Star Wars in the rear-view mirror

Palpatine charges Anakin with rebuilding a more progressive Jedi order, saying, ”This is probably what the prophecy foretold, you’re the one to bring balance to the force. Here is your task then, to bring about a Jedi order that has a saner view on the force and won’t let the republic down. I will help with whatever knowledge I can bring.”

It all fits Anakins need for vindication and purpose. It also fits with his anger of returning to Padme just to find her gone, something for which he blames the Jedi. He no longer feel he is held back, and he brings his own world view into the creation of the New Order. The first order of the day is to hunt down Grievous, which the New Order does successfully giving them acclaim and self-confidence. The second step is to pacify different pockets of resistance, like the droids facing the Wookies, here the main mission is a success, but there is bad blood between the New Order and the Wookies, who remain loyal to the Old Order – the younglings led by Anakin are all but expelled, and Anakin feel the presence of Yoda behind it all. His enmity grows.

He returns to Coruscant, and is tutored by Palpatine. Who without letting him realize the full implications indirectly teaches him the dark arts. Conversationally and philosophically he says that, ”You should of course not use any technique you’re not comfortable with, but I cannot but teach you what I know. What is a tool, but a tool – is it not how it is used that matters?”

The rest of the New Order trickles back from the different brush-fires of the war, and they all tell the same story. Wherever they where, there were also the traces of the Old Order Jedi, their help was welcome, but they themselves where not. There is a sense of antipathy growing in the New Order, they feel left out and sabotaged – increasingly they see their old masters as traitors. They’re also afraid of coming into open confrontation. They’re still a lot weaker than their old masters. Anakin teaches them to focus their ”will”, really their anger and resentment. By now no one not even Anakin realizes what it means, why should they, the old masters teachings are severely discredited – wasn’t it exactly this that they had not yet been taught?

The tinder that sets the Jedi war on fire is when one of the angrier younglings fails to report in. The troops report that the youngling tracked and faced down one of the masters, accusations ended with a fight and the youngling died. Palpatine use this as a reason to proclaim open war on the second rebellion, which he claims harbor the fugitive Jedi. Something that isn’t true, but which becomes true as a result of the declaration – much as can be expected. Now follows a short but bloody search and destroy conflict, which is catastrophic to both the Old and the New Order, a lot of the younglings die, but not without taking their masters with them in death.

Anakin is revolted by his old masters killing his new apprentices, he reevaluates his views on the Sith and finally asks Palpatine if he knows how to call their help. This is when Palpatine say, ”You had to see this yourself, or you would never have broken through the shell of lies surrounding you – the Sith is I, and I am the Sith.” Anakin is truly shocked, he even draw his light-saber. Palpatine turns his back on him and ask him, ”Are you going to kill me?” to which Anakin answers, ”I sure would like to.” He then storms out of the room.

Anakin shortly returns – his need to be right clouding his view as strongly as his need to find a way to reunite with Padme. He says, ”Then if my mind was clouded by lies, enlighten me – how is it I should trust you when I no longer trust the Jedi?”
The answer is, ”Did I hold you back? Did I kill the younglings? Did I not protect you and Padme from the Jedi? Have I not created order? Am I not striving to end this War? Have I left you behind to rot? No. I haven’t. What I have done was turn my back to you that you may kill me if you so wished, you didn’t and for that I’m glad. Let us work together to make this a galaxy of peace and prosperity. Let me be your master, and I shall teach you all that I know. You may then use my teachings and your own knowledge and create balance in the force as was foretold.”

Meanwhile the old Jedi are in uproar, they have been cornered in battles with their own apprentices, and they now feel unclean from their blood. There is a crisis of faith, where some have chosen to disappear. Even though it hurts Mace Windu, Yoda and Obi-Wan are all among the remaining few. Intelligence comes through, a spy that have managed to bring footage from the security cameras that show Darth Sidious taking Anakin as a new apprentice creating Darth Vader. The enemy now has a face that is not tinged with guilt, and an action is planned. The movements of the New Order will be followed, and when Darth Sidious can be separated from the order he will be taken out. The Jedi will not risk facing the New Order and Especially not Darth Vader – which has turned out to be more than a handful.

As the action is set in motion a grave miscalculation is done, four Jedi are to hinder or take out Darth Vader that is on the outer rim to deal with the remaining separatists, the rest will deal with Darth Sidious. The remaining New Order is expected to be on a mission against another separatist holdout except for a couple with Darth Vader and another couple with Darth Sidious. In reality the separatist holdout is already dealt with and the whole of the New Order is with Darth Sidious, except for Vader and his two followers. Padme, Obi-Wan, and three other Jedi arrive at the volcanic planet, Yoda and Mace Windu together with the remaining Jedi land in Secrecy at the old HQ which is empty as expected. The New order is at the Chancellors palace on his request. They break into the HQ killing the guards, retrieving files and other stuff that they expect to need, then they use skimmers to get to the palace. As they arrive they are attacked by troops, which they cope with, then as they move in they are attacked by more troops and also by the New Order, and they begin to die.
In the end only Yoda survive into the chancellor’s quarters. Mace Windu dies to get him there killing off the last three of the New Order and then being shot down by troops as his tears blur his sight – the last of those killed was no more than ten.
Yoda and Sidious fight to a standstill. Yoda goes into exile.

At the volcanic planet Padme tries to convince Anakin that Palpatine is evil, as is his reasons and his cause. Anakin refuses to listen and turns it around, ”The Jedi are the traitors here, they could have worked through the senate, as could you! Who gave up on democracy really? Who created yet another war? Who are you, really? I thought you loved me!!!”
Padme answers, ”That is not democracy; Palpatine no longer has to listen to anyone but himself. Sometimes war is better than doing nothing!”
Anakin answers, ”We create order, we create peace. We will crush this rebellion; we will hunt down every single one of its leaders and crush them!!!”
Padme cries, ”Anakin, you’re breaking my heart. I don’t know you any longer. You’re talking about crushing me….”
Anakin in anger suffocates her and throws her with a gesture – she lands senseless on the ground. He turns to Obi-Wan, ”You have taken her from me; I will not lose her to you. You have turned her against me.”
Obi-Wan answers, ”You’ve managed that yourself already. Turn your back on this Anakin, this is evil.”
Anakin shouts, ”The only evil I see here are you traitors”
Finale with fighting and death of all but Obi-Wan and Anakin. Anakin is truly the stronger, but they’re close enough that there is no immediate victor. Obi-Wan jumps of the hovering platform and cuts it with his saber as he goes. Anakin follows, but the wobbly platform means he comes up short, landing half way down in the lava. He screams and burns, but crawls slowly upwards. Obi-Wan say, ”You were the chosen one, you should have destroyed the Sith, not joined them!!!”
The charred form looks up, reddish eyes hateful, ”Is that balance then, choosing one side and rejecting the other? You disgust me with your holier than thou ways and your double standards. You where not above killing kids! You where not above starting a war. So tell me, does it feel good? I hate you!!! I will never forgive you!!!”
Obi-Wan halfway turning to go, ”You where like a brother, I loved you.”

Ending scenes Padme giving birth and dying, Anakin turning into the Darth Vader we’re so familiar with. Vader asking the now Emperor, ”How is Padme, is she alright?”
The Emperor answering, ”I’m afraid it seems she died. She never regained consciousness”
Vader says, ”Impossible! I felt her still being alive!”
Everything goes bonkers, Vader falls to his knees. A deep keen is heard as the pain is unbearable. The Emperor with his hand on Vaders shoulder, ”We will work to make this universe a place of order, peace and prosperity – a good testament to Padme…”

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