The stage was dark. Clouds of fake smoke billowed and hugged the ground, spreading out and slowly curling over the edges of the stage.

The audience shifted in their seats, anticipation crackling in the air. This was the last performance and it had to be Skywalker.

"Who did he end up choosing for his partner?" Obi-Wan, now back in the audience, whispered to his neighbor.

"No idea. Nobody knows," someone else whispered back.

"Shh, it's starting!" another voice admonished.

A light appeared, revealing the dark silhouette of a tall figure. Ominous music began to play as the figure strode forward, the edges of a long black cape swirling through the smoke. The martial sounding drums gave way to loud horns.

Dun-dun-dun-dun-da-dun! dun-da-dun!

DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN-DA-DUN! DUN-DA-DUN!

The foreboding figure marched to the center of the stage. It was Anakin, dressed from head to toe in black, his hair flowing in an unseen wind, his expression fierce and his eyes bright. He paused and then, in time with a crash of music, ignited his lightsaber, held causally out to the side. The light from the saber glinted off his polished boots.

In his seat, Obi-Wan watched with his eyes wide, mouth hanging open. Around him, people seemed to freeze on the edges of their seats.

"The time has come!" Anakin declared, his voice resounding through the chamber without any need of a microphone.

"Nobody can stand in my way! Every world will fall at my feet! I will not rest until the entire galaxy is MINE!" Anakin raised his saber high above his head in a victorious salute.

Suddenly an icy chill ran down Obi-Wan's spine.

Then from the side of the stage appeared a tall Jedi, the hood of their brown robe pulled up. The Jedi strode purposefully towards Anakin then stopped. The hood was lifted and the robe fell to the ground.

Jedi Master Mace Windu squared off opposite Anakin. A murmur ran through the crowd. In all the years of the Talent Show, none of the senior Masters on the Council had ever participated.

"Stop right there!" Master Windu's deep voice boomed.

"Ha! There's no way you can defeat me!" Anakin shouted, a hint of a grin breaking his serious expression. This was way too much fun! He could hardly believe he was getting to yell at Mace Windu, and it had been all Mace's idea too!

"I think you overestimate your power, young one!" Master Windu said, that familiar hint of contempt that Anakin always hated evident in his voice.

"I'll give you one last chance," Anakin said, "Join me, and together we can bend the path of history to our will!"

Mace frowned, "I will never join you!"

Anakin appeared to consider this. He scanned the audience, taking in their rapt faces. He turned back to Mace.

"Then you will DIE, Jedi scum!" Anakin shouted. He caught a flash of a glare from Mace. So what? He was entitled to make some minor additions to the script, for dramatic effect of course.

"I don't think so!" Mace said grimly. He held out his hand and his saber jumped from his belt to his palm, igniting with a snap into a purple-white glow.

Anakin lunged, swinging his lightsaber in a wide attack. Mace moved to block him and the blades flashed against each other. Anakin swung again, high then low then high again, picking up speed. Mace blocked him each time, giving way one step at a time.

Then a hard blow knocked Mace's lightsaber from his hand. It disengaged and clattered across the stage. The audience gasped.

Anakin paused to give a mocking laugh and raised his saber to deliver a killing blow but Mace thrust out his palm and Anakin was sent flying backwards. Mace held out his hand again and called his lightsaber back to him while Anakin picked himself up off the floor.

Then Mace went on the offensive but Anakin matched him move for move. They clashed again, moving back and forth across the stage, each gaining the upper hand only to lose it again.

Watching from the audience, Obi-Wan thought that he was the only one who knew how truly impressive it was. Anakin was using moves that Obi-Wan had never seen before, and there was no way they'd had time to rehearse this. Anakin was improvising. He was holding his own against Mace Windu, who was widely acknowledged as one of the best swordsmen of his generation. And he was doing it with style.

When their blades separated again, Anakin took a half step backwards and paused, exchanging a small nod with Mace. Mace smiled and swung wide towards Anakin, who collapsed to the floor only a second before Mace's lightsaber passed through the air where his neck had been. Anakin's lightsaber disengaged.

"NOOOOOOOooooo!!!!" Anakin moaned, "Aghhhhh...." His lightsaber fell out of his hand and rolled slowly away from his twitching fingers.

"I'm dyyyying..." Anakin clutched his chest.

Mace stood over him. He raised one eyebrow, waiting.

"Aaraaghhh uughhhh....agh...ehghhhh..." Anakin convulsed one last time and then collapsed back, eyes closed, finally still.

Mace calmly returned his lightsaber to his belt and, facing the audience, bowed deeply. The stage lights went down and the audience sat in stunned silence for a long second before bursting into applause and cheers. Everyone was clapping, except for Ahsoka, who could only cringe. Her master's acting skills were so embarrassing!

From his spot splayed out on the ground in the dark, Anakin grinned. Mace offered him and hand and helped him to his feet and, if Anakin was not mistaken, let slip a smirk of his own. 

https://youtu.be/-bzWSJG93P8