Chapter Text
"I love you!"
Padmé said desperately, tears in her eyes.
But Anakin was distracted. He had noticed Obi-Wan standing on the ramp of Padmé's ship, almost mocking him with that stupid stance of his. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind all at once. Anger surged through him.
Did Padmé bring him here? Did she betray me?
He thought.
No. She wouldn't.
He tried desperately to believe it, but his eyes didn't deceive him. Obi-Wan Kenobi, his old master, the last person in the galaxy Anakin wanted to see, was here. To end this. Anakin looked back at Padme. Tears were staining her perfect face, ruining her beautiful curls. But Anakin didn't care. She had betrayed him. And so, he snapped.
"Liar!" He spat. "You're with him!" He stepped forward, lifting his hand in a Force choke. "You betrayed me!" He yelled.
I tried to save her, and this is how she repays me?
His thoughts hissed.
She doesn't deserve to be saved.
Deep down, he knew that wasn't true. He wanted to save her more than anything. At least, he thought he did. But his anger had consumed him. He had lost control. It didn't matter what he wanted anymore.
"No!" Padmé choked.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clawed at her throat.
"You brought him here to kill me!" Anakin yelled, lifting his hand higher.
You shouldn't be doing this.
A tiny voice in his head said.
But it wasn't enough. The color drained from Padmé's face, her body convulsing.
"Let her go, Anakin," Obi-Wan demanded.
Anakin's head snapped up, looking at Obi-Wan. His expression was unreadable, still standing at the top of the ramp. "Let her go." He repeated, stepping down from the ramp.
Anakin released the Force choke. Padmé hit the floor with a sickening thud.
What have you done?
The little voice asked.
No,
He thought.
It's his fault.
He turned to Obi-Wan."You turned her against me!" He snarled.
"You have done that yourself." Obi-Wan countered.
Anakin felt his anger rise, tamping down any sense of remorse. "You will not take her from me!" He yelled, his eyes wild.
"Your anger and your lust for power have already done that," Obi-Wan said, stepping onto the landing platform. His tone seemed more like that of a teacher giving a lecture than of a Jedi master. Anakin hated that side of Obi-Wan. "You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind until now," He sighed, his voice heavy with emotion. "Until now, you have become the very thing you swore to destroy."
Anakin scoffed, arrogance and anger overwhelming him. "Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan," He spat. "I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the Dark Side as you do. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new empire!"
Obi-Wan scoffed. "Your new empire?" He asked incredulously. "Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic! To democracy!"
"If you're not with me," Anakin's voice was low and dangerous. "Then you're my enemy."
Obi-Wan sighed, his expression grave. "Only a Sith deals in absolutes," He said. He removed his lightsaber from his belt, igniting it. "I will do what I must."
Anakin's eyes glinted with arrogance. "You will try."
He spun at Obi-Wan, and their blue lightsabers collided in a flash of blue light. Anakin hit Obi-Wan with a series of blows, pushing him into the building, where the remains of the separatist leaders Anakin had slaughtered were strewn about the floor. They exchanged blows through the building, coming to the control room. Anakin, blinded by arrogance and rage, accidentally sliced through the controls, deactivating the shields that had been protecting them against the lava below. The building began to catch fire, and they had to retreat from the building and onto a beam. They continued to battle each other, Obi-Wan kicking Anakin in the gut. Anakin stumbled, nearly falling off the beam and into the lava below. Seizing the opportunity, Obi-Wan Force pushed him. Anakin was nearly launched from the beam but grabbed onto a wire that was hanging from a nearby tower, dangerously close to the lava. Lava sprayed up, hitting his robes and burning through them, burning his skin. He screamed out in agony, the putrid smell of burnt flesh rising in the air. Obi-Wan lingered a moment, his expression a mix of conflicting emotions. Then, a wave of lava splashed onto the beam, and Obi-Wan was forced to flee, climbing onto the tower as it broke off the rest of the building, with the building falling into the depths below. Anakin grasped the wire, trying desperately to climb his way up. The tower was sinking with each passing moment, and the lava was getting closer, the spray stinging his skin. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself up. He swung himself over to the tower, grabbed on just below Obi-Wan, and began climbing. They climbed in silence for a moment, and both of them focused on survival. Anakin's skin chafed, his burnt skin rubbing off with each step. He shuddered, starting to feel a bit feverish, but he forced himself to keep going. He had to win this.
For Padmé.
He thought.
But was it really? He had nearly killed her. In that instant, when he had been choking her, what had he been thinking about? Certainly not about Padmé's feelings. He had been thinking about himself. How he felt.
Betrayed.
He thought.
But I had every right to feel that way.
He reasoned.
She betrayed me. But I'll get her back. I'll save her. I'll show her that Obi-Wan was wrong about everything. Then, she won't be so worried. We'll rule the galaxy together.
Anakin felt the tower rattle above him and was jolted out of his thoughts. Obi-Wan had jumped from the tower and onto a platform that had been floating down the lava river. Anakin followed suit, jumping onto a smaller platform, and began to wobble, feeling a little woozy.
Focus.
He thought, gritting his teeth. He snapped out of it quickly, stabilizing himself, but it was clear that this fight was beginning to take its toll. Obi-Wan observed his old Padawan's state with a touch of concern. Then his gaze hardened, signifying his resolve.
"Anakin," He spoke, his voice firm. "You cannot win. I know you know this. You're not well, and you've been severely injured. Surrender now, and I will spare you."
There was something heavy in his voice. Something Anakin refused to acknowledge. Regret.
The Jedi aren't capable of regret.
He convinced himself.
They're evil.
"Never." Anakin spat, clutching his burns. He was beginning to shiver, but he shook it off, wiping the sweat from his brow.
They didn't trust me. They betrayed me.
He ignited his lightsaber once more, the blue blade illuminating his twisted features. He leaped at Obi-Wan, landing on the edge of his platform, wobbling unstably.
I have to save Padmé.
This is the only way.
He swung his lightsaber at Obi-Wan erratically, but Obi-Wan jumped away, landing on a beach. Anakin seethed, jumping after him and landing in a roll on the beach. It scorched his skin as he pushed himself onto his knees, groaning. He was weakening. Obi-Wan was right. He could feel the fatigue in his bones. The fever.
No.
He thought, gritting his teeth.
He must pay. He took Padmé from me.
He stood up, his face contorted in anger. He took his fighting stance, the anger and pain from his burns fueling him.
"Don't try it," Obi-Wan warned.
But Anakin was imbalanced. He was letting his anger control him. Blind him. "You underestimate my power." He growled.
He lunged at Obi-Wan once more, forcing him back with what strength he had left. Obi-Wan reacted, flipping over Anakin and landing behind him. Anakin saw what he was doing too late. He felt Obi-Wan's azure blade pierce his chest, a burning sensation spreading through his body. Melting his flesh.
He screamed out, dropping his lightsaber. It rolled into the lava. He fell to his knees, shuddering. Obi-Wan pulled the lightsaber out of his chest, putting it away. He kneeled in front of Anakin, his expression one of sorrow. Tears of anger streamed down Anakin's face.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go!
He thought desperately. He coughed violently, blood spilling out of his mouth. He could feel the cold beginning to take him.
"You were the chosen one!" Obi-Wan cried. "It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"
"I hate you!" Anakin spat, his eyes mad with rage.
"You were my brother, Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled, tears streaming down his face. "I loved you."
He got up to leave, and Anakin's vision began to blur.
"Obi-Wan!" Anakin shouted after him, clawing at the sand.
It burned his skin, but he didn't care. He tried to force himself up, but his strength was gone. He felt his blood pooling around him, the warmth leaving him forever.
No.
He thought.
This... isn't over...
Is it?
Obi-Wan's figure vanished into the distance as Anakin's vision faded completely.
You... loved me?
Anakin thought distantly.
Then... why...
He didn't get to finish his thoughts. He was taken by the cold. It suffocated him, draining his life away. But then, he felt something. Life began to return to his body. He slowly felt his senses begin to reawaken, but the warmth did not return. He felt... cold. Cold in a way he had never experienced before. He was on something cold. Hard. It smelled of charred flesh. Medical supplies. His eyes cracked open. It was dark. He was on a medical table of some kind.
"Vader?"
He heard a voice speak, sending a shiver down his spine.
The Chancellor?
Who is he talking to?
He wondered, his mind still scattered. He didn't know where he was or what had happened, but he was beginning to remember. It was the Chancellor, but there was something sinister about him. A coldness to his voice he didn't recognize.
No.
He realized.
The Emperor.
Sidious.
Memories flashed through his mind. The revelation. The confrontation. Windu's death. Order 66. Mustafar.
He felt a surge of rage. He had fought Obi-Wan, and then...
I lost.
Vader realized. He clenched his fist in anger. It sent a jolt of pain throughout his hand. He looked down at it. It was covered in bacta patches and bandages, still charred from the sands of Mustafar, as much of his body was. However, in this universe, Obi-Wan hadn't severed his legs, and Sidious had gotten there in time to save all of his limbs. He was hooked up to some kind of breathing apparatus that was hooked up to an oxygen tank in the corner of the room. It hissed with every breath he took, the air burning in his lungs. The volcanic fumes and ash that Anakin had inhaled had scorched his lungs beyond repair, and that was something that Sidious hadn't been able to fix.
"You're lucky to be alive," Sidious spoke. "If it weren't for my powers, you wouldn't have survived. You should be thanking me."
"Thank you, Master," Vader said, his mask hissing. His voice came out as a distorted version of his own.
"Of course," Sidious said, his voice slippery. "Anything for my apprentice."
Padmé.
Vader realized suddenly. "Where's Padmé?" He asked, suddenly sitting up. The effort made more pain shoot through his body, but he didn't care. All he cared about was Padmé.
The last thing I remember, she was...
The image of Padmé on the ground flashed through his mind.
No.
He thought desperately,
She has to be alive.
He clenched his fists.
She is alive.
But Sidious offered no comfort, only confirming his fears.
"It seems that in your anger," He said.
"You killed her."
"What?"
Vader felt the world coming down around him. He had done all of this for Padmé. He had wrecked his life and had betrayed the Jedi, all to save Padmé. She couldn't just die.
Not after everything I've sacrificed.
He thought.
"No," he said, trying to convince himself. "You're wrong! She was alive! I felt it!"
How dare he say something so outrageous!
Vader thought, anger welling up inside him.
But deep down, he knew it was the truth. He couldn't feel her anymore. The cold, terrible darkness that had been inside him his whole life was now suffocating him. Padmé, the one person who had been able to keep it at bay, was gone.
Gone.
Vader clenched his fists, his heart suddenly pounding in his ears. He couldn't comprehend that Padmé's smile, her kind eyes, and her laugh were all just gone. After he had tried so hard to save her. He felt a wave of sadness pass over him.
"I could have saved her, but she was gone when I arrived,"
Sidious said, feigning sadness. "Taken by Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Obi-Wan?" Vader clenched his jaw, feeling a mixture of emotions wash over him.
"Yes," Sidious said. "They're holding a funeral for her and the child today," He continued. "It's so sad. If only I had gotten there sooner. I could have stopped him."
"Obi-Wan," Vader repeated, his anger boiling up.
It was him,
He thought.
He killed her.
He's the reason for all of this.
The source of all his problems was always Obi-Wan. It was his complacency that led to his mother's death, his unwillingness to act that led to Ahsoka leaving the Jedi. Now, because of him, Padmé was dead, and not just Padmé, but their child, too.
You killed them.
The tiny voice whispered.
He tamped it down.
No,
He convinced himself.
Obi-Wan turned her against me. Obi-Wan took her from me.
"Where is he?" Vader spat.
"Unfortunately, our scanners lost track of his ship,"
Sidious began calmly.
"But I'm sure that we can -"
"Where is he?!" Vader interrupted, lifting Sidious in a Force choke.
"Calm down, Vader." Sidious choked out.
"No," He growled. "You said you could save her," His voice boomed. "You said you had the power!"
"Yes." Sidious rasped.
"So why didn't you save her?!" Vader demanded, tears in his eyes. He was shaking now.
Sidious reached for his bracelet. It had a button on it, and he pressed it.
Vader's mask ceased its hissing, powering off. Suddenly, Vader collapsed, unable to breathe. "What-" He gasped out, clawing at his throat.
"Do not question me," Sidious said, towering over him. His voice was as cold as ice. "You are the apprentice. I am the master."
"Please -" Vader choked out, panic filling him.
"I can kill you where you stand," Sidious growled. "You are lucky that I still have use for you."
Vader wheezed, his face turning blue, but then Sidious pressed the button again, and the mask hissed back to life.
Vader gasped for air, the oxygen filling his lungs.
"Know your place," Sidious growled. He strode away, leaving Vader on the floor, still short of breath.
Padmé,
He thought, tears streaming down his face.
I'm sorry.