The Decision that Changed Everything

The Battle

Sidious grinned, his yellow teeth peeking from behind his wrinkled lips.

"So, here you are again," he croaked. "Come to finally kill me?"

"Enough talk, Sidious. You are going to pay for all the Jedi you killed."

"Ha! This conversation sounds familiar."

Anakin bit his lip.

"This fight won't end the same way," growled Obi Wan. "This time, the Sith will end."

"You are so sure," laughed Sidious. "Now naïve you truly are."

Sidious black cloak floated as he jumped, his blood red lightsaber twisting in a spiral. He let out a quick, guttural cry as he struck, his blade making contact with Anakin's, green sparks shooting out of their blades. Ahsoka quickly brought her blade down on Sidious, who blocked quickly and pushed her away with the force. Then Obi Wan swooped in, his blade slicing through the air just beneath Sidious' neck. He roared, and spat as he returned the blow, and Obi Wan was knocked back by the force of the blow. Anakin rushed in, just as the door behind him was forced open. A battalion of clones poured into the office, blasters loaded. Obi Wan and Ahsoka quickly retaliated, deflecting blaster fire, and cutting down clones.

Anakin pressed back against Sidious, his saber swinging quickly. Red and blue light flashed between them, and their lightsabers let out little bursts of sparks and crackles with each strike.

"Master," Ahsoka yelped as she deflected another blow. "Master, help!"

"I'm kind of busy, Snips," retorted Anakin, making another swipe.

"Kenobi."

Silence fell in the room, as everyone stopped fighting for a moment. Anakin could not turn, but he knew who stood in the door.

Draped in a black cloth, the Zabrak stood on prosthetic legs, and black markings covered his whole body, head to toe. Several long and sharp horns protruded from his skull, and his mouth was turned down into a permanent grimace. His irises glowed golden yellow, and the whites of his eyes were completely black.

"Master, shall I dispose of them," he calmly asked.

"Yes, Maul. Kill them, but leave Skywalker to me."

Anakin gripped his lightsaber tightly, beads of sweat running down his forehead, as Maul ignited his saberstaff. He heard Maul's quiet laugh as he sprung forward, grunting as he struck. Ahsoka yelled as she blocked, a blast of light striking out as their blades  clashed. Sidious smiled arrogantly, and challenged Anakin with his gesture. Filled with rage, Anakin took off, flying over Sidious' head and to his back, drawing his blade to strike. Sidious flung out his hand, blowing Anakin backwards and through the broken window, tumbling to the ground several stories below.

"Anakin," screamed Obi Wan as his friend was pushed out. He moved to help him.

"Obi Wan," cried Ahsoka.

Obi Wan couldn't let Ahsoka die to save Anakin. He gritted his teeth and turned around, his blade angled to strike. Maul smiled a crooked grin, poising to jump.

"No," grunted Ahsoka as Maul jumped, and then jumped out of the window, following Sidious.

"No!" Obi Wan ran to the window, and peered over the windowsill, looking for any sign Anakin had broken his fall.

"What happened to Anakin," Ahsoka worried.

Obi Wan sighed. "He fell."

"No," she gasped. Without a second thought, she threw herself off the window, plummeting to the ground like a rock. Gracefully, she gripped one of the cables they had used to get up the side of the building, and slowed to a stop just before the ground. Anakin lay there, knocked out again, blood seeping from a wound on his head.