Darth Vader opened his eyes to the fading suns on Tatooine, and allowed a frustrated groan to escape him. Lately, he'd been getting more visions, but none of them had occurred on the sandy desert planet. He grit his teeth together and started brushing the rough and coarse grains that he hated so much off of him when he realized something odd. When he breathed out, there was no hissing or humming of the respirator, and there was no tint of color hazing the world in front of him, and there was no heavy metal box resting on his chest. He was in the same body as he was before Obi-Wan Kenobi, his former master- no, Anakin's former master- had cut off his remaining limbs and left him to die on fire. He flexed his fingers and toes, testing to see if there was the lack of feeling on his appendages from the robotic parts. There wasn't. Not even his missing hand from Dooku. He stood up, before a blinding pressure pressed onto the front of his brain, and he reached up a hand to clutch it. Suddenly, memories of his life before losing everyone and everything he loved flashed from behind his clamped eyelids. Him, leaning over to kiss a gorgeous woman with wavy brown hair and an ombre rainbow dress. Him, accepting the young apprentice. Him, standing in front of the Council, being accepted into the Order. Him, as a boy and a slave and a nobody, with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi in front of him. Him, creating C-3PO, bringing the droid to life. Him, having a small dinner with his mother. Him, graduating from Padawan into Knighthood. Those memories from Anakin Skywalker seeped light, and Vader wanted to rip the images out of his mind. Lucky for him, the images started to get darker. Him bowing down to the Sith Lord himself. Him leading Order 66 at the Temple. Him murdering his once-upon-a-time acquaintances. Murdering the Younglings. Him going to Mustafar, slashing through the Representatives with his lightsaber, his 'saber screaming with the use of being used in such ways. Seeping red. Him battling the Jedi Master until that fateful moment. Vader scoffed at his former self's arrogance. Him choking and killing his wife. Him killing all of the Tusken Raiders for his mother's torture and death. The women and children were not spared. Lord Vader bathed in the horror of all the crimes against humanity he had committed, his dark soul soaking in the glory.

"Son," a familiar feminine voice said softly behind him. He whirled around and felt his waist to grab his 'saber, finding his belt empty. He growled lightly under his breath. He was allowing himself to reveal too much emotion, and he knew he would be punished later, but the sight in front of him made his breathing stop. His mother, looking exactly like she had when he left her to become a Jedi all those decades ago. Her dark brown hair twisted into a knot at the nape of her neck, crows feet crinkled at the corners of her soft brown eyes. Her clothes worn but not broken and torn as they had been during her time with the Tusken Raiders.

"Anakin Skywalker is gone," he said gruffly, without emotion. "He was weak, I replaced him." He had said these words so many times, to so many people. But this time, he felt Skywalker push against the stone cold wall that was his soul. This time, he felt a little spark of something he couldn't identify.

"No one is truly gone forever," her voice was soft, and compassionate- too compassionate- it burned the darkness where the light used to be.

"Unfortunate." Vader focused on his anger, his pain from seeing his mother and used it to push against Skywalker's rising conscience. Soon, the little warmth was wiped out and replaced by the coldness that the Sith found comfort in.

"Come home, my son."

"As I have said, your son is dead."

"Come home. I love you." Her goodbye trailed off into a whisper as she disappeared with a flash of beige light. Vader couldn't help but feel relieved. Shmi Skywalker was of the weakling's past. And Vader was not weak. He was a feared Sith Lord. He had destroyed Alderaan with a simple command. He had slaughtered many Jedi. He was unbeaten in combat. The army under his command followed his orders to the last letter out of fear of him. Skywalker had loved too much, and that had been his downfall. Suddenly, the sandy set of Tatooine started to faze and became unfocused. He blinked and shook his head to clear it. When his golden-flecked red eyes reopened, the scene had changed again.There was still sand, but instead of a flat landscape, there were dunes. And there was an ocean, reflecting the soft colors of the singular sun setting low in the sky.

Vader took a few steps forward towards the water and reached down to pick up a flower that he could not identify from any planet he's been on. Which was saying something since he's been fighting a war his whole life. He then realized that he had his flesh hand replaced by a cybernetic limb. He continued to pick up the flower with it and crushed it in his hands. It was too peaceful, his fighting instincts didn't like it. Then the force sent a warning shivering down his spine, so he whipped around and already had his 'saber out in his hand, the red blade thrumming in his fingertips. What stood behind was a little togruta girl, not even tall enough to reach his hips with her montrals. Her lekku hardly touched her shoulders, and her chevrons were a blue so familiar that he almost choked. Her green dress swept around her little ankles with an unfelt breeze, and large blue eyes that knew too much stared up at him with hope. Despite not recognizing her, something told him he was not a threat, but he still held his weapon at his side. Then the child took a step towards him, and, without a trace of fear, reached out a hand, as if about to touch him. But she didn't, and her arm hovered in the air. He felt her mind brush up against his, and he found he couldn't do anything but let her. WIth little strands of light, she pulled out memories of an older togruta with lightsabers, fighting, laughing, and screaming. These were not his memories, and the light they all brought hurt his darkness.

"Stop," he hissed at her through his grit teeth, his darksaber pointing itself so that with a flick of his wrist he could plunge it in her neck. She just looked up at him with the too-large eyes with their hope. He let out a low growl, and Skywalker suddenly fought against his hold again.

Don't hurt her, he screamed to Vader. Don't touch her! The Sith tried to fight him down again, but Skywalker was putting up quite the resistance. As his internal battle raged, the tiny togruta tilted her head at him, curiosity radiating off of her in waves, completely ignoring the deadly weapon placed strategically at her neck.

"Did you do it?" Her voice was soft, that he almost missed it. "Did you accomplish what you set out to do?" Vader let out another growl, of course he did it. He accomplished all of his goals. "What was the cost?" She continued to stand with her eyes on him. The questions completely threw him off guard and Skywalker diminished the dark in his soul with light. His eyes flickered to sky blue.

"Everything, Snips. It cost me everything." Suddenly, the child let out a shrill and surged forward to hug him.

"Don't worry, everyone is okay," she stated. Vader- no Anakin- wrapped his arms around her little frame and sobbed. He thought about everyone he had lost. Padmé, his unborn child, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Rex, Cody, Yoda, and the entirety of the Order.

"My child?" He couldn't help but ask.

"No," she said stoutly.

"What?"

"No child. Children. Twins." She said happily, tapping his cheeks and baring her sharp incisors. "Luke n' Leia." She let out a happy Togruta noise.

"I had twins," he asked incredulously. "Luke and Leia?" Little Ahsoka nodded enthusiastically. "Will I ever see them again?" She let out a small smile.

"Already have."

"I have?"

"Princess Leia. Farmboy Luke." Oh. Oh. He had destroyed his daughter's home, and her family. He destroyed the family he had never been. And Luke. Luke had watched him kill Obi-Wan. A wave of sadness and guilt washed over him. He had killed his best friend. His brother. What about Ahsoka, his Snips? He involuntarily squeezed her harder as he prepared to ask. She tapped his cheek gently and he loosened his grip. A little.

"What about you? Did- did I-" Anakin was cut off.

"No. Big 'Soka still alive."

"What do you mean Big 'Soka? What about you?"

"Died when big bug factory fell. Almost died, y'know." Ever the sassy togruta. He really should have guessed his padawan had lost her childhood innocence when she was thrust into a war. His only comfort was that his physical former-padawan was still alive somewhere in the galaxy. "Go home." She suddenly said. "Go home." She bumped her forehead playfully against his in goodbye before pressing her tiny palm into his forehead where hers had just been.

Vader woke up with a heavy sigh, tear tracks down his face. They were not his tears, and yet he still felt the pressing weight of sorrow in his black soul. "I'm so so sorry, little ones." He apologized, before adjusting the respirator with the control-panel on his chest.