A/N: Thank you for the reviews! The end of this chapter has been long in the making. I hope you enjoy it over all. The first part will be a bit dark, so not to worry, there'll still be a considerable amount of action and drama in the story.
Losing an arm for a Jedi, especially their duelling arm, was a dramatic and challenging thing to accept. Jedi and their lightsaber were their life, their ability to bring justice throughout the galaxy. Now, Obi-Wan had lost his arm and his lightsaber, the one he had built when he was still a padawan. Fortunately, there were cybernetics that were available that gave him his arm back, and there were spare lightsabers from the Jedi purge that meant he wouldn't be defenseless. However, this was still weakening and made him feel like a fool for allowing Vader to best him in such a way.
His master wasn't as supportive as he could have been, scolding him for leading Vader's Star Destroyer squadron directly to them as a result of his attempt to save Padmé from the clutches of Darth Vader. He still refused to believe that the man was once the boy, Anakin Skywalker, and had even called his master delusional even though that action had saved both of their lives. All he felt was the sting of defeat, his righteous actions deemed worthless. Padmé was still with Vader and Vader was out for blood against the Jedi and the Rebellion.
The portion of the fleet that had managed to escape had rendezvoused with Bail Organa's fleet, bolstering the numbers even though there was a new commander with new rules that Obi-Wan didn't agree with. They were more cautious, unwilling to meet the enemy on the battlefield and slowly biding their time for a massive strike instead of guerilla warfare that had been proven useful over the last several months. This would create a hinderance for the Jedi and it would most certainly cause the war effort to be brought back to the initial time Vader had irradicated the Rebels.
The Jedi Council was still hiding on Yavin Four, unwilling to send warriors into battle, leaving Obi-Wan to feel like he was alone in the fight even though his master was with him. Oh well, it was just the fate of the galaxy, one that would be difficult to climb back from.
Obi-Wan flexed his new arm, annoyed at how ineffective it was at providing precise movements. The cybernetics were advanced, but not advanced enough for a Jedi to use in a fight. He had been practicing using his left arm as his main arm in order to compensate which was difficult given that he had years of reflexes and experience with his right arm. He had to admit, that he nearly wished Vader had just killed him instead of dooming him to this fate. He regretted not killing Vader on Dantooine when he had the choice. He should have shoved Padmé out of the way and delivered the killing blow to the monster, but the alluring Senator made him feel weak and unable to do so. Damn her and damn her lover.
To him, they were both the enemy now, indistinguishable from one another. They would both need to be brought to justice so they could pay for their crimes against the galaxy, their crimes against him. He could just imagine Padmé's joy after Vader told her the tale of dismembering him, they probably even fucked to the story, getting off in a sick and twisted manner that made Obi-Wan's stomach churn. He would have to find a way to seek retribution even though he was restricted more than he had ever been. It would be difficult to procure a ship so he could go face the enemy as Bail was simply too cautious. Where was his fleet when they needed him? Had they combined their forces, they would have been ablet to inflict heavy damage against the Imperial forces.
Bail was a simple man who believed too much in the good of people. When Obi-Wan had tried to convince him that Padmé was an evil woman, he wouldn't hear of it, calling her more of a mole inside of the Empire than anything, expecting her to turn on Vader and his forces soon. But Bail had not seen the inside of Padmé's mind, he had not seen the pure pleasure she took when she executed a fellow senator. She was no mole; she was simply the enemy.
Sighing, he stood up and activated his lightsaber with his left hand, going through the motions of practicing with it in case he would need to use it against Vader again. His cybernetic arm was barely able to keep up with the quick movements needed for a fight, so he used it sparingly, preferring the use of a one handed combat style. If there was only a way for him to learn to use the Force as more of a weapon than a tool, he would be far more equipped to kill Vader and his lover, but such desires were entirely forbidden by the Jedi Council. Their obsession with clinging to the rules of the Order were going to get them all killed, and the galaxy would be left without anyone to take up the mantel as a saviour to eventually defeat the Empire.
Unless, Obi-Wan could learn the dark arts himself. Not as a method of obtaining control or power over anyone, but as a method to defend those around him from the evil. He practiced throwing objects with he Force as an offensive measure, practiced immobilizing opponents such as droids to cut them down, and had even experimented with the ability to crush droids, simulating them as people. Those arts were specifically forbidden by the Council, but it wasn't like they could punish him any more than Vader already had.
Once he was strong enough, he would go to Vader's estate on Coruscant and wait for him to arrive to ambush him. Would it be possible that he would lose his life? Yes, but not before he killed Padmé and her handmaiden. Then he would face Vader who would be driven stark mad with loss and be weakened by his state of outrage. This would be a far greater plan than luring Vader into an ambush as he had initially tried.
"You seem lost my young apprentice."
Shit. Qui Gon had been watching him. "Not lost, master, merely scheming."
"Scheming of what? Revenge again the man who spared both you and I from death? That man isn't the one you should be focusing your attention on. The Emperor is the evil force that's driving the Empire to destroy millions of lives across the galaxy, not Anakin Skywalker", Qui Gon said.
Obi-Wan looked at him with contempt. "You truly believe that hit, don't you, master? You honestly believe that Darth Vader is still the Chosen One, a man who grew up from being the boy that was lost to us?"
Qui Gon looked at his apprentice sternly. "If that wasn't the case, then he wouldn't have reacted when I used his true name. He would have killed us. I'm not saying he is an altruistic man, but he's a man that has the utmost conflict within him and that will fight tooth and nail to defeat the Emperor if we form an alliance with him. He's exactly the person we need on our side if we're to win this war."
"I can't believe what I'm hearing", Obi-Wan muttered. "The man cuts off my arm and you're defending him like he's some form of saint. He isn't a saint. He's a madman who has poisoned the mind of a once honorable woman. They both deserve to die, master. Not to be ones that are to be conspired with."
Qui Gon sat back in a chair and folded his arms. "Who will kill them? You? You've already proven yourself to be incapable of the task and I wouldn't trust you with such a mission, not after your cowardly ambush and your torment of Senator Amidala's mind."
"Torment?", Obi-Wan asked incredulously. "I was trying to save her, dammit. But she didn't want to be saved. She clung on to every memory, every twisted memory as if they were a life preserver and it was horrendous to see. She is evil, just a Vader is. No, I will kill them both. Afterwards, you and the Council can expel me from the order if you wish, but their lives will stop with me and me alone if I have to, which it sounds like that's the truth."
Seriously, the audacity of the man to doubt him and his resolve to bring justice to the galaxy. Justice to the ones that the evil couple had taken so cruelly from the best hope that the galaxy had at resisting the Emperor. Damn them both straight to hell.
"I can feel your thoughts, Obi-Wan. They are full of violence and hatred. You are walking along a fine line that could result in your destruction if you allow it to. Heed my warning. Abandon your plans before you find yourself over your head again, before more innocent people are killed. Vader wouldn't have sought out the fleet had you not abducted Senator Amidala and tortured her. He would've made efforts to find us, but he would have failed because you were sloppy and allowed yourself to be tracked back to the fleet. I would order that you be imprisoned, but I want to give you one last chance, but it will be your very last. Am I understood?", Qui Gon asked.
"All I understand is that you and the rest of the Jedi are cowards, master Jinn. That you would rather see the galaxy burn than do something about it. I will do what I must, and that is final", Obi-Wan said as he deactivated his lightsaber and left the sparing room, enraged that not even his own master was willing to back him up.
…
Vader was searching for Dormé. He hadn't seen her since the previous day when she had run out of the room after he revealed that he had been healed. She was a friend, and nothing more, but still a friend. He couldn't allow her to wallow in what could have happened but focus on the fact that he was still alright.
He went outside on the open ground that surrounded his penthouse and found her on the north side on the sitting area, looking at the city in the distance. "Dormé, what's on your mind?", Vader asked gruffly.
She didn't say anything, she merely shook her head as if to indicate that she didn't want to speak to him. No, that wasn't going to be an option, they would speak and resolve this issue as they had resolved other issues in recent past.
Vader sat down next to her and gazed at the city, unsure as to what he should say. The woman had been so troubled by his condition that it likely scarred her. "You may not want to talk, but I would appreciate it if you did", Vader said in a softer tone.
Dormé sighed and brought her legs up, tucking her knees underneath her chin. "You are a man that is hellbent on dying, do you know that?", she asked.
What? He didn't have a death wish; he never had a death wish. "I'm not certain I'm following you, Dormé. Perhaps you could share more of your thoughts on the matter so I can understand your point of view. Up until I was most recently wounded, you've seemed to shut yourself off from me, and I miss your friendship."
The handmaiden chuckled lightly. "I would miss our friendship if you died, Anakin. Have you thought about that?", she asked in a defeated tone. "Have you considered that each time you bring yourself to the cusp of death that you only make those that care for you know that you only have so much luck left?"
Vader didn't know what to say. Technically, the woman was correct. Every time he brushed death it could be his last, and possibly die, but he couldn't just abandon his life, not when there were still so many things that he had to accomplish. "I see what you're saying, and I agree with you to a certain extent. But we call could die. Padmé could've been killed by Kenobi. You nearly lost your life when you were attacked in your apartment and that blaster bolt you were shot with on Dantooine could've been fatal had it been slightly lower and to the left. I'm not the only one that's exposed to danger. We all are. I'm not saying it'll always be that way, I don't want that, but for now, it is."
Surely, she had to see that, she couldn't just abandon hope and decide that his fate was certain.
"But you seem to be in more of a precarious position than Padmé and I have ever been. I've heard how deadly ship boarding actions can be, but you put yourself on the front lines, just as you always do, and that terrifies me. I shouldn't feel so strongly about it, but I do, and I don't see that changing any time soon. I see you as who you really are. A man that takes thrills in close brushes with death. One that is forced to serve a master that takes a perverse pleasure in nearly killing you for failing to kill the enemy in the way he saw fit. That's the type of man you are, Anakin", she said as she wiped a tear from her eye.
Vader pondered what she said carefully. She was right, she shouldn't feel so strongly about it, but she did. "Dormé, do you still have feelings for me?", he asked simply.
She turned and looked at him with a frown. "To a certain extent, yes, I do. I view you as a friend, but there'll always be a part of me that cares for you deeper than that, and I hate that I can't extinguish it. That I can't move on from it. I'm not saying I don't want to be your friend, I do, but I can't shake those feelings, and it wouldn't be right for you to judge me for them."
"I don't judge you for them", Vader said as he placed his elbows on his knees. "I understand them to a certain extent. I don't know how to help you through it, but regardless of how you feel, I'll still be a friend to you. Of that I can promise. You know that I don't have any true friends aside from you. Padmé is my lover, one that I intend to marry, but you're a friend that cares for my wellbeing and I care for yours, otherwise I wouldn't be talking to you like this. On Dantooine, when I heard you scream after you were shot, I panicked and turned around to make certain you were alright. I enjoyed our time in hyperspace, simply sharing a drink and talking. That's what I can bring to the table for you, and I do so willingly."
Dormé wiped more tears from her eyes. "That's all I want you to be to me, but when you're hurt, I hurt. I can't stand it either. Seeing you covered in blood, barely able to stand after the Emperor punished you in such a sick way shook me to my very core and I can't take it any longer."
Vader placed an arm around her. "I can't take it any longer either. I don't want you to feel that emotional pain. I want you to be free of it. There will be a time when you are, it'll just take a while for it to happen. Don't give up hope and don't despair."
She unexpectedly collapsed into his side and began to cry. He wrapped his other arm around her and just let her empty her tears, not saying anything. He supposed that being a friend simply meant being there for someone in their time of need, and it was Dormé that was in a time of need." He sighed and just watched the cityscape while she cried, unsure about what he should do or what he should say.
Finally, her tears stopped, and she pulled away from him. "Thank you for being my friend", she said. "I cherish it."
Vader swallowed and looked at her carefully. "I cherish it too."
With that, she stood up and walked inside, leaving Vader to be alone with his thoughts. There was nothing else he could do or say, he would simply have to allow the woman to work through her emotions as she saw fit. Maybe one day she would find peace, hopefully sooner rather than later.
…
Meeting jewelry brokers was always a task that Vader loathed. He had never procured jewelry for anyone except dignitaries upon the request of his master, but now he was going to acquire a ring for Padmé so he could finally give her the proposal that she deserved. He had put it off for far too long and his near loss of life in the span of a couple of weeks had been too much for him to bear. Had he died without proposing, she would have been even more crushed, he had to at least do so while he had life flowing through him. But hopefully his death would come long after marriage, however Dormé was right, he did lead a precarious life full of uncertainty.
"I assure you Lord Vader, these jewels are the finest in the Empire", Garren, the broker, said.
"Your assurances are meaningless. The jewels will speak for themselves; you do not need to embellish them to me like I'm some financial banker. Don't forget, I can see inside of your mind, so if you attempt to cheat me, you'll end up dead. Do we have an agreement, Garren?", Vader asked.
The broker swallowed. "Of course, Milord. Only the best jewels will be shown to you. Do you have a preference on the type of stone for the ring?"
"I'm not skilled in the art of selecting types of stones, all the information I will provide to you is this woman is from Naboo. Are there any stones that are preferred by women of that culture?", he asked. He really was in over his head. He wished that he had invited Dormé to come along with him, but she didn't need to have this completely flaunted in her face.
"Nubian women do prefer diamonds, Milord. I have a tray of the finest cut diamonds over here, I'll be right back", Garren said as he waddled over to a vault full of precious minerals and stones.
Diamonds. Common stones, but they were thought to be timeless and beautiful, that's at least what his mother had told him the day before they had left Naboo. Perhaps his mother was right after all.
Garren came back with a tray full of diamonds. "These are all the finest cuts with absolute clarity, Milord. They don't come at a cheap price, but I'm sure credits are not an issue with this transaction. Would you like to see any one in particular?"
Vader studied the tray of stones and reached out with the Force to inspect every surface, checking for even the slightest blemish. There were only a handful that were completely free of any defects, so he would focus on those. Interesting, there was a large pear shaped diamond that looked like a cut that he had seen on a necklace that Padmé had. That was possibly one of her favorite items.
He picked it up and studied it further. It was heavy for a stone, the size of a large button. It would look perfect on Padmé's finger.
"How much for this one?", Vader asked.
Garren looked at the stone carefully. "For that one, I would be willing to part with it for two hundred thousand credits.
"Ha! Your markup is laughable, Garren, especially since I've been a reoccurring customer. I'll give you a hundred and forty thousand credits, but not a single more. That should net you a handsome profit and keep our relationship equitable", Vader said with a hard expression on his face. He wasn't an idiot; he knew how valuations of a variety of items worked.
"Milord, that's too steep of a discount, I'll only net a twenty percent profit on the stone", Garren protested.
"How about you sell it to me for zero percent profit, would that be a better option?", Vader hissed, causing the heavy set man to tremble.
"Twenty percent suddenly seems fair. I'll have this set on a ring and have it delivered to your estate within twenty for hours if that will suffice", Garren capitulated.
"Set it now, I'll wait", Vader said as he gestured for the man to get to work. He had neither the time nor patience to operate on someone else's timetable.
…
Proposing seemed like it should be a simple task. It was Vader's understanding that one simply asked for the other person's hand in marriage, but he wasn't certain that would be the way to go about it with Padmé. She was a beautiful woman on the inside and out, one that he was bonded to in nearly every way possible. They had seen good times and hard times together, making their relationship unique, and thus demanding that their proposal be unique as well.
Vader walked to her office in the Senate calculating his next move carefully. This needed to be something special that would hold great significance to the woman, something that meant more than just receiving a ring. He walked in and nodded to Dormé who gave him a faint smile. Good, at least she seemed better after the other day.
"Padmé", Vader said as he walked to her desk. "I noticed you haven't commed me today, is work keeping you busy?"
Padmé looked up from her pile of pads and grimaced. "What does it look like to you, oh great Sith Lord?" Damn, she was in a mood today.
"It would seem that it has been a rather tumultuous day", he remarked. "Maybe something after your finished today could take your mind from all this?" He was performing terribly; he was so nervous he wasn't as charming as his usual self. So, these were the jitters that men described prior to making a proposal.
Padmé leaned back in her chair. "That depends on the type of activity you have in mind. Don't forget that you nearly died the other day, I'm not sure you'd be up to your usual performance if that's what you're hinting at."
Fucking hell. "No, I was wondering if you'd like to join me on the rooftop? We haven't watched a sunset together in a considerable amount of time, and thought it would be a good idea to reconnect."
That caused Padmé to lean forward on her desk, appearing intrigued. "That's nostalgic, even for you, Ani. What's the catch?"
Vader frowned. "The catch?"
"You know what I mean. You want something in return for such a gentle activity, don't think I can't see through your ruse", she said with a chuckle.
"I don't have a ruse", he seethed. "I'm merely trying to be romantic." Had he conditioned the woman to be so suspicious of him? Perhaps he had, which would certainly be his fault.
She raised her eyebrow. "Okay, I'll trust that it's nothing nefarious, but if it is, there'll be hell to pay later, Ani."
Vader smirked, knowing that he'd won. "I'll see you at around six then."
She nodded and he turned and left, feeling more nervous than he could ever remember.
…
Vader paced back and forth on the rooftop of the Senate, waiting for Padmé to arrive. She was a few minutes late and wondered if she got held up doing something important, which would be understandable, she was a senator.
Sensing that she was nearby, he went ahead and sat on what had been his usual perch on the pipe, waiting for her to arrive. Maybe he was nostalgic after all. He heard her light footsteps behind him and he turned and smiled at her as she slid over the pipe.
"You picked a good night for this, the sunset is especially beautiful tonight", Padmé said as she reached out and held his hand.
"I figured you'd enjoy it", he mumbled. "It always was one of our favorite ways to meet one another while we were just getting to know each other. Except for that first evening, you annoyed the hell out of me."
Padmé laughed. "I remember, you acted like I had just ruined your entire day. Perhaps I had, but I'm not broken up by it. None of this would have happened without that first encounter, which terrifies me. To think that the stars have to be aligned just right for some people to meet again is maddening. It worked while I went to Tatooine and it worked when I came up here."
"Indeed, it did", Vader replied as he tried to think of some way, he could spur the conversation along in the direction he wanted it to go.
"You know, I kind of had an uneasy feeling when you asked me up here tonight", Padmé admitted.
That caused Vader to frown. "Why would you possibly be uneasy about it?" That made no sense to him whatsoever.
Padmé swallowed. "I just was paranoid that you'd tell me that things weren't working out for some reason. Nothing in particular, girls just get that way sometimes. I'm not trying to put a damper on the evening, I was just voicing what my concerns were."
"Padmé, you can't be serious", Vader said, truly befuddled. "Things have been wonderful between us lately; I can't think of a reason why I wouldn't want to continue the relationship. We've been through so much together that it boggles my mind that you'd feel that way."
She squeezed his hand. "Like I said, girls just get that way sometimes."
They sat and watched as the sunset grew deeper with every shade of yellow, orange, and red cascading across the sky. Padmé must've felt a chill as she scooted closer to Vader, placing her head on his shoulder.
"With everything going on lately, this was a good idea", she whispered. "It makes me feel right, like things are going to be going our way for the time being. We could use that luck in our lives lately."
"We most certainly can", Vader admitted. "Speaking of things going our way, have you thought much about marriage lately?" He hoped the question wouldn't seem too obvious, but she was smart, she could probably pick up on it.
"All of the time", she said softly. "You're the one that I want to be with. I just don't know when we'd actually be able to pull it off."
That was a good point, with Vader needing to hunt down Obi-Wan and finalize his offensive against the Rebellion, things would be a little busy.
"What about your family? Would you want to wait until they are more accepting?", Vader asked.
Padmé shrugged. "The ball is in their court, Ani. I'd love for them to be present for our wedding, but things don't always go the way that we want them to. If they truly want to be a part of it, they'll ask for forgiveness and understand the nature of our relationship. If they don't, then that's on them. I'm not going to wait around an entire lifetime just so they can try and make sense of things that shouldn't be too big of a deal for them."
That was fortunate news, he would despise having to wait for them as well. He had been honest about his intentions with her father, and it didn't matter to him if Ruwee doubted those intentions just because he didn't know his true identity.
Vader pulled away from her slightly and she looked up at him with pouty eyes.
"I think in that case, there's something that I have to ask you, Padmé", he said as he fought to keep his voice steady. He had sworn that he would marry this woman when he was only nine years old, and it was finally becoming within his grasp.
"What's that, Ani?", she asked, holding her breath.
Vader knelt down in front of her causing her to squeak. He pulled out the box containing the ring and opened it up.
"Padmé, you're the only woman that I've ever loved. The only woman that I'll ever love. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?", he asked as he stared into her eye.
Padmé's hand shot to her mouth as she gasped, and tears started falling down her face. "Ani", she choked out. "Of course, I'll marry you."
Vader gently took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger, sealing the deal. Both stood up and their lips crashed against one another's while holding each other as tightly as possible. This was it, they had done it.
When they broke the kiss, they looked at one another and smiled. Perfectly content with the outcome of the evening. They sat back down on the pipe and just held one another while they watched the rest of the sunset, feeling truly at peace.
A/N: If you liked the chapter, consider dropping a review and following!