The morning air was cold, and Anakin felt a thrill rush through him. Excitement seemed to permeate the air as a group of younglings, herded by a younger Jedi Knight, rushed past Anakin, pointing and whispering excitedly. The younger Jedi Knight gave a smile to Anakin as they passed.
He waited patiently outside the Council chambers, his hands clasped behind his back as he tried to look calm. It was daybreak, and he was there. But the Council doors remained closed, and he couldn't feel anyone beyond the great doors with the Force.
They must be hiding themselves within the Force so that I can't feel them, thought Anakin. But why bother if I already know they're inside?
As if on cue, the great doors, etched with symbols from the first days of the Jedi Order, slid open with a mechanical hiss, the hydraulic's groaning slightly. The lights were dim, dimmer than Anakin had ever seen them, and all the Council chairs had been removed from within, leaving the cool marble looking empty, yet serene.
No one was inside.
Anakin thought it might be a joke. "Hello?" he asked, stepping into the room.
Suddenly the doors shut, and with a dull thud that rang into the silence, all became quiet, like the settling of dust.
Anakin whirled around, and then his eyes looked around stealthily. He slightly crouched, reaching for his lightsaber. With an electric humm it sprang to life, the glowing blue-blade reassuring to him. With one hand (his organic one) he reached out, and used the Force to search all the nooks and crannies of the room. He Force-swept outside the room. Everyone had gone to their chambers or alcoves, staying away from the Council room.
In the past, a long while ago, the Trials had resulted in death a few times when the Jedi Knights hadn't come sufficiently prepared.
"Hello Anakin," said a familiar, cunning voice. Anakin turned slowly, and saw Chancellor Palpatine walking calmly toward him from a dark corner of the room.
Anakin stepped backwards, raising the lightsaber defensively. "No," he said uncertainly, shaking his head. His heart began to beat rapidly. "No. No, this isn't possible. You're—"
Palpatine chuckled. "Dead? My dear boy, if only you knew what an overstatement that word is to compare my present state!" He laughed jovially, as if sharing a joke. Then an evil red glow appeared and lengthened in his hand, and Anakin realized the old man was holding a red-bladed lightsaber in his hand.
"If anything, I'm more powerful than ever," he breathed wickedly, his eyes glowing red under his hood from the reflection of his blade.
"No! It's not possible!" shouted Anakin, backing away. He hit something solid, and realized he was against the doors. Fear quickened inside him.
"Yes. Ye-e-e-esss," whispered Palpatine. He closed his eyes and smelled the air, as if smelling a delicious aroma. "I can feel your fear. Let it grow into anger and hate. Then you can feel the power of the Dark Side!"
"I don't want to be a Sith!" said Anakin, sounding angry. "I'll never join you!"
"Well I see that you no longer care about Padme," said Palpatine smoothly.
"You don't know anything. Padme is everything to me!" growled Anakin, his lightsaber humming as it swept through the air while he walked.
"And yet you won't do all in your power to save her from death," hissed Palpatine, his face turning into a snarl.
"There is nothing wrong with letting her go the way of the Force!" said Anakin, remembering Master Yoda's words. He repeated them in hopes of helping himself to believe them. "Attachment leads to jealousy, the shadow of greed!"
"Don't be a fool! Do you pretend that you have no jealousy in your heart?" snapped Palpatine. "Are you stupid, boy? The Jedi are brain-washing you into believing that you deserve no happiness!"
"Becoming a Sith will not make me happy," said Anakin angrily.
"Yet you give in to fear and anger," said Palpatine, mocking Anakin with an evil smile. "I feel them so strongly, you could crush me in your anger just by manipulating the Force—"
"Well I don't want to!" burst out Anakin. "And you're not real! You died! I killed you with my own hands!"
"A cold-blooded murder," said Palpatine darkly. "Yet another Jedi who says one thing and does another."
"You forced me to kill you!" Anakin said defensively. "You murdered first, for power!"
"And I suppose that you are excused because you were doing what was right?" sneered Palpatine.
"I should have killed you when you first told me you were the Sith Lord!" growled Anakin. "I should have struck you down where you stood, but I did the right thing. And when you overwhelmed Master Windu and the other Council members, you forced me to kill you because you tried to kill him!"
"You helped him murder me, Anakin! You helped him MURDER ME!" shrieked Palpatine, leaping at Anakin. Their blades snapped with electromagnetic ferocity as they clashed together, blue and red gleaming in the dim light.
"You will let your wife die, all because you have let the stubborn-mindedness of the Jedi brain-wash you into thinking that everyone must 'go the way of the Force'!"
"They do!" grunted Anakin, his muscles shaking from holding back the enormous frightening power behind the red blade. "If it is the will of the Force, Padme will transform into it, and she will be with me forever!" He pushed Papatine away, and their lightsabers met again with another sharp crack as Palpatine slammed his blade down hard at the young Jedi.
"I will kill you, foolish boy!" cackled Palpatine, as he battered again and again at Anakin. "Then you will see how much you become the Force for yourself!"
"It's better to die using the Light Side of the Force, than to rule using the Dark Side!" grunted Anakin, parrying blow after shattering blow from the old man.
"If you believe that philosophy, then why try so hard to preserve your life, Jedi Scum?" spat Palpatine with disgust.
"Someone has got to destroy you, you and all the other Sith, to bring peace to the galaxy!" growled Anakin, parrying another blow and thrusting at Palpatine, who blocked the thrust and brought his saber down in an arc to take off a limb.
"Peace is a lie!" snarled Palpatine. "There is only balance when light and dark co-exist in one place! Your beloved Jedi do not believe that!"
"I am a Jedi!" shouted Anakin, and in two moves he disarmed Palpatine and had the old man kneeling in defeat.
Both were breathing heavily. Anakin's chest heaved up and down and he brushed some hair from his face.
"Go ahead, Anakin. Strike me down. Then you will replace me in the Sith Order!" commanded Palpatine, looking triumphant.
Anakin deactivated his blue blade and it hissed as it slid back into the sheath, disappearing from sight. He tossed his lightsaber away from him. "No. I already killed you once, and I will not strike you down in anger. I would rather die before betraying the Light within me."
"Then you will die!" Force lightning shot from Palpatine's crooked fingers striking Anakin and he fell to the ground in agony, yelling in pain.
"I will make sure that you will suffer for your treachery!" shrieked Palpatine and he began to laugh as he continued to shock Anakin. "And when I am done with you, I shall kill your beloved Padme!"
"No!" screamed Anakin. His body convulsed on the ground and he felt like he was on fire, all of his muscles crying out in agony. He could smell the acrid burnt stench of metal as the deadly electricity of the Force-lightning shocked through his entire body.
With every ounce of energy he could muster, Anakin used the Force to grab his lightsaber and activated it in the air, sending it soaring toward the evil Sith. Palpatine laughed and used one of his hands to grab the lightsaber with the force, holding it inches away from his face.
Anakin then summoned the Force, inhaling through his nostrils, and the marble flagstones beneath their feet began to tremor. Palpatine took his attention away from Anakin's lightsaber for only a moment, but that was alll Anakin needed. He Force-grabbed both Palpatine's and his own lightsaber and brought them into an X, slicing through Palpatine's neck. For the second time in his life, Palpatine was beheaded, and his body sunk to the ground as his head rolled away and stopped a meter away, rocking a little.
Then his body shimmered, faded, and was gone in a matter of seconds. Anakin's lightsaber lay on the ground near where Palpatine's body had just lain.
He sunk to his knees, covered in sweat, his body groaning from pain.
The lights in the room brightened, and the huge doors opened, allowing the Jedi Council to file in.
"Congratulations, Skywalker," he could hear Mace Windu saying. "You have just passed the Trial of Spirit."
Obi-Wan hurried to him, helping him stand, and smiling proudly at him.
"Come on. Let's get you to the Medic Center so we can get you in the bacta tank. And so we can, again, replace your prosthetic." He sounded apologetic.
Anakin smiled wearily. "I passed."
"You did, Anakin. And a well done job, if I do say so," he said as they began to shuffle out of the room.
"Rest, Young Skywalker must, before the last Trial he is to take," said Yoda. "This evening, resume the last Trial, we will."
"Let's hurry," said Obi-Wan. "Before they decide to administer it right now."
Anakin barely had the strength to grin. "Let them. I'll pass it, too."
Obi-Wan dragged Anakin out of the room, smiling to the other Masters. He whispered to Anakin. "Just be quiet until we get out of here!"
Ahsoka was standing outside the Council chambers. Obi-Wan didn't hesitate.
"Help me drag him to the Medic Center, will you? He's a little punch-drunk. One too many hits from a Sith, I'm afraid."
"Did he pass?" Ahsoka asked breathlessly, taking Anakin's other arm and helping Obi-Wan drag him down the large corridor.
Obi-Wan smiled. "Yes. Yes he did."
. . .