Chapter 21 – Possessed

Mace Windu POV:

I looked up angrily and stared into the Jedi Guardian's face. "That cannot be true. Keep looking," I snapped at him.

I've been angry a lot lately. I was new to anger. I feared it more than anything. And yet I couldn't keep it from clouding my mind. There was nothing I could do but watch the dark side take control of me, torturing me inside my own mind and forcing me to be its slave. Only rarely did I clear my head when all feelings fled from me and left me alone with my thoughts. Those clear thoughts were almost worse than the darkness.

What have you done? I knew it. I didn't want to know.

The anger slowly receded. It made me dependent. Any time the darkness didn't envelop me, I should have taken my chance. I could have undone all my transgressions. At some point they would realize that something is wrong with me.

Do not worry. It's gonna be okay.

Internally I winced. There she was again! The seductive voice that compelled me to do things I never would have done in my worst dreams. I felt the anger come back. I couldn't suppress it.

Let your feelings run free. Then you will get over it quicker, my apprentice.

I heard a nasty laugh. Who is laughing here? Then I realized that I had made that disgusting sound. I gasped and pressed my comlink. A moment later, the door to the secret training room opened and my student walked in. She was clad in a black robe and wore a dark cloak only worn by the Sith. Her facial features were hard and her eyes sparkled a menacing red, while her medium-length black hair fell over her shoulders. Raven Dread.

The young woman knelt in front of me and lowered her gaze. So it is right.

"Master, you called me," she whispered reverently. Her voice was sharp, as if she could kill with her alone.

"It is so, Raven. Today we will introduce you to the Master." I gave her a hand signal and in one fluid motion she had stood up and was eyeing me.

I activated my lightsaber in a flash and wanted to put it to her throat. But Raven reacted faster than expected and effortlessly parried my punch. Now she launched an attack that I was able to fend off with difficulty. Raven had a strong right hand. I felt the dark side in her. She was powerful. But I could also feel something else. She not only mastered the fighting technique of the Sith, but also that of the Jedi. The light side was also in her.

She will be more powerful than any of my former students. She will be invincible.

What are you up to, my master?

Send her on her first mission. In the case of Amidala, you have disappointed me greatly. But your student now has the chance to iron out your mistakes. She will not fail.

Parrying more punches, I spun, swung back, and slashed at my student with all my might. Surprised, she leaned forward to take my punch. She narrowed her eyes tensely, a wrinkle formed on her forehead. Now I forcefully pushed her against the wall and said, "You have to be prepared for that."

Raven gasped, and through the Force I felt her burning anger. Actually, she had a pretty face with even contours. But now it was frozen into a single angry mask. Exhausted, she lifted her head and reached out a hand in my direction as if to shake my hand. A moment later, bright blue lightning shot out at me.

At the last second, I threw her back and Raven groaned again. She immediately ended her attack.

"Skywalker knows nothing of your existence. Use this to your advantage. He's not nearly as powerful as I am, but he's very skilled and uses wrath. The senator is his weak point. He will do anything to spare her life."

Meanwhile Raven had stood up again and straightened her hair while she listened attentively and finally nodded: "Is the old plan still valid?"

She was very intelligent.

"It is. The senator is still our target."

"What shall I do with her once I have her in my power?"

"Take her to the Senate. Best at night. The Master will be waiting for you there."

Again she nodded. "Then I'm leaving now, my master."

Now it was my turn to nod. "Beware of Skywalker. He's very cunning. Use your anger, but don't let it goad you unnecessarily."

Raven knelt in front of me and looked down. "I won't let you down." Then she got up and left the room in a hurry.

She wasn't a Sith. But no Jedi either. A dark Jedi.

oOo

Anakin entered the room after Let and placed his packed backpack on the table. Let was already dumping his stuff to see how much food and other essentials they digged up. Anakin didn't feel much affection for Let, but he respected what he was doing. That he defied the Empire, no matter what punishments would befall him, besides the fact that he was doomed to die for his Force abilities anyway. He also felt sorry for him because of his missing wife. Let had told him the story during their tour for food.

Lost in thought, the chosen one opened the backpack and tipped the contents over to the rest. "We caught a lot today," Let murmured and nodded contentedly. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before finally looking up. "Thank you for your help, Master Jedi."

The young Jedi smiled slightly, "Please call me Anakin." He handed Let Ipak his hand.

"Thank you, Anakin."

Anakin turned and walked down the aisle. Briefly, he sank into the Force and searched for Padmé. He missed her very much and finally wanted to spend time with her. He stopped in front of a wooden door and knocked.

As if she had been waiting for this, Padmé opened the door after a moment. She looked tired. "Ani," she whispered and smiled at him with his favorite smile. But her eyes didn't smile too. They still looked at him scared and exhausted.

"Darling, are you okay? Have I been gone too long?" He knew she wasn't going to tell him the truth just to avoid worrying him more.

But when she answered it sounded honest, "No no, you came at the right time. I was glad to compose myself for a few moments."

Anakin seemed reassured. He peered past her and saw two mattresses on the floor. "You've already set up camp?" The question sounded surprised.

Padmé agreed. "The other mattress belongs to Ahsoka. She's just exploring the building and getting to know the people," she murmured, looking around distractedly.

Anakin gently placed his hands on her waist. "Don't you think you've been alone a little too much lately?"

The young senator was so taken aback by his touch that she couldn't answer. Confused, she met his ocean blue eyes and her composure melted as Anakin pinned her against the wall and pressed his lips to hers. With a sigh, she surrendered to her lover and wrapped her arms around his neck. They leaned tightly against the wall and gave themselves completely to their partner.

Padmé's hand traveled down his neck and moments later found his and locked them together. "I love you so much," she choked, as he gave her time to breathe, still leaning against the wall.

His face was inches from hers and he glared at her before whispering, "I'll never leave you alone again, I promise." Then he reconnected their lips and hugged his wife. He knew how she felt, he knew she was still on the verge of crying, even if she didn't want to show him. He would have preferred to simply relieve her of this fear and take it away. But even he didn't know how to help her. So he gave her everything she wanted from him just to make her feel better. Even though he knew she would never fully overcome her fears.

"Anakin," she sighed, ruffling his hair affectionately. He smiled and picked her up and spun her in a circle. Padmé laughed out loud and tried to protest. "Anakin," she called out, laughing again. Her lover didn't stop, however, and spun even faster until they lost their balance and fell onto the mattresses. Their breath mixed with Anakin's. He rolled off her and laughed in her ear.

At the same moment, the door slammed open and Ahsoka stormed in, wide-eyed. She didn't give a damn about the couple's privacy.

"Ahsoka ..." Padmé began uncertainly, giving Anakin a puzzled look.

But the Togruta waved her hand apologetically and said, "Asajj Ventress ", that's all the Padawan could get out of her mouth while breathing heavily.

Automatically, Anakin tensed and his grip on Padmé's waist tightened. "What do you mean?" Padmé's voice was uncertain.

Ahsoka gasped, "She's here. I just saw her talking to Minul . She's armed and it seems Let and his people back her."

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Please let me know what you think! Happy 1st May! :)

Skyllen