Chapter 20 A Formidable Weapon

Padme was her wit's end; both of the twins had woken from their naps frightened and crying and she could do nothing to console them. To make matter worse, the baby in her womb was kicking her incessantly. She sighed and tried one last time to understand why her children were so upset, "Luke, please tell me what's wrong; is it Zak?" She asked.

"No, Mommy; Sackie is still gone." Luke finally answered.

"Then, what's the matter?" Padme asked.

"It's Daddy." Leia sobbed.

"Daddy? What's wrong with Daddy?" Padme asked, now concerned.

"He's mad; really mad." Luke told her, still crying.

"But Daddy has been mad before." Padme said.

"No, Mommy, not like dis; he scares me." Leia replied and then burst into tears all over again.

"Oh, honey, you should never be scared of Daddy; he would never hurt any of us." Padme assured her.

"Daddy's fightin' da Dark, Mommy." Luke said.

Then it finally dawned on her what had upset her children and her unborn baby; they could sense Anakin's struggle against the Dark Side. However, she could not understand why her husband was fighting against this now, when the Sith Lord had been destroyed. It did not make sense; there was only one thing for her to do, she would have to contact Master Yoda. Surely, he would have some answer for her.

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The glow of the blade bathed the space around Anakin in red. Obi-Wan took a step forward, "Power it down and drop it, Anakin." He said calmly.

"Power it down and drop it, Anakin." The man repeated, mockingly, "Who does he think he is?"

"He's my brother." Anakin answered.

"Put it down, Anakin." Obi-Wan instructed, "Put it down; we have a job to do here."

"Put it down; we have a job to do here." The man mocked, and then laughed, "You're a Sith Lord; don't let him talk to you like that."

"Shut up, before I do something…." Anakin stopped himself, but rage was beginning to burn inside him.

"Oh, goooood! I can feel that; give in to it, Lord Vader." The man replied, grinning madly.

"Anakin, don't give in to your anger; come on now, calm down." Obi-Wan said calmly.

"Anakin, don't give in to your anger; come on now, calm down." The man parroted, "Do us both a favor, Lord Vader, and shut him up."

"NO, you shut up." Anakin ordered, his rage rising.

"Anakin, I'm trying to help you; please, put that weapon down." Obi-Wan pleaded, thinking that Anakin was talking to him.

"I know, Obi-Wan; it's him, he wants me to kill you." Anakin replied.

"What?"

"Anakin, I'm trying to help you; please, put that weapon down." The man repeated, "Oh, now the weak fool is begging. Kill him, Lord Vader; he is really starting to annoy me."

"He's my brother, and he doesn't annoy me; but you do." Anakin replied, moving closer to the man.

"Oh, yes; goooood; use your anger against me. Yes, it does not matter; I am dead already. But it will bring you closer to me." The man said, encouragingly.

"Anakin, what are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked, putting his hand out to touch….

"Anakin, what are you doing?" The man mocked again and nodded his head slightly, "Oh, no, Jedi; not yet, not quite yet." Obi-Wan was catapulted backwards into the bookshelves at the other end of room and landed in heap on the floor.

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Zak watched as the Clones piled the last of the youngling remains together.

"It's finished, young one; what do you want us to do now?" One of the Clones asked when they had finished.

"I…wait a moment, let me think." Zak replied.

"Think about what, Zak? I thought you wanted to burn them." Boba said impatiently.

"Be quiet for a moment." Zak told him, closing his eyes and reaching out for the others. "Are you ready to go?" "Yes, it is time, but be warned; the Dark One will become much angrier and desperate when he realizes what you are doing." "Then what will happen to Master Obi-Wan and Master Anakin?" "We do not know; if they are strong, then nothing." "I don't want to lose my master." "We know this; but we cannot help him and you can only help him by setting us free." "So I must leave his fate to the will of the Force." "I do not understand that." "You will, when you become one with it." "Ah, thank you, Zak." "Your welcome, goodbye." "Goodbye."

When Zak opened his eyes again, Boba was staring at him, "What were you doing?" He asked.

"Saying goodbye." Zak answered.

"So now it's time?" Boba asked.

"Yes, now it's time." Zak confirmed, pulling himself up.

"Then I will start the fire." The Clone said.

"No, let me; these are my friends." Zak replied.

The Clone nodded and Zak moved forward, closer to the pile. The smell of fuel was evident, and he turned to the Clone; in answer to his unspoken question, the Clone told him it was necessary to douse the pile with fuel to make it burn sufficiently. Zak nodded, pulled his lightsaber from his belt, ignited it and touched it to the edge of the mound. It took hold immediately and the Clone had to pull Zak away before he too caught fire.

"Good bye, my friends." Zak said, watching, now from a safe distance as the flames consumed what was left of the younglings, releasing them slowly from their prison.

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The children were calmer now; even the little one inside her had ceased its constant movement. Padme had contacted Master Yoda and understood, at least in part, what Anakin was going through. She could not relieve herself of all the concern and fear she felt for her husband, but Yoda's words of comfort, that his brother was there with him, eased her somewhat. She looked down at Luke, huddled next to her and Leia on the other side, both seeking comfort against what they felt as their father fought against the Darkness once again. She gathered them closer, seeking comfort from them as well.

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Anakin turned to see his dazed brother struggling to pick himself up off the floor; his anger began to boil over, becoming a raging fire and he turned back to the Sith sitting in the corner, "You will pay for that." He said, raising the red blade above his head and the man began to…..laugh, maniacally.

"Yes, Lord Vader, you are almost there; join me now, on the Dark Side where you belong. Hit me." The man urged, still laughing.

"Don't, Anakin." Obi-Wan said as he at last managed to get to his feet.

"Don't, Anakin." The man mocked, laughing still, "Go ahead, Lord Vader; do it."

Anakin lowered the blade, looked at it and then back to Obi-Wan, "No, I have fought too long and too hard." He said, powering down the weapon.

"Oh, Lord Vader; do really think it is that easy?" The man said, nodding his head and sending Obi-Wan crashing back into the bookshelves again. "See how power….no, what are they doing? No, they cannot leave me; stop, come back."

Anakin felt his blood boiling again as Obi-Wan struggled for the second time to pick himself up from the floor. He looked from the Sith to Obi-Wan, trying to decide what to do.

The man did not give Obi-Wan time to stand before he threw him back, but it was apparent to Anakin that this was a desperate attempt and that he was losing his power. Zak, he realized, must have lit the pyre. He looked away from the Sith and started toward his brother.

"NO!" The Sith screamed, but Anakin was already at Obi-Wan's side and reached down to help him up, "ARRRGGGGHHHH."

"Anakin, look out!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, pushing Anakin away as the Sith marched toward them.

Without thinking, without fear, malice or hate, Anakin ignited the Sith weapon he still carried and swung at their attacker…and missed.

"Ha, ha, ha; did you think you could get rid of me that easily? I am Darth Mortus and I have amassed more power in the past thousand years than you could possibly imagine." The Sith proclaimed.

"Oh, yes; power that you are slowly losing, isn't that right?" Obi-Wan replied.

"Obi-Wan, you can hear him now?" Anakin asked, incredulously.

"It does not matter, I can get more; I will begin again. Those fools thought they could stop me by merely killing me; idiots, I tricked them. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha."Mortus continued.

"Tricked them?" Obi-Wan asked, seeking an explanation.

"Yes, I told them the only way they could ever stop me was to prevent me from stealing their children; ha, ha, ha, ha; they thought killing their children would save them from me; ha, ha, ha. They were so wrong, were they not? Ha, ha, ha, ha."Mortus explained.

"Well, that's all over now, Mortus; you're finished." Anakin said.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha; I rather doubt that. You see, I can also draw power from hate, your hate to be specific; it is a powerful weapon. You should know, you have used it often enough." Mortus countered.

This taunt was enough, Anakin's rage began to rise again, "No, Anakin; don't let him provoke you." Obi-Wan said, sensing Anakin's feeling.

"No, Anakin; don't let him provoke you." Mortus mocked, "I have had quite enough of you, Jedi." He spat out and then brought his hand up, pressing his thumb and forefinger together in a Force choke.

Obi-Wan rose unnaturally from the floor, bringing his hands to his throat, his face paled as he struggled to breathe. The rage burning in Anakin flared bright and he powered the weapon up again, ready to strike at Mortus' arms, "Oh, yes, that's it Lord Vader; let your anger and your hate guide you. The way of the true Sith; embrace your destiny." Mortus urged.

Anakin raised the lightsaber up, the red blade gleaming as he prepared to bring it down. "No, Anakin; not that way." He heard Obi-Wan's voice in his mind, "What?" He uttered aloud, bringing the blade down slowly.

"No, Lord Vader, strike me." Mortus told him as he increased the hold on Obi-Wan and raised him higher so that his feet no longer touched the floor.

Anakin brought the Sith lightsaber up once again. "No, he'll win if you do that, it's not the way." This time, along with the thought Anakin sensed something. "That won't work." Anakin answered aloud.

"What are you talking about? Of course it will work. Strike me and I won't be able to kill your….'brother'." Mortus told him.

"Yes, it will, Anakin; it's your most powerful weapon."

Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan; his eyes were starting to glaze over and his face was turning blue. Now, he had to make a decision, a split second decision. He had learned to trust his brother…he must trust his brother..."No, this is not the way." He said, powering the Sith weapon down and throwing it across the room.

"Fool! Now this one will die." Mortus vowed, increasing the power of the hold….until Anakin hit him, "NOOOOOOO!" His anguished cry reverberated around the room.

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"Daddy won." Luke announced happily.

"Yep, Lukie's right, Mommy." Leia confirmed. "He's not Dark anymore."

Padme exhaled deeply and relaxed, trusting the words of her children, Anakin's children.

"Thank the Force." She said with relief.

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"Hmm…over it is." Yoda said to Mace, still sitting with him.

"And?" Mace asked expectantly.

"Gone the Darkness." Yoda informed him.

"Then Anakin has won?" Mace asked.

"Yes, chosen he has to remain in the Light." Yoda answered.

"Thank the Force." Mace replied, "We have not lost the Chosen One."

"No, still with us he is." Yoda said.

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Zak and Boba both heard the cry, as they watched the fire burning.

"What was that?" Boba asked.

"It's the Dark One; he's losing." Zak informed him.

"You can feel it? Your power is back?" Boba asked eagerly.

"No, it just makes sense; it doesn't sound like Master Obi-Wan or Master Anakin." Zak answered.

"Oh; that means we can go get those younglings, then." Boba said.

"Yes; as soon as Master Obi-Wan and Master Anakin come out." Zak told him.

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After Anakin tossed away the red-bladed lightsaber, he reached out to touch Obi-Wan's arm. Despite his weakening physical strength, Obi-Wan's Force connection remained strong and powerful. Anakin merged with him and together, they hit Mortus with a powerful weapon; one that he had no defense against, causing him first to lose his grip on Obi-Wan's body and then throwing him back into the corner where he had rested for almost a thousand years. He cried out in agony as this formidable weapon continued to pound him. Anakin caught his brother and eased his him to the ground as he continued to bombard Mortus, who was now curled up in a ball, crying pitifully.