Chapter 10 – Mustafar

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Star Wars, even if we wish we did. xD

Author's Note: Yes, this chapter is going to hurt, but I'm not apologizing. :) Lol.

~ Amina Gila

The sky is cloudy and dark, but it stills appears to be daytime. In the background, I can see rivers of lava flowing. It reminds me of… Mustafar. I've been there once before. It's the planet Anakin and I went to one time to save the Force-sensitive children from Bane and the Sith. It was not at all a fun experience and ended with both of us running for the ship as fast as we could with the entire building collapsing around us. Not to mention the floor literally gave way under my feet, and I barely managed to jump out of the way on time.

A Naboo spaceship, Padme's, lands not far away on the landing dock, and she begins descending the ramp as Anakin walks the other direction from somewhere I can't see. The sight of him sends a pang stabbing through me. Watching this, I can just something is off about him, like he's already Fallen or about to. It's more a feeling I get from the Force than anything else. And for some inexplicable reason, I suddenly have a very bad feeling about continuing to watch this.

They run to each other. "Padme, I saw your ship," Anakin says as they embrace. Somewhere in the back of my mind it registers that I haven't seen her since my trial. I try not to think about it.

"Oh, Anakin!" she exclaims tearfully. Wait, why is she crying? What is going on right now?

"It's all right, you're safe now. What are you doing out here?"

"I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible things," cries Padme. Oh. Oh no.

"What things?" demands Anakin.

"He said you have turned to the Dark Side… that you killed younglings," Padme answers. No. No. No. No! I can't believe this. Somewhere inside I knew it was true, but I can't believe it. Tears sting my eyes, but I hold them back, unable to look away from the hologram. Master, what have you done?

"Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me," he insists.

"He cares about us," she argues.

"Us?" demands Anakin, a dangerous edge in his voice.

"He knows. He wants to help you," she insists. Anakin seems almost amused for a second and looks away, an expression I don't understand at all. "Anakin, all I want is your love," Padme protests.

"Love won't save you, Padme," Anakin argues, "Only my new powers can do that." Save her from what? I don't understand. This makes no sense. There's something huge I'm missing that I'm not convinced I'll find the answer to.

"At what cost? You are a good person. Don't do this," she pleads.

"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother! I've become more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of and I've done it for you. To protect you." So, he's Fell to protect Padme… although from what exactly I'm not sure. But I think the only reason things went this far is because at this point everyone has broken his trust or left him. Except Padme maybe. Even I did. So that's why I was sent here, to see the consequences of my actions. Which means that whatever terrible things are about to happen – because somehow, I know something will happen even though I can't stop watching – is going to be my fault.

"Come away with me. Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can," Padme begs frantically trying to make him see reason. Well, that answers who Luke's mother is, not that I hadn't already guessed.

"Don't you see, we don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him, and together you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be," Anakin insists. This… this isn't Anakin. Not the one I know. It's Vader.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing," Padme cries, stepping back from him and shaking her head, "Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."

"I don't want to hear anymore about Obi-Wan," snaps Anakin, glancing around. He looks almost worried for some reason. "The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me." Just what has happened between Anakin and Obi-Wan that he seems so distrusting of him? I know the undercover mission changed a lot between them, but it was never this bad. At least not that I know of. Unless he's just afraid. After everything he did, I wouldn't be surprised.

"I don't know you anymore. Anakin, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow!"

"Because of Obi-Wan?"

"Because of what you've done. What you plan to do. Stop, stop now. Come back. I love you!" cries Padme. I need to stop watching. Right now. But I can't.

Anakin's gaze turns to something behind Padme. "Liar!" he roars. I flinch at the fury in his tone.

Padme turns around to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway of the ship. "No!" she cries.

"You're with him. You brought him here to kill me!" Anakin shouts, rage blinding him.

"No!" she cries again, but he's already too mad to listen. I watch with mounting horror as Anakin raises his arm and begins to Force-choke her.

"Let her go, Anakin," orders Obi-Wan.

"What have you and she been up to?" he yells in response.

"Let her go!" he orders again, walking down the ship's ramp towards them. Anakin finally releases Padme, and she falls to the ground, unconscious.

"You turned her against me!" Anakin accuses, glaring at Obi-Wan.

"You have done that yourself!"

"You will not take her from me!" Anakin pulls off his cloak.

"Your anger and lust for power have already done that," retorts Obi-Wan, pulling off his as well. "You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind until now… you have become the very thing you swore to destroy." The two start slowly circling each other as he speaks.

"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the Dark Side as you do," Anakin retorts before stopping and turning to face his back to them. Obi-Wan stops beside Padme and puts a hand on her. "I have brought peace, justice, freedom, and security to my new Empire." That's not really what you think.

"Your new Empire?"

"Don't make me kill you."

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy!"

"If you're not with me, you're my enemy," he growls.

There is a pause of silence before Obi-Wan speaks again. "Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must." He unclips his lightsaber. Of course. Anakin never started the fight. Neither with Obi-Wan, nor me. That just makes everything so much worse. We both had the chance to talk, yet we both chose to fight. It's an obvious indication that Anakin's still there, even after all this time of being Vader. He never wanted a fight, either time. It just… happened.

"You will try," snarls Anakin.

Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber. Anakin draws his own, igniting it as he jumps across the landing platform towards his former master. Their blue lightsabers begin clashing widely before they disappear off the hologram, still fighting.

I continue stare, still frozen from shock as the hologram flickers off. I can't think. I can only sit there, motionless, staring at where the hologram just was only moments ago. "No," I mumble nonsensically, unable to process anything I'd just seen.

You did this. You made this happen. "No," I insist, although I know it's true. Everything that happened could have been prevented if I hadn't been so selfish… a lifetime ago. You could have prevented it. You could have. But you chose not to.

Tears flow endlessly as the reality of the past few days sinks in. Somewhere deep inside, I know I ought to go back to bed, but I don't have the sense or strength to get up. Curling in on myself next to Artoo, I cry for everything that could have been, the deaths of everyone I know, but most of all, Anakin's Fall.

**w**

"Ahsoka?" Someone's calling my name a million miles away.

I slowly open my eyes, confused for a moment as to where I am before everything that happened before I fell asleep next to Artoo comes rushing back to me. The droid is still sitting not far from me. Threepio is nowhere to be seen, obviously having gone elsewhere while I was asleep. Near the doorway of the room stands Luke, his arm still bandaged.

"What's going on?" I ask, sitting up.

"We'll be emerging from hyperspace shortly," he informs, walking towards me.

"Everyone else awake?" I inquire, feeling almost awkward for some reason. Maybe I'm just afraid of the conversation I know is about to come.

He pauses a moment, glancing at the open doorway behind him. "Yes, but I think we'll have some time alone for now." That's nice. I mean, not nice. Why am I so worried about this, anyway? He takes a seat opposite me and pins me with a look. "He trained you after Yoda, didn't he?"

I don't need to ask what he's talking about. I just nod, letting out a quiet sigh.

"How did you know who he was… on Cloud City?" Luke presses. I can sense an unasked question in his words. He's wondering if I was lying to him too.

"Our bond. When we sensed each other's Force presence's, it came back, even though it's been inactive on his part for over two decades," I explain. It's only been inactive for days for me. Maybe that's why it was so simple. We lapse into silence for a few moments. "I came to Dagobah only minutes before you saw me. That's why I hardly had an idea what was happening at the time."

Luke looks across the room, a conflict raging in his eyes. I can understand how he must feel right now. After all, it's not every day that you discover the father you practically worshiped is the Sith Lord the entire galaxy – including you – hates. And that everyone was lying to you about it.

"Why did he Fall – do you know?" he asks finally.

I slowly let out a deep breath, shaking my head. "I have no idea." Or, maybe I do, but I don't want to say it. We all left him. Every single person he cared about abandoned him, even me. Is it any surprise he Fell? "He had his… moments, but he was the most caring Jedi I've ever known. Always watching his friends until the end. He was the best master I could have asked for." I suck in a shaky breath, trying to suppress the multitude of emotions surging through me.

I miss him. I really, really do. I know I'd been ready to leave everyone behind, but now, I just want to be home with my brother.

"Regardless, he's not the person he once was, but I know Anakin's still there." I sound a little more confident than I feel.

Luke doesn't reply. Silence falls over both of us again, and this time, I hear moving around in the ship. We probably aren't going to have much longer here.

"Maybe we should rejoin the others?" I suggest, climbing to my feet. Luke hesitates for a moment before agreeing. Together, we walk out of the room and head for the cockpit to await the momentary arrival at the Rebellion base.