Title: Broken Bonds
Author: gauss1
Timeframe: ROTS
Summary: While Vader is being treated on Coruscant following the duel with Obi-Wan, Padmé prepares to give birth to the twins.

A heavy sense of foreboding hung in the air as the Emperor's personal transport landed on the private platform. Through the gathering darkness, a protective squad of clone troopers surrounded the floating medical capsule, shielding it from view as they marched stoically through the rain. A shadowy cloaked figure kept careful watch behind the grim procession, eyes focused anxiously on his most precious cargo.

The inaugural patient had finally arrived at the Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center in Coruscant City.

---

Sophisticated medical and surgical droids labored efficiently over the charred piece of flesh strapped on the operating table, their coordinated motions precise and smooth as they performed a strange, synchronized ballet. They were instructed to salvage as much of the human as possible, and to compensate for what couldn't be saved via machinery. It was a cold, clinical process.

For Darth Vader, it was sheer torture.

His mind swirled in confusion, only able to focus intermittently between the stabs of excruciating agony caused by the impersonal probes. While outwardly he writhed and screamed in violent protest, one burning question preyed on his consciousness: Where was Padmé - was she all right? The dragon lurking deep inside whispered to him though the haze, and suddenly the memories slammed into his head with brutal clarity.

Mustafar. Betrayal. Fire.

---

"Liar!"

Vader saw Obi-Wan standing at the entrance ramp of Padmé's Naboo skiff and the final piece of evidence fell into place. They are together. She brought him here to kill me. Palpatine was right. And in that moment, Vader was utterly and completely destroyed – he could no longer deny the truth. No. No!

The knowledge of her duplicity was unbearable; his tenuous control of his anger slipped as he stared at his wife, eyes full of fire and despair. Only now, he saw a stranger in front of him: a consummate actress with cold calculation in her eyes, artfully hidden behind looks and words of supposed love.

This was the woman he had sacrificed everything for - the woman he had killed for. She belonged to him; if she ran away, he would scour the entire galaxy to bring her back to his side. He had done everything - committed unspeakable horrors, spilled oceans of blood - for her. To protect her.

And she had betrayed him.

The childish desire to punish, to hurt her just as he had been hurt suddenly overwhelmed him. Make her pay, the darkness cajoled.

Reaching out with his mechanical hand, he squeezed…

---

NO!

Fighting to maintain his sanity, Vader frantically searched for a way to disconnect from his physical and mental suffering. Acting on sheer instinct, he focused deep within himself and reached out with the Force, desperately searching for Padmé's life signature through the extraordinarily strong bond they shared. There. Her soothing presence trickled over his scorched soul like a healing balm. Wanting more, he widened the tendril of connection until the physical boundaries between them dissolved, and he could sense her thoughts and emotions as easily if they were his own. Sensory input from her dulled perceptions flooded his mind.

He could tell immediately that she wasn't on Coruscant, or Naboo, or any planet that he recognized. Everything about her surroundings appeared alien. From the aura of clinical sterility surrounding her, he deduced that she was somewhere receiving medical treatment from his Force choke. She was in a state of semi-unconsciousness. And she was hurting. Hurting because of him; because he had lost control and lashed out. She betrayed you, the dragon whispered seductively. She deserved it. But despite the blackness spreading in his soul, a part of him remained stubbornly unconvinced of her guilt. And suddenly, he had to reassure himself that she was okay.

Padmé.

---

On Polis Massa, Padmé abruptly opened her eyes and gasped, "Anakin!"

Obi-Wan gripped her hand tightly, trying through sheer will to keep the fragile woman with him. He flashed a concerned glance over to where Yoda and Bail Organa stood behind the transparisteel observation window.

"Anakin is not here, Padmé."

But Padmé had already turned inward. He was here – she could feel his presence filling her and surrounding her.

Anakin, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry - I love you.

She didn't realize that she had spoken the words out loud.

Obi-Wan frowned, leaving Padmé's side to walk over to the window.

"Master, the Senator's condition is rapidly deteriorating. Perhaps you should come into the theater as well. We could use your assistance."

Yoda's brow wrinkled in thought. "No further help can I provide. Already in motion, events are that cannot be undone. As her friend, stand beside her you must. No more can we do."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and nodded, drawing strength from the living Force. Adjusting his parturition gown, he turned back to the room with new resolve written on his features. He would stand beside Padmé as her friend and help her through her labor as best he could. He owed her and Anakin that much.

---

Something was wrong. Vader felt the prickles of alarm as he continued exploring his intimate connection with Padmé. The discomfort she was experiencing went far beyond the injury he had inflicted. And then it dawned upon him - she was in labor!

Automatically, Vader reached out to the life inside his wife, wanting to connect with the baby girl about to make her first appearance in the world. He could distinguish her presence as a single candle shining in the Force – he always knew that his children would be Force-sensitive – and despite his current state of suffering felt a tremor of relief. But there was something different this time about her signature. Something almost…male. He frowned, probing deeper. The baby's Force sense was much stronger than he had ever perceived before. It was almost as though there was someone else…

On Coruscant, Vader let out a gasp that was completely unrelated to the leg being attached by the medical droid. Twins! Padmé is having twins. Why didn't she tell me?

She lied to you, the insidious shadow answered. Who knows what else she kept from you? With every passing moment, Vader could feel the darkness gathering inside him, taking control of his ruined body.

Padmé, why didn't you tell me?

The dragon tore at the bars of its cage and with a roar, clawed free.

---

Padmé trembled on the birthing table. His voice inside her mind sounded like approaching thunder and she could feel waves of suspicion and hurt wash over her. She knew that no explanation could assuage the bitter betrayal that he felt.

Anakin, I…

Why did you lie to me? Why, Padmé? he cried out in anguish and anger.

Anakin, no!

His emotions crushed her; she felt his presence suffocating her, his unleashed rage slowly extinguishing her life force.

"Anakin, no! Anakin, help me!"

Obi-Wan could sense her slipping away. "Don't give up, Padmé."

But she was unresponsive. He turned to the medical droid, his visible anxiety marring the usual Jedi calm. "Isn't there anything you can do?"

"Medically, she is completely healthy. All organic damage has been repaired. For reasons we can't explain, we are losing her."

Kenobi began to despair. Why, Padmé?

---

The darkness reveled in the ravenous anger flowing through him, gorging itself on his raw, mindless response. Caught up in his feelings, Vader welcomed the primitive, almost animalistic rage that dulled his misery – and he nurtured it, fanning the flames higher. Basking in his dark fire, he almost missed her faint cry through the Force.

Anakin…the children…

It was like being doused with ice water. He could feel the darkness suddenly release him from its crushing embrace. The fog lifted and he was aware of himself again. Padmé!

What had he done?

He could feel Padmé's distress, and began to frantically try and revive her. Her dishonesty was forgotten; all that mattered was that he couldn't lose her - he couldn't bear it after all they had been through. He fought through the dense cloud of physical agony to reach for her.

Padmé, you must hold on. Don't give up.

Her life signature was very faint now, like a blade of grass that had been bent and crushed by a strong wind.

Anakin…it's too late for me.

He sobbed in anguish and remorse, for he knew that she was right.

Padmé…

Anakin, the children…I… can't…I'm sorry.

Horrified, Vader reached out to his children. They were afraid…and too weak, and he could sense the impending disaster. What have I done?

---

The Polis Massan technician paused briefly from his medical scan and frowned, his large opaque eyes staring into space. Through his primitive telepathic sense, he could feel something dark and foreboding surrounding the humanoid patient, and realized that the labor was not progressing well. He feared for the two unborn humanoid offspring – despite balancing all available factors, the outcome was not progressing as expected. He returned to his task, his fingers moving dexterously over the computer screen. A new solution must be found, or lives would be lost.

---

Vader knew instinctively that his children needed his help in order to be born. The knowledge energized him, helped him focus through his suffering. Ignoring the darkness and the personal cost to him, he allowed love and concern to flood his senses, reaching out to the tiny girl and boy a galaxy away.

Little ones, follow my voice.

He could feel their innocent relaxation in the presence of something instinctively familiar and comforting and reveled in the sensation.

Padmé, we can do it together. You must hold on. I will help you, guide you.

Using the Force, Vader augmented Padmé's strength, helping her taxed and weakened body to contract. He gently guided the babies through their mother's womb, using the faintest urgings and nudges to help them along. And through the despair he began to feel hope. This would work; it had to.

---

Machines cannot feel surprise, of course. Nevertheless, the surgical droid found the events transpiring in the operating bay to be most…unusual. After assessing the dire situation using all available data, the medical team had calculated the odds of survival under various scenarios and settled on the best available option – an experimental operation to deliver the babies whose probability of success was regrettably varied. But before they could begin the procedure, the patient suddenly displayed a renewed vitality and vigor. It was almost as if the female were drawing on some hidden source to perform this one last task. This almost supernatural strength was no doubt transitory, and would undoubtedly hasten the female's demise. However, it seemed to be beyond the droid's control, and certainly beyond logic to explain.

Organic life forms were so unpredictable.

---

Obi-Wan watched with joy and relief as the droid held up the newborn baby.

"It's a boy."

Padmé gave a weak smile. Her hand trembled as she gently touched his downy head. "Luke…"

Joy quickly turned to fear as Obi-Wan regarded the suspiciously silent infant.

"Why isn't he crying?"

The Polis Massan gave a hard stare at the baby, reaching out again with his telepathic senses. He waved his fingers over a communication panel at its console, and the medical droid translated for Obi-Wan: "This is most unusual. However, there appears to be no distress, and certainly nothing is biologically abnormal about the male."

Obi-Wan had to admit that Luke appeared tranquil, even…content?

A galaxy away, Vader continued to whisper into Luke's mind, soothing him, comforting him, surrounding him with infinite love and pride. Don't cry, little one…

Padmé cried out again, and their second baby was born. Another droid held the perfect infant in its arms, alongside her older brother. "And a girl."

"Leia…" Padmé whispered.

And for a brief moment, all was well.

---

Vader struggled to maintain the Force connection with Padmé and his son. The entire process of delivering his children had completely exhausted him, and he could feel his strength failing despite his will. When he sensed his daughter being born he tried to mentally reach for her as well, to welcome her into the world just as he had his son. But it proved to be too much for his already damaged mind and body; with a snap, the tenuous connection was broken and he was jolted back to Coruscant and full awareness of his immediate surroundings. He had failed to create any link with his daughter, and that knowledge tormented him. Fear crowded into his mind. Was she safe? Was she even alive?

Vader howled, writhing in frustration and despair.

---

Padmé felt the sudden loss of Anakin's presence, and in his absence all of the strength and will to survive drained from her body. Obi-Wan could sense her weakening immediately.

"You have twins, Padmé. They need you. Hang on…" But a part of him knew that words were futile. He couldn't help her; Padmé had somehow willed herself to survive in order to give birth, and now it was finished.

Padmé wished with all her heart she could tell Obi-Wan what Anakin had done for her, how he had leant her his strength in to survive her ordeal, how he had guided her children into being and held them in his mind. She wished she could describe the pure love and remorse she felt in him, the tenderness in his Force touch and the knowledge that that there without a doubt good in him still. Despite all he had done, despite all of the death he had caused, Anakin was still alive, and his actions had proved it. But she was failing fast, and the darkness was upon her. Summoning Anakin's image to her one last time, she pressed the japor snippet into Obi-Wan's hand and whispered what she knew to be true, willing him to understand.

"Obi-Wan…there…is good in him. I know there is…still…"

And with a last gasp, she died.

---

On Coruscant, Darth Sidious approached the FX-6 medical droid. It responded crisply, "My lord, the construction is finished…he lives."

"Good. Good." Sidious nodded with satisfaction. Through his young apprentice's folly, a millennium of patient waiting and intricate planning was almost destroyed. Vader was powerful, but rash and impetuous, and too attached to human emotions. He couldn't afford another mistake.

"And has the chip been activated?"

"Yes, my lord."

The chip, hidden in the control panel of his new suit, acted like a restraining bolt. It would debilitate his use in the Force, but only slightly. Not enough for him to ever notice, but just enough to check him, to allow him to channel his rage properly. Just enough to keep him under control. He is mine, Sidious vowed. He will learn his place.

A cruel, possessive smile played across his features. It is time to test out your chip, my young apprentice.

Stifling a laugh, the new Emperor of the galaxy walked into the operating room to inform his patient of the tragic death of Padmé Amidala.