Last Hope

by The Wasp1995

Immediately after the fall of Ben Solo, Luke Skywalker has exiled himself to the planet of Ahch-To to live out the rest of his days in shame and to end the Jedi once and for all. But when offered a chance to undo all of the horrible events of the past, Luke takes it and embarks on one last hero's journey to create a future that never was. Time Travel fic

47. End of the Clone Wars 5- Salvation

Okay, people. Here it is. The big one.

It took me a long time to write this. Certain parts had to be flipped around. Edits were made. Certain changes to the plot. But it's here. A few quick things before we start however.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert or tech expert. Certain aspects of both will likely be inaccurate, but I tried my best.

There are a lot of things going on at once. If you have questions, let me know or DM me. I was not able to get my beta to edit this one for me in time, so if there are any punctuation or grammatical errors, I apologize in advance.

This is a long chapter. You guys have a lot of reading ahead. I suggest pulling up a chair and grabbing a cold one.

Enjoy.

"Miracles are merely events that happen just when they are needed."-David Gemmell

Chapter 44. End of the Clone Wars Part 5- Salvation

Out of the main suite and into the adjoining hallway, Luke Skywalker swung a lightsaber faster than he ever had before. That's what it took to keep up with his father. Even against Grievous and Maul, he'd felt secure in his own abilities despite the high level of skill possessed by each opponent.

But as he was finding out, a twenty two year old Anakin Skywalker could not be tricked or out maneuvered as easily as former lackeys of Sidious. With an almost fully intact human body and limitless power in the Force, the margin for error became razor thin...thinner than the stubble coating his face. As both men battled, azure and emerald flashed in a dazzling display of color. Lightsabers sang a song of fate for all to hear across the galaxy.

Grunting from the taxing exercise, Luke planted his boots (mindful of that trick knee) and gave a great uppercut before twisting and twirling his blade around in an incredible feat of swordsmanship that Anakin barely blocked. His father's eyes widened in recognition of his own technique.

"How?"

"I learned from the best."

With great effort, he tore himself from the saberlock and dared him to resume the attack, taking a Soresu stance. Anakin didn't hesitate. Superior athleticism and anger spurred him to greater heights.

He caught Luke in the chest, kicking him backwards. Briefly stunned, an azure blade whipped past, nearly decapitating the blond in a nanosecond, before sticking into the wall.

Luke thanked the Force that experience told him to never lower his defense, something he'd learned from Darth Vader oddly enough, the shadow of which seemed to grow stronger and stronger with each passing moment.

"Father stop this! You know this is wrong!"

"I don't know who you are, Luke Ahch-To," came the slow, menacing tone that somehow terrified him more than the deep, robotic tone of the cyborg he was familiar with. "But frankly, it doesn't matter to me anymore. As I told Obi-Wan, I'm going to do what I have to..."

He twisted his hand and the saber, previously impaled into the wall, rushed back to his hand, forcing Luke to take cover once more.

"...even if it means driving my lightsaber into your back."

Luke braced himself as another swing of the blue lightsaber slashed forward. The Skywalker men's bones rattled with every successive hit and with each one, the Last Jedi felt his father's soul slip away further and further into evil. Another attempt to engage their bond failed as Anakin angrily pushed him away in the Force.

On the verge of losing his family again, desperation consumed hesitation. There was only one way to get Anakin to listen.

The Betrayer swung and the Hero seized both wrists, lightsaber and all even while gripping his own, forcing them apart. He did not let go…

---

Lightsabers truly were crude instruments. Tools for the Jedi that only served to compensate for their lack of understanding in the Force.

Even so, it still felt damn good to wield one with great effect.

Darth Sidious was no fool and had not lived this long without knowing how to weigh threats and his chances of survival. At the present they were not high. Against four extremely talented, skilled Jedi, the odds swung against victory.

But part of being a descendant of the Bane lineage was knowing how to adapt. He could do what those idiotic, archaic Jedi had not.

Wielding two crimson blades with precision, Sidious ensured every swing, dodge, strike, and parry was natural and effortless yet also precise. One wrong move and it would be his head.

He spun in a three sixty degree motion, the body becoming a blur, aggressively attacking Kenobi, Tiin, and Mundi while also blocking the quick acrobatic strikes of Master Yoda. Of all the Jedi, Yoda was only one that truly gave cause for worry. Much as it pained him, the Dark Lord acknowledged that the Grandmaster was indeed powerful and a match for his own skill. Enough to deliver the final blow? Not without assistance and that's where his strategy came in.

Separate them one by one and they all become easier to kill.

Sidious tried to evade Mundi's strike but was forced to block it while using his other lightsaber to fend off Yoda. The only saving grace was that Obi-Wan Kenobi's mastery of defense inhibited offense. His blows were timely but not overwhelming.

Even so, against four Jedi Masters, all of whom were prepared to outright kill him, the Sith Lord could not hold out indefinitely. Slowly, but surely, he was driven back to one corner of the office, slicing at his opponents as best he could, yet also conceding more and more ground.

Sidious could sense that the foolish light side users were going to use a combination of trickery and numbers as opposed to outright brute force to try and end him. A costly mistake and he'd ensure they'd pay for it. The Jedi never did what was necessary. That's why a Sith Lord had been operating as their head of government for the past thirteen years undetected.

Kenobi feigned a strike which Tiin then used as a cover to issue one of his own. Predictable. However, he did not bring up his second saber in time before Yoda came charging in. Though he managed to block it, the Grandmaster used the distraction as a way to stick a gnarled, clawed foot into his chest and give an almighty kick.

Stumbling backward, Palpatine snarled and regained his senses. It would not end like this. He'd come too far and planned too carefully to lose now. Summoning the full power of the dark side, the Dark Lord avoided Mundi's blade by flipping backwards, giving him sufficient space. Yoda leapt to attack again, but this time he was ready.

A massive Force push, sent the little green troll across the room all the way to the suite's entrance. He hit the wall, momentarily stunned.

Sidious licked his lips, savoring the opportunity which now presented itself. Three Jedi Masters, despite their accomplishments, could not match the power of a seasoned Sith Lord who embodied the very essence of the word 'darkness'. Without Yoda they were vulnerable.

Wasting no time, he ducked underneath Mundi's strike and struck out ferociously, hammering away at their defenses and using superior speed and power to overwhelm the Jedi. Kenobi proved to be a tougher nut to crack. He really was a master of Soresu, Sidious gave him that much. But the best defense could always be overcome by a superior offense. This was no different.

Yoda had not yet recuperated from his crash landing. Being nine hundred years old, it took more time to recover though he would soon reengage the battle. It was time to press the advantage which didn't take long.

Sidious saw the smallest of holes in Kenobi's defense. Very slight, but a hole nonetheless. One to be exploited. An elbow crashed against the side of the redhead's skull, causing him to stumble back though only temporarily. He avoided Mundi's blade and sensed Tiin attempting to drive his azure blade into his now unprotected back.

Fool.

Sidious blocked the strike without turning and then used a reverse grip handle on his second lightsaber, spinning around and plunged it straight into the gut of the Iktochi male.

"NO!"

The temptation to laugh was almost too great to overcome as the Jedi Master fell to the floor in a heap. He wasn't dead yet but his life force was quickly draining away. It would only be a matter of time. A mortal wound.

But just to be sure.

Palpatine prepared to plunge both crimson blades into Tiin's torso but a green flash and both sabers were blocked by the timely arrival of Master Yoda, who'd rejoined the fight with gusto.

It was the Jedi's turn to land a blow, as Kenobi slammed a fist into Sidious's mouth, moving him away from the prone body on the ground which desperately clung to life.

"Well played, Master Kenobi," he said with a devious smile, feeling the iron swirling around in his mouth.

He could sense the emotional devastation the younger Jedi felt from the loss of one of his comrades. Good, that could be used against him. Yoda, calm and collected as ever, would never break or bend which suited the Sith just fine. He'd take more pleasure in killing him outright.

"False compliments are beneath you, Chancellor."

"Oh to the contrary, I like to give my victims one small bit of pleasure before I inevitably rip it away from them."

With a horrid cackle he launched himself once more in a rapid flash of crimson.

---

The sound of indiscernible chatter echoed throughout the mess hall as the entirety of the 501st and 212th gathered for prepared remarks by their commanding officers. However, this time around it was somewhat subdued. Rumors floated about being decommissioned, being sent off to an unknown world, that the Senate could be disbanded, or even the unthinkable.

"Echo, have you managed to block the Chancellor's Office from reaching barracks?"

"Just about. I'm redirecting all calls but the holo channels are still online."

Rex bit his lip. They still needed more time when time was fast becoming a precious commodity. He and Cody already informed every friendly commander and officer- Bly, Wolffe, Doom, Pond, etc.- to refuse any transmissions from Coruscant. But thousands of others throughout the galaxy may not receive the word in time.

This went beyond Umbara. They were officially in uncharted waters.

"I'm trying to isolate the main comm channel where orders are filtered in."

"Good."

"Some of the men are talking about being involved in a coup," Jesse informed Rex as the last headcount was taken. "Probably best to do this sooner rather than later."

"I've never been one for these kinds of speeches, to be honest," the Captain spoke with some trepidation. "Fives is better suited to that kind of thing."

"Ordinarily I wouldn't mind hogging some of the glory," the ARC joked. "But in this case they need to hear it from you, Captain. That and I'm...also technically still a wanted man."

"Probably why a bunch of them are looking at you right now."

The three of them, alongside Echo, were standing in front of a platform that bordered the numerous tables that were neatly placed in four rows of twenty. Many of their brothers were already giving hurried glances with some pointing a finger or two. The Kaminoans had bred them for many things, but subtlety wasn't one of them.

"It's just because I'm that good looking," Fives again said in an attempt at levity which caused Jesse to roll his eyes.

"You're still not funny, Fives."

"He was my batch mate on Kamino. He has his moments," Echo added.

The humor didn't seem to fit with the perilous moment in history they all found themselves in. But that's what soldiers did. Finding the ironic humor among the billions who called their galaxy home in all of the sheer insanity that went on. They may have been pawns. That didn't mean any of them would go down without a fight.

"Captain, all companies and battalions are accounted for," Sergeant Appo reported with a salute.

"Very good."

"So are the 212th," cut in a gruff voice from the 212th which Rex recognized as Boil.

"Good to see you, Lieutenant. Where's Cody?"

"Still in surgery." Boil's hardened eyes softened. "He wouldn't go under the knife before I had mine out."

A flutter in Rex's heart brought a small lump in his throat, which he swallowed. Consummate Cody. Always putting others before himself.

"We gave a short debriefing to each of the company officers," he continued. "I think...they got the basic message but there's also a lot of confusion."

By the tone of Boil's voice, that confusion extended to himself as well. No doubt, the time had finally arrived.

"Then let's get on with it," Rex said.

"I got this."

Jesse stepped forward and gave a loud finger whistle.

"Attention! Captain on deck!"

The room immediately went silent and Rex gave a silent nod of thanks to his brother. He looked over at Cody who indicated for him to speak with an encouraging smile. It spoke volumes that a commander placed that amount of trust in someone of lower rank, even if they were personal friends.

"Gentleman, you all know me well enough by now that I don't mince words. I also don't lie to my brothers, whether directly under my charge or not. We're one in the same. Same heart, same blood."

He privately thanked Fives for those particular words before continuing.

"Which is why tonight, we're exposing a lie and revealing the truth for what it is. No doubt some of you have been informed already of the events of the past day or two. But I wanted a chance to clarify these rumors as opposed to hearing it from someone else."

Drive the point home. No more messing around.

"We've been betrayed," he said over the whispers of the men. "Not by the Jedi and not by ARC Trooper Fives, but by the very institution we serve."

He reached into his belt and lifted up the evidence high for everyone to see.

"This is an inhibitor chip. Placed by the Kaminoans within all clone troopers in the Grand Army of the Republic. Many of you already know what this does, some of you had it removed. But for those who don't I'll explain: once activated will force every man in this room to turn on our Jedi Generals and execute them.

"This plan was devised by the Sith. The Jedi believe they've been behind this war from the beginning. But we've only just learned who the real Sith Lord is."

He held in a troubling bit of nausea. The idea of Palpatine's amiable face being the mask for the Sith Lord still didn't sit right. But everyone in the room needed to hear it.

"It's the Chancellor," he said. A mixture of reactions followed. Some of the men turned white just like Cody, others tightened their lips, clenched their jaws, or raised their eyebrows. Appo looked as though someone drove a knife through his heart. But no one made a sound. "Chancellor Palpatine has been playing us for fools. Not only is he behind the war, he's responsible for the death of trooper Tup…of thousands of brothers."

Shellshock erupted into shouts of terrible anger. Including some that called for Palpatine's murder, even a public execution. Rex understood their feelings, he felt the same way. But these men had no idea what someone like Sidious was capable of.

"Hey!" Fives cut across the noise. "Captain's not done speaking."

Giving silent thanks to his best friend, Rex trudged onward with his speech,

"I realize this is unwelcome news for you. It is for all of us. We clones have put our faith in the Republic for as long as we've been alive. Now, we have to put that faith in something else...ourselves."

He gestured around the room.

"Look at us. By Republic law we are free men. We can make our own decisions. I don't care if they put chips in our heads, I know what's right and so do you."

Agreement. Murmuring. Nods of the head. Slowly, but surely they were beginning to come around.

"So…what's next, Captain?" another asked, he recognized the voice as Ridge.

"We take matters into our own hands," he answered simply. "There's only one group of people that have ever truly cared about our well being, who saw us as more than just soldiers to fight and die on a battlefield."

He need not explain further. Everyone in the room knew he meant the Jedi. The ones who'd fought and died by their side since day one.

"I don't fight for an empire or a dictator. I fight for those who can't defend themselves. I fight for freedom. Let's fight for our freedom brothers. For everyone! Who's with me?"

He ended the speech punching a dramatic fist into the air. For a split second, no one made a sound and Rex wondered if the men would believe them or even refuse to listen. Then something quite remarkable happened. One of the men, known as 'Joc', took off his helmet and began banging it against the side of the table. Appo did the same thing. Then Hardcase and Dogma. Row by row, table by table, the sound grew louder and louder until a roar of approval was deafening.

"And who says you can't make a good speech?!" Fives yelled over the noise as Rex gave a rare grin in response.

Jesse, however, stepped in and settled the men down, easing them to listen up once more.

"What's the plan, Commander?" one 212th member asked.

"Yeah, where's General Kenobi and General Luke?"

"One at a time," Boil said to them firmly. "I know this is a lot to take in. But we can't rush into anything. As almost every man here remembers, we were fooled once on Umbara. Our respective units almost killed each other. The same thing can't happen again."

"And just like on Umbara. We're entering highly dangerous territory," Rex added. "So, for the second time, I'm proposing what could be considered as treason. If there are objections, speak now."

Not a single man backed down or left the room and the Captain's chest swelled with pride. They would all do their duty.

"Here's what we're going to do," Rex continued. "As we speak, Commander Ahsoka Tano is infiltrating the Coruscant city communication center, the network that connects all on-world transmissions. She and Clone Force 99 are going to disable the network so the Chancellor can't give the Order. The chips will be completely useless…hopefully."

"And then what, sir?" Appo asked.

"We march on the Chancellor's quarters."

No one said anything. The original cheer and support had subsided into hardened stares, grim jaws, and a quiet determination. After everything they'd done, everything they'd seen, and every battle fought, this would be the one that defined them forever. The Grand Army of the Republic in all of its glory, restoring peace and justice to the people it served. To the brothers they fought with.

Rex never doubted for a second every single one of these men would do their duty. All they needed was the signal. The command to end the Clone Wars once and for all.

Come on, Ahsoka. You've never let me down before. I know you won't this time either.

---

Ahsoka and Maul raised their lightsabers in the nick of time. Even then the amount of fire was so intense, they barely held their ground. The Bad Batch took cover and fired back, abandoning stun shots. This was a battle to kill.

"So now what's the plan, oh wise Jedi?" Maul mocked as he twirled his double blade, deflecting countless blaster shots.

"We do what needs to be done!" Ahsoka yelled back. "Find a way inside!"

"Well, we certainly can't stay here!" Crosshair shouted sardonically, taking out two more shock troopers with his rifle. He had to move behind the wall to avoid the response.

"What's the plan?"

Hunter's question only emphasized that even the most independent of clones deferred to Jedi. But the Zabrakian beat her to the punch.

"Follow me."

Maul leaped in the air, somersaulting as he did so, and then proceeded to smash his fist into the ground. Several troopers went flying backward, clearing a path forward. With no other option, she beckoned for the men to follow. Hunter understood.

"Bad Batch. Plan Five."

Ahsoka discerned in seconds what plan five entailed: follow the Jedi and let them lead the way. She flung herself into the air, allowing the Force to carry her into a smooth landing. The Coruscant Guard continued to fire as the young Knight weaved, danced, and deflected away from the barrage, providing cover for the Bad Batch, who grappled down with ease.

They're not in control of themselves, Ahsoka thought sadly as another shock trooper dropped dead from a deflected blaster bolt. They can't help what they're doing.

She had to set aside that sinking feeling. Her emerald blades hummed as Ahsoka Tano sliced and diced across the courtyard, doing as much as possible to avoid killing. But as one of the bolder troopers got a little too close and attempted a headshot point blank, she was forced to stick her shoto blade into his chest.

The Bad Batch cleaned up whoever was left with ease as they reached the mainframe's entrance, where Maul awaited.

"Okay, we're here. Now what?"

Maul rolled his eyes. "We get the doors open." He almost plunged his double blade into the metal doors, but Tech quickly intervened with a loud clearing of the throat.

"You'd best leave that to me. If the facility's security system detects an unauthorized breach, the whole complex will lock down, and leaving here will become impossible. I should be able to bypass it. "

"Understood. Wrecker, Crosshair, keep a lookout," Hunter ordered. He didn't take chances when it came to funky technology.

Ahsoka and Maul disabled or killed as many as they could. But more shock troopers arrived, and their attacks grew more aggressive. One trooper chucked a thermal detonator which landed with an ominous rapid beeping a few feet away.

"Look out!"

Ahsoka threw up a quick force shield as it exploded. The resulting blast narrowly missed sending shrapnel into their faces. Even Wrecker had to shield himself with a massive arm.

"Detonators?! In this small of a space?!"

"They must be crazy," Crosshair groused.

"Worse. They're controlled," Ahsoka corrected.

"It appears you are correct about these clones' programming. They will stop at nothing to kill us, even if it means killing themselves. A pity," Maul observed casually as he crushed the windpipe of a charging trooper. Ahsoka pushed down a twinge in her gut.

"Tech!" Hunter said as he fired his Z-20 pistols. "How much longer?"

"I've almost got it!"

One shot hit just above Tech's head, sending sparks everywhere.

"That is not helping!"

Wrecker tossed a detonator of his own, and Crosshair shot it midair. The resulting explosion fried five more guards. Maul grunted as sparks licked his eyes.

"What is the hold-up?!"

"Hacking is not as easy as it looks!"

Tech pressed three buttons on his datapad, and the screen flashed green. The doors came apart.

"We're in! Let's move!"

Ahsoka and Maul were the last inside, and the Zabrakian took ruthless pleasure in decapitating one last guard that dared to challenge him before the doors closed.

Wrecker and Crosshair wasted no time in sealing them shut. The inside of the complex was surprisingly simple. Gray paneling and steel walls were typical of any structure on Coruscant. This one contained a small lobby leading to a series of small offices on either side of the hallway. To the left was a door leading to an emergency stairwell. To their right was a turbolift.

"Where to next, Tech?"

Hunter's question prompted a blue hologram layout of the facility on Tech's datapad.

"The adjacent tower has four floors. Mostly maintenance and office work. However, the network system and its central computer are at the very top."

"Aw man," Wrecker whined. "Important stuff is always at the top." Crosshair scoffed at his brother's childlike antics.

"We have a lift."

Ahsoka pointed to a sign in Galactic Basic next to the elevator: out of order.

"Well," Hunter said with a shrug. "Guess we're going the long way up."

"Then stop chattering and follow me," Maul growled, bumping him out of the way. Wrecker made an aggressive move.

"Hey!"

Ahsoka had to intervene.

"Not now, boys. Keep a clear head." She frowned at Maul and narrowed her eyes. "Don't forget which side you're on."

He only gave a yellow-toothed smirk in return, slashing the emergency exit door open with his lightsaber.

"And I thought Wrecker was over the top," Crosshair remarked wryly.

The Force held a great deal of tension, and though only a small bit of that enormous weight bore down on their odd group, Ahsoka knew what happened when a team lost focus. Hunter's normally inexpressive face, so effortlessly cool, had retreated into a hardened stare. She felt his conflict.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he said automatically. "It's just…I thought killing regs would be easier…"

He shook it off and put on his helmet.

"Never mind me, ma'am. Lead the way."

Ahsoka took two steps before clutching a hand to her blue and white montrals. A flash of anger seared the brain before retreating. Kriff, she hated that poison so damn much…

"General?"

She gave a false smile that hid her pain and fatigue.

"I'm fine. Let's move."

Maul was already two floors up, but it didn't take long for them to run into yet another roadblock. More shock troopers.

"Just how many of these guys are there?!" Wrecker complained.

But there was little they could do to stop two beings strong in the Force and their five super soldiers. In minutes, a dozen crimson-clad clones lay face down on the floor. Crosshair casually kicked one."

"Thought they'd be a better fight."

"The Coruscant Guard has a reputation for being some of the best-trained soldiers in the entire GAR," Ahsoka said, staring down at another, who was unconscious as opposed to dead. "I think the chips might be affecting them."

"To fight?" Hunter asked.

"To think."

Luke had mentioned the inhibitor chips a thousand times, even described their effects, but the way they worked in real time chilled her to the bone…they were little more than slaves.

That's what Sidious wanted. To put them all in chains in one form or another. It was enough to arouse more anger.

"Feeling a little bit cozy with the dark side, Lady Tano?"

Maul's question sounded like a jeer, but there was a small sliver of sincerity in his eyes. He understood that allure better than anyone. The desire to murder someone who was simply evil.

The flitter of respect was interrupted by Tech, who had busied himself trying to open the doors leading to the central computer.

"I am almost done opening the doors."

But when he pressed the button to override them, nothing happened.

"The doors are sealed," Hunter said, pressing a hand to the ground and listening. "That means we have company inside."

Maul gave a vicious huff and cracked his neck. Two crimson blades sprang forth. Tech, predicting his intentions, began to protest.

"What are you doing? I told you if we physically override the security system-"

"I am done listening to you prattle," he growled. "As of now, there is only one way we get inside."

"This building was designed to have only one way in or out," Tech said, bravely standing up to the frightening Zabrakian. "If the alarm system is triggered, not only will we have more shock troopers on our hands, but the building will seal itself."

Ahsoka saw his point but, for once, conceded to her enemy.

"Soldier, he's right. We'll figure something out. But the galaxy is counting on us to shut down this communication center."

No one argued. No one could (or wanted to as Maul flashed yellow teeth).

"Care to do the honors?" Ahsoka offered the dark sider.

"Oh, no, I insist," Maul said with a smile that feigned benign politeness.

"Together then."

It was a short work of about twenty seconds. Carving a man-sized hole, Maul suddenly placed a finger to his lips, indicating for quiet before taking a deep breath.

Using both hands, the Zabrakian used the Force to send the steel circle they'd created flying into the room.

"Careful!" Tech yelled.

Everything occurred as he predicted. The alarms began to go off. And a third round of shock troopers awaited them inside.

Ahsoka gathered a second wind, pulling out every trick to disable her opponents. Sparks flew, blaster bolts flew past The entire room lit up in a decibel-breaking skirmish in which ribs shattered, and the scent of charred flesh stung the nostrils.

She almost didn't see one downed trooper aiming for her back.

"GAH!"

The blast hit her forearm, and the willingness not to kill fled. She slung her shoto into the man's chest. Maul quickly finished the job by decapitating a second clone about to fire from the rear.

"In case you still felt the need to question 'which side I'm on'," he said with a shrug that was almost too casual.

"Right, well, no time like the present. They'll be sending more shock troopers. Tech, let's get to it."

The Bad Batch immediately set to work while Ahsoka checked the control panel. Wincing from the hit, Maul eyed her closely.

"That wound is going to need medical attention."

"I'm aware," she gritted. She sensed that the blaster shot had not damaged anything beyond normal repair. Ignoring the pain was the only option for right now.

"Pain fuels us to greater heights," he told her.

Maul wasn't trying to corrupt her as much as he wanted to prove a point. But wouldn't that also be admitting he had a point in the first place? The Togruta didn't want to think about it.

"Keep watch," she ordered. The ex-Sith did not take to be ordered around but coming from a matriarchal society, perhaps he found less offense in Ahsoka's commands. Regardless, he gave a small sniff but complied.

"You'd best hope Sidious hasn't slaughtered your friends already."

Miraculously, nothing had been damaged in the firefight. Only a few monitors had scorch marks on them. Beyond that, the room was a technological marvel. Massive wires, tubes, conduit pipes, and carbon fiber, all feeding into one massive computer. It was a good thing Tech was there, or they'd be screwed. In fact, he'd already plugged his datapad into the system.

The three kiosks flashed blue. Galactic coding began to pop up on the screen.

"I've connected to the central computer. I'm in."

Compared to battle, watching Tech pour over numbers on a screen was nerve-wracking and agonizingly boring. Wrecker didn't mind saying so.

"Tech! Why don't we just blow this place sky-high and get out of here like we usually do?"

"Actually, he's got a point," Hunter said, cutting off the dry lecture before it occurred. "Why hack into a system when a few thermal detonators will do the job?"

"Because this is not a Separatist command ship or power center, we're inside. This building resides in the heart of the Republic."

"Why should we care?"

Crosshair was colder than the Pantora moon. Tech's tone sharpened at the severe indifference.

"If you would think beyond yourself for just one minute, Crosshair, you would remember that modern communications systems are vital to functioning civilization. With the loss of transmissions, people will not be able to dial emergency health calls. Basic services will shut down, resulting in at least a few hundred deaths, minimum. There will likely be more."

A sobering reality for a sobering night. It hurt Ahsoka to know just how many had already died fighting this false war. More were about to be sacrificed for the greater good. All life was precious according to Jedi teachings; did this not contradict that directly?

Maul's glowing yellow eyes caught her crystal blue ones. The look was peculiar, but she guessed its meaning: the Jedi had failed. Badly. Small wonder they were on the verge of extinction. And they had no one to blame except themselves. She thought she understood that when Luke told her about the future. When the Council nearly kicked her out of the Order.

But this went beyond the ego. It was the people they had let down.

"In any case, shutting down the network will only work for two hours. It has an automatic rebooting station which brings it back online in the event of a crash. But that timeframe should be more than enough for the Jedi to arrest Palpatine before Order 66 is broadcasted."

Tech continued to plug away. Crosshair suddenly drew out a blaster pistol and shot the alarm pad on the opposite wall.

"Was driving me fucking crazy."

Ahsoka chomped a finger as another means of relieving tension besides that of releasing it into Force. Neither did much good when the fate of trillions was on the line. She took three slow, successive breaths.

The Force is with us. We're going to win.

"We have a problem."

Fuck. That's not what she wanted to hear."

Hunter frowned deeply. Ahsoka judged that the brains behind Clone Force 99 didn't often run into 'problems'.

"What is it, Tech?"

"I've encountered a scramble code. The computer won't allow me to access the main network without it."

On the screen, a black rectangle containing red letters had popped up, denying them access.

The comment drew a couple of blank stares from Crosshair and Wrecker. Though no expert in hacking, Ahsoka had learned from Echo of the 501st and a few other clones that the Separatists employed scramble codes, a random algorithm that changed hourly in order to prevent security breaches in their transmission system. The Republic often used the same tactic. They weren't foolproof by any means, but close to it.

"Of course, it's a scramble code. Damn it," Hunter swore. Maul, keeping one eye on the door, groaned.

"Wait, I thought you break through this computer stuff all the time," Wrecker said, confused.

"I normally do, as I own several scramble keys and a randomizer that contains all the data protocols in the clone intelligence files, most of which were devised by Commander Cody and Captain Rex. But this code has the seal of the Chancellor, which exists on a separate and top secret server," Tech explained in the least amount of jargon possible for him.

"So you can't bypass it?" Crosshair asked in plain Galactic Basic.

"It's not quite a code I can't crack, but it's almost a code I can't crack. This kind of hacking would take several days at the very least."

The room went quiet. Tech's explanation carried the crushing weight of failure, and there was a touch more emotion in that deadpan tone. It seemed they'd reached a dead end. That is until the Togruta noticed something on the kiosk.

"Wait a minute, what's that symbol at the top right?"

It read 'SAC' in all blue letters. Tech quickly explained.

"I'm almost certain it's the acronym for the Strategic Advisory Cell."

The top echelon of advisors and generals, an honor given to only a dozen people who directly participated in the Chancellor's war room. They had access to private files that almost no one else did.

And Anakin was recently promoted to it.

"Tech, try Anakin's passcode. 8108. See if that works."

"I hope you realize that this facility likely has a self-destruct mechanism," Maul practically sassed.

"They wouldn't blow up billions of megabytes worth of data."

("I would!" Wrecker chimed in).

"Unless it were to fall into the wrong hands…the Separatists for example…or traitorous Jedi," the ex-Sith added with a nasty smile.

"For once, he's right," Tech said with a nod, though his gaze was still fixed on his Jedi leader. "General, I would be remiss and irresponsible if I did not warn you that we could all be dead in the next minute or so."

Crosshair gave a dry scoff.

"Well, I'm convinced."

Everything hinged on this one action, if Anakin's passcode didn't work, the entire mission would be jeopardized. Was it a risk worth taking?

Ignoring another throb of pain in the cranium, she calmed herself and gave what anxiety she could to the Force. This would work. It had to.

"Do it. Punch in the code."

Tech did so on his datapad. The kiosk screen lit up blue as the numbers replaced scarlet lettering inside the black rectangle. Everyone held a collective breath…until it went green.

"Access granted," Tech said to immense relief. "We're inside the main communication network."

"Awesome!" Wrecker yelled. Then he scratched his head. "So…what now?"

"The easy part." And this time, the clone genius sounded smug, even a bit devious. "Since I have control of the entire system, I can order it to shut down and reboot."

"Hold on."

Ahsoka punched in a code of her own on her comlink and sent it out.

"What are you doing?" Maul asked.

"Sending a signal to Rex before the system stops working. We used them all the time during the war. He'll know we've succeeded when he gets it."

Tech indicated his approval before proceeding with his own duties. Tapping furiously, it was a wonder that anyone could keep up with the constant processing as windows and more lines of coding popped up on the screen.

"Granted permission to override, setting time for reboot, reducing power…and…"

He pressed one button, and the lights began to dim. The kiosks faded into black, and the hum of the generator powering the station also stopped, leaving an eerie quiet.

"The network is officially offline," Tech announced blandly. Hunter reminded them of the obvious.

"Now, we need to get out of here."

"I sense more clones are on their way and will be upon us very soon," Maul said quietly.

"And as I pointed out earlier, this facility was designed to keep infiltrators in."

Tech's tendency to repeat himself when right wasn't helping as urgency arose in the group. How were they getting out? A large boot thundered as if to provide an answer.

"My time to shine," Wrecker rumbled, slinging his giant rocket launcher onto the base of his shoulder. He aimed it at the ceiling. "Stand back."

"Wrecker, wait!"

Too late. The projectile fired, and the impact ignited a collapse of rock, debris, steel, and dust that they were forced to avoid.

"Are you crazy?!" Maul seethed.

"Crazy enough to know there's a hole leading to the roof," the big man said with a laugh. "They don't call me a demolition expert for nothing."

Hunter and Tech exchanged glances. They knew better than to question good fortune. Five grappling hooks later, and Clone Force 99 rocketed upwards, leaving the two Force wielders down below.

Ahsoka tried to follow, but a strong grip stopped her. When she tried to pull back, he didn't budge, instead going in and out of some sort of bizarre trance, mumbling to himself. She made out the words 'mother' and 'altered'. Then his yellow eyes flicked back to the present.

"Let go of me."

He released her.

"Fate has changed…forever. It seems I was wrong."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Far from being offended, Maul only gave an indifferent huff through the nostrils.

"The future is now wide open…"

The comment aroused suspicion as she crossed her arms.

"I'm not following."

"Even if Sidious is defeated, you have seen firsthand that darkness itself cannot be eradicated. You know it's power, it's inevitability. Why not join me and be part of something much greater?"

Ahsoka didn't bother denying it. Even in a half-insane state, it brought something she never experienced before. And yet, despite the Sith poison still lurking in her veins, despite the allure, there was also a wary revulsion.

"The dark side may be powerful. But it's never the answer. Maybe someday you'll learn that."

Maul only chuckled softly, as a callous parent might with a naive child.

"And so the cycle continues."

He glared at her intently.

"Is this the part where you arrest me and bring me to justice?" His hand hovered just above the lock that housed the double-bladed saber, ready to fight if necessary.

Ahsoka would have loved nothing more than to do so. She held no love for the rogue dark sider and had been the leading voice of skepticism in the act of freeing him.

The feathery touch of the light side pressed against her heart, softening it as she immediately understood its message: Luke and Anakin needed her. So did Rex, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and everyone else she loved and cared about.

This was the soothing power of light- the healing, peace, and tranquility. The philosophy that didn't put personal gain above all others. The part Maul never understood and never would. His personal burden to bear.

"Justice will be served another time," she responded. "A deal is a deal."

Maul gave one more look of surprise before something akin or equivalent to respect replaced it. Enemies they might be, but each had kept their word in the end. And for the rogue Sith Lord, the freedom he so desired now lay within reach.

"Until we meet again, Lady Tano."

Ahsoka summoned a powerful burst of energy in the Force and jumped to the roof, leaving the Zabrakian behind to whatever fate had in store.

As she and Clone Force 99 escaped the center and hurried back to the Marauder, a nagging feeling persisted that Maul might be right about one thing.

They had not seen the last of him.

---

Commander Cody liked to think of himself as a patient man. Certainly more so than Wolffe, Gregor, or any of the Skywalker brigade. Having achieved the highest rank a clone could hope to attain at Marshal, he felt a certain amount of responsibility to maintain a degree of order and efficiency through the ranks. Though Rex, being a Captain, always led by example on the field, he did so through doing things clean and by the book. Morale off the battlefield was just as important.

But as he pressed a finger against the bandage on the right side of his temple, he found that his philosophy buckled under the considerable pressure of the situation.

I was nothing more than a weapon.

Cody tried to remember the inspirational words of Fives and Rex. They were going to do the right thing, chip or no chip. He just wished news- any news at all- would come through.

Thinking of General Kenobi, he supposed he really did think of the Jedi as his friend or the closest thing to one a clone could have. All of them did. To betray them without conscious or choice created an unmatched fury unlike anything felt before. Not even when they were betrayed by Slick. Even General Krell.

"Any word yet, Commander?"

Lieutenant Boil was a good man and an equally effective officer who held the respect of the common soldiers but also knew when to kick it into gear. Though there had been a change in him since Umbara. After Waxer died…well, what little sense of humor he once had seemed to vanish into grim stoicism.

"Not yet. Make sure the boys are okay. Don't want anyone becoming too restless."

"Understood."

"Any signs of dissent?"

Boil shook his head.

"Not that I can tell. A fair number are still a bit shocked. It's one thing to hear this kind of news from another clone, even a commander. But there's rumors now. Some of the units across the galaxy have been pulled back from the front lines. Commander Bly's division has refused to fight point blank. We're right at the end, sir. Everyone knows it. It's just…hard for some of them to believe all of this is happening so quickly."

Cody knew that tone just as he knew Boil and the rest of the men. That same sensation of disbelief when Rex first revealed the truth. But in the end, there could be no denying what they were up against or the gravity of their current station.

"Just keep everyone calm. Rex is contacting General Tano for an update. We can't make any moves until we know for certain the comm center is down."

Boiler's lip tightened at the mention of the chips.

"How did all of this happen, Commander? Without the Jedi knowing? Without anyone?"

It was a fair point. For all the Jedi's power and foresight in an element known vaguely to Cody as the 'Force' they hadn't seen it coming. But then again, no one had. Perhaps it spoke more about the evil they faced than the Jedi.

"It's probably a question that goes beyond our pay grade, Sergeant. I only learned about it an hour ago," he responded with a sigh. "But Rex was there with his own eyes. So was Fives. These chips are real. So are the Sith."

"I just wish I could do more."

Cody understood that mindset more than anyone. As a cadet, he'd been noted for his earnestness in battle. Even more so than Rex as both men comically discovered. But part of being a soldier wasn't just following orders. Consistency mattered just as much when lives were on the line. Ensuring the men beneath you were engaged yet prepared for anything. An army without trust was no army at all.

"So do I, Boil. So do I."

The comm-link suddenly activated. Messages began buzzing like they never had before. But these were not from the Chancellor's Office. Echo saw to that already. In fact, the voice was unlike anything he'd ever heard.

'This is Senator Bail Organa from the Galactic Republic representing Alderaan. By the Constitution of the Republic and authority vested in the Senate, Order 65 has been issued by a majority two-thirds vote. By this decree, Senator Palpatine shall be removed from office and arrested for crimes against the Republic in the persona of Darth Sidious.'

The message abruptly cut off. It was all Cody needed to hear, and it was music to his ears.

"Lieutenant," he said, standing up. "It's time. Comm Rex."

Boil's comlink did not light up, however. In fact, its entire circuitry seemed to be on the fritz.

"What the hell?"

Cody's eyes widened as Rex burst through the door.

"They've done it! I received a signal from Ahsoka before everything went haywire. Power's down. No one can send a transmission anywhere on Coruscant."

"Let's get moving then," Cody said, cocking one of his blaster pistols.

In the flurry of activity, the yellow-clad commander suddenly placed a hand on the shoulder of his blue counterpart.

"One last glorious day in the Grand Army of the Republic," he said with a determined nod, which Rex answered with one of his own.

"One last day."

---

Obi-Wan Kenobi had fought against the likes of Cad Bane, Jango Fett, Asajj Ventress, Darth Maul, and Count Dooku. In fact, he'd faced off against them so many times he lost count by now.

Darth Sidious dwarfed them all.

The Sith Lord was unlike anything he'd ever encountered. Faster than Maul, more precise than Dooku, and ten times more brutal than both of them combined- a different animal altogether. Though he'd had half a lifetime to build up his strength, Obi-Wan almost marveled at the sheer power Sidious accrued whilst hiding. And he'd done it all right under their very noses.

Of course, it was best not to think about that. Not if you wanted to keep your head attached to your shoulders.

Blue clashed against red, with an additional flash of green cutting in to break the tension. Being a Master of Soresu was the only thing that had prevented him from being killed thus far. That and Master Yoda required most of the attention. Defense only went so far against someone like Sidious. Yoda's constant barrage of Ataru attacks kept the Sith at bay. But one of their number was already dead.

The stakes had never been higher.

Obi-Wan did his best to keep any emotion connected to Master Tiin to a minimum. He wished to be more like the serene ocean that was Ki-Adi Mundi, who deftly countered the Sith Lord blow for blow without becoming imbalanced. He almost laughed at all the times Anakin called him the 'perfect Jedi.'

Focus. Set that aside. Remember Qui-Gon's words. Stay in the moment.

The redhead blocked one strike, while Ki-Adi placed one of his own and allowed Yoda to come down hard with a vicious slash, but it was blocked. Sidious began cackling at the inability of the Jedi to defeat him, the maniacal, yellow gleam in his eye becoming more disturbing by the second. He twisted around, using his second blade to again block Yoda from delivering a blow to the shoulder.

Impulsivity won out. Obi-Wan's next swing, a deviation from his defensive Soresu, missed, and suddenly he was left wide open.

Backflipping and using his chair to somersault towards them, Yoda used the Force to push him away from Obi-Wan. Even as a seasoned Jedi Master himself, the Great Negotiator never failed to marvel at the power and speed of Yoda, even at nine hundred years.

Yoda leapt up again, and Sidious managed to reignite his blade in time, but not enough to prevent the Grandmaster from slicing one of them in half. The Sith Master was now down to one saber.

We've got him on the ropes.

Obi-Wan cautioned himself to be patient and allow Yoda and Mundi to become the main offense while he provided the defense (though the old master seemed to be doing quite well on his own). But echoes of Qui-Gon and Maul began to creep back into his mind. Their current opponent was in a league of his own, but the two situations mirrored each other a little too closely for comfort.

He'd lost one master and could not bear the thought of losing another.

Rushing forward, Obi-Wan saw the blur of green and red hissing and clashing into each other, resembling striking serpents of color. Yoda flipped and turned, trying to find an in on the Sith Lord's defenses, which were equally as deft, denying any point of entry. Mundi provided further pressure, limiting Sidious's ability to maneuver. But even with one blade, he remained quite deadly.

The Great Negotiator decided on a new strategy. The trio had worked well so far and it stood to reason Palpatine could not stand against three Jedi Masters indefinitely. Neither could they keep the same level of intensity. Thoughts turned back to Anakin and Luke, whom he could sense were both alive but dueling ferociously in another part of the office.

We need to finish this quickly.

He and Luke could subdue his former Padawan together, but not with a Sith Lord spinning around their heads.

Obi-Wan could tell Sidious wanted him out of the way first, putting up an impenetrable wall of Soresu to ensure the scaling, the red blade did not even so much as nick any skin, exposed or otherwise. He waited for the opportune moment, allowing the Force to flow through him as they slowly backed the evil menace into a corner by the window. He could also sense Yoda doing the same, both Jedi having the same idea.

He'll have nowhere to go soon enough.

Spacing shrunk rapidly as the three Jedi Masters closed in. Sidious grunted in frustration at his inability to break out of the stranglehold they placed him in. Left or right, up or down, Yoda's offense and Obi-Wan's defense played off perfectly as the perfect combination to finally bring the conniving Chancellor to his knees. The redhead could see it too, yellow eyes, malicious yet burning with desperation. He was on the ropes. And with the wind currents at his back, it was sure to give the attackers the advantage.

They reached the window, and all four blades collided at once, the Jedi pushing further and further. The Force shifted as though a dark wind came bursting through the office.

Giving the evilest of smirks, Palpatine broke the deadlock. In a sudden burst of speed, he spun around, elbowing Obi-Wan squarely in the forehead.

By some miracle, he didn't fall out of the open window, slamming into the side before falling awkwardly sideways, head hanging dangerously close to the ledge. The Sith Lord gave a roar of triumph as he wheeled around and fired twin blasts of lightning at Ki-Adi Mundi and Yoda.

The Grandmaster managed to absorb half of the blow but was knocked into the ceiling and rolled over unconscious. Mundi was not so lucky. The blast knocked out his lightsaber, and Sidious finished the job. A crimson slash later and the Cerean crumpled to the ground, headless.

Sickening realization dawned on Obi-Wan as stars swam in and out of his vision. They'd been tricked. Palpatine lured them into a false sense of security before taking them both out in one fell swoop. Giddy with the scent of victory in the air, the Sith stepped towards the ledge, red blade drawing closer and closer.

"You have lost, Master Jedi," he sneered, placing a nasty emphasis on the last word as though it were an ugly epithet of some kind. "It is far too late to stop what I have put in motion. Everything has happened according to my design. And in your ignorance, you and your precious Order allowed it to transpire."

It was hard to argue that at present. He was far too dazed to put up any kind of fight. Defenseless and without anyone else to assist him, the luck of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the consummate Jedi and survivor, appeared to have run out. But not his hope.

"You're wrong, Sidious," he said unwaveringly in an attempt to mask fear. "You're wrong about everything."

"Defiance is admirable but, in the end, entirely worthless," the Sith hissed, the red blade now inches away from the Jedi's throat. "The Republic, the galaxy, the clones, your student…they belong to me now. And your last moments will be spent in agonizing pain, begging for death. I will ensure that."

Before he could initiate the killing blow, however, there was a mighty crash as a figure smashed against one of the antique vases near the wall. On the ground was the barely-moving robed form of Luke Skywalker. Atop, moving with the speed of a rolling tank, was Anakin Skywalker, eyes blazing with raw fury and pain, blue lightsaber humming ominously as he stood over his foe.

Sidious temporarily switched his attention from the defeated Jedi to the fallen one, goading Anakin to finish the job.

"Good, Anakin, gooood. You have become more powerful than I could have hoped. The Jedi are no match for you…for us."

Despite the sound of the near-deafening gusts, Obi-Wan could still make out the words. But it was the sight before him that caused his heart to sink as far as the lowest levels of Coruscant. Anakin's eyes were not yet yellow, but he could feel the sorrow, fear, rage, and betrayal within the troubled young man. With Luke down for the count, possibly severely injured, there was no one left to temper the Chosen One. A lost, angry young man left alone, unable to control his own inner darkness.

"Anakin!" he yelled. "Don't listen to him!"

"Silence!" Sidious screeched as he unleashed a torrent of lightning. Obi-Wan tried not to scream, but the pain was so intense, so unbearable that it was everything he could do to avoid falling out of the window. Every inch of skin was on fire as bones rattled and his blood boiled.

Mercifully, it stopped as Sidious turned to address Anakin once more.

"Luke Ahch-To has interfered in our affairs for the last time! Break your chains! Release yourself of him and all those who would hold you back!" Sidious yelled above the wind. "Kill the Jedi, and the galaxy will be yours!"

Obi-Wan breathed haggardly, doing his best to stay conscious from the life-draining effects of the Sith lightning as the revolting scent of burnt flesh filled the nostrils. It wasn't supposed to end like this. They had a plan. They had discovered Sidious's intentions before being fully implemented. They had Luke Skywalker.

A single tear dropped from a single blue eye, coating his whiskers as the dreadful scene played out like a slow-motion collision of two Venator Destroyers.

Anakin, he thought, using the last energy reserves to try and somehow reach his ex-pupil.

I'm sorry we failed you. I'm sorry that I, your master, failed you. Please…forgive us.

---

Shaak Ti placed a hand over the top of the Senator's head. Cold, so cold. And yet her fever was running above one hundred degrees and reaching dangerous levels. Nothing about that made sense. By all standard medical logic, the former scenario could not coexist with the latter and vice versa.

"Nurse, how's her oxygen levels?"

"Stable but still dropping," came the answer.

"R2, have you scanned anything within her brain?"

She didn't speak binary that well, but well enough to know that the downbeat 'blort' of a droid meant nothing positive. But the little astromech began buzzing loudly.

Shaak Ti raised an eyebrow at that.

"Yes, what is it, my little friend?"

R2 plugged his scomp link into the computer and brought up an ultrasound of Padme's midsection.

"By the gods…" the doctor said in astonishment. "Our friend here has done some scanning on his own. Senator Amidala is in the first trimester of human pregnancy."

That wasn't the only surprise. She pointed at the two grainy objects in the center.

"Is that-"

"Twins…yes."

Shaak Ti's mouth opened slightly before closing it just as quickly. How could they have missed such a thing? Through the Force, all living things could be detected and yet Senator Amidala had not reported or known she was with child? Better yet, who was responsible-

Skywalker.

Closing her eyes, the Togruta didn't want to believe it, but somehow, in her heart of hearts, there was no other explanation to be had. The two claimed only to be friends and yet spent more time with each other than any Jedi and politician in history…man and woman…both young and attractive…a moment of passion is all it took…

That is irrelevant, she chastised herself. Only saving her life and her unborn children matters.

"We must save them," she announced, swelling with compassion and urgency. "Doctor, is there anything you have found?"

"Nothing as of now," he replied sadly. "It is the strangest case I have ever seen. Oxygen levels from the heart and to the main organs are falling, putting her into a coma, yet her central nervous system is working so intensely it's as though she's contracted a disease yet unknown to us. It defies everything we know about modern medicine."

Racking her brains, Shaak Ti knew they had to act fast before the Senator's condition became irreversible. Master Yoda had given little detail other than that Darth Sidious had been responsible. But illness could not be created…could it?

She rejected her own arrogance, remembering Senator Amidala describe the effects of the blue shadow virus, manufactured and altered by the Separatists on Naboo to become an airborne agent instead of a water-based one. If clumsy, robotic droids were capable of such horrors, so were the Sith.

For the past half hour, she'd been using the Force to calm and try and settle Padme's body temperature to something more stable, but now the stakes were that much higher. Though not completely sure, Shaak Ti had heard tell of Sith poisons and potions, mere legends after thousands of years, but gruesome in their descriptions nonetheless. If common science and medical knowledge could not locate the source of her ailment, only one thing could.

"Doctor," she said quietly. "Stabilize Senator Amidala as best you can. I am going to do something…unorthodox."

"And what does that mean?"

It was clear from the doctor's look he didn't quite believe or trust that a Jedi could do what he, an expert, could not.

"It means trust in the Force."

Slowly and gracefully, Shaak Ti placed a hand on top of the Senator's pale, clammy forehead and began to breathe in and out methodically and deliberately. R2 cooed in approval. She smiled briefly, it was a strange honor to have this astromech's approval.

The Force is with me, and it is also with you, Senator.

Reaching down and sinking deeper into a semi-meditative state, the Togruta became more keenly aware of her surroundings. Every sound, even the smallest noise, was isolated in time for her to hear. She could hear the heartbeats of everyone in the room. The beeping of medical equipment, the cold air of the ventilation system above. But that was not her objective nor her target.

Focusing all energy and connection with the Force, Shaak Ti pressed forward, using her power like a gentle feather to probe the interior of the body, searching for any signs of harm, cancer, poison, or anything foreign to the body.

The Master Jedi sensed nothing at first as her own anxiety raised slightly. She could hear the Senator begging through the Force, clinging to life with all of her remaining strength. A fighter through and through to the end.

Help me…please.

Stay strong, Senator. I'm here.

Shaak Ti went deeper, giving more of her power to their newfound connection, probing the blood, the muscles, the vital organs…anything. Any sign at all.

Again there was nothing…until a jolt shook the Force like nothing ever experienced before. The dark side surrounded the building, indeed the very room they all stood in…within the Senator herself. Someone…something wanted to keep her from knowing the truth.

Shaak Ti felt almost sickened by the darkness and nearly vomited but stayed the course. She was close. By the Force, she was close. Midichlorians practically screamed in agony, as though they were being systematically wiped out by some unknown entity, evil and without any regard for life…death, decay, malevolence. It sought to block her pathway into the body.

Shaak Ti had to lose some of the gentleness in order to counteract the sheer brute force that she was battling against. Unfortunately, this had consequences.

"Master Jedi! Her vitals are spiking! Whatever you are doing, cease at once!"

The doctor was panicking, adjusting a few knobs and switches, calling on the nurse to administer more fluid.

"I must go deeper, Doctor."

"She's going to die!"

"Not today."

Defying the medical professionals and all else around her, Shaak Ti decided right then and there that no one in this Facility was going to pass from this world under her watch. Least of all Senator Amidala or her babies.

All concentration, everything ever learned about the Force and its power to heal surged through her veins, connecting with the midichlorians, begging them to tell the story, to reveal what exactly ailed the young woman so badly.

The darkness cannot destroy the light. It cannot destroy this woman.

Shaak Ti began sensing cells…the very scientific building blocks for all complex life, the ones comprising this particular human female. The midichlorians danced in and about like little twinkling stars powering the very substance of all beings and things…except they were dying. One by one, piece by piece, the life force of Padme Amidala was withering away to nothing. A black, tar-like substance coated them, suffocating them until they choked away into nothing…the body tried to fight but only furthered itself into oblivion by doing so.

There it is.

Coming back to the surface, Shaak Ti sprang into action.

"I have located the source," she announced to everyone.

"What..what are you-"

"Poison," she answered without waiting for anyone to ask. "Such as I have never seen before."

"But how? We ran every test-"

"Your testing would not have been able to detect this particular poison," Shaak Ti explained. "But there is little time to explain further. We must remove it immediately."

Swallowing, the doctor looked almost completely lost.

"How?"

"I am going to need you both to trust me. It is currently circulating through her bloodstream."

"But-"

R2 began wailing loudly and bumped into the doctor, reprimanding him for his timidness.

[Do your job, meatbag!]

Shaak Ti stifled a small chuckle.

"We can do this, doctor. If a machine can show courage, so can you."

"Place an IV in her left arm. I can redirect the poison and exit the body." The nurse did so immediately, prepping the arm for the insertion and rubbing it with a special fluid. "Doctor, I know more about human anatomy than most due to my years on Kamino, but I trust your judgment. If anything goes awry, please tell me."

"We can settle the central nervous system," he said slowly, as though not quite believing the scene in front of him. "Prevent it from overloading. But not for too long, otherwise it could cause other complications."

"Very good."

The medical team worked quickly and were prepared in about half a minute. Once the IV was inserted, Shaak Ti reached out with her right hand while placing the left on top of the forehead, concentrating her focus on the poisonous substance currently eating away at the Senator's body. Its resistance to being directed was a sign of dark side origins, but her power surpassed its own. She worked as carefully as possible so as not to cause the Senator any more pain.

After about thirty anxious seconds in which everyone held their breath, the Togrutan inhaled and moved her hand downward across chest, tracing a deliberate path to the right arm.

"Be prepared, nurse."

Suddenly, an inky, black substance began pouring through the IV racing up into the storage chamber. The doctor began turning green.

"Is that…that substance was inside her?"

"Yes, and there is still more that I have to remove."

But their victory was short-lived as one of the machines began beeping ominously. Red lights began blinking, and a screen displaying several different numbers began to change. R2 began beeping to warn them.

"Her blood pressure is dropping precipitously," the nurse announced.

"What did you do?!" The doctor asked in a panic. "I thought we had removed the poison!"

"Not all of it," Shaak Ti responded. "There is still a great deal within her organs."

"We're losing her!" said the nurse as she scrambled to do anything that could prevent the pressure from dropping further.

"Stand back!"

Shaak Ti could sense the malevolent substance had a mind of its own. What remained of it was attempting to kill the Senator outright. Time had run out. To save Padme Amidala's life, it was now or never.

The line went flat, and a deathly silence fell upon the room. The nurse took a pulse check and began shaking her head, tears forming.

"Get a defibrillator in here!" the doctor shouted, his voice breaking. "We've lost her!"

But the Jedi Master was not done yet. Within the deepest spaces of her soul, Shaak Ti felt something incredible rise up like a coming ray of light.

She gave herself to the Force, letting it guide her actions like the flow of a peaceful, tranquil, valley river. Locating the last of the poison, she moved her hand swiftly upwards, guiding it into the esophagus as it exited through every major hole in the body.

Padme suddenly awakened. The black substance rapidly leaked through the nose, ears, and mouth. It induced the doctor to vomit, causing the nurse to shriek. R2 warbled and shook in disgust.

Coughing and sputtering, the look in the Senator's eyes spoke of panic and outright confusion. Shaak Ti didn't need the Force to know she was quite disoriented and more than a bit frightened. She lifted the poison in the air and shaped it into a ball, slowly moving it away from the Senator.

She instantly disliked it. This poison wasn't an ordinary substance. It was alive- a little black heartbeat of malevolence. A weapon of the dark side.

And Force that smell was awful.

"Wha-where am I? What's going on?"

"Shhh," the Jedi Master said calmly, as she settled the ball into a small thermoplastic container on one of the shelves. The lid auto-sealed shut. "It's all right, Senator."

"Master Shaak Ti?"

Padme Amidala was back from the dead, but the Togruta sensed just how weak the Senator was. Much to her relief, she started to show a significant amount of color.

"You have been poisoned," she explained tenderly, helping to lower the head back onto the pillow. "I have just removed the last of it. Doctor, how are her vitals?"

The doctor was so shocked at what had transpired he temporarily forgot himself and spoke rather quickly.

"Oh! Of course! They're stable, Master Jedi. Her blood pressure is normal, and so are her oxygen levels."

"And the baby?"

R2 beeped and plugged into the outlet into the wall, running a quick scan.

"The droid says that somehow the poison did not reach her womb. The fetuses are intact."

It was quite a lot of information to take in at once, the implication rapidly becoming clear to the Senator, and to the Jedi as well. Somehow, she knew that these unborn organisms were the reason for their mother's survival. Twin suns in the Force holding at bay the evil that threatened their maker.

"Twins?" Padme asked, voice faint.

"It seems that way."

Shaak Ti marveled at the strength of this woman, dismissed by many as a common human female lacking in physical prowess. Yet she had somehow survived another attempt on her life by a Sith Lord.

In the corner of her eye, she saw the nurse bend down and try to clean up the substance that had spilled onto the floor.

"Do not touch that."

She jumped back but remained curious, not taking her sight off of the poison.

"What is this stuff? I've never seen anything like it."

"I don't know," Shaak Ti admitted. "But it is ill-advised to make physical contact. I will remove the rest of it from the room. If you have sanitary workers, please have them come immediately to do a full cleaning."

The nurse did so and also led the doctor away, clearly having been through a rough day of his own. It felt like a lifetime.

She also made a private note to have whatever this poison was studied, analyzed, and presented before the Council. Whatever Sidious had planned, they needed to know everything about this kind of alchemy, which was likely thousands of years old. But it could wait for a bit. At present, her concern rested with one person.

"Are you feeling better, Senator?" she asked kindly, approaching the bed.

"I think so?" the brunette answered. Her breathing was slow but steady. Shaak Ti could sense the life force within slowly recovering despite the damage left by the poison. The body had begun to repair itself.

"Ani…where is Ani? Is he safe? Is he all right?"

The Togruta felt touched at the display of loyalty and affection towards her husband. R2 moved closer to give what comfort an astromech could.

"I don't know where he is," she admitted, unable and unwilling to lie. "But I promise, we will alert him of your condition. You have my word."

"He…needs to know. The babies…he's…"

Too exhausted to say anything more, Shaak Ti used the Force once more to calm her mind and reduce anxiety. This woman had been through enough. Whatever the code said about attachment and relationships, Anakin Skywalker deserved to be by her side.

Her right hand took Padme's and touched something that had not been there before. A strange necklace of some kind, one with high significance the way she clutched it.

Suddenly, she felt a dark ripple through the Force. A sinking, crushing feeling that something terrible had happened. Reaching out to try and interpret the meaning, terror struck her heart. Skywalker, Kenobi, Yoda, Luke Ahch-To. They were all in grave danger. The shroud of the dark side threatened to engulf them all.

No. This cannot be. What has happened?

"Anakin…" she heard Padme almost beg behind her, calling out for her love. "Luke…"

---

10 minutes earlier…

There were critical moments where one stopped thinking and simply acted in a duel, either out of sheer connection to the Force, or pure survival. In this case, for Anakin Skywalker, it was both.

His opponent's speed and power were unlike anything he ever faced. It was ironic, really. Only someone directly related to a Skywalker could keep up with such a display of talent. And yet the very idea only served to enrage Anakin further.

Yet nothing prepared him for the second Luke seized his wrists. The room began to flash, swimming in strange images that he'd never seen before.

'The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. My sister…has it.'

A gorgeous, dark-haired young woman blinked in disbelief. She could hardly look upon the handsome young man before her, her twin brother.

'Yes, it's you, Leia."

'I know. Somehow…I've always known.'

Anakin's mind violently broke away. Luke was trying to deceive him. Trick him into believing things that didn't exist. Seeing things that weren't there.

His prosthetic hand squeezed Luke's organic one...hard.

Snarling like a beast, the blond gave a cry and dropped his lightsaber. Anakin swung wildly, attacking without thought. He just wanted to kill this karking bastard and be done with it.

Like an elegant dancer, Luke stepped out of harm's way, gliding away from the violence. He tripped Anakin, spun around, and with one move, had his right arm caught in a hold. With a second, he was disarmed.

A black dragon reared in his heart, demanding that he take vengeance over this insane hermit. This mysterious, deceptive stranger, who thought he could come in and take everything from him. He allowed it to rampage and turn his anger into something primal.

Clawed hands grabbed Luke and pulled him to the ground, and the two men began to wrestle, abandoning any measure of civilized dueling in the effort to gain the upper hand. Anakin embraced the savagery, punching every inch he could reach.

Maddeningly, the hatred was not shared. A familiar tug against his mind and the fractured link between the two men sparked to life. More visions poured in.

'The Force is with you, young Skywalker.'

A man in black gazed as a looming shadow down upon a young, blond, blue-eyed nave. Cold, metallic respiration breathed a steady dose of fear into the carbonite chamber.

'But you are not a Jedi yet.'

"Get out of my HEAD!"

Anakin rolled over and threw Luke off of his sanity began to crack from his inability to understand. This man would not give up. He would not break; destined to haunt his footsteps at every corner.

Both men returned to their feet. Blue met green again as Luke blocked the oncoming strike in time.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to kill me."

"I'm not trying to."

With a jolt, Anakin suddenly realized Luke had no intention of ending his life. In fact, he sensed care, empathy, and kindness even in the midst of the most intense duel he'd experienced.

"You're holding back? A big mistake."

"For your own benefit," Luke said honestly but with that same unflappable compassion.

The flare of emotion opened their connection once more like an airlock. A burst of color clouded Anakin's vision, and Luke disappeared.

'Leia listen!'

A mane of long, brown hair whipped past. A blond man followed her down the hallway, both older but still within the primacy of youth.

'No, Luke! No!'

'You must make peace with this. You must forgive him. If not for your sake, for Ben's.'

'Never.' The words were quiet but were born of righteous fury. 'I will never forgive that monster for what he did to my career. To us. To our family.'

'Leia…'

'He is not my father.'

The blond's eyes watered in their fading hope that his sister might see reason.

'He didn't raise us. But he is a part of our lives whether you want him to be your father or not-'

'The man can rot in the nine hells of Corellia-'

'He was a victim, Leia! Yes, Vader did terrible things, but he deserves our empathy as much as our judgment.'

Anakin broke apart from the saberlock and began to panic. What was this? What were these visions? That woman resembled his wife so much it was uncanny…

At the thought of Padme, those questions melted into a volcanic pool of rage. The better angel of his nature was further swallowed by the dragon's insatiable thirst for blood. If Luke Ahch-To would not get out of his way, he'd destroy him. Rip out his guts and festoon them to a wall.

"Then you will die!" he roared.

With the thunder of gods and the speed of light travel he resumed hammering away at Luke's defenses, looking for any weakness in a wall of Soresu. The dragon smiled, knowing that his adversary could not wield it like Obi-Wan; he'd find a hole eventually. It felt so good to release this…this power so long suppressed, all the emotions forced down, and take it out on everyone who wronged him.

The blond spun around, blocking an overhead strike but raw strength and height difference pushed him back further.

The duel exited the hallway into Palpatine's private chambers, edging towards the back wall. Luke continued to give ground, still refusing to take any serious offensive action.

The strength and stamina of a middle-aged man decreased while that of the younger man remained strong. A tired defense met a quicker offense a fraction too late.

Anakin's teeth-jarring punch sent Luke sprawling backwards, with the former seizing the opportunity. The dragon slammed the phony Jedi against the wall and held his cheeks in a vice grip while his azure blade pressed against jade. Real fear entered those sky-blue eyes for the first time.

Good, let him be afraid. Let him see the consequences. Let him see death.

"You're a dead man," he growled. "A fucking dead man."

Blue continued to overpower green as the two inches of white-hot plasma moved closer and closer to Luke's face.

"After I've killed you, I'm going to find that woman in your twisted little visions…your sister.

Luke's baby blues lit up in true fear. The black dragon approved and urged him forward.

"I'll find her," Anakin repeated. He could feel Luke's rapid pulse against his sweaty fingertips. "And when I do, I'm going to snap her neck."

Right at the inevitable point of victory, the Force shifted. The dragon did not recognize this at first, so consumed by its own wants and righteous anger, the beast failed to account for what it had created.

Too late, Anakin looked into the same abyss of fury staring back at him ready to explode. The dragon blinked.

---

He didn't want to do it. He didn't want it to come to this.

Not my sister.

Anakin could beat him into submission. He could hurt him in any way possible.

Not my sister.

Vader wanted to turn Leia. Anakin wanted to murder her.

Not my sister.

His own father…the audacity…the nerve…the hubris…the sheer cruelty…

His own daughter.

Patience evaporated into a bomb that mushroomed into a deadly fireball of raw anger.

Luke screamed so loudly the room began to shake. With an enormous bang, Anakin was thrown backwards across the chamber and to the edge of the anteroom.

The wrath of Luke Skywalker descended upon his father tenfold as they battled once more. He struck hard and fast, not giving Anakin a single moment to breathe. The terrible emerald storm put the Hero With No Fear in a position he did not often find himself: on the defensive.

"Why?!" he bellowed, punctuating every hit. "Why. Won't. You. Listen?!"

A vicious slash fumbled Anakin's footwork, and he was forced to retreat further into the anteroom of the suite. Incredible power surged through Luke like electricity overloading a bulb. Multiple macabre items belonging to Sidious were raised in the air and pelted Anakin relentlessly.

Forgiveness was not on the agenda of the Last Jedi. He felt sick, tired, and enraged after witnessing his father willing to kill his own flesh and blood to get what he wanted. Vader had been pitiable, Anakin deserved nothing but contempt.

Luke watched each object smash into his father, who inevitably failed to slice them all. He seized the anger, embracing its hunger for justice. Vader lived by the sword and would die by the sword.

Anakin's wall of blue disappeared as a dark red jar slammed into his stomach, and a miniature statue punctured his back. He stumbled, and Luke raised him into the air and smashed him into the ceiling. Hurting but undeterred, his father got back up and charged headlong back into the duel.

Stoney faced, furious, and vengeful, he saw the fatal flaw in Anakin Skywalker. A foolish man too proud and selfish to be of use to anyone, much less the galaxy.

Fuck him.

Luke did not allow Anakin to regain the initiative. He dodged two strikes, and slipped underneath the man's massive height, jade light dipping and darting effortlessly against an erratic blue whose form fell into sloppy retreat. Someone always on the attack never learned how to defend. As he lost control, real anxiety began to eat away at the cocky baby face that never considered the prospect of being bested by anyone…

…until today.

I will not allow this to happen again, came the repetitive mantra which had superseded any peace or calm. I will not allow this to happen again!

Luke twirled in the air and slashed down in a tornado of jade. Green and blue flashed and hummed so fast its movement transcended dueling into art- the Betrayer, the bane of the past, and the Hero who vowed to undo it. Even at the expense of the man he called father. But the words of the prophecy were now forgotten. This had turned into a battle of raw emotion. Of parents versus child.

Anakin, looking for any way to recover lost pride and advantage, pushed himself to match the blond blow for blow, striking anywhere he could against the death-defying speed of Luke's attacks. A huge gamble.

It seemed a paltry risk to take for a man so used to beating the odds, but odds were eternal and unavoidable. Eventually, they won out. Just as they did when Luke blocked four successive swings from Anakin, guiding the fifth into an overarching sweep, and sliced his artificial hand clean off.

"AH!"

Luke sent Anakin backwards for the third time, far less violently, but it did not lessen the humiliation. With a soft grunt, he landed on his back and into the face of judge, jury, and executioner.

Glancing down, Luke's anger palpitated in his head and chest. An ugly whisper in the Force entered his ear, ordering him to end this destructive conflict forever.

One swing. That's all it takes.

And why not? Hadn't he done enough? Wasn't this proof that destiny was set in stone? He couldn't stop Anakin from becoming Vader, but he could end Vader...permanently. Set things right…for good.

Luke peered directly into his father's eyes. They were not the menacing yellow that usually accompanied full-fledged Sith Lords, but those blue irises immolated with anger all the same...beneath them, he felt the scared nine-year-old little boy, terrified of losing the people he loved.

He saw he was repeating Ben Solo all over again.

And then Luke became filled with shame. Shame that snapped him out of a place he'd only visited once before. His heart cried out.

What have I done?

Luke cursed the ground that he'd reverted back to what he'd been at the beginning: a fearful, anguishing, self-loathing middle-aged man. And there was no excuse to hide behind, no Sidious to lead him into the hells of temptation. He'd simply forgotten. Vader hadn't been redeemed by being destroyed. It was love. Unconditional, unorthodox, and something you didn't find in sacred Jedi texts.

Vader was Anakin, and Vader was Anakin. The result of errors, mistakes, and horrendous misdeeds. But in the end, the same insecure, broken man who never wanted the burden of the galaxy on his shoulders. Separating them, no matter how easy it might be to contrast the two personalities, was impossible.

This was the dark side. Not Sidious. Not the Sith. The human proclivity to give in to its baser instincts. The damage left behind by pain and suffering.

Luke Skywalker let it go. He lowered his lightsaber to the side. Fear was the gateway to evil, but love was the key to untapped happiness. And he would never stop loving his father.

'Never.'

Anakin's eyes flickered to the green blade, which no longer pointed at his chest, sensing Luke did not want or rather did not plan to inflict injury with it. All the same, he did not move, instead reserving the depth of his displeasure through blue orbs that seemed to burn as hot as Mustafar.

What would he do next? Was this the end?

"Kill me." Those two words came out dry and spiteful.

"I will not," Luke denied, visibly swallowing. Anakin felt insulted. His anger swatted away at Luke's attempt to soothe him through the Force. He would not allow it!

"Anakin…look at what's happened. Is this really what you want?

His father only became more defiant. And it only made Luke try that much harder to reach him.

"You don't care about what I want."

"Yes, I do. It's the same thing."

"Liar!" Anakin yelled, clenching his sole remaining fist, wishing dearly he could smash it into the blond's teeth. "How much of that bantha shit about your past is even true? About your so-called mentor and growing up on Tatooine? Blowing up space stations?"

"I-"

"It doesn't matter!" he interrupted, face screwed up in hateful defiance. "Because of the Jedi, because of you, I'm going to lose everything!"

He didn't only speak of Padme. The tombstone of Shmi Skywalker flickered in and out like a haunted monument dug into the deep, endless desert sand. A reminder of his failure. She was not the first, nor the last, to be a victim of the random cruelty of the universe.

Luke saw the hand he'd taken, a stump of wires and sparks. The same one that had once taken his own. If they didn't stop, if the Skywalker family continued to screw up, the cycle of revenge would continue. More hands cut off until none remained. Until they destroyed themselves.

"Anakin, I'm so sorry. Sorry, I never told you the truth, for not trusting you, for keeping you in the dark, and for allowing things to get this far. I'm sorry for earning your confidence and violating it, knowing full well how important that is. I'm sorry for everything."

He punctuated the last word so heavily, it sounded more like a sob than a shout. But Luke did not cry. Not yet, at any rate.

"I deserve the retribution coming my way. Throw every bit of anger you have, and I will absorb it. But I cannot and will not fight you any longer."

He switched off his lightsaber and tossed it aside.

---

The black dragon inside the heart of Anakin Skywalker disappeared in an instant when he saw Luke throw aside his lightsaber.

It was an act of supreme stupidity and one of faith.

"Why?" he said at last.

"I think you know."

That he was his son? How? It was impossible. Something out of a holonovel. For kriff's sake, this man just took his fucking hand!

He again felt the conflict between light and dark rise again, crashing against each other like the violent waves of Kamino, each battling for supremacy. This…darkness. It felt like a different entity. It urged him to do more, to ruthlessly destroy anyone who dared stand in his way, to take what was deserved. But the light also called, appealing to his better instincts, that this was wrong. He did not believe in evil. He believed in doing right by people, especially those he loved. For Padme…

Yet the dragon, the black entity, knew how to prey on his basic fears and appeal to what he wanted most: the same image of the woman who currently sat on death's door.

She will die. She will perish if you do not do what needs to be done, the voice spoke, deep and menacing. The dark side's power was an intoxicating one…pure elixir.

But the absence of that power left only a slimy weight of brown sludge in the pit of his chest.

"Luke…I don't know what to do."

He was answered with a compassionate smile.

"Remember what I taught you: that love is stronger than fear."

The Force is with me, and I am one with the Force.

Anakin opened his heart and allowed the light to return.

Within the deepest chamber of the Chosen One's soul, a sliver of luminescence began spreading like a warm blanket across the chest and spread to the ends of his extremities.

He's right, it whispered. He'd allowed the very thing he fought against to corrupt him into a rabid animal. The darkness, the alter ego, roared in protest but he ignored it, instead focusing on Luke's teachings; on his beloved wife whom he loved above all else.

Her shining face appeared to him; sweet, soft, beautiful, an angel sent down from the heavens that could assuage the constant strife that marred Anakin from the time he could walk and talk. She was always there and always would be. A living embodiment of all that was great and good within the galaxy. Oh, how he wanted to touch her, to feel those tender lips pressed against his own, the softness of her body, the way she brought out the best in him as a person…

Padme. My darling. My angel.

But something wasn't right. The image became blurred, clouded, almost as though something sinister was surrounding her…an ugly, black, repulsive void that represented nothing but evil and avarice.

Padme, look out!

The darkness swirled like an all-consuming, hungry vortex, sucking in everything unfortunate enough to get caught in the tar-like tentacles…including Padme. She reached out to him, begging for help.

Ani…where are you?!

I'm coming, angel!

The tar-like substance pulled her in the center, edging closer and closer to complete oblivion. Anakin gave a yell, willing that such a fate would not happen to his beloved. He reached out and attempted to grab her hand, but the gesture proved to be a futile one. Bit by bit, second by second, she slipped away into the center of the vortex…

Anakin!

She held out her palm, but he missed by mere centimeters, feeling nothing but air.

And then, in a whiff of black smoke, she vanished. Suddenly and without warning, her presence within the Force could no longer be felt. Anakin began to panic, searching frantically throughout the cosmos for any sign or detection of the signature that he would recognize straight away as his wife…

Nothing…

A jolt brought him back from meditation, and instead of Padme standing in front of him, he could only see Luke, hand outstretched in the same position.

She's gone, the dark entity whispered to him in a dull, almost mechanical-like growl. And it's his fault.

The fire inside Anakin Skywalker reignited with such intensity the room itself seemed to shake.

Destroy him.

"Father?"

Anakin's movements were so quick and so ruthless. Luke had virtually no time to react. With one hand, he lifted the blond into the air.

"Father, what are you doing?!"

Anakin's rage and sorrow had shattered beyond the limit of his own senses. There was only one thing he desired to do. One piece of solace he could take.

"She's gone," came the reiterated words of the darkness, so blinded by anger the outline of his vision went red. "She's gone, and it's your fault."

Luke tried to say otherwise, but the lips would not physically move, the tongue completely dormant, rendering any protest mute. For the first since their introduction, heartbreak could be seen inside the blond's eyes.

He tightened his grip and sent the Last Jedi crashing through the doors and back into Palpatine's ceremonial office, shattering the last of the Sith Lord's precious figurines as the true voice of Darth Vader taunted his ears.

"…and now you're going to pay."

---

There was a loud ringing that permeated throughout the room. It was all Luke Skywalker could hear. Muffled noise against the backdrop of battle. Voices perhaps? Something different? He thought he could detect something akin to electricity.

His vision wasn't much better. The ceiling of the Chancellor's Office seemed to swirl in front of him to the point of vertigo. Until the face of Anakin Skywalker came into view. In a dramatic reversal of fortunes, a blue lightsaber hovered inches above his head. One hand or two, there was no escaping this time.

"Good, Anakin, gooood. You have become more powerful than I could have hoped. The Jedi are no match for you…for us."

Sidious's oily encouragement only seemed to spur Anakin to greater evil as the blue began to fade from those once mesmerizing, playful eyes, slowly replaced by the yellow and red of a Sith Lord on the verge of being christened.

Luke, getting hold of his senses, tried to reach out through the Force in the hopes of utilizing their connection but found that to be in vain. The darkness currently gripping his father wrapped around him like an iron shield, impervious to reason or love.

He thought he heard Obi-Wan say something followed by a torturous shriek, but he couldn't turn away from the livid, murderous expression on Anakin's face. One that intended to end his existence right then and there.

Regret began to cascade down Luke's body, rooting him to the ground as it finally dawned that this was the end. He saw the faces of everyone he had known and loved as life and memories that lived within blurred in rapid motion.

Meeting the gray, grizzled face of Obi-Wan Kenobi…

The brave, ferocious howls of Chewbacca…

Han's cocky, self-assured, selfless, free-wheeling antics…

Yoda's wizened, wise, half-insane teachings on Dagobah…

Meeting his sister for the first time: a pissed off, principled, beautiful Senator….

The happy giggling of Ben Solo…a tiny hand grabbing onto his finger…and never letting go…

Ben…

And the anguished, betrayed expression when he held that lightsaber over the boy's head…

I failed you…again….

His nephew's face morphed into Anakin's as an incredible wave of deja vu hit him all over again.

"That meddling fool, Luke Ahch-To has interfered in our affairs for the last time! Break your chains! Release yourself of him and all those who would hold you back!" Sidious yelled above the wind. "Kill the Jedi, and the galaxy is yours!"

Sidious's temptation rang above the howling wind that blew through the window. Both men heard it.

"Please," he begged, feeling shards of broken glass trickle down his back. The taste of iron steadily spread across the tongue. Limbs ached in ways not previously thought possible.

Can you not see I'm your son?

Evidently not. Anakin gave a slight tilt of the head, mouth clenched tight as a Gungan drum. He made no move to strike just yet but Luke did not move a muscle, the azure blade far too close for comfort.

He'd felt it too. The presence of Padme Amidala suddenly fading out of existence; unable to locate it within the midi-chlorians. Such a thing usually indicated passing into the Force, and he barely had time to explain before landing flat on his back.

That means I'm dead too. One way or the other.

"Father, don't," he pleaded one last time before the inevitable strike came. Attempting to reach out once more, he hoped that might break through to Anakin. Alas, the murderous expression stayed stationary save for a twitch of fury in the jawline.

He gazed around the room and saw Saesee Tiin and Ki-Adi Mundi on the ground unmoving, Obi-Wan roasting alive due to the effects of Sith lightning, Yoda knocked unconscious against that tacky desk Sidious enjoyed so much.

It was over. He'd failed. Luke closed his eyes and let tears slide down softly.

Sun sets

In twilight one must die

A sacrifice

The other destined to survive

It became apparent what that meant now as death appeared over the horizon.

So this is how it ends…killed by my own father…

Ironies never ceased, no matter which timeline one found themselves in. Darth Vader sacrificed himself for his son while seemingly quagmired in an impenetrable darkness. Anakin Skywalker would do the opposite, corrupted by the very same evil that put him in that black suit, completely unaware the man on the ground was his offspring.

I should have told him the truth from the beginning instead of hiding behind a facade. Now I'll die without getting the proper chance.

He was prepared to die. Luke Skywalker had long been briefed for the moment he'd pass from this world. Master Yoda spoke of a quiet calm, a peace when that happened. Almost a kind of sixth sense beyond the Force.

So why did it call to him?

Anakin…

There it was.

Anakin…

Could it be?

Luke…

Padme was alive! She had returned to the Force! She was weakened but he could feel it! But would Anakin?

'Remember, Luke, the greatest teacher failure is.'

From across the suite, one of Yoda's eyes opened and gave the smallest of winks. The spark of light flickered between them. Yes, he could see now. A miracle rippling through the Force.

'On my signal, my young padawan.'

"Do it!" Sidious hissed.

A painful boot crushed his organic arm. The azure blade hummed ever closer. That insatiable hunger of fiery anger blocked anything outside of its own rabid desire to kill.

A surge of determination suddenly shot through the Last Jedi like an electrical storm. No…this was not the end. Not yet. If Anakin would not see reason, one more method was left. Memories could only be passed through two souls who shared them and the bond between those souls had to be open. But there was little choice…

"Father, wait…"

"It's too late," Anakin said, and Luke did see one last inkling of regret, one more speck of blue in those eyes, eyes inherited from his father. Eyes full of sadness and murder.

"Never," Luke said quietly as the blue lightsaber raised in the air, preparing to issue the final blow.

The whisper of Master Yoda echoed through the Force.

Now!

Several things happened at once. Luke summoned the last of his strength, coiling up like a spring and using the Force to send Anakin back into the wall, pinning him there. Simultaneously, Yoda sprang into action, catching Sidious off guard. The Sith barely had the time to deflect the green blur that crashed down on the hilt, and their duel resumed.

But for Luke and Anakin Skywalker, their respective journeys had only just begun.

"Let me go!" he spat, wriggling furiously to break Luke's hold.

"I can't, father."

Anakin struggled further, using his prodigious power to try and escape the confinement but again to no avail.

"LET ME GO!" he continued to roar in futility.

In truth, it took everything Luke had to keep the most powerful Jedi in existence from moving, but he would not falter. Not now. Not with everything on the line.

"I'm sorry that it came to this," the blond spoke frankly and without any hint of enjoyment. He advanced on Anakin slowly and reached out with his left hand.

"But you will listen."

Panic began to replace rage in his father's expression, believing Luke would kill him.

"And you will see."

Luke's index finger touched Anakin's forehead. A white flash of light blinded them, and in seconds both were pulled into a collective stream of consciousness.

And then there was nothing.

---

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Alas, I must leave you on more cliffhanger before the final conclusion of the battle.

Rock on!

~The Wasp