CHAPTER TEN:
Malevolence Dawning

"Hello, Senator Amidala."

I drop my suitcase with a resounding thud.

"Or should I say Senator Kenobi?"

My heart stops, I squeeze my eyes shut willing the words to be of my imagination…I know they aren't. My stomach churns as I turn…I see Anakin's cold, black eyes, they tear into me. He knows.

I want to speak, I want to move but I am paralyzed by fear. Oh, Force help me…Tears, unwanted tears spill onto my cheeks. I look at him and I know…I know that he is no longer there, that loving boy is no longer dwelling in this man. I don't know how I know, I don't know how to explain maybe it's because of the way he is speaking, the way he is shrouded in that black robe…or if it's because his scowl is so black, so evil, so damning that I want to weep.

He walks slowly towards me…like he's taunting me. I would shrink back, but I can't move.

"Lie to Padmé, come on lie to me. Tell me you have no idea what I am talking about. Tell me a sweet lie about that brown haired, blue eyed child out there in your garden…Tell me!" he sneers, his voice just above a whisper. His hot breath fanes my face and neck as he circles me. Leia…oh Paddy get her out of here…help me….

My lips feel like paper, my throat gritty and dry, "I…I…" I try to speak but he steps from around me and like lightening, he grabs my throat. I struggle, instinct finally kicking in.

"You, you of all people, you should have been mine! You swore yourself to ME!"

His fingers dig into my neck, crushing my esophagus. I gasp and sputter trying to claw at his hands, but they clamp like iron.

"You…you."

My mind begins to fuzz oxygen nearly gone. My eyes burn from the salty tears, I can't think…pain, can't breathe…

I open my eyes to tiny slits and I see his face contorted into an ugly, horrifying grimace. I…I can't feel anything…Leia….oh my daughter... My vision goes black.

"Not, yet…not yet Padmé you don't die yet."

Suddenly I gasp hearing the violent words. My cheek stings…Did he slap me? I sputter for air finding myself on the cold marble floor of the dinning hall.

"Anakin…please…" I feel dizzy and bile is trying to work its way up my throat. My whole body feels numb as I try to push away on my back. I want to escape from him but I can't move.

"Give us…a…chance to explain," my heart feels like it is going to burst from pressure and my vision swims.

"Too late for that, your betrayed me…my Master betrayed me…It will not be tolerated!" he growls lowly, hatefully.

I've managed to move myself a couple of agonizing feet.

"You will die Padmé…" he closes the distance I fought to make. His feet brace apart me between them,"as will your husband and your daughter. I swear it. You should thank me because you aren't going to have witness it…I will use you to bring your husband to his knees…He will suffer."

A sob wells up in my throbbing dry throat and I want to scream. He's so casual so…empty and yet so full of hate. I try to fight, I try to kick to escape but my muscles are tight and numb, "Please…Please…" I beg uncontrollable tears and tremors course through me, "I know you're angry…but even if you won't listen to me...our child is innocent….please Anakin….she's just an innocent child!" I plead in a harrowed hushed voice.

"Innocent?" he spits coming to his knees pressing down on me till I cry out in pain, "Child? You mean like I was when you promised to always care? Innocent like I was when my mother was taken from me and I trusted you to care?" he drops closer to my face; I recoil from him my head colliding with floor.

"I am going to take what should have been mine in the beginning…I am going to take you…" he grips my dress tarring the front buttons apart.

I cry out though it comes as nothing but a pitiful moan, my throat to hoarse and dry for more. "Anakin don't…please don't…" turning my head away I cough and choke. His hands don't relent.

I try to push him away, to fight him off, I try to kick but my limbs are useless, the pitiful attempts doing nothing but graze him.

"Please Anakin…you can still stop this…it's not too late!" I plead.

"No…no…please…" tears stream…all I can do is try to disconnect from my body…oh please…please, "No…"

------------

"It's Palpatine, he's the Sith lord!" Master Windu states to three of the senior members of the high council.

"How do you know?" one asks.

"I don't, not for sure but the Force is reveling it's self around him and it's dark. We need to stop him now, before it's two late. I want you to come with me. We arrest him tonight."

------------

A desperate woman lies motionless on slick marble floor, head turned eyes glassy and void.

Paddy Accu comes in from the gardens, a beautiful child in his arms, "Padmé!" His voice is urgent and fearful, he felt the ripple in the Force…he felt it ice.

The weakened woman moans trying to move but can't till the enraged man that pins her down moves; his evil deed done.

"Go Paddy…go…take…" Padmé tries to call pushing away the sight of her daughter brining new fire, new energy, new strength but she is still vulnerable on her back.

Anakin stands over her chest heaving with unchecked rage. He doesn't even turn to see the intruder just peers down at the woman whose clothes he has torn, whose spirit he's tried to kill, whose soul he sought to posses. His hatred boils as he sees that even through he violated her in the worst way she still keeps the light in her eyes, not joy but light. Her goodness he wanted to shatter, he wanted to fill her with his hate, to spoil her with bitterness and anger but in spite of it all, she still keeps her light.

Staring down at her he feels his chest heave, she still wears that invisible mark that she wore when he first saw her. Oh, it's so clear…from the time he truly knew that she and his Master were married he saw it and wondered how he had ever missed it. That mark, that brand glowed in her countenance, that lush love colored stain that branded her, claimed her to be 'Obi-Wan's'. He had tried to destroy it, tried to posses her but it was still there, her light, her love couldn't be extinguished. His hatred for his Master doubled it that was possible.

"Stay Paddy…we've just begun," Anakin spins on his heel and with the Force grabs hold of one of the huge stone pillars pulling it into Paddy before the man ever has a chance to act.

"No!" Padmé screams in terror as she makes it wobbly to her feet.

Anakin turns slowly back as dust scatters behind him, "Now Padmé….your daughter…see what you made me do?" he chuckles wickedly watching as she stumbles sobbing towards her friend and daughter.

"You…you monster!" she bawls, agony bringing her to her knees, "You evil…horrid monster!" She pulls at the stone with all her might, but only achieves deep gouges in her hands.

"It's no use, they're gone," Anakin snickers folding his arms looking to the blood that colors the sand colored rubble.

She refuses to give up.

"Didn't you hear me? They are gone, dead!" he growls jerking her arm away from the ruins. She shakes with blind rage his hands cuffing her.

"He'll stop you…he will stop you!" she strains, trying to wrench away.

"Who will stop me?" he pushes her flat against a large jagged piece.

"Obi-Wan," she gasps just catching the movement of the back of his hand as it meets her flesh.

Darkness engulfs her she falls limp to the floor next to the graves of her daughter and dear friend.

"Oh really? Let your Obi-Wan find you…let him see I have taken everything from him as he did me and then we'll see who stops who."

------------

"What have I done?" I stare at the shattered window…what have I done? I just sent Master Windu to his death…I shake with the power of it. This feeling, it's euphoric; it's invigorating…and chilling. The power is coming…oh its coming. I suppose I should feel a shadow of guilt…

"You saved my life…" Palpatine, Sith lord….my friend. I don't know why I didn't see it before. I should have seen that this man whose wisdom is unending, the man who has been my greatest ally is the greatest Sith in the galaxy. Who else could have mastermind such a daunting war effort against the Jedi? I still am trying to take in this new found knowledge.

I can't reply to him my mind on the verge of shut down. I sink to a stool and somehow find fascination with my hands; the one Count Dooku took the cold steel robotics still holds the memories. They slaughtered the murderers who killed my mother, they saved many lives, and took many more in the war, they killed Obi-Wan's child and choked the life from his wife…and now they have killed one of the greatest Jedi Masters…Oh, I feel my power….

But what have I done? I can't go back now; I can't undo this…am I sure?

"He betrayed us Anakin…he knew of Kenobi and Amidala all along! He helped deceive you! The whole council knew, remember that!" Palpatine stands from the window ledge where Windu tried to kill him, weakly.

"You've just begun…the Jedi are still lusting for power, this war will never end till they have it…or they are stopped you know that! Remember they manipulated you Anakin, they wanted you to be under their control…they were envious and wanted to keep you from all that you know deep down you should be…They won't stop craving the power, they won't stop…" his eyes fall on me, "unless you stop them."

I stare at him and there is no doubt anymore, "What do you want me do now?"

------------

Palpatine pulls his lips into a wicked grin, made all the more grotesque by his deformed face, "You must swear yourself to me. Learn the ways of the Sith, give in completely to your anger and then you will have more power then you can even fathom. Together we will bring control to the galaxy!"

Anakin in a moment of clarity realizes this was always his fate…"Whay did I struggle so? From the beginning I was destined for this…"

"I swear…my Master," he sinks to his knees for the Dark Lord Sidious.

As is the Sith tradition Darth Sidious prepares to rename his new apprentice. But what name would befit such a fallen Jedi? What would bring the most fear and devastation when they hear of the rise of this new power?

Palpatine looks down at Anakin with eyes of Sidious and searches the young one's mind. He finds that he is still connected to his former Jedi Master…That tie would never sever…but perhaps he could drive a wedge deep between, perhaps he could drive Kenobi to wondering, to agonizing.

"Rise now, Lord Vader."

------------

"My clones…they turned on me!" I exclaim as my fighter pulls out of the Utapau atmosphere. "General Grievous is dead, but the clones…"

"I have Master Yoda on my ship…you need to rendezvous with us Obi-Wan…it's urgent," Bail Organa's voice is strained and he is holding something back, I want to ask what and why but something checks me.

"Alright, send your position."

After a few clicks and buttons pushed, we are on our way.

"What Artoo?"

"Beep, dweep, boo."

"Well play it!"

"…I know you're busy but I just wanted to tell you that Leia is safely here with Paddy and that I would be leaving here just a little while in case you looked for me. I'll see you soon Obi-Wan, love you, bye."

Padmé's cheery voice fills the small cockpit and gives me that little bit of a boost I need so bad after what happened on Utapau. I know she'll be safe on Coruscant, guards watch as well as Jedi…

Why then does something feel wrong? A wound in the Force…I feel a terrible pain… I need to get to Master Yoda now!

------------

"All of them?" even as trained as I am I still feel my legs weaken.

"We don't know how many for sure but the Jedi Temple was in flames as I left," Organa fills in flatly, my mind instantly turning to Padmé.

"Coruscant is under attack?"

"Just the Temple as far as I know…"

"Message to the Jedi there is. Come to the Temple it requests," Master Yoda frowns as we move down Bail's ship.

"What? You mean a ploy, for what purpose?" even as I ask the question I know the answer.

"Assonate the remaining…they will be."

What? What is happening? The clones all turning on the Jedi…Palpatine is reveled as the Sith Lord which while disheartening isn't all that surprising…Anakin!

"What of Anakin?" my startled voice shreds the sudden heavy silence. What if his clones turned on him as well? What if he is on his way to the temple now…

"Skywalker's fate unknown it is," Master Yoda meets my gaze, I feel him searching me.

I swallow hard. My former padawan could be dead…or dying and the last thing I said to him was in rash anger.

"We need to return to Coruscant…" I let out a pent up breath, "and amend the message," I grunt unwilling to voice my lament.

"Unfinished business we have," Master Yoda nods slowly, a far off look of resolution settles on his face.

------------

I wait anxiously for the elevator to reach our apartment; I need desperately an assurance of life…that only my family can give to me. I need to think, I need to breathe.

It was Anakin! Anakin! My student, my friend…I would be a fool to believe myself blind to his budding hate…but I had hoped that I was wrong, that he could still be changed, I never anticipated that he could have done what he did, oh I had hoped! But hope failed so miserably and reality can't be denied as I witnessed him committing the most heinous and evil act I could ever conjure up.

Master Yoda's words will forever haunt me, "Twisted by the dark side, young Skywalker has become…"

He slaughtered children! Innocent, untarnished, helpless children! …Oh, my daughter…my daughter could have been one of those children!

The flashes of the children hiding behind the seats in the council's chambers assault me…He should have protected them! He should have been their savior not their condemner. They must have been so relieved to see the war hero, the famed Anakin Skywalker come through those doors. They were scared; they sought protection in the room where their teachers should have been…he should have saved them! All their trust, all their innocence shattered and taken! What threat were they to him? Barely awakened to the Force not even trained enough to fight back. They were pure, they were the innocent…they were the children.

"Padmé…Leia…." I call again. The house feels cold. The air is stagnating. I search every room crying their names, each time with more panic.

I pause staring out the open balcony at the still smoldering ruins of the once great Jedi Academy. This war is becoming so out of hand…I search the Force seeking answers, trying to hone in on the beat of family. I find nothing. The Force is wounded, torn apart by the loss of so many.

My legs refuse to move, riveting me to the concrete, my mind races with all the possibilities. Perhaps at the site of trouble she headed back to Naboo…Yes that is it, she's safely back on Naboo.

Force help me, she better be on Naboo….

A/N: Hi guys, well um…yeah there's the chapter :-) I can't think of anything else to say lest I go into yet another one of rambling jaunts LOL

I do want to apologize; I didn't get the chance to write a response to all of your so kind, so thought, so awesome reviews, I am so sorry! I wanted to, and I didn't, not because I don't appreciate them it's just I have been running myself bone weary these past few weeks and my schedule doesn't show signs of slowing. I feel just awful…I just really wanted to get this chapter up and I am so tired, I can't keep my eyes open LOL So please everyone know I do appreciate your wonderful time spent reviewing, please continue I enjoy them tremendously!

Lots of Love—RaeAnne