[Fic] In His Service, or "Ya--Yevo'"

[Yaggles]

So am I to be the new master that makes her a knight?

I want to be less strict and more cool and stuff but not too lenient. So yeah sounds like fun.

[Tysyacha]

How does this sound?

 

You can be my new master, but you're also...Anakin Skywalker, who takes

me on as a "remedial student" because Master Kenobi thinks you can help me.

If you are Anakin, though, you haven't turned to the Dark Side yet.

 

Personally, I think it would be cool if you were Anakin/Vader and I was your

slave. We'd both continue writing Palpatine, if he ever says stuff (he will!)

 

What do you think?

[Yaggles]

so wait... you want me to be anikan and for him to be your master? *shrug* that could work.

[Jason Skywalker]

Exciting, it sounds. *coughkisscough*

[Diego Varen]

Another good Chapter.

[Tysyacha]

So Rodzina was going to be Knighted, and Tysy, a mere Padawan, would

be cast down, sent to what Master Ladno had deemed "remedial training."

 

Sure enough, Tysy was very proud of her best friend and companion, but...

 

Remedial training was for eight-year-olds. Younglings. "Jedi Hopefuls",

as they were called. Tysy had never been so ashamed in all of her years at

the Jedi Temple. How could Master Ladno have thought so poorly of her?

Then she realized that the fault, of course, lay not in him but in herself.

 

If only she'd had more time to practice before her duel with Grievous' droid.

 

If only she'd not been so attached to Rodzina, to her Master, and to--Anakin.

 

If only she'd sensed that the Dark Side presence she fought was only an illusion...

 

If only, if only. Such musings did not bring her any comfort now. What

good were they, when all Tysy had to look forward to was a future full of

curious Younglings wondering why such a tall Jedi was in their class?

 

No. She would not go back. She would sever all ties to the Jedi, if not

the Force. What was it that happened to those who failed their training,

four thousand years ago? Ah. They were sent to the fields of the now-

extinct planet Telos to serve the galaxy, not as Jedi, but as farmers and

laborers. This made Tysy smile. Maybe I'm good for laundry after all.

 

She slipped her hand around the small dagger she always kept at her belt

for protection. It wasn't very sharp, but it was sharp enough to do the trick

she had in mind. One quick slash, and her Padawan's braid would be gone!

 

Tysy snuck through the currently-deserted hallways of the Jedi Temple

to one of the many Meditation Gardens. It was empty, like the yawning

corridors she had just passed through. Perfect! No one would see her.

 

She sat down on the ledge of a simple but graceful stone fountain, letting

the peace of its flowing waters trickle over her. She clutched her golden-

brown braid in her left hand, and unsheathed the dagger in her right. Now--

 

A sound suddenly startled her. Rustling, and footsteps. Her heart pounding,

Tysy gawked as she saw Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker himself approaching her!

 

"Ah--Knight Skywalker!" This greeting lay between a gasp and a squeal. "I

was just doing some meditations on self-defense with this humble knife, I hope

never to have to use it, but I wanted to give my bangs a trim!" Tysy joked.

 

The young Jedi Knight gave her a gentle look. He knew she wasn't joking.

 

It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true. Tysy willed Anakin to believe

this great fib through the Force. If she failed to do so, she was undone.

 

((Your turn, Yaggles! What does Anakin do? I can't wait to find out! ))

[Jason Skywalker]

Good one again Tysy, very realistic and suspensefull.

[Yaggles]

Hey sorry for the wait... ummm... yeah I'll have to use your character a little bit in order to make the chapter long enough.

---

Anakin knew that she wasn't just doing some meditations, but he decided he would leave it alone, for now. Shrugging, Anakin smiled and said, "Well, Tysy, I have been given an order by the Council to continue you training. You will be my, for a lack of a better term, remedial student. Does that sound good to you?"

 

Nodding quickly, Tysy exclaimed, "Oh of course. I would be honored to serve under you!"

 

Smiling and chuckling, "You won't be serving, but rather, learning. But as Master Kenobi always liked to tell me, the sooner we train, the easier the real action will be. So, shall we get on with it?"

 

***

 

They began with lightsaber practice, using a small round training droid, which fired small laser bolts at the trainee. Putting a blindfold on Tysy, Anakin activated the droid. "Ok, Tysy, reach out with the force. You cannot always rely on your eyes, hence the blindfold."

 

She ignited her bright blue lightsaber, the prominant color of most padawans and apprentices. Grimacing as one bolt after another sailed past her lightsaber, she turned off her saber and sat back, removing the blindfold. "Oh, I'm no good. I'll never get this down!" She sighed.

 

---

Ok, sorry but that's all I have the time for at the moment. I'll continue later and you can add in in between if you want! Sorry for the short chapter!

[Jason Skywalker]

Well, as you said, short and a little disapointing.

[Tysyacha]

Anakin Skywalker sat down beside the discouraged girl on the ledge of

the stone fountain. "It's all right. No one can deflect every single blaster

bolt that comes their way the first time, even without the blindfold and

in full mastery of the Force. Jedi aren't perfect, although I doubt Master

Ladno would tell you that." He felt pained at the sight of Tysy's sad look.

 

"You're afraid," Anakin continued, "and that's good. It means you're still

human, and in touch with your humanness in the heat of battle. Here is

where I disagree with Master Kenobi and with the rest of the Jedi Order.

The Masters tell us that "fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate

leads to suffering," and that is why they all consider fear a path to the

Dark Side. However, I've never believed it. I've come to use my fear."

 

"Why?" Tysy asked. "How on earth does fear make you strong?"

 

"You musn't just know that you're afraid, but accept it, and

be glad of it. Embrace this part of yourself warmly, because without it, you

wouldn't be all of who you are. You also wouldn't be very good in a fight."

 

"How's that?" Tysy was confused. She thought courage made one strong.

 

"Try again." Anakin offered her the blindfold. "This time, you'll do better.

I know you will, because this time, you've learned that you have one

person you can trust. One person who won't judge you because of the

tension and anxiety you feel. On the contrary--he will teach you how to

use it as your ally instead of fight it as your enemy. Let fear strengthen you."

 

"I'd like to." She trusted Anakin, but his words still made no sense. "How?"

 

Anakin blindfolded the hesitant Padawan, the braid still attached to her

worried head. "I'm going to start the combat droid again. Don't think about

how you'll do. The thing that you fear the most is failure, not death.

Failure--and being alone." Anakin held his breath. He'd said too much.

 

"How did you know that?" Tysy trembled, ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry."

 

"You have no need to apologize, Padawan. As far as how I know--in

many ways, you're like me." Young Skywalker nodded once and turned

to the idling practice droid. "You're young, you're eager, you long with

all your being to help save the galaxy. I do as well. There is nothing

of which I'm prouder than defeating Count Dooku, showing him that the

Light Side was stronger. Just relax, and let the Force guide your swings."

 

Letting herself go, welcoming her fear, Tysy swung her lighsaber five times.

 

Vwoom. Deflection! Vwoom. Deflection! Deflection!

 

Tysy yanked off the blindfold and deactivated her lightsaber, her soul

giddy with happiness. Anakin smiled at her, proud of her sincere efforts.

 

"Three out of five blaster bolts," he said. "Not bad. Want to know a secret?"

 

Tysy sat down on the edge of the fountain again. Anakin leaned in close.

 

"Fear is a gift that enhances our survival, not a weakness that must be

fought out. If none of us had fear, if we ran headlong into everything,

then none of us could have survived in this galaxy for very long. It's fear

that causes us to run away from a charging krayt dragon when we need to.

Without fear, we'd ignore warning signs that we're slipping to the Dark Side.

Even love has its fear--fear of loss. The Masters say that's a bad thing, but

what kind of a person are you if you're never afraid for the one you love?"

 

Tysy understood perfectly. "What if they were ever in danger?" she asked.

 

"Precisely my point. It's fear of losing those closest to me, the pain of having

lost my mother to Tusken raiders, that partly motivates me to do what I do.

Not out of revenge--anymore, but out of a desire to protect those I love now."

 

Tysy whispered, unable to bear her own heart anymore. "Do you love me?"

 

Anakin smiled gently. "There. You just welcomed your fear, and you used it.

I love you as I love a brother in arms, which is something not even most

Jedi share. They choose not to become attached. I see something in you,

however, that reminds me of someone. Someone I love, and whom I'm afraid for."

 

Tysy's heart rose and sank at the same time. Rose because of Anakin's most

obvious concern and respect for her, but sank because at that moment...

 

...she knew he loved someone else. A woman Tysy would most likely never equal.

[Jason Skywalker]

And cut! Good one Tysy, oh, if there was a catfight...Anyways, looking forward for the next.

[Diego Varen]

Yaggles, you should have the Chapter as long as Tysy. Good anyway.

[Tysyacha]

Over a long stretch of weeks--which seemed to Tysy like only one day--

Anakin Skywalker trained her for the second time in the ways of the Jedi.

 

He showed Tysy how easy it was to become caught up in lightsaber

Forms and combat moves, forgetting that in the end, the Force was

your steadiest ally.

 

He showed her how meditation would truly guide her, how lifting

objects through the Force was not one-tenth as important as

letting the Force lift you.

 

He showed her that no matter how skilled you were, as either a Padawan,

Knight, or a Master, that the Dark Side could always claim you in its grasp.

 

And, at last, he showed Tysy that she was prepared for her final test.

 

Not any of the Jedi Trials--oh, no, she had gone through absolutely none

of those again since Anakin had been teaching her. The Jedi Trials, to

both Knight and Padawan, were dusty relics and tests that had worked

for countless other students, but not for those such as they. Not for

Tysy, because she had been so weak, and not for Anakin, either,

because he had been so incredibly strong. They were hungry for more.

 

"A duel." Anakin picked up a single-bladed red lightsaber that some

of the Jedi Masters had claimed from the corpse of a Dark Jedi.

"I propose a one-on-one confrontation, where you pretend that

I have indeed fallen to the Dark Side. Imagine that I'm Jocin Truud,

who succumbed because his lust for power overcame his desire to

help the galaxy. If you win, Padawan, I will make you a Knight."

 

Tysy bowed her head and nodded, hating to say this. "Yet you're not

a Master. You are my Master, indeed, young Skywalker, but

as far as I know, you are not as high as Master Kenobi or Master Yoda."

 

Anakin nodded. "I know." His voice was hard, determined. "Since that

speech of Chancellor Palpatine's, and for two weeks since I started

training you, I have been appointed to the Jedi Council. However,

Master Obi-Wan has said that I would not yet hold his rank."

 

Tysy was confused. "Why, Skywalker? I thought only Masters were allowed

on the Jedi Council. Mace Windu, and Kenobi, and the rest. Why not you?"

 

"They have their own agenda, their own plan," said Anakin carefully, "and

even though it's for the good of the galaxy, it does not involve me becoming

a Master. Obi-Wan says I must be patient. I'm trying, but it's hard."

 

"If we duel," Tysy said, "and you win, will that bring you closer?"

 

"It will make me stronger," he said, "and it will help me prove to Obi-Wan

that I am indeed ready to take on such a responsibility in the Jedi Order.

Of course, if you win," he smiled, his eyes twinkling merrily, "that means

that you'll finally become a Knight, and you and I will be the same rank."

 

"I'd love that," smiled Tysy, her voice playfully haughty. Then she turned

serious. "Let's duel, then--I with Form II, which you taught me when

you showed me how Count Dooku fought, and you with Form V--your

specialty." She paused for a moment. "I want you to try your best on me."

 

"Are you sure?" asked Anakin. "Count Dooku got extremely tired fighting me."

 

"I'm sure." His Padawan's voice was calm, resolved. "At, dva, tri!"

 

As soon as Tysy counted off, Anakin threw himself into the duel, his body

tensed with energy and the strength the Force gave him. So was Tysy's,

however, and the duel went on much longer than either Jedi expected.

 

Anakin, whose use of Form V was beginning to earn him great renown,

used his Force-enhanced might to "bully" Tysy, albeit slowly, backing

her into the corner of the Meditation Garden where they trained. She,

however, was no pushover, using the elegant and precise moves of

Makashi, or Form II Contention, to parry her teacher's attacks.

 

Anakin felt something well up from deep within his soul. In a quick

and decisive move, he caught his Padawan off guard, disarming and

flattening Tysy right on her back to the grass of the Garden. He placed

the red lightsaber he was using to one side of her neck, her own blue

one to the other. Supine, she breathed heavily, feeling the heat of both.

 

"This is how it ended, Tysyacha," Anakin rasped sadly. He felt the

same rush of power course through him that he had when he'd

cornered a Sith Lord the same way not so long ago. "The duel.

With Count Dooku, I mean. This is how I killed him--how he died."

Even through the searing light of both sabers, Tysy could see

the unhidden flow of tears staining her hero's sunburnt cheeks.

 

"It's not the Jedi way, but it's what I had to do. Chancellor

Palpatine said he was too dangerous to be left alive. That's

what he said in his speech. Count Dooku was an unarmed

prisoner. He had not surrendered, but I had won the duel.

He told me to kill him--Palpatine. I'm sorry, but it's true."

 

Tysy could feel tears staining her own face. "I yield."

 

Anakin turned the lightsabers off--both of them--and helped his

Padawan stand. They collapsed in each other's arms, sweating

and heaving with sorrow and spent energy. They knew each

other's secrets now--Anakin that Tysy more than admired him,

and Tysy that Anakin Skywalker had broken the code of the Jedi.

 

As it is with two souls and two people who share a bond beyond

that of conjugal love, both of them knew that they'd never tell.

[Diego Varen]

Another good Chapter Tysy.

[Jason Skywalker]

You really surprise me Tysy, it's a quality fic!

[Yaggles]

Hey, Tysy... you seem to be doing great without me, as I can rarely put in maybe a few sentences. Would it be alright if you just took over? Sorry that my contribution was tiny and not really all that great. :/ I guess I'm just getting too busy with this and my other fanfic and personal life and such. Sorry!

[Jae Onasi]

This is fascinating. The grammar and spelling looks good. The only issue I has was the masters assigning her to do remedial training with Anakin when they knew she had a crush on him. How both Anakin and Tysy deal with their feelings is very interesting, and I'm wondering if she'll stay on the light side when Anakin falls.

[Tysyacha]

((Note: This will be the last chapter I write in this story before I

head off to San Antonio for my first out-of-state business trip! I will be

back on August 11, so look for another Chapter on the 12th. In the

meantime, I'll be thinking about what to write then, because I don't! ))

 

*****************************

 

It had taken a little bit longer than usual for Rodzina Dvyer's formal Knighting

Ceremony to take place, what with the war going on and the machinations

of General Grievous. However, the Jedi Order was not an entity to slight

any of its new members, whether Padawan, Knight or Master. It would

give Rodzina her due, and Tysy, her boon companion, would gladly watch.

 

In these darker days of the Republic, the Grand Master of the Order was

Yoda, the feared opponent of Grievous and every Sith Lord in the galaxy.

Despite his reputation for keenness in battle and a deeper mastery of the

Force than anyone in the Jedi Order had ever known, Grand Master Yoda

was humble and wise. He knew that even he could be tempted, and that

he must always be on his guard against the Dark Side.

 

Yoda also knew that he was not above his Padawans or his Knights, and

that was why he strove to show each and every one the respect they

deserved. It was no different with Rodzina Dvyer', who would be honored

tonight. Grand Master Yoda did not know her even half as well as he

knew Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, and yet he had heard of

the girl. She was the one who had defeated Grievous' droid, after all.

 

In the darkened Halls of Knighthood, in the midst of twelve senior Jedi

with their lightsabers all aglow, Rodzina knelt, proud and yet modest.

She waited for Grand Master Yoda to speak and pronounce her rank.

 

"Step forward, Padawan," commanded Yoda gently. The girl obeyed.

"Rodzina Dvyer', by the right of the Council, by the will of the Force,

dub thee I do, Jedi Knight of the Republic." He sliced off her black braid.

 

"Take up your lightsaber, Rodzina Dvyer', Jedi Knight," said

Council Member Mace Windu, "and may the Force be with you."

Rodzina took her blue-bladed saber and bowed to everyone present.

 

Rodzina smiled and nodded once to Yoda. She had waited long for

this moment and trained hard, and she was glad to be rewarded.

 

However, one more person was to be honored tonight, for someone had

finally triumphed. Someone who had been forsaken by her old Master,

recommended for remedial training fit for Younglings. Someone who,

viewed as weak and fearful by superiors, had now come into her own!

 

In the circle of twelve senior Jedi, two heralded Masters switched places

with two others. The replacements were none but Master Ladno, the man

who had failed Tysy once before, and Anakin Skywalker! Tysy held her

breath. Was this it? The dream she'd been denied, that she thought

she would never achieve? By what miracle could this be happening?

 

Grand Master Yoda folded his hands. He felt he should repeat his

greeting to the audience, and to the prospective Knight, once more.

 

"We are all Jedi," he said. "The Force speaks through us. Through our

actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today, we are

here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed." He closed his eyes.

 

Suddenly, Master Ladno interrupted. "By your leave, Grand Master," he said.

 

Yoda nodded, and Ladno turned to Tysy. Her heart clenched with fear.

Was her old Master about to banish her from the Hall of Knighthood, to

say that the honor she was about to receive was truly unwarranted?

 

On the contrary. Ladno turned to her, a placid gaze of wisdom on his face.

 

"Padawan Dvukh," he said. "It was I, along with Master Kenobi, who allowed

Knight Skywalker to train you in a remedial way. Both of us knew that you

more than admired this young apprentice of Obi-Wan, and we wanted to

make you work together so you would learn how to handle your feelings.

 

"You both did! Neither of you turned to the Dark Side, or gave in to base

passion. You've shown the honesty and respect that lies between two

true brothers in arms. You have finally passed the Trial of Flesh, Padawan!

 

"As for the Trials of Skill and Courage, you fought bravely and without anger

in your duel with young Skywalker. Even though you were afraid, you yearned

to test yourself against him. Not out of revenge, but out of admiration. I am

proud of you, Padawan Dvukh, and it is for this reason that Master Kenobi and

I agreed that you should be a Knight. Grand Master Yoda? Please continue."

 

"Step forward, Padawan," he commanded. Tysy, happy and excited

beyond belief, humbly obeyed. Was this really taking place, or a dream?

"Tysyacha Dvukh," he said, "by the right of the Council, by the will of

the Force, dub thee I do, Jedi Knight of the Republic." With one quick

stroke, Yoda slashed off Tysy's braid with his green lightsaber blade.

 

"Take up your lightsaber, Tysyacha Dvukh, Jedi Knight," said Master

Obi-Wan Kenobi. "And may the Force be with you." Unlike Rodzina,

Tysy's blade was green, that of a Consular. She smiled. It suited her.

 

At last! She was no longer a Padawan, of third rank, but a Knight of second!

 

Master Obi-Wan Kenobi smiled. He was very glad for this trembling young

girl, grown to Knighthood and greater strength and maturity through his

apprentice. As for Anakin--his chest swelled with kindred-spirit love and

pride. He wished his Padme could have seen this, what he'd done to help

the galaxy! One more Jedi Knight was one more to the rest of the people

in it, but to Anakin, Tysy was a treasure. A precious protegee. His.

 

As for Rodzina--she was furious. Furious that someone else, a weakling,

had dared to share her rank. Her honor. Her night. Even though it was Tysy

who had become a Knight, Rodzina didn't care, at least for the moment.

 

I liked you better when you were scrubbing my laundry, she thought.

[Tysyacha]

((OK, I fibbed. THIS is my last chapter before I go on the business trip.

I had to end something, the relationship between Rodzina and Tysy.

After all, a Dvukh can only call one person "#1"...Do svidanya!))

 

***********************************

 

"Tysyacha Dvukh." A pause. "I challenge you to a duel."

 

Tysy whirled around in her chambers on the very afternoon after

she and her best friend had both been dubbed Knights. Rodzina's

voice sounded different now. Cold, challenging. Murderous, perhaps.

 

"A sparring duel?" Tysy smiled nervously and tried to change the

tone of the conversation. "Certainly. I need to hone my skills."

 

"Indeed you do," said Rodzina, her voice saturated with anger and

wounded pride. "I don't even know why Master Ladno had the gall

to say you were worthy to be a Knight, let alone make

you one. You're not fit for honor--only submission. Your training with

young Skywalker has strengthened you," she said. "Too much. I had

no idea you were going to be Knighted on the same evening as me,

and you stole the recognition only I deserved!"

 

"Ah, Rodzina!" Tysy's heart and stomach had fallen right into her feet.

She was fraught with pain. "I didn't mean to do that. Honestly, I didn't!"

 

"I know," said Knight Rodzina Dvyer', "although that doesn't excuse you.

I wish to see how good you are, and if you deserve your rank. If I find

that you do not, then I shall end your life. Don't be angry. I don't wish

to kill you, but if you prove that your power has exceeded mine, I shall

have to." Her lips curled into a sneer. "I defeated Grievous' droid,

not you! You couldn't even beat Skywalker in that 'training duel' that

you had!"

 

"Come with me to the Training Room," hissed Tysy, "and we'll settle this!"

 

However, as soon as they were both ready for their possible death-match.

Tysy wished she hadn't said it. This was her best friend, her mentor of

five-plus years who now wanted to duel her. Kill her, if she had to. A

heart-wrenching sorrow coursed through Tysy's whole body. She knelt.

 

"Please," she begged. "Let's not fight. Ty--moya' podruga, Rodzina!"

 

"I am your best friend?" the other Knight jeered. "Not anymore. Not since

your strength grew, since you forgot your true place within the Jedi Order.

Stand up, young Knight, and duel me, or I'll have to cut you down here!"

 

In a split second, Tysy threw herself into the heat of battle. Using Form

II and a bit of Form V that she had learned from Anakin, she parried and

blocked her former mentor's attacks as hard and as fast as she could.

Rodzina seemed surprised by how well Tysy fought, but she knew that

in the end, she would be better. She had always been better, even

when she was a Youngling. Who was this dvukh to challenge her?

 

All through the fight, though, something caught Rodzina off guard. For

every attack Tysy launched against her that landed, there was also a

sincere plea from her former best friend's heart that made her think.

 

"Let's both let go of our terrible anger, Rodzina. Please. I need you!"

 

"No one would want to see us like this. We're both Knights now.

The same! Can't you see?"

 

"I would gladly yield and be your slave, if you'd turn to the Light!"

 

The battle sharply paused. "Really?" asked Rodzina Dvyer', intrigued.

 

"Yes," cried Tysy, trying not to weep. "I would serve you, and call you

'Master.' Do your laundry, if you wished me to. I'd never spurn you, and

betrayal would be out of the question. In return, would you swear to

turn back to the Light Side and never break the Jedi Code again?

Go back to the ways of peace and self-mastery you had before?"

 

Rodzina smiled. "I would, but no. Your offer of servitude is sincere, but

it must come with no conditions on my part. Otherwise, we keep fighting."

 

"Halt, now!" Master Ladno suddenly burst into the training room.

"I've sensed everything through the Force, Jedi Knights Dvyer' and

Dvukh! You should both be exiled for your conduct one day after

the ceremony!"

 

"Shut up, fool." Rodzina advanced toward Tysy. With one quick

move, she caught the other girl in a hugely strong Force Push and

knocked her down. "Now," she said. "The power is mine, and the loss

of life yours. I've won!" Rodzina pressed her blue lightsaber up against

Tysy's quivering carotid artery.

 

At that moment, though, Master Ladno impaled Rodzina on his own green one.

 

The Jedi Knight crumpled to the floor dead, the same look of anger that

she'd had before still plastered on her face. Anger, a shattered ego, and

hatred. Most unexpectedly, and sadly, Rodzina had touched the Dark Side.

 

Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had also come to see what was wrong,

helped the shaking Tysy to stand and led her back to her own chambers.

He stayed with her and helped her regain peace, comforting her after

the betrayal by her best friend. He was glad Anakin had not been there.

 

After all, who knows what would have happened with him had Tysy--died?

[Diego Varen]

Two good Chapters. I liked the Knight ceremony. Also, I've always wondered why you write everything that way.

[Yaggles]

That was great... too bad Rodzina died, though. :/

[Jason Skywalker]

So emotinal. Rodzyna's out and it's Tysy's time to shine!

[JediAthos]

very very impressive Tysy...one of the best fics I've read since I joined this little community here.

[Tysyacha]

Master Obi-wan Kenobi decided that it would be best if both he and Anakin

had a second debriefing with Tysy. After her near-murder by her own mentor

and best friend, there were truths that all three of them were dying to learn.

 

"Why?" asked the least of them, the betrayed girl, her head bowed with grief.

"Not 'why did she betray me'? I know why Rodzina did what she did. I had

stolen her honor, in her eyes, and the only way she thought she could

regain it was to fight me. Duel me, yes, but why did she want to kill me?"

 

"She didn't." Anakin shook his head one-and-a-half times, a brief negation.

"She did believe, however, that by taking your life, she'd gain more power.

There's something that happens to a man--to a Jedi--when they make their first

kill. Once they've done that, they've conquered that fear within themselves."

 

"Fear of killing?" asked Tysy. "Or fear of the guilt and shame that comes after it?"

 

"Both," Anakin said. Sensing a silent admonishment from his Master, Anakin

swallowed hard. "You and I both know now what happened in my duel with

Count Dooku. I killed him unarmed, slicing his neck in half with two lightsabers

on each side of his reeling head. That's not what Chancellor Palpatine said

in his speech. I wanted to tell the truth, but he silenced me, and then, out

of my own cowardice and seeking to avoid punishment, I stayed silent."

 

"I truly can't imagine what you must have felt," Tysy said. "Your suffering..."

 

"Suffering is indeed what I felt," said the penitent Skywalker, "and regret.

Regret that I hadn't tried to convince Count Dooku to turn back to the Light

Side of the Force. I could have, and I wished to in the very core of my being

for more than a split second. Here is what happened, however--my mistake.

 

"With Palpatine pressuring me on the one hand, and my own conscience

screaming out for true justice on the other, I chose to yield to the man.

The man who'd hold me truly accountable for what I did, whether I killed

Count Dooku or not. The man who--would never forgive me otherwise."

 

"For making the wrong decision, in his opinion?" asked Tysy.

 

"Of course. I've seen it in the Chancellor: his unwavering stance, his deep

intolerance for failure. This does not mean, young Knight," countered Anakin,

"that Chancellor Palpatine is a bad man. That he's evil. He has the best

interests of the galaxy first and foremost as his goal, and that is the one

truth that I believe I know. About the Chancellor, I mean," he said quickly.

 

Obi-wan nodded and looked at Tysy. "I'd like to turn back to Rodzina.

She never realized, as you do, that for a Jedi humility and power go

hand in hand. They always should. Otherwise, one runs the risk of

falling into the same trap your best friend did. Your mentor. She

never said it, and neither did you, but an unspoken condition of

your friendship was that you and she would never be equals."

 

To counter Tysy's utterly crushed expression, Obi-wan continued:

 

"Rodzina tutored you--she loved you--because you were weaker.

More vulnerable, in her opinion. More in need of a teacher, and

that was the role that your best friend wanted so badly to play.

Unaware, of course, that you could also teach her. Do you see?"

 

"I see it--somewhat," choked Tysy, "but Rodzina also told me that I was

built for power. Created that way. What of that, Master Kenobi? Was she

lying to me? I didn't sense it, either through the Force or in my heart."

 

"She told you the truth, I think," answered Obi-wan, "but only with the

condition that your power would--and never should--equal or surpass hers.

You may have been built for power in her opinion, but so long as she was

always your mentor and tutor. Your friend, but as we all see now, true

friendship was not what existed between you two. I'm sorry, young one."

 

For some reason, Tysy didn't mind being called that instead of "Knight"

by Obi-Wan Kenobi. "Thank you, Master. Thank you both!" She smiled,

her tears now ones of relief instead of sadness and hurt. Anger, too.

 

Now she understood why Rodzina had truly betrayed her. It wasn't just

a case of so-called "stolen honor", but a lack of honor on her mentor's

part. A lack of true Jedihood, which Tysy had never suspected in so...

 

...strong a best friend.

[Tysyacha]

Midpoint Questions for my Readers

 

I have now reached the midpoint of Ya--Yevo', and I have

some questions I'd like you to help me answer. I truly appreciate

all of your input, for without it, I wouldn't have written half this

much!!! Please be honest with your answers. Best policy, always!

 

1. Have I stayed true to Anakin's, Obi-wan's, and Palpatine's characters

as shown in the Star Wars canon movies and books?

 

2. Is Tysy Dvukh too much of a "wuss" or an "emo kid" to be a good Jedi?

I know she cries a lot and is insecure and vulnerable, but I want to show

that she's not "uberstrong" like Luke and Han and Leia et al. In Tysy, I

want to show that even the most emotional of us can help the galaxy

and the Light Side. Would you rather have Rodzina as main char. instead?

 

3. What's your analysis of Tysy so far, besides the fact she's emotional?

 

4. Will Tysy stay Light after Anakin falls, or serve him when he's Darth Vader?

Honest prediction. What's the first fate for Tysy that comes to your head or gut?

 

5. What should I have next as a "plot turning point?" Pick 1 out of these 3:

--Tysy's first kill as a Jedi

--A conversation between Tysy and Palpatine, when she begins to see his side

--The part where Anakin falls/pledges himself to Palpatine. Tysy Force-feels it.

 

6. What's the best thing about this story? What draws you to it in the first place?

 

7. Lastly--is this fanfic as good as anything LucasLicensing has made into a

G-canon story or book? If not, what can I do to make it so it IS just as good?

 

Spasibo, (Thank you!),

Tysyacha