❝ he's— he's gone. right? ❞

—

ANAKIN PACED AROUND IN THE council chambers, brows creased upon absolutely hating the fact that Mace had sent him to simply wait whilst he arrested Palpatine for being the Sith lord.

He should be there, helping since he had been the very one to discover it, but as usual he was secluded, left out.

Previous nightmares suddenly flooded his mind of his wife, Carina crying with Obi-Wan attempting to calm her down whilst she was on an operating table.

Anakin clenched his jaw, he would sooner burn planets to the ground, till there was nothing left of them, then let her die. He made Carina a promise, and he would be damned if he didn't keep it.

Anakin rushed out of the chambers, hurriedly making his way towards his parked speeder as he jumped into the vehicle, quickly taking off as he began to approach the Senate office.

The Jedi Knight parked the speeder on the platform before slipping out of the cockpit. Moving his legs quickly as he treaded down the long corridor towards Palpatine's office.

Anakin walked in on Mace looming over Palpatine who was sprawled over the ledge, looking weak.

"You are under arrest, My Lord." Mace Windu seethed at the Chancellor.

Palpatine was quick to gaze over at Anakin, "Anakin! I told you it would come to this. I was right. The Jedi are taking over."

Mace let out a harsh scoff, "You old fool. The oppression of the Sith will never return. Your plot to regain control of the Republic is over— you have lost."

"No. You will die."

Anakin swallowed thickly as he gazed between the two just as Palpatine raised his fingertips as  lightening bolts shot out only to be deflected by Mace's saber.

Palpatine spared the young Skywalker a glance, "He is a traitor, Anakin."

Mace narrowed his eyes at the Sith, "He's the traitor." Palpatine mentally grinned as he spoke to Anakin, "Come to your senses, boy. The Jedi are in revolt. They will betray you, just as they betrayed me."

The Jedi and Sith struggled as Mace pushed against Palpatine's lightening. The Chancellors face began to look more distorted with the more power he used, "I have the power to save the one you love. You must choose. You must stop him."

Mace grit his teeth as he held his saber with great force, "Don't listen to him, Anakin."

"Help me. Don't let him kill me. I am weak— I am too weak."

Palpatine pulled back his lightening, panting as he groggily spoke, "Anakin, help me."

Mace held his saber menacingly at Darth Sidious, "You Sith disease. I am going to end this once and for all."

Anakin gazed at Mace Windu, brows pulled together as he sternly spoke, "You can't. He must stand trial."

"He has control over the Senate and the courts. He's too dangerous to be kept alive."

Palpatine continued breathing heavily, "I am too weak. Don't kill me."

Anakin shook his head, "It is not the Jedi way. He must live."

Mace had already made up his mind as he lifted his saber.

"Please don't."

Anakin grit his teeth, watching the Jedi Master carefully, "I need him."

Windu went to slash his weapon down on Palpatine, and Anakin reacted, not sure what possessed him as he shouted, "No!" igniting his weapon as he sliced off Mace's hand, shouts of pain echoing through the room as Windu held his injured hand.

A sly and coy smile spread onto Palatine's lips, raising his hands as he shot powerful beams of electricity at Mace, engulfing his whole body as the Jedi Master went into shock, shouting in agony as Anakin merely watched, breathing heavily whilst Palpatine laughed.

Mace was suddenly not breathing, having been overpowered as Palpatine flung him out of the building twenty stories up.

Anakin's lightsaber slipped out of his grasp as he fell weak to his knees, tears clouding up his vision, "What have I done?"

All he thought of was Carina, he had just helped kill the mentor of the woman he loved. A person his wife had cared for.

Palpatine laughed happily as he stood back up on his two feet, gazing at the young boy intently, "You're fulling your destiny, Anakin. Become my apprentice. Learn to use the dark side of the Force."

Anakin breathes heavily, he would do anything to keep Carina from deaths way. So, he did just that, blinking away his tears as he spoke, "I will do— whatever you ask."

Palpatine smiled triumphantly, "Good."

"Just— Just help me save Carina's life. Help me save her." Anakin's gaze shifted towards the ground as the thought of his beloved dying physically pained him, "I can't live without her."

Palpatine would not allow Carina to live, but that was something Anakin did not need to know, "To cheat death is a power only one has achieved, but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret."

Anakin remained kneeled before Palpatine, giving into his dark thoughts, "I pledge myself to your teachings. To the ways of the Sith."

Darth Sidious grinned in satisfaction, "Good. Good. The Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Vader."

"Thank you, my Master."

"Rise, Darth Vader. A new time has come."

—

Carina had been staring out into the blissful city on her balcony, enjoying the view when she suddenly winced, feeling a headache purge her mind.

A disturbance in the force could be felt. A name sending chills down her spine as it echoed in her mind.

Darth Vader.

Whoever it was, they had risen. Now, Carina was filled with worry, for who would be the one to destroy them all?

Carina began to breathe heavily, shouts of pain and terror screamed in her mind, gunshots heard as people running followed.

Carina couldn't calm herself down as an eerie and oddly familiar distorted voice boomed, "Execute order 66."

—

Carina descended down the steps, her hands clenched tightly together as she made her way up into the Jedi temple as Padme suddenly ran up behind her, "Carina!"

The brunette turned to see her worries friend panting, "What's going on?"

The Jedi Master swallowed thickly, "I'm not even sure." Carina hand twitched as her head slightly tilted, someone was coming.

A group of Clone troopers caught sight of the Algora girl, aiming their guns at her.

Carina was quick to slip her saber out, beginning to dodge incoming fire as she stood before Padme protectively.

More troopers began to join in and Carina leapt landing in the midst of them, "Please, stop." but they wouldn't, leaving her with no choice.

She slashed her saber, cutting down two troopers before decapitating another. Spinning her weapon as she slashed through their groins before stabbing her saber backwards and through a clone.

Carina dodged another shot fired and reflected it back to hit the trooper. Once she had successfully taken down the attacking clones, the girl shut her saber off, breathing heavily as she attempted to process what happened.

Padme's eyes were wide with shock as she carefully approached the Jedi, "Why did they begin attacking you on sight?"

Carina numbly shook her head, gazing down at the limp bodies of the men that once stood by her side in battles. The brunette cringed, her lower lip trembling as she breathed, "Order 66."

"What is that?"

"I'm not even sure myself."

Padme held a saddened gaze as she watched her friend blink, conflict shining in her eyes with all that was happening. She could tell the brunette was upset about having to kill the troopers that saved her life on multiple occasions long before.

Carina looked over at Padme, pursing her lips, "Go, Padme. It's not safe for you here."

Senator Amidala gave the Jedi Master an incredulous look, "For me? The troopers aren't the ones trying to kill me, it's you who needs to get someplace safe."

Padme gazed behind Carina to see more armed clones beginning to approach the brunette, "Carina!"

The Algora girl turned swiftly with her golden lit saber back in her grasp as she defended herself against heavy fire, "Padme, I need you to leave, now! You want to help me? Than get the hell out of here."

Padme gave her friend a torn look who was spinning her saber violently, bouncing shots back at the troopers.

"Please, Padme."

The Senator grit her teeth, turning away from the brunette as she ran down the steps, inching farther and farther away from the fight. Carina let out a relieved sigh that her friend was out of harms way before moving her feet, slashing and fighting her way through clones, but the more she killed the more joined.

Carina groaned as a shot was able to rasp her arm, a pulsing pain spreading throughout as she continued fighting against the overwhelming amount of clones.

Anakin appeared back at the entrance of the Jedi temple to see his wife struggling over the mass of shots being fired at her. The blonde ignited his saber, forgetting all about the order as he began slicing and cutting through troopers that were attacking the brunette.

Carina felt a sense of peace flush through her upon the sight of her husband fighting his way towards her, the girl spun on her heel plunging her weapon through the last clone as Anakin had just cut another in half.

The girl let out a heavy breath, panting as she shut her saber off, feeling her strength weaken as Anakin rushed towards her. The Skywalker pulled her into his arms, holding her closely as she clung to him.

"I have never been happier to see you."

Anakin held his wife's face before shifting his attention over to her injured arm, anger flashing in his eyes whilst gritting his teeth, "You were hurt."

"Nothing I can't handle."

Anakin placed a delicate hand over her womb as Carina reassuringly smiled, "We're okay." The blonde blinked in relief before softly kissing her forehead.

Carina played with the robes Anakin currently wore as she hesitantly spoke, "Why are they attacking? What's going on?"

Anakin pursed his lips, thinking of way to provide his wife with an answer, "The situation is not good. The Jedi have tried to overthrow the Republic."

Carina's expression morphed into a confused one, "What? That can't be possible."

"I thought the same at first, but it's true. I saw Master Windu attempt to assassinate the Chancellor myself."

Carina blinked, Mace had tried to kill Palpatine, but why? With what motive? The Jedi Master gazed into her husband's gaze, "Where's Mace now?"

Anakin stayed silent for a moment, unaware of how to reply, "He's been arrested."

Carina's lips parted as she took in the information, "What? But it doesn't make sense, I have done nothing against the Republic and all the clones were attempting to kill me."

Anakin cupped the girls face, running the pad of his gloved thumb over her cheek as he spoke, "It was a mistake that won't happen again. No one will hurt you, I will make sure of it."

"I— I just can't wrap my head around this. The Jedi turning against the Republic?"

Anakin nodded, "I know, it's a lot. I should've seen this coming, especially with how they had begun to break their own code."

"What about Obi-Wan? I know for sure he would not be apart of such atrocity."

"One can only hope."

Carina shook her head, "Everything is happening so fast. I don't think anything has ever terrified me this much."

Anakin's gaze softened as he watched the girl, "Have faith, my love. Everything will soon be set right. The Chancellor has given me a very important mission. The Separatists have gathered in the Mustafar system. I'm going there to end this war."

"The Chancellor?"

Anakin nodded in confirmation, "There's no need to be weary of him, he's a good person, and all I need is for you to trust me."

Carina audibly gulped, conflict evident in her eyes before giving into her husbands request, "Okay, do you want me to accompany you?"

Anakin firmly shook his head, "No, I need you and our baby here, where it's safe. Wait for me until I return, I won't be long."

Carina rested her head on his chest, relishing in his warmth. Ignoring all the eerie feelings and suspicion roaming in her mind, Carina Algora did not want to accept the truth that she already knew.

―

AUTHORS NOTE,
the next chapter will be a fun one 😍