Star Wars: Balance of the Force (Anakin Skywalker Redemption)

24 - Empress

Motivated once more, Anakin surrendered to the Force, releasing his pain and anger, refusing to allow Sidious to control him any longer.

'Anakin, please, come on, we have to move,' Obi-Wan was shaking Anakin, trying to rouse him.

Looking up, he saw Master's Plo and Velaya attacking Sidious with Yoda bouncing around them. Ahsoka stood guarding Padmé while another two Jedi circled them. Ezac and...Dooku? Anakin wondered if the lightning had utterly fried his brain, but there the Count stood, more grey than ever, though a new fire burned in his eyes.

Velaya seemed to be going in for the kill when Sidious brought up his blade, piercing her through her chest.

Standing a few feet back, Ezac screamed, hurrying to his Master who now slumped on the floor, and the sound woke Anakin from his stupor.

Pushing Obi-Wan off, Anakin got to his feet. Balance... His destiny was to bring balance. It had always been hard for him to understand and harder still to practice, but now he began to see. 

Releasing his fears had never been easy, and now was just as hard. Yet, he had seen how the galaxy had ended up, and he could not allow Sidious' reign to continue. Padmé would be Empress, and he would make it happen. 

Sidious' eyes widened when he saw Anakin on his feet again, the lightning should have put him down for good. But Vader had felt that same lightning plenty of times before. 

Darth Sidious blasted the Jedi back, slamming each of them into the walls as he set his eyes on Anakin, 'You think you can defeat me? Foolish boy.'

Anakin did not respond, igniting his lightsaber. Sidious did not hesitate, launching at Anakin faster than should have been possible. But Anakin was ready now. 

Duelling was something Anakin knew well, better than Vader even, who had always relied on intimidation. He fell into the regular rhythm, although Sidious was no regular opponent. 

Anakin slashed and parried, but soon found himself on the defensive. Not good. He relied more and more on the Force, but he could sense he would soon be overwhelmed. The darkness that emanated from Sidious was staggering, but as Anakin sensed Ahsoka behind him, he had a new idea. 

The Jedi were getting to their feet again, but Anakin and Sidious' battle was growing faster and faster - there was no way they could join in now. 

Unless Anakin slowed Sidious down. It was hardly a standard move by any account, but he swept out at Sidious' legs, causing the Emperor to jump over his head. Anakin sliced upwards, attempting to slice at least an arm or leg, but only connected with the Emperor's robes...

Still, it distracted the Emperor for long enough that Anakin could begin his other strategy. 

The idea came from his experience on Mortis. There, Ahsoka had been remade. Anakin had never really been able to describe what had happened there, nor had he ever wanted to, but moments after she had died, Anakin had brought her back to life. Infused with the essence of the Daughter, Ahsoka had been revived. 

He had seen her new connection to the Force, the way that she was able to purify things that never should have been corrupted, nor revived. Like the lightsabers. Kyber crystals that had been bled were permanently ruined, or so they had thought. Yet Ahsoka had healed them, multiple times. 

Being able to control both the Son and the Daughter on Mortis had not felt like such an accomplishment at the time, but now Anakin drew on that memory. The Force had chosen him. He was a living embodiment of its will, and that required sacrifice, surrender. It was not easy, but as Sidious continued his advance, Anakin began to let go of his own fears.

He had everything he could ever want right within his reach. Padmé was alive and well, her new future so close. His children...the luminous beings that had brought him such peace and joy were alive and more wonderful than he ever could have imagined, with their silent conversations and knowing eyes. 

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, two of the people he'd spent so much of his time with, and whom he had loved as fiercely as his family had welcomed him back with open arms.

Anakin pushed back on Sidious' essence in the Force, attempting to dispel the darkness that surrounded him. Perhaps it was a long shot to think he could rip away the Dark Side, but right now he had no other ideas. 

The sudden brush of power clearly had an effect, because Sidious hesitated. Fortunately, Ahsoka did not, and she launched herself at the Emperor. 

Though they hadn't fought together in years, she and Anakin fell into their old patterns, slashing and defending as a single unit. As rash and brave as he was, she did not fear the Emperor as she took him on, though by all accounts she should be outmatched. Hell, even Anakin felt outmatched.

But the darkness had begun to recede, and as it did, Obi-Wan sensed the shift too. Joining in the fight, he took the brunt of Sidious' attacks, keeping him distracted as Anakin continued stripping back each layer of suffering, hate, anger, and fear. The Emperor could not be forgiven for all that he's done, but with the darkness falling away, Sidious grew weaker and weaker. Bit by bit, Anakin ripped the Force away from his reach.

Fighting with his former Master and Padawan, Anakin felt like himself again. As he continued opening himself up to the Force, it became brighter, and Anakin surrendered to it, feeling lighter than he had in years. Now, he would end this now.

With Anakin stripping his connection to the Dark side, and the fatigue from fighting so many opponents, Sidious was growing weaker. For the first time ever, Anakin sensed fear in Sidious.

Reaching out, he seized Sidious through the Force, freezing him in place. The Jedi around them retreated for a second, also near exhaustion. 

'Fool!' Sidious roared, 'You think you can defeat me!' He broke Anakin's grip, blasting out with lightning again, but this time Anakin was ready. He caught the lightning with his left hand, feeling it crackling around him with such rage and hatred. The Force was not meant to be perverted in such a way, and rather than the lightning hurting Anakin, it only saddened him. The blue energy writhed as it changed, becoming pure white around him. 

Then he shot it back, the energy slamming Sidious back into a wall.

Stalking forwards, Anakin watched Sidious slump to the floor, seemingly unable to get up. He had seen this trick before however, and he wasn't falling for it. Despite wanting to make his death as slow and as painful as possible, Anakin knew he could not risk prolonging Sidious' life. 

'Goodbye, Master,' Anakin said, pulling Sidious towards him with the Force and slashing with his lightsaber. Sidious' head rolled a few feet away to Anakin's right, while his body collapsed on the ground to his left. 

Silence fell as Anakin looked down at the Emperor's body, decimated at his feet. 

Then...peace. It was as if a grating sound that he had long since tuned out just stopped. The Force felt clean, somehow righted. Balance. Anakin had never understood it before, having only known the Force in times of such unrest, but now he realised. The Dark Side was not a natural part of the Force, but a perversion. It existed because there would always be those who twisted the Force for their own gain, but with Sidious' death and his own return to the light the Force was again restored. 

Balance to the Force, like the prophecy foretold.

'Anakin?' Padmé's voice brought him back to the present, and he turned to see her standing a few feet away. She smiled at him, 'You did it.'

He felt a smile spread across his own face, 'Shall we?' He reached out a hand, and she took it, allowing him to guide her up to the throne. 

As she sat down, she chuckled, shaking her head, 'Oh Ani, you never fail to amaze me.'

She sat down and he grinned, 'Long live the Empress.'

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Miss Birdie