Disclaimer: This chapter comes pretty much directly from the movie. Just making sure everyone knows that. So, nobody sue me, ok?


A/N: The prologues are just for background. It's pretty much the end of ROTS, but I've changed some things. At the end of the prologues - yes, there's a few - I'll sum up the changes I've made, so the impatient people can skip ahead in a little while, once I get the chapters up.


"Destiny" Prologue A

Padme sat in her ship. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. 'Anakin can't be… It's not true… it can't be true… Why would Obi-Wan say things like that if they weren't true?… He wouldn't… NO! I don't believe it… I don't want to believe it…'
She stared out at the lava mining facility. Then she saw him. She ran out to meet him.

"I saw your ship. What are you doing here?" He wrapped his arms around her.

"I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible things." She could hear the tears in her voice.

"What things?"

"He said you've turned to the dark side. That you… killed younglings."

She felt dreadful, just saying it. 'I know it's not true. My Ani wouldn't. Oh, I know he wouldn't.' She relaxed a little. She knew he would do something – stare at her, maybe start laughing. He'd say, "What? Me? Kill younglings? Never! You know me. I'd never do that!"

But he didn't.

He frowned. "Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me." The way he said it… so coldly, so seriously…

'He means it! He really thinks that! Oh, no! Maybe he really did kill the younglings…' "He cares about us."

"Us?"

"He knows. He wants to help you." 'Please, Ani! Let him help you!' "Anakin, all I want is your love."

"Love can't save you, Padme. Only my new powers can do that."

"At what cost? You're a good person. Don't do this!" She could feel the tears brimming in her eyes.

"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother. I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of. And I'm doing it for you. To protect you."

'This is not good.' "Come away with me. Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can."

"Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the chancellor. I – I can overthrow him. And together, you and I can rule the galaxy… make things the way we want them to be."

The joy on his face as he said those words tore her apart. "I don't believe what I'm hearing. Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."

She could see he was getting angry. "I don't want to hear anymore about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me."

"I don't know you any more." 'You're not MY Ani. My Ani would NEVER say the things you're saying! Where is he? Where is the sweet little boy I loved?' "Anakin… you're breaking my heart." Now she was crying. Tears had threatened, and now they had come. "You're going down a path I can't follow."

"Because of Obi-Wan?"

"Because of what you've done. What you plan to do. Stop. Stop now. Come back. I love you!"

"LIAR!"

She gasped in shock. She turned, following his gaze. There, on the boarding ramp of her ship, stood Obi-Wan. "No!"

"You're with him! You brought him here to kill me!"

"No!" She couldn't breathe. Anakin was holding her, without touching her. 'He's using the force… He's killing me! He's killing our child!'

"Let her go, Anakin!"

"Anakin…" She was gasping for breath. 'The baby!'

"Let her go!"

Vader was filled with such rage. How dare Obi-Wan tell him what to do! He closed his hand, harder, focusing all his rage into the chokehold. He no longer cared that it was his pregnant wife he was holding. He just wanted to kill… to destroy… he didn't care who got hurt. He threw Padme's body to the ground. "You turned her against me!"

"You have done that yourself." Obi-Wan was worried. Padme wasn't moving…

Vader started pacing, moving away from Padme's prone form. "You will not take her from me!"

"Your anger and your lust for power have already done that." Obi-Wan threw off his cloak. He didn't want to fight Anakin, but he knew he would probably have to. "You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind, until now – until now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy." They were circling each other. 'Come on, Anakin! Move away from Padme. I want to see if she's alright.'

"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do." They had circled far enough. Obi-Wan bent to check on Padme. She wasn't breathing. He checked for a pulse. It was there, but it was very weak… She needed medical attention, immediately. Vader was still talking. His back was turned, and he had not seen Obi-Wan tending to Padme. "I have brought peace…freedom, justice… and security to my new empire."

"You're new empire?" Obi-Wan was shocked. Did he really believe that?

"Don't make me kill you."

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy!"

"If you're not with me… then you're my enemy."

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must." He drew his lightsabre. 'I prayed it wouldn't come to this…

"You will try." With a shout, Vader jumped across the landing platform. The battle began.