Well well, here I am with chapter seven. It's maybe not the best or longest chapter, and I'm not surprised if there's a lot of spelling errors and those stuff. I wote this today as quickly as I could, because I wanted a chapter published before tomorrow. Because it's time for Pitea (Piteå) summer games in Sweden! For those who doesn't know, it's a football/soccer tournament. Wish us good luck!

Thanks to those who reviewed! And to the anonymous, Miss Kitty: No, Yoda's not dead :) I just couldn't kill him off- he's absolutely one of my favorites!


Sidious was very... displeased. His apprentice, Vader, had returned to Mustafar after spending hours on Polis Massa. He had sensed two light, young presences born too. They were like beacons in the force: so light that it disgusted him. Not to mention that Amidala was safe as well. For now. Sidious smirked and his yellow eyes glowed. Three human beings were left of Skywalker's little family. He had to take care about that.

First he had to get Vader back to Coruscant.

And that was the main reason for his anger. Vader had not contacted him in any way, simply flying straight back to the fire planet. What was he doing there, anyway? The boy certainly needed discipline.

Sidious pressed the comm.-link on his desk and waited. A hologram of Vader's face showed up and Sidious stared coldly at him.

"I believe you owe me an explanation, Lord Vader", he declared icy.

Vader frowned and his lips thinned. "Yes, Master", he answered curtly, making the words sound like curses. Sidious waited, yet it took a while before Vader seemed to realize that he was supposed to give a report. "Padmé wanted to return to Mustafar briefly", he defended himself, brows knitting together in annoyance. He turned his head away and muttered something to a person behind him, most likely Amidala.

Sidious cleared his throat.

Vader sighed and rolled his eyes, making Sidious' eyes narrow. He had to wonder how Kenobi had managed to be a master to Skywalker for years: especially if the boy never showed respect. Of course, it didn't matter for Sidious when Anakin had been a jedi; arrogance and anger had been a tool to turn him to the Dark side. But now, when Skywalker finally was his apprentice, he had to follow orders.

And the orders had been to return to Coruscant. Yet he had gone straight against him anyway, because of his wife. It was a weakness that had to be removed as soon as possible.

"And exactly why did our dear Amidala want to return to Mustafar?" he wondered with sickly slimy voice. Vader's jaw tightened and he shrugged.

"She wanted to look for Kenobi", he finally spat out.

Sidious raised an eyebrow. "I can see she is… concerned for him. Considering they are a Jedi and a Senator, they seem to be rather… close." Oh, how he loved to play this game and see Vader's eyes spark with jealousy. Even if he would like to keep up the game right now, it had to wait. Sidious was not a fool, by all means. "And tell me, Vader… Surely you would have told her that you killed the traitor?" Even the young man had to catch up the threat in his voice now.

He looked away in anger and shifted his weight.

"There's been several earthquakes on Mustafar", Vader finally informed him. "The building Kenobi and I fought in collapsed over us." Now he sounded bored, as thought he didn't care about it.

"And Kenobi died there", Sidious bit back a chuckle. As if the General would let himself be killed by an earthquake; that man was impossible to get rid off. He glared at Vader, daring him to lie.

Vader clenched his fist and cast a look over his shoulder. "Look, I'm busy right now. Could I-"

"Vader."

The sound of Sidious' voice made him stop talking. Sidious was dangerously angered now, the word chill as Hoth, yet burning like the fires of Mustafar. The look on Vader's face was almost comical. Sidious had never spoken to him like that. Of course, to Vader he was still Palpatine, Sith lord or not. Well, time for him to learn that he wasn't the kind old man Anakin Skywalker thought him to be. "You may have escaped punishment by the jedi for your lack of discipline and not following orders, but that is not the life of a sith. I do not overlook you or make up excuses for you. You will follow my orders, and don't even think about not telling the truth. Am I clear?"

Vader stared at him for a few seconds. "Yes, Master", he said, bowing his head.

"Good. I know very well that Kenobi escaped you. We will… discuss this when you return to Coruscant. Which means immediately." Without waiting for an answer Sidious ended the call.

He leaned back in his chair and spun around slowly. He smirked and looked out over Coruscant. Nothing had changed, everything was exactly as when the Republic still existed.

Oh, how looks can deceive.

Sidious eyes seemed to glow even more yellow. Vader had to learn his place, and with Amidala on his side it could prove to be rather… difficult. Yes. She and her lovely children had to be removed.

The faster the better.


Anakin blinked as the small hologram of Sidious disappeared. As the surprise by his words calmed down he felt anger bubbling up inside of him. May have escaped punishment? With the jedi? Palpatine had always told him that they held him back, feared him, blamed him… The jedi had never trusted him, always punished him for faults he hadn't done. Palpatine had agreed…

So why did everything suddenly feel like a lie?

"Your new Master seems very friendly." Anakin turned around to the voice and looked at Padmé, staring back at him with crossed arms. She's studying him. Like he was a strange puzzle, a riddle to solve. He didn't like it.

"He's better than the jedi", he spat out bitterly.

Padmé snorted. It sounded weird coming from her, the gracious and elegant senator from Naboo. "You've let him brainwash you", she told him.

Anger threatened to rise again, like fire burning higher and higher. He pressed it down with difficulty. He didn't want to be angry at Padmé. She was the only person, she and the twins, who mattered. Funny how only days ago he had feared for Obi-wan's life.

"Palpatine haven't done anything like that. He wouldn't. He has always stood with me, no matter what."

"And that's the problem", Padmé answered, nothing but steadiness in her voice and face. She was unreadable. "You still think of him as Palpatine, while he has declared himself as the Emperor, Darth Sidious. He's been telling you lies for years."

"The jedi has been lying to me."

An emotion flickered across her face, but not too fast for him to read. Sadness. "What did they ever do wrong?" she wondered quietly.

"Everything!" Anakin snapped before he could stop himself.

Padmé shook her head. "There's a lot of things they could have done differently, yes. The Order was flawed. Nobody is perfect, Anakin… Or can I even call you that anymore… Vader?"

Did she know how it hurt to hear her say his new name with such disgust? He wouldn't be surprised if she did. "I'm always Anakin to you", he murmured.

Padmé looked at him. Truly looked, without the coldness, disgust or anger. Only sadness and pity. "That's what I would like to believe to", she whispered back. "Can't you see what Sidious is? What he has done? Doesn't anything of it tell you that it's wrong?"

"He's a good man."

Now the ice is slowly creeping back, making Padme's eyes cold and emotionless again. "You don't believe that", she told him silently before turning away.


What's this? No Obi-wan? Well, just Anakin, Padmé and Sidious today, then. But fear not, Master Kenobi is back in the next chapter ;)