I waited two weeks until I contacted Aria; I knew the Emperor would be watching but I was Darth Vader and I could do anything. I sent her a scrambled transmission that would not be able to be traced, as it bounced off too many transmitters; a good skill when trapping rebels or Jedi. I claimed I was in need of Starkiller's services and left a place and time to meet. I knew she would come; she was smart and would realize who it was from. That is, if she still wanted to know me.
I arrived at our meeting destination, an outpost on the furthest part of Kashyyyk. If the Emperor were to ask, I had successfully hunted down a surviving Jedi, Master Gu'ligt Ktisn. I got there early and stood watching the sun as it dipped below the horizon. I closed my eyes and began to meditate hoping to find peace of some sort.
"Was starting to wonder if you were being serious," Aria's cool and cocky voice sounded. I opened my eyes and slowly turned to face her; she was wearing a low-cut dark red shirt with beige pants, boots, and her cloak. Her hands were on her hips and was smiling that all-knowing smile of hers.
"The Emperor was getting suspicious," I said crossing my arms as I stared down at her. She was really, really short.
"I expected that to happen sooner or later; can't be all angry and connected to the dark side as much as he wants when you have a bestie like me." She smiled up at me then her smile grew into a grin, like that of massiff. "So why are you here if the Emperor did not want you here?"
"I had business to attend to," I answered gruffly. Her smile fell as she looked around, as if sensing the passing of a life. Her shoulders sagged but she looked up and forced a shrug as she moved one.
"But you still wanted to talk to me despite the Emperor's wishes," she continued with a huge grin. I gave her a look, the only look I could really portray these days.
"I am simply curious about your past, nothing more," I muttered curtly as I stepped towards the edge of the of the outpost. It was Kashyyyk, so the outpost was nothing more than a small wooden scouting post halfway up the tree. Aria nodded with a small smile mouthing, sure.
"So whaddya wanna know?" She asked stepping beside me and resting her hands along the railing. Her hair was pulled up into a half pony with the rest hung at her shoulders. The wind pulled at her hair as the setting sun made her eyes turn to liquid water and her hair to fire.
"If you were-" Suddenly my skin felt as if thousands of antz were crawling on my skin. My mind itched and felt as if I were on fire once again. My breath escaped my lungs, even with the assistance of my respirator and it got worse every passing second. But the sensation was not aimed at me, at least not yet.
"Aria, move!" Immediately the world around us became full of blaster fire as lasers flew past us. I grabbed my lightsaber and used it to deflect the incoming blasts. I was so focused on that I didn't think about Aria.
"Don't move, rebels! Blast them!" A familiar voice shouted as my rage flared once again. It was my men.
"Hold fire; it's me!" I snapped through my com-link as the lasers came to a halt.
"Sorry, sir, we had orders of a possible rebel base here; apologies, sir," one stormtrooper muttered as I slowly lowered my weapon. I know some of the deflections had killed them. Good.
"And who, captain, gave you this order?"
"The Emperor, sir."
I nodded and sent them far away as I frantically looked to my right anxious for what I was about to see. Another person you failed... But I was wrong; she didn't need my help.
Beside me, Aria as crouched low in a defensive stance. Her ponytail had broken free as the rest of her hair floated in the air like a fiery halo, as her eyes blazed with a slow, cold burn. In her hands was a crimson lightsaber. She held the weapon carefully and managed to deflect the lasers with expertise; she did not simply trade for this weapon. She was professionally trained in it, and she excelled in it.
All the pieces finally came together: why the bounty hunters were so afraid of getting into a fight with her, why she was so successful as Starkiller, why she always seemed to know when I was searching for her presence, why she always reached for her belt in uncertain times and times of danger, and how she managed to survive all these years on her own.
Instead of laughing or accepting the truth, my anger flared as it never had before, well only with one exception. My eyes widened as I ignited my blade staring at her with daggers. For the first time, Aria cowered under my gaze and disengaged her weapon and glanced up at me.
"Explain. Now." I had to fight the red from overcoming my vision as I fought the urge to strike her down; was she a former Jedi, but then I would have certainly know her or known of her. Was she Sidious' apprentice; it was not rare for Sith lords to have multiple apprentices and have them fight to the death to determine the strongest became the next master, but why hadn't she tried to kill me yet?
"I can explain," she began in a soft, slow voice as she took a small step back. I pointed the blade towards her neck holding the hilt tightly.
"Do so now or forever be silent," I hissed. I used the Force to take her weapon from her hands; she would have been able to fight back, to resist but she didn't. It had a smaller hilt than a conventional lightsaber and was silver in colour with various black markings that wrapped around the hilt making an intricate pattern that was both pleasing to the eye and fearsome. It was heavier than I expected but also balanced. It would not suite me, but it suited Aria perfectly. Lightsabers were an extension of a Force users body; therefore, their weapon must have their characteristics and personality. Aria's was small and complicated, yet simple. It was strong and could only be mastered by a true warrior.
"After Kaeli, but before Starkiller, and just before the start of the Clone Wars, I had it bad with the worst people," she began as her breathing accelerated and sweat covered her face washing away some of the dirt.
"The Hutts? For what, betting?" I growled but Aria shook her head.
"Trust me, just the worst people. Some kids helped me get out and I promised I would save them in return, but I failed; most of them died helping me. I failed them, Vader! I promised I would save their lives and bring them with me to the Republic, but they died." She closed her eyes biting her lip until blood coloured her lips.
"I ran to Geonosis; I had a contact there who was neutral throughout the wars. I was angry- I hated those people for letting those kids die," her eyes flashed yellow as the small burning rage flared and filled her, but her pain and determination pushed that anger back returning her eyes to their natural colour. "I hated myself for failing them. And I met him."
My face paled as my weapon lowered, "Count Dooku." She nodded ashamed.
"He promised to teach me so I could go back and save the others, so I could avenge those I lost and ensure no one else died. I didn't know the Sith were back; I had avoided all politics or mentions of a war, I didn't know! He taught me the ways of the dark side of the Force; as a baby, I was registered as having an above-average number of midichlorians but not enough to be significant, but somehow I learned. I could use the Force and Dooku taught me how to use my anger, my hate for those people to make me strong. I didn't know what I was doing; maybe I did but I didn't care."
"What name did he give you?" I asked staring at the ground imagining a lost and hateful Aria learning the art of the Sith.
"Darth Erebraous," she answered in a soft, solemn voice as a shiver ran down my spine. I had heard that name once before, long ago when I was a different man. I thought they were talking about Dooku, not Aria...
"He told me about a Sith lord who was in charge of the senate; Dooku knew Padme was my sister and he told me she was in trouble. He told me we would destroy the Sith and save Padme before she was ever in danger."
"What happened?" I asked after she fell silent.
"I had a dream," she muttered, "the day before, Dooku told me his master had his eyes on another apprentice so we were going to kill the potential apprentice before he ever had the chance of killing Dooku. I assume that apprentice was you... I went to sleep and dreamed of a man; he wore strange robes, had long hair and a beard but he had kind eyes and a voice like a lion," she described as her eyes hazed over as if in her dream. "He showed me a vision of what would happen if I stayed with Dooku; he showed me death, pain, screams. Those I promised to save were dead at my feet while their blood covered my hands. Those I swore to defend were cowering in fear before me... Padme screaming in pain before she too fell... Death, it was everywhere. There was so much pain." A lone tear escaped Aria's eyes as she experienced the pain. I held a breath remembering an old master who belonged to someone else. Qui-Gon. I shook such thoughts out of my head as my anger growled and I focused on the Sith. Aria placed her hands on her head forcing the pain away.
"The man told me it didn't have to be that way; he taught me about the light side of the Force. He told me I could still escape it, so when I woke up, I ran and never looked back. I let go of my hate and focused on using the light side. I hid my presence and went as Starkiller and used my new skills to helps those I could: war refugees, former slaves, anyone who had a better soul than I did. I stayed out of politics more than before hoping Dooku would forget me, but then my vision happened anyways. Despite turning away from it all, I still failed and their blood is on my hands.
"I thought if I stayed away from Padme she'd be safer; that I wouldn't hurt her again, so I stayed away. But then one day, I looked on someone's datapad at the wrong time and I saw her casket being carried through the streets of Naboo." Her voice was full of pain, a pain needed to be experienced to be truly understood. Another lone tear ran down her cheek as her gaze turned towards me. Her eyes grew hard and full of conflicted emotions: anger, pain, fear, uncertainty.
"You wanna know why I am here? Am I here to complete Dooku's wishes; to kill the Sith and take control for myself?" She laughed harshly. "I know who you are, Anakin Skywalker." I looked up as her lightsaber rolled out of my hands. But it stopped mid-fall as Aria used the Force to return her lightsaber to her hands.
"I've always known."
"So what do you want? You blame me? Want to kill me?" I muttered fighting the growing panic. "Anakin Skywalker is dead; he died alongside... Her. I, Darth Vader, is what remains and there is nothing but hate and anger in me. I killed her."
Aria's eyes narrowed, "Ever since I heard of Padme's death, I searched the entire galaxy to find who was responsible; I returned to Naboo, watched every hologram I could find with her in it, and I joined the stupid senate to learn anything I could. Anakin, I found tapes of her death and she didn't blame you. There is another to blame and, believe me, he will pay one way or another. Anakin, Padme loved you, her last words were of you, of hope. I didn't lie to you before; I am here to learn about the man behind the mask. I want to know about the man who made Padme, stubborn, hard-headed and fall in love with him. I want to know who comforted her when no one else could, and who gave her the children she never had the opportunity to raise." Her fear left as she stood tall with a brimming determination that burned like the sun; this was the emotion that drove Aria forward through the pain and past the anger. She raised a hand and blue lightning struck the tree causing the bark to explode into flames. Her training had made her powerful and it kept her skills a secret from the rest of the Sith.
"I failed Padme too many times and wasn't there to save her, but I will be damned if I fail her now! Padme knew Anakin was still inside and she wants him back; I swore on her grave I would accomplish that. I will bring back Anakin Skywalker for Padme if it kills me!" Her eyes burned while her words echoed through the sky.
She knew; Aria knew the truth the whole time. No, she doesn't know the full truth or she would have killed me. She should kill me.
"Anakin Skywalker is dead," I repeated but those words caused Aria to laugh.
"Who are you trying to fool; I have been with you for almost half a year now and I see Anakin in there; Darth Vader would not care about some representative no matter who her family was, Anakin does! I see Anakin in there and I know Sidious is beginning to see him or else he wouldn't forbid you to see me. You are the only one who doesn't get it!" My pain flashed as I stood tall and used the Force to choke her pinning her against the tree. But instead of fighting, she stood tall ignoring as her face turned blue.
"You are the only one who doesn't get it! You think you know the truth because you saw some security holograms? You know nothing! Your rage, your hate towards her killer should be aimed at me. I killed her and nothing will ever change that!"
"You... can't say... her name," Aria sputtered through gasps. I looked at her and tightened my grip but I could feel myself losing control.
"No!" I pictured her face and heard her laugh. Images I had pushed away for so long came all at once flashing before my mind. Memories we shared both good and bad. They were overwhelming.
"Are you an angel?"
"I made this for you."
Padme standing before all of Naboo smiling at me in my new apprentice tunic.
Seeing her for the first time in ten years; I was so nervous. Yet she remembered me, and she smiled.
Our first kiss on Naboo.
Her holding me as I cried over my mother and my actions to her killers.
Her telling me how she loved me;then our kiss before our execution.
Our wedding; she wasn't happy we had to keep it private but I always knew it would be.
"Annie, I'm pregnant."
Her laugh. Her kiss. Her eyes. Her cries. Her screams.
You don't deserve such memories; they belong to someone else.
Suddenly we were back on Mustafar and I had her in my grasp choking the life out of her. She whispered my name with pleading eyes and I released her.
Then she was dead.
"I killed Padme!" I shouted as the power snapped like a rubber band. Aria fell to her feet released as my Force powers filled the air. The earth and sky shook as I released a strangled scream. Tears streamed down my face, cool and painful on my burnt skin. It felt as if the entire planet was shaking, all but Aria who watched me with sympathetic eyes. Finally, I fell to my knees drained as the planet stilled.
"I loved Padme and I killed her. I..."
Aria walked up beside me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, which I smacked away. I didn't deserve her pity; I killed her sister and nothing would ever change the facts.
"Anakin, Padme didn't blame you; she forgave you the moment it happened. She loved you, Anakin, and you need to come back for her. Please, I won't fail her again; you'll have to kill me before it gets to that. She blamed someone else and we can make him pay; we can return the galaxy to what Padme would have wanted it to be, where she would have wanted to raise her children. We can do it," she whispered in my ear with a soft voice. Someone once whispered similar words to me and it ended everything I ever loved.
"Get away from me!" I screamed using the Force to push her away. "No, this is my punishment for my actions. Stay away from me, Aria, or I will kill you and I don't care whose sister you are. Anakin Skywalker is dead. Darth Vader is all that remains and you would best remember it." What remained of my battered soul trembled as the shadows overtook my mind and power once again. The dark side subduing my pain, yet sharpening it never allowing me to forget.
She stared at me silently as she stood to her feet. Her eyes were unreadable as they never left me making me feel exposed, but I didn't care; I was Darth Vader, lord of the Sith.
"Fine," she whispered, "but I won't fail Padme. You'll figure it out. You might wanna get ahold of yourself, Vader, your posse is coming."
"Darth Vader, sir, we heard you yelling; is something wrong, sir?" A batch of stormtroopers, the ones shooting at us, emerged from stairs behind me. I looked back to where Aria was standing but she was gone leaving no evidence but the scalding flames that ate what life remained.
"No," I growled standing to my feet. "Time to go."