User:Thefourdotelipsis/Anakin

"You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Anakin Skywalker was a male Human Jedi Knight who would eventually become Darth Vader, colloquially known as the Dark Lord of the Sith, the dreaded hammer of the Jedi Order and the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Hailed as the fabled Chosen One by his peers, Anakin was born a slave to Shmi Skywalker, and was bonded in servitude to Gardulla the Elder and Watto in turn. Skywalker became an adept mechanic, and made a name for himself in the Outer Rim Territories as the only Human able to pilot a Podracer. In 32 BBY, Skywalker was discovered by the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who liberated the boy and paved the way for his admission into the Jedi Order.

As a Jedi, Skywalker excelled in his studies, and garnered the attention of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. With his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, he embarked on many missions for the Galactic Republic, and, during the Separatist Crisis, he was chosen to protect Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo. Amidala and Skywalker were childhood friends, but during the crisis, their friendship blossomed into love. Love being forbidden by the Jedi Code, Skywalker and Amidala kept their relationship secret, and with the advent of the Clone Wars, married. Skywalker served admirably in the Clone Wars, and even became a poster boy for the Jedi Order, dubbed "The Hero With No Fear". He became one of the greatest pilots in the galaxy, clashed with adversaries such as Asajj Ventress and Count Dooku constantly, slaying the latter at the Battle of Coruscant. At this stage, Skywalker was haunted by premonitions of his wife dying, and so he allied himself with the Palpatine, who was actually a Sith Lord. Palpatine made Skywalker his apprentice, and gave him the Sith name of "Darth Vader".

Palpatine was able to seduce Vader into turning on his friends and destroying the Jedi Order. Following a duel on Mustafar with his former Master, Kenobi, Vader suffered grievous injuries, forcing him to don a suit of life-supporting armor. His wife perished shortly thereafter, but unbeknownst to Vader, she had borne twins before dying. They were kept hidden from Vader by Masters Kenobi and Yoda however, in the hopes that they might one day be able to defeat Palpatine. Vader, on the other hand, was charged with maintaining the New Order, and was given the rank of Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet. He fought against the Alliance to Restore the Republic, but was shocked to discover his son, Luke Skywalker, alive and fighting against his Empire. He attempted to sway Skywalker to his cause, but the young Jedi in training refused, instead attempting to convert Vader back to the light. Culminating in a climactic duel on the Death Star II, Vader renounced the Sith ways, becoming Anakin Skywalker once more. He saved his son from the destructive powers of his master, but the action resulted in his own death.

Birth
"There was no father."

- Shmi Skywalker

Anakin Skywalker was born to Shmi Skywalker in 42 BBY. There was, however, no father&mdash;a phenomenon that even Shmi herself could not explain. As Shmi was a slave, she had little choice but to raise her child alone under the harsh circumstances she found herself in. When he was old enough to do work, Anakin too became a slave, though he always stayed with his mother.

Coming to Tatooine
"You're not bad with your hands, kid. Not bad at all."

- Watto

Circa 38 BBY, Shmi and Anakin were in the custody of Gardulla the Elder. They were shipped to Tatooine on Gardulla's transport, although they did not known their destination at the time. During the flight, Anakin had premonitions of Podracing, and he saw a vision of himself as an older man, racing across the flats of Tatooine. Upon touching down outside Mos Espa, the Skywalkers and the other slaves witnessed an Arconan running for his life from local authorities. Anakin watched on as Gardulla's aide ordered the authorities to hold their fire, and the Arconan suddenly exploded once he got past the city perimeter. Witnessing this, the young Anakin understood the consequences of escape: the small device implanted in all slaves would surely detonate if attempts were made.

Anakin and Shmi were forced to share a small room with six of Gardulla's other slaves. Though Anakin was not altogether fond of Tatooine, he set about learning as much about the desert world as possible. He listened to traveling spacers and Gardulla's attendants, learning about the history and function of the planet in the galaxy. He heard of the Tusken Raiders, apparently bloodthirsty savages that roamed the wastelands, Jawas, krayt dragons, but the element that interested the boy the most was Podracing, descriptions of which matched his premonition. He tired quickly of Tatooine, however, and one day hoped to visit Coruscant, the galactic capital. One day, while repairing a vaporator outside Gardulla's residence, Anakin decided to take the initiative, and modify the device. His handiwork was observed by Watto, a Toydarian junk merchant who frequently gambled with Gardulla. Impressed, the Toydarian gambled for custody of the Skywalkers, and won.

Working for Watto
Watto, though cruel, was a considerably kinder master than Gardulla, and even gave the Skywalkers a hovel to themselves. Pleased with the new quarters, Anakin effectively converted his room into a workshop. Anakin always had something to do at Watto's junkshop; with his mechanical aptitude, he was often called upon to fix the unfixable. Watto kept the Skywalkers in line by threatening to let other slaves share their hovel, should they disobey him. Over the years, Anakin became familiar with the Mos Espa locals, picked up alien languages, and would often familiarize himself with the controls of starships, by "practicing" with derelict cockpits found in the junk yard. He also struck up a friendship with another slave, Kitster Banai. He would also develop friendships with W. Wald, and Amee.

In 35 BBY, Anakin began salvaging podracer parts from Watto's junk yard. He was able to obtain a pair of broken down Radon-Ulzer 620C engines, and stored the amassed parts under a tarp in the clearing behind the hovels. He was wary of Watto discovering the project, however, and was always cautious when smuggling parts out. When he had an opportunity, Anakin took a refurbished podracer for a spin around Watto's junk yard, and although the Toydarian was initially furious, he realized how well the boy piloted the vehicle. Generally, Humans weren't quick enough to pilot podracers, but Anakin was clearly the exception. Seeing a new method of generating income, Watto had Anakin race for him in the local tournaments, much to Shmi's dismay. Anakin would go onto compete in over six races, billed as the only Human podracer ever, but never finished due to either crashes or cheating on fellow racer Sebulba's part. Despite this, he caught the attention of his competitors, drawing ire particularly from Aldar Beedo

Thought Watto did not relent in his threats, he gave Shmi an aeromagnifier that could clean computer memory devices, allowing her to operate a small private service independently of the shop. This gave the Skywalkers modest income, but Anakin began to dream of freedom for he and his mother. He began working on a scanner to locate the hidden bomb implanted in slaves, and heard of the Jedi Knights from wandering slavers. Letting his aspirations wander, Anakin resigned himself to the grim truth that he would not be leaving the desolate Tatooine too soon. He did, however plan to finish his podracer, and then build his own starfighter, with which he would spirit his mother away to freedom. Meantime, he dedicated himself to aiding those less fortunate. One day, a herd of Banthas strayed too close to the township, and Anakin, taking the initiative, climbed the Great Dune to ward them away, before the Mos Espan poachers could shoot them. Though the heat nearly killed him, Anakin had been able to save them.

The Sith
"All I could tell was that whatever these Sith things were, they were very, very bad."

- Excerpt from Anakin Skywalker's journal.

While rummaging through Watto's junk pile on day, Anakin chanced upon an ancient droid that had fallen prey to Tatooine's harsh climate. Inspecting the old model, Anakin discovered that it had an intact holoprojector, and attempted to salvage it for his Toydarian master. In doing so, however, he activated a holorecording. The image was static and broken, but the audio was intact enough to be telligible. Listening to the recording, all Anakin could make out were sounds of screams and shouts, and frequent mention of the "Sith." Both horrified and curious, Anakin repeatedly listened to the recording, until it ceased to function.

Visiting the old spacer that had initially told him about the angels of Iego, Anakin asked about the "Sith". The spacer, aghast, feared that they had returned and were on Tatooine until Anakin explained that he had only heard a recording. Pacified, the spacer told Anakin the basic history of the Sith, including their eventual destruction at Ruusan. He claimed that there were also rumours that one Sith had survived, and his "descendants" had survived for nearly a thousand years.

C-3PO
"The droid is a machine, Ani. It doesn't have feelings." "How do you know?"

- Shmi and Anakin Skywalker

One day, while chatting in the junk yard with Banai, Anakin came across a broken 3PO-series protocol droid chassis. Though he surmised that the droid was very old, he was confident that he could restore the droid. Though not totally sure as to what purpose it would serve, Anakin smuggled it back to his hovel piece by piece, making sure not to alert Watto. Shmi, apprehensive, explained that it was a protocol droid, and not very useful in their line of work. Anakin protested, claiming that the droid would be able to help with chores and converse with those using alien languages. Shmi relented, but explained to Anakin that the droid was his responsibility alone. Anakin felt that the droid was a sort of kindred spirit, speculating that he had perhaps tried to escape from his masters, but had been demolished in the process. He named the droid C-3PO, the "three" due to the fact that Anakin considered him a third member of the Skywalker family.

Podrace woes
"You fly like your name, Anakin. You walk the sky like you own it."

- Anonymous Republic spacer

In 32 BBY, Anakin raced one of Watto's pods in the Metta Drop race. Anakin was going well in the race, passing more experienced opponents such as Gasgano and Rimkar. He caught up to Sebulba, but the wily Dug flashed Watto's pod with his vents&mdash;an illegal move, but Anakin suffered from it nonetheless. His reflexes saved him, allowing him to land the pod with minimum damage&mdash;Rimkar, who had also been caught in the blast was not as lucky. Watto was furious, and he ordered Anakin to begin repairing the pod immediately.

Banai and Wald were able to distract Anakin from his work however, and took him out to the streets to buy him a ruby bliels. While enjoying their drink together, the trio encountered an old Republic spacer who had fought against the Makem Te rebellion. The spacer told them of his exploits in his younger days, and provided encouragement to young Anakin, who was disheartened after his loss. Returning home, Anakin was forced by Shmi to promise that he would never race again, but he secretly knew that Watto would call upon him again. To keep his mind off the failure, Anakin continued to work on 3PO, getting him to an operational level.

Tusken encounter
"Master Anakin, I don't think this is a good idea at all!"

- C-3PO

Watto sent Anakin out to meet the Jawas, to trade for goods, and Anakin saw it as an opportunity to put 3PO to good use. He secretly took the protocol droid along to haggle with the Jawas, who had camped out by Mochot Steep. Thanks to 3PO, Anakin was able to obtain two mechanic droids, three multipurpose droids, and a mildly damaged hyperdrive converted. On the way back to Mos Espa through the Xelric Draw, Anakin spied an incapacitated humanoid figure, with its leg trapped underneath a large boulder. As he drew nearer, he recognized the figure as a Tusken Raider. Though he had been warned about the Tuskens, Anakin chose to nurse the injured nomad back to health, using the medical kit from Watto's speeder. The purchased droids helped him free the Tusken from underneath the boulder.

As Tatooine's twin suns set, Anakin stayed with the Tusken. As the Tusken came to, he conversed with Anakin, while 3PO translated. As the Tusken explained that he feared the boy, Anakin came to the realization that he himself feared nothing, other than harm befalling his mother. That night, he had another premonition, wherin he was a Jedi Knight, and he freed the slaves. Waking up, he was surrounded by Tuskens, but they did not harm him, instead simply retrieving their injured companion. As the Tuskens left, Anakin headed back to Mos Espa. Shmi, distraught, was relieved to see her son return, and although Watto was initially furious over the delay, he saw the quality of the new droids, and was quelled.

Helping Jira
"You're a special boy."

- Jira

The following day, Watto tasked Anakin with cleaning the bins in the scrap yard. Accomapnied by fellow slave Amee, Anakin spied a womp rat caught in one of Watto's traps. He freed the rat, which led him to an intact energy binder. Anakin had been searching for an energy binder to use in his podracer. Watto subsequently summoned him and ordered him to make contact with the Jawa traders in the Mos Espa plaza. The Toydarian speculated that the Jawas had salvaged the parts from the pod Anakin had smashed up in the last race, and he wanted Anakin to right the wrong. Giving the energy binder to his mother, Anakin set out into the spaceport streets.

He was met by Wald and Banai, who offered to split a ruby bliel with him. He explained that he had to get some fruit from Jira for his mother first, and had been warned not to go to the Hutt sector of Mos Espa, but he agreed to get the drink at Maggy the Gorgon's. Jira was able to provide Anakin with the fruit he needed, but she lamented that her cooling unit had broken down. Anakin felt sorry for the old vendor and resolved to find her a new unit in the junkyard. Outside Maggie's Anakin entered into a confrontation with Sebulba, claiming that he had cheated in the previous race. As the Dug began to resort to violence, the old spacer who had told Anakin about the angels appeared and threatened Sebulba. As the Dug departed, the spacer gave Anakin a ruby bliel and told him about the angels once more, before sending him on his way.

Reaching the plaza, the trio arrived only to see the parts Watto wanted being sold to a pit droid. Returning to the shop, Anakin was chastised by the Toydarian and told to clean the bins again. He saw the womp rat again, but this time, it had led him to a new cooling unit, which he could give to Jira. Pleased, Anakin relaxed for a while and spied a spacecraft entering the atmosphere. Daydreaming, he had another premonition of himself as a Jedi Knight, led by an angel into battle. He was roused from his dreams by the cries of Watto, who had just received new customers.

The Jedi, the handmaiden, the Gungan, and the Astromech
"He was meant to help you."

- Shmi Skywalker

Four travelers had wandered Watto's Shop: a tall man, dressed as a farmer, a young peasant girl, a clumsy alien, and a stout astromech droid. While Watto quizzed the tall man, Anakin studied the peasant girl. When he noticed that she was too delicate and fair skinned to be a genuine peasant girl, he was reminded of the angel from his daydream. Querying her, Anakin conversed with her for a while, and learned that her name was Padmé Naberrie. Naberrie was a foreigner, and she found the environment of Tatooine to be alien and unfamiliar. Though he was hurt by the fact she realized he was a slave, he took to her, telling her about his love for piloting. He began to believe that he would someday marry Naberrie, and saw fit to tell her so, but she merely laughed the bold claim off. The group soon departed the shop, much to Anakin's disappointment, but Watto decided to dismiss him early.

Heading back to his hovel, Anakin saw the foreign alien again, only this time he was being accosted by Sebulba. Thinking quickly, Anakin told the Dug that the alien had connections to the Hutts, and any violent action against him would have dire consequences. Sebulba, bitter, departed, and Anakin was thanked by the tall man. Seeking to spend more time with NaberrieHe took the group to Jira's stall, and bought them some pallies. As the tall man took the gift, Anakin saw an object on his belt: a lightsaber, weapon of the Jedi Knights. Thinking that the man was on Tatooine to free the slaves, Anakin was excited by the prospect. When Jira informed him that a sandstorm was approaching the spaceport, he offered to provide the foreigners with shelter. They agreed, and he was able to escort them to his hovel just as the sandstorm struck.

He introduced the visitors to his mother and showed the peasant girl C-3PO. The rest of the strangers introduced themselves: the tall man was Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, the alien was Gungan Jar Jar Binks, and the droid was R2-D2. Naberrie was a handmaiden to Queen Amidala of Naboo. Anakin hoped that Jinn was there to free the slaves, but he soon realized that this was not the case. Amidala had been on her way to Coruscant, the capital of the Galactic Republic, when her ship had been damaged and forced to stop over on Tatooine for repairs. The group's Republic Dataries, however, were of no use in Mos Espa, and they were stranded. Anakin, seeing an opportunity to put his skills to good use, offered to pilot his secret podracer, which was completed, in the upcoming Boonta Eve Podrace. The prize money would provide Jinn with the money needed to buy a new hyperdrive for Amidala's ship. Though Naberrie and Shmi were apprehensive, they knew it was the only way.

The following day at Watto's Shop, Jinn bartered with the Toydarian, claiming that Anakin's pod was his own. He suggested that Watto supply the entry fee and the boy, while he would provide the podracer. Jinn would submit "his" ship to Watto if Anakin lost, but if he won, the Toydarian would get the winnings, minus the cost of the repair parts. The Toydarian, seeing the situation as win-win, agreed. Returning to the hovel, Anakin finished work on his pod. Though he was derided by his friends for his efforts, he persisted, enlisting the help of R2-D2, Naberrie and Binks. Eventually, they were able to get the pod working. During his maintenance, Anakin scratched his arm, which Jinn tended to. Jinn was actually testing the blood for a midi-chlorian count, but Anakin had no knowledge of this.

That night, Anakin experienced yet another premonition. He saw a vision of Naberrie leading a large army into battle. Awaking, he told Naberrie of his dream, and she hoped that it would not come true. Her people abhorred fighting and violence, which was partly the reason as to why they had been forced to flee to Tatooine in the first place&mdash;the Queen's starship had no weapons of any kind. Finishing work on the pods, Banai visited the hovel with beasts of burden in tow, and the party set off for the arena.

Boonta Eve Classic of 32 BBY
"And a late entry, young Anakin Skywalker, the local boy."

- Fodesinbeed Annodue

The day of the race came, and Anakin, though nervous, was fully prepared. Despite his late entry and relatively poor track record, Anakin had good odds, which prompted his former master, Gardulla, to enact a sabotage operation that was ultimately fruitless. On the way to the hangar, he discussed with Naberrie the concepts of slavery and the nature of Tatooine. He was concerned when Naberrie and Binks left without notice for a while, but they returned, unharmed. R2-D2 and Binks helped transport the pod to the Mos Espa Grand Arena, and he exchanged mild banter with Sebulba before the race. Receiving encouragement from both Jinn and his mother, Anakin made his final preparations as C-3PO held his banner aloft. When Jabba the Hutt started the race, Anakin's podracer engines failed to ignite due to what he believed to be sabotage, and he was forced to watch as his opponents raced on ahead. Finally starting his engines, he set off after the other racers in speedy pursuit. Witnessing the apparent crash of Mawhonic as a result of Sebulba's machinations, Anakin passed several competitors, and completed his first lap without major incident.

On the second lap, Gasgano attempted to lead Anakin to the same fate as Mawhonic, but using an unorthodox maneuver, Anakin was able to evade defeat. He came under fire from Tusken Raiders at the Canyon Dune Turn, but it was Teemto Pagalies who would suffer the most from this transgression. Upon exiting Beggar's Canyon, Anakin's pod was struck by debris from Mars Guo's destroyed podracer. The debris severed one of the cables connecting the pod to the engines, sending the pod into an dizzying spin. Fighting for control, he was able to think quickly, and used a magnetic tool to reattach the cable, and restore his podracer to full efficiency. On the third lap, he and Sebulba were neck and neck, with the Dug resorting to the variety of tactics to throw the young Human off, and potentially kill him. Time and time again, Anakin came back, and even gained the lead at one point. Before the race, however, Sebulba had sabotaged Anakin's pod, and the results bore fruit late in the race. As Sebulba hurtled on ahead, Anakin fought to fix the damage and was able to do so with little time to spare. As the two racers headed towards the finish line, Sebulba attempted to shunt Anakin's pod off the course, and in the process, the two racers became lodged together. Anakin pulled free, and in the resulting chaos, Sebulba's pod crashed, leaving Anakin to win the race.

After the race, Watto delivered the required parts to Jinn and his companions. Celebrating his victory with the outlanders, he was soon forced to watch them leave his life, seemingly forever. This particularly affected Anakin in regards to Naberrie, with whom he was smitten. Hoping that she would return, though, Anakin hurriedly finished carving a japor snippet pendant for her to remember him by. Searching for some leather on which to hang the snippet, Anakin encountered a group of Mos Espa youngsters who had seen the race. While most of them were impressed and sang his praises, a young Rodian by the name of Greedo confronted Anakin. He claimed that the young Human had cheated, which prompted Anakin to attack and beat the other child. In reality, the apparent loss of Naberrie was what brought Anakin to such violent acts. When Jinn arrived, he did not scold Anakin, but clearly disapproved. He explained to Anakin the concept of tolerance, and told him that simply beating the other boy would not solve the problem. As they left the scene, the pair encountered three exhausted slaves being whipped by their master. Jinn, outraged, confronted the master, and used the Force to influence him into hydrating the slaves. When Anakin saw no difference between Jinn's intervention and his own, the Jedi explained that the slaves had not been able to defend themselves, so it had been an entirely different situation.

On the way back to the hovel, Jinn explained that Amidala's starship was already been repaired, and that he had sold Anakin's pod. He had also deactivated Anakin's explosive transmitter at Watto's shop, but he chose not to tell Anakin this until later. He gave the credits from the sale of the podracer to the Skywalkers in order to provide for Shmi. He also informed the Skywalkers that Anakin was free, and that he was to be taken to Coruscant. There, he would be trained as a Jedi. Jinn had wagered the pod on Anakin's winning the race against Anakin's freedom. As Watto had lost that bet, he now had custody of the boy.

Leaving Tatooine
"Don't look back."

- Shmi Skywalker

While he was at first joyous, Anakin came to realize that Shmi would not be coming along with him. Apprehensive and saddened, he bade C-3PO farewell. He found it exceptionally difficult to say goodbye, but his mother's words gave him the strength to do so. He also bid Banai, who considered Anakin his best friend, farewell. Jinn had Anakin's slave chip removed, and the pair headed off for Amidala's starship. After saying goodbye to Jira, Anakin sensed a presence following him. Jinn too detected the presence: a probe droid, the likes of which the Jedi had never seen. Though he had destroyed the probe, Jinn was worried, and the two broke into a run.

Upon reaching the ship, Anakin heard the whine of an engine behind him. Jinn ordered him to drop, and as Anakin did so, a small swoop sped overhead. The rider of the swoop, a dark, tattooed warrior, leapt of his mount and attacked Jinn with a red hued lightsaber. As Jinn defended himself from the onslaught of attacks, he ordered Anakin to have Amidala's starship take off. Anakin, haggard and exhausted, passed on the instructions to the ship's crew, and they were able to retrieve the Jedi Master before leaving Tatooine. Though the battle had spent his energy, Jinn introduced Anakin to his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Coruscant
"The boy is dangerous. They all sense it, why can't you?"

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Skywalker found the trip to Coruscant disconcerting, though he was comforted by Naberrie. She explained the situation on Naboo: Amidala's people were dying under the Trade Federation occupation, and she had to persuade the Galactic Senate to lend aid. Thinking that they would be separated upon reaching the capital, Skywalker gave Naberrie the japor snippet. As the ship approached Coruscant, Skywalker accompanied the pilot, Ric Olié in the cockpit. He marveled at the sheer size of the ecumenopolis&mdash;a sharp contrast to the dusty and remote Mos Espa. The Queen's party was greeted by none other than Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, who was the Galactic Republic's Head of State. Unsure as to what to do in the foreign environment, Skywalker was told to stay with the Queen's party by Jinn, who traveled directly to the Jedi Temple. After a brief tour of Galactic City in a taxi, Skywalker found little to do at Senator Palpatine's quarters in the 500 Republica. While waiting, he struck up a friendship with Binks, and discussed the Gungans and his native city of Otoh Gunga. Bored with the lack of developments, he decided to eavesdrop on Amidala's discussion with Palpatine, which concerned ousting Valorum as Chancellor. The Queen's handmaidens were aware of his presence, but he was not scolded or upbraided. He was eventually summoned to the Temple, and he wished to bid Naberrie goodbye. However, he was told by the Queen that she was on an errand, and so Skywalker had to proceed without her farewell.

At the Temple, Skywalker was tested and judged by the Jedi Council. After completing a test of aptitude, Master Yoda accused Skywalker of fearing for his mother. Skywalker had hoped that the Jedi would accept him for training, but he was bitterly disappointed when Master Mace Windu informed Jinn that the boy would not be trained, due to his advanced age. This greatly disappointed Anakin, and he immediately felt resentful towards the Council. Jinn too was outraged, and insisted that Skywalker was the "Chosen One", and offered to train the boy himself. The Council, and the Jedi Code forbade such an action, however, as Jinn already had an apprentice in Kenobi. Seeking to divert the argument, Windu ordered Jinn to rejoin Amidala and the Naboo. In concluding the meeting, however, Windu mentioned the Sith, prompting memories, in Skywalker's mind, of the recording he had heard in the prior year. He began to fear greatly for Naberrie's, and the Queen's life. The Queen, having no success with the Galactic Senate, resolved to take matters into her own hands, and the Council saw fit to reassign Jinn and Kenobi to the dispute. Skywalker, however, was left without a purpose, but Jinn reassured him, explaining the significance of the midi-chlorians to the young boy. Shortly afterwards, the group departed for Naboo.

Battle of Naboo
"You will be a Jedi. I promise."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

In transit, Skywalker learned the basics of starship piloting from Olié, who was impressed by the boy's confidence and skill. The boy noticed that a rift had developed between Jinn and Kenobi following the final meeting with the council. He attempted to solve the differences himself, but failed. The Queen planned to make contact with the Gungans in the swamps, and convince them to help her retake Theed, Naboo's capital. The Gungans were intially nowhere to be found, but Binks was able to lead the party to the Gungan Sacred Place. Skywalker, along with the rest of the Naboo fugitives, were brought before Boss Nass, ruler of the Gungans. At first, it appeared that Amidala presented her case before the Gungans, but Naberrie quickly revealed that she was in fact the Queen, and that "Amidala" was simply her decoy, Sabé. She had done so to hide her identity from any potential attackers, but the fact of the matter shocked Skywalker deeply. As such, he found it difficult to talk to her before the battle.

Jinn saw fit to let Skywalker involve himself with the proceedings, and the young boy was assigned to aid a Gungan lookout. When the members of the Naboo resistance were assembled near the Gungan Sacred Place, Amidala laid out her plan to reclaim the capital. Jinn, keeping Skywalker close to him, had the boy accompany him, Amidala, Kenobi, and the rest of the small resistance force that would penetrate Theed to capture Viceroy Nute Gunray, and reclaim control of the planet. Meanwhile, Nass' Gungans amassed at Grassy Plains, in an attempt to lead bulk of the Federation occupation force out of Theed. The ruse worked, and Amidala's strike team was able to penetrate the Theed Hangar. As the skirmish spread throughout the Hangar, Jinn ordered Skywalker to find cover and safety. Anakin did so, though it was in the cockpit of an N-1 starfighter. R2-D2 followed his lead, and was mounted in the astromech slot of the fighter. As the hangar was swept clear of enemy resistance, Jinn ordered Skywalker to remain hidden in the cockpit.

Amidala's strike team was, however, confronted by the dark tattooed warrior from Tatooine. The Jedi moved onto engage the warrior, but Skywalker was left to watch helplessly as a squad of Droidekas moved to mow down the remainder of the Queen's force. Activating the starfighter's systems, he destroyed the Droidekas, but accidentally activated the craft's automatic pilot function. As R2-D2 tried to override the function, Skywalker's craft followed that of the other Naboo pilots&mdash;namely, to the Droid Control Ship. The Queen had hoped that Bravo Squadron would be able to destroy the ship, thereby deactivating all of the Federation's droids. At first, Skywalker was helpless, but R2-D2 managed to deactivate the auto-pilot in a timely manner. Not fully appreciating his dire situation, Skywalker took great joy in dogfighting with the Federation's deadly Vulture droids, but his ship was soon hit, and he was propelled into an open hangar on the Control Ship. With battle droids swarming in to capture him, he stayed hidden in the cockpit, his small frame allowing him to avoid the photoreceptors of his would-be captors. Eventually, he was able to reactivate his overheated systems, and haphazardly destroy the enemy troops. With the Force guiding his actions, he also accidentally loosed a proton torpedo into the Control Ship's main reactor. Recognizing that something was amiss, he hurriedly escaped the ship, which began to explode due to his "experimentation". With the Control Ship destroyed, and the Viceroy captured by Amidala, the day was won. Departing the scene of the battle, however, Skywalker was overcome with a pang of grief.

Returning to Naboo, Skywalker was met with the news that though he had been destroyed, the dark warrior had slain Master Jinn. In the following days, he was congratulated by no less than the Supreme Chancellor, now Palpatine. Three days after the battle, Skywalker attended the Jedi funeral of Qui-Gon Jinn, where a somber Kenobi informed him that he would be trained as a Jedi. Kenobi, fulfilling his dying master's wish, had agreed to take on Skywalker as his Padawan learner. He detected that the loss of Jinn had deepened Skywalker's desire to see his mother again, and assured the boy that he would indeed see Shmi once again, when his training was complete. The following day, a celebratory parade was held in Theed, with Skywalker in attendance. It would prove to be the last time he would see Padmé Amidala in a decade.

Following the parade, Skywalker reflected on the events of the past few weeks. Realizing that he had been changed irrevocably and he would not be able to recall the extraordinary occurrences that had transpired, he decided to write a journal, chronicling from his meeting Naberrie to Jinn's funeral. When he had finished, he was summoned by his new master, Kenobi, and he departed Naboo.

Studies in the Jedi Temple
At the Jedi Temple, Skywalker was taught about the nature of the Force: the light side, and the dark side. He learned about the Sith Lords, which Jedi Investigators had identified Jinn's killer as. He was also taught about midi-chlorians, of which he, supposedly, had the highest count ever. Wishing to learn more about this advantage he was purported to have, Skywalker studied the Jedi Holocrons, and discovered the prophecy of the "Chosen One". Recalling being labelled by Jinn as the Chosen One in prior years, Skywalker took to the moniker.

Skywalker resented the fact that Kenobi had not chosen him, and was only training him out of obligation to his dead master. Since he had not been trained at the Temple since infancy, Skywalker was felt to have lax discipline, and his arrogant attitude was bemoaned by his fellow students. As a result, he was alienated from the other students and even some of the Masters. He did not take well to criticism from Kenobi, but he respected his master. Being very close to his mother for the first nine years of his life, Skywalker also found it very hard to shed his emotions, and disliked the fact that he was not allowed to return to Tatooine to see his kin. When told that the Jedi couldn't simply free one slave among many as it was not the will of the Senate, Skywalker questioned the ideal that the Jedi had to serve a government.

Skywalker found adapting to the Jedi way of life difficult, particularly in regard to shedding his emotions. Having spent several years participating in a high-octane sport, he missed the thrill of racing during his studies.

Another holdover from his slavery days was his love of mechanical work. Skywalker would accumulate various pieces of junk, as he had on Tatooine, and repair them, if possible. This foible was capitalized by Wilhuff Tarkin, who had a small, broken, but very expensive droid placed outside the Jedi Temple. Sure enough, Skywalker found it, repaired it, and put it to use in the building. Unbeknownst to the boy, it served Tarkin as a listening device, allowing him to keep tabs on the movements of the Order. Still, Skywalker continued repairing droids and put them to use in the Temple, earning him the ire of several Jedi Masters. A subtle hint was given when one of his droids, cleaved in two by a lightsaber, was returned to his quarters.

Despite his unorthodox admission into the Order, Skywalker was soon regarded as one of the best and most adept Padawans in the Temple. Kenobi was constantly exasperated by his charge's actions though; being more level headed than his own master in certain instances, the Jedi Knight now found the positions reversed, having to work with a brash and reckless apprentice.

As the years drove on, Skywalker began to be plagued by dreams. So much so, that he began dreading sleep. He could not meditate either; though he knew how to, whenever he did he felt he was tapping into an unfathomable well of uncontrollable energy. For some time, he kept this fact to himself.

Garbage pit races
"I'll never be this stupid again." "Tell it to the Council. I have no doubt that's where we'll both be, if we manage to accomplish six impossible things in the next two minutes."

- Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi

In 29 BBY, Skywalker decided to participate in a the races held in Galactic City's garbage pits. The indoctrination of the Jedi had not been able to purge his love for high-octane thrills, and so young Skywalker felt the need to seek his own form of entertainment. Purchasing a set of race wings from a Lemmer former champion who had broken his back, Skywalker took the apparatus back to his quarters in the Jedi Temple, and set about repairing them. After a week, they were in full working order, and had been adequately modified to fit is small frame. Sneaking out of the Temple, he made his way to one of the nearest garbage pits, and had himself entered in one of the highly illegal and exceptionally dangerous races.

After passing a hasty inspection by the Naplousean supervising the race, Skywalker suffered insult from a Blood Carver who would be competing against him. The Blood Carver suspected, correctly, that Skywalker had once been a slave, and continually mocked the young Jedi. The arrival of a construction droid delayed the race, as they could not be bribed into turning a blind eye to the illegal goings-on. The antagonism between Skywalker and the Blood Carver nearly came to blows in the interim, garnering the attention of the Naplousean. The instance the droid had left, however, the Blood Carver unexpectedly lunged at Skywalker with a twister knife. The Padawan, realizing that the Blood Carver was not there to compete, but to kill him, started the race prematurely, darting in between the high-velocity garbage canisters of the pits. The Blood Carver gave chase, but Anakin persisted as though he were competing in a regular race.

Despite the threat of a would be assassin, and a deep wound to his arm from the assailant's initial attack, Skywalker pursued his objectives: fly through the pit's multiple shield levels, and retrieve a silver scale from one of the garbage worms that dwelled in the deepest levels of the structure, before returning to the Greeter, who oversaw the races. The Padawan reveled in the race, having not experienced the high-octane thrill for nearly three years. Proceeding through the shields, he reached the pool of worms, and focused on retrieving a scale for the Greeter. In doing so, he lost track of the Blood Carver's progress, and as a result, he fell prey to the assailant's attack run. Plummeting into the worm pool, Skywalker was left stranded, with his wrecked race wings serving as the only flotation device. Resigning himself to his fate, he resolved to end the Blood Carver's life as a final act, but had that task relieved from him with the timely arrival of Master Kenobi. Skywalker's teacher and mentor swept into the pit, downed the Blood Carver, but in doing so, was forced to land in the sludge pool as well. As the worms closed in on the two Jedi, Skywalker added his remaining fuel to Kenobi's own race wings, while the elder Jedi levitated the craft out of the pool enough to prepare for an escape. Skywalker had not been taught levitation at that point in his training, but once he observed the method, he was able to apply it himself, spiriting he and his master to relative safety in a manner that astounded Kenobi.

Zonama Sekot, the rogue planet
Upon returning to the Jedi Temple, Skywalker and Kenobi were summoned to a disciplinary hearing in the Council chambers, to be presided over by Master Windu. Standing before a panel of four Masters, the Padawan was called upon to identify his error. As he struggled under the scrutiny of Windu, Master Thracia Cho-Leem barged in on the hearing. Before advising Skywalker that he should enjoy his childhood and act his age, (to the displeasure of Windu) Cho-Leem informed the other Masters that her former apprentice, Vergere, had gone missing following departure for a mission. She speculated that a mission would do Skywalker and Kenobi good, and the Padawan readily agreed.

Cho-Leem entrusted master and apprentice to the renowned pilot, Charza Kwinn, who had ferried Jedi for over a century. Boarding the Priapulin's ship, the Star Sea Flower, Skywalker marveled at the aquatic and damp interior or Kwinn's ship. Given dry quarters, Kenobi informed Skywalker of their mission: they were to investigate a planet that was reportedly producing exceptionally high-tech spacecraft. The planet, known as Zonama Sekot, had initially been regarded as a rumour, since it seemed to have appeared from nowhere in the Gardaji Rift, but Vergere had been able to confirm its existence before disappearing.

Constructing a lightsaber
In 28 BBY, Skywalker constructed his first lightsaber.

Krayn the slaver
Later that year, Skywalker slew a slaver by the name of Krayn.

The Galactic Games
In 27 BBY, Skywalker and Kenobi were dispatched to Euceron to oversee security at the Galactic Games. By a twist of fate, Skywalker was involved in a podrace to win the freedom of a slave.

Hunt's end
In 25 BBY, Skywalker's rivalry with another Padawan lead to an unfortunate outcome on Korriban.

Return to podracing
Later that year, Skywalker made a return to podracing, and raced against his old rival, Sebulba, on Ryloth.

Dual teachers
Skywalker came to realize that Kenobi was the only Jedi who refused to give up on him, and he came to see the older Jedi as the father figure he had never had. The pair had developed a close friendship, and after so many missions, had become a highly effective team. Their skills ranged from both the diplomatic to the not-so-diplomatic, and they continued to be frequently called upon.

Skywalker also met with Palpatine frequently. The Supreme Chancellor did nothing but boost Skywalker's ego, but the young Jedi was not adverse to this.

Separatist Crisis
Many citizens of the Republic grew dissatisfied with the Galactic Republic, and elected to secede. The leader of this movement, former Jedi Count Dooku, formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Jedi were hard pressed to keep order.

Border dispute on Ansion
In 22 BBY, Skywalker and Kenobi were sent to Ansion to resolve a border dispute. During this times, be began being plagued by nightmarish premonitions about his mother. He celebrated his twentieth birthday on the return journey.

Protecting Senator Amidala
"Who hired you? Tell us. Tell us now!"

- Anakin Skywalker

Returning from Ansion, Skywalker and Kenobi were assigned to protect now-Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo. Skywalker hadn't seen Amidala in ten years, and was eager to see her again. Meeting her in her apartment, as well as now-Representative Binks, and Captain Typho, Skywalker and Amidala exchanged pleasantries, with Skywalker attempting to flatter the Senator. Their discussion soon turned to more serious matters, however. Amidala had traveled to Coruscant to vote against the creation of an army to defend the Republic, but upon arrival, a bomb had been planted at her landing pad. Six of her staff, including her decoy, had been killed in the attack.

She approached Skywalker with the idea of using herself as bait for the potential assassins, and although the Jedi was reluctant, he approved. When he was plagued by another nightmare about his mother, Skywalker woke, and prowled the Senator's apartment with Kenobi. They detected a disturbance in the Senator's room, and Skywalker moved quickly to dispatch the pair of kouhuns that had infiltrated the area. Meanwhile, Kenobi tracked down the source of the deadly creatures. A deadly chase ensued, ending at the Outlander Club when Kenobi sliced off the assassin's arm. The assassin, a Clawdite changeling, was interrogated by Skywalker, but before she could reveal the name of her employer, she was shot with a Kamino saberdart, and killed.

The Council tasked Kenobi with tracking down the assassin's employer, Skywalker continued to serve as the Senator's bodyguard. It was his first solo mission, and Skywalker was smitten with Senator Amidala. During the journey to Naboo, where the Senator was to hide, Skywalker experienced yet another nightmare about his mother. Amidala confronted him about the nightmares, and he confided in her about his fears for Shmi.

Upon reaching Naboo, Amidala took Skywalker to meet her family in Theed. She initially disliked having him shadow her about, as she thought she needed no protection, but as the days passed by, she grew closer to Skywalker. The pair discussed a wide range of topics, from politics to past relationships. Upon reaching Varykino, a Naberrie family estate, Skywalker threw caution to the wind, and exchanged a kiss with the Senator. She eventually apologized, leaving Skywalker feeling rejected and disappointed. Though he attempted to forget the kiss, the memory of it began to tear at Skywalker, until he was at such a point where he suggested to Amidala the possibility of a secret relationship. She refused, however, to live a lie, and rejected Skywalker once more. The following night, Skywalker, for the last time, recieved a vision of his mother. It was so severe that he was prompted to journey to Tatooine to save her from whatever danger she was in. He apologized to Amidala, but she agreed to tag along.

The Death of Shmi Skywalker
"I love y–"

- Shmi Skywalker's last words to her son

Neglecting to notify Kenobi or the Council of his movements, Skywalker, Amidala, and R2-D2 departed for Tatooine. They landed in Mos Espa, and travelled to Watto's Shop. Though the Toydarian initially did not recognize Skywalker, he eventually informed him that Shmi had been sold several years ago to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, who lived near Anchorhead. Upon reaching the Lars Homestead, Skywalker recognized his old droid, C-3PO, who had been given new plating. 3PO introduced Skywalker and Amidala to the Lars family: Owen, Cliegg's son, his girlfriend Beru Whitesun, and Cliegg himself. Cliegg had married Shmi, much to Skywalker's surprise; the revelation also meant he had a step-brother in Owen.

As the group shared a meal, Cliegg informed Skywalker that his mother had been out picking the mushrooms off a moisture vaporator one day when she had been abducted by Tusken Raiders. Though Cliegg and his farmer friends had attempted to rescue her, they had failed, resulting in many deaths and the loss of Cliegg's leg. Fuming, Skywalker bade Amidala farewell, and set out on Owen's swoop to find his mother. He came across a group of Jawas who were able to give him leads as to her location. He came across their camp, and located his mother. He tearfully alerted his mother to his presence, but before he could rescue her, she succumbed to her wounds. Skywalker, aghast, became enraged, and struck down the two Tuskens outside the camp. He did not stop there, however. He slaughtered the entire Tusken camp, women and children inclusive, and he let his hate fuel him. Devastated, he collected his mother's body, and returned to the homestead.

He privately blamed the Lars' for the death of his mother, though he never admitted it. He confided in Amidala about his rampage at the Tusken camp, before burying his mother outside the homestead. When the small funeral was over, R2-D2 trundled up to the group bearing a message from Kenobi. Apparently, Skywalker's master had discovered that Jango Fett was the culprit behind the attacks, and had tracked him to Geonosis, a Confederate world. There, he had been captured, and possibly killed. Though he was afraid to lose his mentor so soon after losing Shmi, Skywalker had been ordered by Master Windu to stay put on Tatooine. However, Amidala resolved to rescue Kenobi, and, collecting 3PO without saying goodbye to the Lars', the group departed for Geonosis.

The Battle of Geonosis
"I can't leave her!"

- Anakin Skywalker

Upon reaching Geonosis, Skywalker and Amidala were captured, and sentenced to death. Before being taken into the arena, Amidala confessed her love for Skywalker, seeing as how she expected to die anyway. Kenobi, Skywalker and Amidala were supposed to die altogether in the arena, but the timely intervention of Master Windu and a Jedi strike team prevented that. Eventually Master Yoda arrived as well, with an army of clone troopers. Dooku fled the arena, but Skywalker and Kenobi gave chase.

They confronted Dooku in a secret hangar, but the former Jedi revealed that he had kept up his saber skills since his departure from the Order. Despite Kenobi's warnings, Skywalker charged at Dooku, but the older man revealed his new alignment with the dark side by firing Force lightning at the young Jedi. Writhing in pain as he was incapacitated, Skywalker could only watch on as Kenobi battled with Dooku. The Count gained the upper hand, however, and as he moved in for the kill, Skywalker mustered his strength, and dueled with Dooku, using two sabers. The Count, being the superior and more experience swordsman, deftly sliced off Skywalker's right arm, ending the duel. Skywalker passed out, and woke only to see Amidala rush to his aid.

The pair returned to Varykino, where they were wed by a holy man, with R2-D2 and C-3PO as witnesses.

Duel on Yavin 4
Skywalker dueled and nearly defeated Assaj Ventress on Yavin 4.

Knighthood
Due to the increasing demand for Generals on battlefronts, Skywalker was made a Jedi Knight earlier than the usual.

Ventress returns
Skywalker once again duelled with Ventress in the bowels of Coruscant's industrial sector.

Nelvaan
In 19 BBY, Skywalker and Kenobi were dispatched to Nelvaan, an Outer Rim planet, to destroy a Confederate installation. After doing so, they were contacted by Master Windu, who informed them that Coruscant was under attack from General Grievous. Skywalker leapt into action, urging the crews to battle stations, and ordering the jump to hyperspace.

Battle of Coruscant
"This is where the fun begins."

- Anakin Skywalker

When Skywalker and Kenobi reached Coruscant, the battle was already in full swing. The Supreme Chancellor had been kidnapped by Grievous, and the droid general was attempting to escape in his flagship, the Invisible Hand. Joining the battle in their starfighters, Skywalker and Kenobi fought through the enemy forces in order to get to the Invisible Hand, and upon landing in the flagship, made their way to the ship's main communications and sensors pod. There, they found the captive Palpatine, who warned them of Count Dooku's presence.

Dooku demanded that the two Jedi surrender, but they refused. Correcting their past mistake on Geonosis, Skywalker and Kenobi attacked Dooku in unison, but the Confederate head of state was able to fend them both off, and even incapacitated Kenobi. Skywalker, fuelled by rage, launched a series of rapid strikes, putting Dooku on the back foot. Skywalker then took the advantage, and sliced off Dooku's hands. Grasping Dooku's saber, he had the former Jedi at his mercy. Palpatine goaded him, and told him to execute Dooku. Though he was hesitant, Skywalker did so, decapitating the Confederate head of state. He was immediately repentant, but Palpatine was quick to remind him of the Tusken slaughter of three years prior.

With Kenobi revived, the trio, along with R2-D2, made their way to the hangars, but were captured by Grievous. They managed to escape his grasp, however, and landed the Hand on Coruscant, with the Supreme Chancellor safe. Skywalker was applauded by a group of dignitaries, but he quickly forgot the concerns of the galaxy at large when he spied his wife hiding in the shadows of the Republic Executive Building. Reunited with Amidala, he learned that his wife was heavily pregnant. Skywalker realized that his secret marriage would not stay hidden for long, but he was soon plagued by nightmares, much like the ones of three years prior, except they now depicted the death of his wife. Concerned, Skywalker sought advice from the Jedi.

Shifting allegiances
"I don't think the boy can handle it."

- Mace Windu

Master Yoda was able to yield no answers, and shortly afterwards, Palpatine decided to confide in Skywalker. He believed that the Jedi Council wanted more power, and were going to make an attempt for it. As such, he appointed Skywalker to be his personal representative in the Council. Skywalker thought that as a Council member, he would be made a Jedi Master, but the Council denied him, allowing him to join their cabal, but only as a Knight. Skywalker was outraged further when Kenobi told him to spy on Palpatine's movements. The young Knight soon came to believe that he was the only Jedi who trusted the Supreme Chancellor. Even Amidala was having doubts about the Republic and Palpatine's policies.

Skywalker met with Palpatine at the Galaxies Opera House. There, the Supreme Chancellor informed Anakin that Clone Intelligence Units had located Grievous, the new Confederate head of state, on Utapau. Dismissing his aides, Palpatine aired his suspicions that Skywalker been assigned to spy on Palpatine. Skywalker, set aback, listened to Palpatine talk of power and corruption. Palpatine believed that the Jedi were planning to overthrow him, and take control of the Senate. He then began to tell Skywalker about Darth Plagueis the Wise, as Sith legend about a Dark Lord who could influence midi-chlorians to both create an preserve life. Skywalker listened intently, and hoped to learn the fabled power in order to save his wife. However, Palpatine claimed that the Jedi knew of no such power.

Skywalker felt slighted when the Council selected Kenobi to pursue Grievous on Utapau instead of him, and shortly thereafter, learned that Palpatine was in fact Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord the Jedi had been hunting since the start of the war. He reported his findings to the Council, but was unable to allow Master Windu to kill Palpatine. He realized that he needed Palpatine's knowledge to save Amidala, and so he killed Windu, and allied himself with the Sith Lord. He took the Sith name of Darth Vader, and set about eliminating the Jedi at the Temple. He believed he was doing no wrong, and that Palpatine's cause was more righteous than that of the Jedi.

Immolation
"I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire!"

- Darth Vader

Palpatine then dispatched Vader to Mustafar, where he was to execute the Separatist Council. He did so with relish, while Palpatine formed the New Order on Coruscant, with himself as Emperor, and Vader as his right hand man. Back on Mustafar, Amidala had journeyed to confront him, and she had unwittingly brought Kenobi along as well. Vader's former master was disgusted with his actions, and Vader, in a fit of rage, throttled Amidala. A duel ensued between Kenobi and Vader, resulting in the severing Vader's three remaining limbs. He lay, stricken, on a bed of ashen gravel next to a river of lava, and as he was immolated, Kenobi chastised him, before departing with Vader's lightsaber.

Left alone, Vader pulled himself up the slope with his remaining mechanical hand, and bathed himself in the dark side in order to stay alive. After a while, he was rescued by his new master, Palpatine, and a squad of Clone troopers. Taken back to Coruscant, he underwent an operation to save his life. In order to preserve the midi-chlorians still left in his ravaged body, the medical droids did not use any anesthetic, prompting Vader to scream throughout the entire operation. He was fitted with new cybernetic replacements, and was effectively entombed in a suit of armor that allowed him to breath properly once more. Donning a nightmarish breath mask and helmet, his transformation was complete. Palpatine took the opportunity to inform him that he had killed Amidala on Mustafar, causing Vader to completely and utterly shed his former identity. Devoid of love and unable to touch anything, Vader became a cold and harsh individual. He considered his birthworld to no longer be Tatooine, but Mustafar, and looked upon "Anakin Skywalker" as an utterly separate person.

Adapting to the suit
Vader found it exceptionally difficult to adapt to the new suit of armor. Since the operation had been rushed to preserve his life, the suit was cumbersome and far from being properly customized to suit him personally. Due to the fact that it was the only thing keeping him alive, Vader would not survive a transfer to a new suit of armor, and so he had to resign himself to the fact that he would permanently be locked inside the towering mass of ebon metal. His only moments of freedom came when he meditated in his hyperbaric chamber, which allowed him to remove his nightmarish mask. During moments of solitude, he would immerse himself in the dark side, and hone his skills.

Purging the Jedi plague
Vader's earliest missions usually involved tracking down and eliminating Jedi who had survived Order 66. Vader followed up on every lead, but he never came across Masters Kenobi or Yoda. He progressively pushed himself further away from his old identity as Skywalker, and instead of being influenced by pain inflicted on him, he chose to inflict it on others. Whilst few knew of his identity, the Galaxy at large soon became aware of Vader. Reports claimed that he had tracked down and killed a nest of fifty Jedi all by himself. Speculation abounded, but Vader never did anything to reveal his true identity.

Remaining the person to hold the highest midi-chlorian count ever, Vader set up warning flags on the Imperial MedNet, that would alert him whenever someone tried to access that particular element of Jedi culture and science.

The new Imperial navy
Vader oversaw the expansion of the new Imperial navy, and though he held no official rank, officers knew better than to challenge his authority as Palpatine's envoy and enforcer.

Senate reformations
Vader accompanied Palpatine to important Senate meetings, but the Dark Lord had nothing but disdain for the squabbling bureaucrats.

Servitude
"You are my path to power, Master. I need you."

- Darth Vader

Palpatine constantly reminded Vader of his place, and the new Dark Lord understood that he could never be as powerful as his master. He established his own palace on the newly minted Imperial Center, where he would meditate. He eventually became the ultimate icon of Imperial authority, but he was still firmly under Palpatine's thumb. Despite this, Vader wanted nothing more than the opportunity to kill his opressive master. He established a private retreat, Bast Castle on Vjun, where he conducted his own studies of the dark side of the Force, in the hopes that one day he could turn the tables on his master.

Boba Fett
Vader was not adverse to using resources outside the Empire, such as the bounty hunter, Boba Fett. Fett had established himself as the most dangerous and effective bounty hunter in the Galaxy, and as such, Vader would frequently employ his services.

Devastation on Honoghr
Vader oversaw the release of a life-inhibiting toxin on Honoghr, in order to recruit the warrior natives, the Noghri, to his cause.

Massacre of Falleen
An Imperial research station accidently released toxins into the atmosphere of the planet Falleen. Vader, hoping to quarantine the planet, ordered his men to fire turbolasers at the world, killing over two hundred thousand of the Falleen natives.

Impressing the troops
"Vader's good, huh?" "Better than good. If it was him against me, I'd just overload my engine and blow myself up&mdash;that way I'd get to pick my own moment to die."

- Steel Talon ADO and Villian Dance

One day, Vader visited the Imperial City Naval Base, and observed the cadets at work in their TIE Fighters. After a while, he decided to participate in a mock battle himself. After departing from the dock, he switched off his targeting computer, allowing the Force to guide his movements. Within a matter of seconds he had downed six of the cadets, leaving only Colonel Vindoo Barvel, a decorated ace pilot, left. Vader decided to toy with Barvel for a while, before deftly shooting his craft. The stunt greatly impressed the pilots, making Vader, as Anakin Skywalker once had been, a legendary pilot amongst Navy personnel.

The Death Star
One of the most important operations overseen by Vader was the construction of the Death Star, a gargantuan moon-sized battle station that would be able to destroy entire planets. Overseen by Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, Vader had nothing but disdain for the device. Palpatine constantly dispatched Vader to oversee development on the project, which constantly shifted home for security reasons. Over the years, Tarkin tired of Vader's interventions, and became highly critical of the Dark Lord.

Alliance to Restore the Republic
A resistance movement was formulated against the Empire: the Alliance to Restore the Republic. It was thought to be nothing more than a minor annoyance, but Vader was concerned with finding their secret base. Palpatine himself vested little interest in the group, but the Dark Lord thought them to be a sincere, and highly dangerous threat to the stability of the Empire.

Construction troubles
Construction of the Death Star suffered a series of setbacks in it's new home in the Horuz system. Sabotage, accidents, and other varied delays had caused the Emperor a great deal of displeasure, and so he dispatched Vader, in his warship the Devastator, to convey his feelings on the matter to now-Grand Moff Tarkin. The task, in Vader's opinion, should not have arisen, but regardless, he did his duty. En route to the battle station, Tarkin urgently contacted Vader, informing him of sabotage that had demolished an entire docking bay. As the interrogation droids had not yet arrived at the station, Tarkin requested that Vader be the one to interrogate any possible suspects. The Dark Lord grudgingly agreed, but was first led on a tour of the station, observing the medical centers and the architects at work making refinements to modules within the station. Cutting his tour short, Vader had Tarkin take him to Detention Block AA, where he interrogated the night watch lieutenant who had been supervising the dock at the time of the dock explosion. In full view of Tarkin and his guards, Vader executed the lieutenant, and ordered Tarkin to have word spread "accidentally" of the act throughout the staff working on the station. It was Vader's hope that the culprit would be lured out due to fear.

Though those responsible for the explosion were not initially identified, the output of workers on the station increased considerably following Vader's "secret" execution. The Dark Lord, satisified with his and Tarkin's work for the time being, left the Horuz system. While the Devastator was patrolling the Arkonis Sector, Vader recieved a report claiming that one of his warning flags on the MedNet had been tripped, and a doctor aboard the Death Star was researching midi-chlorians. He knew he would be returning to the Death Star soon enough, though, so he chose not to abandon his current mission.

Pursuit
"There'll be no one to stop us this time."

- Darth Vader

Vader began to suspect that Princess Leia of Alderaan had ties to the new Rebel Alliance. As such, when she traveled to Ralltiir to supply the Ralltiir High Council with medical supplies, he had a homing beacon placed on her consular ship, the Tantive IV. The Dark Lord learned that the Death Star plans had been stolen from Danuta, then smuggled to Darkknell and Toprawa in turn. When he then learned that the Rebels had attacked, an Imperial convoy over Toprawa, he realized that it was only a feint, and they were trying to steal the smuggled plans from Toprawa itself.

Taking his Star Destroyer, the Devastator to Toprawa, his men detected an incoming ship: The Tantive IV. Vader had Commander Nahdonnis Praji hail the Alderaanian vessel, which was receiving scrambled transmissions from the planet. The Tantive IV ' s captain, Raymus Antilles, claimed that the vehicle was suffering from extravehicular damage, and would depart Toprawa as soon as repairs had been completed. Antilles hastened to add that the Tantive IV was a consular ship on a diplomatic mission. In response, Vader had Praji inform the Tantive IV that they would be receiving Imperial investigators. At this demand, Antilles baulked, and warned the Devastator that his ship could not be detained due to diplomatic immunity. Acting quickly, Vader ordered his crew to pursue.

As the Tantive IV accelerated out of orbit, Praji once again contacted Antilles, but his order to heave to was not heeded. The Devastator then opened fire for minimum damage, turbolaser bolts lancing out towards the smaller CR90 Corvette. Antilles, however, quickly entered hyperspace, but the Alderaanian crew were still ignorant of the homing device planted on Ralltiir. Following the Tantive IV to its next port of call, the Devastator exited hyperspace in the Tatoo system. En route to his destination, Vader was contacted by Tarkin, who informed him that the plans had been stolen. Bemused, Vader assured him that he was already addressing the problem.

Vader was, at first, set aback at the prospect of returning to his homeworld, but he quickly regained his composure as the Devastator resumed pursuit. Organa's actions confused Vader; Tatooine had once held a Rebel base, but it had been long since abandoned. Vader ordered the captain to not destroy, but cripple the blockade runner, as the two craft exchanged fire over the desert planet. The Star Destroyer eventually dealt the Tantive IV a crippling blow. While the tractor beam of the Devastator pulled the Tantive IV into its hangar, Vader made ready to board the ship and retrieve the plans. His stormtroopers swept through the ship, killing the Alderaanian guards that stood in their way. Antilles was arrested and brought before Vader, who began throttling the captain. When Antilles yielded no information, Vader snapped his neck, and threw away his corpse in rage, hoping to provide an example to any prisoners who may have caught a glimpse of the interrogation.

In their search, Vader's troops found and captured Organa. She asserted that she was on nothing more than a diplomatic mission, and had no inkling of the stolen data tapes from Toprawa. Vader, however, tired of her supposed excuses and alibis, and had her locked away. Commander Daine Jir thought the move to be unwise, but Vader was confident that he would be able to get away with the attack. He ordered Jir to send a distress signal from the Tantive IV, and then inform the Senate that the entire crew had perished, along with the passengers.

Commander Praji approached Vader, and informed him that the Death Star tapes were not aboard the Tantive IV, and they had not been transmitted to another location. He also claimed that an escape pod had been jettisoned during the fighting, but had not been destroyed due to there being no life forms on board. Vader deduced that Organa must have hidden the plans in the pod, and had a detachment sent planetside to retrieve them. Confident that there was nothing on Tatooine of worth, Vader began to toy with the idea of having Tarkin's weapon obliterate the desert planet. Before departing, Vader was contacted by his master, who informed him that the Imperial Senate had just been dissolved. He ordered the Dark Lord to travel to the Horuz system and personally inform Tarkin of the news. The Emperor was also troubled&mdash;though he was usually clairvoyant, the future was not as clear as it once was. Vader, by osmosis, was also concerned, but he set about his duty nonetheless.

The captive Princess
"And now, your highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base."

- Darth Vader

On approach to the Horuz system, Vader felt an incredible disturbance in the Force, which tore through the fabric of the mystical energy field. Reverting to realspace, Vader realized that Despayre had been totally obliterated. Content that the military would now&mdash;wrongly&mdash;believe themselves to be in the possession of the greatest weapon ever made, Vader attended a meeting in one of the battle station's conference room. Inside, Admiral C. Antonio Motti was heaping praises on the destructive capability of the station, while Tarkin informed those present of the Senate's dissulution. As Motti continued, Vader chatised him, claiming that the Force was of far greater significance. Motti scorned him, but Vader quickly retaliated by choking the upstart Admiral. Tarkin, however, wanted no petty squabling amongst his staff, and stopped Vader. In any other circumstance, the Dark Lord would have disregarded the Grand Moff, but as Palpatine had instructed him to merely oversee the Death Star project, he complied.

After the meeting, Vader received a transmission from Tatooine in the conference room. Commander Prajji's troops had learned that the escape pod contained two droids, which they had tracked to, a group of Jawas. Much to Vader's surprise, the Jawas had sold them to the Lars family. Viewing the holographic feed, he saw Owen and Beru, now married, held at blasterpoint. He subsequently ordered their execution remembering their weakness in the instance of his mother's death. He watched the graphic execution until its completion, after which he turned to more pressing matters.

At cell block AA-23 Vader commenced his interrogation of Organa. At first using a mind probe to loosen her tongue, he began asserting that it was his intent to help the Princess. She began calling for her father, and at that point, Vader realized that her willpower was too strong for conventional torture. Though she was likely to be executed, he had a doctor attend her, and restore her to full health. Vader informed Tarkin of his failure, but the Grand Moff had a more persuasive technique planned. He intended to use the Death Star on Alderaan, Organa's home planet, to both persuade the Princess and set an example for other worlds. Vader protested, asserting that Palpatine should be informed if an Inner Rim world was to be destroyed. Tarkin, livid at having his authority challenged, rounded on Vader, and asserted that he was in control of the Death Star, not Palpatine.

The Dark Lord had long suspected that the Grand Moff was insane, but this outburst left no doubt in his mind. Nevertheless, he retrieved Organa from her cell, suffering insult from Doctor Kornell Divini in the process. The Princess appeared to have caved at the threat of losing her home, and told Tarkin that the Rebels were on Dantooine. Tarkin proceeded with the destruction of Alderaan though as Organa watched on, aghast. Returning to the conference room with Tarkin, Vader recieved another dispatch from Tatooine, informing him that the droids with the plans had left the planet on an unmarked and illegally modified freighter.

Reunion
"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner, now I am the master." "Only a master of evil, Darth."

- Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi

Vader and Tarkin continued to verbally spar, as Organa's information had yielded no results. Tarkin ordered Organa's execution to be immediate, but Vader scheduled it for an hour later, much to the Moff's chagrin. Vader then received reports that the freighter from Mos Eisley had been captured amongst the remains of Alderaan. Inspecting the craft in Docking Bay 327, Vader noted it was a YT-1300 light freighter, the Millennium Falcon, and had been heavily modified. He detected a presence that he had not felt since Mustafar, and deduced that Kenobi must have been on board. Though an officer informed him that all of the craft's life pods had been jettisoned, Vader was not satisfied. He had a homing device placed on the craft, and hoped that its original occupants would use it to escape, in the hopes that he would be led to the elusive Rebel base.

Though Tarkin was skeptical, Vader was convinced that Kenobi was alive and on the station. When news reached the conference room of a security breach at cell block AA-23, Vader set about hunting down his former master in the corridors of the station. Sure enough, he met Kenobi just outside Docking Bay 327. After a verbal exchange, the two crossed blades. Kenobi attempted to throw Vader off by using his Sith title of "Darth", but the Dark Lord was undeterred. He was, however, surprised by Kenobi's resilience and strength, but the older man was clearly out of practice. Though Kenobi fought bravely, he spied a young man in 327, and moved into a position of surrender. He offered Vader nothing but a beatific smile, and Vader took the advantage, cutting down his former master without mercy. At first elated, Vader quickly baulked. Instead of seeing Kenobi's smoldering corpse hit the ground, the body disappeared, and nothing but empty robes remained. For the first time in many years, Vader was afraid. Wary of a trick, Vader searched for clues as to Kenobi's location, but could find none. He rounded on the young man in the Docking Bay and his companions&mdash;actually Rebels who had rescued Organa. Though he had no intent of stopping Organa from escaping, he strode towards the hangar, prompting the young man to shoot the controls to a blast door, sealing the Dark Lord off.

The Battle of Yavin
"I have you now."

- Darth Vader

As the Death Star tracked Vader's homing device to the Yavin system, the Dark Lord mused that it would be a "day long remembered" with the death of both Kenobi and the Alliance. He and Tarkin both believed that they would be able to end the war in a matter of days with the destruction of the main Rebel installation. Upon reaching the system, the Rebel bas was determined to be on the fourth moon of Yavin Prime, and as a result, Tarkin swiftly ordered its destruction. As the battle station moved into firing position, however, the Rebels launched fighters at the station, prompting Tarkin to have them shot down with the station's weapons emplacements. Vader was not so sure that such an action would provide ample defense, and when he was approached by Lieutenant Tanbris and informed that the Rebels were evading the station's weapons, the Dark Lord was pleased that Tarkin had proved overconfident. He had his personal wing of fighters scrambled and dispatched to fend off the attackers.

As the battle ground on, Vader suspected that the Rebels had a definite plan and idea as to how to destroy the battle station. Believing that his own personal cadre of pilots would not be enough to stop them, he took to the field in his own TIE Advanced x1. Noting that three Y-wings were angling for Polar Trench Twelve, he realized that they believed the location to have some critical significance. Pursuing them, he was able to destroy all three with a minimum of fuss, much to his disappointment.

Returning to the main battle, he spied an E-2T Medshuttle, 5537, leaving the station. The shuttle's pilot, Villian Dance, claimed that an incoming Imperial ship had been damaged, and the crew required medical attention, but Vader did not believe his story for a second. He ordered Dance to return to the station immediately, but the pilot, who had deserted Imperial ranks in the past fifteen minutes, continued his course. Stretching out with the Force, he detected the presence of a station architect, Teela Kaarz, and realized that the shuttle was full of deserters. Abandoning the battle for a while, he pursued 5537, ordering it once more to return to the dock. As Dance continued on his course, Vader prepared to destroy him and his compatriots. A split second before Vader fired however, Dance threw the ship into reverse, throwing off the Dark Lord's pursuit.

Before he could attack 5537 again, he detected a strong Force presence amongst the remaining Alliance pilots, strong enough to be that of a Jedi. Pursuing a trio of X-wings that ventured into Polar Trench Twelve, he destroyed them effortlessly, only to discover that the Force-sensitive was still present among the enemy. The final three Alliance X-wing fighters entered the same trench, confirming Vader's suspicions. He damaged one of the fighters severely, and destroyed another one, leaving the Force-sensitive alone. Crippling the lone pilot's astromech droid, he moved in for the kill. At that moment, one of his wingmen was destroyed, prompting the other one to swerve into him, sending the Dark Lord's TIE Advanced hurtling out into space. Vader noted that the new arrival was none other than the Millennium Falcon as he struggled to retain control of his craft. As he did so, the lone pilot completed his task: firing proton torpedoes into a relatively unguarded exhaust port, resulting in the destruction of the colossal station.

The Imperials had been soundly routed at Yavin, and Tarkin was dead. His mission had failed, but Vader allowed himself solace in the fact that the superweapon could not compare to the power of the Force. He realized that he was destined to meet the Force-sensitive pilot again, and recognized him as a significant threat to the rule of the Sith. Hoping to return to Imperial Center, Vader sought refuge in Imperial space. Whilst Palpatine was not pleased, he did not blame Vader, since it had not been his fault the station's design was flawed. In turn, the Imperial propaganda machine began fabricating claims that the Death Star never existed.

Trap at Fondor
At the shipyards of Fondor, Vader devised a trap, wherin he hoped to learn the identification of the pilot who had destroyed the Death Star. A Rebel spy took the bait, but Vader's men were unable to apprehend him. Through the Force, Vader was able to determine that the spy was the same man who had destroyed the Death Star, and he had also been trained by Kenobi.

The name
Scouring records to find the name of the pilot, Vader investigated all known leads. According to Anchorhead's municipal records, one Luke Skywalker had a registered T-16 Skyhopper, and had lived at the Lars homestead. Later, Vader discovered from a Kubaz spy that Skywalker had also sold a landspeeder to Spaceport Speeders before departing on the Millennium Falcon. Further evidence from a captured Rebel who Vader interrogated on Centares indicated that this Skywalker was the man who had destroyed the Death Star. While inspecting his newly completed starship, Executor, at Fondor shipyards, Vader pondered over the possibility of this Skywalker being his son. But "Skywalker" was not an uncommon name, and it was possible that Shmi had other relatives. Vader decided not to tell Palpatine of his findings, as he saw this "Skywalker" as an opportunity for power over his master.

The false Kenobi
Trying to engineer a new trap to ensnare Skywalker, Vader enslisted the services of an actor, who would impersonate Obi-Wan Kenobi and gain Skywalker's trust. However, the plan failed.

Ruse on Aridus
Vader set up another trap on the desert world of Aridus, but Skywalker once again escaped.

Revenge at Yavin
Vader was prevented in capturing the Rebels during a punitive strike at Yavin thanks to the incompetency of Admiral Amise Griff. The Alliance succesfully evacuated, and found a new base.

Private studies at Bast Castle
Vader had kept Kenobi's lightsaber since the encounter on the Death Star, and stored the weapon at Bast Castle. There, he studied a Sith holocron he had acquired.

Pacifog of Kadril
On Kadril, Vader oversaw the development of a mind-altering Pacifog.

Dark Trooper Project
Vader oversaw the construction of the Dark Troopers, robotic droid soldiers.

A new Death Star
Over the Forest Moon of Endor, Vader was tasked with supervising the construction of the Death Star II, a larger and more powerful successor to Tarkin's weapon.

The Brie operation
Vader dispatched a Force-sensitive Imperial Intelligence agent, Shira Brie, to discredit Skywalker, but her mission was a failure, and she was left horribly injured. However, he had her restored to full health and given prosthetics, before being offered to Palpatine as an elite operative.

Duel on Mimban
"I've been robbed too often."

- Darth Vader

In 2 ABY, Vader was notified that Skywalker and Organa had been detained on Circarpous V, better known as Mimban. Vader had heard legend of the Kaiburr Crystal, a crimson gem that could magnify the Force a thousandfold, and hoped to collect both the Rebel traitors and the jewel. When Vader reached Mimban, however, he learned that the Rebels had eluded the planet's garrison, and had fled into the jungle. After a battle in an underground cavern, he finally intercepted them at the ancient Temple of Pomojema, home of the Kaiburr Crystal. Using the Force to drop the crumbling temple ceiling on Skywalker, Vader began taunting the pair, while displaying his impressive lightsaber skills.

Organa, however, was not easily impressed. She picked up the fallen Skywalker's lightsaber, and engaged the Dark Lord in a duel. Vader, while able to easily defend himself, found that he was losing his self-control in the presence of the Crystal. With Organa defeated, he moved onto Skywalker, who had managed to free himself from the rubble. The two exchanged blows in a frenzied duel that forced them both deeper into the temple, near a deep and dangerous pit. Vader started to tire, but the Kaiburr Crystal gave him strength. It even allowed him to emit Sith lightning from his robotic fingertips&mdash;something that would have been impossible in any other circumstance. Still, Skywalker was also strengthened by the Crystal, and was able to deflect the attack. Vader was flabbergasted, and startled when young Skywalker severed his prosthetic right arm. Vader did not give up, but while clutching at his fallen lightsaber with his remaining hand, he was distracted by the familiarity of Skywalker's saber. He tripped over his severed lims, and hurtled into the pit, allowing Skywalker and Organa to escape his clutches once more.

He howled with rage until his sharp impact on the rocky surface at the bottom of the pit. In great pain, he realized that the Kaiburr Crystal's power had influenced him to try and kill Skywalker. He sensed that Skywalker had taken the Crystal with him in his departure from Mimban. Escaping the deep cavern, he had an Imperial shuttle take him to a nearby medical center, where he was nursed back to health. But he did not consider the Mimban expedition a failure: he now understood that Skywalker would be a valuable ally should Vader turn against his master. Abandoning his efforts to learn about Skywalker, Vader simply desired to capture him, and bend the young Rebel to his will.

Deal on Ord Mantell
"A particular Rebel interests me...Luke Skywalker"

- Darth Vader

Vader contacted the bounty hunter Boba Fett, who he hoped would be able to apprehend Skywalker. His armor fully repaired following the mishap on Mimban, Vader met with Fett on Ord Mantell. Fett was hunting Han Solo, the pilot of the Millennium Falcon, and so the bounty hunter realized that he might be able to gain two bounties for the effort of one. Fett also suggested that since Skywalker and Solo were companions, capturing one might lure the other.

Striking back
"The Empire is on the verge of success. Soon, peace and order will be restored throughout the galaxy. Even now, our capable forces, led by Darth Vader are striking back at the Rebel insurgents"

- Palpatine

As part of a new Imperial surge against Rebel installments, Vader took command of a gargantuan flotilla of starfighters, and set off, with the aid of Vice Admiral Thrawn, to destroy key enemy installations. His force came across a Rebel platform and, coordinating his attack with that of the Chiss vice admiral, the enemy was routed, with their platform destroyed.

The Battle of Hoth
"Make ready to land our troops beyond the energy shield and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system. You are in command now, Admiral Piett." "Thank you, Lord Vader."

- Darth Vader and Firmus Piett

Realizing that he had spent too much time obsessing over Skywalker instead of hunting the Rebels, Vader had the Death Squadron deploy probes all over the galaxy, hunting for any trace of Alliance activity. In 3 ABY, the Executor received transmissions from Hoth, displaying imagery of a large power generator. With certainty, Vader confirmed that Hoth was the location of the Rebel base. Admiral Kendal Ozzel, exasperated, protested, suggesting other alternatives as to what the droid had uncovered, but Vader shut him up by ordering the fleet to travel there. Ozzel entered the Hoth system far too close to the planet for a surprise attack, prompting the riled Vader to execute him and replace him with Firmus Piett.

The Rebels had already begun their evacuation when the Imperials arrived, and they were able to fend off the AT-AT assault for a considerable amount of time. But the assault persisted, and the Imperials won the day. Vader cared little for the tactical victory, however, as he was more concerned with Skywalker. Witnessing the Milennium Falcon depart from Hoth, he sensed that the young Rebel was still alive, and decided to resort to Fett's plan. Returning to the Executor, he ordered his crew to give chase, and pursue the Falcon. However, the smuggler's ship entered an asteroid field, which caused Admiral Piett some concern. Vader dismissed Piett's suggestions, however, and meditated, hoping to catch a glimpse of the future. All he gleaned was that something significant would transpire in the near future.

Baiting the trap
"We would be honored if you would join us."

- Darth Vader

The Executor had to break pursuit when Vader received a top priority transmission from his master on Imperial center. Palpatine claimed to know of Skywalker, but it was his revelation that he was the offspring of Anakin Skywalker that shocked Vader. Palpatine wanted the young man dead, but Vader was able to convince his master to reconsider. Having experienced the boy's power on Mimban, Vader suggested that he would be better served as an ally, rather than dead. Palpatine agreed, and Vader pleged himself to finding and converting, or killing, Skywalker.

Vader sent out a summons to six bounty hunters across the galaxy, including Fett, instructing them to rendevousz at the Executor ' s location in the Hoth system. They met in the bridge, where Vader instructed them to find the Falcon, not kill any of the occupants, and bring them to him. Moments later, the Falcon emerged from the field, prompting the Avenger to give chase. The Avenger lost its quarry, however, and Vader ordered the fleet to disperse. Fett, however, was not as easily fooled as the Imperial officers, and contacted Vader, claiming that he had spotted the Falcon, with a damaged hyperdrive, limping towards the Bespin system. Vader ordered Piett to hyper there with due haste.

Fett and Vader beat the Falcon to Cloud City, its supposed destination, where the Dark Lord was greeted by Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian. Vader had run a background check on Calrissian, and knew that he was a former owner of the Falcon. However, he was not surprised when Calrissian betrayed no knowledge of the ship&mdash;the man was also a seasoned gambler. The Baron Administrator was accommodating and courteous, and allowed Vader to place his troops throughout the city.

Several hours later, Lieutenant Sheckil informed Vader that the Falcon had landed at Platform 327, and that Organa was Solo's only passenger of note, as well as a protocol droid. Vader ordered Sheckil to keep his troops out of sight until he was prepared to reveal himself to the Rebels. At that moment, Sheckil received a transmission from one of the stormtrooper squads, who had accidentally shot Organa's droid. Vader was displeased, and he ordered to have the droid brought to him, hoping to pick its memory for pertinent data. Fett suggested that Vader spread word of the Rebels capture, so as to lure Skywalker into the trap, but the Dark Lord was confident that such a move would not be needed. Inspecting the damaged droid, Vader was shocked to find that it was none other than C-3PO. He began to reminisce about his childhood, and the discovery of the droid, but Vader quickly suppressed his emotions, and ordered 3PO's destruction.

When Vader detected a tremor in the Force signifying Skywalker's rush to save his friends, the Dark Lord sprung his trap. He arranged Calrissian to escort the Rebels to a banquet room, where Vader revealed himself and greeted them. Solo, acting quickly, fired off several shots at Vader, but the Sith Lord calmly batted them away with his hand, before retrieving the blaster from the startled Corellian's hands. Following this, Sheckil approached Vader once more, with what he thought to be good news. Producing C-3PO's remains once more, Sheckil claimed that Solo's copilot, the Wookiee Chewbacca, had been trying desperately to retrieve the parts, and had deduced that the unit may have been of high importance to the Alliance. Vader once again dwelled on memories of his mother and childhood. He recalled the circumstances upon which he had been allowed to keep the droid, and specifically thought back on his mother's words on responsibility. In a rare moment of mercy, Vader relented, ordering the parts to be taken to the Wookiee's cell, before demanding that Solo be taken to the makeshift interrogation chamber for torture.

He asked the Corellian no questions, only inflicting pain in order to hieghten Skywalker's sense of urgency. Concerned that the young Jedi hopeful would not survive the carbon freezing process, Vader had the Ugnaught technicians test the process on Captain Solo. When Calrissian claimed that Solo had survived the process, Vader had the machine reset for Skywalker, as Fett had the frozen Corellian carted away. An aide informed Vader that Skywalker had just landed at Cloud City, prompting the Dark Lord to have the room cleared for his arrival.

Duel on Cloud City
Sure enough, Skywalker strode into the carbon freezing chamber, blaster at the ready. When Vader revealed himself, the young Jedi holstered it, and replaced it with his lightsaber. The Dark Lord now recognized the weapon: it was the same one Kenobi had picked up on the shores of Mustafar many years prior. The two combatants dueled in the steamy and dark chamber, with Skywalker holding his own against the far more experienced Sith Lord.

Vader persisted, however, battling through the complex, hurling objects at Skywalker with the Force, and eventually pushed the young man out onto a dangerous gantry. With the Bespin winds tearing around them, the two combatants fought on, with Skywalker landing a glancing blow on Vader's chest. Vader snarled in anger, and as Skywalker backed himself into a more precarious position on the gantry, the Dark Lord lashed out, severing the young Jedi's right hand at the wrist. As the hand, and Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber hurtled into the abyss below, Vader extended an offer to the young man, urging him to join the Empire, and end the Galactic Civil War. When Skywalker refused, Vader decided that it was time to reveal Skywalker's heritage. The young Jedi was aghast, and in denial. Vader once again extended his offer, but Skywalker, unexpectedly, chose to attempt suicide instead by plumetting into the dark abyss below.

Vader sensed that he was still alive, however, and hurriedly made for his shuttle. Imperial aides informed the Dark Lord that Calrissian had betrayed them, urging all residents to leave Cloud City before the impending Imperial invasion force arrived. He had also helped Organa, 3PO, and the Wookiee escape to the Millennium Falcon. Vader, however, had already made the precaution of having the Falcon ' s hyperdrive unit sabotaged. He sent two stormtrooper squads to retrieve Skywalker, and made his way to the Executor. There, he was notified that the Falcon had retrieved Skywalker, and was preparing to leave the system. Watching the Falcon make its apparently futile attempt to escape Vader's TIEs, Vader called out to his son through the Force, beckoning him. But the Falcon unexpectedly leapt into hyperspace, leaving Vader empty-handed once more.

Harkov the defector
"Greetings, Admiral Harkov. We have a matter to discuss."

- Darth Vader

Admiral Zaarin, hoping to end the war with technological developments much like Tarkin before him, had won a campaign in the Mylok system against both the Rebels and the Nharwaak. As a result, he had received the services of the Habeen, who, with the Nharwaak, had develloped new starfighter technology. Palpatine, curious, sent Vader to investigate, and Zaarin obliged. Taking Vader to a space station, he demonstrated the technology: TIE Advanced craft with hyperdrive capabilities. He informed Vader that the new Advanced fighters were seeing combat, and a new prototype was under development. Vader, curiosity piqued, requested that Zaarin provide Palpatine with one of the new prototypes as soon as possible.

The Secret Order had, since the Battle of Hoth, suspected Admiral Harkov of duplicity. Their suspicions were confirmed when pilot Maarek Stele witnessed Harkov dispatching officers to meet with the Alliance. Stele himself was firmly in the sights of Harkov, and the traitorous admiral sought to kill him. The Secret Order chose that moment to play their hand, and subsequently called in Vader to lead the campaign against Harkov in the Parmel system. As Harkov had been frittering away Navy funds for the benefit of the Rebels, Palpatine took particular interest in this campaign. Stele proved to be invaluable during initial investigations, as he had served on Harkov's flagship, the Protector. The young pilot was able to discover, during a recon mission, that Harkov was taking on supplies at the Alliance space station DS 5. Returning to Imperial Center to inform Palpatine, Vader was ordered to take Harkov alive, as the forces under his command would prove to be extensively damaging in Rebel hands.

As the Protector took on supplies at DS 5, reconnaissance squads harried Rebel convoys that would be providing equipment to Harkov. The second attack, intended to wipe out Harkov's TIE Advanced defense, determined that he had transferred to the station, leading Vader to redirect his focus. Zaarin's hyper-equipped TIE Advanced fighters proved instrumental at that particular point of the campaign, allowing the Dark Lord to launch strikes at Harkov without moving his flagship directly into harm's way. With the station's defenses cleared, Vader moved in for the kill. His forces bore down on DS 5, disabling all craft that tried to flee. Harkov was discovered to be aboard the YT-1300 Geddawai, and was in turn captured. The Alliance scrambled fighters to rescue the doomed Admiral, and even dispatched a frigate, the Olinor to defend DS 5, but it was too little, too late. The station fell to Imperial boarders, and as Vader entered the system in his flagship, the Garrett, he received Harkov. At first inquiring as to the whereabouts of the traitorous admiral's fleet, Vader merely crushed the man's windpipe with the Force, executing him in a brutal manner.

Zaarin the traitor
"These traitors must pay the ultimate price!"

- Darth Vader

Admiral Zaarin continued his work on the new prototype starfighters, dubbed "TIE Defenders." When the prototypes were finally completed, Vader ordered Zaarin to send a trio of them to the Emperor at Imperial Center. In transit, the fighters were almost captured by the Alliance, who had managed to set up an ambush. Though Palpatine was pleased with the new fighter, he was disappointed that security had been so lax to allow the Rebels to stage such an attack. Zaarin had informed Vader that he suspected a security breach at his headquarters, space station Research, and he also believed that the Rebels were developing their own new weapons technology. Upon hearing this, Palpatine ordered Vader to see that the Alliance did not gain the upper hand in the new arms race. Though the spy was not found, Zaarin was allowed to finish his new project in peace, granting Palpatine's starfighters Beam weapon technology. The Rebels new weapon was the Mag Pulse torpedo, develloped by Galactic Electronics. Soon enough, GE's assets in the Corporate Sector were seized, and the crisis averted.

Finally having located the Protector in the Parmel system, Vader dispatched the Immobilizer 418 cruiser Harpax to trap the flagship of ex-Admiral Harkov. Palpatine advised Vader to be cautious, and bade that he make full use of the Secret Order during his operations at Parmel. The Protector was taking on supplies from the Alliance, and so Vader had the Harpax dispatch fighters to destroy those supplies in transit. Upon the completion of this, however, the MC40a light cruiser Warhawk and the frigate Akaga, wedging the Harpax between the three enemy ships. The situation was dire: if the Harpax fled, the Protector surely would too, letting it escape Vader's clutches once more. If it stayed, it would fall prey to the Protector, the Akaga, or the Warhawk. Assessing the situation, Vader dispatched pilots to reinforce the Harpax ' s complement.

While fighters were sent to bomb the Akaga, Vader sped with all due haste to the battle in the Garrett. The Akaga destroyed just prior to his arrival, Vader broadcasted a rallying message to all pilots, urging them on to victory. Shortly afterwards, the final attack was launched, resulting in the destruction of the Protector and the Warhawk. Reinforcements from Admiral Zaarin arrived after the fact, but much to the shock of the Garrett ' s crew, they sustained fire from the reinforcements. Arditi 1, Arditi 2, and Arditi 3 all engaged the Garrett, but were fended off thanks to the efforts of none other than pilot Maarek Stele. Several more waves of Zaarin's craft were destroyed, and Vader took special notice of the talented pilot. However, time for celebration was in short supply, as Vader realized that if Zaarin was trying to distract him in the Parmel system, he must be trying to attack Palpatine at Imperial Center.

Since the Garrett would not be able to make Imperial Center in time, Vader decided to take one of the new TIE Defender starfighters instead. Putting himself in Delta Squadron, call sign 6, he appointed Stele to be the leader of the group, as they sped towards a rendezvous with the frigate Osprey. At the designated point, however, they were set upon by Zaarin's Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wings, and trapped by the Interdictor Harpago. Vader and Delta Squardron battled through the waves of traitors, eventually fighting their way to the Osprey, ready to make the final leg of the journey to Imperial Center.

Finding himself in a situation uncannily similar to the Battle of Coruscant over two decades prior, Vader flew into combat against Zaarin's forces above the Imperial capital. The Emperor's flagship, the Majestic, had been boarded by Zaarin's men, and Palpatine himself taken prisoner. As he was being transferred back to Zaarin's flagship, the Glory, in a shuttle from Haven Group, Stele identified his location, and Vader ordered him to immediately disable the shuttle in order to allow the Mescue to rescue his master. As the pair fought off Zaarin's TIE Advanced starfighters, Vice Admiral Thrawn entered the fray with the Imperial Star Destroyer Vanguard. Palpatine was saved, and Zaarin fled, but Thrawn was hot on his heels. As a result of his exemplary service, Stele was given a medal by the Emperor.

The machinations of Prince Xizor
With the Death Star II nearing completion at Endor, Palpatine instructed Vader to work with Prince Xizor, who owned the galaxy's most substantial merchant fleet. Xizor was also the head of Black Sun, and his family had been killed on Falleen during Vader's "quarantine" in years prior. The Prince had planned to let the Rebels obtain the plans to the Death Star II as part of an elaborate trap. The plans traveled on an unescorted freighter through the Both system, where they were captured by Rebels, with the aid of Bothan spies. The plans indicated that the station was not fully operational and was undefended, which was far from the truth. Xizor planned to discredit Vader by having Skywalker killed, but when the Dark Lord learned of this, he killed the Prince by destroying his skyhook over Coruscant.

The trap at Endor
"I will not turn, and you'll be forced to kill me." "If that is your destiny."

- Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader

Palpatine dispatched Vader to oversee the final stages of construction. On the way to the battle station, Vader began recalling his previous life as Anakin Skywalker, and dwelled on what he could have done differently. He had a premonition, showing he and Skywalker as allies, being harried by Palpatine. This caused the Dark Lord a great deal of concern. Like he had it's predecessor, Vader held the superweapon in contempt, and was most displeased when he learned from Moff Jerjerrod that the construction was behind schedule. When Vader informed the Moff that Palpatine himself would soon be inspecting the weapon, Jerjerrod had his men amplify their efforts.

Shortly before Palpatine's arrival, Vader received a report from Tatooine, claiming that Jabba the Hutt had been assassinated. The Dark Lord deduced that Skywalker and his companions had succeeded in rescuing Captain Solo. Vader then greeted his master in one of the station's docking bays, and discussed both the superweapon, and Skywalker. He slowly began to realize that Palpatine would set up a situation similar to that of the Invisible Hand, many years prior, when a young Anakin Skywalker had been forced to kill Dooku, the Sith Master's former apprentice. With this revelation, Vader understood that he had to sway Skywalker to his cause.

Palpatine ordered Vader to take the Imperial fleet to the far side of Endor, despite the Dark Lord's protests that the Rebels were amassing their own attack force near Sullust. Shortly after boarding the Executor, Vader witnessed shuttle Tydiriums approach to Endor. The shuttle bore an older code, and was apparently taking parts to the shield generator on the planet surface. Vader detected Skywalker's presence on the ship, but told his men to let it pass. Returning to Palpatine, he insisted that his feelings on the matter were clear, but the Emperor was not sure. He told Vader to go to the sanctuary moon, and await Skywalker's arrival, deducing that the young Jedi's compassion would draw him to his father.

Vader began to despair: he realized that even if he could sway Skywalker to his side, he would have to kill Palpatine, as there was no way of escaping him. Waiting at the energy shield generator on the moon, Vader watched an AT-AT approach, bearing his son. Whilst he was pleased to hear that the young man accepted the truth of his lineage, he realized that Luke still believed in "Anakin Skywalker", who Vader considered long dead. When Skywalker began to plead with Vader, calling him to turn back to the light, the Dark Lord realized that he was too strongly bonded to his master for redemption. Taking Skywalker to the Emperor, Vader prepared to meet what he thought to be his doom.

The final duel
"If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny."

- Darth Vader

Returning to the Death Star II with his son, Vader joined his master in the makeshift throne room, to view the impending Battle of Endor. As Vader delivered Skywalker's lightsaber to Palpatine, the Sith Master began to goad the young Jedi, trying to prompt his fall to the dark side. Skywalker was at first unimpressed, but when the Rebel fleet entered the system and began being dashed to pieces by the hidden Imperial fleet, his anger became evident. After Palpatine demonstrated the Death Star II's fully operational status by destroying the Liberty with a superlaser, Skywalker summoned his lightsaber, and made to strike down the Sith Master. Vader prevented this by defending his master, and engaging Skywalker in a duel.

After a brief clash of blades, Skywalker gained the upper hand by kicking his father down the large stairway leading to the Emperor's throne. Landing painfully, with a cybernetic cable in his leg broken, Vader recalled the similar situation on the Invisible Hand and resolved to prove himself the victor. Skywalker deactivated his blade, claiming that he did not want to fight his father, but Vader ignored him, and lashed out. The duel continued, with the young Jedi retreating to an overlooking gantry, in order to distance himself from the Dark Lord. Vader was not to be robbed of his victory, however, and he flung his lightsaber at the gantry, bringing it and Skywalker crashing to the ground.

As the battle raged on in the space outside, Vader focused on finding Skywalker, who had sought refuge in the maze of pillars and girders below the throne platform. Vader taunted and goaded his son, and came to a shocking revalation: Skywalker feared for the life of his sister, none other than Leia Organa. Hoping to draw Skywalker out, Vader threatened to turn Organa to the dark side, should the young Jedi not submit. This prompted an unexpected reaction from Skywalker. He leapt out of his hiding place, and charged at the Dark Lord, launching a flurry of strikes against him, forcing him to retreat into the open space. A glancing blow ruptured Vader's life support system, causing him to fall back against some railing. He was powerless to prevent Skywalker slicing off his right cybernetic hand, as revenge for what had transpired at Bespin.

Death (4 ABY)
"I've got to save you." "You already have, Luke."

- Luke and Anakin Skywalker

As Palpatine cackled with glee, Skywalker moved to deliver a killing stroke. However, the young Jedi realized that he was slowly becoming his father, and as a result, he threw aside his lightsaber, and stood defiant and defenseless against the Emperor. Vader could do nothing but watch on as Palpatine, furious, blasted Skywalker with Sith lightning. As the young Jedi writhed in pain and cried out to his father for help, Vader shuffled to his master's side, watching on. The sight changed something in Vader's mindset: he realized that he no longer cared for his own future, but the survival of his son was tantamount, and he could not allow Palpatine to complete his gruesome torture. At that moment, Darth Vader ceased to exist, and Anakin Skywalker, figuratively, returned.

Acting quickly, Anakin picked up his former master with his remaining hand, and carried him over to one of the deep chasms in the throne room. Palpatine screamed, and continued to emit the lightning, but instead of targeting Luke, he tried to destroy Anakin. With his life support system shorted out due to the Emperor's attack, Anakin knew that he would surely die, but he continued his slow advance to the chasm, and eventually hurled his screaming master into the abyss. As Anakin lay there, waiting to die, Luke approached him, and began dragging him to a docking bay. The Endor shield generator had been destroyed by the Alliance, and fighters had penetrated the station's superstructure. Luke carried Anakin to ST321, when the mortally wounded Jedi asked his son to remove the mask of Darth Vader. For the first time, he saw his son with his naked eyes, and despite Luke's protests, he believed himself to be at peace. Anakin Skywalker then died in his son's arms.

To his surprise, Anakin then found himself in the netherworld of the Force, as a disembodied spirit. Hearing the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, his first master, he learned how to revisit the corporeal universe as a Force spirit, in the hopes that he would be able to see his children again. He watched his own funeral, as Luke burned the armor of Darth Vader on the Forest Moon of Endor. Then, with the specters of Kenobi and Master Yoda, he watched the celebrations that ensued. With Palpatine, and Vader dead, and the Death Star II destroyed, the Alliance had now overcome their greatest obstacles. At the celebrations, Luke saw his father again, but this time in his younger, untainted form.

Personality and traits
"His abilities have made him, well, arrogant."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

As a slave, Anakin was an exceptionally generous child, always seeking to aid those in need without a selfish thought. He demonstrated this in saving C-3PO from the scrap heap, and he genuinely believed that the droid had feelings. Having genuine concern for the droid, he risked he and his mother's privacy for the sake of the machine. Another instance of this generosity is his rescue of the injured Tusken Raider. Despite the constant warning from the locals that Tuskens were dangerous, he put his own safety at risk for the lone Raider. Despite gaining no reward for this venture, his offer to help Master Qui-Gon Jinn the following day would eventually grant him his freedom.

He was exceptionally indignant in regards to his status as a slave, which he thought to be something embarrassing. Being born a slave, Anakin hated the practice with a passion, but he was willing to discuss it with Naberrie. He lived in the constant hope that slavery would be abolished, and his mother would be freed.

Early in his life, Anakin realized he had no fear, at least not for himself. Due to this, he constantly put himself at risk, which caused Shmi to worry. If there was anything that Anakin did fear for, it was Shmi. Since she was the only real family he had, he had an exceptionally strong relationship with her. His upbringing being so, he found adapting to the Jedi way of life considerably difficult, since he was called upon to abandon all emotions, including love and fear. The death of his mother impacted him greatly, and it was evident that due to his late admission to the Jedi Order, he could not suppress his feelings suitably. This lack of control would also lead to him falling in love with Padmé Naberrie, which, in turn, caused him to fear for her as well. The fear of losing her was what drove Anakin to the dark side of the Force and Palpatine's influence, and so when she did die, Anakin, now Vader, resolved to purge himself of everything but hate.

Anakin, and Vader, hated weakness, and while he at first merely derided it, he eventually sought to punish it. He fought with Greedo the Elder, due to the fact that the young Rodian accused him of cheating, but this was frowned upon by Master Jinn. He was livid with the Lars family for allowing Shmi to be taken by the Tusken Raiders, and would later punish that transgression by having Owen and Beru Lars executed. He would also later deride the Imperial military for its faith in a superweapon; he believed that the Force was a far greater weapon.

Vader hated his master, Palpatine, but he understood that he would never be able to defeat or overcome him alone. When he gained intelligence of Luke Skywalker, he attempted to sway the young Jedi to his cause, in the hopes that he would give Vader the edge against the Sith Master. Though he tried to kill the young Jedi on Mimban, Vader believed that it was his destiny to have Luke at his side, following the revelation that they were in fact kin. When Vader realized that the alliance between them was not to be, the image of his son being slowly tortured to death prompted him to relinquish his Sith ways, and sacrifice himself for his son.

Though most spacers were loathe to, the Dark Lord enjoyed staring into the tubular void of hyperspace, as he felt it gave him solace. Such an act was said to drive men insane due to the nature of hyperspace, but Vader simply threw caution to the wind in in these instances.

Powers and abilities
"Powerful Jedi was he, powerful Jedi."

- Yoda

Though he was by no means a seer, one of Anakin's most frequently used powers was that of Force Vision, which allowed him to see things before they happened. These visions were usually not intentional, and, due to his unusual upbringing, usually concerned his loved ones. They generally proved to be accurate, in some way, shape or form, though Anakin could rarely predict the exact outcome of events. As Vader, he still recieved these visions, though they were more obscure, and less accurate.

One of the most talented pilots in the galaxy, Anakin began his career in the field at the very early age of seven, flying podracers for his master, Toydarian. Due to his exceptional reflexes and precognitive abilities, he was the only Human known to have been able to pilot a pod, and as such, his reputation spread. Due to his age and species, he was scorned by other more illustrious podracer pilots, but he was able to silence his critics at the Boonta Eve race of 32 BBY.

Anakin was an exceptionally skilled duelist, able to hold his own and even defeat Jedi and Sith far more experienced than he ever was. He lacked the ability to fight effectively with dual blades, however, and was not particularly adept at preventing loss of limb on his part.

When he fell to the dark side, Anakin was able to keep himself alive using his rage.

Junkheap Hero
"Your orders will be carried out, exactly as you wish!" "Of course they will&hellip;your lives all depend on that!"

- Trade Federation official and Darth Vader

Traveling to a desert world following rumors of Alliance activity, Vader made contact with the Trade Federation officials there, and set about planning to root out the Rebel presence. The Federation operated an extensive droid black market on the planet from the Core Building, and the Dark Lord sought to exploit that. The Federation had plans to insert a mole amongst the Rebels, but Vader was dissatisfied with the idea, instead opting to have an Alliance droid captured and reprogrammed to relay the Rebels plans to the Imperials. He departed the planet, and although the Federation were able to enact the plan, they were foiled by Luke Skywalker.

Behind the scenes
The character played a prominent role in Star Wars: TIE Fighter, where he was voiced by Scott Lawrence.

In 1999, Anakin's origins were told in Lucas' Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The character, nine years old in the film, was played by Jake Lloyd, and had a central role in the story.

In 2007, Scholastic released The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader, by Ryder Windham. Windham retold the stories of all six Star Wars films through the perspective of the Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader character, and also consolidated such Expanded Universe works as Splinter of the Mind's Eye into the story as well.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace / novel / comic
 * Episode I: Anakin Skywalker
 * Podracing Tales
 * Episode I: Queen Amidala
 * Episode I: Qui-Gon Jinn
 * Episode I: The Phantom Menace ½
 * Episode I: Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Star Wars Episode I Journal: Anakin Skywalker
 * Rogue Planet
 * Death Star
 * Star Wars: TIE Fighter
 * The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader
 * The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader