Chapter 2

Three years prior...

Anakin Skywalker's eyes linger on his charge a bit longer than they should. His eyes are captivated by her elegant dress for the Opera. Her bodice was a colorful array of hues of blue from the color of the Naboo sky to a dark navy as the bodice met the bottom of her dress. Her slender form was accented by her dress as she sashayed in her dress along the busy street. Her heels clicked along the paved road as they made their way from the Opera house.

His eyes are like burning coals as she attempts to watch any reactions out of her new found friend. Anakin had been escorting her around Courscant the past two weeks in efforts to keep her safe from harm while visiting the busy Capital of the Republic. She felt pride in knowing she had such an escort as the Hero of the Republic at her side. It was an honor to befriend such as fine warrior as he. Although, since she had met him, he'd captivated her interest in more than one way. She wasn't a blind fool to his handsome features. He was a mere three or four years her senior and those blue hues of his made her heart pound when their eyes met. She had heard the stories of the adoration woman paid this fine specimen of a Jedi. And she had seen the envious eyes of the woman at the restaurants and Opera House. She was on lucky woman to have him as an escort. But she was learning more about this man as the days wore on. He was a fine mechanic, stubborn in his ways and a loyal friend. He never treated her like just a charge. He treated her like a human being and a regular girl, not a princess.

" Did you enjoy the Opera?" She questions through their silence.

His eyes turn back upon the beautiful princess and he attempts to smile. He hadn't cared for the Opera and singers. They had sounded worse than the blown out pipes on a pod-racer. He hadn't paid any attention to the singers or storyline behind their lines. He had been mystified by his partner for the night. He hardly noticed the women who took their attentions to him, but this girl had an aura about her. As if she was meant to do great things- he can feel it through the force. He hardly notices beautiful women, but she is something else- and he clearly knows she's attractive in her own rights.

Her soft brown eyes stare back into his own gaze at her. His breathing is rapid as he watches her joyous expression as he cannot form a response to her question.

He halts his pace and so does she. He stands several inches above her and cannot take his eyes off her. She allows a small smile to frame her gorgeous red lips. Her eyes watch him, waiting for a simple response from the man before her. She can sense the people around them, brushing past both of them, several of them knocking gently into her back or shoulders. The city sounds and lights blur and it is if the force blinds them to their surroundings. The sounds are dull compared to their own hearts beating rapidly in time with the others heart.

Anakin notices the soft dancing curls swaying in her face due to the light breath of wind. He reaches out with his fingers to place those soft curls behind her ears and out of her beautiful face. His fingertips lightly brush past her cheek and sends electrical pulses through her body. Her eyes stare at his lips and she instinctively wets them lightly. He begins to lean in as if it wasn't a problem that he was a Jedi escorting the Princess of Theed. No he was just a man escorting this young girl an evening out to enjoy themselves.

Closer and closer- inches apart and then he feels her grasp tightly onto his hands. She grunts in agony as she can feel the knife slicing through her back. Anakin's surroundings begin to unblur as he watches the Princess fall limp and he catches her from falling into the pavement below her. The busy crowds do not allow him to settle his eyes on the suspect who had just stabbed his charge. Several people around them stop and glance at the young woman struggling to breathe. He kneels down and grasps Padme' in his arms as she struggles from the shockwaves through her body.

" A-n-a-k-in," She whispers and her eyes settle on him.

His hands shake as he feels the gushing wounds through her bodice. The thick feeling of blood trickle from her wounds. She had been stabbed three times- three times under his watch. Someone had managed to stab this young woman while he was within inches from saving her life.

Her brown eyes shine with fear of death. Her breathing is staggering and inconsistent. His hand comes up to hold hers and he eyes the velvet blood stained on his hands. He knew he couldn't do anything for her. The wounds were fatal- he knew the frightened expression of those who were about to die. He had seen the same expression on many on the battlefield.

" Shh- it's going to be okay-" He tries to soothe her frightened gaze as she bleeds out onto his tunic.

Her eyes begin to fall on objects in the distance. He pats her cheek gently and murmurs, " Don't you dare die on me Padme."

Her breathing is shallow now and he searches through his mind of any force healing tricks he knew. None would save her or allow time for her to get to a hospital. He had failed at his mission. He had failed his mother- and now this young woman would die because of his recklessness.

He shakes off his hopelessness and closes his eyes to attempt some sort of healing to her body through the force. He casts out his senses in the light side of the force and imagines a huge bright light surging through his body to hers- healing waves as Master Obi-wan had taught him. Anakin was no healer but he had to try- he couldn't allow anyone else to die on his watch. He had watched too many men or Jedi die on the battlefield, whom he couldn't save...

It is no use. He can feel her life force drained away. Her eyes sag to the side and away from him. Her breathing has stopped completely.

NO! NO! NO! His mind screams at him. She couldn't die- no-

Then he heard a whisper in the back of his mind... A shadow through the force whispering of a way to save her. " Visualize your life force-send that through her body. Imagine creating life-where death has been."

Anakin knew not of the voice, but he desperately sought to try. He had no other options available to him. Yet for force's sake, he is the chosen one! The most powerful Jedi ever to live and nothing would stop him. Nothing. He would keep his vow he had made after his mother had passed. He would keep those he cared about from dying...

Anakin urged the light from his own life force into his mind. The bright illumination, split into two halves, sending one back into the girl's lifeless body- imagining life where it had once been.

C'mon- breathe- dammit- breathe

The sudden lurch of her body sparked relief through him. His eyes flickered open and her once deaden gaze fell upon him. Her wide gaze is sparked with confusion and she murmurs, " Wh-What happened?"

His voice shakes and he responses, " I don't know- but you- you-"

She bits her lip as she sits up in his arms still. Her gaze met his as she questions, " Anakin, what did you do?"

Present Day

Her mind drifts back at the stillness in the elevator as they make their way to the throne room. Lord Vader stands beside her in the empty silence. Her mind had drifted back to the first time she had died. The first time had been painful and when her soul had been lurched out of the peaceful place and back into her own personal hell- she hadn't been relieved. Anakin Skywalker had somehow managed to tie his life to hers in a way where she couldn't physically die. He had saved her life and pulled her from a peaceful afterlife. She remembered the soft white hues that had swirled around her. She had been at peace, no worries, no pain or war. It had been wonderful and she had been ripped away from it.

Anakin had tied her to him for the rest of their lives. From that point on, she had been able to feel his emotions and even some of his thoughts. She knew of his setbacks and jealously of other Jedi. He had been stubborn and in a hurry to become a Jedi Master on the Council. He wanted his master to accept who he was and not some arrogant lowly Jedi. And all because of his fear of losing those he cared for led him down the dark path he lead now. He became Darth Vader to save those whom he loved.

Namely he was Lord Vader because of her. But that was another life- a road she hadn't chosen for either of them. He had chosen for her- when he hadn't known she already couldn't die. She didn't know at the time either- and then when it was too late- he had already caused chaos in the galaxy. He had become the man now known as Vader and Anakin Skywalker had ceased to exist.

She had vowed to stay away from the Imperial Capital so long as they both lived. She had vowed to never think or speak of him again. The force apparently had other plans for them. She now found herself marrying the man's master. The force had a sense of humor if it was a deity as her people believed. Her ancestors taught her of a world where the force guides you to the people you are suppose to journey with. Those you would teach lessons to or learn from. Hell- she wasn't sure what lessons she could teach or learn from the harden murderer.

The silence drags for both of them. Lord Vader watches her in her thoughts. Yearning to feel her own emotions, to be able to read her like he had several years ago. He had known what she was thinking or feeling- each time her father disappointed her. Each time she had felt any elation for her passing exams or allies she made to begin her task of trying for the class elections.

He had made the choice to shut her out. He knew it was his fault they parted ways-and have ended up where they are now. She marrying a cruel old fool who cared for none but his own life. Palpatine craved to have immortality. He is growing old and feared death. Vader knew of his master Darth Plauguis. The Munn who had feared death and had learned the ways of creating life- which Anakin had been able to do on one occasion. He had the power to create life, or death. But he wouldn't allow his master to know his powers. He had searched for the past year to recreate the situation he had been in to cause his powers through the force to create life. But he had to no avail made a plant or any life form breathe life once more. His only creation stood silently beside him. He wasn't sure what caused her to live. But he would experiment until he found the answer to his problems. He'd find a way- he had to...

The click of the lift opening, alerts him to the hundreds of people awaiting the arrival of the soon-to-be Empress. His eyes lift to the hundred of eyes on the pair. His eyes led up the aisle way to his Master sitting upon his throne. He senses his smug smile upon seeing his future bride. Vader's fist clenches as he senses the lustful thoughts that enter the old bastards mind. He didn't care for the woman beside him- he'd use her body and soul until she become nothing more than a pathetic life form, wasting away in the palace walls. She'd give up her fight- it would take her longer than those slaves his master bedded, but she wouldn't hold out forever.

Vader clears his throat to acknowledge to his partner in crime that they should move towards his master. The crowds cheer as the future Empress holds her head high and dignified. She is a princess of a planet after all. She had been taught the mannerisms of royalty. No matter what the costs, her planet and family were above all her priorities. Her own desires weren't allowed. If she found any comfort in her life ahead, she knew she could at least try to be a mother to any children she would bear for the Empire. Perhaps she could find some joy in starting a family...

No, her hopelessness returns knowing she would not find joy in offspring with an old disfigured cruel tyrant. He wasn't the man who had stolen her heart. But that man no longer existed. He had been twisted by a cruel tyrant and had no hope for redemption.

Her eyes glance quickly at the dark figure standing beside her. His yellow gaze stand ahead on his slave master awaiting their arrival as the gap between them begins to fade. She grips her dress in a iron manner as she approaches the disfigured man on his throne.

His sithy yellow eyes match his slaves as she can see them from underneath his hood. His facial expression is a firm smug formed on his scarred mouth. He says nothing as she approaches, he only gestures for her to take her rightful place at his side.

She bows out of respect for her future husband and the Dark Lord beside her kneels before his master. She approaches her Emperor and situates herself in front of her people- the people who are counting on a compassionate ruler. Her subjects bow down to their Empress and her eyes glance around the throne room. Her eyes find the only person she has an interest in their thoughts at the moment. The blonde haired Sith Lord bows before his rulers- as a slave to his master and his new wife. His eyes are planted firmly on the ground staring at the charcoal flooring his master chose for this particular room in his palace. He had gone through no less of particular royal tastes for his palace.

Padme' wishes, aches to feel his emotions or thoughts at this particular moment in their lives. Why had he cut her off through their bond? It has poisoned her soul- knowing the other side that couldn't be reached.

Anakin-

Her heart tugs an attempt through his blocked shields. It is a flutter upon his heart and their bond.

\

Anakin- please

It is a tug for a mere moment and his eyes glance her way. Her heart leaps in her chest with hope. Had he heard her pleas? Did he yearn to feel their bond once more as she did? His eyes meet hers and behind the Sithly dead eyes she can feel him- its a mere split second as if she can see past those eyes and see those blue hues once more.

It is a flicker igniting the hope raising in her chest. Perhaps there was behind that mask of his a piece of the man he had once been. Could she withstand the monster sitting beside her to save the former piece of her heart and bring him back to the light?

The flicker is enough for her to determine her choice. She would save him from himself- like he had done for her. He had given her life back- and she would bring him back to the light, if it is the last thing she did on this planet- she would attempt to redeem the man she had once loved.

To Be Continued...