Will of The Force (Star Wars / Worm)

[LucaNox220]

Oh my god, I neeeeeed Dinah to give a (modified) Megumin introduction monologue at some point, but in complete seriousness to someone, maybe PRT or something.

Click to shrink...

she also needs to mess up doing the introduction, stumble, over her words or trip over herself or something. Just absolutely adorable.

 

[Mavrak]

I'm looking forwards to seeing Dragons reaction to Hal, and then thusly Saint and the dragon slayers reactions upon learning that Hal is (or at least appears to be) a sentient AI, and very homicidal at that, with the freedom to reproduce, perhaps also Anakin running into Vicky and Dean would be interesting to see how Anakin would react to Vicky's master aura and how Dean would react to seeing Anakin's emotional state

 

[CapCaverna]

Yo, sorry for the long delay, I don't really have a good reason for it this time so... sorry.

I just had a lot of trouble with the chapter, coupled with a lack of time to write, it took me a long while to finish chapter 21, still, there should be another chapter saturday, if I don't mess up again.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this one.
__________________________________________________________________


"But, wouldn't balance be using both?" the youngling asked, sitting in front of him in a meditating position. "I mean, isn't balance when things are equal on both sides?"

Anakin released a long breath, thinking about how to best describe the subject of the Force. "For a person, a balanced life is one where you fulfill your obligations, but also enjoy selfish things. Where you help others, but also take time for yourself. The Force isn't a person.

"For the Force, balance is harmony, between everything and everyone. It is for things to work as they should for the progress of all life. To dedicate yourself to balance is not to impose your will onto reality. It is not to dictate what should or should not happen, it is to stop others from dictating so."

"So the Jedi didn't live balanced lives?"

"Not in the way you are thinking of. You are thinking of the Jedi as if they were model icons," Anakin explained, shaking his head. "The role of the Jedi was to protect the balance, not to stand as examples to be followed. Not perfectly followed anyway. The life of a Jedi was not for everyone and refusing the calling did not make you fall."

"I don't get it," Dinah sighed, looking down at her lightsaber.

"That's alright, balance is a complicated subject, even masters did not fully understand it."

"But, wouldn't not having attachments be… wrong?" she asked, encouraged by the fact he wasn't chiding her. "I mean, I don't think I want to live without friends, and what if the Force asked me not to save my family? I don't think I could do that."

For a second, Anakin felt the old ache in his chest, the question hitting a little too close to home.

He supposed he shouldn't be surprised. Ever since he gave her a way not to be tracked, Dinah had wanted to call her mother. Unfortunately, according to her, there was an 87% chance Coil would use her parents as bait if he knew she had a way of contacting them.

"Again, the life of a Jedi isn't for everyone," he said. "For most people, it would be a sacrifice they are unwilling to make. For the Jedi, it was different, their connection to the Force, and through the Force to everything around them made things much easier.

"But you do not have to be a Jedi, and forming attachments was never about not forming connections, but about being willing to let those connections go when the time came, not putting them above everything else… Even now, I still fail in that aspect."

"Haa… being a hero is so much easier," she complained, frustrated at the complicated concepts.

"At its core, to use the Force is to be selfless, to give without asking and, in the end, you'll only have things to gain," he explained, trying to simplify things as much as he could, there would be time to explore the differences later. "To use the Dark Side is to be selfish, to take, and then take more. At first, it will seem like the right thing to do, for the right reason, until all you will be left with are things to lose and it will scare you, driving you forward, making you never stop."

Anakin could see the girl didn't fully understand, but as he said, that was fine, he wasn't any better at her age and he had started a few years younger. Still, perhaps he could do better.

"Let us consider those you call heroes. At their core, they're supposed to protect people. What happens if everyone is safe? If their goal is achieved?"

"They… don't do anything? I mean, if there's no one to fight or arrest…"

"Indeed, now consider your villains. At their core, they're selfish, they want to acquire things, be it money, pleasure, or power. What happens if they succeed?"

"Ah…" she nodded, finally seeming to understand. "A villain wouldn't stop, they'd just want more. The more they get, the more they'd want."

"Indeed, when there is balance, a Force user will feel no need to act, no matter how many there are or how powerful they may be, their goal is achieved and they'll be content on letting the rest of the Galaxy live and prosper. On the other hand, someone channeling the Dark Side will always seek to break the balance because he will want more. To control everything and everyone."

Anakin knew she wouldn't understand it fully, but he'd continue to teach her. Hopefully, he'd be able to instill the dangers of the Dark Side into her mind before her training increased her Force sensitivity to the point where it would matter.

He knew the Dark Side could be used, and resisted, if one's mind was strong enough, but it was a burden… and he found her a little too eager for its touch at the moment.

In truth, he wouldn't press her to be a Jedi. He wasn't one and, in all honesty, did not think trying to be would end well.

To be a Jedi wasn't a privilege, it was a duty, one that the Sith had corrupted through a thousand years of plots and machinations. Hopefully, his Son would be able to restore the Jedi Order to what it should be, not what it had become at the end.

"I am a Jedi, like my father before me!"

He couldn't deny the words had brought him some pride even before he turned on Sidious, but he also couldn't help hoping Luke was NOT like his father. Anakin Skywalker had been a terrible Jedi… Then again, all fathers hoped their progeny would do better than them.

In any case, Anakin did not think the girl had the correct mentality for becoming a Jedi.

Such a thing was not wrong, there was free will in the universe, and every sapient being was free to follow the will of the Force or not without falling to the Dark Side, but simply not falling was not the path of a Jedi.

Staring at the youngling for a few seconds, he nodded when he saw she was already meditating on the lesson. Closing his own eyes, he started thinking about his own path, releasing his emotions and clearing his mind while he sought answers from the Force.

Anakin did not fully enter into meditation, the world didn't fade away to be covered in red, but he did manage to calm his emotions enough while thinking about the situation.

When he had first awoken, he had been confused. Should he return to his teachings as a Jedi? Should he attempt to make his way back to his Son and try to atone? How did he even survive?

There was no doubt in his mind that the Force had interfered in his fate, but free will meant the Force could not simply affect the world without someone to act in its name. For all its infinite power, it could no more recreate his body or teleport him away than it could snuff out Sidious's life. Not by itself.

Still, he was thankful for the second chance, and he truly believed following the will of the Force would be for the best… he just did not know if he could do it. As he said, he was no Jedi, and the whispers of the Dark Side still came far too easy to his ears.

Restored as he was, Anakin knew he had no need for the Dark Side. It was not stronger than the Force nor could it achieve anything the Force lacked… if he spent the time and effort necessary.

The Dark Side was a shortcut, one he had outgrown, but it was still so easy, so instinctual for him… to channel his anger and just squash any obstacle in his way.

Perhaps he should not have planned to attack the Empire, but the Force itself was warning him they wouldn't stop, and he felt something he hadn't felt in years, guidance. Despite the risks of falling back on the Dark Side, the Force approved of his plan, their defeat was necessary.

Eventually, he opened his eyes again and just… looked at the youngling in front of him. Even missing a hand, she looked far healthier than when he had first met her and, through the Force, he could feel she was happy, her emotions as clear as day coming through the growing bond between them.

Unconsciously, a thin smile formed on his mouth.

In the beginning, she had just put on a mask, pretending to be strong so he wouldn't leave her, so she could keep both herself and her family safe from Coil. But now it was no longer an act, she really was content being with him.

She still missed her family terribly, but she was happy.

Anakin didn't think he'd find another apprentice. A true one, not a tool he made while plotting against Sidious like Marek. And yet, it seemed like he couldn't help himself.

The smile left his face and he sighed, it had barely been a month and he was already forming attachments, putting the girl above every other life in the city, and the planet. He really should have left the Order when he had the chance.

Sitting in front of him, Dinah carefully opened one eye and peeked at him, then closed it back when she noticed him staring. "You can open your eyes, our meditating session is over."

Her eyes snapped open and she immediately relaxed her legs, her body reclining back as she put both hands on the floor for support. "So, when are you going to fight the Empire?"

"Watanabe informs me they will transport Victor out of the city in a few hours," Anakin explained, pushing himself up. "I will intercept the Empire after they have gathered in sufficient number."

"So…" she started to ask, a little embarrassed. "You'll be there when I make my move on the Undersiders?"

"I should be finished by then. The Empire will not meaningfully delay me," he nodded. "Regardless, I don't think you'll require my support."

"Yeah, but I want you to watch," she smiled at him, both eager and afraid of her first move against the villain plaguing her. "Are you going to kill them?"

Anakin paused on the way to prepare her lunch. He didn't want to lie to the girl. Was he going to kill the Empire? From all that he read, most certainly deserved it, but he wasn't certain. He felt he had made the right choice sparing Victor, a step forward. He didn't want that progress to crumble.

The Force didn't prevent him from killing. Death was a part of the circle, nature had predators, parasites, and viruses... They were all part of the Force too.

In the heat of battle, killing was a natural thing, but Anakin doubted the Empire could push him in such a way, not without far more preparation than they currently had. But the Force also didn't prevent killing outside of battle when the situation called for it.

The real question was, did he believe killing the Empire was necessary? If their organization was destroyed, would the authorities be able to contain them for punishment?

Anakin did not care enough about the Empire to personally desire their deaths, and not every member deserved death, but he was loath to let them escape to continue causing pain and suffering. He supposed he could let the Force guide him again.

"Most of them should not be permanently damaged."

"... Can I watch?"

In hindsight, he should have expected that.

While he was capable of protecting the girl, it would split his focus. "I would prefer you didn't accompany me."

"Master Anakin, I created a recording drone," Hal helpfully offered, extending a hand with a small round drone. "It should not interfere in your battle."

Anakin stared at the fist-sized drone, a single camera pointed up at his face, and lifted an eyebrow. Both Hal and Dinah stared back at him with wide eyes. "And why exactly did you build this?"

"Oh, Master, while I'd certainly prefer to do the fighting myself, it would warm my circuitry to watch you demolish those meatbags. Your battle with Lung was most pleasing."

"Very well," Anakin nodded, taking the drone and letting it float behind him before turning to the youngling. "But you'll remain at the workshop. Hal and the defenses here will keep you safe until I return."

"Fine, the TV here is bigger anyway."

After lunch, Anakin checked the outside. There, he saw Jun Watanabe, the boy who had received them in the ABB meeting, among a small group of kids repairing the houses around the workshop.

When he had been ambushed at the edge of ABB territory, the Empire had also attempted to raid this location but had been repealed by the defenses and his quick defeat of the four parahumans sent against him. They had still dealt some damage, however.

"Hey, can I go feed Kumo and Tora?" Dinah asked, pointing through the window towards the two fat cats lazily sleeping at the neighbor's damaged window.

"They appear quite well fed," Anakin said, doubtful.

"Well, Mrs. Liliam asked me to feed them while she's in the hospital, and it was our fault…"

Anakin was not aware the old woman had gotten hurt. With a cold voice, he asked. "What happened?"

"Ah, she kinda shot Crusader with her shotgun while he was retreating and Stormtiger sent a blast back at her. It didn't hit her, but she still fell and hit her head. I thought it wouldn't happen cuz I told her to leave, and there was such a small chance…"

"Very well, go."

Nodding, the girl dashed outside towards the cats, then stopped herself and changed to a composed walk, Hal following closely behind.

Looking at her go, Anakin was reminded once again how her power could fail. The girl had said there was only a 7% chance anyone would be hurt in the raid, and using the Force to look into the future hadn't revealed any dangers.

He should have remembered any form of future sight was… unreliable at best. The future was always in flux, it was always tainted by one's perception with nothing set in stone and a 7% chance was still a chance. Relying only on her predictions was bound to fail eventually.

Staring through the window, Anakin couldn't help squeezing his hands into fists, his masked reflection staring right back at him. Stormtiger, was it?

"Ah, Boss," Watanabe called from the door. "One of the guys with the cops sent us a message, the PRT is leaving in one hour."

"I see. Are you certain the Empire will be able to acquire the same information?"

"I mean, I can't be absolutely sure, but sometimes I think the Bay has more corruption than the rest of the state combined, so it's a pretty good bet. Also wouldn't surprise me if the same guy was selling the information to the Empire too."

"Indeed, we should not expect loyalty from one who already betrays his job."

Hopefully, the corrupt officer would believe their interest is in the insane Tinker and would not mention him, but Anakin would have to be ready in case the Empire expected his interference.

"Well, to be fair, nobody was really loyal to the ABB? They were just scared of Lung," the boy commented, head still poking through the door. "The Korean is keeping things organized and you're cool as hell, so the new recruits don't mind so much, but some of us kinda hate each other. I doubt the gang is gonna stay together for even half a year unless you force them to."

"That will be sufficient," Anakin said, considering the boy. "Your support is convenient for the moment, but I hold no desire to control a criminal organization."

"Right, don't stop people from leaving if they want to. Got it, Boss."

"Were you able to locate where the Empire will be gathering?"

"Ah, we've got some guys looking, but not really. We'll send a message if anyone sees them moving."

"Very well, you are dismissed."

Retreating from the door, the boy left him alone again. With a flick of his hand, Anakin turned the switch, causing the metal shutters to descend, blocking the window to the outside.

Stepping away, he closed his computer so one of the damn creatures wouldn't come to sleep on top of it again — he wouldn't put it past the girl to bring them inside in his absence— then grabbed his cloak.

It was tall enough to cover his entire body and entirely black, with a hood that completely covered his helmet. Watanabe had done well acquiring it.

Unlike most places in the Galaxy, this planet's dress code meant such clothing would draw attention, but less so than if he openly wore his recognizable helmet and armor, and it could hide his exact identity, even if any observer knew he was one of the so-called capes at a glance.

Anakin would also use the Force to further hide, one of the few talents his former master had taught him fully.

Grabbing the drone, he hid it under the cloak and saw Dinah coming back, one of the damn animals in her arms. "I'm leaving. The Empire should be getting ready now."

"Right," Dinah said, dropping the creature on top of a table and hugging him. "Stay safe… and don't worry, there's only a 0.76% chance I'll be attacked alone."

The Force flickered as if wanting to confirm the girl's statement. He squeezed her shoulder in support, but didn't say anything… what exactly was one supposed to say in such situations anyway?

"The Empire is an annoyance, not a threat. I will be back soon."

Leaving the workshop, Anakin drew upon the Force, covering himself in a layer of deception that would cause his image to fade into the background, causing any that looked at him to dismiss or not register his presence. The cloak helped make it easier.

Then he started walking, leaving the ABB territory towards downtown. He didn't receive any messages on his phone so he stretched his senses through the Force, letting it guide his steps as he walked through the city towards where he felt the Force guiding him.

Still, it took Anakin almost 40 minutes to locate them. The Empire's information network seemed to be much better than the ABB's, at least as damaged as it currently was, because they were already positioned to ambush the incoming prisoner transport.

Most of their men were inside the buildings or hiding inside parked cars, a few were parked in an escape vehicle a few blocks away.

Unfortunately, from where he was, Anakin could only recognize two of the parahumans from his interactions in the villain meeting. They were not Force-sensitive and, as such, felt no different from the normal gang members. Anakin could attempt to disable them all simultaneously, but there were too many, and they were too well spread.

It was still not beyond his skill, but it would require focus and concentration, leaving him momentarily open to a surprise attack… and he did not fully trust himself to not crush their throats.

Slow and steady was perfectly fine. He was not here to kill them, he was here to send a message.

Letting the Force cloak fade from around him, Anakin released his control over his presence, immediately drawing every eye toward his position. Walking in the middle of the street, he gave the civilians time to realize what was happening and to start running, his aura blanketing the area and hurrying them along.

Then he lifted the edge of his cloak with his left hand and pulled his lightsaber towards his right with the Force, the red blade igniting with such strength it blew his hood back, crimson bolts of power escaping from the unstable containment field, leaving scorched scars on the asphalt.

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[MarcusDeGabriel]

Since they don't have the sheer "overwhelming" power that Lung had, I basically see this going like the end of Jedi: Fallen Order, where NOTHING is effective against him and he just strolls forward as the beast he is!
Start at 1:34

 

[Havictos]

Since they don't have the sheer "overwhelming" power that Lung had, I basically see this going like the end of Jedi: Fallen Order, where NOTHING is effective against him and he just strolls forward as the beast he is!
Start at 1:34

Click to shrink...

It's one of my favorite moments out of a game because the game straight up tells you oh no there's no fight here just run.

 

[CapCaverna]

It's one of my favorite moments out of a game because the game straight up tells you oh no there's no fight here just run.

Click to shrink...

Damn, that ending and the ending of Rogue One really did Vader justice.

I haven't played fallen order myself, (didin't have the hardware capable of playing it until two months ago) but I watched some gameplay, and it brought chills to watch Vader arriving.

I mean, Vader was such iconic character, and he was one of the real strenghts of the original trilogy, but let's be honest, he didn't have many utterly badass action moments there. Nothing like Darth Maul duel of fates or Anakin VS Obi Wan (Although there were some ridiculous flourishes in that one), But Rogue One and Fallen Order made him so much greater.

Come on, tell me the first thing you think about when talking Vader isn't the hallway scene?

 

[loki98065]

Anakin unleashed hahahahahaahha this will be better than Starkiller vs all those poor storm troopers I hope lol at least they knew what they were getting into. will be interesting to see how many of the empire's capes manage to survive. guessing it will look a little something like this

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Vader hasnt gotten nearly enough badass moments. Hope this Empire fight gives him one.

 

[Xedornox]

Damn, Anakin/Vader/Polarized/Susanoo thinking 'Its' ok to go slow and steady.. I don't need to rush, I am more than capable of doing this while taking my time.'. Its' alright Anakin, you're old now. Ain't as spry as you were in your youth.
-Jokes aside, I like that bit. Where he's like I don't need to go fast. You can just feel the confidence he has. Rightly placed condfidence but still you can feel it.
--I can just picture to everyone looking in Anakin/Vader/Poralized/Susanoo appearing totally nonchalant, completely unbothered, untouched, absolutely detatched from the world around him as he gets to work and runs their fades. When in reality he's struggling to not 'give in' to the Dark Side to 'speed this up.' or something.

Thanks' for the chapter.

 

[Ahtu]

"But, wouldn't balance be using both?" the youngling asked, sitting in front of him in a meditating position. "I mean, isn't balance when things are equal on both sides?"

Anakin released a long breath, thinking about how to best describe the subject of the Force. "For a person, a balanced life is one where you fulfill your obligations, but also enjoy selfish things. Where you help others, but also take time for yourself. The Force isn't a person.

"For the Force, balance is harmony, between everything and everyone. It is for things to work as they should for the progress of all life. To dedicate yourself to balance is not to impose your will onto reality. It is not to dictate what should or should not happen, it is to stop others from dictating so."

Click to shrink...

Ehh... This is still BS. Not at all how GL described it, and not how the vast majority of the EU portrays/shows/describes it. But it is how some Jedi describe it(like Mace, and pre-Empire Yoda(although Yoda often seem to be far less... Convinced about his beliefs, more willing to accept that he could be wrong)). It just beggars my belief that Anakin of all ppl would fall into that category... I mean sure, maybe previously. But to still do so now? His very life is the epitomy of what disproves that set of teachings. Through both prophecy, and redemption.

 

[CapCaverna]

Ehh... This is still BS. Not at all how GL described it, and not how the vast majority of the EU portrays/shows/describes it. But it is how some Jedi describe it(like Mace, and pre-Empire Yoda(although Yoda often seem to be far less... Convinced about his beliefs, more willing to accept that he could be wrong)). It just beggars my belief that Anakin of all ppl would fall into that category... I mean sure, maybe previously. But to still do so now? His very life is the epitomy of what disproves that set of teachings. Through both prophecy, and redemption.

Click to shrink...

Sorry, but I'll have to disagree there.

Actually, there's even an interview where George says pretty much this exact thing so...

 

[Ahtu]

"Let us consider those you call heroes. At their core, they're supposed to protect people. What happens if everyone is safe? If their goal is achieved?"

"They… don't do anything? I mean, if there's no one to fight or arrest…"

"Indeed, now consider your villains. At their core, they're selfish, they want to acquire things, be it money, pleasure, or power. What happens if they succeed?"

"Ah…" she nodded, finally seeming to understand. "A villain wouldn't stop, they'd just want more. The more they get, the more they'd want."

"Indeed, when there is balance, a Force user will feel no need to act, no matter how many there are or how powerful they may be, their goal is achieved and they'll be content on letting the rest of the Galaxy live and prosper. On the other hand, someone channeling the Dark Side will always seek to break the balance because he will want more. To control everything and everyone."

Anakin knew she wouldn't understand it fully, but he'd continue to teach her. Hopefully, he'd be able to instill the dangers of the Dark Side into her mind before her training increased her Force sensitivity to the point where it would matter.

Click to shrink...

Oooh how this ignores what life is, and how intrinsically tied The Force is to life.

 

[Ahtu]

Sorry, but I'll have to disagree there.

Actually, there's even an interview where George says pretty much this exact thing so...

Click to shrink...

Contrary to your claim, I literally posted an interview where he says exactly what I said in that interview. And he says the same thing OVER and OVER again.

He states very clearly that there's light and dark, and that balance, is the balance of the two.

I will link it again.

Spoiler: This is far from the only time.

"You've got the core of the force. One is the light side, and the other the dark side. One is selfish, and one is selfless. And you want to keep them in balance."

PS. It seems I actually linked another video than last time. But it just goes back to what I said. He says it over and over again. In speeches, in interviews, in discussions. This take stems from a certain youtuber... One who has made his own headcanon, and is calling it canon. But he's taking snippets of what GL has said, and reinterpreted it without context. Both the context of GL's speeches on the issue. And the context of the SW universe at large, and the underlying messages within. As well as the origins of the whole Force concept.

You do frankly have to ignore A LOT, to not see what GL has repeatedly come out and stated at this point.

PPS. I was viewing this as this merely being Anakin's understanding. I didn't think you still clung to this after our last discussion on the subject. But I'm gonna have to assume you either forgot or ignored it.

---

I thought about your description. And if I ignore the context, and change a few things - Then I could see it as something GL would say. But not with that same intention, at all. Which makes sense, considering where I recall this whole take coming from. It is as I said, a reconfigured headcanon - Born from bits and pieces of GL has said. But ignoring the full context of any of it. Not of his speeches, not of his work, and not even of the EU.

 

[CapCaverna]

Contrary to your claim, I literally posted an interview where he says exactly what I said in that interview. And he says the same thing OVER and OVER again.

He states very clearly that there's light and dark, and that balance, is the balance of the two.

I will link it again.

Spoiler: This is far from the only time.

"You've got the core of the force. One is the light side, and the other the dark side. One is selfish, and one is selfless. And you want to keep them in balance."

PS. It seems I actually linked another video than last time. But it just goes back to what I said. He says it over and over again. In speeches, in interviews, in discussions. This take stems from a certain youtuber... One who has made his own headcanon, and is calling it canon. But he's taking snippets of what GL has said, and reinterpreting it without context. Both the context of GL's speeches on the issue. And the context of the SW universe at large, and the underlying messages within. As well as the origins of the whole Force concept.

You do frankly have to ignore A LOT, to not see what GL has repeatedly come out and stated at this point.

PPS. I was viewing this as this merely being Anakin's understanding. I didn't think you still clung to this after our last discussion on the subject. But I'm gonna have to assume you either forgot or ignored it.

Click to shrink...

Again, I disagree, taking from this very interview, I have a very different understanding of what he said.

"What happens when you go to the dark side, you get selfish and you fall out of balance"

GL said in this very video, and then continues to paint it as a slippery slope.

So, as I said, a balanced life is a balance of selfish and selfless actions, but that's NOT the goal of the Jedi.

As Anakin explained, you can take selfish actions without falling to the Dark Side, but using the force that way is incredibly dangerous and lead to anger and the Dark Side.

On the other hand, being selfless doesn't destroy the balance because you feel no need to destroy said balance.

So, yeah, Jedi can exist and focus entirely on the light aide without destroying balance, but Sith can't exist, because they inherently seek to destroy the balance.

As GL said in the very video you linked.

Still, again, I have to say we'll have to agree to disagree. And I hope you continue to enjoy the story anyway.

 

[Ahtu]

"What happens when you go to the dark side, you get selfish and you fall out of balance"

Click to shrink...

Ehhh... Yes? When did I say that going Dark Side was balance? Again, you're picking out pieces and ignoring the full context...

The goal of the Jedi in the modern era does not truly align with balance in the force. I know. We all know, but how in the hell does that change the fact of what balance is? It doesn't.

But ooh, yes, pushing too far towards the light "complete doormat selflessness" DOES get out of balance. GL says repeatedly, and shows with hand motions that "you want to keep those two in balance." To get balance in the force. He doesn't say "lean full on into the light" and yes, there IS a light side of the force. It's clearly stated by the man over and over. And also referenced very commonly in the EU.

This is far from the only time he says these things. He is very clear on the fact of there being a light, a dark, and that balance in the force lies somewhere between the two. You can't just sweep all of that under the rugg. Especially not with all the other bits that allude to it.

 

[CapCaverna]

Ehhh... Yes? When did I say that going Dark Side was balance? Again, you're picking out pieces and ignoring the full context...

The goal of the Jedi in the modern era does not truly align with balance in the force. I know. We all know, but how in the hell does that change the fact of what balance is? It doesn't.

But ooh, yes, pushing too far towards the light "complete doormat selflessness" DOES get out of balance. GL says repeatedly, and shows with hand motions that "you want to keep those two in balance." To get balance in the force. He doesn't say "lean full on into the light" and yes, there IS a light side of the force. It's clearly stated by the man over and over. And also referenced very commonly in the EU.

Click to shrink...

Haaaa.... Then what the heck is wrong, that is exactly what Anakin said, balance is harmony, an equilibrium between acting selfless to help society and takin time to be selfish, helping yourself.

I took the exact words from one of GL's interviews in fact.

I literally don't understand why this discussion is happening now.

The Jedi way IS NOT the truth of the Force, it's just the Jedi way. Anakin was teaching Dinah exactly what you said.

So, fine, you're right, what Anakin said in the chapter is wrong, the end.

Perhaps I just didn't write things clearly enough. After all, it seems you're just saying exactly what I tried to portray, just with a "no" in front of it.

 

[Ahtu]

So, yeah, Jedi can exist and focus entirely on the light aide without destroying balance, but Sith can't exist, because they inherently seek to destroy the balance.

As GL said in the very video you linked.

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No he did not say that. If jedi truly served balance as they once sought to(rather than serving the senate, or force every potent force user to follow their sub-set of Jedi teachings from birth), you would be right. But they did not.

Haaaa.... Then what the heck is wrong, that is exactly what Anakin said, balance is harmony, an equilibrium between acting selfless to help society and takin time to be selfish, helping yourself.

I took the exact words from one of GL's interviews in fact.

I literally don't understand why this discussion is happening now.

The Jedi way IS NOT the truth of the Force, it's just the Jedi way. Anakin was teaching Dinah exactly what you said.

So, fine, you're right, what Anakin said in the chapter is wrong, the end.

Perhaps I just didn't write things clearly enough. After all, it seems you're just saying exactly what I tried to portray, just with a "no" in front of it.

Click to shrink...

It's the belief of one special section of the Jedi sect from the Clone Wars era(and a bit before, but certainly after the Ruusan reformation).

And I would have thought Anakin would have lost all faith in that perspective from his experiences.

In terms of how The Force works. The take is BS, and that will always irk me a bit. But I can accept and understand that the characters do not understand everything about the world they live in. It just surprises me that Anakin would cling to these flawed teachings even now, after everything he went through - Everything he experienced and saw.

I get it, it doesn't necessarily translate into comprehending all the flaws and misunderstandings. But I just didn't think he could make himself believe in that again. Not after all he went through.

I was expecting a more... Qui-gon esque take, at least. If not a full on Katarn, or Jolee Bindo take. At least a more Luke-esque take - If nothing else(somewhat confused and fumbling. Trying to figure things out with a more open mind), but at least not clinging to philosophies that he had not seen as... Functional? He found it hard to buy the creed of his time, even before his fall.

I took the exact words from one of GL's interviews in fact.

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In part, in small sections - Yes. But I think that kinda ties into what I said. Context matters, it matters a lot.

It's mostly this bit that doesn't fit:

"For the Force, balance is harmony, between everything and everyone. It is for things to work as they should for the progress of all life. To dedicate yourself to balance is not to impose your will onto reality. It is not to dictate what should or should not happen, it is to stop others from dictating so."

It excludes the Dark Side entirely. It doesn't just say "don't fall to it" it says "remove it entirely." Which is not even remotely consist with GL's repeated takes.

That is not just keeping it in balance in any way. It's following The Light Side all the way into complete and utter apathy, refusing to impose your will upon the world. Utter stagnation.

Balance is not the complete absence of The Dark Side. Neither for its metaphor in the real world, nor for balance in The Force.

Stopping others from controlling other life forms would idd be in service to "The Balance of The Force." So to speak. But refusing to impose your will upon reality, would also be utter stagnation.

Without either context, or clarifications - It instead smacks of falsehoods. I will repeat it one final time: Context matters.

PS. I personally work within the context of the originals(1-6) and the EU. I don't demand that others follow my POV on this. But I don't like when the basic workings of either is misrepresented(whether that is intentional or not. Usually it is ofc unintentional. And I ofc don't think you meant to force any headcanon on anyone. It was probably just how you understood it, but that meant I still had to refute it, to have any intellectual integrity in discussing it). I don't mind AU takes, but then they ought to be presented as such. And at the time I idd thought you were presenting them as such(that you understood Anakin to be wrong). Hence why I just tried to demarcate the difference in the start.

 

[CapCaverna]

No he did not say that. If jedi truly served balance as they once sought to(rather than serving the senate, or force every potent force user to follow their sub-set of Jedi teachings from birth), you would be right. But they did not.


It's the belief of one special section of the Jedi sect from the Clone Wars era(and a bit before, but certainly after the Ruusan reformation).

And I would have thought Anakin would have lost all faith in that perspective from his experiences.

In terms of how The Force works. The take is BS, and that will always irk me a bit. But I can accept and understand that the characters do not understand everything about the world they live in. It just surprises me that Anakin would cling to these flawed teachings even now, after everything he went through - Everything he experienced and saw.

I get it, it doesn't necessarily translate into comprehending all the flaws and misunderstandings. But I just didn't think he could make himself believe in that again. Not after all he went through.

I was expecting a more... Qui-gon esque take, at least. If not a full on Katarn, or Jolee Bindo take. At least a more Luke-esque take - If nothing else(somewhat confused and fumbling. Trying to figure things out with a more open mind), but at least not clinging to philosophies that he had not seen as... Functional? He found it hard to buy the creed of his time, even before his fall.


In part, in small sections - Yes. But I think that kinda ties into what I said. Context matters, it matters a lot.

It's mostly this bit that doesn't fit:

"For the Force, balance is harmony, between everything and everyone. It is for things to work as they should for the progress of all life. To dedicate yourself to balance is not to impose your will onto reality. It is not to dictate what should or should not happen, it is to stop others from dictating so."

It excludes the Dark Side entirely. It doesn't just say "don't fall to it" it says "remove it entirely." Which is not even remotely consist with GL's repeated takes.

Click to shrink...

You do know that "Between everything and everyone" includes, well, everything? "for things to work as they should" also includes selfshness, because that is a necessary part of life. So no, Anakin's intentions there were not to entirely exclude the Dark SIde, even if he is doing his best to lead Dinah away from it at the moment.

Alright, this is my last comment, cuz I'm kinda tired of this, but I think I can still contribute to the discussion with this comment.

So, first, in the chapter, that wasn't me explaining what I think about the Force to the reader, which has access to the wiki and countless videos and GL's interviews, as well as analisis of it. It was Anakin explaining a beginning concept to a young 12 years old that barelly knows anything about the Force, one that he's perfectly aware is a bit of a chunninbyou and desperate for power so she can be safe from Coil.

So, he's not going too deeply into things, while focusing on the inportance of how dangerous the Dark Side is, because he doesn't want her trying to reach for it without more knowledge, and because the Dark Side IS dangerous.

Second, Anakin himself explained that in the chapter that a balanced life is a mix of selfshness and selflessness, he just said Jedi life wasn't for everyone, because, for most people, living without any selfshness would be a sacrifice.

Later in the chapter, Anakin comments how death, destruction, parasites and selfhness, things usually atributed to the Dark Side too are a part of balance. He also explained that a Jedi's job wasn't to stop killing, or crime, or selfsh actions so only selfless people existed, it was to prevent people from falling. To stop such things when it became too much, not just whenever they existed.

So, Indeed, I agree that Dark and Light are things that exist, and balance is an equilibrium between then, but GL explicity says that you SHOULDN'T use the Dark Side, it exists, just like death exists and is a part of the natural process, but you are not to draw upon it, you're not to use it and, most importantly, you're not to indulge in it.

On the other hand, GL also says you can use the Light side, or the Force, as much as you want, because that doesn't break the balance, it only helps enforce it.

As for Jedi seeking balance. My understanding is that Jedi are to be selfless, to act in the interest of others, not being selfsh at all and, because of this, they DON'T need to use the Dark Side.

Now, the reason Anakin said Jedi life isn't for everyone is exactly that. Because a true Jedi, one that's called to become a member doesn't feel the need for such selfsh things. A true Jedi will earn satisfaction not from doing selfsh things, but exactly for being selfless, and that's not something everyone can do. and so he's in balance, because he wants to be selfless, a Jedi's want to be selfless, it brings him joy.

That's why Anakin considers himself to have always been a bad Jedi, because, while he enjoyed helping others, he was always happier with those he loved. He put his mother, Padme and even Obi-Wan's life as more important than others.

Anyways, that's it for me.

PS: You know what annoys me, the fact that I made an effort not to say you're wrong, but to say that's my interpretation of things, it could be wrong, it could be right and, in truth, neither of us will really know unless GL himselfs come here and say "What you wrote is stupid, that's completely wrong." or says "Yeah, it's not entirely what I had in mind, but it's correct, for a superficial explanation" no matter how much we believe ourselfs to be the right ones.

So, every time you say I'm wrong, not even entertaining the thought that I simply have a diferent interpretation of what I read, listened and watched, it irks me a bit, just like it irks you to read what you believe to be wrong.

Anyways, if you still think it's wrong, I already said I probably didn't make myself clear enough and that I mostly agree with you so...wathever, it's fanfiction, just consider it a different take on the Force then.

 

[Ahtu]

So, Indeed, I agree that Dark and Light are things that exist, and balance is an equilibrium between then, but GL explicity says that you SHOULDN'T use the Dark Side, it exists, just like death exists and is a part of the natural process, but you are not to draw upon it, you're not to use it and, most importantly, you're not to indulge in it.

On the other hand, GL also says you can use the Light side, or the Force, as much as you want, because that doesn't break the balance, it only helps enforce it.

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No, that is not what he's saying. He's partial towards The Light, ofc. He considers it to grant better traits. But he does not state what you say here.

You see, there's a marked differience between The Light and The Dark. The Dark Side has an allure to it, it draws you in, it whispers to you, it is HARD to resist. The Light, is far more subtle in a sense in how it too can corrupt in its own way. As it did with the Jedi. They grew ever more apathic to the Suffering in the galaxy, and idd on their very own doorstep(the lower levels of Coruscant). It causes stagnation. It causes complacency and decay in the long run.

The Light is not so immediately dangerous as The Dark Side. But that doesn't mean it's harmless to just go all in on it. You misunderstand his words. He states it, and the movies idd try to convey this issue to those watching. A certain lack of true empathy(shown in the Jedi's general inability to understand any of Anakin's frustrations at all), in part to blame for their eventual apathy.

The great trap of the dark side is how it lures you in, and twists your desires on you. The great trap of the light is that you don't see anything wrong with it. Even as you watch emotionless as slavery runs rampant in both the outer rim, and on the very planet you're on. And crime festers to the greatest of extremes in the lower levels. Even as you're completely unprepared when some comes in and just walks all over you(Sidious). It's that you don't notice, as you slowly and unnoticeably grow ever more apathic to the world around you.

So all in all both influence ppl in sublte, and ultimately very harmful ways at their extremes. There's more than a metaphysical reason balance lies in the middle. It is also a philosophical necessity.

"The Galaxy is an complicated place. You think you're doing the right thing. But then it has consequences you never imagined."(I forgot who said that. I think it was a former Jedi Padawan)

The Light is not immediately dangerous. But it has its own trap.

PS. I was just going to say to you too, I hope I didn't come off as too harsh. I've just been trying to be as clear as possible. And I understand how that can come off.

 

[Dur'id the Druid]

.

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Don't takes it personally. More people than you expect will endlessly attack you for their own reasons. And it's very easy to get caught up in it yourself. Also such people don't really debate, but just need to 'win' the augment for their own mental problems. There is a reason I don't post to political forums or read Starfox5 stories anymore.

 

[CapCaverna]

So, I said I wasn't gonna say anything else, but I decided to post one last time.

It's nothing to do with the discussion. I just want to say sorry if I got a little too heated up. At least it had to do with the fic and it's future.

Don't think this doesn't help me just because I seemed to annoyed. Sometimes, what someone writes stays with me and, eventually, gives me new ideas or changes something without me even knowing.

Also, as some may have realised, I'm a little thin skinned about my fics, which isn't a good thing, but I do take criticism into consideration, even if I tend to appear angry or annoyed about it immediately after.

 

[grime]

They grew ever more apathic to the Suffering in the galaxy, and idd on their very own doorstep(the lower levels of Coruscant).

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Wasn't the problem the exact opposite? That the Jedi became too arrogant and involved in galactic affairs? Acting as the Republic's enforcers/generals? Sounds like the opposite of apathy.

A certain lack of true empathy(shown in the Jedi's general inability to understand any of Anakin's frustrations at all), in part to blame for their eventual apathy.

Click to shrink...

Isn't the entire point of the "lightside" selflessness? I'm pretty sure selflessness requires empathy, sure there were a number of Jedi masters too zen for their own good, but Yoda seemed to understand Anakin's frustrations pretty well, the movies couldn't include a full therapy session in their timeframe anyway, but Yoda was essentially trying to help Anakin learn to let go and not be swept up in visions of futures that might not come to pass, and that death was essentially a part of life and therefore inevitable.

Though I suppose Yoda wasn't delivering it in a very comforting way for someone not so zen as he. I still wouldn't say the Jedi were lacking overall in empathy though, but they seemed unprepared for people like Anakin being unable to share their viewpoint. Maybe I'm just mixing up empathy and compassion.

 

[Ahtu]

Wasn't the problem the exact opposite? That the Jedi became too arrogant and involved in galactic affairs? Acting as the Republic's enforcers/generals? Sounds like the opposite of apathy.

Click to shrink...

Ehh... No it wasn't? They acted as mindless enforcers for the republic a lot of the time. and that is not getting involved with the politics.

There's a reason Dooku was seen as the outlier, and kept being rebuked by the council for involving himself in the politics.

Them acting as if the will of the corrupt republic government was the will of the force, was a problem. But the reason they thought to do so, is a testiment to their apathy towards the suffering of the ppl under said corruption.

The fact that the Hutt cartels still stood over 1000 years after their last encounter with the Sith is a testament to their apathy. The even greater fact that slavery and other such criminal elements was highly active on their very doorstep, just seals the deal - They might have been excused for what went on in Hutt territory, if you just pretend it was sheer incompetence. But not from what went on, on Coruscant itself. Honestly it could be found just a few kilometer's from their temple, in pretty much any direction except for up. Even on the surface, to some extent.

You seem to forget that one of their main dogma is to suppress negative emotions, by working to let go of them. That builds apathy towards the sources of those emotions. And does indeed halt your willingness to "enforce your will upon the world."

Post Ruusan-reformation, Jedi were outright forbidden from entering politics. At most they were allowed to act as mediators and diplomatic ambassador. But they couldn't vote in any sense, hold office, or otherwise sway public opinion.

Wasn't the problem the exact opposite? That the Jedi became too arrogant and involved in galactic affairs? Acting as the Republic's enforcers/generals? Sounds like the opposite of apathy.

Isn't the entire point of the "lightside" selflessness? I'm pretty sure selflessness requires empathy, sure there were a number of Jedi masters too zen for their own good, but Yoda seemed to understand Anakin's frustrations pretty well, the movies couldn't include a full therapy session in their timeframe anyway, but Yoda was essentially trying to help Anakin learn to let go and not be swept up in visions of futures that might not come to pass, and that death was essentially a part of life and therefore inevitable.

Though I suppose Yoda wasn't delivering it in a very comforting way for someone not so zen as he. I still wouldn't say the Jedi were lacking overall in empathy though, but they seemed unprepared for people like Anakin being unable to share their viewpoint. Maybe I'm just mixing up empathy and compassion.

Click to shrink...

You'd be wrong. Selflessness does not require empathy. It just requires an absence of desire. Helpfulness, and kindness are generally boosted by empathy.

But do you understand what empathy is? It is the ability to understand and resonate with the feelings of others, if you relinquish all negative emotions - How are you going to truly empathize with those who feel them? The answer is that you TRULY can't. You can at most pity them. But pity, is not necessarily empathy.

PS. It should be noted that the Jedi still engaged in politics among themselves, without actually realizing it. Meaning that they in a way changed nothing about the negative consequences of political involvement.

PPS. A lot of ppl argue that these things are not following The Light. But they'd be sorely mistaken. Because it is idd working quite strongly in accordance with it. The problem is as it always was, that on their own, both sides are utlmately corruptive and self-destructive.

Ofc, this does not mean that this is all there is to following the light. And the Jedi idd avoid some positive emotions as well, because of how liable they are to lead to negative emotions. And technically, that is not following The Light in every way. But it is avoiding The Dark Side in every way. And as a living being, it's about as close as you could ever get focusing on The Light to the exclusion of everything else. So it is idd, where that adherence ultimately leads. Tranquility, peace, apathy, complacency, stagnancy, decay. In that order.

Darth Plagueis the Wise, was never wrong about the ultimate consequences for the Jedi. His way was just as dysfunctional. But his point held true. It takes standing in darkness, to see the light most clearly. And vice versa.

And it seems even The Force may have agreed with him on something there: "For decay has no cure, it must be eradicated by the flames of a cleansing fire."

Now granted, I'd say that is going to far when it comes to Jedi themselves. But it truly needed the introduction of some turmoil, some chaos, some Dark Side. To light a fire under their collective asses perhaps, but not necessary burning them all away. Although maybe The Force disagreed with me there.

 

[Ahtu]

So, I said I wasn't gonna say anything else, but I decided to post one last time.

It's nothing to do with the discussion. I just want to say sorry if I got a little too heated up. At least it had to do with the fic and it's future.

Don't think this doesn't help me just because I seemed to annoyed. Sometimes, what someone writes stays with me and, eventually, gives me new ideas or changes something without me even knowing.

Also, as some may have realised, I'm a little thin skinned about my fics, which isn't a good thing, but I do take criticism into consideration, even if I tend to appear angry or annoyed about it immediately after.

Click to shrink...

All understandable. It sounds like growth on your part, both as a writer and as a person as you take in new information. And that ought not always be entirely pain-free. I'd say it's a good sign that you're processing it. And you're ending up at whatever conclusions you may draw from it all.

As long as we try to be aware of when it's happening to us, and we try to reign it in a tad to judge it as objectively as we can - That is all anyone can ask.

I know to expect some blowback in cases like these. Thanks for ultimately handling it in a mature way ^^ Whether you ultimately came to agree with me or not. I will endeavour to do the same.

 

[CapCaverna]

So.... I'm alive.

I already gave this message on my Supergirl fanfic, but for Will of the Force readers:

Well, I could give a long explanation but, really there's not much to say here.

Depression hit me hard, so hard that I kinda lost six months of my life doing nothing, lost a semester of college, and barely interacted with anyone.

I kept saying I'd start writing again, and I started trying a little before Christmas, but I only succeeded now. I didn't even read messages before... although the notifications and knowing some people still gave my stories likes was kinda nice.

Anyway, here's chapter 21, I plan on returning to weekly posts but... yeah, I'm better, not great.I really, really want to promise I'll post regularly, but I swore I'd restart on Christmas, then I swore I'd restart two or three weeks ago and... well, here we are.
Still, keep your fingers crossed people, and please, comment on the chapter, that certainly helps a lot.

Also, I'm really, really, sorry for the hiatus without even saying anything, I hope you guys can forgive me.

Next chapter probably in a week, I'll try not to disappear again.

PS: This isn't the first chapter after I came back, but one that was free on my Patreon a week after I posted chapter 20 here, so there shouldn't be a drop in quality.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Anakin's first thought was that the Empire must truly trust their informant because their ambush , while very well planned and designed, relied totally on the assumption that it would hit the prisoner transport at this exact location.

Feeling the Empire's thugs' rough positions through the Force, he could well imagine the attack.

A large car to hit the lead vehicle, blocking the street while some of their men attacked from the front. Another van blocked the retreat, with a few more men attacking from the back while yet more rained gunfire from elevated positions within the buildings.

It had little room for improvisation, but they may have more forces beyond his immediate sensory range prepared to delay the PRT in case they changed routes.

Taking a breath, the Force seemed to gather around him of its own accord, so much so that his presence filled the street with a wave of dread, freezing his opponents in place for a second.

The entire block grew eerily quiet, the civilians running for their lives as Anakin let his lightsaber's blade stabilize, the fluctuations of the energy discharges fading away to leave only the red blade a few centimeters above the scorched asphalt.

All around, he could feel the fear filling the average gang members, the confusion from the parahumans and, for a few of them, the urge to engage, as if something was driving them into action despite his power.

Several gang members were still hiding inside seemingly empty cars or atop nearby buildings, but Anakin gave the civilians another second to run before starting to act.

Finally, he took a step forward and then paused. With a sigh, he grabbed the drone from inside his cloak and released it, letting the small device float in the air behind his back. He had promised the youngling that she could watch.

From inside one of the cars, a gang member finally acted. The former Sith Lord could feel the man's nerves breaking as he snapped up from his hiding position, lifted a rifle, and started to pull the trigger with a scream.

With a flick of his free hand, Anakin gripped the vehicle with the Force and threw it towards another parked van, the two gang members inside screamed as the car flipped in the air before hitting the van, windows exploding in a shower of glass, the metal screaming from the strain.

He hadn't used enough power to kill the people inside, but they were still hurt and out of the fight.

The street seemed to explode in action. More than a dozen men broke cover to start shooting at him, screaming in both anger and fear. Unfortunately for them, they just didn't have the training or the strength to withstand his presence, ruining their aim.

He ignored them, paying far more attention to the seven of them who hadn't panicked.

Two were closer to him, hiding inside a building to his right and feeling incredibly eager for a fight, almost as if they were happy he had appeared. Still, they remained hidden, waiting.

The others were more reserved, wary of him, and worried about their failed ambush. Three of them were on the roof of a nearby building while another two stayed back, hiding to his left and around the corner.

Regardless, the Force warned him their goal was to take him by surprise while he dealt with the unpowered. The Empire seemed to have changed targets, aiming to spring their trap around him instead of the PRT transport. Futile.

Almost lazily, Anakin dodged a bullet and lifted his lightsaber, evaporating another that wouldn't have hit him, but could have ricocheted and wounded his leg.

For a second, he debated attacking, rushing into the building to his right and using his regained mobility to destroy them before they could finish gathering themselves, but he wasn't here just to eliminate them, he was here to send a message to everyone. He would not simply stand aside and wait for others to attack.

As a Jedi, Anakin had been an incredibly mobile and effective fighter. With his body back, that was probably his most effective fighting style, even if he was a little unpracticed.

On the other hand, if there was one thing he learned in his time as Vader, it was how effective and demoralizing it could be to let your enemies throw everything at you and just… ignore it.

"Enough," Letting his power run free, Anakin slashed another two projectiles, the small caliber bullets completely dissolving without even reaching his armor as he lifted his hand and started attacking.

Before the parahumans could engage him, Anakin focused on the shooters, not only their direction and feelings but their exact location, then he pulled.

With screams of pain and terror, 13 gang members were dragged towards him and out of their hiding positions. Two had just ducked to reload and his pull caused them to smash head-first against walls. He let them go, the concussion taking them out of the fight.

Another four fell out of second-floor windows, glass shattering as they were violently pulled out from their position, bodies hitting the street with painful impacts. Limbs broke, but they were still alive.

Of the remaining seven, three were shooting through small openings between buildings. They smashed against the wall, weapons flying out of their hands as they were pressed against the surface, unable to draw breath.

The last four were pulled through the floor, limbs scraping against the uneven ground as they were dragged towards him. They cried out as the asphalt ripped the skin off their arms and they lost their grip on their weapons.

The Force screamed at Anakin. Immediately, he dropped his grip on the gang members and lifted his lightsaber in front of his body, holding the handle with both hands as he braced himself.

Two beams of light hit his weapon, driving him back an entire foot as his boots slid on the asphalt, the split light parting around his body to hit the ground and the buildings behind him with enough strength to rip out entire chunks as he failed to fully deflect the beams.

Anakin had blocked hovertank shoots before, but he hadn't been expecting to do so today and it left the palm of his hands stinging from the effect.

From atop a building, a petite shining woman flew up into the airspace above, tracing bright motes of light behind herself as she regarded him. She was too bright for him to make out any details, and her form was already growing brighter, gathering strength for another attack.

From the same building, a shirtless man jumped out, the wind catching his descent and letting him hoover in place, a blue tiger mask covering his face. Behind him, six ghostly men followed, wearing full armor and holding long spears in their hands.

Stormtiger. Anakin couldn't help staring at the men who hurt his neighbor. He was tall and muscular, without any scars. It was a struggle not to kill him, simply crush his throath where he floated.

But no, Anakin would leave him for last. Lightsaber ready, Anakin strode towards them.

Stormtiger lifted his arms, hands open as he condensed eight 'claws' of wind before releasing them towards Anakin, followed closely by the six ghostly figures as they descended towards him, spears pointed.

Without even moving, the former Sith Lord hit them with a Force Push, causing the claws to explode in a blast of wind strong enough to flick his cloak back, but the projections were almost unaffected.

The Force screamed again and Anakin started to move.

Purity attacked. Having had time to gather her power, she released two beams of light that twisted around each other. Quickly growing almost as wide as she was tall, the beams flew towards him faster than a blaster bolt.

Anakin had already started to twist, but one of the beams was still going to hit him. With a flourish, he angled his lightsaber, reflecting said beam right back at the woman. The impact proved too much for his unstable lightsaber, the blade temporarily deactivating, it would take a second or two to recover.

Divided, the remaining beam hit the ground only a meter behind him, the asphalt exploding as it dug a giant crater on the street, dust, and debris obscuring his position, even if it couldn't move him.

Anakin frowned at his lightsaber —he really had to create a better crystal— then he clasped it to his waist.

Sensing the two parahumans closest to him had decided to attack, he didn't move but used a weak blast of Force to push the dust away from him, revealing the street.

The first attacker was almost on him, she wore a metal cage around her head and wielded two scythes in her hands. Anakin could feel her eagerness and confidence, as if she fully believed herself capable of dealing with his reflexes at close range.

Behind her, a metal wolf was forming, having taken a second longer to shift into his fighting form. Several layers of daggers, hooks, and other weapons flowed around the parahuman as if alive, increasing his size and covering his body in a large armor of spiked metal.

Hookwolf was almost finished changing, his body already on all fours and rushing at Anakin, quickly gaining on Cricket.

Anakin took a brief moment to look at the battlefield. Purity seemed to be gathering an even stronger attack but was currently holding back thanks to the other's proximity. Stormtiger too was gathering another blast of wind and the six projections were flying straight at him.

At the end of the street, two women stepped out from the corner. Already almost three stories tall, they wore plate armor and were still growing. Both wielded shields, but one had a sword while the other had a spear as they rushed at him.

Good. Killing Lung hadn't proved enough to convince people he should be left alone, maybe this would.

Anakin felt something start to affect his balance, not unlike Genosian sonic weapons, only far weaker and more insidious.

Glancing at Cricket, he flicked a finger, hitting her with a Force Push so strong it sent her flying at a car, her back breaking against the metal door as it folded around her body.

Hookwolf roared, a sound of metal against metal while he radiated rage and he pounced on him, the daggers that formed his fur elongated into swords as he prepared spear-like claws to rip into Anakin's armor.

Anakin lifted his arm, gripping the beast-like parahuman in the air with Force Telekinesis and closing a fist. Metal screamed, twisted, and snapped as the Force Crush pushed the weapons back into his body, turning the wolf into a crumbled ball.

Flicking his arm toward one of the rushing giantesses, Anakin threw the crushed parahuman at the first one with such speed she could barely lift her shield in reaction. Hookwolf nearly exploded against the defense, metal flying everywhere, but he could feel the man was still alive.

The impact sent the woman reeling back, shield bent out of shape and arm broken as she collapsed.

The giantess dropped her sword, her good hand digging into a nearby building in a hopeless attempt to keep her balance, leaving furrows on the cheap concrete of the walls before her back hit the ground, driving the air out of her lungs. Without stopping, her partner jumped over her to avoid tripping.

Opening the hand still pointed at them, Anakin released a strong Force Push. The impact hit the giant warrior woman midair, sending her flying back to fall nearly half a block away, tumbling another half a hundred meters before she finally managed to stop herself.

Force precognition warning him, Anakin leaped back over the crater, dodging some of Crusader's projections as they passed through the floor, momentum driving them forward.

Without anyone close to him, both flying parahumans released their attacks. With barely an effort, Anakin hit one of the condensed claws of air right as it was about to leave Stormtiger's hand and, at the same time, used Force Telekinesis to peel the asphalt from the crater, sending it flying at the incoming light beams.

The explosion was deafening, the condensed air sending Stormtiger flying back against a building. The parahuman managed to cushion the hit enough not to break anything, but the pain disrupted his concentration and he fell three stories down, alive but wounded.

Purity's twin beams of light were even larger this time, blowing through the asphalt of his makeshift shield as if it wasn't there, breaking it into pieces.

Anakin knew even if he dodged, the attack would hit the ground, destabilizing his footing and maybe even wounding him. Shifting his concentration, he focused entirely on Tutaminis and braced himself, lifting his hands to block both beams as they hit him.

The power hit the palm of his hands, melting holes through his gloves as he absorbed the attack until it ended, their bright light almost blinding him.

Crusader's projections had recovered from their failed lunge, the ghostly warriors simply letting the debris around them pass through their bodies as they rushed at Anakin while he was recovering.

Refocusing on his Force Precognition, he straightened his back and dodged, hitting the projections with a Force Push. They stumbled, faltering in their attack, but were otherwise barely affected as if they were merely reflections and not truly there.

With concentration, he felt he could affect them with telekinesis, but it would leave him open for a second.

Lifting a hand, Anakin gathered his power and released a stream of Force Lightning, the energy crackled around his hand, bright bolts of Force-empowered electricity striking at the projections and through them.

The attack finally managed to destroy the projections, the translucent forms fading into smoke, but more were already flying down from the rooftop.

"Impressive, most impressive," he spoke, looking up at Purity, the one in command of the attack. "Without preparation, I did not believe the Empire capable of forcing me to make an effort."

He could sense her apprehension, but the woman was stubborn and filled with misplaced anger. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but thought it was for a good reason, a necessary sacrifice.

For a brief moment, he felt her self-loathing, the part of her that was screaming she was fooling herself, that nothing that was promised would come true and she was throwing her last chance away by doing this.

Then that part was pushed back down and she steeled herself, believing it was too late to change.

Anakin sighed. He recognized her actions, they were far too familiar to him. She thought she had gone too far, that her path MUST be the right one because, otherwise, all she had done was for nothing.

Lifting two fingers, he gave the giant spear thrown at him by a recovering giantess a flick, changing its direction enough that the weapon flew to his left, hitting the ground and piercing two-thirds into the floor.

The owner had managed to regain her footing and started running at him again while her sister cradled a broken arm, an exposed bone taking her out of the fight.

"I can sense your hesitation, your lies, your desperation," Anakin said, looking up at Purity and seeing her glow falter. "Whatever your goal is, you know it cannot be achieved under men such as Kaiser. He plays with your so-called rules, ignores them whenever it suits him. His word holds no value. Whatever he promised you, you know it to be false."

The woman hesitated for a moment, but then she shook her head and shouted back. "Shut up, I'm not a kid you can trick or control!"

Around her, Crusader's new projections had briefly stopped, but they charged him again, spears ready. Unfortunately for the man, Anakin had enough uninterrupted time to concentrate on him.

With an effort of will, he dragged the man from the roof, the parahuman screamed in fear as he hit the railing, flipped over, and started free-falling before one of his projections caught him just three meters above the street.

Purity attacked Anakin before he could continue the attack. Having only started to gather her power, the laser beams were much smaller, barely 50 centimeters wide.

Pulling the lightsaber from his waist through the Force, Anakin gripped the handle with both hands and reignited the recovered blade, deflected both bolts straight at the rushing giantess, aiming for her leg.

"Menja!" Purity shouted.

The bolt hit the woman's armored foot, denting the metal, but she had already reached her full height and was several times tougher than normal while Purity's blast had been one of her weakest.

Menja was still hurt enough she started to limp slightly, but it barely affected her speed. Grabbing her sister's sword, she glared at him.

Anakin ignored them, frowning as he sensed the approaching cars.

With the commotion he had caused, Anakin was sure the transport would have changed routes, but the lead car was accelerating towards them, with the prisoner transport following closely after.

The lead PRT car smashed through some of the debris on the street, pushing the small boulders aside before sliding to a stop, blocking half of the street while the tall, armored prisoner transport stopped at its side.

Purity started to float towards Menja, her feelings growing worried as she too realized something was wrong. Crusader's remaining projections gathered around her without his direct command, acting almost as if completely independent.

"Retreat," Purity looked around, noticing that Stormtiger had managed to recover enough that he managed to float up to a rooftop. "Grab Hookwolf and Cricket, I think they're still alive, and run. I'll buy ti—"

Before she could finish, something hit Stormtiger, piercing through his weakened wind barrier, causing him to stumble back and fall to his knees, containment foam spilling around him.

Behind the PRT barricade, Miss Militia switched targets, her weapon changing shape as she shot at Purity, the glowing cape managing to twist aside enough that the beanbag hit her in the arm instead of center mass.

The double doors of the prisoner transport opened and, from inside, a large armor stepped out. It was initially on all fours, being both too big and too bulky to fit inside the vehicle standing up, but the pieces snapped back into place and it straightened.

Four meters tall, it had the head of a krayt dragon and the body of a super battle droid, its back sporting several sonic cannons.

Anakin could feel Purity's panic as she turned around to flee, but another parahuman stepped in her way, holding a spear that seemed to be made of lightning, the man raised a shield and pointed her way.

From the lead car, two PRT soldiers stepped out and pointed at him with rifles. From the back, another armored parahuman stepped out, a halberd held at his side.

"Understood, the operation is a go," Armsmaster said, his attention never leaving Anakin.

Anakin regarded the PRT and Protectorate members surrounding him. Through the Force, he could already feel a few unmarked cars approaching from the opposite direction, blocking the Empire's escape.

From them, he felt a wave of dedication and confidence, as well as the utter satisfaction of a plan going right.

He would have to raise his opinion of the local law enforcement leader. He had heard of how often parahumans escaped custody, but it seemed like Director Piggot had no intention of letting her chances go. This wasn't a prisoner transport, it was a counter-ambush.

Perhaps Miss Militia had not entirely disregarded his warnings about infiltrators.

Without warning, Anakin was invaded by a sense of urgency unlike any he had felt on this planet, whipping his head back towards ABB territory, he felt fear and anxiety flooding the fledgling Force Bond.

"Susanoo, Purity, drop your weapons and surrender, you're surrounded!" Armsmaster's amplified voice came from his armor.

Gripping his lightsaber tighter, Anakin stared at the man, his temper rising. "What have you done?"





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[SnappingTurt3ls2]

Thanks for the chapter!

 

[vtkun]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Fable of the Unspoken Word]

Nice chapter

 

[TheToFu]

I really want him to absolutely crush them, show that he has been playing with the kiddie gloves this entire time, and they finally put a toe across the line.

 

[mpbjunkie]

Sorry you've had a tough go of it. I'm glad this fic is back and you're doing better.