A smoky, blackened sky swirled above a glowing ocean of magma, Mustafar's fiery peaks rising in the distance. The volcanic world burned angrily, ashen wind howling passed the hard-edged refining facility where a lone individual stood. He was cloaked with arms folded, staring out at the boiling sea of molten red as a single tear struck down the side of his face. His robe was tugged by the blistering hot air which reeked of seared flesh, an acrid smell of death that wafted outward from the control room behind him. Droids and guards lay dead on the grated floor along with viceroys who had outlived their usefulness.
Anakin waited on the balcony of this unforgiving outpost and looked up at the unnaturally dark clouds that loomed overhead, smoke and ash threatening to choke out the sun. A shape formed through the shroud of greyish-black, approaching the landing area at an exceptional rate. On closer inspection Anakin realized it was Padmé's ship, much to his surprise. He turned to run from the balcony and toward the landing pad, rivers of molten rock churning in the distance. After climbing a short set of stairs, Anakin could see the loading ramp touching down. He pulled the large and dark hood away from his head as Padmé descended from her ship. He ran to her and she ran to him, arms outstretched before wrapping tightly in a loving embrace.
There was a silence between them briefly as they connected without words. Finally Anakin pulled away from her gently and spoke. "Padmé, what are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.
"I had to find you. I was so worried." The young wife and mother was panting, nearly out of breath but forcing herself to continue. "Obi-wan told me terrible things. He said-"
"I told to you wait on Corusant." Anakin rubbed Padmé's head softly, soothing her. "I'm almost done setting things right."
"Anakin... killing Jedi?" Her breath continued to be strained by worry, the ache of her pregnancy and the hellish heat of Mustafar. "Turning on your friends? Is that what is right to you?"
Anakin caressed his wife and spoke calmly while jets of liquid metal erupted in the background. "It's all for you Padmé. You have to trust me."
Padmé's eyes widened. "How can I Anakin?" she asked, her voice nearly raising into a shout. "How can I know you won't betray me?" she concluded in a softer tone.
"I did what I had to in pursuit of my new powers." Anakin wasn't flustered in the slightest. His only task was convincing his wife. "I had to have them to save you."
"Yes but at what cost?" she asked the newly forged Sith, pleading in her voice. "Is the fate of the galaxy worth one life?" Tears welled in her eyes, unable to accept that Anakin had done such evil things in her name.
Anakin smiled darkly. "Yes, Padmé," he breathed. "Yours."
Padmé gasped and her mouth hung open. "I- don't know what… to say," she uttered, her voice trailing after her thoughts. She closed her eyes, forcing out old tears while holding back new ones. "I should be flattered but I'm only more frightened." Padmé tugged on the rough leather tabards of Anakin's outfit, pulling him closer and looking up at him, desperate. "Please, stop while you still can Anakin. We were going to Naboo remember? For our baby..." Before Padmé could finish her thought she noticed that Anakin was looking back at her ship, suddenly focused on something else.
"Obi-Wan," he mouthed.
Padmé shook her head, confused. "What? Ani, what are you…"
"He's here," Anakin said, his voice now a dreadful growl. His corrupted eyes cut back to Padmé. "Did you bring him to kill me?"
"No, I would never do that. I love you!" Padmé insisted. She turned to look in the same direction her husband was looking only to form a face completely stricken by shock. Obi-wan Kenobi was standing at the top of the ramp leading into her ship, just as Anakin had said.
Anakin's gaze sharpened, suddenly doubting how true that was. There were more pressing matters, however. "Get behind me," he commanded Padmé while stepping forward.
"Really Anakin, it's you she should fear," Master Kenobi stated before walking down the ramp and onto the landing, sandy robes swirled about his arms and legs as he moved to face Anakin.
Darth Vader glared at his former master. "Have you come to submit to my new empire?" he roared over the crashing waves of slag burning in the pits that surrounded their location.
"Your new empire?" Obi-wan repeated, appalled by the mention of such an idea. "Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy!" the master screamed passionately as if volume would change Anakin's mind.
"The Republic is no more," Vader uttered finally before removing his near-black robe. "Soon the same will be true of the Jedi."
"No, Anakin, listen to what he is saying!" Padmé tried quelling the temper of her husband but it was far too late for that. "Please, you two don't have to fight."
"I love you, but I cannot allow you to proceed on this course any longer," the master spoke, resigned to his current situation. He knew what came next and he knew what had to be done.
Lord Vader took his lightsaber into his hand and activated it, a brilliant blue blade screeching forth. "Don't make me kill you, Obi-wan."
Obi-wan looked at Padmé and sighed. "Oh Anakin," he said while taking off his own robe which caught on the blazing wind as he reached for his weapon as well. "The feeling is mutual."
"Anakin what happened you?" Padmé screamed again, starting to lose her voice from all the shouting not to mention the hot, dry air of the volcano planet. "Why are you doing this?"
Anakin did not respond. Instead he kept his gaze fixed on Obi-wan who stood across from him, igniting his saber and bringing it up to his chest.
"Look at me!" Padmé demanded with a hoarse voice, glaring up at Anakin and unfazed by him and his 'power'. So much so that after her husband ignored her yet again she flattened her hand and slapped him right across the face. A burning red streak flared on the Sith Lord's cheek and Darth Vader swayed to the side from the strike. His eyes flicked to meet hers, vivid pupils glowing like a mirror of the rage which this planet embodied. Anakin's emotions called on the Force in return and pushed Padmé to the ground without a conscious thought, without an outward gesture. The ease with which he used the Force on her came at a shock but there were more threatening things at that moment, like Obi-Wan.
Padmé laid on the platform, too weak to get back up while Darth Vader walked forward, toward Obi-wan who exhaled slowly, calming himself and drawing on the Living Force for strength. This is exactly what Anakin didn't want: a long and drawn out duel with his former master. Of all the people in the galaxy to have a conflict with, this Obi-wan was the only one who he truly worried about; the only one who would haunt him long after the deed was done.
He could now kill anyone, on any world without a second thought, but Obi-wan had loved him and trained him. For all the times he held Anakin back, for all the times he lectured Anakin, it was always out of care, compassion, and brotherhood, something he never had with anyone else. Now their ideals conflicted in the most uncompromising way. As Anakin grew closer to Obi-wan he could see small burned spots on his brown and ivory robes. Darth Vader began to lose himself in the Force, calling a storm around his body. Subtle at first, the waves of Force grew stronger and more numerous, knocking Kenobi backwards and forcing Padmé to crouch to avoid falling. The Force whirled around Darth Vader and Padmé's glossy, silver ship was swept up, tumbling and crashing on the landing before falling over into the brimstone sea.
"The Republic can be salvaged Anakin! I can stop Palpatine with your help!" Obi-wan plead while enduring the Force storm but found no audience in Darth Vader who only raised his own lightsaber and continued to close the distance between them. "Come back to the Jedi. We need you!"
"I know how to save Padmé..." Anakin announced proudly. "You are of no more use to me."
Darth Vader dashed forward, sped by the dark side towards Obi-wan who he proceeded to attack viciously. The Jedi master reeled away from the Sith Lord, overwhelmed by the Dark Side's violent onslaught. Anakin poured his offense upon Obi-wan, flipping his blade and holding nothing back, each blow coming within inches of its target.
Padmé cried in pain as they fought, entering the final stage of her pregnancy right there on the metal landing. The sound caused Vader to hasten. The quicker the obstacle of Kenobi was removed, the sooner Padmé would be in a safe place for her and the baby. Obi-wan was visibly tired, battered and sweaty and defeated. His actions had slowed and he had taken two glancing cuts, a sign of overall fatigue.
What could be done at this point? The Dark Side energized Anakin to an unmatchable degree. There was no hope for Master Kenobi, the Jedi, or the Republic. When Darth Vader's ironically blue saber carved into his leg, Obi-wan knew all was lost. Padmé wailed even louder while Kenobi lurched forward, falling to one knee and pain causing him to drop his weapon.
"I am more powerful than any Jedi could ever dream of," Darth Vader boasted as the silvery hilt clattered away from the Jedi who strained to get to his feet, despite the lightsaber wounds all over his body.
"Strength without wisdom will be your end," Obi-wan rasped as Darth Vader looked down on him. The corruption was seething in Darth Vader's eyes and there was a measure of dark satisfaction in watching Obi-wan struggle. The Sith Lord lowered to pick up Obi-wan's lightsaber, taking the weapon for himself.
"I have failed you, Anakin," Obi-wan admitted seconds before Vader's blade flashed in a wide arc upwards. The final blow: a deep slash through the chest.
"Farewell," Darth Vader muttered to the dead form while retracting his lightsaber and returning it to his belt. He turned on his heel and quickly ran to pick Padmé from the ground. He carried his wife to his personal yellow starfighter and set her down before sending a message to his clones.
"Rex, send a starship to Mustafar," Anakin spoke into the communication system inside his fighter.
"Anakin...," Padmé moaned from her position in the cockpit of Anakin's fighter. Her entire body hurt from contractions and despite the absolute insanity concerning her husband, she needed comforting from someone. It wasn't like she could just up and leave, run away from him and never look back. She had no vehicle and was expecting a baby within the hour, not to mention how he would react.
Oddly, despite the recent turmoil, they held hands while he stood on the landing beside her, watching her and instantly becoming at ease. At times his actions ate at him but looking at Padmé made those feelings vanish entirely. As long as he had her, nothing else mattered. A gunship lowered from the atmosphere and onto the scorched platform where four troopers dismounted to inspect the body of Kenobi.
"He's dead," Anakin declared while he picked up Padmé in his arms once more and carried her to the ship as she whined from the pain their child caused.
"Lord Vader," the ranking clonetrooper greeted, side-stepping to get out of the Sith Lord's path.
"Get us to the main ship," Vader commanded before ducking his head to enter the gunship.
"Right away, sir." The clone ordered his subordinates onto the gunship before getting on himself, proceeded by the Sith who carried his love. Darth Vader boarded and stood at the center of the ship, cradling Padmé as she whined, unwilling to set her down, unable to be separate from her.
Within moments an enormous, Cruiser-class vessel could be seen hovering in low orbit. The transport flew into space, leaving the burning red planet behind to dock with the destroyer. Darth Vader strode off of the shuttle and into the hangar of the much larger ship, immediately turning for the medical hall with Padmé still in his arms.