CHAPTER SEVEN

Anakin awoke in sheer terror, dressed and went to stare out the window. Waking up, Padme found him there. "What's troubling you?"

It was more than he could tell her- Palpatine a Sith Lord, wanting him as his apprentice! Qui-Gon missing and the only person who would understand! Now, the dreams.

"I had a dream. It was very real, like one I had about my mother when she was captured and killed just before I joined the Jedi. Only it was about you."

"It was just a dream."

"Not with me. My dreams mean something. You die in childbirth."

"And the baby?"

"I don't know."

"I'm not going to die, stop worrying!"

"If only you knew.."

"Knew what?"

"Padme, there is something you need to know. Palpatine is a Sith Lord. He wants me for his apprentice."

"First Qui-Gon, now you! What is this?"

"It's the TRUTH Padme! He was right!"

It took awhile for her to accept. "I don't believe it."

"He told me of the dark side. He asked me to be his apprentice."

"Do you swear you are being honest with me?"

"Yes, how could you even doubt me?"

"Oh, Anakin, how could he have fooled us all?"

"He's not going to go around telling everyone, he's using the dark side to cloud it! He wants power, and this is how he's getting it!"

"Oh, no, and he's been given unlimited executive power, and he's stayed in power after his term was up! I see it now, Anakin, I believe you! What are you going to do?"

"I've got to go find Qui-Gon, together we can defeat him."

"You must tell the other Jedi."

"They won't believe me."

"Do it anyway, how could things get much worse?"

"They can, if you die."

"Anakin, you said he used the dark side to cloud things, right? How do you know he's not using these dreams to trick you, to weaken you?"

"No, the dream was real. I have no time to find Qui-Gon, and the Jedi will not believe me. I must play along with the Chancellor for now."

Anakin meditated deeply before he left, but once again was unable to reach Qui-Gon in the force. He returned to the Chancellor's office, knowing he was going to be pressed for his decision. If he accepted the position of Sith apprentice, how could he ever get out of it? If he didn't, what would Palpatine do, now that he knew too much? Anakin felt doomed either way. Before entering the office, he leaned against the wall, head in hands, until his anguish almost made him cry. Perhaps he should have told Obi-Wan. The door opened. It was too late. "Come in, Anakin my boy."

Anakin glared at him suspicously.

"Thought any more about our discussion yesterday?"

"Something strange happened last night. I dreamed I saw Padme die in childbirth."

"Oh what a pity! And you know your dreams always come true!" Palpatine was unable to hide his smile, and Anakin noticed this. "If you were to join the dark side, I could teach you powers of life and death that might stop her from dying!"

"YOU planted those dreams in my head, you used the dark side to cloud my judgement, to play with my emotions!"

"No, Anakin, of course not." He pretended to laugh, but Anakin didn't buy it.

Anakin stared at him and bravely stated: "I'll never join you!"

Palpatine's smile vanished and his expression turned to one of rage. "You will join me, or Padme will die, your babies will die!"

"How did you even know she was pregnant and that I was the father?"

"I'm not blind, Anakin, everyone in the Senate notices her swollen abdomen, as much as she tries to cover it with uncharactarsitcally baggy garments. As for you being the father, I figured that out myself."

"You said, babies, what do you mean?"

:"She's carrying twins, Anakin, a boy and a girl. They will be very strong in the force. This I have forseen."

Anakin pulled out his lightsaber, but didn't ignite it. "You want to kill Padme, because you know she'll never go along with your plans for our children! You think you can fool me into joining you! I see through your lies, you only want me because of my power, you want to use me for your own ends. I'd never have power of my own if I served you! You will not have me, you will not have my wife, you will not have my children!" He lit is lightsaber and charged on Palpatine.

Palpatine laughed. "You pathetic fool!" He snarled as he let loose with force lightning. Anakin blocked it with his lightsaber as long as he could, directing it back into Palpatine. As he fell to the ground, weakened by his own reflected lightning, he stopped emitting it and called his lightsaber to him. From the ground, he stood back up wiht regained strenght, glaring at Anakin over their crossed sabers.."You could have had it all, now you will lose it all. Don't you see, you are now too dangerous to be kept alive? You will join me now, or your wife will die and your children will be mine!"

"I don't believe you. I will not let you take them from me!"

"You will have no choice, because you will join me now, or you will be destroyed!"

Anakin was full of anger as he fought Palpatine, who was very agile and quite a good fighter, better than Dooku. He held his own, but was soon at a disadvantage as Palpatine used the force to release a sprinkler on the ceiling. Stepping out of its way, teargas aimed and sprayed directly into Anakin's face. He fell backward, losing his grip on his lightsaber, gasping for air. He hit the wall on the way down. In his last second of consciousness, Palpatine stood over him with his lightsaber to his throat. "Tsk, tsk. I told you, I will not lose, and you cannot defeat me. I have everything covered, I always do. This is the end for you, Young Skywalker. I wish it were not so."

That night, when Anakin didn't return to Padme's apartment, she became deeply concerned. After midnight, when she was usually sound asleep because she had to go to work the next day, she stood out on the veranda, staring out into the city and crying. She looked in the direction of the Jedi Temple, hoping he was there and that he just couldn't get away. When dawn came and he still did not return, she assumed the very worst. She was crying in the morning and didn't go to work. A few hours later, Obi-Wan landed his speeder out on the veranda and came to see her. "Padme, I don't mean to be intrusive, but is Anakin here?"

"W-why would he be?"

"Padme, look, I know about you and Anakin and honestly I don't care. It's none of my business. Now, be honest with me. His life may depend on it." He could see the terror in her eyes. He put his arm around her trembling body and led her to the sofa. "I need to know, Padme, everything. I care for him too."

Padme whimpered as she explained about the dreams, and about Anakin's accusations against the Chancellor. She thought Obi-Wan would be upset.

"So Anakin was approached about becoming his apprentice, I am not surprised. Anakin is the most potentially powerful of the Jedi, and he is the most volatile and rebellious, of course he would be the target. I never dismissed Qui-gon's accusations as the others did. It's all so very wrong, the war, staying in power so long, refusing to give up his executive powers, I believe he is a Sith Lord. It all makes sense."

"Oh, Obi-wan, what are we going to do? What happened to Anakin?"

"I don't know. I am not sensing his death in the force, but I cannot feel him."

Padme's voice broke into a cry, and she leaned on Obi-wan for comfort. He noticed her pregnancy."Anakin is the father, isn't he?"

"Of course."

"I will do everything I can to find him and bring him back. You take care of yourself and the baby. Don't go near the Senate building. There may be trouble."

"What are you saying?"

"I am going to suggest the Jedi form a party to confront the Chancellor and demand he give up his executive power. If he refuses, he will show his true self and there will be a fight. Stay here, or better yet, go back to your family on Naboo."

"Oh, no, I can't, they don't know about the baby, I'd have to have time to explain, and besides, I cannot leave with Anakin in danger. I want to be here until you find him."

"He would not want you in harm's way. Please, stay here and remain safe."

She watched as Obi-Wan took his leave, then went back to lie on the bed, and softly sobbed.

Even after Obi-Wan informed the council of the new developments, they were still skeptical the Chancellor was a Sith Lord. Obi-Wan even used Anakin's disappearance as more evidence, that he may have turned him, or killed him. This the masters believed, considering it was Anakin.

"Betray the Jedi young Skywalker will not, unless twisted by the dark side he has become." Yoda spoke via hologram from Kashyyk.

"He could be, if the Chancellor is indeed a sith lord." Master Windu added. "Could it be true, that Qui-Gon knew this all along and we failed to act? Could this be the plot to destroy the Jedi, right in front of us?"

"And take our Chosen One." another council member pointed out.

"Why didn't Skywalker come to us with this news?" Windu asked.

"He knew you'd never believe him, even less than you believed Qui-Gon Jinn. Don't you see, it all makes sense now The whole war, the clones, it was all an evil plan. We've been used!" Obi-Wan waved his arms. "We must act now, or it will be too late. I am going to face the Chancellor. Who is with me?"

"I will go." Windu said as he stood up. Four more were chosen to join him.

"Let's go." Obi-Wan waved them on.

"No, Master Kenobi. You will not go. You are too close to Skywalker. If he must be dealt with, I do not want you there." Windu ordered.

Obi-Wan was shocked. "You mean you think Anakin may have joined him?"

"I do."

"You're wrong, you'll see when you get there."

"Skywalker is missing and added to this new report, it seems he is either dead or among the sith. I do not sense his demise."

"Anakin would not turn! I hope he's not dead, but I can't see him as a Sith.."

"This is why you must remain behind. Stay here, that's an order!"

Obi-Wan was upset but did not argue as the others left and headed for the Chancellor's office. He gazed out the window in that direction, wondering what to do next.

In the Chancellor's office, Windu let his band of Jedi Masters boldy through the door. "In the name of the Galactic Senate, I demand your resignation." He announced.

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" Palpatine answered, taking his own red lightsaber in his hand and charging toward them. In seconds, his fierce dark side style had destroyed all the Jedi save Master Windu. The battle between the two was evenly matched, but Windu seemed to have the upper hand as he felled Palpatine near the window.

"The Sith will never again rule the galaxy! You must be stopped now!"

Palpatine gave one last attack with his lightsaber before Windu knocked it from his hand. He hissed as he resorted to force lightning. Windu used all his strength to send it back into the source. "Your rule is over!" Windu exclaimed, but Palpatine only cackled "no, no no!" Looking behind Windu, he called out for help. His apprentice appeared.

"What is thy bidding my master?" Windu was shocke to hear Anakin's voice say.

"Skywalker, I knew it! You have turned to the dark side!"

"I was a fool to wait so long! Now all the power you denied me can be mine! You had your chance, Master Windu but you and the Jedi have failed me, and now you will pay the price!" With this, the fight was between Anakin and Mace, and it gave Palpatine enough time to rise and regain his strength. He had not been damaged much by the short time the lightning was sent into him, he felt he was able to fight. He was not disfigured as he would have been had the barrage lasted longer, but his eyes had turned Sith yellow, as had Anakin's. With two Sith lords to fight, Windu did not stand a chance. He knew he was doomed. As they both attacked, he flew backwards out the window and was carried upward by wind gusts until he could not be seen.

"Good work, my young apprentice. Together, no one can defeat us. Once more, the Sith will rule the galaxy."

"Yes, my master."