Spoilers: Some mention of the events in the Expanded Universe novel, "Shatterpoint," by Matthew Stover.

Disclaimer: I don't own it yet, but I'm saving my money. I might have enough to buy it by the time I'm 90 or so. Maybe. *sighs sadly*

A/N: Once again, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please let me know what you think!

Slipping Into Darkness

Chapter 14

Jedi Master Mace Windu had awoken when he felt the incredible surge of power within the Force. He had still been too weak to move, but he had witnessed Anakin's defeat of Palpatine, and had watched as the Sith Lord fell to his death. He had also seen the young Knight tumble to the floor.

Mace knew the boy was badly hurt, and though every part of him screamed in protest to the action, he forced himself to move. He allowed a hiss of pain to escape as he examined his injured arm. The Sith's blade had cut into the bone, but thankfully it had not severed the limb. If it had, he would have had to make do with a mechanical replacement, such as the one young Skywalker had been forced to use since the battle of Geonosis.

Young Skywalker… The thought made the older man pause. Anakin had saved his life, for the Jedi Master knew without any doubt that Sidious had come very close to killing him.

I was wrong about the boy, Mace thought as he stumbled towards the fallen Knight. I should not have been so suspicious.

But, Mace had to admit, the war had made trusting anyone difficult, especially after Depa… Pain rose within the Jedi Master, and it far surpassed his other injuries. This was a wound that he knew would never fully heal.

His former Padawan, Depa Billaba, the woman he considered to be his daughter, had fallen. She had been caught up in the horrors of war, and in the end, had been lost to darkness. In a fit of madness, she had tried to kill him, and in all truth, she had nearly succeeded. Though Mace had survived, he sometimes wondered if it would have been better he had not, for what had happened with Depa had changed him. If he couldn't trust the woman he saw as his own daughter, whom could he trust?

Suddenly the Jedi Master understood. His doubt had effected his perception of Anakin. He had always been wary of the boy, sensing that Skywalker was hiding something. But as he had considered the boy's ties to Palpatine, doubt had changed into suspicion, and then into hostility. Where he should have seen an ally, instead he had seen a threat. He breathed a silent thanks to the Force that his failure had not led to something worse. If his perception had convinced Anakin to side with Palpatine… Mace's disciplined mind refused to complete the thought.

Focusing instead on the present, Mace managed to kneel at Anakin's side. As gently as he could, he turned the young Jedi over. Using the Force, he probed Anakin's injuries. The list was far too long.

But what concerned the Jedi Master the most was the vicious lightsaber wound to the boy's side. Anakin's breathing was ragged and uneven, and his chest seemed to strain with the effort. Mace realized that in all likelihood the wound would be fatal unless he received medical treatment immediately. And even then, his chances of survival were slim.

How did the boy defeat Palpatine with such an injury? the Jedi Master wondered.

Because he is the Chosen One. You must see that now, a voice answered.

Mace shook his head. For an instant, the voice had sounded like Qui-Gon Jinn's. But pushing away the questions that had formed in his mind, the dark-skinned Jedi reached for his comlink to contact the Temple. He hoped that young Skywalker…Master Skywalker, Mace corrected himself, would survive, for the young man's presence was rapidly fading.

He had felt all of it. He had felt the deaths of three Jedi Masters, and the near defeat of Mace Windu. He had felt evil rise, then be beaten back. There had been a wave of despair, and he knew Skywalker had nearly lost his life as well. But finally…he had felt the Light triumph. And now, Yoda, Grand Master of the Jedi Order and Senior Council member, found himself in awe.

The darkness that had covered the Force for so long was now gone. For the first time in centuries, Yoda could feel the Force with absolute clarity. No longer did he have to peer through the thick fog of the Dark Side, nor guess at what the Force wished him to do. Such a feeling reminded him of his youth, and Yoda allowed himself a small smile, realizing how long ago that truly was.

"Sir?" one of the clones asked, seeing the aged Master's expression. "Do you have a new strategy you wish us to implement?"

"No, Commander," Yoda answer, turning to smile at the clone. "No longer need strategies will we. Over the true war is."

"But, sir," the clone began in obvious confusion, "Our front lines have not been able to penetrate…"

Yoda tapped his cane on the ground signaling for the commander's silence. "Over the war is, but finished the battle is not."

"Yes, sir," the clone answered obediently, though Yoda could still sense his puzzlement.

Yoda watched him for a moment, searching his presence with the Force. He sensed no deceit or lethal intent, and though his aged face did not show it, the ancient Master felt great relief. He was not worried for himself, but rather for the other Jedi. If the clones had betrayed them, it would have meant the end of an Order that had lasted more centuries than even he could imagine. At the thought, a brief picture floated through the aged Jedi's mind, a picture of himself on a far away world, his only companions his sadness and regret. But, at once, Yoda knew that what he had seen no longer lay ahead of him. Rather it was a mere echo of what would have been, for things had changed now, and there was hope.

But as he had told the clone, while the war had been won the battle continued, and the aged Master suspected that one young knight now faced a particularly difficult struggle.

Yoda closed his eyes once more, focusing on the energy field that bound all things. He reached out, searching for the uniquely vibrant presence of Anakin Skywalker. He was not surprised when he found that the presence was now barely detectable, as the young man had used nearly all of his energy to defeat the Sith. The effort had left the young man very weak.

After a moment, Yoda opened his eyes. "Contact the Temple I must."

"Yes, sir," the clone answered again, and he motioned for one of the others to activate the comm station.

Obi-Wan had been about to reclaim his fallen lightsaber from Commander Cody when the Jedi Master's mind was overwhelmed with an intense flash of light. Thoughts of his victory over Grievous just moments before suddenly evaporated. He stopped reaching for his saber, seemingly frozen in place.

"General?" Cody asked.

Still, Obi-Wan didn't answer. Instead his mind was focused deep within himself. Never had he felt such an immense surge of the Force. It left him breathless, and he knew there could have been only one source: Anakin.

The Jedi Master reached for his bond with his student. He found it easily, as the surge of power made distance irrelevant. At once he felt a rush of emotions from his former Padawan, but most of all, he felt triumph.

He did it, Obi-Wan thought in wonderment, feeling the darkness vanish. He did it.

"Sir?" Cody said more forcefully. It was obvious the clone commander was growing concerned, but again Obi-Wan didn't acknowledge him. His mind was with his Padawan, and he felt new emotions from Anakin now: astonishment, relief, and joy. But he felt something else as well.

The Jedi Master had felt it only once before, yet he knew immediately what it meant. It was the same sensation he had felt when he watched the Sith strike Qui-Gon down in the Theed generator on Naboo. It was the feeling that someone closely bonded to him was slipping away. And it could mean only one thing now: Anakin was dying. A cold chill swept through the Jedi Master.

In his concern for Anakin, he never noticed that another trooper had arrived and was speaking rapidly to the Commander.

"General Kenobi!" Cody called loudly.

Finally, he was able to draw Obi-Wan from his trance-like state.

"I…I need to contact the Temple." Obi-Wan said quickly not pausing to give an explanation for his earlier behavior.

"Yes, sir," Cody answered. "But we have just received a communication from Master Yoda, and he requests an immediate response."

If it was possible, Obi-Wan's stomach plummeted even further at the words, for he already suspected what news Yoda wished to discuss with him.

"Thank you, Commander," Obi-Wan managed to force out before turning and directing his mount to return to a base where comms could be accessed. While he rode, he breathed a silent plea to the Force that Anakin would be alright. If fulfilling the prophecy of the Chosen One meant that Anakin would lose his life, then in Obi-Wan's opinion, the price was far too high to pay.

TBC

A/N: Again, the story involving Mace Windu's apprentice, Depa Billaba, is drawn from the novel Shatterpoint. I take no credit for the events mentioned. :)

The next part will be up on Thursday.

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