Ch. 26

Hi! Sorry again for the longish wait between chapters, I really do apologize… well, this is the number of chapters with which I ended No Boundaries, obviously not gonna happen quite yet here. I kind of wrote myself into a much longer story than I intended, but I'm glad that you're still enjoying- thanks as always for the wonderful reviews and stick with me a little longer while I finish this one up, then maybe continue on to the sequel, which I think would be fun... Enjoy!

Padme and Obi Wan hurried down the corridors of the Senate, quickly leaving the colorful and ornate main halls and navigating through the dim grey passages in the basement of the building, the places that Senators and visitors rarely saw. Down in this more dismal area lay the security offices, the control rooms, and the maintenance areas, as well as detainment cells for political criminals who had been convicted at the Senate. In fact, they were eerily close to the same cell in which Palpatine had been kept immediately following his arrest, until they had been able to move him to a more secure location. As they inched on, Padme's courage began to dwindle. The dark cold of these cellars made her feel more uncomfortable than it normally would have- her thoughts had turned to Obi Wan's words of warning, and she was losing her nerve, no longer so sure she wanted to see Anakin fighting at all, and certain she wouldn't be able to handle he and Obi Wan trying to extract information from the Sith. Suddenly, Obi Wan halted and Padme realized that they were outside of Control Room A. Her breath caught in her throat as she could hear light sabers buzzing inside, and she knew that Obi Wan could sense her trepidation.

"Obi Wan," she said quietly. "Maybe I don't want to-"

"Chancellor, this was your idea," Obi Wan said strictly but softly, "and it is your decision whether or not you come with me. But I have to go and help your husband, and I don't have time to stand here with you and help you weigh your conscience about it." Obi Wan looked at her more warmly now. "Otherwise, you know I would, Padme," he said, his eyes sad for her, and with that he raised his light saber and burst through the door.

Padme had just enough time to catch a glimpse of Anakin's profile, green light saber raised in the air, before the door swung closed again. Biting her lip she sunk against the wall, wanting to go in but not wanting to face what was in there. She wanted to help, but at the same time she worried what Anakin's reaction would be were she to go in- Obi Wan was right, he wouldn't be able to do what he had to do. And she knew she couldn't stand to witness it- it scared her that the man she knew as so sweet and tender could be so fierce. She always had known it, and his incredible fighting was one of the most amazing things about him, but this was different. He had to be more than just strong, unrelenting and defensive here- he and Obi Wan, another person she didn't want to think of as menacing, were going to have to hurt and intimidate to get this information. Normally this wasn't the Jedi way, but like Obi Wan had said, when dealing with a Sith Lord withholding important information, it was "different protocol," and she knew he was right. In fact, as Chancellor it was up to her to approve this kind of action for the safety of the billions of innocents in the galaxy. Suddenly, none other than Anakin's own voice, a voice that warmed her after having not heard it for hours, interrupted her thoughts. However, the words were short and harsh.

"Why is she here," Anakin demanded angrily of Obi Wan. "She can't be here."

And Padme knew now that she would go in, at least for the moment.

"I'm here because I want to be," she said firmly. "I can't stand to just sit around waiting to hear what's happening to you. I want to be here to help you fight. I need to be."

And suddenly, she realized that no one was fighting. Anakin had already defeated the Sith, and was simply holding his green blade at the still silent Sith's throat. She then looked up into the blue eyes that were home to her, and she could see in them the shame and sadness that she should be there to witness what would come next.

"You've…you've already won," she said quietly, amazed at Anakin. He nodded, and looked toward Obi Wan.

"Anakin, you've done very well," Obi Wan nodded, truly impressed with his friend. It was a testament to how much Anakin had matured in these past years that he had been able to defeat the Sith and hold off killing him for as long as he did- waiting for instructions of how to handle the situation. "I'm so sorry that I-"

"Obi Wan," Anakin said, interrupting him. "I asked you to go."

Obi Wan nodded silently, staring down at the cloaked Sith at their feet. "I can handle it from here, if you want to-"

"No, this is my burden, and you know it," Anakin interrupted, and he knew that Obi Wan agreed. "But, could you give us a minute?" He asked, his eyes gesturing towards Padme.

"Of course," Obi Wan nodded, igniting his light saber and taking over the sentry over the Sith. Anakin put away his light saber and stared for a minute at the Sith, before slowly turning to Padme and pulling her into the hallway.

"What I said before," he said softly, caressing her cheek softly with his hand. "It's not that I don't want you with me. Or that I don't value your help, because you've literally saved my life many times, it's just that-"

"I know, Anakin," Padme nodded, falling into his arms as he hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "I understand."

"But I want you to hear it from me," he said, pulling away from her just slightly so he could look into her eyes. "I love you too much to let you see me so menacing, so intimidating. I don't want you to get that image in your head and forget who I really am."

Padme looked up into his blue eyes, and saw his vulnerability, his true fear that she might ever reject him. "Anakin, I love you more than anything," she assured him warmly. "I know you better than anyone, and I would never forget how sweet, and tender you are with me, and the children. I would never give up on you, you should know that. I didn't give up on you, I didn't judge you, even when you yourself flirted with the dark side. Because I knew that wasn't really you, and you have proved a hundred times over how good you are, how dedicated you are to peace and defeating the Sith. I understand, really I do."

Anakin smiled, and kissed her tenderly on the lips, lingering, not wanting to have to go back to what awaited him on the other side of the door. She smiled, and began to turn away, when he pulled her back and kissed her passionately, refusing to let her go. Finally, he pulled away from her just far enough to mutter, "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled, intertwining her fingers with his. "And I'll go, and the next time I see you there had better not be any more living Sith in the galaxy. As Chancellor, I demand it. And to be political for a second, please inform me of anything you learn, and the moment this is over, so that I can assure the Senate we are finally at peace."

Anakin smiled widely, holding on to her as she turned to walk away and kissing her hand, then reluctantly letting her go and barging back into the room.

"Now," he said powerfully, right in the Sith's face. "You will talk."

"Has he said anything?" Obi Wan asked, as he and Anakin circled the Sith, light sabers raised. The Sith's arms were restrained so that he could not use the Force, or Sith lightning, and his light saber was discarded on the floor.

"Nothing," Anakin informed him, glaring angrily at this creature who had caused him so much pain and difficulty in his life.

"How did Palpatine escape?" Obi Wan asked casually, staring into the red eyes in front of him. When he garnered no response, he forcefully pulled off the cloak of the Sith to reveal a human with dark hair and sunken features, somewhere in between his and Anakin's age.

"Ah, so you are a human," Anakin commented. "That's good, because we're human. We know what hurts," he said menacingly, as he and Obi Wan still circled the Sith. "How did he escape?" Anakin pointed his light saber at the neck of the Sith, close enough so that he could feel it start to burn his skin.

"I don't know," came the response, in a hoarse voice eerily similar to Palpatine's.

"I don't believe you," Anakin taunted, as Obi Wan now put his own light saber up to the Sith's neck. "Who are you?" He demanded, staring into the Sith's eyes.

"My name is Darth Plaegus," the Sith spat back.

"That's not possible," Anakin argued. "Darth Plaegus is a legendary Sith, who's own great power became his demise."

"That's only a myth my father created to warn me against ever trying to overthrow him," Darth Plaegus responded harshly.

"Palpatine was your father!" Obi Wan shouted incredulously, as he and Anakin eyed each other warily.

"Yes, why do you think that I hate you so much, Anakin Skywalker," Darth Plaegus spat. "My father only wanted you, and I knew he was willing to kill me if you would be come his apprentice. He was only using me, and I knew it."
"Why would you follow his path then? Why become a Sith, instead of helping to overthrow him?" Anakin wondered genuinely.

"I believe in the Sith," Plaegus shot back, eyes blazing. "You Jedi scum don't know what's best for the galaxy. I intended to overthrow my father, despite his warnings. I could have too, with my clones, as well as the children I raised to lead them."

"They were yours?" Anakin asked, he and Obi Wan again staring at each other in disbelief.

"Of course, do you think the old order of the Sith would have bothered to deal with so many followers?" Plaegus spat. "It was I who took the time to go to Camino and order the troops, pretending to be Master Sypha Dias. And it was I who recruited the children to be raised as leaders of my army to overthrow my father. But of course, when he saw what I had done my father took control of them, and ruined everything by using them to soon to attack the Republic. I had their loyalties, and he made them doubt us both, which is how the children, the only ones left over, came to be helping you. Those with me today are my most loyal followers, more than Sidious ever had. But I needed an apprentice, before I could overthrow him, which is why I tried to get you."

"You were the one who kidnapped my children?" Anakin asked, and Obi Wan had to restrain Anakin through the Force from killing Plaegus.

"Yes, but once again my father took over that plan too, right in front of my face he tried again to seduce you with the dark side, though I knew full well the whole time that were he to succeed, he would kill me." The bitterness and hate was obvious in the Sith's tone, and Anakin actually felt himself starting to pity him.

"But if you didn't help him escape from prison, who did?" Obi Wan demanded.

"I told you, I don't know how he got out, but I will tell you this- it ruined everything I had planned. He completely took over my efforts. When I shot at your ship, I was putting my last plan to overthrow him into action. Then, of all people, the one I had always been compared to and pitted against my whole life defeated my father instead of me. It completely ruined my plan when he engaged you- I knew he would not succeed in turning you, and of course, you escaped with your family and everyone was safe again. My camps had been revealed, thanks to him allowing all of you to escape, and my followers became loyal to the Republic, because he treated them terribly, made them doubt the ways of the Sith. They had already begun to doubt us when he tried to use them four years ago to take over the Republic. The clones would follow orders blindly, but these children were unaltered, and knew when they were being treated unfairly. He ruined my clones, and then turned even the children against me. Everything he did was wrong, and I knew it would fail. But then, when you killed him, I was left with nothing- no last resort, no followers, no way to carry out my plans. And so I had to take matters into my own hands and come here alone, with just my most loyal followers, who will never betray me. I had to get here before the Senate could vote on the problem- I knew that if I succeeded in turning any Jedi at this point, the uproar would be so big the camps would be forgotten momentarily and I would have time to rebuild. But then, again, you of all people were right here to meet me. And now, I suppose, my father was right- you were stronger," Plaegus spat. "But it doesn't matter now, because you're too late."

Anakin and Obi Wan stared at each other in shocked silence. This explanation of the events of the past several years was completely unexpected and unpredictable. Nothing could have prepared them for this- so much more had been going on in the galaxy than they could have ever imagined. When the Chancellor and the Council found out about this, no one would be able to believe it. No one had ever been aware Palpatine had a son, and it certainly seemed this man was telling the truth. Suddenly, Plaegus' last words registered in their brains.

"Too late?" Anakin yelled angrily, "What do you mean, too late for what? For what?" Anakin and Obi Wan pressed their light sabers farther into Plaegus' neck.

Plaegus eyed them eerily, a sadistically gleeful expression on his face. Anakin and Obi Wan stared at him quizzically, when suddenly Obi Wan understood.

"Anakin, take it away from his neck!"

But it was too late. Plaegus pushed his neck into the sabers, decapitating and killing himself.

"NO!" Anakin yelled passionately, sinking to his knees. "No, no, no!"

"We have no time Anakin," Obi Wan said quickly. "We've got to get everyone out of here."

"What?" Anakin asked, genuinely confused, as he stared at his old Master.

"Damn it!" Obi Wan yelled. "I knew he had broken far too easily. I should have known that wasn't all the information he had. Sith!"

"What are you talking about?" Anakin asked, still confused.

"Anakin, we didn't even have to do anything to him, and he told us everything? No, that can't be. Obviously, his final threat was founded- he did withold information, the most important of all. Anakin, we have to assume that he's done something to this building," Obi Wan said, pulling Anakin back up to his feet. "Do you have a com with you?"

"No, don't you?" Anakin asked quickly, suddenly understanding Obi Wan's rush.

"No," Obi Wan cursed himself. "We've got to hurry."

With Force enhanced speed, they ran desperately through the dank basement corridors. Finally, they began to see color again, and Anakin breathed a sigh of relief as the approached the main hall. As they ran towards the mass of people huddled scared in the front hall, security surrounding the Chancellor and her family, on high alert, Anakin noticed sensed something was very wrong. He couldn't register at first what it was, but he soon realized that he heard the smothered buy distinct sound of fast beeping.

"Everyone, get down!" He yelled, jumping over his children and Padme, just as a Thermal Detonator exploded in the main hall.