Everything comes to a head in this one!
I don't own Star Wars, it's George's sandbox.
Chapter 20: The Shroud of the Dark Side Falls
Darth Vader looked around the control room and smirked, admiring the carnage that was his handiwork. As he stepped outside, the sound of the roaring lava river filled his ears. He started back toward his ship, only to find a Jedi standing in his way.
"Well, if the information my Master gave me is correct, then you must be the famous Obi-Wan Kenobi," Vader stated.
"And you must be his new Sith lap dog," Obi-Wan retorted, causing Vader to glare at him. Obi-Wan didn't let on, but facing this young man up close was difficult, since he looked just like Anakin.
"So, you want to die today, along with the rest of your Jedi friends," Vader said, as he drew his light saber. Obi-Wan chuckled.
"Oh no, I don't plan to die today. I am, however, going to make you pay for all the Jedi blood that was spilled today and all the lives you've destroyed," he said, as he drew his weapon. It was Vader's turn to chuckle.
"How noble," he mocked. "How does it feel, Kenobi? How does it feel to know that Skywalker, your former apprentice, was so easily killed by me? You should have seen him! He was pathetic! Weeping about seeing me, the perfect warrior he could've been if he embraced the dark side! So much for the great Hero With No Fear. He was a joke."
"How does it feel for you?" Obi-Wan shot back. "How does it feel to have been created only because your Master wasn't sure if he could turn Anakin?" Vader scoffed.
"How does it feel to know that you'll never be even half the man he is? You're the only pathetic one, certainly not worthy of that face you share with him. You are nothing more than Sidious' puppet, a means to an end," Obi-Wan retorted. Vader snarled and ignited his blood red blade.
"You're going to eat your words, Kenobi, and then I'm going to kill you!" he roared.
"You will try," Obi-Wan replied, as he ignited his sapphire blade and sunk into a fighting stance as Vader launched at him.
They exchanged a series of quick motions, their blades becoming a blur of movement as they fought to gain the advantage over the other quickly. Vader exchanged a series of slashes, parries, and blocks, meeting Obi-Wan's every move quickly and efficiently, with no hesitation whatsoever. He needed to fight perfectly: everyone was counting on him.
Vader came at him with fully aggressive moves, maneuvers based on Djem So and fierce wide sweeps, and he recognized traits of Mace Windu's fighting style, Vapaad, or Juyo, depending on which opinion you followed.
It seemed that Malgus had trained Vader in the more unorthodox fighting styles out there, to prepare him for killing. This dark clone of Anakin would be a greater challenge than he thought. No matter; he would still defeat him.
Vader kicked Obi-Wan, but he backflipped through the air and landed on his feet.
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Palpatine smirked with evil satisfaction, as he watched smoke billow from the Jedi Temple. He had just addressed the entire galaxy and declared himself Emperor. Everything was turning out just as he had foreseen. As he turned away from the window in his private sitting room, which was just behind his pod in the Senate Rotunda, he heard a small, incessant tapping noise. And it was not surprising to find that the sound belonged to Master Yoda, who soon came into the Sith Master's view.
"Well, well, Master Yoda, I've been expecting you. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show," Sidious goaded.
"Won yet, you have not, Darth Sidious," Yoda stated. But the Sith Lord only cackled evilly in amusement.
"Oh, but I have, my little green friend," Sidious chuckled.
"See for sure, we will," Yoda said, as he shed his cloak and his light saber flew into his hand. Sidious frowned.
"So be it. I've waited a very long time to kill you and it looks like I will finally be rid of you today," Sidious said, as he drew his weapon. With a vicious howl, his crimson blade sprang forth and he launched at the diminutive Jedi Grand Master, who unleashed his own battle cry and leapt at the Sith Master.
Their blades clashed with lightning fast movements and crackled upon contact each time they met. Yoda's surprising agility allowed him to evade many of Sidious' ferocious strikes and thrusts.
Sidious was formidable, more so than the Jedi Master expected. Yoda worked hard to block the lightning quick strikes and thrusts that Sidious threw at him. However, Yoda was skilled and agile for his age, and Sidious had to struggle to keep up with the Jedi Master as well. They exchanged a mix of lightning quick maneuvers and evasions, and it was quickly becoming apparent that they were evenly matched. Sidious bore down on the Jedi Master with unerring strength, trying to outmatch Yoda with sheer brute strength. Yoda held firm against the attack, and Sidious growled as he was unable to gain the advantage.
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"We're only about an hour away. I told my contact what to expect when we got there and the doctors are standing by. He'll be in good hands very soon," Bail tried to assure Padmé as she looked at her unconscious, wounded Jedi husband.
"He'll pull through," Rex added, catching her attention.
"General Skywalker's been through a lot of scrapes before and he always pulls through. I always figured that there had to be something important that always brought him back. Guess I was right," he said. Padmé smiled.
"Thank you. He always talks about you. I'm glad I finally get to meet you, Commander Rex," she said.
"The pleasure is all mine, Senator," Rex replied. Her face fell.
"I guess I'm not a Senator anymore, being that there practically is no Senate now," she mentioned.
"Then perhaps you prefer Lady Skywalker," he responded. She brightened.
"I like that, but you can just call me Padmé too," she replied. He nodded and she suddenly cried out, as she held her stomach.
"What is it?" Rex asked.
"I'm fine, it was just a...OHHH!" Padmé cried out again, making Ahsoka and Aayla rush to her side. Padmé felt fluid trickled down her legs.
"Oh no...my water broke," she panicked.
"Senator Organa, you better see if you can squeeze more speed out of the hyper drive. She's in labor!" Aayla called.
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Obi-Wan met Vader's fierce blows confidently, parrying the various slashes, blocking blows aimed at his torso, and doing everything he did best to stop the clone from getting the upper hand.
Obi-Wan almost let the facade of Vader's face resembling Anakin's distract, but he quickly dismissed the thought as he looked in his eyes. There was no trace of the boy he loved like a brother in this creature.
This was a monstrous, sadistic beast that would harm anyone that was in his path, so long as it was beneficial for him.
Obi-Wan exchanged several deadly strikes with Vader, as their battle continued and their duel was turning into a furious battle of wills.
They came into the control room where the Separatist leaders laid dead, and accidentally deactivated the protective shields around the facility.
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Yoda landed on a Senate pod, as he avoided one of the pods that Sidious had thrown at him. They were in the main Senate chamber now, having dueled into there as the Speaker's dais ascended into it. The empty audience chamber that was the center of the Republic almost made an appropriate setting for their battle, as the seat of democracy showed exactly what was at stake here. This was a battle for the very Republic itself, and control of the galaxy.
The attacks came swiftly, merciless in their nature. Yoda hopped from senatorial pod to senatorial pod, nimbly avoiding the ruthless attacks that Sidious threw at him, sometimes mere seconds before they happened.
Sidious easily levitated two pods into the air and then a third, calling on his mastery of the dark side. He lifted the pods into the air and then threw them at the Jedi Master with ruthless precision, forcing him to take cover. It was all Yoda could do to barely dodge the forceful projectiles, getting out of the way. Yoda grimaced at the severity of the situation.
It was becoming clear that he had seriously underestimated Sidious' capabilities. He was beginning to wish he had brought Mace with him so that they could force the Sith Lord into submission, because it was obvious that Sidious was far more powerful than he had expected.
Sidious continued tossing pods at him, hurling the deadly projectiles his way. Yoda was in awe of the way Sidious grabbed the pods effortlessly, manipulating the several ton machines as if they were mere pieces of paper. Yoda had always considered that the light side and dark side of the Force were equal, but now he wondered if the aggression of the Sith gave them a slight advantage the Jedi couldn't hope to match.
He dove from side to side, dodging more pods. The attack was focused, relentless, meant to keep him from getting a single shot in. Sidious knew what he was doing, and relished in the thrill of having the Jedi Master helpless. He moved quickly, leaping from pod to pod, lest he be crushed by the onslaught of oncoming metal circles coming his way.
His saber skill was tremendous, but he couldn't do much if he couldn't even get close to Sidious. Not unless he started throwing his own projectiles his way, in the form of concentrated Force energy.
Sidious raised his hand, and branches of lightning arched up from his fingertips. The lightning struck the ceiling, and piles of debris began to rain down with extreme force, as it cracked the ceiling of the Senate Rotunda. Yoda caught the debris using the Force before it crushed him, tossing aside the pieces of dusty debris.
Sidious pulled another pod to him, and then threw it at the Jedi Master with breakneck speed, as an animalistic roar left his horrid throat. Yoda barely caught it before it crushed him into dust. The Sith Master stood triumphant, cackling with a dark horrific glee, confident that he had the Jedi Master outmatched.
Yoda gritted his teeth. He needed to get an edge. Yoda began to spin the circular platform with the Force, slowly revolving it, watching it catch speed. He wrenched the edges of the metal platform off, fashioning them into spikes, and then sent it at the Sith Master.
He paused as he saw what was coming toward him. Sidious expertly dodged the platform that would have decapitated him instantly, flipping down into another pod below.
Yoda was instantly there, jumping across the massive Senate chamber to cover the distance in a single leap. Sidious retaliated with a blast of lightning, knocking the lightsaber out of Yoda's hands. Sidious groaned as he strained to hold back the Jedi Master, pouring waves of dark side energy into the attack in an attempt to overwhelm him with massive tendrils of energy.
Yoda held back the Sith Lord, focusing with narrowed crystal clear eyes as he called upon the deepest reserves of his strength, catching the lightning with his bare hands. Sidious surged forward with a growl, displaying stained, rotted teeth as he tried to overwhelm the Jedi Master with sheer brute Force power.
The power built in the air, gradually forming a bubble between the two of them, until something happened. Yoda sensed an advantage and he pushed out at the Sith Lord, building the energy in front of him – he was determined not to let this monster win the standoff and get the best of him.
Sidious' eyes widened as he began to realize the Jedi Master was gradually overpowering his defenses. He forced more lightning into his flurry, but it was ineffective. And Sidious winced as he found the potent Force energy being turned against him. The bubble continued to build in the atmosphere, until it exploded.
Sidious was thrown back with a burst of power, and Yoda slid back off the platform, clinging to the pod in a futile attempt to hold on to the edge. The attempt failed, and he fell to the floor of the Senate chamber. Thankfully, the fall was not a long one, and he fell to the floor with only a few contusions and bruises, after inadvertently striking the side of a Senate pod. Yoda looked up and saw Sidious clinging to one of the Senate pods, maneuvering his way into the safety of the compartment inside.
Yoda looked downward in disappointment. He had a chance to kill the Sith Lord behind this and restore justice to the Republic, and he couldn't do it.
The Jedi Master began to back away from the main Senate chamber. Yoda swallowed the bitter ounce of disappointment. He had had a chance. And he had failed. Now the Republic would suffer the consequences of his failure. But there was nothing more he could do.
Yoda made it to his small shuttle and set his course for Polis Massa. Their hope was dwindling, but Yoda knew that it now could rest on two sets of tiny shoulders; on two younglings that had yet to be born...
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They had dueled all the way to the river of lava. Obi-Wan now stood on a moving platform that still had a protective shield and Vader was floating toward him, standing on a droid that had been carrying a bucket of lava.
Vader glared at the Jedi with hateful eyes, but Obi-Wan just stared back. They initiated another rush at each other. Their sabers became a blur of flashing lights as they threw furious slashes and parries at each other, unleashing all their fury in a blaze of determination and Force enhanced attacks. Vader came at Obi-Wan with attacks meant to dominate him through sheer force, but the Jedi Master came back at him with equally vicious counter-attacks honed from all the years of training he'd been through. They found themselves at a stalemate.
"You're strong, but horribly misguided," Obi-Wan said.
"Spare me the Jedi lecture, old man. This is the end for you," Vader sneered.
He leapt onto the platform and engaged the Jedi again.
With neither one of them being willing to give an inch, they charged again at each other in a second rush. They exchanged a fearsome series of maneuvers and attacks, looking equally matched from the outside. Their blades crossed with each other, blue and red clashing as each one sought to gain control over the other, but neither one managing to gain the advantage. Vader found it easy to match Obi-Wan's maneuvers, but he was unable to penetrate through his defenses. They met in a deadlock as the platform floated towards a rocky terrain.
Obi-Wan Force leapt off the platform to the rocks and looked at Vader,
"It's over, Vader. I have the high ground!"
Vader just glared at him, "You underestimate my power."
"Don't try it," Obi-Wan warned him.
Vader Force leapt off the platform and Obi-Wan brought his saber up and around, slicing through Vader's legs as he was about to land. The Sith apprentice fell to the ashy ground with a hard thud. He slid down the slope, closer and closer to the lava river.
He stared at the man that looked just like Anakin. The fire licked at the twisted young man and began to consume his body.
"I HATE YOU!" he screamed, his eyes bleeding yellow. Obi-Wan turned away and made his way to the top of the platform. He needed to get to Anakin and Padmé. They needed him...
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Bail landed the ship on the designated landing platform and dropped the ramp. At that point, the doctors waiting wheeled a gurney up the ramp and into the cabin. Together, Mace and Rex lifted Anakin's form onto it and let them wheel it down. Qui-Gon lifted Padme and carried her down, amidst another contraction.
"She went into labor almost an hour ago," Aayla called to the lead doctor, who was called Zion Turmek.
"Bring her this way quickly," the Massan called, as he led the small party into the medical facility.
Hours later, Obi-Wan arrived on Polis Massa, only to find that Master Yoda had arrived not too far ahead of him. It seemed that the ancient Master had barely escaped his duel with Darth Sidious. And now, they would all be forced into hiding.
"Thank goodness you're all right," Bail said.
"What's happening?" Obi-Wan asked.
"His heart rate keeps skyrocketing and his internal organs are trying to shut down. He's fighting though, but it's not looking good. Padmé's water broke while we were en route. It seems that the stress has gotten to her and she is in heavy labor now," Quinlan informed him. Obi-Wan rushed into the med room.
Anakin lay on the medical table, as the Massan doctors swarmed around him and his wife. Padmé lay beside him, contractions racking through her body. But she refused to be taken from Anakin's side.
"Obi-Wan...Qui-Gon..." Anakin choked out, his body shaking from the amount of Force lightning his body had sustained. He had awakened not long ago to a world of pain and now sensed his former Master. Shmi, Ahsoka and Rex were as close by as the doctors would allow them to be.
"We're here Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as he brushed Anakin's bangs from his eyes.
"Master..." he cried.
"It's all right Anakin," Qui-Gon comforted.
"Ahsoka..." he cried, as his young padawan stepped forward.
"I'm here too Master," she squeaked.
"I'm...so proud of you, Ahsoka. And Rex...you've been a good friend," Anakin said weakly.
"Take it easy, Sir. You're going to get through this," Rex insisted. Mace, Yoda, Aayla, Luminara, Barriss and Shaak Ti stood silently and forlornly in the background, as they felt Anakin's strong life force fading quickly.
"Mom..." he said again, as Shmi took his hands.
"Take...take care of Padmé...and my children...for me..." Anakin choked out.
"You're going to be fine Ani, and you're going to do that yourself," she replied.
"Ani, please don't leave me!" Padmé cried out in pain, as another contraction hit.
"I'm...sorry angel. I...I love you and I'll always be...with you. Tell our babies...that I love them...very much..." Anakin's voice faded, as he slipped into unconsciousness.
"ANAKIN!" Padmé screamed.
"He's going into cardiac arrest!" the healer shouted. He and his team swarmed around Anakin, attempting to bring his heart rate down. Shmi, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon choked back tears, as they watched Anakin almost slip away. Once the healer stepped back, Shmi was back at his side. He looked lifeless.
"No...he can't be," Obi-Wan cried.
"He's alive and stable for the moment, but I'm afraid he's slipped into a deep coma," the Massan doctor determined.
"Will he come out of it?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Only time will tell," the healer replied. Padmé sobbed uncontrollably.
"Ani! Oh please Anakin, I need you!" she cried. Obi-Wan took her hands.
"Padmé, you must calm down," he soothed her.
"Her contractions are less than two minutes apart. It's time to start pushing, Lady Skywalker," Doctor Turmek told her, using the name he had been given for her upon her arrival. Pain racked through Padmé's petite form, as she began pushing with the healer's instruction. Some time later, the first child's head was crowning. Padmé screamed in pain as she birthed the first child.
"A boy..." the doctor said.
"Luke..." Padmé managed to say, as another contraction hit her. Padmé screamed, as the second child wasted no time.
"A girl..." the doctor said.
"Leia..." Padmé said. Shmi held Luke and Ahsoka held Leia and brought them over so their mother could see them.
She gently stroked their chubby little cheeks, tears rolling down her face, "My little angels...Ani, we make beautiful babies..."
"Hold on Padmé, don't give up," Obi-Wan said, as he sensed her slipping away.
"Obi-Wan, take care of our children," Padmé said breathlessly.
"You must hold on Padme," Qui-Gon pleaded.
"I'm sorry, I'm so tired. I'm going to be with Anakin now," she said, as her brown eyes closed.
"No...Padmé, no!" Ahsoka said, as she cried for her Master and the woman who had become like a Mother to her.
"She's gone..." Qui-Gon said sadly.
"Not exactly," Doctor Turmek stated. All their attention turned to him.
"This is very curious. She has slipped into a coma too, just like her husband..." the doctor said.
"You mean they're both still alive, but each in a coma?" Obi-Wan asked in disbelief.
"Yes, it is very curious. I have never seen anything like this. There is nothing physically wrong with Padmé, but her vitals are identical to her husband's. When his change, hers change to mirror his," the doctor explained.
"So, if Anakin manages to awaken, then Padmé will too?" Qui-Gon asked.
"That is the theory I would venture. Though without putting him in some sort of stasis, it is likely that he will not survive," Zion replied.
"There has to be a way to give his body the time it needs to heal," Bail said.
"There might be once chance," Zion said.
"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.
"There is an experimental technique I can try. It is called carbonite freezing. It would preserve their bodies and allow him to heal. But it's never been tried on humans before. There is a chance they would not survive it," Zion said.
"And if we don't do this?" Bail asked.
"Then he will likely die within a few days, and she along with him," Zion replied.
"It's our only hope," Shmi replied, as she cradled her grandson, while Ahsoka cradled her granddaughter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A few hours later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zion Turmek entered the room where they awaited any news. Obi-Wan cradled Luke, while Bail held Leia. It had already been decided that he would adopt her, as it would be too dangerous to let Padmé's family know the children survived.
For their plan to work, the rest of the galaxy would have to believe that Anakin and Padmé were dead. It had also been decided that Ahsoka would take refuge in the palace on Alderaan with Bail and Breha. She would be Leia's caretaker and eventually bodyguard when she got older, never revealing that she knew Leia's biological parents, until the time was right.
"The Carbonite freezing was successful. Padmé's condition seems to be dependent upon Anakin's. I've never seen such a connection between two people before," the doctor said, pausing for a moment.
The Will of the Force
The Jedi heard the words echo through their heads.
"Will Anakin's injuries heal?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Things look very promising, but the impact of the lightning had devastating effects on his body. It could take years before he is ready to be brought out of the hibernation," Zion reported.
"Wait for them to heal, we will. Bide our time and safeguard the twins we must until reunited with their parents they can be," Yoda decided.
"Shmi, you will take Luke and raise him on Tatooine. But it will be best to conceal the truth from Luke until he is ready. Remain on Tatooine and watch over the boy until the time is right to reveal his parentage, you will, Obi-Wan," Mace said. Obi-Wan and Shmi nodded.
"Senator Organa, you will raise Leia as your own until the time is right for her to learn of her parents and brother as well. Ahsoka, she will be presented as the Princess of Alderaan and more in plain view of the Emperor. It will be your mandate to act as her bodyguard, as we discussed earlier," Mace said. Bail and Ahsoka nodded.
"You will be welcomed warmly at the palace, young one," Bail assured her, trying to console the devastated padawan.
"Thank you, Senator Organa," Ahsoka responded.
"I will travel to Chandrilla and seek help from Mon Mothma. In return for her sanctuary, I will begin helping her establish a rebellion against the Empire," Mace told them.
"I'll join you," Shaak Ti said.
"I believe we should all disappear and split the younglings and apprentices among us. For our safety, we won't reveal where we're going and only contact each other once we get there," Luminara suggested. All the remaining Jedi agreed.
"Sir...what about me?" Rex questioned.
"What do you want most, Rex?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Sir?" he asked with uncertainty. No one ever asked a Clone what they wanted.
"You made a choice to help us when it went against everything you had been groomed for. You should be able to choose your path now," Obi-Wan stated.
"I owe Anakin everything. I want to do whatever I can to help him and watch over his kids," Rex replied. Obi-Wan smiled.
"In that case, you can be his "Uncle" who will be allowed to visit every few months. Your story will be that you used to be a pilot with his father. Luke will want to know everything, but you must be sparse about any details until it's time to tell him everything," Shmi suggested.
"When you're not visiting Luke, you'll be working here at the hospital as head of security, allowing you to keep an eye on Anakin and Padmé. We've already cleared this with Doctor Turmek," Qui-Gon said. Rex smiled.
"Thank you Sir," he replied.
"What about you, Master Yoda?" Bail asked.
"To Degobah, I will go. Void of technology it is and a good place to hide it will be," Yoda replied.
With that, they parted ways. Shmi arrived on Tatooine with Luke.
She remembered a farmer she met one time in the market named Cliegg Lars, and sought him out. After finding him, he brought her to his homestead that he shared with his son, Owen, and Owen's wife, Beru.
Beru helped a lot with Luke, since she absolutely adored him. Shmi revealed that he was actually her grandson, and reluctantly told them the truth about what had happened to Anakin and Padmé, assuring them that they would awaken someday. He also told them that a good friend of Anakin's would visit Luke occasionally.
Bail took Leia home to Alderaan where he and his wife would raise Leia until her parents could be awakened. Ahsoka would guard the young Princess, her Master's daughter, and await the awakening of her Master and his wife anxiously.
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As Obi-Wan settled into his hovel in the desert on Tatooine, he reflected on the funeral procession that was taking place on Naboo that very day. What they had decided to do had been his idea and he hoped by revealing Padmé's secret marriage to Anakin and how they had perished in an unfortunate ship crash on the way home to Naboo, which had been caused due to them escaping persecution by the Empire, it would inspire people with hope for the future, as love stories often did. Little did he know, his own love story was about to be renewed.
He leapt to his feet, as he heard someone enter his hovel. He ignited his blade and the cloaked figure yelped in surprise, as they took off their hood. Obi-Wan gasped and extinguished his blade.
"Satine?" he asked in disbelief.
"Hello Obi-Wan," she greeted.
"How...how did you find me?" he asked.
"When Palpatine announced that he was Emperor, I had to escape Mandalore or face execution. I escaped to Chandrilla and received sanctuary from Mon Mothma. It was there I met up with Mace Windu and he told me where you were," she replied.
"They were going to execute you?" he asked.
"I wasn't exactly Palpatine's favorite or choice leader," she replied. He closed the distance between them and they hugged.
"Mace told me everything, about Anakin and Padmé. I heard Palpatine denouncing them on the Holonet as traitors, but Naboo is hailing them as heroes. It was beautiful how you made sure their full love story was known," Satine said softly.
"I miss him already, but I wasn't going to let their courage to do what I never had the courage to do go unknown," Obi-Wan replied.
"What WE never had the courage to do," she corrected, as she took his hand.
"Are...you staying?" he asked.
"All the things that kept us apart before either don't exist or don't matter anymore, so where else would I be?" she asked. He smiled gently.
"We have a chance to make this right," she added. He nodded.
"Yes and I'm not going to mess it up this time," he replied.
"Me either," she said, as their lips slowly met in a tender kiss. And now, knowing that his existence wouldn't be a lonely one, he knew he would fair much better while they waited for the day when Anakin was healed and he and Padmé would awaken...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~On Naboo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The funeral procession took place in the streets of Theed. The closed caskets were carried through the streets, containing the remains of Naboo's beloved Padmé Amidala and Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker. Her ship had been found four days ago, crashed on a planet en route to Naboo, caused by malfunctioning engines. Their route had been obscure due to the fact that they had been escaping the new oppressive regime that now ruled the galaxy.
It was announced that only their charred remains could be found. As a shocking revelation, it was also revealed that Amidala was in fact secretly married to Skywalker and their unborn child died with them. The two were buried side by side. Their memory was beloved and cherished by the people, while the Empire announced that they were suspected of treason against the Empire and not to be admired.
The death of Skywalker and Amidala was welcome news to Emperor Palpatine. He had searched the Force, trying to sense any sign of Anakin in case there was treachery at work. But he found no trace of him, nor Amidala. Without Skywalker among what was left of the Jedi and without Amidala leading the opposition, the fledgling rebellion that was forming was of little worry to him.
The galaxy mourned not only Amidala that day, but Skywalker as well. The Hero with no Fear had been there to give them hope during the war, but it seemed that hope had died with him, as the galaxy was plunged into darkness and ruled with an iron fist by Emperor Palpatine.
His second in command, Darth Vader, struck fear into the hearts of all when they saw him. His mangled body had been encased in a black armor and terrifying mask. His breathing was controlled artificially and a terrifying hiss signified the workings of his lungs.
Darth Vader stood beside his Master on his personal Star Destroyer, where they were overseeing the beginning of construction on the Death Star, Palpatine's ultimate weapon of destruction. Darkness reigned, but what the Sith were not aware of was that hope was not dead yet, and there was still a glimmer of light in the darkness...
Lilac Moon originally used the idea of Anakin and Padme being frozen in carbonite, but it was so great, I couldn't think of anything better!
So, that's the end of the Prequel events. I'm gonna take a break from this for a while to work on my other stories.
Seems fitting because of the time-gap between the movies.
Read and review, please!
No flames!