Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. I only own this story. It's even sadder if for the first paragraph you listen to the "Imperial March" and for the others you listen to "Yoda's theme". Thanks. Warning. It is rather sad I've been told. So, I hope you enjoy. Please R/R, flames are accepted to, as long as they aren't vicious. Thanks.
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Darth Vader prowled the bridge on a rampage. One officer lay dead at his feet, and another was on the way. "You won't get a chance to fail me again, Commander. No one gets the chance to fail me three times." Gasping for air, the commander finally collapsed. "Let this be a lesson to the rest of you." He paced the bridge, daring anyone else to slip up in his presence. He cast a final look of death at the crew and retreated to his quarters. He sat down at his desk and opened a secret compartment. Slowly he took out the last link to his past: a holopicture of his sweet wife, lost to him forever. He gazed at it sadly and slipped into a dream of hope, love, and what could have been...
He was Anakin Skywalker once more, the man who he had left behind. He sat gazing out a viewport. "Ani, the children are in bed waiting for you. Try not to keep them up with your stories this time. They need their sleep." Ami called out to him, and he could hear her soft, angelic laugh. He went to his children's room and stood in the doorway.
They were both jumping on their beds, giggling. Anakin chuckled to himself, went to stand in between their beds and put on a tough face.
"Aren't you supposed to be somewhere? Like in bed? You sure do have a lot of energy for just a couple of four year olds!" He gave them a stern look that turned into a grin. They were twins, one a boy and the other a girl. She looked so much like her mother, with soft brown hair and eyes; and the boy looked like a copy of his younger self. They plopped down into bed and giggled again. "Tell us a story again!" "Yeah! The one from last night!" "Sorry, but you have to go to bed. Mother's rules." Then in unison, "Pleeease!" His heart melted and he sighed. "How about a song? She didn't say anything about a song." Their eyes sparkled in delight as they nodded. He sang a song his mother used to sing to him while he tucked them in bed. When it ended they yawned happily and kissed him goodnight. "Goodnight my beautiful princess! Goodnight my handsome prince!" He stood in the doorway and watched them go to sleep.
"Lord Vader, you are needed on the bridge." Vader looked up, surprised, and saw a young officer standing out in the hall; he was white as a ghost. "I'll be there in a moment." "Yes, my lord." He bowed and ran off. Vader put the holopicture away and went to the door. He paused, "Goodnight, my precious children..." And somewhere in the back of his mind, two small, hopeful voices called out to him. "Goodnight Father. Sweet dreams! We love you." Darth Vader looked back into the dark, empty room and smiled sadly, tears in his eyes. "And I love you, too..." He turned and left, thankful for his mask, with a heavy heart.
Somewhere, off on two distant planets, two children sleep soundly and peacefully. In their dreams, they hear a soft, deep voice calling to them, telling them that their daddy loves them deeply. And they smile.
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Darth Vader prowled the bridge on a rampage. One officer lay dead at his feet, and another was on the way. "You won't get a chance to fail me again, Commander. No one gets the chance to fail me three times." Gasping for air, the commander finally collapsed. "Let this be a lesson to the rest of you." He paced the bridge, daring anyone else to slip up in his presence. He cast a final look of death at the crew and retreated to his quarters. He sat down at his desk and opened a secret compartment. Slowly he took out the last link to his past: a holopicture of his sweet wife, lost to him forever. He gazed at it sadly and slipped into a dream of hope, love, and what could have been...
He was Anakin Skywalker once more, the man who he had left behind. He sat gazing out a viewport. "Ani, the children are in bed waiting for you. Try not to keep them up with your stories this time. They need their sleep." Ami called out to him, and he could hear her soft, angelic laugh. He went to his children's room and stood in the doorway.
They were both jumping on their beds, giggling. Anakin chuckled to himself, went to stand in between their beds and put on a tough face.
"Aren't you supposed to be somewhere? Like in bed? You sure do have a lot of energy for just a couple of four year olds!" He gave them a stern look that turned into a grin. They were twins, one a boy and the other a girl. She looked so much like her mother, with soft brown hair and eyes; and the boy looked like a copy of his younger self. They plopped down into bed and giggled again. "Tell us a story again!" "Yeah! The one from last night!" "Sorry, but you have to go to bed. Mother's rules." Then in unison, "Pleeease!" His heart melted and he sighed. "How about a song? She didn't say anything about a song." Their eyes sparkled in delight as they nodded. He sang a song his mother used to sing to him while he tucked them in bed. When it ended they yawned happily and kissed him goodnight. "Goodnight my beautiful princess! Goodnight my handsome prince!" He stood in the doorway and watched them go to sleep.
"Lord Vader, you are needed on the bridge." Vader looked up, surprised, and saw a young officer standing out in the hall; he was white as a ghost. "I'll be there in a moment." "Yes, my lord." He bowed and ran off. Vader put the holopicture away and went to the door. He paused, "Goodnight, my precious children..." And somewhere in the back of his mind, two small, hopeful voices called out to him. "Goodnight Father. Sweet dreams! We love you." Darth Vader looked back into the dark, empty room and smiled sadly, tears in his eyes. "And I love you, too..." He turned and left, thankful for his mask, with a heavy heart.
Somewhere, off on two distant planets, two children sleep soundly and peacefully. In their dreams, they hear a soft, deep voice calling to them, telling them that their daddy loves them deeply. And they smile.