Alright, some review responces are in order!
Katharine: I will admit that Darth Vader is not acting exactly like his usual sithly self. He's been unconsious for ten full days to start with. He is also writing, in the beginning, only to pass the time. Also: these are things he is saying to himself since he does not expect anyone to ever read this. The Force is there. It goes without saying for him, he does not need to debate about it within himself. To explain further would be to spoil my story.
C-chan: Glad you like it and think so!
liz: Ding ding sing! We have a winner! That is exactly what happened.
Jelp: Wouldn't you like to know? You do, well then you'd better start reading!

Diary of a Man
In a galaxy that never was... February 16th

I took off my respirator for the last time today. Sofia has given me a nebulizer or however that's spelled. It's this thing that sprays medicine at me for an hour through a mask every morning and evening. I've got it on right now. It's not as cumbersome as the respirator, and as my stitches heal and my lungs get stronger I will be able to cut it down to just the evening dose. I have to use the inhaler about once every two hours when this isn't on. I feel so happy knowing I'll never have to use the respirator again.

February 28th

I've run into a problem. The pure joy I feel in my progression has blocked my ties to the dark side of the force. The dark side thrived on the pain and suffering I had felt in the past, but now that I have become so content I can't reach it. I'm not sure when it happened, but I can't touch the dark side at all. Even more frightening is the fact that I used the light side without realizing it. I was lowering myself into my usual sleep trance and realized that it wasn't the normal cool fire of the dark side. I think I should contact my Master somehow, but I don't want Sofia to know who I am. She is a sweet and innocent creature, and I'm not sure what she would do if she knew.

March 5th

I was able to send a written message to Coruscant, though it wasn't a priority message. It might be a week or more before it is read. It doesn't matter anymore, I don't think it is a big enough problem right now. The force can wait. My health is my priority right now. If all goes well my physical therapy will be completed in another month or two. The garden is full of beautiful spring flowers now. I'm spending a lot of time with Sofia there. I can also eat some small pieces of meat and fruit with my mush now.

March 12th

I kissed her today. I'm not entirely sure why. I was jogging around the garden with her. She wanted to make sure I could physically exert myself without hurting myself in the process. I told her I'd like to thank her and then I just leaned down, she is a very small woman, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She blushed and said I was very welcome. That was hours ago. Now I can only think of why. Granted that she does look like Ami, but I still don't understand it.

March 14th

I know that there is a psychological way of explaining my attraction to Sofia. She looks a lot like the only other woman I've ever been intimate with. She is always very caring toward me. She has wonderful eyes that I can stare into for hours if given the chance, and the softest hands I've ever felt. Her touch is very gentile, and only very rarely causes me any pain, and It has been a long time since anyone has bothered to show compassion toward me, and her position as a medic requires her to be caring. There is nothing that she has done that shows she is being any more or less then a good medic. I am eating food that at least greatly resembles a real meal. The only difference is that it is cut in very small pieces and eaten in small portions, but five times a day instead of three.

March 20th

I told Sofia that it has been a long time since I've met a woman as kind as herself, and she said that if the military was anything like she had heard then she wasn't surprised. I tried to continue, but was caught in a coughing fit instead and ended up back in my bed inside.

March 21st

Sofia asked me what it was I was going to say yesterday. It's been years since I've blurted out anything without thinking first, but I couldn't help myself. I told her that it had been a long time since I had felt this way toward anyone, and that it was probably the most improper thing to do, but I liked being around her. I went on to say that she was beautiful. She just bent over the edge of the bed and kissed me on the forehead.

March 25th

Palpatine answered me. He said that I could return to Coruscant when I was ready, and to use that letter as identification. I told Sofia it was my commanding officer, which is true. She said she would miss treating me, but it was good that I am healthy.

March 26th

I am using my inhaler only once a day. I can run without getting so out of breath I collapse. Sofia said I looked much better then when she had found me.

I hadn't seen a mirror since I first got my suit, until this afternoon. I have hair, and my scars are nearly impossible to see. My skin is healthy looking too, no longer pasty white from lack of sun. I was amazed, and it took me a while to realize it was actually my reflection and not someone else I was looking at.

March 27th

I asked Sofia to come with me. She was taken a bit off guard. She said she has obligations here to those under her care. I argued that there are plenty of people in the military and on Coruscant that she could heal, and that she only had two other people in the hospital at the current time. She was silent for a moment, and I pressed on. There had never been more then ten people in the hospital at any given time, they were all cases that were short term, and had all left her farther in debt due to them using her kindness.

I asked her how many people came to her regularly, and she said none. She is a surgeon specializing in reconstruction. Not many people need that. Once she said that I knew I had won. A good number of soldiers did need her talents, and she didn't need to come right away. I'd gladly arrange for her to follow me once she had taken care of those she did have under her care. She said yes, and I am glad to have her along. We leave on the 29th.

March 29th

I'm ready to go, the shuttle arrives at three. The old man was let out yesterday and the young woman with a sprained ankle and broken leg was transferred to another hospital, so Sofia is coming with me now. I'm wearing the outfit she bought me and carrying the letter from Palpatine to identify myself. She has a casual mint green shirt and skirt on instead of her usual scrubs. Neither of us have much baggage. She has her supplies and some clothes, I have my book and pencil, as well as two other outfits I bought yesterday, both military cut and black. I'm looking at Sofia from a bench near docking bay 26. She said I could eat what I want now, within reason, so we are going to go out to lunch in a few minutes. I don't know what it is she is after, but she has been talking to this craggy old woman for some time now.

Sofia has bought some seeds from the old woman to complement those she took from the garden at the hospital. She loves flowers; and I'm glad I spent so much time with Ami's florist, I actually understand half of what she's saying. We had lunch at a small café she took me to, and I had something called a hamburger. It was interesting, though not something I'll be eating on a regular basis. The shuttle should arrive soon, and I realized that I'll have to tell her who I am. Here goes nothing . . .

Well, it could have gone worse. She didn't scream, laugh, or cry. She just looked at me, asked me if I was joking, and then said "I guess we'll find out if you really are Darth Vader when the shuttle arrives." When the Captain addressed me as Vader she passed out. I caught her, and explained that she had not believed me when I told her who I was. The man, who introduced himself as Captain Donnie, said he didn't believe me either, until I flashed the letter. Sofia was given quarters next to mine since she would have to help me if I needed it.


~ So what do you think? What is happening to our beloved sith lord? There are two endings to this story, and I will post both over the next few days, as this is not a long one. Enjoy!