Anakin stormed
into the Chancellor's office just in time to see Master Mace Windu
holding a lightsaber over fallen Palpatine.
"NO!" He
screamed. "I need him!"
Palpatine had revealed himself
to the young Jedi as Sith Lord Sidious. He had promised him great
power, the power to stop the ones he loved from dying. Disturbed by
nightmares of the death of his beloved wife Padme, he was attracted
to the possibility of this power. Anakin knew the Sith were evil, but
Palpatine had manipulated the young man by telling him how the Jedi
didn't appreciate him, and how they would never let him reach his
full potential. He had felt held back by them, and Palpatine's offer
enticed him. Power beyond any Jedi, power the Jedi were too afraid to
touch- the dark side. Anakin did not fear the dark side, and his
conscience was swayed by his fear and the hope of his chance to save
Padme. His emotions swayed back and forth in the wind, both
figuratively and literally, since the battle in front of him had
broken the windows. He stared at them one more time.
"This
is the end, the Sith will never again rule the galaxy!" Windu
bellowed.
"NO!" Anakin interfered. "He must stand
trial! This is not the Jedi way!"
"He owns the courts
and the Senate! He's too dangerous to be kept alive!"
"Help
me! I am unarmed! Oh!" The evil chancellor played weak to once
again play on the young Jedi's emotions.
Windu made a move to
kill him, but Palpatine shocked him with force lightning. Windu
returned the volley by bouncing it off his lightsaber back into the
old man,whose face began to appear to melt.
"Help me,
Anakin! I have the power to save her!"
Anakin was in
turmoil. He dropped to his knees and his face turned red with rage.
"I need him!" He cried out.
"Skywalker, how can
you need him? He's a Sith Lord!"
"He told me..he's got
the power to save people..from dying.."
Windu struggled to
continue to deflect the lightning as Palpatine grew weaker. Windu was
able to stare briefly at Anakin and say: "There is no such
power! Don't you see, he is using you for your power, he is trying to
take you away from us! He is a LIAR!"
"Nooooo, it is
true, I have power to stop death!" Palpatine moaned.
Anakin
looked at him, and at Windu, got images of Padme in his head, and
screamed. What was he going to do? He couldn't lose the only chance
he had to save her. He knew his dreams always came true.
Windu
almost laughed. "Stop death, can you? Well Sith, let's see you
stop your OWN death, right now!"
He was taken aback. He had
not expected this. Almost out of strength, his body deformed and
looking like a melted candle, he could only groan.
"Go on,
stop death! Prove it!"
Anakin hadn't thought of this,
either. In all his emotions, his mind was clouded. Master Windu was
right! If Palpatine had the power to stop death, why was he dying,
why was he begging for help, why couldn't he stop his own death?
Anakin's mind was made up. He was not going to stop Master Windu from
killing Palpatine. If he were truly as powerful as he claimed, he
would not die. He was only using him to kill Windu, because he could
NOT stop death, not even his own!
"If your power is so
great, then stop it now! Stop yourself from dying!" Anakin
challenged him, holding his own lightsaber over him.
He glared at
the Chosen One with evil hate in his yellow eyes. His plan had
failed. He had been so sure he would have his new apprentice, and the
end of the Jedi, and unlimited power in the galaxy tonight. It was
not to be. Order 66 would remain unfulfilled. Palpatine, Lord
Sidious, the last of the Sith, died right there, thanks to Mace Windu
and Anakin Skywalker. His twisted body lay silent but still steaming
from the electricity. Anakin put down his head and dropped to his
knees. "What have I done?" He sighed in pain.
Windu,
his strength sapped, crawled to Anakin's side and put his hand on his
shoulder.
"You have fulfilled your destiny. You have
destroyed the Sith. I could not have done it without you. You are the
Chosen One. You have gained my trust and admiration. I am proud of
you, young Skywalker."
These words meant more to Anakin than
he could feel at the time. He was still in turmoil, and worried. He
knew it was true, Palpatine had no power to stop death or he would
have stopped his own. Still, his heart was aching with a nagging
feeling of impending doom. Something still wasn't right. He had not
attained the power of the dark side Palpatine had promised, and
though he was almost convinced Palpatine had lied, he still felt much
fear.Windu could sense sadness. "It's going to be all right,
Anakin. You did the right thing."
Anakin wasn't so sure.
Now, what was going to happen? His dream still haunted him. Surely
there would be many questions now about him and Padme. Would she
still die? What would the government think when they saw the Jedi had
killed the Chancellor? His prophecy fulfilled, fate still held a
cruel hand on him...
Footsteps and
noises came through the doorway. Anakin and Mace looked up.
"What
have you Jedi done?" A security guard said. "You have
killed the Chancellor!"
The other guard aimed his blaster at
them. "Stay right there. You are under arrest in the name of the
Galactic Senate. This coup attempt will not succeed!"
"No,
wait!" Mace Windu shouted, raising his hand in front of him.
"You don't understand! We have been searching for a Sith Lord
for a long time, now we have found out the Chancellor was the one! He
has been controlling both sides of the war, everything that is wrong
was because of him! Young Skywalker here was the Chosen One,
prophecized to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the force! It
has come to pass!"
The guards looked at one another and
sneered, then glared back at the Jedi.
"We don't subscribe
to your hokey religion, and we won't let you use it as an excuse for
murder and treason. You will both pay the price for this outrage."
They aimed their blasters, and Mace and Anakin knew they wouldn't be
able to ignite their lightsabers quickly enough to stop the blasts.
Quick as a flash, they raised their hands, and called the blasters to
them. Now each Jedi held a blaster, and each guard held nothing. They
stood staring at their empty hands, quite fearful of their opponents.
"Maybe your religion isn't so hokey after all." One
sniveled. Anakin looked at Mace and they both smiled. They got up and
walked toward the guards, holding blasters and unignited lightsabers.
"You will be dealt with later! By, others!" They shouted as
they fled.
Anakin and Mace were not out of the woods yet, for the
guards had called for support on their transmitters, and before the
Jedi could exit the doorway, they found themselves once again staring
down at blasters held by clones, and being told they were under
arrest for murder and treason. They put their hands up, since they
were so outnumbered, but still felt they could take them if they had
to. There was danger that one or both might not make it, so they
played along for now.
"You have it all wrong!" Anakin
told them. "Look at the bodies of three brave Jedi masters here
on the floor! They died at the hands of Palpatine, he was a Sith
Lord! You don't understand the ways of the force, it was important
for the entire galaxy that he was destroyed! It was not a decision I
came to lightly, believe me. It had to be. It was destiny."
The
clones were not truly able to grasp this, they had only been
'programmed' one way. The Jedi could use this to their advantage.
They were able to 'unprogram' them with Jedi mind control. They both
waved their hands in front of the faces of the group.
"The
Chancellor was a Sith Lord, he had to be stopped. He was causing the
war." Anakin told them.
"The Chancellor had to be
stopped, had to be destroyed." Mace added. "You will step
aside and let us go about our business."
The clones lowered
their weapons and allowed them to leave."You have done well, and
you will be congratulated." Mace told them on the way out. There
were no more oppositions to their exit.
Soon, Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker were back at the Jedi Temple, in the Council Chambers. The Senate, who had employed the Jedi to keep peace and justice, sent word that they accepted the outcome of the recent events, and would not prosecute anyone for the death of Chancellor Palpatine. While there were murmurs in the streets that the Jedi had taken over in a bold coup, the government soon put these unfounded charges to rest with broadcasts on vidscreens and holonet. The Jedi had brought peace, they had saved the galaxy. The war was ended, the dark forces were stopped. There was calm and peace on Coruscant and throught the galaxy. No more need for the war, separatists, or any more violence.
Anakin stood in the center of the floor, while
all the other council members looked upon him.
"Good you
have done, Young Skywalker." Yoda nodded. "Proud we are.
Great day this is. Prophecy you have fulfilled. Misread, it was not."
Yoda turned to stare at Master Windu.
"I am sorry I ever
doubted the prophecy, or Skywalker. He is a great Jedi, and has
proved this today. I recomment the rank of Master be bestowed upon
him immediately." Yoda nodded again, in agreement. No one
smiled, though gladness filled their hearts and minds. This was a
solemn moment. The Chosen One had destroyed the Sith. The force would
now be balanced and peace could reign in the galaxy.
Anakin stood
with pride and satisfaction before the council. He stared at and
regarded each one with a gesture, then knelt before Yoda.
"Rise,
Master Anakin Skywalker, Chosen One, fulfiller of the Prophecy."
Anakin stood up and glanced at all of their faces. They seemed in
awe of him. He liked this. There would be no more "you will stay
in your place Young Skywalker." No more keeping him down. He was
a Master now, and he felt he should have the right to be head of the
Jedi, after all it was his destiny, he thought to himself.
His success had truly gone to his head. He was so sure now he had made the right decision in helping Master Windu kill Palpatine. Now he had the respect and adoration he had always desired and felt he deserved. Now things were going to be different, and much better for him.
For a moment, he thought of Padme. She was going to be so proud, and he couldn't wait to see her! He knew she must have heard the news through the Senate, but to tell her in person would mean so much more. Even though he knew Windu knew of his feelings for Padme because of his comments in the Chancellor's office, this had not been mentioned or addressed by the council yet. Perhaps it wouldn't be. Or perhaps he, as the new leader of the Jedi, could change things so that their relationship would be accepted. His imagination ran wild now. He saw the future, his baby as a strong Jedi, Padme at his side as they both had power over all. The thought of her dying in childbirth was only a twang in the back of his mind now. Mace was right, Palpatine couldn't stop death, he couldn't even stop his own. He didn't need Palpatine to save Padme, it was only a trick. But, did this mean the dreams were only a ploy of the dark side, or was she still in danger? He turned to walk out of the Council chamber before anyone read his feelings. Fortunately for him, their happiness and relief at the end of the Sith threat, and the war, were occupying their minds and there was no room for anything negative at this moment. Anakin bid them farewell, and walked out.
He had not
gotten very far down the corridor when he sensed a familiar presence,
which was soon confirmed by visual recognition.
"Obi-Wan!"
He called out as he hurried to meet his closest friend.
"General
Greivous is destroyed." Obi- Wan sighed proudly.
Anakin
congratulated him, but knew he could top even that feat. He allowed
Obi-Wan to continue speaking. "Is everything all right here? My
communications messed up on the way back, I had a bad feeling, but I
haven't heard a thing. Fill me in on what happened while I was gone!"
"Master, the news is good. The war is over."
"Yes,
I thought it might be, now that Greivous is gone the separatists and
droids..."
"It's not only that, Master. The Sith Lord
is destroyed."
Obi-Wan raises his brows and opened his mouth
in shock. "So this was the great disturbance in the force I
felt! Who was he?"
"Chancellor Palpatine."
"What?"
"Yes. You were right when you told me
to search my feelings, that something wasn't right. He told me he
knew the ways of the dark side. He tried to take me for his
apprentice."
"Anakin, no!"
"He pulled a
terrible trick on me. He told me if I joined him, he could stop
death."
"Anakin no one can stop death."
"I
know. I was so worried...you see, I've been having these nightmares
about Padme, like the ones I had about my mother just before she
died."
"Is that what's been troubling you? I could
sense there was much fear and confusion in you. I wish you had
confided in me."
"I couldn't. You see, Master, Padme
and I are married. She is carrying my child."
Obi-Wan closed
his eyes. "I thought so, Anakin. I could tell there was
something between the two of you."
"I thank you for not
telling the council on me."
"I should have, but as long
as my suspicions were just that, I felt it was not my business. I am
glad you have finally told me. Have you told them?"
"Not
yet. I think Master Windu will figure it out, though, he knows I was
falling to the Sith to save Padme. For now, he has not brought it up
at the meeting. All they did was honor me for fulfilling the
prophecy..." Obi-Wan smiled as he realized this and embraced
Anakin with a proud smile.
"You did! Oh, Anakin, this is
monumental, for you, for the Jedi, for the force, for the galaxy! I
am overwhelmed!"
"Thank you, Master. Oh, and they.."
a big smile crossed Anakin's face as he continued- "they have
bestowed the rank of Master on me!"
"Congratulations,
Anakin! I told you it would come soon. You deserve it."
"I
deserve more than that. I am the Chosen One. I destroyed the Sith. I
should rule the Jedi, and the galaxy."
Obi-Wan was stunned
by this statement. Surely he was just boasting and kidding. He
laughed.
Anakin laughed it off too, but he was totally serious.
"This is a great time, Anakin. Great indeed." Obi-Wan
smiled at him. "This is the best news we could have gotten. I
hope they don't think my achievement pales in comparison."
"We
have all succeeded, together, Master."
"Don't call me
"Master" anymore, Anakin. You are my equal. You are my
friend. You are my brother."
They wrapped their arms around
each other, patting backs, and having a hard time keeping back tears.
"I'm going to go report to the council now. Do you want to
come along?"
"I must go, I must see my wife."
"I
understand. If any questions arise on your, situation, I will be on
your side, you can count on me."
"Thank you, Master."
"It's Obi-Wan to you."
Anakin smiled, then ran to
meet Padme.
