Anakin POV

We were still in the middle of a dogfight, when I felt the attitude of the battle shift. Not here, we had them on the run, but there was a strong disturbance in the Force. Suddenly, I heard Ahsoka scream in my head, but it was like it was right next to me. Something was wrong, and I had to do something.

"Blades," I said in an authoritative, commanding tone, "Commander Kenobi has just requested backup. I need to go to the surface."

"Do you require an escort, sir?" he said.

"No, continue the mission as planned in my absence. You are in command now."

"Yes, sir. Good luck, General."

I started to turn my ship towards the surface, and pushed the thrusters to full power. One ship followed me thinking that I was attacking the surface, which I was technically. I looped around tight and got in behind the fighter before it knew what was happening. Squeezing on the triggers, I fired at the ship and hit it, then I continued down to the surface.

"Beep, Beep, boop," came R4.

"Yeah, I know I lied to Blades. I had to. Ahsoka is in trouble. They could all be in trouble," I said.

"Boop. Beep. Beep. Boop."

"Obi-Wan is overreacting. I have faced Palpatine before and have not turned. I am not 22 anymore. I know what I am doing."

"Beep. Beep. Boop." he said, unconvinced.

I found an empty landing platform outside the horrible castle, and put the ship down. I opened the cockpit and got out. "Take the ship back to the cruiser," I commanded pulling my cloak around me.

I turned to go inside the fortress, but stopped when I heard a series of whistles from R4.

I turned around, "Go on buddy. It will be alright. I will see you with Obi-Wan, Rex, and Snips in a few hours. I promise."

R4 gave a few long wearily beeps telling me to be careful, then he started up the engines, and the ship took off. I watched the ship go off into the night before turning to enter the fortress and help my friends.

I walked through the old Sith temple with only my lightsaber for light. I studied the Sith Temples under my tutelage with Palpatine studying the Dark Side of the Force, and I had my own palace at Mustafar, but it was not an ancient Sith Fortress. The Death Star was much more efficient way to rule the galaxy because it was mobile and had the ability to destroy planets, but it took two years to design and twenty-one years to construct. Sidious and others Siths would be hiding on old temples until they had that kind of time to reconstruct a weapon of mass destruction, or they were captured.

Suddenly, I heard fighting and I followed the noise. I quickened my pace and soon I was running through the temple getting closer and closer to the noise. I turned down a hallway and saw a massive door, blown open. I ran through it.

Inside there were clones scattered throughout the room on the floor, many were paralyzed, but some were trying to get up. On the ground close to the stairs was Ahsoka, a pool of blood surrounding her. On the dais, at the top of the stairs, Obi-Wan and Palpatine were fighting. Palpatine had Obi-Wan backed into a corner and had his blade at Obi-Wan's throat.

Without thinking, I charged Palpatine, a yell of anger came from my throat. I had my saber high overhead in attack mode. Palpatine turned at the commotion, and kicked me in the chest, sending me backwards. I did a flip and landed on my feet ready to anything.

"Anakin, so glad you could join us," he said.

"What did you do to her?" I seethed.

"She attacked me. I defended myself," he said.

"You will pay!" I spat.

"Anakin, let me handle this!" shouted Obi-Wan.

"No, he's mine," I said.

"Now, Anakin," said Palpatine, "you know vengeance is not the Jedi way."

"Do not lecture me," I said, and I attacked.

Obi-Wan came at him from behind and I from the front. We worked in sync from years of working and practicing together side-by-side. It was like we were never apart, but he was my master for the last forty years. I knew his rhythms and he knew my impulses.

Obi-Wan's fighting style was Soresu, defensive, and methodical. when he fought inching a little bit, working for small victories, gaining ground slowly, working like clockwork.

On the other hand, I liked Shien, much more aggressive. I was a hurricane, wild and unpredictable. I went for the fast move, the fancy footwork, the big payday. I wanted blood, and I did not care about being neat. Separately, Obi-Wan had the edge on me, but together we were invincible.

I grinned and started to act on my overconfidence. My moves got more aggressive, and less conservative. Suddenly, I left my back open, and Sidious made a move to cut my spinal cord paralyzing me. Quickly, Obi-Wan pushed me out of the way and Palpatine slashed from his shoulder to his hip across his back. Obi-Wan crumpled to my feet screaming in pain. I knelt down to try and stop the blood, realizing that the only thing that would happen to him is that he would go in and out of consciousness until I got him to a hospital.

Palpatine laughed, "Look what's become of your friends because of your resistance."

I balled my fists in anger, and clenched my teeth. Then a thought came to me. It was a horrible thought, but it was a way to end this. If I gave into my anger at him and just let go, I could have the strength to beat him. Something that sounded like a combination of Depa and Windu told me this was a bad idea in the back of my mind, but I did not have a choice.

I took a deep breath. Could I access the Dark Side? I searched my heart and felt there was so much love and peace. There was even forgiveness in some places. Then I thought about my past. I thought about waking up from Mustafar and asking for Padme and hearing the words "I think in your anger you killed her." I let the anguish, the pain, the self-hatred to fill me, and then the truth of the matter: It was a lie. My heart thudded in my chest, and my breathing was ragged and uneven. My lightsaber came to my hand and I ignited it. Anakin Skywalker could not defeat the Emperor, but Darth Vader could.