Disclaimer : This is a work of fiction. I don't mean to state anything about the sexuality of Anakin Skywalker, Hayden Christensen or anyone else.
Note : This story of mine will only make use of the Star Wars characters, and will barely follow the Star Wars story, if at all.
Mace Windu walked through the Jedi Temple. He'd had a terrible morning, filled with sadness. After arriving back from his encounter with Deryk, he'd found his emotions off- centre and difficult to control. It was made worse by the devastation he'd encountered at the Temple.
Yoda was seeing to the destruction in the main hall, which he and the others had wrought themselves. He moved around slowly, leaning on his walking stick for support. He'd point and direct a Padawan to lift something or clean something up. Some of the larger pieces of stone he'd move himself. There was a large hole in the roof above, but Yoda was slowly patching it with the Force and with pieces of fallen concrete. Adi Gallia was consoling some terrified Younglings, some who were shaking visibly, others crying into their hands. He could only guess what they had seen to make them so scared, but perhaps their terror was not in vain. Young initiates often required a lesson to demonstrate the seriousness of combat, and dispel the illusion of adventure and glory. It would also demonstrate any emotional flaws they possessed; flaws which they could work on. Plo Koon was directing some workmen in their efforts to lift the massive front doors up the considerable main stairs leading into the Jedi Temple. They were huge, and required at least ten men on each side to lift them. Mace smiled slightly at Plo's reluctance to help the men with the doors, but then, he'd always been a proponent of physical endeavors before the easier Force-aided way. Other senior Jedi were moving around the room and stopping in several areas and murmuring to one another, sometimes nodding and sometimes shaking their heads. Only a Jedi would be able to see the Dark Side remnants in certain areas of the room, and an astute Master might be able to piece together what happened just by examining them. This hallway reeked of Deryk's touch... huge destruction, terror ... but no injuries or death.
He wished it had ended there. Moments later some Jedi had asked him to accompany them to the prison cell area. The two Jedi who had been on guard the previous night were both critically injured with a questionable prognosis, but at least being treated on the medical level in the East Tower. He sensed Deryk's actions there too, and shook his head in disapproval. There was no evidence of the Force prison which had held Darth Sidious, and he felt a sense of wonder. Deryk had found a way to break a Reki Force Prison, possibly the strongest known to the Jedi. It became stronger as you assaulted it, and compensated by drawing on the Force to reinforce its self. Yoda claimed it would take the council days to destabilize it enough for it to fall apart. It couldn't be broken! Yet Deryk had done just that. Mace mumbled softly when he noticed Sidious' obvious absence. He would spend days regretting not killing the man. Very little was worth unleashing a Sith Master onto the galaxy again. Mace stepped through the large hole in the wall which led into the library, and turned his head away in anguish when he gazed upon the area. Padawans were carrying bodies from different areas of the library and laying them next to one another. Most of them bore telltale signs of a lightsaber death such as a charred hole in the chest, or a blackened wound across the back, yet some bore gruesome burns and eyes wide with terror - a horrific death as the Sith unleashed his lightning on them. He turned his head away in anguish as he saw a headless young Padawan added to the line of bodies.
"We discovered them this morning, Master," Rendra said sadly, her eyes hurt and fixed on the bodies.
"How many?" he said simply.
"Twenty-two Jedi, mostly Padawans doing their evening research," she said woodenly, as if she'd expected the question.
"Any survivors?" he said hopefully.
"None," she said. "The Sith went back for anyone who appeared to survive his initial attack. If the council doesn't vote to destroy Deryk for this Master, then I don't think they ever will," she said angrily.
"It wasn't Deryk," he said, looking around the room. The Dark Side was toxic here it was so strong, and the methods screamed Darth Sidious.
"Master, the Dark Side is so powerful here, it must have been him..." she said, amazed that he couldn't see the obvious.
"Did you mishear me?" he said in an irritated way, and felt regret immediately. "This was Darth Sidious. Deryk went out the front door. He harmed no one."
"Well then he is an accomplice to this murder," she said, and then shied away from his harsh stare. "I'm sorry Master. I misstepped."
"It is of little consequence, Rendra. We are all saddened and disturbed by these events. We must be mindful of our emotions, now more than ever. The Dark Side's aim is to unbalance the Jedi, and we cannot allow that."
"Yes," she said nodding confidently. "Yes, Master," she said again, and walked away to help restore the ruined library.
Mace looked at the library again, and suddenly became aware of his lightsaber. At that moment he made the decision to destroy the Sith Master if he came across him again. No matter what, the Dark Master would not even have a moment to surrender or bargain. He would die, as part of a judgment for his crimes, and for what he was. He immediately felt remorse. Could he have saved these young Jedi if he'd killed Sidious as soon as he defeated him? Was it really the Jedi way to let those live who could never be turned, and would kill again no matter what? Sometimes he wondered whether life was really as sacred as the Code suggested, but of course, he would never dare voice his opinion. Only Deryk had the courage to do that, and look at what had happened to him. He turned around and walked away, feeling uncertainty for the first time in years.
Darth Sidious walked up the poorly lit steps of the building leading to the roof. He was furious at the way events had turned out, but held his anger. Anger was the weapon of the truly great, but it was useless unless it was channeled effectively. It was much like water. A dam was a useless collection of moisture, but if you could get that mass of water behind you, then you could crush anything that dared to stand in your way.
He had debts to settle. The Jedi had used Deryk's remarkable transformation into a Force demigod as an opportunity to trip him and seize his lightsaber. It was his fault for being off-guard, true, but Mace Windu and the others would die screaming for their arrest of a Sith Lord. They would have many years to regret not killing him, a mistake he would never dare have made. He thought back to his escape and smiled. It would take the dying screams of a thousand Jedi to pay for his incarceration, but it had been nice to start with some Padawans. He thought fondly at how their innocent eyes had been frozen in shock at his lightsaber had ended their lives, or their futile pleas of mercy as he'd gone back to finish off the survivors. Each death had made him stronger in the Dark Side, and he'd reveled in it.
Deryk had risked much to save him, and he grudgingly acknowledged his debt to the young Sith Lord. His overall knowledge of the Force was quite spectacular, as he'd once again proved with the Force cage he'd broken. He could sense his apprentice a few thousand miles to the north, probably back in his penthouse apartment. It was foolish for him to return to that abode; it might have been a trap. Perhaps Deryk was confident in his abilities to match any trap, and he couldn't believe he was that short-sighted. Deryk had without a doubt also attacked the Temple to reach Anakin, but he couldn't sense whether he had been successful or not. He did sense injury in his apprentice, but against the entire Jedi Temple, it would be expected.
He reached the top of the staircase and walked into the cool night. The breeze disturbed his cloak but his hood hid his true appearance. The Jedi had revoked his status as Supreme Chancellor and named him a criminal of the state, another crime which they would pay for. That was, however, not a reason for contractors to know who was hiring them. Anonymity was a valuable weapon which he'd utilized for twenty years before recent events transpired.
There were two people waiting for him, a man and a woman. The woman was strikingly beautiful, with long blonde hair tied back in intricate patterns with a gold braid. She wore a gray dress which blended into the night, but her icy blue eyes glittered in the night lights. The man was built, with cropped black hair and a hard face. A large rifle was strapped over his back.
He walked up to the man. "Dakra Fett?" he said.
The woman stepped forward. "I am Dakra Fett," she said with an arrogant smirk, and named him a fool for making the mistake which so many others had. He would have to be careful around her.
"Another stupid fool," the large man said laughing.
"You will never address me so again, young man, or you will regret it," he said quietly, but the smirk remained on the man's face, as if challenging him. He really was a fool, and he would die a fool.
The woman looked at him, her face cold and hard. "You have summoned me here. What do you need done, and can you afford it?" She reeked of danger, and her beauty was a malicious disguise to an unwary victim. Dakra Fett was the most renowned assassin in the galaxy, and possibly the most successful too. She'd ended the lives of politicians, merchants, kings and even Jedi. Jedi...
"Can you kill this man?" he said, handing her a holoview of the target.
She glanced at the picture without expression for a few moments then looked up at him. "I know this man. You, however, cannot afford to kill him. No one can. Come Karryk, our work here is done," she said turning on her heel and walking away.
"So long, you stupid little man," Karryk said with a wide smile, and a mocking wave.
Sidious found himself growling and raised his hand, seizing Karryk by the throat. The man gasped and lifted into the air and Sidious felt the bones in the man's throat crack and splinter. He convulsed in mid air and fell dead on the building. The woman whizzed around and he saw ten spiked stars fly in his direction. In a flash his saber was out and he'd deflected them, or dodged them. He didn't know where those stars had come from, but the woman stood facing him, with three serrated knives in each hand and a calm but deadly glint in her eyes.
"You missed," he said with a smile, and laughed as he saw one of the reflected stars pinned in her right leg.
"Did I?" she said with a mocking grin, and removed the star from her leg without flinching. She drew out a small red vial and drank the contents.
He glanced to his left and saw a tear in the cloak over his left shoulder, and a small sting which suggested a cut underneath. An innocent cut perhaps, but not with this woman. "Poison?" he said.
"You have minutes to live," she said. She took out a small red vial and threw it over the side of the building, but he snared it and it flew into his hand. He popped the cork and drank what could only be the antidote. The woman really was all she was made out to be. He sheathed his saber, and watched her knives melt into her attire.
"Impressive," he said, but she didn't acknowledge the complement.
"Your command of the Force and your demeanor name you a Sith Lord," she said academically. "That makes you rare, very rare indeed. It also means you have power and... resources." She walked toward him with a sly grin. "You have my interest, Sith Lord. I can do this task for you, but it will cost you... eighty million credits."
He smiled at her. "Done. A small price for his destruction. I'll give you one hundred million if you can lay his death at the Jedi's feet."
She laughed. "Such a typical Sith motive," she said. "I'll do as you request."
"Sorry about your bodyguard, but I did warn him," he said.
"My cousin," she said, correcting him - and spared the corpse the briefest of glances. "I need no bodyguard, but a sacrifice for a would-be assassin is always worth something to me."
He realized once again how tough this woman was. "We'll meet again here in one week from now. I sincerely hope you have succeeded by then. I've always been impatient with those who fail me," he said softly.
She laughed. "One week then. He'll be dead... or I'll be. I've said that line to thousands of clients though, so make sure the money is here."
She leaped from the building, and two aerofoil wings sprouted from her dress as she glided down through the Coruscent traffic lines into obscurity. She was his type of woman, but dangerous to the extreme - and not even a Force adept. He made his way down the steps again, and started chuckling. His plans would soon come to fruition.
Deryk woke up from a deep and dreamless sleep. It was his first decent sleep in days; and he'd enjoyed it. The sunlight shining through the large glass windows hurt his eyes, and he strained to focus. Sighing he dug into his pillow, but it felt odd. He turned and his eyes widened when he saw that his head was resting on Anakin's chest. He'd totally forgotten about the previous night, and how he'd drifted to sleep in Anakin's arms. His eyes swept over Anakin's peacefully rising chest, and over his smooth abs which were defined and powerful. His eyes ran down and followed the treasure trail into the first hints of brown hair which was deftly hidden by the white sheet covering him. Anakin appeared to be asleep, his face set in absolute serenity.
Deryk licked Anakin's right nipple lightly, and he groaned. A small grin appeared on Anakin's face but he kept his eyes closed.
"Morning," he said sleepily.
"Morning," Deryk replied. "I didn't know where I was when I woke up."
"When I felt my nipple, I knew exactly where I was," he said, causing Deryk to laugh.
Deryk's arms tightened around Anakin's waist, and he murmured with approval. He could have slept like this forever. If the Jedi burst in now and stabbed him in the heart, he would thank them for it. He looked at Anakin's chest again, and picked up the subtle scar which covered his sternum.
"Fuck, Anakin. I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I'll never forgive myself, and I certainly don't expect you to," Deryk said, and heard the pain in his voice.
He sat up, and Deryk lay down softly on his own side of the bed. Anakin leaned his head on his right arm and looked at Deryk seriously. "Deryk, I want you to listen to me, because I'm only going to say this once. I'll never say it again, but I will be pretty angry if you bring it up again." Deryk nodded. "You weren't yourself that day, and Mace surprised us both. What you did was the logical thing to do, and I would have assumed the same if I was you."
He looked at Deryk with serious eyes, but his expression was blank, and Deryk felt the need to blink away the extra dampness in his eyes. He didn't like what he saw and his face sharpened, bordering on anger. "Anakin... I," Deryk began, but was cut off harshly as Anakin leaned forward and kissed him deeply. His lips were so soft, so amazing. Deryk could feel the passion in his kiss, and his breath was hot and passionate as he breathed it into him. He finished off with some small kisses on Deryk's lips and chin.
"Do you believe me, now?" he said breathlessly, but ran his hands down Deryk's chest causing him to exhale.
He looked at Anakin for a moment then smirked. "I don't believe you."
He laughed, and fell onto his back. "Damn, you're going to be the end of me," he said, and Deryk felt a pang of guilt at his innocent, yet too-true comment.
Deryk rolled onto his side, and brushed his hand over Anakin's chest, his hand faltering over the scar when it occurred to him it might be painful. He didn't seem to feel it. "You want something to eat, handsome?" Deryk said.
He grinned. "Sure. Let's see if the great Jedi Master can make breakfast as well as he can destroy fleets of star ships."
Deryk's eyes fell at his comment. "I'm not a Jedi anymore, Anakin," he said with shame.
A long silence stretched. "Making food requires physical movement, Deryk," Anakin said with a light tone, and Deryk looked up and saw a glint in his eyes. Deryk pushed him back onto his pillow and he laughed like a boy. He was very sexy.
Deryk climbed out of bed, and gasped as all his wounds talked to him at once. His arm was painful even though the new flesh looked pink and new, but his muscles pained with every movement. "You alright, buddy?" he said.
"Yeah," Deryk said. "Just have some pains."
Deryk walked to the shower and tried to walk normally, but his agonized body wouldn't listen entirely, and he limped a little. Anakin watched him with a blank expression, but his eyes followed him until he was safe under the water of the shower. Climbing out, Deryk cleaned up his appearance, and put on some black pants, and a loose black shirt. His saber was safe in the north corner of the room. It was a reflex for him to keep a tab on it wherever he went. He walked over to the kitchen and started preparing Anakin a decent Correlian breakfast, which was his own favourite. After a short time he walked over to the table and found Anakin already seated and grinning at him, shirtless in his sublime form while white pants ruined the almost perfect view. He was hungry and ate eagerly.
"Nice," he said, with a full mouth.
Deryk winked at him. "Won't Obi-Wan or the others worry where you are?"
Anakin didn't react, but continued eating ravenously. "I'm a full Knight now. I don't need their permission. Besides, I'm almost sure they know about us." He said it so simply it hit Deryk like a blow to the face. Deryk started eating to hide his embarrassment.
When he was finished Deryk was still a little hungry, and he spotted a Hothan Pear in the fruit bowl. He floated it over to himself using the Force. Halfway it suddenly stopped and he blinked with surprise. Turning his head to the left, he saw Anakin grinning at him devilishly.
"I want it too," he said, and Deryk felt him draw on the Force. He matched him as they dueled for the small fruit which started doing a dance in mid-air as they grappled for it. Suddenly Anakin released the fruit and it flew in Deryk's direction, but almost immediately he started pushing at Deryk with the Force. Deryk stood up and pushed back softly, not sure what to make of the situation. Anakin pushed harder and Deryk started moving back as the Force's weight moved him. He held out his hands and drew deeply on the Force, pushing with his power against Anakin's. He looked at Deryk with interest, and stood up from the table. He walked towards Deryk and held out his hands. The Force crackled in the air as they drew on it's power. Deryk pushed back as hard as he could, but he was still moving back, his feet sliding on the smooth marble floors. Determination was etched on Anakin's face, and Deryk sensed the strain in his eyes as he fought against him. He growled like a beast as Deryk pushed with all his might, and Anakin's lips curved in amusement, as the floors started vibrating with the power flowing through the room. Anakin was enjoying this. Suddenly Deryk's back hit the wall and he felt Anakin's strength press against his chest. Deryk was pinned to the wall, and his power was not sufficient to stop Anakin. For the first time in his life, Deryk the great Jedi Master could not use his strength to get out of a situation.
He strained to breathe as the weight of Anakin's strength pressed on his chest, and Anakin approached him with a mischievous look in his eye.
"I like you like this, tame and biddable," Anakin said, and he almost sounded serious.
"Let me go and I'll fucking..." Deryk began, and thrashed around futilely in his bonds. Yet as he began Anakin smiled and moved forward and tried to kiss him. He moved his head from side to side to deflect the kiss, but Anakin's lips eventually trapped his. He resisted for as long as he could but his soft touch melted away any objections Deryk might have had. Anakin groaned, and Deryk felt the force ebb away. He fell forward as the weight left his chest, and they embraced tightly.
"I love you," Deryk said.
Deryk looked at him seriously, his eyes an inch from Anakin's, their noses rubbing against one another as their lips met. "I love you too, Deryk," he said. The situation was perfect, and nothing could ruin it.
Obi-Wan entered the Chamber of the High Council. He realized that he was the last member of the council to assume his place. His footsteps echoed on the polished marble as the yellow sun cast its dusky glow into the chamber. The other council members watched him cross the floor in silence as he took his place. Yoda spoke first.
"Now that we are convened, discuss the Jedi's problems we will," he said.
"Problem is a word which barely justifies the scale of the disaster," Obi-Wan said before he could stop himself.
"Deryk walked in here last night and walked out the door without a scratch. Our forefathers would convulse in the Force if they knew our entire order couldn't stop two Sith Lords," Adi Gallia said. She was normally a quiet member of the council, offering only the most succinct opinions, but now here eyes were tight and strained.
"Peace my friend," Yoda said to her. "Stop him we could have. Even killed him. Yet cost us dearly it would have - including those Younglings."
Adi Gallia's eyes flared. It was a remarkable sight. "In case you have forgotten Master, over twenty of our friends died last night at the hands of these Sith. So any claims of restraint are futile at best, and idiotic at worst."
Obi-Wan and the rest of the council looked at her with shock. Not many people would dare to confront Yoda in such a way, but something had obviously touched a nerve in her, and filled her with determination.
"No," Mace Windu said. Obi-Wan blinked when he realized that Mace had said nothing since the beginning of the meeting, another extraordinary occurrence. "The murder was undertaken by Darth Sidious. Deryk had no part in it."
The words were like a white hot nail in Obi-Wan's brain. Before he knew it, he was on his feet. "No part in it?! He walked into our Temple cloaked in the Dark Side, and nearly killed the two young Jedi guarding the Sith Lord. Then he freed a man whom he knew was evil. At the least, he is an instrument in the murder - and in my opinion, far more!"
He was breathing heavily, impatience flowing through him like acid. Mace Windu looked at him impassively but he looked to his left and saw Adi Gallia on her feet too. "I agree with Master Obi-Wan. We need to find these two Sith and destroy them even if it means the death of the whole council!"
"You two aren't thinking rationally," Mace Windu said over tented fingers. "Obi-Wan, you've allowed Anakin's involvement to blind your judgment, as have you Adi Gallia due to a short incident involving some Younglings."
Mace's arrogance infuriated him. "On the contrary, Master Windu, it is you who is blind. You have allowed your friendship with this Dark Jedi to corrupt your opinions. I should have stopped you from voicing them weeks ago, but you have moved from one sacrilege to the next, and I will not allow it to continue." He was surprised at how calm his voice was.
Mace Windu stood and faced him calmly. Yoda stood too. "Peace my friends," he said.
Mace Windu pretended not to hear him. "You will stop me?" he said dangerously. "A Jedi who has always had questionable intuition is going to stop me? Do you think you can match my wisdom, Obi-Wan Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan felt small in the shadow of this legendary Jedi, but something about his allegiance to Deryk drove him almost mad with frustration. "Don't manipulate the situation with your prowess as a Jedi Master. Why don't you rather address my charges related to your conduct as a Jedi, which border on treason!"
Mace Windu smirked at him arrogantly. "A fly stuck in a matchbox, trying to pass judgment on the eagle who soars above him. I don't answer to you, Obi-Wan."
"You answer to all the Jedi, and to this council," Adi Gallia said. "You have always urged caution and restraint regarding Deryk, and even after he and his Master have slaughtered defenseless Padawans, you have still not found the courage to order his execution."
Mace Windu looked at her flatly. "Courage, or idiocy? You two are sorely blind in the Force if you think this conflict can be reduced to a conflict between two Sith Lords and a thousand Jedi." His tone reeked of contempt for their opinions.
Obi-Wan tried to calm himself. "Perhaps we aren't as far seeing as you and Master Yoda, but at least we can look at ourselves in the mirror, knowing we aren't toying with the Dark Side of the Force. Damn you Mace, this man is killing people - Jedi!"
"Deryk is a key player in the Force, perhaps the single greatest vergence we have ever encountered. Answer me then Obi-Wan... if he is as dark as you say, then why has your friend, Anakin become infatuated with him?"
The question was plain, but several members of the council gasped. It felt like he had been punched in the stomach, as the wind left his lungs. They knew - at least, Mace did. "Anakin is a Jedi Knight and can answer for his own actions," he said weakly.
"We know that he is consorting with Deryk, and far more - initiating a union of sorts. Do you really want to raise talk of treason when your own friends openly mingle with Sith Lords?" Mace's face was hard, yet he had clearly outwitted Obi-Wan again.
"So because of one stray Jedi, the council is going to sit back while two Sith Lords plunder the galaxy?" Adi Gallia said with a vexed tone.
"Stray?" Mace said with contempt. "Anakin is the strongest Jedi who has ever trained here. Are you foolish enough to believe in the coincidence that he should be drawn so strongly to Deryk?" There was a long silence. "Anakin and Deryk are uniting the two sides of the Force, but for what reason, I cannot say."
Obi-Wan stared at him. "So you will not kill Deryk if you cross paths with him?"
Mace Windu looked at him for a moment before answering. "I defeated him last night, and let him go." Gasps circled the room, and Adi Gallia almost fell into her chair with shock. Even Yoda looked at Mace Windu with curiosity.
Obi-Wan pointed his finger at Mace Windu. "I call a charge of..." he began, but Mace Windu talked over him.
"Shut up Obi-Wan, for once in your life," Mace said angrily, and for a wonder, Obi-Wan obeyed. Mace Windu walked to the centre of the room. "After Deryk left the Temple, I ambushed him and defeated him. He could have fought me... but didn't. Instead, he begged me to end his life claiming that without Anakin his life was meaningless. Does this sound like a Sith Lord to you?" Mace Windu looked down as if talking to himself. "My blade was right by his throat. I could have ended it right there, but I couldn't. How could I strike down a man crying in despair, desperately in love? What type of disgrace would I be then?"
The room was so silent they could hear the distant mechanical vibe of passing traffic. "I swear to you my friends, Deryk is not a Sith Lord - but has been tricked by Darth Sidious in some way. He has almost certainly been promised Anakin in return for his service. I tell you now, I will never kill Deryk - but I will go to extra lengths to destroy his Master. My judgment in this matter is final." He went and sat down.
Yoda mumbled softly. "This event in the Force has unbalanced us. How great will the galaxy's fall be if the Jedi council comes to blows over Deryk and Anakin? I too will not harm Anakin or Deryk, but I pronounce death on the Sith Lord, Sidious. What say you my friends?"
"I agree," Plo Koon said, and stood. Jedi started standing all over the chamber to vote in favour of the decree. At last everyone was standing, except Obi-Wan and Adi Gallia. She stared ahead for a moment, and slowly stood, before nodding silently.
Obi-Wan stood. "Never," he said defiantly, and walked out of the chambers. His head was filled with anger. He wanted to kill Deryk for all the trouble he'd caused. He was the ultimate Jedi disgrace, yet he'd been revered by the strongest Jedi in the order. He'd willingly drawn on the Dark Side, killed Jedi Knights and freed a Sith Master - yet he was spared. He wanted to vomit. He was the only Jedi with true vision, and it was his responsibility to balance this disaster. They would thank him for it once it was over.
Deryk would have to die. Anakin would never forgive him, but he often found that he knew what was better for Anakin, than he did himself.
"I'm sorry Anakin," he whispered,"... but it's for your own good."
End of chapter 7
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