Chapter 15

Anakin sat by idly as the two boys sparred back and forth through the grass in the fields of Naboo. Ezra pressed forward, green lightsaber whirling and slashing through the air as Galens duel blue sabers caught or parried every strike while he backpedaled. It had been only four months since Anakin had taken Ezra in, and his progress was nothing short of amazing. He was a skilled duelist already, but his real talents laid with his ability to connect with other living creatures. It came naturally to him. Anakin felt confident in these two now.

Palpatine was none the wiser, but he knew his time was coming to face him. He had done about as much as he could with preserving the Jedi Order and making sure it's light didn't vanish from the galaxy. He thought back on his comrades that were gone now. He felt a pang of sadness in his heart. It had been years since Obi-Wan had died, and time would never heal that wound. Part of him hoped it never would. His masters death kept him on the straight and narrow path of the Jedi. Never again would be anything less then the Jedi he had believed that Anakin could be. He had failed him once already in his original time, and had even struck him down on the Death Star. He had felt like he had killed yet another part of himself then. Anakin knew that Obi-Wan wouldn't want his death to be avenged, as vengeance wasn't the Jedi way, he'd bring Palpatine to justice the right way. He'd answer for his crimes.

It was time to move, a plan set in motion years ago to begin. He'd fulfill his destiny as the chosen one. Anakin rose to his feet, black robes flowing out behind him. He briefly looked at the sky, his thoughts focusing on the task at hand. His hand gently brushed the comforting handle of his lightsaber. "Boys," He called out.

The two of them stopped their sparring, their lightsabers still held up before them, but their attention was on him now. "Master?" Galen said, a look of curiosity on his face.

"It's time to go." He said as he walked closer to them. "It's been an enjoyable time with the both of you. You've both exceeded my hopes, and I know you'll both become great Jedi." They both returned their lightsabers to their belts as he placed a hand on their shoulders. "I'm proud of you both. The time has come for you to join the others on Tython."

"You're not coming with us?" Ezra asked, a barrage of questions coming to his mind.

"Unfortunately no. I have one last thing to do. You both need to spend some time with other Jedi and I can't risk going there. There's a chance I'd be followed. You two will have better luck." He said with a sad smile. "Plus, the rebellion will be making a strike against Coruscant soon. The Jedi will need to be there to help in the fighting. I'll be taking on Palpatine while all of you do the real fighting.

They both nodded out of respect but were hesitant to leave their master alone. "What about Luke and Leia?" Galen asked. "Palpatine still has them locked up with them in the Imperial Palace, right?"

"He does, yes. But I already have Ahsoka getting them out in the confusion." Anakin answered. "Now, get going. I'll be in touch with you later." They both nodded, then donned their cloaks and headed back to the spacesport on their speeder bikes. Anakin watched them go for a few moments before leaving himself and finding his black Jedi starfighter that was parked not far off. His R2 unit tweeted at him in greeting, not R2-D2 sadly as he was with the Rebellion as well along with C3-PO "Open a communique with Mon Mothma." He tweeted and did as he was told. A few moments later, the aged former senator of Chandrila appeared. "Skywalker." She said in greeting. "Has the time come?"

"It has," Anakin responded. "As soon as you're ready, you may begin your assault. Coruscant will be heavily defended, but you know what to do. Once Palpatine is dead and his battle meditation with him, it'll be easier for your people to break through."

"We're taking an awful risk with his strategy. Are you sure you'll be able to defeat him alone?" She asked, uncertainty written clearly on her face.

"Yes, I'm very sure. I'll see you once the battle is over."

She nodded briefly, then the transmission ended.

Anakin sighed deeply, then entered his starfighter. He hovered off the ground before streaking off into the afternoon sky, His hyperspace ring was waiting for him right where he left it, and he entered the jumped and left the system in short order. He stared off into the blue streaks of hyperspace and thought about the upcoming battle. He had honed his skills and his strength in the force as far as he could. He had stupid various holocrons of past Jedi as well as Sith. He felt ready for this, as ready as one could for facing off with the most dangerous Sith in history.

His understanding of the force had expanded in a way that never could've happened under the tutelage of either sect. He was come to fully understand why he was fallen the first time. He had an obsessive love for Padme. He had claimed her for his own and didn't want anyone or anything else to take her from him. The further he had fallen into the dark, the more his obsession had increased. His genuine and good natured care for at her at the beginning was twisted into something horrible. Then at the end of their relationship, then he could've left with her, should've been thinking about her first, but he had only thought of himself and his power, and then himself was all he ever had, until Luke awoke the light left in his heart.

The dark side promises greater power, but it was never greater. You only get access to more power in a quicker way, but along with it comes the negative aspects. It is vicious, ruthless and has an endless hunger for more. Such a hunger that it can never be sated. Darth Nihilus was such a one that knew that best. All it does is destroy, the others around you, and most importantly, it destroy your own self.

The light is absolutely the stronger of the two. It is patient, and it waits, and it always wins. Luke had shown him that at the end. The light inside Anakin had waited quietly for 23 years until it burst forth and wiped clean the stain of Palpatines darkness from the galaxy in one fell swoop. Anakin had been such a fool to believe the lies that Palpatine could save Padme from death. There was never any risk of that happening to begin with.

Such a fool was I.

Now he'd correct his mistakes, he'd free the galaxy from the threat of Palpatine. He only had to win today. Then find the various cloning faculties that Palaptine had prepared in case of his death. There would be no clones of Palaptine running around, he'd make certain of that.

His thoughts ran in circles like this for an hour before he decided on entering a force trance and waiting out the rest of the trip in silence.

A sudden beeping on his control console woke him and looked to see it from the reversion warning. He pulled back on a lever and his ship exited hyperspace. He could see Coruscant through the view cut quickly through the traffic lanes in space and descended to the planet. He quickly landed his ship on the retractable landing pad that was once the Jedi Temple and made his way through it's many halls. He drew on the force, focusing his mind and body. There weren't many people in this building anymore, aside from maintenance crews and the Emperors guests. There were a special few that called it home on the rare occasion. Such as his advisors or the ones known as an Emperor Hand. Such as the young Mara Jade. They didn't know of each others existence, and all thought they were the one and only. By the Emperors design, of course. Ever manipulative as he was. A woman fell into step beside him. Someone he knew well and had snuck in shortly before he landed. Ahsoka. "Anakin." She said quietly. "You're really doing this?"

"I am." He answered.

"I can tag along with you, you know. You don't have to face him alone." She said, he could feel the urge in her to come with her. To face Palaptine together.

"You know you can't. You have a job to do here as I do." He said sternly. Though he wish it were otherwise.

"I know. I'll get them out of here safely. Hopefully before the fighting starts."

"Hopefully, but do what you can regardless." Anakin said. "Get to it."

Ahsoka briefly nodded and fell out of step from him and turned down a corridor off to his left and she was gone. She was hiding her presence well, he wondered if Palpatine knew she was here. He didn't bother hiding himself. There was no point. He was no interest in sneaking around here.

A few more minutes of walking brought him to the Emperors throne room. The entrance to it, at any rate. Anakin stood outside it, his eyes closed and breathing steadily. His destiny awaited him. The reason Qui-Gon had saved him from a life of slavery. Why Obi-Wan had always had such faith in him. With the briefest of gestures, he opened the door and steeped through the threshold. Palpatine sat in his chair, as he always did, at the end of the very space. Anakin walked up towards him and didn't kneel as he normally would. "I'm glad to see you've returned, my friend. There is much work to do." Palpatine said as he looked up at him. "Did you have an enjoyable time away?"

Anakin didn't respond immediately. He balled his fists, though he wasn't angry. He had never felt more calm then he did in this moment. He felt at peace now. With a flick of his wrist his lightsaber entered his waiting hand. "It's time, Sidious."

Palpatines face hardened then. "You think to challenge me, boy? Have you finally come to try to claim the title of Sith Master from me?"

"No. I've come to rid the galaxy from your darkness. To restore the Republic and flame of the Jedi." Anakin said.

Palpatine sneered at him with utter hate and contempt. "Even worse then I expected. You've always been too weak to fully understand and use the darkside. You'd always have a flicker of the light in your heart, no matter how hard I tried to stamp it out." He stood then. "You've failed me, Vader. Truly." Then two hilts found his open palms, and he stood up. Two crimson blades extended forth.

Anakins blue lightsaber lit up in response and it rose in a defensive posture, and a small smile appeared on his face. "The light in me is the best part of who I am. I've been working to bring you down from the very first day. You're a liar and a monster. You never knew how to save Padme. All you know is how to destroy everything you touch."

Sidious clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Then die as a Jedi, as Obi-Wan did." Then he leapt forth and their blades met in a shrill shriek.