Chapter Twenty: Confrontation
Anakin stood before them, eyes aglow with hate and cruel passion. His black cape billowed around him. He was clad all in black, his tunic made from leather. His skin looked oddly pale against his entirely black ensemble. His hair was cut short still, but the long braid that had marked him as a Padawan since he was nine was cut.
Obi-Wan could sense the dark side surrounding him as surely as his cloak did. It was all around him, inside of him, eating away at him like a disease. The hate, the anger, had destroyed the goodness that had always been a part of Anakin. But not completely, Obi-Wan reminded himself. At his core, there was still good. He could feel it.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin greeted, lightsaber igniting.
"Get onboard, milady," Obi-Wan ordered, not taking his eyes off of Anakin. When she hesitated, he added with authority, "Now." She hurried up the ramp and disappeared into the ship. "Anakin, this planet is unstable. You must let us leave. She'll die if we stay."
"No. This is settled now."
"I don't want to fight you, Padawan."
"Because you know you'll lose."
"The stakes are too high, Anakin. I won't lose."
"We'll see." Anakin saluted him mockingly.
Anakin attacked first. Impatience always was a flaw in him. His attack was unplanned and off balance. Obi-Wan countered easily, trying not to hurt Anakin. He wasn't ready to give up on him yet.
"There must be something in you that remembers who you are! You are Anakin Skywalker! You're a Jedi!"
"I'm not a Jedi! The Jedi are weak! You don't know the true nature of the Force."
"This isn't you, Anakin! Let go of your hate!"
Anakin swung suddenly, but Obi-Wan wasn't caught off guard. He blocked his apprentice's blow.
The fight was fierce. Obi-Wan had taught Anakin everything he knew, they'd sparred nearly everyday for fourteen years, but he never taught him to fight with the raw anger he fought with as they danced along the edge of the volcano. But the man fighting him wasn't his promising apprentice, his caring friend. He was a Sith, a man driven by anger and hate.
Another quake shook the ground, knocking Anakin off-balance. Obi-Wan took the opportunity to knock his lightsaber from Anakin's grasp. It clattered to the ground, balancing precariously on the edge of the ravine.
Obi-Wan gasped for breath. "Come with me, Anakin. It's not too late."
Anakin smiled, resigned. "It is too late for me, Obi-Wan. You don't know the power of the Dark Side. I must obey my master." In a quick move, Anakin flipped toward Obi-Wan, calling for his 'saber as he moved.
Obi-Wan blocked what would have been a killing blow. He shoved Anakin back, using the Force as well as his own strength. Obi-Wan realized his mistake an instant too late. The huge crack in the ground had widened with every quake and Anakin flew backward, directly into it.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled, diving for the ravine. His hands caught Anakin's mechanical arm, holding tight. "Anakin, use the Force. Pull yourself up."
Anakin glared at his former Master. Obi-Wan saw it in his face, but it was too late. "Anakin! No!"
The mechanical arm, so painstakingly attached to Anakin's own flesh, began to unravel, to loosen. Obi-Wan felt it come undone, but he was helpless. The arm ripped off with a snap and Obi-Wan grabbed for something, anything to hold onto. He caught a handful of fabric that tore.
Anakin fell, the eyes that glared at Obi-Wan as hot as the lava that swallowed him.
Anguish ripped through Obi-Wan. Anakin was dead. He rocked back on his heels. He was powerless to stop the tears that fell from his eyes. His hand fell to the ground, dropping the fabric as it brushed something metallic. Obi-Wan turned his head and gently picked up Anakin's lightsaber.
Another quake shook the ground, and Obi-Wan remembered his duty. Standing, he clipped Ani's lightsaber and his own onto his belt, and quickly moved toward the ship.
*
Padme knew as soon as Obi-Wan entered that her husband was dead. She gripped the back of the chair as pain tore through her. Anakin was dead. Her Ani was dead. He would never see their children grow, never hold her in his arms again.
She didn't know she'd fallen until Obi-Wan picked her up and carried her to her bed. She wasn't aware of his presence at her side, nor of the ship moving through hyperspace. All she knew was one thing.
Anakin Skywalker was dead.
Anakin stood before them, eyes aglow with hate and cruel passion. His black cape billowed around him. He was clad all in black, his tunic made from leather. His skin looked oddly pale against his entirely black ensemble. His hair was cut short still, but the long braid that had marked him as a Padawan since he was nine was cut.
Obi-Wan could sense the dark side surrounding him as surely as his cloak did. It was all around him, inside of him, eating away at him like a disease. The hate, the anger, had destroyed the goodness that had always been a part of Anakin. But not completely, Obi-Wan reminded himself. At his core, there was still good. He could feel it.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin greeted, lightsaber igniting.
"Get onboard, milady," Obi-Wan ordered, not taking his eyes off of Anakin. When she hesitated, he added with authority, "Now." She hurried up the ramp and disappeared into the ship. "Anakin, this planet is unstable. You must let us leave. She'll die if we stay."
"No. This is settled now."
"I don't want to fight you, Padawan."
"Because you know you'll lose."
"The stakes are too high, Anakin. I won't lose."
"We'll see." Anakin saluted him mockingly.
Anakin attacked first. Impatience always was a flaw in him. His attack was unplanned and off balance. Obi-Wan countered easily, trying not to hurt Anakin. He wasn't ready to give up on him yet.
"There must be something in you that remembers who you are! You are Anakin Skywalker! You're a Jedi!"
"I'm not a Jedi! The Jedi are weak! You don't know the true nature of the Force."
"This isn't you, Anakin! Let go of your hate!"
Anakin swung suddenly, but Obi-Wan wasn't caught off guard. He blocked his apprentice's blow.
The fight was fierce. Obi-Wan had taught Anakin everything he knew, they'd sparred nearly everyday for fourteen years, but he never taught him to fight with the raw anger he fought with as they danced along the edge of the volcano. But the man fighting him wasn't his promising apprentice, his caring friend. He was a Sith, a man driven by anger and hate.
Another quake shook the ground, knocking Anakin off-balance. Obi-Wan took the opportunity to knock his lightsaber from Anakin's grasp. It clattered to the ground, balancing precariously on the edge of the ravine.
Obi-Wan gasped for breath. "Come with me, Anakin. It's not too late."
Anakin smiled, resigned. "It is too late for me, Obi-Wan. You don't know the power of the Dark Side. I must obey my master." In a quick move, Anakin flipped toward Obi-Wan, calling for his 'saber as he moved.
Obi-Wan blocked what would have been a killing blow. He shoved Anakin back, using the Force as well as his own strength. Obi-Wan realized his mistake an instant too late. The huge crack in the ground had widened with every quake and Anakin flew backward, directly into it.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled, diving for the ravine. His hands caught Anakin's mechanical arm, holding tight. "Anakin, use the Force. Pull yourself up."
Anakin glared at his former Master. Obi-Wan saw it in his face, but it was too late. "Anakin! No!"
The mechanical arm, so painstakingly attached to Anakin's own flesh, began to unravel, to loosen. Obi-Wan felt it come undone, but he was helpless. The arm ripped off with a snap and Obi-Wan grabbed for something, anything to hold onto. He caught a handful of fabric that tore.
Anakin fell, the eyes that glared at Obi-Wan as hot as the lava that swallowed him.
Anguish ripped through Obi-Wan. Anakin was dead. He rocked back on his heels. He was powerless to stop the tears that fell from his eyes. His hand fell to the ground, dropping the fabric as it brushed something metallic. Obi-Wan turned his head and gently picked up Anakin's lightsaber.
Another quake shook the ground, and Obi-Wan remembered his duty. Standing, he clipped Ani's lightsaber and his own onto his belt, and quickly moved toward the ship.
*
Padme knew as soon as Obi-Wan entered that her husband was dead. She gripped the back of the chair as pain tore through her. Anakin was dead. Her Ani was dead. He would never see their children grow, never hold her in his arms again.
She didn't know she'd fallen until Obi-Wan picked her up and carried her to her bed. She wasn't aware of his presence at her side, nor of the ship moving through hyperspace. All she knew was one thing.
Anakin Skywalker was dead.