Meet You at the Dark Side

Chapter 5 - Crashing on Maridun

Anakin is almost to the verge of beginning to question his own sanity. Why in the world is he even here in the Archives, anyway? And why has he been looking all morning through everything he can get his hands on to see if it's really impossible for someone to turn back from the Dark Side? He's getting more and more annoyed by the moment, because everything he's finding is the same as everything he's been told his entire life. Maybe if he actually had access to more records, like the ones only Council members can see, there'd be something to talk about. Except he's not sure he wants to talk to Obi-Wan about it, because his former master might start to question his sanity also.

"Since when did you become a historian?" a familiar voice suddenly breaks through his thoughts. Anakin jumps and looks up to see Obi-Wan standing behind him. He was too lost in thought to notice the approach.

"I was trying to see if it would really be impossible for a darksider to turn back," Anakin explains.

"Well, have you found anything yet?" he asks.

"I haven't," Anakin grumbles. "Nothing more than what I've already seen and heard. I'm beginning to wonder if there's even anything in this part of the Archives." But then again, if there was, it's probably not something Knights would be allowed to see.

"There may not be," agrees Obi-Wan.

"Think you can help me out?" Anakin asks with a sigh.

"I can check the information only the Council can access," he offers.

"That... would probably be a good idea," agrees Anakin, and they part ways.

Anakin returns to their apartment -- the one he should have moved out of when he was knighted but didn't -- to wait for any news. It's not long before Obi-Wan returns.

"I believe I may have found what we were looking for," informs Obi-Wan as he enters the room.

"Really?" asks Anakin.

"Yes," confirms Obi-Wan, "In some very rare cases, there have been Sith that turned back. Darth Revan was one of them, but I'll tell you the story later. The Council has decided to send us on another mission. We need to hurry."

* * *

The ship rocks wildly again, laser beams deflecting off its shields. Anakin spins the ship, diving down while Obi-Wan, seated in the co-pilot seat, returns fire.

"There's two following us," Anakin warns, sending the ship swerving to the side to avoid the fighter. A barrage of laser beams fly harmlessly past where the ship was seconds before.

"Lucky for you, I'm an excellent shot," Obi-Wan quips, firing at one of them as Anakin spins the ship around to face them. Most of the other ships that were attacking them have been destroyed or are occupied with the clones, but there's still a fair number left.

One thing Anakin has to admit, though, is that even if Ahsoka is not good in lightsaber battles, she's a crazily good pilot. He's sensed her presence since they'd gotten here, and the flying skills of the fighter – plus it's different look – really gave away who was in it. Another shot is fired their way, and Anakin spins the ship aside. If not for his super-fast reflexes, they'd be space dust a hundred times now since this battle started.

The shot strikes one of the ships and it explodes. Obi-Wan fires at the other, the shot managing to hit it in one of the wings, but a second too late. One of the blasts slams right into their ship, slipping right through the shields.

"Lucky for you, I'm an excellent pilot," Anakin retorts, as the ship trembles violently from the force of the explosion. It promptly begins diving down towards the tan-colored planet far below, leaving a long trail of smoke behind. Artoo beeps frantically from the back, but there's not much he can do other than stay safe himself.