The Last Visit

Padme lay still on the table of a medical suite not far from Mustafar within the asteroid field of Polis Massa. She's awake, but barely. A medical droid advises Anakin and Obi-Wan that she won't stay conscious much longer.

"What's going on?" Anakin demands.

The humanoid machine gives the equivalent of a shrug with its surgical arms.

"For reasons unknown, she is dying."

Anakin's eyes widened. Obi-Wan watched on from a few steps behind, eyes fixated on the drowsy patient.

Anakin closed in to Padme, crouching down by her side. He only manages to utter "I-I'm so sorry….I tried to-"

Padme interrupts him with a voice that was both weak and strong.

"I know." She takes in a breath. "I know."

"I don't know what to do, I-. Did I do this to you?"

"No Ani." She looks him in the eyes. "You could never hurt me."

Anakin and Obi-Wan glance at one another and make a mental connection. As if diagnosing her with the force, they feel that something is wrong. This wasn't Anakin's fault.

"Something is wrong. It's like the living force is being stripped from her. Something is doing this." Anakin says, worried.

"Not something, someone." Obi-Wan says, shaking his head.

What at first seemed like an impossibility, slowly becomes more probable.

"He- He can't. He wouldn't…" But deep down, Anakin knew Palpatine would have the power and motive to make Padme disappear. Was he draining her life with his dark powers, or was she poisoned by powerful Sith alchemy? It didn't matter. She was the only thing stopping Anakin from fully committing to the dark side, and to his Master. Anakin's eyes shift around in his head, unable to fully contemplate the situation.

Padme continues after a brief moment. "It's just so good to see you…My love."

"I never wanted this. I-I'm going to do better. We're going to find and stop the chancellor. He can find a way to save you, we'll make him. I promise you."

Padme smiles. "You don't need to save me, Ani, just promise me you'll save yourself."

Padme glances her eyes over at Obi-Wan, who manages a faux smile back.

Obi-Wan finally speaks. "I have to go. Master Yoda will need my help. Anakin, stay here."

Anakin quickly got up. "No. I have to help you. You don't know how powerful he is. You both won't have a chance without me and you know it."

Obi-Wan argued. "Anakin. Your connection to the Chancellor has its merits, but with all that's happened, I don't believe you'll be in clear mind."

Anakin went to interrupt, but Obi-Wan raised his hand in a 'stop' gesture. "Your wife needs you. If Master Yoda and I fail, you'll have to protect your family. You know this is the right thing to do."

Anakin conceded, and sat back down next to his wife. He nodded. "May the force be with you."

Obi-Wan nodded. "And may the force be with you both."

Moments later, the whine of a naboo ship is heard as it heads fast towards Coruscant.

Anakin and Padme share a few quiet words, with Padme finding more and more difficulty in speaking.

"I'm going to make this right." The fallen Jedi says.

"Oh Anakin. Always trying to outdo yourself…But to m-me, you'll always be that nervous teenager…With the worst romantic lines in all the galaxy…But they always made me feel better."

Anakin smiles. "When we get through this, I'll have threepio give me some pointers." He forced a smile.

Padme shifted painfully. "I-I don't have much t-time."

"You're going to be fine….Just…Hold on."

Anakin reached deep into the force. He squeezed Padme's hand, but after scrunching his eyelids tight for a minute and saying a mantra in his head…He couldn't do anything to ease her suffering. The force just doesn't work that way, no matter how Anakin wished it.

Padme begins to drift, uttering one final, slow sentence.

"Take care of Obi-Wan. Take care of our babies. I know there's still good in you….I know…you'll…I know…" Padme's heavy eyelids close, her breathing slows and then…she's gone.

Anakin cradles her. "No no no no no no. This isn't supposed to happen! No no no. What did you do?!" He screams to the droid.

The droid shuffles towards Padme with one of its instruments out, intending to say or do something, but Anakin shoves it away with the force. Anakin is so enraged, he can't feel any living force through his pregnant wife anymore. Anakin squeezes his mechanical hand into a fist and slams it down into the metal cabinet next to him, destroying it.

Anakin takes one last look at his wife. He promised her he wouldn't be the same person as before, but Vader would make this one last exception. His lips tremble as if to say something, but he can say nothing now. All he can do is avenge her. All he can do is make the creature who did this to her suffer