Oh, Possibilities
By infinitykat
Part 7: Encounters
"I'll pretend that I'm kissing
The lips I am missing
Remember I'll always be true
While I'm away, I'll write home everyday
And I'll send all my loving to you…" –The Beatles "All My Loving"
A/N: Hello again, everyone…I'm going to leave you in suspense after this one(kind of). Bwahahaha.
To Jenn and Renee (and others): Don't sweat it. I forget where I'm going with the dream bit, but I know for sure that Anakin is still a good little boy. I'll get back to you on that in a later chapter I think.
To AnakinandPadmeSkywalker and Renee(from a review a little while ago): I know, don't you just adore her?
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"We're expected, I see," Obi-Wan said. Count Dooku looked from Obi-Wan to Anakin.
"Ready for another defeat, boy?" he asked Anakin darkly. Anakin drew his lightsaber and he activated it with a snap hiss. Obi-Wan did the same with a wary glance Anakin's way. He was glaring at the Count, his eyes flashing.
"Not this time," he said softly.
Just then, Artoo silently rolled nearby the door. As Anakin and Obi-Wan slowly advanced into the dark hanger, the small droid moved to the side so he wouldn't have to watch.
The loud humming and clashing of three lightsabers echoed throughout the hanger and out into the opening where Artoo was cowering by the door. After several minutes, the battle abruptly stopped. There was silence for a few moments, and Artoo curiously rolled to the door.
Former Padawan and Master, sweating in triumph, stood over Count Dooku, who was dying on the floor. He was chuckling softly.
"The Jedi will not prevail…the Dark Age is rising!" he shouted, clutching his fatal wound.
"You are defeated, Dooku," Obi-Wan spat, "We are victorious." Dooku laughed at this.
"You don't understand. I," he paused for effect, "am merely an apprentice."
As if right on cue, a door opened on the far side of the hanger. Anakin was almost blind for a moment by the hatred radiating from the two cloaked figures standing in the opening. One was much shorter than the other, and the darkness was most potent in his being.
"Ah…Master," Count Dooku whispered with a crooked smile. He took a last breath of air and lay still.
The two figures glided towards Obi-Wan and Anakin as if on wheels. The sense of the taller figure was somewhat familiar, but Anakin couldn't quite put his finger on it.
What do we do now? Anakin thought at Obi-Wan.
I don't know…just don't do anything rash… He thought back, and Anakin nodded.
"So this is what the Jedi have sent us?" the Master said softly, "I must say, my apprentice is very upset with you two."
"Your apprentice is dead," Obi-Wan shot back at him. The Master chuckled.
"I am not bound to the rules of the Order, you see, I can have more than one apprentice. But, no matter. Now that you've defeated one, I may introduce you to the other." He motioned to his apprentice, who threw back her hood.
It was Mara. She was scowling directly at Anakin, her eyes were intense and dark, almost black.
"As I said, she's very upset. With the both of you." With a snap hiss, her lightsaber hummed to life. It was red, a mark of the Sith. She threw off her cloak as Anakin reactivated his own lightsaber. Mara burst into movement with the first strike. Anakin quickly defended himself, and before long, he was advancing towards her. As Anakin attacked, Mara did her best to parry, and soon was reversing the flow again and Anakin was once more defending himself. Then, suddenly, instead of attacking Anakin's blade, Mara went for his arm. Caught off guard, Anakin's mechanical arm was cut neatly off his person and he fell to the ground with a Force push. The arm lay a few feet away, the exposed wires sparking for a few moments.
"You could have had me," she spat down at him, "But you chose the rules instead. How could you?" Her Master was chuckling behind her, and Mara turned to regain him.
"You don't realize, my young apprentice, how much Skywalker disregards the rules. He is in love with a Senator and they have married." He paused to let it sink in. "You know it's true, don't you Skywalker?"
Anakin didn't say anything. Mara looked confused for a moment, then her hate began to boil over. She raised her lightsaber over her head for a fatal strike. She brought it down, only to be met by Obi-Wan's blue blade.
She looked at him and saw his determined expression lit by the glowing blades.
"Not today, Mara," he declared, and she raised her blade again to attack Obi-Wan. But he was quicker. With one spin of his blade, Obi-Wan delivered a fatal blow to her torso. Mara sucked in and then fell to the floor, defeated.
The Sith Lord sneered at the sight of the fallen woman.
"You lost me my apprentice!" he snarled. Two deathly pale hands raised and Force lightning shot out of them. Obi-Wan held up his lightsaber to absorb the attack, but Anakin knew he wouldn't be able to use this tactic for very long. The Sith moved so he was standing in front of Anakin, and Obi-Wan circled so he was still facing him directly.
Anakin looked over at his arm that was still holding his lightsaber and he reached out to it with his left hand. It didn't move. Closing his eyes, Anakin tried to clear his mind. He closed his hand and then opened it again, beckoning his arm with the Force. Reluctantly, it slid over to him. Obi-Wan's lightsaber was losing power…
Anakin pulled his lightsaber out of it's gloved hand and got up on his knees. He ignited his blade and swiped it through the Sith. The lightning stopped, and he fell to the floor in two pieces.
Obi-Wan closed down his blade and hurried to Anakin's side. He helped him up, then went to identify the Lord of the Sith.
"Anakin…you won't believe this," he breathed, looking up at him, "It's Palpatine!"
Anakin shook his head. "I can believe it."
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Padmé sat quietly at the dining table, poking at her food as conversation raged around her. She was thinking about Anakin again. There weren't any words that could express how much she missed him and worried about him. After her last confusing dream, she wasn't just worried about him getting killed. It made her worry that he would do worse than die, that he would turn to the Dark Side. Just the thought made her lose her appetite and glance at her children, wonder if their future was filled with pain, as the Luke and Leia in her dreams were.
Angel?
Padmé dropped her fork with a clatter.
Ani? she thought, beginning to wonder if she was really hearing what she was hearing.
I need to talk to you, love. Anakin's voice clearly told her in her head. Padmé looked around to see curious stares from everyone at the table.
"Padmé, dear, are you alright?" her mother asked uncertainly. Padmé nodded.
"Excuse me," she mumbled, and got up from the table. Padmé went to her room to see her rented transmitter flashing with an incoming message. She closed her door and switched on the transmitter. A small hologram of her beloved Anakin appeared. His mechanical arm was missing, and so his shirtsleeve was pinned neatly under the stub of his remaining arm.
"Ani!" she gasped. Though he was hurt, Padmé was overcome with relief.
"Padmé," he said, smiling, "We did it! We defeated them!" His smile became broader.
"That's wonderful, Ani! Are you alright, love?" she asked uncertainly. Anakin glanced at his injury.
"She only got the mechanical part," Anakin said. "I'm fine!" he added at Padmé's worried look.
"She?" she asked.
"Do you remember me telling you about Obi-Wan's new apprentice?" Padmé nodded. "Well, it's turns out that she became the Sith Lord's apprentice as well." Padmé looked surprised.
"And she…" Padmé started.
"Yeah. But no harm done. They just need to replace the mechanical arm and I'll be as good as new." Anakin became serious, "But there's something you should know."
"What is it?"
"It's Palpatine. He's the Sith Lord." Padmé gasped.
"And he's…dead?" Anakin nodded.
"Which means it's time," he finished, his brows raised. Padmé nodded in agreement. "Padmé?" he asked timidly, "Could you try to bring the twins? For me?"
"Of course. I'll leave as soon as possible. Bye-" she said.
"Wait!" Anakin said suddenly, "Please stay. I just want to see you." Padmé smiled.
"You know, I'll always be right there."
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The girl flipped her long light-brown hair over her shoulder and fastened the remaining buttons on her black pea coat. She picked up her guitar case and started towards her bedroom door. She looked down at herself, wiping some lint off her coat. As the girl moved out the room, she suddenly felt dizzy. She looked up and she wasn't in her house anymore.
She looked around quickly, frightened. She was in an alley, and in front of her was a crowded street. Humans and many non-humans that she would have thought didn't exist were hurrying to and fro. The girl went out into the street. For some reason, she felt the need to play her guitar rather than asking for help.
The girl sat down next to a pile of metallic boxes on one side of the street and snapped open her case. She pulled out her guitar and a baseball cap. She put the cap on the ground and began to tune up her guitar.
A song came to mind that she'd heard before but didn't really know. But her hands seemed to know what they were doing and she began to sing.
"When you're all alone
And you need a light
Someone to guide you through the night
Just remember that I am here
To hold you close and dry your tears
Just when you thought you were falling
But you know I'll always be right there…"
…to be continued
Post note: Ha! Suspense! Yes! The song is a Michelle Branch song, fyi. REVIEW s'il vous plait.