Chapter 11
Chancellor's Office
Mace Windu and three other Jedi stormed into the Chancellor's office with Windu in the front, just as Palpatine turns his chair to face them. "Master Windu. I take it General Grievous has been destroyed then. I must say, you're here sooner than expected."
Windu and the other three Jedi ignored what Palpatine said. "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor." Windu said with authority and disgust. He and the other Jedi ignited their lightsabers.
Palpatine glared at Windu. "Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" He said in a gravelly tone.
"The Senate will decide your fate." Mace Windu said with authority and standing his ground.
Palpatine starts to evilly laugh. "I am the Senate!"
Windu looks at him with shock then determination. "Not yet!"
Palpatine then quickly stood up and a lightsaber appears out of his cloak sleeve and he ignites it…a red blade appears. "It's treason, then." He said as he, took the Jedi by surprise and spun towards them, welding his lightsaber in attack.
Palpatine attacks other three Jedi, quickly cutting them down with his lightsaber and leaving only Windu as his opponent. He turns to fight Windu and Jedi Master Mace Windu and the Sith Lord fight their way down the hallway, into the main office area. Palpatine then uses the Force to slam Windu against the wall, but he quickly recovers and moves out of the way before the Chancellor can cut him down.
-----------------------------------
Meanwhile, Anakin has arrived at the Senate building and lands his Jedi Fighter, jumping out, and started to run down the long corridor toward the Chancellor's office. I have to stop Master Windu before he kills Palpatine. I need him. Anakin thought to himself as he continued to quicken his pace towards the Chancellor's office.
Windu and Palpatine are still dueling and move closer to the window. Mace swings at Palpatine, but he ducks and spins around, his lightsaber cutting through the large window behind his desk causing it to shatter. The wind to start wiping through the office. They are now both fighting on the window ledge, continuing to their battle over the precipice. Windu then gets the better of Palpatine, backing Palpatine up against the side of the window sill just as Anakin arrives. Palpatine is now on the floor, leaning up against the sill and Windu forces him to drop his lightsaber. "You are under arrest, My Lord." Windu said with disgust while pointing his purple blade at Palpatine's head.
Anakin sighed with relief. He's going to arrest him. Good.
Palpatine starts to act like he's frightened and turns his head to face Anakin, who is staring at this situation and thinking how pathetic and helpless Palpatine is acting. "Anakin! I told you it would come to this. I was right. The Jedi are taking over."
"You old fool. The oppression of the Sith will never return. Your plot to regain control of the Republic is over … you have lost …" Windu said taking a quick look at Anakin and then back at Palpatine, still pointing his blade at his throat.
"No! No! You will die!" Said in an evil voice and then raised his hands, sending Sith lighting bolts at Windu. Anakin watched in horror as Windu used all his strength to hold back the lightening with his lightsaber.
I have to stop this. I can't have Palpatine kill Master Windu either. Anakin thought to himself and was about to interfere when Palpatine started speaking him again. He looked at him with confusion and fear.
"He is a traitor, Anakin." Palpatine pleaded with Anakin.
"He's the traitor. Stop him!" Windu said, continued to struggle with to holding off Palpatine's attacks.
Palpatine sneered as he continued to strengthen the attack on Windu. "Come to your senses, boy. The Jedi are in revolt. They will betray you, just as they betrayed me."
What do I do? Anakin looked back and forth as both men.
"Aarrrrggghhhhh…" Windu yelled, starting to lose his defensive stance against the powerful Sith lightening attack.
"You are not one of them, Anakin. Don't let him kill me." Palpatine pathetically pleaded with him.
"Aarrrrggghhhhh…" Windu was straining now, having a hard time holding his ground.
Palpatine continued to look at Anakin with sad eyes. "I am your pathway to power. I have the power to save the one you love. You must choose. You must stop him."
"Don't listen to him, Anakin!" Windu pleaded with Anakin, looking back at Palpatine with disgust.
Palpatine then started to act like he was beginning to falter. "Help me! Don't let him kill me. I can't hold on any longer. Ahhhhhhh….ahhhhhhh….ahhhhhhh …"
Windu continues to push Palpatine farther out onto the edge of the ledge. Just as Windu moves closer to him, the bolts from Palpatine's hands begin to arch back on him. Anakin watched in horror as the Chancellor's face to begin to twist and distort. His eyes became yellow as Palpatine continues to struggle to intensify his powers. "I can't ... I give up. Help me. I am weak ... I am too weak. Don't kill me. I give up. I'm dying. I can't hold on any longer." Palpatine stopped his Sith lightening attack and tried to crawl farther away from Windu who was now advancing toward him with the tip of his blade pointed right at him.
"You Sith disease. I am going to end this once and for all." Windu growled at him.
Anakin started to breath hard. He's going to kill him. I have to stop him or I'll lose my chance to save Padme. "You can't kill him, Master. He must stand trial."
"He has too much control of the Senate and the Courts. He is too dangerous to be kept alive." Windu said as he glanced over at Anakin.
"I'm too weak. Don't kill me. Please." Palpatine begged, holding his hands up in front of him.
Anakin looked over at Palpatine and then looked back at Windu with continued fear and confusion, shaking his head. "It is not the Jedi way…" He said to Windu, but Windu ignored him and raised his to kill Palpatine. "He must live…" Anakin pleaded with Windu.
"Please don't, please don't…" Palpatine whined, covering his face more with his hands.
Anakin looked at Windu, pleading with his eyes. "I need him…"
"Please don't…" Palpatine continued to plead.
Just as Windu is about to slash Palpatine, killing him. "NO!" Anakin shouted and ignited his lightsabering and stopped him by cutting off the Windu's hand that was holding his lightsaber. Windu stares at Anakin in shock just as Palpatine gets an evil grin on his face and springs to life, using the full force of the Dark Side to blast lightening bolts at Windu. Windu attempted to deflect them with his one good hand, but the Force of the bolts are too great and blue rays engulf his body, causing his body to be flung out the window, falling to his death many stories below.
And then there was silence. What have I done? Anakin turned to stare at Palpatine with remorse and confusion on his face.
"Power! Unlimited power!" Palpatine said as his face changed into one of pure evil. Anakin looked at Palpatine with horror as the Sith lord cackled and stood up.
"What have I done?" Anakin says in a total state of shock and devastation. He drops his now extinguished lightsaber to the floor and drops to the chair behind him. What have I done? Master Windu is dead.
"You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin." Palpatine said as he slowly walked over to Anakin, who looked up at him. "Become my apprentice. Learn to use the dark side of the Force."
The Jedi will never forgive me for this. And there's no turning back now. "I will do whatever you ask." Anakin reluctantly said. I'm lost now. I've failed.
"Good." Palpatine answered in a gravelly voice and with a smile that sent chills up Anakin's back.
I'm doing this for you, Padme. Anakin starts to breath hard and his eyes are full of regret and sadness. "Just help me save Padme's life." He pleaded. "I can't live without her. I won't let her die. I want the power to stop death."
Anakin then started to kneel before Palpatine as he stepped closer to him. "To cheat death is a power only one has achieved, but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret."
I thought he knew how to save her…Anakin thought to himself as he looked at Palpatine with surprise.…but he's willing help me. "I pledge myself to your teachings. To the ways of the Sith." Anakin said with reluctance, lowering his eyes to floor in shame. I'm sorry Luke and Leia. I failed you.
"Good. Good." Palpatine said with an evil smile. "The Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith you will become." He then looked down at Anakin. "Henceforth, you shall be known as…Darth…Vader."
It's happening…just the way they said it would. But it's too late for me.. I've crossed the line. "Thank you, my Master." Anakin said as he bowed to his new master and then looked back up at him. I'm sorry…I wasn't strong enough to resist the temptation.
"Rise, Darth Vader. Palpatine told him as he moved over to his desk.
-----------------------------------
Just outside the door to Palpatine's office, Luke and Leia arrived and crouched around the corner. They listened in horror as they overheard their father swearing allegiance to Palpatine and the ways of the Sith. They both looked each other with regret and sorrow. "We're too late, Luke." Leia whispered. "He's turned. Why would he do that after all we told him. What do we do?"
"I don't know. But Order #66 has been issued yet. Maybe there's still hope." Luke answered her and then got up from his crouched position. "Come on. I think I have an idea."
Leia looked at him with puzzlement and then followed her brother.
--------------------------------------------
Palpatine puts on his dark cloak and pulls the hood up over his head, taking on the full look of Darth Sideous. He looks at Anakin with cold yellow eyes. "Because the Council did not trust you, my young apprentice, I believe you are the only Jedi with no knowledge of this plot. When the Jedi learn what has transpired here, they will kill us, along with all the Senators."
It's true. They'll never trust me now and Windu's attempt on Palpatine's life is proof of a Jedi takeover. They could very well think the Senate is a threat, including Padme. "I agree. The Jedi's next move will be against the Senate." Anakin said to him as he got to his feet.
"Every single Jedi, including your friend Obi-Wan Kenobi, is now an enemy of the Republic." Palpatine paused. "You understand that, don't you?"
Not Obi-Wan. Anakin sighed and then bowed to Palpatine. "I understand, Master."
"We must move quickly." Palpatine said as Anakin started pacing in front of Palpatine's desk. "The Jedi are relentless; if they are not all destroyed, it will be civil war without end. First, I want you to go to the Jedi Temple. We will catch them off balance. Do what must be done, Lord Vader. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy. Only then will you be strong enough with the dark side to save Padme.
Anakin stopped pacing and looked at Palpatine. "What about the other Jedi spread across the galaxy?"
"Their betrayal will be dealt with." Palpatine told him. He must mean Order #66. Anakin thought to himself and then continued to listen to Palpatine's instructions. "After you have killed all the Jedi in the Temple, go to the Mustafar system. Wipe out Viceroy Gunray and the other Separatist leaders. Once more, the Sith will rule the galaxy, and we shall have peace."
Even the younglings? Anakin sighed and then bowed to Palpatine. "Yes, Master." He then turned and headed towards the door.
As soon as he got outside of Palpatine's quarters, he stopped. A tear started down his cheek and he ran his right hand down his face, then dropped his hand to his side again. I can't do this. I just can't. But if I don't, Padme will die. I don't have any choice.
Anakin then sighed and swallowed hard, continuing his way out of the Senate building. He crossed through the rows of massive columns to the main entrance when…crash…the sound of glass breaking echoed through the columns. Anakin's eyes rolled up into his head and he dropped to the floor with a thud, unconscious.
Luke stood over his father with the handle of the broken vase still in his hand. He lowered his hand, dropping the glass handle to the floor just as Leia joined him from behind another column. They both stood over their father's still form, staring at him with worry.
Leia then turned to look at her brother. "Do you think we can turn him back…to the Light Side?"
"I sure hope so." Luke answered her as he reached down to turn Anakin over on his back. He then reached under his arms. "Leia, grab his legs."
