Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is so short...I didn't make a very equal split. Oh well, the next chapter will be longer.
I can't turn to the dark side! Anakin thought. But what if I made everyone think I had? I certainly have enough power to do that. I could trick Palpatine and Dooku into letting me go off alone, then rejoin Padme. Of course, if Obi-Wan was near he would probably try to arrest me...or kill me, if he thought I had gone to the dark side.
Anakin left his corridors, putting on the best impression of a Sith he could. He strutted into the kitchen and glared at Palpatine, who was drinking a mug of smoking brown liquid. He had on a black cape, which swirled as he sat in a chair," What is it that you want me to do, Palpatine?"
"Prove that you are truly on my side. Kill the Jedi. Use whatever means are necessary. Dooku will help," Palpatine replied calmly, as though he had known Anakin had turned.
Anakin smirked and replied," It will be my pleasure."
As soon as they were on their ship, away from Palpatine, Anakin attacked Dooku. He left Dooku alive, but just barely. He wanted Dooku to suffer a long, painful death, locked in a room aboard his own ship. Anakin thought it was a fitting consequence for the man who had done so much harm to so many people, not to mention cut off his arm. During the attack Anakin returned the favor.
Once Dooku was taken care of, Anakin headed to the controls of the ship. He would go back to Coruscant where Padme was waiting. Anakin realized that upon returning to the planet, they would probably recognize him and have him arrested immediately. At least once he was arrested and in a cell Padme would come visit. That was all Anakin really wanted; to see Padme again. Added to his charges of three first degree murders would undoubtably be a fourth. They would find Dooku's body and add that charge. They may sentence Anakin to death. Especially if the Jedi thought he had turned to the dark side. Not that Anakin cared. All that mattered to him anymore was that Padme be safe and happy.
Predictably, once Anakin asked permission to land, they asked for his identity. He answered truthfully, and was escorted into the space port by ten military ships. Once he was on the ground, guards boarded the ship and surrounded Anakin. He didn't fight as they put stun cuffs around his wrists and escorted him off the ship. As they marched toward the prison building, he scanned the crowd for Padme and Obi-Wan. He saw both. He saw Padme turn to Obi-Wan, but couldn't hear what she was saying. Then they left. Anakin bowed his head and continued the march to the prison.
"We have to help him. He didn't resist arrest. He doesn't seem to be on the dark side!" Padme cried as she watched Anakin being escorted to the capitol's prison building. Anakin was back. That's all that mattered to her. Even if he had turned to the dark side, she was confident she could turn him back if given the chance.
Obi-Wan turned and muttered," Come on. I have an idea."
They ran down the alleys where there was little traffic. Obi-Wan explained his idea along the way, and telling of the risks. They would carry out the plan tonight. Obi-Wan would break into the prison and locate Anakin's cell. After talking to him, and finding out if he had truly turned to the dark side, Obi-Wan would either release Anakin or leave him to face the consquences of his actions. Then he, Anakin, and Padme would flee to a fairly deserted planet where they would be safe. The risks were that Anakin could fake turning back, then kill him and Padme and finish off anyone else he wanted to. Also, in carrying out the plan, Obi-Wan and Padme would become fugitives as well. Obi-Wan would certainly be expelled from the Jedi Order. But if it saved his friend's life, it would be worth it.
A few hours later, they were ready. Padme had a speeder parked below Anakin's window, and Obi-Wan had reviewed security tapes and planned a route to Anakin's cell through the ventalation system. He had two lightsabers with him; his own lightsaber, and Qui-Gon's. He would give one to Anakin when they made their escape. Obi-Wan turned to Padme, and asked," Are you ready?"
"Yes. Let's go," Padme replied determinedly. Obi-Wan set off toward the large vent on the side of the building, activated his lightsaber, and went in. He climbed up the shaft and turned left, toward Anakin's cell. Now came the challenge. He had to vault straight up five stories without making any noise...which meant he had to rely on the Force alone. He couldn't use a cable to get up.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath and jumped as high as he could. He caught a ledge four levels up, then climbed the remaining level. After that, he crawled along the shaft, glancing down vents to view the occupants. When he finally arrived at Anakin's cell, he fed a loop through Anakin's monitor, so no one would notice anything was wrong until after they escaped. He cut through the vent, and landed softly in front of Anakin, who was sitting on the floor with his arms around his knees, looking up in amazement.
"What...why....Obi-Wan?" Anakin stuttered in disbelief. He couldn't figure out why Obi-Wan would be here. After all, everyone was under the impression that he had turned to the dark side.
Obi-Wan chuckled at Anakin's confusion. He then stated," I don't believe that you have truly turned. I also know that if you stay here, you will be executed. Padme and I have decided to help you. Are you coming?"
"Of course. How did you know I hadn't truly turned?" Anakin asked, still in shock.
"Don't you think I would know? I'll get you out of here on one condition," Obi-Wan said sternly.
Anakin took a deep breath, dreading what Obi-Wan would demand, then replied," Anything."
"Once we're on the ship, you tell me the whole story. And listen to all of my commands. And you'll have to be the pilot, because you're the only one who is very good at evasive flying. We'll need that as we leave the system," Obi-Wan explained.
"No problem," Anakin said as he relaxed. Obi-Wan hadn't requested anything too bad. Anyway, Anakin loved flying, so that would be fun. He didn't particularly like following orders, though. Obi-Wan then cut through the bars over the window and waved a hand, indicating that Anakin should jump through the window. Anakin looked at him and raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and jumped. He landed in the front seat of the speeder, right next to Padme. As Obi-Wan jumped, Anakin kissed Padme on the cheek. Once Obi-Wan was in the speeder, they raced off to the spaceport.
They made it onto the ship without any problems, but then Anakin's escape was discovered. No ships were to leave Coruscant until Anakin Skywalker was back in prison. The public was informed that Anakin was dangerous, and they should report any sightings of him. When Anakin heard this, he laughed," They don't know me at all. I'm only dangerous when I have to be. I'm not even armed!"
Then Obi-Wan remembered that he still had two lightsabers, and he tossed one to Anakin," Now you are. Hang on to that, you might need it. Let's go, while they're still setting up the blockade."
Anakin took off, ignoring the frantically waving security guards. One ran up to the tower and alerted the military ships that someone was trying to leave. Once Anakin got out of the hangar, a swarm of ships came to cut him off, telling him that no one was allowed to leave because Anakin Skywalker may be on the ship. Anakin laughed and replied," I know. Try to stop me!"
He then took off with a burst of speed, firing on the ships, disabling them. Once he had a clear path, he told Obi-Wan to type in the coordinates for lightspeed. Once everything was set, he power and they were off.
"Anakin, what happened after you left the Temple?" Obi-Wan asked when Anakin came back to the cabin.
"Well, I was going to go into hiding, but Palpatine...interfered. You know that part of the story. While I was on the ship, I tried to control my anger at those people, but in the end I failed, and attacked them. It was like I was in a trance. Then Palpatine started chuckling, so I came back to myself. I immediately realized that I had made a terrible mistake. I left for my room. The next morning I pretended I had turned, and I masked all of my true connections, instead bringing forth all the anger and fear I had been hiding from the time I came to the Temple. I tried to control myself. Once Palpatine assigned me to execute all of the Jedi, with Dooku's assistance, I nearly lost it. Once we were on the ship, I did. I severly wounded Dooku, and cut off his arm, then left him locked in the ship to die. I flew back to Coruscant, with full knowledge that when I returned I would be arrested and eventually executed, but that didn't matter. I just wanted to see Padme again. And try to prove that I hadn't completely betrayed the Jedi. I know that I can never return from killing the three Jedi, and it will haunt me for the rest of my life. I also know that even if the Council hadn't expelled me, I could never have been a Jedi. I hold too much anger, too much hate, the scars run too deep. Sometimes it becomes too much, then I become someone else. It's possible that the other side of me will override who I want to be. In the end, my dark self may win out. Especially because a large part of me is saying that joining the dark side is the right thing to do," Anakin admitted. He was glad to share this with someone, as he felt he would explode if he contained the information he discovered about himself any longer.
Obi-Wan was shocked. There was so much about Anakin he hadn't guessed. He knew Anakin had anger issues, but he never knew they were so horrible. Once he regained control of his thoughts, he replied," You should have told me about your dark side sooner. I assume that you were merely pushing away your anger, hatred, and fear, not working through them as a Jedi should. You cannot allow your dark side to overcome your true self. You must let go of your anger! If you cannot do it for yourself, do it for Padme."
"The problem is, I'm not sure I can. I think my dark side may be my true self."