Chapter 7 – Crossing the threshold

Governor Wiluff Tarkin was silent as he and Grand Inquisitor Asajj Ventress waited patiently for the Star Destroyer to arrive. While it would have been preferable for Tarkin to be at the meeting room by now alongside the other Imperial Moffs, Palpatine had made it explicitly clear that both Tarkin and Darth Maul were to assist each other to further the Empire's plans, regardless of their personal opinions. And as ruthless as Tarkin was, he knew better than to question his Emperor. But then again, he was among they very few within Palpatine's inner circle of trust.

In no time at all the ramp opened and out appeared the Emperor's right hand agent Darth Maul, flanked by a team of Stormtroopers escorting a pair of women to the detention area.

"I take it your excursion in the Outer Rim was more than successful?" Tarkin asked rhetorically.

"One could say-yes." Maul replied.

"Good." Tarkin remarked. "Well, between this and Inquisitor Ventress' mission I believe we are well on our way to finally disposing of certain thorns in the Emperor's side, among the other news I received just recently."

"What kind of news exactly?" Maul asked.

Tarkin then smiled.

"Until this Battlestation is fully operational, we are vulnerable!" Argued Imperial General Cassio Tagge. "The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped and more dangerous than you care to realize."

"Dangerous only to your Starfleet Commander, not to this Battlestation." Retorted Conan Antonio Motti, who was also another Imperial General.

"The Rebellion will continue to gain support in the Imperial Senate if we continue to allow them to paint us as the aggressors-!"

Tagge would have continued, but then Tarkin entered the room with Maul and Ventress close behind.

"You needn't worry about the Senate now, or ever again." Tarkin assured. "I just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the Council permanently, so as of now the remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away."

"That's impossible!" Tagge remarked. "How exactly will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?"

"Things have been arranged to where Regional Governors will have full control over their territories." Tarkin answered in a simple, matter-of-fact tone. "Fear is what will keep the local systems in line, particularly fear of this battlestation."

"With respect Governor, I don't think we should dismiss the Rebellion out of hand yet." Tagge insisted. "Especially given the incident on Scarif."

"That was nothing more than a rogue group." Motti said dismissively.

"Are you so certain of that?" Tagge questioned. "If during that entire incident they managed to obtain a complete technical readout of this station and send it to their superiors, then it is possible – however unlikely – they may find a weakness and exploit it."

Motti then chuckled as he shook his head at his fellow General's remarks.

"The plans you are referring to will be back in our possession soon enough." Maul interjected.

"Would it really matter at this point?" Motti said, finally reaching his breaking point with all this hyperbole. "Regardless of what happened on Scarif, regardless of what data they may or may not have obtained, any kind of attack made by those rebels against this station would be futile if not suicidal. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it."

"I wouldn't put too much faith in this technological terror you've constructed if I were you, General." Darth Maul pointed out. "Even as deadly as it is, the Death Star's ability to destroy a planet pales in comparison to the power of The Force."

"Do us a favor and don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways Lord Maul." Motti retorted. And that goes double for your cadre of Inquisitors. "Because unless you can say that your devotion to that ancient religion has somehow granted you the ability to conjure up the stolen data tapes or the clairvoyance to find the Rebel's hidden fortress I suggest you-"

Motti didn't even get a chance to finish, for all of a sudden he felt the airway around his neck begin to narrow.

"You suggest what, exactly?" Ventress purred sadistically as she walked over to Motti's chair. "Oh, I apologize, did Lord Maul somehow interrupt your little diatribe? Please, continue. You were explaining to Lord Maul and his Inquisitors about how we should remember our place in the Empire and not put our faith in some, as you eloquently put it, 'ancient religon'. Never mind the fact that the Emperor had commanded that Lord Maul and myself be present for every, any and all operations regarding his new project. Especially after Director Krennic's little blunder."

Motti couldn't answer, and while all the other Imperial Officers were disturbed by what they were seeing, the only one who wasn't shaken at all was Admiral Yularen given his background and experience during the short-lived Clone Wars.

"In other words, we are finding your current lack of faith to be somewhat disturbing, General." Maul said with his left hand raised.

"Enough of this! Maul! Release him!" Tarkin barked.

"As you wish." Maul replied grudgingly as he released his Force-Choke on Motti, who then was able to catch his breath.

"This bickering is pointless." Tarkin said as he tried to focus everyone's attention to the tasks at hand.

"Now Lord Maul and Inquisitor Ventress will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. After that, crushing the Rebellion once and for all will be a mere formality."

Anakin was inspecting his slugthrower outside Qui-Gon's hovel while the latter went to pack his supplies for the journey to Alderraan. Although Anakin had modified the rifle to be more durable, he didn't want to take any chances of having the weapon break if they ran into any more trouble on the way to Mos Eisley, Tusken Raiders or otherwise.

After inspecting it Anakin went to put the slugthrower back in his landspeeder when he felt something hit him on his right leg, only to find it was R2, who then started to beep at him.

"Now see here!" 3PO said, already past fed up with the astrodroid. "Master Anakin made his decision, and you would do well to respect it!"

R2 just beeped back at the protocol droid.

"We may live in the Outer Rim, but we are well aware of who and what the Empire is, and as despicable as it is to see what they have done, we cannot take sides in this civil war." 3PO clarified.

R2 then beeped some more as he turned his head between 3PO and Anakin.

"What 'Death Star' project?" 3PO asked, incredulous. "What are you talking about?"

R2 then turned his head away and rolled off, while still uttering some beeps as he climbed on board Anakin's speeder, waiting to go.

Anakin then sighed as he walked over to the astro-droid.

"Look, I made a promise to someone years ago and I can't just break it like nothing."

R2 turned his head for a moment before looking back at Anakin and beeping back in reply.

"'Have you ever thought of something bigger than yourself'?" 3PO asked indignantly as he quoted R2's line. "Don't presume to think what Master Anakin will do or won't do and why, you don't know him!"

Before Anakin could say more, Qui-Gon appeared, with a simple backpack in hand ready to go.

"I'm guessing you have everything?" Anakin asked.

"Indeed." Qui-Gon replied politely.

"All right then, let's go."

The trip was pretty uneventful for the most part until the group came across smoke coming from the distance. Wondering what it was Anakin guided the speeder closer until he and the others saw that it was a Jawa Sandcrawler, scorched and smoking.

"What the hell…?" Anakin asked as he and Qui-Gon disembarked, already aghast at the wreckage, as well as the bodies of dead Jawas littering the entire area.

R2 and 3PO wasted no time in disembarking themselves and the protocol droid nearly fainted at the sight.

"Okay let's fan out, see if we can find any survivors." Anakin suggested, although he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that there wouldn't be.

After a few minutes the group had no luck, and given that the Sandcrawler still had smoke emanating from it nobody wanted to chance going in there. Despite this there were some clues found around the wreckage.

"Well, it definitely looks like the Tuskens did this." Anakin remarked. "I mean, there's Gaffii sticks, Bantha tracks all over – I just never heard of them attacking something this big before."

"That is because they didn't." Qui-Gon surmised after doing some inspecting of his own and contemplating on it. "But we are meant to think that they did. Take a glance at these tracks – they are all side by side – not single-file."

Okay, that doesn't make sense. Anakin thought, knowing that Sand People always rode their Banthas single-file to hide larger groups. As he glanced again at some of the Jawas a feeling of familiarity came over him.

"I don't know how, but I got a feeling these Jawas were the same ones that sold me and my dad R2."

"I believe you are right." Qui-Gon agreed. "And did you notice the blast points on the Crawler?"

At first Anakin shook his head but then he remembered seeing how they were before replying.

"Yeah. They were shot at…specific parts."

"Exactly." Qui-Gon agreed. "But more than that, they seemed too specific to be that of a Tusken, regardless of experience. Only an Imperial Stormtrooper would be able to be that precise."

"But why would Stormtroopers waste their time goin' after a bunch of scavengers?" Anakin asked before glancing at R2. And then all the pieces fell into place.

"If they were able to trace R2 here then they would know who he was sold to and that would lead them…home!" He finished as a look of horror crossed his face and Anakin made a dash for the speeder.

"Anakin, don't!" Qui-Gon called out. "It's too dangerous!"

But Anakin wasn't going to hear it, for as soon as he got on his speeder he floored it, heading back to his father's farm, hoping he wasn't too late.

If one was to visit Tatooine for the first time he/she would find that it would be too easy to get lost in the desert. But if one was either born on the planet or lived on it long enough, he/she could really get a bead on where they were and how far they were from Mos Eisley or Mos Espa, and fortunately Anakin knew his way around the Dune Sea like the back of his hand. But none of that was on his mind as he headed for the Lar's farmstead at breakneck speed.

But then as Anakin got to the farm and saw smoke billowing from one of the hovels a sense of dread began to grow within him. Already fearing the worst but still hoping Anakin disembarked from the speeder.

"Dad!" He called out. "Dad!"

"Freeze!" Called out a voice.

Anakin then turned and saw a Stormtrooper dash up to him, blaster-rifle drawn.

"What did you do to my family's farm?!" Anakin demanded.

"I said freeze!"

Anakin then did as he was told as the Stormtrooper then aimed his rifle at the young man while reaching into his utility belt and bringing up an image of an astro-mech droid.

"Have you seen this droid?" Demanded the trooper.

"I've seen a lot of droids, buckethead." Anakin retorted.

"Don't get smart with me, kid. We know this droid was sold to you, now tell us where it is or-"

The trooper didn't finish, for a shot rang out and struck the trooper in the head, taking him out.

Anakin tried to peer through the wreckage and saw Cleigg Lars, on the ground and leaning against a crate with his own slugthrower in hand.

"Dad!" Anakin said as he dashed over to him.

"Anakin…?" Cleigg asked weakly.

"Dad…!" Anakin repeated as he checked his father over and found a blaster bolt in his shoulder as well as on his leg.

"Just hold on, I'm gonna get you out of here."

"No…" Cleigg said. "You need to…get out of here. They'll be back soon."

"The Stormtroopers?" Anakin said.

"Yes…they're…looking for the droid we bought. Is he with you?"

"No."

"Well, those bucketheads want him. I don't…know what for, but it's something."

"Look, we gotta get you some bacta and pronto."

"There's no time for that."

"The hell there isn't!" Anakin insisted. "Come on! We're both going!"

"Stubborn as always." Cleigg remarked as he weakly reached his left hand toward Anakin's shoulder. The latter got a grip and the two stumbled their way to the Speeder.

"I need to…Anakin, look out!"

Cleigg could only push his foster son to the ground before getting hit by several blaster bolts.

"No!" Anakin yelled as he looked up and saw his father fall to the ground. Enraged by this Anakin then drew his blaster and without even needing to think turned his attention to the approaching trio of Stormtroopers and dodged a blaster bolt that almost grazed his face before returning fire, striking the trooper in the chest before turning his attention to the last two.

"This is TK-9814, we need backup assistance now." Spoke one of the Troopers just as he saw his two squadmates get gunned down in front of him. "I repeat, we need ba-"

He didn't finish, for one well-placed shot was enough to silence him for good.

With the troopers down for the count Anakin then felt the adrenaline begin to wear off just as he looked around quickly wondering if there were any more troopers. Seeing no more the mechanic then holstered his blaster as he then made his way back to where his father was.

"Dad…" Anakin said desperately as he tried to get Cleigg up, not needing to look at where the latter got shot to know the wounds were fatal, but still hoping that his father would make it.

"Ani…"

"Don't talk. Just save your strength." Anakin pleaded.

"No…" Cleigg said. "Get out of here son. Leave…me."

"Forget it!" Anakin answered. "I'm not leaving you here!"

"You…you have to…"

A spasm of pain then ripped through the moisture farmer before he looked at his son, knowing his time was running out but needing to say one last thing.

"Ani…listen to me." Cleigg strained as Anakin kneeled down still supporting him.

"I don't…blame you…for what happened…to your mother."

Anakin's eyes then widened. "What? What are you talkin' about-?" He asked, feigning ignorance.

Cleigg just kept going. "I…already knew. But please…don't…blame yourself…anymore. I don't."

At that point tears started to flow out of Anakin's eyes as his own emotions began to overwhelm him.

"Dad, just hold on, please." Anakin pleaded.

"I…love you, son." Cleigg said as he gave Anakin one small smile before his hand dropped from the younger man's shoulder and his head slumped back in Anakin's arms.

"Dad? Dad!" Anakin called as he saw his father die in his arms. And despite the heat and the feel of smoke, everything just felt still, aside from the sound of Anakin's sobs.

How long it took Anakin to bury his father the former didn't know, but as far as the young man was concerned it felt like an entire day even though it was only a few hours. In regards to the Troopers Anakin was too focused on burying his father to care so he left their bodies where they were. Once he was done Anakin tried to kneel reverently by his father's tombstone and his mother's next to it but he couldn't keep it together anymore and he then broke down again and cried until he could cry no more. Steeling his resolve after the fact Anakin then hopped into his Speeder – which surprisingly had remained untouched during the firefight and headed off, back in the direction where he had left Jinn and the two droids. When he arrived he found that the trio had kept themselves busy and constructed makeshift funeral pyres for the Jawas. As he got out he then stared at the wrecked Sandcrawler for a longtime before turning his attention to one of the fires where 3PO had just finished placing the last Jawa onto the pyre.

"There wasn't anything you could have done Anakin." Jinn said as he came up to the mechanic. "And even if you had been there you would have been killed as well, and the droid would now be in the hands of the Empire."

Anakin simply gave a nod, unable to form any words but still understanding. As he glanced at the droids Anakin couldn't help but notice that R2 was doing everything he could to avoid eye contact with him. The young man then walked over to the astrodroid to which R2 quickly tried to move away from him.

"Hey, R2." Anakin said gently as he got in front of the droid and then knelt in front of him. "Look at me."

R2 then glanced back at his new owner.

"…I know I'm a long way from being okay at this point, but I don't blame you for it, all right?"

R2 tried to look away but hearing Anakin's words did get the astrodroid to quit moving away from him and then give a slight nod and several bleeps before heading back over to 3PO.

"Dad didn't deserve this. None of 'em did." Anakin remarked when he walked back over to Jinn.

Jinn nodded in agreement as the two turned to the horizon, both lost in thought.

"I know this is probably going to sound weird right now, but…do you still have that offer to go with you?"

"Why the sudden change of mind?" Jinn asked.

Anakin didn't answer at first but Jinn gave the young man all the time he needed until Anakin took a deep breath and spoke.

"I know I said I had a reason to stay before, but now…"

Anakin then tried to steel himself as best he could before continuing, although the grief was clearly trying to make its way to the surface. Jinn then placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder in comfort, and suddenly Anakin felt a lot calmer.

"Jinn I'm not gonna lie to you, there's part of me that wants to stick it to the Empire in the worst way, but…it's not going to bring my dad back. But I can't just…forget what happened like it was nothing. I don't know if what I'm saying is making any sense but there's got to be a way to avenge him somehow. As pissed off as I am right now, I don't want to go back there again. My mom and dad wouldn't want that, and deep down I don't either."

"It is not wrong to feel the loss." Jinn said after listening to Anakin closely. "As long as you don't allow the negative parts to consume you." He finished with a retrospective tone.

"I want to go with you. I know I'm no Jedi Knight, but if I can still do something to stop the Empire – even if it's only chucking hydrospanners at them – then hopefully my dad can rest a lot better." Anakin finished.

"Well, while I did not know your father personally, I do believe that if you meant as much to him as he did for you, then I sense he may already resting well knowing that you are alive." Jinn said. "As for coming along – I do not believe you will have to worry about using hydrospanners to combat the Empire." He then walked over to the Speeder and reached for his satchel and pulled out what looked like a Holocron from his old hovel.

"What are you doing?" Anakin asked.

Qui-Gon didn't answer at first, instead he took the Holocron and handed to Anakin who was still confused but yet he took the device anyway.

"So what do I do with this?" Anakin asked.

"Just hold the Holocron in your hands, and then close your eyes and concentrate." Jinn answered. "I know that is asking a lot all things considered, but try to do so."

Anakin still didn't have the slightest inkling of what the older man was trying to do, but he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and tried to clear his head, though that was a lot easier said than done.

"Is there anything I need to focus on?" Anakin asked.

"Just what is in your hands." Qui-Gon answered. "I know that there are other things around you – both within and without – but focus only on the Holocron. You are not dismissing all the other things, but rather you are focusing on one thing, and one thing only."

As Anakin tried to concentrate he wasn't feeling anything except the grief, but as he let Jinn's instructions guide him he then found himself reaching out. To what he wasn't yet sure, but he could only hope it was the device as the older man said to him.

Then…suddenly he heard a voice speaking, and it wasn't Jinn's or 3PO's.

"To all Jedi…"

Anakin then opened his eyes and saw his hands were empty but then as he glanced slightly up he saw the Holocron glowing as well as floating in the air, and a diminutive figure wearing an outfit similar to Jinn speaking.

"To all Jedi, Grandmaster-"

"Whoa!" Anakin exclaimed as he lost concentration and the image disappeared, with the Holocron falling to the ground. Fortunately Jinn reached out and caught the device before it hit the sand.

"What – who was that?" Anakin asked, flabbergasted.

"One of my teachers – from long ago." Jinn replied as he brought the device to his hands and closed his own eyes, causing the Holocron to activate once again.

"To all Jedi, Grandmaster Yoda this is." Spoke the figure. "Regret to report I do, that fallen our Jedi Order has, as well as our Republic, with the Empire rising from its ashes. At the core of these unthinkable events our Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine is, or put more specifically Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith."

"As to how this was possible I do not know, but fear I do, that this plan had been brewing for a long time since our Order's last full-fledged encounter with the Sith a millennia ago. The reason for this conclusion is at the Temple discover a recording I had, and with it a horrifying revelation."

The image then changed, showing two hooded figures with one kneeling before another one.

"Master Sidious, it is done."

"Excellent, Lord Maul. Now we must begin the next phase of the plan. Recalibrate the Temple's beacon before you leave. It should draw out any initial survivors of Order 66 back here, where the troopers can deal with them however they wish. Once you are done take a ship and go to the Mustafar system. We can't risk having any 'loose ends' in regards to our Separatist colleagues."

"Indeed."

"Finally, after a millennia's worth of planning, the Jedi will be wiped off from existence and this Republic can be converted into what it should be – a grand Empire that will bring true order to this galaxy. I could almost feel pity for those who thought they could actually bring the Republic back from its brink. But then again, I don't. If they were too foolish or naïve to realize that the Republic as they knew it had stopped existing then their stupidity was as abominable as the Jedi's dogma."

The image then switched back to Yoda.

"A message this now is for all surviving Jedi. Remain hidden now we all must. Return back to the Temple you cannot, for our home it no longer is. Do what I can to impede Sidious's plans, I shall, but if the last time you all hear me this is, then heed my final words: Trust in the Force we all must, now more than ever, for come upon us the dark times now have. But fear not, for no matter how long it takes, and in what way I do not know, but emerge a new hope shall. May the Force be with you all."

And once again Anakin found himself shocked by what he saw and heard.

"How did you do that – hell, how was I even able to do that?" Anakin asked once he got his brain working again.

"Consider this – how is it that you were able to pilot a podracer so effectively – or any other craft?" Jinn asked.

Anakin shrugged. "I…I don't know. Just hard work and a little bit of luck, I guess."

"Well, I do not dispute the hard work aspect, but luck…that is another matter entirely."

"So…luck's got nothin' to do with it?"

"Hardly." Jinn replied. "In all my experience there is no such thing as luck. The reality is that you being able to podrace is a very distinct thing, for no other human in existence has been able to do so. Only someone with Jedi potential would have the reflexes necessary to accomplish such a feat."

Once again Anakin found himself looking at Jinn with a surprised look on his face before his own mind began to consciously (or unconsciously, he wasn't sure which) play back all the memories of him piloting everything – podracers, T-16 Skyhoppers, even his Speeder – and being able to easily pinpoint if something was wrong with the vehicles he drove – all of it then culminated in a revelation that was a little bit overwhelming.

"No, that…that's impossible." Anakin said as he felt himself needing to sit down.

"Nothing is impossible, Anakin." Jinn said as he sat down beside him.

"But…how? How did it happen? I'm just a mechanic, I'm not…a Jedi."

"Why does Tatooine have two suns instead of one? Or how does an icy world like Hoth sustain life despite its harsh weather? Who knows?" Jinn asked rhetorically. "The truth is, there are many mysteries that simply cannot be explained. The only thing one can do is have faith and trust in The Force, even if the answers aren't revealed."

"The Force?" Anakin asked.

"The Force is what gives a Jedi their power and allows them to accomplish feats others cannot." Jinn answered with a small smile. "Some say it is an energy field created by all living things, while others say it is an actual being. But however the Force's true form is, it surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the entire galaxy together."

When Jinn finished Anakin ran his hand through his short hair as he tried to go over what the older man told him. While Anakin had always felt different from the rest of his friends, that didn't prepare him for the full extent of what he really was and could be. That combined with losing his dad and his home in just a few hours' time was enough to make him want to take a long nap and not wake up for a long while. But yet…something in him kept spurring him on, encouraging him to listen to what Jinn had to say.

"But why me though?" Anakin asked, still not sure what made him so special.

Jinn just smiled as he put a very paternal hand on the young man's shoulder.

"The Force willed you to be born different for a reason." Jinn said. "Just as I was born differently, and many other Jedi Knights before us. But like with everything, what we do with the gifts we are given is ultimately up to us. So…" Jinn then got up. "What is it that you want to do right now?"

As Anakin looked up he once again felt something stirring within him. Was it his own instincts or the Force itself, or both-? At this point he wasn't sure, but what he did know was that he could either choose to stay, or…find a way to right not just the wrong that was done to his family, but right the wrongs done to others by the Empire.

Plus…maybe it was just a tiny bit of wishful thinking on his part, but if he could also help that beautiful angel in the holomessage…

With all this running through his mind, Anakin then came to a decision and rose to his feet. His face with a calm yet determined look as he spoke the words that would unknowingly change the rest of his life form here on in.

"I wanna go with you. So where do we start?"