TRAITORS
A/N: I would like to thank all those who commented on this story so far and apologize for my late updates. I suffered from writer's block for the past few weeks and have recently only overcome it. Coupled by my new term in a new college…well…you get the picture. For now, enjoy chapter three.
Chapter Three
"At the head of our army shall be our illustrious war heroes – Skywalker and Kenobi. They, who have stood by the Republic even when their brothers and sisters sought to destroy democracy, shall lead the army to purge our oppressors until every village – every city – shall be burnt to the ground! They do so to preserve peace! They do so to deliver justice! They do so for the future of our children!"
When Padmé Amidala opened her eyes, she could hardly believe where she was. The room she was in was small and cramped with dull, grey walls that reflected the somberness of the situation. It was a while before she realized the room resembled a prison cell more than an actual, hospitable guest room.
Of course, she had not been expecting to be treated like a guest – hardly thought that she would be, under the current conditions – but a little hospitality would have been nice. She raised her hand to touch a throbbing bruise on the side of her head gingerly before rubbing her hand over her swollen stomach. She feared that the child she was carrying might be hurt, or even worse – dead. A hard impact with the floor could result in a miscarriage and the clone troopers were not exactly gentle with her.
Sitting up on the bare bed she had been lying on, she waited a while for the headache to cease, feeling the beginning signs of worry and panic creep inside her. When her vision ceased to swim in front of her like a whirlpool, she realized she was literally trapped in a box. There were no windows or even any indication of a door. The walls were so smooth that nothing stuck to them. There was not even a single scratch.
'What, in the name of the Republic, is happening?' she thought, wincing slightly at the throbbing that refused to leave. 'I hope this is just a nightmare. I can't believe that Palpatine changed the Republic into an Empire and that Anakin….if Anakin supported him...'
She wondered how all of this could have happened in such a short space of time. It seemed ridiculous and impossible that the Republic could have died in a single day and all the Jedi be destroyed. Maybe she was hallucinating…maybe she had mistaken something…
But she knew she had not, just as she knew the gut feeling she had about the danger she was in. She could not be sure what Palpatine would do with her, or why she was in this blasted room, but she knew one thing:
Anakin had ordered clone troopers to bring her here – wherever here was.
And that was a matter to speculate upon and to scrutinize. There was little or no doubt that Anakin was working with Palpatine. Padmé felt a sense of horror at that thought. She had never liked Anakin's friendship with Palpatine, knowing well how manipulative Palpatine could be on certain occasions. She could not shake off the feeling that Palpatine might have tricked him into siding with him.
She closed her eyes at the memory of how Anakin's face had looked after his nightmare. She had watched numbly as Anakin related how, in his dream, she had died in childbirth. She had seen the despair and desperation on his face. She knew that Anakin would do anything for her to survive, and all her assurances that she would not die fell on deaf ears.
Padmé had a feeling that it was Palpatine's plot all along. Palpatine had been worming his way into Anakin's trust, and Anakin had trusted him – perhaps even more than he trusted her. Padmé had a sickening feeling in her stomach at the thought of what Anakin might be doing right now, for some dream he harbored that he was saving her.
She did not feel well, and feared that there might have been some truth to Anakin's words. But she feared what Anakin would do to save her much more. To imagine that he might be slaughtering innocents, just to save one life, simply horrified her.
There was a snap, then a hiss. She opened her eyes, startled and apprehensive at having a visitor. A door seemingly appeared out of no where, and a tall and rather severe woman stepped into the room. Just the sight of the woman, who was dressed in a crisp white uniform, bothered her. Her mood darkened further at the sight of three armed clone troopers standing guard at the door.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "Where am I? I demand an explanation! I am a Senator of the Republic –"
"There will hardly be a Republic left when Palpatine is finished with it," interrupted the woman, sneering at her. She opened the briefcase she had been carrying. "Senator or not, you are under arrest for treason against Palpatine."
"I…" Padmé was at a loss for what to say.
"Wordless, Senator?" asked the woman mockingly. "Never in my lifetime have I heard of a speechless Senator, although many have ceased to speak since Palpatine put them to death."
'Death?' Padmé was finally able to grasp the severity of the situation.
"But you," the woman said pointedly, as she removed what seemed to be a bottle full of clear liquid, "But, you…Palpatine has allowed you to live for the time being, and although you may be pretty, I hardly believe that will count when you are found guilty."
"I am never guilty for protecting the Republic!" Padmé replied angrily. "I am safeguarding the free will of the people! It is Palpatine who has breached his limits! He will be arrested and he will –"
"Strong words for a prisoner." The woman filled a syringe with the clear liquid, as Padmé watched her warily. "I heard that the Senate cheered on for Palpatine's rise to Emperor. And thus, it is you who would be the traitor."
"Nobody can amend laws that have been laid down since the beginning of the Republic! There are laws against such a movement to an Empire –"
The woman sighed.
"So much faith in such a corrupted system," she said, almost regretfully. "Haven't you heard? By tomorrow, the Senate will be granting Palpatine full power."
Padmé stared at the woman in shock.
"Not so confident now, are you?" she asked, gleefully enjoying the predicament Padmé was in. "There will be no more Senate and even if there was, those useless, so-called Senators – I'm sorry, people like you – won't be able to do anything. Nobody will so much as cough without authorization."
"No more talking," said one of the clone troopers gruffly. "Get this over with."
"Might I remind you that I was personally chosen by Palpatine to do this?" the woman snapped sharply before sighing. "I must cut this little conversation short, pretty Senator. Palpatine is hardly a patient man."
The woman advanced towards Padmé who immediately retreated as far away as possible, until the wall of the room came into contact with her back.
"What are you doing? Stop it! I'll not allow you –"
"Hold her down; she is a difficult one," the woman ordered.
Immediately, two of the clone troopers rushed forward to hold Padmé down by the arms. Padmé screamed and struggled against their grip, and away from the needle.
'Anakin…Anakin, help, please…Anakin…Obi-Wan…' she begged silently.
Somehow, she managed to kick against one of the clone troopers who fell back, winded. With one arm free, she turned her attention to the other clone trooper struggling to push her down. She raised her arm to strike him.
Only to find it being held down by the woman, who looked at her with a malicious expression on her face. She screamed and thrashed, but the woman's grip was impossible to break.
"Hush now, Senator. We wouldn't want to break that pretty face now, would we? It's not going to hurt; actually I don't know…I've never tried it before…"
"Stop it, no! Please…please…"
The woman plunged the needle into Padmé's arm.
"Hold her down!" the woman ordered as Padmé's arm jerked involuntarily.
Padmé wanted to scream, but a coldness spread all through her body, freezing her jaw. It felt like icy fire burning in her veins that made every muscle in her body cease to work. Even her heart began to slow down.
The woman instantly set to work, plunging another needle into Padmé's arm, and the pain was multiplied so much that Padmé felt as if her brain was on fire. Yet she could not scream, or so much as move a muscle.
The woman withdrew the syringe, now full of blood, placing a single drop on the pad she was carrying to analyze for any possible illnesses or diseases.
The screen flashed red immediately, and she smiled deviously.
"My, my, my…who would have thought?"
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"Not another Jedi, there is," Yoda said, hobbling along the corridor of Tantive IV with Bail Organa, who looked worse for wear as if he hadn't had so much as a wink of sleep.
"No one else has responded to the signal," said Organa, weary and disappointed.
He had been hoping to find a few more survivors of the slaughter, but it was becoming more and more apparent that the enormous numbers of Jedi had been killed by surprise. Reports came from all over the galaxy about the clone troopers who turned against their Jedi commanders and generals, and killing the Jedi "traitors". It was, frankly, getting more and more probable that Yoda might be the only Jedi still alive. The mere thought made him sink slowly into despair.
He had great faith in the wizened Jedi Master's skills and wisdom but how could one Jedi stand against an entire clone army plus two, possibly, ex-Jedi? Skywalker had amazing power, and Kenobi was one of the smartest and most powerful Jedi in the Order. They were an unbreakable team, so strong that sometimes they had been the only thing holding back the Republic's fall during the Clone Wars. People around the universe sometimes said that they were even better than all the rest of the Jedi put together. He bitterly thought that they might conceivably have aided in the fall of the Republic.
He looked down at the Jedi Master, who looked incredibly tired. Bail had heard of some form of empathic link that Jedi had with one another, and he could not possibly imagine the pain Yoda might have experienced through that link, from the slaughter of nearly all the Jedi.
"Hope we must have," said the Jedi Master as if he had been reading Bail's thoughts. "Other Jedi, there might be."
"Yoda, you must know that the Republic has greatly changed –"
Yoda nodded gravely, cutting Bail off.
"Sense the change, I do. Foresee this change, the Jedi could not." Yoda shook his head solemnly. "Actions we must undertake. Strike quickly we must. Anticipate this Sidious will not."
"But surely a more logical action plan would have a greater chance of success…" Bail trailed off in disbelief at the rash plan Yoda had made.
"A suggestion you have, Senator Organa?" inquired Yoda calmly.
"Not one – not at the moment – but I believe it is important to consider the possibility that Skywalker and Kenobi might be siding with Palpatine –"
"Mentioned this, you did not," said Yoda. "Alliance with Palpatine, Skywalker and Kenobi made?"
"Yes…there have been rumors and reports," Bail began unsteadily. "Palpatine only excused Skywalker and Kenobi from the treason charges. I believe that they might have helped him or Palpatine has manipulated them…" and I certainly prefer the latter, Bail added silently.
"Foresee this development, I did not," Yoda said sadly. "Blinded by the dark side, I was. Clouded the Force has become. Skywalker's turn to the dark side, unfavorable it is."
Bail could certainly come up with worse words than to describe Skywalker's alleged alliance with Palpatine than "unfavorable", and all of them had a darker, more hopeless meaning.
"And Kenobi?" he asked.
"Believe that Kenobi has fallen to the dark side, I do not. Suspicious the circumstances have become. For his Padawan, Kenobi might turn. Loved him greatly, Kenobi did," contemplated Yoda.
Bail's eyes widened. "You mean tosay…that…"
"Married Skywalker is to Senator Amidala," said Yoda rather sharply.
Bail stood still in shock. Padmé had never mentioned that rather important detail, during the entire time they had known each other. No wonder she had looked so worried when Skywalker's name had been mentioned - and to think that all this time he had only suspected they were friends…
"But, why then, did you…" he trailed off, unsure of what he had been trying to say.
Yoda sighed.
"Great love is there between them," Yoda said, answering Bail's unanswered question. "Notice this many Jedi did. Unnoticed, this went by Kenobi and Skywalker."
"So, what do we do now? We have nothing that would allow us to fight against the Empire and win," Bail said, pointing out their current lack of resources. "And heading against the Empire rashly will have little chance of success, or even survival."
"Lack of faith in the Force, you have. Remind me of a youngling, you do," said Yoda, and Bail was surprised to see a wistful echo of a smile cross the wizened face. "Difficult the situation has become. Act decisively we must."
The smile was replaced by a grim expression. Bail did not know whether to be relieved or worried that Yoda had finally understood the hopelessness of the situation.
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It became increasingly apparent that Palpatine, or Sidious, would not accept no for an answer. One of Palpatine's servants had intruded into what was officially Obi-Wan's room until further notice, and stumbled upon Anakin and Obi-Wan wrapped in a tight, intimate embrace. Anakin had wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan and tried to comfort the Jedi Master when Obi-Wan had broken down and cried about how utterly useless he was in the situation.
The servant had come with a change of clothes for Obi-Wan and an order – not an invitation – for them to join Palpatine for dinner.
Anakin had taken one look at Obi-Wan's tear-stricken face and expressively told the servant to tell Palpatine that neither of them would be attending dinner because Obi-Wan was not well.
The servant had returned looking pale and rather scared, and told Anakin that Palpatine demanded that they attend dinner, and that if they did not, Obi-Wan would be made a prisoner immediately.
Anakin had risen almost menacingly as he heard the words. He was furious at the threat Palpatine made, and wanted to take it out on the servant.
"No, Anakin, don't," Obi-Wan pleaded softly and Anakin's anger dissolved. "Please, Anakin, we can't risk avoiding Palpatine anymore. We'll just go to dinner. We don't know what he might do."
"You don't understand. When he says 'dinner', there is nothing simple about it," Anakin tried to reason with him. "You don't look well, Obi-Wan and I'll just tell Sidious that if he doesn't allow you to rest, I'll call off the deal."
"And then what? From what you told me, he holds Padmé's life in his hands, just as he holds mine and yours. Calling off the deal will simply get all of us killed - what would that achieve?"
"I…I…I don't know," admitted Anakin after a moment. "It's just that everything has been pretty crazy, until I don't even know who I am anymore."
"You're Anakin Skywalker," Obi-Wan stated firmly with a certainty that exceeded Anakin's ability to believe in his words.
"No, I'm Darth Vader – I'm a murderer – I killed –"
"No, I know you're still Anakin Skywalker. Darth Vader would have killed me on sight. Darth Vader would not have bothered saving my life. Darth Vader would –"
"It doesn't matter! I've taken innocent lives! I killed even the younglings who depended on me –"
"We all make mistakes, even me," Obi-Wan interrupted gently. "But that does not mean we have to keep repeating them."
"You don't understand, Obi-Wan. When you accept Palpatine's choice, there is simply no choice. You'll be forced to kill one person after another after another after another…"
"There is always a choice."
"In this case, there never has been," Anakin retorted. He sighed. "Are you still insisting on going to the dinner?"
"As you have pointed out, Anakin, there never has been a choice," said Obi-Wan.
Anakin turned to the servant, still holding the clothes Obi-Wan was supposed to wear.
"Tell Palpatine that we will attend the dinner shortly," Anakin said almost gloomily.
"Yes, my lord; and he has requested Obi-Wan to show up wearing these clothes," he said, referring to pile of black clothes in his arms, "and to discard every article of Jedi clothing."
Anakin could feel Obi-Wan stiffen beside, him then relax.
"Very well," Obi-Wan answered evenly.
The servant placed the clothes on a table before exiting the room, the door closing behind him.
"I'm sorry," Anakin said softly, as Obi-Wan began to shed the tunic he wore.
"What, may I ask, is the reason for your apology?" Obi-Wan asked quizzically, as he unfolded the clothes presented to him – black, with a few embroideries in red and gold.
Anakin looked at him in disbelief.
"I dragged you into this, Obi-Wan!" he half-yelled at the unfazed Jedi Master. "I made you come here! I endangered your life! I could have simply told you to run away and hide!"
"I do not like to run away and hide if I know I could do something, and I know that my need to be here with you is greater than my need to be in some cave meditating."
"Obi-Wan, you don't understand –" Anakin began exasperatedly.
"I do understand, Anakin, far better than you, perhaps," Obi-Wan amended patiently, as he began to dress. "We're friends – brothers – I can't simply abandon you."
Anakin stood up and walked over to Obi-Wan, more than ever grateful to have known Obi-Wan. He tilted Obi-Wan's face up, his human hand brushing against the man's beard, and looked into Obi-Wan's ever-changing eyes.
"Thank you, for all you have done," Anakin said sincerely, with an honesty he doubted he had ever shown before. "I appreciate your trust in me."
"I have always believed in you, Anakin. It was unquestionable," Obi-Wan said, smiling slightly.
Anakin hesitated for a moment then bent down to kiss Obi-Wan fully on the lips. He felt Obi-Wan's surprise flickering in the Force but when Obi-Wan did not make a move to push him away, he traced the soft lips gently with his own. Obi-Wan's lips were so surprisingly soft and his beard tickled Anakin's chin. Anakin suddenly felt something unfamiliar flickering in the Force but it was quickly dampened.
He gently pulled away, seeing Obi-Wan's curious and questioning look. However, Obi-Wan did not press with question, for which Anakin was grateful, because he was not too sure of what he had done, or why, except for a feeling that he had to do it. Most Jedi had considered them too close for a Master-Padawan pair, but it was the first time that Anakin had really wanted to do something like kiss his former Master. They had hugged, and shared a bed but never had they intentionally kissed the other.
"We have to go, Anakin. I do not think that Palpatine would be so kind if we were to arrive late," Obi-Wan said rather quietly, moving towards the door.
Anakin silently followed.
"I hope you enjoy this dinner, General Kenobi," Darth Sidious said rather unpleasantly from the head of the table. "The Corellian wine is the finest in the galaxy – or so I'm told."
To be honest, Obi-Wan had barely touched the food that lay on his plate, appetizing as it seemed to be. It did not look like it had been poisoned, as they all had shared food from the same plate. However, his appetite had dwindled to nothing, the moment he had seen the Sith Lord. Truth be told, he had a seed of fear inside him, because never could he imagine – during his entire lifetime and beyond – that he would ever be found sitting with two Sith Lords eating dinner, and one of them just happening to be his best friend.
It was a strange situation, and rather surreal. He had rather imagined that if he ever had the chance to meet another Sith Lord, they would probably fight, and he would try his best to slay him. Now, as he turned to look at Anakin who had greater success in eating – having finished a tenth of the meat on his plate – he knew he could not possibly do that. Just thinking of killing Anakin broke his heart. He would rather die.
He stabbed the meat he was supposed to be eating, and watched the juices seep out. What was he thinking? He was a Jedi. If he was not a Jedi, he was nothing. He had to abide by the Code, whether or not the Jedi Order existed anymore – whether or not he might survive a direct confrontation with Sidious. He could not just sit here and pretend to enjoy dinner with a Sith Lord, who had never taken his eyes off him since the moment he entered. He had to do it even if he died.
And he felt fear –an emotion he had not felt for years. It came from the undoubted, unquestionable knowledge that death would one day – delayed or not – become inevitable. It was this lingering, nagging voice of reason saying that everybody must die; that Padmé, even if Anakin managed to save her from death now, would die someday, and Obi-Wan would as well. It was this unshakeable fear that Anakin's transformation was unavoidable. He felt fear that despite anything he did or could have done or will do, it would never be enough, and that Anakin would still fall.
He closed his eyes, trying to control his hands from shaking in fear and anger – fear for Anakin, and anger at Palpatine for causing this to happen. He tried to push the emotions away, because it was not in his character to be fearful or angry at something, but they refused to go away, or something was preventing it. He opened his eyes to see Palpatine giving him a smile that did not reach his eyes, and his stomach clenched. He knew…somehow Palpatine knew, and he was using it against him. He could feel a flicker of worry from Anakin in the Force, although Anakin's face was blank and unmoving, and sent a simple wave of reassurance towards his former Padawan, hoping that Sidious might overlook that.
"Perhaps we should move on to the real reason we're having dinner," Palpatine suggested casually while delicately and surgically cutting his meat.
Obi-Wan felt his mouth turn dry, and his worry rising, at how his fear simply would not let him go. It was not normal. He had to let it go. He had to be able to think and act rationally. He had to figure out what the heck he was going to be doing in the next five seconds.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Anakin stiffen involuntarily, his fork frozen in mid-motion. He watched as his former Padawan grew several shades paler, and he had a suspicious feeling that Anakin knew more about what was going to happen during this dinner than he was letting on.
"Now, I'm quite sure that Skywalker has informed you that the Jedi Order is no longer in existence," Palpatine began, swirling the contents of his glass around. It looked a lot like blood.
Obi-Wan resisted lashing out at Palpatine and shouting at him that the Order was only dead because of him. Just hearing Palpatine speak about the destruction of the Jedi Order so coolly, as if he was speaking about tomorrow's weather, made him want to strangle the man if he could not kill him with his lightsaber. What in the name of the Tatooine suns was happening to him? Obi-Wan fought against his rising anger.
"Although I was perfectly happy to have Skywalker as my only apprentice," continued Palpatine and Obi-Wan's anger rose another notch, forcing him to grip the side of his chair to restrain himself, "he seemed to believe that getting you to join the Sith would be beneficial to us. Of course, his true intentions are worth scrutinizing…"
Obi-Wan saw Anakin blush slightly, although his eyes were fixed on the salad on the table. He was certain that Anakin was struggling not to use the Force to destroy the salad while putting all his concentration on it. It seemed rather contradictory. Obi-Wan moved his attention from Anakin to Palpatine who was still smiling in that knowing way, trying not to show that he was afraid, although he could not help but wish that Palpatine would just get to the point.
"He seems to harbor this belief that you could be turned," Sidious continued rather calmly, not shifting his gaze from Obi-Wan, "although I must say, I hardly thought it was possible. You have been taught by the Jedi since you were merely an infant. Such a background would make you almost impossible to turn – almost, of course."
The certainty in Sidious' voice caused Obi-Wan's fear to rise, and he began to wonder how long he would survive before he would be killed. He forced his mind off of that thought, reminding himself that the only thing he should be thinking about was how to kill Sidious, or at least, how to aid another person to kill Sidious.
"And thus, I must ask you…"
Finally, Sidious managed to come to the point – the entire climax of an extremely long book – and Obi-Wan was beginning to shake visibly.
"…will you join me as an apprentice?" Sidious finished.
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"Why?" Obi-Wan asked without thinking although he had spent the last few minutes mentally preparing to deliver a straight answer – "no".
"Why, indeed? Why did I give in to my apprentice even though I held his wife's life in my hands?" Sidious smiled, agreeing to consider Obi-Wan's question.
Obi-Wan saw Anakin flinch slightly at the mention of Padmé.
"Do you, perhaps, know why General Kenobi?"
Sidious was playing with him – testing his reactions. Obi-Wan knew it. And what was worse, Sidious was winning. He forced himself to act calm, letting a civil expression mask the true worry on his face.
"Another Jedi would be able to aid you – perhaps, even gather more support from the public," Obi-Wan answered. "Two apprentices would help you control the universe much more effectively…"
"Yes, yes, yes," interrupted Sidious, waving his hand dismissively, "but what makes you so special? Why did I not take any other Jedi – someone with greater power, perhaps, and less loyal to the Jedi Order than you?"
Obi-Wan paused, hesitating for a brief second.
"It was convenient," he replied shortly.
"And how was it convenient, may I ask?" asked Sidious, as if he truly had no idea what Obi-Wan had just said, although there was a glint of confidence in the cold eyes.
"You knew where I was – what I would do. You knew that among all the Jedi, Anakin would choose me and you knew that…" Obi-Wan trailed off, letting the words he wanted to say die from his lips.
'You knew that I would do anything for him…that I'll only turn for him…' Obi-Wan completed silently, feeling a true horror growing inside him at the mere thought that Sidious knew – that the evil, twisted Sith Lord knew all along.
"I am, of course, not interested in your petty, personal affairs," said Sidious, sending a heated flush to Anakin's cheeks, "or what Skywalker does behind his wife's back…"
Obi-Wan fought a blush, recalling the kiss Anakin had given to him rather unexpectedly. At the mere mention of Padmé, however, he felt guilty for betraying her. She had been a good friend – no – she is a good friend. She was not dead yet and when she did return, Obi-Wan would explain to her that he had no intention of ever taking Anakin from her – that he knew Anakin loved her a lot, and he respected that.
"Or what both of you wish to do in your chambers," said Sidious, watching his two guests struggle not to simply burst out in anger. "What interests me is the potential of the pair: Kenobi and Skywalker."
Obi-Wan recalled the first moments when he'd heard that term being used all over the HoloNets, and then all over the universe. It became a household name used almost everywhere. It was the term that the Jedi used whenever they needed help – whenever they had a battle they absolutely, positively, definitely needed to win. The Senators of the Republic (if it had not changed into an Empire yet) used it whenever public morale was low, reminding the public that there was still hope that the war would end with victory on their side. Kenobi and Skywalker – that very term made them become legends, chronicling their victories as the people would fantasy stories – making it seem believable that the impossible was never a limitation for them. He had laughed the first time he heard the term being used, and at Anakin's subsequent complaint about why his name had to be last. They had brushed it off, because it had been a petty matter that had not been important. What was important was that they were a team and that they knew tit. They did not need a title to tell it to them.
Looking back at all the missions and battles they had won, they seemed as if they were decades ago. There had been one battle after another battle after another battle – all to guard the Republic and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. They defended the Republic when it had been the weakest – sometimes, they'd been the only thing that stood between the Republic and complete destruction. It was all because they clung on to a hope – to a duty.
It was all a lie – a huge illusion that had blinded them.
While they had been busy fighting the war, that had stretched them impossibly thin across the universe, against what they had supposed to be the biggest threat, they had failed to notice the weakness plaguing the Republic from within. There had been signs. He had simply ignored them, too blinded to see that wrong, deluded decision the Senators made – the danger that posed by putting so much power into the hands of one person.
And he had been asking himself the same question, ever since he had heard Anakin's explanation:
How could I be so blind?
He brushed away the thought, knowing that brooding over past events was something best left until a later time.
"Kenobi and Skywalker…such potential…" Sidious mulled it over. "The illustrious war heroes, legends of the universe, where their very successes have become epic stories…the Jedi Order failed to see this. They failed to see the weapon they had, that could cause me to fail. Yes, I did not fear the old tree stump, Yoda, or the collected and cool Windu, or the skill of any of the other Jedi. Out of all of the Jedi, I feared both of you – Kenobi and Skywalker. Both of you had the power, to make all that I planned for so carefully, fail. However, I had hardly any need to worry. The Jedi Council aided me, by simply separating both of you. Even Dooku knew that it was you who would prevent Skywalker from joining me – that was, until he was murdered."
Anakin was shaking so hard that the salad bowl had begun vibrating dangerously. Sidious took no notice of Anakin's behavior.
"Perhaps you have never realized it, and I doubted that you would ever realize it," Sidious continued calmly, as Obi-Wan gritted his teeth, putting nearly all his concentration upon simply keeping his anger at bay. "Skywalker may be the most powerful Jedi – even, Force user – in this universe, but even he could have been destroyed easily by the collective power of the Jedi Order. But together, both of you could withstand the entire Jedi Order – even destroy them with a swipe of your lightsabers. Both of you – including the Jedi Council – have failed to realize that together, you stand as the most powerful pair in the universe. As Skywalker's power grows, your own powers grow too."
'Bastard,' Obi-Wan thought, surprised by his own ferocity, 'manipulative, uncivilized bastard."
"And yet, you have not answered my question, General Kenobi. I am waiting for an answer," said Sidious in a tone that showed his impatience clearly.
"No," Obi-Wan answered simply, praying that Anakin would understand.
Anakin's face was almost white, and the salad bowl simply shattered, throwing its contents over the entire table. Sidious did not even give an indication that he noticed. The knife in Anakin's robotic hand had bent so far that it was near to being snapped into two. Anakin refused to look at Obi-Wan and simply bit his lower lip so hard it nearly bled.
"I was afraid of that," Sidious said, nodding as if approving of Obi-Wan's decision, "and I have taken pains to come up with a solution, should you do so. Perhaps, a little light dinner entertainment, General Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan felt a foreboding sense of horror before he even realized what Sidious had said. Sidious pressed a small button, and a holographic projection appeared to Obi-Wan's left. Vaguely he could hear Anakin's fork being snapped into two, his own utensils dropping like stones to the floor, and Sidious' evil chuckle. He could feel Anakin's shock and anger flooding the Force to match his own, and the feeling of Sidious' sadistic enjoyment.
Obi-Wan forgot how to breathe. He could do nothing but stare at the hologram with no idea of what to do or what to say. His mind was blank of any plan. He could not even tremble in horror at what he saw. He could simply sit and stare.
More than a dozen children – he recognized them as younglings from the Jedi Temple – were all chained to the walls and floor, stripped naked of their clothing. The oldest could not have been any more than eleven, and the youngest looked about four. All of them looked battered and beaten with welts and bruises all over their bodies. One of them had an angry, red wound that stretched all across his chest. Some of them seemed to be unconscious. Most of them looked scared. Only a few remained silent and defiant.
"Aren't they beautiful?" Sidious asked, obviously enjoying it. "They are so scared – so struck by fear that they don't seem like Jedi at all."
"Bastard…" Anakin hissed angrily, looking as if he was ready to kill Sidious.
"Vader, step out of line and all of these children will die," hissed Sidious dangerously.
Anakin forced himself to calm down, shaking with visible anger.
"All of them are in a containment cell, although one of them refused to come along quietly. The clone troopers had to put him to death – a remarkable spirit."
"They're children…" Obi-Wan said, as if the word would have any bearing on Sidious' conscience. "They deserve to live…"
"And that is where your decision becomes important," Sidious calmly said. "The longer you stall, the more children will die. Once I exhaust the supply, there are other innocent people walking the streets I can arrest and put to death, for any charge at all. I have the power to make any arrest I want. Shall we start with the children first? They are my favorites."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes shaking so badly that he thought he was having a seizure. He wished he would. He wished that when he opened his eyes that this would all be a bloody nightmare, but when he did open his eyes, it was Sidious who was sitting there, obviously enjoying his predicament.
To join Sidious would mean to submit to his rule, and to forgo the Oath he swore to the Order. Once he submitted to Sidious, it would be the end, and he would know it. He would have to kill, and continue killing until he could not stop – until it became second nature. He remembered the words Anakin had told him before – there was simply no choice. There were millions of children out there; all unaware that one man decided their fate. They expected to see the sun rise the next day, but Sidious could crush such simple hopes with a single order. He had crushed the Jedi Order with an ease that was embarrassing. Sidious could destroy families so effortlessly.
"The time is ticking away, General Kenobi. In every minute, one child will die."
Obi-Wan watched as a clone trooper advanced to a young girl who started screaming and crying. The clone trooper carried a single blade – an actual, primitive blade made from metal – and knew with sickening dread that the death would not quick or merciless. She would bleed and be in pain before death finally took her.
"Hurry, General Kenobi, I do not believe she has long to live."
Other children started screaming and crying. One child tried to wrestle the chains, to kick the clone trooper away, but the chains were too tight and the clone trooper was too far. Her screams and cries came from the simple, primal instinct of fear. There were no words being cried out – just a sound that came from anybody knowing he or she was close to death.
"Ten…nine…eight…seven…" Sidious counted off almost joyfully.
Her screams sent shivers down his spine. Obi-Wan felt the waves of desperation from Anakin mixing with his own indecision. He could not think. He could not find a way out. Everything was pressurizing him towards the inevitable.
"…six…five…four…"
"Obi-Wan! You have to –" shouted Anakin desperately.
Her screams pressed into his mind until it obliterated any thought he might have.
He vaguely saw the sickening smile on Sidious' face.
He had to face it: he had no choice.
"…three…two…"
"Obi-Wan, please…"
"…one."
"NO! No – don't!" Obi-Wan screamed out, finally letting the anger, fear and desperation overtake him.
But, it was too late.
Her screams died in her throat, and Obi-Wan watched with horror as the blade descended, to tear through her easily. Her jugular vein simply exploded with blood, spraying onto her body, the wall, and the child beside her screaming with fear. Her head hung off her shoulders as she choked, trembling like a ragged doll. Blood flowed down her neck and dripped to the floor. There was so much blood…
"Ah, such a pity, you were a mere second too late," said Sidious, unfazed.
He looked as if he were talking about a sudden weather change that affected their picnic plans.
"You bastard…" Obi-Wan choked out. "You absolutely, repulsive creature…"
"Such anger is admirable," commented Sidious, obviously pleased by his reaction. "You possess such a wealth of anger – so Sith-like…"
Restraint was as far gone from Obi-Wan as it could be. It was as if the anger he had always wielded as a child finally surfaced, after so many years of being tucked away. He wanted to simply leap up – to strangle the man with his bare hands – to simply end the existence of the absolutely despicable creature. His anger called out to him, driving him on. His thirst for revenge had awakened.
"How many more will it take, General Kenobi?" asked Sidious, watching Obi-Wan's face twist with rage. "Another child, perhaps? Another innocent life taken to persuade you to submit to me?"
His anger faltered and his fear increased at the sight of the clone trooper moving towards the child trembling beside the bleeding girl with such mechanical efficiency that he knew that no feeling of remorse would stop the clone trooper.
"Another life taken simply because you couldn't make the choice – the only choice?" continued Sidious.
Guilt plagued him in all directions. Indecision cost him a life. Making the decision would cost the lives of millions of others.
But at least, several million others will be saved. With Vader and Sidious in control of this universe, no one is safe from death. With you, there might be hope, a voice in Obi-Wan's head spoke softly through the haze of remorse, anger and fear.
"Will you join me?" Sidious asked.
Obi-Wan struggled. Need and desperation won.
"Y-Yes, I'll join you…" he said, never quite believing that he would ever speak those words.
Before he knew it, he had collapsed to his knees in front of Darth Sidious, who towered over him with a sneering, victorious smile upon his face. He felt Anakin's guilt and numb shock through the Force. How did it come to this?
Sidious looked at him expectantly and he knew it would be a one-way road. There was no turning back.
"I…I pledge my allegiance to the Si-Sith and the Dark Side," he managed to choke out. "I will discard my previous Oath that I swore to the Jedi Order and…and submit to your rule. I will obey your every order and follow the ways of the Sith…"
"And you shall be my apprentice, as will Vader, Darth Cyrus…"
Kenobi and Skywalker…
Cyrus and Vader…
And it was the beginning of a nightmare they could not have foreseen.
Back in Obi-Wan's new quarters, Anakin Skywalker lay, worried as he watched the trembling ex-Jedi Master. Darkness had taken over the sky on Coruscant, and the stars strewn in the sky were mere pinpricks of light. Light pollution from the heavily populated world of Coruscant made activities such as star gazing impossible. The city rested peacefully for the night, although Anakin could feel something happening as they rested.
Obi-Wan was curled up on the bed, crying softly, and Anakin was startled by how broken and torn Obi-Wan had become. It worried him greatly.
"Obi-Wan…" Anakin whispered softly, trying to make his partner look at him.
"What have I done, Anakin? What have I done?" Obi-Wan moaned, as he shook uncontrollably.
"Only what you thought was right," Anakin answered as he rolled Obi-Wan over to look at him. He looked worriedly at the tear-stricken, pale face of his best friend.
"I joined the Sith – that couldn't be right – that just couldn't –"
"There was no choice," Anakin said, pulling his friend closer to him.
He was slightly surprised to find Obi-Wan clinging to him as if his life depended on it. The ex-Jedi Master pressed his face against the side of Anakin's neck, and Anakin simply ran his fingers through Obi-Wan's hair, as he let himself calm down. It felt strange to be lying here in bed and embracing his Jedi Master instead of Padmé. He felt the beginnings of guilt at the thought of his wife, but simply pushed it away, because Obi-Wan needed him urgently.
"The children – I had to – I couldn't – there was no –" Obi-Wan mumbled chokingly.
"It's okay, Obi-Wan, it's okay," Anakin said reassuringly. "It's not your fault. It's not your fault."
Obi-Wan stopped trembling so much and simply pressed himself closer into Anakin's arms.
"It's okay, Obi-Wan. It's okay."
Anakin kissed Obi-Wan's forehead and simply let his lips brush against Obi-Wan's brow, murmuring words of comfort.
"It's going to be all right. Things are going to be just fine."
Anakin hoped for the best but he knew, even if Obi-Wan did not, that his words were empty.