1-15-2006 written by Kira M. Read and Review please!
FATE
Anakin held onto his lightsaber, knowing it was his only safety left from the approaching Jedi master. The enemy's black booted feet swiveled and stepped forward, his hand thrusting his sword at Anakin in a flash of red light. Anakin blocked, but just barely, feeling the heat on his skin, the crimson fire that reflected the bloody eyes of this man's victims.
They lay dead on the floor, their silence echoing in the wide decorative room, their blood smeared everywhere; over the paneled walls, on the metal edges of tables. A dead handmaiden lay in half on the couch, her intestines burnt into charcoal sticks. Another corpse sat with it's jaw ripped out. The thin decorated hairs from her hairpiece were caught in the gore of her throat, and the blood dripped onto her stomach. This was not the work of a Jedi master, this was a Sith: a creature birthed from the fiery hatred of a devil. It killed like a demon, and with such skill, that Anakin had barely sensed the hatred from the other room as he lay in bed with his wife, Padme, less than an hour earlier as their friends were slaughtered. This scared the young man. Were his powers weakening?
As he proliferated a sweat and fought off the brutal fighting style of his foe, Anakin could feel Padme's grief and tears in the other room. He must protect her. The sorrow was almost overwhelming, and with each thrust his heart sank deeper and he raised his lightsaber with more labor, but he was the Chosen One-- He would not let this man, this creature, rip apart his family.
His arm dodged the red blade and he flicked his wrist blocking another attack with his long blue saber. The man was reaching forth in the force, feeling for power to make Anakin step in retreat, and he did, almost.
This man had forgotten that nothing makes Anakin more powerful than the enemy revealing arrogance to him, because Anakin liked nothing more than to win the game. He snorted with stress, his eye glinting, he would show this thing "the Chosen One's" true power.
In that moment of Anakin's battle, of his fight to save his family, his confusion washed away, and his goal shined like a bright star in the force. The force built up behind his eyes, as pearly white peace and the sharpest weapon. It coursed down his arms and tingled through his fingers. The yellow eyes of the man, the monster, stared straight into his, as if time had slowed. The next second, the Sith's form was thrown across the room.
Anakin jumped toward him. His leather boots planted themselves on the man's chest, knocking the wind out of him. The man stared up at Anakin in amazement, as the young Jedi's face changed. Anakin was no longer a father protecting his family; there was power and vengeance and the volcanic glow of a Sith kindled behind his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Anakin growled down at the twisted man.
Anakin stared down at the man's eyes, trying to find a reason behind them. Hell, it barely even mattered, as long as he got the prize of slicing this thing's limbs off one by one, then taking the honors of burning the skin of the neck until his head burnt off to a dead stump.
The Sith licked his teeth and grinned menacingly up at Anakin.
"Tell me!" Anakin's blue lightsaber waved millimeters away from the enemy's neck.
The Sith showed no signs of uttering a word.
"Or would you rather feel my blade across your heart." He paused. "Or maybe we'll scalp you of that long mane of yours?" The Sith clearly had some fear for the second threat, his long black hair almost creeped away from the blade. The Sith sneered up at him.
The Sith's eyes darted sideways.
The floor creaked.
A great dread welled up inside Anakin Skywalker. Indescribable. His mother again died in front of him, his wife's heart nearly failed her as she gave birth, and then he smelled her scent.
He panicked. "Darling, stay in the other room!" He yelled, his voice cracking in distress. He kept his eyes on his enemy, only noticing now the dangerously close distance the Sith's hand was to his sword.
Almost as if his worst nightmare came true he heard his wife's muffled voice, choked down by rough fabric. She was right there, but with another.
The Sith stared up at Anakin, "Just doing my Lord's bidding." He said nastily.
Anakin did what had to be done. Without a second to waste, his hand and blade swooped low into the man's heart, and he heard the raging beatings of life die down. Now though, he heard another fearful beat, and he turned.
There were Padme's wide eyes, sparkling with fear, and pain. There rested Padme's bloody lips, taught around a hankerchief, there was her now bruised body with two claws piercing into her stomach. Anakin's eyes went from each part of his love, hoping that the next part of her body would be ok, but his eyes stopped and his feet stepped forward in rage as his eyes traveled from the black claws to the thing that had done this to her. It's long black cape fell almost to the floor, and it's eyes were hidden by two shiny black domes, it's head masked by a large black helmet. Padme's sobs fell wet onto the monster, but rolled right off.
Anakin raged forward, his lightsaber brandished. The monster held out a hand toward Anakin, black and mechanical, and with that motion the young Jedi knight stopped. His still heart lurched forward and shattered inside him, he couldn't move his legs. His wife thrashed in pain, staring at him in fear, and now bewilderment.
He saw his baby children slaughtered on the floor. He saw his boot, a cape, a control panel on his own chest. Anakin cried, but no tears fell out, his eyes were burnt and his vision was red like his wife's blood. "NOOOOOO!" His voice echoed, deeper and mechanical. Padme Amidala dropped to the floor.
Anakin lurched forward in bed, his stomach muscles tense, and found Padme stroking his hair. "Anakin, are you all right love?" He sighed when he saw her soft perfect lips. "It was just a bad dream." She whispered to him. He kissed her, hoping that would heal the fear in his heart, but he knew it never would.