To The End of Their Days

The two lovers were as happy as they could be, basking in each other’s warmth and embrace, enjoying the immense pleasure that only they could, when the speeder crashes through their wall. Startled, Anakin rolls Tahiri and himself off the bed, shielding her with his own form. As the dust and rubble settles, he stands up and carefully makes his way over to the speeder. Looking inside he is shocked, for he is staring at himself.

Frowning slightly, he opens the door, watching as the other tumbles out and falls to the floor. He is disheveled and his eyes are bloodshot. Looking up, a lopsided grin slides to his face. “Thank the Force, I made it.”

He reaches out and passes a small device to Anakin. “Here, take it, go back and stop all of this from happening.”

As soon as Anakin takes the device, the other disappears, not with the gentle fading of a Jedi Master dying, but with a soul wrenching scream, as his composite atoms were dissembled.

Tahiri comes up behind him, and places her hand on his shoulder. “What is it?”

Anakin looks at the box through half-lidded eyes, letting the Force tell him what it is, what it means, and how to activate it. Unfortunately, all he gets from the Force is how to activate it. Shrugging, he twists the box open, looking at the small buttons that he feels he should press to turn the device on. “I’m not sure, but you turn it on by doing this.”

Pressing the buttons, a bright light flashes out from the device, engulfing the two lovers. As the light fades, they drop to the floor, and Anakin feels an overwhelming urge to throw up. Instead he curses. “Kriff it!”

Tahiri looks scandalized. “I thought you weren’t going to use that type of language anymore.”

Then suddenly the lights in the building dim, as an explosion rocks it. Anakin stumbles over to the window, noticing the capital ships in orbit fighting it out, even as one of them rips through the atmosphere, leaving a burning trail of wreckage as it speeds on its way towards the industrial area, north of the Senate District.

Tahiri flips on the holonet, and starts listening to the news report about the battle, as Anakin comes over and joins her, wrapping his arms around her thin form. Together they listen to the report, each mirroring the confusion the other feels. “repeat, the Separatists have attacked the capital and kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. The Senate District has numerous fires, and the Jedi District is in shambles. Though we are now starting to get reports that the Hero Without Fear, Anakin Skywalker, and the Negotiator, Obi-Wan Kenobi, are on General Grevious’ battleship in a daring rescue attempt.”

Anakin reaches out suddenly and turns off the holonet, a strange light in his eyes, as he turns towards Tahiri. “We’re in the past!”

Tahiri frowns, as she considers what the reporter had said, and then sadly nods her head, agreeing with Anakin’s thoughts on the matter. He gives her a large grin. “We could stop my grandfather from turning evil! We could stop Palpatine here and now, before he becomes the Emperor.”

Tahiri looks out the window, towards the Senate building. “I don’t know about that Anakin, I think it might be better to find some corner of the galaxy and hole up and try not to change anything.”

Anakin shakes his head. “No, we’re here, we’re Jedi, we have a duty to act to preserve life.” Then with a wave of his hand, he starts towards the door. “Come on!”

Tahiri stands there for a moment, biting her lower lip, deciding if she really wants to do this. Then shaking her head in defeat she calls out, “Wait up Heroboy.”

They arrive at the Senate landing area, dressed in their Jedi robes, and watch a public transport pull up. A group of dignitaries and Jedi walk over to the transport, as three people get off. Two of them are in Jedi robes, and the third in similar robes to the other senators.

Suddenly a reporter rushes past them, screaming out the Chancellor’s name. They watch as a Senate guard quickly rushes over and drags the reporter away. Staying in the shadows they watch the party as they talk amongst themselves. Anakin frowns and looks away from the party to the shadows of one of the many columns, noticing a young lady there, probing her with the Force, he can feel her pregnancy.

Finally the transport leaves, taking most of the Jedi with it. Then the dignitaries begin walking into the Senate, until the younger of the two Jedi from the transport is left standing there all alone. Looking around, he quickly rushes to the pregnant girl, and Anakin and Tahiri watch as they kiss.

As the girl calls out his name, Anakin realizes just who that young Jedi is. It’s his grandfather. Then Anakin receives another shock, as the girl tells his grandfather that she’s pregnant.

Anakin drags Tahiri back further into the shadows, and whispers into her ear. “I wonder why they’re sneaking around like that.”

Tahiri shakes her head. “Weren’t you ever listening during lessons? The Old Jedi Order didn’t allow Jedi to marry or fall in love or date or anything.”

Anakin frowns. “Oh. And no I wasn’t listening. I was always watching you.”

They turn back towards the other couple noticing that they have already disappeared. Anakin scowls. “What now!?”

Tahiri smirks at him. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out I’m sure.”


A few days later finds Anakin and Tahiri once more on the Senate landing platform, looking around, as a drop ship lands, and three Jedi get off. Anakin and Tahiri melt back into the shadows as the three Jedi march past, their faces and Force presences grim.

Anakin steps out from behind the column they were hiding behind, and glances down the hallway where the Jedi disappeared, he then looks at Tahiri. “I wonder what that’s about.”

Tahiri shakes her head, and then drags Anakin back into the shadows, as a small speeder comes in for a landing. The cockpit opening, even before the speeder has fully stopped, they watch as Anakin jumps from the speeder and takes off down the hallway after the other Jedi.

Anakin’s eyes follow after his grandfather, and then he turns back towards Tahiri. Tahiri looks towards him, then down the hallway and back to Anakin, an unknown fear settling into the pit of her stomach. “No! Anakin, I love you! But no!”

Anakin ignores her protests and starts down the hallway at a fast clip, and then starts running as the sensations of people fighting within the Force starts pooling out from the Senate building. Muttering curses under her breath, Tahiri starts to follow.

The slowly enter the Chancellor’s office, noticing Anakin’s grandfather watching as a dark-skinned Jedi catches Force lightning on his purple lightsaber blade. The Sith shooting the lightning, is looking at Anakin and pleading in a weak voice.

Anakin notices as his grandfather lifts his lightsaber, and begins its swing towards the Jedi. Anakin frowns as he takes in the dynamic, as he realizes just what is happening. He sees this as the shatter point, the point where Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader. Where he stops being a Jedi, upholding justice and peace and became a Sith, working only for his own selfish needs and power.

Anakin, grips his saber tighter, and as his grandfather’s saber begins its arc downwards, he jumps, and places his saber in the way protecting the dark-skinned Jedi. With a flash of anger, he stares down his grandfather. “How could you? You’re a Jedi!”

Vader’s eyes flash, turning a pale sickly yellow, tinged in red. “I hate you!”

Then he attacks, his blue blade coming in a strong downward arc towards Anakin’s head. Anakin throws up his blade, catching the other, and quickly steps in, pushing his grandfather back, and causing him to trip over a low table. “I won’t let you fall to the Dark Side.”

Anakin spares a glance for Tahiri, and sees her standing there calmly watching everything that is unfolding. Then he glances at the dark-skinned Jedi, and notices that he to is watching the grandfather and grandson fight, and then to his horror, Palpatine blasts him with Force Lightning again, sending the Jedi flying out the broken window.

He hears the low cackling laughter coming from Palpatine, and dodges as his grandfather slams his lightsaber down towards him. Frowning slightly, he shifts his stance, and quickly steps in, slamming his lightsaber blade through his grandfather’s stomach.

Tahiri screams out. “Anakin, what have you done!? You killed your grandfather! How could you?”

Then Tahiri screams from the pain of Force Lightning as Palpatine stands to his feet, cackling loudly. Anakin scowls at the Sith Lord, and leaps into the path of the lightning, interposing his saber between himself and Palpatine. Then he pushes out with the Force against Palpatine, as the dark one throws up a push of his own, to block.

Then with a grim smile, Anakin reverses his Force grip, dragging the Sith Lord to him, and impales him on his blade. The explosive release of Dark Side energies, tosses him against a wall. Anakin looks around the destroyed office and then picks Tahiri up and carefully cares her out, intent upon taking her suggestion from now on and finding a small desolate corner of nowhere to live their lives.


- Five Years Later -

Anakin stands in the doorway, listening to the story as he watches Tahiri sit on the edge of the bed reading to their daughter. His smile grows larger as she reaches the climax, and together mother and daughter say the final line of the story, each of them wearing matching grins.

“And they all lived happily ever after, to the end of their days.”