Chapter 8
Anakin landed the ship as quickly as he could. Obi-Wan had used a mind trick to persuade the commander to allow them entrance to a much larger ship.
"Master, do you feel that?"
"Yes, Anakin, I do."
"She's here, I can feel it. She's here." Anakin whispered breathlessly with relief and fear.
"I feel her as well. I also feel the presence of Chancellor Palpatine."
"Master Yoda was right."
"Anakin, he always is."
Master and apprentice shared a quick smile, before proceeding to complete their desperate mission.
Padme glared at Palpatine. Despite everything he had put her through, she still had enough energy to hate him. She desperately needed answers to the many questions going through her head. Why was he doing this to her? What terrible thing had she done to deserve this?
Her captor's words rudely barged into her thoughts.
"He'll come for me." She had frantically said.
"My dear, I'm counting on it."
What had he meant by that? What was he planning for Anakin? He would come for her, she was sure of that. She had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that Anakin was going to be in grave danger as soon as he stepped on the ship.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she considered the possible fates of her one true love. She would rather have Palpatine kill her, than have any harm come to Anakin. She wondered if she would die, but then quickly realized that she didn't care as long as Anakin was alright.
Suddenly, she heard the door open. Almost immediately, she was staring into the evil face of Palpatine.
"Hello, my dear Padme. How are you today?" Padme remained silent as she desperately attempted to stop crying, but soon found that it was impossible.
"I'm here to inform you that your precious Skywalker is headed to this room this very moment. Within seconds, you will be reunited with him. I hate to tell you this, Padme, but it will not end happily. I can assure you of that."
"What are you going to do to him."
Palpatine smiled evilly before answering. "You'll see."
He disappeared into the looming darkness before Padme could speak a word.
"Master, this way. We're getting closer!"
"Anakin, wait. Let's plan this out."
"Master, there isn't time. I feel her distress growing every moment. We need to hurry!"
"No, Anakin. Hurrying will only get you killed. You need to stop here with me, and consider how we are going to go about this. Now, Anakin!!"
"Yes, Master."
"Good, now..wait, don't you think it's odd that we entered this ship with hardly any trouble. There was no defense what so ever. You'd think that with the Chancellor on board, the security would be higher. He must be planning something for us. There's absolutely no way he would just let us aboard for no reason."
"You're right. I think that we need to be every careful, Master. If we don't, Padme could get killed. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."
"Alright, Anakin. Let's go. Remember, let the Force guide you. It will keep you in control of your actions and it will protect you."
With that said, Obi-Wan followed Anakin's lead to Padme.
Padme felt a shiver go through her entire body. Something was coming; it wasn't danger, though. It made her feel peaceful and relaxed. Anakin !! He was coming for her. She began to pray that he was kept safe, because she knew that she would never forgive herself if any harm should come to him.
Within a matter of seconds, she began to see steam coming through her door. Suddenly, the door was pushed in, and Anakin and Obi-Wan walked through.
Immediately, Padme rushed right into Anakin's waiting arms. She began to sob uncontrollably in his arms.
"Ani, I knew you would come. I knew you would. Thank God you're here!"
"Sshh. It's alright now. I'm here. You're safe, you're safe."
An evil, vicious cackle came from inside the wall behind them. In a matter of seconds, Palpatine appeared from behind.
"I apologize for interrupting this touching moment, but Skywalker and I have some important business to attend to."
With a wave of his hand, Palpatine froze Obi-Wan so he couldn't move or talk.
"Now Padme, dear, you must watch the undoing of your precious Anakin. The only reason I wanted you free to move was so that you would be free to experience the pain you are about to feel. And as for you, Obi-Wan, you're be lucky if you are even alive once I'm finished with you."
Padme let out a frightened gasp as Palpatine took a step closer to Anakin.
"Now, Anakin. I have a very important question to ask of you."
"I will do nothing for you."
"I assure you, you will. You will join me in the Dark Side, and become my apprentice. You will be the most powerful man in the entire galaxy. You and I will be an unstoppable force."
"I will never join you. You will kill thousands of innocent people to get what you want, and I won't help you."
"But on the life of Padme you will."
Anakin looked helplessly at Padme; she shook her head at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking.
Before Anakin could open his mouth to speak, Padme shouted. "No, Anakin! I would rather die than have you do this. Please, don't."
"Padme, I love you. I can't let you die. I won't." Tears streamed down Padme's face. He loved her!
"I love you too, Anakin. Please, don't do this. Don't betray everything, please Anakin."
Padme continued to plead with her eyes, begging him to not turn away from everything he loved just to save her.
Anakin looked into Padme's terrified eyes, and listened to the battle that was raging within him. He knew he couldn't turn to the Dark Side. But he couldn't let Padme, his Padme die. He wouldn't let that happen. He decided to keep Padme safe, making his decision.
Anakin closed him eyes. He let the Force flow through him like a gentle river, telling him what to do. He gently placed a Force-barrier around Padme, so that nothing bad would happen to her, no matter what happened to him.
"I will not join you."
Palpatine's eyes narrowed. "So be it."
He extended his hands, and electric currents shot out directly at Padme. They bounced right off of her and flew back at Palpatine.
He screamed with agony as his own force shocked him to his spine. He tried it again, but found it had the same results.
Palpatine turned his enraged eyes towards Anakin.
"How dare you!" He screamed as he began to extend his hands toward Anakin.
Anakin landed the ship as quickly as he could. Obi-Wan had used a mind trick to persuade the commander to allow them entrance to a much larger ship.
"Master, do you feel that?"
"Yes, Anakin, I do."
"She's here, I can feel it. She's here." Anakin whispered breathlessly with relief and fear.
"I feel her as well. I also feel the presence of Chancellor Palpatine."
"Master Yoda was right."
"Anakin, he always is."
Master and apprentice shared a quick smile, before proceeding to complete their desperate mission.
Padme glared at Palpatine. Despite everything he had put her through, she still had enough energy to hate him. She desperately needed answers to the many questions going through her head. Why was he doing this to her? What terrible thing had she done to deserve this?
Her captor's words rudely barged into her thoughts.
"He'll come for me." She had frantically said.
"My dear, I'm counting on it."
What had he meant by that? What was he planning for Anakin? He would come for her, she was sure of that. She had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that Anakin was going to be in grave danger as soon as he stepped on the ship.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she considered the possible fates of her one true love. She would rather have Palpatine kill her, than have any harm come to Anakin. She wondered if she would die, but then quickly realized that she didn't care as long as Anakin was alright.
Suddenly, she heard the door open. Almost immediately, she was staring into the evil face of Palpatine.
"Hello, my dear Padme. How are you today?" Padme remained silent as she desperately attempted to stop crying, but soon found that it was impossible.
"I'm here to inform you that your precious Skywalker is headed to this room this very moment. Within seconds, you will be reunited with him. I hate to tell you this, Padme, but it will not end happily. I can assure you of that."
"What are you going to do to him."
Palpatine smiled evilly before answering. "You'll see."
He disappeared into the looming darkness before Padme could speak a word.
"Master, this way. We're getting closer!"
"Anakin, wait. Let's plan this out."
"Master, there isn't time. I feel her distress growing every moment. We need to hurry!"
"No, Anakin. Hurrying will only get you killed. You need to stop here with me, and consider how we are going to go about this. Now, Anakin!!"
"Yes, Master."
"Good, now..wait, don't you think it's odd that we entered this ship with hardly any trouble. There was no defense what so ever. You'd think that with the Chancellor on board, the security would be higher. He must be planning something for us. There's absolutely no way he would just let us aboard for no reason."
"You're right. I think that we need to be every careful, Master. If we don't, Padme could get killed. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."
"Alright, Anakin. Let's go. Remember, let the Force guide you. It will keep you in control of your actions and it will protect you."
With that said, Obi-Wan followed Anakin's lead to Padme.
Padme felt a shiver go through her entire body. Something was coming; it wasn't danger, though. It made her feel peaceful and relaxed. Anakin !! He was coming for her. She began to pray that he was kept safe, because she knew that she would never forgive herself if any harm should come to him.
Within a matter of seconds, she began to see steam coming through her door. Suddenly, the door was pushed in, and Anakin and Obi-Wan walked through.
Immediately, Padme rushed right into Anakin's waiting arms. She began to sob uncontrollably in his arms.
"Ani, I knew you would come. I knew you would. Thank God you're here!"
"Sshh. It's alright now. I'm here. You're safe, you're safe."
An evil, vicious cackle came from inside the wall behind them. In a matter of seconds, Palpatine appeared from behind.
"I apologize for interrupting this touching moment, but Skywalker and I have some important business to attend to."
With a wave of his hand, Palpatine froze Obi-Wan so he couldn't move or talk.
"Now Padme, dear, you must watch the undoing of your precious Anakin. The only reason I wanted you free to move was so that you would be free to experience the pain you are about to feel. And as for you, Obi-Wan, you're be lucky if you are even alive once I'm finished with you."
Padme let out a frightened gasp as Palpatine took a step closer to Anakin.
"Now, Anakin. I have a very important question to ask of you."
"I will do nothing for you."
"I assure you, you will. You will join me in the Dark Side, and become my apprentice. You will be the most powerful man in the entire galaxy. You and I will be an unstoppable force."
"I will never join you. You will kill thousands of innocent people to get what you want, and I won't help you."
"But on the life of Padme you will."
Anakin looked helplessly at Padme; she shook her head at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking.
Before Anakin could open his mouth to speak, Padme shouted. "No, Anakin! I would rather die than have you do this. Please, don't."
"Padme, I love you. I can't let you die. I won't." Tears streamed down Padme's face. He loved her!
"I love you too, Anakin. Please, don't do this. Don't betray everything, please Anakin."
Padme continued to plead with her eyes, begging him to not turn away from everything he loved just to save her.
Anakin looked into Padme's terrified eyes, and listened to the battle that was raging within him. He knew he couldn't turn to the Dark Side. But he couldn't let Padme, his Padme die. He wouldn't let that happen. He decided to keep Padme safe, making his decision.
Anakin closed him eyes. He let the Force flow through him like a gentle river, telling him what to do. He gently placed a Force-barrier around Padme, so that nothing bad would happen to her, no matter what happened to him.
"I will not join you."
Palpatine's eyes narrowed. "So be it."
He extended his hands, and electric currents shot out directly at Padme. They bounced right off of her and flew back at Palpatine.
He screamed with agony as his own force shocked him to his spine. He tried it again, but found it had the same results.
Palpatine turned his enraged eyes towards Anakin.
"How dare you!" He screamed as he began to extend his hands toward Anakin.