#anakin yes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
megalomaniacs) wrote2013-07-28 11:14 am
megalomaniacs) wrote2013-07-28 11:14 am
tell the mothafuckas bout the sheer dark side
P L A Y E R I N F O R M A T I O N
Your Name: Caitlin
OOC Journal:
symbolismsUnder 18? If yes, what is your age?: Over 18
Email + IM: thespoonisalie @ gmail; AIM: wedeceive
Characters Played at Ataraxion: N/A
C H A R A C T E R I N F O R M A T I O N
Name: Anakin Skywalker
Canon: Star Wars
Original or Alternate Universe: Original
Canon Point: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith, just after rescuing the Chancellor and landing on Coruscant
Number: Random is great!
Setting: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
History:
A lifetime of sand hatred began in 41.9 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin, a measure of timekeeping in the Star Wars universe), when Anakin was born to Shmi Skywalker, a slave. The circumstances surrounding his birth were unusual; he had no father, and was instead conceived in Shmi by midi-chlorians. At the age of three, Anakin and his mother were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, and consequently transported to the desert planet of Tatooine in the Outer Rim, specifically to the spaceport of Mos Espa. While in the service of Gardulla, they shared quarters with six other slaves, although mother and son were allowed to remain coupled together.
From the time he was very young, Anakin demonstrated a keen mechanical aptitude, which earned him a reputation of being able to fix (or build) practically anything. He frequently spent his free time restoring droids, podracers, and other objects from whatever he could salvage from the junkyard. By the time he was nine, he had restored his own podracer, and had built C-3PO, a protocol droid, with the intention of helping his mother around the house. These abilities, however, were not just an aid to his leisure time pursuits; they were what first allowed him to become noticed by Watto, a junk dealer who often gambled with Gardulla on podraces. When Watto observed Anakin repairing a vaporator, he was so impressed with the boy's work that he gambled with Gardulla for the ownership of Anakin and Shmi, and subsequently won. Shortly afterward, Anakin began to work as a mechanic in Watto's junk shop, a new opportunity which allowed for the Skywalkers to move into their own quarters.
Anakin also exhibited signs of Force sensitivity from an early age. These signs were most apparent in him being able to see things before they happened, which outwardly manifested in quick reflexes. Combined with his mechanical aptitude, this Force sensitivity allowed him the ability to participate in podracing (a dangerous sport popular in the fringes of Tatooine society, as well as other Outer Rim planets). An ability that was unique, as reflexes needed to control the pods during races were beyond the capabilities of an ordinary human. Watto took advantage of this ability, and frequently made Anakin pilot his podracer in the races, much to the distress of Shmi. In these races, something of a rivalry developed between Anakin and Sebulba, a fellow racer who frequently cheated; due to this cheating, Anakin never won a race, or even finished.
Living in a spaceport like Mos Espa allowed Anakin the chance to be exposed to all sorts of different cultures, courtesy of the stories swapped by the pilots and traders that passed through. He was entranced by many of the things he heard, and let his imagination run wild. The distant planet of Coruscant (the capital of the Republic), as well as the Jedi knights, formed a mystique that became the focus of many of Anakin's dreams and daydreams. He hated Tatooine, and clung to the hope that, one day, he'd be able to fly far away.
When he was nine years old, that day finally came.
While he was working in Watto's shop one afternoon, a party of foreigners, consisting of a man, a young woman, and an astromech droid (and Jar Jar Binks), arrived in search of parts for a Nubian ship. Watto and the man haggled in the junkyard, but the young woman stayed behind in the shop. Anakin took notice of her immediately, and inquired if she was an angel, a beautiful creature from the moons of Iego that he'd heard about from pilots passing through. They engaged in a brief conversation, where he learned that her name was Padmé (and he would later find out that she was a handmaiden to Queen Amidala of the planet Naboo). The party soon left, however, because Watto wouldn't accept Republic credits in exchange for the parts they needed. But that was far from the last time Anakin would run into them; it was, in fact, on that very afternoon, on his way home when he saw Sebulba picking a fight with Jar Jar on the street. He broke up the fight, and began to walk with them. It was also around this time when he noticed that the man (whose name he would soon learn was Qui-Gon Jinn) was carrying a lightsaber, the signature weapon of a Jedi. When it became apparent that a sandstorm was on the horizon, he offered them shelter in his quarters.
As the sandstorm raged on, the foreigners continued to stay with the Skywalkers through to dinner. During the meal, Anakin learned that Qui-Gon was, indeed, a Jedi, and refused to believe the notion that he was not there to free the slaves. The topic of conversation eventually shifted to the group's predicament: that they were on their way to Coruscant for an important mission, but were stranded on Tatooine because their ship was damaged. Anakin volunteered to race in an upcoming podrace, the Boonta Eve Classic, citing that the prize money would "more than pay for" the needed parts. After some reservations, the plan was agreed to, and the next morning, Qui-Gon made the proposal to Watto that he would sponsor Anakin in the race, pretending that the racer that Anakin had built was his. Qui-Gon and Watto shook on it, and Anakin finished fine-tuning his racer. What Anakin didn't know was that Qui-Gon noticed that he was unusually strong with the Force. The night before the race, while tending to a cut on Anakin's arm, Qui-Gon took a sample of his blood and sent it off for analysis. Results of the analysis indicated that Anakin had a midi-chlorian count at over 20,000 per cell, a number unprecedented in any Jedi. This led Qui-Gon to a line of thought that Anakin might be the Chosen One, a powerful being prophesied to bring balance to the Force.
In an overlong sequence that George Lucas clearly thought would awe the 1999 audience with sheer technical wizardry (except that The Phantom Menace became the first Star Wars movie to lose the visual effects Oscar, which should tell you something), Anakin flew the podracer he had built in the Boonta Eve Classic. While the race was far from easy (thanks to several attempts at sabotage by Sebulba), he eventually managed a victory, making him the youngest winner ever. After the race, Qui-Gon informed Anakin that he had been freed, and that, if he so chose, he could leave Tatooine to be trained as a Jedi. The deal, however, had not extended to Shmi, so Anakin was faced with a choice between following his dream, and leaving his mother behind in the process, or remaining with her. Because she believed that her son deserved better than the slave's life he had on Tatooine, Shmi encouraged Anakin to leave with Qui-Gon; ultimately, after a number of hesitations, he did. Before Qui-Gon and Anakin arrived at the ship (now equipped with the needed parts), they were attacked by Darth Maul, the apprentice of the elusive Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Qui-Gon engaged in a brief skirmish with Maul, and ordered Anakin to run to the ship and tell the others to take off. He obliged, and the ship was able to pick up Qui-Gon mid-duel before finally leaving Tatooine for Coruscant. Once in flight, Anakin was able to meet others on board the ship, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon's Padawan (or Jedi apprentice).
When the party arrived on Coruscant, they were met on a landing platform by Valorum, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, and Palpatine, a senator from Naboo. At Padmé's urging, Anakin accompanied the Queen and her handmaidens as they left with Palpatine, while Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan reported the incident with the Sith, as well as Anakin's unusually strong presence in the Force (and the possibility that he could be the Chosen One), to the Jedi Council. Anakin watched from a screen while Queen Amidala addressed the Senate about the current situation on Naboo- an illegal invasion of the planet by the Trade Federation, predictably denied by the representatives of said organization in the Senate. At Palpatine's suggestion, Queen Amidala moved for a vote of "no confidence" in Chancellor Valorum's leadership, and Palpatine became a candidate to take his place. Just after this, Qui-Gon found Anakin and informed him that he was to go to the Jedi Temple and be brought before the Jedi Council. There, they tested Anakin's abilities by asking him to name a series of objects that appeared on a screen that he could not see; he could name every single one with no error. The members of the Council, however, could sense Anakin's fear, which Yoda explained was a path to the Dark Side of the Force.
A short time later, the Jedi Council requested the presence of Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin together. While the Council confirmed that Anakin had great power in the Force, they refused to train him because he was too old. Qui-Gon protested, stating that he would take on Anakin as his own Padawan, and that Obi-Wan, his existing Padawan, was ready for the Trials to knighthood. Master Windu, a member of the Council, interrupted this protest, stating that the crisis on Naboo was of much higher priority at the present moment, and that the issue of Anakin would be dealt with later. With Anakin in tow, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were to return with Queen Amidala, her handmaidens, and team to Naboo, and assist in whatever way they could to free the planet from its invaders. When the party arrived on Naboo, they landed in the swamps so as not to attract the attention of the Trade Federation. During an appeal to the Gungans, one of the local races who had had a long history of tension with humans on the planet, for assistance in the upcoming battle, Anakin was stunned to learn that Padmé was, in fact, Queen Amidala, but had been using decoys for her protection. The Gungans agreed to set aside their differences with the humans for the sake of the planet's fate, and agreed to participate in the battle. A core group consisting of Padmé, her close handmaidens and team, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon (with Anakin by his side, stating that Anakin would be safe as long as he was close) returned to Theed, the capital city of Naboo, to carry out their part of the attack plan.
Pandemonium broke out when the group reached the hangar bay in Theed. To protect Anakin from the worst dangers of battle, Qui-Gon instructed him to hide in the cockpit of one of the starfighters in the hangar. Anakin obeyed, and tried to use what he could guess about the operations of the starfighter to help shoot down some of the battle droids. In the process, however, he accidentally engaged the starfighter's autopilot, and was sent into space, toward the droid control ship orbiting Naboo. In what was most likely intended by Lucas to be a shameless parallel to what Anakin's son, Luke, would later achieve in blowing up the Death Star, Anakin single-handedly destroyed the droid control ship, and rendered all of the Trade Federation's mechanical forces on the ground inactive. The battle, then, was a victory against the Trade Federation, and Naboo was liberated from the occupation.
But not all was well. While Anakin was participating in the space battle, Qui-Gon was killed in a duel with Darth Maul, which not only represented the loss of the first person who had ever resembled a father figure to Anakin, but also an uncertainty with regard to a place among the Jedi Order. In respect for Qui-Gon's wishes, however, the Council granted the newly-knighted Obi-Wan permission to take Anakin as his Padawan. After taking briefly taking part in a ceremony on Naboo to commemorate the victory against the Trade Federation, Anakin and Obi-Wan returned to Coruscant, to Anakin's new life as a Jedi Padawan.
(For a more entertaining synopsis of The Phantom Menace than I just gave you, please refer to the musical stylings of Weird Al Yankovic.)
Over the next ten years, Anakin was immersed in Jedi training under Obi-Wan's tutelage. During this time, they traveled all across the galaxy, completing missions for the Jedi. His bond with Obi-Wan grew into something that constituted love and respect, even to the point of considering Obi-Wan the "closest thing [he's] ever had to a father." This relationship, however, was not without its conflicts; he frequently perceived Obi-Wan as "critical," and the Jedi values of forgoing attachment meant that Obi-Wan tried to maintain some barriers between them. The rest of Anakin's life in the Temple followed much in the same fashion. Despite the late start to his training, his abilities quickly surpassed those of his peers, and this, combined with the notion that he was the prophesied Chosen One, led the other Jedi to treat him differently. He made few friends, and instead spent a good portion of his free time tinkering with droids, much as he always had. All the while, he constantly missed his mother, and regretted leaving her. A friend and mentor figure outside of the Jedi, however, was found in Chancellor Palpatine, who provided much of the emotional support that Obi-Wan could not.
In 22 BBY, Anakin was reunited with Padmé when he and Obi-Wan were assigned to protect her after several attempts were made on her life. The political climate in the Republic was now tense, with the Separatist movement gaining traction and encouraging more and more star systems to break away; during these tense times, such a vocal opposition to taking military action against the Separatists made Padmé very much a target indeed. Despite the fact that it had been ten years since he had last seen her, Anakin never forgot about her (or stopped dreaming about her, like a weirdo), and was overjoyed, but nervous, at the prospect of this reunion. When Anakin and Obi-Wan arrived at Padmé's Coruscant penthouse, she seemed as pleased as she could be to see them in those circumstances (she did not feel she needed protection, but rather wanted answers about the assassination attempts), and remarked that Anakin would "always be that little boy [she] knew on Tatooine." This remark stung, as Anakin desperately wished to prove to her that he wasn't that little boy anymore. Despite Padmé's lack of enthusiasm over additional protection, Anakin and Obi-Wan joined her security and were to serve as guard overnight at her residence.
That night, another attempt was made on her life via poison... centipede things, and Anakin and Obi-Wan arrived just in the nick of time. They pursued the would-be assassin through Coruscant on a high-speed chase, before eventually ending up at a club. There, they discovered that the would-be assassin was a changeling who had been hired by a bounty hunter to kill "a Senator from Naboo" (aka Senator Amidala aka Padmé), but the would-be assassin was killed by a long-range poison dart before Anakin and Obi-Wan could ascertain the identity of her employer. After this incident, it was decided that Padmé was no longer safe in the capital, and would need to be sent back to her home of Naboo with a Jedi escort for her protection. This was a move that, of course, Padmé would protest, as her presence in the Senate to vote against the Military Creation Act was something very important to her, but the Chancellor issued an executive order for her compliance. In the end, it was decided that Obi-Wan would launch an investigation into the identity of the individual who wished to target Padmé, while Anakin would escort her back to Naboo.
For the purposes of security, Anakin and Padmé traveled on unregistered transport, disguised as refugees, and departed Coruscant for Naboo undetected. Once they arrived, they had a meeting with the Queen about the current situation, both with regard to the Republic at large and to the assassination attempts. At this meeting, it was decided that it would be safest for Padmé to hide out at Varykino, a retreat nestled in Naboo's remote lake country. While cut off from the outside universe, and surrounded by picturesque scenery, a mutual attraction began to develop between the Senator and the Jedi, where relationships or attachments of any kind are forbidden for the latter. When the two shared a kiss after Anakin's very eloquent and romantic soliloquy about his dislike of sand, Padmé pulled away in attempt to keep herself, and both of them, in check. (Because I can totally see why a guy who rambles about sand is completely irresistible.) The voice of reason was the role she served on several occasions, countering Anakin's suggestions that they could keep their relationship a secret with doses of what that reality would be like. He agreed with her, stating that it would "destroy" their lives, but he, nevertheless, still found himself falling deeply and helplessly in love.
I really wish George Lucas would hire someone to write his scripts for him.
There was, however, something else that continued to plague Anakin. Over the past several months, dating back to before his reunion with Padmé, he'd had recurrent nightmares about his mother, which, over and over again, depicted her death. Eventually, it got to a point where he could no longer stand not knowing whether his dreams were reflecting reality, despite the fact that traveling back to his home planet of Tatooine would be directly disobeying his mandate to protect Padmé. When he confessed this to her, she found a loophole, and agreed to accompany him to Tatooine so that he would not be in conflict with his mandate. The two departed Naboo shortly thereafter, and eventually touched down in Mos Espa, the spaceport that had once been Anakin's home, but that he'd left ten years previously. Once they arrived, they headed for Watto's shop, where Anakin found Watto and demanded to know the whereabouts of his mother. It was revealed that Shmi was no longer a slave, and had been freed by Cliegg Lars, a moisture farmer, who she later married.
Upon their arrival at the Lars homestead, Anakin and Padmé learned from Cliegg and his son, Owen, that Shmi had been kidnapped by Tusken raiders approximately one month previously. A search party had been sent after her, but most of the members of that search party had been killed; in addition, Cliegg had lost his leg in the process. Anakin, though, would not simply accept that his mother was gone, and immediately set off after her. That night, he arrived at a Tusken village and sneaked into a tent, where he found Shmi bound to a pole. He untied her, but by now, she was just barely alive. She managed to tell Anakin how proud she was of him, and that she loved him, before dying in his arms.
The shock, the intense emotions that Anakin experienced immediately after her death caused him to (arguably) dissociate from reality, and fall into an all-consuming rage. This rage spawned a massacre of the Tusken village, in which Anakin single-handedly slaughtered its every single inhabitant, including the women and children, an act which he eventually confessed to Padmé after bringing his mother's body back to the Lars homestead. The confession was part of a deranged rant in which he promised that, one day, he would "become the most powerful Jedi ever," that he would "learn to stop people from dying," and that Obi-Wan was "jealous" and at fault for "holding [him] back." Though clearly disturbed by what she heard, Padmé did her best to reassure Anakin, and it was at that point that he broke down in response to what he had done.
Anakin, however, would not be allowed much time to grieve for his mother and regroup. A short time later, R2-D2, Padmé's astromech droid, received a message from Obi-Wan, who had been taken hostage on Geonosis, a planet in the Outer Rim that had become a stronghold for the Separatist movement. Just before his capture, he hinted that Count Dooku, a former Jedi who had left the Order, might be responsible for the assassination attempts against Padmé. At first, Anakin was reluctant to go after him, citing his direct orders by the Jedi Council to stay where he was and protect Padmé at all costs. Padmé, once again, found a loophole, stating that if Anakin were to continue his mission to protect her, he'd have to accompany her to Geonosis. Soon afterward, the two departed Tatooine, and brought plot back to the film.
Upon their arrival on Geonosis, Anakin and Padmé were chased through a battle droid factory, before being captured by Count Dooku (now known to be involved in the Separatist movement and in league with the Sith) and tried for espionage; they were then sentenced to be executed. Just before being brought into an arena to face their sentence at the hands of beasts, Padmé admitted her true feelings to Anakin (that, yes, she did love him), as they were both sure that they were going to die. There was just enough time to allow the sharing of one obligatory dramatic kiss before they were carted in to face their doom. Once in the arena, they, along with Obi-Wan, were chained to pillars as three creepy alien things were brought in to kill them. Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan managed to release themselves from their chains and put up a fight against the beasts. Eventually, Yoda swooped in with the newly-acquired Grand Army of the Republic (which consisted of clone troopers), and a full-on battle ensued.
Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan managed to escape the arena on a gunship, but at some point while they were in flight, Padmé was separated from them. Anakin, predictably, went ballistic, and Obi-Wan had to remind him to come to his senses, that if their situations were reversed, Padmé would do her duty. They followed Count Dooku to a hangar, and eventually caught up with him there. Against Obi-Wan's advice, Anakin charged straight at Dooku without thinking about the consequences, which earned him a heavy enough dose of Force lightning to temporarily knock him out of commission. When Dooku was about to deal a lethal blow to Obi-Wan, however, Anakin managed to call upon the Force and leap back into the fight. For a time, he was able to hold his own against Dooku with both his own lightsaber and Obi-Wan's, but in the end, his skills were no match; he was defeated by Dooku, and lost his right arm in the process. Yoda, once again, came to their rescue, and dueled with Dooku for a time before he managed to get away.
After the fighting had subsided, Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan were transported back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to heal. There, Anakin's lost arm was replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic, and he was given some time to become accustomed to it. Having witnessed some displays of affection between Anakin and Padmé on Geonosis, Obi-Wan was sent to Padmé to inform her that her relationship with Anakin, whatever it was, had to be kept to a strictly friendly level. Padmé lied, agreeing to end the relationship, and suggested that Anakin escort her back home to Naboo, where she would do as asked. The escort, in all reality, was a ploy to hide a secret marriage ceremony, which had the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 as its only witnesses.
Duty, however, would separate the couple shortly after their secret wedding. With the Clone Wars now in full swing, Anakin was deployed to serve in the Republic military as an officer, along with numerous other Jedi. Starting out as a Commander, and tasked with the responsibility of being in charge of his own fleet, he displayed great skill in battle, and eventually ascended the ranks to General. He cared a great deal for the clones who served under him, recognizing them as individuals. The skills he demonstrated during the war, as well as his general exploits, earned Anakin the moniker "the Hero With No Fear," and earned him fame throughout the Republic. These skills and exploits were also worthy enough, in the eyes of the Jedi Council, to grant him the rank of Jedi Knight without undergoing the standard Trials. (This is per the 2003 animated Clone Wars series, which is considered to be Tier-3 or "C" Canon... don't even ask, Star Wars as an entity is such a convoluted mess that I just roll with it.) When his Padawan braid was cut off, he sent it to Padmé as a keepsake, who, in turn, gave him her astromech droid, R2-D2; the droid would be a faithful companion and friend throughout the war. After the acquiring of his Knight status and beyond, Anakin's relationship with Obi-Wan became much easier as they frequently worked together, developing a rapport that was more brotherly in nature than had been present during their time as master and student.
While out in the field, Anakin wrote to Padmé whenever he could, and tried to meet with her when he would be given a temporary reprieve. Padmé, however, was frequently busy with duties of her own as a wartime Senator, engaging in a tireless battle to advocate finding a diplomatic solution to end the war. Thus, the two saw each other rarely, and on several of the occasions in which they actually managed to do so, Padmé was in danger. Nevertheless, despite the separation, and the complications that could doom their relationship as a result, the love between them remained strong, and the time spent together, what little of it, was cherished.
Danger of Anakin's own, of course, came with the territory of war. He had several run-ins with Asajj Ventress, a Dark Jedi who worked for Count Dooku as an assassin, charged with the specific task of killing both Anakin and Obi-Wan. While she never succeeded in said task, she became Anakin's long-standing nemesis, and during one of their duels, gave him the distinctive scar above his right eye.
During the war, Anakin was also assigned his own Padawan, a young Jedi by the name of Ahsoka Tano. The purpose of this move was twofold: one, so that Anakin would gain a better sense of responsibility in taking a student under his wing, and two, so that when the time came for her to move on in her training, he would learn how to cope with her loss and his struggles with attachment. To say that Anakin was reluctant to take on a Padawan at first would be an understatement, but it soon became apparent that master and student held many similarities between them (including dispositional). After somewhat butting heads initially (something that most likely resulted from their similarities), Anakin accepted Ahosoka as his Padawan.
The bond that grew between Anakin and Ahsoka was strong, much stronger than the typical master/student relationship. Over time, he began to take on something of a fatherly role with her, serving as her guide not only in the ways of the Force, but also in life; such a position only spawned a deeper struggle with attachment on Anakin's part. Throughout the war, he prioritized Ahsoka's safety over the mission objective on several occasions, such as when he agreed to open a stolen holocron for the bounty hunter Cad Bane after he threatened to kill her. Ahsoka, in turn, began to mirror some of her master's more aggressive and unorthodox ways, a pattern of behavior that was seen as problematic by many of the other Jedi. This wasn't to say, however, that the pairing didn't accomplish some of what it was originally meant to. With Ahsoka's influence, by the end of the war, Anakin became a more mature and responsible individual, and developed at least some capacity for patience and control over impulsive actions.
Around two years into the war, Anakin and Ahsoka were called out of battle and back to Coruscant due to news that there had been a bombing at the Jedi Temple hangar. Once there, they launched an investigation into the cause of the bombing, with evidence eventually pointing them to one of the staff in the Temple. The staff member, however, was unknowingly being fed nanobots by his wife, and it was she who was arrested. In an incident a short time later, Ahsoka was framed for the prisoner's death, which led to her own arrest. Anakin never stopped believing in Ahsoka's innocence, even as the evidence mounted against her, including that she'd been found with the nano droids responsible in the bombing after she broke out of prison. A Commander of the Republic convinced the Jedi Council to expel Ahsoka from the Order so that she could be tried by a military tribunal. Padmé agreed to represent Ahsoka while Anakin searched for evidence to prove her innocence. Eventually, he found the real culprit, Barriss Offee, and brought her into court just in time for a confession that would clear Ahsoka's name.
While the Jedi Council offered to reinstate Ahsoka into the Order after her name had been cleared, this olive branch wasn't enough. Due to the experiences she'd undergone, she felt the Jedi had betrayed her and that she'd lost her faith in them; thus, she refused the offer, and walked away from the Temple. On her way out, Anakin caught up to her, demanding to know why she was doing this, and emphasizing that he still believed in her, and always had. But it was in that moment that he also confessed that he understood wanting to walk away from the Order, to which she responded, "I know," before she left him to watch her retreating back.
Ahsoka's loss significantly contributed to a growing disillusionment, and anger, with the Jedi Order on Anakin's part. It was one of many seeds that would be sown to result in his eventual turn from them.
Somewhere around 19 BBY, Coruscant was attacked directly by the Separatists, and during the battle, Chancellor Palpatine was kidnapped. Anakin and Obi-Wan were called back from the Outer Rim sieges to rescue the Chancellor before the enemy fleet could flee. They eventually managed to break onto the Invisible Hand, the flagship where General Grievous, the leader of the Separatist forces, was holding the Chancellor captive. After a series of struggles as they moved their way through the ship, they managed to locate the Chancellor in the command tower, but the rescue mission wouldn't end quite so easily.
It wasn't long before Count Dooku had followed their trail, and entered the room just as they were attempting to set the Chancellor free. Unlike Geonosis, in which Anakin impulsively charged headlong into battle, he and Obi-Wan now took on Dooku together. For a time, a two-on-one coordinated duel ensued, until Dooku Force choked Obi-Wan and knocked him unconscious. Fueled by his rage in response to these events, Anakin began to use a more aggressive, and much more powerful, fighting style; with this, he made quick work of slicing off both of Dooku hands, and effectively ending the duel. While watching from the sidelines, Palpatine urged Anakin to kill Dooku. After some hesitation, a time of holding two lightsabers in his hands (his own, and a red Sith blade belonging to Dooku), Anakin eventually complied with Palpatine's wishes, killing Dooku by beheading him.
While Palpatine tried to reassure Anakin that he'd done the right thing, that Dooku was too "dangerous" to be kept alive, Anakin immediately regretted what he'd done; he'd killed an unarmed prisoner, an act that was "not the Jedi way." However, he did not have long to dwell on this. Time was of the essence on a mission such as this, and shortly afterward, ignoring Palpatine's order to leave Obi-Wan behind, Anakin escaped the command tower with Palpatine, carrying the unconscious Obi-Wan on his back. General Grievous, however, became aware of this escape, and captured the two Jedi and the Chancellor, and brought them to the bridge. (Wow, that sounds like it could be the name of a bad sitcom... Two Jedi and a Chancellor- Coming Soon to a HoloNet Near You!) Here, Anakin actually met Grievous properly for the first time, and promptly sassed him like the good little shit he is. R2, meanwhile, created a diversion that allowed Anakin and Obi-Wan to retrieve their lightsabers back from Grievous, but Grievous managed to escape and jettison all of the escape pods as the ship began to be drawn in by Coruscant's gravity and dive toward its surface. Anakin, though, managed to pilot the pieces of the ship that were left, and guide it to a safe landing on the planet's surface.
And it is from this point that Anakin would be entering the game.
(Thank fuck that's over)
Personality:
In his first appearance in the film Episode I- The Phantom Menace, Jedi Master Yoda lays out this trajectory, one that is avoided at all costs by those in the Jedi Order. The Dark Side of the Force is accessed through intense emotion, usually negative, and can lead to destructive consequences; "There is no emotion, there is peace" is the first line of the Jedi Code for a reason. Yet a turbulent emotional world, characterized in particular by extremes, defines the existence of Anakin Skywalker. By a combination of disposition and experience, the Dark Side is a lure, a shadow over his character, and ultimately clinches his transformation into one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history.
But let's backtrack. To get a true sense of the man behind the eventual mask, one must examine his presentation as a child. Fundamentally, Anakin was a bright, kind-hearted, thoughtful, and generous boy, who loved his mother with everything he was. A general inquisitive, observant nature was present from an early age, and big ideas and dreams dominated him early. For instance, he listened to the stories that passing traders swapped with eagerness, became fascinated with the Jedi Knights, and clung to the hope that, one day, he'd fly away from Tatooine, and be able to see all the stars for himself. He built the protocol droid C-3PO with the intention of helping his mother around the house, and didn't miss a beat in offering shelter to Qui-Gon and the other foreigners in anticipation of an oncoming sandstorm, who he readily referred to as his "friends" only a short time after becoming acquainted with them. Individuals who acquired "friend" status in Anakin's eyes didn't necessarily have to be human; he was kind to Jar Jar Binks when others treated him like a bumbling fool, interfering with a conflict with Sebulba before it turned into a fight, and referred to C-3PO as a "pal" when saying goodbye to him. A trait kindness and generosity was also what helped Anakin to ultimately win his freedom. True to his mother's comment that he "[knew] nothing of greed," Anakin's offer to race in the Boonta Eve Classic was purely motivated by a desire to help the foreigners pay for the parts needed to fix their ship, and he gave no thought to how the potential prize money could help him in any way. Though a kind heart, a sense of generosity, and a certain curiosity predominately defined the boy in childhood, there were, however, darker sides already present in his character. Anakin frequently demonstrated a tendency toward temper and vengefulness, as especially evidenced by his interactions with his podracing rival, Sebulba.
Though his life changed dramatically when he left Tatooine and began to train as a Jedi, a bulk of Anakin's emotional development, as well as parts of his identity, arguably never followed. In many ways, even as an adult Jedi Knight, Anakin can be seen as proverbially "stuck" in childhood. While some aspects of this involve the retention of core traits, others reflect a blunted social and emotional development courtesy of life as a Jedi, as well as age-old complexes never fully put to rest.
Over the course of his life, Anakin has retained his very large and willing heart. When he loves, he loves intensely, with, quite honestly, every fiber of his being. Once described by his former master Obi-Wan as "loyal beyond reason," Anakin, time and time again, puts the select circle of people he's close to first, well before the Jedi Code, which forbids attachment to all but the Force itself. As a child, this sphere of devotion generally revolved around his mother, but through the years, others joined in, namely Obi-Wan, Padmé, his Padawan Ahsoka, and Chancellor Palpatine. Perhaps his greatest defiance of the Jedi Code in the name of love lies in his decision to marry Padmé, but his attachments to others significantly affect his life as a Jedi in other ways as well. Anakin considers the security and well-being of these individuals to be of much higher priority than most anything else, often including the objective of whatever mission he's on. There are numerous instances throughout canon in which Anakin is willing to compromise an entire mission for the sake of one person, such as at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith, when he rebuts Obi-Wan's reminder to focus on the mission with, "I'm not leaving without you, Master." On the flipside, he tends to regard the safety of these individuals as his personal responsibility, and can be eaten alive by guilt when he feels that he has not fulfilled this duty. This is most evident in the aftermath of his mother's death, where the guilt from feeling as though he couldn't save her continues to haunt him for years after the fact, and during his time in the Clone Wars, where he often takes the loss of men serving under his command very hard. It's these hangups, as well as a desperate need to not let history repeat itself with Padmé, that allow Palpatine to so easily manipulate Anakin toward the Dark Side.
It was also once stated by Obi-Wan that in return for such unwavering love and loyalty, Anakin "expects loyalty in return." This statement is accurate, but it doesn't provide the full picture of what Anakin seeks from his interactions with others, particularly from those choice individuals he is closest to. Growing up with a loving and supportive mother up until the age of nine, an unusual childhood for a Jedi, accustomed Anakin to experiencing emotional validation in his relationships, and thus set an expectation for the presence of it. More than anything, arguably more than even loyalty, Anakin seeks, craves, such validation from others in his life. He wants emotional support, approval, and to be taken seriously; not receiving such things can be the source of frustration, and sometimes even distress. The Jedi Code inhibits the other Jedi, such as Obi-Wan, from providing some of these things to him, and thus his interactions are wrought with a history of emotional invalidation. Such instances include Obi-Wan's brush-off of Anakin's (eventually prophetic) dreams about his mother during Attack of the Clones with "Dreams pass in time," as well as his frequent attempts to maintain a certain distance between them over the course of their training together, and Yoda's response of "Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose" in response to his visions during Revenge of the Sith. Palpatine was well aware of such a pattern, and situated himself as a supporting mentor figure in Anakin's life, providing what Anakin could not receive from the other Jedi; this provided yet another avenue through which manipulation could occur.
Love, however, is not the only emotion that Anakin experiences with great intensity; it exists within the larger context of an intense, volatile, emotional world. Anakin exhibits a high degree of emotional turbulence, and the calm steadiness of the Jedi way does not come easily to him. While he has always possessed great power in the Force and excelled at lightsaber combat, the skill of calming his mind has largely eluded him, and he's had a long history of being horrible at meditation. Arguably, life among the Jedi, with its emphasis on emotional suppression, inhibited the development of healthy emotion regulation skills in Anakin, and thus left him ill-equipped to deal with his own natural tendencies. He is quick to frustrate, quick to anger, quick to snap, and frequently drifts toward negative emotionality. ("Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin, you're focusing on the negative," was most likely a mantra for Obi-Wan during Anakin's time as his Padawan.) A wide variety of events, from his slaughter of the Tuskens after his mother's death, to the employment of a Force choke on a prisoner in order to obtain information that would help Ahsoka in a crisis, to his unbridled rage in response to Count Dooku's incapacitation of Obi-Wan during their duel in Revenge of the Sith, demonstrate the extent to which Anakin's emotions can spiral out of control and consume him. This, of course, is another factor that allows him to be easy prey for the Dark Side.
Lack of control, indeed, manifests itself in Anakin's life in a number of other ways. While his time during the Clone Wars teaches him some important lessons in the value of control, he won't be a master at it anytime soon; action without thought for consequence, a certain impulsivity, underlies much of his behavior. "Always on the move" is a descriptor that's used with regard to Anakin several times, and it's not an inaccurate one. He is not fond of sitting on the sidelines, waiting for something to happen, and would instead prefer to jump straight into the fray of whatever is going on. For instance, he is troubled by the plan to monitor Padmé's residence for a potential assassination attempt in Attack of the Clones, stating, "I don't like just waiting here for something to happen to her." In many ways, this is an asset to him as a Commander and, later, a General, as the willingness to take quick action on the battlefield can often mean the difference between success and failure. A tendency toward quick action isn't to say that Anakin is incapable of making plans; he actually proves himself to be a brilliant tactical strategist during the war, but his plans are often risky, coming with a high potential for collateral damage. Anakin, though, hardly considers that, arrogant enough in his abilities to believe that he can carry any of his plans through to success.
Anakin lives his life by a strong, but simplistic, moral code. He was once told during the Clone Wars that he has a "very simple view of the universe," and, indeed, his often black-and-white views on morality can be unsophisticated, even childlike, in their own way. He believes in a stark dichotomy between "light" and "dark," never really delving into the complexities of the gray area in the middle; someone is either "good," or they're "evil." (The Jedi and the Republic are "good," the Sith and the Separatists are "evil," and so on and so forth.) Such a dichotomy is perverted upon his turn to the Dark Side, as evidenced by his quick shift to believing wholeheartedly that the Jedi are planning to overthrow the Republic, and his statement to Obi-Wan that if he is not "with" him, then he is "[his] enemy." Until his turn, much of the basis of Anakin's morals fall within the confines of the Jedi way. Attempts to come to terms with some of the more questionable things he's done, such as slaughtering the Tuskens and killing Count Dooku when he was unarmed, are done either in the context of his status as a Jedi or the "Jedi way" in general. In the end, though, these acts that fall outside the confines of his personal moral code are justified so that they can still fall within it; for instance, he states that the Tuskens were "like animals" and that he "slaughtered them like animals," and ultimately accepts Palpatine's reasoning that, even though killing an unarmed prisoner is not the "Jedi way," Count Dooku was "too dangerous to be kept alive." Along a similar vein, Anakin is willing to go to unorthodox, and even extreme, lengths to do what he believes is right; as long as he can justify it to himself, he will do it, and that, truly, can be seen as one of the scariest parts of his personality. In addition, dishonesty and deception are staunchly against his personal moral code, and, consequently, he holds a general disdain for politics and politicians, believing them to be corrupt (with a couple of notable exceptions). Perhaps the worst offense in his eyes, though, is betrayal, as it combines dishonesty with the violation of trust in a relationship. This is another thing that Palpatine uses to his advantage, frequently bringing up the theme of betrayal to Anakin during a vulnerable time, ultimately leading him to make the fateful choice to become Darth Vader.
While he has managed to physically and experientially separate himself from his early life as a slave on Tatooine, he has never truly been able to move past that time, to reconcile it as part of his identity. Even well into his days as Darth Vader, Anakin exhibits extreme discomfort at the idea of slavery and anything related to it, but the mark left by that time of his life extends far beyond that. From a young age, Anakin learned that the universe is harsh, and that ideals such as justice and freedom are not guaranteed rights that apply to everyone. (Despite his unfailing hope that he could one day fly away from Tatooine, he was well aware of his reality, as well as of the consequences should one try to escape slavery.) This provides a logical origin for Anakin's loyalty to people and relationships above all else, as well as his willingness to defy direct orders (and the Code that is supposed to govern his life), for the sake of them. He also has a vehement distaste for being treated (what he perceives as) unfairly in any way. For instance, throughout his adolescence and adulthood, up until his turn to the Dark Side, he exhibits a preoccupation with being "held back," that the Jedi are somehow not letting him live up to the full potential of his abilities. He wants power, more than what he believes he's being allowed to achieve, and this is a source of constant frustration. One could postulate that this desire for power is a result of his early life, when, as a slave, he was essentially powerless, and that his arrogance in his prodigy-level skills and abilities in the Force is something of an overcompensation. But it's this desire for power, the power to cheat death, change fate, and stave off the inevitable, that ultimately clinches his descent.
Abilities, Weaknesses and Power Limitations:
Force/Jedi abilities
So, having essentially been born from it, Anakin is, quite logically, sensitive to that thing called the Force. To make a long story short, as said in the quote above, the Force is an energy field that's created by life, and flows through life. Some individuals possess a rare natural sensitivity to the Force, known, consequently, as "Force-sensitive." Force sensitivity is mediated by midi-chlorians, which are microscopic organisms that communicate with the Force and live inside the cells of all living things, forming symbiotic relationships with their hosts. Those eligible to be trained as Jedi must pass a certain midi-chlorian count threshold. Anakin has the highest midi-chlorian count ever recorded, at over 20,000 per cell.
His main abilities as a result of his Force-sensitivity and Jedi training can be broken down as follows:
- Lightsaber combat; From early on during his time in the Jedi Order, Anakin has demonstrated a significant talent for lightsaber combat. His favored fighting style is Form V, a more offensive and aggressive form than some others learned by Jedi, though he has also studied other forms (such as Form VI, to develop his skills in dual-blade combat). During the Clone Wars, he began to study the Djem So variant of Form V, which allowed him more power in his technique.
- Force sense; With this ability, among the most basic of the Force-sensitive, Anakin can augment his senses with use of the Force. This allows him the capability to "feel" his environment (e.g. the presences of others, etc.), sense oncoming danger, and even see in complete darkness.
- Force visions; Though it's possible for any individual with Force sensitivity to see events in the future if they delve deep enough into the Force, Anakin is unusual in that he is particularly prone to Force visions. As a child, he was already readily able to sense things before they happened, and this ability only intensified with time and training. Force visions have been known to plague him in the form prophetic dreams with glimpses of the future and emotional impressions, such as his recurring vision of his mother's death in Attack of the Clones, as well as that of his wife dying in childbirth in Revenge of the Sith.
- Telekinesis; It has been demonstrated that Anakin can lift heavy objects with minimal effort through use of the Force. Telekinetic ability also manifests itself in other ways. With Force push, Anakin can launch a burst of pressurized air at a target, and either knock it over or lift it up in the air; though he is powerful in this technique, he's not able to overcome Obi-Wan's Force push during their duel on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith. Force choke uses the Force to crush a target's throat, and while it is something that Anakin would become more known for later, he employs it on multiple occasions long before his transformation into Darth Vader.
- Muscle augmentation; Anakin can also use the Force to augment his muscles, and enhance certain physical capabilities beyond that of an ordinary human. Two of the most commonly-used manifestations of this are Force jump, which allows him to leap to greater heights and across longer distances than a normal human, and Force speed, which allows for sprinting speed to be maintained beyond normal duration.
- Jedi mind trick; With this ability, Anakin can use the Force as a power of persuasion, with a slight wave of his hand. This ability canonically works only on the "weak-minded," and individuals who are strong-willed will not obey the suggestions given.
Non-Force abilities
- Mechanical aptitude; Since very early childhood, Anakin has displayed extraordinary mechanical ability. He has long been known to be able to fix practically anything; his repair work on a vaporator was what initially got him noticed by Watto, and eventually led to Watto gambling for (and winning) his purchase from Gardulla the Hutt. By the age of nine, Anakin was able to build both a protocol droid and his own podracer from parts he'd salvaged.
As a corollary to this ability, Anakin has verbal understanding of Binary, the electronic language used by droids.
Anakin's strong mechanical aptitude (as well as his sensitivity to the Force), in turn, also manifests itself in a talent for piloting. As a child on Tatooine, Anakin was the youngest, and by his claim only, human who could podrace; eventually he won the Boonta Eve Classic, and along with it, his freedom. His destruction of a droid control ship during the Battle of Naboo would be the first of many victories his skills would help to achieve, and by the time of the Clone Wars, he'd earned himself a reputation of being one of the best (it could be argued the best) and most famous star pilots in the Republic.
- Military; As a general during the Clone Wars, Anakin proved himself a capable fighter and military leader. Earning the moniker "the Hero With No Fear," he became cemented in history as a legendary hero of the Republic, assisting with many victories both in his starfighter and out. An aptitude for strategy would remain and still serve him in his days as Darth Vader.
- Cybernetic arm; It is worth nothing that after Anakin lost his right arm during his duel with Count Dooku on Geonosis, he was given a cybernetic replacement. This prosthetic is connected to the end of his flesh by a neural interface, which allows Anakin register feeling in this arm. Sensory data is collected through the "fingertips" and transmitted to the interface, allowing for a simulated sense of touch. In addition, this arm is much stronger than an ordinary human arm.
- Other; Due to growing up on Tatooine, Anakin is fluent in Huttese as well as Galactic Basic.
Anakin's volatile emotions have had a long history of leading him into trouble. He is quick to react, quick to anger, quick to snap, and in numerous instances, such tendencies have not done him any favors. As both a Jedi and a soldier, his pattern of forming attachments, of valuing loyalty to people over principles and ideals, leads him to, on several occasions, prioritize the safety of individuals over the mission objective, and often causes his path to become clouded or confused, a particularly dangerous state for a Force user to be in. In addition, while three years of experience fighting in the Clone Wars have increased his capacities for patience, restraint, and control, these qualities are still not his strong suit. Especially if it involves someone he loves, he will still act before thoroughly thinking the consequences through. Finally, though the Force can aid Anakin in perceiving his environment and augment his muscles beyond the capabilities of an ordinary human, it does not make him invincible. Just like any other man, he can bleed, and be defeated or killed.
Anakin's Force visions/dreams will be fleeting during his time in the game, and will only be used with mod permission. In addition, I'm okay with nerfing the mind trick, as even though it only works on "weak-minded" individuals, it still has the potential to be a little godmoddy.
Inventory:
- (1) lightsaber
- (1) set of Jedi robes
Appearance:
Anakin stands at 1.88 meters tall (equivalent to about 6'2"), and has a listed mass of 84 kilograms (equivalent to about 185 pounds). He has blonde to brown hair, blue eyes, and is usually dressed in the robes customary of Jedi. His PB is Hayden Christensen, the actor who portrayed him in the Star Wars prequel films Episode II- Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode III- Revenge of the Sith (2005).
Age: 22
AU Clarification: N/A
S A M P L E S
Log Sample:
In space, there's no real way to track the passing of time. He knows this better than anyone. There is only a cold monotony, one that never fails to make him shiver, no matter how many years he's been away from Tatooine. One that he could easily become lost in if he develops no way to counteract it.
Here, he marks time in turns of the wrench, and in the number of repairs he completes. So far from the war that's consumed his life for the past three years, so far from most everything he knows, it's all he has. In a sense, it's almost like he's returned to childhood; he's being held captive (like a slave, but painstaking efforts to push that thought aside, to ignore the numbers now branded on his flesh arm, are crucial in maintaining sanity), and fixing things is where he turns to give him purpose.
Fixing things; that's when he's always been calmest. Or that's what he tells himself, anyway.
Truly, though, calm is foreign.
Calm has never come easily, has never been something quite within his reach, despite Obi-Wan's tireless efforts to instill it in him. Calm is something he's idly wondered more than once if he can absorb from Padmé, who has always exuded it so effortlessly. Calm is the antithesis of existence in a warzone, where blaster fire and lost squadrons bridge his dreams and his waking hours into one seamless, indistinguishable blur.
There's always a part of him that's waiting to spring into action. A part of him that's sure something is just around the corner, even if he can sense nothing through the Force, that never allows his senses to not be alert. There's always a subtle itch to hold a lightsaber in his hands, a restless kind of energy that's always sending impulses to his feet to move. One second of indecision, of hesitation, could make all the difference between life and death for those under his command -
Clang. Something sounds nearby, cutting into the silence with no warning, effectively shattering any illusion of calm. True to form, reflex kicks in. His breaths shorten, and his muscles tense.
A bent wrench becomes the casualty of a cybernetic fist, clenched in an effort to maintain steadiness.
He's a Jedi; he's better than this.
(The hum of his lightsaber ignites the night air, and the body of a Tusken child crumples to the sand. The head that once belonged to Count Dooku rolls on the floor, just past his feet.)
Or that's what he tells himself, anyway.
Comms Sample:
[When the video feed clicks on, it reveals a young man in his early twenties, and a workstation littered with tools is just visible in the peripheral background. Some may recognize him as someone who's been here previously, but there are a few key differences. He's older, not only in terms of age, but also in the way he carries himself. His hair is longer, more unruly, and there's a certain hollowness to his eyes that wasn't there before.
As he speaks, his tone is even, neutral, professional, as if he were conducting Jedi business somewhere in his own galaxy.]
My wife has told me that the Engineering crew is understaffed, and that more support is needed to monitor the systems that keep the ship online. [Padmé will probably have something to say when she sees this, he knows. Even if there's no real reason to keep their meetings to the shadows anymore, no real reason to actively hide their marriage (with the combination of their son’s existence and no Order presence currently on the ship), they haven’t exactly discussed open disclosure. But.
#YOLO
Anyway:] Allowing operations to continue as they are would not be best. [Yeah, he heard about last month, and the previous few, as well. But Anakin is a man of few words, especially nowadays, and would rather keep this short and to the point.] I'd like to offer my help. I know I've only just arrived, but I can assure you that there is no one more qualified for the job. [Such a gallant, generous Jedi Knight. Such an arrogant Jedi Knight.
There's a pause as he almost shuts off the feed, but then changes his mind at the last second. It might be superfluous, given that all evidence points to a previous stay on the ship that he doesn't remember. Something in him, though (maybe at least some wariness of his wife, just like every other married man in the universe), deems an introduction necessary.]
I'm Anakin Skywalker.
[There. Now the view goes black.]