Padme was living in a nightmare, she couldn't believe what was happening. Anakin had just become someone monstrous before her eyes. Darth Vader? What could he possibly be doing, why was he doing it? And now, challenging Obi-Wan to a duel. The Jedi Council would destroy him. This was unthinkable. And to pull her across the room and ignore her, like she wasn't even there. The lightsabers struck and repelled, then struck again as the battle raged. Padme had to do something, she had to save Anakin before it was too late. "Anakin, stop this!" she shouted, standing up and facing her husband. "Later, Padme, I'll explain everything later. Just let me finish this, okay?" he said dismissively, still taking aim at his mentor. "No, Anakin, let's leave, please." Padme pleaded. "To Naboo, remember." "We don't have to now, I'm whole. No more confusion. It's all clear." Anakin reassured her. He was smiling and she could feel how confident and the power that flowed from him. It was almost daunting. Obi-Wan was getting winded, she could see it, but he was still parrying all of Anakin's lunges. "I can't believe you were this much of a weak fool, Anakin." Obi-Wan commented. "Weak! Feel my power, Obi-Wan." And he raised Obi-Wan into the air and laughed at the strength it took Kenobi to lower himself. "I am beyond you, you know it." Anakin stated with a smile. "No, you have chosen the dark side, and all that means is that you couldn't be a Jedi. You chose the quick and easy way to power, and that makes you weak, and eventually, you will fall." Obi-Wan warned. "You know nothing of it. There is no dark side, I have become what I was meant to be. I am playing my strength, which is my anger, my rage. It has made me invincible." Anakin said with a smile. Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, young one, invincible you will never be now. And when you chose to "play your strength", you forgot the other strength that you had to choose from. Your capacity to love, a love so strong that you disobeyed everything you'd been taught, risked all that you'd always wanted to be, for love. And now, instead of choosing love, you choose "anger and rage"? You've made a mistake, and when you finally realize it..then the suffering will truly begin." Anakin's gaze was cold. "I still have my love." He stated. "Do you, Anakin. Look at your wife. Do you still have love?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin looked at Padme and reached to place a hand under her chin. She raised her eyes to his and he recoiled at the hurt and revulsion there. It was like a physical and mental blow. "Padme, you love me still. Don't you?" Anakin asked softly. "I will always love you, Anakin." Her voice was soft, and Anakin held a hand out to her. She shook her head and took a step away from him. "No, I will always love my husband, Anakin Skywalker. But, Darth Vader, he is nothing to me but an enemy." She said, her voice cold. "You can't possibly believe that I would stay with you. You can't be that blind." "It's me, Padme. Anakin. I'm here." Anakin said, smiling persuasively, and Padme felt the tears run down her face. He looked so like the arrogant, cocky, sensitive man she had married. The child she had cared for, the Jedi she loved more than her own life. "Barely, and as you embrace the dark side more, the more Anakin Skywalker disappears and you become Darth Vader. Renounce the Dark Side, return to us." Obi-Wan said quietly. "Do not interfere." Anakin flared. Then he turned back to Padme. "Padme, you know I love you. Always, and I'm the same man that you fell in love with. Don't turn away from me." There was a note of pleading in his voice. Padme looked at him. Seeing in his eyes the man she loved, and something else undeniably evil. "No, I'm sorry." She said, and she turned her back to him and started to walk to the door. An invisible hand pulled her to a stop and held her. She closed her eyes, then without turning she said. "Would you make me stay, Anakin? Would you make me your slave? Don't make me hate you." She begged softly. And the hand was gone, and she went to the door, and exited. Yoda, Mace Windu and the rest of the Council were in the corridor. "My condolences you have, Senator. Unforseen, this was." Yoda said with a shake of his head. "Time we had, the council believed." "He will kill Obi-Wan." Padme said, trying to marshal some strength. "No, we will force him to leave, he will go to his master, and they will meet another time." Windu replied, with a sad look on his face. And the Jedi, except for Yoda, entered the room. Yoda took Padme into one of the meditation halls and sat her down. He hobbled off and returned with juice and a plate of fruit. Padme shook her head, but Yoda was insistent. "Need your strength, you do. Now, more than ever." "I can't fight him. I love him." Padme whispered. "Not for the father, but for the children, is strength needed." Yoda said quietly. Padme looked at Yoda, incredulous. "What?" she asked, shocked. "Bearing his children, you are. Dangerous it is for you to remain. Sense it himself, he soon will if you remain." Yoda patted her arm. "Off planet, you must go. Hidden, you must be. You agree?" Padme sat stunned, but she knew he was telling her the truth, and that he was right. "Yes, of course, Master Yoda. I will leave immediately." "An escort, we will find. Eat. Rest. I will return." And Yoda was gone. Padme lay down on the couch and slowly started to sob, her body curled into a ball, her hands now across her stomach protectively.