The father-son duo approached the doors to the Chancellor's office and waited to be allowed in. Once the doors were opened, a tension caught in the air and Luke double-checked to make sure he had his lightsaber.
He felt an odd sense of déjà vu from when his father had originally brought him to meet the Emperor back on the Second Death Star. And he remembered what happened after that confrontation.
Taking a deep breath, Luke followed his father's steps as they walked inside. The Chancellor was sitting at his desk, looking calmly innocent...but Luke knew better.
"Chancellor." Anakin said with a low bow.
And even though sickened by the thought of ever bowing down to the Sith Lord, Luke bowed as well, even though it was more of a lower of his head.
"We have just received a report from Master Kenobi. He has engaged and killed General Grievous." Anakin stated formally, and Palpatine acknowledged with a nod of his head.
"I am glad Master Kenobi was up to the challenge." He said simply.
"Yes, he was. I'm beginning to think him going alone was a good thing, despite my desire to accompany him on the mission." Anakin said.
Palpatine paused, surprised that Anakin had not complained about the Council not listening to him, like he normally did.
Luke was now more than a nuisance...he was putting a dent in the Sith's main plan. He had Anakin on a tight leash, but Palpatine knew he had the Jedi Knight tighter. Quickly, he pulled on that said leash.
"Yes...but it is upsetting to me to see that the Council doesn't seem to fully appreciate your talents. Don't you wonder why they won't make you a Jedi Master?"
Anakin shrugged, slightly agreeing but slightly not. "I guess. But it's as Luke said...I have to be patient. They'll realize in time."
A broad smile crossed Luke's face as he radiated with pride and relief. His father was changing.The only thing he had to do now was worry about his nightmares of Padmé...he had to know they weren't true.
"They don't trust you, Anakin. They see your future. They know your power will be too strong to control. Anakin, you must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to know the subtleties of the Force." Palpatine pressed, knowing exactly which words to use as he slowly stood from his chair, standing between the Skywalker boys.
Anakin narrowed his eyes, suddenly remembering Luke's words.
'...when we next see this certain Sith Lord, you'll know...'
"How do you know the ways of the Force?" Anakin asked, his hands on his lightsaber.
He glanced at Luke to see the boy's face emotionless, but slight worry and fear echoed off of him.
"My mentor taught me everything about the Force . . ." Palpatine paused, ready to reveal the punch line. Now was the time...he had Luke vulnerable and Anakin's sway, no matter how much he leaned towards his son, would definitely come through. That much he knew. "...even the nature of the dark side.
Anakin's blood chilled as he saw Luke's face pale and his position shift in anticipation. Warnings tingled through the Force, but both Skywalker's let it be for the time being. The danger was obvious enough at this point. However, the fact that the Sith Lord Luke had spoken about was the Chancellor, was just too crazy to even be logical to Anakin. He knew the man so well...and boy had he been wrong.
"You know the dark side?!?" His voice came out slightly hoarse, knowing he and Luke weren't going to be able to visit Padmé later like they wanted to.
"Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin." Palpatine paused, glancing at an oddly silent Luke. "They fear you. In time they will destroy you. Let me train you."
"I won't be a pawn in your political game. The Jedi are my family." Anakin said firmly, glancing at his son. The Jedi were quite literally his family now.
"Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death." The final seed of doubt, pushed into Anakin's mind, and the man hesitated.
...He could even save people from dying...
"Anakin." Luke warned suddenly, getting a dark look from Palpatine.
"And not only your wife..." His hand raised too fast for either of them to stop him and Luke gasped, his feet rising off the ground as he scrabbled at his throat, desperate to breath.
And this time...Sidious was set to kill...not warn.
"...but also your son." Palpatine said with a sadistic smile.
Anakin was too shocked to even realize the Chancellor knew of Luke's real identity as he begged for the boy's life.
"Please. Let him go, he has nothing to do with this!" Anakin cried as Luke's eyes began to roll back. The boy's vision was getting cloudy and his father's words were now muffled as he was deprived of the oxygen he needed. A weird sound mixed between a rasping cough and a desperate whimper left Luke's mouth and he prepared to die, not for the first time since he had time traveled.
"Oh but he has everything to do with this Anakin. I know what has been troubling you . . . Listen to me. Don't continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council! Ever since I've known you, you've been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi . . . a life of significance, of conscience." Palpatine said.
"I...I don't care! You let him go! He's just a boy! I'd rather die before I'd let you harm my son!" Anakin cried, tears brimming and his anger rising. But he wasn't stupid. He knew if he struck now, the Sith would be ready to defend with Luke as his leverage. And Anakin would not lose his son...not again.
"Are you going to kill me?" Palpatine asked after a long panicky silence of Luke's gasps. Anakin was actually surprised he was lasting this long.
"I would certainly like to." Anakin said, his hand on his lightsaber as he slowly ignited it. However, he did not take his eyes off of his son.
"I know you would. I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you stronger." Sidious said, giving another sickly smile.
Anakin rose the blue energy blade to the man's throat, but he did not flinch, his Force grip still tight on Luke's trachea.
Luke's labored breaths became weaker and weaker and Anakin started to become desperate.
"Let him go." Anakin tried with threatening malice, getting nothing. Then, when Luke finally began to fall limp, Anakin cried out in horror and rage.
Palpatine ignited his own blood red blade and blocked Anakin's attack with ease. "Join me...and I will spare him...do not...and I will kill both of you. You have great wisdom, Anakin. Know the power of the dark side. The power to save Padmé and Luke."
Anakin continued to panic as Luke became unresponsive. However, their bond was still relatively active, which pertained as a good sign.
Not dead. Just unconscious. Anakin repeated the reassuring mantra in his head.
"I am not going anywhere. You have time to decide the boy's fate. Perhaps you'll reconsider and help me rule the galaxy for the good of all . . ." Palpatine said.
Anakin was caught. He knew he couldn't take on this all powerful Sith Lord alone...especially with his own son as the leverage against him.
But this was his destiny...The Chosen One...
'Over 20,000...not even Master Yoda has a count that high...'
'You speak of the Prophecy of the Chosen One...you believe it's this...boy?'
'You must...train the boy...he...he is the Chosen One...'
'...you could rival Master Yoda as a swordsman...'
'...your focus determines your reality...feel, don't think...and May the Force be with You...'
Determination settled over Anakin Skywalker; the Great Hero with No Fear, so as the media called him; The Chosen One, so as the Jedi called him, and Father...what his son had now called him.
"No. You're under arrest by the Galactic Republic, Chancellor. Now, let. My son. Go." Anakin snarled.
Suddenly, Palpatine's face morphed into one of pure rage and hatred, a true image of the Sith. "So be it...Jedi."
The red blade came at unimaginable speeds and Anakin quickly reached up to parry. The blades went back in forth in a deadly dance of strength and will, Luke still unconscious on the floor.
Anakin tried calling to him, but each time he tried, he got too distracted and risked a lightsaber to the face.
Calling forth all of his training and desperation to save his family, Anakin finally shifted to offense, but was quickly slid back into defense by the Sith's relentless attacks.
He spun and struck with all sorts of brilliant moves, each one aiming for the kill. Lightning then crackled from Palpatine's unoccupied sword hand and Anakin blocked it with his blade, struggling against the immense power.
Palpatine-no, Sidious-snarled and Force pushed Anakin firmly against the wall. Anakin fell down, slightly disoriented, but stood back up, not ready to give up just yet.
But the Sith had already approached his commlink, much to Anakin's confusion. Who did he plan to contact?
A clone commander appeared on the screen, one Anakin knew from Obi-Wan's command.
Commander Cody.
"Commander. Execute Order 66." Sidious said ominously, sending a cold hill down Anakin's back. He saw Luke stirring out of the corner of his eye and bit his lip, hoping the Sith would not see the boy.
"Yes my lord." Cody said.
When the conversation ended, Palpatine contacted a few more clones before Anakin felt it.
The scream in the force.
Jedi...dying...by the seconds...
Anakin stumbled, clutching his heart as he searched for his bond with Obi-Wan.
Anakin's former Master was alive, but something had definitely happened to him. He seemed alert and confused, definitely worried.
However, Anakin was jerked back to the present by Sidious strolling towards him once more.
"Think of how much power you could've had Anakin..." Sidious tsked as if he was reprimanding a child.
"I don't want your power. Now what have you done to the Jedi!?" Anakin snarled, whipping his blade towards the evil entity once more.
Sidious blocked it easily, a bored look on his face. "Oh, that little thing. Just a removal process of your little Order. I can't have an Empire with a bunch of Jedi running around, now can I?"
"You think the Senate would agree to the slaughter of the galaxy's peacekeepers!?" Anakin cried.
"I own the Senate." Sidious snapped.
The battle took on a vicious speed once more, and Anakin panicked as he realized he was having trouble keeping up. The Sith's blade roared in a flash of red, taking up all of Anakin's vision.
Then, he caught Luke sitting up, rubbing his neck and then staring at the fight in shock.
With Anakin's attention diverted, Luke barely had time to scream a warning before Sidious's lightsaber pierced the Jedi's side and he crumpled to the ground with a bellow of agony.
The world went ominously dark for Anakin Skywalker and the Force continued to sob as more and more Jedi lost their lives...
•••
Padmé jerked with a yelp, her baby kicking her mercilessly.
"Oh dear...you can sense your daddy, can't you?" Padmé asked with a tear, staring at the burning Jedi Temple in horror.
It had happened so suddenly.
She had been working, expecting Luke and Anakin home soon. She had been so excited to see Luke up and walking again, the crisis of his poisoning finally over, but then smoke had begun to rise from the Jedi Temple.
Something had originally felt off, and Padmé's years of going undercover as a handmaiden as she was hunted by bounty hunters, put her instincts on red alert.
Still gazing out of the balcony, Padmé willed her husband and friend to be alright.
An unexpected sob escaped her and she wrapped her arms around herself, wanting to hold Anakin again.
If something really bad was happening...the baby could grow up without a father...
No. Don't think things like that. She mentally scolded herself.
Her hair fell into her face and she let the tears soak her chest as she buried herself in her arms.
"Anakin...my dear Ani..." Padmé weeped, hoping and praying that everything would be alright...
It had to be.
•••
A/N
CLIFFHANGER!
Sorry it's short...
And SO SORRY for the wait.
School's just been busy and I have no time to update with homework and after school stuff.
So bare with me guys! :)
I'll try to get to work on the next chapter, I'm really excited to write it.
My ideas are just flowing! :)
PS - 2K READS!? OMG, thank you guys!
May the Force be with You,
- lucky_ducky_123