lucetilogs | Dad...you're a Sith Lord waiting to happen...

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Dad...you're a Sith Lord waiting to happen...

Who: Anakin, Luke, Obi-Wan, Leonardo, Ami, and Adele
What: Discussing Anakin's future
When: March 25th, Around 7:00 in the evening
Where: Community Building 5, Room 24
Summary: Trying to tell Anakin about Palpatine without him flipping out...
Rating: PG/PG-13 Possible strong language...

[Luke's been preparing this for some time now. He's taken time to talk to quite a few people a bout this and its been almost unanimously agreed that Anakin needs to know whats coming in his own future. Someone undoubtedly would tell him, and by all accounts it was best if the bad news came from Luke rather than a stranger.

Earlier in the day, he had sent messages to Anakin, Obi-Wan, Leonardo, Ami, and Adele, asking each of them to arrive around 7:00, and that they had something extremely important they needed to discuss. He'd laid out tea, cleaned up his droid-related mess, and had stashed his lightsabers in his bedroom. However, against one wall he had left his cortosis fiber staff, as a hopefully last resort if something went much worse than he expected. As another precaution, Luke's journal is open in an unobtrusive corner, set to an Unhackable filter to Lupin.

Settling in to wait, Luke sank heavily into a chair...hoping everything would go alright]

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[Ami's not sure why she's here. No, actually, she's sure of exactly why she's here: She's here to make sure things go smoothly, the talk stays calm, the revelations aren't so jarring that they lead to catastrophe. It's a tightrope she's walked already for herself, with Usagi regarding the princess.

What Ami's actually not sure of is how much good she can do. She lacks the confidence to think she can make cooler thinking prevail - and yet she has to. The consequences are too large.

More to the point, though, she's here for Luke's sake, to offer the comfort of her presence and a supportive face. She offers him the smallest of smiles, and a few quiet nods or greetings to the others, though she takes not care not to interrupt or be distracting.]

[Ben takes his seat, close to Anakin but not enough to crowd him, opposite Luke. It's a bit tense, but he keeps himself calm and centered nonetheless. It's oddly easier when he's actually faced with Anakin, as if the need to keep himself centered for his former student's sake was enough to keep it at bay. He offers a nod to Leonardo and Ami as they enter]

[Luke had called, Ben had met her just outside the building, and this. This was grave enough she could manage the height without medication. Making Anakin comfortable and secure enough to discuss what they would be handling was important enough she came unarmed, but she did come with her case. As a precaution. She slides it behind the nearest chair and chooses her own, off to the side so the Jedi might speak. Ami, and Leonardo get a quick nod of her head and half grin, Luke and Anakin softer, more sincere smiles. Whatever was discussed? All she could hope is she wouldn't be needed.]

[Anakin takes his seat again as the others arrive. It's... still worrying that they're here, but he ignores the sinking feeling in his stomach. It was Luke's judgment, so Anakin will go with it.

His brow furrows a little at the question and he doesn't answer for a few moments.]

No, of course not. He's been nothing but kind since the moment I met him.

[Luke spares time for a nod to each, and a thankful smile to Ami in particular. He was grateful to each and every one of them, but he knew he could count on her to be able to relate. She hadn't said much, but she had alluded to the fact that there were similar troubles in her own world.

Turning back to Anakin, he gulps. This was going to be the hard part]

No? Even...when he ordered you to kill Count Dooku? Did that not strike you as odd? To not take in a wounded enemy commander, and offer a trial? Furthermore, do you not think it was odd that he was so insistent that it be done at that exact moment? I do not mean that he was unkind to you, but merely that some of his...actions perhaps should have raised a few eyebrows.

Please, don't be alarmed that I'm aware of that. I'm sure...someone has at least informed you that our lives are works of fiction in other realities. You and I, and Ben, were central to a series of films it seems. That's how I know.

I don't really know how best to say this, Anakin. Do you remember when Master Qui-Gonn was killed by that Sith warrior? That Sith had a teacher and a master, in accordance to Sith tradition. This man was named Darth Sideous. He is, or was in my timeline, an incredibly dangerous individual who managed to work his way into the highest echelons of the Republic, using the Dark Side and his own magnetic persona to remain hidden, even in the face of powerful Jedi like Master Yoda and Master Windu.

He'll pause, allowing Ben a chance to explain. Or perhaps for Anakin to process]

Edited 2012-03-26 07:53 (UTC)

[Luke had paused, simply leaving it in the air like a subtle insinuation. He had wanted to allow Luke to explain, but he could not allow the ambiguity to remain in the air. The sooner it was all out in the open, being confronted, the less chance there was for a misunderstanding.]

"... Palpatine deceived us all, Anakin. He orchestrated his own elevation to Supreme Chancellor. He manipulated Padme, and then later her proxy, into granting him a level of power unprecedented in the history of the Senate.

And then, he had you execute Count Dooku. The one person who might have conceivably been convinced to relay the name of his master. He even told you to leave me for dead, afterward.

I regard it as my own failure, Anakin. I should have protected you. Seen what he was trying to do. I was blinded, as we all were."

[So, they knew. They both knew he had executed a defenseless man in cold blood. It was something he was ashamed of, and they both knew. What else did they know?

It all sends his mind reeling. Sure there were a few things that the Chancellor did Anakin didn't particularly agree with, but all of the man's actions seemed rational enough. And now here they were, implying Palpatine was a Sith Lord. He didn't want to believe it—couldn't believe it. This was the man who had treated him like a son all these years. Palpatine was the only one Anakin could really talk to, he was the only one who really understood. He tries to hold back his emotions but his mind is racing, trying to think of some rational explanation. They were wrong.]

No, the Chancellor was right; Count Dooku could not be left alive. He was too dangerous. Was it not the best for the Republic? Without him it leads us one step closer to ending the war.

[His actions were justified even if they he felt like it was wrong. right? But... he's still conflicted. He looks at them both, trying to find anything that says they're lying. He doesn't, and it's out of that frustration that his anger slowly starts to build, and it's very apparent as his voice starts to become louder. He shakes his head furiously. They're wrong.]

I don't believe it. You're wrong about him. The Chancellor is a good man—he's an honest man. I would have seen it. It's not him. [Maybe he's just trying to convince himself more than he's trying to convince them.]

[Ami's eyes find Anakin's, but she remains calm in the face of his wrath, a gentle voice as his rises to anger.]

These are also good and honest men. [It's neither accusation, nor defense; only speaking up for her friends and reminding Anakin that they're his as well - and what reason would his mentor and his own son have to lie?]

Please, hear them out. [Again, she avoids insisting that he change his mind or believe them, only that he at least keep his mind open to the possibilities. After all, there are unbelievable things in her own past, too - and shameful things.]

[Luke shook his head, and resisted the urge to say something more drastic. Instead, he simply took a second to compose himself. He KNEW that was going to be hard for Anakin to take. This, however, was just the beginning. There would be a great deal of angst tonight. Boy, it was already rough...

Luke turned and nodded at Ami, thankful for her support.]

Anakin. What reason would I have to lie about this?

Deep down, you know that the Dark Side can hide anywhere, in anything. Search your feelings. You know something was off about Palpatine.

Edited 2012-03-26 09:30 (UTC)

[Obi-Wan sighed and closed his eyes. He could read Anakin's reactions plainly, as easily as he could sense them through the Force. This would not be easy.]

"Anakin, he has done... more. Far more, between your place in the timeline and mine."

[And so have you. It's so much harder to believe when he's speaking to the man Anakin was, once. He had anger, true. He had his share of darkness. But he was not evil.

He was... trusting. So terribly trusting. It may have been the most painful thing about all of this.]

[Anakin spares Ami a glance when she speaks up. He knows they are, which is another reason why he's so conflicted right now. There is no reason why they would lie about this, and he has no reason to even begin to think they're lying. It's just... it's hard.

He takes a deep breath.]

I know, I'm just... I don't even know how to begin taking this all in. He's like a father. If what you're saying is true it completely changes everything. [Which he's starting to realize probably isn't even half of it and might be a bit of an understatement.] So what does this mean?

[Luke carefully gauges Anakin's reaction. It does seem that, at least, he's able to believe it. Surely he had his doubts about Palpatine. Maybe, now, he'll listen]

It...changed a lot of things. Imagine what a Sith Lord in his position would be capable of doing. With control over the entire Republic military? And, thanks to his deception, dictatorial powers over the Senate?

[Luke actually shivers. Just remembering the films, thats a truly horrifying thought]

He...tricked everyone. His plan was flawless. Nobody saw it coming.

[Obi-Wan didn't have to see the films. He found the bodies.]

"Anakin, in the timeline I came from... Palpatine had gone a step farther. He confessed to you that he was a Sith Lord, and you reported it to Master Windu. When Master Windu attempted to arrest him, he attacked and killed Windu. He told the Senate it was an assassination attempt...

And he used the public sympathy to gain the approval he needed to reform the Republic into an Empire. He made himself an Emperor, Anakin."

[He still really, really does not want to believe any of this, but he's trying to keep an open mind as much as possible. He's at least giving into the possibility. If it were anyone else besides them that were telling him all this, he would have never believed it in a moment or even given it the slightest consideration. And at least for now that flare of anger has mostly subsided, though it is still there. It's just starting to become focused toward Chancellor Palpatine instead. And he's still very much upset, just holding it back to not show it much in front of their guests.]

...he's killed Master Windu. [That's a feat all in itself. What Obi-Wan says after really has him on edge, though.] There has to be a way to stop him and show the Senate the truth.

That...remains to be seen in your timeline. In mine, its far too late. The Republic became an Empire, and there was a civil war. We, the Rebellion, were victorious though even twelve years later we're still fighting the Imperial Remnants.

[He does genuinely hope that perhaps, maybe, there is a way Anakin learning this can make a difference. A chance, maybe, for them to find a way to share memories 'back home' and stop the threat of Palpatine once and for all, before he can even get started]

Its not quite written in stone. Perhaps there is a way to make a difference, but we cannot know.

[He can feel the rage inside of Anakin. It has been subdued, but not controlled, and that concerns him.]

"More important, Anakin, is that you must control your anger. The things we must tell you will be painful to hear. If you give into rage at Palpatine, it will lead you to a place as dark as him."

That's a lot easier said than done.

[He admits lightly. And it is. It's hard to control that compulsion inside of himself, but he can try. He takes another deep breath to remain calm.]

I'm almost afraid to ask what all happened. You said things were... bad.

Edited 2012-03-27 05:12 (UTC)

[And now, Luke has NO idea how to go on. Remembering Darth Vader was one thing, but...explaining it to, well, Darth Vader. That was something entirely different. This is something he cannot beat around the bush about. There isn't a delicate way to explain...being seduced by the Dark Side and spending decades scouring the Galaxy for Jedi and rebels...

But he's going to try.]

You really should prepare yourself for this, Anakin. Things were very bad. Only a few Jedi escaped the Emperor's initial attack. Fewer still survived the dark times that followed.

[He pauses, gulping, and looking around the room. His eyes start at Obi-wan, seeking affirmation that it must be done. Slowly, they move to Ami, asking for her calming support. Next Adele, this time drawing strength from her stoic nature. Finally Leonardo, to reinforce that if things went badly...he'd have an ally]

Anakin. You...were turned to the Dark Side. Emperor Palpatine. He...deceived you worst of all.

[There really is no way for you to prepare yourself for something like that. It's not something you can just shrug off and say "I did? Oh, well then." or even try to take is as calmly as possible. Especially not when your name is Anakin Skywalker.

Anakin is eerily silent for the first few moments, trying to let what Luke just said sink in. Though he's silent, it's probably easy for both Obi-Wan and Luke to sense the emotions stirring within him, and it's even starting to read on his face. It's not anger, at least, mostly a lot of pain and disbelief. He would never turn to the Dark Side, there's no way. And the other Jedi... Most of them were slaughtered? Is that what Luke is saying? How.

He swallows hard then looks to Obi-Wan and Luke.]

I wouldn't... How—[It's getting harder and harder for him to remain calm. He shakes his head in denial.]

Emperor Palpatine; Chancellor Palpatine, was...is a Sith Lord that hid in full view of the Jedi Council. [Adele keeps her voice level, but not without an undercurrent of gentleness. This could not be easy to hear, easy to bear, and she wasn't truly certain she had any right to offer commentary. But it needed to be said. More than anyone else involved in the movements of the Sith Lord, Anakin was the first and worst victim.]

He is powerful, Anakin. Charismatic. More than able to make himself appear trustworthy to anyone, and as you said. You looked to him as you would your father. He placed himself in a position where he would be able to influence you however he wished...and he wished for you to become that which Luke remembers. [That which Obi-wan faced, but that. That was not hers to tell.]

[Ami writhes in an absolute torment of uncertainty. How much should she say? What should she say? But if it might help... If it might help Anakin to understand the possibilities, to face them without crossing the line that horrifies him...

Her voice is very quiet when she speaks.]

It may not seem it now, but I was considered an enemy to the people here in Luceti - and my world - for some time.

What led to that, I'm not proud of. But I can't deny the possibilities. It might be best to face them here, too.

[She falls silent, half ready for them to hate her; few people know of it all, any more, or the things she did to earn that label.]

[Luke listened quietly, allowing everyone a chance to speak. Somehow, his friends revelation did not surprise him. Since he'd met her, he had felt a sort of lingering darkness, a small blemish on an otherwise shining soul. And, while he'd had suspicions that Ami had a darker past than she'd let on, but who was he to judge? He'd been just as guilty as her, or Anakin, of committing acts of villainy. He'd fallen into the exact same trap his father and probably Ami had. The Dark Side was seductive. It was powerful, and it was dangerous. He knew once someone had gone down that road it would linger, but it could be turned to creative ends.]

Anakin. Adele is correct. Emperor Palpatine deceived you, and manipulated not only you, but the entire Jedi Counsel into believing he had only the Republic's best wishes at heart. There is no shame in it.

[And now a bit of good news, that would hopefully assuage some of the anger he could feel mounting in his father.]

Ultimately, he failed. In the end, you turned back to the Light and destroyed him. By doing so, you saved me and my sister, yourself, and the entire Galaxy.

[And...as far as Luke is concerned, thats all Anakin needs to know concerning Palpatine during his timeline. His clones, Luke's own fall and redemption at Leia and Han's hands. Those were things not even Obi-Wan knew.]

[He wants to feel relief, that they've told him the worst of it, but... they had not been specific. They had avoided details. Left them for him, and he feels almost certain that hearing them now will bring forth that torrent of anger.

Yet he had to hear it.]

"... Anakin, it is important to note that none of us blame you. Everybody here is here because they wish to help you. To help you deal with the pain, and the betrayal. To accept what has been done and make peace with it."

[All of them speaking up gives Anakin a moment to stop and think, to try and process it all. Even with all of their kind words to try and deflect all the blame on Palpatine, there was still the fact this man, the one Anakin was so close to, was going to manipulate him and the Republic so terribly. There was shame in it, and it hurt.

This wasn't part of the prophecy. He's supposed to be the Chosen One, not... this, what they're telling him he becomes. He failed them. He failed the other Jedi, he failed Obi-Wan... He failed himself. He can't look at Obi-Wan anymore when the man speaks. He turns his attention down to his lap, trying to ignore all the eyes watching him.

If it's one thing, though, it's that Luke seems to have a way of keeping Anakin's emotions in check. Because despite how distraught Anakin feels right now, Luke knows how to say the right things and is keeping this from getting a whole lot worse than it could have for the moment. He's staying calm. Well, as calm as he can be anyway. He's managed to keep from lashing out in anger so far.]

I know, and I am thankful. I just... I want to know everything—how it all happens, what all happens. If this is my future I have to know, even... even if there's terrible things I've done. [Because if he turns to the Dark Side, he probably has done some things he's not going to be proud of. But he has to know. He looks up at Luke again.] Wait... you said sister.

[There she goes again, Leia bailing him out of a really sticky situation]

Yes. I have a twin sister. You have a daughter. She's not here, though...maybe someday if we're lucky and she's terribly unlucky, she'll wind up in Luceti. Her name is Leia. Leia Organa Solo. After the Emperor took over the Republic, she was adopted by Bail Organa of Alderaan, as a means to hide her from Palpatine. He treated her as his own daughter, and raised to be an extremely skilled diplomat.

[He pauses, letting that sink in]

She fought in the Rebellion, and was extremely brave. Without her, I'd be dead a hundred times over. Now, in my timeline, she is married to a dear compatriot of ours, Han Solo. And...yes, in my timeline you are a grandfather. To the twins Jacen and Jaina, and...most suitably, their third child is named Anakin.

[He honestly smiles now. Hopefully, at least some of this will give Anakin the fortitude to accept that he did leave a good legacy, and not bad]

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