So...first chapter rewritten as of 10-16-2015. I'm glad people have liked the story so far, and I hope that this version is better.
And, no, I don't own Star Wars. So many things would be different if I did.
What Have You Done?
"I hear their silence,
Preaching my blame.
Will our strength remain,
If their power reigns?"
~Within Temptation, "See Who I Am"
Why? Oh, Anakin, how could you? The words caught in his throat, thick with tears. His friend, his brother, his son - wounded by his blade - lay below him on the bank. He could smell the burnt flesh from severed limbs as he shut off his lightsaber. This couldn't, shouldn't be how it ended.
"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!" Oh, Padawan, what have you done?
Turning away, Obi-Wan made his way up the slope towards Padme and the ship. He couldn't bear to watch as the flames ate away at the man he had once considered his best friend. The friend who slaughtered all those that they both had once called family. He had seen the bodies, felt each presence in the Force disappear…
And yet, he glanced back.
His plan was perfect. No one could scheme like the Dark Master of the Sith. His patience was finally paying off and he reveled in the sweet satisfaction of the Dark Side. The fools that called themselves Force-users might believe that they held power, but they were clueless. True power was to command power itself, to hold the ultimate power under an iron fist. It was to command the Force.
The Jedi spoke of following its will, yet it followed his. They spoke of great abilities that were granted to them, but only one stood a chance against him. They spoke of seeing the future, and he laughed. The future was his to command, and no one - not even the pathetic servants of the Light - could stop him.
"I hate you!" The vengeful cry rang out, crushing his already shattered heart into dust. Tears stung his eyes, and Obi-Wan had to swallow back the sobs of grief. Despair threatened to overwhelm him, but he could not lose control - not yet. Padme still required help, and the longer he stayed here, the less chance she had of surviving.
But he couldn't leave this unanswered. He might not be able to help Anakin - No, not Anakin, Vader - but he would tell him the one thing he should have said years ago. "You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you." And like so many times before, he had waited until it was too late.
Sidious could feel the growing Darkness. It surrounded him, whispering to him, tempting him with thoughts of power. He sneered as he sent out tendrils of shadows toward the pooling Light. The shadows melded into the Light, leaving it gray and murky.
The idiots probably couldn't even sense it. They had never guessed that he, "Palpatine", was the cause of their worst nightmares. That it was he who had clouded their visions, and left them blind to his devices. They would never consider that a Sith Lord would sit proudly in the most important building in the Republic, and it pleased him. Everything was going as planned.
Exhaustion threatened to swallow Obi-Wan. The battle with Anakin had gone on for over a half hour, in the blistering heat, and his already battered and bruised body was threatening to quit on him. He stumbled for the third time, gasping as he nearly twisted an ankle. He reached out to the Force, feeding his worn limbs with its energy. Slowly, he straightened and moved as quickly as he could towards the limp form of Padme.
She was so pale...was she even alive? Dreading the answer, he bent down beside her and placed a hand to her throat, searching for a pulse. Nothing - no, wait - there it was! She still lived! A sigh of relief escaped him before he realized his new predicament. Could he - in such a weary state - be any help to her at all?
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, intending to try and carry her onto the ship, when he felt a chilling dread run down his spine. There was a new threat. The Force was screaming at him, warning of the Darkness that was all prevalent.
Leaving Padme where she lay, he rose and turned towards the threat. He froze for the briefest of seconds as he realized what this threat meant to him, to the Light. And as his 'saber activated, he - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Last of the Jedi - stood defensive between Padme and the Sith Master.
The Force hummed and sang around the old Master. This is the time...it whispered. This is the focal point.
With a crash, the red 'saber slammed into his hasty defense. The Dark Lord's sneer was barely visible beneath his hood as a second attack came flying towards Obi-Wan's head. He staggered under the blow, gasping.
He pulled on the Force, relying on it completely to hold him upright, wrapping himself in its embrace. He knew he couldn't win. If Yoda had failed, then how could he hope to succeed? He was tired and sore, and Sidious was far more powerful than he.
The Sith shoved him back with the Force, and he stumbled to his knees. Twisting around, he barely managed to raise his blade to stop the driving slash of the red 'saber. As the Jedi stared into the yellow eyes of his enemy, he could feel the clash between the Dark and Light. Red and Blue, Sith and Jedi, Hate and Love.
Love? Where had that thought come from? Jedi had no attachments. But the Force was whispering, confirming the idea. His grip loosened slightly as his mind stilled at the thought. Had the Jedi lost sight of what the Light truly was? Had they become legalistic?
He was jolted out of his thoughts as his 'saber slipped. He threw himself to the side, trying to dodge the impending weapon. As the red blade seared his shoulder, he barely heard the Sith's growl of frustration over his cry of pain.
The Jedi Master shot up in his bed as a piercing scream filled the apartment. He knew instantly that it was his padawan that had screamed, and he was on his feet and racing for the boy's room. He knew that his padawan was prone to dreams and visions, but this...this had never happened before.
He reached out to their bond, and gasped. The pain and anguish coupled with glimpses of red 'sabers and lava only heightened his concern.
Obi-Wan scrambled for his blade, dodging yet another blow. His breathing was ragged and his right arm was nearly useless. It was only a matter of time now until Sidious won. And why not? How could he, in good conscience, fight in the Light when he refused to heed its commands? In his arrogance, he had expected the Force to help him while he did what he wanted with its power. He was little better than the Sith!
His fingers grasped the hilt of his blade, and he lurched back to his feet. No matter if he had failed as a Jedi, he would not let Sidious get to Padme. But his resolve was pointless. The Sith's 'saber clashed heavily against his, causing him to stumble back.
Oh, Force. This was it. The Sith would kill him and the Jedi would be no more. He could no longer stop the tears that fell as the red lightsaber slid through his ribs. This was the end.
"Padawan! Padawan, wake up!" He shook the boy, hoping that his apprentice would answer. Tears were sliding from beneath closed lids, and his padawan's face was pale and drawn. He had stopped screaming, but still lay in the world of dreams.
The master was not going to assume that the dreams had left and shook the boy again. This time the teen stirred. He sat back as teary eyes flickered open. His padawan blinked, once, twice. Then everything registered.
The boy jerked away, wide-eyes full of tears. "What? Master…? Master!" The apprentice pulled away, falling to the floor in his haste. His arm struck the corner of the nearby desk and the teen cried out.
The boy's eyes flickered with shock and confusion and his breathing was harsh and raspy. The master was about to reassure him, but the apprentice spoke first. And his words caused the Jedi to freeze in shock.
"You're alive!"
Pain. Gut-wrenching pain. Obi-Wan could feel his breathing falter, each one shorter than the last, while his limbs grew heavy and numb. His torso, on the other hand, was beset with fiery agony. So this is how Qui-Gon felt, he thought tiredly.
His vision doubled, blurred, then spun. He felt something hard and hot slam into his side, knocking what little breath he had left from his lungs. It took him a moment to recognise that he had collapsed onto the landing pad. And as his vision faded, the last thing he saw was Sidious turning towards Padme.
He had failed. He had failed Qui-Gon, Anakin, Padme, Yoda, the Jedi, and the entire Republic. But most of all, he had failed the Force. What have I done?
Ah...Power. Sidious loved it. His smirk grew. Everything, everyone was under his control. The ultimate power of the Sith was not to be denied. No one, not even the disgusting Light wielders could stop him now. They could not deny him his right to rule. He was the most powerful being ever.
Immersing himself in the Force, he again sent the wisps of shadow out to corrupt the Light. His smirk fell when he realized that the Light would not shift as it once had. Though he could cloud the edges with his Darkness, it would not become as murky as before.
He cursed. He had been too hasty in assuming that he was winning. Somehow, someway, the Light Side had been strengthened. There was a new threat now, and Sidious would not let that stand. Whatever had caused this would be utterly destroyed. He would make sure of this.
The ancient Master sensed the shift in the Force as well. Though his visions were no more clear than before, he somehow knew that the answer was easily obtainable if he knew how look. Curious, he probed the Force questioningly. To his surprise, the Force answered cryptically:
"This is not the end."
What do you think? Did I do better this time?