Chapter 43 – Beginning of the End
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Author's Note: In which Anakin attempts to save Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. :P
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~ Amina Gila
"I hope this is part of a brilliant plan to break me out of here," I sigh as soon as the two of us are left alone in the room, both in restraints.
"Not this time," Obi-Wan replies, a hint of concern evident in his usually stoic expression. Oh great. How did I know it? Why is everything possible going wrong? What's next? "It's good to see you alright. Anakin's been really worried."
"Well, it would be good to see you under better circumstances," I reply, "What happened?"
"A bounty hunter tried to assassinate Padme again. I chased after him and he led me right to Maul and Dooku." Oh, that explains it. They were luring him away so they could capture him also. I hardly have a question in my mind anymore as to what Sidious intends to do. He's going to use both of us to try and get Anakin to Fall.
I frown. Something else I really need to know… "How did Anakin end up running into Palpatine again?" Assuming he did. I'm pretty my vision has already happened.
Obi-Wan shoots me a surprised look. "How did you know?"
"A vision," I explain.
"Palpatine decided to go on leave and stopped by at Padme's apartment first to talk to her. He and Anakin had a bit of a confrontation when she stepped out of the room for a minute. Anakin's back from Mandalore. The battle was won, aside from Maul not being there." That explains it. But how Padme ever allowed them to be alone in the same room together, I'm not sure. Not to mention how could Palpatine dare to go there acting so casual like nothing is wrong?
"So, what's his excuse for going on leave in the middle of the war?" I inquire, trying at least for now to ignore my ever-increasing fear and anxiety. I have a terrible feeling about this.
"He claimed he's been under extreme stress due to the war, and because Anakin, who's almost like a son, attempted assassinating him, so he needed to take a break so it wouldn't affect his health."
I snort out loud. Under different circumstances, the story would be downright hilarious. "Yes, I'm sure he's been soooo depressed about it." I sense something akin to amusement flicker through our bond.
Suddenly, an approaching Force presence strikes me. One far too close for comfort. Anakin. He's on his way here, probably either just emerging from hyperspace over the planet or already landing on the surface. Either way, he's walking right into the trap Sidious has set up for him.
"No," I murmur, eyes widening in horror.
Obi-Wan's reply is abruptly cut off as the door to the room swings open. Dooku is the first to enter, followed by an all-to-familiar hooded figure. Hatred and anger surge inside of me. I suddenly remember the last time we saw each other: when I tried and failed to kill him. The memory of the Death Star flashes before my eyes. When Luke and I were brought there and forced to fight Vader. When Sidious nearly killed us, and Anakin sacrificed himself. I remember seeing the lightning pouring over him, feeling his Force-presence fading and the unbearable agony when our bond finally broke.
My fear is gone. All I feel is the anger burning through me, and the fierce determination to save my brother. Sidious will not take him – not again. I've always tried to save everyone – something I learned from Anakin – but now I know that there's some people who simply don't deserve to live.
Yellow eyes meet mine as Sidious looks between Obi-Wan and I, looking altogether too satisfied. I glare back at him. If looks could kill, he would have died long ago.
"Everything is proceeding according to my design," Sidious laughs evilly. Oh, so I suppose my time traveling to the future was also part of his plan. But I don't say a word. No need to make him start talking to me unnecessarily.
Silence settles over the room, the tension and darkness from both Sith's presences nearly crushing me. I don't know how long it's been that we wait in the dead silence. Every moment, I sense Anakin's rapidly approaching presence. I sense as the distant sound of blaster fire reaches my montrals. Anakin's going to be here any minute. The sound grows steadily closer before stopping altogether. Moments later, the doors slide open and Anakin stalks in, his bright blue eyes burning with fury. He's holding his ignited lightsaber, ready to attack.
"Long have I waited," Sidious chuckles, "And now your coming together will be your undoing."
Anakin's eyes dart from Obi-Wan to me, then to Sidious as he lunges forwards. Dooku activates his lightsaber immediately, swinging it in the way, blocking Anakin's blade again, just as he had done on the Invisible Hand. Why does he keep defending the master I know is going to betray him? Well, when the time comes, I did warn him. He didn't believe me. Of course, he didn't.
Their lightsabers clash over and over as Anakin attacks him full force. His normally very bright Force-signature is cloaked with darkness and rage. I only wish I had had more time to properly prepare him for this.
"I've been looking forwards to this," Dooku gloats as he pulls out of the fight for a moment.
"Glad I could give you something to look forwards to," Anakin snaps back, slashing at him again. Dooku parries the blow and the two continue fighting furiously, the fight weaving its way around the room. A sudden Force shove sends Anakin flying across the room. He scrambles to his feet, about to lunge at the Sith apprentice again.
"Good! Use your aggressive feelings, boy! Let the hate flow through you!" encourages Sidious. They attack each other again, the deadly dance of blue and red continues. Dooku is rapidly being pushed onto the defensive as he backs away from Anakin's incessant attacks.
Dooku's fighting so much better than he was on the Invisible Hand. They're moving together in almost a blur, though I have little doubt as to who will win this battle. How could I ever have thought I even had a chance of winning? He was playing with me, and it's infuriating. Of course, he was. I should've known. How else could he have beat Anakin so frequently? My skills can't even begin to compare to Anakin's.
A sudden beep draws my attention to the doorway. A very worried Artoo rolls into the room. Wait, what's he doing here? Maybe Anakin's breaking-in plan wasn't as stupid as I thought. Or so I hope, because if it was, we're never going to get out of here.
Anakin and Dooku's lightsabers clash against each other, this time getting trapped into a saberlock. "I sense great fear in you, Skywalker. You have hate, you have anger, but you don't use them." Excuse me, but I think he is using them. Do you really not notice how angry he is now? And that he's clearly been using the Dark Side since the moment he stalked in the door?
In response Anakin Force kicks him across the room, before leaping after, ready for the kill. Dooku raises a hand towards Anakin and a blast of lightning hits him. Anakin is thrown across the room, falling to the floor a distance away, his robes smoking. I flinch sharply, looking away as pain floods through our bond. Dooku scrambles back to his feet, calling his lightsaber back to him and approaching Anakin.
"Good, good!" laughs Sidious, who seems to be forever applauding both sides of the fights that happen in front of him. Just like back on the Death Star. He certainly hadn't – won't? – changed much.
Anakin stands up slowly, glancing around the room. Dooku raises a hand, detaching an object from the wall and throwing it at Anakin, who throws it right back at him with even greater speed. Dooku deflects it to the side and then charges him again.
Even with Anakin having been electrocuted, Dooku is pushed back onto the defensive, rapidly retreating across the room, back towards where Sidious is watching, looking increasingly delighted. I get the distinct feeling that the lightning helped Anakin get an even stronger grip on the Dark Side. Which is exactly what both of them want.
As Anakin swings for him again, Dooku attempts to block it, but their blades clash into a saberlock, Anakin's blade on top of Dooku's. Anakin's suddenly slides down Dooku's cutting through his wrists. The Sith Lord falls to the ground on his knees, and Anakin catches his lightsaber with the Force, crossing the blades at his neck.
"Good, Anakin, good. I knew you could do it. Kill him!" urges Sidious, "Kill him and take his place as my new apprentice."
Anakin looks torn. He wants to do it, but he knows he shouldn't. Dooku's expression is one of shock and betrayal. I did warn him, and he didn't believe me. Did he really not realize that Sith always betray their apprentices, even after having been a Sith himself for so many years? Did he really think Sidious would want to turn Anakin and keep him alive? Anakin is infinitely more powerful. Any idiot can see that.
"That was not part of the plan," protests Dooku. Sidious only laughs in response.
"Anakin, don't do it!" I shout.
"Don't listen to him!" Obi-Wan urges.
"Do it," Sidious hisses.
Artoo has rolled off to a far corner as if trying to stay as far out of sight as possible. He's just there, not making a move to do anything. The door opens again, and this time, Maul steps in. He pauses in the doorway, watching the scene, but not moving to help either side. Now that he sees I was right about Sidious betraying Dooku, I wonder if he'll believe my warning to him.
Anakin's gaze darts between us, Sidious, and Dooku for several long moments before he steps back and deactivates the blades. "No," he says finally, a sudden sense of determination settling over him as he stares fearlessly at the Sith Lord. He looks like Luke staring down Sidious, I notice idly. Like father, like son. "If you want him dead, you'll have to kill him yourself. And I will never join you."
"We shall see," cackles Sidious. He raises his hands towards Obi-Wan and I, and the Force screams a warning a moment before lightning shoots out at us. A scream rips from me as the agony tears through me. It's just like back on the Death Star, but the intensity isn't quite as extreme. He wants us to stay alive – for now.
Anakin lunges forwards, only to be thrown backwards across the room into the wall. I can only watch, horrified, as a blast of lightning hits him, catching him off-guard. A groan escapes him as he falls to the floor, lightsabers slipping from his hands.
"Join me or they die," Sidious orders, turning back Obi-Wan and I, "You cannot escape your destiny." The lightning assault starts once again. The intensity is increasingly stronger, burning through me. I can feel Anakin's conflict pour through our bond. He can't let us die, but if he joins Sidious – which he thinks is the only way now – he's going to destroy everything we worked for so hard our entire lives.
"Stop!" Anakin yells finally, slowly drawing himself to his feet. After what seems like an eternity, the Sith Lord lowers his hands, ceasing the attack. Fear clenches me. I don't need to look up to know that Anakin's staring at the floor, unable to look at us. I need to help him, I have to, but I'm stuck here. I can't move. I don't even think I'd be able to stand right now, even if I wasn't in restraints. It's not as bad as it was in the Death Star, no, but I can't reach the Force well enough right now to siphon away the pain.
"Skyguy," I whisper urgently. Don't listen to him. There has to be another way for this. I can't bear seeing Anakin turn to the Dark Side, and I know it would be far worse for Obi-Wan, considering he's the one who raised him.
"Anakin, don't do it," Obi-Wan warns urgently.
"I have to," Anakin says with a sense of resignation. "I can't let you die." No. No. His love, his loyalty to his family is what saved him in the end, but it's also what destroyed him. I see that now. He walks forwards, kneeling in front of Sidious.
"So, you have chosen to fulfill your destiny," Sidious says gleefully. The Dark Side gathers around him again, and I look away. "Henceforth you shall be known as…" Nooooooo! I take a deep breath, closing my eyes tightly against the name I know I'm about to hear. "Darth Vader."