Over the next two years, Palpatine and I steadily grew into a close relationship. In the beginning, I was called into his office once a week, and he asked me about my boyhood on Tatooine, my love of Podracing, my skill at fixing things. He carefully avoided the subject of my mother or anything else that would cause me pain to look back on.

During one of those meetings, there was a knock at the door.

A young guard stuck his head in the door and said, "Excellency, I thought you would like to know that Count Dooku has been found dead on the planet Neimoidia. He was apparently there for something having to do with the Trade Federation and/or the Separatist movement. He was killed by a lightsaber wound to his chest some time ago and found with this." The guard produced Dooku's crooked lightsaber.

Palpatine waved the guard off. "Thank you, Ozzel. Set it right there on the bench."

Ozzel complied, nodded, and closed the door. I looked at Palpatine and said, "Dooku's dead? I wonder who killed him."

Palpatine nodded, and we continued our conversation.

As time wore on, I was called into his office two to three times a week, or even as often as four to five times, when I wasn't on a mission to some other planet or in training. As I began to trust him more and more, he started to ask questions about my mother. More often than not, I began to get angry at the thought of her. He would sit in the chair next to me and tell me that it was all right to let all my emotions out, to cry and yell and even beat up some of the cushions from the benches against the wall, imaging they were the Tusken Raiders. No matter how angry I got, he encouraged me to let all the fury out, not to meditate and center myself with the Force, as I had been taught by the Jedi.

Of course, I didn't see the change in my demeanor, but those closest to me did.

One night, about a year and a half since the start of my frequent meetings with Palpatine, Padmé asked, "What's been happening to you, Ani?"

We were cuddled together under a blanket on a couch, watching the fire in the hearth die. I was holding her from behind, gazing into the flames, a reminder to me of seeing Qui-Gon's body burn on the funeral pyre.

I looked down at her. "What do you mean, love?"

She sat up and gently pushed my arms from around her, causing me to sit up also.

"Well, you've been becoming aloof and closed off from me for well over a year. And you seem -- I don't know how to describe it -- darker, I guess is the word. And you have been staying late more often, completely skipping coming over here. Where have you been going anyway? And what were you doing?"

I resented all the questions and accusations she was making, and I told her so. "How is where I've been going and what I've been doing any concern of yours?"

"Ani, I'm your wife. I'm just worried about you, is all. I love -- "

I stood up, anger starting to build. "If you loved me, you'd trust me."

She stood up, too. "I do trust you," she started, then she gave up, sighing resignedly. "I don't want to get into a fight tonight, not tonight."

"Why? What significance does tonight have?"

She looked up at me, pain evident in her eyes. "You really don't remember, do you?"

When I made no attempt to show that I did remember, a tear formed in her eye.

"Tonight is our two year wedding anniversary." The tear fell down her cheek, and she promptly turned and ran to the bedroom, locking the door.

I looked at the closed door for a good five minutes before I sat down, putting my head in my hands. She's right. I have been changing. I would never have gotten angry at her over her worrying about me. What is wrong with you, Anakin? How can you just sit here while she's in this kind of pain, which you caused. Get up, go in there and comfort her. Apologize for your insensitivity. Be a man and fix this problem.

I got up and walked to the door. Inside, I could hear muffled sobs. I knocked tentatively, and, getting no response, I used the Force to open the door and stepped inside.

She was curled up on the bed, her head buried in a pile of pillows, sobbing. She looked up at hearing me enter, piercing me with the look of pure anguish in her soft brown eyes. I walked over and sat cautiously beside her. She didn't break eye contact for a while, didn't move a muscle. All of a sudden, she threw herself into my arms and started crying again. I held her tight, smoothing her hair back, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm so sorry, Padmé. Shh. Please stop crying." I talked quietly while she cried. Finally, the sobbing ceased, and she looked up, holding my arms with her hands. She studied my eyes, as if to see if I was truly contrite. She must have been satisfied with what she found, because she leaned in slowly for a gentle kiss.

Pulling back a bit, she said, "Ani, I love you so much. You know that, right?"

I nodded. "Truly and deeply."

She smiled and kissed me again, more passionately than before. In one seemless action, she pushed me down onto my back and pulled the sheet over us.

***

A few days later, Obi-Wan also asked about the change in me.

"What do you mean, Master?"

We were walking through the Temple gardens after a tense episode with a crazy Twi'lek who had had many thermal detonators strapped to his chest and threatened to set them off if the Jedi didn't do as he said. (He was apprehended and taken to a mental institution.) Obi-Wan stopped in front of a bench and gestured that we should sit down.

"I mean that you have been quiet and detached, and I sense a difference in you. We don't talk like we used to."

I thought back to the night with Padmé and vowed I that wouldn't snap like I had then. I knew that I could no longer hide it from Obi-Wan, so I told him about the meetings with Palpatine.

"And how long have you been having these meetings?"

"About two years."

"What do you talk about?"

"Sometimes about small stuff, sometimes about my mother."

"Your mother?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would he want to know about your mother?"

"I don't know, Master. He said that he wants himself and his personal aides to be as open and honest as possible."

"Have you met any of these other personal aides?"

"Well, now that I think about it, no, I haven't. I sort of figured that we weren't supposed to know their identities so that we would not be able to give them up."

"Give them up?"

"If some dissidents to the Republic got a hold of us and tortured us, demanding information about Palpatine. He said that's why I could not tell anyone sooner. He wanted to protect me."

Obi-Wan scratched his whiskered chin and knitted his eyebrows even deeper. "Something in that whole set-up is not right; I can feel it." He looked back at me. "Do you think you could get out of the position?"

"Oh no, Master. He and I have grown so close. I couldn't let him down."

He put his arm around my shoulders, and we stood up. "All I can say, Padawan, is to proceed with caution. I don't like the sound of what's going on, but I feel you can handle yourself. I trust you."

We continued our walk, moving on to different subjects.

***

About a month after the confrontations with Padmé and Obi-Wan, Palpatine called me into his office. He welcomed me like usual, ushering me from the door to my chair. We sat down and he offered me a drink, which I declined. Then he started business after telling the guards to leave.

"Anakin, I have need for a Jedi escort to Neimoidia. I have told the Jedi High Council that I have a secret mission, but I did not tell them where. The only people that know are you, the pilot, and I. Would you be interested?"

"Yes, I would. How long would we be gone?"

"Oh, probably no more than a week. Don't worry. I have sorted this out with the Council and your master. You have their permission. We will be leaving early tomorrow morning. Be ready. I will send a guard to retrieve you at 6:00, Standard Time, sharp."

"Yes, sir."

He stood and gestured me to do the same. "That's all I needed to talk about today." He came around and we shook hands good-bye. I went out the door and headed straight to Padmé's.

I told her that I would be gone for a week on a secret Jedi mission. She nodded and sat down on the bed, seemingly distracted.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I asked, sitting beside her.

"I'm just worried." She looked at me, gently touching my cheek. "I'm not going to see you for a whole week."

"I have gone on missions longer than a week," I said, inching closer to her and running my hand through her hair. "You'll be all right without me."

"But I will be sick with worry not knowing where you are or why."

I put my arm around her waist and pulled her close, wrapping my other arm around her back. "Don't worry about me," I said in my quietest, most sensual voice. "I promised that I would never leave you a widow, and I am not about to break that promise." I caressed her back and kissed her neck.

I felt her heart start to beat rapidly. She pulled the belt from around my waist and the tunic over my head while I kicked my boots off. I put my arm around her as she pulled me down next to her and kissed me.

"Anakin," she said breathlessly, looking into my eyes, "let's make this night one to remember."

I used the Force to dim the lights, ignite a few candles, and open the balcony doors for some cool air. I pulled off my undershirt and pulled her close.

"As you wish, my lovely wife," I said, kissing her deeply.

***

Early the next morning, I awoke and sat on the edge of the bed. I smiled as I saw the scattering of clothes on the floor and the sleeping form of Padmé in the bed. I stood up and dressed; then I leaned over and kissed her cheek, her neck, her bare shoulder. I touched her cheek with the back of my hand, inadvertently waking her up. She turned over, propping herself up on her elbow.

"You're leaving so soon?" She sat up, keeping the sheet over her bosom.

"Yeah. Palpatine is expecting me at 6." I leaned in and kissed her. "I will see you in a week."

I started to stand up and walk toward the balcony, but Padmé grabbed my cloak and pulled me across the end of the bed onto my back. She crawled over, wrapping the sheet around her, and leaned over me.

"What are you doing? I have to go. I can't be la-- "

She put her index finger over my mouth to silence me, then removed her finger as she kissed me.

"Baby, as much as I would love to stay here with you, I must go. I cannot let Palpatine down. I promise, we will continue this when I get back."

She put on a pouty face and let me go. "Okay. Be careful."

"I will. See you in a week." I blew her a kiss as I let myself over the edge of the balcony, admiring her beauty. She was still sitting on the bed, holding the sheet up with one hand, the other supporting her, her legs tucked behind her. As soon as she was out of my sight, I had a strange feeling, as if I would never see her again. I just shook it off as nerves and continued my descent.

When I reached my quarters, I did not have long to wait. Within a few minutes, there was a knock at my door, which I answered.

"Sir, the Supreme Chancellor is expecting you," said the guard I recognized as Ozzel. He seemed to have an arrogant air about him, and I did not appreciate his neglecting to offer to help with my bags.

I followed him to Palpatine's awaiting silver ship. After he met me at the hangar, Palpatine led me aboard and showed me where to put my things. We made ourselves comfortable, sprawling out on a couple of sofas in a nice, cozy cabin.

We both pulled out a data-reader and relaxed. I noticed that Palpatine kept making funny little noises every now and then while staring at the screen. He seemed to be very excited at whatever it was he was looking at and he could not contain it at times.

After about thirty minutes, he stretched and said, "I have to use the little Supreme Chancellor's room. I will be right back, Anakin."

I looked up from my reader briefly, nodding. When the door had slid closed, I waited a few moments and sneaked over to see what was on the screen. I saw what appeared to be blueprints for a large, spherical battle station. I didn't get to see much more than that, because I heard Palpatine whistling just outside in the hall. I quickly set it back down and threw myself back onto my sofa, picking my reader back up and engrossing myself in how to repair a damaged verbobrain in a PK droid. Palpatine entered the room, sat back down, and returned to his reader, chuckling quietly almost immediately. After a few minutes, he suddenly broke the silence.

"I know that you looked at my reader while I was gone, Anakin."

I looked up, sort of embarrassed. "You do?"

"Why, yes. I left so that you would look at it. I knew you would be curious."

"Well, I only got a glance of a space station that looks like a moon. What is it for?"

He looked at me slyly. "You will find out soon enough, once we reach our destination."

I shrugged and returned to my reader.

***

"Sir, the planet is in range. We will be landing shortly." The pilot's voice over the intercom system broke the silence in the ship.

Palpatine stood up and stretched slightly. "Well, my boy, appears as if we should be gathering our things."

I nodded and followed him out the door to gather our travel bags and wait by the ship's exit hatch.

The ship landed and the hatch opened. The humid air hit me, taking away my breath momentarily. When I looked out into the dark, dreary landscape, I instinctively asked, "Why are we here?"

He laughed, clapping my shoulder, and led me down the rampway as it connected with the planet's slimy surface. As I followed Palpatine through the swampland, I was disturbed by the quiet. There seemed to be nothing else alive on the entire planet.

Palpatine led me deeper and deeper into the landscape. After what seemed an hour of walking, I saw a small, drab, hut-like building appear before us. It seemed that this is where he was taking me. He punched in an entry code, and the door slid open to reveal a vast, elaborate interior.

When he saw the look on incredulity on my face, he smiled and said, "New technology. There is actually much more room in this building, many more storeys, than the exterior shows. Come," he said, leading me down a long, dimly lit corridor.

The decor of the building was that of royalty, though it was vastly under-lit and dark. There was a bit of a sinister air to it. I felt that something was wrong, though I didn't know what. However, I trusted Palpatine, so I followed him. He finally stopped at the end of the corridor before a pair of large doors, pulling the glove off of his right hand and putting it against a red-lit screen beside one of the doors. The red light flashed up and down and turned to green. The doors started to clank and whir, then part.

The interior of the room was pitch black, so I could see nothing. I saw Palpatine enter, so I followed as closely as possible. Then, what felt to be about halfway into the room, I felt him come to a stop. He put a hand on my shoulder, saying, "Stay here" and continued walking forward, until I could sense him no longer.

I stood in the darkness, trying desperately to feel what was in the room. Something was blocking my Force-sensitivity, so I could feel nothing. It was then I started to feel afraid. But, as soon as I started to feel afraid, I felt better, as if I should have been feeling afraid. As if responding to this realization, the room started to illuminate, but with a dark illumination. I looked around and saw that I was standing in what appeared to be a large throne room. Before me, sitting on a grand chair that was hovering just above the ground, was a man in a hooded black cloak. His eyes were shrouded by the shadows of the hood, but I knew who it was.

Palpatine . . .

The man let out a deep, raspy chuckle and steepled his long, knobby fingers before his face, elbows set on the armrests.

"That is but my other, less powerful identity. Many others call me 'Darth Sidious,' but you, my boy, shall come to know me as . . . " -- he lowered his head, leaned forward menacingly, and folded his fingers together, sending a cold gust in my direction -- "Master."

The realizations hit me all at once: this was the Dark Lord of the long-thought extinct Sith Order, and both Maul and Dooku had been his apprentices. Sidious had obviously killed Dooku himself and set his eyes upon me to take Dooku's place. The meetings we had been having had been slowly turning me to the Dark Side. He knew everything that was going on with the Republic and was obviously orchestrating an elaborate plan; every move, from the request for the clone army, to Queen Amidala's vote of "no confidence" in Chancellor Valorum, to Palpatine's being elected Supreme Chancellor, to Jar Jar's call to give emergency powers to the Supreme Chancellor, had been made according to his plan. This man was obviously very powerful, very dangerous, and very evil.

This is a man worthy of my admiration, I thought to myself.

Upon hearing my thought, a sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he leaned back and steepled his fingers again. An image of a crying Padmé flashed through my mind as I knelt down on one knee, bowed my head, and said, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"Rise, my friend. We have business to take care of," he said, rising from his chair.

***

"The only way to be truly powerful," Sidious was saying during one of our many sessions during that week in Neimoidia, "is to give in to your anger, your hate. You want to be truly powerful, don't you, my young apprentice?"

"More than anything in the galaxy." A flicker of hesitation flashed through my mind. Except to be with Padmé . . .

Sidious rebuked me sharply, "A Sith has no room for love." He said the word mockingly. "If any vulnerability is evident in you, it could be exploited and would be your death. Sith Lords do not love! Do you understand?"

I nodded sullenly. "Yes, Master."

"Now, do you want to be truly powerful?"

"Yes."

"Then you must give up everything, every tie to your former life, and become mine. Only by turning wholly to the Dark Side will you be above anything that can bring you down, will you be capable of destroying entire planets with a flick of your wrist, will you be the 'most powerful Jedi ever.' Now, is this what you truly want 'more than anything in the galaxy,' or some woman who will only bring you down, cause you pain, make you weak!"

I could stand it no longer. I stood up in a fury and screamed, "I love Padmé and no one will take me away from her!"

I ran from the room, from the hut, and deep into the forest. I ran and ran, my legs pumping like the wind, my face burning with the tears streaming down my face. My only thought was Padmé, of my last vision of her: sitting on the bed after our night of pure passion, gazing at me, knowing she'd be without me for a week, but not knowing that I would be tempted by the Dark Side.

I ran until I could run no more, finally collapsing, resting my forehead on the muddy earth, and crying. I honestly didn't know what I should do. I wanted desperately to be as powerful as Palpatine was promising, but I loved Padmé with every fiber of my being. I couldn't leave her. I had vowed my life to her, and I loved her more than life itself. I could never leave her like that.

Palpatine . . . The memory of his cold voice cut through me. I lifted my head, tears stopping abruptly. I could feel him coming nearer. Get away from me, you monster. You will never take me alive. You can't destroy what Padmé and I have. You could lay the entire galaxy at my feet, but I will never sacrifice my only love, my reason for living and breathing, my angel.

The anger was building inside me despite my desperate attempts to control it. I stood, seeing the cloaked figure coming steadily closer. I eyed him through narrow slits, my eyes piercing blue orbs, while I fingered the lightsaber still hanging at my side.

When he was about twenty feet away, I detached the lightsber and pushed the activation button, causing the blue blade of the lightsaber to extend from the silver hilt. I held perfectly still as he slowly continued advancing.

Just out of my attack range, he stopped and shook his head, tsking.

"Anakin, Anakin, Anakin. I thought you knew better. If you engage me in battle now and kill me, your path to the Dark Side will be complete. And I will be more powerful than you could ever imagine."

His words had no affect on me. "Don't take another step, Palpatine. I'll slice you in two. You don't scare me."

He chuckled. "I might not scare you, Skywalker, but I know what does. You see this comlink?" He pulled a metallic object from the folds of his robes and waved it around. "With a push of a button, I can call my agents on Coruscant and command them to kill your precious Padmé and make it look like a freak accident. Whom do you think people will believe: the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Senate of the Republic or a lowly Padawan learner?"

Pure horror spread across my face. I loosened my grip on the lightsaber, and in the same instant, Palpatine pulled it from my grasp through the Force as it was deactivated. "Anakin," he whispered, advancing to within a foot of me. "Anakin, think about the power! How can you resist such power? I know how badly you want it, and I am capable of giving it to you. Give yourself to me."

I wavered between my two choices. I deserve this, I thought finally. They all knew this would come. I deserve to be powerful, more powerful than they could imagine. I deserve this!

I fell to my knees before Palpatine. "Oh, Master, I'm sorry. Forgive me!"

"Rise, my young apprentice. All is forgotten." He pulled me to my feet and handed me the lightsaber. As he led me back to the hut, he said, "We are leaving the planet tomorrow. Once back on Coruscant, you will go to Kenobi and telling him you are no longer his Padawan. Then you will move in to quarters I will have arranged for you and undergo many more sessions with me. Is this clear?"

"Yes, Master."

While he continued to talk, I thought in the very back of my mind, How will I tell Padmé?