A/N:

Back… At last. Once more, sorry it took so long *sigh* I was highly disappointed iwith the shallowness of Anakin's personality in AotC, so I kinda stopped liking him so much, and sorta lost my interest for the character… And I wanted to rewrite the fic and change the character of Sabé into Sola, because it would have been much more credible, but I never quite gathered the courage to open my brother's *French* version of the AotC novelization, and… Well, couldn't possibly write the character without reading the book. So, a lot of time was lost for nothing, and Sabé is still Sabé. Please, remember that the next couple of posts were written more that a year ago by a die-hard spoiler-free gal. Couldn't possibly guess that she wouldn't even appear in AotC *sigh*

Now, for the really bad news: I have forgotten the plot. No, really. I remember very well where I'm heading, got a draft of the epilogue and all, but I don't remember the events supposed to occur in the second half of the fic. And of course, the plan I wrote in case something like that happened only includes the *first* half of the story. Which irritates me almost as much as the last words of the 6th season of Buffy (and those words really got me mad, because Spike is my Anakin-rebound, and what the scenarists did to him is just stupid).

Conclusion is, the fic won't be finished before quite some time. But it *will* be finished, I promise! Probably not soon at all, but it will.

Safe Again: Chapter 3

Meeting One's Past

Sabé was fuming. How dared he come back? The bastard was responsible for the slaughter of thousands of people, among them Padmé; he had betrayed his friends and killed Obi-Wan –- and now he was back and asking for help! How dared he?

She had really wished Vader had been on the Death Star when it had exploded. The feelings she nurtured for the man were beyond loathing, and besides, she sincerely saw his death as a good occurring for the common good of the Galaxy. Now, she just hoped that at least Palpatine had been there. Dealing with Vader's wrath was something she was not looking forward to, but Palpatine's… That was definitely lethal. If the Emperor ever learnt that the Naboo had been celebrating his supposed death… He would not have the world blown up, no –- he cared too much about what people would say if he was to destroy his own home-planet –- but he would make them pay a very high price. She shivered.

Now, Vader would not be there if his master was still alive, would he? That had to mean something had really happened to the former Naboo senator. Unfortunately, the only way to get sure of it was to ask Vader.

She had received a call effectively announcing that the shuttle had landed, and that Vader had been placed under arrest at the hospital. Luke Skywalker was there as well, being treated for great trauma, but the other Imperials were loose in Theed. She would pay attention to that matter later. For now, she had to talk to Vader. A Vader that was no longer wearing his mask, she had been told. She thanked the Force that no one had recognised Anakin Skywalker yet.

She threw open the door to Vader's room and stormed inside, her glare including the object of her anger as well as the guards and medic present. 'I want to talk to him alone -– now.'

'Lady Sabé…' The medic had a worried frown on his face.

'He can breathe and talk, can't he?'

'But are you sure it is safe –- for you?'

She glared at Vader again and cut off the guard. 'Thank you for your concern, but I strongly believe he is in no position to threaten anyone. Now get out. All of you.'

The men reluctantly left the room and she was left alone with Vader. She came closer to him, and stared at him for a long while. Pale, scarred, with dark circles under his eyes, his face was in no way similar to the one she remembered. His skull was completely bald -– shaved? and a thin oxygen mask was covering his mouth and nose. He really looked nothing like the bright young man Senator Amidala had fallen in love with. Good. No one would recognise him. How convenient.

'I hope this reassures you,' said a tired voice. She clenched her fists, angry at herself for she had somehow dropped her defences.

'You mucky, filthy, blasted, mechanical piece of trash! You really had to come back here now?! You walking tin-can, you misshapen…'

'.. treacherous murderer?' Anakin suggested in a dry voice. Sabé tensed.

'I was going to say that one eventually. Why, you monster. You had no right to come back. You…' Her voice broke, and she found herself pacing the room angrily. 'After everything you did, after all these slaughters, all these injustices you committed, you think you can just fly back and ask for help and actually get what you want?! Just because Luke is with you? He. Is. No. Hostage. Of. Yours! And Padmé… She loved you, you idiot, she really did; and you just dumped her the way you killed all these people: casually! As if they all deserved what you did to them! Who on Kessel do you think you are?'

Was it just an effect of the light, or had Vader actually smiled at her last question?

She resumed talking in a lower, but no less dangerous voice. 'I am going to kill you. You should have died a long time ago. I can't believe someone was actually stupid enough to heal you. They should have let you die before you killed all those people…' Her voice broke. That was the moment Vader chose to open his eyes. Ice blue eyes. Ani's eyes.

'The Emperor had me healed because he wanted me to kill, Sabé,' he said quietly.

'Well, you didn't complain, did you?!'

'I didn't.' He sighed, and for the first time, Sabé noticed how sad he looked.

'What is it with you? Your beloved master is dead at last?'

He eyed her curiously. 'He is indeed. You thought he was still alive?'

Sabé snorted. 'You are still alive, and that's a shame. Now he isn't, and good riddance. You know, this is the moment when you should join him. Traitor.'

'How is Luke?'

'Do not change the subject!'

Had the situation been different, Anakin would have probably laughed. Sabé had always had a strong temper, and once, her tantrums had amused him. Not this time, though. Not when the reason of her anger was that serious, not when her anger blinded her to the point that she was oblivious to reason.

'How is my son, Sabé?'

She looked lost. She was breathing frantically, her eyes blurred, her fists clenched tight. Moreover, she was shaking. Anakin reckoned she was at last trying to calm down.

'You were so angry at me that you did not even enquire about his health, did you?' he asked bitterly.

'Now don't you dare telling me what you think what I did was wrong when *everything* you did these past twenty years was evil!'

'I did not realise what I was doing was wrong. You, on the other hand, know that losing your temper will not make any good.'

'You didn't know what you were doing was evil?' Sabé scoffed. 'And you seriously expect me to believe that? Just how thick do you think I am?'

'I knew it was cruel, but I though I was serving a greater good, Sabé! I thought that bringing back order was worth all those deaths!'

'Nothing is worth all those deaths, Darth. Nothing is worth those tortures and those pains.'

'I know it now. Luke made me see that.'

'Then now, you tell me: how do you plan to make up for those?'

He sighed deeply. 'I don't plan to. I can't.'

Sabé got even angrier. 'Then what do you want?'

Anakin's eyelids hid his eyes again. 'I want to see Padmé's grave, Sabé. And I want our children to be happy.'

That was quite an unexpected answer. One that sounded like Anakin. 'What happened to you? Who are you?' hissed Sabé.

Who am I? You tell me.

He hadn't meant to say that out loud. Identity was a concept he felt was above him now. But letting her know that was acting out of weakness; and he wanted no one to think he was weak. Weak people were not respected.

That was Vader thinking again. Vader's ways of thinking and existing had been his for so long that he doubted he would ever be able to change.

'You are a lie. Just die, Vader. Kill yourself. Then, your children shall be happy.'