A/N: After leaving you with a small cliffie, I decided to update sooner than I actually intended. I hope you'll like the chapter!
Note: This story completely ignores the events of Jedi Quest series and all other novels/comics between Episodes I and II.
Many thanks to my wonderful beta Nicole!
Chapter Four
Time seemed to freeze, and the absolute silence was broken only by humming sound of four lightsabers. The atmosphere was thick, and tension grew with every second.
It can't be happening! It's not real!
Padmé continued to look at Anakin, trying to find the sparkle in his brilliant eyes, desperately searching for a shadow of smile on his handsome features, but his face was blank. Only his eyes were alive, and they were blue whirlpools of such intense anger, pain and … hatred, that Padmé felt as if someone were choking her, as she could barely breathe. He had to know that the kiss meant nothing, and that her heart would beat only for him. Then Anakin blinked, and his gaze became blank.
This kiss wasn't nothing. You wanted to be kissed by him, a nasty voice whispered. Padmé ignored it.
"Anakin," Padmé said barely audible, her eyes burning from new tears.
She couldn't stand the way he looked at her, so cold and distant. It would have been so much easier for her if he started screaming and accusing her of betrayal, or even hurting her physically, because she deserved it. But his icy cold and calm demeanour made her feel even worse. Anakin had never been calm, and the fact that he was now, meant that he was hurt worse than ever before. And she was the one that caused him such pain. Before her mind could register what she was doing, she stood up, and her feet carried her to him.
"Senator Amidala, please stand back," she distinctively heard a stern voice calling her. As if in a trance, she turned her head and saw Obi-Wan Kenobi, watching her. Obi-Wan always looked at her with respect and sympathy, but now his eyes were almost as cold as Anakin's.
Padmé faced Anakin again, but his attention was now focused on Kayle again.
"Anakin," she said again. I love you. Please forgive me. I don't know what came over me. His eyes lingered on her for a fracture of second, then skipped back to Kayle. His right, black-gloved hand tightened his grip on the lightsaber, and it hummed mournfully as if it were in pain.
A cold, satisfied laughter sounded behind her back. Padmé turned back and saw Kayle, rising from the bed. Kayle? This man wasn't the Kayle Padmé had met.
"Do you honestly think you can arrest me?" he asked the Jedi. He pushed a button on his bracelet. "Some civilians may be in danger." His lips twisted in a malicious smile, he reached into the inner pocket of his robe and pulled out a lightsabre. He activated the blade. It was red. Colour of the Sith.
"Who are you?" Padmé asked him. Her head was spinning, and she grabbed instinctively a handful of Anakin's robes in order not to fall. The man she felt so connected with was an enemy…
"His name is Taren Meeda," Obi-Wan said dryly. "He is the Dark Jedi that Anakin and I have been chasing for months. We had no idea that he was on Coruscant, getting to know our friend closer, who also happens to be Senator."
"You happen to have a very nice friend, Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker," Kayle said, casting a taunting look at Anakin, who withheld it steadily. Only his jaw tightened even more, and his eyes sparkled dangerously.
Now as she looked at Kayle, Padmé couldn't understand how she could have been attracted to this man in the first place. Kayle's face was cruel and haughty, and his eyes resembled a frozen lake on the always-snowy Hoth, exactly as icy and lifeless. Looking deeper into the pale, deadly blue of the Dark Jedi's eyes, Padmé felt numb coldness overtaking her heart. He didn't resemble Anakin in slightest…
With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Padmé realised that she had been mind-tricked and deceived. Anakin had once told her that it was impossible to mind-trick someone as strong-willed as she was. At this moment, Padmé didn't feel strong at all. Then another thought crossed her mind, a thought that made her hair stand back and want to jump from the highest tower on Coruscant. Kayle was able to mind-trick her because she wanted to be mind-tricked…
The loud noise of shattered glass brought her out of her reverie. Many super battle droids appeared seemingly out of nowhere and opened fire on them. The Jedi started deflecting the blasts back to the source. Padmé ducked instinctively and crawled into the corner, trying to shield herself from the fire. Mace Windu and Kit Fisto launched at the droids.
"Anakin, protect the Senator!" Obi-Wan said to his former Padawan, walking towards Kayle.
"And let you have the fun?" Anakin said in indignation.
In a couple of swift strikes, he beheaded a droid that fired at Padmé, and launched himself at Kayle. The two men became engaged in a heated duel. Very exasperated-looking Obi-Wan jumped across the room and landed near Padmé, deflecting the fire that was sent at them. She thought she heard him murmuring something like "Why does he never listen?"
Anakin and Kayle were entwined into a ferocious duel. Both men were incredibly skilled warriors, and their movements were so fluent, that it looked like as if they were encaged in a box of red and blue. Sparks were flying, and hissing sounds of lightsabers clashing and noises of blaster fire filled the room. Padmé could have never imagined that the sanctuary of her bedroom could be turned into the battle field. Master Windu and Master Fisto were heavily outnumbered, and therefore had to retreat into the living room.
"Your feeble skills are nothing compared to the power of the Dark Side," Kayle sneered maliciously. The glint in his lifeless, pale blue eyes was inhuman.
"Asajj Ventress had said just that, and where is she now?" Anakin asked, parrying low. Kayle blocked his strike effortlessly and aimed for Anakin's legs. The Jedi jumped just in time, and making an elegant flip in the mid-air, landed on the floor at Kayle's other side.
"Ventress was weak," Kayle said coldly, swinging his blade in a high arch. Anakin ducked, and in the next moment, the turquoise blade made contact with Kayle's left arm. It started bleeding.
Blood drops fell onto the pale blue carpet. Red as Kayle's blade. Red was the symbol of evil. Symbol of the Sith.
An inhuman cry of fury pierced the air. Kayle launched at Anakin with double ferocity, and two opponents were suffocated by blue and red flames.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan cried warningly, but he couldn't help his friend, as he was busy protecting Padmé.
The desperate battle of two Jedi Masters and a dozen super battle droids was still raging on, and Anakin and Kayle were still fighting each other. Swinging Kayle's blade aside, Anakin kicked Kayle hard on the ribs, and the other man staggered backwards under the power of the kick.
"You are under arrest, Kayle Mentho," Anakin said emotionlessly. His gaze was opaque, but Padmé believed noticing a gleam of hatred passing in his eyes. It sent shivers down her back. Kayle sat on the floor, breathing heavily.
"You and I are so much alike, Skywalker," he said. His voice could be interpreted as soft. "Both of us are powerful, passionate, and a failure as Jedi. We both know that," he added, seeing a surprised look on Anakin's face. "We can't resist the lure of the Dark Side, and we're right. It holds much more power than the Light Side."
Anakin approached Kayle, his weapon at the ready. "Enough talking," he said firmly, but Kayle's words didn't leave him unaffected. The Dark Jedi noticed this and smiled slightly. His smile made the blood freeze in Padmé's veins. How could she be attracted to this monster?
"You have no one, Anakin. Your mother is dead, your Master never wanted you, and your dearest is unfaithful to you," Kayle said slowly, sneering upon the dazed look on Anakin's face.
Padmé wanted to tell Anakin not to listen to this creature, but her voice refused to obey her. Seizing Anakin's confusion, Kayle extended his uninjured hand and, using the Force, sent Anakin flying across the room. The Jedi landed on the floor with a sickening thud, and his lightsaber flew right into Kayle's outstretched hand. Groaning slightly, Anakin stood up, but Kayle Force-threw Padmé's working table at him, and it hit him hardly on the abdomen. Anakin fell on his knees, gasping for breath. Kayle walked to him and ignited both lightsabers, pointing them at his neck.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan cried, noted of fear in his voice. It was the first time Padmé saw Obi-Wan being scared.
"She doesn't love you. She believed too easily in that ridiculous rumour of your death, as though she was counting on it to happen," Kayle said in a cold triumph. "And that kiss…I didn't have to try hard to mind-trick her for it."
The soft sky blue of Anakin's blue turned into the dark menacing blue, and his eyes swirled with anger. The air grew thicker, almost sparkling with electricity. Kayle didn't seem to take notice of this change.
"If you hadn't come, this kiss could have been so much more. I felt her yearning, her wanting to get-"
His voice faded, as he was tossed roughly across the room by a powerful Force push. Anakin stood up and called his lightsabre back. He clenched his weapon tightly with his gloved hand. Kayle stood up just in time to block a savage blow from Anakin.
The battle ensued again, and the turquoise and the crimson performed once again their dance of death. Anakin was everywhere; his every step was a powerful strike, driving Kayle mercilessly away. Kayle could barely block the fury of his opponent's attack. Anakin moved with inhuman speed, as dangerous and untamed as sand storms at his home planet Tatooine.
He swung low, aiming for Kayle's lightsabre arm, and the strike wasn't blocked by the Dark Jedi. Still caught in a battle's intoxicating rush, Anakin slid elegantly to the floor, and in one swift movement, cut through Kayle's legs. The battle noises outside stopped, and Mace Windu and Kit Fisto stepped back in the bedroom. They stopped dead in tracks at the sight of the limbless man moaning in pain.
Padmé gasped for air as she looked upon the dead arm, clutching the weapon. It was still activated and humming aggressively. Anakin looked at the crimson blade, the red light mirroring in his eyes. Wordlessly, he extended his hand and deactivated it through the Force.
Kayle watched Anakin hatefully, his face screwed in pain. Anakin approached Kayle, and towered above him, lightsabre still ignited. The Dark Jedi's bloodshot eyes widened in fear.
"You're under arrest, Kayle Mentho," Anakin said evenly. He deactivated his lightsaber, and without casting a glance at Padmé went out of the room, his black cloak billowing behind him. A strained silence was everything that was left in his wake.
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Half an hour later, Padmé was sitting at the sofa in Chancellor Palpatine's office, four Jedi standing by his table. She had never felt so horrible, and Anakin had not once looked at her since he had seen her kissing Kayle…
"Padmé, I'm sorry about what happened with you," Chancellor Palpatine said warmly, walking to her. He placed his hand onto her shoulder.
"Thank you, Chancellor," Padmé replied quietly. The hand on her shoulder felt heavy and uncomfortable.
Palpatine watched her apprehensively for a moment, and then faced Master Windu, a look of firm resolve on his wrinkled face.
"Master Windu, Senator Amidala has much authority on the political arena, and I'm afraid that her life may be in danger again," he said. "I'm concerned about her well-being. Would it be possible to put her under protection of your Order again?"
Mace Windu considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Certainly, Chancellor," he replied politely. "We share your worries, and fear too that the Senator's life may be in danger." He paused, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Knights Offee and Serwun have recently returned on Coruscant. I'll contact them immediately."
"With all due respect, Master Windu," Obi-Wan said cautiously. "Senator Amidala has been through a hard ordeal, and I think she may need friends in these hard days. I propose that Anakin and I serve as Jedi protectors for Senator Amidala again."
Anakin threw a surprised look at Obi-Wan, but the Jedi Master ignored it, though Padmé could have sworn to have noticed a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. Mace Windu frowned, and watched Obi-Wan with a beady eye. Palpatine broke into a smile.
"That's an excellent idea, Master Kenobi," he said. "I think we all agree that Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker should take Senator Amidala under their protection once more. Or do you have any objections, Master Windu?"
It looked as if the Korun Master didn't approve of the duo Kenobi-Skywalker protecting Padmé again, but Palpatine's smile deprived him of any arguments. He just nodded reluctantly. Anakin finally cast a fluent glance at Padmé, but his face was an expressionless Jedi mask devoid of any emotions.
Palpatine smiled slyly.
"I'm an old man, and I lived many years," he said slowly. "Judging from my previous experience, Padmé may be in a need of female company as well. As her life is in danger, why don't we have a female Jedi guard her along with Master Kenobi and Anakin?"
Mace Windu looked at him with suspicion. "Do you have anyone in mind, Chancellor?" he asked politely.
Palpatine smiled kindly, but his eyes were glinting intricately. "May I suggest Knight Telwis?" he asked timidly.
Anakin, who was watching the exchange nonchalantly, seemed to become intrigued with it. He raised his head in disbelief, and it seemed as if his face were lit by a ray of purest sun ray.
Kit Fisto nodded. "It is a possibility," he said. "Knight Telwis is on Coruscant now. I will contact her immediately."
"Thank you," Palpatine said. "Do you approve the choice of your Jedi guardians, or would you like us to reconsider it?" he asked Padmé.
"No, I'm honoured to be protected by Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker again, and I look forward to meeting Knight Telwis," Padmé said. Maybe she and Anakin would have a chance to talk, and she would explain everything to him. He would forgive her, and everything would be alright again…
"Matters settled then," Mace Windu said. "May the Force be with you."
He and Kit Fisto bowed and left the room.
"Thank you, Chancellor," Anakin said to Palpatine, bowing slightly.
Palpatine smiled kindly, and patted Anakin on the shoulder. "Anytime, my boy," he said softly. "I'm sure you will enjoy spending time with Senator Amidala, and you haven't seen Dayla for a long time."
Anakin smiled, and this smile lit his features. "For a long time indeed," he echoed. It seemed that he was light years away from here. "For too long," he murmured, and his eyes shined brightly.
Without looking at Padmé, he left the room, an agitated Obi-Wan following him closely. Padmé didn't like the look of happiness and elation on Anakin's face – he was excited about the prospect about spending time with a mysterious Dayla, and Padmé's heart burst from jealousy.