- - - Chapter Eight: The Sith - - -

Night had long since darkened the skies of London. Despite this, the city continued to be well lit with street lamps and light pouring out of the windows. However, on this night there was a sharp cold chill in the wind. People shuttered the windows or pulled their curtains tight in attempts to fight back the unexpected and pressing cold. Even the streetlamps were losing their fight. Many had gone out. The ones that remained were low and flickering.

Because of this, no one really noticed a lone figure marching through the streets. He wore a black robe with a hood pulled low over his head. The rest of his clothes were black including black gloves. A sword hung on his hip. He looked like something out of the past. A long lost knight still keeping his patrol.

However, Anakin Skywalker had fallen a long way from being a Holy Knight of the Jedi Order. Under his deep hood, his eyes were gold and rimmed in red. When he snarled, long sharp fangs were seen. He was no longer human. He was something more. Something much more. Darth Sidious had been right. The darkness had given him so much power. Power beyond that of a normal vampire. He was a Sith. A true master of the darkness.

The transformation had not been painless or swift. He had been strapped back down on the table. The large domed room was lit up torches each held by a vampire wearing dark red robes in a ring around the room. Nine human sacrifices were on their knees around his table. Each one was bent over with their necks slit. Their blood dripped into carved runes on the floor.

Anakin had expected that Sidious would be the one to bite him to turn him. Instead, they brought out a blackened skull where even the teeth were black. However, the long pointed fangs were still very visible. Anakin eyed it skeptically as a servant handed the skull to Sidious, who approached Anakin with it.

"What is that?" he had asked.

"This is the skull of Ajunta Pall," Sidious said. "The first vampire. The venom on these fangs are extremely potent. It would kill a normal person, but it will transform you into a Sith."

Anakin wasn't sure he believed it, but he had no choice. Sidious approached and the long black fangs were pointed out towards Anakin. He gently pressed it against Anakin's neck then slowly pushed the fangs in. It hurt, but it was a normal kind of pain. The true pain would come on slowly.

He had never felt more excruciating pain in his life before. He felt like he was being burned alive. As if he was being clawed apart, his body scattered, and multiple mouths were chewing on him. Each tooth he could feel. He was aware of each flame as it consumed not only his skin but his insides as well. He screamed and screamed until he had worn his voice hoarse. Even then he still screamed though no sound came out.

And when it was all over, he had been reborn. Remade. He was no longer Anakin Skywalker. He was Darth Vader. His hands tightened into fists. The leather of his black gloves creaked. He would no longer be denied anything. He would have it all. Power. Wealth. Prestige. And most importantly his family. His wife and child. He would not be denied any of this.

He marched through the streets of London. Behind him in black robes marched an army of vampires. However, their numbers were small. Less than a hundred. Not enough to take the underground Jedi Temple. But their numbers would soon swell.

At St. Paul's Cathedral, he turned down a small alleyway to a door with no handles on the outside and that receded into a red brick building. He banged on it.

"State your business!" a voice shouted from the other side.

"Open the door," Vader said.

"State your name and your business!"

"- Open the door, -" Vader commanded again.

He heard the locks being undone and slowly the door opened. Fives stood on the other side. His face blank at first, but he blinked a few times. He looked at the dark hooded figure.

"Who's there?" Fives demanded as he pulled out his small rifle.

"- Put your weapon down. -"

Fives holstered the gun without hesitating.

"- You now serve me. You follow my will and orders. -"

"What are your orders, my lord?" Fives asked. His voice was lifeless and even. His eyes glazed over.

"- The destruction of the Jedi Order, -" Vader hissed. "- Kill every Jedi. -"

"Yes, my lord," Fives said.

"Follow me," Vader said stepping past Fives.

"You have powers beyond the normal vampire," Sidious had told him after he had finally come to his senses after the transformation.

"Like what?" Vader asked with a raspy voice.

Sidious handed Vader a jar filled with a dark red liquid. Vader sniffed it. "Blood?" he asked. He had already been given fresh humans to quench his raging thirst when he first woke up.

"Drink it," Sidious said with a slight smile and a nod. Vader did as he was told. "Notice anything different?"

"No," Vader grumbled setting the glass down.

"Perhaps it will take a moment, but one of your new powers is to control anyone who you have tasted their blood."

"Control? How so?"

"The old scripts state that once a Sith lord tastes the blood, they merely give the command, and the one who owns the blood has to follow the order. No matter what the order is." Sidious snapped his fingers and two servants walked in. "These two had their blood in that jar you just drank. Command them to do your bidding."

"Jump," Vader said.

There was a hesitation, but they did so. Sidious frowned. He had noticed it as well. They weren't jumping because they were compelled to. They were jumping because they thought that was what they were supposed to do.

"Stop," Vader barked. Perhaps he wasn't doing it right. He reached out with his senses. He could . . . feel these two servants. Feel them more than he could feel Sidious. He latched on to that feeling, that string. "- Put your hands around your throats. -" His voice felt different. There was something lingering there. Some sort of power. The two servants did so immediately. "- Choke yourselves. -"

At once the hands started to tighten. Both servants went wide eyed. They tried to let go. Their arms flapped around, but their hands didn't stop until they finally lost consciousness and fell to the floor. Sidious let out a chuckle.

"Very good, my young apprentice," he said.

"Why can't you do this?" Vader asked. "Why didn't you become a Sith?"

Sidious sighed and shook his head slightly. "I have tried the ceremony on myself," he said. "It almost killed me. As I told you, it was your destiny to be a Sith. You have to be chosen, born to be one. And now that the Sith have returned, we will be victorious against the Jedi. Do you want to know the owners of the other blood in that jar? That jar contained a sample of every experimental soldier the Order has produced. The so-called brothers. The army of the Order. You can now control them. You don't need to bring an army with you. You already have one there."

Sidious, as Duke Palpatine, had been a large patron and supporter of the army. Of course, he had gotten his hand on a blood sample of every brother. Vader walked down the tunnels that led to the Temple. Fives and the vampires following behind him. Anakin pulled a long, thin, sharp needle from his pocket. He rolled it in his fingers. He was ready to stab it forward at a moment's notice. Stab it, collect blood, taste it, and take control of the person.

"Fives," he said in a calm steady voice.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Do you recall a vampire lady being brought here within the last two days? Pregnant?"

"Uh . . ."

"- Do you recall it? -" Vader hissed.

"Yes, sir," came the immediate response.

He closed his eyes but kept moving forward. Padmé, he said to himself. She was here.

"Where would they be keeping her?" Vader asked.

"I do not know sir," Fives responded.

Vader didn't sense a lie. "Who is the highest-ranking member currently at the Temple?"

"That would be Master Ti."

"Most likely meditating in her room right now," Vader mused to himself.

He paused to look at the murals that depicted the history of the Order. He looked at the painting of Darth Tyrannus. He growled as long black nails grew out of his leather gloves. He struck them into the wall and slashed through the figure. He then skipped over the hooded figure of Sidious and looked at Lady Amidala.

"Padmé," he whispered. "Wait for me a little longer. I'll be there soon."

Vader had never been in this part of the Temple before. Shaak Ti, a Hindu knight from India like Ahsoka, led him through the maze of tunnels that were deep, deep under the main temple. Two Order soldiers followed behind them. All three were under Vader's command. A quick swipe of his needle along any of their exposed flesh and a lick was all it took. Above them, the rest of the vampires and the Order army were killing any Jedi they had come across. Vader already had his taste of Jedi blood. He had slain any Jedi he had come across getting to Ti's room. Blood was splashed on his boots and pants.

They were passing through a long narrow tunnel with high walls. Wooden doors were set every couple of feet. He heard something shuffle behind one of them and he stopped.

"- Open it, -" he ordered Ti.

She stepped forward with a ring of keys and unlocked the door. Vader stepped in. His vampire sight could see in the dark. It was a small room with a hole in one corner and a plain wooden bench against one wall. A heavily pregnant woman sat on it. She curled up and hissed at them when the door opened. Her arms crossed her stomach protectively. She wasn't Padmé. Her hair was blonde and had been all chopped off.

"What is this?" Vader whispered. When there came no answer, he spun on Ti. "- What is this?-" he shouted.

Shaak Ti was trying to resist him. She had put up the most fight so far, but Vader asserted more of himself along the connection that was now between them.

"A pregnant vampire," Ti said. She lifted her chin up a fraction.

Vader snarled at her. He was going to enjoy ripping her apart when her usefulness ended. "- Why is she here? What is the Order doing with her? -"

"She is part of the breeding program."

"Breeding program?" He looked back at the woman. He recalled what Sidious had said about how Jedi were actually a mix of vampires and humans. "- You two! -" he snapped at the two soldiers. "- Take the key and release any women being kept here. Escort them up to the surface. Have the vampires there take care of them. -"

"Yes, my lord," they both said at once.

"-- Keep going, Master Ti, -" Vader snarled. "- Take me to my wife. -"

They left the guards behind. Vader ignored the other doors, especially when he heard shuffling or crying behind them. The guards would free them. But he couldn't help but think about the poor women. Who were they? How had they gotten here? Were they pregnant when they were captured by the Order? Or were they captured and then impregnated? By the chaste Holy Knights? He was tempted to command Ti to tell him all about it, but he was barely holding back his anger as it was. First, he had to get to Padmé. He had to make sure she was safe. Then he would deal with this sinful and corrupt Order.

The tunnel ended at a large metal door. Luckily, Ti needed no prompting to produce the keyring and unlock.

"She is down here," Ti said.

"Lead on," Vader demanded.

He noticed she swallowed hard before moving on. Perhaps she realized her end was quickly approaching as soon as he reached his destination. There were no more doors; only smooth stone walls. Soon the tunnel opened up into a large square room. There was another tunnel to the right, two doors in the wall across from him, and one door on the wall to his left.

"In there," Ti whispered as she nodded to the left.

"- Unlock it. -"

"It shouldn't be locked," Ti said. Her voice wavering.

Vader scowled as he marched past her. He grabbed the door handle and flung the door open. It was heavier than he thought it was going to be. The door was thick and screeched as it opened. The first thing he became aware of once the screeching stopped was another sound. A high pitched wail. His heart fell into his stomach. He ran down a small hall, past a few doors, and into a large room. The wailing was louder.

He looked around. It looked like . . . like a medical room. There was a wooden table with an adjustable portion for the chest and head. At the other end, there were trays that could extend the table for the feet and legs. Buckets were under the table ready to catch blood. There were other metal tables with medical instruments laid out and various bowls for cleaning and collecting.

The wailing continued, and Vader realized it wasn't wailing, it was crying. Like the cry of a baby. His heart fell deeper within him. It was too soon! Too soon for Padmé to give birth. There was a small door in the back of the operating room. He slowly approached it. The crying was growing louder. He opened the door.

"Anakin?"

It was not the voice he had expected or wanted to hear.

"Obi-Wan?" Vader asked as he stood in the doorway.

The room appeared to be a preparation room. Large sinks were against the far wall. There was another door by which Obi-Wan Kenobi stood. In his arms was a squirming crying baby, though Vader could barely see it. It was wrapped in a white blanket. Vader stepped forward.

"Obi-Wan . . . where is Padmé?" Vader asked.

At once Obi-Wan stiffened. He glanced uncomfortably to the side and then down at the baby.

"Obi-Wan?" Vader asked again. His voice hardening. "Where is Padmé? Whose . . . whose baby is that?"

Obi-Wan continued to say nothing. He furrowed his brows as he looked down at the baby.

"Obi-Wan?" Vader growled. "Is that Padmé's child? Is that . . . my child?"

Obi-Wan flinched. It was the only confirmation Vader needed.

"Give me the baby," Vader demanded. He held out his left hand. "Give me my child."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Anakin," Obi-Wan said slowly and calmly. He finally looked up at him.

Vader took another step forward. "And why not?" Vader hissed. "Is he a product of the Order's breeding program? Is he to become a knight?"

Again, Obi-Wan flinched, but the pained expression was quickly smoothed away.

"I can't give you this child," Obi-Wan said.

He gently lowered the still-crying baby on to a table. Vader could just make out the little hands waving in the air. Obi-Wan grabbed his sword and pulled it from its sheath. The crystal blade glowed blue. Anakin pulled his own sword out, but it no longer was blue. It now glowed a blood red.

"I see," Obi-Wan said slowly. "You've fallen. You've become the very thing you gave a holy vow to God to destroy!"

"Do not lecture me Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the darkness anymore."

"That much is clear, vampire," Obi-Wan spat the last word.

"Do not make me kill you . . . or worse."

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Order . . . to God!"

"If you're not with me, you're my enemy."

"I will do what I must."

"You will try," Vader growled as he dashed forward.

Obi-Wan rushed forward as well. The two met in the middle of the room. Their swords hissing and sparking as they clashed. Vader pulled his blade back and at once was swinging down at Obi-Wan again and again. Each blow was fast and brutal, but Obi-Wan was keeping up. He blocked, parried, or dodge each blow.

Vader came in with a high slash at Obi-Wan's head. Obi-Wan ducked, spun, and struck out at Vader's abdomen. Vader backstepped, blew Obi-Wan's blue blade aside with his own, then dashed back towards the Jedi. He elbowed Obi-Wan in the stomach. Obi-Wan gasped and staggered back. He was able to get his blade up as Anakin swung his down in a mighty strike. Obi-Wan back stepped and bumped into the table holding the baby, who cried louder.

Obi-Wan paused as he looked over his shoulder, but so had Vader. He didn't want to endanger the baby, which did not go unnoticed by Obi-Wan. The Jedi grabbed the baby.

"No!" Vader shouted as he stepped forward. His arm out to grab Obi-Wan- No, to grab his baby.

Obi-Wan struck. His sword slicing into Vader's chest. Vader gasped in surprise. His sword fell to the ground as his strength left him. He staggered on his feet and looked down at the blue blade buried in his chest.

"May God guide your soul," Obi-Wan said.

Vader coughed and blood splattered all over Obi-Wan and the white blanket of the baby.

"Did you . . ." Vader said in a wet voice. "Did you think that . . . that this would kill me?"

Obi-Wan looked surprised. Vader grabbed the sword with his right hand, the hand he had lost and regained, the one that was black and cold and hard. The leather glove was cut as he wrapped his fingers around the blade, but the black skin wasn't damaged. He ripped the blade out and threw it to the floor. Blood started to pour from his open wound.

"I am . . . so much more . . ." Vader growled. The wound was already starting to close and heal itself.

Then he ran forward. His nails growing into long sharp claws. He jammed his left hand into Obi-Wan's side. Obi-Wan gasped. His grip on the baby faltered, and Vader quickly snatched it. He retreated to the middle of the room, holding the baby to his chest. Obi-Wan had pressed his hand to his side to his bleeding wound.

The baby wiggled in Vader's grasp. He looked down. And . . . Oh! It was a baby. It was his child. It was small and red. Far too small, but it was here. It was alive. The sound of a door opening caused Vader to look up. Obi-Wan had reached the other door. He paused for a second, before he slipped around it, and shut it. Vader stormed after him. He wasn't as fast as he would like as he was still injured and holding the baby.

He reached the door and pulled, but it was locked. Locked from the other side. He slammed his free hand against it.

"Obi-Wan!" he screamed. "You coward! Where is Padmé? What have you done with her?"

"She is back in the other room," Obi-Wan's voice came from the other side. He must have been leaning against the door. Why hadn't he left?

Vader looked over his shoulder to the operating room. There had been no one there. He gave one last look at the door before he limped across the preparation room and back into the operating room. It was as it had been before. Empty . . .

He noticed it this time. The pile next to the table. It blended in with the grey of the ground. His breath caught in his throat as he staggered forward. It couldn't be. It could not be . . . Slowly, inch by inch, he made his way to the table. He looked down to see a pile of ash laying beside it.

No.

No.

It could not be her!

She wasn't . . . They hadn't . . .

"No," he said out loud. "No!"

He fell to his knees causing the ash to fly into the air. The ash rained down around him and the baby.

"NO!" he screamed.

She couldn't be gone! He had done this for her! He had done all of this for her! She wasn't gone! They were going to be together! Her, him and the baby! They were going to be a family! He was going to protect them!

He screamed again. It was a soul-wrenching sound. His body shook as he sobbed. Tears ran down his face. The baby still cried in his arms. When all the air had left him, did he finally grow quiet. The baby squirmed and wailed.

"Shh. Shh," Vader said. His voice weak and trembling. "It's ok, little one. I'm here. Papa is here."

The baby started to calm down. Large blue-grey eyes stared up at Vader.

"There, there," Vader said rocking his baby.

He didn't want to take his eyes off the baby, but flecks of ash were raining down on him. A sob shook Vader's body. He leaned his head back and cried. His grief still stabbed his cold heart over and over. She was gone. What was he going to do? She was . . .

A piece of ash floated into his open mouth and landed on his tongue. He closed his mouth and carefully tasted it. He looked down at the ash on the floor. Careful not to disturb the baby, he swiped his hand across the floor and picked up a small handful of the ash. He brought it to his face. He rubbed his fingers in the ash then brought his fingers to his mouth. He took another taste of the ash.

It wasn't . . . This wasn't the ash from a vampire. This was . . . wood ash. There was a distinct taste and smell to it. They also looked differently if one took a closer look. He had to learn the difference between different types of ash as part of his training as a knight. Vampires could be sneaky. They might try to fake their death if they knew Jedi were hunting them.

This . . . was not Padmé! This was not her! She must still live!

Then where? Why?

He slowly came to his feet. He was filthy. Covered in ash and blood and sweat. The white blanket the baby was in no better state. But at least the baby was calm. Vader looked down at it. The baby yawned, and Vader couldn't help but smile.

"Don't worry, little one," he cooed. "I'll find your mother. Everything will be alright soon."