Chapter 27 - The Beginning of the End

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~ Amina Gila

Anakin feels the danger blare through the Force before anything actually happens. Sidious stabs his lightsaber towards Dooku again, his eyes completely yellow as the Dark Side swirls around him. This time, the Count doesn't block it in time. It catches him in his upper left arm, grazing across it. The wound isn't bad, but it will slow him down – and probably get him killed – if he intends to keep fighting.

Sidious shoots a bolt of lightning towards Dooku, sending him flying across the room. He doesn't scream – surprisingly – but Anakin can see his face pale from the pain. With a mocking grin, the Sith Lord whirls towards Anakin and Obi-Wan. "Who's next?" he taunts as he faces them.

A feeling of rage sweeps through Anakin as he glances at Dooku again. The realization that could be Obi-Wan – he can't even contemplate such a thing. "Skywalker, don't," orders Dooku in a surprisingly strong voice belying his almost helpless appearance, "Don't do it for me."

Anakin knows what he's saying. Don't fall to the Dark Side because of me. He listens, reaching towards Obi-Wan to restore his strength. Sidious opens his mouth to say something else when Anakin springs towards him, swinging a powerful blow which the Sith blocks. He can't let him talk. When he talks, he can confuse anyone. It's best not to listen to him.

Drawing on the Force, Anakin presses forward, Obi-Wan at his side. They force Sidious back, launching a furious attack. Their blue blades weave around the Sith Lord, trying to find a weakness in his defenses to no avail. Raw determination fills Anakin as he wields his lightsaber like an extension of his arm, but something tells him they won't win this duel. They won't lose, but they won't win either. That knowledge heightens his senses as he prepares for the inevitable. If nothing else, maybe he can minimize whatever damage occurs.

That's when it happens. Sidious extends his left hand, throwing a strong Force push at Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master is thrown across the room, crashing into the wall before collapsing on the ground, stunned. Almost mockingly, Sidious sends a bolt of lightning arching at Obi-Wan, striking the fallen man. A growl of fury escapes Anakin when he sees his brother laying there, and something inside him snaps. He throws himself at Palpatine in a rage, suddenly desperate to just hurt him.

"I knew it," hisses Sidious as he blocks Anakin's enraged attack, "You are a Sith! You joined Dooku!" He parries Anakin's next lunge, their sabers locked together, neither able to move. Glancing over at the Count's body, he smirks, "You have done well, my apprentice. Getting Anakin to join you was a wise move on your part, but in the end, you will fail. He was always destined to be at my side."

"No!" yells Vader as the Dark Side surges through him, pulling back before swinging wildly at Sidious once more. His anger is burning at him again, and he suspects his eyes have probably turned yellow. He doesn't care. "I will never be a Sith," he growls.

"You already are," taunts Sidious, "I should have known you were Vader! You will fail, and your friends will go with you."

A wave of hatred surges through Vader. This man is trying to destroy everything. He's trying to kill Obi-Wan, and he cannot succeed. A blast of lightning shoots towards the Sith Lord from his left hand, but Sidious deflects it. It ricochets away, narrowly missing Obi-Wan.

"Join me, Vader," urges Sidious, "And I will make you the most powerful Sith to exist. You will be unstoppable. No one will be able to face you."

Vader stands there holding his lightsaber, breathing ragged. All he wants is revenge. He wants Sidious to suffer and die at his hands. Nothing else matters. "Anakin!" hisses Obi-Wan struggling to sit up, "Don't listen to him. Come back to yourself."

An angry growl escapes the Sith Lord, and lightning blasts at the Jedi Master who ignites his lightsaber to block it a fraction of a second too late. He's knocked back to the floor, writhing from the agony. No. Vader snarls throwing himself at Sidious to stop him from hurting Obi-Wan. He's running solely on anger, and he knows he'll be hurt, but his mind isn't clear enough to logically consider it.

An unexpected blast of lightning catches him, and he's thrown back. Vader lands on the floor, a burning pain tearing through every single nerve in his body. It ends just as suddenly, and he raises his head to see Sidious bolting out of the room. He's escaping. Not again!

Anakin, still lost in his anger, tries to force himself to rise, but his body is still too unsteady from the effects of the Force lightning. "Anakin," Obi-Wan's voice filters into his mind, "Let him go. You'll never be able to stop him alone."

He sinks back against the floor, breathing heavily, using the Force to siphon away his pain. A couple minutes later, he's able to stand once more. He immediately hurries to Obi-Wan's side. "Master, are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," Obi-Wan replies, staring intently at Anakin. He reaches up, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Let it go, Anakin," he murmurs gently, "Don't hold onto your anger." Anakin sinks down next to his former master, relaxing in his presence.

Unlike the other times he'd slipped towards the Dark Side, this time wasn't fueled by pain so much as anger. It was different in a way he can't quite explain. It was like the time he massacred the camp of Tusken Raiders. This time, he reached for it almost willingly. It offered him the power to stop Sidious, and he took it, even if he didn't win. The guilt gnaws at him. He shouldn't have done it. He shouldn't have, but he did. Every time becomes easier, and that fact is bothering him. He can't Fall.

He closes his eyes focusing on the feel of Obi-Wan's hand on his shoulder, and his love for his brother. It's time to move on to the next phase of their plan and quickly. It won't be long before someone comes looking for the Chancellor, and he doesn't want to fight anyone to protect Dooku.

"If you're alright, it would be advisable to leave," Dooku speaks, almost as though reading his mind.

"I'm fine," Anakin mumbles, more to himself than the Count. Taking a deep breath to relax himself, he pushes a button on his commlink. "Artoo, bring the ship," he instructs.

He stands up, offering a hand to Obi-Wan, before the two approach Dooku. "Can you walk?" questions Obi-Wan.

Dooku nods before standing up and clipping his lightsaber in place. Walking across the office, he raises his right hand and uses the Force to shatter the glass in the window. Seconds later, the small shuttle – piloted by Artoo – speeds up, the boarding ramp lowered. Dooku leaps onto it, before the ship speeds away, presumably to the prearranged meeting location.

"The situation has become even more dire," Obi-Wan remarks after the ship is out of sight, "Sidious has escaped, and we have no way of knowing where he is headed."

Anakin nods in agreement. He fully realizes the enormity of the problem they are facing. "We need to inform the Council what is happening," Obi-Wan continues, "This is not something the three of us can handle alone."

Much as he disagrees with involving the Jedi – though cannot say if it's from fear or agreement with Dooku of the Council's inefficiency – Anakin knows that Obi-Wan is right. He simply nods again, feeling worn out – not only from the duel with Sidious. He knows he's much closer to the Dark Side than he's comfortable with.

"We'd better go now, shall we? Let's not keep them waiting," Anakin remarks, a smirk inching onto his face.

"Certainly," agrees Obi-Wan, a note of sarcasm entering his voice. He walks out of the Chancellor's office with Anakin following. Together, they leave the Senate building as inconspicuously as possible.

"Master, we can't let the Council capture Dooku," Anakin reminds him as they get a speeder to travel to the Temple.

"I know," Obi-Wan replies, tone pensive, "They'll never understand his reasoning. He'll be imprisoned, and we'll lose the help he can give us." Anakin shoots him a brief look, slightly surprised to hear Obi-Wan acknowledging that they need the Count's help.

Anakin shifts silently, fear gnawing at him. Will the Council discover everything? If they do, what then? Will they expel him? He can't take the questions anymore, so he finally looks over at Obi-Wan. "Master, will the Council expel me?"

Blue-gray eyes meet his. "I don't know," Obi-Wan replies at last, "They shouldn't, but if they do, I'm going with you. I'm told you I'm not leaving you, and I meant it." He nudges Anakin's arm slightly, before looking ahead of them at the approaching Temple.

He – he would really do that? For Anakin? That knowledge takes the edge off Anakin's worry, and he relaxes for the last few minutes of the trip next to his brother, gratitude overwhelming him. Whatever happens, he won't be alone.