His Master

Chapter 1: Betrayal

I know I should be working on my other stories, but I have the plot of this story almost finished. So… I'm starting a new story.

Anakin was sitting in the back of a cab, which Obi-Wan had insisted on, heading to visit his friend, Chancellor Palpatine. He was happy to be seeing his friend. With both of them busy with the war, Anakin hadn't seen Palpatine in a year and a half. He adored Captain Rex and Commander Cody, but he hadn't known them as long as he did the Chancellor. Besides his master, Obi-Wan, Chancellor Palpatine had been his friend the longest.

Anakin was drawn from his thoughts when the cab driver said, "We're here."

Anakin smiled as he paid the cab driver, and he said, "Thanks."

"Do you want me to wait for you?" the cab driver asked, as he glanced around the dark buildings. The meeting wasn't originally supposed to be this late, but something had come up, causing the Chancellor to have to push it back. It was only eight at night, but it was dark. Criminals liked waiting in dark alleys near the Senate building, where unsuspecting civilians walked. The cab driver was looking out for the young Padawan.

Anakin smiled and said, "No, I'll be fine. And the Chancellor will probably drive me back to the Temple. Besides, you want to get home to put your newborn to bed."

"If you're sure," the cab driver said hesitantly, "I don't want anything to happen to you either."

"Nothing will happen," said Anakin, "Normally I would walk or have my master take me, but he was busy and overprotective." Anakin rolled his eyes good naturedly, and he laughed. But suddenly, he had the urge to get back in the cab and go back to the Temple. He wanted to stay by his master until the feeling of uneasy and danger passed. He frowned in confusion. He was just going to talk to his friend. He had known the Chancellor for years. He had no cause for such feelings of danger. Unless… the Chancellor was in danger. He stretched out his mind, but he felt no danger to the Chancellor. However, the Force continued to grow darker and more apprehensive, urging him to return to Obi-Wan and not see the Chancellor. He shook his head and ignored the Force's warning.

Anakin should have listened to the Force's warning and went home to Obi-Wan, but he didn't. He would learn his lesson soon enough.

When he entered Palpatine's office, he knew that something was wrong. The first thing he noticed was that the Chancellor, leader of the Republic, was talking to Count Dooku, one of the Republic's greatest threats. Count Dooku was second to only Darth Sidious when it came to threats. The second thing he noticed was that the Force was oozing darkness, and the origin was the Chancellor himself. The Chancellor was Darth Sidious. Anakin always wondered how Palpatine knew they were going to win the war, and he always replied with a smile that he just knew. Palpatine knew, because he ran both sides of the war. No matter which side won, he would inevitably win.

Palpatine noticed Anakin's frozen form standing in the doorway, and his eyes widened. He had lost track of time in his anger at Dooku's failure. His plan was ruined. Anakin was nowhere near dark enough for him to twist into doing his will. He still had too much trust in the Jedi and, specifically, Obi-Wan. Palpatine allowed himself one moment of panic before he calmed himself and thought about what he could do to save the situation. Anakin trusted him, so maybe he could still make this work. The Chosen One would be his.

"I must think of a suitable punishment for you, Count," Palpatine said, "We will finish discussing your failure at a later date."

Palpatine's evil countenance slid from his face as soon as the call ended, and if Anakin hadn't witnessed what he just had, he wouldn't have believed that Palpatine was the Sith Lord the Jedi looked endlessly for. "You're the Sith Lord they're looking for?" Anakin asked, incredulous and afraid.

"Now, my boy, I am still your friend," said Palpatine, and Anakin for the first time saw through the sickly-sweet persona Palpatine put on. He had seen the real Palpatine, and it could not correlate with the one he had known for seven years. The whole time Palpatine had lied to him.

"No," Anakin said firmly, standing straighter, "Sith are evil. We are not friends."

"Anakin, my boy …" Palpatine started.

However, Anakin interrupted him as soon as he realized what he should do. "I'm going to talk to the Council. Obi-Wan should still be talking to them." As he turned around to run out the door and to the Temple, he realized he probably shouldn't have told Palpatine what he planned. He felt the Force surge with anger, and the doors slammed shut. Palpatine was seething with anger, and he had used the Force to keep the doors shut. Anakin pulled on them in vain before giving up and resigning to his fate. He turned back around pressing his back against the door. He watched Palpatine's every move in fear.

"Anakin, everything alright?" Obi-Wan asked through their bond. Anakin wanted to tell him everything, but he felt Palpatine enter his mind. He stayed silent in fear.

"Don't say a word," Palpatine threatened, and he sent a pulse of pain through Anakin, "Or you won't like the consequences.

"Anakin, why are you scared? What made that pain? What's going on?" Obi-Wan asked concerned and the slightest bit panicked. Anakin was only going to the Chancellor. He should have been there by now. What would cause him fear and pain? "Anakin, answer me."

"Block the bond," Palpatine said calmly with a smirk. He found Anakin's weakness. While he was planning on subtly using the Force to encourage Anakin to fall in love with Padme and then use her against him, he couldn't do that now. Anakin was only sixteen and hadn't seen Padme much since he was nine. While he still had a crush on her, Padme would not fall for a minor, making that plan void. However, Anakin had another weakness which would bring him to the Dark sooner than the Padme plan would. When Anakin still hadn't blocked the bond, Palpatine grew angry, and he yelled, "NOW!" He sent a few more pulses of pain through Anakin, and Anakin let out a small scream. "ANAKIN!" Obi-Wan said in concern, feeling the pulses of pain. Before Obi-Wan could say anything else, Anakin blocked the bond without telling Obi-Wan anything. He hadn't even reassured him that he was fine. Obi-Wan banged on Anakin's shields, begging, asking, and demanding answers. All of which Anakin ignored, staring at Palpatine in fear. Anakin wished desperately for Obi-Wan to come save him.