Pain. Horrible, excruciating physical pain screamed from every nerve ending in what was left of his broken body but it was nothing compared to the emotions he was experiencing. When Anakin had first broken through the suffocating darkness and taken control of himself again, he had been completely focussed on saving his son. Now, as Luke dragged him through the maze of hallways on their way towards his personal shuttle, the guilt and remorse for what he had done over the last 20 years began to overwhelm him. If he had been capable of producing tears they would have flowed freely down his scared face.
Luke had been right. The moment he found out he had a son, something inside Darth Vader had begun to shift. Cracks had started to form in the mantle of darkness that had surrounded him for so long and light beamed through. Things he hadn't dared dream of in years began to grow in his heart again. Vader had tried in vain to contain them, to push them back down inside himself and lock them away but the moment Palpatine began torturing Luke with Force lightning Anakin had burst forth from within and Darth Vader ceased to exist.
As they approached the shuttle, the damaged cybernetics in his legs finally gave out and he collapsed unable to go one step further. Even so, he kept moving. He faintly realized Luke was dragging him and watched helplessly as his son, his beautiful, strong, and compassionate son strained every muscle trying to pull him up the boarding ramp. Padme would be so proud of him! Oh, Padme! A wave of agony seized him at the thought of what he had done to her. To Luke. To himself. To them all. This had to stop. Precious minutes was slipping away and it was only a matter of time before this station was destroyed. He couldn't be the reason Luke was still aboard.
The respirator in Vader's suit wheezed dangerously. It was getting harder and harder to breath and now that Anakin was truly in command of himself again, there was only one thing he wanted. He wanted to see his son. Really see him in living color instead of the sterile shades of grey that had been his world for so long.
"Luke, help me take this mask off."
"But you'll die." Luke's eyebrows drew together.
"Nothing can stop that now. Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes." he pleaded.
Luke nodded slightly and reached forward. He lifted the outer helmet off with care and then released the catch at the back of the face mask and gently peeled it off. The cool air of the hanger was a welcome relief on Anakin's feverish skin and as Luke came into focus he gazed at him with wonder. Blond hair gleamed brightly against his tanned skin and blue eyes so like his own stared back at him. He had expected Luke to be disgusted by his scarred features, but he merely smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.
For the first time since his fall Anakin felt the unmistakeable warmth of love from another human being flowing through the Force. He immediately sent it back with all of his heart. Oh, how he wished he could have been there for his son all of these years! The sorrow he felt at what he had done to his family choked him. And yet, in spite of it all his son loved him. How Luke could feel that way about someone who had done such monstrous deeds was beyond his powers of comprehension. It occurred to him as he lay there, that this boy, this extraordinary child was the one thing he had done right. It was some comfort after all he had done to know that he would leave something in the galaxy that he could be proud of.
The lack of oxygen was beginning to make black spots appear in his vision. He didn't have long.
"Now, go my son. Leave me."
Luke shook his head. "No, you're coming with me. I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you!"
"You already have, Luke. You were right. You were right about me." The edges of his vision began to swim. "Tell your sister… you were right." He smiled as much as his scaring would allow, and, as the last of his strength failed, he took one last look at Luke before closing his eyes .
"I won't leave you." was the last thing he heard and then, nothing.
*Happy New Year! I started out tonight trying to write something completely different, and this is what ended up coming out instead. Not sure if I'll continue it or not, but it was a diverting way to spend New Year's Eve. Hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think. I reply to all reviews and I welcome any constructive criticism you care to share. Thank you!
*As always, all Star Wars characters are property of Disney and George Lucas. I wrote this for fun and nothing more.