Chapter Twenty One: Birth and Rebirth
Padme had gone into labor as they pulled into hyperspace from Vestna. Obi-Wan hated to leave her, but he had to put the ship on course before leaving the controls.
Padme had never felt pain so intense. She knew it was too early, she was barely seven months along, but the stress and fatigue had gotten to her. The contractions came on quickly. She hoped they would get to their destination quickly.
Lucky for her, they were only two hours away from the small swampy planet of Dagobah, where Master Yoda had arranged for them to meet. They landed quickly and hurriedly removed Padme from the small ship and into the hut.
Bail Organa, who had come with a small entourage, fortunately had a medic with him. She ordered Obi-Wan to stay back, when he would have followed Padme into the makeshift delivery room and went into help the writhing girl.
Padme was thin and ill-equipped for childbearing. But the child was coming, whether the mother wanted it to or not. Padme felt a rip in her flesh and screamed, then pushed with all her might, gripping the sides of the narrow bed she laid on. She felt the child tear out of her and heard a husky cry.
"It's a girl, milady," the medic murmured.
But before Padme could relax and hold her daughter, she felt another contraction coming on. She cried out and bore down again. The second child came out with more difficulty than the first, and Padme collapsed against the pillows, spent.
*
"Master Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan sprang to attention, his Jedi calm deserting him as the medic exited the hut. "Yes? Is she alright?"
"Senator Amidala is… She will be fine. Would you like to see them?"
"Them?" he asked, but followed her into the hut.
There was a small makeshift crib in the center of the room. Slowly the medic picked up a tiny bundle. She gave the baby gently to Obi-Wan, the reached for the second.
Obi-Wan stared down at the tiny bundles in his arms. The girl looked like Padme, with a head full of dark brown hair that would certainly be lustrous and soft. He was the image of Anakin, feathery blond hair barely visible on his head. She was asleep, but he stared back at him, with wide, clear blue eyes.
Obi-Wan closed his eyes to block out that clear blue gaze. How could he hold these children? How could they ever trust him? He'd killed their father. Without making a sound, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight and General of the Republic, began to cry.
*
Pain.
The first thing he was aware of was excruciating pain. It radiated from his head to the stumps where his toes had been. He longed for the blackness of oblivion, but didn't know how to reach it.
"Ah, you're awake," said a familiar voice.
He struggled to remember that voice. It was oddly comforting, but at the same time dangerous. His mind groped for a name, came back only with 'Master'. He fought to open his eyes, to address the man with the respect he deserved as his master, but his eyes refused.
"Don't try to move, my young apprentice. It will only cause you more pain."
He couldn't imagine there was a such thing as more pain, but he listened to his master, quelling his feeble attempts to move.
"You almost died. If it wasn't for me, you would be. But your injuries…"
He struggled to form a word, the cure to his pain, but his mouth wouldn't work either. But his master seemed to know his thoughts, for he replied, "Ah, yes, bacta. Perhaps if you'd been found earlier, if Kenobi hadn't left you to die, bacta might have helped."
Kenobi. The word filled him with rage. And strangely, the anger eased the pain, filling him with dark power.
"If you are to live, my young apprentice, it will only be with the help of a life support system."
The thought of living forever inside a hospital filled him with fear, which turned quickly into anger. It was all Obi-Wan's fault. He'd left him to die.
"Not in a hospital. You shall live as I have designed."
It was as if someone had thrown a switch. Suddenly he could move again. He opened his eyes to find himself staring at Palpatine's hooded face through a heavy mask.
He straightened. He was in a suit- a heavy, black suit that covered him from head to toe- wait, no, those were gone. So how could he move them? It took him a moment to realize they were mechanical. He tried to gasp air, but his lungs didn't work. He quieted, realizing there was a breathing apparatus attached to the heavy suit. The pain was fading, his strength returning, fed by anger and hate. He moved a little more. The suit felt good.
"Vader-" the emperor began.
He stopped moving. The name didn't sound right. Yet, strangely, it did.
Palpatine smiled. "Anakin Skywalker was killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi. You are Vader now, my young apprentice. Darth Vader."
Padme had gone into labor as they pulled into hyperspace from Vestna. Obi-Wan hated to leave her, but he had to put the ship on course before leaving the controls.
Padme had never felt pain so intense. She knew it was too early, she was barely seven months along, but the stress and fatigue had gotten to her. The contractions came on quickly. She hoped they would get to their destination quickly.
Lucky for her, they were only two hours away from the small swampy planet of Dagobah, where Master Yoda had arranged for them to meet. They landed quickly and hurriedly removed Padme from the small ship and into the hut.
Bail Organa, who had come with a small entourage, fortunately had a medic with him. She ordered Obi-Wan to stay back, when he would have followed Padme into the makeshift delivery room and went into help the writhing girl.
Padme was thin and ill-equipped for childbearing. But the child was coming, whether the mother wanted it to or not. Padme felt a rip in her flesh and screamed, then pushed with all her might, gripping the sides of the narrow bed she laid on. She felt the child tear out of her and heard a husky cry.
"It's a girl, milady," the medic murmured.
But before Padme could relax and hold her daughter, she felt another contraction coming on. She cried out and bore down again. The second child came out with more difficulty than the first, and Padme collapsed against the pillows, spent.
*
"Master Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan sprang to attention, his Jedi calm deserting him as the medic exited the hut. "Yes? Is she alright?"
"Senator Amidala is… She will be fine. Would you like to see them?"
"Them?" he asked, but followed her into the hut.
There was a small makeshift crib in the center of the room. Slowly the medic picked up a tiny bundle. She gave the baby gently to Obi-Wan, the reached for the second.
Obi-Wan stared down at the tiny bundles in his arms. The girl looked like Padme, with a head full of dark brown hair that would certainly be lustrous and soft. He was the image of Anakin, feathery blond hair barely visible on his head. She was asleep, but he stared back at him, with wide, clear blue eyes.
Obi-Wan closed his eyes to block out that clear blue gaze. How could he hold these children? How could they ever trust him? He'd killed their father. Without making a sound, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight and General of the Republic, began to cry.
*
Pain.
The first thing he was aware of was excruciating pain. It radiated from his head to the stumps where his toes had been. He longed for the blackness of oblivion, but didn't know how to reach it.
"Ah, you're awake," said a familiar voice.
He struggled to remember that voice. It was oddly comforting, but at the same time dangerous. His mind groped for a name, came back only with 'Master'. He fought to open his eyes, to address the man with the respect he deserved as his master, but his eyes refused.
"Don't try to move, my young apprentice. It will only cause you more pain."
He couldn't imagine there was a such thing as more pain, but he listened to his master, quelling his feeble attempts to move.
"You almost died. If it wasn't for me, you would be. But your injuries…"
He struggled to form a word, the cure to his pain, but his mouth wouldn't work either. But his master seemed to know his thoughts, for he replied, "Ah, yes, bacta. Perhaps if you'd been found earlier, if Kenobi hadn't left you to die, bacta might have helped."
Kenobi. The word filled him with rage. And strangely, the anger eased the pain, filling him with dark power.
"If you are to live, my young apprentice, it will only be with the help of a life support system."
The thought of living forever inside a hospital filled him with fear, which turned quickly into anger. It was all Obi-Wan's fault. He'd left him to die.
"Not in a hospital. You shall live as I have designed."
It was as if someone had thrown a switch. Suddenly he could move again. He opened his eyes to find himself staring at Palpatine's hooded face through a heavy mask.
He straightened. He was in a suit- a heavy, black suit that covered him from head to toe- wait, no, those were gone. So how could he move them? It took him a moment to realize they were mechanical. He tried to gasp air, but his lungs didn't work. He quieted, realizing there was a breathing apparatus attached to the heavy suit. The pain was fading, his strength returning, fed by anger and hate. He moved a little more. The suit felt good.
"Vader-" the emperor began.
He stopped moving. The name didn't sound right. Yet, strangely, it did.
Palpatine smiled. "Anakin Skywalker was killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi. You are Vader now, my young apprentice. Darth Vader."