Chapter 4

Anakin was floating. Every nerve in his body was relaxed, inoperable. It felt like he was dead or dying. Then he saw her and was certain that he had died. Her long chocolate curls fell down her back, almost hiding her angelic, perfect face. Her hands were outstretched to him, her eyes begging him to come back to her. He stretched his arms out to her, and noticed something strange. She looked pregnant, almost five months, if he had to guess. He looked up at her eyes again. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, and he leaned towards her. Suddenly, a blinding flash of white light filled Anakin's mind, and he awoke with a jolt as searing white-hot pain shot through his body, originating from his ribs.

His eyes shot open and he doubled over and lay on the cold, metal floor. it was then that he became acutely aware of a painful lump on the base of his skull and a pounding headache throbbing through his brain. he lay there motionless for what seemed like a few hours to him. Finally, Anakin opened his baby blues more slowly than before and took in his surroundings. Not that there was very much to see. He was surrounded by metal walls, but only the front of the cell was cut off by a force field, and that's where he stood, the man Anakin had hunted after for several weeks: Count Dooku. Anakin squinted in anger and tried to reach out to Dooku but was stopped. He was unable to reach out to sense where he was or what Dooku's intentions were. Come to think of it, Anakin couldn't feel anything through the Force at all! He quickly looked around with his eyes, but could still sense nothing.

"Marvelous, aren't they?" Dooku said in a sinister tone. "They're called yalsamari, and they are indigenous to the planet Myrkr." He took a step towards the force field and Anakin attempted to stand, but his body shot him back down to being on one knee, clutching his injured ribs. "It's amazing what only one of these creatures can do, but for you we needed a few extra, young Skywalker. They block Force energy, making any Force sensitive around them harmless to non-Force users."

"But you forget, I'm a Jedi," Anakin snarled. He lunged for the force field, but was deflected and he fell back against the metal floor with a thud. Dooku laughed.

"Well you see, Skywalker, you are only an apprentice to a Jedi, and you in particular are highly vulnerable to manipulation. By the way, how's you arm?" Anakin snarled and lifted his head. The Count continued. "Therefore, I have a proposal for you, young Skywalker."

"Thanks, but I'm already married," Anakin interrupted snidely, and got a Force punch in the ribs for it.

"That was very rude of you to interrupt me. Now where was I? On yes...you can either join me, become my apprentice and rule the galaxy with me and my master, or you can watch all your friends and your wife die, and then you will die as well."

Anakin took a deep breath, set his jaw and struggled to his feet. He wobbled a little from the pain, but he found his center of balance. However, his powerful, deep blue eyes never lost their focus, which was on Count Dooku, who he now knew to be a Sith lord. He stared at Dooku and whispered through clenched teeth:

"I'll never join you."

The old man's face fell, and he was silent for a matter of minutes. Then, he motioned to two of his guards and they opened the force field and entered the Chosen One's cell, closing the force field when they were through. The two guards stood on either side of Anakin and Dooku took one step towards the barrier.

"I'm going to ask you again, young Skywalker," he said. "Will you deny the Jedi and become my apprentice?"

"No," Anakin repeated. Suddenly, one of the guards smacked his stomach, almost knocking the wind out of him. He doubled over, but quickly straightened, only to fall onto his side with pain shooting up and down the left side of his body. The other guard had punched his bruised rib, and now it was probably fractured. But Anakin stood back up, and he was met by another furious punch given by the other guard into the blaster wound in his bicep. On and on, back and forth this torment went until five minutes later, Anakin was on the floor in a ball with blood sputtering from his mouth, nose and the wound on his arm, which had been reopened. The guards finally stopped when Dooku gave them a signal. They exited the cell, one of them spitting at Anakin. They stood by their master, and Dooku stared at Anakin.

"Pathetic," he spat. "And they call you the Chosen One." He turned to leave, but then stopped. he turned half way. "Think about my offer, Skywalker. You have five days or you die." The door opened, let the three men through, and then shut with a snap-hiss, and Anakin was again alone.