Spoilers: Still no new spoilers in this chapter.

Disclaimer: Mine, Star Wars is not. But wish it was, I do.

A/N: Once again, thank you to my fabulous beta, Darth Mom.

Slipping Into Darkness

Chapter 9

Anakin wasn't sure how long Palpatine had been using the Force to choke him, but the room was spinning and darkness was beginning to cloud his vision. Sidious simply laughed when Anakin tried to resist, first fighting back with the Force, then finally grabbing his throat in desperation.

"You could have been the most powerful Sith the galaxy has ever known, but you refused your destiny and all the power that would have come with it," the Dark Lord said as Anakin gasped for air. "A pity, really. Such a waste of potential."

Anakin tried to speak, but he couldn't. In the back of his mind, it occurred to him that this was a fitting end. He was going to die the same way that he would have killed Padmé. As if in agreement with his thoughts, Anakin could feel himself losing consciousness.

"You would have been so useful to me," Sidious continued. He looked as though he had more to say, but then he paused, suddenly thoughtful. "But perhaps this situation can still be to my advantage." He tilted his head. "Of course," he said, more to himself than to the dying Jedi at his feet, "the child."

Child!? Anakin felt a rush of fear. Did he mean…

As if answering the unspoken question, Sidious spoke again. "The child will be very powerful. But then, what else could be expected from the offspring of the Chosen One?"

Anakin felt something with in himself snap. His rage rose and this time, he didn't try to resist it. He allowed it to enter his soul, giving him strength. All thoughts of what this would mean for his future were gone. Sidious would not have his child. Anakin wouldn't allow it.

"Yes," the Sith Lord said again, admiring his own brilliance. "When you are dead, I will take the child and raise it in the ways of the Sith. The mother will have to be killed, of course, but then, she is a nuisance anyway."

Anakin felt unimaginable anger sweep through him. How dare Palpatine threaten his family. He would pay. Every barrier Anakin had created in his mind to hold back the darkness was gone. He welcomed it as an old friend, embracing it gladly.

The Dark Lord, however, seemed oblivious to the change in the figure before him.

"Your child will be mine," he declared with finality.

Filled with a rush of power, Anakin concentrated on the invisible fingers around his throat and ripped them away. The Sith looked up in shock.

"Never!" Anakin roared, rising to his feet. "You will never touch my child!"

Anakin called on the Force, and the Dark Lord was hit by a wall of energy stronger than any Force blow he had ever been able to inflict. He stuck the wall across the room, and Anakin noted with satisfaction that when Palpatine tumbled to the ground, the impression of the impact was still visible.

Barely holding onto consciousness, Palpatine tried to stand, but Anakin reached for the Force again, this time lifting the Sith to the ceiling, then throwing him to the floor. Anakin reveled in the sensation of pleasure he felt as he watched the would-be Emperor struggle. Then, stretching out his hands, Anakin sent every object in the room towards the Dark Lord. Tables, chairs, lamps and statues, all flew at his call. Palpatine staggered from each strike. He tried to resist, but he was helpless to defend himself against such an unexpected rush of Dark Side fury.

"Did you really think you could beat me?" Anakin asked, drunk with power. To prove his point, Anakin lifted the Dark Lord from the ground, then used the Force to pull a power cable from the ceiling and wrapped it around Sidious' throat. Next, he used another cable to bind the Sith's wrists behind his back. Palpatine struggled to no avail.

"No one can beat me," Anakin said confidently, knowing it was true. Suddenly, Anakin couldn't remember why he had resisted this so strongly. Why did I fear the dark? he wondered. Only children feared the dark. This was power. Sidious was at his mercy, and once he was dead, Anakin could make the galaxy whatever he wanted it to be. He could make criminals pay dearly for their crimes, and he could end corruption in the Republic. He could overthrow the Jedi Council, or at least force them to follow him so that he and Padmé would no longer need to hide. He could even free the slaves on Tatooine as he had dreamed of doing as a boy. He could do so much good with this unbelievable power.

But, that was the future. He needed to keep his focus in the "here and now," and at this point in time it meant that he had a chance to make Palpatine pay for everything he had done. Yes, he would pay here, and now. Anakin called his lightsaber to his hand and activated it. Once he was finished, the Sith Lord would never be able to threaten another family.

Palpatine still hung in the middle of the room, the power cable wrapped tightly enough around his throat to ensure that he could not escape, but loose enough to allow him to remain conscious, as Anakin desired. He wanted the Sith to know what was happening. Palpatine would die, but he would suffer greatly first. Anakin felt a spike of fear in the Force as he casually made his way to over to his prisoner. Apparently, Sidious had finally figured out what the young Jedi intended to do to him.

Anakin savored this moment, savored the power he felt. He managed to smile, though to any observer it would have been a smile that held no warmth, only thoughts of dark anticipation. The young man raised his saber, relishing the pain he would inflict on the first blow…but he stopped short. Something on the floor had caught the light.

Curious, he paused so that he could have a better look at it. As he bent down, he realized that it was a piece of the vase Palpatine had thrown at him. The ebony shard had a reflective surface, and the bright light he had seen had been caused by the glow of his saber. Somehow this piece had escaped further destruction during the fierce battle, though how it had done so was a mystery to Anakin.

For some reason, he found himself mesmerized by the sight, all thoughts of revenge gone for the moment.

Suddenly, Anakin realized that he could see his own reflection on the mirrored surface, and what he saw made his blood freeze. He was badly beaten from Palpatine's first attack, and bruises covered his face. But that was not what had disturbed him. What filled him with horror were his eyes. His normal cobalt gaze had been replaced by one that now matched Palpatine's own: red and yellow, filled with hatred and the power of the Dark Side. No, Anakin thought, closing his eyes to block out the image. No, it can't be. But he couldn't deny the truth.

Anakin Skywalker was now a Sith.

TBC

A/N: The next part will be up on Monday.

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