AN: So some people may or may not have a problem with this. You'll see what. I made it as believable as possible, even tweaked the original version of this. But you tell me.

Read, enjoy, and review!

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Chapter Thirteen

Padmé's Betrayal Part III

"You'd take you're your new empire, you'd side with Palpatine, a Sith Lord, over me?"

"Yes."

Anakin felt like he had just been stabbed straight through the heart with a lightsaber at that moment. He literally felt like his heart had been snatched out of him, and he could have sworn he lost the ability to breathe at that moment as he experienced a myriad of emotions.

Hurt…

"You're so beautiful."

"Only because I'm so in love."

Pain…

"As soon as this war is over, as soon as Grievous is dead, we'll leave all this behind."

"Ani-."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

Betrayal…

"Thank you… Thank you for understanding and sticking by me these last few weeks even though I've been a bit…"

"Insufferable?"

"Yeah…Anakin!"

He kissed her.

"I love you," he whispered to her.

"I love you too."

And finally rage…

"Don't go. Stay here with me."

"Anakin I'd love to, really… But I can't. Don't worry though. We'll have plenty of time once this war blows over."

She pulled away from him and started to leave before turning back. "I love you."

"I love you."

"YOU LIAR!" Anakin yelled as he trembled with rage and raised his arm.

"Anakin," Padmé said alarmed. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He wasn't supposed to be angry with her.

She gasped and her hands flew to her throat to try to pry away invisible fingers. "Anakin… No… Please."

"Anakin, let her go," came Obi-wan's voice calmly from behind him.

Anakin ignored him, consumed by his rage.

"Anakin this is exactly what Palpatine wants. Let her go," he said again.

If he was planning on letting her go, they didn't know as two blaster shots rang and Anakin's left hand flew to the holes in his abdomen. Anakin released his hold on her and Padmé leaned on the desk behind her for support, as he stared at her in a mixture of rage, hurt, and overwhelmingly, shock.

"Padmé," he muttered appearing as though he wanted to go to her, but taking a shaky step back instead as he nearly doubled over and cried out in pain trying in vain to stop it from bleeding with his real hand.

Padmé ignored his obvious pain as she set the blaster to stun and stunned him. He crumpled to the ground and Padmé wasn't sure if it was because of the stun bolt or because his wound forced him to anyway. She hummed a little. It didn't matter. She had a Jedi to deal with first and she needed Anakin out the way for a moment.

"This is your fault," Padmé snarled as she glared death at Obi-wan. "You've turned him against me!"

"You've done that yourself."

Obi-wan was ever aware of the glare she had on him as he went to check on Anakin and inspected his bleeding wounds as well as his presence in the force. What he found confused him. The wound itself shouldn't have been detrimental, not immediately anyway. But strangely, Anakin's life force was dimming. He didn't have a lot of time if he wanted to get Anakin help.

Padmé managed to stand on her own but still stayed close to the desk just in case.

"I won't let the Jedi take him away from me," she yelled at him with angry tears in her eyes. "I won't let you take him or my children."

"Your anger and lust for power have already done that," Obi-wan said sighing as he took out his lightsaber.

"So have you come here to kill me?" Padmé asked. "Come to kill a defenseless woman who doesn't stand a chance against your power? Just like your council tried to kill Palpatine?"

Obi-wan sighed. "You're under arrest milady."

Padmé's had slipped behind her, to a button behind her on the chancellor's desk. She pressed it.

"On what charges? I've done nothing wrong, only what needed to be done to ensure the peace, freedom, justice and security of my new Empire," she said.

"Your new Empire?"

"Perhaps I might be moved to grant you clemency if you swear your allegiance to me," Padmé suggested.

"Padmé, remember what your values are. My allegiance is to the Republic… to democracy."

"That's what you say, but I see the truth now," Padmé said to him. "You should leave while I'm giving you the chance. You have no authority in my empire. You can't arrest me."

Obi-wan eyed his lightsaber and Padmé followed his gaze.

"And you can't kill me either. You won't kill me. But I will kill you," she finished and then heard the steps of the clone troopers coming. Obi-wan heard them too and, knowing he would be no match for them, prepared to leave, only to have to duck a blaster bolt from Padmé's blaster.

He ran out the room and Padmé followed, walking right past Anakin with the single minded focus of getting Obi-wan. The clones met her in the hall.

"Spread out. Obi-wan Kenobi is in this building. Find him and bring him to me alive if I don't find him first. I want the pleasure of killing this Jedi myself."

"Yes milady," they said rushing to find him, two clones going with Padmé to assist her if needed.

From where she was hiding around the corner, Sabé watched her mistress leave and when she was sure no one was around, headed into the chancellor's office with Artoo trailing behind her. She gasped.

"Master Skywalker," she said rushing to his side as she tried to wake him.

"Padmé… Where's Padmé? I have to stop her, " he said in his semi-conscious state.

Sabé looked to where his hand was holding his abdomen and removed it to see the bleeding wound. If treated correctly it was harmless, but left to bleed and without being cleaned he risked bleeding to death or an infection.

"I have to move him out of here," Sabé muttered and then looked at Artoo. "Master Skywalker's star fighter… Can you bring it around to the window?"

Artoo beeped in the affirmative and started to rush out the room to do so until he stopped and rolled back.

"What is it?" Sabé asked.

Artoo simply projected an image of a young torgruta girl.

"Master," she said and then saw Sabé and looked confused. "Where's my master?"

"Master Skywalker?" Sabé asked her.

"Who are you?" Ahsoka asked.

"A friend," Sabé said simply. "What's wrong?"

Ahsoka looked at her warily and then suddenly recognized her.

"You're one of Padmé's handmaidens!"

"Yes."

Ahsoka nodded and then said, "Something's wrong. I sense it. The babies, they won't stop crying. "

"Master Skywalker's hurt and..." Sabé shook her head. "I'll explain the rest another time. Where are you?"

"At a medical facility on Polis Massa," Ahsoka said to her. "It's a neutral planet in-."

"A neutral planet!" Sabé said. This was exactly what she needed. Anywhere here was too dangerous. If they found out he was Jedi, they'd report him. "What are your coordinates? I'm sending Master Skywalker to you."

"Why?"

"Trust me. Just send the coordinates to Artoo," Sabé assured.

Ahsoka looked at her skeptically and then replied, "Okay…"

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"How dare you try to hide from me Obi-wan?" Padmé said as she walked through the massive senate halls and past the columns her clone guards flanking her. "You can't hide from me."

Obi-wan remained silent as he clutched at his shoulder where Padmé had grazed him. He had to admit she was scary in her pursuit of him. He'd hate to think what she'd be like right then if she had any force powers. Once she put her single minded focus to it, she was an unshakeable force, one Obi-wan didn't even know how to handle as a Jedi Master. Her skill with a blaster rivaled that of a trained assassin. If he even tried to get close with his lightsaber, he was risking himself more than her with the now five six or seven clones she had protecting her. His shoulder proved that. Not that he wanted to kill her though, but more and more it was looking like he might be forced to. She was a grave threat without the force, her intuition leading her in a way that some Jedi couldn't with the force. However, the time to do so wasn't now. She had the building crawling with clones. He hated to admit it, but she had the advantage here.

"There he is!"

Obi-wan ducked a second before a bolt would have shot through his head. He then ran to take refuge behind another column and looked around it to get a visual on Padmé before lighting his lightsaber to deflect the bolts coming from her and the troopers with her.

"I have him," she said to into her com. "He's in the lobby."

Obi-wan searched for a way out. Soon Padmé would have the entire floor swarming with clone troopers. He looked around and saw a large vent just ahead of him and knew it was his opportunity. Quickly, he ran ahead and ducked inside of it, positive Padmé hadn't seen him go in. He then began to walk through the large ducts and came across an opening on the other side of the building. Not sensing any danger, he walked out in the dimly lit hall and started around the corner only to bump into someone. At first glance, he thought it was Padmé and raised his lightsaber to defend himself.

"Master Kenobi!"

Obi-wan took a second closer glance and realized it wasn't Padmé, but her handmaiden, Sabé.

"Sabé?" he asked.

"Master Kenobi," she said in a desperate tone. "What happened to her?"

Obi-wan didn't have an answer. He really didn't know.

"Please? How could do what she did? I know she had been acting strange, but…"

"It was Palpatine… He's a Sith Lord," Obi-wan admitted.

"A Sith? But they're a myth."

"No they aren't." Obi-wan said to her. "But I'll explain it later. Right now we have to get out of here."

"I can get you out," Sabé said. "All the personnel and clones think I'm my mistress."

"Wait," Obi-wan said to her. "Where's Anakin?"

"Don't worry. He-."

"Obi-wan."

Sabé and Obi-wan turned to face Padmé who was glaring in fury at the Jedi Master. She smiled a little in Sabé's direction.

"I've always been able to depend on you Sabé. You found the Jedi," Padmé said as she approached them and pointed her blaster at Obi-wan.

"Milady no," Sabé said taking a step towards her mistress and then stopping when Padmé seemed to edge the blaster in her direction. "Milady this is wrong. Stop. I don't know what happened to you but this isn't you."

"And how would you know?" Padmé sniped. "You're just a handmaiden, a decoy even and you work for me. Now step aside."

"Go Sabé," Obi-wan said to her. "Just go."

"But," Sabé began.

"Go," Padmé said to her. "Your treachery will be dealt with later."

Sabé reluctantly backed away with tears in her eyes as she looked at Padmé who turned her attention back to Obi-wan.

"This is the end for you Master Kenobi," she said and started to pull the trigger.

Sabé was faster.

Padmé let out a small cry and then crumpled to the ground, a result of the stun bolt from Sabé's blaster. Sabé shook with tears as she hid the weapon back in her sleeve. Obi-wan turned to look at her shocked, but shook his head.

"We must leave this place," he said sensing the clones on their way

"Senator Organa is waiting on us," Sabé said shakily. "Master Skywalker is already gone… Artoo took him."

"Where?"

"I'll tell you when we meet Senator Organa," Sabé said as she led them outside to where Senator Organa was waiting on them. They slid in the back of the speeder and Bail shot off to ride around the back of the building and up next to the roof of the building. Yoda tumbled out one of the light recesses and into the passenger seat next to Bail. Obi-wan looked at him expectantly to which the old master sighed and dropped his ears.

"Into exile, I must go. Failed, I have," he said grimly.

"Where's Knight Skywalker?" Bail asked noticing that the man was missing.

"I know," Sabé said. "We have to get to Polis Massa, quickly."

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Padmé groaned as she recovered from what was obviously a stun bolt. She looked up to find the clones around her. One reached out to help her up.

"Are you alright milady?"

"I'm fine," Padmé said shaking her head as she brushed off the help of the clone. "Find that Jedi. Don't let him get away."

"Yes milady."

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Ahsoka wouldn't even begin to try and comprehend what was going on or even pretend because she had no clue. Her master wouldn't tell her exactly what was going on when he gave her the personal mission to take his children to Polis Massa. All she knew was that something wasn't right. Then the children wouldn't calm down and the next thing she knew, she was giving one of Padmé's handmaiden's the coordinates to where she was, not knowing exactly if she could trust her, but knowing that it was the right thing to do.

She thought that would be the end of her surprises for the day, but nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared her for the sight of her master unconscious and bleeding in the cockpit of his star fighter, piloted by a frantic Artoo D2. She had known he was hurt and that they would need a medical team as soon as he landed and she had made sure the medical team had prepared as such. But he looked so pale, his presence so broken and he kept muttering under his breath. Ahsoka wasn't clear on what he was saying at first. It was all incoherent until she made out one word. Padmé.

If that hadn't been an indication that something had gone wrong, then the fact that it was taking too long for the doctors to treat a blaster wound definitely tipped her off. It made her wonder. Where was Padmé?

"Padawan Tano," Threepio said making his way to where she was as she watched the doctors work on her master. "Senator Organa is here with Master Kenobi and Master Yoda."

"What about Padmé?" Ahsoka asked confused.

"She's not with them," Threepio stated. "I do hope she's alright."

Ahsoka had a bad feeling about all this as she went to meet them just outside the waiting area along with a woman who looked like Padmé, but wasn't her.

"Ahsoka," Obi-wan said. "What are you doing here?"

"What's going on?" Ahsoka demanded instead. "Where's Padmé? Anakin's asking for her."

If it was possible, Obi-wan seemed to age slightly as he paled.

"Ahsoka, Padmé's not here. She…"

"Is she dead?" Ahsoka asked. That would certainly explain why the twins had been crying.

"I wish it were that simple," Obi-wan said reluctantly.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, becoming impatient with Obi-wan's cryptic answers. She started to say as much until Yoda spoke.

"Manipulated by the Sith Lord she was. Led to mistrust the Jedi she has been. Turned against the Jedi and sanctioned the destruction of the order Senator Amidala has. Gone is the woman she once was. Replaced by something far darker, she has been," Yoda said to her.

Ahsoka couldn't find words.

"Wait… You mean the order's gone?"

"It's quite possible that we may be what's left of it Ahsoka," Obi-wan said to her and before she had time to try to react he asked, "How's Anakin?"

She looked back toward the observation room, her countenance dropping as she said, "Not so good." Then she led them into the room where a medical droid was apparently waiting on her return.

"No matter what we do, his internal wounds continue to bleed. There's nothing else physically wrong with him, nothing that should hinder the blood clotting process. Other than that injury, he's completely healthy."

"What's that mean?" Ahsoka asked.

"For reasons we can't explain, we can't heal him. His systems are beginning to shut down…"

"He's dying?" Obi-wan asked obviously shocked.

"We don't know why. It's like he won't let us, like he's lost the will to live." And with that the medical droid went back into the room.

"I don't get it," Ahsoka said breaking the palpable silence that had filled the room. "How…?"

Obi-wan sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I know this is going to be hard for you to comprehend Ahsoka, but Anakin's not like most Jedi."

Ahsoka huffed, almost insulted. After studying under her master three years, she knew that well and she said as much to Obi-wan, who only shook his head.

"Ahsoka, Anakin knew his mother and he lost her to circumstances beyond his control. So when he loves, he loves deeply. Anakin loved Padmé with all his being. He would have done anything for her. But… She changed. She wasn't the same person anymore and when he tried to help her, she chose Palpatine and the empire over him. I'm afraid her rejection was the last straw for him. With nothing to live for, to fight for…" Obi-wan trailed off as he looked to where the droids were trying their best and in vain to keep Anakin alive.

Ahsoka still couldn't quite comprehend it, but she understood Obi-wan's last phrase. Nothing to live for, to fight for…

"Luke and Leia," she whispered.

"What about them?" Sabé asked.

But it appeared that Yoda and Obi-wan comprehended what Ahsoka was getting at.

Yoda nodded as he said, "Bring them to young Skywalker we must. His only hope, the children are."

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AN: Shoot… I was heartbroken for the whole time I was writing this, the chapter before, and the last one, just like I was in the original ROTS. The Anakin dying part might be controversy, but mental grief and trauma can prevent a person from healing properly, at least I believe that. It's just like if you think about something negative and troubling for too long, you can literally get sick and feel weak. So yes, I think Anakin could unwittingly keep himself from healing because you get in a state of not caring because you're preoccupied with something else. I've experienced it before. Criticize me all you want. I'm practically expecting it. Next chapter is the last chapter.

Hope you enjoyed. Review Please!