I know it's been a very long time, but I'm finally back! I hope you guys still care about this story and my other fic 'To Serve The Master'. I'll hopefully be updating them both regularly. Your memory may be a little rusty, so you might want to go back a chapter or two and refresh yourself (just a suggestion). True to my word, I'm set on finishing both of my stories – I can only hope you'll keep reading after all this time. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or anything Star Wars related.

Chapter 11

Triumph

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Obi-Wan Kenobi couldn't believe it. There he stood, wielding a crimson lightsaber that shone with the glow of the very crystals the Sith had harvested from the far reaches of the galaxy. Beside him, a very cautious Aayla Secura studied the imposing figure of their enraged nemesis: Darth Palomeil. Obi-Wan could remember the days far behind when he had called the woman Siri, but those times were gone. Siri was gone. All that was left was a shell of his old friend. The dark side of the Force had consumed her – claiming her soul and dooming her to a lifetime of hatred and darkness. Of course, a part of him held onto the belief that some piece of his childhood friend remained, but the haunting words of Master Yoda swept through his mind…once one became a pawn of the dark side, there was no turning back. Would she even wish to turn back to the light, he wondered.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, you never cease to amaze me," Darth Palomeil spat. "Never have I known a being with such foolish luck."

"There is no luck, Siri," Obi-Wan retorted. "It is the will of the Force."

"The will of the Force," the Mistress of the Sith mocked, her eyes glowing a sickly orange-yellow. "You Jedi are all the same."

"It doesn't have to be this way," Obi-Wan half pleaded. "We don't –"

Without so much as a warning, Darth Palomeil sprang forward and engaged the two Jedi – ending Obi-Wan's words before they had even left his lips. He blocked the first strike, deflecting her blade as he was pushed back a step from the impact. Her next thrust was aimed at Aayla, who barely managed to sidestep the attack. The Twi'lek Jedi parried the next advance before returning a blow of her own. Effortlessly, the Sith flipped back through the air and resumed her relentless assault.

"Siri, stop this!" Obi-wan shouted between swipes. "This is not you! Your mind has been – "

Once again, Obi-Wan's words fell short when Siri's blade singed the front of his tunic. Siri. He knew he would have to stop thinking of her as the person he once knew.

Swift and precise, Darth Palomeil managed to land a blow on Aayla's shoulder, causing her to lose balance and stumble back several steps. Obi-Wan quickly intervened and pressed the offensive before more damage could be done to his companion. Caught off guard, Palomeil was forced back into a corner and trapped. Obi-Wan had gained the advantage.

"One of us will die here today," she growled, glaring daggers at Obi-Wan as he created a safe distance between them. "If your luck should find you once again, Obi-Wan Kenobi, my master will take his revenge. Either way, the Jedi Order is lost!"

Obi-Wan firmly stood his ground. "No, old friend…it is you who is lost."

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Keeping a far enough distance from the Tartan-class patrol vessel that carried both Master Kenobi and Master Secura as to not be detected, Mace Windu kept his ears open for the Jedi he had contacted for assistance. He had a strong feeling that they would need help if they were to prevail. He could now feel Anakin on the planet below. Much to his dismay, anger was radiating from Skywalker and he worried for the young Jedi. He was in distress.

Suddenly, Mace was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a distorted voice speak up.

"Master Windu, we have arrived."

Looking out of his cockpit, Mace spotted several Republic attack cruisers orbiting above Korriban. Despite a millennium of peace and complacency, the Republic had quickly transformed itself into a formidable war machine when the threats of the Separatists had escalated into the Clone Wars. The difference made by a few years had been astounding. By channeling enormous resources in the name of security, the Republic had developed fleets of immense warships, many with cutting edge designs. The Republic attack cruiser – or Star Destroyer – had given the new starfleet its considerable teeth. Its huge armored shape had an aggressive, dagger-like profile, studded with heavy weapons emplacements capable of punching through powerful shields and sturdy armor.

Below the cruisers, numerous Republic carriers soared down to the surface of the Sith's ancient planet. During the Clone Wars – when specific campaigns had required small infantry units, but it was impractical to send an Acclamator-class transport ship to a world – the Republic had used CR20 troop carriers to send small groups of clone soldiers across space. These very ships now held dozens upon dozens of Jedi Knights.

The Corellian Engineering Corporation had originally designed the CR20 for its local sector security forces. The Republic had purchased surplus craft found outside Corellian space about a month after the outbreak of the Clone Wars, and had quickly relocated them to strategic launch points. To cover insertion and extraction, the CR20 had twin double turbolaser cannons. At 60 meters in length, the vessel was smaller than a Republic cruiser, but its internal volume was designed to carry more passengers. When fully loaded, the ship could carry up to 40 people, 12 speeder bikes, and corresponding supplies.

"Very well," Mace replied. "Land and begin your search for Master Skywalker. May the Force be with you."

Signing off, Mace Windu continued to trail his target. Hands firmly gripping the controls to his Delta-7, he waited for the opportune moment to make his presence known.

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The arrogant grin on Darth Sidious' pale face sent shivers down his spine, but more than anything, Anakin felt hatred. It was a feeling that Jedi were not supposed to know, but at the moment the age-old philosophy of the Order seemed irrelevant. He was not at peace. He was not centered. He was angry and he wanted nothing more than to satisfy his rages. Sidious seemed to realize this and his smile broadened.

"You are between me and my way out," Anakin said with a calmness to his voice that he did not feel.

"Oh, am I then?" Sidious cackled. "Do excuse me."

The frail body of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine stepped aside and politely gestured for Anakin to take his leave. Anakin remained where he was, watching and waiting for the menacing figure to make a move.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Skywalker?" he hissed, stepping back and disappearing into the overwhelming darkness. "Do you not yet realize why you are here? It is time."

"Time?" Anakin questioned. "Time for what?"

"For the end," a suddenly deep voice boomed. It was then followed by the same disturbing sound of mechanical breathing that he had heard before. "For the prophets to put their designs in motion. For you to fulfill your destiny…Chosen One."

"Quit hiding in the shadows!" Anakin exclaimed. "Face me and let us end this once and for all!"

"You still don't understand," the sinister voiced roared. "You cannot alter the future. I am the key…the missing link to salvation. I am here to lay your path out before you."

Anakin tightened his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber. "My path is with the Jedi…with the Republic. Not with you."

"You cannot escape your destiny," the voice said as a red blade burst to life, casting an eerie glow over the Respian's newly acquired form. Anakin nearly took a step back when the sight of black armor met his eyes. "I have foreseen it."

Emerging from the shadows, the figure lurched forward and its heavy breathing intensified.

"I have heard similar threats," Anakin retorted.

"Search your feelings," the demonic figure growled. "You know who I am, Skywalker. You know what you are."

"I am a Jedi," Anakin replied, crouching into a battle stance. "And I have heard enough."

Leaping overhead, Anakin attempted to bring his blade down upon the armored being, but to no avail – the figure blocking the attack with minimal effort. Then, deftly dodging a downward swing of his enemies' lightsaber, he swiped at the figures neck, clipping the thin armor that protected its throat. Unfortunately, the cut was not deep enough to slow its movements.

"The Jedi have made you weak," the figure said as it sliced through the rocky wall of the cave, narrowly missing Anakin's head. "I can feel your anger, your hatred. They have trained you to fear it."

Anakin expertly somersaulted and rolled to his feet, burning through his adversaries black cape and moving into a defensive position.

The figure seemed un-phased by the assault. "Release your power. Why must you hold back when you have been given such a gift? The Force has chosen you and you alone."

His anger rising, Anakin dashed forward and barraged the Respian with blow after blow, nearly knocking the towering figure off of its feet. Then, crouching and whirling around, he ended the fight with one smooth sweeping motion. Chopping through the figures legs just below the knees, Anakin rose back to his full height just as it hit the ground with a loud thud that reverberated throughout the cave. Wires sparked and smoke floated up from the figures stumps and, with one final blow, Anakin severed the hand that still held onto its lightsaber.

"You're wrong about me," Anakin stated, glancing down at the figures' stumps. "You have been defeated."

"So I have," the figure replied. "Now, finish this. Kill me now and become one with the dark side. Fulfill your destiny."

"I didn't turn before and I won't turn now," Anakin retorted, extinguishing his lightsaber. "You have failed. You will never destroy the Jedi."

Casting the fallen Respian one last glance, Anakin hastily started for the exit.

"Let me live and I will take what you love most," a new voice hissed. "Just like your Master Qui-Gon…just like your mother. I will make the Senator cry your name."

Anakin stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to what was now a legless and armless Tusken Raider. "I will die before I let anything happen to her."

With that, Anakin spun back around, only to sense a great warning through the Force. Whipping around once again, he ignited his lightsaber and raised his hand just in time to stop the blood-red blade that was sent sailing through the air in his direction. Slicing through the lightsabers hilt, he was already in the process of throwing his own when its two halves dropped to the ground at his feet. The Respian had no time to react as Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber impaled its chest. The borrowed body of the Tusken Raider slumped – its life force fading.

Anakin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, cautiously approaching the limp body of the Tusken. Pulling his blade from its chest, he deactivated it and clipped the hilt to his belt. He stared down at the deceased creature for a long moment before whipping back around to leave, his cloak billowing behind him.

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Sabe sat in the co-pilots seat of her closest friends star skiff. Continuing a Naboo tradition of sleek, gleaming starships, Padmé still employed a striking boomerang-shaped transport. Though elegant, it was somewhat more utilitarian than the rocket-shaped yacht or the enormous Naboo Royal Cruiser she had used in previous years during her term as the Queen of Naboo. The silvery craft had a teardrop-shaped primary hull supported by a wide wing, with a top mounted cockpit and surprisingly spacious interior. The storage bay included roomy lockers, and inside was a small yet well-equipped medical suite. The control systems were standard Naboo designs, offering familiarity to those already trained on similar vessels. Though Padmé was more than capable of flying the ship, she often left that duty to Threepio. However, that did not stop her now. Her mind was set on finding Anakin and find Anakin she would.

"Padme, are you alright?" Sabe asked. "You haven't said a word since we left Coruscant."

"I'm fine," Padme replied.

"You're just worried," Sabe concluded.

Padme sighed in exasperation. "I just hope nothing's happened to him, Sabe. I don't know what I would do if…"

Sabe took the hint and allowed her friend to trail off without pushing the question further. Headstrong and unafraid to speak her opinions, Padme was only silent when she was truly upset. Sabe had learned this from years of friendship and she took Padme's words to heart. She didn't know what would happen if Padme lost her husband…and she didn't want to find out.

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