Chapter 53 – Darth Vader

Author's Note: Y'all have no idea how long we've been waiting to release this chapter! I'm so excited for it, because it's really the first major canon divergence. If you can't figure out what changes before led to this moment just ask. ;) I'd be happy to explain. ^-^

~ Amina Gila

Anakin's anger is burning, hot and fierce. Padme was not supposed to find out about this, not yet, preferably not ever. He didn't want her to know what he was doing to save her. The most infuriating part is that Obi-Wan did this – is doing this – to turn her against him. It's what the Chancellor – the Emperor, his master – had warned him about.

She's insistent that Obi-Wan wants to help – (just like Theseus had said) – but it's a lie. If his old master ever once truly cared for him, he wouldn't be doing this, trying to take away his wife and child. His child... Luke or Leia, whichever it is, who he would do anything for. Already has done anything for.

He refuses to live on the run, to raise their child like he himself was – even if it's what Padme wants. He has everything he's dreamed of, and their child will be raised as a prince – okay, or princess – and will never need to know war or violence or – or any of the things Anakin himself grew up surrounded by. (Or what his last child grew up surrounded by, before she left.)

And he doesn't understand why she's not listening, unless – unless Palpatine was right. He doesn't want to think about it he doesn't want to think about it –

And then, Obi-Wan himself appears in the doorway of the ship, expression dark and angry.

All sense of logic evaporates in that moment, instantly replaced by a raw, building rage and fear. "You brought him here to kill me!" he accuses, furiously.

"No!" she protests, backing away, fear leaping into her eyes.

Obi-Wan looks furious, and that's what scares him even more, as much as it also makes him even more angry. "Anakin, what have you done?" he demands harshly. The question doesn't even need an answer. He knew, of course, that he would probably have to face Obi-Wan eventually, but it wasn't supposed to be here, so soon. And definitely not when Padme is here. Padme who literally brought Obi-Wan here to kill him, after everything he's done for her and their child.

"You will not take them from me!" Not like you took Ahsoka, he wants to snarl. Not like you took everything from me!

"Your anger and lust for power have already done that," Obi-Wan shoots back, stalking down the ramp, and throwing off his outer robe. It's a gesture that he's ready for a fight, and Anakin immediately follows suit. He won't be taken by surprise.

Padme looks between them frantically. "Anakin – " she starts, but Obi-Wan keeps talking.

"You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind until now, and you have become the very thing you swore to destroy."

"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, turning away, struggling to bring his raging emotions back under control. It hardly helps that this is a Dark Side planet, and it's only serving to magnify everything.

"How can you say that?" Padme asks, horror in her tone.

Anakin turns slowly, to look at her. "The Republic was failing. The Empire is the only way to reunite the galaxy, Padme. To end the war."

She shakes her head, eyes still glinting with tears. "I can't believe you're saying this."

"It's true," he repeats. He knows how much it's hurting her, how much the Republic meant to her, but if nothing else, Palpatine is right about one thing. This is the only way to reunite the galaxy after the damage the war has done. "I told you before, I can overthrow the Emperor, and you can rule the Empire. Make it the way you want."

"That's enough, Anakin," Obi-Wan snaps, "She won't join you after what you've done. Our allegiance is the to the Republic, to democracy."

Of course, he has to promptly interrupt again, blocking any remaining attempt Anakin may have had at reasoning with Padme. If such a thing is possible anymore. He doesn't want to accept that she's betrayed him like this, after everything he's done for her, but it can hardly be denied. "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy," he growls.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes," Obi-Wan retaliates, unclipping his lightsaber, "I will do what I must."

"Stop!" Padme protests, but neither of them are listening to her anymore.

"You will try," Anakin snarls, and years of the frustration and resentment he's harbored against Obi-Wan all explode in that moment. His lightsaber hisses to life in his hands, and he leaps across the platform.

Their blades clash in a blinding blur of blue, and he thinks maybe he hears Padme yelling something at them, but neither take the time to listen. All sense of reasoning has abandoned him, as their fight caries in a furious whirlwind across the platform, back towards the building with all the dead Separatists. They know each other's moves too well. All the years they spent working side by side as master and padawan, everything they know about each other, they both throw into the fight.

**w**

He would have expected his downfall to be from anything but this. Fighting on a lava planet is never a good idea.

A stay splash of lava strikes his right arm, and he stumbles as the hot, fiery pain runs up his arm, his hand and saber melting together. The heat travels the rest of the way up his arm though, singing his skin.

Anakin stumbles from the suddenness of it, nearly losing his footing. He doesn't know if it was intentional, if Obi-Wan realized what happened right away, but his former master takes advantage of it anyway, and slashes towards him again. Anakin moves instinctively, realizing that his lightsaber is – literally – about to blow up. The wires inside are melted, and he knows what that means. It might have been stupid, impulsive, but he moves forwards, twisting to the side to avoid Obi-Wan's lightsaber from hitting him anywhere – except his arm.

He resolutely does not look as the blade cuts through his wrist, as he feels the sudden weightlessness on his arm, but then –

He doesn't know if Obi-Wan was really that intent on killing him, or if it was that everything happened too fast for him to register.

Raw, blinding agony explodes through him, stronger than anything he's felt, or maybe it's the part where his mind whispers that he won't survive this, and Padme and their baby will die. Distantly, Anakin hears the sound of a deactivating lightsaber, and he falls to his knees, his remaining hand moving up to press over the wound in his gut.

His vision blacks out for a moment, and then he registers he's lying on the ground. He can't seem to get air into his lungs properly. Stars swim in Anakin's vision but he stubbornly fights against them, refusing to succumb to unconsciousness. If he does, he could die, and he can't, not yet. Not now, not here, not by...

Obi-Wan did this.

His master did it. He nearly killed him. He tried to...

Anakin looks up. Obi-Wan is standing over him, expression an odd mixture of anger and horror that Anakin can't make sense of. "Anakin." He doesn't move forwards; Anakin doesn't know why he was expecting him to.

Maybe he should respond. Maybe. He can't, though. All he can focus on is the pain tearing him apart.

A few agonizing moments drag by. It feels like an almost an eternity for him, and he can feel the heat of the ground underneath him. It's far from an ideal place to be lying, to say the least. He's going to die here. But he can't, or –

After what feels like forever, Obi-Wan finally moves forwards, crouching beside him. Anakin relaxes at the closeness, even if he shouldn't. "You said you needed my help, and then you did this." His voice is shaking, but the anger in it stands out over anything else.

Anakin gasps quietly as another wave of pain crashes over him. "I did," he whispers, remembering, vaguely, what he's talking about. Theseus had asked him to. "But you can't – you can't help me." Not now. Especially not now. Anakin is dying; he can feel it. He won't be able to save Padme if he's dead. "Couldn't," he corrects. "How can I save Padme if I'm dead?"

"What are you talking about?"

"She's going to die," he insists, "She's – I was going to help her, but now I can't." That hurts most of all, he thinks. That after everything he did, it won't matter.

"Why would you think that?"

"I saw it!" Anakin snaps, glaring at him. His rage is coming back now, bit by bit. If Obi-Wan hadn't come messing around, everything would have been fine.

"What happened?" he asks, reaching over to lay his hand over Anakin's. It wasn't intentional, he realizes suddenly. Obi-Wan didn't mean for this to happen. That doesn't mean he isn't furious, anyway.

"I had a vision," Anakin explains, slowly. The hand on his is... grounding. The worst of his anger faded as their fight progressed, and now it's largely muted by pain. That must be it, because there's no other way he would willingly be this open.

He's going to die. It's not unwelcome, and he knows he deserves it, but not yet. It wasn't supposed to happen, but here he is.

When Obi-Wan speaks again, his voice is hard, angry. "You betrayed us."

"The Jedi betrayed me," Anakin snaps back, "So did you."

"That's a lie," he retaliates, pulling back. "You were the Chosen One. It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness."

"Is that it?" he asks, through the pain smothering him, both body and mind. He needs this to stop. It doesn't really matter, though. He won't be here much longer. "Was that all I was?"

Something in Obi-Wan's expression softens the slightest amount. "You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you."

"No," he whispers, shaking his head. It's impossible. It can't be. It doesn't make sense. Obi-Wan couldn't have loved him. And it hurts, more than anything, how is master is willing to say this now, when Anakin has longed to hear it for years, but he doesn't trust it anymore. Can't. "That's impossible." Image after image flits through his mind, the same things that were fueling his anger at the start of their fight. How Obi-Wan brushed him aside and pushed him away, time and time again. How he chose the Council over him, siding with them against Anakin even now. How Obi-Wan betrayed the Republic.

"I did," Obi-Wan repeats, something strained and slightly uncomfortable in his tone. "You meant the world to me."

It's impossible for him to hold on to his anger in the face of such an admission, even if he doesn't believe it, and Anakin abruptly finds himself blinking back tears. He doesn't have the strength left to fight anymore. It's slowly, steadily draining out of him, bit by bit. That doesn't stop him from reaching up though, shakily holding his hand out towards the other. Obi-Wan hesitates for a moment before he finally reaches back, taking his hand.

It feels like there's so much for him to say, but he doesn't know what or how or where to start.

Padme is going to die – unless the Emperor is able to save her alone, but he said he couldn't – and everything he did was for naught, and it's his fault this is happening. Anakin should have noticed where Obi-Wan was leading the fight. He should've known it was intentional and too dangerous to follow, but he did anyway, and now he's going to die. They both will.

And, with a sudden start, he realizes the only hatred he feels towards anyone is himself. He doesn't feel ashamed, even if he should, to let the emotions crushing him finally flow out. He may deserve this, but Padme doesn't. She shouldn't have to die because he failed to protect her. He won't die alone at least, but he deserves to.

Then, suddenly, another thought occurs to him. "Master," Anakin asks. "If my child lives don't let Sidious find them."

"I won't," he agrees, readily. The shake in his voice is startling enough for Anakin to turn to look at him again. A sharp pain stabs through his heart when he realized Obi-Wan is crying. That has never happened before.

Anakin would have tightened his grip if he could, but he's too worn out. "Thank you." He must be too exhausted to be angry, because he should be. Obi-Wan betrayed him. He tried to stab him in the back, and now all he feels is nothing.

Dying is a strange feeling, and unsettlingly enough, not an unwelcome one. Other than the pain ripping him apart, he just feels... tired. Very tired. As if he could close his eyes and never awaken again, and right now, that sounds appealing. Everything hurts, and he's so tired of life and everything that he doesn't care much anymore. Not for anything, except that Padme is going to die, too.

(And Ahsoka was supposed to be coming back and why hasn't she yet, and Theseus is out there somewhere...)

"I'm sorry," he breathes. Obi-Wan doesn't respond – not verbally, but he moves a little closer and slowly reaches out, then leans forwards, lifting Anakin into his arms. It hurts to move, and he nearly blacks out again on the way, but it's worth it. His other hand slips under Anakin's head, tugging him up enough for Obi-Wan to briefly touch their foreheads together.

Anakin chokes back a sob. "I love you," he whispers. "Please don't leave."

"I won't," he promises. A shaky breath escapes Anakin, and he lets himself relax – no, that is totally the wrong word – against his former master. He can admit he's thought about dying before in the past, being injured too badly to recover during the war, and there's a part of him that always expected Obi-Wan to be at his side if it happened. It's true, in the end, even if not the way he expected.

Obi-Wan stills suddenly, looking up.

A presence suddenly washes over him, one he's only felt a few times but would recognize anywhere. Sidious.

He's coming. He must've just come out of hyperspace above the planet. And while Padme will be fine, the same definitely is not true for Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan is clearly thinking along the same lines. He shifts his position, moving to gently set Anakin back on the ground and stands up. Anakin misses the contact instantly, and the movement still jars his injury enough that he nearly slips into unconsciousness again. Obi-Wan pauses, looking back at him for a long moment, before he turns away, disappearing back the way they came, leaving him alone.

He doesn't know how long he's been lying there, but it feels like it's becoming increasingly harder to breath. Maybe it's because he's so close to the possibly toxic fumes on the ground, or maybe it's because he's about to die. He's hardly sure. But even in his only half-present state, the ground is hot, and he thinks it might be burning through the part of his robes touching the ground, even if not badly.

A familiar hooded figurer strides into view, staring down at him.

He doesn't know if he should be relieved or not, that his master came for him.

Finally, Anakin – or Vader, whomever he is – lets himself succumb to unconsciousness. If his master is here, he'll be fine. Maybe. He's too tired to care anymore.

**w**

His body aches everywhere. It's the first thing he realizes when his senses start returning. His mind is moving sluggishly, likely from the pain radiating through him. He feels much too present to have been drugged, though his mind is moving slowly anyway, and he doesn't know why. Anakin – Vader has a vague recollection of Sidious reaching into his mind, but it could have been a dream, for all he knows.

And he remembers Obi-Wan stabbed him, even if the details around it are strangely hazy. All he knows is that it hurts.

He might only be half-conscious, but he can still very much feel it when the droids cut into him. He cries out against it, but that hurts, too, like he's somehow scraped his lungs and throat raw. He was near lava, his mind supplies. It must have done a fair amount of internal damage. It's not as though he can take time to think through all the clinical aspects of it when he's in so much pain.

Vader struggles against it, but they've strapped him down, enough that he can barely move. He finds himself wishing, in this moment, that Obi-Wan had succeeded in killing him. He should have. He stops resisting, though, when it finally sinks in that it's pointless. All he can do is lay here and let them do their work and wait for it to end.

They replace his right arm, too, seemingly uncaring of how badly the area was burned. The connections from before – when Dooku cut it off – are inside his arm, and they heated up when the lava hit him, and he doesn't know how deeply inside it burned.

By the time they're finally done, he's thoroughly worn out.

He's staring blankly through the red visor of the helmet they gave him when he finally hears Sidious call his name. He could almost have cried in relief, because if his master is here, it means it's over.

"Yes, Master," he answers dutifully. There's a heartbeat of silence, and he speaks again when Sidious doesn't. "Where is Padme?"

"The Jedi took her. I have sensed her death."

"No," Vader chokes out, desperately, denial screaming through every inch of his mind. This was everything he'd fear, the very thing he Fell to prevent. This should never have happened. Sidious had promised they could save her together, but they didn't. The sudden, gaping void he feels makes so much sense.

She's gone. She's really, truly gone. His angel is dead because he wasn't strong enough to save her, like his mother.

He could've saved her, if he wasn't here. If he wasn't injured.

He wants to hate Obi-Wan for it, but he can't. Not when it was just as much his own foolish mistake. This was his own failure.

**w**

Vader is unsurprised when Sidious takes him to the Works, telling him about another one of his apparent schemes that he'd never mentioned before. The inquisitors. "A project of mine. Long planned," Sidious explains as they step onto the balcony that overlooks a training ground down below.

About half a dozen people are gathered, all with double bladed red lightsabers. The shape of the lightsabers catches his eye first. It's not designed the way an effective weapon ought to be, but he assumes that's the point. It's not his place to question what Sidious wants, regardless.

"Slaves to the Light Side, once," Sidious continues, "Now mine. Hunters, one and all."

They were all former Jedi, then. He looks them over again, and now that he's looking closer, one of them immediately catches his attention. She wears a helmet, as do the rest of them, but she's turned now so that she's half-facing him. The visor is open, so he can see her face.

Athea Shan.

"What do they hunt?" Vader inquires, his vocoder making the words come out sounding perfectly composed, not conveying the shock he's currently feeling.

He was not anticipating seeing her here, even if he should have. She's a Fallen Jedi, and a former Jedi Master. Of course, Sidious would recruit her for his purposes.

"Jedi, of course," Sidious replies.

The Grand Inquisitor orders the others to form up since their masters are here, and they immediately comply. "He has much to learn," Sidious remarks, "As do the others. You will teach them, make them a blade that will cut the Jedi infection from the galaxy once and for all."

"I will begin immediately, my master."

Vader watches the inquisitors in silence for a long time after Sidious leaves, taking in their skill as they fight each other. His mind wanders back to the past, to only a few weeks ago, when he was still whole and had a family. It's all gone now. He's only grateful he has something to do now, because he doesn't want to think. When he stills, all he can do is remember the past.

Remember Obi-Wan and wonder if he's still alive. (If he's alright.) Remember Padme, who he was supposed to save. Theseus, who was on Mandalore. Did he survive? Ahsoka would have defended him... is she alright? Is Rex? He hasn't heard of any of them.

Of course, there's his child, too. He doesn't know what happened to them. He assumes she – or he – died when Padme did, but he doesn't know. He expects no less though, because fate has never been that kind.

And he remembers what it was like when his body was whole. It aches now, where the machines were implanted to keep him alive. He doesn't really want to be, but he won't stop fighting, even if he can't say why. Vader has nothing left to live for, not now. Maybe it's only out of the hopes Theseus and Ahsoka are still alive, somewhere.

He's different now. He can't move like he used to; both the armor and his cybernetic parts prevent that. He'll have to relearn to fight, but moving hurts. Once, as Anakin, he could never hold still. To slow down had always meant pain to him when he was young, and it was ingrained firmly into his mind. Now, it's the opposite; standing completely still is the only thing that somewhat brings relief. He can hold still for hours without so much as twitching.

He doesn't say anything to Athea immediately. Does she know who he is? Does it matter? The person she used to know is gone. He isn't Anakin. For as long as the others are in the room, she gives no indication either way, following orders from him or the Grand Inquisitor wordlessly.

That changes, though, as soon as they're alone. They're supposed to be sparring, but she's eyeing him with a considering look in her eye. "You're Anakin, aren't you?" Athea asks finally.

"Anakin Skywalker is dead," Vader says sharply.

"I suppose the Dark Side does change one's identity, in a way," she replies.

"We will not speak of this again," Vader warns. He doesn't know if Sidious wants anyone to know, but he won't risk anyone knowing his former identity unless his master wishes it.

"As you wish," Athea replies, and they leave it at that.

They don't mention how they used to know each other again, but it doesn't help that being in her presence constantly reminds him of Theseus and everyone from his... Anakin's family.

Still, she's also the only one he really trusts – well not trusts, because he doesn't think he'll be able to do that for anyone again – to work with in hunting down the Jedi. Maybe it is because the others are so frustratingly incompetent, or perhaps... it's also because of something else.

**w**

The snow and ice beneath his feet crunch quietly as he makes his way towards the familiar object lying on the ground. Vader can feel the kyber crystal, humming brightly in the Force. It still feels like her.

He stops, kneeling on the ground and lifting it out of the snow with care. The movement jars the mechanical parts in his body. Moving hurts. It always does. It had when he lost his arm too, though it faded, but this he doubts will. It doesn't matter anyway. The pain only fuels the Dark Side, fuels him.

Vader brushes the snow off, finger pressing down on the ignition button, the blue blade springs to life, humming in his hand.

He knows what this means. Ahsoka couldn't die that easily. She's still out there, alive somewhere.

The clones are not, though. All of them died here, somehow. Perhaps by her and Theseus' hand. There wouldn't be stray helmets, still painted with her markings, scattered about if not for that.

Her and Theseus must have been with the clones when Order 66 was given out.

Even if she wasn't a Jedi, she would have defended Theseus when the clones attacked him. He should have realized, should have known she wouldn't be out of danger. But at least he knows that she survived. For a moment, he lets himself remember her.

There is no sign of anything from Theseus. Did he escape? He may have, because Vader knows beskar would be strong enough to withstand the crash. If it's not here, it's owner likely still wears it.

Is he safe? Is he alright? Theseus was the one person who'd tried to stick with him until the end, and now it seems he's the only one still alive. Him and Obi-Wan.

But in the end, it's better if he never knows where any of them are. If he does, Sidious will want him to hunt them down. As long as they're away from him, they should be able to take care of themselves.

Vader finally deactivates the lightsaber, turning and heading back for the ship. They're alive and – he'll never see them again, because if he does, he knows how it will end. It's best for their sakes.

Somehow, not even the reminder that Ahsoka left him behind, anyway, that she betrayed and abandoned him, that Obi-Wan was the one who stabbed him and then left before Sidious came, is enough to bring respite to the emotions flooding him.

**w**

Back on Coruscant, Vader kneels before his master. This is where he belongs now. It's all he has left. Obi-Wan is gone, Ahsoka is gone, his angel and their child are dead – because of his stupidity – and Rex is probably dead, and Theseus is... gone. All he has left is his master, and so here, he will remain, forever. Bound forever to his master's every whim.

Somewhere, he hopes they don't ever come looking. He put himself in this position; it's nothing more than he deserves.

If they come for him – they won't, Vader knows. It was one of the first realities he learned as a Jedi, that no one would care enough to come for him, ever – they'll be too late. The boy they knew is gone.

Anakin Skywalker was a boy; it's all he ever was. He may have been naïve and foolish, but he had a family. One that defined him. He was caring, selfless, always giving – or he tried to be. He may have been a lot of things, but he wasn't evil. He wasn't a monster

And Vader can't quite say how or when it happened, but Anakin is gone, now. He can't say if it happened when Obi-Wan ran him through with his lightsaber or when he walked away, or if it was when Sidious strapped him down and – and – or when Padme and their child died, or if it was everything, and afterwards, when Sidious drowned him in the Dark Side entirely, until he can feel nothing more, with no way of escape.

In the end, it doesn't matter.

Anakin Skywalker is gone forever.

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