In A Moment: "Only Now, At The End."
Title: In A Moment: "Only Now, At The End."
Author: LaughtersMelody
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Star Wars
Disclaimer: Own Star Wars, I do not. :)
Genre: Angst/Tragedy
Pairing: None
Type: Part of a series of Ep. III vignettes
Spoilers: Major Spoilers for Ep. III.
Characters: Dooku
Secondary Characters: Anakin, Darth Sidious
Summary: Dooku's thoughts at his death.
A/N: When I got the episode three DVD, I was bitten by a bunch of plot bunnies for vignettes. This is the second one. :)
I hope you enjoy it, and of course, please let me know what you think! :)
~*~*~*~*~
Only Now, At The End
In the long years of my life, I have seen things some can only imagine, accomplished things some can only dream of. I have been hailed as a hero, and condemned as a villain. I have traveled both the paths of Light and Dark, delving into the shadows as easily as I walked in the sun. But it is only now, at the end, that I understand.
Here, I kneel, more helpless than I have ever been, my hands severed, sabers crossed at my throat. It is fitting I suppose, that one blade be that of a Jedi, and the other that of a Sith, for those are the two lives I have lived, the two mantles I have worn.
Reflected in the light of the sapphire blade, I can see what I once was. I see images of the peace and serenity that only the light can bring. I see the many missions I was a part of, the many people I once helped. I see my Padawan, Qui-Gon Jinn, a young man already wise beyond his years, so connected to the Living Force. But I push those visions aside. I surrendered those things long ago; they remain a part of me, but they are as lost to me as I am to them.
Then, I look to the scarlet blade. In it, I can see what I have become, the red reminding me of the blood I have spilled, the fire of the saber a manifestation of the fury needed to wield the power of the Dark Side. Yes, that is what I am now, and I accepted it long ago, knowingly, willingly.
But, while in the glow of the sabers I see the past and the present, in the eyes of the man before me, I see the future. In his dark, turbulent gaze, laid out before me in stunning clarity, I see what will come to pass. I see the shadows that are overtaking him, the battle that is being waged for his soul…I see what he will become.
And suddenly, I understand.
I was nothing more than a pawn, a mere, passing substitute for the prize my Master truly desired. All that I have done, every order I have obeyed, has lead to this moment: the moment Lord Sidious would create a place at his side for his greatest apprentice.
“Good, Anakin, good!” I hear my Master praise.
I look to him, unable to hide my shock. My Master has played his hand well, and though betrayal is the way of the Sith, somehow, I did not see it until it was too late. My Master’s lips twist into a cruel smile as he watches me, and he turns back to the boy, the smile never leaving his face.
“Kill him,” he says. “Kill him, now.”
Skywalker hesitates, his grip on the blades tightening, his jaw clenching. “I shouldn’t.”
For an instant I think that perhaps the Force will spare me, perhaps there is a chance…but then I see the dark tendrils of my Master’s influence tighten and my hope fades.
“Do it,” Lord Sidious growls.
At his words, Skywalker’s eyes flash, and I feel the searing heat of the blades. The darkness I embraced in life, claims me in death.
And only now, at the end, do I understand.
Fin
~*~*~*~*~
I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think! :)
-Laughter
~*~*~*~*~
A list of links to the other vignettes in the series can be found here.
~*~*~*~*~
Author: LaughtersMelody
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Star Wars
Disclaimer: Own Star Wars, I do not. :)
Genre: Angst/Tragedy
Pairing: None
Type: Part of a series of Ep. III vignettes
Spoilers: Major Spoilers for Ep. III.
Characters: Dooku
Secondary Characters: Anakin, Darth Sidious
Summary: Dooku's thoughts at his death.
A/N: When I got the episode three DVD, I was bitten by a bunch of plot bunnies for vignettes. This is the second one. :)
I hope you enjoy it, and of course, please let me know what you think! :)
~*~*~*~*~
Only Now, At The End
In the long years of my life, I have seen things some can only imagine, accomplished things some can only dream of. I have been hailed as a hero, and condemned as a villain. I have traveled both the paths of Light and Dark, delving into the shadows as easily as I walked in the sun. But it is only now, at the end, that I understand.
Here, I kneel, more helpless than I have ever been, my hands severed, sabers crossed at my throat. It is fitting I suppose, that one blade be that of a Jedi, and the other that of a Sith, for those are the two lives I have lived, the two mantles I have worn.
Reflected in the light of the sapphire blade, I can see what I once was. I see images of the peace and serenity that only the light can bring. I see the many missions I was a part of, the many people I once helped. I see my Padawan, Qui-Gon Jinn, a young man already wise beyond his years, so connected to the Living Force. But I push those visions aside. I surrendered those things long ago; they remain a part of me, but they are as lost to me as I am to them.
Then, I look to the scarlet blade. In it, I can see what I have become, the red reminding me of the blood I have spilled, the fire of the saber a manifestation of the fury needed to wield the power of the Dark Side. Yes, that is what I am now, and I accepted it long ago, knowingly, willingly.
But, while in the glow of the sabers I see the past and the present, in the eyes of the man before me, I see the future. In his dark, turbulent gaze, laid out before me in stunning clarity, I see what will come to pass. I see the shadows that are overtaking him, the battle that is being waged for his soul…I see what he will become.
And suddenly, I understand.
I was nothing more than a pawn, a mere, passing substitute for the prize my Master truly desired. All that I have done, every order I have obeyed, has lead to this moment: the moment Lord Sidious would create a place at his side for his greatest apprentice.
“Good, Anakin, good!” I hear my Master praise.
I look to him, unable to hide my shock. My Master has played his hand well, and though betrayal is the way of the Sith, somehow, I did not see it until it was too late. My Master’s lips twist into a cruel smile as he watches me, and he turns back to the boy, the smile never leaving his face.
“Kill him,” he says. “Kill him, now.”
Skywalker hesitates, his grip on the blades tightening, his jaw clenching. “I shouldn’t.”
For an instant I think that perhaps the Force will spare me, perhaps there is a chance…but then I see the dark tendrils of my Master’s influence tighten and my hope fades.
“Do it,” Lord Sidious growls.
At his words, Skywalker’s eyes flash, and I feel the searing heat of the blades. The darkness I embraced in life, claims me in death.
And only now, at the end, do I understand.
Fin
~*~*~*~*~
I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think! :)
-Laughter
~*~*~*~*~
A list of links to the other vignettes in the series can be found here.
~*~*~*~*~