Title: Falling From The Light

Main Characters: Anakin/Padmé/Obi-Wan/Bant/Luke/Leia/Han/OC

Secondary Characters: OCs/Qui-Gon

Summary: The sequel to "Slipping Into Darkness." Palpatine knew that Anakin might defeat him, so he left something behind which may not only destroy the Chosen One, but his family as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Star Wars, as cool as it would be if I did. Everything belongs to the Flannelled One. I do, however, own the OCs. They are mine, mine, all mine! (notices the strange looks she is receiving) I mean, (clears throat) They belong to me. (blush)

A/N: Originally, I wasn't going to write a continuation to "Slipping," but my wonderful readers on TFN convinced me to. The Lord blessed me with an idea, and "Falling" came about. This story takes some very interesting turns, and I hope that it will surprise you. :)

A/N2: As always, this story would never be what it is now without my wonderful beta's (Darth Mom's) help. "Slipping," began with an idea she had, and she was kind enough to let me borrow and expand on it, and she is always patient enough to listen to me talk about the sequel. :)

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Falling From The Light

"Sir," a Corellian officer had said solemnly, "There has been an incident at the Corona House…Ambassador Amidala-Skywalker is missing…

Those words continued to echo over and over again in Anakin's mind, pushing away all other thought as he stood in the Corellian Security Building. How could this have happened? He had sensed no warning from the Force. Nothing. It was almost as though he had been deliberately kept from sensing any danger, but that was impossible, wasn't it? Uncertainty, along with his other already powerful feelings, now flooded him, and Anakin struggled to release his emotions to the Force. But, the worry, dread, and fear that he felt for Padmé's life refused to lessen.

In many ways he felt as though he had been split in two: the part of him that reacted solely as a husband was screaming for him to leave and hunt down whoever had taken Padmé, and get his wife back, but the Jedi Master in him commanded him to trust the Force, and wait for the others to come so that they could find her together.

The Jedi Master had won the struggle for the moment, only because Anakin realized that he would have the best chance to get Padmé back with Obi-Wan, Bant and his children at his side. But, that still wasn't enough to silence the side of him that wanted to find whoever had done this.

Padmé… He couldn't lose her now. They had been through so much together, survived so much. She had seen him at his best and at his worst, and yet she still loved him. In spite of everything, her faith in him never faltered. They had faced many dangers in the past, but his angel had always safely returned to him. For her to be taken from him this way…

That thought caused another powerful wave of fear and dread to wash over him, and Anakin closed his eyes to draw upon the Force, quickly slipping into its currents. Padmé wasn't a Jedi, but that didn't matter; the bond they shared was more intense than any other. They were linked body, mind, and soul, only as a husband and wife could be, and it was through this bond that he began calling for her, pleading with her to answer him.

But, as Anakin searched for the brilliant and beautiful presence of his wife, he realized, that for the first time in longer than he could remember, he couldn't sense her. Even as a child in the Temple there had been times when he had thought of her, and for an instant, had been able to feel her at the edge of his senses, but now, there was nothing… No! He would have felt it if she had… She wasn't… She couldn't be…

Grief rose in Anakin, and his mind reeled. Padmé… But just as he felt that his pain would overwhelm him, Anakin sensed something else rising in the Force. He tried to draw away from it only to find that he couldn't; the powerful presence was instead pulling him nearer against his will. He felt the being take hold of his mind, and for a moment, the black eyes he had seen in his vision appeared before him.

I have her, a cold, emotionless voice said simply. Then the apparition faded, and suddenly, as though a gate had been opened, Anakin could feel his wife's presence once more.

He staggered back, his mind and senses again reeling. Relief coursed through him that Padmé was alive, yet because of what had just happened, dread quickly followed. The creature from his vision was real. ..and it had Padmé. And, it wanted him to come for her.

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Night had long since fallen, and the bay of Coronet was covered in darkness. The blue water now appeared black in the shadows, and seemed eerily still. But through the Force, Anakin could see a light that, to him, shown brighter than the twin suns he knew from Tatooine: Padmé. He had been able to track her presence to this bay where the creature had taken her, and where he knew that this creature was now waiting for him.

It was a trap…and Padmé was the bait. Anakin gripped his saber tighter, the surface of the familiar weapon smooth and cold in his hand. He couldn't let this creature hurt his wife, or anyone else. He must stop them. But, what if he was already too late? If that thing had done something to Padmé…

Pain rose in him again, and he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Obi-Wan standing behind him.

"We will get her back, Anakin," the elder Master said quietly. Anakin watched him for a moment, grateful for his steadying presence, then nodded his thanks, and turned to Luke and Leia. He could see his own emotions reflected in his children. Both had their sabers in hand as he did, anxious to help their mother. But at the same time, Anakin could also sense their determination and discipline. Despite their worry for Padmé, they were controlling their fear like true Jedi Knights. When he had Padmé by his side again, he was going to tell his children how proud he was of them.

Anakin forced himself to turn away from Luke and Leia, then moved back to the speeder where Captain Solo stood. The Corellian officer had asked to come with them, pointing out that they could use all the help they could get. Anakin had agreed, understanding that he needed someone who knew the streets of Corellia well, and he had a feeling that no one knew them better than Captain Solo. And, despite the man's rather nonchalant comments about this being part of his duty, he could sense that the captain genuinely wished to help.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Solo said as Anakin approached. "That warehouse only has one exit, and the buildings around it make it a perfect place for an ambush. A perfect trap."

"You are right, Captain," Obi-Wan responded, joining Anakin, "but sometimes the only way to overcome a trap, is to walk into it."

Solo nodded in reply, though Anakin could tell that he still wasn't happy about the situation.

"I'll stay here to watch your backs then. But if you aren't out in ten minutes, I'm calling more CorSec agents out here."

"Agreed," Anakin answered. He stepped away from the speeder, sensing Obi-Wan, Bant, and his children close behind him. They walked the short distance to the warehouse in silence, stretching out with the Force to sense any danger. Whatever this creature was, Anakin already knew it was very powerful. He wasn't going to take any chances, especially with Padmé's life. But as they continued, the Force remained as quiet as the water in the bay. The group finally reached the entrance, and the doors opened easily. Aside from a few lights mounted along the walls, it was dark in the warehouse, and the corners were blanketed in shadow. Once inside, Anakin activated his saber, both for the light it cast, and to ready himself for an attack. He heard the others do the same, and soon the corridor was awash in the colored glow of their weapons.

The warehouse was much larger than it looked to be from the outside, so Anakin simply allowed the Force to guide him, focusing on his wife's bright presence. They walked until they reached the end of a long corridor created by various stacked bins of cargo from the bay.

When Anakin stepped beyond the boxes, his heart constricted, and he had to fight with himself not to run forward. There, on a chair anchored in the center of the room, was Padmé. Her hands were bound behind her back, and the long brown locks of her hair hung loosely forward over her limp form, obscuring her face.

"Mom…" he heard Luke say quietly. Anakin sensed Leia move beside her brother, trying to comfort him, but he could feel her own horror at the scene. He touched his bond with his children, trying to reassure them, then raised his saber and stepped forward into the room.

"Padmé?" he asked softly, once he reached her side. She didn't move.

"Padmé," he called again.

As he felt the others leave the corridor to surround them, he deactivated his saber, and placed it back on his belt. Then Anakin knelt down and gently reached forward to cradle her head in his hands. She didn't seem to be hurt, but more than anything else, he wanted to hear her voice, to see her move, to know for a fact that she was alright.

"Padmé," he whispered once more, his voice breaking. He was reassured to feel her pulse beneath his palms, but her heart was beating in a sluggish rhythm.

Recognizing it as a sign that she had been drugged, Anakin closed his eyes, hoping that perhaps he could at least do something to lessen the drug's effect. But, as he reached for the energy field that had had been a part of him for longer than he could remember, he found that the Force was no longer there…

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The impossible revelation instantly struck Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi as, for the first time in his life, he realized that he was unable to sense anything at all. The Force was gone. It was almost as if he suddenly found himself blind and deaf, trapped in a world that had been reduced to half it's size. He felt sudden fear trying to surface in his mind, but closed his eyes and pushed it away.

Then he turned to the others, hoping that he had been the only one effected, hoping they could be spared the feeling that a large part of them was missing. But as he looked up, he could see the expressions of confusion and uncertainty mirroring his own. He and Bant exchanged deeply troubled looks, and in unspoken agreement, moved closer together, keeping Padmé, Luke and Leia behind them. Anakin stood, and re-ignited his own blade, remaining at Padmé's side.

Obi-Wan once again pushed away the turmoil in his mind, and raised his own saber into a better defensive position, turning his gaze to sweep the room. Suddenly, he sensed something. It wasn't a warning from the Force, but a more instinctual one, born from years of combat. But instinct, it seemed, was not enough, and something impacted the side of his head. A sharp, blinding pain tore though him, and he felt himself being thrown against the far wall.

Obi-Wan's sight dimmed, and blackness nearly overcame him as he fought for consciousness. He heard Bant cry out, and struggled to open his eyes. His vision was dark and blurry, but he could make out Bant laying unmoving on the floor across the room.

Standing over her was a figure which seemed to be no more than an extension of the shadows, and in it's hand was a red lightsaber… A Sith! But just as his gaze had focused on the blade, there was a blinding flash of light, and Obi-Wan's awareness was ripped away.

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It was silent in the warehouse now, a stark contrast to the harsh sounds of the brief struggle which had taken place moments before. The young woman, remained motionless, standing among the now-unconscious forms of the five Jedi, assuring that her Master's device had done its work. When she was certain, she reached up to unclasp the metallic arm band that had protected her from the neural disruptor's effects, and went to retrieve the device.

After placing the disruptor back within her robe, she raised her hand to draw on the Force, and easily moved aside the heavy crates which she had used to hide the grav-sled. Then, turning back to the Jedi at her feet, and calling the sled to her side, she began her task.

She drew on the Force once again, lifting the unconscious forms of her Master's enemies and set them upon the sled, beginning first with the Chosen One and his wife, then moving to the son and daughter. She paused for a moment, studying them.

The two younger Skywalkers looked much like their parents, and the young woman wondered if perhaps they would act in the same manner as well. She had been surprised when the Skywalker woman fought back despite her fear. She was the first to do so, as all of the beings whom the young woman had killed in the past weeks had simply allowed their emotions to overwhelm them.

But with her task now finished, the servant of the Sith ignored the sensation of curiosity that rose in her, and directed the sled towards the far end of the warehouse, stepping past by the other human and the fish-like Jedi. They were not part of her Master's orders, so they were unimportant.

When she came to the back wall of the warehouse, she drew upon the Force again, and focused on a particularly large bin. After a moment it moved aside, revealing the wide opening which the young woman had previously cut into the floor with her saber. That, in fact, had been the reason why she had chosen this warehouse: it lay in close proximity to the vast network of ancient tunnels which ran beneath the surface of the planet, and would serve her Master's purpose well.

The young woman paused briefly, touching the Force to determine if the security forces were close to arriving, then leapt into the hole, making her landing from the twenty foot drop with animal-like grace. She called grav-sled down to her, and with a wave of her hand, moved the large crate back to its original position. Then she turned and began to walk down the tunnel.

After only a few minutes, the walls became rougher, and more organic, and within moments the crash of the Corellian ocean could be heard. She turned towards the sound, and soon the tunnel opened up into a large cavern. In the center of the open space, sat a ship with a long tapered body, and wings which curved over the engines; a more advanced version of the ship her Master had once given to Lord Maul. She touched the Force to activate the ramp and the rest of the ship's controls, then drew the sled behind her once more.

A few moments later, the dark craft flew from the cavern, the sound of its engines masked by the crashing of waves. Inside the cockpit of the ship, the young woman quickly pressed a sequence of numbers, activating the detonators she had placed throughout the warehouse. An instant later, a large explosion erupted, sending debris far into the night sky, and assuring that the two Jedi whom she had left inside would now be unable to interfere with her Master's revenge.

TBC

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IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ:

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