From The Ashes//anidala

1

FROM THE ASHES

Chapter One

"I am more powerful than the Chancellor, I can overthrow him!" Anakin smiled proudly as he delivered the news of his power to Padme on the landing dock at Mustafar.

"Anakin, is he really a Sith Lord? Obiwan said so, but I can't believe it, he was always so kind to me..."
"He was kind to me, too, that is how he gained my trust and used me against the Jedi. I now regret what I have done, and now I feel I can use this power against him! Come with me, back to Coruscant, so we can make it our own!" He extended his flesh hand to her. She didn't take it.

"Anakin, I am afraid of you?"
"Afraid, why?"
"The things Obiwan said about you..."

"I told you, I am sorry!"

"Sorry isn't good enough, Anakin! You have turned to the dark side!"
"Only for you, my love, to save you from dying! That's the only reason!"
"I don't want you killing younglings to save me, think of our own baby!"
Anakin hung his head in shame, tears dripping from his once again blue eyes. "Please forgive me."

"I don't know you anymore, Anakin! You're going down a path I can't follow, and it's breaking my heart!"

"Why, because of Obiwan?" Just then, Obiwan appeared at the doorway of her Naboo ship. Anakin's eyes shot straight to him in an evil stare.

"You betrayed me! You brought him here to kill me!"

"No-no, I sw..." He stared at her and his hand reached into the air in squeezing motions until she was clutching her throat, raised off the ground.

"Anakin let her go!" Obiwan screamed. He loosened his grip, and she fell to the ground. How could he have hurt the one he loved so much, the one he had turned to the dark side and committed terrible deeds to save? He stared at her lying on the ground, and bent over her. He turned her head, and noticed she was out cold. "What have I done?" He muttered, taking his head in his hands.

"Indeed!" Obiwan said, standing over him. Anakin raised to his feet. Obiwan's arms were folded, and he made no move for his lightsaber, so Anakin did not draw on his old friend. But he was furious.

"Why did you come here, Obiwan?" "To stop you!"
"You mean to kill me?"

"I do not choose to, but, if it is the only way to stop you, I will do what I must."

"You will try." Anakin said, his back turned. He could hear Obiwan's lightsaber igniting. He did the same.Turning around in a flash, he made a spin move and the lightsabers met. Obiwan had not heard Anakin's admissions of regret to Padme, and he was so full of the dark side Obiwan was unable to sense anything good in him. He attacked Anakin, and Anakin attacked him. Force pushes, chokes, lightsaber battles, back and forth it went. Anakin thought how strange this was, pulling Obiwan's own moves on him. Images of memories of their happy times together came to mind, all their lessons. It was Obiwan who had taught him the very moves he used on him now. Obiwan looked at Anakin the same way, his padawan, his friend, his brother. How could it have come to this? He wanted to stop right there, hug Anakin and drill some sense into him! But it had gone too far now, the fight was raging. Now that the self destruct mechanism of Mustafar's plant had been accidently activated as they had fallen on it, it was now heading down below, into the lava. Both of them looked down, knowing that it might surely take one or both of them to their deaths.They could feel the heat on their faces, and feared their clothes might burst into flames. "You know, Obiwan, maybe this isn't such a good idea."
"What?"
"Look, one or both of us is going to die if we keep this up, look at all that lava down there."
Obiwan was surprised to see such rational thinking in Anakin. Perhaps there was hope for him after all. He couldn't be sure so he held his lightsaber ready. Anakin's face scowled at him. "Master, whatever the differences are between us, surely there is a better time and place to settle them! Let's get out of here!" Obiwan, the horrid images of the holovid in the temple still vivid in his mind, was finding it hard to believe Anakin wasn't just trying to trick him. He searched his feelings, but only found the dark side blocking it. Palpatine had taken his brother away, this wasn't Anakin, it was Darth Vader. But Darth Vader was making a lot of sense. The platform shook again as it lowered. "Master, I tell you, if we don't go now we will find our ends right here and now!" Anakin's eyes looked so convincing, and a bit of his old self was coming through. Obiwan believed him.