Star Wars Episode IIIAU: Sith Rising (Star Wars AU Series #1)

Stairway to Hell

Anakin's POV

"Anakin..." A voice called. I found myself in a dark empty room.

"Who's there?" I turned around, only to see the Force ghost of Qui Gon Jinn. How was this possible? When Obi Wan, Yoda, and I talked to him in his quarters, Qui Gon only manifested as a disembodied voice.

"Are you scared?" Qui Gon walked towards me. I could feel myself trembling from head to toe.

"Q-Qui G-Gon...i-is that y-you?" I said as his ghostly hand made contact with mine.

"Yes...and I brought some others with me." Qui Gon gestured for me to turn around. The apparitions of Mace Windu and another man in Tatooine garb with tousled blue hair appeared, smiling.

"W-Windu?" I asked.

"You've been so brave, Anakin." Windu noted.

"T-Thanks. I'm overwhelmed."

"Relax, Anakin. And may I say thank you for being such a good friend to my daughter, Mia. You know, she's never had any friends until she met you." The man in Tatooine garb spoke.

"Y-You're her father..." I concluded. "But I don't understand...w-why are you here?"

"You've come so far in your quest to destroy the Sith, Anakin. We're all very proud of you." Qui Gon complimented.

"Are you sure you're not scared?" Windu asked.

"Oh, I'm scared, alright. Everyone else is, too. But someone's gotta stand up to the Empire." I replied.

"And that, Anakin, is true bravery." Mia's father said. Deep down inside, I felt sorry for Mia, who couldn't be here to talk to her father. After all, the deaths of her parents at the hands of Palpatine were what made her hate him so much.

"You're with me on this?" I asked after a few moments of silence.

"Until infinity." Qui Gon answered.

"And beyond." Windu said before he and the others disappeared. For some reason, a talk with Windu, Qui Gon, and Mr. Mircada had eased my soul a bit. The doors in front of me opened, and I walked inside.

As I descended down the stairs, I felt like I was in Satan's lair. I felt a chill down my spine. All of the red chandeliers and darkness didn't comfort me, either.

"I've been expecting you, Anakin Skywalker." Palpatine's voice uttered throughout the room. He turned to face me, uglier and wrinklier than ever.

"You will pay for all the pain and suffering you've caused!" I brandished my lightsaber at Palpatine, who only laughed.

"Oh, Anakin. Don't you understand? The Jedi were planning to take over. During the war, the Jedi have resorted to violence in order to keep the peace and protect the Republic. Sometimes, they violate their own Code to do what needs to be done. Look at Windu, for example. He threatened to kill me right on the spot, and the Jedi don't believe in killing their prisoners. That is why I took over."

"Don't you get it, Emperor? This is war! Of course, extreme times call for extreme measures."

"I could've helped you save your loved ones from death, Anakin! We could've ruled the galaxy together!"

"Why me, Emperor?! Why me, out of all people?!"

"Must I begin by saying this: I created you." Palpatine smirked.

"You...created me?" I gasped. Surely, Palpatine isn't the Creator of the Universe. My mother always said that I never had a father. And if I did have one, why did it have to be this backstabbing bastard, out of all people?