Anakin's eyes burned with fury as he glared as obi-wan circled around him. Under normal circumstances he would have been relieved to see the Jedi general, but now he could only look at him with hatred. If you had asked him just a week ago if he could ever hate the great General Kenobi, he would have thought you were nuts. Now, now he hated him as much as any Jedi maybe even more so. Every word that came from his so called brother now felt like nails on chalkboard. If he didn't think it would result in him getting gutted, he might have tried to claw his face off like a wild animal.

"You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind until now . . . until now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy."

"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan." Anakin barked. "I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do. I have brought peace, justice, freedom, and security to my new Empire."

"Your new Empire?"

"Don't make me kill you."

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

"If you're not with me, you're my enemy."

"Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes. I will do what I must…what I must… I must…must…must…"

"Lord Vader, can you hear me?"

Vader opened his eyes. Though he couldn't move his head but he was able to dart his head. His vision was overwhelmed by a painfully red tint. It was almost blinding but he could still tell he was in His Master's surgical room.

"Yes Master." Vader answered his Master's call in a dazed manner. How long had he been here, minutes, hours, days." He tried to reach back into his memory. Everything that had previously occurred felt fuzzy, almost like a dream. The last thing he could remember clearly remember was Padme coming to Mustafar on her ship, him asking her to join him in ruling the galaxy and… his eyes widened.

"Where is Padme? Is she safe, is she all right?"

"Your wife lives." Sidious spoke in a blank and matter of fact manner. "Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about your children."

Vader jerked his head in surprise. "How, how is this possible."

"What is the last thing you remember Lord Vader?"

"Padme and I were talking. I asked her to join me. I saw Kenobi. After that, darkness swallowed me."

"Indeed, as I suspected. You were so consumed by the power of the dark side you fell into your rage. In your rage you tried to crush your wife thinking that she had betrayed you. So much dark side energy was released it started to poison her and the children within her womb, unfortunately only one or the other could be saved.

Vader looked down. "So it's my fault." Vader was saddened but as much as he hated to admit it. If he were forced to choose between his wife or his children he would have without question chosen Padme.

"You are strong in the Dark Side Lord Vader," Sidious said. "but you must learn to control it, Lest it destroy you and those you love."

Using all his might Vader tore off his restraints, taking a step forward and falling to one knee. His whole armor felt off and over cumbersome. The weight of it felt as if was forcing him to the floor,

"Stand up my apprentice." Sidious commanded.

Vader did so.

"This life support will be temporary. " Sidious said. "In time we will restore you fully. For now use this as an opportunity learn to find strength in your weakness."

Vader knelt before his master, this time it was purposeful.

"You have shown me I still have much to learn. You kept your word and saved my wife from certain death. You were always there for me where many were not. I pledge my loyalty to you my emperor. I pledge myself to your teachings my master."

Sidious began to laugh. "Good, Good! Now, rise my apprentice."

Sidious pulled two blades from his cloak and activated them. "Draw your lightsaber. Face me in combat and show me the power within you."

"I…I cannot my master."

"Oh?"

"I lost it during the fight with Obi-Wan. He took it from me."

Sidious grinned as he removed Vader's saber from his cloak and tossed it to him. "Do not shower me with gratitude in this regard Lord Vader. I may not be so generous in the future."

Vader felt the blade in his hand and stared at it. Perhaps it was just the new artificial limbs, but something about the blade felt wrong.

"Is that doubt I sense in you? Sidious asked.

Vader looked at the blade one more time and activated it. "No my master."

The halls filled with hues of red and blue as the two got into their respective fighting position.

Palpatine let out a scream as he flew toward like a blade torn off a windmill. Vader tried to block the attack but he was not near fast enough. Had it not been for the suit he would have likely died then and there.

"Learn to adapt Lord Vader. Take what drives your passions and fight!"

Vader kept the blade closer to his chest, walking slowly, every strike Sidious made was blocked with quick, short, precise strikes by Vader followed by a quick counters and heavy strikes. Sidious smiled as he felt himself being put on the back foot.

Letting out a growl, Sidious unleashed a torrent of forcing lightning Vader let out a moan as he fell to his knees once more. Sidious let out another cackle.

"Rise above my apprentice. Reach into yourself. Direct the Dark side within you and control it like a river."

Palpatine felt his windpipe clinch as Vader chocked him with the force. Vader then unleashed a mighty wave of force energy that sent Palpatine back first into the Durasteel wall.

"Master!" Vader called out fearing the worse. Palpatine merely laughed and brushed himself off.

"Excellent, you are quick to adapt. Such adaptions will serve you well. Now go. Your wife no doubts longs for your presence. "

-0-0-0-0-0-0

Padme nervously fidgeted as the medical droids gave her a final examination. It had gotten to the point where if she could, she would have clawed her way out of the room.

"are we finished here?" Padme said rather impatiently.

"One moment please." The 2-1B said. "Everything appears normal you are free to go."

"Good now tell me, where can I find the medical room where Anakin Skywalker is?"

The doors of the facility suddenly swung open. Padme's eyes widened in horror as she gazed at a tall black figure, a figure she could only describe as being more machine than man. She let out a scream as the figure walked ungracefully toward her like some sort of monster.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"Padme." The figure called its voice an odd mixture of man and droid.

"Stay away!"

"Padme it's me."

Anakin cocked her head to the side as she quickly realized who this figure was.

"Annie?"

Anakin nodded. A mix of emotions overwhelmed Padme a lump formed in her thought. She sprung up from the medical bed with a vigor that she had not had since arriving. She squeezed him and began to weep.

"Oh, Anakin. By Shiraya what did they do to you?"

"I was fatally injured. They had to rig a life support system to ensure I survived."

"D-does it hurt."

Padme couldn't tell but Anakin was smiling under his mask. "As long as I'm here with you, pain is but a mild annoyance. Now, help me take this mask off. Let me look on you with my own eyes."

Padme looked in confusion. "If I do that, won't you die?"

"I will bear a few minutes, just to look at you."

Padme nodded. Reaching up she lifted up the helmet and peeled off the face mask. Anakin gave her a smile, his lips cracked and scared with burns.

"Hi." He said softly his voice spoke with only the volume of a whisper.

"Anakin…: Padme again felt overwhelmed as she pulled her husband down and kissed him, a kiss in which he gladly accepted and returned in kind, pain was of no concern to him. Padme began to sob.

"Oh Anakin, our children, t-they're dead."

"I know." Anakin's voice spoke with a tone of sadness. "Padme I'm so sorry. I was so obsessed with power I…"

"This is his fault." Padme interrupted.

"What?" Anakin asked.

"This is all Obi-Wan's fault. Had he just stayed away like I told him to none of this would have happened! To Kryos with him, him and his whole accursed jedi Order!"

"Padme…" Anakin squeezed Padme as tightly as he could without crushing her, "No matter what happens, we can take it together." He wiped a tear from her eyes. "There's not a person I care more for in the galaxy than you.

Padme smiled and kissed her husband again. She revealed everything Palpatine had told and shown her including the fact that Palpatine wanted Her and Anakin to help rule the galaxy with him. "On Mustafar, you said that together we could rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be. Do…Do you still want that?"

Anakin smiled. "Of course my love, there is nothing more I want than to rule the galaxy alongside you."

She smiled, "Then let us reforge the galaxy together."