Anakin woke up to hear the beeps and chirps of medical equipment around him. He sat up slightly and looked around in confusion to see that he was in one of the private rooms at the hospital wing of the Jedi temple. What had happened?

Anakin shook his head and cleared the fog in his mind. He’d been sparring with Felix, Master Druman had interrupted them, then he’d been summoned by Obi-wan…

And then the creature. What was it…

As if summoned by the thought, a strange creature appeared in front of Anakin as if it had always been sitting there at the end of the hospital bed.

It appeared as if to be a human eyeball the size of Anakin’s head with a yellow and orange iris. Surrounding the central eyeball was a mass of blue tentacles like that of an octopus. It was currently standing on over eight of the tentacles while the others on its upper portion and back waved around as if floating in water. The eyeball was staring directly at Anakin as he sat there frozen in the bed.

“I apologize for the rude introduction,” a voice said from nowhere, “I wasn’t sure how much longer I could last without discovery in the heart of the Jedi temple. I needed to get into your body before I was captured by a wandering Jedi grandmaster.”

“Enter my body?!” Anakin said, “Get out! I don’t want a thing like you in here!”

“Hey, hey,” the creature said and darted to the side as Anakin flailed and tried to hit it with his hand, “Look, look. We can make a deal! Just calm down, I’ll leave if you really want me to after we’ve talked. I have plenty to offer you in exchange for taking up residence. No, co-residence. I’ll pay rent, and you’ll barely even know that I’m there!!”

Anakin paused halfway from raising his hand again to slap at the creature again.

“You’ll leave if I ask?” Anakin said, “Then do it! Get out of my body!”

“Look, it’s not that simple,” the creature said, “I need a Force user, something powerful enough. A beast or something maybe if you don’t want to do a sentient being. I need something to transfer into, so we’re stuck together at least until then.”

Anakin curled his hand into a fist and punched at the creature again in anger. He was surprised when his hand passed right through the thing and hit the metal end of the hospital bed painfully.

Anakin hissed and retracted his hand and shook it out as pins and needles ran up his arm.

“I’m not really here,” the creature said, “It’s just a projection in your mind. Focus on me, you’ll be able to tell.”

Anakin squinted at the creature, and as he did he realized that it looked wrong somehow. He didn’t know how exactly, but he knew that the creature in front of him was fake. It wasn’t through the Force, that familiar feeling of it giving him knowledge and guidance on something… It was different than that. Like it was from him rather than something outside.

“See?” the creature said, “No use hitting me.”

“Why’d you dodge then?”

“Seemed fun.”

Anakin hesitated, but then put his hands back down at his sides.

“What do you want then?” he asked, “Why shouldn’t I tell the masters about you? I’m sure they’d find a way to get you out of me. What did you do to Obi-wan?”

“Obi-wan is fine,” the creature said with a dismissive wave of a few of its tentacles, “He won’t remember anything about his trip until he arrived here. But other than that he’s the same as he ever was. I was just using him so I could get close to you. The Chosen One.”

“Me?” Anakin said warily, “People have called me that. But no one can be sure if I’m the one to bring balance to the force… And what does that have to do with you forcing yourself into my body?”

“Oh no, you’re definitely the one,” the creature said, “I could feel it the minute my ride entered the Jedi temple. And as I said, I’m here to offer you a deal. Power, assistance, I’ll help you do whatever you want. As a loyal companion or even friend.”

“And what do you want in return?” Anakin asked suspiciously.

“To stay in your body of course,” the creature said, “And one more thing. For you to break your destiny as the Chosen One. Which is something that you’d want to do. It’s really not that pleasant of a fate for you anyway.”

“Destiny? What are you talking about?”

“The Chosen One is the one who is predicted to balance to the force, correct?”

“Yes, that’s what all of the masters say.”

“There are two sides of the Force. The dark side and the light. The dark drives those that use it to madness, driven only by selfish desires and the accumulation of their own power. It corrupts its users to only focus on the self and nothing more when accomplishing their goals and drawing on the Force.”

“That… sounds right?” Anakin said while not completely sure, “Dark side users are evil, because they gave into their emotions and used the force for selfish destruction and chaos.”

“Meh,” the creature said, “It’s not evil versus good. External versus internal desires, that’s what it is. Not quite the same, even if most dark side users do end up being more destructive. But anyway, we’re skipping ahead. The light side of the force drives its users as well, although it’s much less obvious than the dark side.

“It guides those that it uses to the place where it believes that they can mitigate the least harm and help the most beings. A selflessness that comes at the cost of the individual users of the light side of the force. What most don’t understand is that the light side of the force is influenced by the individual’s perceptions as well. One’s own perceptions of what is the common good and what is right inform the light side of the force where one should be guided and what they should be doing. Often beings who heavily draw on the light side of the force become self sacrificing to the point of recklessness as their sense of the greater good eventually overcomes their self preservation. A greater good that only their own minds define. And not everyone has the same views of what is the common good, which can also cause problems.”

“That isn’t right,” Anakin denied, “The light side of the force has nothing to do with the dark side. One is evil, and the other is what guides Jedi to where we can help the most people. It’s not the same. Why are you even telling me this? What does this have to do with me being the Chosen One?”

“The Force itself doesn’t think one aspect of itself is more important than another,” the creature continued as its blue tentacles rippled, “The external versus internal. It doesn’t think anything like most beings do. All of these Jedi use the light side of the force. Dark side users have been suppressed in the galaxy for millennia as the Jedi hunt them down or convert them to the light whenever they appear. What do you think the Chosen One would do to bring balance to the force?”

“What?” Anakin said, “No, no… That’s… That doesn’t make any sense! I’m supposed to help the Jedi, that’s what the prophecy says!”

“It’s your destiny, to bring balance,” the creature continued mercilessly, “All of these Jedi are an imbalance. It’s your destiny to eliminate them and bring a new age of the dark side until the two aspects of the Force are equal once more. The Force itself will influence you and events around you to ensure it no matter how hard you try to fight it. It’s inevitable…”

The creature paused dramatically,

“But it doesn’t have to be. With me at your side, we can stop it. You don’t have to listen to that pesky Force and make your own path instead. And with power beyond even your wildest dreams.”

Anakin started breathing heavily and despite himself, found himself being convinced by the creature’s arguments. Was that what the prophecy meant by bringing balance to the Force? Anakin had never really thought about it too hard, it was just something that the Jedi masters said as a platitude when talking about the prophecy. Everyone just said it like it was a good thing. Of course the Chosen One would help the Jedi. But… Now Anakin couldn’t shake the creature’s interpretation of it from his head. There must be some other explanation than that.

“I… I don’t believe you,” Anakin said, a little less confidently than he would have liked.

“That’s fine,” the creature assured him, “It’s a long term issue. The Force likes to work subtly, as long as you are careful then you shouldn’t be forced to kill any light side users just yet.”

Anakin didn’t answer the strange creature, unsure what to say in reply to that.

“Anyway, my name is Draeth. Once you’ve made your mind up, call my name out loud and we can talk again.”

And in a blink the creature, Draeth, vanished into thin air, leaving Anakin staring at the empty sheets near his feet.

A few minutes later, a medical droid floated in the door and beeped loudly as it saw that Anakin was awake.

“Padawan Skywalker!” the droid said, “You are awake! Ah, I must contact the healers…”

It turned around and bobbed in the air as its ball like form floated out of the door of the room again to go fetch the Jedi healers to treat Anakin.

Anakin was mostly silent through the ensuing chaos as he was checked over. None of them found anything wrong with him. None detected Draeth within him. Anakin might have written the whole thing off as a strange dream if the memories of it weren’t so vivid in his mind.

He was vague when they asked questions about what happened, saying that he had trouble remembering exactly what had happened after he left his sparring session with Felix.

Anakin still had to think more before he went to the masters about this.

— — —

Anakin was cleared from the medical wing and about to leave when he was greeted by none other than Master Kenobi himself standing there at the door.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said with a faint concern in his gaze as he looked him over as he walked into the room and closed the door to the healing room behind him, “The healers have assured me that your vital signs are robust. But… are you alright? You were unconscious for nearly three days.”

“I’m fine, Master. I should be asking about you,” Anakin said after nodding his head in reply, “I vaguely remember you passing out before me. Did the Grandmasters on the Council find out what happened?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“No,” Obi wan said as he frowned heavily, “They’re still investigating. I seem to… not remember anything of the last few months. My mission was completed and there were no signs of anything wrong with the people I spoke with as far as the Council is concerned. I’m to be inspected by the mind healers daily to make sure that my mind was not tampered with further than it already was.”

Obi wan hesitated before sighing, “In addition, over my loud protests, your padawanship under me has been revoked due to my condition. You’ll be in the care of Master Druman until such a time as it is discovered that I am clear of any other compulsions or orders. Whether they’re enforced through technology or some obscure Force usage unknown to even Grandmaster Yoda.”

“What? This is outrageous!” Anakin said, “This is unfair! How can they just force me to take another master? Master Qui Gon Jinn entrusted me to you to teach me! You told me that it was his dying wish for you to be my teacher!”

“Calm yourself, padawan,” Master Kenobi said sharply, “You let your emotions get the best of you.”

Anakin took a few deep breaths and let his eyes fall to the floor in shame and let himself calm down before looking back to Obi-Wan.

“With that said, you do make some good points,” Obi-wan said with a slight smirk before frowning again, “It was his dying wish. But the Council has overruled my protests, and I can not argue that I am still fit to teach you when I can no longer trust my own mind. They will not listen to any of my arguments when my own reason is still under question. It’s all politics of course, but there’s nothing I can do to counter it given my condition…”

“What politics, Master? Why did they reassign me to Master Druman of all people?”

Obi-wan hesitated as if he realized that he had said too much before pressing forward anyway, “It has to do with the prophecy. Master Druman and the traditionalists believe that I have been too lenient with you. Acting as a friend to you rather than a displinitarian when the occasion calls for it… Master Druman and the others believe that such connections are created from emotions and thus can lead to the dark side. And are against the Jedi code.

“Most of the Council, including Grandmaster Yoda, agree with this view in most cases. Although not nearly as extreme as how Master Druman is. He believes that emotion must be minimized to best connect to the will of the force and follow the Jedi code.

“Master Druman and his allies made the argument that having you under a master of a more traditional bent would make you more… less rebellious and a trouble maker among the padawans. Something they care about especially because they think that you are the Chosen One of prophecy, and so your growth must be more carefully managed compared to the others.”

“That’s… that’s…” Anakin spluttered, not sure how to respond to that.

Obi-wan reached out and put a comforting hand on Anakin’s shoulder, “Don’t worry Anakin. It will only be a short while, I hope. Once my mind is declared healed, I will get the council to see reason. Try to not drive Master Druman too mad with your antics while I’m gone.”

“Can I see you?” Anakin asked hopefully, “If you are to stay in the temple, then can you not train me anyway? Even if I wouldn’t be your official padawan anymore.”

Obi-wan shook his head, “I’m afraid not. The Council thought ahead to shut down that idea. I have been banned from seeing or speaking with you until my mind is declared cleared of influence. They are not entirely wrong, I did attack you briefly before we both inexplicably were knocked out. I will likely be punished even for this conversation if I’m discovered. But I thought I should present you with the proper version of events rather than let Master Druman give his own perception.”

Anakin straightened and bowed, “You’re still my master, no matter what the council says. I hope that they clear you soon.”

Obi-wan released his grip on Anakin’s shoulder and nodded back, “Well, I’d best be off then,” Obi-wan said cheerily, “I believe that I was enjoying the meditation gardens for the last hour or so. Certainly not talking to my padawan halfway across the temple. Remember to keep up with your training, I will be testing your lightsaber forms once you return to my tutelage.”

“Yes, master. Of course. Make sure you rest your old bones well.”

“I’ll show you old during our next sparring session,” Obi-Wan shot back with a faint smile on his face, “Until then, Anakin. Goodbye.”

Obi-Wan left, leaving Anakin behind to grapple with the fact that he was now the temporary padawan of Master Druman of all people.

— — —

“Master Druman, the prophecy of the Chosen One, what does it mean?” Anakin asked as he opened his eyes as he sat in his meditative pose, “What does it mean to bring balance to the force?”

“The Chosen One will be a champion of the light side, and squash the last remnants of the dark side of the force once and for all. To bring peace and prosperity and bring the Jedi Order into a new era of enlightenment and spiritual revival.”

“But what does that have to do with balance? What does balancing the force even mean?”

“The dark side is evil, corrupting. It shouldn’t exist. If it is eliminated, then the Force itself will be at peace once more. Balanced and tranquil like a calm pond. It is the job of the Chosen One to do this.”

“But how? How is that even possible? Can’t even Jedi fall to the dark if they are not careful? How could that be prevented? If it’s part of the Force itself?”

“It is unknown,” Master Druman said, “I assume only the Chosen One will be able to do so. But that is a concern for many years from now. Let us return to our meditation.”

“Master Druman? What if…” Anakin hesitated for a long moment, “If the dark and light are the two sides of the force, then… If there’s so much of the light side of the force in the galaxy… Then wouldn’t balance mean an equally large amount of the dark side?”

Master Druman reeled back as if he had been slapped at Anakin’s statement.

“Unthinkable!” he said, “Who’s putting ideas like that in your head? That runs completely counter to the very ideals that founded our Jedi Order! Did Master Kenobi tell you such a thing when you were under your tutelage? What other heretical ideas has he discussed with you that you have not told me?!”

“I think that’s none of your business,” Anakin snapped back angrily, “He was a million times better Master than you ever have been to me!”

“Silence! You will tell me, Padawan. I am your master now, and it is my duty to guide you properly. You should not be entertaining such disgusting ideas such as the ones you just stated. It goes against thousands of years of Jedi teachings. Do you think you are better than all the Jedi who came before you, hm? That you are right while all the rest of them are wrong?”

“It seems that you are the one who believes it,” Anakin muttered, “Not any of those masters older and wiser than you.”

“Master your emotions, Padawan!” Master Druman stated firmly and with a warning tone in his voice, “I will not have any more of your disobedience! Now you will sit here and meditate until you have progressed your control beyond the pitiful impulses that you seem to revel in indulging in whenever I give you the chance.”

“Master Druman, I simply requested to have a spar with Padawan Felix yesterday,” Anakin said while doing his best to suppress and control his anger from before, “I have not even spoken to him for weeks. I have only been sparring with old masters rather than padawans at my own skill level ever since Master Kenobi’s incident.”

“That is by design,” Master Druman rumbled, “You can refine your skills with those more skilled than you rather than indulging in your impulses for friendship with the other padawans. You will only train with them again when you have purged yourself enough that any further friendship with them will not be so deep or tainted in your emotions as they are now. See how even a few weeks without your friend Padawan Felix disturbs you and your balance in drawing on the Force. A true Jedi must be without emotion, able to disconnect from the world and listen to the Force’s will at any moment and execute it without hesitation. As the Chosen One, it is your responsibility to uphold these values to a high standard, higher than even your fellow padawans or any other Jedi before you. Now, continue your meditation. I sense your emotions poisoning your connection to the Force again. We will train until you are at peace once more.”

Anakin didn’t speak and closed his eyes and tried to settle his mind again despite his anger at his supposed Master.

— — —

Anakin stared at the ceiling and his lips nearly formed the words before he stopped. He’d been thinking on the strange creature’s offer this whole time, but couldn’t bring himself to call out its name for a deal.

But today’s ‘training’ session with Master Druman was his breaking point. He hadn’t been able to talk to anyone but stern Jedi masters, always eyeing and judging his actions and words with a critical and disapproving eye. He couldn’t even spar with Felix anymore to blow off some steam like when Master Druman was in charge of the general padawan training.

And despite Anakin being frightened by the realization… The creature’s explanation of the prophecy made more sense than the Jedi’s. No matter how much he tried to come up with other explanations, he couldn’t find anything more convincing than the argument that Draeth had already made to him.

Maybe being the Chosen One wasn’t the wonderful thing that he had always thought that it was, but actually a curse. For both him and the Jedi.

“Draeth,” Anakin whispered softly at the ceiling of his room and sat up in bed.

The strange tentacled creature appeared again as if from nowhere, with its eyeball staring at Anakin.

“So, you’re ready to accept my offer?” Draeth asked casually, “You sure took your sweet time to call me.”

“I had to think,” Anakin said, “I have more questions before I decide what to do.”

“Sure. Ask away.”

“The big one is… Why? If all of this is true, what do you get out of all of this? How are you here, and why can’t I feel you in the force?”

“Oh, did I forget to say last time? I’m a… Hm, not a parasite. Wrong image. Intruder on this reality. From another universe without the Force. That’s why you can’t see me, I don’t have midichlorians making me visible to all of your force users. I came here through a portal through a weak point in your reality that I opened myself. I body hopped through the people and beasts that I encountered for a while until I found a Jedi who happened to be your master and then came here when I learned about you.

“I feed on all kinds of energy. But the metaphysical ones are particularly nourishing. That includes the Force. You’re the Chosen One, the Force will be doing all sorts of things around you to try to force you into its mold. Just by sitting within you while all that happens nearby and acts to change your fate, I’ll get to harvest a little bit of that energy and use it to grow my own power. Some of that power I harvest will get thrown your way to help you survive longer. My payment for getting to stay in your body and keep you powerful, if that helps you to think about it that way.”

“And what happens when you get the power you need?” Anakin asked suspiciously, “What then?”

“Power I need?” Draeth said before laughing, “How cute. I’ll always need more power, and so will you considering your circumstances. But I’m not really here. Not even in your universe actually. The part of me in your body is like a transmitter and receiver for my power and mind. My true body is floating just outside of your universe right now.

“All that power that gets harvested is getting fed to it. I’m pretty weak right now, it took a lot of power to slip the part of me within you through the portal to enter this reality. Nearly all the power that I had. The void out here is a dangerous place, and getting back to my home universe will likely be a challenge no matter how much power I end up collecting from you and this universe. As for the little piece of my body in you now, normal Force users barely let me even sustain it and keep it from dying… But you. Just the ambient amount of Force that you use passively every day is enough to give me plenty of power.

“Why, at this rate you just sitting around training should let me make this whole venture profitable in… ten or fifteen more years. If you survive past then, then it’ll all be pure profit for me. So it’s really in my best interest for you to survive as long as possible. I highly doubt I would ever be able to find another Force user with as much power as you do, even now when you’re in your incubation stage. And you’ll only grow in power as you age, in addition to whatever actions the Force starts to take from around you if you start deviating from its desired path, feeding me that way too.”

“How can I trust you? If I’m such an ideal host then would you really leave if I asked you to?”

“I would,” Draeth said, “It really would be a shame, and it’s not ideal, but I would do it and go back to body hopping around the galaxy if I had to. It’s much safer than staying in your body around all the most dangerous powers in this galaxy coming your way in the future. The power I’d give you has to be accepted willingly. And you’ll need it if you want to survive what’s coming.”

Anakin sat back on his bunk and stared at the ceiling and ignored Draeth for a few moments, thinking over it all. Finally…

“Why should I trust you? Who knows if anything you told me is true or some sort of elaborate lie?”

“Trust your gut,” Draeth said, “Not that Force stuff. But your honest feelings. Is this really the life that you wanted when you imagined life as a Jedi as a boy? Your life can be far more than being trapped in this temple alone until Master Druman decides that you’re ready.”

“How did you–”

“I can see through your eyes, and I’ve been paying attention. It wasn’t hard to guess.”

Anakin thought for longer and wrestled with the decision. He thought about delaying even longer before glancing at Draeth who was sitting there patiently staring at him. Well, Draeth’s projection onto his bed at least.

He shouldn’t delay, when had Anakin ever been so hesitant before?

“Okay, do it. You help me and give me power, and you get the extra energy from the Force.”

“I’d lay down,” Draeth warned as it floated into the air until it hovered directly over Anakin and stared down from above, “Sorry about the late warning, but this is probably going to hurt a lot.”

It did. Anakin started spasming and groaning on his bed, until his vision turned red and black in the corners and the pain finally knocked him out into blissful unconsciousness.