Senate landing platform

Status: Ready for battle

The Republic Gunship lands on the Senate Landing Platform, and Mace quickly gets out, followed by Obi-Wan, then Saesee and Agen. The all walk in at a swift pace, with Mace taking the front position. Obi-Wan frowns. Mace is too enthusiastic about the arrest. Doesn't he realize how far it is from the Jedi Code? How close it is to the Dark Side?

It must be done, but that doesn't mean that it should be taken lightly. Of course, with Palpatine being a Sith... this makes the morality a bit easier, though it still doesn't feel right arresting high level officials, and taking them out of power. Of course, with him being a Sith, it makes it much trickier. Palpatine will no doubt try to turn the Senate against the Jedi, so if he isn't killed soon, facts will no doubt be twisted until Palpatine looks like he is a good person, and the Jedi become evil.

Finally, they reach the Chancellor's office. The doors are closed, but Mace uses the Force to open them, and they stride into Palpatine's office, shutting the door behind them. Palpatine waits calmly, in his office chair, as if he is expecting them.

"Master Windu," he says, using a friendly voice. "I take it the CIS has been destroyed?"

Mace says nothing, and Palpatine adds, "I must say, you're here sooner than expected..."

It is time to get down to business. Palpatine knows full well what they are here to do, so, they might as well say it. Interrupting Palpatine, he finally says, "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic of the Republic, you're under arrest, Chancellor."

As if on cue, all four Jedi simultaneously activate their lightsabers. Mace notes no surprise in the Chancellor, not even hidden surprise. It is clear that Palpatine, or perhaps he should call him Sidious, definitely saw it coming.

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" Palpatine asks, and Mace can't help but wonder why Palpatine isn't just getting down to business. Perhaps he wants to make it more dramatic for a future holodrama. Practically spitting out the words, Mace says, "The Senate will decide your fate."

Sidious smiles. Switching to a deeper, more intimidating voice, he says, "I am the Senate."

Mace's eyes narrow. "Not yet."

Sidious nods. "So it's treason, then." The Sith Lord stands up, hands at his sides. Without moving a muscle, he uses the Force to pull a lightsaber out from under his sleeve and into his hand, all in the blink of an eye. He activates its red-hued blade a moment later. So, he has some tricks up his sleeve. He has to fight the urge not to smile at his own, silent joke.

Then, blazing into motion, Sidious yells, "Arrrrgh!" and leaps over his desk, landing at the feet of the Jedi, poised and ready to lunge. Mace looks to the Jedi beside him. Tiin is on his left, holding his lightsaber with two hands above his head, at a forty five degree angle, in his Djem So attack stance. He, Mace Windu, holds his lightsaber behind him, ready to swing in a powerful attack, and release a fury, should he have to. On his right is Obi-Wan, poised for quick movement and defensive coverage, as is normal for a Soresu user. To the right of Obi-Wan is Agen Kolar, who holds his blade similarly to Tiin, as a result of the fact that both of the Jedi use Djem So.

No Jedi is willing to move, knowing that to do so would leave their defenses weakened, and Sidious would exploit the opportunity. Finally, the Sith moves, lunging for Agen. It is clear that the Zabrak Jedi will not react in time, but Obi-Wan, who might be the most skilled lightsaber duelist alive, at least in terms of his defensive skills, moves to block Sidious's strike. However, the Sith suddenly spins, his blade never making contact with Obi-Wan's, and instead stabs Saesee Tiin. Obi-Wan never stands a chance at helping. Just after the Jedi dies, Mace swings at Sidious, who blocks with ease. Mace unleashes a flurry of strikes but, Sidious blocks all of them, and turns to the other two remaining Jedi.

He strikes quickly at Obi-Wan, who slightly overswings. The experienced Jedi compensates easily, and reaches to defend, as he can still block Sidious's next strike. However, he can't quite get his blade all the way over to Agen, who does manage to block. Mace moves to intercept and stop Sidious from releasing a second strike, but the Sith steps out of the way, and Mace can barely stop himself from colliding with Agen.

Mace has no time to stop Sidious's next strike, and realizes that he is about to die if he does nothing soon. At the last second, he throws his head back, the attack passing over him, but unfortunately, beheading Agen. Giving into his anger, he strikes at Sidious, who parries. Obi-Wan leaps into the fray, starting to help Mace parry Sidious's relentless attacks. Taking advantage of the newfound defensive aid, Mace releases his fullest fury upon Sidious, allowing Obi-Wan to parry for him, but also allowing Obi-Wan to not have to counterattack.

As such, they are both able to focus on what they do best. Mace can attack, Obi-Wan can defend. They even start to get the feeling that they are winning.

Palpatine's office

Status: Deadly lightsaber duel

Sidious laughs with joy as he battles the Jedi. It has been so long since he got to fight a worthy opponent, or in this case, worthy opponents. In fact, the Jedi seem to actually be winning.

He had planned that Anakin would come to his aid, but he now senses that Anakin has chosen against him. A pity, considering the potential of the Jedi. Maybe, later, once it is all over, he take Skywalker alive, and try to turn him. Originally, he planned to let the Jedi beat him, so that Anakin could turn, but since it seems as though that won't happen, the only thing that matters is killing the Jedi he currently faces.

Kenobi stands in front of Mace, defending against anything that comes near either of them. Mace stands behind, leaping and spinning every which way to come in at Sidious from weird and unpredictable angles. When he tries to attack, Kenobi is actually an equal match for a duelist like himself. He can't seem to get anything through.

Mace, on the other hand, unleashes a powerful fury, trying to power through Sidious's defenses. The powerful Jedi is good enough to equal Sidious's defenses, and even beat them. He can sense that things are not going to end well.

All of his training as a Sith, all of his plotting as the Chancellor, all of his planning to be Emperor, and it will amount to this. Winning the chess match, but getting killed when the losing player in the chess match decides to turn it to a straight up fight.

He snarls. He is too good for this. He will not let it happen. He thinks of all the years he has dedicated to this, the thousand years that the Sith before him spent on planning. A thousand years of successful plotting will not amount to this. It can't, he will not allow it.

"Arrrrrrrrgh!" he yells, letting the fullest, deepest parts of his hatred fuel him. Then, he starts duelling again, this time using every ounce of hate he has in him.

Palpatine's office

Status: Deadly lightsaber duel

Mace's eyes widen as he sees Palpatine's fury. The tide starts to turn, suddenly Sidious's defenses no longer look like they are starting to fail him, they look like they are an equal match for Mace.

Obi-Wan's defenses, though, start to look like they are on the verge of crumbling, with Sidious about to destroy them in any second. How can they combat such a powerful fury, when the unstoppable fuel of hate is what drives it?

Then, he knows. His hate. He needs to do whatever it takes to protect the Republic from Sidious. If it means using his own anger, then Mace accepts it. He needs to kill Sidious, at all costs. "You will not take over the Republic!" Mace yells, his voice a bloodcurdling scream, and his fury increases.

Juyo, in its standard form, draws deeply on the Dark Side. Only a select few Jedi are allowed to use it. It is aggressive, and dangerous, and can very well bring a user to the Dark Side. However, Mace Windu created an extension of Juyo, called Vaapad.

In Vaapad, everything that characterizes Juyo is used, and taken to an even more extreme level. Now, Mace doesn't allow any other Jedi to use Vaapad, as it is simply too dangerous. He once taught it to others before, but all of his students fell to the Dark Side.

Now, Mace has simply taken Vaapad to its highest level, drawing very deeply on the Dark Side. He has turned himself into a deadly duelist, and now, with this deepest form of Vaapad on his side, even Palpatine is struggling to compensate.

Palpatine looks at Windu, seeing that the Jedi has taken a page out of his own book. The anger and the hate are empowering Windu, and Palpatine suddenly realizes that the Jedi has dramatically turned the tables.

Now, his defenses cannot seem to Mace's assault, and as a result, he has to back down his attacks on Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan, now, seems to be doing more than fine, but Palpatine still is struggling to fight Mace's relentless fury. Palpatine is drawing on as much anger as possible, his entire hatred on his side, but simply put, the Jedi are too good.

No, not too good. They have given their fullest effort, and Mace his drawn on his hatred to an extent that they can win. Their hate has made them strong.

Then, he sees it. He will win. Technically speaking, he will not win, but the Sith will. The Jedi had to call on their darkness in order to defeat him, especially Mace. They may kill him, but he will leave two important legacies.

First, he has left the Republic open to a Sith, ready to become a Sith based dictatorship at any moment. The next Sith will have an easy time getting in, and coming to power.

Also, he has created that next Sith. Mace Windu will turn to the Dark Side. Mace has used his darkness to defeat Sidious, but that darkness will consume him. Mace will be that next Sith.

Engrossed in battle, now only fighting so that he can push Mace further, he sees a future. A vision, a vision of not a possible future, but an inevitable one.

Mace, with shades of yellow starting to tint his eyes, walks toward Yoda, the two facing eachother with complete focus, but one focus sharpened through serenity, the other sharpened through hatred. They both activate their lightsabers, and begin to battle. Mace uses all of his hate, Yoda uses all of his serenity. Mace doesn't openly wield a red lightsaber, he still has purple, but there is most definitely a trace of the Dark Side. Mace is, for all intents and purposes, a Sith.

Sidious smiles. He knows that it is over. He knows that he has won, if not somewhat indirectly.

He goes on complete defensive, letting Mace continue his powerful assault. Obi-Wan screams out pleas for Mace to stop giving into the Dark Side, and actually, Sidious hopes that Mace does follow them. There are two futures, now. In one, Mace backs off, and Sidious retakes advantage, killing the Jedi. In the other, Mace doesn't, killing Sidious, but turning to the Dark Side himself. The Sith will rule either way, though Sidious wishes he can get to see it. Mace, his eyes narrowed, yells, "Obi-Wan, I will do what I must!"

Sidious smiles. So, the second one, then. He blocks two more powerful strikes, and then, he senses one last thing. Obi-Wan. If Mace becomes the new Sith ruler, then Obi-Wan will be a major thorn in his side. So, then, as Sidious's last effort, he will kill Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Knowing he doesn't have much time left, he sends his last powerful bit of fury at Obi-Wan. It is a desperate strike that is his only chance to get one more kill. Mace, determined to save Obi-Wan, manages to cut Sidious's lightsaber in half, at the hilt. So, it all ends. The strike never reaches Kenobi.

The destroyed lightsaber falls to the ground, and Sidious lets out the most powerful bit of Force lightning me can muster, only to have it blocked by Mace's hate empowered tutiminus. Then, in a gentle voice, Obi-Wan says, "Mace, don't kill him. I sense that the Dark Side is clouding your thoughts."

Mace frowns. "He is too dangerous to be kept alive!" Sidious has to hide a small smile. Then, Mace raises his lightsaber, and Sidious prepares to join the force. In one swift strike, he does.