9

Coruscant – Senate Building

It was almost nightfall when the three Jedi arrived at the office of the Chancellor. They had disguised themselves, and used stealth and the Force to arrive unnoticed by the clones that were posted seemingly everywhere.

"Are you sure about this?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin. "You're taking a terrible risk, Anakin."

"I'm sure, and you worry too much," Anakin said. He looked at Yoda. "Ready?"

Yoda nodded. "Ready we are, Anakin. May the Force be with you."

"And with both of you," Anakin said, and then walked into the office of the Chancellor.

Palpatine looked up from his desk, surprised to see someone enter unannounced. But it was late, and he had sent his aide home. He smiled when he realized who it was. "Well my boy, I'm pleased that you survived."

Anakin nodded, not surprised that Palpatine recognized him. "I have come to join you, your majesty," he said. "I have seen the Jedi for what they truly are."

Palpatine frowned. "And what makes you think my offer to you is still open?"

Anakin smiled. "The Rule of Two," he said. "You need an apprentice. Who better than me? I'm more powerful than any Jedi, you said so yourself."

Palpatine nodded. "Yes, so I did," he said. "And yet, I didn't need you to dispatch the four pathetic Jedi who came here to arrest me. I made short work of them, even that arrogant Master Windu."

Anakin digested this in silence, their worst fears confirmed. "You will need help to run your empire," he said. "I'm offering you my services," he said, with a courtly bow.

Palpatine rose slowly from his desk, his eyes not leaving Anakin. "Are you, young Skywalker?" he asked. "Or are you simply trying to stay your own execution?"

Anakin smiled again. "My execution? I think you have that wrong, your majesty," he said, activating his com link.

Palpatine frowned. "What do you mean, I have it wrong?" He challenged. "Are you my apprentice or aren't you?" he asked, walking towards Anakin.

"I think what he means, your majesty," Obi-Wan said, appearing behind Anakin, "Is that this night will see your execution, not his."

Palpatine frowned. "Traitor," he hissed, looking at Anakin. "After everything I've done for you, after everything I've offered you, you still side with the Jedi. You truly are a fool, Skywalker."

"I was a fool," Anakin said. "To ever believe a word you said," he added, igniting his lightsaber.

Obi-Wan did the same, as did Palpatine. "You are hereby charged, your majesty, for crimes against the Republic, and for the murder of the Jedi."

Palpatine smiled. "You think you can capture me?" he taunted. "What makes you think you'll fare any better than the weaklings that came before you?"

"Capture you, we will not," Yoda said, appearing behind Obi-Wan. "Execute you, we will." And with that the three of them came at Palpatine as one, the lightsabers slashing furiously.

Palpatine was alarmed at the ferocity of the combined strength of the three Jedi. Anakin was by far the most aggressive, making Palpatine regret deeply that the young man had not decided to join him as his apprentice. But clearly that would not happen, and Palpatine needed to do everything he could to kill the young man he'd once considered a protégé. But with the other two Jedi, each of them deadly in their own right, Palpatine started to wonder if he'd met his match.

"This is the end, your majesty," Anakin said as he had forced Palpatine to his knees. But the Sith lord did not give up that easily, and sent a powerful blast of Sith lightning at Anakin, sending him flying backwards. Obi-Wan and Yoda moved in closer, each of them coming at him from opposite sides. Anakin struggled to his feet to rejoin the fight, and leapt behind Palpatine. He slashed his lightsaber across Palpatine's back before the Sith could defend himself. Palaptine gave a scream of pain, of rage, and turned to Anakin, his eyes yellow with hatred. But Anakin was ready for him, and drove his weapon into the Sith's chest, killing him finally.

The three Jedi stood for a moment, looking at the dead body of the monster that had ripped the galaxy apart. They knew that revenge wasn't the Jedi way, but not one of them felt a hint of remorse for their actions.

"The Senate must be informed," Obi-Wan said finally. "Senator Organa must take control until an election can be called."

Anakin nodded. "What are we going to do about the clones? They won't stop until they've killed us all."

"There must be a way to revoke the orders," Obi-Wan said. "Surely the Kaminoans would know how."

"But if they had a part in this from the beginning, how willing will they be to tell us?" Anakin asked.

"If implicit they are in Palpatine's plot, then held accountable by the Senate they will be," Yoda said. "Cooperative they must be, now that their master is dead."

Anakin nodded. "Yes, you're right Master Yoda," he said. "But that doesn't mean we're not still in danger," he said, looking at Obi-Wan.

"You're right," Obi-Wan agreed. "We need to lay low until this danger passes, assuming we can get the Kaminoans to cooperate. Go somewhere remote."

Anakin was thoughtful for a moment. "I know a place," he said. "Padmé's lake house on Naboo. It's where I took her to keep her safe before the war broke out. It's pretty isolated."

"But how do we get there without being discovered?"

Anakin was about to respond, when his comlink sounded. He looked at his companions in alarm. "Who could it be?"

"Answer and find out, you will," Yoda suggested patiently.

Anakin nodded. "Skywalker here."

"Anakin thank God!"

"Ahsoka! Where are you? Are you safe?"

"I'm at the temple, I heard the beacon," she said. "I knew it was a trap, but…"

"So why did you go? You could have been killed!" Anakin admonished.

"I have someone with me who would make sure that didn't happen," she said.

Anakin frowned. "Who?"

"Captain Rex. I removed his inhibitor chip. He's on our side."

Anakin sighed with relief. "We're at the chancellor's office," he said. "Palpatine is dead, but we're still in danger. Come here, we'll need Rex's help to get off of the planet."

"We'll be right there."

Senate Building

Senator Bail Organa hurried to the office of the chancellor. The message he'd receive from Obi-Wan Kenobi had been cryptic and brief: we need you now. The message had originated from within the Senate building, and Organa had to wonder how Obi-Wan had managed to gain access to the building safely. Obviously he did, and obviously he was not alone. What had happened? Organa could not imagine.

It was quiet in the ante-chamber, with no sign of guars or other personnel. Organa frowned, finding this odd. "Come in, Senator," Anakin Skywalker said appearing at the door.

Organa nodded, and followed the young Jedi into the room.

"Palpatine is dead," Obi-Wan told him. "And we need you to take control of the Senate."

Organa was shocked, and looked over to where the body of Palpatine lie. "How...how did you get in here? There are clones everywhere."

"We managed," Anakin said. "We weren't going to let that monster get away with what he has done," he said, looking at the dead body of Palpatine with a frown.

Organa was confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "What has he done?"

"He was a sith lord," Obi-Wan told him. "The sworn enemy of the Jedi. He has hidden it from us for years, but has recently shown his true nature. We could not let him live."

Organa was shocked, but trusted Obi-Wan implicitly. "In that case, you've done the galaxy a great service."

The door opened at this point, and a clone appeared. As the three Jedi grabbed their lightsabers and prepared to defend themselves, the clone removed his helmet to reveal Captain Rex.

"Relax, he's with us," said Ahsoka as he appeared behind him.

Rex smiled, but Anakin, who knew him well, could see how troubled he was by all that had happened.

"How did you get away from your squadron?" Obi-Wan asked Ahsoka.

"It wasn't easy," Ahsoka said. She glanced at Rex. "We…we crashed the destroyer, only Rex and I got out alive. And Maul."

Obi-Wan frowned. "He's still alive?"
Ahsoka nodded. "He seemed the least of our problems," she remarked.

"True enough," Anakin said. "Rex, we need you to get us to Naboo," he said. "We can pose as your prisoners."

"Of course," Rex said. "But why Naboo?"

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan. "We can hide up at Senator Amidala's lake house," he said. "She's there now. I know she'd be fine with us going there."

Rex smirked, knowing Anakin's secret. "We can leave right away," he said, putting his helmet back on.

Anakin nodded "Let's go."