"It is time for you to choose, Lord Vader.", Sidious announced. Anakin looked up to him in disgust. He deactivated his lightsaber after he had held himself ready the entire time. That moment, two red guards flew through the door of the throne room, which opened suddenly.
When Anakin turned his head, he saw Shaak Ti, her blue blade raised, standing before a few other jedi. Sidious growled, not amused by the interruption of his carefully crafted plan. "What?", he asked no one in particular.
"You're supposed to be on Dantooine!", he added. "Not all of us.", Shaak Ti said grimly as she stepped through the door frame. Sidious gave her a force push, which let her stumble back outside for a small amount of time.
It was enough for all but one guard to leave the room and for the thick blast doors to shut them out. One of the Emperor's crooked fingers reached for a button on the armrest of his throne. "All forces on the station, prevent the intruders from entering the throne room."
That was the Emperors only sentence before he redirected his attention to Anakin who was still looking at the shut blast doors.
Ahsoka was skilled with her two lightsabers, but this was when she was reaching her limits. There were too many clones shooting at her at once, for her to deflect every bolt. After Safye had left, Ahsoka had built a very small barrier out of the droid debris.
It was merely big enough to shelter the twins from the fire, while she tried to keep the troopers from approaching. Even though they were safe for the moment, their fear and confusion had them crying for their parents.
"Don't worry about this.", Ahsoka pressed out between clenched teeth, not believing that it would offer much comfort to them. One of the blaster shots hit Ahsoka's upper arm, and after a few seconds she felt the blood streaming down her hand.
Now, that she had only one hand left to defend herself, it didn't take long until the next shot hit her thigh. She sank to the ground with a hiss of pain. "Soka!", Leia called out.
"Stay put!", Ahsoka commanded and raised her lightsaber without standing up. She knew her situation was hopeless at this point, but she would die protecting the twins. She braced herself to take the next shot in the chest.
To her surprise, the troopers held their fire and left after she had blocked the next three or so shots. Dumbfounded, she stared after them, before it hit her. The only thing that would drive Sidious to gather all his forces, was his cowardliness.
For a second she considered following the clones, in order to help Anakin, but she remembered he had trusted her to protect his children when he had left her with them.
"Surrender yourself to me once more, Lord Vader.", Sidious snarled, growing impatient. "It is your only option, if you want her to live." Anakin set his eyes back on Sidious, realising that the jedi were held up for the foreseeable future.
The only ones in the room where Anakin, Padmé, the Emperor, and the guard threatening Padmé's life. If Anakin called the gunships, it would be proof enough he was ready to do any bidding whatsoever with Padmé as leverage.
Palpatine would probably imprison her, to threaten Anakin whenever he refused his master something. And when she died, the pain and self blame would transport Anakin right back to were he had been for the last two years.
Sidious thought Anakin's return to being his henchman was inevitable, and Anakin couldn't disagree. Maybe the Emperor would have Padmé killed, and Anakin mutilated either way, just to teach him the price of treachery.
"I will have to ask you to hurry.", Sidious said. "We wouldn't want the jedi, who will die at your hand for coming to aid you, to interrupt again." Anakin sneered at the remark.
"If you don't do it soon...", Sidious didn't have to end the sentence.
"No!", Anakin suddenly called out and tossed the data pad into a corner. In the next heartbeat, the red guard who had dared to threaten his angel was tangling in the air, gasping for his breath.
"I am not your toy and the galaxy is not your playground.", Anakin growled, before the guard's neck snapped. The lifeless body, cloaked in red, came to lie right next to the still activated Vibroblade. Padmé stood up slowly, on weak legs.
But she nodded, reassuring him that she was healthy. "Your reign is over, Palpatine. As are your messed up schemes.", Anakin stated and ignited his crimson blade. "You fool!", Sidious called out and rose from his seat.
"I am the dark Lord of the Sith, leader of the galactic empire. Do you really think killing a guard is enough to stop me?", he demanded.
Anakin didn't realise what he was going to do soon enough, and the first bit of force lightning hit Padmé, making her sink to her knees once more. Quickly, Anakin moved his lightsaber to deflect the lightning.
"You will not win this time.", Anakin promised, approaching Sidious step by step and pushing against the force lightning. "You were always bound to lose one of your sick games eventually."
Sidious let out an aggravated scream and added more lightning with his second hand. Anakin grunted, summoning his strength to hold his ground. He gripped the hilt of his lightsaber tightly with two hands.
Ever so slowly, the old man climbed down the stairs of the pedestal the throne was on, until the two men opposed each other. "If this is the path you choose, I will gladly fulfil your wish. I shall nearly kill you, and make you watch when your whore dies."
Anakin knew that his eyes were beginning to be stained with yellow. All this time Sidious had stayed formal. He loved symbolising his superiority with his twisted politeness. He had chosen his first insult wisely, since he wanted to infuriate Anakin.
Finally, Sidious stopped summoning the lightning, which gave Anakin the chance to start his first attack. His lightsaber met a second red blade, which had been produced by Sidious with impressive speed.
Padmé found herself witnessing the duel between the two probably most powerful force users alive. She didn't know a lot about combat, but she could still determine who was better with a lightsaber. Anakin's movement was far more swift than Sidious'.
It looked like Sidious was too busy blocking Anakin's attacks, to start his own. But the lightning he had casted only a few moments ago had been powerful in a whole different way.
Padmé still felt a tingling sensation where it had hit her, even though it had only been for a split second. She didn't know what outcome to expect at all, everything she could do was watch in awe and terror.
She hated the yellow shimmer in Anakin's blue eyes, that grew more intense with every second. She wondered if it meant Sidious' was regaining control over Anakin, or that Anakin grew stronger without Sidious' influence.
She flinched every time the Emperor's lightsaber came close to Anakin and leaned forward a tiny bit when it happened vice versa.
"It seems you were wrong.", Luminara Unduli stated. "The imperials must have lied to you." Obi Wan had told the other jedi of the Emperor's plan, but they were all still waiting for the gunships to arrive.
The invasion could be considered prevented, the scarce amount of clones that was left, were either terrified or wounded. There was no real threat left. "Or Anakin made it.", Obi Wan countered. "A dead Emperor cannot give any orders." Luminara snorted.
"Oh please. He surely bent the knee and begged for forgiveness, as soon as he saw his master again.", she speculated. Obi Wan rolled his eyes. He had given up on Luminara seeing reason. And it didn't really matter.
She had to respect Yoda's decision, no matter how much she disliked it. "You should go and help the medics.", Obi Wan suggested. He remembered how well Luminara could use the force for healing during the clone wars.
She nodded silently before joining a group of paramedics that were tending to the wounded. Obi Wan was more than relieved to see her leave for the moment. He understood the doubts she had, and that the two years in hiding had made her bitter.
Anakin managed to corner Sidious, after a decent while of exhausting combat. But as soon as Sidious noticed his situation, he force pushed Anakin back violently. Anakin landed on his feet, but glided back a little, before he caught himself again.
Sidious hadn't considered that Anakin had his full health again. The younger man was far more powerful than the Emperor had anticipated. That was Anakin's main advantage. His youth made him stronger and more agile than Sidious.
Anakin decided to start the same attack Sidious just had. The old man might have been a powerful force user, but so was Anakin. He gave Sidious a violent push, and watched him flying backwards. It looked like he was going to crash into the wall behind.
Anakin let down his guard a little, waiting to see what would happen, before deciding how to continue. Sidious quickly turned in midair and pushed himself off the wall with his feet. He summersaulted towards Anakin, who dodged sloppily.
Sidious had gone for Anakin's head, but after Anakin quickly moved to the left, so Sidious had only sliced off the tip of his lightsaber. Anakin tossed away the scorched hilt, which now showed the exposed bloodied kyber crystal.
The Emperor cackled, being sure of his victory, not noticing the second lightsaber on Anakin's belt. The red blade that came down over Anakin's skull met the bright blue one Anakin had quickly ignited.
Sidious howled in frustration. He had thought the fight was as good as over. They simply pushed their lightsabers against each other for a second, while staring into each other's eyes. Then Anakin surprised Sidious by leaning back far and quick, which took Sidious' balance.
Anakin kicked him away from him with power, and to his satisfaction, Sidious landed on his back. Anakin expected the pain and exhaustion to tire and weaken his opponent, but instead it seemed his rage made him stronger.
Sidious was up on his legs before Anakin could reach him to finish the duel. The Emperor engaged Anakin with even more vicious and aggressive attacks. Anakin felt how every muscle in his body pleaded to stop after a few minutes.
It took a lot of strength to block the slashes, all of them coming from different angles in the shortest amount of time. Anakin's reflexes were put to the test. Sidious started another try to get Anakin's head, but he managed to stop the other blade in time.
From the corner of his eye, Anakin noticed Padmé, who was holding something in her hand, indicating Anakin to take it. It was the Vibroblade the red guard had wielded. Anakin took a deep breath and called upon the force not to let his strength fade now.
Anakin released his own saber with one hand, continuing to fight the Emperor's push with the other. He knew he couldn't hold that for more than a few seconds. He used his now free hand to catch the Vibroblade he summoned with the force.
Before Sidious noticed what was happening, Anakin had pushed the humming blade through his stomach. Anakin yanked Sidious to the ground, who was staring at him with a mixture of hatred and astonishment, and quickly disarmed him.
The Emperor's lightsaber came to land next to the remains of Anakin's sith blade. Anakin put his foot right next to the Vibroblade that was sticking out of Sidious' body, to keep him down while Anakin tended to killing him.
First, Anakin slowly sliced through Sidious right arm, just above the elbow. He couldn't help but enjoy the hoarse screams of the old man. Then, he cut off both of his legs beneath the knee. Finally, he sliced through Sidious' upper left arm, with an odd satisfaction.
"If only I could burn you alive right here.", Anakin murmured, before his lightsaber met the neck. Anakin stared at the dismembered man without a word for a few heartbeats. He felt a small hand resting on his shoulder.
He deactivated his weapon and pulled his wife into a tight embrace, never wanting to let go of her again. "Are you hurt?", he asked, filled with worry. "No.", Padmé promised and put her arms around his shoulders. "It's over.", Anakin stated. "He's gone."
"Finally.", Padmé muttered. They noticed a blue glow trying to break through the thick blast door with difficulty. Anakin released Padmé reluctantly, after kissing her forehead softly, and went to open the doors. They revealed only Shaak Ti, holding her lightsaber.
She stared at the disfigured Emperor, before deactivating her weapon. "What now?", she asked, leaving Anakin without answer. He had been craving to take Sidious life for a long time already, but he hadn't given a thought to the afterwords.
"The twins!", Padmé suddenly remembered, and wanted to run to the door. "They are fine.", Anakin promised. "Ahsoka is with them.", he explained. Padmé nodded but resumed heading for the door.
"What will become of the jedi now?", Anakin asked. "What is left of us, will try to secure a peaceful transition of government.", Shaak Ti answered. "Thank you, Skywalker.", she then added. "You are one of us once more."
Anakin flinched at that, but didn't say anything. Maybe he would consider rejoining the order. After all, Yoda had said it would be reformed to the better. But there were far more important things in the moment.
He followed his wife, around the countless dead clones and also jedi, and lead her to where Ahsoka and the twins were. Padmé rushed forward as soon as she saw Ahsoka. Two deep flesh wounds had ripped open her skin.
One on her arm and one on the thigh. "What happened?", Padmé asked carefully. "Too many clones.", Ahsoka only said. "But they're safe.", she added, looking at the children. "I shouldn't have left you alone.", Anakin stated as he tore apart her clothing over the wounds.
"Can you stand?", he asked and offered her his hand. She nodded and let him support her in her stand, while Padmé cradled both of the twins in her arms. "It's all over now.", she promised them. "We're safe again."
Anakin couldn't help but smile at her words, knowing that for the first time in a long while, they were truthful. Maybe, finally, there really was a way for them to just be a family.