Disclaimer: I still don't own Star Wars.
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Anakin had broken a sweat as he and Ahsoka once again locked lightsabers. He was breathing heavily, blocking slash after slash. Ahsoka had him pinned against the wall with her lightsaber, and she kicked his knee out from under him. Anakin shouted in pain as he landed heavily on the floor. Ahsoka laughed with delight as she used the Force to pull Anakin's lightsaber to her. She threw it to the side and placed her lightsaber on her belt. She then grabbed him by the collar of his tunic and pull him up to her level.
Anakin only had milliseconds to look pleadingly into her harsh, yellow eyes before he was thrown to the ground, a soft oompf escaping his lips. He rolled on to his back as Ahsoka jumped on top of him, throwing punches with both her mechnos.
Now, Anakin had been punched by many droids, and was very accustomed to the feeling of metal meeting his face. But this was a whole different feeling. There was real, raw emotion behind these punches, and each time Ahsoka's mechno connected with his now broken jaw and nose, he could swear she was getting angrier and angrier.
He caught one of her metal fists and, with some help from the Force, was able to throw her off of him. And not too soon, for he could feel the entire right side of his face swelling as blood ran from the searing parting gift Sidious had given him moments ago. He staggered to his feet just as Ahsoka pulled a blaster from her hip.
"That's enough." she hissed, aiming the gun at Anakin. He froze, raising his hands.
"Please Ahsoka," he panted, "Don't do this. Don't give into the darkness. Be better than I was. Come back to the light." Ahsoka scoffed.
"And what did the light ever do for me?" she shot back. "When I lost my hands, when I was left for dead, when all that I cared about was destroyed by you the 'light' that the Jedi would worship was nowhere. And in the absence of the light, I learned to live in the dark."
Anakin had no response to that. He frowned, turning away. He suddenly realized that it had been much the same for him in his brief fall to the dark side. It was Padme and Obi-Wan who had brought him back. Once upon a time, he might have been able to do the same for his old padawan, but he had been what destroyed all that she had known and loved. It was his fault for all of this.
And in that moment he realized that there was no bringing her back.
He sighed. Guilt swept over him, tears pooling in his eyes. He fell to his knees, no longer able to stand. Ahsoka's blaster followed him carefully.
"You're right." he croaked. At this, Ahsoka smiled.
"I've been waiting years to hear that." she smirked. "And to do this."
A red bolt of energy flew through the air and embedded itself into Anakin's shoulder. He shouted in pain as he fell back, hitting the carpet with a hard thud. He spared a glance at the hole burned into his shoulder, the wound cauterized immediately. Black spots began to blur his vision as he laid his head back.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan's voice suddenly rang through the room, but Anakin was too far gone to reply.
Ahsoka kneeled down next to him, seeming to ignore Obi-Wan's presence.
"Thank you for that." she whispered, watching as his blue orbs darkened and his head fell limply to the side.
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Leia Skywalker felt everything. And she had no doubt Luke felt it too. Her mother had sat them down by the ship's landing ramp and ordered them to wait for her to come back with Bail. Luke was now awake, more or less, but he remained completely silent. This irked Leia further. It was killing her that she had no idea what was going on. Her father was in pain, Luke was catatonic, Obi-Wan and her mother had run off in separate directions, and she was left to wonder what in the name of the stars above was going on.
Her internal lament was cut off, however, as she suddenly gasped. The skin on her shoulder felt as though it were on fire. Fearing she had been shot by one of the stormtroopers nearby, she quickly looked down to see that there was nothing there. That meant only one thing. Daddy? she called out through her bond with Anakin, but there was no response. She could feel him, back in the building where he had run off to earlier. He was in pain, so much pain. And it was as if she couldn't do anything about it.
Or could she?
She dared to steal a glance back towards her mother, who was busy at the moment with a sudden ambush by the stormtroopers. She looked at Luke and huffed. He'd probably end up ratting her out. He was known to do that from time to time, but at this point Leia didn't care about the possible consequences. She just knew she had to get up to her father.
So letting the Force be her guide, she sprinted into the Imperial Palace.
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Two seconds too late. Obi-Wan mentally reprimanded himself, but that was all he could afford to think of about that as he looked down at his fallen brother. He needed to focus on the here and now.
"Obi-Wan!" Ahsoka smiled, calling her lightsaber to her, "Just in time. I was about to rid the galaxy of its greatest pest."
"I think that's quite enough, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan replied calmly, reaching towards his own lightsaber.
"Is it? Come now, Master. The fun is just beginning." Ahsoka looked back down at Anakin, smirking. "Besides, I was hoping you might want to get in on this."
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow in confusion. "And what might you mean by that?"
"Justice, Obi-Wan. Justice!" Ahsoka hissed, holding a fist up. "Look at him. He took everything from you, yet you let him walk away. He never deserved any of this. He didn't deserve to be swept up by the Jedi. Didn't deserve to be treated like the so-called Chosen One he is.
"And worst of all? Just look at the temple!" She cried, gesturing to the grand bay window where the temple ruins could be seen just through the buildings. "They were your family. All you ever knew, and he was able to destroy it all on a matter of a few hours. And he gets to walk away from it all without paying for his treachery. So unjust! Don't tell me that doesn't make your blood boil."
"We all had a part in Anakin's fall, whether we want to face that or not." Obi-Wan replied harshly.
"That's what you've been telling yourself for six years? Come on, Kenobi. He's the source of all this trouble. It'd be so easy to just fix it all right now by killing him. Then you can move on. Start a new Jedi Order perhaps! Then everything could be set right."
Obi-Wan couldn't believe this. She was actually trying to turn him against Anakin. Sure Anakin had always been a thorn in his side, and was one of the main sources of pain in his life. But, as Obi-Wan came to realize those years ago in Padme's apartment, he loved that mess of a man. Obi-Wan stiffened, looking hard at Ahsoka.
"How dare you." he spat, "I would rather lay my weapon down and let you kill without a fight if it meant saving Anakin. I have no doubt he would do the same for me. I'm disappointed in you, Ahsoka. You had so much potential, but you too have been lost to Palpatine's manipulations. I was able to save Anakin, but I see he wasn't able to save you."
"You're gonna regret this, Kenobi." Ahsoka snarled, igniting her lightsaber. Obi-Wan followed suit.
"I highly doubt I will."
Before he knew it, Ahsoka threw a chair at him. Obi-Wan was able to cut it away as Ahsoka jumped through the debris. He was able to shove her off of him while striking at her. She parried and flipped over him, kicking him in the face. He fell back a few steps, but quickly recovered. Ahsoka came back hard, chuckling as their lightsabers locked. She pushed down on Obi-Wan's saber harder, but Obi-Wan pushed back, using the weapons to flip over her. He land across the room by the window. He brought his lightsaber back, prepared for Ahsoka's next attack. Ahsoka advanced toward him, frustration etched her face. She began another string of attacks, but the older man was able to dodge and duck under every strike. Ahsoka huffed and suddenly glanced out the large window. A grin spread across her face, leaving Obi-Wan confused.
In a flash, the young girl jumped through the window, shattering the glass with her lightsaber. Obi-Wan grunted and jumped out after her, landing on the roof of one of the landing platforms untouched by the rebel's battle on the other side of the palace.
"Figured you could use some fresh air, old man." Ahsoka sneered as she attacked again.
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Leia bounded into the large room just as Obi-Wan and Ahsoka jumped out of the shattered window. Her mouth hung open at the sight, running over to the edge of the window to catch a glimpse of her uncle dueling that Admiral Tano (who she had thought was on their side up until now, leaving her more confused than she needed to be but that was an issue for another time…). She had always dreamed of seeing him in action. In her father's stories Obi-Wan was always described as the "negotiator", but in many cases was able to showcase his swordsmanship against some of the biggest bad guys in the galaxy.
Father. Leia suddenly snapped back to attention, scanning the room for her father. Her non-wounded hand flew to her mouth as her eyes befell the broken man laying across the room.
"Daddy!" She shouted, breaking into a sprint to Anakin's side. She knelt down beside him and took his right hand into hers.
The right side of his face was swollen, his eye forced close. A deep cut ran from just under his right ear to the left side of his chin. Part of it was cauterized, but the other part was left bruised and bleeding. Leia saw that strange patterns now marred her father's skin; traces of pinker second-degree burns that looked like lightning bolts. His nose was bleeding and there was a black burn on his left shoulder. He was panting, obviously having troubles breathing.
After taking the sight in, the six year old had to look away. It was too much for her to bear. This battered mess was her father. Her left hand clenched itself into a fist, but quickly unclenched as pain spiked through her injured wrist. This wasn't fair. What did her family do to deserve this? What did her father do to deserve this?
A pit feeling in her stomach told her that she would most likely find out later. But for now, she decided that she would comfort her father until help arrived.
"Leia?" a weak voice called her attention back to the broken man. She gently squeezed his hand.
"I'm here, daddy. I'm right here," was all she could say, shakily.
"My sweet Leia." Anakin moaned. "Is Luke alright?"
"Uh huh," she replied, "He's with mama."
Anakin nodded and the two remained silent for a moment.
"I'm so sorry, Leia." Anakin suddenly cried, breaking into gentle sobs. Leia was completely taken aback. She could feel her father's guilt radiating through their bond. He was incredibly upset, and the young girl felt helpless. She couldn't do anything for him but hold his hand and whisper encouragements.
"I forgive you, daddy. Whatever it is you did, I forgive you." She tried to assure him.
Anakin's unfocused gaze managed to find his daughter's.
"How could you? I'm a monster. I don't deserve any of this." Leia shrugged.
"You're my daddy. You're stuck with me, and I'm stuck with you. That's how family works."
Anakin found he was able to muster up a half of a smile upon hearing this.
"I guess you've got a point there, Princess."
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Just as Obi-Wan parried another attack from the red blade, Ahsoka jumped up and kicked him again, sending him flying across the roof. He found he was panting heavily. Come on Kenobi, you're not that old. He shook his head, standing back up.
"I was hoping you would see Skywalker's death as justice, Kenobi. If you can't believe that, then I have a feeling Padme won't either. You all are just as bad as him. Perhaps I should just kill all of you then." She smirked as Obi-Wan huffed. "A pity that the children will have to pay for the sins of their father."
Obi-Wan felt something snap inside of him. Those children were part of his universe. He was their Uncle Obi. To have them killed by this monster would be yet another failure on his shoulders. He frowned as Ahsoka leaped over to him, landing on top of him, their lightsabers locked. Holding all of Ahsoka's weight, it took all of his strength to push her off of him. He turned a full three-sixty and swung his lightsaber back at her. She batted it away, scraping the durasteel with her blade. Obi-Wan kicked her away, swinging his lightsaber again as Ahsoka brought down her blade. With the swing, Obi-Wan heard the clatter of a durasteel hand and a lightsaber. Ahsoka shrieked in fury, seeing what Obi-Wan had done. He held his lightsaber to her chest.
"It's over, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan huffed.
He watched Ahsoka carefully as she searched for an escape, eyeing her lightsaber still clutched in her severed prosthetic.
"Don't try it." He pleaded. He didn't want it to be like this.
With lightning speed, she reached for her lightsaber, catching and igniting it as she attempted to flip over Obi-Wan. Anticipating this, Obi-Wan thrust his lightsaber above him, into Ahsoka's flight path. Another anguished cry, and the girl fell to the ground with a thud. A deep gash was burned deep into her abdomen, it was apparent to Obi-Wan that the wound was fatal. He deactivated his weapon and returned it to his side, sighing deeply.
A great sadness washed over the older man as what was left of his small bond with the girl broke. She had been like a padawan to him, and seeing what she had become was so painful. Anakin would be heartbroken when he found out. He loved the young girl like a sister, maybe even a daughter. Tears sprang to his eyes as the girl turned to face him, anger distorting her features.
"Jedi scum!" She cursed, gasping in pain. Obi-Wan shook his head.
"You have it all wrong, Ahsoka. If you had just put your anger and lust for revenge aside, we might have been able to figure this out!" He yelled in frustration.
"It doesn't matter. Skywalker will soon be dead. You will have gained nothing, and I'll take ease in knowing I will have a restful afterlife now that that monster isn't roaming the galaxy. I'd say I've done you a favor!"
Obi-Wan paused at this, remembering Anakin's current state. He called through their weakened bond, praying for an answer. Back in the office, he felt another presence answer him. Leia! She was with Anakin, her mere presence seemed to be giving Anakin strength. The bond between Anakin and his children never ceased to amaze Obi-Wan. He may live through this yet. Obi-Wan thought with a smile.
"You're wrong, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan stated. "Anakin will make it through this. You see, we have something a little more powerful than your lust for 'justice'. We have love. Love strong enough to hold the darkness back, strong enough to hold us all together, and strong enough to withstand anything you and your kind decide to throw our way. You will always lose. The Jedi have learned to adapt, making us just as strong as you and your Sith predecessors. But we will always have love in our hearts to push away the doubt, hatred, and greed that the Dark Side breeds. Our love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres."
Ahsoka snorted. "Yeah. That's what I used to believe too."
Obi-Wan frowned as the young Togruta let her head fall back to the ground, one final breath escaping her lips.
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"No!" Anakin gasped, suddenly. Leia jumped in surprise, but Anakin didn't notice. He ripped his hand from Leia's and placed it on his abdomen. It burned, much like the lightsaber scar across his face. But he knew the pain wasn't his.
His head was pounding now, as he could feel a small thread in his mind snap. It wasn't as strong as it used to be, as it had gone years without use. But Anakin had refused to break it years before, not wishing to lose what good was left of his old friend.
Oh Snips. He called through the bond one last time, hoping to hear something. But there was no reply.
"It's all my fault," he choked. "All of this: the Jedi, Ahsoka, Luke. All of it. Force, what have I done!"
He was shaking violently, panting. His guilt was killing him. He couldn't handle all of this. He had tried so hard to be good. But he couldn't do it. He wasn't strong enough. And yet another friend had paid for his failure.
But then he was swept up in a hurricane of warmth and love, pushing the grief and darkness away from him. He looked up to see that Obi-Wan had jumped in through the window, a concerned frown on his face. Leia jumped up and ran to him, embracing him. He gave the child a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and continued on towards the broken man.
Obi-Wan knelt down and placed a soft hand on Anakin's forehead. He cracked a smile.
"Well, Anakin, this is another fine mess you've gotten yourself into." he whispered.
"Ahsoka?" Anakin moaned softly. Obi-Wan's expression faded into a sad frown.
"I'm so sorry Anakin." he sighed, "I tried. Really, I tried."
Anakin choked on another sob and turned his head away. Palpatine's dead body caught his attention. "I did it." he muttered. Obi-Wan grinned.
"I know, Anakin." he replied. "I'm so proud of you. So, so proud."
Anakin turned back to Obi-Wan, a small smile on his face.
"But I guess this is the price of restoring balance to the Force." he placed a shaking hand on the flesh near the blaster wound, wincing.
"Don't be so dramatic." Obi-Wan frowned, almost tempted to roll his eyes. If Anakin weren't in so much pain, he would have chuckled. "You're going to be fine."
"Is that a threat?" he dared, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. He believed a nap was in order, especially in his current state. Obi-Wan laughed at this.
"No, my friend." he began to reply as Anakin slipped out of consciousness. "It's a promise."
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In a matter of minutes, a squad of rebels burst through the door. Padme ran straight for Leia, and had already begun a serious lecture about her running off like that. Obi-Wan chuckled. It scared him how much Padme and Leia reminded him of how he was with Anakin. He stood up as he was shooed away by a team of medics that now surrounded Anakin. He walked over to the mother/daughter duo as Padme wrapped up her point. Before Leia could begin a string of arguments against Padme, he placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder.
"I believe you'll need to get that wrist looked at." he stated, smiling down at Leia. "I wrapped it as best I could, but you figure that was weeks ago and I hardly have enough medical training to guarantee you that it has been doing you more good than harm." Leia offered a toothy grin.
"Oh, Uncle Ben. I think you did a good job with it!" Obi-Wan chuckled, looking back up at Padme.
"And where is Luke?" he asked.
"Already on the medical frigate. He needs some rest, and a good talk with his father as soon as he gets patched up." she replied, gesturing to Anakin.
"I have a feeling that's something we all need." he nodded thoughtfully.
"Come," Padme stated, "I'll bring you two to the frigate. We can meet up with Anakin later."
The three of them began walking out of the large office as Padme suddenly looked over to where Palpatine lay dead. A hand flew to her mouth as she realized that her husband had defeated the Sith. He had managed to destroy the very thing that was destroying the galaxy. He redeemed himself. Padme allowed a small smile, feeling pride for her love's accomplishment. She continued with Leia and Obi-Wan out of the palace and back to the ship, leaving the Imperial Palace behind as the sun began to set on the Galactic Empire.
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And there we go. That does it for the duels in this fic. I hope you liked them. I'm still kind of figuring out just how to write them out but I think this will do.
So what do you think!? I know I got a few reviews and messages saying "don't kill her" and "make her come back", and it was kind of painful for me to write. But it needed to happen. It's the way it was in the original, and I felt like I owed it to my eighth grade self not to change it. But I still want to know how you guys feel about it.
We've still got one more chapter plus an epilogue. Both of those will probably be kind of short. Just a few resolutions and such. Other than that, this rewrite will be coming to a close! It makes me sad to see it be all done, but I've got more great ideas for other stories and I'm about ready for something new.
That does it for now! Until next time!
renny writes