Oct 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 29
Padmé felt every muscle in her body clench as Anakin screamed. She watched in horror as the lightsaber punctured his back and entered his body. He jerked once before laying still. "NO! ANAKIN!" She made to run towards him as Tasha bent down near his head, checking his pulse, and was pulled up short by an invisible wall. She beat her hands on it, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No! Anakin! No! You can't die, you promised! You promised, damn you, Anakin!"
Tasha stood, her eyes going to the two trapped in a Force-less space. As she got back to her feet, she carefully extracted her lightsaber from Anakin's body.
Padmé slammed her palms against the invisible wall, staring at her husband. "Anakin. Don't do this, please don't do this. No!"
"Padmé."
Tears streaming down her cheeks, she turned to look at Obi-Wan. He was seated on the floor, watching her. "You should have let me kill her when I had the chance!" she screamed at him. Stalking to him, she made as if to kick him. "You should have let me lock her up and throw away the key! Anakin is dead because of you!"
Tasha walked towards them as Padmé's back was to them. "Anakin is dead because he couldn't beat me. Place the blame where it belongs. He fought well."
Padmé rounded on the other woman, her eyes blazing fire. "I'll kill you with my bare hands."
Tasha's mouth kicked up in a coldly amused half smile. "You will, will you? Your Force sensitive husband tried and look where it got him. You're welcome to try, Lady Skywalker, or should I say, Widow Skywalker?"
Padmé screamed and leapt at the other woman, forgetting about the invisible Force barrier, and crashed into her. They both hit the floor rolling, Tasha using the opportunity to slam a hand against Padmé's windpipe. Padmé choked but her hands sought Tasha's neck, beginning to squeeze. "I will kill you."
They stopped rolling, Padmé coming out on top and leaning her weight into the other woman's windpipe.
Just as soon as the pressure started to become unbearable, her hands were ripped from Tasha's throat. Tasha gasped in a breath, looking over Padmé's shoulder with an odd expression. Her gaze came back to Padmé's enraged eyes. Palpatine was holding her physical body in check with the Force. She pushed herself to her feet, dusting herself off, and walked to stand by her Master. As she was half-way there, Padmé slumped to the floor.
She was slow to rise, her heart heavy and feeling empty. Anakin was dead. She'd never be able to see him smile, or hear his laugh. He'd never hold her again, tease her or love her. He'd never have the chance to see his children again. She fought the sorrow. Fought the almost mind numbing pain. Nothing mattered anymore. All that mattered was that Luke and Leia were safe and Anakin was where no one could again do him harm. Her eyes began to tear up but she brushed them away. Tears wouldn't bring Anakin back. She straightened her spine and turned to face Tasha and Palpatine.
"Do what you will with me," she told them softly. "Know this. I will never surrender my children to you."
Palpatine's laugh was grating. "You won't have to, even now we are tracking them. They will be my pupils inside of a year."
"Never. If I have to kill you with my fingers or tear your throat out with my teeth, I will never allow you to hurt my kids."
Tasha looked her up and down. "And what, are you going to do about it, Lady Skywalker?"
She pointed the blaster at Tasha's head and fired. The bolts were deflected, singing as they disappeared around the room. Palpatine shook his head. "You will have no luck with that weapon, my dear."
She fired again, another string of shots that were deflected into the shadows. She stopped. Her husbands body was somewhere in those shadows, she didn't want to destroy it. She needed to seem him for herself, needed to feel his cold skin. They wouldn't stop her.
Hs thigh muscle aching abominably, Obi-Wan rose unsteadily to his feet and carefully stepped out of the Force inhibited area. He called his lightsaber to him as Padmé distracted the duo and limped over to her side. Very, very carefully, he called on the Force to heal his injury. "Will mine have better luck, Chancellor?"
Palpatine smiled a cold smile. "Your former apprentice couldn't beat mine, what makes you think you can?"
Obi-Wan saluted Tasha with the hilt of his lightsaber. "I never said I could, but perhaps I can take her with me."
"You're welcome to try."
"No."
Tasha looked at her Master. "Master? I can defeat him, you said it yourself."
Palpatine slowly shook his head, drawing the hilt of a lightsaber from beneath his robes. "He's mine."
Tasha shrugged and took a step back, her lightsaber at the ready in case Padmé tried to shoot them or an errant blade came spinning her way.
Obi-Wan strode forward, using the Force to enhance his abilities, to make the pain leave his leg so he'd be able to focus on this fight. A part of him knew immediately, even without having seen this man in battle, that he was outclassed. He met the Sith in the middle of the room, the black robe swirling about the figure like a cloud as their lightsabers clashed. Obi-Wan idly wondered how he could fight in the restricting robe before the rapid speed of the battle drove all thoughts of anything but survival from his mind.
Tasha watched carefully, one eye on Padmé, the other on the fight. She noted the stances each man used, their favorite moves and parries. She watched as Obi-Wan beat back a brilliant series of cuts only to respond with his own attack. That he would dare challenge the man who would be Emperor brought a small smile to her face.
Padmé watched the fight helplessly. She couldn't interfere, she knew that much. Tasha was once again in control, circling on the edge of the fight, her hands clenching and unclenching. Her eyes narrowed as she took careful steps towards the absorbed woman. Obi-Wan was giving ground rapidly, unknowingly moving towards Padmé even though he could sense her. She was like a lead weight in the Force, a dead space that should be light. Beyond that, it was gone from his mind in a half second.
Beyond the fighters, Tasha closed in, her presence gone in a heart beat. Neither man noticed as she cloaked herself from their senses. The Sith lord was using all of the tricks at his disposal. Force lightning struck the Jedi Knight, invisible objects slowly his footwork. He found it hard to breathe and broke the hold, the thought costing him space as he took a jolt of Force lightning in his leg. He didn't stop as the Force made his reactions faster, turning him into a living instrument. Blocking, dodging, weaving, he struck back at the Sith lord, feeling the oppression, the Anger and hate, surrounding him.
The two skilled masters battled back and forth, Obi-Wan rarely gaining the upper hand and beginning to tire as the fight dragged on. Palpatine scored a few superficial hits and the younger Jedi felt he was being toyed with. He didn't like it. "End it, Chancellor, if you can!"
Palpatine snarled and redoubled his efforts and within five strikes of his lightsaber, had the tip at Obi-Wan's throat. Obi-Wan watched stoically, his throat working convulsively. He hated being right sometimes. Palpatine's eyes flared a sickening yellow, the flame of triumph burning in their depths as he swung his lightsaber to the side, the humming blade coming in for the kill.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 29
Padmé felt every muscle in her body clench as Anakin screamed. She watched in horror as the lightsaber punctured his back and entered his body. He jerked once before laying still. "NO! ANAKIN!" She made to run towards him as Tasha bent down near his head, checking his pulse, and was pulled up short by an invisible wall. She beat her hands on it, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No! Anakin! No! You can't die, you promised! You promised, damn you, Anakin!"
Tasha stood, her eyes going to the two trapped in a Force-less space. As she got back to her feet, she carefully extracted her lightsaber from Anakin's body.
Padmé slammed her palms against the invisible wall, staring at her husband. "Anakin. Don't do this, please don't do this. No!"
"Padmé."
Tears streaming down her cheeks, she turned to look at Obi-Wan. He was seated on the floor, watching her. "You should have let me kill her when I had the chance!" she screamed at him. Stalking to him, she made as if to kick him. "You should have let me lock her up and throw away the key! Anakin is dead because of you!"
Tasha walked towards them as Padmé's back was to them. "Anakin is dead because he couldn't beat me. Place the blame where it belongs. He fought well."
Padmé rounded on the other woman, her eyes blazing fire. "I'll kill you with my bare hands."
Tasha's mouth kicked up in a coldly amused half smile. "You will, will you? Your Force sensitive husband tried and look where it got him. You're welcome to try, Lady Skywalker, or should I say, Widow Skywalker?"
Padmé screamed and leapt at the other woman, forgetting about the invisible Force barrier, and crashed into her. They both hit the floor rolling, Tasha using the opportunity to slam a hand against Padmé's windpipe. Padmé choked but her hands sought Tasha's neck, beginning to squeeze. "I will kill you."
They stopped rolling, Padmé coming out on top and leaning her weight into the other woman's windpipe.
Just as soon as the pressure started to become unbearable, her hands were ripped from Tasha's throat. Tasha gasped in a breath, looking over Padmé's shoulder with an odd expression. Her gaze came back to Padmé's enraged eyes. Palpatine was holding her physical body in check with the Force. She pushed herself to her feet, dusting herself off, and walked to stand by her Master. As she was half-way there, Padmé slumped to the floor.
She was slow to rise, her heart heavy and feeling empty. Anakin was dead. She'd never be able to see him smile, or hear his laugh. He'd never hold her again, tease her or love her. He'd never have the chance to see his children again. She fought the sorrow. Fought the almost mind numbing pain. Nothing mattered anymore. All that mattered was that Luke and Leia were safe and Anakin was where no one could again do him harm. Her eyes began to tear up but she brushed them away. Tears wouldn't bring Anakin back. She straightened her spine and turned to face Tasha and Palpatine.
"Do what you will with me," she told them softly. "Know this. I will never surrender my children to you."
Palpatine's laugh was grating. "You won't have to, even now we are tracking them. They will be my pupils inside of a year."
"Never. If I have to kill you with my fingers or tear your throat out with my teeth, I will never allow you to hurt my kids."
Tasha looked her up and down. "And what, are you going to do about it, Lady Skywalker?"
She pointed the blaster at Tasha's head and fired. The bolts were deflected, singing as they disappeared around the room. Palpatine shook his head. "You will have no luck with that weapon, my dear."
She fired again, another string of shots that were deflected into the shadows. She stopped. Her husbands body was somewhere in those shadows, she didn't want to destroy it. She needed to seem him for herself, needed to feel his cold skin. They wouldn't stop her.
Hs thigh muscle aching abominably, Obi-Wan rose unsteadily to his feet and carefully stepped out of the Force inhibited area. He called his lightsaber to him as Padmé distracted the duo and limped over to her side. Very, very carefully, he called on the Force to heal his injury. "Will mine have better luck, Chancellor?"
Palpatine smiled a cold smile. "Your former apprentice couldn't beat mine, what makes you think you can?"
Obi-Wan saluted Tasha with the hilt of his lightsaber. "I never said I could, but perhaps I can take her with me."
"You're welcome to try."
"No."
Tasha looked at her Master. "Master? I can defeat him, you said it yourself."
Palpatine slowly shook his head, drawing the hilt of a lightsaber from beneath his robes. "He's mine."
Tasha shrugged and took a step back, her lightsaber at the ready in case Padmé tried to shoot them or an errant blade came spinning her way.
Obi-Wan strode forward, using the Force to enhance his abilities, to make the pain leave his leg so he'd be able to focus on this fight. A part of him knew immediately, even without having seen this man in battle, that he was outclassed. He met the Sith in the middle of the room, the black robe swirling about the figure like a cloud as their lightsabers clashed. Obi-Wan idly wondered how he could fight in the restricting robe before the rapid speed of the battle drove all thoughts of anything but survival from his mind.
Tasha watched carefully, one eye on Padmé, the other on the fight. She noted the stances each man used, their favorite moves and parries. She watched as Obi-Wan beat back a brilliant series of cuts only to respond with his own attack. That he would dare challenge the man who would be Emperor brought a small smile to her face.
Padmé watched the fight helplessly. She couldn't interfere, she knew that much. Tasha was once again in control, circling on the edge of the fight, her hands clenching and unclenching. Her eyes narrowed as she took careful steps towards the absorbed woman. Obi-Wan was giving ground rapidly, unknowingly moving towards Padmé even though he could sense her. She was like a lead weight in the Force, a dead space that should be light. Beyond that, it was gone from his mind in a half second.
Beyond the fighters, Tasha closed in, her presence gone in a heart beat. Neither man noticed as she cloaked herself from their senses. The Sith lord was using all of the tricks at his disposal. Force lightning struck the Jedi Knight, invisible objects slowly his footwork. He found it hard to breathe and broke the hold, the thought costing him space as he took a jolt of Force lightning in his leg. He didn't stop as the Force made his reactions faster, turning him into a living instrument. Blocking, dodging, weaving, he struck back at the Sith lord, feeling the oppression, the Anger and hate, surrounding him.
The two skilled masters battled back and forth, Obi-Wan rarely gaining the upper hand and beginning to tire as the fight dragged on. Palpatine scored a few superficial hits and the younger Jedi felt he was being toyed with. He didn't like it. "End it, Chancellor, if you can!"
Palpatine snarled and redoubled his efforts and within five strikes of his lightsaber, had the tip at Obi-Wan's throat. Obi-Wan watched stoically, his throat working convulsively. He hated being right sometimes. Palpatine's eyes flared a sickening yellow, the flame of triumph burning in their depths as he swung his lightsaber to the side, the humming blade coming in for the kill.