11

That was a really stupid plan. Obi-Wan thought darkly. Did I really expect the Imperials to fall for it? I mean, Palpatine took over the Republic without a tremor in the Force to warn us. I should have…A sharp prod with a blaster barrel cut the Jedi Knight from his musings.

"Move it, Jedi." A filtered voice rasped from the depths of the stormtrooper helmet. Obi-Wan glanced back, smiled mockingly, and continued walking.

Make one future, make another. Unmake one past, you cannot.

They stepped into a large turbolift, and it sped them up to the throne room. They stepped out into the room, and immediately registered the slight whimpering coming from one corner of the room.

"Where is my husband, Palpatine?" Padmé's voice was cold, but Obi-Wan could tell she was worried. Palpatine wouldn't have let them see Anakin if he wasn't under complete control.

"Don't worry, Senator, you will see him soon enough." Palpatine let out a cackling laugh and took a seat in his throne. The royal guard made as if to give Luke to him, but Palpatine waved him off. Luke struggled to escape the red robed guard, but was firmly restrained.

The whimpering grew louder, and Obi-Wan could see that it was coming from the wall. He drew back a little, and looked at Padmé. Padmé swallowed and glanced back at him. What was Palpatine hiding?

"Guards, fetch Lord Vader." Palpatine gestured towards the wall that the whimpers were escaping from and five guards, armed with force pikes gathered around it.

"You may want to watch this, your highness, Jedi." The stormtrooper marched them closer to the throne, and they saw the outline of a hidden door on the wall.

"Now."

The guards raised their pikes and one of them keyed open the door. The whimpering instantly turned into inhuman howling and snarling. The rattling of chains was heard, then there was a crunch, as though the chains had been ripped out of the walls. A dark missile hurtled through the door, trying to claw it's way to freedom. The guards struck at it, savagely beating it down with their weapons. The shape gave one last mournful howl and fell to the floor.

The guards picked up the pathetic form and dropped it at Palpatine's feet.

"Anakin!" Padmé gasped in horror, stumbling backwards.

"Guards, I have him under control. Leave us." The guards left, one of them placed Luke on the other side of the throne, away from his father. Luke scrambled over to Padmé and Leia, clutching his mother's leg.

Palpatine smiled down at the unconscious man at his feet and gave a tug on the chain that attached to a collar on Anakin's throat. Anakin twitched and whimpered like a wounded animal. His eyes fluttered open and he curled up tightly, as though hiding from something only he could see.

"Do get up, Lord Vader. I believe your behavior is scaring our guests." Anakin twitched at Palpatine's voice. Palpatine pointed a finger at him and hissed, "Obey me."

Anakin pushed himself up and rose to his feet. Obi-Wan drew back at the look in Anakin's eyes. They were empty, lost, terrified, enraged, and insane. How two eyes could convey so many things, Obi-Wan wasn't sure, but all of them were there. There were infected cuts all over him, the worst of which was a deep gash that had nearly taken out his eye; as it was, the eye was swollen shut. His clothes were tattered and dirty, and it was obvious that he hadn't bathed in a long while.

"Oh, Anakin…" Padmé murmured, fear and compassion warring on her features.

"Your husband does my bidding now." Palpatine bared his teeth "Would you like a demonstration?"

"No, we'll take your word for it." Obi-Wan muttered.

Palpatine laughed, "You shall have one anyway." He turned to Anakin, who was cringing away from something. "Kill Kenobi. Now!"

Anakin turned towards Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan didn't see a spark of the Anakin he had once known. Anakin lurched towards him.

"I will not fight, Anakin."

"He can't understand you, Jedi." Palpatine cackled from his throne.

Anakin moved swiftly, then, knocking over Obi-Wan and closing his hands on his throat.

"Anakin! No!" Padmé cried, setting Leia down, and taking a step towards the two men.

Obi-Wan tried to pry Anakin's hands off his throat with no success. He lashed out and caught Anakin on a large gash on his thigh. Anakin screamed and clutched at the wound. Obi-Wan rolled away from him, called his lightsaber to his hand and brought the hilt down on Anakin's head.

Anakin fell with an anguished whimper.

"Anakin!!" Padmé ran towards them. Suddenly she screamed and fell; writhing from the blue lightning that surrounded her.

"You have disrupted my entertainment, Senator. I am most displeased." Palpatine rose from his throne and stepped around the now wailing twins. "I will deal with you, Jedi, in a moment." He forced Obi-Wan to his knees with a gesture, and took the lightsaber from his hand. Obi-Wan let out a cry and tried to get to his feet. Palpatine lit the saber and prepared to stab.

"Fare thee well, Senator!" The lightsaber came down…

Authors Note: What? Ducks thrown objects Alright! Alright! If you don't want a cliffhanger like that, scroll down for the rest of the chapter! Geez!

But before it landed, Palpatine was knocked over by a snarling beast of a man. Anakin leapt at him again, gripping the lightsaber and slowly…inch by inch…turned it back on its owner. Palpatine gave a wail as the saber landed its deathblow…

And then he exploded.

The burst of the Dark Side knocked Anakin back into the throne, knocking it off its base. He lay there for a moment, then crawled…

Straight over to Padmé.

"Anakin..?" Padmé reached out to caress Anakin's battered face, but he twitched away. Padmé turned her head away; almost afraid to see such weakness in the man who had once been so strong.

"Pa…Pa…Padmé?" The word came out hoarse and weak, and sounded as if Anakin was unsure if that was her name. She turned back, startled, and saw the pain in his eyes.

But behind it, growing stronger every minute, was recognition. He wasn't sure yet, but he thought he knew this woman. His heart felt funny, like it was growing two sizes too big. He knew one thing, however: the demons were quiet when he was with her.

"Anakin." Padmé smiled, and felt tears running down her face.

"I…love…you?" Anakin rasped, gasping for breath that didn't seem to come. The world spun…he dimly heard Padmé call his name…and everything went black.