As Anakin

When Yennaj opened her apartment door on Anakin and Obi-Wan, Anakin could feel an ominous cloud of darkness hanging over them all. And as he and Obi-Wan entered the main room followed by Yennaj, Anakin saw Davad cornering Padmé threateningly. Time suddenly slowed for Anakin. Everything else in the room left his view and all he saw were Padmé and Davad. Anakin's heart beat loudly in his chest and he found it hard to breathe. He heard nothing but his rapid heartbeat, and it was all he could do not to ignite his lightsaber and take off the offending Jedi's head. Anakin could sense the confusion and fear from Padmé, and it broke his heart that she was being put through this.

"Stop right there."

Anakin heard, though it sounded as though very far away, the voice of Obi-Wan. Anakin watched with his jaw clenched tightly as Davad turned to face them. Padmé slowly moved away around the perimeter of the room. Anakin tracked her with his eyes. She stole one look at Anakin and when their eyes met Anakin felt able to breathe again.

Suddenly time resumed normal. The room came back to full-focus for Anakin and suddenly he was hearing everything. He could hear the rapid, angered breathing of Davad; he could hear the muffled footsteps of Padmé as she moved; he could hear the questioning whispers of Yennaj behind him; he could hear Obi-Wan's steady, calm breath. Anakin's racing heart started to slow and the initial fear he had felt at seeing Padmé close to danger was replaced by rage. He could have taken her from me, he thought, his mind playing out the numerous possible scenarios that might have taken place had they not arrived when they did.

Anakin, out of the corner of his eye, caught Obi-Wan suddenly turn his head quickly towards him, but before Anakin could stop himself he had his lightsaber ignited in his hands, casting blue light and holding at the throat of Davad Hoiy. Anakin was a little unprepared for his sudden burst and found himself unsure of how he'd gotten from standing next to Obi-Wan to standing inches from Davad with a lightsaber at his throat. Anakin couldn't remember making the decision to move, and he couldn't remember when he'd ever moved so fast. Anakin felt such a connection to The Force that he had never felt before. He was in The Force; he was The Force.

His darkened eyes looked into Davad Hoiy, and what looked back at him was a weak man, scared for his life. Anakin basked in the power that he held. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber, the leather glove on his mechanical right hand creaking loudly under the tremendous pressure.

"Anakin."

He barely heard Obi-Wan. He was focused entirely on Davad, on making him pay. He was going to make sure Davad would not threaten Padmé ever again.

"Anakin, please."

The sound of her voice pulled him back; Padmé, pleading with him. Suddenly the great Force connection he had was gone. Anakin faltered slightly as the immense strength left him. Again he was just Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and former Padawan to Obi-Wan Kenobi. He relaxed his grip on his lightsaber, and lowering the blade he deactivated it. He kept his eyes on Davad's though. His stare continued to look through to the heart of this man who had been, and who would continue to, betray the Jedi unless he was stopped. Anakin stayed his ground as Obi-Wan came to his side.

Obi-Wan glanced quickly at Anakin, and Anakin (who noticed the quick look) kept his expression as neutral as he could. Now that the heat of the moment had passed him, he was disturbingly calm, almost devoid of any emotion. Anakin disliked this feeling as much as he had loved the feeling of power he'd had before.

"Davad Hoiy, you are to come with us and appear before the Jedi Council," Obi-Wan spoke as the calm Jedi he was. Anakin continued his intense stare at the pitiful Jedi as Obi-Wan took charge of their detaining him.

"What is this about?" Yennaj's troubled voice brought Anakin out of his staring contest and caused him to glance over his shoulder. Padmé was standing next to the other senator, her arms around her shoulders. Yennaj had tears in her eyes and streaming down her face.

"Jedi business," Anakin responded cryptically and emotionlessly. His eyes flicked to Padmé, and the look she gave him was one of a stranger. Anakin felt like a stranger. He felt unwelcome in his own skin and he couldn't seem to shake the feeling. He kept his stare on Padmé for a moment. He wanted the power back, the power that had made Anakin feel alive, like when he was with Padmé. Anakin started to turn back to face Obi-Wan and Davad when he felt a tremor in The Force. With the tremor some of the strangeness left his body. Outside the door someone was waiting.

Anakin's expression relaxed as he quickly turned to Obi-Wan. "Master," was all he said.

His former master nodded, "I sense it too."

A quick glance at Davad, and Anakin turned and quickly jogged to the entryway of the apartment. He felt all eyes on him and as Obi-Wan came up behind the two shared a moment of clarity.

Master, they are here for Davad.

I know.

We must be sure Padmé and Senator Monvé are protected.

I agree.

As the two Jedi stood flanking either side of the door there was a ring of the bell. Anakin felt restored. It was back to business and back to protecting Padmé. He nodded to his friend and brother, and as the door slid open there was a loud blast as an explosion of thick white smoke distracted and temporarily blinded the Jedi. The smoke from the distraction device was thick enough to prove hard to see through, and as Anakin choked on the smoke he tried to determine who it was that had come through the door. Suddenly there was the sound of blaster shots fired in the other room.

This time all caution was thrown to the wind.

"PADMÉ!" Anakin screamed as he darted to the other room. He was knocked down as a man in dark clothes shoved past him dragging Davad Hoiy behind. But Anakin didn't pay any attention. His mind was singular in its duty: find Padmé, she had to be okay. "She has to be. Has to be," he whispered as he stumbled back to his feet. Through the smoke he saw two forms lying on the floor. He felt the threat of a sob building in his throat and his heart nearly burst from the pain of imagining his life without Padmé.

As he tripped the last few steps to the dark outline of the bodies, a single tear fell out of his eyes. Both women were lying facedown on the floor. Neither was moving.

"Padmé, please," he whispered as he slowly rolled the body of his beloved wife. She looked to all appearances like she was sleeping. Anakin's face twisted in pain as he looked down on her. "Padmé," he whispered again as he laid his forehead on her chest. He kept still, willing his power with The Force to be sure she was alive. Slowly, as his intense fear of loss abated, he sensed her. He breathed out a tremendous sigh of relief as he felt her hand smooth the hair on the back of his head.

"Anakin?" he heard her say. He lifted his head and helped her to sit up. He embraced her fiercely as he almost lost control over his emotions again. "Anakin stop. Obi-Wan…" Padmé whispered in his ear, as she loosely hugged him back.

Anakin released her, ignoring her warning. He just wanted to look at her, and be with her, and to-Tatooine with the Jedi Code. He looked at her, a soft smile playing on his lips. He couldn't resist, he mouthed the words to her, I love you. A soft blush crept into Padmé's cheeks as she smiled and nodded back. Anakin saw her eyes flick up over his head. "Obi-Wan, what happened?" She asked, her smile fading and she was back to business.

Anakin tensed at knowing Obi-Wan was standing just behind him and for the first time he was angry at the presence of his former master. As he helped Padmé to stand, his glance fell to Yennaj, she was still lying on her stomach, and hadn't moved. He kneeled and gently rolled her onto her back. He regretted the action immediately. Yennaj had been shot by the blaster. Multiple wounds, and as Anakin touched her, trying to sense her with The Force, there was nothing. She was gone. He vaguely heard Obi-Wan and Padmé talking behind him.

"Yennaj is gone," he said. The voices behind him quieted.

"What?" Padmé spoke with a slight tremor. She suddenly appeared next to Anakin on her knees, her hands stroking the bright blonde hair of the lovely young Senator, now with an orphaned little boy at home on Corellia. "She must have jumped in front of me to shield the blaster shots," Anakin watched Padmé, as she bit on her bottom lip. He wanted with every fiber in his being to reach over and hold her, to let her cry on his shoulder. But he couldn't. So he rose and stood at the side of Obi-Wan. He glanced to his friend and saw him twirling his fingers in his beard.

Obi-Wan stopped and returned Anakin's look. "This is a most unfortunate turn of events," he said. Anakin tried to read the look he was being given. How much of Anakin's behavior had he seen? Had Obi-Wan heard him pleading for Padmé's life? He broke the look and turned his eyes back on Yennaj and Padmé.

"Yes, unfortunate is one way to describe it," he said softly.