Chapter Text
This, Vader was well aware, should not be happening. It wasn't a part of his master plan, and it certainly was not how he'd envisioned the destruction of Alderaan to proceed.
One moment, he was on the main bridge of the death star, leia Organa to his side and the death Star, his pride and Joy (yes that was Sarcasm, the death star was his replacement, this was clear. Why need a broken machine-,and when you could destroy entire planets with an oversized, bled lightsaber, then why need an aging Kraith Dragon?) primed and ready to blow up this insignificant planet, a thorn to the Empires' side, to recover the touted blueprint and destroy the heart of the rebels.
A tragic waste of resources, but whatever his Master wanted, as frustrating and wasteful as it was, he would get. But They needed to show the hell-machine as operational, otherwise, Mothma would keep steady and not fold.
It was rather tragic, for Aldraan was a rather nice planet to live in, and, if his master had not marked this as a terrorist nest, Vader would have taken the bucolic little planet, either assassinated or enslaved the current ruler and his family and made this his… cottage planet.
Yes, Mustafar was the source of his fear, grief and Hatred and thus theunlimited well that feed his Dark Side, but sometimes… treacherously, Darth Vader desired to have some greener pastures, a simple cottage beside a lake where, after modifying (and befriending) the local medidroid, he could rest… without his armor, of course.
Obliviously, his Master had been privy to his apprentice Jedi-like longing and thus had tasked his chosen one to destroy his weakness.
Vader… didn't even have a word to say, one of his 'subordinates' was the one at the consol.
So yes, he had taken out his frustration in a very methodical manner on the princess.
He would keep her… the Force, even the dark side wanted her. She was so headstrong, so willful.. (like his… like Anakin's Padme…. And Anakin, frustratingly enough.)
And then, as the death ray careened toward the volatile cored planet…
A… White monster, a space leviathan… an unknown species of winged, space-faring life form revealed itself, one moment, a genial smile on it's white, comically basic face, and the next, the maw opened, gulping up that death ray… and the death star. Plunging the Emperor's planet destroying astral base in pure darkness.
Not even Darth Vader's lightsaber could piece the thick darkness.
Then the screams began, and the eyes… the disembodied sith eyes took them all away, sparring no one.
So, there he was, the Empire's killing machine, Lord Siddious's right hand and rod of punishment… helplessly floating in Darkness… a Darkness that felt like the embrace of the darkside, yet could not be more divorced from the Force Vader's Master exuded even if he tried. It wasn't… Cold like the void of space, with anger fueled by fear and hatred.
No… it was as if Vader had been plunged in a dark pool of water after being scorched by the binary sun of his anger and pain of the last twenty or so years of his myserable life.
He…
Hated this!
He hated this so much!
This peace, this… blasted serenity… the same serenity that had evaded Vader ever since his birth.
He had been born from the flames of betrayal, the scorching fire of hatred, the black fire forge of the darkside had burnt whatever weakness Anakin had been, and thus he had been born, burning, screaming… hating everything and everyone near equally!
And fearing…
Fearing everything… and with nothing to lose but the bliss of his Master's pleasure, there had been nothing too low, too wretched and wrong that Darth Vader would not do for Him…
He… had lost this bond with his master, the only one left was the half dead one, the one he'd kept a bit out of pure spite.
Just to make Kenobi know the pain Vader lived in since Mustafar… Kenobi's greatest failure.
Said pain, now that he was… Disconnected from the dark side, and engulfed in the moquerie of the true potential of the force, it gave Vader time to think.
To think what he did to get where he was…
In the belly of an unknown species of space leviathan, waiting for his suit's batteries to run out, his mechanical lungs failed him, suffocating him slowly but surely.
He didn't want to become one with the force, to lose himself.
He was finally someone, finally something other than a slave…
But aren't you a slave of Palpatine? He heard someone ask.
"Who are you!? Show yourself, cowards, and perhaps Lord Vader shall be lenient on you." he wouldn't, of course.
A sith eye opens from the thick darkness, yellow and red and free from other features.
I am Dark Rimura, father's pet son. And you are a slave, you have no identity other then the one your master gave you, and whatever you did amounted to nothing, for nothing you did was done out of your own free will."
Dart Vader was about to rebuke the being, to grab his eyes with the force and burst it like an overripe Kaminoan grape when…
A being of pure… darkness and light appeared.
"Rimura, let me handle this." The being spoke, shaking the very fabric of the Force around it with gentle ripples. " I can feel great suffering in his heart, deep sorrows hiding under hatred and rage… this is too delicate for you to deal with."
"Ok, dad."
"Why don't you go and check up on the Princess, I don;t think she knows where she is going, and I would rather she not get hopelessly lost in this terrible maze."
"Yeah, Alright. Dad… puppet." and with that the being of pure darkness left. Leaving the unknown entity left with he Fallen Jedi, the being let out a heartfelt sigh even Vader could empathize with.
"You must forgive my son, Rimura loves children, and he sees what you did as unforgivable… I would too, if not for what I sense in your heart."
"END THIS BLASTED CHARADE! WHO ARE YOU? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE AND WHO DARE YOU IMPLY THAT I, LORD DART VADER, IS WEAK?"
The silence that ensued was a heavy one, one in which the darkness seems to shift and mold itself into a form Vader had never crossed during his short yet all too long lifespan.
It's body was blindingly white, accentuating the red blood that trickled from it's one, red eyes.
It was like looking at a glob or bright red congealed blood.
A pair of… wings?/ arms waved beside the leviathan, their tip frayed, exposing nerves and veins, pulsing with its heart.
And, to top the terrifying display, as if mocking the Sith Lord, was a halo at the top of its bulbous form with a dinky little tail at the bottom.
Darth Vader stood, staring at the beast while swirls of red and black replaced the darkness.
But worst and most confusing was the Force that emanated from the being.
It was… pure.
No, not the Light side, and definitely not the Dark side.
This Force… was pure.
'Today I learned that there are four side of the force, Light, Dark, Grey and pure…' was the only thought that chimed in Vaders shell shocked mind, one that sounded like a rather hysterical Anakin… no, it must've been Ashoka.
"I am Shuniya-Hara Das, I am… hmm." the being hummed, somehow sounding more human then anyone would've rightfully expected. "My body is that of a cursed Demi-god, a Fallen one, if you will. But beyond that, I am a Vaishnava, a servant of Bhagavan sri-Krishna, God."
"... God?" Vader finally managed to say, having found his voice again. He already… He wanted to hate the being more than he hated Kenobi, but… He coulodn;t his instinct, and the force, screaming at him to play his cards right, less He returned one with the Force, a fate he wasn't keen to experience, astonishingly enough.
"Yes, God. the one named Krishna, Alah, Narayana, Yehova, Buddha." The being, Shuniya stated with a closed eye grin… how it managed to convey a smile was beyond Vader's comprehension. "But… I think you guys know his Energy, the Force. Krishna is the Source of the Force."
"The… Source?" Vader asked as this childish, wholly inappropriate desire to know everything about the force emerged from his black, burnt heart.
It was something Anakin had sadly imbibed from Kenobi, Darth Vader had no need to know Anything about the force.
The force was his tool, his right…. His only means of survival. He had no need to learn about this… krishna, let alone the Source…. Only how to subjugate it, how to bend to force to his will.
He didn't need to know the Source!
He didn't!
Really, Anakin was dead, the only thing he needed to know was how to kill, how to hate, how to fear and how to please his Master.
That's it… he didn't need to think, for thinking led to guilt, and guilt was a weakness. Hence why his master had allowed himself to be bribed by this little upstart, Vader was starting to think for himself… that, and he was certain his Master had overheard his desires to overthrow him.
Of course, this had been but a passing fancy, for while Ana… while his previous self was a reckless fool who didn't think things through, let alone what would happen after… Well, Vader's mind liked to wander and imagine what would happen… Nevertheless, the Being of Pure Force kept talking, stopping the spiral with his Holy tennore.
And yet, the Lovecraftien being 'grinned' with his eyes as he gave a full body nod. "Indeed, Krishna is the source of everything and everyone, nothing can exist without him, and nothing can move without his say so."
"Then the Source is a cruel fool." Vader spat, goading the all powerful being.
"No, he's not." Shuniya Waved a wing dismissively. "He's really a big softy, and whatever cruelty you see and experience in this wretched place is 1) by our own fault and 2) by the will and desires of other conditioned souls who think they are above all consequences." the being gave an eye roll. "Idiots. And, I don't know if you've ever had kids, but when a dumb kid keep asking to do something he shouldn't and annoy his parents to the very end of their patience, the parent has no choice but to acquiesce and let the kid learn their lessons by the good old school of hard knocks… like you did."
Vader bristed… no, this wasn't his fault! His master told him that those in power were above it all! It wasn't his fault… it wasn't his fault that the others were weak, it wasn't his fault that those jedi-
Nausea hit him, and it took everything in him to keep whatever was left of his stomach in his thorax and not in his mask.
The Angelic sentient floated closer, his one eye peering deep in Vader's very being, his one eye narrowing.
"Hmmm… you have… layers… grown crooked, imposed on you and covering the real you…"
"I AM LORD DARTH VADER, THE FIST OF THE EMPEROR, SCOURGE OF THE REBEL AND-"
"No… that's not you." The white angel dismissed as he peered deeper in the shadow demon of death… and with a wave of his wing, brushing away the Emperor's attack dog away, and the maddened griever of a man. Leaving behind the confused and frustrated knight whose dreams were filled with the scream of the dead and the Force's tears as an influx of departed entered her flow. This persona was also brushed away, for it was not what the angel was looking for.
Not the secret Husband of Padme, the sweet angel, the love of his life and the source of his constant anxiety.
Then came the Padawan, scared, anxious, posturing and trying so damns hard do be an ideal Jedi, yet his very Core rejecting it, wanting to fight for the good, to throw himself in the battle field and prove once and for all that he wasn't merely Anakin Skywalker, the slave soon to be shipped to the Huts pleasure guardan of nunda-bhaban but the chosen one of the force, the boots of the emperor, the black death. Darth Vader.
Shuniya's one eye narrowed. "Hmm… so this identity is your security blanket. You hide behind him.
But before Darth Vader could reply and finally kill the bleeding abomination. Said lovecraftian horror once again ripped away Darth Vader from Anakin.
"You are a child forced to grow all too quickly. Your childhood was filled with fear and uncertainty and without a father to teach you how to be a man you defaulted to the few unqualified male that lived alongside you… your masters."
"NO! ENOUGH OF THIS!"
"When Jin won you, you expected a better life where everything would work out, where just having the most Midichlorien would mean that you would never have to fear rejection and pain again."
"NO, NO, STOP THIS AT ONCE! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
"Then he was killed, the one person, your would-be father was once again taken from you. Then with the Jedies, your situation got worse for now, you had to compete to be seen as worthy of a master, lest you became something weak again, a servant… he called you the chosen one, filling your head with dreams of love and greatness, of being important, the hero of the story, of being someone… and yet, everyday, it felt like a fight, like another war to wage, another person to fear. But you made you. You were knitted, you had strength."
PLEASE STOP… PLEASE…
"But life once again proved you wrong. You fell in… false love, moved by the God of Lust for your would-be wife. She was kind, she expected nothing of you and let you feel what you had in your heart… and yet, despite your best effort, you fumbled and tumbled through the relationship, only the Force, the suggestive mystic powers you had meant that you got married."
'I… what? No, no, I was always terrible at tricking minds…" Ana… he vehemently as he felt like the
rug had been pulled from under his feet and the floor vanished from under his plummeting form.
Shuniya-hara looked at the floundering 'Sith'' like a medic looking at a patient in denial over his glasses.
"I'm sad to say that it is true. You do have this ability… but you never learned how to control it, and, letting your passion and lust for this woman take you over, you weakly impose your will on her… I cannot say if she did fall in 'love' with you, but your attachment… your irrational attachment to her transient body, exasperated by… Shiva? Really." The white being cringed. "Dear Lord, that's awkward. Anyway, from your reaction, you had no idea you could do that?"
Darth Vader numbly shook his head as he wrapped his mind around the fact that he'd essentially…
Shuniya sighed. His whole body inflating then deflating. " This… palpatine used your irrational fear and attachment issues to poison you… and there you are, once again a slave, a Donkey."
He felt a pair of warm, soft weights settle on his shoulders, and when he looked up, the angel had changed, now looking more like a middle aged man with blue, almost black eyes, white hair and a pleasant round face, a U shaped mark rested upon his forehead. His wings and halo were still present but the red nerves had turned into gentle diamonds, his face lacked a few features, but his empathy and compassion were as clear as the two suns of Tatooine.
"This was a mistake… but honestly, you've been raised as a slave, hearing stories about knights and their princesses. Nobody taught you about how to managed long term, *healthy* relationships… not that those Jedis knew anything about that." Shuniya-Hara spat with contempt. "Bunch of lusty baboons, that's what my son would call them… and no, the siths are not better. The only good few things I can say about the Jedis were how, despite being a bunch of impersonalist, they were, at the very least, situated closer to the mode of Goodness then you Siths. Always fearing, lusting and envying like a bunch of ignorant animals who can't even keep it in their pants." he grumbled, and Vader had no idea if he should feel shame or not.
He never had any interest with the hole sleeping around fads the jedis seems to have, but to be called an animal?
That was a new insult.
" The result." The winged being gestured at Darth Vader, a wry smile on his… mouth. "Speaks for itself, now. Doesn't it?No that you had any… options."
Shame filled Darth Vader, as he knew what would come next.
" Or, perhaps… no, you were raised in ignorance of the truth, and thus, acted like a desperate fool, all of your intelligence and morality drained out of you as you willingly sacrificed hundreds for the object of your lust."
Darth Vader tried to argue and tried to defend his choice, Padme is…was the Love of his life, the only one who understood him, who Loved Him.
She had to be saved, no matter the cost.
"Why…" a whisper brushed against Vader's scarred eardrum. Too loud and sharp despite its whispering qualities.
When Vader opened his eyes, he was met with a nightmare he'd tried to escape for decades; the younglings he had slain. Their ethereal bodies still bore the scorched cut caused by his blade.
They all stared at him… betrayed and unimpressed.
"I…I… Padme she…"
"I never asked for this." His Padme hissed, standing among the scorned mass. Her hair undone and matted, and her eyes red rimmed. Her face pale and drawn " Anakin… what you did… this… this isn't love!"
She was right.
" Do you really think that I would have consented to remain with you? To remain your wife, the mother of your children when you yourself have slaughtered so many?"
No…
" Anakin… if you would have loved me, you would have given up on your dreams, you would… you would give up your Jedi Hood and remain as my husband. But no… no, I had to sacrifice my own dreams and aspirations, my very life so that you may continue playing hero with Obi-wan and Ahsoka. And I did…"
"And, in the end… I broke your heart… I killed you… I killed all my family." Anakin admitted. Never in his life had he felt so helpless in the face of his mistakes.
This… wasn't like messing up the voltage and amp on a circuit board. It wasn't like that at all… and it wasn't like losing a pod race only to have his mom deal with the consequences…
No…
Anakin… because he was Anakin…
Anakin had messed up bad… he'd kriffed shit up so bad, the whole galactic balance was irreparably off.
He was the Chosen one of the Force, born without a father to a slave in the middle of a desert. And he'd failed his one reason to exist.
…
"Perhaps not."
Padme and the slain crechlings flinched at Shunia-Hara's dark filled voice. And Anakin's… unfortunate victim fled the sight of the all with being.
The white being looked down at the slain children (a wasted sacrifice, innocent blood sacrificed to a lying God, a false prophet.) and cooed. "Hello, little ones. Hare Krishna. Oh Bhagavan, you all all so young, don't worry, everything will get better, little ones, be patient and have faith." The white being then returned his attention to Anakin.
"No, after reviewing your life, Skywalker, I can see that the assessment of my son was true; you are a slave. And all actions that have led you to this now, to this present, where railroad from the moment you have entered the Jedi temple… no, from the moment you were born."
Familiar anger lit up in Anakin's heart. "So you meant that my suffering, my sins… that this was fated! That is… my pain, my suffering… all of those who died by my hands, the subjugated planets… all of this was the will of the Force?"
"Yes."
…
"Let me explain, little ones, The supreme and absolute truth, and the Law of Causation." the great white being said as he took more… humanoid form and sat down."has control on us all. For not a blade of grass, nor a grain of sand move without his sanction. We all carry a Karmic baggage of unlimited lifetimes on our back, and while we do have free will, for those who lack a healthy intelligence and the knowledge of the absolute truth, this free will means absolutely nothing."
It felt like a punch to the gut, and Ana… Anakin was a fighter , a warrior. A brawler taught to fight with the finesse he didn't want nor need.
He needed to fight… not to think, not to regret…
He didn't… want to face the truth.
Heedless, Shunia continued, apparently answering a question a dead youngling had asked.
"I know that I don't need to explain how all is the force, but I feel it will be easier for all of us if I were to change the vocabulary to Vaishnavism." he began. "I come for the top of the universe, you see, and there, we know everything, for my great grandfather, Brahma, is the architect of this material manifestation." behind Anakin (who was now back in the form of a child, burnt, patched up hastily and missing all limbs.) the Youngling oohed and awed. "The source is the source of everything, she is the primeval energy and she is also feminine in nature. Her name is Srimati-Radharani. Her source and counterpart is Sri-Krishna, The Source of all sources, and The Cause of all causes. Without Radha, Krishna is nothing, and without Krishna, Radharani would not exist, one cannot exist without the other, like fire and heat."
Once again, the children, the babies gasped in pure wonder.
…
Why… Why had Anakin ever thought killing those children would have been worth it to save his Padme? Hell, Anakin had been so close to being a dad, and… why, just why?
"I look like this, and was given the Rudra called Mahan due to my previous Karma, or the previous actions I took in my numerous lifetime… and don't get fooled by my heavenly birth and appearance, since all of this." He gestured to his body. "Isn't me-"
"No, because you are part of the force, everything is one and will return to one." One of the older kids said with an eye roll.
" Eternally individual souls, and, as souls, We are all part and parcels of the the divine energy, what you call the Cosmic force, our source is the all pervading Brahman, and us Vaishnava, following the words of the Saints, divine teachers and holy revealed scripture know that the Bhraman, the Light, has a source, a perfect, personal source called Krishna. The first and foremost person."
"Krishna…" Anakin rasped, testing the name…
And the name…
Oh… Oh, it was warm like the sunlight of Naboo, and sweet like the love he had once felt.
"Krishna."
He heard Shuniya chuckled, his one globulous eyes filled with approval and oh…
When was the last time Anakin had been showered with gentle, sweet approval like that?
Obi-wan…
"Yes, the Source of the Force is Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead. And I have met Him personally." the white being pinked. "Now, Krishna, or Bhagavan manifests in three features, depending on how…Satvick, in the light side you are, the more you are aware of Him."
"What's… Sattvic?" A young girl asked.
"Sattvik means to be in the mode of Goodness. There are three modes that govern the material world. Satva, Rajas and Tamas, or Goodness, Passion and Ignorance. I don't have to tell you that of the three, Goodness is the best."
The children shook their heads, and Anakin immediately wanted to argue that that passion held more power, more… life! It was bright like fire…
And had burned everything in Anakin's life.
"Anakin, you are absolutely right about passion. You see, the ideal human society is split into four categories, roughly speaking. We have the gentle Bhramana, who cultivate a serene attitude and divine knowledge… and no, Jedis are not Bharmana, for a Brahmana is pure in mind, body and action and would never gamble, take intoxicants like spices, alcohol and caff. And pure bhramana's stay away from elicit sex, choosing to take up sacred family life in the need ever arise." the being scowled. "Same as with gambling, for a pure Brahmana does not lie nor gamble the wealth Srimati-Laksmi-ji had lended him for the service of Her Lord."
At those words, quite a few of them rose and left, while others remained.
It was the youngest ones, those who had barely learned how to walk, those who had yet to be exposed to those vice and had no desire to taste sins… and toddlers.
Would Anakin not fall to the dark side… would his child have survived? Would Anakin…
"Ah… I got sidetracked." the angel muttered, his… err… face(?) reddening. His one eye returned to Anakin.
He sighed, his whole body expanding and shrinking with his rose scented breath.
"Anakin you… the more I look in your life, the more I can see that… you were given an impossible situation. You had no true control of the situation, and whatever choice you would have made would have still led you to where you are… and you knew this, didn't you? That's why you willingly fell?"
Anakin raised his head, his damaged eyes finally showing how… dead tired, and annihilated he felt.
Perhaps… that was why it was so easy to commit atrocity after atrocities, all this death and pain.
He wasn't a person anymore, only pain, the Darkside had rendered him into the pure manifestation of pain, anger and fear. Strip this away, and there wasn't even a soul left-
"Come now. you, my dear, are a spiritual soul in a… very damaged subtle and gross body. The pain you feel is from the body only. The damage is on the other shell while you, the Jivatma, in a state of complete bewilderment, think is you. But you, the soul, are immortal, filled with consciousness and bliss."
"I'm… immortal?" oh kriff no-"
"Anakin." Shuniya-hara began as he took the broken child in his arms. "We are energy, the Divine pleasure energy of the Lord. we exist for His pleasure, by His Pleasure. And since my Master is Eternal and unborn, we, the souls animating these… rather horrid looking machines we call bodies, are also eternal and unborn. It is our nature to serve Krishna eternally, without fear of birth, death, old age of disease." The being, now taking the form of a mother, began to rock the fallen one. "But, because we've turned our back to him, and chose to go against Him, Ignoring our best friend and well wisher, we suffer… we suffer birth after birth. We suffer from the element, our own crazy mind, other's crazy mind and from other beings. From me, passing by the planets, the demigods, mice and bacterias." She said soothingly.
Anakin remained in the warm embrace, remembering his mother…
'She must hate me so much… I'm… I'm worse then the Hutts.' tears… or what felt like tears, fell from his burnt eyes.
He hated thinking… he hated when his mind told him, no, asked him if his actions would make his mother proud.
He hated it, because he knew his amu wouldn't… and he could practically see his disappointment in her bruised face.
"Shhh… It's alright. I'm here for you."
"You… wanted to kill me… You stopped me…" Anakin babbled, his voice the youthful rasp of a burnt remains. "I…why?" Why now? Why not before? Anakin had… he'd given the order to glass whole planets so often (wasteful, so wasteful, what was Siddious playing at?) why did this… celestial being, a being of both Dark and Light, not intervene before?
"Actually… I didn't even know what was happening in the subterranean heavenly planets until a… month-of-my-time ago."
Anakin raised his head and stared at the being with a quizzical remains of an eyebrow.
"I live on the middle planetary disk, on Bhu-mandala. No, no one from your cosmic mandala can see Bhu-mandala, her vibratory presence is too high for you to see…"
"..."
"Basically, you don't qualify. Nothing in this realm qualifies to see anything higher then their top of the Galaxy. I belong to the highest realm, so I can perceive everything."
Anakin grunted as he leaned his head on the angel's Shoulder. If he was about to be forcibly rendered… wait, what was Shuniya-Hara's purpose for him?
"As I was saying, I had no idea of the wars happening in these Galaxies. I only came to know because my grand uncle, Narada-mahamuni invited me on an intergalactic… padayatra… hmm, a divine walkabout, basically. We stopped for a few hours on Aldeera. King Organa was especially receptive to hear about Bhatki-Yoga and Krishna, so my Uncle asked me to make sure nothing would disturb them."
"...I… arrived at a bad time then." Of course, the emperor's fist always came at the worst time.
He felt the Angel shrug. "That's debatable." Hah. "The point being, I was about to dispose of all the sinners in this clockwork star. Save for Leia Organa, for while she isn't innocent, it wasn't her time to die today."
"Oh… that's… Good." Sure, Anakin… Darth Vader had personally tortured her by all means to get the information he (the emperor) needed. But… such a strong willed young woman. Such poise… she reminded Anakin of his Padme.
Would his child have survived, they would be Leia's age, hell, she resembled his late wife in such a way that the shadow of the empire almost ran a DNA test… until he remembered that such test would be immediately reported to his… to Sidious.
Shuniya hummed as he… she ran a gentle hand on Anakin's scalp. "But… I felt you… and the mess of Karma you carried. Not even Yamaraja is sure whether you are a sinner or a weapon. None of your decisions truly were your own, and yet, you still took those decisions. And you have suffered their consequences."
Yes, Anakin was painfully aware of that.
"And yet… I feel that what you did… what happened to you was a part of something bigger, something… holier then expected."
"I murdered children, burned whole worlds down to ashes!" Anakin exclaimed as he sat straighter. "You can't tell me that the Source, that Krishna!" He spat. " wanted all this war and destruction to happen!"
"... Do you know what other subtle concept Krishna is?" Shunya asked. "He is time, the destroyer of everything. You can't stop time and time…time has no friends, and no enemy. In then end, everything in the material world will be destroyed by Him, and rebirthed by him… Again, and Again, and Again. He is also in our hearts as the Antar-yami, the supersoul dwelling in the heart of all beings, with or without sentience. He delivered the result of their actions and reminds them… us of our previous desires while remaining hidden." the angel explained. "We still have free will, and, if our intelligence is pure enough, we know what desires are allowed and what is forbidden. We… usually have a choice…"
As suddenly as it came, all energy left Anakin, the burnt remains of a dream tiredly slumped against the Angel, closing his eyes as he remembered all the decisions he took to get where he was…
"And yet… you are a slave. A puppet whose strings are strung too tight… And yet, you are not wholly bound, aren't you?" Shuniya asked with a crinkle at the side of her eyes.
"Why should a Master worry about betrayal when all Good soldiers follow orders?" Anakin said wrilly. "I may be a monster, but… sometimes, I get a bit… Jedi-like."
"Despite the price you have to pay."
Anakin's eyes once again took the burden of his heart. "... it's all I can do."
Silence once again filled with space between worlds, Shunia-hara cradling Anakin gently, and the broken hero taking all the love and…'human' warmth he could.
What could he say? He was a greedy sleemo, and nothing could change that.
Siths took whatever they wanted… and right now, Darth Vader wanted to, for one, not feel pain and hatred.
It… felt good, to let it go, to let this guilt go after twenty plus years.
There was nothing he could do in his situation, nothing he could do to go against his so-called master, His Suggestion so powerful, anytime Anakin wanted to kill the true culprit of Padme and his unborn child's death (just for a start.) he would dismiss it.
It wasn't good, but the Galaxy would be worse off with a ruler they didn't know. Besides, he gave Darth Vader a reason to exist, a reason to be…
Those he killed were for his quota only, he didn't hate them (No, his hate was for kenobi… and even this, he started to doubt his reasons to hate him, now that his mind felt somewhat clearer.), better they died quickly then to whatever scummy scheme Siddious had to kill them all slowly and painfully…
Or, perhaps, the 'chosen one' simply stopped caring. He was a tool… he was a good soldier…
Anakin had no idea how long he spent in the angess arms, where the dark side was cooling and soft, like the blessed night and the caves of tatooine. There, he finally let go…
But, as with everything good in his life, it ended all to quickly for his taste…
"You know." Shunia-hara began "There is… one thing you could do."
"I know…" Anakin said quietly. "Just… be quick?"
The being's wings cradled him closer. "No… not that. There never was redemption in death, unless the Lord Himself was the cause. And no, Anakin, you are not…hmm… big enough a threat to the shuras to warrant this type of mercy. And suicide never fixed anything."
"Oh…"
"No… you have to keep living until your time comes, until Anakin's Karma runs out and you take another birth… with the Karmic baggage of this one. You will probably take birth as a hunted Jedi, or worse."
Anakin shuddered. He knew this this was fair. He did killed and hunted thousands of beings, both force sensitive and otherwise but…
He sobbed as he buried his face further in Shunia's shoulder. ',make it stop!' he wanted to beg, to whimper. 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I won't do it again, I swear.'
"Or." Shinua continued. "You can turn back to God, to Krishna, and worship his Golden Avatar form, Gauranga."
"Gauranga?"
pure bliss filled the force, love-care and an unlimited amount of Compassion and oh!
Oh…
The Force… felt, tasted… sounded…
Golden.
Full…
Anakin now knew what Shunia-hara meant when he said that God was the Source, for he had been connected to the Supreme source of all energies but for a brief moment, for more…
There was no telling what would happen.
"Yes, that's it…" Shuniya-hara cooed his tears soaking Anakin like a Monsoon shower on Naboo. "That's how you start."
"I just…"
"Now please, please oh, most fortunate one." The angel said, their whole body shaking. "Take the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra." They cleared their throat, stopping their violent shivering. "Sorry I… That was my Master, you Called the Source of the Force, and the Force, Sri-krishna-Chaitanina Mahaprabhu." Shunia said with a voice still choked, his halo glowing like the legendary mono-sun of high-heaven. "Stop sinning, even if it will cause you pain, do not give anymore suffering to any living entity… within reason."
"Yes, Master." The word, master, the title that had adorned a pair of unworthy men, flowed easily from Anakin's mouth.
The bring blushed. "Yes… Well, I will connect your subtle body and mine together. Like this, I'll be able to teach you how to please Gauranga Mahaprabhu, how to see everything through the eyes of scriptures and live a life of balance… your Balance." the white angel's wings fluttered with joy. "Bhakti-yoga, especially for neophytes, is better practiced when one is in its constitutional position. I know you a have the passion and disposition of a warrior, so fight, you also ave the nature of a Worker too.. but most importantly, you are a soul in contact with eh supreme, so for now, take the week off, regroup, recoup and meditate -"
…
"Ah, so I see you've realized the horror that was meditation on the state of oneness for all."
"I hate meditation…"
"Yes, because meditation on nothing doesn't give the mind a grounding stake." Shuniya nodded sagely, still petting Anakin;s head. (He wanted his hair back.) "The mind is as hard to control as the wind, especially for those who are passionate by nature. Not a flaw, but requiring another mean of controlling it, which is why the Yuga-Dharma of this age, is to chant-
—-
Leia stared at Darth Vader, his armor clad body held aloft by what seems to be fleshy arteries.
It was seeing her worst nightmare… but worst.
A sob attempted an escape, but the daughter of Bail Organa and the mysterious queen of Naboo (she hoped it was Padme.) held it back.
Sure, all of her crew had been slaughtered, her mom's two droids were gone (to find the last Jedi in the galaxy, Obi-wan Kenobi), and for all she knew, Aldeeran was but asteroids and death.
She was alone in enemy territory, with Darth vader (Apparently she'd been tortured, she only remembered going in her little brainnook with all the animals, the pillow and the friendly, amnesiac gungan prince and his nifty long tongue.) and now-
Nothing could have prepared her for what had happened.
Not her royal studies, not the text her dad kept on the top shelf of his library…
Not even the Spooky VR games she owned, and those where the homebrewed, unfiltered ones.
She had already been living through a waking nightmare… What did she do to the universe to be hated so much?
All around her, the Death Star had once again become quiet, the scream of her crew members had tapered off to merely sobs and prayers to higher beings. The only ones who seemed more or less unaffected were the Stormtroopers, but with how they stood listlessly, with their hands hanging dead at their side, their blasters held very loosely in nerveless fingers spoke of another fact all together.
The white halls of the Death Star and her bridges, from where Leia could peek through, were darker then pitch, as dark as a black hole.
Well. it would be darker then a black hole, would it not be for those… eyes that lived in the solid darkness.
'It's dark… is this the dark side the jedi mentioned in their books? But… it doesn't feel hateful or cold. It's cool like a welcomed breeze but… not… it feels benevolent. to me, at least.' Leia thought as she slightly uncoiled from the corner she was hiding in.
There, slumped backward on the consol, that banta-born Bastard was dead, his face twisted in either extreme agony or fear, perhaps both. A few other officers were also dead, their bodies twisted in shapes no beings should be in.
She covered her mouth, trying not to burst out laughing. (or crying, or puking… but not fainting, that was unbecoming of her.)
Mon Mothma… she'll be happy about this development… but the Death Star was still operational.
'I have fate in C-3PO and R2, I know they will find Obi-wan Kenobi and deliver the blueprints to the rebellion.' yes, better she remained positive, what had… happened was sad, and… terrifyingly blizzard but, perhaps this was the end of Darth Vader and the emperor's filthy fist.
This would be an improvement, Palpatine would lose his most powerful enforcer, it would give them all a chance to breathe and raise everyone's morale… for a bit.
"̷H̵e̷y̵,̷ ̴a̷r̶e̴ ̶y̵o̴u̸ ̷a̶l̵r̸i̶g̷h̴t̵?̵
Leia flinched, looking around like a scared animal.
Nothing, nothing had the right to sound like that, no civilized being did, anyway.
Her eyes fell on a piece of darkness that had detached from the writhing mass of eyes and gloom. Its eye was sith yellow with a red, spiked rim.
She kept staring at the thing, it was sometimes blinking, something Leia didn't dare to do in the presence of the Dark entity.
And yet…
It felt kind, cautious and sensitive. Like some of her men when they met her and…
"Aa… Ksh… Ae Krshna…"
Leia jumped to her feet as Darth Vader's Vocoder began to glitch, as if he was trying to speak words that wants;t in the internal vocabulary pack.
"Hare, Ram, Hare, Ram, Ram, Ram, Hare, Hare. (Author note, like the March Hare. not, not that Hare yet.)
…
" What in the name of all the sacred planets of this galaxy's going one here!" No, the princess of Alderaan didn't yell, or screech. She was better then that, but by Ar-Amu's unknown place of worship, that went above and beyond what type intergalactic bullshit she was used at the moment.
The one eyed abomination turned to her, and the next, a black bolt of lighting struck her forehead, causing the princess to double over.
When her ears stopped rigging and the nausea passed she managed to stand up again.
Unbelievable, she had withheld her screams until she'd retreated in her mental nook during Darth Vader's 'tender care', and yet, this had been enough to blind her with pain.
The one eyed being, having lowered itself. Dared to look apologetic. "I'm sorry, Princess of Alderaan, There was no other way for you to understand me."
"What are you? What's going on?" She demanded.
"I'm Dark Rimura, or Darth Rmura, I guess. I'm a Dark Matter, a being's whose more of a ghost covered in a layer of pure pradan then a being of flesh." the.. Dark matter explained, his voice implying that he was male… if his species had anything like a binary gender, that is. "As for what happened, father and I got invited to travel to the lower part of the Brahmanda, the universe, with Grand Uncle Narada Maha-muni dev. He's a Servant of Narayana, the Maintainer of all."
Leia's perfectly trimmed eyebrows raised to the top of her hairline.
"The… Ah, I suppose you could call the Narayan expansion of this world the septiery expansion of the Supreme personality of Godhead, Krishna. The source of the Source of the Force, basically."
"Basically." Laia openly snarked as she did her best not to go cross eyed.
She had heard of the Jedi and the Force, even found old, forbidden text and Holocrons of the Bendus, the progenitor of the ancient jedi. But she had never heard of the Source of the force, let alone the source being Called Krsna, let alone his… sevent's expansion, Narayana.
That was … a lot.
"Long story short, my Family are servants of the supreme personality of Godhead, and our duty is to remind as many souls as we can about Him. Narada's the best of us and, well, how could we say no?" the formless blob of Darkness shrugged. "Narada wanted to test the water of Alderaan and lo and behold, the King and his wife were receptive!" the being happily bobbed up and down in happiness, practically glowing in joy. "Such a nice couple, your parents are so blessed, you know? Not many in this lowly place even want to hear about the source, saying that the Force is some Jedi magic, implying that Grandma Prakriti's any man's property, the nerve." he spat.
Huh… despite the unfathomable scope, Leia could relate.
"Sorry, that was… yeah, not where I wanted to go. Anyway." Rimura coughed, and Leia realized that, for all his freakyness, Rimura was even more human then anyone on the death star. "Narada told your parents about the supreme and absolute truth, they accepted the worship of Narayana. And then dad saw this super weapon and, knowing it would destroy Alderaan and Krsna's brand new devotee, mouthful it and brought this fake Nova to the other side of the galaxy, before the darkness of outer space." RImura explained. "... Maybe dad will… I don't know, bring it closer to a denser sector, now that he managed to have Dark Invader Chant the Maha-Mantra-"
"The what?"
"God's… direct emergency com sequence. Wow, you guys have some complicated crap that doesn't even work right. Anyway, Dad must've offer redemption to this slave-"
Laia paled… Vader, a Slave…
…
The violent image of Vader kneeling in front of Darth Sidious flashed in front of her mind, his body shaking, the lights on his chest blinking in distress. The emperor's black fist raised his head with difficulty before letting it drop, along most of his body.
…
Oh… oh.
"And he took it!" The dark-cloud said cheerfully. Unaware of the vision the princess of Alderaan had just witnessed. "Actually, there were a surprising number of slaves and gopheres that took it. Honestly, neither me or my Sibs expected any of them… ok, maybe one or two who wanted out, but not that many! Especially not the main baddy, you know." The dark cloud of Matter bobbed up and down in joy, his one eye smiling as he exuberantly told the princess about all the new fortunate souls in this death ship.
Leia nodded numbly as, all around her, storm troopers, a few red guards and bridge crew began to move, to snap out of the fear that had caught them at their throat.
Some went to knell with palms folded, others performed prosternations while others began to weep.
And Vader…
"Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Leia's hair stood on end as her senses both dulled and awakened, her Ego shuddered and life returned.
And yet… whatever she had used to explain the Mantric phenomenon was woefully inadequate, but she could feel it… it was the Force… Living, breathing…Dancing force that animated and made everything from this world, and yet wasn't from this world.
"This…" Rimura whispered with a smiling voice. "Is the Sixtreen syllable Mantra for ultimate bliss and loving liberation. It consists of three names of the source, Hari, or Hare, Krishna and Rama. While chanting those three names as a child calls for its parent, we gain the protection of the Supreme Whole… right now, Vader is… he's calling for them."
"I can feel it." Leia said breathlessly, all of the bodily hair stood on end, tears welled in her eyes and this inappropriate sort of hope dared to burn deep in her heart, rendering the relief of knowing her home world to be gone to nothing more then a passing thought.
The pulsating veins that held Darth Vader aloft throbbed faster, and the eye floating in its own pocket of fluid grew in size. The root like branched twisted and turned, taking a humanoid form covered in pure white skin, with broad, fan like wings ending in red, floating ellipses, a golden halo hovered above it's head, and a thorny tail wound under him like an Nabooian lac serant.
The Being then embraces the now silent and limp Darth Vader to his heart, Blood streamed from his one, solid red eye.
"Krshner matir astu." They repeated again and again, it's voice choked with emotions, no better then a deep whisper and Leia was surprised she'd even managed to catch that. "Oh you blessed fool, you fortunate fallen… Never stop chanting."
"Dad! You did it! He took it, right? He took the mercy?" Rimura asked his generator as he happily bobbed up and down.
His… dad turned his bloodied face to his spawn. "He did… he has… a long, long way to go. But… he's in."
"Meaning he's on his way out!" Rimura happily said as he floated closer to Darth Vader. "But… dad, you didn't fix his body."
"No… Rimura, even if his freewill was impeded, he still committed horrible actions. And ignorance and lack of agency can't be completely excused, not when he had agency." The… Angelic being said with deep gravity.
"Right but…"
"Mura, he chanted Krishna's holy name, his Karmic wheel is stopping, yes, but it's a slow process, his freedom is depending on how much he will willingly surrender." The white being, Shuniya-hara explained. "It may take him lifetimes, or it may take him less time. It's all up to him though." They said as their rubicun gaze remained on Vader's skull-like mask.
Laia watched the scene, her hair had yet to return to its normal position. She could feel it… something huge was happening, something that would shatter and destroy whatever destiny the Galaxy had, question was, was it good or-"
"Oh, Nephew!" The Princess bit down a screech as a sun appeared on the once darkened Bridge, the poor woman felt her heart jump out of her chest, her body following right behind it. She whirled around to face the new, heavy presence, uncaring as to what horrors she would face…
Only to meet the youthfull face of an uncommonly beautiful youth, with golden hair flowing down his head and onto his shoulders in waves of lights. He wore simple saffron robes, even simpler then the garb of the Jedis of old. He had wooden beads around his neck, top knot held by a small garland of flowers and no shoes. He also carried a string instrument on his shoulders.
And… From how stormtroopers kept looking to and from the being and the empty space outside, Laia had the distinct feeling that the angel's more human looking uncle had walked from outer space in nothing but inadequate robes.
Honestly, no one did space walks anymore, and this being, this very human looking being had just waltz in the main deck of the death stars as if it wasn't a super secure, planet destroying super weapon.
"Uncle Narada." Shuniya said as he flew toward the illogical man (Or floated, with Vader in tow and no care for who saw it. It was as if Leia wasn't there.), his elation making his whole body Vibrate. "Is everything fine?"
Narada chuckled. "Of course, Shunai, why would it not? The emperor of Alderaan listened to me, I got to travel with you, and soon, I shall witness the Initiation of your Son in my Father's glorious Sampradaya! Radhe Radhe, such an auspicious day, is it not?"
"... yes, it is."
"And you, my dear little Nephew… I can see that you have given Narayana today, and look, as the great servant of Mahaprabhu and Nitiyananda-Raya you gave mercy to the most Fallen and wretched! All Glories! Jaya Jaya!" he cheered as he plucked the string of his instrument, making it sing sweetly.
Radhika-Ramana' it seemed to say.
Shuniya remained silent, and Leia took this opportunity to sneak to another cover: a console where Tharne's body remained slumped, his face stuck in eternal torment.
Eventually, the winged being held Vader closer, like a mother and an ailing child. "Narada… may I… ask for a blessing for-"
"Of course. all who inhabit this place and the Lady will Attain the Lotus feet of Bhagavan and Bhagavati! So be it!" the Mahamuni said with a joyful, laughing voice.
"Oh thank God."
Narada, his feel never touching the ground, and his eyes never blinking, his body casting no shadows, kneeled beside the dark form of the Emperor's fist, his vocoder still crackling with the Hare-Krishna-Rama Mantra.
It was quite Logical for him to have a Madness Mantra now, especially after having come in contact with a cosmic horror…
'Will I start to chant too?' Leia thought with dread.
Narada opened his right palm and applied it to Vader's forehead. "May you always remember Krishna, and may you never forget him, Skywalker."
Once again, Leia's hair stood to attention as cold lighting creeped up her spine.
Anakin… wasn't it the name of the Hero without fear?
No…
No, it could not be, Ben had said that Anakin Skywalker was killed during the Jedi purge, this must be another Skywalker, then.
A slave, as his name implied.
"Alright, Shunil, time to go." Narada said as he unfolded. "I believe your Son's graduation is in a few hours."
"I thought you weren't' interest in Daksha's graduation." Shunia-Hara said dubiously as he laid Darth Vader on the ground, curling his body to his left side, his unsettling gaze never leaving him despite flashing to the effulgent young man.
"I didn't say his Material graduation. I was talking about his Harinama Initiation." Narada clarified.
Shuniya gasped. "Wait… it's today?"
"Indeed."
"How long did I spend down here!?" the angel exclaimed. "Narad, we're in the lower planetary system, time's faster then on Bhu-mandala." The angel got to his proverbial feet, his panic as clear as day. " What did you do?"
"Who, me?" the glowing man said all too innocently.
"Kaka!"
"Dad, can I leave first? I'm sure Daku's a ball of nerves right now." Darth Rimura asked, Reminding Leia of the balls of Darkness' presence.
"I'm going too. Narada… Ah." the white angel glanced back at the unmoving black form of Vader.
"Don't worry, dearest Nephew, you and Skywalker have forged a bond that shall transcend time and space. Now, go in peace, and worry not for those souls in this lower part, you have planted a potent seed of Bhakti in this one."
"Oh, thank you, greatest son of Brahma."
"Vishnu, Vishnu." The glowing man folded his palms as a pink tinge touched his full cheeks. "You may go, Shuniya-hara, Son of Rudra. And please, give my blessing to your auspicious son."
And with That, and a last blessing, aim at Leia. (could this day… no, better not tempt fate, the princess of Alderaan was already deeply questioning the state of her sanity after her whole ordeal.) and Disappeared as if he'd never been there in the first place.
Shuniya-hara seemed to be about to leave when he turned to Leia.
The Princess, for her part, was too shocked to say anything. This was beyond anything she had trained for, and her papa had trained her for every possible war situation.
"If you have any question about what just happened. " the angel rumbled as he opened his wings further. "Just asked your father."
"Huh?"
"Alright, lead the way, Mura."
"Chalo! Haribol Leia, may we meet again!"
And with that, the two otherworldly beings are left down a corridor, probably heading to the hanger or wherever Shunia-hara managed to ooze in, leaving Leia, Darth vader and a bunch of crew and personnel reeling.
Meanwhile, the Force cried and weeped.
Her prayers got answered.
And thus end Chapter one
May the Source be with you.