Clouded by the Dark Side

Chapter 9 - The Setting Sun

Warning: Mentions/implied child abuse!

We have finished a second tribute for Vader on our YT channel. Check it out if you're interested. :P No spaces in the link: youtu . be / TrRylvLR0fE

~ Amina Gila

Aniya Skywalker

The suns have set, and darkness is cloaking the planet. In the west, there's still a faint glow from the setting suns. The moons have risen, casting their glow across the sand. It might be beautiful, but the memories I can't seem to shake are not. I can't stop remembering the last time we were here when we found our mother. Had we come one day sooner, she might have lived. Maybe. She was already badly injured, but for her to even have managed to hold out so long in that condition, she probably would have lived.

We walk side by side in dead silence, both bearing the same sense of heaviness mixed with determination, trying to focus our minds on the mission. Finally, we come to a stop at the sound of an approaching speeder. The altogether too familiar presence washes over me. The speeder comes to a stop a short distance from us. Dooku.

My anger surges again, but I struggle to clamp down on it. I can't stop remembering when the four of us ran into the hanger together. No one emerged unscathed.

Two blue lightsabers ignite, but we keep them lowered towards the ground. The Sith climbs off his speeder, eyes fixing us in a cold stare. I know a battle is about to begin, and we need to be ready. Hopefully the padawans get to the palace in the meantime.

"Surrender the Huttlet immediately, Skywalker," Dooku orders. I stare coldly back at him. If he thinks we're going to listen to him, he's an idiot. He raises his hands and blasts of lightning shoot out at us. Both lightsabers swing up simultaneously, the blue electricity crackling down the blades as we push it away from us. I don't let myself think about the memories associated with it. He might have been able to catch us off guard once, but we don't fall for the same trick twice in a row. Finally, the lightning stops, and my lightsaber jerks slightly at the lack of pressure on it. We shift into our fighting stances, staring down the Sith Lord.

Dooku ignites his blood-red blade, lunging forwards at us. We move forwards as one, parrying his first blow and instantly returning it with our own.

"Your training has come a long way," he remarks as our lightsabers continue clashing furiously.

"I'm glad we could impress you," I retort, parrying another one his blades before jumping over his head and attacking from behind. We have him on the defensive in a matter of moments. He might be good, but he's fighting two of us at once. Anakin and I know each other well enough to predict each other's movements and react accordingly.

The Sith Lord quickly realizes that he's not going to be able to defeat us like this. A sudden powerful Force-shove sends me flying backwards, landing on the ground in a heap. Calling my lightsaber back to my hand, I try to jump up but trip over my feet in a tangled mess with my robes and fall back to the ground, rolling down a small hill of sand in the process. Ughhhh. So much for not doing this in a real battle like I'd promised Anakin back on Naboo not that long ago. This is embarrassing. And frankly, stupid.

I glance up the hillside to where the fight is continuing. Anakin narrows his eyes in concentration and throws out his hand, Force-throwing sand at Dooku while he's distracted. Dooku stumbles back a few steps before raising a hand and begins Force-pushing the miniature sandstorm back at Anakin.

Before my brother has a chance to throw up a Force-shield, he's thrown down the hill, lightsaber falling from his hand and rolling several feet away. The moment the sand has settled again, Dooku leaps through the air towards Anakin. He instantly flips onto his back, simultaneously calling his lightsaber back to him and reactivating it right as Dooku's blade swings for him.