Memories of Her

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, went into his meditation chamber. Something very odd was going on in the Galaxy. I'm his father. Where had that thought come from. Every since he had seen Ani Skywalker he felt slightly off balance. I'm sorry, Master, I didn't mean to scare you or Luke. Where were those thoughts coming from? Who was Luke?The voice in his head sounded very young and scared, and Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith was anything but scared. Who was Luke? He would have to find out who this Luke was. Whoever this Luke was he also had something to do with the Ani he had seen today. Perhaps, the Princess knew something about this Luke. So had been extremely resistant to the mind probe and a part of him couldn't help but think of her when he looked upon her. He hadn't enjoyed the mind torture as much as he should have. Especially when he looked into her eyes and remembered...

"Come away with me. Stop don't do this, you are a good person. Come away with me and raise our child while we still can. I love you."

He was anything but a good person anymore. He was a monster. He had come to the realization when he had awoken and become this thing. Princess Leia reminded her of her. But she had died. He had killed her. He knew he had, and their child had died with her. He had traveled to Naboo the moment he had gotten a break from hunting down the multitude of Jedi, Jedi that had betrayed him. He had finished executing Order Sixty Six. "Wait here," he had told the Legion of Stormtroopers he kept aboard his personal Star Destroyer. Queen Apailana greeted him with a smile.

"My Lord Vader, I am pleased that you have consented to visit Naboo."

"My journey to Naboo has nothing to do with you," he had stated coolly, "However I can make that a priority if you would like."

"Please give the Emperor our gratitude."

"The Emperor cares nothing for Naboo."

"But-but," she had sputtered, "The Emperor was one of Queen Amidala's Senators, and from there.." she trailed off.

"I am quite aware of his connection to Senator Amidala," he stated coldly, "Now if you would please excuse me, I have business to attend too."

"I assure you there are no traitors here." Under the mask, he quirked an eyebrow then frowned realizing she could not see the gesture, a gesture he had picked up from his old master, his Jedi Master.

"I will be the one to determine that. I was never here," he stated and she replied blankly.

"You were never here," he hadn't even intended to use a mind trick, but he shrugged it was just as well, he was just intended to let her know not to speak of his presence. He walked into Theed City as he was assaulted memories of her. When he reached the mausoleum he walked inside carefully. He reached her side slowly and looked down at her face. It was...peaceful. Just like the many nights that he had woken up to her sleeping before he snuck back into the Jedi Temple so they wouldn't find their precious Chosen One's bed not slept in. He knew that he would never look into her chocolate brown eyes ever again. He opened up the glass and touched her face. Another drawback from his fight with Obi-Wan, he couldn't feel anything. He closed his eyes and reached out with the Force to feel her, she was cold and smooth to the touch. She was dead, he had failed. He had been hoping that there was someway Sidious had been wrong, but she was dead, he had killed her. "I'm so sorry, Padme," he whispered. "I did it all for you. I promise you I will leave Naboo unharmed, untouched, no matter what."He touched her belly. His child, dead as well. Tears formed under the mask, pouring from his eyes over a scarred face that pained him as the tears flowed over his burnt cheeks. He didn't flinch, it was a minor price to pay for what he had done, for the death of his beloved and his only child. If it weren't for this mask he would kiss her one last time. He looked down at her hands, and saw the japor snippet. No one else would have understood what it meant. He pressed his helmet to her hands and laid there for a moment. It wouldn't do for anyone to see Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, laying his head in his deceased wife's lap. Suddenly, a stormtroopers entered.

"Milord."

Darth Vader used the Force to lift him from the ground and threw him out of the room shattered his skull from the impact. "I will find a way to bring you back. I'll fix everything, Padme, I promise. But right now, I have to listen to him, Padme. I need his knowledge to do this. Why did you bring Obi-Wan to destroy me? How could he trick you that way? Why would you betray me, when I did all this for you. I would bare this a thousand times if you would come back to me," He stood up straight. "I love you, Padme, so much" he whispered, as he looked at her through the red visor of his helmet memorizing every detail for the last time. He went to talk to Jon, at the local florist. He arranged for flowers to be put on her grave every year on their anniversary and gave Jon a huge bonus for Jon had always been kind to him, had always suggested different flowers that had always brought a smile to Padme's face. With that, he left determined to never come back until he could bring her back with him. One day, he would be the Emperor of the Galaxy and he would bring her back, and they would rule the galaxy as husband and wife when the time was right, when the Galaxy realized how corrupt Sidious was, he would return as the Hero with no Fear, and he would destroy Obi-Wan Kenobi, of that he had no doubt. He hated Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan had done all this to him. He had taken everything from him, his wife, his child, even his own face in the mirror, his limbs. If he could only find him he would make him suffer ten times what he was suffering now. Obi-Wan hadn't understood what it was like to love, the man was cold-blooded and a liar. He had said he loved him as he was leaving her there to burn to die, but he had fooled him, had lived and now he was going to spend every last day of his existence destroying the retched Jedi.

As the memories receeded, he knew that Ani Skywalker was with Obi-Wan Kenobi, he would finally get his chance to torment his former master. Princess Senator Organa was here on his ship and she had seen Anakin Skywalker. He commed in that he wanted the guards to leave her alone. If he knew his old master, he would be coming to rescue her and that would be his final mistake. He also informed the stormtroopers to leave the party alone, to make a good go of shooting at the party but to leave them unharmed. He wanted to personally deal with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ani Skywalker.