Chapter 2

Obi-Wan Kenobi urged his lizard mount forward. As Boga leaped a small canyon, her Jedi rider parried a stray blaster bolt with his lightsaber. Urging Boga onwards, he slashed at a droid-tank that passed, causing it to flip over and explode behind him. Despite the chaos and confusion that reigned throughout the battlefield, Kenobi felt a strange sense of inner calm. The Force was with him. All of a sudden, the calm evaporated and he felt a disturbance so great it caused him physical pain. Shoved back by the force of the disturbance, Kenobi slipped from his mount, and compensated automatically by slowing his fall. Rolling along the ground, he quickly brought himself to his feet and re-ignited his dropped lightsaber in a quick slash of blue that dismembered the three battle droids that had surrounded him. While he continued to battle, it was almost an automatic response. Something troubled Kenobi. Suddenly he felt the disturbance again, and it felt like a knife in his heart. He dropped to his knees in pain, and realized what it was. Anakin. Obi Wan had always been able to feel Anakin’s emotions when the two of them were in close proximity, but this was a thousand times worse. Obi-Wan felt in Anakin a mix of rage, fear, and pain of such power that it had sent a ripple throughout the Force, lightyears away, to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan recognized the feeling. He himself had felt that pain thirteen years ago when the Sith Lord had murdered his master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan had been but a Padawan then, a padawan of ordinary ability. Anakin was a fully-grown Jedi Knight, and what the emotion might inspire in him sent a shiver of fear through Obi-Wan. Racing back towards the Republic lines, Obi-Wan knew only one thing. He had to return to Coruscant.

Padme paced slowly throughout her apartment. Why hadn’t Anakin come home? Threepio was poddering around the flat, confused by his mistress’s response to Anakin’s absence. Padme had been sure that she had seen Anakin’s speeder approach the apartment before it had taken off towards the Senate building. Why hadn’t he called her? Inside her, the baby gave a little kick, as if feeling its mother’s worry. Despite herself, Padme gave a little smile as the baby kicked again. Suddenly, she gasped in pain and fell over backwards with a scream. Inside her belly, the kicking intensified and the baby struggled inside her womb. Padme gave a shriek of pain as she realized; she was carrying twins, and she was about to give birth. Threepio began to panic, throwing his hands in the air and shouting for help. Padme gave another gasp as the babies struggled so intensely that they threatened to tear her open from the inside. As Threepio rushed for the comm-system, he suddenly went flying across the room with a force that shattered him into pieces. Sparks flew as his round head rolled across the floor, his voicebox sputtering. Padme screamed again and the lights flickered on and off. The babies struggled even more intensely. Padme threw her head back, as she felt the birth process begin. Suddenly, she shrieked again in agony, and the windows of the flat shattered as if an explosive had gone of in the building. The furniture all was blown back into the walls, breaking into pieces. The babies were coming.

Anakin felt the birth of his children as if a lightsaber had cut into his chest. Roused from his grief, he felt Padme’s pain as she went into labor. As Padme shrieked in agony, every fiber of Anakin’s being felt as if it were on fire. He screamed, doubling over in pain beside Mace Windu’s unconscious body. Suddenly, he felt a new presence and realized at the same moment his wife did, the truth. Padme was carrying twins. He felt the babies’ confusion and fright. He had no time to lose. He called his lightsaber to his hand and ran to the shattered window. He called a speeder over to the building as he jumped out the window. A speeder lurched over to the building, stopping just in time for Anakin to fall into it. Anakin could hotwire a speeder in less than a minute, but he didn’t even have time for that. He willed it to turn on, and it did, and he sped of to his and Padme’s building. As he approached, he saw the broken windows of his flat and sent the speeder hurtling upward. As he approached the window, he called on the Force and leaped the last fifty feet, landing heavily on his living room floor. As soon as he landed, he saw Padme. Three emergency droids surrounded her, as well as Captain Typho, Padme’s security chief. As Anakin approached, Typho blocked his way.
“I’m sorry general, but she’s in no condition to receive visitors.”
Anakin’s rage snapped, and he shoved Typho out of the way, the Force sending the unfortunate security officer hurtling across the room to crash into the wall, unconscious. The droids, intent on their task, ignored Anakin’s intrusion as he rushed to Padme’s side. Padme’s eyes were closed, and her breathing was weak. Anakin moaned in anguish and cradled her head, kissing her lips gently.
“Padme...please...wake up...please wake up...” Padme groaned softly.
“Annie?” Anakin’s nightmares flooded his brain, as well as his memories of his mother’s death. Padme’s eyes fluttered open. “We have twins Annie...twins...they’re...” Unable to finish her sentence, she motioned with her head toward the medical droid who Anakin saw was cradling two babies. Anakin’s eyes were flooded by tears. The boy was crying softly and struggling against the droid’s arm, but the girl was quiet, and had already opened her eyes, and was staring intently at Anakin. Padme motioned again to the child. “Annie, bring her to me.” Anakin rose to his feet and took the girl from the medical droid. As he looked into the eyes of his daughter, his grief broke, and he sank to the floor. Padme weakly stroked his arm before turning her head to the baby. “Leia....her name...is Leia...” The medical droid was talking to Anakin, but he couldn’t even hear the words as he felt the truth through the Force. He felt Padme’s life ebbing away from her, slowly. He cradled her head in his arms and kissed her forehead, and Padme reached up and softly caressed his cheek. “Let me see...our son...” The droid, still holding the boy, brought him over and offered him to Padme. Anakin took the boy and held both babies in his arms. Padme smiled weakly and stroked the boy’s face. “Luke...” Anakin sobbed brokenly, and the medical droid took the babies from Anakin’s grasp. He hugged Padme to him, cradling her limp form, as he felt her life slip away second by second. He pressed his cheek to her forehead, and felt his tears fall on her face. Padme put her arms weakly around him.
“Annie..I love...I love you...” She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips, and then fell back, the last of her life leaving her. As she died, Anakin screamed in agony as he felt her death inside him. He pulled her limp body close to his, threatening to crush it, sobbing, crying, screaming as the pain felt like it was ripping his soul in two. He raised his face to the skies and uttered a roar of pain.

Obi-Wan sat silently as the starship roared through space. He sat in the cargo bay, watching the empty space outside, trying to reach out and find Anakin through the Force. Suddenly, without warning, he felt Anakin. Whatever he had felt before, this was a thousand times worse. Anakin’s grief sent Obi-Wan staggering back, and Obi-Wan fell to the ground as he felt the full force of his friend’s agony. Obi-Wan felt back through the Force and the realization of what had happened went through him like a knife. He saw through Anakin’s eyes, saw Padme’s pale body, the destroyed apartment, saw the two crying babies that Anakin now held. And he felt Anakin’s grief. His own grief at losing Padme, a dear friend, was nothing to Anakin’s. Tears fell from his eyes as a sob racked his body. He lay on the floor, brokenly crying not only at the death of Padme, but at the pain Anakin was now feeling. A Clone Trooper entered the cargo bay, and rushed to help Kenobi to his feet. Still crying, Obi-Wan took a seat and hoped he reached Anakin in time.

Three hours later, Obi-Wan raced to Anakin’s flat, and as he approached the thick steel doors, found them crushed to the side. As he entered the flat, the scene of destruction that met his eyes was catastrophic. His eyes searched out Anakin, who sat next to Padme’s body, which he had covered with his cloak, holding his twin children. The babies were asleep, but, despite Anakin’s bowed head, Obi-Wan knew he wasn’t. He walked slowly over to Anakin and crouched down. Anakin stared blankly at the floor.
“Anakin...” Obi-Wan’s voice was husky with grief, and he couldn’t help as tears came to his eyes once more, nor could he keep a sob from entering his voice. Anakin looked slowly up, his eyes dull with grief.
“She’s gone, Obi-Wan...I couldn’t save her....”
Obi-Wan’s grief surged through him. Anakin looked down at the children he held.
“What am I going to do, Obi-Wan? She was all I had...my mother...Palpatine...now Padme...I have nothing left.” Obi-Wan gave a start, despite his grief.
“Palpatine?” Anakin stared out of the window as the Coruscanti sun began to rise. Leia gave a coo, and he looked down at her and rocked her gently. Obi-Wan reached out for Luke, and Anakin let him take the baby from his arms. Luke gave a whimper, and Obi-Wan rocked him and patted his back. Obi-Wan felt the Force in both of the children. The Force was strong with them. Suddenly, Anakin gave Leia to Obi-Wan too.
“They will be Jedi, Obi-Wan. Promise me that. No matter what happens, my children must be raised in the ways of the Jedi.” Anakin had stood up. His voice was hollow. Obi-Wan felt a resolve in Anakin that betrayed something Dark, and then he felt nothing at all. Anakin was shutting himself up inside.
“Anakin, what are you...” Anakin shook his head.
“I can’t tell you Obi-Wan. I’m sorry. I have nothing left now. But I’ll do what she wanted.” Anakin bent over and gently lifted Padme’s covered body, cradling it in his arms.
“I’ll take her back to Naboo first. She always loved Naboo...” Anakin turned and walked out of the room. Obi-Wan called out to his friend.
“Anakin!” Anakin turned his head. Obi-Wan suddenly felt a flash of Anakin’s grief and whatever he had wanted to say to his friend was gone. “May the Force be with you, Anakin.” Anakin bowed his head.
“May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan. Take care of Luke and Leia. Goodbye.” And without another word, Anakin was gone.






Far away, in a ruined temple on Byss, Kaminoan Ko Pioro performed routine checks on the project as she did every day. The vital signs were good, the growth normal. She disliked human cloning, but she was good at it, there was no denial. The age acceleration had been undone, and the body was now aging as normal, at about the same rate as a teenager of approximately 16. As she sealed the project back inside the tank, she heard an unexpected beep from the monitor. The heart rate had suddenly accelerated. Ko Pioro moved over to the control panel to see what had caused the unexpected body function. Suddenly, a sharp crack caused her to turn around. The chamber’s glass was beginning to shatter, and Ko Pioro barely had covered her face before the glass was sent hurtling outward as the chamber exploded, sending shards of glass and a tide of fluid out across the room. Standing on the floor of the cylindrical chamber, the project was moving. Ko Pioro approached it, and its head spun to look around at her. The long red hair hung limply over the figure’s face. The figure turned around haltingly to face Ko Pioro.
“Is this body functioning properly?” Ko Pioro did not allow her surprise to show and she answered the project courteously.
“All vital signs do indeed seem to be normal. It is my opinion that the body is at peak capacity.” As Ko Pioro turned around to the control panel, her long neck suddenly snapped to the side with a sickening crack. Her body fell limply to the floor as the project lowered its outstretched hand and began to pull the wires out of its naked body. As it stepped shakily out of the chamber, it threw back its head and laughed. Palpatine had not lost yet.

Chapter 1-Commentary

Kylie: So I decided to do Star Wars infinities about a year ago after my girlfriend and I watched Episode 3 and felt really pissed off by what we saw. I didn’t think Anakin or Padme or Obi-Wan developed as characters, though Obi Wan was the closest one to developing. I worked on it, completing about four chapters after planning the plot. But I got busy, and I forgot about it until a couple weeks ago. Looking back at what I wrote, I didn’t like it, the writing sucked since writing isn’t my strong point. I’ve known Aaron for about three years and so I asked him to help me write it and complete it for me.

Aaron: Yeah I was a huge star wars nut when I met you, and I know the expanded universe a bit more than is healthy, lol.

Kylie: So anyway this is Chapter one. I wrote most of it, but I used the film dialogue from watching it.

Aaron: I changed it a little bit, took out some clumsy construction, etc. but generally left it as written.

Kylie: Which is nice seeing as I’m co-author. Anyway, I once read the “Infinities” comics, which changed episodes 4, 5, and 6 by altering one little event which changed the entire series and thought it would be neat to do that in Episode III. I thought Revenge of the Sith had too many plot holes

Aaron: Like a swiss cheese, honestly, it’s retarded.

Kylie: And it didn’t make sense to me how they didn’t end up killing Palpatine, so I had them kill Palpatine, lol.

Aaron: which basically sets the stage for the entire book. I’m gonna be posting Chapter II soon, which is the last chapter Kyle wrote by herself. This is gonna be one reeeeally long book. Lol.

Kylie: So we’re done now right?

Aaron: Yeah, I’m gonna just cut and paste the chat into the blog and remove times so your girlfriend doesn’t get mad at you for staying up too late.

Kylie: right. Fun. Later then :)

Aaron: This has been a commentary on Chapter One. I’ll see how this format goes. If it goes well, I’ll keep doing it, lol. Hopefully they’ll be more commentary as the plot progresses.

Chapter 1

Star Wars Infinities-Revenge of the Sith
by Aaron Pomerantz and Kylie Reinwood

The War is Over!
Word has reached Jedi General
Mace Windu that the Seperatist leader, the Cyborg
General Grievous, has been destroyed by General Obi-Wan Kenobi.
With the death of Grievous, the dreadful Clone Wars can now end and
Negotiations can take place regarding the surrender of the now leaderless Seperatist Army. At the same time, young Jedi Anakin Skywalker has found that his friend and mentor, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, is also the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, and has manipulated the entire war from the beginning. At the same time Mace Windu plans to inform the Chancellor and have him step down from office, Anakin races to the Jedi Temple to inform the masters of the Sith plot....

Chapter 1

Fear is the primary emotion that the Jedi avoid. “Fear leads to anger, Anger leads to hate, Hate leads to suffering” was Master Yoda’s maxim, and he had passed it on to every youngling he had trained in the many centuries of his life. However, Mace Windu felt fear and uncertainty. When Cody, clone Commander of the 212th Attack Battalion and aide to General Kenobi, had informed Windu that Obi-Wan had destroyed General Grievous, Windu had expected to feel pride, happiness, or satisfaction-not fear. The Korun Jedi Master had no idea what was going to happen now. One of Windu’s strengths in the Force was his ability to perceive shatterpoints-weak points-in everything. Every action and every material had a shatterpoint, and Mace Windu could see them all. Now his future stretched before him, and thousands upon thousands of shatterpoints were all his mind’s eye could perceive. Windu did not trust Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and he knew that making the old politician surrender his power would prove difficult. Every time he was asked to give up his power, Palpatine always found a new way to get out of it. Even now with the seeming end of the war, Windu had no doubt that Palpatine would, given his own way, remain in power. Windu intended to not let the Chancellor get his own way. He had been in power now for over a decade, several years beyond his allotted terms. Windu’s reverie was disturbed as a cloak-clad figure ran along the docking bay towards him. Windu winced in annoyance. It was young Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine’s favorite, and the last person Mace Windu wanted to see at the moment.
“Master Windu, I must speak with you.” Anakin was flushed and out of breath, and Mace Windu felt fear and pain radiating from Skywalker like heat from and oven. Windu decided to let Anakin begin the conversation rather than meddle in the Jedi’s affairs.
“Ah young Skywalker,” Windu delicately emphasized young to remind the young knight that Windu had not forgotten Anakin’s earlier insubordinate attitude. “We have just received word that Obi-Wan has destroyed General Grievous. We are on our way to make sure the Chancellor returns emergency powers back to the Senate.” A surge of emotion shot through Anakin, making a ripple in the Force that almost pushed Windu back.
“The Chancellor will never give up his power. I’ve just learned a terrible truth. Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord.” Windu blinked in astonishment, but immediately covered his emotions.
“A Sith Lord?” he asked incredulously. Anakin nodded, another surge of emotion flowing from him.
“Yes, Master. The one we’ve been searching for all this time.” Windu readied himself to dismiss the claim until he remembered the words of Count Dooku. “The senate is under the control of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious.” Windu’s fear pierced him to the heart, as he realized just how possible Skywalker’s claim was.
“How do you know this?” Skywalker looked Windu in the eye, and Windu was troubled to see tears in the young Jedi Knight’s eyes.
“He knows the ways of the Force. He’s been trained in the ways of the Dark Side.” Windu steeled himself. If Palpatine was Sidious, then the very existence of the Jedi Order was threatened. He must move quickly.
“Our worst fears have then been realized. We must act now.” Anakin’s head raised, his gaze firm.
“Master, the Chancellor is very powerful. You will need my help if you are going to arrest him.” Mace Windu felt himself preparing his assent until he felt another wave of emotion surge from Anakin. Windu felt the influence of the Dark Side in Skywalker’s emotions. Palpatine had been one of Anakin’s closest friends, and Anakin was far too personally involved in this matter for his judgement to be clear. Far better that the young Jedi sat this battle out, for his own good.
“Young Skywalker, for your own good, stay out of this affair. I sense much confusion in you, there is fear that clouds your judgement. It is better that you remain at the temple until I have concluded this matter. You have earned my trust, young Skywalker. Wait for us in the council chambers until we return.” Anakin bowed to the older Jedi.
“Yes Master.” Anakin turned on his heel and strode towards a speeder. Mace wondered if he had done the young Jedi a disservice. Anakin had the potential to be the greatest Jedi in generations. At the tender age of 22, Anakin was a full Jedi knight, even serving on the council. While his appointment had been Palpatine’s idea, there had been talk before it of allowing the young Knight onto the Jedi High Council. Anakin’s connection to the Force was extraordinary, his lightsaber skills lethal, and his abilities beyond description. Anakin’s abilities were offset, however, by his emotions and his temperamental nature. Windu decided it was better to leave Skywalker out of the arrest.

Anakin Skywalker raced his hovercraft home. Had he been anyone else, he would have been pulled over by the Coruscant Traffic Corps for speeding. However, General Skywalker, poster-boy of the Grand Army of the Republic, would never be pulled over by mere civil servants. Skywalker brooded on the words of both Palpatine and Windu. He saw the kind, dignified face of his old friend, pleading with him. “Use my knowledge, I beg you!” Anakin had to wonder if there was something to Palpatine’s claim. Was the Dark Side the only way to save Padme? Anakin had been a Jedi from the age of nine. He had devoted himself to his Jedi training, and never had he thought the day would come when he would question them. However, three years earlier, when his mother had died, his faith in the Jedi had wavered, and it had continued wavering ever since. He remembered the screams of the Tusken Raiders as he butchered them, one by one, in revenge for his mother’s death. He remembered the feeling of intoxicating power as he massacred the entire village. He remembered his duel with the Darkside-apprentice, Asajj Ventress, remembering how it had taken his anger and rage to overcome her. He also remembered the feeling of hollowness that had followed his actions. However, that hollowness would be nothing compared to the death of his beloved wife. He had loved Padme since he had first met her, and he would not lose her. The words of master Yoda’s urging him to not be possessive paled before the Chancellor’s promises of saving Padme. But the Chancellor had betrayed him. All of Anakin’s friends that he had lost in the Clone Wars, all the times he had barely escaped with his life intact-all the times he had barely rescued Padme in time-those were all Palpatine’s fault. Anakin had no love of Palpatine, not after this betrayal. But he might need his teaching in order to save the one he did love. As Anakin eased up his speeder’s throttle, he remembered the look of sheer horror on Dooku’s face as Palpatine-who Anakin now knew to be Dooku’s Sith master-ordered Anakin to behead him. Was that the same fate that awaited Anakin? Was that all Palpatine’s promises were? Empty things that ended in death? Anakin remembered how Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Knight who had brought him to the Order, had perished at the hands of a Sith. Was that Palpatine’s master or apprentice? Anakin remembered his friends who had perished because of the Sith, and he weighed them against his wife’s life. As his and Padme’s apartment came into view, Anakin decided. His speeder’s engines roared as he accelerated away from the apartment toward the Senate building.

Mace Windu, Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto strode along the red-carpeted halls of the Senate building. The halls were mostly abandoned, the Senate not being in session, but occasionally the Jedi would pass a senator who would nod or smile at them. They did not smile back. Each one of the Jedi was disturbed, drawing into the Force for the strength they knew they would soon need in the upcoming confrontation. Each one of them had fought the Dark Side before, but even Mace Windu, who had fought the Jedi-turned-Sith Count Dooku, knew they had never faced what they were about to encounter; a Dark Lord. Jedi legends had long told of the powers the ancient Dark Lords of the Sith had possessed. Names such as Naga Sadow, Exar Kun, Nihilus, and Bane had been used to scare younglings for millennia. However the Sith had remained hidden for over a thousand years, and no living Jedi had fought and beaten a Sith Lord save for two-Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. The four Jedi knew that if they did not end the threat of the Sith once and for all, the Jedi order might end. In their determined reverie, they did not notice a cloaked figure slowly following them down the hall.

Palpatine surveyed the skyline of Coruscant. His city. His world. His empire. Palpatine closed his eyes and allowed himself a brief smile. Not the smile of the political world, the smile that he allowed the Republic to see, but the smile of triumph. All was going as he had foreseen. Dooku’s death had been slightly irritating, but not without benefit. After all, it had pushed Skywalker further to the Dark Side. Now with his fears of losing his wife, Skywalker was teetering on the edge of the Darkness. Palpatine knew he could push him over that edge, and then the Sith would be two again. Of course, there were the troublesome Dark Acolytes of the Separatists to deal with, as well as the Jedi order, but he had taken measures against the Jedi, and the Acolytes would be nothing before an unleashed Skywalker. Palpatine smiled, and then lowered his hands as he felt the presence of Mace Windu enter the hall outside his office. He turned his chair as the Jedi Master, flanked by three others, entered the office. Palpatine was slightly perturbed. Four Jedi to inform him of Grievous’s demise? It shouldn’t have taken that many to inform him of that.
“Master Windu. I take it General Grievous has been destroyed then. I must say, you're here sooner than expected....” Palpatine injected a hint of his annoyance into the last sentence, to communicate his displeasure that the Jedi had disturbed him. Windu glared at the Chancellor and then drew his lightsaber, igniting it in a flare of purple.
“In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest.” Palpatine glared at the Jedi, seething with rage inside. Now was not the time for this. Not at all. It was too soon. He spoke in a haughty, offended tone.
“Are you threatening me Master Jedi?” Windu didn’t even flinch, but simply raised his lightsaber, as the other three ignited theirs.
“The Senate will decide your fate.” Palpatine stood up, his eyes no longer able to contain the rage that smoldered inside him.
“I am the Senate!” he snarled at the Jedi. Windu stared into the eyes of the Chancellor, not blinking.
“Not yet.” Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin stepped forward, taking each side of Windu, while Kit Fisto covered the door, his green blade raised. Palpatine smirked. If such was the way of things, then he would make the best of them. He flicked his wrist and his lightsaber fell from a hidden holster on his forearm into his hand. He hissed at the four Jedi.
“So it’s treason then...” Palpatine’s fingers depressed the ignitor switch of his lightsaber and he leaped at Agen Kolar, twirling in the air like a diver, and impaled the Zabrak Jedi through the heart. Tiin, Fisto, and Windu circled around the Sith Lord, who crouched low, like an animal about to pounce. He lunged at Tiin, who deflected his blow. Palpatine spun his lightsaber around and slashed the Iktotchi through his chest. Tiin gave a cry of pain, and then crumpled, his green lightsaber falling to the ground and extinguishing. Windu roared at his friends’ deaths and charged the Sith Lord. Windu practiced the art of Vaapad, a lightsaber style which channeled rage and aggression into one’s lightsaber. Palpatine found Windu a challenge as the much younger Jedi furiously assaulted the older Sith Lord. Fisto hung back, not wanting to inject himself into the fray. Palpatine reached into his rage and his hatred of the Jedi and hurled the full force of them at Windu with a Force push. Windu was hurled backwards and Palpatine leaped at Fisto. Fisto deflected Palpatine’s initial assault, but Palpatine flicked the Nautolan’s saber out of the way and slashed him through the abdomen. Fisto’s eyes misted over and he fell to the ground. Palpatine drew his saber back, pointing the crimson blade at Windu and snarling. Windu glared at Palpatine, allowing Vaapad to overcome him. He withdrew from his emotions, almost as if he were watching himself from outside his body, and allowed his rage and hatred of the Sith Lord to take over. Palpatine was skilled, but he could not protect himself from the furious onslaught of Windu. Neither of them noticed as the cloaked figure of Anakin Skywalker entered the room. Windu circled Palpatine and slashed at his head. Palpatine ducked out of the way, and Windu’s lightsaber slashed through the window of the Chancellor’s office. The window shattered and winds poured into the office. Palpatine rushed at Windu, striking at his head, and Windu saw then the shatterpoint of Palpatine’s dueling form; he committed too much to high strikes. Windu roared as he parried the blade, turning himself fully into the block and striking furiously. The force of the blow knocked the lightsaber out of Palpatine’s hands and out the window, sending the gold and silver hilt falling thousands of stories down. Windu pointed the lightsaber at Palpatine, who scrambled back to the window and tripped, propping himself up against the edge. Windu glared at the Sith Lord, his purple blade pointed at Palpatine’s throat.
“You are under arrest, my Lord.” Palpatine glanced to the side.
“Anakin, I told you it would come to this! The Jedi are taking over!” Windu turned and saw Skywalker standing there, his hood down, staring at the Jedi and the Sith. Windu turned back to the Sith Lord.
“The oppression of the Sith will never return. You have lost.” Palpatine sneered and his eyes smoldered.
“No, no, you will die!” As he spoke the last word he thrust out his fingers and waves of Force Lightning poured out of them towards Windu. Windu blocked them with his lightsaber, reflecting them back on Palpatine. Palpatine’s face began to warp, until he glared up at Windu and thrust forward again. Windu continued to deflect the lightning, when, to his horror, his lightsaber sputtered and died, the violet energy beam dispersing, unable to endure before the furious onslaught of the Sith lightning. Windu was struck physically by the full impact of Sidious’s lightning and blasted backward into the office. Palpatine sprang to his feet and used the Force to draw Kit Fisto’s lightsaber towards him. Catching it by its handle, he ignited the emerald blade and advanced on the moaning Mace Windu.
“You see Anakin? The Jedi are powerless. They limit themselves to the ‘light’ side of the Force, and thus they are denied the true power. That, Anakin, is why only I can save the one you love. Only I can save Padme. Join me, as my apprentice, and we can conquer the death that threatens your wife.” Palpatine did not even look at Anakin as he spoke, but simply strode toward Windu, Fisto’s lightsaber raised. “Now, my Jedi friend,” he hissed at Windu, “you will die.” He raised the blade to stab when suddenly Anakin cried out.
“No!” Anakin hurled himself at the Chancellor, his blue lightsaber ignited, and slashed the hand that held the lighsaber. Palpatine’s face, scarred and yellow-eyed, looked up in shock, as Anakin landed from his force-aided leap, turned, and slashed through the Sith Lord’s body. Palpatine grunted in shock as the energy-blade severed his spine and organs, cauterizing the wounds as it did so. Anakin drew his ungloved left hand back and then shoved it forward, using the Force to hurl Palpatine’s body backwards. Palpatine’s eyes rolled back in his head as his body was blasted back in two pieces, falling on the red-carpeted floor of his office. Anakin stared at the corpse of his mentor, and then extinguished his lightsaber, collapsing onto a chair still staring at Palpatine’s body.
“What have I done?” he moaned, tears flowing from his eyes in despair.