt the Force filling him, showing him an image of four figures on Phaedos, lending
him abilities to help. He smiled
wistfully as the old mage breathed his last, smiling as he went into the next
world.
Slowly,
every so slowly, the golden light disappeared.
Anakin opened his eyes and saw the familiar throne room. A smile crossed his face as he slowly sank to
the ground, his injuries finally catching up to him. He closed his eyes and blackness overtook him.