| abstract
| - Palpatine looked from Padmé to Anakin and then back again at Padmé. Here was one who had stood in his way time and time again and for some reason remained alive. That mistake would have to be corrected if he was to at all succeed with Skywalker. He knew Padmé was the catalyst to turn the turbulent, young Jedi over to his side, but she had to be played right. One step in the wrong direction and Anakin would swing the other way, against him. Years of planning could be ruined in barely a second. “You should have died on the Invisible Hand,” Palpatine said in a low voice, he felt Anakin’s anger, he had to be careful here. “But I didn’t,” Padmé replied with quickly summoned confidence. “Or should it have been Imbroglio when I discovered Nju’s treachery? Or perhaps even on Naboo by the one called Maxah?” She smiled quietly. “Somehow, by no fault of my own, I have a knack of getting in your way and stopping your plans. Don’t think you will succeed; the living Force won’t allow it.” “I control the Force,” spat the Sith Lord, “and the fact that you were in the way of my plans is the misfortune of the Jedi.” Anakin stepped forward and eyed Palpatine suspiciously. “Padmé’s not just another Jedi,” he warned. “Oh no?” Palpatine raised an eyebrow. “Then how can you explain her putting the Jedi code before everything? Even before you?” Anakin paled. “She…has her reasons,” he stammered. “Reasons you don’t agree with,” Palpatine reminded him. “Have you asked yourself Anakin if she hides behind those reasons? Is she trying to protect you or…” He let his voice drift for a moment, seeing the young Jedi’s torment. “…or does she hide because there is nothing there at all?” “I never—” Padmé protested, but Sidious silenced her with a gesture. Anakin was silent for a long moment. “I don’t understand,” he said finally. “Think, Anakin!” Palpatine’s gaze was impenetrable. “Or better still, why don’t you ask her yourself?” He smiled indulgently at Padmé. “I’m sure if you told Padmé about what I said you will get your answer.” Padmé stared between them, what was this about? Was this about the offer that Palpatine had made to Anakin? Or did it have something to do with how Anakin said he could save her? Either way, she didn’t like it. With a beam of light projected form his blue dome, R2-D2 diligently led the younglings through the darkened corridor to safety. C-3PO took up the rear, reassuring as best he could. The astromech droid made a soft murmur as they rounded a corner. “Artoo says it is not much further,” Threepio translated. Finally they came to a vast room with many electronic panels along the walls. Closer inspection revealed that below each panel was a small alcove in the wall and in most—but not all—of the alcoves was a lightsaber. Here were the records of every Jedi who had—or at least in the words of the Masters who kept the records—become one with the Force. One each control panel one could view a small hologram as well as a readout that had details of each Jedi’s life, including how they died if it was known. Some of these records were as old as the Jedi Order itself, but a disturbing number were very recent. Yet it was into the older records that Artoo led the group, right into the back of the last row where the only way out was the way they came in. The younglings looked at Threepio for answers, what were they doing here? “Artoo, do you really—” R2-D2 blatted a reply and trundled over to where one of the larger computer outlets was situated. This was not connected to any record, it controlled the security system. After inserting his computer arm, Artoo rotated the socket back and forward then let out a series of soft beeps and whistles. “Artoo says that he has activated the security system and there is a ray shield at the end of this row,” Threepio informed them, he looked beyond Artoo. Sure enough his photoreceptors could pick up the familiar flicker of a ray shield and his aural sensors could identify the soft hum. Artoo then beeped something else which made Threepio stare at him. “What do you mean no one knows where we are? Surely you’re not expecting us to do anything more?” “Artoo’s right,” said the Togruta child as he put a small hand on Artoo’s dome. “No one will find us here.” Artoo chirped appreciatively. It was a fury of noise and colour, blue and green light everywhere as Dooku and Nju dodged and parried the blows that were launched at them. And still more Jedi were coming, completely surrounding the pair and cutting off any chance of escape—or so they thought. For some reason Renust Nju started to melt into the crowd, and this wasn't particularly noticed. Perhaps it was because his garb as a Jedi blended with everyone else, or even because his lightsabers were blue were as Dooku’s blade was red. Whatever the reason, Dooku was soon alone in the maelstrom of light and colour and Nju was nowhere to be seen. But someone noticed his escape, for the furtive way Nju slunk into the shadows was quite suspicious. With a grim smile, Yoda limped after him, his gimer stick tapping on the hard floor. “Anakin, don’t listen to him,” Padmé pleaded, grabbing his arm firmly. “He’s trying to turn you against me, turn you into someone you’re not.” “But I need to know,” Anakin insisted. “Need to know what?” Padmé demanded. Anakin looked down for a moment, taking a few breaths before he could speak. “Remember how I told you there was a way for us to be together?” he asked her, continuing in a rush before she could answer. “Think about it: no Jedi rules, no hiding, nothing that’s been keeping us apart.” “I don’t understand,” Padmé said. “You know he made me an offer,” Anakin continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “But that wasn’t the reason I—” He stopped, staring past her, searching for the right words. “It’s because of you!” He blurted out finally, grabbing her and pulling her close. “I want to be with you, Padmé, and I’m willing to put everything aside for just that one chance. Even…” His voice failed him again and he screwed his eyes shut as if in great pain. “Even if it means making sacrifices I never thought I would.” “Sacrifices?” The word hung in the air for a few minutes while she tried to understand his words. Then he looked up at her and she knew what his meant. Those…raw eyes, the same ones that had told her about the visions, those eyes that revealed his worst fears. Padmé felt herself shrinking from Anakin’s grip. “No…I’m sorry, Anakin. I can’t do this.” She stepped away from him, wondering not for the first time what they were doing there at all. “I won’t let you do this.” “Won’t let me?” Anakin rounded on her, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I can’t understand why you would make such compromises to get what you want,” she told him. “Compromises with yourself, against everything you believe in.” “But none of that matters, Padmé,” he said, stepping towards her and reaching for her arm. “You’re all that matters to me, and it has always been that way.” “No!” Padmé was firmer this time, shrugging off his hold on her. She kept all emotion out of her voice, but inside she could feel herself breaking. A part of her wanted to scream at Anakin for being so blind, for believing the lies that Palpatine had fed him. But I can’t do that, she said to herself, if I fight darkness with darkness then I’m lost too. “What are you saying?” Anakin asked her incredulously. “Are you telling me…that you don’t care?” I care far too much, she replied in thought, though she knew better than to say that out loud. She shook her head, smiling sadly at him. “I never said that,” she murmured, “but I can’t allow you to do this, you’ll destroy yourself and…” Padmé could feel her voice giving out as emotion overtook her, she had to blink away a few hot tears before she could speak again. “Please,” she said, her request was simple and heartfelt, yet it made Anakin’s anger subside. Satisfied, she turned back to Palpatine, after all he was the real enemy. “You know that the only way to turn Anakin is through me,” she said with narrowed eyes. “He won’t let you strike me down.” “Really?” Palpatine’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. “I was counting on that.” It did not take Nju long to realise he was being followed. He quickly spun around, lightsabers extended from each hand. Yet Yoda just stood there, his gimer stick held vertical in his hands, his face calm and focused. This infuriated Nju, he glared at the shorter Jedi Master. “You knew about me, didn’t you?” Nju demanded, but he didn’t move. “You could have destroyed me and stopped all this.” “Destroy you I could not,” Yoda said firmly. “And know of this I did not, suspect of it only I did.” Nju laughed, a raucous booming laugh that bounced of the walls. “So this is your failure, then?” Nju crossed and uncrossed the blades of his weapons. “You admit this is your fault?” “Cause this you did when chose the dark side you did,” Yoda told him. “Knew I did that you would destroy yourself, and knew also I did that destroy others you would.” His gaze dropped, his tone saddened. “Yet failed I did in not acting, faith I still have.” “In what?” Nju smiled. “Your Chosen One is about to join the ranks of the Sith, my Master Sidious will see to that. And this, all here,” he gestured with one of his blue blades at the bodies of the Jedi lying around. “This is but a taste, not one Jedi will remain standing.” “Not if something to say about it have I,” Yoda promised. “Failed you I may have, fail the Jedi I never will.” He gave a long cold stare that chilled Nju to the core. “My ally is the Force,” Yoda said in a low voice, “and a powerful ally that is.” “The Force will fail you,” Nju taunted, yet not as confident as before, “it is the dark side that is rising now.” “Count on that do not,” Yoda told him, opening his cloak and summoning a small lightsaber to his hand. He pressed the emitter and with a snap-hiss the green blade extended from the end. Mace Windu, now lying dead not far behind them, had been known for his prowess with a lightsaber while Yoda was noted for his knowledge of the Force. Yet Windu had only ever been the second most powerful swordsman in the Order, Yoda was the first. Nju stepped into an aggressive position, crossing his blades in a menacing X before his face. Yet before he could attack Yoda launched himself at him, lightsaber swinging, like a sonic blast out of a cannon. Surrounded by Jedi, Dooku was tiring. As much as he tried to lessen the numbers of his aggressors there were still more that came for him. Even if he flung several back with the Force, more would step up in their place. Not only was he tiring but his grip on the Force was slipping. Each stroke of a lightsaber brought back memories he wanted to forget, particularly when the faces were familiar. Yet unlike Nju, there was no escape for Dooku. Even so, he fought on. Palpatine stared at Padmé for a long moment, saying nothing, his face expressionless. Then suddenly he opened himself to the dark side and Padmé was almost knocked off her feet by the wave of raw power. The Sith Lord was like an event horizon, a nexus of darkness. Padmé could feel herself drowning as if in a turbulent current; it was not to be compared with Dooku’s cold anger or Maxah’s unrestrained fury. Not even what she had felt from Nju on Imbroglio was close to this. It was a torrent, an avalanche, she could feel the dark energy rasping against her…like…like she cast her mind back and suddenly remembered. This was like the sandstorm she and Anakin had walked through on Tatooine, with the wind so strong and grit so numerous it was liked walking through a murky liquid. Yet slowly, and even though she tried to fight it, she could feel the energy penetrate her defences. Her hand instinctively crossed towards her lightsaber, quickly she moved her hand back. Palpatine noticed the gesture and smiled, yet he did not let up the storm he was sending Padmé’s way. A Jedi is always calm, she reminded herself, a Jedi stays at one with the Force. Yet these words did little to help her against what Palpatine—no Sidious—was throwing at her. And he just sat there, smiling as he watched her torment. Padmé was furious at him, a thought that slowly grew into something else. He may be a Sith, she said to herself, but he’s unarmed. It wouldn’t take me long to…No, that’s just what he wants! “I can feel the conflict within you, Padmé,” the Sith Lord goaded in a low voice. “You’re right, I am unarmed and it would not take you long to strike me down. You know you want to do it.” “I won’t give in,” Padmé said, “you’ll be forced to kill me.” “Will I?” This seemed to amuse Sidious somewhat. “Padmé, he wants to help us,” Anakin said. Padmé stared at him. “No, he doesn’t.” She looked back at Sidious, he continued to sit there. Sooner or later he was going to find away of using her against Anakin, and Padmé wasn't sure if she could work against that. It would make things simpler if I just killed him now, she though viciously, No, she reasoned, that’s the dark side… Or was it? After all, couldn’t taking the life of Sidious save more lives than it destroyed? He had destroyed so many already, it seemed a greater evil not to kill him. Yet there was a persistent voice at the back of her mind that warned her that this was not the right thing to do. For perhaps the first time, Padmé ignored that voice. Yes, she decided, the dark side humming in her ears, there is nothing wrong with this, and it needs to be done. She extended her hands and summoned her lightsaber with the Force. The green blade flashed from the hilt and closed towards Sidious’ prone form with phenomenal speed. Yet the blade did not follow through, instead it clashed against something, a blue lightsaber blade. Padmé turned to stare. “Anakin!?”
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