Chapter Seventeen!
Anakin felt it as the elevator hit the top level, and took the blaster out of his belt as the lift doors opened.
Glancing around he saw that the room had a window on one wall- with late evening light filtering in through it, and a blue light mounted on the other. Before the radiation it must have been the head boss's office.
Quickly, Anakin spotted Padme lying on one of the couches and Slin sprawled out on the floor. Grimacing as he used his injured leg, Anakin knelt down next to Slin and Padme. Unceremoniously, Anakin shook Slin's shoulder. Hard.
"Mph- more soup..." The teenage thief mumbled.
"Great, always thinkin' with your stomach." He turned to the Senator from Naboo, who lay quietly on one of the plush couches. "Padme?" Carefully he reached over and placed his fingers against her neck, feeling for a pulse...And found it. Anakin sighed with relief- just before a gravely voice made him jump back to reality.
"I assure you they are both in perfect health."
Anakin turned and got up shakily watching as a dark figure emerged from the shadows. He drew his lightsaber, the crimson blade lighting up the room in a red glow. "Who are you?" Anakin asked, unnerved that he hadn't felt the dark figure's presence earlier.
"I am..." White hands reached up and pulled away the cloak's hood, "Chancellor Palpatine."
Anakin squinted at the old man with whitening hair, "Chancellor-what are you doing here?"
The old man smiled pleasantly, ignoring Anakin's saber. "I'm talking to you, of course."
Anakin lowered the saber, but still was suspicious.
"My my..." The old man smiled, "You've grown considerably since last time I saw you."
Anakin squinted at the Chancellor, "Ohh..." He remembered now, when he'd destroyed the Federation Starship and after Qui-Gon had been killed. The Senator from Naboo hadn't always been Padme, before, it had been Palpatine. Then another thought struck him, "You organized all of this, and paid Cafrin and his stooges..."
"Yes." Palpatine admitted quietly.
"Why?"
"It was a test, to see if you could get the information and then get here."
Anakin smirked, "And past your guard-dog at the front door?"
Palpatine sighed. "Count Dooku was enthralled with his own ideals and had lost the true picture a while ago."
"So you brought me here to get rid of your partner?" Anakin asked sourly.
"Partly." Palpatine said dryly. "These are times of galactic unrest, most of the senators in the Republic are corrupt, and greedy."
"Unlike you?" Anakin asked bluntly.
Palpatine continued, ignoring Anakin's interruption, "Most of them are simply hindrances to the Republic and need to be done away with."
Anakin nodded, "So you want me to be a hit-man? And what did you want Doky to be?"
"Dooku was an idealist, and lead his party well. They've been given instructions to attack, and they'll do it even without the Count."
Anakin looked at Palpatine, "Who have they been ordered to attack?"
Palpatine turned away, staring out the window."The Republic."
Anakin's mind reeled, it didn't make sense. "The Republic will shut you down quicker than a Gungan uprising."
Palpatine smiled at the tall thief, "No my young friend. They would have shut Count Dooku down. I am the Chancellor of the Republic."
"How then would it help you to go to war with yourself?" Anakin asked.
Palpatine smiled, it was quite obvious that the brash young man didn't know a thing about politics. "With the Republic at war, the spineless senators will give me emergency powers."
Anakin's eyes widened. Of course! It fit perfectly. If Palpatine controlled both sides it would work out beautifully for him, he could just move the war around like pieces on a board game. If this or that senator or planet bit the dust it was just a casualty of war and he stood blameless. Plus, Palpatine would have total command over the Republic. "Never liked politics." Anakin spat. "Traitor."
"Traitor?" Palpatine asked. "What has this Republic ever done for you? Besides practically sentencing you to life in prison."
Anakin blinked.
"You were born into slavery, out of the reach of the Republic. You live in the lower levels of Couriscant and you steal from the populace. Why would you be loyal to the Republic?"
Anakin glanced over at Padme and Slin who were still unconscious. Alright, so maybe he wasn't too loyal to the Republic, but he was loyal to his friends. Especially Padme, and he could tell she was true to the Republic without even asking her. "What do you want with me?"
Palpatine smiled, "You have a gift young Skywalker. A gift the foolish Jedi have ignored. You have the power to become great, join me and I will teach you to use your power."
"What do you want in return?"
Palpatine bobbed his head, "Join me, and I will teach you. Together we will be able to exterminate the Jedi, and bring order to the galaxy."
Anakin clenched his teeth, he might not be the smartest guy ever with words and stuff- but he knew what 'exterminate' meant. This man was crazy. Sure he didn't like the starchy Masters, but the little kids were Jedi too. He could never hurt little kids. "No."
Palpatine was taken back. "What?"
"No." Anakin answered again, this time with more force. "I won't do it."
"Fool!" Palpatine hissed, his act now melting away to reveal the hideous evil beneath the coolness. "Your weak powers are no match for the Dark Side." Raising his right arm Anakin expected the currupt Senator to wield a lightsaber, but he was wrong.
Suddenly Anakin felt a ripple in the Force and an invisible field slammed into him. Explosions erupted behind his eyes, and the pain was so intense he couldn't believe it.
Anakin fell back, crying out as Palpatine tore at his mind with the Force. His lightsaber flew out of his hand and clanked against the hard floor of the dark room.
"Young fool." Palpatine sneered, watching Anakin writhe. "You could have actually held that naive Senator to yourself. I would have told them that she was dead and the separatists would never had questioned." The Emperior snarled.
Anakin clenched his teeth, trying to get the Emperor's grasp to loosen. Then suddenly the Emperor freed him, and Anakin staggered to his feet calling his lightsaber to his hand. He charged.
"This is the price you pay for your lack of vision!" The Palpatine screamed as lightning spewed from his fingers like white death.
Anakin didn't have time to respond, his senses were already dulled by Palpatine's earlier assault, and now he took the lighting square on. He couldn't keep it away from him, it crawled up his arms and legs, burning. Anakin screamed. He tried to crawl away- but he couldn't. The lightning wanted to consume him, and for the first time ever, Anakin Skywalker felt hopeless.
Padme's eyes slowly opened. She had thought she'd heard someone scream- although it might have been just something from the nightmare she had been experiencing. She had dreamt that she was up in an abandoned skyscraper with an evil demon who wanted to take over the universe. However, as she glanced up from where she lay on the sofa it might not have just been a dream. But now the daemon was non other than Chancellor Palpatine. What else had the daemon said, about the Separatists? Padme blinked. The Republic was in danger. But she couldn't move, and she glanced over- and saw Anakin sprawled out on the floor. "Anakin..." She whispered, "Anakin, get up!"
Anakin gritted his teeth, and hoped with all the stars and galaxies Slin hadn't woken up just in time to see him get his rear kicked. The lightning had stopped, for the moment. Palpatine must have gotten tired. Anakin doubted that Palpatine felt worse than he did, he felt like a bantha had decided to use him as a couch- Squishing him with it's enormous butt. Anakin gasped, it hurt even to breathe. Everything hurt. Especially his forehead, and temples. Palpatine must have used some old Sith trick on him.
"Anakin."
He heard Padme's voice, but didn't pay any attention to it. It was hard just to keep his eyes open now. It felt like he was falling. Anakin forced his eyes to open, he could feel the cool durasteel floor beneath him- and could make out only a dim picture of Palpatine in the corner next to the window and Padme on the couch. Again he heard her voice,
"Anakin, get up."
She was looking at him, her dark eyes shadowy under a blue light. Anakin tried to focus her eyes on her, make the world less blurry- Her head was turned to him, and she peered at him through the darkness. "Padme." His voice was horse and rough- but barely a whisper. He could see her eyes, she must have heard Palpatine's plot, why couldn't she move? She was still stunned, and just barely getting out of it. She was helpless. He could see her eyes, pleading. "Padme."
Palpatine turned back to his victim, sneering. "If you had joined me you could have spared her. Although she would have never seen the right way- as you haven't. You could have kept her, young Skywalker."
Anakin turned his head back to Palpatine, who walked over to him and laughed.
"But now she is of no use to me, only as bait for you." Palpatine cocked his head, "But you were of use anyway. I won't have to deal with Dooku. And that hideout of yours was a very easy place to kidnap this troublesome girl in the first place."
Anakin grimaced.
"You are pitiful, Skywalker." Palpatine said, "The Senator will suffer your fate. All because of you."
"No!" Anakin's eyes snapped open. With a flick of his hand he called his lightsaber to him. Getting up he ignited the crimson saber in his hand, but Palpatine was ready. But this time Palpatine didn't have time to use the mind trick.
The lightning crawled up Anakin's arms, but still he came closer. He deflected most of it with the saber- but when he got too close it was inevitable.
Palpatine took a step back. The young man's resistance to the lightning was amazing. It was unreal, and he couldn't keep that crimson saber away long enough to finish the thief off with his mind. Deep down, Palpatine began to panic.
Soon Anakin's blade was the same level of Palpatine's neck, with the blade merely feet away from the Emperor's neck. "You won't ever touch Padme."
Palpatine reached out through the Force, again taking hold of Anakin's mind, but Anakin was ready for that and slashed down.
The Emperor backed away further, but he had to stop as he came to the window. Anakin had him trapped, that is, if he could keep this up long enough.
Anakin came closer; the lightning was becoming unbearable now. He was getting to close to be able to deflect it. But still he pressed on. Blood streamed down from his ears and everything was beginning to spin.
The Emperor's fear was evident in his eyes as Anakin took another step closer. The Sith Lightning arched from his hands, and his lips curled up in a snarl.
"You will not hurt." Anakin struggled to mouth the words as it took all his strength to edge closer and resist the lightning, "Another...Being...Ever...Again."
With the speed of a true Jedi Knight, Anakin's right arm shot forward. His strong fingers dug themselves into the soft flesh of Palpatine's neck. Holding the evil Sith there like a fish on a hook.
The Palpatine screamed, now the lightning snaked up Anakin's body, burning his flesh and burning. With the last bit of energy left in him, Anakin brought his lightsaber back and then thrust the ice-blue saber as deep into Palpatine's body as possible. The Emperor's scream resounded in Anakin's ears, like the shriek of a death-daemon.
That was when the explosion ripped through the wall, and flung Anakin and Palpatine away. Anakin heard familiar voices, but they sounded like they were far away. He could see dark figures against the lights from outside- but they were fading.
Padme dragged herself up, and watched in horror as both Anakin and Palpatine were thrown into the opposite wall. But in seconds light flooded the room.
"Senator Amidala."
The voice was familiar, and squinted against the lights. And saw it's owner. "Masther Kenobi?"
"Are you alright Senator?" The bearded Jedi walked up to her, immerging from the police cruiser hovering next to the hole in the wall.
"I-" Padme swayed. Then she shook her head, she was still groggy. "Wait, it was Palpatine, Palpatine kidnapped me, and then Anakin saved-" Her eyes widened. "Anakin!"
"We know that Senator." Obi-Wan replied. "I apologize for being slightly overdue but I had to call for backup and-" The Jedi suddenly noticed Padme wasn't listening- or there for that matter.
"Anakin," Padme climbed over the rubble that used to be the outside wall. "Anakin, where are you?" She shied away from the black robes she recognized as Palpatine's corpse. "Anakin?" Immediately, she recognized Anakin's motionless form on the other side of the pile of rubble. "Anakin!"
Anakin opened his eyes and watched as Padme climbed over the slabs of concrete and durrasteal. He couldn't hear anything; it was like he was dreaming. He could see her mouth his name. And feel her cradle him, but still no noise. "Padme?" but it actually came out in some sort of disfigured groan.
Padme cradled him, "It'll be fine. It's over." She was shivering, not from cold, but because she was scared. "You'll be f-fine. Everything's okay n-now."
Anakin reached up and touched her cheek. "Padme?"
"Shhh." Padme reached up and took his hand in hers. "They'll be here in a minute." She saw Anakin's eyes flutter, and squeezed his hand. "Stay awake Anakin. Please.stay awake." She didn't know how bad his injuries were, but she didn't want to let him fall asleep. Padme could feel herself start to cry, she was just so scared. She couldn't loose him, not now. He was too weak now, she could feel that he was dangerously close to the edge of death.
"Uh-huh." Anakin whispered. Where was Palpatine? Oh well, it didn't matter. He was just so tired, but he guessed Padme wanted him to stay awake. He looked at her, she was staring down at him. "Padme?"
Padme heard him say something she couldn't understand again and felt him shudder. "It's alright." She whispered, leaning her forehead against his. Holding him close, "It's over now." Gently, she brushed her lips against his in a gentle kiss.
Anakin felt it, the warm sensation of Padme's kiss, just before he dropped off into unconsciousness.
TO BE CONTINUED!
Anakin felt it as the elevator hit the top level, and took the blaster out of his belt as the lift doors opened.
Glancing around he saw that the room had a window on one wall- with late evening light filtering in through it, and a blue light mounted on the other. Before the radiation it must have been the head boss's office.
Quickly, Anakin spotted Padme lying on one of the couches and Slin sprawled out on the floor. Grimacing as he used his injured leg, Anakin knelt down next to Slin and Padme. Unceremoniously, Anakin shook Slin's shoulder. Hard.
"Mph- more soup..." The teenage thief mumbled.
"Great, always thinkin' with your stomach." He turned to the Senator from Naboo, who lay quietly on one of the plush couches. "Padme?" Carefully he reached over and placed his fingers against her neck, feeling for a pulse...And found it. Anakin sighed with relief- just before a gravely voice made him jump back to reality.
"I assure you they are both in perfect health."
Anakin turned and got up shakily watching as a dark figure emerged from the shadows. He drew his lightsaber, the crimson blade lighting up the room in a red glow. "Who are you?" Anakin asked, unnerved that he hadn't felt the dark figure's presence earlier.
"I am..." White hands reached up and pulled away the cloak's hood, "Chancellor Palpatine."
Anakin squinted at the old man with whitening hair, "Chancellor-what are you doing here?"
The old man smiled pleasantly, ignoring Anakin's saber. "I'm talking to you, of course."
Anakin lowered the saber, but still was suspicious.
"My my..." The old man smiled, "You've grown considerably since last time I saw you."
Anakin squinted at the Chancellor, "Ohh..." He remembered now, when he'd destroyed the Federation Starship and after Qui-Gon had been killed. The Senator from Naboo hadn't always been Padme, before, it had been Palpatine. Then another thought struck him, "You organized all of this, and paid Cafrin and his stooges..."
"Yes." Palpatine admitted quietly.
"Why?"
"It was a test, to see if you could get the information and then get here."
Anakin smirked, "And past your guard-dog at the front door?"
Palpatine sighed. "Count Dooku was enthralled with his own ideals and had lost the true picture a while ago."
"So you brought me here to get rid of your partner?" Anakin asked sourly.
"Partly." Palpatine said dryly. "These are times of galactic unrest, most of the senators in the Republic are corrupt, and greedy."
"Unlike you?" Anakin asked bluntly.
Palpatine continued, ignoring Anakin's interruption, "Most of them are simply hindrances to the Republic and need to be done away with."
Anakin nodded, "So you want me to be a hit-man? And what did you want Doky to be?"
"Dooku was an idealist, and lead his party well. They've been given instructions to attack, and they'll do it even without the Count."
Anakin looked at Palpatine, "Who have they been ordered to attack?"
Palpatine turned away, staring out the window."The Republic."
Anakin's mind reeled, it didn't make sense. "The Republic will shut you down quicker than a Gungan uprising."
Palpatine smiled at the tall thief, "No my young friend. They would have shut Count Dooku down. I am the Chancellor of the Republic."
"How then would it help you to go to war with yourself?" Anakin asked.
Palpatine smiled, it was quite obvious that the brash young man didn't know a thing about politics. "With the Republic at war, the spineless senators will give me emergency powers."
Anakin's eyes widened. Of course! It fit perfectly. If Palpatine controlled both sides it would work out beautifully for him, he could just move the war around like pieces on a board game. If this or that senator or planet bit the dust it was just a casualty of war and he stood blameless. Plus, Palpatine would have total command over the Republic. "Never liked politics." Anakin spat. "Traitor."
"Traitor?" Palpatine asked. "What has this Republic ever done for you? Besides practically sentencing you to life in prison."
Anakin blinked.
"You were born into slavery, out of the reach of the Republic. You live in the lower levels of Couriscant and you steal from the populace. Why would you be loyal to the Republic?"
Anakin glanced over at Padme and Slin who were still unconscious. Alright, so maybe he wasn't too loyal to the Republic, but he was loyal to his friends. Especially Padme, and he could tell she was true to the Republic without even asking her. "What do you want with me?"
Palpatine smiled, "You have a gift young Skywalker. A gift the foolish Jedi have ignored. You have the power to become great, join me and I will teach you to use your power."
"What do you want in return?"
Palpatine bobbed his head, "Join me, and I will teach you. Together we will be able to exterminate the Jedi, and bring order to the galaxy."
Anakin clenched his teeth, he might not be the smartest guy ever with words and stuff- but he knew what 'exterminate' meant. This man was crazy. Sure he didn't like the starchy Masters, but the little kids were Jedi too. He could never hurt little kids. "No."
Palpatine was taken back. "What?"
"No." Anakin answered again, this time with more force. "I won't do it."
"Fool!" Palpatine hissed, his act now melting away to reveal the hideous evil beneath the coolness. "Your weak powers are no match for the Dark Side." Raising his right arm Anakin expected the currupt Senator to wield a lightsaber, but he was wrong.
Suddenly Anakin felt a ripple in the Force and an invisible field slammed into him. Explosions erupted behind his eyes, and the pain was so intense he couldn't believe it.
Anakin fell back, crying out as Palpatine tore at his mind with the Force. His lightsaber flew out of his hand and clanked against the hard floor of the dark room.
"Young fool." Palpatine sneered, watching Anakin writhe. "You could have actually held that naive Senator to yourself. I would have told them that she was dead and the separatists would never had questioned." The Emperior snarled.
Anakin clenched his teeth, trying to get the Emperor's grasp to loosen. Then suddenly the Emperor freed him, and Anakin staggered to his feet calling his lightsaber to his hand. He charged.
"This is the price you pay for your lack of vision!" The Palpatine screamed as lightning spewed from his fingers like white death.
Anakin didn't have time to respond, his senses were already dulled by Palpatine's earlier assault, and now he took the lighting square on. He couldn't keep it away from him, it crawled up his arms and legs, burning. Anakin screamed. He tried to crawl away- but he couldn't. The lightning wanted to consume him, and for the first time ever, Anakin Skywalker felt hopeless.
Padme's eyes slowly opened. She had thought she'd heard someone scream- although it might have been just something from the nightmare she had been experiencing. She had dreamt that she was up in an abandoned skyscraper with an evil demon who wanted to take over the universe. However, as she glanced up from where she lay on the sofa it might not have just been a dream. But now the daemon was non other than Chancellor Palpatine. What else had the daemon said, about the Separatists? Padme blinked. The Republic was in danger. But she couldn't move, and she glanced over- and saw Anakin sprawled out on the floor. "Anakin..." She whispered, "Anakin, get up!"
Anakin gritted his teeth, and hoped with all the stars and galaxies Slin hadn't woken up just in time to see him get his rear kicked. The lightning had stopped, for the moment. Palpatine must have gotten tired. Anakin doubted that Palpatine felt worse than he did, he felt like a bantha had decided to use him as a couch- Squishing him with it's enormous butt. Anakin gasped, it hurt even to breathe. Everything hurt. Especially his forehead, and temples. Palpatine must have used some old Sith trick on him.
"Anakin."
He heard Padme's voice, but didn't pay any attention to it. It was hard just to keep his eyes open now. It felt like he was falling. Anakin forced his eyes to open, he could feel the cool durasteel floor beneath him- and could make out only a dim picture of Palpatine in the corner next to the window and Padme on the couch. Again he heard her voice,
"Anakin, get up."
She was looking at him, her dark eyes shadowy under a blue light. Anakin tried to focus her eyes on her, make the world less blurry- Her head was turned to him, and she peered at him through the darkness. "Padme." His voice was horse and rough- but barely a whisper. He could see her eyes, she must have heard Palpatine's plot, why couldn't she move? She was still stunned, and just barely getting out of it. She was helpless. He could see her eyes, pleading. "Padme."
Palpatine turned back to his victim, sneering. "If you had joined me you could have spared her. Although she would have never seen the right way- as you haven't. You could have kept her, young Skywalker."
Anakin turned his head back to Palpatine, who walked over to him and laughed.
"But now she is of no use to me, only as bait for you." Palpatine cocked his head, "But you were of use anyway. I won't have to deal with Dooku. And that hideout of yours was a very easy place to kidnap this troublesome girl in the first place."
Anakin grimaced.
"You are pitiful, Skywalker." Palpatine said, "The Senator will suffer your fate. All because of you."
"No!" Anakin's eyes snapped open. With a flick of his hand he called his lightsaber to him. Getting up he ignited the crimson saber in his hand, but Palpatine was ready. But this time Palpatine didn't have time to use the mind trick.
The lightning crawled up Anakin's arms, but still he came closer. He deflected most of it with the saber- but when he got too close it was inevitable.
Palpatine took a step back. The young man's resistance to the lightning was amazing. It was unreal, and he couldn't keep that crimson saber away long enough to finish the thief off with his mind. Deep down, Palpatine began to panic.
Soon Anakin's blade was the same level of Palpatine's neck, with the blade merely feet away from the Emperor's neck. "You won't ever touch Padme."
Palpatine reached out through the Force, again taking hold of Anakin's mind, but Anakin was ready for that and slashed down.
The Emperor backed away further, but he had to stop as he came to the window. Anakin had him trapped, that is, if he could keep this up long enough.
Anakin came closer; the lightning was becoming unbearable now. He was getting to close to be able to deflect it. But still he pressed on. Blood streamed down from his ears and everything was beginning to spin.
The Emperor's fear was evident in his eyes as Anakin took another step closer. The Sith Lightning arched from his hands, and his lips curled up in a snarl.
"You will not hurt." Anakin struggled to mouth the words as it took all his strength to edge closer and resist the lightning, "Another...Being...Ever...Again."
With the speed of a true Jedi Knight, Anakin's right arm shot forward. His strong fingers dug themselves into the soft flesh of Palpatine's neck. Holding the evil Sith there like a fish on a hook.
The Palpatine screamed, now the lightning snaked up Anakin's body, burning his flesh and burning. With the last bit of energy left in him, Anakin brought his lightsaber back and then thrust the ice-blue saber as deep into Palpatine's body as possible. The Emperor's scream resounded in Anakin's ears, like the shriek of a death-daemon.
That was when the explosion ripped through the wall, and flung Anakin and Palpatine away. Anakin heard familiar voices, but they sounded like they were far away. He could see dark figures against the lights from outside- but they were fading.
Padme dragged herself up, and watched in horror as both Anakin and Palpatine were thrown into the opposite wall. But in seconds light flooded the room.
"Senator Amidala."
The voice was familiar, and squinted against the lights. And saw it's owner. "Masther Kenobi?"
"Are you alright Senator?" The bearded Jedi walked up to her, immerging from the police cruiser hovering next to the hole in the wall.
"I-" Padme swayed. Then she shook her head, she was still groggy. "Wait, it was Palpatine, Palpatine kidnapped me, and then Anakin saved-" Her eyes widened. "Anakin!"
"We know that Senator." Obi-Wan replied. "I apologize for being slightly overdue but I had to call for backup and-" The Jedi suddenly noticed Padme wasn't listening- or there for that matter.
"Anakin," Padme climbed over the rubble that used to be the outside wall. "Anakin, where are you?" She shied away from the black robes she recognized as Palpatine's corpse. "Anakin?" Immediately, she recognized Anakin's motionless form on the other side of the pile of rubble. "Anakin!"
Anakin opened his eyes and watched as Padme climbed over the slabs of concrete and durrasteal. He couldn't hear anything; it was like he was dreaming. He could see her mouth his name. And feel her cradle him, but still no noise. "Padme?" but it actually came out in some sort of disfigured groan.
Padme cradled him, "It'll be fine. It's over." She was shivering, not from cold, but because she was scared. "You'll be f-fine. Everything's okay n-now."
Anakin reached up and touched her cheek. "Padme?"
"Shhh." Padme reached up and took his hand in hers. "They'll be here in a minute." She saw Anakin's eyes flutter, and squeezed his hand. "Stay awake Anakin. Please.stay awake." She didn't know how bad his injuries were, but she didn't want to let him fall asleep. Padme could feel herself start to cry, she was just so scared. She couldn't loose him, not now. He was too weak now, she could feel that he was dangerously close to the edge of death.
"Uh-huh." Anakin whispered. Where was Palpatine? Oh well, it didn't matter. He was just so tired, but he guessed Padme wanted him to stay awake. He looked at her, she was staring down at him. "Padme?"
Padme heard him say something she couldn't understand again and felt him shudder. "It's alright." She whispered, leaning her forehead against his. Holding him close, "It's over now." Gently, she brushed her lips against his in a gentle kiss.
Anakin felt it, the warm sensation of Padme's kiss, just before he dropped off into unconsciousness.
TO BE CONTINUED!