It's been a month, but finally here it is! Hope you like it :D

Chapter 50 – Duel of Fates

His hand still hovering over Anakin's head, he stared at his friend's suddenly still expression, his heart grinding to an almost painful stop in his chest. Anakin's eyes were open, but they were unseeing.

"Anakin?" he tried, putting one of his fingers against the young man's neck, checking for a pulse. It was faint, too slow – way too slow. Cursing, he shifted his hand towards his brother's chest, letting it rest above the heart. Tapping into the Force, he searched for a heartbeat. Only to feel it slipping away rapidly.

And with that Anakin stopped breathing.

"Oh, no. You don't get to go like this," Obi-Wan muttered, trying to keep calm and moved Anakin so that he lay flat on his back. Quickly, he opened his friend's tunic and placed both of his hands on Anakin's chest – and then pressed down. His injured arm stung painfully as he gave the chest compressions but he couldn't care about that now. Anakin's life depended on it. With each push he hoped for a sign of life from his friend, but instead he only felt his presence fade further and further away.

The Force wailed as Obi-Wan struggled to keep his friend from dying. He knew he couldn't go on forever.

"Come on, Anakin. Fight it. I know you can."

And despite him knowing that it would only bring him pain, he reached through the tattered remains of their bond, hoping to find his friend.

His strength had left him. Whatever it was that Palpatine had planted into his head, Vader like it called itself - it was winning. And Anakin didn't know what to do anymore. When he had faced off against Palpatine, he somehow had not expected to wake up again after being defeated. Shot down by his own men. The ache still lingered in his bones and Anakin wasn't sure if he would ever be able to forget what had happened again.

But that was not the worst part.

With the implantation of that chip came Vader. That creature – that incarnation of darkness – had infested his mind, had trapped him inside his own body. And Anakin could do nothing but watch. How Vader waltzed into the Jedi Temple, his home even though he never openly admitted it, extinguishing those tiny and innocent sources of light without even a hint of mercy.

It fed on his own rage, channeling it to spread fear and terror. Anakin had screamed, begged Vader to stop, but the beast had only laughed.

I am the mirror of yourself, Skywalker. I am only as strong as the hatred inside you. Now see what you can do with it.

And then he had come face to face with Obi-Wan. The man had tried to reason with him, reminding him of his origins, of his mother. Something had stirred inside of Anakin, making even Vader halt for a second, but as quickly as he had gained a little bit of control, it was gone again. The arm that had strangled his best friend had been his, even though Anakin had no power over his limbs. Again, he could only watch as his hand closed around his brother's neck and squeezed. Blindly, he had tried to reach for the only source of light that remained in this suffocating darkness. But it was as if an invisible wall had been built, separating him and Obi-Wan. And Vader stood between them, grinning.

Say goodbye to your friend.

With mechanical movements, he had removed the Force suppression collar from his former master's neck, his eyes shining with satisfaction as he watched Obi-Wan feel the death of the other Jedi.

And then Vader had started tearing at their bond. Obi-Wan's face had contorted into a grimace of pain and terror, trying to resist. But Vader was stronger, and Obi-Wan was greatly weakened. With a sickening snap, their bond broke and the last light Anakin had had vanished. He was blind. He had curled up in despair, clutching his head with his arms. He could not see Vader now, but he knew he was there, stalking his prey like a predator. And then there was Palpatine. The Sith put thoughts into Anakin's head that were not his own, but quickly became his. He couldn't discern between truth and lie anymore.

After that, Anakin became silent. Stopped fueling the energy of this monster by talking back. But he had not given up. Again and again, he attacked those invisible barricades in his mind. And each time he managed to produce a small crack and reach the other side, to displace Vader, to sow doubt in the mind of that beast, it was as if an electric impulse coursed through his veins and he was flung back, the crack closing before his eyes again.

It became a tiring battle against the darkness, against Palpatine - and above all against himself. Each of his attacks weakened him immensely, and soon Anakin found he had no strength left, even though he had accomplished more with his last attack than he had before. He felt sick, like a poison was set free inside of him.

As Anakin went down, Vader was suddenly close again. It felt like a ghostly hand was stroking through his hair, sending a chill down his spine. He tried pulling away but there was no escape in this darkness.

You cannot win. I am you. Kill me and you will go with me. Now let me finish off this wretched Jedi and get my family back.

"No, no," Anakin croaked, pushing against the barrier in a desperate attempt, "This is wrong. He's my friend!"

Vader hesitated for maybe just a second and Anakin thought that he actually broke through. But then Palpatine crushed this tiny success. The Sith invaded his mind with full force, making him recoil in agony. Black beads threaded themselves over the surface of the barrier, reeking of death and devastation.

Pain. Kenobi's bringing you pain.

"No," Anakin moaned, brokenly clutching at his head.

Kenobi is lying. Finish it.

And with that Vader was back in control. He had never hated himself so much for being weak. Ironically, he knew that it was exactly those thoughts that fueled the beast.

But he couldn't help himself.

Anakin shuddered as he squeezed his eyes shut and silent tears ran down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. To Obi-Wan. To Ahsoka. To his family.

Feeling how his body moved, how each blow that was exchanged in this deadly duel rattled in his bones, Anakin closed himself off. He could not bear to feel his own brother killed.

The fight was brutal. A small part inside of him was glad that Obi-wan apparently was putting up a serious fight, even though his friend was not at his physical best anymore. But if he was being honest with himself, he knew that Obi-Wan didn't stand a chance. Not like this.

But again, his former master should never be underestimated. The longer they fought, the more certain Vader obviously became of his victory. He became careless, too ignorant to see that he had just walked into a trap. Anakin grinned inwardly, even though his fate had just been sealed. For him, it only meant that this beast would never walk free again.

As the searing pain shot through his arm and he felt the limb suddenly vanish, he embraced it, knowing it would be over in a moment. He would have to make peace with it. That he would never see his family again. His children would have to grow up without him. Luke and Leia. How much yearned to see them grow up. But he knew that as long Vader continued to exist, peace would never be an option. His hope was that with his defeat, Palpatine's plan would falter and there would now be a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

Anakin clung to that thought.

Next, there was this sickening crack in his head, followed by a loud deafening noise. It was as if everything around him was shattering, like he had stood to close to a blast. But a seal was broken. Just as he had come, Vader suddenly disappeared and with him that invisible wall. The darkness was pushed back by blinding light. But Anakin could not breathe. He felt the Force calling him home. Vader had been right. He too would meet his end. Anakin noticed how the light became weaker again and the whisper of the Force louder. It was only a small step.

"...akin!"

Someone called after him. Anakin paused, resisting the pull of the Force, to listen.

"Anakin!" The voice was faint, distant. But it was enough to make it out.

"Obi-Wan," he muttered, spinning around frantically to locate his friend. It was as if he were standing in the middle of a maelstrom. Light and dark battled each other, flashes of light buzzing through the pitch-black clouds. And it was unbearably loud.

His exit would be easy. A few steps toward the Force's embrace and that would be it. But that meant leaving everyone behind he had ever fought for. Everyone he had ever loved and cared about.

This was not how he wanted to leave.

Bracing himself against the storm, Anakin took a careful step forward. Suddenly, it felt like his whole surroundings tilted sideways, the ground shuddering and groaning, as cracks began to form. Anakin barely kept himself on his feet, his eyes widening as he acknowledged what was happening.

The floor was breaking away, leaving only a never-ending gap beneath.

'My body is failing me,' Anakin realized with a pang. He had to find Obi-Wan. Fast.

"Obi-Wan!", he called as loud as his voice would allow him to.

When he didn't receive an answer at first, panic began to surge through him. And the fear that it probably already was too late. That he had to go now.

But then he heard it. Still far away, but there.

"Anakin!"

He instantly whirled around from where he heard his friend. It felt like a tiny beacon of light was behind those black clouds. Trying not to fall, Anakin leapt between the cracks, trying to draw closer. The path before him fell apart faster and faster.

"Come on," Anakin pressed out between clenched teeth and scrambled to move forward. But it appeared that his luck had run out. Just as he almost reached the small light source, the ground beneath his feet gave way and he began to fall.

A surprised scream tore from his throat as he began slipping and his remaining hand frantically tried to hold onto something. As the gravity pulled him down and he lost track of what was up and what was down, Anakin contemplated about the choices he made which had let to this.

He should have never left Obi-Wan and Ahsoka behind. They should have stayed together. Him. Padme. Ahsoka. Obi-Wan. Satine.

Had Satine survived? Was his padawan okay? Were Padme and his children alright? Questions he might never get an answer for.

Anakin continued tumbling down into the nothingness. The Force's call became stronger. He closed his eyes as the light became blinding again. This was it. Time to say goodbye.

He let out a long breath and tried to calm himself. His heartbeat showing again, he dared to open his eyes, embracing the light.

But just as he thought that he was about to come one with the Force, his descend was stopped. Something had wrapped itself around his remaining arm, keeping him from falling. Anakin craned his head to look up. It was a hand.

Obi-Wan's hand.

"Obi-Wan," he gasped, seeing that his friend had miraculously managed to break his fall. Obi-Wan lay pressed flat on the remains of the path, which still continued to break, and had his arm stretched far over the edge, straining to hold Anakin.

How much he had wanted to see his brother again. But now, as they both were mere seconds away from falling to their deaths, Anakin knew that that has been a foolish wish.

"You shouldn't be here," he croaked, "Let go of me, or you'll fall too."

"No!" Obi-Wan shot back sharply, anger lacing his voice, "I didn't come all this way to lose you to some fore-forsaken chip in your head!"

The grip on his arm tightened and Anakin felt himself being pulled upwards. More pieces of the ground started chipping away.

Was this really a way out? Or was he just prolonging the inevitable?

Despite the ugly feeling in the pit of his stomach, he decided to try fighting. As Obi-Wan continued to pull him up, he used the remains of his right arm to lever himself up on the edge.

His strength was still waning, but somehow the two men managed to pull themselves away from the abyss. Anakin lay breathing heavily on the stony ground as Obi-Wan helped him sit up.

"Come on, we have to get out of here," his friend groaned, with more or less assistance from Anakin pulling him to his shaky feet. Obi-Wan swung his left arm over his shoulder and Anakin drew in a sharp breath as he carefully wrapped his other arm around his side.

'Your ribs are broken,' his currently very spotty memory offered him.

When had this happened? And why didn't he remember?

"Sorry," Obi-Wan muttered, shallowly shifting his grip so that it wasn't directly on his ribs. "Please tell me you know a way out of here."

"What?", Anakin was still befuddled but his mind was slowly catching up, "How would I know?"

Obi-Wan looked at him with wide eyes and he noticed for the first time that this ghost version looked different from the original. No scar, no splint on his leg. Instead, he seemed to almost glow and there was a hole where his spine should be, as if he had been pierced with a lightsaber.

His mind did not provide him with logical answers. Nothing made sense.

Obi-Wan seemed to completely ignore that fact, but instead kept working on their escape. "Anakin, we are in your mindscape. Only you can get us out of here."

Vehemently, he shook his head. "No... no. This is not my mindscape."

If it were, they'd be on Naboo. On the lake. Where Padme and he had been married.

Obi-Wan snapped him out of his thoughts. "Yes, it is, Anakin. You're dying, I can't hold you forever. It may not look like it used to but try to get your bearings, that's your only chance."

"No. I- I don't know how," panic rose in him, "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan."

His friend cursed and clenched his teeth. Anakin could practically see the gears turning in the man's head.

"Okay," he then sighed, "Different approach. Do you think you can track down our bond?"

Now it was Anakin who was wide-eyed. "But I- Vader tore it up." The memory still hurt, and Anakin didn't want to imagine how Obi-Wan must have felt, and certainly still did.

"That may be, but I managed to at least partially use the remains to reach you. When everything started to fall apart here, you practically pulled me in."

"You're telling me you're stuck here, too."

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin forward as another clod broke away. "If you want to phrase it like that, yes. But we can rebuild our connection, then maybe I'll have a chance to get us out of here. For that to work, you'll have to try to find me."

"But you're standing right in front of me," he muttered before he could really think about it.

Obi-Wan sighed and rolled his eyes in exhaustion. "What you see of me is only a projection of my soul, a kind of spirit if you will. You must find the physical me. Focus on the Force, I will guide us through this."

So slowly Anakin began to understand. Only the Force had to obey him for this task. Determined, he closed his eyes and bent the Force to his will. Anakin imagined the warm presence of his master and scanned his surroundings.

"There," he whispered, "Over there."

Directly Obi-Wan began moving it in that direction, dodging falling chunks and slipping again and again. But their destination was getting closer. At the last meters, Anakin gathered his strength once more until they were in front of their bond. Never in his life would he have believed to see a physical manifestation of a bond. It looked like an once light-flooded canal that had been violently smashed in the middle. Now it almost sank into darkness.

"This is it," Obi-Wan spoke up, "Now all you have to do is reach the other side."

Grimly, he nodded and sucked in a deep breath. "I'll try."

Again, he closed his eyes and stretched his mind down the narrow passage. It was getting darker and darker. Splinters and debris blocked his path, almost making him think there was no way through. But there was this faint blue light at the end. It pulsated shallowly, as if it had been waiting for a long time and had lost more and more power over time. Anakin stretched out further and approached this small light. "Obi-Wan?" he asked cautiously, but received no response. Instead, the light flickered as if it was about to go out. Anakin reached for the light.

Immediately they connected and before he knew it, he was being pulled forward until suddenly it became briefly bright and loud. Anakin thought he saw a battlefield with a crashed ship and Obi-Wan sitting on its hull. And there were screams that broke the silence. But as fast as it had come, it was also gone again.

Gasping, he opened his eyes. The sun was high above him. It hurt to breathe. As he cautiously moved his head, he realized that he was lying on the ground and Obi-Wan was kneeling beside him, his hands pressed to Anakin's chest. His friend remained still and his eyes were closed.

What did I just see? He would have to talk about that. But not now, later.

"Obi-Wan," he croaked. This at least seemed to elicit a response as the aforementioned opened his eyes, blinked a few times, and then looked to him. The bond between them was still weak but nevertheless Anakin was finally able to feel Obi-Wan again. As gently as possible he tried to prop himself up on his elbows.

"Thank the Force," Obi-Wan then muttered relieved, taking his hands back and shifted so that he was kneeling behind Anakin's back to support him. "Be careful. I think I broke your ribs."

"Yeah, I noticed," Anakin grunted, making a face as he felt them move in his chest. His eyes skimmed shortly over the ground next to him, catching on his severed prosthesis. Luckily, Obi-Wan did just cut through the metal. It would take time to replace nonetheless.

He refocused back on Obi-Wan. The man looked exhausted; his face even paler than usual. Small cuts littered his friend's face and arms, accompanied by wood splinters that had gotten themselves stuck into his skin. And then there was the burn from his own lightsaber on the forearm.

Most of his energy was still spent on trying to breathe, but that didn't keep Anakin from voicing his thoughts. "You did it – you killed Vader."

Obi-Wan's brows furrowed slightly. "I destroyed the chip in your brain…", he paused, swallowing thickly, "And then your heart suddenly stopped beating. It felt like something was trying to forcibly remove you from the land of the living… I thought I lost you."

Anakin was silent for a moment, contemplating. "That chip – it locked me inside my own my mind. I could do nothing… except watching. Vader- I…," the words got caught in his throat and his eyes became wet as the realization settled in, "I- I murdered jedi… Burned the temple. Didn't stop for elderly masters or padawans. Force, I killed children, Obi-Wan."

"Anakin, that wasn't you…," Obi-Wan began but was interrupted again.

"It was my hand that held the blade. My face that they have seen in their last moments," he heaved, his voice breaking, "Tell me, what would have stopped me from killing my own kids? …Nothing stopped me from hurting you."

"Hey, hey…", warm but callused hands settled on his neck, tilting his head up, "Look at me."

Though his vision was blurry from tears, Anakin met Obi-Wan's gaze.

"None of this is your fault. Palpatine used you. And no one will hold you responsible for actions you had no choice about. I promise you we're going to sort this out together, but right now we have to stop Palpatine first."

The name made Anakin regain his composure a little. Obi-Wan was right. Taking a breath, he looked around him. He had arrived with Palpatine and some clones of the 212th. The transport ship still stood in the center of the small village. Only from the Sith and the soldiers every trace was missing.

His heartbeat quickening, he whipped his head around. "Where are they?"

Obi-Wan looked a little perplexed at first, but then he too understood and looked around.

"Shit," he cursed, his gaze lingering on something in the middle of the street.

"What?" asked Anakin, forgoing a remark about Obi-Wan's choice of words and twisted in his sitting position to catch a glimpse of what his friend was seeing, though his ribs screamed in protest.

But Obi-Wan didn't hear him, instant the man scrambled to reach what had spotted moments ago. A small figure lay still in the dirt.

Master Yoda.

If he had lacked the strength a few seconds earlier, Anakin shot to his feet instantaneously at this sight. He stumbled over to where Obi-Wan was kneeling.

"Is he…?", he asked quietly, his mouth dry.

Obi-Wan said nothing but instead proceeded with carefully turning the old jedi master on his back. Blood was pooling from a large wound on the master's side. To Anakin's surprise, the Grandmaster opened his eyes a little and weakly grabbed Obi-Wan's arm with one of his claws.

"Right you were...," Yoda smiled shallowly, but was then interrupted by a cough.

Obi-Wan shifted his arm and now reached for the Jedi's tiny hand. "Master, you should save your strength."

"No," he rasped, "My time has come. Powerful, Sidious is. Not strong enough I was."

Yoda drew in a ragged breath and looked at Anakin. "Only together, stop him you can. After your children he is."

Anakin swallowed hard and moved closer. "I- I don't know how. He still has a connection to my mind. Even without the chip, I'm afraid he'll control me again."

A shaky claw reached up. "Come here, Skywalker."

A little unsure of what to do, he grabbed the master's other hand and studied him insistently. But instead of Yoda saying anything, the latter only closed his eyes. Puzzled, Anakin glanced briefly over at Obi-Wan, but he seemed similarly perplexed.

"Master Yoda-...," he began, but then he felt it. The ancient Jedi's presence brushed against his mind, and Anakin let him in. He felt the Master's light displacing the shadows and new shields being build. Anakin gasped at this sensation and didn't even notice how he must have closed his eyes at some point. But when he opened them again, Yoda lay still. And when he reached out with his senses, they confirmed to him that the brightest light among the Jedi had left them. Slowly, he withdrew his hand.

"He's one with the Force now," Obi-Wan stated solemnly with grief in his voice and moved to cross the arms of the master over his chest.

"What do we do now?", Anakin asked saddened.

Standing up, Obi-Wan seemingly searched for words. "There's nothing we can do here. I'm afraid… we can only come back for his body later. Now we should tend to your ribs, like that you're no use to us in a fight."

The grief was clearly palpable in the Force, and Anakin knew Obi-Wan was struggling to pull himself together right now. He himself had never really been close to Master Yoda, but he knew that had not been the case for his former master. But Obi-Wan was right. They could not afford to stop.

A little stiffly, Obi-Wan moved over to Anakin's robe and picked it up. "Do you mind?"

"No, just wait a second," Anakin said and quickly pulled the holocube and the commlink from the robe, letting both items disappear inside a pocket on his belt.

Of course, this did not escape his friend and he tilted his head. "What was that?"

Anakin sighed and shook his head. "Later, okay? It's nothing you need to worry about."

Obi-Wan didn't look convinced and seemed a little sad, but said nothing more. Instead, he cut the cloth into strips with the lightsaber before clipping the weapon back onto his belt.

They had both dressed their wounds far too often than they would have liked on the battlefields, so now it wasn't difficult for them to wrap the makeshift bandage around Anakin's torso. The rest of the robe they used to cover Master Yoda.

Only a short time later, the two men silently made their way up the slope as fast as they could manage. The footprints in the earthy soil were more than enough indication that they had guessed right. Weariness and exhaustion clung to their bodies, but they knew that they couldn't stop now. Cloaking themselves in the Force, they marched on.

When they finally reached the top, Anakin tried to catch a breath and turned to Obi-Wan, who was hanging back a few steps because of his knee.

"Please tell me we don't need to go up further," he panted, cradling his chest again.

Obi-Wan finally caught up and shook his head. "No," he pointed to a narrow path in the adjacent forest, "That way."

Just as they entered the path, gunshots rang out from inside the forest and some birds flew up. Without consulting each other, they charged, adrenaline pumping in their veins.

When Anakin set foot in the clearing with a small hut, he was presented with a picture he would not soon forget.

The door to the cabin had been kicked open and Anakin could see Palpatine through one of the windows - holding his lightsabers to his Padawan's throat.

"Blast," Anakin growled, and was about to charge in to attack when Obi-Wan held him back.

"Wait, you can't just charge in there," he hissed, "He'll kill her. And we don't know where the rest is."

Gritting his teeth, Anakin took a step back. They could not stand idly by. His mind racing, an idea came to him.

"I think I have a plan," he whispered.

Obi-Wan looked at him expectantly. "Go ahead, then."

"I have to make Palpatine believe I would still be on his side."

"What?", Obi-Wan stared at him, "Are you insane? He'll never fall for that. First, your eyes aren't yellow anymore, and second, you've never been a particularly good liar, if I dare to say so."

"Do you have a better idea? Palpatine is used to my eyes changing, so this won't give me away. It just has to work until I get close enough and you find a position to attack from the other side."

"I don't like it," his friend clenched his jaw, "But I don't see any other way either. All right, let's do it."

Anakin briefly patted Obi-Wan on the shoulder before they parted. Slowly he stepped into the house entrance and observed the scene in front of him. Inside, it looked as if the residents had left hastily, only Ahsoka and Palpatine were here. Seeing that the Sith had suffered several cuts from the fight with Yoda, and that his face also looked somehow burned, filled Anakin with satisfaction. As they hadn't noticed him yet, he dared to break the silence.

"Master," he said steadily, resisting the urge rip Ahsoka out of that monster's arms.

Palpatine looked up and shot him a sinister grin. "Ah, my boy. I see you have succeeded in your task."

Anakin was grateful that his padawan wasn't looking up to meet his eyes as he said his next words. "Yes… Kenobi's dead."

The Sith chuckled darkly. "Good. Good," his amber eyes locked on his severed hand and a frown crossed his face, "But I see you were distracted."

"The jedi put up a rather impressive fight," he drawled, crossing his arms behind his back, "But that's nothing to worry about, I won."

Humming, Palpatine let his eyes return to Ahsoka, who was still kneeling in front of him. The light of the red blade was contrasting starkly with her bright blue eyes.

How much Anakin wanted to soothe Ahsoka. To tell her that it all was a lie. That he had come for her. But he didn't dare to reach out to her. It was too dangerous.

"As you can see, I set out to find your family. But this little traitor offspring here beat us to it. Smuggled them into the forest. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough to get away from me," he licked his yellow teeth, "The clones are just combing the area for the rest. They can't be far."

His heart sank. Please let them be safe.

"What do you plan to do with her?", he asked after he had collected himself again.

"You know how we proceed with traitors," Palpatine seethed coldly, "I thought maybe I leave the honor to you."

He expects me to kill. That I don't remember that this is my padawan.

"As you wish," he complied and moved to stand in front of Ahsoka. Her eyes were blank, staring numbly ahead. She was frightened to death.

The lightsaber felt unnaturally heavy as he took it in his left hand and ignited it. "I will do what I must."

Anakin lifted his lightsaber to strike but instead of letting the blade bare down on his padawan, he swung at Palpatine. "Ahsoka, move!"

Luckily, the girl obeyed immediately and rolled aside, leaving Anakin room to act.

Palpatine's face contorted as he blocked the attack with the blood-red blade, but he was not surprised. "I knew something was wrong," he spat, "Tell me, how did you survive the chip?"

"You won't find out," Anakin merely breathed and attacked again, forcing Palpatine to jump aside and now was standing with his back to a shattered window. Spinning his lightsaber, Anakin couldn't help but grin. The Sith was standing right where he wanted him. Focused on the obvious threat in front of him, Palpatine hadn't counted on another danger lurking in his back. Obi-Wan took advantage of that very moment to jump in through the window, the blue blade humming in his hand.

Forced to duck to avoid being decapitated by the swooping blade, the Sith hissed in frustration and unloaded a wave of lightning toward the Jedi, which both men expertly blocked.

As the lightning died down, Anakin stepped forward and took the offensive again. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan used the Force and pulled Ahsoka's lightsabers from the Sith's belt. Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin watched his Padawan catch the weapons and activate them after a moment's hesitation.

"Ah, three jedi," Palpatine laughed, "Finally a challenge. Let's see if you last longer than your precious grandmaster."

With that, he suddenly leapt to the wall to Anakin's left and attacked with a wide arc. The force behind the blow sent Anakin stumbling backward, but he remained on his feet. But before he could counterattack, the Sith suddenly whirled around, grabbed Ahsoka with the Force - and hurled her at Anakin. Both deactivated their blades just before they crashed into each other, trying to avoid to hurt each other. Groaning, they both rolled to the ground, a little stunned.

'Palpatine is toying with us,' Anakin thought grimly as he propped himself up and checked if Ahsoka was alright. Next to him, she rubbed her Lekku and bared her teeth, obviously angered.

He tried to get up again, but something held him down. Anakin pulled with all his might, but it was of no use. Whipping his head around, he realized that Ahsoka couldn't stand up either.

Not good. He's incredibly strong.

In the meantime, the Sith had attacked Obi-Wan and was driving him further and further back, even though he had not yet managed to find a weak point in the defense. Palpatine fought relentlessly, the Dark Side manifesting in his body. At one point Obi-Wan had his back to the kitchen, his way out cut off.

Palpatine snarled, pointing his blades to the floor - leaving a charred swath in the wooden floor.

"I should have dealt with you a lot sooner. Always standing in my way -," his eyes traced his very movements, "It was you who somehow managed to get Skywalker to trust you again. And it was you who took my apprentice from me."

Obi-Wan watched his opponent attentively, holding the lightsaber in both hands in front of him. "I am honored to have been of service," he responded almost unfazed, but Anakin knew that his friend was everything but calm.

Palpatine's face contorted into an ugly grimace. "Then prepare to die."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees and Anakin could only watch helplessly as Obi-Wan's lightsaber suddenly deactivated and the blue light went out.

The red gleam of the blades stabbing down at Obi-Wan made his eyes light up eerily, and Anakin was sure to see a reflection of resignation in them.

"No," Anakin breathed, straining to break free of Palpatine's spell, "No!"

With a roar, he yanked again - and suddenly he was free. The Force burned in his veins and Anakin had rarely felt so powerful.

"Stop!" he commanded, reaching for the Force. Sure enough, Palpatine suddenly froze in mid-strike. But Anakin wasn't finished. "On your knees," he growled, making a sweeping gesture with his hand. This monster had taken everything he held dear. This would end now.

He had sworn that to himself.

Forced to the ground and immobile, Palpatine could only stare furiously at him. "So it's true," the Sith sneered, "You are indeed the Chosen One. Just think how much power you could have at my side. An empire at your feet."

"I'm not looking for power," Anakin said slowly, activating his own weapon, "I've never needed it. What I want is my family - and peace."

He moved to strike. "And that can only come without you."

Before the Sith could open his foul mouth once more, Anakin had already sunk his blade deep into the man's chest and watched the life slowly disappear from those sick, yellow eyes.

The blade still piercing the lifeless body, Anakin remained in this position, staring into Palpatine's now motionless face.

One hand settled on his shoulder and the other slid to his hand, deactivating the lightsaber and pulling him away.

"It is over," Obi-Wan spoke calmly, "He is dead."

The realization would not yet sink in with Anakin. That his tormentor was now gone. He was free.

"Master?" sounded now the voice of his Padawan beside him and Anakin turned to face her. Ahsoka looked at him with wide eyes that held a mixture of shock, joy, and a little overwhelm. Thinking no longer about it, he pulled the girl into a tight hug.

"It's so good to have you back, Ahsoka," he murmured, resting his chin on top of her head, "I thought they got you too."

Ahsoka shook her head shallowly against his chest. "No, Master Obi-Wan saved me and brought us here."

Anakin threw Obi-Wan a quick glance and formed a wordless thank you, which earned him a slight smile.

"Master, we need to look for Satine, Padme, and the children," Ahsoka interrupted the moment, "We were heading for the ship but got cut off. They managed to escape into the forest, but I don't know where they are exactly, and the clones are hot on their heels."

Pulling back from the embrace, he gave her a confident smile. "Then let's not waste time."

He looked around at Obi-Wan for confirmation. "Ready?"

The latter huffed and took another quick glance at Palpatine's still form. "I have never been more ready."

I rewrote almost everything of this chapter because I wasn't really satisfied with the outcome but I figured I couldn't change this chapter forever so, well, I hope I didn't disappoint :D
Feel free to comment, I'm always to read your thoughts :)