Darth Vader: Hero of Naboo

Chapter 40

Epilogue of the Light Side

Do not mistake Peace for Quiet.

Anakin was pretty sure that was something Darth Vader said. When and where he heard it himself, he wasn't sure, but it sounded like him. He didn't know why, but it came to mind when looking out the window of the temple, over the vast cityscape.

The former slave vividly remembered when he first laid eyes on the planet-sized city. It bustled with energy, hovercrafts flying about like swarms of endless flies, seas of people walking at all levels of the city. But things had been slow to recover, since the March happened and the Storm ended. At least, near the Temple. He was sure things were more...normal in other areas of the planet, but here? There was a lot less traffic, with many large ships and machines flying about to help move large chunks of debris. It was a steady thing, and Jedi could see it in the distance from the Temple.

The energy was dulled now, subdued. Just like having to rest after an injury, the center of the Republic was in a state of recovery now. Everyone wondered why this happened, and why it had to happen. The Jedi Knights and Masters tried not to let it worry the rest of the temple, but even Anakin had heard the talks going about. And he truly didn't have any answers. The March on the Temple, Vader was trying to make a point of some kind. He got that. Didn't entirely understand it yet, but he probably would when he was older, or so he hoped.

But the Storm, well, that was simple. A very bad man wanted to hurt a lot of people before he died. That was the simple way of putting it, he knew, but it was still the truth. He remembered when he was lost in the Force...and he had seen the red-hot hatred Vader had for the man causing the Storm. For a moment, Anakin had reached out and felt the Old Man in the Storm, surprising him even.

But something deep in Anakin told him that this was always going to happen. That Old Man would always bring a storm because he was like the worst kind of person on Tatooine. The kind that wanted to hurt people, just to hurt people; the ones that found enjoyment in that, somehow.

Anakin sometimes shivered in the night, knowing that this was not the storm the Old Man wanted to bring. Anakin couldn't and didn't want to imagine what huge and horrible thing the Old Man wanted to unleash.

"Anakin, Anakin!"

He looked about, finding two of the younglings running towards him. "Assa, Claern," he called back as they raced up to him excitedly. "What's gotten you two running about?"

"Master Nannar sent us!" Assa answered eagerly.

"Master Yoda is looking for you," Claern finished.

Anakin tilted his head. He was...technically part of the Jedi Order. But what to do with him was...in flux? Undecided? Undecided was a good word. And Anakin understood why, somewhat. He was older than most of the younglings but hadn't been taught as they had. So he was a strange case for them.

And they were all busy dealing with...whatever had happened, with the Storm, with Vader. A lot of people had been hurt and a lot more were scared now.

"Thanks, both of you," Anakin said to them both before heading off, both of the younglings waving after him.

Ahsoka's group had taken a liking to him, after everything.

"Look, there he is."

"The Sithling."

"More like Sithpet."

Anakin stopped, tossing a look over his shoulder at the Padawans. He didn't glare, but he let them know he heard them. They looked taken back but kept their firm frowns. With their silence kept, he headed onwards.