Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or anything Star Wars related.

CH. 2

"RISE OF A TYRANT"

"No!"

Purple met with blue as the two Jedi's lightsabers collided. The older of the two stared at the young man before him with disbelief on his face.

"Anakin, what are you doing?" Mace Windu asked in amazement.

"You can't kill him," Anakin Skywalker retorted, pushing his Master back away from the cowering form on the ground at his feet. "He must stand trial."

"He is a Sith!" Mace exclaimed. "He is too dangerous to be left alive! He is responsible for the deaths of millions and will continue to murder innocent people until he is stopped!"

"Jedi don't kill in cold blood," Anakin replied. How can I stand here and say this? he thought to himself. I killed Count Dooku when he was helpless and defeated. How can I be such a hypocrite? But this is different…Padme's future is at stake.

"Stand down, young Skywalker." Mace ordered, still standing in a defensive position – ready to protect himself against any attack that might come his way. "There is much you don't understand. There are things going on here that must be put to an end!"

Anakin cautiously watched the traitor in front of him. How could he break the code so easily? Does it mean nothing to him?

"We will turn him in," Anakin replied, his determination not wavering in the least bit from the excruciating pressure he was under.

"And what if he were to escape?" Mace questioned as he stared daggers at the young Jedi. "The reign of the Sith can end now! They have plagued the galaxy for long enough. This evil must be abolished once and for all!"

"I need him alive!"

Mace Windu was taken aback by the rage in which Anakin spat his last statement. Need? he thought to himself. What could he possibly need with this beast?

"What are you talking about?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You wouldn't understand," was Anakin's simple reply. What does he know of love? he thought. The Jedi are supposed to have unconditional love and compassion for all things, but I am forbid to even be with the one I truly love. Padme. If they knew of our marriage I would be expelled from the Order. They deny me the only thing that brings me happiness…

"Think this through, Anakin," Mace pleaded, slightly relaxing his stance, but still remaining firm. "Your anger clouds your mind. This is the only way."

"No!" Anakin shouted in a fit of rage. "I will not let you take her from me!"

Mace was startled by his sudden outburst and puzzled by what he had said, but he had no time to say anything in return as Anakin lunged forward.

Mace easily parried the advance and blocked the next swipe of Anakin's lightsaber. Anakin continued to charge forward, thrusting his weapon towards Mace with forceful blows. However, the fury surfacing in him left his mind racing and his ability to calculate his attacks were dampened. Numerous attempts to strike his Master were blocked, one after another, and he was unable to penetrate Mace Windu's perfected technique.

"Stop this, Anakin!" Mace exclaimed between blows. "It doesn't have to be this way!"

Anakin's ears were deaf to his words. Without missing a beat, he proceeded to press his attack against the skilled Jedi Master. They were both unaware of the menacing grin that the man in the corner now had plastered on his gruesome face…

"Skywalker!" Mace finally managed to create some distance between Anakin and himself, panting as he struggled to catch his breath. "Do you not realize what you are doing? Anger leads to the dark side!"

"So be it!" Anakin growled, leaping through the air, only to be stopped again by Mace's purple lightsaber.

Anakin swung with greater speed and force than the older Jedi had ever realized he possessed, but he managed to hold him off and deflect his powerful blows. Then he slipped…it gave Anakin the opportunity he needed and with a swift swipe of his glowing blade he sliced through the front of Mace's tunic and cut into his midsection.

Mace let out a cry of pain and stumbled back, grasping his torso as he did his best to recompose himself. The wound wasn't too deep, he could tell after a quick inspection, but blinding pain coursed through his body. Any lightsaber burn was a bad one.

"You are letting your rage consume you," Mace warned. "It will only lead you down a path of darkness from which you can never return. Are you sure that is the path you wish to choose?"

The bitterness in Anakin's next remark stung his old Master. "You Jedi are all fools!"

There was no hesitation as Anakin sprung forward and lightsabers clashed yet again. The duel only lasted another minute, Mace's injury significantly slowing down his reflexes and giving Anakin the upper hand. With one final swipe, his lightsaber was knocked out of his grip and sent flying across the room. The blade of Anakin's lightsaber was at the Jedi Master's throat before he had time to react.

"You are making a grave mistake," Mace said with an extraordinary calmness to his voice. "You know this is wrong. You have the power to set things right, Anakin. The decision is yours."

"I'm done listening to your lies," Anakin spat in disgust.

"Who is really lying to you?" Mace asked. "Is it really the Jedi or is it someone else? Look around, Anakin…you are becoming a pawn in a Sith Lord's plot to take control of the Republic. You have been tricked into doing exactly what he wanted you to do!"

Anakin tightly closed his eyes as he fought with his own mind. "No! You are the one who is trying to trick me!"

"Search your feelings. You know that I speak the truth."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Believe what you wish, young Skywalker. Just remember what I said…the decision is yours."

Darth Vader remembered the last words of Mace Windu. "The decision is yours."

The words ran through his mind as he made his way across the long landing platform. He peered through the ash floating through the air and silently cursed to himself. Mustafar was not his kind of place. He would much rather be back in Coruscant…back with Padme.

"Welcome to – "

With a careless flick of Vader's wrist, the droid that was no doubt sent to greet him at his ship was sent sailing through the air and over the edge of the platform. It appeared as if his hosts did not realize his visit wasn't a friendly one. His arrival on their planet would be their undoing.

His heavy footsteps clattered against the silver ground beneath him as he approached the entrance leading into the building.

After pushing the button to open the doors several times and getting no result, Vader pulled his lightsaber from his cloak and ignited it. It seems they are ready for me after all, he thought. They are only delaying the inevitable.

He stopped himself just as he prepared to plunge the glowing blade into the door. That was when he noticed it…the blade was red. He held the weapon of a Sith Lord in his hands.

He studied the lightsaber Sidious had given him with great interest. Has it really come to this? he asked himself. Am I really a Sith? I am not evil, the Sith are. No…the Jedi are the ones who are really evil. They have manipulated me and tricked me into believing all their lies. Yes, I have embraced the dark side…

After a long moment of contemplation, Darth Vader finally turned his attention back to the doors in front of him. But is the dark side not a part of the Force? I was taught to believe it was evil, but the Force is not evil. Evil…so many things could be misinterpreted as evil. Without any further thought he stabbed the crimson blade of his lightsaber into the center of the doors. The Jedi are blind. If only they would open their eyes and see how much more the Force has to offer…

In a matter of seconds the doors fell to the ground in a heap of melted metal. Extinguishing his lightsaber, he crouched low enough to pass through the large hole burnt through them and stepped inside. He was met by a room full of frightened eyes and glanced around at the useless occupants of the building.

"I have come to deliver a message," he glared at them as his lightsaber suddenly burst back to life. "Darth Sidious is no longer in need of your services."

Obi-Wan reached into his robes and pulled out a battle-worn lightsaber. Understanding immediately washed over Yoda's withered face as he looked the object over.

"I found this beside Master Windu," Obi-Wan explained. "It is the lightsaber that was used against him. It was just as you had feared…"

"An unfortunate turn of events, this is," Yoda replied.

Padme curiously looked down at the damaged weapon. What were they talking about? "I don't understand…what does that mean?"

Obi-Wan let out a labored sigh before answering. "It means a Jedi has turned."

"An agent of the dark side, its owner has become," Yoda continued. "To a member of the Jedi Order, it belongs. To one of our own…"

Padme looked between the two Jedi in disbelief. Who could do such a despicable thing? she thought to herself. Who would be capable of something so horrendous?

A long silence ensued between the three of them until she finally spoke up again and broke the silence.

"Who?"

"I felt the fear and pain, followed by rage and hate," Yoda said with sorrowful eyes. "The 'Chosen One'. Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber, this is."

"What!" Padme's eyes widened in shock.

Obi-Wan downcast his own eyes as he confirmed it. "It is true, Senator. I wish it weren't, but Anakin has fallen."

"No! It can't be!" Padme shook her head in denial, tightly closing her eyes in a futile attempt to block out the terrible things they were saying about the man she loved. "You are wrong! It is a mistake -- he would never…"

This is ridiculous, she thought to herself. They don't know what they're saying! Anakin is fine, they will see.

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan did his best to comfort her. He knew she and Anakin had always shared a special bond and this news had to be devastating to her.

Unshed tears glistened in the former Queen's eyes as she looked up at Obi-Wan, wearing an expression of grim determination. "You're wrong about him…I'll prove it."

"Senator, I – "

"You are supposed to be his friend," Padme interrupted Obi-Wan before he could even finish his sentence. "You are supposed to stand by him, not accuse him of betraying the Jedi Order!"

"He was my padawan," Obi-Wan replied, a deep sadness evident in his features. "I raised him and I love him dearly. I always will, but the Anakin we knew is no more."

Padme wrapped her arms around herself while the sobs she had somehow managed to contain up to this point suddenly escaped her trembling lips. Her life was crumbling all around her. I just need to see him, to talk to him…

Obi-Wan quickly made his way over to her side as she dropped to her knees, resting his hand on her shaking shoulder.

"This can't be happening," Padme spoke more to herself than the two Jedi. "He would never do this…not to me, not to you."

Obi-Wan glanced over at Yoda with a look of desperation before turning back to the shattered Senator. "We were all his friends, Padme."

"No," Padme's face was blank as she stared off into space, clearly lost in her own thoughts. "He is my husband."

Obi-Wan couldn't recall the last time he had seen Master Yoda as surprised as he was at that moment. His expression matched that of Obi-Wan's own shock…