The Fall

Disclaimer: Characters are not the property of the author

The story begins as Anakin is confronting Padme after he has slaughtered the entire remainder of the Separatist faction.

Chapter 1: Betrayal

Anakin looked past Padme to see a figure emerging from her ship.

"You," He yelled accusingly at Padme, "You brought him here."

"No," Padme pleaded pulling at Anakin's tunic, "I had no idea."

"She had nothing to do with my coming here," Obi-wan said as he stepped of the ramp slowly.

Anakin glared back and forth between the two of them his mind filled with anger and confusion. His hand was nervously playing with his deactivated lightsaber as it hung on his belt. He wasn't sure what to do.

"Step away from her Anakin," Obi-wan said, "This is between you and me."

Anakin stepped between Obi-wan and Padme and activated his lightsaber, "No you won't harm her."

"What?" Obi-wan asked, "Are you delusional?"

"I know what you plan on doing," Anakin said, "I've seen it in my dreams. You're going to kill by inducing labour. You want my child to be a Jedi."

"I had no such plans," Obi-wan said.

"You liar!" Anakin roared.

Obi-wan was thrown back against the ramp, landing none too gently. Behind Anakin Padme was trembling with fear, still clutching to Anakin's tunic. Anakin turned back around to face her.

"Is it true?" she asked fearfully.

Anakin nodded, "That's why my dreams have been bothering me so much lately. That's why I hate the Jedi, they don't who they have to step on to get what they want."

Padme stared at him in confusion as she tried to sort out what Anakin had just said. She had never known the Jedi to commit the acts that Anakin had suggested, especially Obi-wan. But considering what had happened in the past day they would be desperate to get as many force sensitive children as they could, Anakin had assured that with his actions at the Jedi Temple. But the idea of them inducing her into labour just to take her child away from her? Padme was still trying to sort this out when Obi-wan sprang to his feet and lunged at Anakin his lightsaber activated.

"STOP!" Padme yelled, but neither man was listening.

Their lightsabers clashed as the two men tried to kill each other. The battle continued until Obi-wan had Anakin leaning precariously over a ledge in danger of falling into the molten lava below. Anakin was pushing back against Obi-wan, but Obi-wan had him beat. The two blades inched ever closer to Anakin's face.

"Give up Anakin," Obi-wan said, "You can't win."

"I won't let you take my child from me," Anakin replied defiantly, "And I won't let you kill Padme."

"I don't know what's gotten into you Anakin," Obi-wan said, "You know I'd never hurt Padme."

The edge of his lightsaber burned off a piece of Anakin's hair.

"Then why are you trying to kill me?" Anakin asked as he struggled to hold Obi-wan back.

"Because you killed all those younglings," Obi-wan replied.

Suddenly Obi-wan fell forward at Anakin. Anakin pressed off the bar and pushed him back. Obi-wan caught his balance and looked to see what had caused him to fall. Anakin also tried to find out what had happened to save him from certain death. The only thing that either of them could see as any possible cause was a very angry looking Padme.

Anakin reached out with his mind trying to sense what Padme was think. Slowly a smirk spread across his face.

Obi-wan remained oblivious to what had hit him, but he noticed the smirk on Anakin's face. "I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you," Obi-wan warned him.

"Oh I don't know about that," Anakin said not taking his eyes off of Padme.

Obi-wan directed his attention towards Padme; he reached out with the force and was surprised by the rage that was being given off by her. But he was even more surprised that it seemed to be directed towards him. She slowly began walking towards Obi-wan. Obi-wan held his lightsaber out to try and ward her off but suddenly it was wrenched from his grasp and found its way into Padme's. This left Obi-wan completely surprised. When he had first met Padme when she was fourteen, he had sensed that she was mildly force sensitive. But the raw power she was displaying right now was almost completely unfathomable. If he weren't experiencing it himself he wouldn't have believed it possible.

Obi-wan threw a glance in Anakin's direction. His former apprentice was just standing there relishing this with a sadistic look of glee upon his face. Obi-wan looked back as his own lightsaber was being held mere inches from his throat. He then looked behind it at the person now wielding it.

"I never knew you had it in you," Obi-wan quipped, unsure of what else to say to Padme.

"Neither did I," Padme admitted coldly, "Until you tried to kill Ani."

"He's not the same person anymore," Obi-wan said, "He…"

"I know what he's done," Padme interrupted, "and I don't care."

Obi-wan fell silent. He noticed that Anakin was quietly enjoying this.

"Now," Padme said, "You are going to get onto my ship and you are going to leave this place. I am going with Ani."

"You know I can't let you," Obi-wan said.

"It's my decision," Padme said, "And I really don't think you have much of a choice."

"Why don't you just kill him and be done with it?" Anakin asked.

Padme's eyes flicked in Anakin's direction but she otherwise should no change in her stance.

"Fine," Obi-wan said backing away slowly towards the ramp to Padme's ship.

Padme continued to stare at him with a glare that seemed to be burning right through his very soul. The ramp closed and the ship began to slowly lift into the air.

As the ship disappeared from sight Padme collapsed to the ground, Obi-wan's lightsaber deactivating as it clattered to the ground.

"Padme!" Anakin cried out running to her aid.

Padme was lying on her side facing away from Anakin. He rolled her over to see that her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow.

"No," Anakin said, "You are not going to die on me."