a.n. Well, here it is...finally. Part III. Sorry it took so long, but I wasn't sure how to end it. I actually finished it a few weeks ago but I was thinking about the ending. I didn't know if I should end it like I did, or end it with the end of Episode III. I kinda ran out of ideas so that's why it ends the way it does. Only feedback from you guys will help me figure out if I should rewrite it so it ends at the end of ROTS. Let me know what you think. Oh yeah, before I forget...again, I do not own any if the Star Wars characters, places, dialogue, etc. that I use. I just borrow it. Everything is owned by George Lucas and LucasFilm Ltd. None of it is mine so don't ask me.

Part III

Five months. Five long months away from my wife…my life…my angel. Being sent to the frontlines was exhilarating to say the least, and I very nearly enjoyed every minute of it. I lived for battles, for the thrill of confrontation. The heat and the adrenaline were my friends, the droids and the Separatists my enemies. Every battle I fought, I fought with passion, with devotion, with determination. Every time I was in a confrontation, I made sure that it was I who was successful. I wasn't like the other Jedi. I wasn't entirely devoted to my cause, to the Jedi, to the Republic. Every other Jedi lived and died for their cause; they lived for nothing else. But not me. No, not me. I had something else entirely to live for. I had to make sure that I survived, I had to make sure that I made it back to Coruscant, to make sure that I would see my angel one last time.

Padmé, my angel, the love of my life. It pained me to have to leave her every time I was needed for a mission, to have to leave her cold and alone at night. I would love to be with her at any time of day or night, to make her know how much I loved her, to keep her warm when she was cold, to keep her company when she was sad or alone. I loved my angel so much, it always pained me to have to leave her. Every time I had to leave her, I always told Padmé that I would be willing to leave the Jedi, to leave behind that adventurous life, if I could only stay by her side and be there for her. She dismissed me each and every time, telling me that my life was important and that the Republic and the Jedi needed me, at least until the war was ended. She constantly reassured me that once the war came to an end, we could both retire, move to Naboo, and live a quiet, peaceful life away from everything. We could live life as a real married couple, living together, loving each other, and spending time with one another away from prying eyes. Every time she said this, she set my mind at ease and I was even more determined to go out and fight, to end the war so Padmé and I could finally live in peace. It always hurt me to leave her but we knew we each had our duties to fulfill and, as we had made a vow to each other to never let our lives interfere with doing our duty, I reluctantly parted with her to do my duty as a Jedi. With a heavy heart, I had left my angel, for Force knows how long, to go and fight in the Outer Rim.

Five months of weary fighting, with no end in sight, is enough to make anyone go crazy. Padmé and I sent holotransmissions to each other whenever possible. But a holographic image is nothing compared to the real thing. Every night I dreamed about holding her in my arms, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, passionately kissing her. Every night I longed to be back with her, to feel her warm body sleeping next to mine. I would give anything to get back to her, and I felt some relief when Obi-Wan and I were sent to rescue Chancellor Palpatine. This mission would bring us close to Coruscant and I wouldn't be too far away from my angel. I knew this mission would be dangerous and that it was very important for Obi-Wan and me to rescue the Chancellor from the clutches of the Separatists. But all I could think about was completing my mission, bringing the Chancellor back to Coruscant, and seeing my angel again.

It was a tough fight, yet we managed to rescue the Chancellor and defeat Dooku at the same time. As I stood there, lightsabers in my hands, staring into the Count's cold eyes, a strange emotion came over me. I felt angry and while it wasn't the first time I had ever felt that emotion, it seemed to be more powerful than ever before. I could feel the Chancellor staring at me as I contemplated what I was about to do. What should I do? Should I let him go to stand trial? Or should I end it here and now? I was conflicted. Sure, Dooku had killed hundreds of Jedi and ended the lives of countless others with this war of his, but he was human after all and he should stand trial. Just then I had felt a strange sensation in the back of my mind. A dark, evil presence was lurking back there, egging me on to end the Count's life, to bring the war closer than ever to an end. I shook my head to get that specter out of there, but I could still feel it back there, watching and waiting. I heard the Chancellor telling me to do it, to end Dooku's life. I knew that I shouldn't go through with it; after all it wasn't the Jedi way. But something in the Chancellor's voice was very compelling and it felt as if a dark haze had settled over my mind and suddenly, I couldn't think straight. All I heard was Palpatine's voice telling me to do it, to end Dooku's life, and for some reason, I couldn't resist. After that, the haze lifted and I had stared at the lifeless, headless body in front of me, blazing weapons still held tight in my hands.

As I stared at what was once Dooku, Palpatine's reassuring voice came from behind me, trying to convince me that what I did was nothing to be ashamed of, that it was only natural for me to seek revenge on him.

You did well, Anakin. He was too dangerous to be kept alive.

Yes, but he was an unarmed prisoner. I shouldn't have done that, Chancellor. It's not the Jedi way.

It is only natural. He cut off your arm, and you wanted revenge.

I was comforted somewhat by his rationalization, but I still couldn't help feeling that what I had done was wrong, especially for a Jedi. And I could never forget that evil presence that was lurking somewhere in the back of my mind or the dark shadow that had descended upon my mind or Palpatine's voice coming through that darkness, guiding my actions.

Obi-Wan and I managed to make it out of there alive, with the Chancellor in tact, even though Grievous escaped and we very nearly died upon reentry into Coruscant's atmosphere. After we landed, the three of us boarded a transport to take us to the Senate complex, where we were met by a delegation of Senators, eager to welcome back the Chancellor and wanting to congratulate Obi-Wan and me on our successful rescue. Obi-Wan left me with there to "have my day with the politicians" as he put it. I watched as the shuttle left, with Obi-Wan aboard, and turned my attention to Senator Organa, who congratulated me, yet again, on the Chancellor's successful rescue.

As we talked, I sensed her hiding behind the columns, waiting for a chance to get me alone. I dismissed myself from the Senator and as soon as he disappeared, I rushed to the columns, eager to embrace her, to feel her once again safe in my arms. I gathered her up in my arms and kissed her passionately, wanting to let her feel all the love I had, to let her know that it had been too long since I last held her.

Oh, Anakin! Thank goodness, you're back.

I missed you, Padmé. I've missed you so.

There were whispers . . . that you'd been killed.

I'm back, I'm all right. It feels like we've been apart for a lifetime. And it might have been . . . If the Chancellor hadn't been kidnapped. I don't think they would have ever brought us back from the Outer Rim sieges.

I missed her so much in all those long months away and I desperately wanted to hold her close, closer than I was holding her now. If we were any other couple in any other place, we wouldn't have our inhibitions holding us back. We wouldn't be afraid to display our affection to each other publicly, or to declare our love for one another for all to hear. I was tired of always hiding, always looking to make sure no one was around before I could shower devotion onto my loving wife. I didn't care if anyone saw us, but Padmé, my angel, always the sensible and rational one, always made it clear that we couldn't reveal our secret prematurely and that it would be damaging to our lives as well as our careers if that were to happen.

Wait, not here . . .

Yes, here! I'm tired of all this deception. I don't care if they know we're married.

Anakin, don't say things like that. You're important to the Republic ... to ending this war. I love you more than anything, but I won't let you give up your life as a Jedi for me . . .

The same old argument, the same old conclusion. But I would, I really would give it all up for her because nothing else mattered to me but the angel in my arms.

We stood there together, relishing in each other's love, grateful to be together again after so long apart. We welcomed the solitude, the peace, that surrounded us after so many long, stressful, chaotic months of being apart. Slowly, she pulled back from our embrace, and as I looked at her, I noticed that something seemed to be troubling her.

Are you all right? You're trembling. What's going on?

Something wonderful has happened . . . I'm . . . Ani, I'm pregnant.

That's . . . that's wonderful.

What are we going to do?

We're not going to worry about anything right now, all right? This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life.

And it was. I couldn't have been happier in a million years. I knew what her fears were, that this baby would change our lives and our secret would be revealed. But I couldn't help but feel thrilled, excited. We were going to be parents…I was going to be a father. Never in my life had I ever thought something like this would happen. When I was younger I always wanted a family, but as a Jedi, I knew that was impossible. Yet the minute Padmé came back into my life, I felt that even though I was a Jedi, that dream could become a reality. Now, my dream was close to being realized. Sure there were problems, but we would deal with them when they came and we could not let those negative thoughts interfere with our happiness now.

That night, the dreams started. They were eerily similar to those that I had about my mother. I was convinced that they were premonitions, that they would come to pass if I didn't do anything about them. I know I worried Padmé about them, but I was scared for her, I was fearful of her safety and that of our unborn child.

What's bothering you?

Nothing . . .

Anakin, how long is it going to take for us to be honest with each other?

It was a dream.

Bad?

Like the ones I used to have about my mother, just before she died.

And?

It was about you.

Tell me.

It was only a dream . . .You die in childbirth . . .

And the baby?

I don't know.

It was only a dream.

I won't let this one become real, Padmé.

I made a vow to myself that I would never let anything happen to Padmé and I would try to find a way to save her, no matter what.

When Palpatine asked me to be his representative on the Jedi Council, I was overjoyed to say the least. At last I had a chance to prove myself to the Council, to show them that I was worthy of Masterhood. Yet, it seems the Council members didn't see my point of view and only reluctantly granted me a seat within the Council, without the elevation to Master. I was frustrated, angry. How could they do this to me? I am a member of the Jedi Council, yet they refuse to grant me the rank of Master? Why? I knew that the Council could sense my frustration with them, but I didn't care. I only wanted a chance to prove myself to them and they wouldn't let me. How would I ever have the opportunity to prove to them that I was ready to be a Master if they never gave me the chance?

It wasn't until later that Obi-Wan told me the Council's real reason for my appointment. They needed someone to spy on the Chancellor, to tell them what he was doing. As if I wasn't stressed out enough with my worrying about Padmé, now I was conflicted, being told to spy on both the Jedi Council for the Chancellor and Palpatine for the Jedi. I felt like I was being pulled in too many different directions, being asked to do things that I should never be asked to do. Why couldn't they both leave me alone, leave me out of their little dispute? All I cared about was Padmé and getting help for her so my dreams wouldn't become a reality. How could I do that if I had so much pressure was put on me, so much riding on my shoulders?

The Chancellor had summoned me to the opera house that night to discuss something with me. When I reached him, he greeted me warmly and invited me to join him in watching the show. As we watched, he informed me that General Grievous had been found in the Utapau system. This brought me a glimmer of hope. With Grievous found, we would soon end this war and Padmé and I could be together. We could finally be together the way we wanted, no more hiding in the shadows, no more secret rendezvous, no more pretending. We could finally be a normal married couple, soon to be family.

The Chancellor told me that he felt like I would be the best candidate for bringing Grievous in and that he feels like he would lose trust in the Council if they didn't appoint me to the task. He confided in me that he worried that the Council didn't trust him and he feared that the Council would try to take control of the Republic and betray him. He looked at me knowingly and asked me if the Council told me to spy on him. How could he possibly that? I thought. I told him that I found myself questioning my loyalty to the Jedi more and more. Our conversation soon turned into a philosophical discussion about the Jedi and the Sith. I had no idea the Chancellor knew so much about the Jedi or the Sith. It was then that he told me of the legend of a Sith named Darth Plagueis, a Sith lord so powerful that he could both create life and stop people from dying.

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis "the wise"?

No.

I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life ... He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.

He could actually save people from death?

The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.

What happened to him?

He became so powerful . . . the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Plagueis never saw it coming. It's ironic he could save others from death, but not himself.

Is it possible to learn this power?

Not from a Jedi.

This was very intriguing to me. There was some power, somewhere, that I could use to save my angel. I knew that somehow, someway, I had to get my hands on this power. I had to save Padmé.

When I told the Council that the Chancellor had recommended me for the Utapau mission, they all seemed disturbed at the suggestion and immediately shot it down. Obi-Wan got the mission and I was left feeling frustrated and unwelcome by the Jedi Council.

As Obi-Wan was leaving, I told him that I was sorry for the way that I had acted and that his friendship meant a lot to me. I didn't want to do anything that would compromise that. Obi-Wan just smiled at me and told me that he was proud of me, of who I had become. He assured me that it wouldn't be very long before the Council declared me a Master. I waved him goodbye and watched as he departed for Utapau and General Grievous, one step closer to ending this war.

Once I found out that Obi-Wan had engaged General Grievous on Utapau, I rushed to inform the Chancellor. He could sense my frustration at not being up there with him, and told me that the Council fears my powers, that they were afraid of how I would use it. He told me he could help me, that he could help me prevent Padmé's death. It was then that I found out the truth, that Palpatine was in fact a Sith Lord, the very one we had been looking for. I had ignited my lightsaber and I could feel my anger threatening to take hold of me once again, just like when I had killed Dooku.

Are you going to kill me?

I would certainly like to.

I know you would. I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you stronger.

I couldn't bring myself to kill him, even though I knew the truth. I told him that I would bring him to the Council and let them deal with him. He told me that if I turned him in, I would lose he chance to save Padmé, and even though I knew I couldn't let that happen, I also knew that I couldn't let Palpatine go free, not with the knowledge I had of him. I knew that as a Jedi, it was my duty to tell the Council, regardless of the consequences, and I left the Chancellor in his office, determined to do the right thing.

As soon as I told Master Windu about the Chancellor, I knew what was going to happen. He told me to stay in the Council chambers until his return, but I just couldn't, not when I knew that I would be giving up my only hope to save Padmé. I saw the Chancellor cowering on the ground, overpowered by Master Windu's lightsaber, and Palpatine started pleading with me, trying to get me to see that he was right, that the Jedi were trying to take over and control the Republic. Windu was trying to reason with me, trying to prevent the Chancellor's arguments from taking hold of me, trying to prevent them from affecting my judgment. I begged Master Windu to let the Chancellor go, to let him stand trial, but he wouldn't hear of it. He said that Palpatine was too dangerous to be left alive, that he must be taken care once and for all. I just couldn't let him do it and as he raised his lightsaber for the killing blow, I made my decision to stop him. I can still remember the shocked, betrayed look on his face as my blade sliced through his arm. I can still see the look of pain and on his face as the Chancellor's lightning arced towards him. I can still hear his scream of terror as he flew through the window and plummeted below to his death, with no hope of survival. I also remember how shocked I was at what had just occurred, the shame I felt at what I had just done, the pain in my gut that came from my horrendous actions. But I also remember feeling a sense of relief that I would finally be able to secure a way to save Padmé. I knelt before him and I pledged myself to him and his teachings.

I pledge myself to your teachings. To the ways of the Sith.

Good. Good. The Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth . . . Vader.

Thank you . . . my Master.

Rise, Darth Vader.

As I rose before my new master, no longer as Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, but as Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, I couldn't help but feel that I was sacrificing a part of myself, something that made me who I was, to learn from this man. Did I just sacrifice myself, my soul, my life, to this man, to become, yet again, another slave? I didn't know, but the thought scared me and it would be many years before I realized the truth.