Another Chapter for you all. Things are starting to get good. Hope you keep reading!
Anakin looked at himself in the mirror. He saw the dark under eye circles below his eyes from lack of sleep. He couldn't even remember the last time he slept. He looked at the black suit he was forced to wear again. Palpatine figured this appearance would strike more fear in people than of him being Anakin Skywalker.
He should have told him he was nothing like Anakin Skywalker anymore, because at this moment, he truly didn't feel or even look like him. His cocky, arrogant demeanor was gone and even the life in his eyes seemed to be gone. He looked and just felt broken and worn down.
Slowly he put on the mask and listened as it locked into this suit. He heard the mechanical breathing ringing in his ears and opened his eyes. He hated everything about this, but he had to do this to save Padme.
He knew Palpatine stuck to his side of the deal. He watched the holocams of the troopers leaving the base. He just hoped they would be smart enough to leave. There was only so much we could do. He could still feel her presence and knew she was alive and that was all that mattered to him.
He heard his holocom go off, indicating an incoming transmission. He rolled his eyes already knowing, who it was.
He picked it up, accepting the transmission, as Palpatine's smug face appeared before him. "Lord Vader. I have received reports of an upcoming attack set up by the rebels. Do you know anything about this?"
The attack. He completely forgot about the attack. Which he wasn't sure how, considering that was how he ended up in this mess.
"I have no idea, my master." Anakin simply said.
"I find that hard to believe." Palpatine glared.
"They didn't trust me a whole lot with the planning of attacks and what not." He answered hoping that would be sufficient, which it clearly wasn't for he was struck with force lighting and fell to his knees.
"Don't forget, Lord Vader, I have eyes and ears all over this planet. You won't be able to do one thing without me figuring out what it." Palpatine glared.
Anakin felt the lighting stop and he stayed on his knees, exhaling allowing the force to soothe the pain in his body.
"I want you to go to the lower levels and figure out what is happening." Palpatine told him.
"Very well, my master." Anakin said through his teeth.
"When you are done with that, I need you to go to the Mustafar system and take care of something for me." He smirked.
"What is it?" Anakin asked.
"A weapon, I've been working on for quite some time. I need you to get a piece for me. A valuable piece." Palpatine made sure he was careful not to relieve too much.
"I don't understand? What does this weapon even do?" Anakin asked raising his eyebrow.
"Let's just say, it's going to strike fear on not just Coruscant, but the whole galaxy. That pathetic rebel, will see they are no match for me and might finally give up." He told Anakin.
Before he could reply, Palpatine shut off the transmission.
A weapon? What is the galaxy was he talking about? He needed answers and that five second conversation gave him nothing.
He threw the holocomm across the room. Hating how weak he truly was. How has be allowed this to go on for as long as it has? He needed to put an end to this once and for all.
Suddenly, he thought of something. These attacks. Surely Ahsoka or Obi-wan would be in charge of it. Maybe if he could talk to them and inform them of what is going on they could figure something out. He could also warn them about the weapon he is preparing.
Palpatine words rang through his head. I have ears and eyes all over this planet. He would just have to be careful with how he did this and hoped they would listen.
"Ahsoka, how is the attack coming along?" Obi-wan said to Ahsoka over his commlink.
"We didn't get as much of a group as I hoped, but we have enough. They are loading them in the transport now." Asoka told him as she looked around watching the few people she had in her troop loading them in. She hated how easy this, she was hoping for a better fight, but that time would come soon enough.
"We are finished as well. We should be making our way over to the base shortly." Obi-wan told her.
"Alright be safe. I have a bad feeling about how easy this was." Ahsoka told him.
"Be careful Ashoka. We can't lose anyone else." Obi-wan said before signing off.
Ahsoka put the commlink away and felt his presence, before even seeing him. She turned around hoping she was wrong, but her face fell felt when she say the black suit. "So it's true. You turned against us."
He grimaced behind the mask, but she wouldn't be able to see that. "Ahsoka, I really don't have time to tell you everything. You need to listen." He said looking around, his paranoia getting the best of him.
He looked over as the rebels must have noticed him and started to fire at him. He lifted his hand sending them into the transport and shutting the door. He knew he could only hold them off for a short time.
She ignited her lightsaber and he knew this wasn't going to be an easy fight. "You turn against, Padme."
"I did no such thing!" he yelled, the mechanical voice booming. "I did this to protect her. To protect all of you. He knows of the location of your base."
"As if we don't already know this, scum." She glared before running towards him, both her lightsaber ready to attack.
He quickly blocked her not wanting to hurt her. "Ahsoka. Please. I don't want to hurt you."
"Funny. Cause that's exactly what I plan on doing to you." She kicked him and he went flying into the wall.
He felt his anger rising and knew he had to calm down. He understood why she was attacking like this and he didn't want to hurt her. That wasn't his intentions, by doing this.
He lifted his hand and saw her lift into the air, struggling. He held her their knowing she wasn't going to listen.
"Are you going to kill me? Like you helped kill all the other Jedi." She hissed at him and Anakin was taken back by her harsh comment.
"Ahsoka, all I asked is for you or even Obi-wan to meet me on Mustafar. I can explain everything." Anakin told her trying to make her understand. Hoping she would understand, but this mask and suit was making that hard to do.
"So I can walk into some kind of trap. I don't think so." She glared.
Anakin looked up seeing a few Imperial shuttles landing. He had to let her go or they would surely kill her.
"Leave the base. Go someplace he would never think of. He is planning something." Anakin said knowing he said too much, but if she didn't go to Mustafar he wanted them to at least be sort of prepared.
He pushed her over to the shuttle as the doors opened and she stood up looking at him before looking at the Imperial Shuttles. She knew he wasn't worth it right now. That she had to complete the mission.
Anakin sighed thankful she left with continuing the battle. He just hoped she or Obi-wan would come to Mustafar, so he could explain everything and warn them of what is to come.
Padme waited anxiously with everyone for Ahsoka to return. Obi-wan and Rex have been back for quite some time and Ahsoka should have been here already and she isn't answering her commlink. This isn't like her, Padme thought worryingly.
Suddenly the last transport arrived and she exhaled in relief. She noticed even Obi-wan looked less tense and his shoulders seemed to relax a little.
The doors to the ship opened and the rebel members started to take the clones out one by one. Thankfully it seemed they were still unconscious and even if they weren't all their blasters were taken from them and they were hand cuffed.
They were taken by her on stretchers to the medical wing where Rex was anxiously waiting to see the return of his bothers.
She looked up as Ahsoka walked off being one of the last off the ship. She saw anger and betrayal on her face and she knew something had to have happen. She was just thanking the force she was alive and back.
"Ahsoka." Obi-wan said sternly with his arms crossed. "Is there a reason you haven't been answering you commlink?"
Padme saw Ahsoka look over at her and hesitate before she spoke. "I saw Anakin."
"Anakin!?" Her eyes grew larger than they already were, just hearing his name. "Where? Is he okay?"
Ahsoka looked over at Obi-wan and Padme knew they were doing a Jedi thing and didn't want to tell her.
"Maybe it would be best, if we waited until we told the others." Obi-wan said sheepishly.
Padme placed her hands on her hips. "You will tell me now. What happen?" Her voice sounding far sterner than she intended.
They both looked at each other until finally Asoka spoke, "He was in the Vader suit. He-he betrayed us, Padme. He is working for Palpatine again and probably has this whole time."
"No." She said softly feeling her world crash around her. "You're wrong. How could you even say that?"
"I saw him, Padme. We fought and I felt his force presence, so it wasn't someone else just wearing the suit." Ahsoka told no longer feeling the rage she felt when she first saw Anakin.
Padme looked around for a place to sit. She needed to sit down before her legs gave out below her. She cursed seeing there was nothing. She felt Obi-wan's hand on her shoulder probably trying to steady her. This was all becoming too much.
"Padme, you're pregnant aren't you?" Obi-wan said surprising both her and Ahsoka.
Padme couldn't function right now let alone answer his question, but her silence was all the answer he needed.
"I'm so sorry." he told with such pain in his eyes and looked over at Ahsoka who has a mixture of both Obi-wan's and Padme's expression. Betrayal, anger, pain. "Come on, we should report to the counsel." He told Ahsoka.
Ahsoka didn't want to leave Padme, but they both it was probably best. They knew her well enough to know she wasn't one to express her emotions openly. They knew she needed a minute to herself to process everything she just found out.
Ahsoka looked at Obi-wan as they walked away, "Master, Anakin said stuff to me while he were fighting." Ahsoka whispered to him.
"What did he say?" Obi-wan curiously asked.
"He wanted either you or I to meet him on Mustafar. He wanted to talk." She paused. "I sense it's a trap though."
"I think I might agree with you, Ahsoka. I was wrong once and it might have costed us all our lives. We need to inform everyone of relocating immediately." He told her.
"I knew he wasn't to be trusted. I told you all we should have sentenced him for his crimes." Ackbarr's voice boomed across the table as everyone looked anywhere, but at him, knowing they all were at fault for this.
Ignoring Ackbarr, Mon tried composing herself. "We need to relocate the base. To the Hoth location, I think would best."
"That location isn't nearly close to being finished." Bail told her.
"It's our only option at the moment." Mon grimly said.
"How much longer until the procedure on the clones are done?" Bail asked.
"Majority of them are finished, there are just a few more. They will be the last we transport out. We need to move out slowly anyways to not draw attention to ourselves. Inform everyone that by night fall we all need to leave." Mon said before standing up and leaving.
Obi-wan shook his head hating how foolish he was. He let his feelings get the best of him. He should have been more wary with Anakin, but he trusted Padme judgment and every time he looked at him he couldn't stop from hearing his former Master's voice in his head telling him to train the boy, that he was the chosen one.
"It's not your fault. He fooled everyone." Ahsoka shook her head as they walked out of the conference room.
"I know. I just wish it didn't have to come to this." Obi-wan told her as they rounded the corner.
"Master Jedi! Master Jedi! I tried to stop her. I really did, but she wouldn't listen. She is almost as stubborn as Master Ani." Obi-wan looked over to see Anakin's droid walking over to them. He knew the droid was usually on edge, but this was different.
"What are you talking about? Stop who?" Ahsoka said confused by the droids outburst.
"Miss. Padme!" C3po threw his hands in the air.
"She left? Where did she go? Did she say?" Ahsoka asked the droid.
"She went to Mustafar. She went to see Anakin." Obi-wan said already knowing the answer.
Ahsoka mouth fell open hating herself for not keeping quiet, knowing she must have heard them when they were talking.
"Come on Ahsoka. We need to hurry. Who knows what she is walking into?" Obi-wan said running to the hanger bay to hopefully find a cruiser.
He feared the worse, but hoped Anakin's feelings towards Padme were the same through all of this and he wouldn't harm her. He hoped this time, he was right about something.