Merry Holidays, everyone! 'Tis the season to be jolly, so be sure to send a smile someone's way! As my aunt always say, this time of year as well as all the time, no matter what your beliefs or opinions are, we should be spreaders of peace, joy, love, and happiness. I always like to add kindness into that mix as well.

I've got a nice chapter for you here, and I hope you enjoy it! I'm starting to get to the point where I need to be looking back at the original so that I can keep/expand upon some of the elements from that first story, which is exciting but sometimes brutal. Good Lord, you would think that spell-check didn't exist five years ago! But I suppose the important thing is that I'm having fun with this rewrite, and I hope that you all enjoy reading it!

Disclaimer (since I've not been doing this as much as I should): None of this is really mine, just the story. All of the characters have come from the beautiful minds of the lovely people at Lucasfilm, Disney, and from George Lucas himself.

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Anakin knew that resisting was out of the question. He was led willingly out of the cell on the ship. He had heard from one of the troopers that his family was being transferred to the prison on-planet, and that Palpatine had a specific desire to meet with him immediately. Alone.

Anakin looked around as he was pushed through the hallways of the Senate Building, which now housed the now ineffective Imperial Senate. He kept his eyes down as various Senators gasped at the appearance of the old "Hero with No Fear". For so long they believed he was dead. He ignored the whispers of disbelief as he and the guards turned into the long hallway leading to Palpatine's office. Anakin couldn't help but scoff, knowing that the Emperor was simply parading him around to further disparage the senators that still had the gall to openly denounce the supreme leader. The problem was, it seemed to be working.

He thanked the Force Padme wasn't there with him. She knew most of these people who still kissed Palpatine's backside at his whim, as well as those who worked for the rebellion on the side. It would have left her sick to her stomach, knowing what the Emperor was really doing with the Senate.

Moving down the long hallway leading to the main office, Anakin couldn't help but recognize the large statues placed around. The same ones from that night. He hadn't realized it'd be this hard, and it was going to be even harder after he walked through those large doors. The guards stopped in front of the doors, one turning to key in a code. The doors slid open, revealing the large office of the Supreme Emperor. Anakin hesitated, fear inside him causing his legs to turn into lead. The guards pushed him forward, and he stumbled through the door.

The office itself didn't seem to have changed. Anakin winced at the sight of the new window that replaced the one that had been destroyed by Mace Windu. He could still smell the burnt skin of the brave Jedi Masters who had confronted Palpatine before he so stupidly helped the Sith Lord destroy them.

"Lord Vader." a voice croaked into Anakin's thoughts. It sent shivers down his spine. Anakin kept his eyes down. That wasn't him. That wasn't his name. So he sure as hell wasn't going to answer to it. Palpatine was unamused.

"You will answer me when I address you, apprentice." the voice hissed, and lightning suddenly engulfed Anakin. The force of the lightning pushed him to the ground as he continued to spasm. After a few moments the electricity stopped coursing through his body, and he was pulled back up to his feet. It was then that he looked into the yellow eyes of his old mentor, a man who he had thought to be his friend. The man who betrayed him, and temporarily seduced him to the Dark Side.

He looked just as scarred as he had that night, but his skin had sunken. He seemed to resemble a corpse, at least in the eyes of Anakin. He was no longer human, he was... a Sith. Anakin frowned, knowing that he could have become something like that. If it weren't for Padme and Obi-Wan, Force knows where I'd be.

"Let's try that again. You will answer me when I address you, Lord Vader." Palpatine demanded, louder now.

"I don't go by that name anymore." Anakin replied, standing up straighter. Palpatine stood up from his desk, frowning deeply.

"So I've heard. But that will soon be remedied." he growled. He walked around his desk and stood before Anakin, glaring at him.

"For now, however, you must face the punishment for disobeying your master and leaving without my permission."

Anakin sneered at the Sith Lord, despising the words that had just come out of the old man's mouth. He wasn't Palpatine's slave, not anymore for that matter. But before he could voice his opposition, he was once again engulfed in lightning.

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Padme stroked her children's hair as they sat in their new cell. Obi-Wan sat in the next cell over, with a four inch viewport built into the wall allowing the two adults to speak to each other. Though they really weren't allowed to speak to eachother. Luckily years of being a Jedi and a Senator had helped the two develop a knack for reading lips. They both sat silently now, though, waiting. For what exactly, they were still unsure.

Padme began to grow anxious. They had only been in the cell for almost a standard hour, but Anakin had yet to return. Surely Palpatine wouldn't have him killed so soon. Afterall, if he had wanted Anakin dead, wouldn't have Ahsoka just killed them before even pulling out of Iego's atmosphere? It was a dark thought, but it was true.

She was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts though, when Luke suddenly burst into tears and began thrashing in her lap. Padme jumped up, pushing Leia aside as she tried to grab a hold of her son. He seemed hysterical, his face twisted in pain as he continued to scream. Padme got a grip on Luke's shoulders, and kept him straight on the floor so he couldn't hurt himself.

"Help!" she cried, not knowing what to do. Panic lined her voice and formed a lump in her throat. "What the hell is happening! Help me!"

"Shut up in there!" was the only reply she received. She looked over to Obi-Wan, whose face was practically stuck to the small viewport as he beat against the glass.

"It's Anakin!" he exclaimed, but Padme did not hear him, for Leia had begun to cry as well.

Padme pulled the two children closer to her as she whispered into their ears that "everything will be okay" through fearful tears of her own. She even began singing a lullaby, hoping that could ease her children's pain. Just as she was about to run out of ideas, though, Luke and Leia's screaming and thrashing stopped. They continued to sniffle and whimper in her lap as she kissed the tops of their heads. Leia looked up into her mother's matching brown eyes, though in hers, there was pain. A pain that Padme was unable to relate to.

"What is it, Darling?" Padme asked, her lips turned downward with worry. "What is the cause of this?"

"Mommy, Daddy is in trouble. That bad man, he's hurting him." she replied, scrunching her eyes shut.

"Mama, why is that man doing that? Why is he hurting Daddy?" Luke asked silently. Padme sighed, looking at Obi-Wan, who seemed to be feeling the same pain as the children.

That's when it hit her. Anakin was bonded through the Force with both children and Obi-Wan. If he was in pain, they felt it. But years of experience allowed Obi-Wan's reaction to such instances of pain to be less... obvious. Padme slowly stood up, moving to the viewport.

"Obi-Wan," she whispered, placing a hand on the glass, "is Anakin alright? What is he doing to him?"

"Nothing that won't heal," he replied, shaking his head.

"But he's," Obi-Wan hesitated, lowering his voice further, "He's torturing him."

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It would be another standard hour before some of the Emperor's guards dragged Anakin into the cell on the other side of Padme's. She gasped as she ran over to the viewport that looked into his cell. His tunic was in shreds, his back was scorched by what seemed to be an electrowhip. She noticed muscles in his arms and legs were still twitching from electric shock. After a moment, Padme looked away and closed her eyes.

"Oh Ani," she whispered, a tear falling down her cheek. She suddenly felt so helpless, seeing her husband in another cell with no one to tend to his wounds. She sat back down, her back against the viewport, knowing that there was nothing she could do except get some much needed rest.

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The feedback has been so encouraging, and I do appreciate those who review, follow, and favorite this story.

Thanks again!

-renny writes