Shadowknight1
Loftwing
Title: The Twilight Saga
Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, et al.
Timeline: ROTS-onward
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters involved. I wish I did, as much money as Lucas makes off of it, but Lucas & Lucasfilms owns these characters. I make absolutely no money off these.
Author's Note: This story was originally started in 2005, and to be honest, while praised, there were areas where it could be improved. This forum, unlike some of the others where I post this story, is recieving the revised edition. I hope that it's enjoyable.
Chapter One:
A lone Jedi speeder roared across the Coruscant airways with a blatant disregard for traffic rules, its course clearly aimed at the building where the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic was. The pilot of the speeder was someone who had always had a contempt for rules, but now he couldn’t care less about anything except his objective. Night had fallen and he could now make out distinct flashes coming from the windows of the Chancellor’s office. He kept hearing Palpatine’s voice in his head, pleading with him, saying, ‘If the Jedi kill me, all hope of saving her will be lost.’ The flashes in the window were bars of green, red, and purple flame. In moments, the emerald fire vanished. Anakin Skywalker, the most powerful Jedi alive, and the best pilot in the Galactic Republic, was fighting a losing battle. If he didn’t make it, he would lose all hope of saving his beloved wife and unborn child. He swerved into the docking area of the Senatorial offices and jumped out of his speeder, running as fast as he could to reach Palpatine’s office. He barely noticed the dozens of redrobes scattered along his path, signals of the Jedi Masters’ passage. He entered the office of the Supreme Chancellor and saw Jedi Master Mace Windu standing over Chancellor Palpatine, his amethyst blade angled at Palpatine’s throat. The battle had been fierce, but Windu claimed victory.
"You are under arrest, my Lord," Mace said. Anakin closed the distance, but stopped when Windu held up a hand.
"You see Anakin? I was right! The Jedi are taking over!" Palpatine cried, looking extremely frightened.
"The oppression of the Sith will never return! You have lost!" Windu growled, drowning out any further protests from Palpatine.
"No," Palpatine growled, his face twisting disgustingly. "No, no! You have lost!!" he screamed, his hands forking, blue lighting leaping from his fingers. The lightning curled around Windu’s lightsaber as Darth Sidious screeched, "He’s a traitor!"
"He is the traitor!" Mace groaned as he slowly pushed his saber down, the lightning beginning to arc back at Sidious.
"I have the power to save the ones you love! You must choose!" Sidious pleaded with Anakin, the power of his own lightning beginning to transform his own face.
"Don’t listen to him Anakin!"
"Don’t let him kill me!" Sidious continued to plead. Anakin glared at Windu, his lightsaber appearing in his hand as the crackling of the lightning worsened. Sidious’s face was becoming more and more disfigured and his voice began to grow weaker as he moaned out, "I can’t hold it any longer...I...I can’t, I just can’t, I’m weak, I’m too weak…" The lightning disappeared and Sidious seemed to shrink from Windu. "Help me. Help me!"
Windu glared daggers at the Sith Lord. "I’m going to end this, once and for all!"
For the first time, Skywalker spoke. But what Windu didn’t expect was for him to defend the Sith Lord. "You can’t! He must stand trial!"
Windu dismissed this quickly, "He controls the Senate and the courts! He’s too dangerous to be left alive!"
Anakin winced at this reminder of his murder of Dooku, but wanted to cry out that there were some Senators Sidious didn’t control. Instead, he only pleaded, "It’s not the Jedi way! He must live!"
Windu growled and continued to glare at the Sith Lord at his mercy. The Jedi Master was on the edge of the Dark Side, but didn’t care. It didn’t matter what the price was as long as peace was finally achieved. "You…Sith disease!" he managed to spit out. He began to rear back with his saber.
"No! I need him! I need him to save Padmé!" Anakin finally managed to say.
The mention of the Naboo senator grabbed Mace’s attention at last. Especially since there seemed to be some threat on her life and she was a very influential Senator that had opposed Palpatine. The Jedi Master reached into the Force to calm himself, but found himself drawn to the shatterpoints now surrounding young Skywalker. The cracks seemed to center around Palpatine, but they also stretched outwards to a point distant. Amidala. "What do you mean?" he finally said.
"Padmé is going to die if he doesn’t show me how to save her!"
Mace’s brow creased in thought and he glanced down at the Sith Lord once again. The Force was whispering to him. "Don’t listen to him Anakin! You have to stop him! He’ll kill me, and then he’ll kill her! The Jedi will destroy her!"
Then Windu had it. He looked back at Anakin, staring into his eyes. "Anakin, you saw her death through a vision?" A nod. "Did you see what it was that killed her?" Anakin’s eyes grew uncertain, and Windu could feel his presence questioning the Force. Then the answer flowed into both Jedi’s minds. Anakin was at a turning point. He could destroy the Sith Lord or he could save him. He could gain immense power, but at the cost of everything he held dear. Even Padmé would be at risk. Now faced with a choice between his wife’s love and life and ultimate power…he found that it wasn’t really a choice at all. Skywalker’s eyes narrowed as he made his decision and his lightsaber flamed into existence and his glare focused on the Sith Lord.
"Yesss. You see it now, don’t you boy? You would have been great. The greatest of all the Sith Lords in all of history. And once she had died by your own hands, your fury, your despair would have turned you into an unstoppable force!" Sidious said.
"Why would you do this to me?!" Anakin growled.
"Because you are who you are," Sidious replied, letting a little sadness creep into his voice. Then, as the Jedi both raised their lightsabers, Darth Sidious let lightning lance out and hit the two Jedi, sending them flying back onto the ground. Before they could get up, Sidious triggered a switch in his desk. The switch activated a door and sent out a pre-arranged signal. "It no longer matters. Soon, the Jedi Order will fall! You are all fools!" Sidious yelled.
Anakin and Mace stood on shaky legs, clearing the fog from their senses. Anakin looked over at Mace who in turn gazed at Skywalker. "What did he mean by that?" Mace wondered aloud. Moments later, the sound of the engines of a group of Republic gunships rose over the growing wind outside. Mace looked out and saw the gunships flying through the night. As he saw their destination, he bit back a curse. "They’re going to attack the Jedi Temple! We can’t warn them in time!"
"So you’re saying it’s hopeless?" came Anakin’s voice. Windu was alarmed at how tight it was until he noticed how scrunched up in concentration the Jedi’s face was. Then he felt the wind picking up. He felt Anakin stretching out into the Force, the young Jedi’s awareness spreading out across the city. Dark clouds began forming in the sky and within moments, lightning flashed multiple times. The Republic gunships that had been heading for the Jedi Temple were engulfed in flames. After a few moments, Anakin’s consciousness receded, but only slightly. He was still stretched out into the Force. "Never give up hope Master Windu. But now we need to find a way to spoil Palpatine’s plans." Windu could hardly disagree.
Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, et al.
Timeline: ROTS-onward
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters involved. I wish I did, as much money as Lucas makes off of it, but Lucas & Lucasfilms owns these characters. I make absolutely no money off these.
Author's Note: This story was originally started in 2005, and to be honest, while praised, there were areas where it could be improved. This forum, unlike some of the others where I post this story, is recieving the revised edition. I hope that it's enjoyable.
Star Wars: The Twilight Saga
Part One: Episode III Twilight of the Sith
Chapter One:
A lone Jedi speeder roared across the Coruscant airways with a blatant disregard for traffic rules, its course clearly aimed at the building where the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic was. The pilot of the speeder was someone who had always had a contempt for rules, but now he couldn’t care less about anything except his objective. Night had fallen and he could now make out distinct flashes coming from the windows of the Chancellor’s office. He kept hearing Palpatine’s voice in his head, pleading with him, saying, ‘If the Jedi kill me, all hope of saving her will be lost.’ The flashes in the window were bars of green, red, and purple flame. In moments, the emerald fire vanished. Anakin Skywalker, the most powerful Jedi alive, and the best pilot in the Galactic Republic, was fighting a losing battle. If he didn’t make it, he would lose all hope of saving his beloved wife and unborn child. He swerved into the docking area of the Senatorial offices and jumped out of his speeder, running as fast as he could to reach Palpatine’s office. He barely noticed the dozens of redrobes scattered along his path, signals of the Jedi Masters’ passage. He entered the office of the Supreme Chancellor and saw Jedi Master Mace Windu standing over Chancellor Palpatine, his amethyst blade angled at Palpatine’s throat. The battle had been fierce, but Windu claimed victory.
"You are under arrest, my Lord," Mace said. Anakin closed the distance, but stopped when Windu held up a hand.
"You see Anakin? I was right! The Jedi are taking over!" Palpatine cried, looking extremely frightened.
"The oppression of the Sith will never return! You have lost!" Windu growled, drowning out any further protests from Palpatine.
"No," Palpatine growled, his face twisting disgustingly. "No, no! You have lost!!" he screamed, his hands forking, blue lighting leaping from his fingers. The lightning curled around Windu’s lightsaber as Darth Sidious screeched, "He’s a traitor!"
"He is the traitor!" Mace groaned as he slowly pushed his saber down, the lightning beginning to arc back at Sidious.
"I have the power to save the ones you love! You must choose!" Sidious pleaded with Anakin, the power of his own lightning beginning to transform his own face.
"Don’t listen to him Anakin!"
"Don’t let him kill me!" Sidious continued to plead. Anakin glared at Windu, his lightsaber appearing in his hand as the crackling of the lightning worsened. Sidious’s face was becoming more and more disfigured and his voice began to grow weaker as he moaned out, "I can’t hold it any longer...I...I can’t, I just can’t, I’m weak, I’m too weak…" The lightning disappeared and Sidious seemed to shrink from Windu. "Help me. Help me!"
Windu glared daggers at the Sith Lord. "I’m going to end this, once and for all!"
For the first time, Skywalker spoke. But what Windu didn’t expect was for him to defend the Sith Lord. "You can’t! He must stand trial!"
Windu dismissed this quickly, "He controls the Senate and the courts! He’s too dangerous to be left alive!"
Anakin winced at this reminder of his murder of Dooku, but wanted to cry out that there were some Senators Sidious didn’t control. Instead, he only pleaded, "It’s not the Jedi way! He must live!"
Windu growled and continued to glare at the Sith Lord at his mercy. The Jedi Master was on the edge of the Dark Side, but didn’t care. It didn’t matter what the price was as long as peace was finally achieved. "You…Sith disease!" he managed to spit out. He began to rear back with his saber.
"No! I need him! I need him to save Padmé!" Anakin finally managed to say.
The mention of the Naboo senator grabbed Mace’s attention at last. Especially since there seemed to be some threat on her life and she was a very influential Senator that had opposed Palpatine. The Jedi Master reached into the Force to calm himself, but found himself drawn to the shatterpoints now surrounding young Skywalker. The cracks seemed to center around Palpatine, but they also stretched outwards to a point distant. Amidala. "What do you mean?" he finally said.
"Padmé is going to die if he doesn’t show me how to save her!"
Mace’s brow creased in thought and he glanced down at the Sith Lord once again. The Force was whispering to him. "Don’t listen to him Anakin! You have to stop him! He’ll kill me, and then he’ll kill her! The Jedi will destroy her!"
Then Windu had it. He looked back at Anakin, staring into his eyes. "Anakin, you saw her death through a vision?" A nod. "Did you see what it was that killed her?" Anakin’s eyes grew uncertain, and Windu could feel his presence questioning the Force. Then the answer flowed into both Jedi’s minds. Anakin was at a turning point. He could destroy the Sith Lord or he could save him. He could gain immense power, but at the cost of everything he held dear. Even Padmé would be at risk. Now faced with a choice between his wife’s love and life and ultimate power…he found that it wasn’t really a choice at all. Skywalker’s eyes narrowed as he made his decision and his lightsaber flamed into existence and his glare focused on the Sith Lord.
"Yesss. You see it now, don’t you boy? You would have been great. The greatest of all the Sith Lords in all of history. And once she had died by your own hands, your fury, your despair would have turned you into an unstoppable force!" Sidious said.
"Why would you do this to me?!" Anakin growled.
"Because you are who you are," Sidious replied, letting a little sadness creep into his voice. Then, as the Jedi both raised their lightsabers, Darth Sidious let lightning lance out and hit the two Jedi, sending them flying back onto the ground. Before they could get up, Sidious triggered a switch in his desk. The switch activated a door and sent out a pre-arranged signal. "It no longer matters. Soon, the Jedi Order will fall! You are all fools!" Sidious yelled.
Anakin and Mace stood on shaky legs, clearing the fog from their senses. Anakin looked over at Mace who in turn gazed at Skywalker. "What did he mean by that?" Mace wondered aloud. Moments later, the sound of the engines of a group of Republic gunships rose over the growing wind outside. Mace looked out and saw the gunships flying through the night. As he saw their destination, he bit back a curse. "They’re going to attack the Jedi Temple! We can’t warn them in time!"
"So you’re saying it’s hopeless?" came Anakin’s voice. Windu was alarmed at how tight it was until he noticed how scrunched up in concentration the Jedi’s face was. Then he felt the wind picking up. He felt Anakin stretching out into the Force, the young Jedi’s awareness spreading out across the city. Dark clouds began forming in the sky and within moments, lightning flashed multiple times. The Republic gunships that had been heading for the Jedi Temple were engulfed in flames. After a few moments, Anakin’s consciousness receded, but only slightly. He was still stretched out into the Force. "Never give up hope Master Windu. But now we need to find a way to spoil Palpatine’s plans." Windu could hardly disagree.
