Disclaimer: I do not own, and am not affiliated with George Lucas's Star Wars in any way shape of form. I wasn't even born when they made the movies.

This story begins in Padmé's ship as she approaches Mustafar, in the prequel series. Anakin has turned to Darth Vader and the Dark side; he's killed some Jedi and younglings, but most are still alive and evacuated – Mace is still alive as well.

Chapter One:

Mustafar:

A lone spaceship glided over red hot lava, as it oozed out of cracks in the glossy black ground. It traveled quickly through the sky, toward a clustered group of buildings. Aboard the spaceship was a woman, a man in hiding, and two droids.

Padmé watched anxiously out of the windshield, her mind and emotions in turmoil. Her long brown hair hung lank and mussed down her back, draping her arms as she gripped the armrests of the seat, her muscles tensed. She didn't know what to feel.

She was nervous, yes. She was frightened. She also felt slightly sick. And above all…she felt broken.

She didn't want to believe what Obi-Wan had told her about Anakin. Tears had been running down his cheeks unchecked as he struggled to tell her what Anakin had supposedly done. That he had killed Jedi Masters, that he had slaughtered younglings, and was supporting that worm Chancellor Palpatine as he built an Empire. But what she didn't want to believe the most was that he had turned to the Dark side. He couldn't have…Anakin couldn't have done something like that.

Her Ani was a Jedi Knight. How could he have done all those horrific things? And why?

Her eyes fixed on the buildings as Artoo guided the ship toward the landing dock. Obi-Wan had said Anakin would be on Mustafar – killing the Separatist leaders. She had come here to look for him.

The ship touched down with a jolt, and Padmé undid her seat harness. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the truth. She didn't want to believe Obi-Wan, but a part of her, deep inside, knew that it was true. But she had to let Anakin at least try to explain. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding.

She stood up slowly, due to her round pregnant stomach. Artoo gave a long plaintive beep.

She looked at her faithful droid. "Artoo, I'll be right back, okay?"

He just whirled his dome around. She swallowed, knowing he was worried.

"I'll be fine." She didn't know who she was trying to convince – him or her?

She crossed to a compartment that had weapons in it, and palmed it open. She reached in and withdrew a blaster, and strapped it to her back. Then as she was about to open the shuttle doors and let the ramp down, she heard a voice.

"Wait, Padmé!"

What the Sith? She whirled around as fast as her skirts and stomach would allow, already taking the blaster off her back. Her heart started thudding rapidly.

Obi-Wan was standing there, looking extremely tired and then startled to see her pointing a blaster at his chest, never mind that said blaster was set on stun. She noticed that he had bloodstains on his simple light brown Jedi tunic, and his light saber was strapped to his belt.

She let out her breath in a whoosh and lowered the blaster. She suddenly felt an inexplicable burst of anger course through her body.

"Obi-Wan? What are you doing stowing away on my ship?"

He cast his eyes downward, probably feeling guilty. "I knew you would take me to where Anakin was."

She nearly spluttered with rage, and hissed at him. "So what? You could find him and kill him?"

Obi-Wan's eyes turned hard. "You don't understand, Padmé! He's changed. He's not the same person you knew. He's not the same person I knew!"

She felt denial in her heart, and though she knew she was being illogical, she shook her head. "No -"

Obi-Wan shook his head as well. "Do you know what he's done, Padmé? I've told you. He's turned to the Dark side – he even has a Sith name! It's Darth Vader. You don't understand. He is dangerous, volatile. He is killing the Separatists on Palpatine's, or should I say, Darth Sidious's, orders, as we speak! He's changed, he's not Anakin anymore!"

Padmé locked eyes with Obi-Wan, and nearly recoiled as she read the hurt and pain in them. She realized he was telling the truth. She had to believe him. Force knew she didn't want to, but she had to.

Her Ani had turned to the Dark side. She felt something shatter inside her as she stood frozen.

She gulped, and stumbled against the bulkhead, dropping the blaster in the process. Tears filled her eyes, and she started sobbing. "Oh Force, Obi-Wan, please, I don't want to believe this, he's my husband and I love him and how could he-"she broke off, and fell to her knees, her hands over her face.

Obi-Wan felt his own eyes tear up as he watched the Senator break down. He crossed to her, and knelt, taking her hands with his. "I don't, either, but if we ignore the truth, bad things will happen."

"What should we do?" she whispered through her tears.

He looked uncomfortable at that. "You take the ship and go, I'll stay here and confront Anakin."

Padmé shook her head violently. "No, I'm coming with you. He might listen to me. Please, Obi-Wan, he might turn back if I talk to him!"

He sighed. He knew there would be no dissuading her. "Very well," he said reluctantly. "But if he turns on us, you have to get out of here – understood?"

She swallowed, praying that it wouldn't happen and that Anakin would listen to reason. "Alright."

"Good." He stood up and helped her up, and handed her the blaster she'd dropped. "Come on."

He jettisoned the ramp, and offered her his arm, which she gratefully took. They exited cautiously, Obi-Wan with his light saber drawn but not turned on, Padmé clutching the blaster.

The grey buildings in front of them were silent. There was no activity going on, and plumes of smoke rose all around them, silent and ominous. Erupting volcanoes echoed in the distance, and a red glow filled the atmosphere.

Although it was hot and humid, Padmé gave an apprehensive shudder. Obi-Wan felt her and raised his eyebrows. "Not enjoying this?"

She chuckled weakly at his lame attempt at humor, her face tight from her tears.

When they reached the bottom of the ramp, she gently disengaged from him, and hiked up her dress. Soot encrusted the ground and she wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Obi-Wan was surveying the area, and then suddenly pointed to one of the silent buildings. "Look!"

She looked. It was a pair of guards, decapitated and slashed through the torso. Obi-Wan sprinted towards the bodies, his light saber on and humming.

She nearly lost her lunch, but forced herself to hurry as fast as she could to Obi-Wan's side as he looked over the corpses.

He looked up at her apprehensively. "They were killed by light saber, Padmé" he announced gravely and unnecessarily. She knew what light sabers were capable of.

He peered past the doors into the dark abyss of the entryway, and ignited his light saber. Padmé jumped, and tore her transfixed gaze away from the throats of the guards.

Obi-Wan motioned for her to stay, and strode quietly into the building, led by the light of his glowing light saber. A couple minutes later he exited, shaking hi s head.

Padmé looked at him nervously, willing him to say something other than "they're dead."

He looked at her with a sad look on his face, mingled with sick. "They're dead, Padmé – every last one of them. Anakin was on the security holos. He did it, he was here."

Padmé's head spun as she tried to comprehend what Obi-Wan was saying. She grabbed his shoulder to steady herself, closing her eyes in anguish. How could Anakin kill so many? How could he do this?

Suddenly Obi-Wan stiffened. "Oh, holy Force…."

She snapped her eyes open to see him staring shocked, his gaze transfixed on something behind her. She turned slowly, knowing what. Anakin.

Her breath caught in her throat. Her beloved husband was about 100 yards away, next to a small ship. It was obviously the one he'd come here in. He was checking the underbelly, and was wearing an all black ensemble with a cape and a hood, stained with patches of something crusty and brown. She could see a light saber on his belt, and she knew it was a red one – Obi-Wan had found Anakin's at the Jedi Temple.

Without thinking, without planning, she broke away from a horrified Obi-Wan and started to run as fast as she could towards Anakin, holding up her dress with one hand, the blaster in the other. Her boots thudded as she ran, soot blowing up in her wake. "Anakin!" she called desperately.

She didn't know what to believe. Logically she knew that Anakin had done it but she desperately wanted to hear Anakin say that he hadn't, or that he was sorry, or something. She didn't know anymore.

He stopped what he was doing, and straightened up, looking at her. In her haste to get to him she did not notice the Sith yellow of his eyes, or the emptiness inside.

He rushed towards her as well, and when they reached each other she hugged him as tightly as she could, eyes shut. Slowly she then stepped back, her hands on his forearms. She looked him in the eyes and gasped for two reasons: she was out of breath and afraid.

"I was so worried about you! Obi-Wan...he told me terrible things."

She felt Anakin stiffen. "What things?" His eyes had shifted to an unreadable expression.

"He said... you turned to the Dark Side. That you killed younglings. Please, Ani, tell me you didn't…"

Anakin smirked. Padmé felt sick – this expression didn't belong on her Ani's face. "Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me."

"Anakin - he cares about us."

"Us?"

She sighed resignedly. "He knows; I had to tell him. He wants to help you."

He said nothing, and she tried again. "Anakin, all I want is your love!"

"Love won't save you, Padmé! Only my new powers can do that!"

Padmé stilled. "So it's true? How is that power, Anakin? How can killing defenseless children give you power? I'm pregnant, Anakin! We are going to have a child – a child who could have been a Jedi like you! Those younglings you killed were someone's children! How would you feel if someone tried to kill our child? As a father, how could you do this?" she cried.

Anakin grew angry, and he replied just as fiercely, "I won't lose you the way I lost my mother! I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of, and I'm doing it for you: to protect you!"

Tears filled Padmé's eyes again, unnoticed. She pleaded with him. "Come away with me, Ani...help me raise our child; leave everything else behind while we still can!"

He shook his head angrily, and gazed into her eyes and implored her to understand him. "Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore! I am more powerful than the Chancellor, I could overthrow him! And together, you and I can rule the galaxy! Make things the way we want them to be!"

And then he smiled at her, a smile that made Padmé go so cold, she could've sworn she was on Hoth instead of this fiery hot planet.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing; Obi-Wan was right about you. You've changed!"

Anakin grew angrier. Why wouldn't she listen to him? "I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me, Padmé!"

Padmé started crying in earnest. "The Jedi never betrayed you – what did they do? Nothing! Anakin, you're breaking my heart! And you're going down a path I cannot follow!"

Anakin's eyes grew harder. "Because of Obi-Wan?"

"Because of what you've done...what you plan to do! Stop! Stop now; come back... I love you! You want to rule the galaxy, I don't. I'm a Senator, Anakin – democracy is what I've stood up for all my life! The Republic is what I believe in! And if you do this, I am lost to you -"

Anakin suddenly noticed Obi-Wan standing a ways behind her, holding his light saber limply in his hand.

He hissed in hate, "Obi-Wan…"

He glared at Padmé. She had brought him here on purpose. "How could you, Padmé?"

She glared back at him defiantly, a blazing look in her eyes. "I didn't, he snuck onto my ship. And now I'm glad I did – maybe he can talk some sense into you!"

Anakin pushed her away from him roughly. He lifted his hand and pointed at her, glaring, and roared, "You betrayed me, Padmé!"

She screamed back at him with equal fervor, backing away, "How did I betray you, Anakin? How? I never have – I've always loved you! If anyone has been betrayed, it's me! It's the Jedi! It's the people of the Republic! It's the innocent!"

"Stop lying to me, Padmé! I did it all for you, so you could live, so our children could live peacefully!"

Her hand flashed out and struck him across the face. Anakin stopped gesticulating and stared at her in dumbfounded shock. Padmé was surprised at herself. She'd never hit him.

She spoke in a lower voice, seething. "I can't believe you. If you're going to go down this path, I'm not going to follow you. I swear to the Force I will leave you. I don't want this for me – the lives of the many for me, one person? No! Haven't you learned that there is no death – there is only the Force? Why don't you have more faith in the good, Anakin? Why don't you have more faith in me? Because if I were you, I would never do what you've done – I would not put others lives on the lines even if it meant saving you. Maybe my own life, but never anyone else's…"

He stared at her in hate. She knew she had hurt him, but she was telling the truth. Their eyes met; hers blazed with defiance, sadness, and hurt. His were the only emotions the Sith knew: anger.

He lifted his hand towards her throat, and Padmé suddenly felt her throat close up. She struggled to take a breath but couldn't. It felt like she was being strangled from the inside out…

She heard Obi-Wan yell "Let her go, Anakin!" but Anakin didn't heed him. Obi-Wan's footsteps grew louder behind her.

"Anakin…stop…" she choked out, reaching her hand towards him.

He did nothing but continue to Force choke her, and then Obi-Wan was suddenly there. He slashed at Anakin with his light saber. Anakin suddenly let her go, and Padmé collapsed onto the ground, nearly unconscious. The blaster clattered to the ground next to her.

The hum and clash of light sabers reached her ears and she looked up to see Anakin and Obo-Wan fighting and shouting at each other. She couldn't make out the words; her head was throbbing too much. Padmé painfully got up on her knees, took the blaster, and aimed it at Anakin. She followed Obi-Wan and Anakin's dancing forms around till she was sure she had a shot, and then finally took it. It hit Anakin and he hit the ground like a sack of Corellian tubers, unconscious. His red light saber fell to the ground, and switched off immediately.

Obi-Wan deactivated his own saber and reattached it to his belt. He strode quickly toward Padmé and helped her up, and she winced. She could tell her neck was going to be bruised later on.

Tears were running down her cheeks again. She looked at the love of her life lying motionless on the ground and back at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan was gazing at Anakin's form as well, and the pain and grief in his eyes were nearly more than hers. She swallowed dryly.

Obi-Wan knelt down next to Anakin and checked for a pulse. "He's alive, Padmé."

Padmé smiled weakly. "I did use stun, you know."

Obi-Wan straightened Anakin's body out, and then put the red light saber on his chest. He got up and stood near Padmé. "Anakin…you were my brother, my son, my friend...you were the Chosen One…" he murmured.

For a couple minutes they stood there in silence, gazing upon the one they had loved.

He turned to Padmé. "Shall we leave?" he asked her quietly.

She swallowed again. The words she was about to utter were about the hardest she'd ever had to say, but she got them out before her throat closed up on her. "I think we should; he's not going to listen to us now."

He nodded, and took her arm. Together they started walking towards the ship, Padmé half staggering, Obi-Wan with defeat written in his shoulders.

There was nothing left to say. Not anymore.