A Father's Daughter

16. Fighting Sith Lords is normal now

Anakin's POV:
It's hard to believe that my unborn daughter has come all grown up from the future to save me from Palpatine.
"Go to sleep, Leia" I tell her after dinner, where she's told Padmé and I all of the problems her brother and her have gone into all these years.
She looks at me with worry in her dark eyes, similar to her mother's.
"It'll be fine. Trust me" I smile "You need some sleep. Tomorrow we'll take care of Palpatine"
She shakes her head.
"It can't be this easy" she whispers.
I place my hand on her shoulder and she turns to me. I kiss her forehead softly.
"I told you I wouldn't let anyone hurt my daughter. I wasn't lying, you know" I say as I hug her. She quickly and strongly hugs me back and I laugh. I make her look at me and I see myself in her eyes "I won't let anybody hurt you, Leia"
She doesn't say anything. She keeps looking at me.
I sigh.
"Come on, let's go to bed, Princess"
We walk together to her room, where she gets inside her bed. I kiss her forehead one last time.
"I love you, Anakin" she smiles softly "Father"
I smile as well.
"I love you, Leia"
I get to my bedroom, where Padmé's already sleeping. I kiss her lips sofly.
Her eyelashes flutter as she smiles.
"Isn't this wonderful, Ani?"
I nod with a smile.
"It is, Padmé."

~¤~

Leia and I come together to Palpatine's office. I hold her hand softly once before crossing the door.
"We still have to act like we trust him, all right?" I tell her "The more he thinks he's winning, the closer he is of losing"
She nods.
We go in. The Chancellor smiles when he sees me, but his smile faints when he sees Leia behind me.
"Anakin" he calls me. Leia holds my flesh hand with nerviosism, but I smirk.
"Leia, you can stay out if you like" I whisper. "I promise I have it all under control"
It doesn't seem too reassuring for my daughter, but she nods and goes out of the room.
"I thought you and her had a fight the other day"
I nod.
"Oh, yes, Chancellor, it's the Council's fault" I lie "I've told them she's a liar, but of course, all of them are, so they didn't mind Luce's dishonesty."
Palpatine shakes his head.
"The Council is corrupt, Anakin, and I'm glad you actually realise. They will never trust you, and I hope you're aware that there are things about the Force they aren't telling you"
I frown my eyebrow, making him continue. This is what the Jedi Council needs: a proof of the Chancellor's real interests.
"If you want to fully understand the Force, you have to look at it from all of its aspects, not only the narrow view of the Jedi. You have to look at it from the Dark Side too. Side that will give you the power to save your wife"
"You know the Dark Side?" I ask with all of my hatred, that cold dragon begging and fighting to come out and wipe out that man who I once thought of as a friend, but that will end up destroying my family. I control it by breathing heavily.
"My mentor taught me" Palpatine keeps explaining "Please, Anakin, please, use my wisdom. I beg you. It' the only way to save Padmé"
Before I can say anything, Master Windu appears with three other Jedi Masters, and my daughter behind them.
"You are under arrest, My Lord. In the name of the Galactic Senate" Windu says solemnly.
"I am the Senate!" Palpatine roars.
"Not yet" I reply.
Palpatine's eyes jump from the four Master and Leia to me.
"So it's treason, then"
Then, he jumps for the Jedi Masters. He kills three of them, so Windu is the only one left.
"Leia, stay back!" I growl at my daughter.
She tries to argue, but the sound of my lightsaber turning on silences her.
Master Windu and I fight Darth Sideous until we desarm him.
"Please, Anakin. I was right! The Jedi are taking over! I'm the only one who can save your love"
"Don't believe him, Anakin!" Windu shouts.
I smirk a smile.
"Don't worry, Master. I've had enough of his lies"
"I'm unarmed!" Palpatine keeps saying.
"That didn't stop me in killing Count Dooku, did it, Sideous?" I remind him.
Our lightsabers go through the Sith Lord, who screams in pain one last time before dying.
I fall to my knees, and, before I realize, I find Leia hugging me.