When Sith Beat Jedi To The Prize (Of The Chosen One)

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel had intended never to go to Tatooine again. The entire experience the first time he was there was hot and miserable. The only good point, so far as he was concerned, was meeting Andronikos. But as luck would have it, his ship ended up deciding to need minor repairs. Nothing too bad, but it did require him to land somewhere to get the parts he needed, because of course, the bit that went was something he didn't have spare parts for. The only planet within reasonable range? Tatooine.

It didn't take long for a Force-sensitive boy to catch his attention. One strong enough that he was surprised the Jedi didn't already find him. Well, their loss was his gain. ...Once he pried him loose from Watto, anyway. He suspects he actually had an easier time of it than a Jedi would, although he's not going to hang around and give one the chance to give it a shot. At least, unlike them, he's willing to come to Tatooine from time to time so Anakin could see his mother. Probably not more than a couple times a year or so, due to it being best to go there when they're at least vaguely in that part of the galaxy anyway, but it's far better than 'sorry kid, we're never bringing you back'.

Of course, there is one tiny problem with this whole thing. He's never had to raise children before and doesn't know what he's doing. With the ship safely in hyperspace and not due to come out of it for a good long while, enabling him to do things that didn't involve sitting in the pilot's seat of the ship, he's in the lounge area. Time to figure out what he's doing. "Have you managed to get any kind of schooling? Like from someone you know, sitting down with you for an hour here and there as time permitted to teach you things like how to write?"

May as well figure out what he needs to teach besides how to use the Force consciously instead of unconsciously drawing on it.

Comments

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel gives Anakin a careful look. "I think you better do what I taught you first. Like I said, Sith use the Dark Side. Which is full of negative emotions. Like the kind of anger I'm sensing from you right now."

Time for Anakin to settle down, lest he unintentionally draw from the Dark Side.

[imaperson]

"But they deserve it." It's only a rough defensive, protesting a little with a huff.

But he was willing to listen, if only because the feeling of the dragon clawing at his heart didn't feel good. So he closed his eyes - needing to, in order to focus, trying to push his way back to that safe place in his head. It was more difficult this time, and his jaw muscles and mouth worked a little in furustation.

[neverwantedtobesith]

"They've been dead for thousands of years. They aren't getting any deader," Garth'zel points out with a trace of humor. "Don't force it too hard, or you'll just frustrate yourself."

[imaperson]

Anakin only huffed, having a bit of a complicated idea of Death, because Death took all, owned all. One only need accidentally stubble on old graves to see that. They might be bad people, but they were owned by Death now.

Fine, he thought.

And he was getting frustrated, breathing in and out slowly, more from irritation than any real attempt to calm himself - but it does calm him a little, allowing him to catch onto the feeling he'd had earlier. It wasn't the same, not as deep a feeling but something better. Inside his heart the sun-dragon relents a little, allowing Anakin to focus more.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel just stays quiet now to let Anakin focus. No point sabotaging what he's trying to have him do.

[imaperson]

It takes him more time to sink into that feeling of contentment and safety, and he can't quite manage to sink as deeply into it as he had before, but slowly, he does relax, the anger fading back, the fear that is teasing on the edges like a threatening storm quiets, and Anakin stands calmer at least than anything else.

It's then he opens his eyes, looking at Garth'zel with a little partial smile. See, I can do it, he means.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel nods, before motioning for Anakin to retake his seat. "It might be best to have to do things with your eyes closed so you aren't distracted by the input of what you can physically see."

"The Force is in every living thing, no matter how small or large. Try to find it in yourself first. The part that just knows when something's about to happen. That's the Force warning you what's coming."

[imaperson]

Anakin nods, walking over to retake his seat, listening.

"But what does it feel like?" He obediently closed his eyes, trying to focus in on what he'd thought was instinct, warning him away from something or drawing his attention to something.

[neverwantedtobesith]

"Sorry to disappoint you, but just because one person senses it as one way, it doesn't mean another does so the same way. This is one of the things you need to figure out for yourself."

Once Anakin works it out, Garth'zel's presence in the Force is mostly cold. Not as cold as say, Darth Malgus' but a sign that he's Sith.

[imaperson]

"That's great." It's mumbled in only the way a kid can but sulky without actually being angry or pouting - he's just disappointed.

And it takes him time, because he really isn't sure what he's supposed to be feeling, and while similar, feels so very different in Garth'zel. Or he thinks it does, anyway. "I think I can feel you?" He wonders really if he's correct, unsure, leading to him wanting to poke at what he's feeling, not realizing he rather is.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel just gives him a mental prod in response. If Anakin really has found him, he'll certainly know so now.

[imaperson]

He does know, because he full on startles in response, almost knocking himself over sideways, eyes flying open to stare wide-eyed and mouth drawn down at Garth'zel. What was that, he wants to yell but doesn't, solely because of manners.

[neverwantedtobesith]

"That was me," Garth'zel says mildly, able to guess at Anakin's thoughts simply due to his reaction. "Try not to metaphorically go flying into the sun. But now you know what I feel like in the Force, it looks like."

[imaperson]

Anakin nodded, settling himself back. "So I can use it to find you?" Which, even in a ship was useful.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel nods. "Yes. When we're around other people again, you'll also be able to keep track of who's around. Which is handy for making it hard for people to sneak up on you. Everyone has their own presence in the Force that feels different from everyone else. It'll take you some time to sort out who's who and what's wildlife or plants though, I imagine."

[imaperson]

Anakin nodded, thinking over this information. He wasn't sure he'd ever felt people like that before. "Mom could always tell if I was close, even if she couldn't see or hear me. She just knew."

That hadn't always been fun.

[neverwantedtobesith]

"Really?" Garth'zel asks with a raised eyebrow. "Interesting. That's either a parent's sixth sense about where their child is and if they're doing something they're not supposed to, or a sign of having at least some minor Force sensitivity."

Something to maybe bring up with her another time. Assuming he even remembers about this a few months from now.

[imaperson]

Anakin starts to shrug - but it was his Force abilities that made Garth'zel take him off Tatooine, yes? "None of the other parents were as good as she was about it."

L O O K, if it will help his mom and let him brag on how she was the best mom ever? He'd do it. All the time.

[neverwantedtobesith]

That raised eyebrow gets joined by the other one. "Mm-hmm."

Don't lay it on too thick, kid.

[imaperson]

"She is." He's being honest if too earnest. "She told me I had to go with you." Because at the last minute, he'd lost his nerve and been too afraid to leave her.

[neverwantedtobesith]

"I know you would have preferred she came with, but trying for her too would have been pushing it a little too far. And." Garth'zel shrugs uncertainly. "The Force told me she belonged on Tatooine. It didn't tell me why, just that was the case."

Note that he did not say that the Force said she needed to be a slave forever, thank you.

[imaperson]

Anakin exhaled slowly, looking down into his lap. "I don't want her there." It's a small, quiet protest. "Does she have to stay there forever?"

[neverwantedtobesith]

"Until whatever the Force has in mind happens. It could be tomorrow, next week, or years from now. There's no way to know because it doesn't tend to give one an itemized list of what it wants." As aggravating as it is.

"I am however, making sure she gets money every month. It's one of the things we talked about while you were otherwise occupied." Mostly meaning asleep and safely out of everyone's hair. Or wings. Whatever.

[imaperson]

Anakin just huffs, unhappy with the Force at the moment. "What happens if you don't listen to the Force?" It's really not as insolent as it sounds, more simply not understanding why something he didn't entirely understand got a way.

"Thank you. I'm glad she won't have to hunt stuff if Watto drinks too much." That's a normal thing for a kid to worry about right?

[neverwantedtobesith]

"Sometimes nothing too bad. Other times, it turns out that listening to it was a really good idea. It's sometimes hard to tell if it's just having some 'doing things this way just makes your life easier' or when it's basically saying 'doing things any way than what I tell you to will result in really bad things happening'. And considering your mother agrees that her place is on Tatooine..."

He's not going to argue with the Force.

He gives Anakin a long look before scrubbing a hand down his face. "Would it be safe to say that she may have downplayed how much she'd need? Because currently, things are set up so she gets five hundred a month in the bank account I made for her."