6

Too much…I'm so cold. Where am I? Anakin felt as if he was swimming in molasses. Sounds dimly reached him, but were incomprehensible. A hand as cold as ice seemed to be pulling him away from the light and sound that was consciousness. He struggled for a minute, then shrugged. Existence and its woes seemed very far away. After all that pain, all Anakin wanted now was sleep…

The coldness beckoned him closer, guiding him with a grip as cold and strong as granite.

"Anakin…" Anakin heard his name called as if from miles away and slowly turned to see who called. The coldness tugged on his robes, insistent.

"Anakin!" Padmé? Anakin took a step closer to his beloved's voice, ignoring his fatigue and the darkness that was growing more insistent.

"Anakin, please don't go! The healers are coming, do you hear me? You'll be okay. I swear you'll be okay, just come back to me, Jedi."

Padmé…Anakin reached back into a rapidly fading memory. He struggled to see her face and felt a dim sense of anger when it didn't come immediately to mind. He saw bits and pieces of memories. A woman, old but nonetheless beautiful in his eyes, standing in the sand outside her home. She hugged herself tightly, as if comforting herself after a difficult decision.

Mom…

The woman faded and was replaced be a tall man with long hair. The man smiled gently at Anakin and spoke to him in a calm and affectionate voice. The blue eyes seemed to penetrate Anakin's soul, but Anakin didn't fear their owner.

Qui-Gon, my first master. Anakin felt fondness rise up in a warm

Warmth rushed into his body, and he felt himself being tugged in two different directions. The coldness held onto him tightly, but was repulsed by the warmth. Anakin felt consciousness slowly returning, and didn't fight it.

"Anakin, can you hear me?" A hand stroked his face, meant to be comforting. He groaned and the hand left his face to grip his own hand tightly.

"Anakin? Oh, thank the Force." Padmé squeezed his hand and held it to her face. She smiled at him, "Just so I can be prepared, how many times are you going to pass out today? Maybe we should think about getting a resident healer."

"Ha ha, very funny, Padmé." He struggled to lift himself to a sitting position, and when he got there, he gasped and clutched his head.

"What's wrong?" Padmé touched his arm, gripping his dirty sleeve tightly.

"Remember the time we went out, and got really drunk? Remember that?"

"Sure." Padmé smiled slightly at the fuzzy memory. She didn't remember much of that night, but one thing she did know was that Obi-Wan had had to carry Anakin back to the temple. Not that she had been totally sober herself, but she had been conscious.

"Remember the next morning?"

"Unfortunately." The night of drinking had been nothing compared to the incredible hangover she had suffered. Anakin, though, had to go to class the next day and had to take painkillers to get himself through the day. The Masters had been none too pleased with him, as he had been totally zoned out throughout the day and had failed to utter a coherent sentence without much prompting.

"Multiply that feeling by at least a hundred. That's what I'm feeling." He opened one eye to a slit and looked pleadingly at her "I thought Death was supposed to be a peaceful time."

"Well, you were wrong then, weren't you?"

"No sympathy from you, eh?"

"Nope." She smiled "What do you want from me, Anakin Skywalker?"

"Some pity would be nice." He thought another moment "And maybe a hot chocolate."

"What did your last maid die of?"

"You know what? You're really mean to me. I'm suffering, and you-"

A low chuckle rumbled from the doorway. "Anakin, you're starting to sound like your son."

Anakin jumped at the voice, then smiled and said in mock horror, "Oh, no, not you again!"

"A 'hello' would have been nicer then that." The man in the doorway snorted.

"Forgive me, great farmer of moisture. How is the magnificent Owen Lars today? What do I owe the honor of your esteemed presence?"

"That's better. I think you should keep the 'Magnificent' part."

"In your dreams." Anakin smiled at his stepbrother. "How are you?"

"Better then you have been recently, or so I've heard. I also heard from a little bird that I missed the grand adventure you had with your son. I have to say that I regret not being there to kick the Sith's sorry butts."

"And kick them we did." Anakin winced "However, I think we're not out of this yet."

"Yes, the little bird said as much."

"Smart bird." Anakin struggled to get out of bed then, but was restrained by Padmé. He glared at her "I can't help drive the Sith back in bed, you know. The sheets would definitely get in the way."

"You're joking around too much, Ani." Padmé said, but instead of the slightly teasing tone she had used earlier, her voice was deadly serious. "What are you worried about?"

"Who said I was worried? We'll kick butt, and be back by lunchtime."

"You joke around to hide your fear, don't you think we can see that?" Padmé sighed, then held up a hand to stop Anakin's indignant stuttering. "Jacen does the same thing. When I watch him down in Life, whenever a situation gets too dangerous or he gets nervous, he jokes. You do it too." She looked at him closely. "What's wrong?"

"Besides nearly taking a second one-way trip to the Nether Realm?" Anakin took a deep breath, "It was close, Pad, it really was. The Vitru almost had me, and it wasn't even trying."

"The what?" Owen frowned.

"Vitru, that's what it called itself, at least."

"It spoke?" Owen blinked and took a step backward, thoughtfully scratching his chin "I've seen Vitsas before, Ani, they aren't that intelligent."

"Well, this one was. It said it was the evolved form of the Vitsa; and that it had been born when I had cut its link with its masters mind."

"Something tells me this isn't good news."

"Gee, Owen, ya think?" Anakin smirked at his stepbrother, then dropped his bravado and ran his hand through his dark blond hair. "I'm sorry, but come on, something needs to be done, don't you think?"

"Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon have gone to report to the Council. They should be able to get some kind of action out of them."

"No offence to the Council, Padmé, but do you remember when you went before the Senate that first time. Remember how little they would act? How deeply they were mired in tradition? The Council is like that. They can't act."

"Aggression is of the Dark Side, Anakin."

"You sound like Obi-Wan." Anakin rolled his eyes, then became serious again. "I'm not saying we should charge the Sith dimension in a blaze of glory, taking down any and all who stand in our way, but something needs to be done. I think we can all agree on that."

"Perhaps," Padmé said reluctantly, "but I don't like going against the Council, they're usually right about most things."

"Like they were right about me?" Anakin tried to make the comment sound nonchalant, but was unable to hide the sliver of bitterness that snaked it's way through his words like a viper.

"That's not what I said, Anakin. I also don't recall saying that they are right about everything, just most things."

"Such as?"

Owen groaned, "Don't start, you'll argue until time ends." He grinned, "Listen, you know that I don't agree with what the Council does. I don't go along with the Jedi on most issues, and this is one of those times." He shrugged, "Anakin, I'm with you on this. Something needs to be done."

"I hesitate to remind you two that something was done. Anakin," Padmé looked sidelong at her husband "you put your barrier up. Unfortunately, that thing –Vitru," she amended, looking again at Anakin "knocked it down."

"So, something else needs to be done." Owen shrugged.

"The trouble with that, of course, is that the Sith haven't attacked us yet. We can't say that we're defending ourselves." Now it was Anakin's turn to look thoughtful. "That's what the Council will have a problem with."

"Does it matter?" Owen began to look sly.

"What?" Padmé stretched the word, as if wary of the answer.

"The Council's opinion. If I remember right, when action is really needed, our little group doesn't give two loads of bantha dung what the council says." Owen began to chuckle

Anakin's deep chuckle joined his stepbrother's, then turned to a laugh, "True."

Padmé cocked an eyebrow at the two of them, then slowly began to smile. She stood, stretching her muscles. "Well, if that's the case, what's to worry about? Whether the Council agrees with us or not, we're going to do something about this."

"Great." Anakin watched his wife stretch "Does this mean I can get up?"

"If you can stay on your feet." Padmé nodded her consent.

Anakin fairly jumped out of bed, doing a little dance. "Ah, Freedom is a beautiful thing."

Palpatine watched as the sky lit up in a flash of bright white light. The barrier which kept the Sith captives in their own home brightened and strained against a power that was intent on bringing it down.

An Ally…and on the Outside, too. Whoever it is, they are freeing us. A smile of pure evil lit the Sith Lord's face And when I do get out, Skywalker will know no limits to the pain that I will inflict on his miserable soul.

The cursed barrier shone brighter still, then gave way, collapsing in a wave of defeat. Palpatine smiled again, the expression anything but kindly, and teleported to the border.

Revenge would be sweet…

The Vitru snarled and howled in pleasure. Baring it's long fangs at the sky, it seemed to sneer at the Force itself. A cloud of darkness appeared and turned into a Sith.

"What are you?" The Sith raised it's bony fingers and aimed them at the Vitru.

"No one you need to know, Sith. I once was a slave to your kind, but now, should you try to keep me from my goal, you will know no end to my rage."

"I see." The Sith cocked it's head at the creature, "I think you will find, however, that threatening a Sith Lord is the last thing you want to do, if you value your sanity."

"Don't threaten me, Sith. You will find that…unwise." The Vitru flashed it's brilliant white fangs at the Sith, then stalked past him, into the Sith Dimension. Not turning back, the Vitru hissed over its shoulder, "I don't care who you are, or how powerful you think yourself. You are nothing compared to me, and I strongly suggest you stay out my way."

The Sith was speechless in surprise as he watched the Vitru disappear into the dark fog.

Yes, I know, there was no action in this chapter. I'm sorry, but school is taking up most of my time *mumble mumble * EVIL SCHOOL!!!! Well, anyway, I'm putting up a new fic as well, and more chapters will be coming soon. They'll be better then this, I promise!