Anakin burst through the doors, but all was silent. For some reason, none of the lights were on and no one was in the building. At least, not in the lobby. The only light he could see was flooding in from outdoors. It was then that Anakin remembered: all of the senators and staff were invited to a gala at a casino not far from here. They were all out enjoying themselves. Hopefully, no one forgot anything here. They wouldn't want to be in the building, not tonight.

Anakin followed his instincts. The Force led him upstairs, towards the Chancellor's office. He started to run, although he couldn't think of what could possibly be important there. All of the Senate's assets were downstairs, in the vault.

The Chancellor's office, the Chancellor's office. Why was that familiar? It was important, but why? He could have sworn he was supposed to remember something about the office, maybe something Palpatine had told him not to forget. Hopefully, he would know it when he needed it.

He ran upstairs and arrived at the landing that he felt the Dooku and the Sister coming from. He stood outside the Chancellor's door, but the Sith and the Inquisitor were still ahead of him. He slid next to the wall, stepping lightly and slowly now that he knew what they were gunning for. He wasn't going to let them get in Palpatine's office, not if there was something in there they wanted.

Patiently, he tracked the two intruders as they made their way closer. A moment later, a red saber burned through the ceiling, creating an opening right in front of the next door down. The Inquisitor jumped down and looked at Anakin, smirking. "Long time, no see, Skywalker."

"Right back at you," he replied, but that was the last of his pleasantries for the night. If the Inquisitor wanted to invade Coruscant then they weren't going to be able to work together, and that meant no easy banter, no quick-witted quips. Business only.

Dooku landed behind her. "Now that you've had the chance to catch up," they hadn't really, but Anakin didn't say so, "we have something we came here to do."

"That's why I'm here," said Anakin, and he stood between them and the door to Palpatine's office. "What are you here for?"

"That's none of your-"

"The Chancellor," the Sister interrupted, and Dooku's withering scowl fell on her. She shrugged. "What? He was going to find out anyway."

Anakin remembered her wrath at Palpatine, but he still couldn't let her kill him. He silently realized that he hadn't sensed the Chancellor in his office until now. Why wasn't he at the gala?

"Sister," he started. "Just because you're mad at the Chancellor doesn't mean he has to die."

"But thousands of Jedi, civilians, and even clones do, because of him?" Her playful twinkle had disappeared, and she advanced on him. "That ends tonight, one way or another, Skywalker. I'm not going to live another day while he sits on his throne of power!"

Before Anakin could respond, Dooku grabbed her arm and pulled her backward. "Calm yourself. He's not going to die." He glanced at the Jedi. "Not yet, anyway."

"Then can we hurry?" She looked at the door. "I don't want this to take any longer than it has to."

Anakin took this as his cue to pull out his lightsaber. He couldn't stall any longer, and none of the other Jedi had gotten there yet. He hoped Luminara had sent the message by now.

The Sister and Dooku pulled theirs out, and Dooku spoke to the Togruta. "Get him. I'll take care of Skywalker."

"No!" Anakin yelled, but Dooku threw him backward with the Force. The Inquisitor ran into the office, and the doors sealed behind her. Anakin had to get in there before she took off with the Chancellor.

Dooku didn't seem like he was going to let that happen. "Time to die, Jedi."

Anakin stood up, reigniting his lightsaber. "My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count." He spun his weapon in his hand.

"Two of nothing is still nothing," Dooku snarled, and Anakin yelled as he charged at the old man.

Their blades met with a clash of light, and Anakin was careful to watch for another strike that might cut off a hand, or perhaps his leg this time. This fight was different, though. Anakin didn't know it, but Dooku had orders not to kill him, just to detain him, and only if necessary. Under no circumstances was Anakin Skywalker supposed to die. Tyrannus didn't know why this was, but he did not question his instructions from his master in the next room.

Anakin had no such orders, so he fought his opponent with full force. Anakin quickly established his hold on the advantage and he pushed back Dooku with every stroke. It was true, Anakin was much stronger than the previous time they had fought. His fierce determination to protect the Chancellor fueled him and in the space of about a minute, he had the Sith with his back to a wall.

With no other option, Tyrannus let loose a charge of Sith Lightning from his fingertips, but Anakin was ready for it. He deflected the Lightning back at the intruder, and he fell unconscious in seconds. Anakin didn't waste any more time on him, but ran after the Inquisitor, into the Chancellor's office.

Sure enough, the Chancellor was sitting against the furthest wall from Anakin, right next to the window. The Sister was holding him at the blade point, but whatever she had been saying was interrupted by Anakin's entrance.

"Sister, let him go," he told her, fully aware that she would do no such thing. Not willingly, anyway.

She glared at him and did not move. "I have been waiting a year for this day to finally come. If you don't want to get hurt, I would stay away!"

"I can't do that, I can't let you kill him!"

"Last chance to leave, Skywalker!" She warned, and Anakin knew she meant it. He attacked anyway, and their lightsabers met for the third time. First Xlenia, then Bespin, and now here.

Anakin knew that Sister had studied his fighting style, there was no other way she could have held her own against him earlier. Nothing he had done was a surprise to her. The difference was now he had the same advantage. He knew to watch and feel for the movement of her handle,as well as to track her body. Where once he had been forced to stay on his toes to avoid her strikes, now he could anticipate them and stay well out of her reach unless he wanted to.

Of course, the fighting was all a show. All the Sister had to do was keep him occupied until Tyrannus came back, but only she and the Chancellor knew that.

Anakin dodged a few arcing swipes from the Sister and leaped over her head. He was now between the Chancellor and the Inquisitor, and he was on the defensive now. This was a problem, though, because he could sense Dooku recovering outside. If he was by himself, he might be able to fend off two Si-well, one Sith and one Inquisitor, but while protecting the Chancellor, his chances were slim. He needed to get the Chancellor to safety, but he couldn't see how he could do that.

Palpatine picked up on his stress, just as he had been for almost a year now. He could feed his stress and turn his instincts into emotions, but he decided to make the Sister do it. He focused on her while still putting on his afraid expression and invaded her mind. She let him in and he spoke to her: Accuse me before Tyrannus comes back. He needs his rage!

The Sister complied. "Why defend him, Skywalker?" The Sister asked. "What has he done to deserve your protection?"

"More than you will ever know," he fired back.

"I don't need to know, I know enough! He's killed more people than the stars in the galaxy, he deserves to die as they did, mercilessly and in cold blood!"

"You don't understand!" yelled the Chosen One. "I need him!"

Yes, thought Palpatine. More!

"He needs to die!"

"He must live!"

The Sister brandished her lightsaber, but at that moment, Tyrannus burst through the doors and shoved the Togruta aside. "Allow me," he seethed, and he pulled out his own lightsaber.

Well done, Sister, Palpatine praised. He then transferred his focus from the Sister's mind to Anakin's and penetrated the weak defenses protecting it.

As he fought Tyrannus again, Palpatine sensed despair. I can't lose him too. Not after Mom. Not after Ahsoka.

Palpatine stoked the fire inside him. If you had done more, you wouldn't have lost them.

Now he had him. Now, Anakin would do anything to prove to himself that he could protect and that he was strong enough to look out for someone. He had to be, or he would lose everyone.

It looked like Anakin was close to killing Tyrannus, but Palpatine sensed strong presences approaching. Jedi. Skywalker must have tipped off some of the Council Members. That wasn't in his plan, but he could make it work. It definitely would fuel Anakin's emotions.

He toyed with Anakin's concentration, and it wasn't long before Anakin lost his control. Tyrannus took advantage of it and threw him next to the wall, beside Palpatine. The Sister leaped up and held them both against the wall with the threat of her lightsaber. Just in time too, because Yoda, Windu, and Obi-Wan burst through the door at that exact moment.

Dooku turned to face the Jedi, and time seemed to slow for Anakin. He stared around at the image before him, finally remembering what he had forgotten. The Father's vision. Today is the day.

As time returned to its normal speed, he heard the Father's voice echoing in his head: Beware! Beware!

Anakin tried to remember who was the greatest danger at the moment, but his mind was racing so fast, he didn't seem to be able to remember the finer details. He decided he just needed to focus on getting the Chancellor away from danger.

The Chancellor. The Father had said something about the Chancellor, what was it? What was it?

Master Windu interrupted his thoughts. "Chancellor Palpatine, are you hurt?"

"No," he spoke, "Not yet, anyway."

"I would take that with a grain of salt if I were you," threatened the Sister, tilting her lightsaber so the tip was closer to the Chancellor's throat.

Tyrannus was beginning to lose his nerve. He hadn't anticipated Skywalker being so...so aggressive, nor for the other Jedi to join the party. This was not going well for him. He held his lightsaber out at him, and Yoda frowned at his former apprentice.

"End this now, you must. Surrender, and show mercy, we will."

The Sister scoffed. "Since when has the Jedi Order believed in mercy?"

Obi-Wan took out his lightsaber, preparing to fight Dooku, but addressing the Sister. "It's time we knew the truth about you too, Inquisitor. Who are you truly?"

Rolling her eyes, she growled, "If one more person tries to prove that I'm Tano, I am going to fight them."

"We just want to know the truth," insisted Windu, "we need it so-"

"So what?" Anakin shouted, from the not-so-gentle proddings from Palpatine. "So you can abandon her again? So you can condemn her and let the Senate kill her, just like last time? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?"

The other Jedi were silent at this sudden outburst. Anakin threw the Sister against the wall and he stood up to face the Jedi.

"TELL ME! WHY?"

"Anakin," Obi-Wan begged. "Please, this is not the time,"

"I think it's the PERFECT time!" He lifted Dooku, who had advanced on him, and threw him on the ground. "Why don't you tell us, ALL of us, exactly why you didn't trust her? Why you left her at the mercy of her accusers? Why did you abandon one of your own?"

No one spoke, no one dared to contradict the man standing in the middle of the room, the man whose eyes were just barely beginning to glint gold. Palpatine couldn't hold off his smile any longer. It was finally time.

"Anakin," he whimpered, "I promise you, I will help you find answers, but if we don't do something, we will all be dead."

The Chosen One changed gears immediately. He turned to face Dooku. "I'll deal with you first. We have a score to settle."

Tyrannus squared up to the Jedi, and the Masters took out their lightsabers to assist Anakin in the fight. No sooner than they did, though, than blue fire erupted between them and the fight.

Everyone turned, and the Inquisitor was holding one saber blade to Palpatine's throat in one hand, and a ball of dancing sapphire flames in the other. "Try to cross the fire, and you burn. Try to interfere, and the Chancellor dies. This is between them."

"PUT THAT FIRE OUT NOW, YOU WRETCH!" Tyrannus screamed at the top of his lungs. "I WILL NOT BE OUTDONE BY A TWO-FACED, USELESS, TRAITOROUS BRAT WHO DOES NOT KNOW HER PLACE! PUT IT OUT, BEFORE I KILL YOU FIRST!"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Ordered Anakin at the same time. "DON'T YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON HIM!"

The Sister paid no attention to Tyrannus but responded to Skywalker alone. She stood up straight and held one end of her lightsaber up in front of her. "If he means so much to you, then fight for him."

"I will," threatened Anakin, and he turned away from Dooku.

None of them noticed Palpatine against the wall, who was feeding off of Anakin's rage. It was a shame that the Sister was probably going to die, but she was expendable. Sure, she would be helpful later on, but she was not necessary. Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, was. That was the only thing important to him right now.

He stared at his future apprentice, and he saw the anger, the hate, the suffering, every wrong committed against him, every ounce of guilt building up inside him, boiling over and out of his mouth, pooling in his eyes. Instead of their normal blue, they were a harsh gold, an oppressive, prideful, desperate gold that chased the blue out of his irises.

Oh, what joy Anakin would bring him in just a few days' time. Together, with Anakin at his side, as his new apprentice, nothing would be able to stop them, nothing. Not the Republic, not the Separatists, not the Jedi, no government, no kingdom, no army, no fleet, no force in the galaxy would compare to the power he would hold.

Palpatine basked in the glory of securing his new apprentice, and he grinned maliciously as he threatened the Sister. He had eyes for only him, Anakin was his. He had fallen to the Dark Side, and his plan had-

I can't breathe.

No.

Not now. It can't be.

"I promised you..."

How did she? How did I not see?

"...I would see your plan through..."

I was so close, how could I lose it all when I was so close?

"...to the END."

He stared into her eyes, into her treacherous, manipulative, cold eyes, and used his last breath to condemn her.

"You..."

...traitor.