Chapter 3

Anakin was very conscious of the fact that Palpatine was a powerful man.

Palpatine had all the cards in his favor. Anakin realized that, but it didn't make him want to back down. The Chancellor was his friend, and friends listen to each other, even when the other has a clear advantage.

At least, Anakin hoped that's what would happen.

Padmé did an incredible job making him look presentable. His hair was back to its normal color and texture; his clothes were clean and crisp. He didn't smell like the battlefield and sweat anymore. He felt about brand new.

Until Padmé told him he had to wear shoes.

"What! Why? I don't have any use for shoes. My feet never touch the ground!" Anakin protested. Padmé wouldn't budge.

"You are wearing shoes. You want to come across as 'normal?' Well, I'd like to remind you that all normal beings wear shoes."

Anakin mumbled under his breath, but didn't argue.

Padmé pulled the boots onto Anakin's feet.

Obi-Wan crossed the room, went into one of the cupboards, and pulled out a small wrapped package. He gave it to Anakin, who gave Obi-Wan a wary look before unwrapping it.

It was his lightsaber.

Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan, not sure whether he was mad that Obi-Wan had kept it from him for so long, or to be thankful that Obi-Wan trusted him with it.

During his first week of recovery, Anakin had been told of the suicide rates for beings that became paralyzed. Master Che didn't have to say the message behind her story. He understood it.

Anakin felt that trust was finally going both ways.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully.

So Anakin had gotten his message.

Obi-Wan had been nervous about Anakin's state of mind ever since the conversation the day of his surgery. He knew that Anakin was more prone to emotions than other Jedi. Anakin himself had admitted how hopeless his situation felt. To place a weapon as dangerous as a Jedi's light saber in the hands of someone who had no will to live was…unthinkable. Thankfully, Anakin had never asked for his beloved weapon. Obi-Wan wouldn't have been prepared to answer.

Anakin cleared his throat, clipping his light saber onto his belt, frowning as he couldn't feel it's familiar, comforting weight.

"Any last minute tips?" he asked, turning his attention from his weapon to Obi-Wan and Padmé.

"Hold your temper," Obi-Wan instructed.

"Tell it like it is," Padmé added. "The Chancellor is a generous man, he just gets caught up in his work."

Anakin nodded to both people, then gripping the wheels of his chair, rolled past them.

"I swear, if I sense either of you eavesdropping—" Anakin yelled back at them as he sped through the corridors and toward the meeting spot.

"May the Force be with you, too!" Obi-Wan said, a bit sarcastically. The Senator laughed, shouldering her large tote.

"Well, Jedi Master Kenobi, I will be off. Would it be alright if I planned on visiting again tomorrow?"

"I believe that Anakin would enjoy that immensely," Obi-Wan replied.

"And what about yourself? Do you mind?"

"My dear Senator, I would not mind a bit. Anakin is always happier when you are around. I do credit you being here to the reason why I'm so sure that he can handle having his lightsaber back."

Senator Amidala blushed. "If anyone can be credited, it's your constant care. He thinks of you like a father, Master Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan smiled nervously.

"He has told me that before. I hope that I am… fulfilling that role. I myself don't have a clear memory of my own father."

"You're doing just fine. Keep Anakin out of trouble until I return," Padmé said, walking to the door. Obi-Wan bowed slightly, and Padmé left without another word.

Anakin wheeled through hall after hall, his head tucked down. He avoided the curious gazes and whispers of "Is that Anakin Skywalker?" all around him. He had to stay focused. Palpatine was his friend, and friends ultimately want what's best for each other. He would understand his side.

He had to.

He rolled to a stop when he reached a small, well-lit room with large windows. Master Che had set out one chair, and cleared a space for Anakin to park his wheelchair. Anakin didn't sense Palpatine, but it didn't bother him. This way, he could prepare what he had to say one more time.

He closed his eyes, going over his thoughts twice, then three times.

Palpatine still didn't show.

Anakin watched the clock, getting more nervous by the second. What was holding him up? Did he not care?

Anakin was just about to return to his room when the Chancellor stepped into the corridor. He smiled at Anakin, and Anakin inclined his head.

"Chancellor Palpatine, I'm glad that you made it. Please, sit. We have much to discuss," Anakin said graciously. Palpatine crossed the room to sit in the only chair.

"Anakin, I'm afraid we don't have much to discuss. As of this morning, the decision to create the advertisements was made. I am truly sorry, but the Senate's vote was final," Palpatine said, making a tent with his fingers.

Anakin was speechless.

Palpatine had the power to prolong the vote.

But he didn't.

Palpatine rose from his seat. "I am sorry Anakin. You are quite innocent in this matter. It's too bad that you've been…mh…broken."

Broken?

Anakin didn't understand what Palpatine was trying to tell him.

"It is too bad, really. You had so much potential…all of us could see it. I shouldn't have stalled for as long as I did. No matter, someone else will come along."

Someone else?

Anakin's jaw worked, at a near loss of what to say. "Chancellor, just because I'm paralyzed doesn't mean we can no longer be friends. I assure you, I'm the same Anakin Skywalker—I just can't stand—"

"No, Anakin," Palpatine interrupted. "You are of no use to me anymore."

"What?"

"Goodbye, Anakin. I truly wish you the best of luck," Palpatine said, walking away. Anakin wheeled after him.

There's no such thing as luck.

"Chancellor Palpatine, wait! What are you talking about? I am not dying! I am not incapacitated, and I am not depressed! I may not have everything I use to, but the things that matter most are still here for me. You're here for me," Anakin yelled after Palpatine, who paused in his stride. "Aren't you?"

Palpatine turned around slowly. His demeanor had changed.

Anakin didn't move.

"I was patient with you, Anakin. I nurtured you and took you in as my own. Now look what you've done to yourself!"

"This isn't my fault! It was a Separatist tank that—"

"The Separatist tank should have finished you off!"

Anakin's face burned with shame and his eyes stung with betrayal.

Palpatine shook his head. "I had such grand plans for you. Now, you're worth nothing. Not even the Jedi have use for you now."

Anakin gripped the wheels of his chair.

"You liar!" Anakin screamed. "You told me that you were my friend! My best advisor! The only one that understands! Try to understand me now, Chancellor. Try to understand where I'm coming from, where you want me to go! I. Am. Still. Anakin. I don't understand what's changed so much for you to leave me!"

The Chancellor sneered. "No, you don't understand. Foolish boy, foolish Jedi. Foolish galaxy! Not even the Dark Side would stoop low enough to use a reject like yourself."

"How would you know?" Anakin hissed.

The Chancellor reached inside of his robes. Anakin's eyes went wide.

Palpatine pulled out a lightsaber.

"Where did you get that?" Anakin croaked, his confidence gone. Surely, Palpatine wouldn't use it against him, even if he didn't know how to wield it. It wasn't a fair fight.

Palpatine smiled condescendingly. "It is more important where I will put it."

He ignited the saber. Anakin fumbled for his own, igniting it as well.

Palpatine's lightsaber was the color of blood.

Anakin charged, using the Force to push him toward his traitorous friend. The Chancellor stepped to the side, and slashed the back of Anakin's wheelchair in two. Anakin's balance was thrown, causing him to fall backward, off of his wheelchair. He landed with an unforgiving thump. The Chancellor tsked.

"So, tell me. What is my little secret, Anakin?"

"You're a Sith," Anakin spat in disgust. "The Jedi will bring you to justice."

"Mm, only if you're alive to tell them."

Then Palpatine, his friend, brought his lightsaber down on his helpless body.

Captain Rex had barely let go of the door handle of Halls of Healing when he heard the shouting. Commander Tano stood a few paces ahead. The two zoned in on the noise silently, calculating its direction and distance. Rex locked eyes on Ahsoka, who had gone pale.

"That's Master's voice!" she cried, taking off in the direction of the shouting and igniting her lightsaber in a flash of green. Rex grabbed his guns out of their holsters and ran after her.

'Commander, wait! Don't—" Rex shouted, though he was sure the effort was futile. Ahsoka was out of Rex's line of sight, though the sound of her boots gave him his map. He swallowed hard, hearing the click of his throat over the distant yells and echoes of footsteps. If Ahsoka got stuck in the same trap that General Skywalker was in, Rex would never forgive himself.

Ahsoka knew that something was off.

She picked up on bits of the shouting match, hearing mostly her Master's familiar voice. He sounded frustrated. Desperate. Weak.

"Try to understand me now, Chancellor. Try to understand where I'm coming from, where you want me to go! I. Am. Still. Anakin. I don't understand what's changed so much for you to leave me!" Anakin shouted at…the Chancellor? Chancellor Palpatine?

Ahsoka ran faster.

"No, you don't understand. Foolish boy, foolish Jedi. Foolish galaxy! Not even the Dark Side would stoop low enough to use a reject like yourself," the Chancellor responded. Ahsoka turned a corner, holding her lightsaber in a ready stance as she ran. Thank the Force for this echo.

She heard Rex shouting at her from behind.

"How would you know?" There was a pause. "Where did you get that?"

"It is more important where I will put it."

Ahsoka's eyes went wide.

There was a sound of two light sabers igniting.

As she rounded the last corner and ran through the last hallway, Ahsoka heard slashing, lightsaber hitting metal, then a muffled groan as Anakin hit the ground.

"So, tell me. What is my little secret, Anakin?"

"You're a Sith. The Jedi will bring you to justice."

"Mm, only if you're alive to tell them."

Ahsoka sped into the room just as Chancellor Palpatine's red light saber connected with Anakin's left shoulder.

Anakin let out a scream that pierced her heart.

Ahsoka screeched a battle cry as she attacked the Chancellor with her lightsaber, twisting away from his jabs and slashes. Rex was close behind her, letting loose shots at the Chancellor. Palpatine deflected them easily. Ahsoka's attack was relentless, and her anger was fierce. Here was a man that Anakin trusted. Anakin's trust was hard to get, and he took advantage of him. It made her seethe.

"Your anger is strong! Use it, yes, let it fuel your fighting!" the Chancellor cackled. Ahsoka turned to Rex, nodding his way, before he slipped outside of the door. She sensed him calling for help. Hopefully, Obi-Wan could already feel what was happening and was on his way. She wasn't sure how much longer she could—

Ahsoka screamed.

White-hot lightning crackled around her, eating away her every thought but pain. The Chancellor had sheathed his lightsaber, using both of his hands to channel white-hot lightning. Ahsoka's teeth ground together, calling on the Force to keep her strong for her Master's sake.

Rex returned to the fight only to see Ahsoka's body contorting in pain, surrounded by lightning. Rex aimed his gun and fired.

It hit the Chancellor's palm.

The lightning stopped, as the Chancellor assessed the damage. A wicked grin spread across his face and Rex saw with sickening certainty that it had done no harm.

Then the webs of blue returned, engulfing Rex as well. He yelped as it made his skin burn and his insides ignite.

Through the haze of pain, Rex saw Anakin, one arm gripping his lightsaber, the other holding his shoulder, prop himself off the ground. He swayed unsteadily, then with one last effort, swung his light saber at Palpatine's feet.

Both men collapsed.

Rex and Ahsoka did also.

"Chancellor Palpatine, stand down." The voice belonged to Master Windu. Alongside of him stood Master Kenobi, Master Yoda, and a full squadron of clones filed into the small room. The Chancellor sneered, but did not take back up his sheathed lightsaber.

Instead, the window was smashed with a blast from the Force, and Chancellor Palpatine leapt out of it and into a waiting ship. Master Windu cursed, and ordered most of the clones to follow him. Master Yoda followed as well, hot on Palpatine's trail. With a few sharp words called over Windu's shoulder as he fled the scene, Master Kenobi sheathed his lightsaber and took up damage control.

Anakin lay on his back, breathing hard.

Ahsoka gathered up her remaining strength and dragged herself over to his side, pressing her hands onto his shoulder when she saw the massive amount of blood on his cream tunic, despite the ability of a lightsaber to cauterize the wound immediately.

"Master? Don't move, okay? I'm sure medics are coming," Ahsoka said. Anakin's face was pale, and his eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"He was my friend, Snips. He believed in me," Anakin whispered. Ahsoka shook her head.

"A friend wouldn't do that to a friend. He was using you, Master. We're going to stop him from abusing anyone else. Master Windu and Master Yoda are going to find him, you'll see."

Anakin's chin trembled. "I was so blind."

Master Obi-Wan appeared by her side. "Master Che is coming, Anakin. Hold on for a little while longer."

Anakin's mechanical hand weakly reached out to grab Master Kenobi's steady one. "He said that…that the Separatists should have f-finished me off when they had the chance," Anakin murmured. Master Obi-Wan's eyes went wide.

It couldn't have been the only thing Palpatine said to him—Force, Obi-Wan had allowed them almost twenty minutes alone. That was plenty time enough to grow the demons inside of Anakin's heart. He had made such impressive strides to outrun his grief and anger…it made Obi-Wan sick. He should have been there with him. He should have eavesdropped like he had desperately wanted to. He should have been there for his friend, Padawan, brother.

Obi-Wan gripped Anakin's hand like a lifeline.

If Anakin gave up now…he wouldn't be able to bear it.

Rex stood up shakily behind them.

"Is'sa General…alright?" Rex said, swaying on his feet. "I…I'm sorry, General Kenobi. I couldn't..." Rex fell back on his knees.

"Captain Rex, you did all that you could. Without you, I doubt that my Master and myself would be alive right now," Ahsoka said, her voice sincere.

"I'm not out of the woods yet," Anakin mumbled. Ahsoka pulled her hands away. They were covered in Anakin's blood.

"Skywalker, you are not allowed to die after I have done all of that research."

It was Master Che.

Thank the Force.

Vokara worked fast, and her medcorp performed admirably. Skywalker was stabilized and sedated, then placed on a hovering stretcher to be taken to a bed where he could receive a blood transfusion, then be transferred into a bacta tank. She was confident that his spine was ready to take the extra movement, and it would be the best way to go about healing the lightsaber wound. She didn't ask questions. She just walked briskly alongside of the stretcher that held Skywalker's injured form.

"This is much too familiar, Skywalker. You need to stop getting yourself into trouble," Vokara commented.

Skywalker moaned softly. "Am I going to be paralyzed from my shoulders down now?"

Vokara snorted. "No, Skywalker. Thank the Force, no. You will retain a full range of motion with the proper rest and treatment."

Skywalker let out a short sigh, sinking deeper into the stretcher. A medcorp member looked at him, then up to Vokara.

"Is he asleep?" he asked peering down at Skywalker's face. It was far from peaceful.

"No," came a quiet response. "I'm awake."

Vokara admired his strength, but rather than making him endure the pain, she offered him a sleep suggestion.

Anakin shoved it away. "Don'n," he whined. "Don' want sleep."

Vokara rolled her eyes. "This is not the time to be stubborn, Skywalker. You are in pain—it's written all over your signature. Do not try and shut this out."

He feebly slapped at the droid hovering around him, keeping a steady watch over his vitals. She offered him a higher dosage to numb the pain. Anakin only blinked in response, the sedative already in affect. Or perhaps it was simply the stubborn young man's body finally giving in to exhaustion.

Just as they reached Anakin's new room for the time being—room 32—the droid began to prep Skywalker for the transfusion. She had his blood type memorized—it was that often he came into the Halls with injury.

Anakin's eyelids began to droop closed. Vokara smoothed his dark blond hair out of his face, then caught herself in the act. What was she doing? Skywalker was just another patient. Just another Jedi who relied on her to keep him alive.

Yet when Vokara Che looked at the young man's face, she knew that he wasn't just any patient. He was different. Though she couldn't depict why she thought that.

"Masser Che?" Anakin slurred. "Don' wanna fall asleep."

Vokara smiled. "Just lose unconsciousness already, Skywalker."

And Skywalker obeyed.