Eternal Balance: Chapter 14

By The Al Bhed Slayer

A/N: This is the end. Well, sort of. Less than 12 hours later! Sorry to disappoint those who like happy endings, but in order to have the sequel I've been imagining, the ending will have to be sad. It'll help set the plot of the next one. BTW, ha! I updated quicker! Yay me! Don't worry there isn't too much death in this chapter. Just enough. And to make things a bit better: no Padme in this chapter, or anymore in this story for that matter! Anyway, R'n'R!

Her eyes drifted open slowly as the gunship rocked back and forth again. At the sight of Anakin's relief, she weakly smiled. Her head still ached from however she'd been knocked out, which she found out from trying to sit up. Of course, she didn't get very far and laid back down. Anakin turned in his master's direction. "She's awake!"

Obi Wan turned toward the two with a grateful look. Akaia sighed in frustration. "Now, if I could only get up…"

"The less you move, the less pain you'll be in," Anakin cautioned.

Since when was he so level headed? She thought curiously, biting back a remark. Her mind went back to what she had seen and found out. Her eyes darkened. "It's back…"

The padawan's browed furrowed confusedly. "What's back?"

She took a deep breath, knowing what she had to do. "…My memory. When I was unconscious, it all came back." She held back her own agony, the smell of burning flesh still lingering in her thoughts. With a thud, she felt the ship land.

Obi wan began to run out when he noticed his padawan still over by Akaia. "Anakin! Hurry!" With that he kept running.

There wasn't much time left. Ignoring the monstrous headache she had gotten, she willed herself to stand up, using the threshold of the ship to balance herself. "Go, I'll catch up."

He looked at the woman in disbelief. "You shouldn't be-"

"Go!" She urged on, cutting off his statement.

Reluctantly, he ran off in Obi Wan's direction, leaving Akaia to catch her breath for a moment before following rather slowly. By the time she was just around the corner, she had heard Obi Wan yell, "Anakin, no!"

Without wasting another second, she ran towards the sound of fighting to Dooku and Obi Wan battling and Anakin against the wall, regaining his strength. Figuring the Jedi was handling Dooku pretty well on his own, she rushed towards Anakin. Kneeling beside the padawan, she absent-mindedly place a hand on his cheek. The same voice she'd heard before echoed in her head, Do what you must. Her vision began to blur as tears welled in her eyes. "…I'm so sorry."

He gazed at her questioningly just before she leaned closer to him, letting their lips touch for only a brief moment. Backing a few inches away, she stared at him sorrowfully. "I love you."

Without seeing his reaction, stood and turned around at the sound of Obi Wan's pained screams. Using the Force, she stole Anakin's lightsaber and ran to help, only seconds before Count Dooku brought down his own weapon to finish off Obi Wan. As the red and green lightsabers clashed, Dooku had expected to see young Skywalker, but instead came face to face with the same girl who was to be executed with the others earlier. "Foolish little girl. You honestly think you can stop me?"

"I'll do one better than that," she replied, hatred seeping into her voice. She blocked each one of his attacks with ease as she let her anger grow inside her. The darkness was taking her over…and she was letting it. In her grief, she finally – after minutes trying – got an advantage on the old man, her lightsaber hitting in the side painfully. Then, out of the blue, she held out a hand which she made into a fist, as he slowly choked, his grip on the red light saber now loose. Not letting go, she threw the green lightsaber to the ground, finding a greater interest in the red version. She let him go immediately.

Eyes flickering yellow, she easily took the lightsaber from Dooku. She clenched her jaw, every muscle in her screaming in pain, telling not to do this. But she knew what had to be done, although she was risking losing everything. She would lose everything; there was no doubt in her mind. She heard pleas coming from far off – from Obi Wan and Anakin –, but ignored them. She looked at the now-weak man before her, sending a silent apology. She tightened her grip on her weapon. She let herself be consumed in hatred…she was gone. In the instant, whatever she had been had died. She read the fear in his eyes as she mercilessly shoved the blade of the lightsaber through his heart.

Remorseless, she retracted the weapon, switching it off. She then moved on to the ship Dooku was to take, awaiting her meeting with her next prey. She looked back for a moment, seeing her former comrades frozen in the places. The looks on their faces were that of shock and disbelief. Ashamed, she looked away and kept moving, knowing they wouldn't follow.

After entering the ship, her eyes returned to their normal color. Her hands shook wildly. She could barely breathe. She honestly felt like she wanted to die. What had she become? She pushed away the guilt…there was no other option. If not her, it would have been Anakin. He would've been lost to all who care for him…barely human at all. She couldn't let that happen. She'd never forgive herself.

A lump formed in her throat, she finally let the tears fall.

I have to do this…it's too late to go back.

She had to save the man she loved from himself.

As the ship took off, Anakin stared at it until it was completely out of sight. Her words had seemed so final, like they'd never see each other again…Where was she going? What had happened to her? He glanced at the corpse of the Sith Lord. She had killed him with his own lightsaber. And now she was headed to an unknown destination. Her eyes…they had turned yellow, just like when she had killed the Sandpeople. For him. His jaw clenched as his gaze met the floor. If this was for him…how could he ever live with himself again? And now the woman he loved was gone and he couldn't follow. It was too much.

The Jedi apprentice turned around to see Master Yoda looking to the sky as well before he looked away and shook his head disappointedly. Obi Wan, standing unsteadily, glanced sadly at his padawan before nodding. At that time, they all left.

As her ship landed on the secret platform at dawn, the ramp lowered as Akaia stepped out slowly. Looking ahead of her, there stood the cloaked figure she'd been anticipating to meet. She dropped the red lightsaber at his feet and stared at him defiantly. "Count Dooku is dead."

"By your hand, I presume." The Sith Lord responded in that low, raspy voice Akaia remembered from her dream. She nodded, still unperturbed.

"Quite easily, I might add," She commented arrogantly.

After a moment, the cloaked man spoke again. "And who might you be?"

"Akaia, former guardian to the Jedi," She replied emotionlessly, guarding her thoughts. "I've come here to offer my services as your apprentice, Lord…" She kneeled one knee before him, her head down as her words faded.

"Sidious," He finished. "Now why would the guardian of the Jedi, the strongest of warriors, want to be a Sith Lord I wonder?"

Impassively, she responded, "The Jedi are blind. They understand little of their own world. I cannot live among such people any longer."

"…Perhaps you could be of some use to the Sith." He smiled cryptically. "Very well then. But you are no longer Akaia. You are Darth…Feroce."

"Thank you, Lord Sidious. I now pledge myself to your teachings…" She told him almost soullessly. "…My master."

"Welcome home, Lady Feroce."

She picked up the lightsaber and stood as Darth Feroce, Dark Lord of the Sith. Her mind still guarded, she thought, I'm sorry. Please…forgive me, Anakin.

In that moment, the galaxy had shifted. Her love was safe. The war had started.

Balance was temporarily restored.

…Akaia's plan had begun.

END?

A/N: Please don't hate me. Please. Well, tomorrow I'll get out that epilogue! Yay! REVIEW! PLEASE REVIEW!