Author's Note: I start school on Monday and because of that I want to get back into the swing of it before life gets back to normal. The next chapter is extremely long and will take a while to edit. I promise to have it up sometime next week, but as for when, I don't know.
Chapter 68 responses:
Sica Meni: Somewhat. We still have about eighteen chapters left.
G-Anakin 13: I hope I didn't scare you too much.
The
Lure of the Dark Side: Chronicle 1-The Turning of an Era
Episode V: Revenge of the Sith
Chapter 24: The Chosen One's Fatal Decision
CORUSCANT – EN ROUTE TO NEW REPUBLIC EXECUTIVE BUILDING
A team of ten accomplished Jedi was more then enough to overwhelm a Sith Lord in Windu's eyes. And yet, he began to sense that other dark presence again. It'd been on and off the past day now. Still, the closer they neared the NREB, the clearer it became. It was feminine and slightly familiar, as if he'd met them before. Windu found himself becoming irritated. Who else in the Senate have we been overlooking as Sith?
But obviously, this presence was a new apprentice of Sidious, despite its seemingly long existence. After all, there could be no more then two Sith at a time…right?
CORUSCANT – NEW REPUBLIC EXECUTIVE BUILDING, CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE
Darth Sidious aka Chancellor Palpatine was sitting in the inner chambers of his office awaiting the arrival of the so-called Protectors of the Republic to arrest him. Finally, all his plans were about to come into fruitation. Tonight. The end of the Jedi, and the rise of the Sith.
Sidious had his back to the room's entrance, intently gazing out the circular window in front of his desk and watching the sun slip out of range of Coruscant's sky. That would be the last time the metropolis planet's sun shone above the capital under current times. Tomorrow would be the start of a new era for the world and the galaxy as a whole.
He sensed, rather then saw his daughter and Antellica arrive in his office via the landing bay platform just outside it and seat themselves on either side of him; both donned in Sith black. He did nothing to acknowledge their presence, simply continued his gazing out the circular window.
Several moments later, the vaulted front doors of the Chancellor's inner chambers slid open and in walked Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Agen Koler, and Saesee Tinn. With them were six other Jedi, but Knights: Olana Chion, Serra Keto and four males that were recognized by face only. All looked to be in their twenties, rather it be early or late.
Sidious swung his chair around slowly to address the Jedi, taking on his Palpatine personality once more.
"Master Windu," he greeted. "I take it General Grievous has been eliminated than."
The team of Jedi remained silent, but were looking at Baynetta and Antellica with startled interest.
"I must say you're here sooner than expected," he added cheerily, giving no notice to their slight of him.
They seemed to ignore him, merely keeping their gaze on the females beside him.
"Senator?" Windu asked.
"Windu," she shot back. And in that moment, Baynetta allowed her full presence to be displayed for the Jedi to see. Their response was shock.
"You?" he accused, betrayal in his tone.
Baynetta simply smiled and nodded. "Me."
Windu's gaze hardened and he turned to Antellica. "And you." She gave him a sneering smile. "I see that you're no different then your dead sister. You have betrayed us all and your status as Jedi Knight has thus been revoked."
Antellica allowed a brief laugh and an eye roll. "Like I care."
The group of Jedi spread themselves out along the entranceway of the room, their looks miming that of statues – hard with no emotion, and reached onto their utility belts, activating their lightsabers of green, blue and purple, one by one.
"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic," Master Windu said. "The three of you are under arrest."
"For what reason?" Baynetta asked. "Being Sith Lords and Jedi betrayers?" She gave a small laugh. "Is that such a crime?"
"The crime is how you've used and manipulated your positions over the years," he said in tone as cold as ice. "Being the masterminds behind a three-year war that was started to simply wipe out the Jedi Order for your own satisfaction and take over the galaxy for yourselves."
"Do you really think the Senate will believe your charges against two of the most influential members of its government?" Sidious asked. "This is nothing more then idle threats."
"Once our report is given," Windu continued, "the Senate will have no choice but to accept our case and decide your fate."
"You cease to forgot that I am the Senate," Sidious mocked.
Windu retorted with the strong words, "Not yet."
Sidious slowly rose from his chair and called the Sith lightsaber he always kept concealed in an inner pocket in the sleeve of his robes to his hand. Baynetta and Antellica also rose on either side of him, crimson and orange blades glowing.
"It's treason than." The Sith Master ignited his lightsabers' blood red blade.
At the speed of light, Sidious flew through the air towards the Jedi traitors with Baynetta and Antellica right behind.
Five Jedi were down almost instantly. The Zabrak master Agen Kolar and the Iktotchi master Saesee Tinn to Sidious' blade and Olana Chion and two of the male knights to Baynetta. Antellica got engaged with Serra Keto and the other four remaining Jedi – the Nautolan master Kit Fisto, Windu, and the other two Knights – made to bombard her, only the Sith intervened through Fisto being cut across the waist by Baynetta's blade and one of the Knights being stabbed into the stomach by Sidious. This left Antellica with Keto, Baynetta with the only remaining Knight and Sidious with Windu.
The Knight was also soon joining his fellows, dead on the floor, and Baynetta choose to watch Antellica's duel with Keto rather then join it. She wanted to give the girl a chance to kill her own Jedi.
Keto taunted and provoked Antellica during the fight, obviously hoping her annoyance might lead to a mistake, giving the Jedi an advantage. But Antellica wasn't stupid, and remained defiantly silent the entire time, which annoyed Keto to no end.
Baynetta found it interesting that Keto used two lightsabers to strike harder and perform more powerful attacks, rather then use one lightsaber to attack and the other to parry like most Jedi who wielded two blades did.
Just when it looked like the acclaimed the young Jedi was about to defeat Antellica, the girl withdrew, spun around quickly and pierced Keto in the back and through the other side, out of her stomach. Keto gave a yell of agony, but still attempted to attack Antellica by throwing her arms back and swinging her lightsabers around behind her. Antellica reacted by cutting off the wrists that held the swords and then decapitating Keto's head with a measured twirl.
Sidious, meanwhile, was dueling Windu fast and furious through the hall that led into his office's outer chambers and then inside. Slashes, jumps, and strikes were all that was said between the two as they began to edge towards the circular window of the office behind the Chancellor's desk. When they reached it, Windu shattered it with one strike of his lightsaber, allowing a rapid wind of air to bombard them. It did nothing to distract either from the duel though. They continued to fight along the edge of the ledge until Windu did something that slightly surprised Sidious: he kicked him hard under the chin, knocking him to the floor where shreds of broken glass from the window laid. His lightsaber was lost out the window as he fell, but Sidious was undeterred; he had plenty more.
It seemed that Windu had won the fight, but not if Sidious could help it.
Time to move to Plan B.
Sidious was pleased to feel the presence of his future apprentice racing to the office at rapid speed. Baynetta and Antellica had also entered the outer chambers, but simply choose to standby and watch in the shadows as ordered.
As the Korun Jedi master continued his advance towards the cowering Chancellor, lightsaber held threateningly, Sidious backed away in fear, letting out small whimpers of freight.
Right at that moment, Anakin came running into the office, very much surprised at the scene in front of him: Windu leveling a lightsaber at a cowering, scared old man.
"You are under arrest, my lord." Windu growled. He glanced briefly up at Anakin and then around the room for the other two before returning his attention to Sidious.
"Anakin," Sidious said hoarsely, adopting his Chancellor personality for what would probably be the last time. "I told you it would come to this. I was right. The Jedi are taking over!"
"The oppression of the Sith shall never return," Windu boomed. "You and your Sith cohorts have lost!"
"Is that so?" Baynetta jeered, coming out of the office's shadows with Antellica; lightsabers no longer lit, but still in hand.
Anakin's eyes widened at the sight of them. "Padme! Antellica! What are you doing here?"
"They're in league with Sidious, Anakin," Windu said before they could respond. "They, like the Sith Lord, are traitors of the Republic."
Anakin took on a consternated expression as he turned to the Jedi Master. "What are you talking about?"
"He's just trying to twist your mind, Anakin," Antellica said, giving Windu no chance to respond. "Don't listen to him."
Anakin was still confused as to what the two of them were doing here, but this soon left his mind when he saw a lightsaber hilt in his wife's hands. He made towards her, but…
"Padme-"
"Get out of my way!" she snarled, pushing him aside.
Anakin looked even more confused, and slightly hurt, but he did not stop following her as she made her way towards Windu.
"I've just about had enough of your self-righteous, holier-then-thou attitude, Windu," Baynetta spat at the Senior Jedi with an ignited lightsaber, ignoring Anakin's gasp of shock behind her. "Allow me the simple pleasure of doing what I've yearned to do since the day I met you."
"Padme, what are you doing?" Anakin gasped.
He was ignored.
"Die!"
The moment Windu raised his lightsaber to deflect Baynetta's oncoming attack, Sidious used this as an opening to unleash a stream of Force lightning at the distracted Jedi. The master changed course at the last minute, Force slamming Baynetta into a nearby wall and deflecting the Dark Side energy back at the sender, causing some of it to backfire onto the Sith's face, leaving behind scars of distortion.
Anakin was at Baynetta's side instantly, but Antellica attempted to make a slash at Windu while he deflected the lightning. She also was thrown back, but into the Chancellor's desk.
Anakin tried to help his wife to a stand, but again got the brush off. "I'm just fine thank you," she said coldly and threw him away from her.
He quickly grabbed her again, but this time she Force pushed him away in irritation. "Get off of me!"
Anakin was thrown into a nearby wall, but quickly got up with wide eyes.
She had used-
She was-
How could this-
His eyes showed a disbelieving realization of betrayal. "Padme, how could you!"
"He's a traitor, Anakin!" Sidious yelled over the loud howl of the continued Force lightning, drawing the young man's attention away from the fact that yet another person he knew and trusted was a Sith. "Surely, you see that now! What normal person would attack an innocent, pregnant woman in rage for no reason?"
"Don't listen to him, Anakin," Windu yelled, straining to continue the Force deflection with his purple blade. "He is nothing more then a twisted liar."
"He's the liar!" Sidious retorted. "Why else do you think he and his Jedi friends came here if not take the Republic for themselves in the means of killing not only me, but any witnesses that may have been standing watch? They came here to assassinate me, your wife, and Antellica! Surely, you won't allow that Anakin! And now that you're here, he'll try to kill you as well!"
"Twisted lies!" Windu boomed, again throwing back the forms of Baynetta and Antellica who attempted to attack him.
"You mustn't let him kill us Anakin!" Sidious cried as Anakin once again ran to the forms of the most important women in his life. "You must choose between the ones you love and your so-called duty as a Jedi."
The Force throw Windu had sent this time knocked Antellica unconscious as she slammed into the room's center-most holoprojector and gave Baynetta a slight concussion as her head sharply banged up against an upturned couch.
"I can't hold it any longer," Sidious moaned, giving up to defeat as he decelerated his flow of Force lightning. "I-I-I can't. I'm too weak."
Finally stopping the Dark Side energy all together, he continued to moan as Windu took a step back to adjust to his regained balance and leveled his blade at the Sith.
"Anakin! Help me! Help me! I-I can't hold it any longer."
"I am going to end this," Windu pronounced, "once and for all!"
"I think that's quite enough, master!" Anakin suddenly yelled, glaring from the sidelines. He'd made sure the females were all right and was now going to deal with Windu personally. He was not at all happy about the way the Jedi was treating his friends. Despite his confusion and slight betrayal over the situation, he was not going to allow this Jedi to cause any more treachery tonight. Enough was enough.
"If this is what being a Jedi's all about then I don't think I want to be one anymore!" he continued in a booming voice. "Criminals stand trial; they're not ruthlessly slaughtered!"
Windu looked seriously at Anakin with a trace of irritation. "I'm not sure you understand any of this fully. This Sith has control of the Senate and the Courts. He's too dangerous to be left alive."
"I'm so weak." Sidious moaned. "Don't kill me, please."
"And Padme? Antellica?" Anakin's tone was at the borderline of sarcasm. "Are they too dangerous to be left alive as well?"
"Amidala is a Sith; Antellica an accomplice," the Jedi said simply.
"Meaning?"
"What do you think it means?" he shot back.
"Is this nothing more then a killing spree to you?" the young man asked, far beyond the point of anger. His face mirrored rage and his tone simply raised the longer he spoke. "Is it common for you to go around killing whenever it pleases you?" He then lowered his voice to a commanding, deadly whisper. "You will lower your lightsaber right now, hand it over, place your hands on your head and come quietly to the Senate building where your fate will be decided."
"I'm not the bad guy here!" Windu yelled.
"That remains to be seen," Anakin said coldly. "Lower the lightsaber, or die."
"So, you're allowed to kill when you want to," Windu said, almost in a mocking tone, "but I'm not allowed to do my duty as a Jedi? That's hypocrisy!"
"You've made your decision. Prepare to die."
Igniting his blue bladed lightsaber, Anakin first sliced off the hand that wielded the Jedi's own blade, then, ignoring the yells of pain that came from his victim, impaled the Korun master in the chest with a powerful thrust to the heart.
A small gasp escaped Windu's lips before he fell to the floor dead.
The sound of light cackling followed the silence that succeeded Windu's death. Anakin turned his gaze from the dead Jedi master he was glaring down at to the figure of Sidious who was slowly rising from the floor. The Sith Lord offered him a delighted, yet twisted smile. "Well done Anakin." He spoke in a much deeper yet scratchier voice that croaked with age; it was the true voice of Sidious. "You've just taken your first step in the pathway of the Sith."
Anakin wasn't entirely sure what to say to that, so simply nodded and turned his attention back to his wife. She'd long picked herself up and was now using the Force to revive Antellica. The girl awoke with a startled gasp and was soon rubbing the bump on her head that had been caused by her fall's impact. She left Antellica on the floor and turned to face him.
He fixed her with a level stare and for a moment said nothing. So many things were racing through his mind right then, but most importantly, How could she have lied to him all these years?
"I don't know what you expect me to say," he finally said after what seemed an eternity.
Say nothing is what she wanted to snarl, but now was not the time to break up their marriage. He wasn't exactly on the dark side yet, though he was close. Windu's murder proved that.
"I'm sorry Anakin," she said, looking him directly in the eye. "But I do not regret not telling you of my true identity sooner. I hold no regrets whatsoever. And if you can't live with that, then there's always divorce."
Anakin's eyes flashed with shock. "No!" he exclaimed and made to hold her, though hesitated.
Even if it was only halfheartedly, she moved into his arms. He looked slightly relieved. "I'm not… practically mad Padme, I…" he trailed off, but then continued after a sigh. "I'm just upset that you would keep something like this from me. And confused as to how you could've kept something like this from me without me detecting anything, though looking back…I think I can now see."
"So…we're fine then?" she asked, almost dreading the answer.
He gave her another level stare that soon turned into her smile. "Yes. But just promise me one thing."
"No more secrets," she said.
He nodded. "Precisely."
Anakin turned from his wife to the Republic's Supreme Sith ruler and bowed. "What Windu did today shows me that you were right all along. The Jedi are trying to take over the Republic. Forgive me for not seeing this sooner, but we can still stop them. Their temple is currently unprotected. Let us go and show them what happens to traitors who attempt to take what isn't theirs."
Sidious nodded appraisingly at him. "Yes, Anakin. Let us. And I want you to personally lead the assault against its defenses. The Jedi are a relentless society of evildoers who if not all destroyed will prolong this war to no end."
"I no longer wish to be apart of such a society," Anakin said and began to kneel before the Sith. "Take me as your apprentice. Show me the ways of the Dark Side of the Force."
Sidious was thoroughly pleased. "Good." This was much easier than he'd expected.
"And help me save Padme's life," he abruptly added with a glance her direction. "I could never live without her."
Though a smile was plastered on Baynetta's face, inside she was cringing in distaste. How she longed for the day that would bring an end to their marriage…
"Padme's life will remain safe as long as you remain a Sith," Sidious said in a close to matter-of-fact tone. "You should know that the visions of her dying in childbirth were my doing as a way to draw you in to join us."
Anakin's face showed shock, relief and then happiness in less then three seconds. "You mean-" He couldn't say it. He needed confirmation first before he jumped to conclusions.
"The visions were nothing more then dreams planted inside your mind," the Sith explained. "They won't come true, as long as you remain loyal to the Sith that is."
Anakin took heed to the threat with seriousness. "I would never betray you, Lord Sidious," he promised. "I will never do what the Jedi are attempting to do to you. My life is now and forever pledged to your teachings. Use me for your will."
Sidious cackled. "Good. Good." He closed his eyes as he began to feel the Dark Side swirl rapidly around his new apprentice.
"The Force is strong with you," he announced. "A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth you will be known as Darth…"
He paused to think of a name and grinned.
"…Vader."
Anakin bowed from where he knelt. "Thank you, my Master."
"Rise."
And the person who'd once been the heroic Jedi – the "Hero Without Fear" – Anakin Skywalker, now the Sith Apprentice Darth Vader, did so.
MID RIM WORLD, KASHYYYK – THE COASTAL CITY OF KACHIRHO
As he watched the battle continue to progress in the Republic's favor from the command center he was posted at with Wookies Tarfful and Chewbacca, Jedi Master Yoda felt the sudden tip of darkness in the Force. Sighing heavily, he knew that his worst fear had finally come to pass.
CORUSCANT – NEW REPUBLIC EXECUTIVE BUILDING, CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE
Once his new apprentice, Darth Vader, had risen from his knelt position on the floor, Darth Sidious went to his desk to retrieve one of many black, Sith cloaks from a bottom drawer, all the while speaking.
"Now that you are one of us Lord Vader, I believe there is something else you deserve to know about your wife. She is my daughter."
His reaction was to be expected: Shock. Though it didn't last long. He was soon nodding at the pair of them with a mildly humored smirk. "The Royal Naberrie family's death makes sense now."
"It was a necessary loose for a greater cause," Sidious dismissed. "As you progress Lord Vader, you will find that many looses are necessary for the greater cause of something else."
"Such as Dooku and Arica?" Vader asked.
Sidious allowed a sly smirk. "Dooku yes, but Arica…" He nodded to the office's entrance and there emerged the person in question out of the shadows.
Several moments after Kenobi had left her side on Utapau, Arica awoke from her state of unconsciousness and snuck two levels above to the Crystaliner. Enabling the ship's cloaking stimulation so no Republic forces would be able to track her, she made her way to the capital.
Only Vader and Antellica followed Sidious' gaze – Baynetta could careless about the girl – and both of their face's a lit with happiness.
It was obvious what they wanted to do: Rush over and greet her warmly, maybe even with a hug. But this was decided against when she collapsed onto the floor before Sidious, with not even a glance at the room's other occupants.
"I failed in killing Kenobi master," she reported. "Though he thinks he succeeded in killing me. I hereby leave my fate in your hands."
He studied her a moment and abruptly commanded Antellica to kneel beside her twin. Though clearly confused, she quickly did so, wondering what it was she could've done wrong.
Sidious placed his hands on both girls' heads and sent a course of Dark Side energy into each of their midi-chlorian cells. They were both knocked out briefly because of the impact that came with it, but were soon revived.
"Rise Darth Lady Zenevieva," he commanded of Arica, "Darth Lady Veradisia," he commanded of Antellica.
Both did so, their faces obscured in the darkness of their hooded black cloaks, but the Sith master sensed an element of pride from the pair.
"Like Lord Vader, the two of you will be learning the art of your Force techniques from me directly," he informed. "I am your master."
The two bowed and joined Vader and Baynetta in a line positioned before the Chancellor's desk.
"It is no matter concerning Kenobi, Zenevieva," he added. "He will be killed along with the rest soon enough."
"How?" Vader wanted to know. "He, along with many other Jedi are spread thin across the galaxy on numerous worlds. It's impossible for us to reach them all before they learn of what's going on and start going into hiding."
Sidious dismissed this with an unworried wave of his hand. "They're betrayal will be dealt with through a secret order that was installed into all clone troopers to turn on their leaders when called upon: Order 66. The Jedi will not be able to escape the bombardment of their own forces. Their shock at the situation will be their inevitable downfall. But, we must move quickly. First, I want you, Lord Vader, to go to the Jedi Temple with the 501st Legion and led a raid on the temple. Baynetta, Zenevieva and Veradisia will accompany you. The Jedi will be caught off balance and no mercy shall be shown to them.
After which, you and Baynetta will go to the Mustafar system and wipe out the remaining Separatists leaders. Once more the Sith will rule the galaxy. And…we shall have peace."
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