Evil Revealed

Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Kit Fisto, joined by fellow Masters Saesee Tiin and Ager Kolar, strode defiantly into the Supreme Chancellor's suite, ignoring the yammering assistant outside. Windu lead the group straight into the Chancellor's private office.

The Chancellor looked up from his desk with a saccharine smile, setting down the data disks that he had been perusing. "Master Jedi," he greeted them, "what a pleasant surprise!"

The four Jedi assumed cautious positions in front of the door. Windu took a step forward, the utterly determined look on his face clashing with the Chancellor's overly pleasant demeanor. "We have come to report that General Kenobi has dispatched General Grievous and the Droid Army has been defeated."

"Wonderful!" the Chancellor replied, clasping his hands together in overt joy.

The other Jedi surveyed the large, ornate room, a growing sense of concern leaving them wary. As they had suspected, there was clearly something amiss.

"You are to be commended," the Chancellor continued, pointing a jovial finger directly at the senior Jedi leader, "for your stellar prosecution of this conflict." The Chancellor's eyes were wide with excitement. "In fact, congratulations to you all," the kindly politician remarked, indicating the group of Jedi, "who are no doubt gathered here to receive praise." His smile was almost mocking

Mace replied brusquely, "We are here to retrieve the clone command codes from you."

"Of course!" the Chancellor answered, before returning to look through reports. "When the time is right."

"The time is right now," Mace responded forcefully, glowering down at the seated leader several feet in front of him.

The Chancellor looked up from his work, the smile still painted on his face, but his eyes betraying an ominous presence. "On whose authority?" Palpatine asked pointedly. The time was growing close.

The Jedi could feel the clouds overshadowing them. They fidgeted tensely, preparing. Windu could sense the impending conflict. He saw no other path. "You leave us no choice, Chancellor Palpatine," he barked confidently at the smirking man in front of him. "Therefore by the authority granted by the Galactic Senate, we hereby place you under arrest."

"I am the Senate," Palpatine shot back, the smiling façade gone, replaced by a malevolent, arrogant scorn.

The Jedi moved to surround the Chancellor, who casually stood up and looked confidently from one Jedi to the next. The smile returned to his face, real this time, and his eyes twinkled with a wicked glee. The time was now; the culmination of so many decades had finally led to this moment. He savored the sensation. At long last, the wait was over.


The Galactic Senate building loomed in the distance as Anakin rapidly approached in Grievous' former shuttlecraft. Once again ignoring countless flight regulations, the young Jedi speed forward with only one purpose on his mind; he had to find and save Padme.

Somehow, the thought of Obi-Wan crept in. He could imagine Obi-Wan exclaiming, "Anakin! You must learn to control yourself!" And he knew how disappointed the old man would be when he heard about what happened at the Temple. Anakin quickly blinked several times. It wouldn't matter. He hadn't permanently harmed Wick. He would explain himself to Obi-Wan once Padme was safe. He would deal with all of that afterwards.

The Corucsant buildings flashed by below the shuttlecraft. Inside, Obi-Wan's image faded from Anakin's thoughts. There was only Padme.


The overwhelming sense of darkness blanketed the Jedi as they moved in closer. Their recent suspicions were confirmed. There was no denying that now. Confrontation was imminent and inevitable.

In an instant, the metallic cylinder dropped out of the Chancellor's cloak, the blood red beam igniting as it fell into his hand. Sensing the attack, the Jedi all reached for their lightsabers, preparing for battle. Nonetheless, Palpatine was far faster than any of them could imagine.

With a vengeful, open-mouthed grin, the Chancellor flashed his blade, striking Saesee's green saber, knocking the Iktocthi Jedi backwards. The Chancellor leapt over his desk, landing directly in front of Master Windu and their lightsabers crashed while Agen moved quickly to cover the fallen Jedi while he regrouped.

Kit drove forward, his green lightsaber diving at the Chancellor's left side.

In one sweeping move, the now obvious Sith Master swung his blade, twisting his body to the left, first parrying Windu's purple saber, before facing the charging Natulan. With a wave of his left hand, the Chancellor used the Force to grab the Jedi, and he quickly used Kit's momentum against him, throwing him forward, into Agen. The Zabrak Jedi jumped over Kit, while using the Force to soften the Natulan's landing.

Impossibly fast, the Sith shoved his blade forward, stabbing Agen in the chest. He winced painfully while Palpatine quickly pulled the blade out and returned to face Windu.

"The first of many," the Sith Master breathed happily as Agen Kolar collapsed, dead, onto the floor.

Saeseen, now recovered, reignited his lightsaber and quickly moved around Master Fisto to engage the Sith enemy.

The Chancellor retreated from a particularly strong blow by Master Windu and the Jedi warrior lurched forward.

Saesee altered his strike to avoid Mace and target Palpatine's new location; however, it wasn't in enough time. Slashing at the Iktotchi's body, the Chancellor delivered a mortal blow. Saesee Tiin fell backward, dead before he hit the ground.

Mace moved into an aggressive stance, yet he waited patiently, calming himself. He would need his entire concentration to defeat this monster. Kit rejoined the confrontation, also controlling his emotions, and carefully flanked the Chancellor.

Palpatine paused to look dismissively at both Jedi. "And then there were two," he laughed.

Kit unexpectedly threw his lightsaber with blinding speed, directly at the Chancellor's head. The Sith used the Force to narrowly move out of the blade's path and he whipped the weapon back around, burying it into Master Fisto's heart.

The Chancellor was nonetheless caught off guard by the blow and did not have enough time to gloat over the latest Jedi's death or properly prepare himself for Windu's assault.

The Jedi Master immediately erupted into a torrent of attacks, forcing Palpatine into retreat. Expertly marshalling his aggression into action, approaching, but not reaching the Dark Side, Mace's ferocity surprised the Sith Master.

Although unexpected, Palpatine knew that the time was again growing near. He need not wait long.

A swirling slash of the purple blade flung the Chancellor's lightsaber out of his hand and he fell backwards onto the ground. He began scooting against the back windowed-wall of his office, overlooking the bustling Republic capital far below.

"Your are finished!" the powerful Jedi yelled at the Chancellor, towering over the Sith and bringing the tip of his lightsaber towards his opponent. "I will end this!"

"No!" cried the fallen Chancellor, and with a rabid glare he flexed his fingertips tightly, as bluish-white lightning bolts streaked forward at his Jedi attacker. Palpatine's wide eyes glowed a sickening yellow as he reveled in his power.

Mace raised his lightsaber up and calling upon the Force, concentrated on the evil energy surging towards him. The Jedi Master caught the lightning on his saber and with some difficulty, managed to push against the raging torrent. For a moment, the two men were locked in equilibrium, pushing against each other's force. With a strident determination, and great strain on his face, Windu finally pushed outward, and the crackling lightning arched back, falling upon the prone Chancellor.

Palpatine cried out as the dark energy surged over his body, twisting his face into a wrinkled mass, and weakening him further. With every passing second, Windu pressed forward ever more, drawing closer to the finish. The Sith Master's expression changed from power to struggle to worry. The end was close. Would it be in time?

Anakin burst through the door to the office, having sensed the commotion from below. He was unprepared for the sight. Master Windu was attacking the Chancellor, just as the kindly old man had feared. And yet, the Chancellor was fighting back, with lightning. Dooku's lightning. Sith power.

The Chancellor ceased his blast, breathing heavily, and looked over to his young friend standing in the doorway. Mace turned to face Anakin as well, though he kept his lightsaber pointed at Palpatine's throat.

"Anakin!" the Chancellor cried out. "Thank goodness you're here!" He appeared weak and timid. Anakin was confused. "Just as I told you, the Jedi are trying to overthrow me!"

Mace angrily shook his head. "He's a Sith, Skywalker!"

Anakin's mind raced in unlimited directions. His eyes rapidly darted back and forth from Windu to Palpatine. Why this? Why now? How?

"Help me, Anakin!" the Chancellor exclaimed.

"The Sith oppression must never return!" Windu shouted.

Although it lasted only briefly, the wait seemed to stretch on for millennia. Both Palpatine and Windu knew that it was a pivotal moment; perhaps the pivotal moment.

Anakin continued to glance at the two men. He pushed his confusion, anger, surprise, fear and frustration deep down inside himself. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. Only her.

With a furrowed brow and an almost eerie disconnect, Anakin turned to face Mace Windu. "Where is Padme?" he demanded.

The senior Jedi paused. There would be no easy way to tell the boy. This was not the best time. Then again, perhaps this was the only time. Perhaps when he heard of the Dark Side's influence in her death Skywalker would understand who this monster he had called a friend truly was.

Mace took a deep breath. "She's dead," he spoke simply. "She was…"

Anakin interrupted him, yelling out in a terrifying mixture of grief and rage, "Noooo!" In a momentary fit of uncontrollable anger, the young Jedi threw out his hands and used the Force to slam Master Windu against the large office window, shattering it.

Mace dropped his lightsaber while falling to the ground after Anakin released him. He had always known Anakin was unpredictable and foolishly headstrong, but he could not anticipate this. For the first time since he had been a Jedi, Mace Windu felt fear as he scrambled to find his lightsaber while trying to focus on both Palpatine and Anakin.

The Chancellor seized the opportunity and unleashed a stronger blast of lightning, striking the Jedi who tried valiantly to deflect it. Without his lightsaber, though, the dark energy quickly overwhelmed the Jedi Master and he was flung up over the window's edge. In his last moments before falling to his death, Mace Windu met Anakin's gaze and in a fleeting second, his face conveyed a look of surprise and disappointment.

Anakin returned Master Windu's look of surprise; he was beside himself at the notion of Padme's death, but he had not intended for this to happen. He would now add guilt to the gale of emotions twisting around inside. And he would immediately add it to the countless emotions that he buried deep within himself. Mace Windu's death didn't matter; only hers. The young Jedi stood, staring absentmindedly through the vacant window. He wasn't looking outward, though, his focus was entirely internal.

Chancellor Palpatine slowly gathered himself and made his way to his feet, his plans progressing. "I cannot thank you enough, Anakin," he called out warmly, wiping glass shards off of his Chancellor's robes. "You have saved me, my friend."

The words drew Anakin out of his reflection. He turned to acknowledge the disfigured Chancellor across the room. He looked at the man, who had long been his friend and mentor.

Deliberately brushing his Jedi cloak aside along his waistband, the Jedi exposed the lightsaber hanging from his belt. All of his worries and fears about Padme had decayed into grief, only to be quickly forged into anger. He took a step forward and spat out a solitary word. "Sith."