Obi Wan, Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto, ans Saesee Tiin were preparing to board a gunship to the Chancellor's office.

Anakin entered the hangar and ran up to Obi Wan, out of breath. "Obi Wan, I must talk to you."

"What is it, Anakin?  We have just received word that Master Windu has destroyed General Grievous. We are on our way to make sure the Chancellor returns emergency powers back to the Senate." Obi Wan asked.

"He won't give up his power. I've just learned a terrible truth. I think Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord." Anakin reported.

"A Sith Lord? Are you sure?" Obi Wan questioned.

"Yes. He's the one we have been looking for." Anakin answered.

"How do you know this?" Obi Wan asked.

"He knows the ways of the Force. He has been trained to use the dark side."  Anakin replied.

"Then our worst fears have been realized. We must move quickly if the Jedi Order is to survive." Obi Wan said, stroking his beard.

"Master, the Chancellor is very powerful. You will need my help if you are going to arrest him." Anakin begged his former master and friend.

"Anakin, I already have help. I need you to report to master Yoda and help set up defenses around the Temple in case something goes wrong. Can you do that?" Obi Wan asked, looking Anakin in the eyes.

Anakin sighed. "Yes, Master, but please, be careful!"

Obi Wan cocked an eyebrow. "Look who's talking." Then, all banter aside Obi Wan nodded. "I'll be careful, Anakin. Now, go."

Anakin did, but not before he looked at Obi Wan once more.

-SW-

Anakin rushed to the Council Chamber and reported to Master Yoda.

"Serious, this is. Precautions must we take." Yoda said.

"Yes, Master." Anakin bowed.

Yoda looked at him with his luminous yellow eyes. "Worry for Obi Wan, you feel."

Anakin sighed. "Yes."

"Hmm. Feel danger do you?" Yoda asked.

Anakin closed his eyes and focused. He sunk himself in the Force and searched for his friend. A sense of fear, darkness, and yes danger.

Anakin's eyes popped open. "Master, I need to go help!"

Yoda closed his eyes. "The will of the Force, this is. Careful, must you be of your emotions. Anger, fear, aggression, remember, a Jedi feels not these thing. Now, hurry. Little time is there."

Anakin ran out of the Council Chamber and jumped into his speeder. Faster! Faster! Come on, don't let me be too late!

-SW-

The sky was still blue as a Gunship set down on the Senate landing pad. Obi Wan felt a faint tingle of danger but brushed it off, prepared for it. He took a calming breath, centered himself, and prepared to face a Sith yet again.

He felt dread that refused to be banished. Unbidden memories of the red Zabrack assassin and Zigoola ran on an endless loop in his mind. He shook them off and exited the gunship with the rest of the Jedi.

They entered the lobby and incapacitated the guards. Using the Force, they opened the doors to Palpatine's office.

"Master Kenobi. I take it General Grievous has been destroyed by Master Windu? I must say, you're here sooner than expected." Sidious voiced.

"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor." Obi Wan stated, igniting his sapphire lightsaber. The other Jedi followed his lead.

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" Palpatine asked, calm as a clam.

"The Senate will decide your fate." Obi Wan said.

"I am the Senate!" Palpatine cried, suddenly angrily.

"Not yet!" Obi Wan insisted.

Sidious stood, a lightsaber hilt fell from his sleeve into his hand and he activated the blood red blade.

Sidious spun to face the Jedi.  "It's treason, then."

Sidious lunged, spun and slashed, and the other three Jedi were dead before Obi Wan could blink.

Obi Wan and Sidious engaged, fighting their way down the hallway and into the main office area. Sidious Force-slams Obi Wan against the wall, making Obi Wan grunt as a rib cracked. He recovered before the Chancellor could cut him down.

In the heat of battle, Obi Wan cut the window behind the Chancellor's desk, and it crashed away. Obi Wan was forced out onto the ledge, which was twenty stories up. They fought over the precipice. Balancing precariously. Oh, dear, that's not a pleasant fall. He thought in the instance before Sidious struck at him again.

Obi Wan felt a familiar and unexpected presence. Anakin burst in and saw Sidious attacking Obi Wan and halted, shocked.

Obi Wan forced Sidious to drop his saber by striking the hilt with his ignited blade. "You are under arrest, Sidious." Obi Wan stated.

"Anakin! I told you it would come to this. I was right. The Jedi are taking over." Sidious cried.

"Anakin, don't listen to him! The oppression of the Sith can never return!"

"No! No! You will die!" Sidious screamed. He raised his hands and shot blue lightning at Obi Wan. Obi Wan barely managed to deflect it off of his blade.

"He is a traitor, Anakin." Sidious claimed.

"Don't listen to him! He's the traitor." Obi Wan grunted from the effort of deflecting the lightning.

"Come to your senses, boy. The Jedi are in revolt. They will betray you, just as they betrayed me." Sidous tried. He blasted more energy at Obi Wan and this time, the Jedi Master could't deflect it. It struck him in the chest, right over his heart and he was blasted back into a wall. He gave a strangled cry of pain before becoming silent and immobile.

Anakin's vision went red with rage. Sidious seemed to realize his mistake. "No, Anakin! He was trying to kill me!"

Anakin could feel Obi Wan's Life-Force draining away and desperately he struck at Sidious. A surprised Sidious barely managed to deflect his blade with lightning. He summoned his own back to his hand and began to trade strikes with Anakin.

Each strike, fueled with fear for Obi Wan grew stronger as Anakin attacked the Sith Lord. Finally, he got Sidious on his back, weaponless.

Sidious cackled, Anakin's blue blade inches from his face. "Strike me down with all your hate! Kill me! I have already won!"

"No, you haven't." said Anakin. He reached for the Light and all the love he felt for his wife, his unborn children, and for his injured friend. Only then, when he felt centered in the Light, more strongly then he had since before the Invisible Hand, did he strike. He didn't watch as the awareness fled from Sidious's yellow eyes, but he felt it in the Force as the Darkness in The Force faded.

Anakin shut off his lightsaber then ran to Obi Wan. He was barely breathing, his clothes smoking. Anakin scooped him into his arms and ran like his life depended on in. In some way, it did.

-SW-

When Anakin reached the Temple, he grabbed Obi Wan from the back of the speeder and ran to the Halls of Healing.

"Master Vokara Che!" Anakin yelled. "HELP!"

A healer came running saw the situation and led Anakin at a run to an emergency healing room. Anakin set Obi Wan down on the bed and waited as the Head Healer herself, Master Vokara Che came running with two aides. Anakin was shoved to the side as the healers set to work. 

Anakin watched in helpless terror as the healers tried CPR to no avail. Obi Wan wasn't breathing. Anakin could barely feel his friend in the Force anymore. Then, he couldn't.

The healers stepped back, heads bowed. "I'm sorry, Anakin, he's gone." Master Vokara Che said, clutching a healing crystal that had failed to save Obi Wan in time. Anakin leaned against the wall in shock. It was impossible. Suddenly, he received a sharp shock from the Force, prompting him to take action. He felt a sense of urgency and he straightened. Maybe...

"Master, please give me the crystal." Anakin requested, flesh hand extended.

"Anakin, you are not a healer and-" She said.

"Please, let me try! I have a feeling..." Anakin interrupted.

Master Vokara Che knew about Anakin's "feelings." She handed him the crystal and ushered the other healers away from the bed.

Anakin clutched the crystal in his real hand and pressed it over Obi Wan's heart. It wasn't beating. Anakin closed his eyes and sunk into the Force. He gathered it to him. All of it. He held nothing back, allowing himself to be a conduit for the Living Force, praying silently it would give his friend a chance.

Anakin heard one of the healers gasp as she felt the surge in the Force he was creating. Anakin released the energy he had gathered through the crystal into Obi Wan. His friends body jerked as if shocked. Suddenly, Obi Wan coughed. The world seemed to swirl, unfocused. Anakin swayed, silence ringing in his ears. His legs crumpled under him and he fell in slow motion. Everything spun until it was replaced with darkness. 

*1515 words