For a moment, there was only tense silence besides hum of the sapphire, emerald, and ruby lightsabers. Suddenly, with a snarl, Sidious lashed out, feigning an attack towards Anakin before slashing at Luke. With that, a lightsaber duel started right there in the Chancellor's Office, father and son against the Sith Lord who, in Luke's time, had destroyed their lives.

Luke kept glancing at his father throughout the fight, worried. Anakin's anger was fluxing, and it was obvious he was fighting to keep out of the dark side's influence. He could understand it, however, as Luke was having struggles of his own to keep his feelings in check.

Luke's attention was brought back to the present as he narrowly being gutted by a slash across the stomach, moving his lightsaber up to block the fast moving red blade before Sidious quickly switched his trajectory back towards Anakin. Luke had grossly underestimated the man when it came to skills with a lightsaber. Saying Sidious was terrible at wielding the blade because of his age was like saying Yoda was useless in his old age. Now it took both Skywalkers to hold off the Sith, and even then he was pushing the two back towards the office.

Luke couldn't help but notice as Sidious took another swipe at him that the Sith Lord's attention seemed to be focused on Luke. The revelation was rather unsettling to Luke, and he took care to not become separated from his father.

Sidious pushed them back into the office, and there was a brief lull in the fighting where the three watched each other closely.

"Now, Anakin, we can spare ourselves this mess if you would just accept your fate," Sidious chided. Luke felt his temper soar every time Sidious goaded or tempted his father, and Luke was finding it hard to keep that temper under control.

"Stop trying Sidious, I will not become your lap dog!" Anakin said firmly, suddenly lunging forward in an attack. Luke hastily followed up his father's advance, but Sidious knocked them aside effortlessly, smiling in a way that made Luke feel sick.

"Surely you both know you cannot defeat me? The power of the dark side, my power, is so much more significant than your petty skills." Sidious' voice came out in a hiss.

"Why, Sidious, you underestimate us," Anakin said sharply, using a Force Push to send Sidious back in an attempt to gain an advantage on him. However, Sidious recovered quickly, and immediately used a Force Wave. Luke and his father were forced apart, slammed into the walls.

Dazed, Luke struggled to focus on what was happening. Dimly, he heard Sidious speak, though it was not directed toward either of the stunned Jedi. The Sith Lord had moved quickly at his opportunity, it seemed, to make contact with the clones.

"The time has come! Execute Order 66."

Luke struggled to his feet, weaving dangerously but fueled by his sudden, fierce determination. "No!" he shouted, launching himself forward towards Sidious. In his peripherals, Luke could see Anakin getting to his feet as well.

Sidious spun around, narrowly missing Luke's lightsaber as it came crashing down, cutting off the connection immediately. Luke twisted back around, barely stopping Sidious' blade once more. Sidious pushed Luke back with the Force again, though this time Luke didn't slam against the wall. Panic was coursing through his veins as he stood once more. Sidious had given the order; the Jedi all over the galaxy were officially in danger. Sidious had turned his attention on Anakin, so Luke took the opportunity to contact Windu back at the Temple.

"Master Windu! Are you there?" Luke called into the comlink.

"Luke! What's happening?" Windu asked sternly.

"Sidious just gave the command; there's going to be an attack on the Temple any moment now. You have to warn the others that are spread over the galaxy while they have a chance!"

Anakin gave a cry of pain, and Luke looked up just in time to see his father on his hands and knees, clutching at his head.

"I have to go, just be ready!" Luke said before he cut the connection.

***********************************************************************************

Anakin wasn't in the Chancellor's Room anymore. Scene's flashed in front of him, and Anakin realized with dread what Sidious was doing.

Memory walk, he thought grimly.

However, Anakin found himself confused when he saw unrecognizable scenes in front of him. That confusion quickly changed to fear and pain as what he saw registered in his mind.

No, no, it's not me; it's not!

He was watching his fall. Watching himself storm though the Temple and cut down even the younglings without a care as to the lives he was taking, Anakin could feel the tears streaming down his face as he curled into himself.

"Please, stop!" he cried out as the pictures relentlessly moved forward. He cut down Separatist leaders begging for mercy and peace. Agony at the next scene overwhelmed him as he saw himself choke his own pregnant wife and fight his best friend. Next he felt as if he was on fire, and swiftly realized that was what he was seeing: this version of himself had caught fire and was burning away.

"Stop!" he cried out again. He couldn't watch this anymore, couldn't feel this anymore. No more, please, no more...

The horrible scenes went away and he found himself back in the Chancellor's Office, curled up on the floor and panting. He shakily pushed himself back into a sitting position, his eyes falling on the scene he had missed while he'd been at Sidious' mercy.

Luke stood facing Sidious on his own, his face twisted in concentration as he used his feeble skills at Tutaminis to stop the lightning that was sparking from Sidious' fingertips. However, as Anakin watched and tried to process what he was seeing as he was still caught up in what he'd just been forced to witness, Luke's skills proved insufficient and Sidious' lightning won out, snaking over his son. Luke gave a cry of agony, collapsing to the ground.

With a shout of fury, Anakin lurched himself forward at Sidious, but it seemed that Sidious was ready for Anakin's brash action. Now it wasn't just Luke who was screaming in pain. Anakin was knocked back to the ground as his shoulder erupted in a fiery agony.

Sidious had stabbed Anakin right through the shoulder with his lightsaber, pinning him to the ground and making it impossible for him to get up without maiming himself further.

Over Luke's shouts of agony and Anakin's moans of pain, Sidious spoke once more.

"Young fools. You cannot beat me!" Anakin bellowed as Sidious twisted the lightsaber around in his arm, tears leaking out from the pain. "I will not ask again, Anakin: I am giving you the chance to escape the suffering and take your rightful place by my side."

Luke's shouts were ringing in Anakin's ears. "No...I won't join you..."

"It's your destiny, Anakin, your fate: you can't escape it, you cannot run from it. You will be my apprentice. The only choice you have is how much pain you cause yourself before you stop fighting it."

Anakin could feel the hopelessness and despair starting to seep into his bones, but he still grit his teeth in defiance. "Never," he moaned.

Luke's screams intensified and Anakin's breathing came quicker.

'Father, please! Help me!' echoed around in Anakin's ears.

Sidious twisted the lightsaber yet again, gouging a bigger hole in Anakin's arm as Anakin's eyes flew open, meeting Sidious' glowing yellow orbs filled with hatred as they stared down at him.

"I will not ask again, Anakin. Perhaps if you join me, I might consider letting the boy live."

Anakin looked up at him, defeat starting to settle in as his gaze unwillingly wandered over to Luke, writhing on the ground. Against his will, his mind brought back the experience Luke had on the Death Star where Vader had looked on as Sidious slowly killed him with Sith Lightning. Anakin couldn't just let him die. Even now, Luke's screams for his father in that memory was reverberating around in Anakin's mind.

Anakin stiffened as Sidious moved the lightsaber around in his wound again. "Your answer, Anakin."

Luke's agonized eyes cracked open, locking on Anakin. He continued to convulse, but managed to cry out, "Father, don't!"

Sidious' lightning stopped momentarily, and Luke groaned in relief. Anakin's eyes swiveled back to the Sith, his heart pumping in anxiety.

"Father?" Sidious asked in curious surprise. "Impossible! The two of you are the same age!"

Anakin didn't let his gaze waver from Sidious' as he tried to re-gather his courage, remaining silent. Sidious jerked the lightsaber, and Anakin almost blacked out from the pain that it caused him. "I want answers, now!" the Sith hissed.

Again, Anakin didn't respond and Sidious hissed in anger, turning his Sith lightning back on Luke. Luke jerked as his screams ate away at Anakin from the inside.

"Luke!" Anakin gave another cry, tears streaming at the combined pain of himself and his son. What had they gotten themselves into? "Stop, stop, Luke!"

"Tell me the truth!" Sidious snarled.

Was all of this worth it Luke? Was it really? "H-he's my son, he is...he's from the future; the Force sent him back," Anakin cried weakly.

Sidious gave a satisfied smirk, pulling out the lightsaber that had been embedded in Anakin's shoulder. Instead, he leveled it at Anakin's throat. "That wasn't so hard, was it, Anakin?"

Anakin panted, head tipped back to avoid the blade, his arm pulsing in fiery pain. Luke's screams stopped as Sidious finally ceased the lightning. "Now...kneel. If you join me, I might be persuaded to let him live."

"Father, don't do it, please!" Luke moaned. "It's not worth it: n-no life is worth it. You'll only lose what you try to save!"

Luke cried out as Sidious gave him a quick shock and went silent for a moment. "It's your choice Anakin. Will you really let your son die?" Sidious said with a smirk. "I will make sure you lose everything if you make the wrong choice!"

"Anakin—Father—you'll lose everything if you do: please, listen to me!" Luke cried.

"I grow tired of your meddling boy!" Sidious hissed, and he resumed Luke's torment.

"All right!" Anakin shouted over Luke's screams. "All right, please, just stop!"

A heavy weight fell in Anakin's chest as he uttered those words, and he could feel the dark side already reaching out for him, stretching to wrap its cold fingers around his heart.

"Father, no..." Luke moaned as Sidious stood over Anakin's broken form.

"Get up," he hissed, "and kneel: accept your destiny."

Anakin rolled onto his stomach, struggling to push himself up while favoring his bad arm. He turned to face Sidious, though his eyes fell on Luke once again.

His son lay smoking, weak, twitching, and with tear streaks down his face. The pair of electric blue eyes stared into each other for several long moments. "I'm sorry Luke...but I can't let you die," Anakin told him weakly.

Luke stared back at him, and his next words pierced Anakin deep through the heart.

"Don't make me lose my father again."

Anakin recoiled, feeling Sidious' blade against his cheek to get Anakin to look away from Luke, and back up at him. However, it didn't stop Luke's words from taking effect.

'I won't leave you!'

'Then my father is truly dead.'

'No, no; it's not true! That's impossible!'

I can't put him through that again, Anakin thought. But what other choice do I have right now?

A little thought nudged at Anakin's mind as Sidious tipped Anakin's head up with his blade, which was now strategically placed under Anakin's chin. "You know the words Anakin: it's time to pledge yourself to me. Don't fight it any longer."

You can die with dignity for what's right. For yourself, for Padmé, for your future family, for the Jedi, for the Republic...

For your son, Luke.

Anakin kept his eyes locked with Sidious' with an impassive expression, releasing all of his fear and pain and anger into the Force so he could actually speak the right words.

"I will never put my son through this. I will never join you Sidious. You will have to kill me. I am a Jedi, as is my son. It's who we are: not your pawns."

Anakin leaned back as Sidious pressed his lightsaber forward, trying to keep the blade from punching through his throat.

"So be it," Sidious said. Suddenly, Anakin found himself flung backwards with a Force Blast that Sidious sent at him, and his head hit the wall so hard Anakin was sure he heard a crack. Like a broken droid, Anakin crumpled to the floor.

"Fa—" Anakin heard Luke start to cry out, but his words were cut off, and Anakin could hear Luke making choking noises, gasping for breath and in immense pain that pierced through the fog that was trying to cover Anakin's senses.

By sheer will alone, Anakin pushed himself up, weaving dangerously as he propped himself up on his hands and knees.

Anakin's eyes took in everything else first.

The window was shattered, having been smashed to bits when Sidious had performed his Force Wave. The chairs were thrown everywhere, there were scorch marks from the lightsabers and stray beams of lightning, and there was a large burn mark where Anakin had been pinned not moment before.

But it was the scene in the middle of the room that he registered last. It caused his heart to jump to his throat and his breathing to stop before he let loose a cry of fury and agony as his entire world crashed down around him.