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CH. 4

"JEDI AND SITH"

A thick cloud of smoke loomed over the city of Coruscant. The stars could not be seen through the blackness that hung in the air and blanketed the sky. On the ground below the old Jedi Temple, a cloaked figure watched as the giant building burned. Pieces of debris littered the ground around him and chunks of cement fell from high above, breaking apart on impact, but he did not flinch when they landed near him.

He stared up at the very place he grew up in after leaving Tatooine -- the place all Jedi held sacred. As he watched its destruction he knew there was truly no turning back now.

He was thankful for the hood he wore over his head, concealing his face from those around him. It would not do to allow anybody to see the tears running down the face of a Sith Lord. He tried to convince himself that they were only a result of the dust and smoke in the air, but he knew the real reason…

Anakin Skywalker -- recently given the name Darth Vader -- remained where he was while he watched dozens of clone troopers scurry about the area. This was indeed the end of the Jedi. The home and refuge they had established thousands of years ago was gone. Their ideals were no more. They would be exterminated by the new Empire, completely wiped out. He knew that he would track down many of them personally and those he found would die by his own blade. I will see to it that justice is served, he told himself.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a tremor he felt in the Force. He could feel somebody nearby. He could feel a presence he was all too familiar with…a man he had come to despise.

Calling out to the soldier closest to him, Vader hurriedly began to walk away from the scene before him. "Stay here and finish, I will be back shortly."

"Yes, sir."

Darth Vader stood in the lift and impatiently waited as it carried him up towards the top of the building. He is here, he thought to himself. I am sure of it. I would know that signature in the Force anywhere. It is only fitting that he sees his precious home fall to ashes before his end.

The top of the building drew closer and he could feel the power radiating from his body, running through his veins. His anger gave him strength he had never felt before. The dark side was a gift and he intended to embrace that gift.

The doors finally slid open and he found himself walking out onto the roof of the tall building. His eyes searched the rooftop he stood atop as he moved closer to the edge of it. Then he saw him…

He stood there, watching the Jedi Temple burn with a mixture of horror and disbelief plastered on his face. His eyes shone with the tears that stained his cheeks. Vader did not pity him – his own tears had already dried. After observing his former Master for a moment longer he spoke up.

"Hello, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't appear to be surprised in the least bit by the sound of his voice and kept his eyes focused on the Temple. "Anakin, what have you done?"

"I have done what was necessary," Vader answered. "The Jedi are a disease that must be purged from the rest of the galaxy."

Obi-Wan quickly turned to Anakin with sorrowful eyes. "A disease? Anakin, you are a Jedi!"

"Not anymore."

"Why?" Obi-Wan questioned. "What would make you turn your back on us like this? Why have you – "

Anakin cut him off as he glared at the older Jedi Knight. "The Jedi turned their backs on me the day I arrived on Coruscant!"

"That isn't true!" Obi-Wan retorted, taking a step towards his young padawan. "We have given you a home with us – a new life away from slavery! We have taken you into our home and accepted you as one of our own! And what is our repayment?"

Obi-Wan extended his hand and gestured towards the burning Temple. "This!"

"You only brought me back to use me," was Vader's venomous reply. "Qui-Gon knew I would become powerful, but he had no idea just how powerful! The Jedi wanted me as their weapon, not as a member of the Order!"

"You are betraying everything you stood for, Anakin!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Not only the Order, but yourself as well!"

"I didn't understand before," Vader said, a menacing smirk appearing on his face. "The dark side is not something to be feared. It is something to appreciate!"

"And what about Padme?" Obi-Wan asked.

The smile immediately left Vader's face and was replaced with a look of shock, followed by one of pure hatred. "What do you care?"

"We know about your marriage," Obi-Wan answered, skeptically watching his former apprentice and studying his reaction. "She wants you back, Anakin."

"I have never left her," Vader spat. "I would never leave her! I am doing all of this for her!"

"For her!" Obi-Wan shouted, reaching back out to indicate the Temple once more, now completely engulfed by smoke and flames. "You think this is what she wants? No, Anakin, she only wants you. She wants the man she loves back! The man that cared for others and had a kind heart! The Anakin Skywalker we all knew!"

"You will hold your tongue if you know what is good for you," Vader threatened.

"Or what, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, crossing his arms across his chest. "You will kill me just as you killed Master Windu?"

"I wasn't the one who killed that traitor," Vader yanked his lightsaber from his belt and instinctively ignited it. "I have not yet had the pleasure to kill a Jedi myself…until now."

Obi-Wan calmly took his own lightsaber from his belt and slowly ignited it. "I don't want to fight you, Anakin."

"The choice isn't yours, Master."

The hatred in Vader's voice as he said 'Master' sent a shiver down Obi-Wan's spine.

Without another word, Vader flipped through the air and slammed his crimson blade against Obi-Wan's. They pressed closer together, each of them trying to over power the other, and their faces were now only inches apart. Vader glared at Obi-Wan as he studied the blade that was being used against him.

"I see you have adopted the lightsaber of a Sith," he said, using every ounce of his strength to hold off Anakin's blade. "You constructed that rather quickly."

"I consider it a gift from a friend," Vader replied.

They finally broke their stalemate and took several steps away from eachother, creating some space between them. Vader didn't waste much time before dashing forward and pushing Obi-Wan back with repeated blows of his lightsaber. Obi-Wan managed to deflect the advances, but was forced back to the edge of the roof. He planted his foot off the ledge behind him and jumped into the air – Vader's blade grazing his boot and singing it as he passed over him.

He landed in a defensive position and awaited Anakin's next move. This is not going well, he thought. If only I could talk some sense into him. Yoda could be wrong…maybe it is possible for somebody to return once they have been consumed by the dark side.

"Anakin, please stop this!" Obi-Wan pleaded.

Vader let out an angry growl and leapt forward, his blade missing Obi-Wan's head by mere inches. Obi-Wan continued to block his attacks and Vader continued to press them.

"It isn't too late," Obi-Wan said between Vader's forceful strikes. "Anakin, you can come back to the light! You can still make things right!"

"No more talking, Kenobi!" Vader roared as he attempted to stab Obi-Wan through his torso, but narrowly missed his target.

Obi-Wan fought for breath while he tried to regain his bearings – the last attack against him leaving him slightly winded. I barely avoided getting impaled on that one, he told himself. This can't go on forever. Sooner or later I am going to tire and he is going to overpower me.

"I want to help you! You are my brother, Anakin!" Obi-Wan cried, hoping to be able to reason with the furious man that was bent on his demise. "I don't want to fight you! You are still my friend – we can work through everything that has happened!"

"It is too late for that," Vader sneered, moving forward to strike again.

Obi-Wan met the swipe that was meant for his throat with his lightsaber and stopped it before it could reach him. Pushing Vader's glowing blade away from his neck, he caught him off guard and took the opportunity to take the offensive.

Darth Vader's lightsaber dropped to the ground, along with his severed hand. He stumbled back and grabbed the stump where his prosthetic had been. Luckily, Obi-Wan had sliced off his artificial limb and he felt no pain.

He cradled his arm and stumbled back another step as he glared at the Jedi.

"I'm sorry, Anakin, I – "

With a wave of his hand, he sent Obi-Wan flying back with the Force. The push sent his former Master over the edge of the roof.

Vader stood where he was for a moment before glancing down at his lightsaber. Using the Force, he called it to his remaining hand and hooked it to his belt. He steadily made his way over to the edge of the roof and peered down at the ledge protruding from the side of the building a few feet down. Obi-Wan frantically held onto it and hung high above the city streets that awaited him below.

"You were a fool to come here," Vader said as he watched him dangle. He could see that Obi-Wan was obviously struggling to keep a hold on the ledge and would soon plummet to his certain death. For an instant he felt the urge to reach out and pull him up to safety, but it passed just as quickly as it had come. "The Jedi are over, Obi-Wan. If we ever meet again I will be less merciful than I have been this night."

With that, Vader spun on his heels and started for the doors to the lift.

Obi-Wan could hear the hiss of the doors closing after Anakin's retreating footsteps stopped. He was alone. Anakin had left him to die.

Calling on the Force to aid him, Obi-Wan pulled himself up onto the ledge and let out an exasperated sigh as he allowed the muscles in his arms to recover from the strain they had been under. I have to go after him, he thought. I can't let him get away…not now.

He crouched low and used the Force yet again, jumping back up onto the surface of the roof. He dashed towards the lift and pressed the button to go down in hopes that he wasn't too late to catch up to Anakin…too late to save him.

The second the doors opened, Obi-Wan moved inside and started for the bottom floor of the tall building. On his way down several thoughts passed through his mind. What if I am forced to kill him? he asked himself. Can I really do that? Can I really murder Anakin? It isn't murder…he will wipe out what few of the Jedi there are left. He is no longer the Anakin I knew – the Anakin I raised all these years. He is a Sith.

He pulled himself from his inner turmoil as the doors to the lift slid open to reveal his padawan standing with his back to him.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called out.

Then his eyes widened at the sight of her.

"Padme?"