Author's Note: I have been tinkering with this chapter for AGES and I finally have it the way I want it. Sorry it took so long, but I think you'll see why it did as you read along. This is the finale to end all finales, ya'll! RavenRulzRF – Having Jarrick turn against Palps is a good hope – we'll see if he can do it. Hellish Red Devil – Love your review – I'm so pleased that you have such strong feelings for Jarrick. Your support has meant the world to me; now I just have to hope that he won't let you down. Thanks for the prayers for DJ – he is hanging in there! Meandmysharpie – I hope you have a good trip! Travel safely – can't wait to hear from you when you return. Miss-Jedi – I'm so glad you like this story so much! That just totally made my day! Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi – Sorry for the string of cliff hangers – they just kind of write themselves, honest! Beautiful Isle Jedi Chick – I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the last chapter – I really hope you like this one as well. It was a tough one! Stanfield Skywalker – Hopefully this chapter will answer all your questions. I know it was a long time coming! Thanks for your enthusiasm – it makes all the hard work worthwhile! Elmthesmartypants – Yay! I'm tickled that you enjoyed it so much! Hopeless4Life – An update is coming right up! Thanks for reading!
ALL – Believe it or not, this is it... with the exception of an epilogue. I can hardly believe it! This trilogy has been such an incredible journey and you have been the most wonderful group to spend it with. (Hugs all around). I do have a little mini-sequel in mind – a pure fun, silly little ficlet. Interested?
For a long moment, the room fell silent as they waited for Jarrick to make a move against his Master. But he never did. In fact, he remained as still as a statue, his face a study in impassivity - the exact opposite of Anakin's growing astonishment. Could it be that his loyalty still lay with Sidious, even after discovering the truth?
Unfortunately, the answer was becoming all too clear… Yes.
Anakinfelt a stab of genuine pity for his enemy. I could have become just like him if Qui-gon hadn't found me, if Obi-wan hadn't been willing to train me, if Padme hadn't loved me. How could I have ever considered turning my back on the Light when it has given me so much?
Palpatine chose that moment to break in, his voice dripping with glee. "I knew you would never desert me, my loyal friend."
"Of course not, my Master; I am only sorry I was delayed," Jarrick replied obediently. "At least I made it before the final battle could be waged, although I'm certain the Jedi are disappointed. They always do prefer to attack while they have the greater numbers."
Anakin couldn't take it any longer. The insults didn't affect him - he was too far entrenched in the Light for that – but the very fact that Jarrick had seen the truth and still stubbornly followed the path of darkness? He just couldn't understand the motivation. Was it really too late for him?
There was only one way to find out.
"You don't have to do this, Jarrick," he blurted. "Allow the Jedi to show you how to redirect your power. You are an extraordinary Force user, one who should not be bowing before this creature of darkness. Think of the lies he has told you... the way he commanded you to kill the family that loved you!"
"There is always treachery between a Sith Master and his apprentice," Jarrick insisted automatically. "It is to be expected."
Though the words were spoken easily, Anakin caught a telltale flicker of doubt in the other man's eyes. "But were you ever truly granted the title of Sith apprentice? It seems to me that there was some sort of an ongoing competition for that honor."
"I was not granted anything... I was Chosen," Jarrick retorted hotly.
Palpatine smirked. "Hmmm… are you suddenly experiencing a bout of jealousy, Anakin? Weren't you taught how utterly unbecoming that is for a Jedi?"
He turned to the man he had considered a mentor, noting the sheen of sweat that coated his face. Padme's attack was clearly causing him a level of discomfort that not even the Dark Side could banish. His experience in battle told him the older man would have to make his move soon or risk passing out from the dramatic loss of blood.
And you will be ready, the Light whispered confidently. Patience is all you need now. You have been waiting for this moment all your life. You will not allow doubt to cloud your abilities any longer.
Anakin nodded in resignation and held his saber aloft, waiting for the call of the Force. But it didn't come in the voice he was looking for.
"Jarrick."
Siri?
Four pairs of eyes darted to where the female Jedi was getting to her feet with assistance from Padme – a task not made any easier by the myriad of injuries the Senator had sustained as well. Nevertheless, they managed it - though the effort shifted Siri's costume, revealing the assortment of burns the Force lightning had left on her skin. Anakin saw Obi-wan's jaw tighten at the sight and knew Siri had noticed his dismay as well.
But she waved him off, taking a shaky step forward. "Jarrick, you must think of what she would have wanted."
"What?" he cried. A haunted look came over his face, making him look startlingly youthful. "Who- who are you talking about?"
"You know." Siri's eyes flicked up, pleading with him to listen. "Your mother wouldn't have wanted this life for you. Can't you feel her? Close your eyes, Jarrick and reach out. She's here – she's always been here – waiting for you."
The mist spiraled around the room in a violent vortex, a mirror of the turbulent emotions warring within him. "What do you mean?" he finally choked.
"I remind you of her, don't I?" she continued, relentless. "That's why you came back; you're here for a second chance to do the right thing."
Jarrick blinked in confusion and shook his head, backing away. His mouth moved, but no sound came forth.
"It's not too late," Siri promised passionately. "You are not completely lost."
"Enough!" Sidious screamed. He brandished his saber, jabbing it in Siri's direction. "My apprentice already knows regret is for the weak - as you are about to find out, Tachi."
"I will never regret helping an abandoned son find the right path." Turning to Jarrick one last time, she stepped in front of Padme, resuming her role of protector. "Give yourself over to the Light side of the Force. It's what she would have wanted."
The room started to tremble from Sidious' fury but Anakin didn't move… not until a soft voice whispered… The time has arrived, my son.
He leapt into Palpatine's deadly path, smoothly blocking his crimson saber as it slashed at the two women. Attacking with an efficiency he had never known before, he easily maneuvered the Sith lord to the center of the room, keeping him far from Padme and Siri. He gave himself over to the fight, nostrils flaring as he inhaled the scent of fiery plasma and blood.
He became a vessel of the Light, his every move guided by an unseen power. A sense of peace filled him as he took the final steps into his destiny.
The Chosen One's moment had come.
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Obi-wan prepared to join the fray, activating his saber with a simple flick of his thumb. He darted forward - only to find himself repelled by some sort of an electrified shield. He glanced up, noting the way the buffer had spread around the room, cocooning Sidious and Anakin with its presence.
"Jarrick!" he shouted. "Let me pass."
Of course he was ignored and the curtain of mist remained, separating the room's occupants from the fateful duel that continued to wage. The only comfort he could glean from the situation was that Jarrick could not penetrate it either unless he let it fade away. And Obi-wan was confident he could stop the Sith apprentice before he reached Anakin.
Perhaps through meditation, I can break through it, he rationalized, taking a seat on the floor. Just as he had once seen Qui-gon do, he closed his eyes and felt the familiar pang that always came with the memory of his Master's death. But this time the pain didn't linger and as he glanced over his shoulder, he knew why... Siri was taking away his sadness, replacing it with her love and warmth. Qui-gon would be happy to see us together again, Obi-wan realized.
You speak the truth – the familiar voice whispered.
"Qui-gon?" he whispered, awed.
Yes, I am here and so very proud of you - of all of you. By working together, this foursome has already redefined the Jedi Order - even softening the stoic Master Windu.
"Thank you, Master - but please, you must help me. I need to get to Anakin."
No, my young friend. Today's battle is only Anakin's to fight. You have done well in preparing him, but that is as far as you can go. He must complete this journey on his own. But that doesn't mean your work here is complete - you must protect the citizens. They are coming, their need for justice their only weapon.
Obi-wan's eyes flew open, his attention caught by a scuffle coming from the main entrance. His heart plummeted as the room was suddenly flooded with members from the audience, bravely pledging to help the Jedi defeat the Sith. He bit his lip in concern, knowing a misplaced swipe of a light saber blade could kill even the most well-intentioned among them.
Leaping to his feet, he jogged towards them. "Please, stay back! It's too dangerous!"
"But that's Knight Skywalker!" a man replied urgently. "We have to help him!"
"No one can help him," he mused, a sense of peace washing over him. "He is going down a path we can't follow. He was created by the Force for this very moment; we must have faith that he will emerge victorious."
The crowd obeyed his request, but that didn't stop them from tensing, prepared to spring into action at the first sign of trouble...looking back, he would always be thankful that moment never came.
Indeed, Anakin's innate abilities were on full display. His movements were calculated and ferocious, but well within the bounds of what Obi-wan had always deemed "fair, dignified swordplay." He proudly noticed the way Anakin kept his focus on his enemy, never growing distracted by rage or fear as he so often had in the past. Palpatine had recognized the change as well and was growing desperate, scuttling around the room in a frantic search for objects to fling between himself and his pursuer.
But Anakin simply deflected them and kept right on coming.
"Jarrick, you worthless fool! Don't just stand there!" Sidious commanded viciously, barely blocking the most recent blow.
Obi-wan's gaze snapped to the troubled young man, observing his growing trepidation. He had stiffened at the insult, but made no move to join the fight. Could Siri's pleas have gotten through to him? If anyone could reach Jarrick, he knew it would be her. She could be relentless when she wanted to be.
And he was certainly grateful for that trait. After all, it was what had brought them back together after so many years apart.
Suddenly, there was a dramatic change in the Force and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. This was it. The moment he had both dreamed of and dreaded as The Chosen One's Master had arrived.
Anakin lunged forward, bringing his saber down in a brutal arc. The blow struck Sidious in the chest, running him through completely. The Sith Lord staggered, his saber clattering to the floor a split-second before he followed.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way," Anakin murmured, his eyebrows furrowing at what he had done.
Palpatine's yellow eyes snapped with hatred. "I'm not," he gurgled, managing a sickly smile. "Your actions have just killed everyone in this room."
Obi-wan's stomach turned to ice. And then the assault on his senses began.
The air ushered in the aroma of death and the acrid taste of fear. Shrieks and moans of a dying building filled his ears and muffled the cries of fright. Ghostly figures materialized with a startled gasp only to vanish an instant later, leaving no footprints on a ground that was quickly becoming a carpet of thick, crumbly debris.
Coughing violently, he glanced up to see Siri and Padme pressing themselves against the wall, their hands covering their heads. The audience members hadn't moved a muscle, too frightened to react – or maybe they already knew there was nowhere to go.
"Master!" Anakin shouted, tearing his gaze from Palpatine's dead body. "What's going on?"
Where once there was darkness, there must be Light, Qui-gon whispered.
The Shift, Obi-wan realized. Sidious' connection with the Dark side had been so strong that his death had created a temporary rift in the Force. Struggling to right the balance, the Force was set adrift, a temporary maelstrom of disorganized power.
"Take cover, Anakin!" he responded.
He looked for Siri, the dusty haze making it difficult to see her willowy form. She still somehow found his gaze, immediately understanding what was about to happen. Closing her eyes, she threw herself across Padme, ignoring the Senator's vehement protests.
Rays began to shoot out from Palpatine's body, narrowly missing Anakin as he dove out of the way. They struck the perimeter walls with a loud boom, exploding in a brilliant burst of fire and sparks. The walls began to crack, large breaks forming a web of death across the ceiling. A loud creaking could be heard, heralding the impending fall of a large chunk of duracrete. Obi-wan followed the most likely path, drawing in a sharp breath when he saw where it was going to land – right on top of the spectators who had so bravely come to their aid.
They were oblivious to their plight, having no sense that their lives were about to come to an end. Obi-wan raised a hand and reached into the Force, startled by the disarray he found there. Carefully, he gathered bits and pieces of the Light to him, finally directing them at the unsuspecting crowd. They fell into the outer hallway, shoved by an imaginary hand.
And not a moment too soon…
A boulder of duracrete crashed to the ground, demolishing the very spot they had been standing in seconds before.
Sending up a desperate prayer, he took cover as best he could… and waited.
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Padme worked her way free of Siri's grasp, needing to make sure Anakin was all right. She found him, grimy and exhausted, but safe in a tiny alcove. He met her gaze evenly, his agony at her exposed position evident in his eyes. She managed a tentative smile, jumping back when a crate tipped over, blocking her line of sight.
Their world was in chaos and it was only intensifying.
"Siri!" she choked. "What should we do?"
"Stay against the wall," came the weary reply. "It's the only somewhat stable thing around."
She pressed herself into the stone structure so hard it left imprints in her skin. Swiping at the dust in her eyes, she shrieked in fear when another section of ceiling caved in, missing them by only a few feet.
The room seemed to become a living thing, roaring its disapproval at its destruction. The din filled her ears, clogging them against any other sound as the seconds ticked by. Her heart sank, coming to the realization that such violence could only signify the end.
Reaching out, she grasped Siri's arm and they huddled together, basking in the comfort of each other's presence. Somewhere above their heads, a window exploded, showering them with tiny shards of glass. She was just reaching up to brush it off when a strange mist arose, plunging the room into darkness.
Death has come to claim us, she mused. Strangely, the thought didn't frighten her.
Three figures shimmered in front of her and she smiled, recognizing the familiar forms of Anakin, Siri and Obi-wan. They came to meet her, enfolding her in a welcoming embrace. Together, they rode the waves of the storm, buoyed by the love and friendship that connected them so closely.
Gradually, everything else faded away.
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The silence was so sudden it was deafening.
Siri paused, not sure if she was ready to open her eyes for fear of what she might find. She knew all the Jedi's teachings on death of course – "There is no death, there is only the Force." But that didn't mean she was ready to die; she still had so much left she wanted to do
Well, no use delaying the inevitable, she thought, slowly peeling her eyes open.
She wasn't dead, but the room was completely destroyed. The ceiling had caved in completely, the air polluted with smoke from the smoldering flames. Beside her, Padme stirred, pointing out Anakin and Obi-wan, who were slowly getting to their feet. Relief washed over her in waves and she trembled from the emotional onslaught. By all intents and purposes they shouldn't have survived. So why had they?
The name that came to her certainly wasn't the one she was expecting. However, she had learned long ago not to question the mysterious Force that she served.
"Jarrick?" she cried. "Where is he?"
She stumbled to her feet, holding onto Padme for support. She started to trudge through the debris, noting the way Anakin had paused halfway through the room, staring down at a crumpled figure.
She halted her journey and asked the question even though she already had the answer. "He's dead, isn't he?"
Anakin gave a curt nod and reached down to respectfully cover the young man's face with the dark cloak he had worn. "No one could have contained the Force for that long and lived through it."
"You mean Jarrick saved us?" Padme whispered.
"He was the one who sent forth the mist," Obi-wan explained softly, pulling Siri into his arms. "It was always the physical manifestation of his powers and a great one at that. He must have used it to contain the brunt of the damage, ensuring that we remained safe."
"Until it overpowered him," Anakin finished. Padme took his hand in hers and squeezed.
Shoulder-to-shoulder and hand-in-hand, the two couples faced the body of the man who had sacrificed himself in their honor. Bowing deeply, they took a moment to remember the life that was, and to mourn the life that could have been...
"He shall receive the Jedi death rites," Anakin vowed. "It is only fitting."
"I think Master Windu will be the first to agree," Obi-wan offered. "He does not take his misjudgments lightly."
"At least in the end, he found his way," Siri said softly.
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In another realm, a son emerged from the shadows, reuniting with the parents who had loved him so dearly. It was then that he understood...
Love will always find a way to illuminate the darkness.