Salvation

Author: Fraoch A'Ronaigh

Summary: AU, Semi-Cannon. It's been five years since the birth of Darth Vader. Believing his wife and unborn child were murdered by his own hand, Vader willingly cast aside the last connections of his humanity and, along side the Emperor, he became one of the most feared beings of the Galactic Empire. Will he stay this way, or are forces beyond his control about to change his destiny once again?

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to the creative genius of George Lucas.

Rating: M. It may eventually go down to an M rating, so it's best to just rate the whole thing M..

A/N: Heavy spoilers for Episode III. Anakin/Padmè pairing. I've never actually written a fan fiction before, mainly articles about real life situations, so this is new to me. Think of this as Episode III ½ J

Chapter 3

Vader stood stock still a moment, reeling from the information that had been given to him by the Queen of Naboo. His child. How was that possible. Padme died before giving birth. Had the child survived somehow? How could he not know about it? Wouldn't he feel his own child?

Queen Jamillia and her guard nervously watched the dark creature before them. He had began to pace the room and completely ignored them and all that surrounded him. His confusion was obvious to the both of them causing them to fear that he would kill them before allowing them to speak.

Unable to stand the feelings filling his being, Vader sat in a chair opposite of the Queen and leaned towards her. "How?"

"Padmè survived long enough to give birth," Jamillia replied, not unkindly. Despite her best efforts to hate this man, this creature, even she was unable to deny the anguish radiating from him.

"Padmè lived to have our child?" He repeated. His disbelief evident.

"Yes. S-she lived long enough to name her and request that we protect her," Jamillia replied softly.

"What is her name?"

"Leia."

Leia. His child. Padmè's child. The apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith lowered his helmeted head to his hands and struggled to contain his emotions. He didn't notice when the Queen's Royal Guard stepped towards him, only to be brought up short by her Queen.

"Why wasn't I told?" He questioned, his mechanical voice sounding out of place in the emotionally filled room. He hated his new self more at this moment than he ever had in the past when he was learning how to use it. The inability to portray his true emotions hurt him at times, but not being able to fully express his pain over the knowledge that he had a child was cutting into him.

The Queen replied timidly, knowing what she was about to say could set Vader off. "Obi-wan," she began only to be cut off as Vader jumped to his feet.

"What does he have to do with this," he growled.

"He felt it best to hide her from the Emperor," She replied right before Vader grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. Her guard jumped towards the two, but was stopped by a shield surrounding them.

"You allowed Obi-wan to decide the fate of MY child?" He roared the question at the woman he held. His anger, so black at that moment, shook the walls of the room. The Queen's guard pounded on the invisible shield surrounding the two, shouting for Vader to release the Queen to no avail. Knowing that she had to do something to stop him, the Guard screamed the only thing she could think of to take his attention from her Queen.

"Anakin!"

Vader dropped the woman he was holding and turned to the guard, his movements clipped as he tried to reign in his temper. She dared to call him by his name, momentarily reminding him of his former humanity. "Anakin Skywalker no longer exists," he spat out as he reached for her. Control be damned. The pain had to stop. Death was the only answer.

He grabbed the guard and slammed her into the wall, lifting her by the neck so that she was face to face with him. "Anakin Skywalker is dead," he said as he began to squeeze her neck, intent on snapping it while she struggled to speak.

"N-no," she gasped. Spots began to dance before her eyes. "Anakin is alive." She reached deep into herself to finish before he killed her. "He is alive in my heart" she got out before she passed out from lack of oxygen.

Vader dropped the guard to the ground. "What? Who are you?" He ripped her veil off her face and stared down at his beloved Padmè. "Padmè? How?" He dropped to his knees and pulled her close to him. "Padmè," he repeated, his mind in turmoil.

"How?" He yelled to the woman stirring on the ground across the room.

The Queen, her heart breaking at seeing her friend encased in the mechanical limbs of the monster before her wasted no time in answering. Her fear almost tangible to Vader.

"Obi-wan saved her," she replied, her voice hoarse from his chocking her. "She almost died from your strangling her and he saved her."

Vader looked down at the woman he held in his arms and felt his heart literally shatter into a million pieces. "I was told that she died. Palpatine..."

"Didn't know," Queen Jamillia finished for him. Vader, silent, stared down at Padmè as he felt his world shift out of his control once again.

Half way across the galaxy, Darth Sidious felt his control on Lord Vader weaken slightly.

"Interesting," he said to himself as the events taking place in the Queen's cabin filled his mind.