Author's note: Responses to reviews are at the bottom today...I felt like messing up the system...Also, this is a long chapter, so I thought I'd warn ya!

Obi-Wan sat up, rubbing his head. He nearly cried out in surprise when he saw Anakin beside him. Even more puzzling were the Sith surrounding them, many who had died centuries before. He also noticed they were in a run down building. This must be where he ended up before when he passed out, Obi-Wan thought.

"Hello, Master," Anakin said softly," I'm glad you came. I wasn't sure if it would work."

"Whats going on, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, staring at the Sith with apprehension.

Anakin sighed, then responded," Quite possibly my last fight. Vader and I are fighting to see who will take control. If I lose, I will never return. If he loses, he will never return. It was the only thing I could think of."

"Why am I here?" Obi-Wan asked. He didn't like Anakin's plan. The odds were strongly in Vader's favor, considering Anakin's condition. And if Anakin failed, the entire galaxy would suffer, and he would be forced to sit there and watch, unable to do anything about it.

"He's able to call on his allies to help," Anakin replied carefully," as am I."

Before Obi-Wan could say anything, three more familiar characters appeared. Obi-Wan nearly fainted when he saw who the third one was. He settled for saying, in a tone of utter disbelief," Qui-Gon?"

The older man chuckled and turned to Obi-Wan, replying," I hadn't expected to see you any time soon. This is good. I've been watching you, Obi-Wan, and I am very proud. You have certainly exceeded my expectations. And I'm glad you trained Anakin. Not many would have accepted such a task."

More Jedi were appearing around Anakin, who began looking a bit more nervous. Obi-Wan could tell by the way Anakin was fidgeting that he was beginning to doubt himself again. Qui-Gon noticed as well. He nodded toward Anakin," You should say something to him. This can't be easy for him. Especially after what he's done lately."

Obi-Wan smiled and walked over to his friend," Relax. We're all here for you, Anakin. Even if some of the Jedi are upset with you, they would rather you be in control than Vader. Everyone knows what will happen to the galaxy if he takes over."

Anakin nodded, clearly still not comfortable. He took several deep breaths, then spoke to those around him," I know I don't deserve your help. But I promise you, if I win this, I will submit to proper punishment...and I won't leave, even if Obi-Wan shows up with a plan again."

The Jedi nodded, agreeing to help the young man. Vader looked over, and activated his lightsaber. Anakin was sad to see it was red, as were all of the lightsabers of the Sith. He activated his own blue lightsaber, momentarily pausing to wonder how he had his lightsaber when he had given it to Obi-Wan. Anakin and Vader moved in front of their allies, preparing to battle. Vader started the attack with a downward blow toward Anakin.

Anakin blocked the attack easily. He noticed that Palpatine and the Sith continued moving forward, then heard shouts from behind him. The Sith were using the Force to form a wall, blocking the Jedi. Anakin was alone. He was the only one able to move, and he had at least five Sith actively fighting him, while the rest focused on using the Force to keep the Jedi away. They also slowed Anakin's reactions through the Force. Needless to say, the battle was not going well.

Anakin was surrounded by five Sith. Vader was his primary lightsaber apponent, while Palpatine was continuously sending Force lightning at him, complicating the battle. Anakin let out a cry of pain as one of the Sith struck him from behind. While turning to fend off that threat, Vader attempted to decapitate Anakin. Sensing this attack through the Force, he ducked and leaned to the left. The lightsaber grazed his cheek, causing his eye to water.

At that moment, the other two Sith made an unexpected, simultanious attack from opposite sides. Obi-Wan saw it before Anakin, and yelled," Anakin! Watch out!"

Anakin spun around, causing both blows to miss, although he stumbled straight into Vader's arching blow. Unable to get his lightsaber up in time, and having too many behind him, Anakin took the blow, drawing on the Force to dull the pain. The lightsaber struck him squarely in the chest, leaving him in an agonizing flurry of pain and quite unable to breath. Becoming dizzy, Anakin parried yet another attack from the side. He was knocked off balance by the force of the blow, and stumbled to the ground. Black was eating at the corners of his vision, as he was blinded by pain, shock, and the inability to breath. His lightsaber rolled out of his hand as he lost his grip.

Suddenly, he felt a large quantity of heat near his neck. Lifting his head slightly, he saw a gleaming red blade inches from his throat. He dropped his head in defeat as a voice above him said," Do you give up?"

Filled with hopeless sorrow, Anakin let out a breath before saying," You won."

The Jedi seemed to stunned to move. All were staring at the battle scene in disbelief. Although it was improper for a Jedi to feel that way, all felt that they had failed Anakin, and the galaxy. Obi-Wan wanted to collapse on the ground and weep, but found he was still too shocked to do such a thing. Next to him, Qui-Gon recovered his voice," You cheated! It was an uneven match. We must be allowed to battle again."

Surprisingly, it was Anakin's hoarse and breathless voice that answered," They didn't cheat. They used the Force. I failed to anticipate it. It's my fault. I'm sorry, I've failed you all. Please, forgive me, somehow, someday..."

Palpatine started cackling nearby, saying," Touching as this is, you best be leaving now. There is nothing more you can do. The boy has sealed his own fate."

"Goodbye, Anakin," Obi-Wan called as Jedi started disappearing, going back to their proper places," I will always be watching for you."

"Goodbye, Obi-Wan," Anakin called faintly, as Vader lifted him to his feet, binding his wrists. The last Obi-Wan ever saw of his friend was Vader striking Anakin in the head, knocking him out, and dragging him off somewhere in the distance.

Padme raced to Obi-Wan's side when she saw the man beginning to stir. Looking around, she noticed that all of the Jedi were waking up. Sadly, she noted that Anakin wasn't. Obi-Wan opened his eyes, and looked around groggily. Padme focused on him and asked," What happened?"

"He lost..." Obi-Wan kept repeating," I can't believe he actually lost...It's my fault..."

"Who lost?" Padme asked nervously, already knowing what happened," What are you talking about?"

Obi-Wan looked near tears. This scared Padme more than anything she had ever seen before. He then replied," Anakin lost his battle with Vader. We were supposed to help him, but we couldn't. He went up against impossible odds...Five Sith against one severly weakened Jedi..."

Suddenly, Anakin sat up, smiling cruely. He lept to his feet, passing Padme without a word, and headed straight toward the functional ship. Padme's eyes widened as she realized that what Obi-Wan had said was true. Anakin would never blatantly ignore her like that. Turning to the clone troopers nearby, she ordered," Do not allow him to get near the ship!"

The clones ran toward Vader, pointing their blasters at him. Vader knew it would be pointless to try to fight. After all, he didn't have his lightsaber with him. He turned and ran toward one of the caves, hoping there would be somewhere to hide.

He ran on, passing several convenient hiding places, hoping to lose the Jedi following him. Turning into yet another narrow passage, Vader risked a glance over his shoulder. He could see Kenobi's blade glowing, nowhere near far enough behind him. Why couldn't the clones be following me? Vader thought with extreme frustration, At least I could use a mind trick on them...make them think I turned somewhere else...

Vader ducked into a crevice and curled out of sight. He diminished his Force-presense, and hoped for the best. Soon, he saw the Jedi pass, and heard them shouting. He could tell by their frustrated tones that they had been relying on the Force to track him. As soon as he couldn't hear them anymore, he rolled out of his hiding place and ran as quickly and quietly as he could. He reached the ship more quickly than he had expected. The clones didn't notice his approach. He used a mind trick to send the troopers around the ship over with the others. Slipping on board as quietly as possible, Vader grabbed a lightsaber and food packs, then disabled the engines.

Once he was finished, Vader slipped back out and headed down a different tunnel than before. He ran down a confusing path, turning several times before finding a decent cave to hide in. Taking out a protein shake, Vader leaned against the wall, wondering how long it would be before the Jedi would find him, and he whether he would be ready to fight when they did. Of course, he would have to contact a ride before hand, so he would have a garuanteed quick getaway.

"We're tapping into a call originating from your location..." a Republic representative told the worried party. The Jedi had remained on the desolate planet to ensure Vader would not escape alive. The clone troopers were guarding Senator Amidala and attempting to reactivate the ship. None could remember when Vader had made his visit, but his vandalism was obvious. They were stuck until the Republic sent a ship to retrieve them, or they managed to get theirs up and running again.

Mace's eyebrows shot up," From our precise location? Or is it nearby? Do you have the coordinates?"

"Yes, to the last two questions," the representative replied. He then proceded to give the coordinates, and cut the link.

"I'll go," Obi-Wan announced from behind Mace. His face was set grimly, and it could be seen in his eyes that he took Anakin's turning personally. This was something he needed to work out for himself. Mace and Yoda consulted for a moment, then gave Obi-Wan permission to go. With a look of determination in his eyes, the Jedi set off to the coordinates he had been given.

Vader looked up with a smirk. He growled," Obi-Wan Kenobi. I told you I would kill you if we met again..."

Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber at the same moment as Vader. He attacked the Sith with the Force, searching through layers of barriers, trying to find Anakin. He blocked Vader's attacks easily. When Vader spoke, he stopped searching for Anakin," You won't find him."

"I doubt that," Obi-Wan glared at the menacing figure before him, lashing out quickly and striking him across the side," He has to be hidden somewhere. You cannot survive without him."

Vader's lip curled as he lunged at Obi-Wan. Pain was burning in his side, where the Jedi had struck him. His attack was parried with ease by the older man. Vader drew on his anger and increased the speed and strength of his attack. Obi-Wan found himself backing out of the cave and fighting defensively until he reached the edge of a volcano. He blocked Vader's blow as he flipped over the furious young man, putting Vader between himself and the volcano.

The young Sith hardly seemed to notice his position. He scored another three blows on Obi-Wan, dropping the Jedi to the ground. Chuckling, he brought his lightsaber to Kenobi's throat. As he was about to tell the Jedi that he had lost, and so lost his life, another annoying presense cut him off. He found his voice yelling," No! You can't kill him! Run, Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan looked up with bewilderment, then realized what had happened. Anakin's love for him had brought him back from whatever bonds were holding him back. The older Jedi could sense that Anakin would soon be banished, and used the Force to shove Vader away. Unfortunately, all of this took place a bit too near the edge of the volcano. Obi-Wan watched as the boy stumbled over the edge. The anguished scream would never leave his memory.

The weary Jedi dragged himself off the ground and limped toward camp. Grief was threatening to overtake him. He hadn't meant to kill Vader. He had really wanted to capture him and find a way to bring back Anakin. That seemed impossible, now. There was no way a living being could survive being dropped into lava. His head swam with weariness and sorrow. Soon everything went black, and Obi-Wan Kenobi saw no more.

"We're still not sure why he passed out," a voice spoke from above Obi-Wan. His injuries were throbbing, and he called on the Force to push away the pain. Nothing, however, could banish the pain he felt in his heart. An overwhelming guilt and sorrow filled him. At first, he couldn't remember what caused him such pain. Then, the memory rushed back painfully. Anakin had made a reappearance, and he panicked. He had used the Force to push the boy away. The edge of the volcano was closer than he thought, and the young man tumbled over, screaming.

Obi-Wan spoke something inaudible. At the medic's puzzled expressions, he tried again," H...he...dead..."

"Vader is dead?" Mace Windu's voice joined in the conversation. Obi-Wan tried to look up, but failed, letting out a groan. His head was pounding, and he felt like it would explode. He nodded carefully, not wanting to speak. He could sense his fellow Jedi's sympathy through the Force.

The medic spoke up suddenly," He must rest. There will be time to discuss this later. Now he must focus on healing himself."

Mace nodded briskly, then walked away. Obi-Wan was left lying on the ship's medic bay. Mace rejoined Yoda and the other Jedi. They were patiently awaiting the news on Obi-Wan's condition. They were surprised when Mace said," Obi-Wan's physical injuries are minor. However, he says that he killed Vader. I sensed there was more he wasn't telling me, but I did not pursue the matter. He needs to rest. His mental state is not well."

"Then it was not Vader he killed," Padme's voice declared sadly. She came around the corner, joining the Jedi. They looked at her in bewilderment.

Yoda asked," Implying he killed Anakin, are you?"

Padme nodded. It made sense. The death of Vader, a Sith, would not effect the Jedi in such a way. Only murdering his closest friend would devestate him so. She replied," Yes. He must have killed Anakin."

"In that case, we must talk to him. When he is ready to talk," Mace told them," He will need guidence. It is extremely difficult to kill your friend when he has gone evil, but even worse when you kill him when he returns."

Padme was attempting not to cry. Tears filled her eyes as she listened to the conversation. She stroked her growing stomach, wondering how she would raise her son alone. She hoped he would be like Anakin, but not face the same struggles. At that moment, she made a silent vow that her child would live a good life. She wouldn't allow him to face the evil that Anakin had seen. Her child would not fall to the dark side. She knew what Obi-Wan would be going through. It was similar to what she was going through," I'll talk to him."

The Jedi nodded their agreement, and Padme left to be alone. It was hard to believe he was truly dead. He hadn't just turned to the dark side this time, where there was a chance of his return. Obi-Wan had physically killed him. Unintentionally, of course, but he had killed him none the less. She sank to the ground in disbelief. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer. When the clone troopers found her, she was still sobbing.

Vader awoke screaming in pain. He tried to look around, but found he couldn't see. The pain was overwhelming, and it threatened to overtake him again. Voices were speaking all around him, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. He could sense their urgency, and knew his condition was serious. Vader was amazed to be alive. The last thing he remembered before he blacked out was grabbing a ledge with his left hand, too close to the lava. His mechanical arm had melted, plastering liquid metal to his side, and his legs burning in the lava.

Soon, the pain became too much, and Vader once again slipped into a deep sleep. Medics raced around, fitting him with a new lung and oxygen mask, then attaching new mechanical parts to his body. They had amputated the remains of his lower legs. They had been burned and shrivled too severly to save. The new mechanical legs were just as functional, and they had false skin covering them. Someone who didn't know what had happened to him would think they were natural. They also replaced his mechanical arm with the newer version with the false skin.

Voices surrounded Vader when he awoke again. This time he caught some of their conversation. One medic was saying," He needs life support. The heat did too much damage. He will never have free movement again. He will always be bedridden."

Another voice opposed," If we could design something more portable that would allow him to breathe..."

"But who can do that?" A third voice spoke," We've been trying for years, but never found a sucessful design!"

"I..." Vader coughed out the word. He wasn't able to get enough oxygen to speak properly. Wheezing, he finished his "

Everyone in the room turned in shock. No one had noticed the mangled boy awakening. They couldn't believe he had just suggested he could design something that their best technicians had failed to create. One look at the man's eyes told them, however, that he truly believed what he was saying. And if he could design it, he would be fully functional, close to the physical condition he had been in before the lava.

A medic was about to reject that idea, and tell Vader to rest, but Palpatine appeared suddenly in the room, and replied," If you think you can do it, my young apprentice, then we will give you a chance."

Vader nodded, already planning his design. He couldn't reach too far into his mind, for such an action resulted with a stinging blow from Skywalker's spirit. The Jedi was deeply hurt that his master would send him into a lava pit. Yet he childishly blamed Vader, and so pushed him away. No longer was Anakin attempting to take over. He was hiding. Vader could sense the young Jedi's wish that none of this had ever happened.

He was becoming annoyed. Anakin had more knowledge of mechanics than he did, and normally he would have free acess to such things. But the Jedi wouldn't allow him to touch anything that belonged to him. Drawing on all the knowledge of machinery he possessed, Vader began sketching the design of a suit that would contain an artificial lung for him. He would have to where the suit, or at least the mask and chest pieces, for the rest of his life. Toward the end, when he ran into a bit of trouble completing the design, Anakin reluctantly gave him the information he needed.

The skeptical technicians took the design and began building the suit. They built it onto Vader, so it would fit properly. To their surprise, when the suit was complete, it was indeed functional. Vader stood cautiously and breathed deeply. He nearly jumped when he heard his own breaths echoing through the room. He was even more surprised when he tried to speak, and found that the microphone inside the mask deepened his voice," You have done well."

Palpatine smiled as he approached Vader. He led his new apprentice out of the medical ward, and into the Senate building. Vader stopped abrubtly and asked," Whats going on, my Master?"

"You have missed much, my young apprentice," Palpatine smirked," the Separatists were defeated. As was the Republic. Welcome to the Empire, Lord Vader."

Vader rose an eyebrow skeptically. No one could actually see the movement because of the black mask completely covering his head, but Palpatine sensed is criticism through the Force. The strangely deep voice replied," And I assume you are the Emperor?"

Palpatine nodded. He led Vader to their pod, and they took their rightful position in the center. They were announced as "Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader." No one knew that Lord Vader had once been Anakin Skywalker.

Obi-Wan was relieved when the ship was functional again. They took off, not knowing what awaited them when they reached Coruscant. They spoke little on the way back to the capitol. Most were grieving for the loss of a talented young Jedi. The clones were making plans for security when they arrived back on the city. Padme hadn't left her room since they took off. Obi-Wan felt terrible that his actions had caused her such pain, but had come to accept it.

When Coruscant came into view, the pilot shouted back in confusion," They won't accept Republic codes! They said much has changed, and Jedi are no longer welcome here. But Palpatine is still the leader...along with Lord Vader."

A cold feeling filled the room. Obi-Wan felt his stomach drop. Padme came out of her room with her mouth open in disbelief. Obi-Wan kept thinking, How could he possibly have survived?

Then he realized what else the pilot had said. Obi-Wan asked," What do they mean, the Jedi are not welcome? And how did Palpatine come to retain power despite the common knowledge that he's a Sith?"

"Apparently he never gave up the emergency powers," the pilot shouted back," and he declared himself Emperor. It's a crime to be a Jedi now...all of the Jedi who were in the Temple are imprisoned and waiting for Darth Vader to deal with them. I wouldn't recommend we go back there. I guess the clones switched sides with him. If you want to survive, we should go elsewhere."

"I will go down in the escape pod," Mace replied," everyone else, find somewhere to hide."

As soon as he was prepared, Mace boarded the escape pod. Obi-Wan and Padme were still not certain this was a good idea. They had all seen the damage Vader could inflict, and if the Jedi were all prisoners, it could have horrible consequences. They couldn't see how it would do any good for Mace to go and sacrifice himself while they hid on remote planets. Padme asked," Are you certain this is a good idea?"

"I see no other way," Mace replied," we must trust the Force."

Palpatine and Vader stood alone in Palpatine's office. The Emperor was giving Vader orders to execute all of the Jedi. He would start with the Jedi locked in the Temple. Then, he would hunt down the rest. Vader flourished the thought of murdering those who had doubted him, criticized him, and had watched him closely, without trust, throughout his time as a Jedi. With satisfaction, he accepted his orders and headed to the Jedi Temple.

No one ever knew that Darth Vader was once Anakin Skywalker, the talented, stubborn young apprentice who was believed to be the Chosen One. They were told that Vader had killed him, along with all the other Jedi. Only four people survived that knew the truth. They were Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Palpatine, and Darth Vader himself...

dtaylor16889: I like cliff hangers...sorry! But the ending was a bit predictable. Be warned, there is an extended ending. This is the short ending. Thanks for reviewing!

Sweetdeath04: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad my computer finally let me post it...lol

Picky: Sorry, Anakin lost! But you knew that would happen, otherwise he never would have become Vader. At least he only lost cuz he was outnumbered (stupid sith cheated...lol). Thank you for reviewing!