Star Wars Episode IIIAU: Sith Rising (Star Wars AU Series #1)

Anakin's Dilemma

Obi Wan's POV

"Obi Wan! Ahsoka! Windu! Plo! Organa! What the hell are you guys doing?!" Clay shouted as we dashed ahead of him when everyone started filing out of the Senate Chamber.

"We've gotta find Anakin and snap him out of this madness. C'mon!" Windu ordered. We passed by many Senators who were cluelessly praising Palpatine's new Empire.

"Found him!" Ahsoka pointed at a figure cloaked in black with long, messy, brown hair standing alone.

"Anakin!" I called. Anakin turned his head towards me upon hearing his name and ran.

"Anakin, Palpatine is evil! Can't you see it?!" Windu cried.

"I know something's troubling you, Anakin. Please tell us. We only wanna help!" Ahsoka begged.

"You can fight the Sith! It's not too late, Anakin!" Plo pleaded.

"SHUT UP!" Anakin howled and turned around to face us as everyone in the room tuned in to us. He was growling like a tiger. What is up with him? He wasn't usually like this. Sure, he hates it whenever people dig their noses into his business. I get it. Anakin, like all others, has some stuff that he wouldn't want to be shared. This time was different. He clearly needed help.

"Anakin, please. Don't do this." Organa implored.

"I must...gain...the power...to save those I love...from certain death." Anakin huffed.

"If that's what you want, then this isn't how you go about it." Ahsoka informed.

"Don't lecture me, Ahsoka! I'm doing all that I can to save you all." Anakin ignited his lightsaber and pointed it at Ahsoka, who cowered back.

"Anakin, don't!" Plo used the Force to restrain Anakin's occupied arm. His arm fell about by his side, and no matter how hard Anakin tried, his arm wouldn't move.

"Anakin, please." I beseeched as I calmly approached him. I could sense his anxiety and fear as I gently touched his free hand. His baby blue eyes had fear written all over them. "Let me help you."

---

"We're not here to lecture you, Anakin. We just want to help you." Organa said when we reached Anakin's Jedi quarters, which had lots of pod racing stuff and machinery that he liked to tinker with in his free time.

"I don't need your help, thank you very much." Anakin snapped rudely.

"Oh, yes, you do. You've been having visions of your loved ones in danger, not to mention the visions of your wife, Padme, dying in childbirth. Am I correct?" I explained.

"Thanks, Obi Wan. You just got me kicked out of the Order. Great." Anakin brought out a model of a Naboo starfighter and started messing with it.

"We don't plan on doing that." Windu stated.

"What?"

"Think about it, Anakin. If we cast you out of the Order, Palpatine could recruit you as his Sith apprentice, and that would be dangerous." Plo said. The door opened, and Yoda walked in.

"Apologize, I do, for being tardy." He greeted.

"You haven't missed much, Master Yoda, except the fact that Anakin here has got some attachment problems." Windu filled in on the details.

"But we don't plan on expelling him from the Order." Plo added. "Think about it. Anakin could be taken in as Palpatine's new Sith apprentice---."

"Understand, I do."

"You understand?" Anakin asked.

"I do, of course. Told you, I have, many times. A path to the dark side, emotional attachments are. Clouds your judgment and better senses, it does. Filter out feelings, a Jedi must."

"If we're not going to cast him out of the Order, then what do we do?" I asked.

"From seeing Palpatine, prevent him. Influenced him for so long, he has."

"So long?! How long, exactly?" Ahsoka asked.

"Ever since he became a Jedi, about 13 years ago." Plo answered. Someone's buzzer beeped.

"That's for me." I said as I took out my comlink. A holographic image of Dean appeared.

"Obi Wan! I h-have just sighted P-Palpatine a-and some other guy o-on the a-arctic planet of Ilum!" Dean stuttered.

"Ilum? You mean that place where younglings go to get their kyber crystals?" Anakin questioned.

"Yes, that's the one. Now, whatever you do, do not leave Coruscant until this business is over." Windu instructed before all of us, save Anakin and Organa, left for Ilum.

---

Author's Note: So Obi Wan, Ahsoka, Yoda, Plo, and Windu have left for Ilum. What do you think they will find there?

The above song is Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park, and I included the lyric video because I believe the lyrics somehow describe Anakin. If you watched the ENTIRE Star Wars saga, then you'll probably know what I'm talking about. This song to me describes the hardships the artist has gone through. Anakin has gone through a crap ton of hardships himself, being a slave to a cheap junk dealer as a kid. Qui Gon Jinn comes along and frees him in order to train him as a Jedi. Of course, being a Jedi is much better than being a slave, but another thing Anakin struggles with is his feelings for Padme. The Jedi Order frowns upon attachments and marriage, so it's no surprise that Anakin struggles to hide this. And how could I not mention losing his mother to the Tusken Raiders? He's been separated from his mom for ten years and when they meet again, she dies. I know how that feels, so I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. And of course, there was Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order.

So I'll leave it at that. Please give the above song a listen and tell me what you think. May the Force be with you!

6/21/17

One year since Sith Rising has been posted on Wattpad---and also my one year anniversary on Wattpad! Whoo hoo! Thanks for all the support, guys!