Memories of Angels
By: ZekksGoddess

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, these characters, places, etc do not belong to me. It's all George Lucas's. I did, however, come up with the plot. Yay me.

Timeframe: During Imperial reign, a few months after the events of Cloud City.

Rating: PG

Summary: Anakin Skywalker has died, and a Dark Lord of the Sith risen in his place. But childhood dreams of an Angel live on.

Characters: Ensign (nameless), Anakin/Vader, Padmé

Keywords: angels, light, dark, shadows

Genre: angst, romance, fantasy/supernatural (?)

Pairings: A/P

AN: This is an AU of the war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. The idea just came to me, kind of suddenly. Hope you enjoy it!


He was alone. Despite his monstrous size, he was merely a shadow, a phantom of darkness within his own chambers.

The lights remained off. He only left these quarters during dark hours, unless it was deemed necessary, to avoid encountering the light. In a way, he feared it.

He laughed now, at children and the childish fear of the dark. He, himself had been afraid of it once, when he was a very young boy. Now, he realized, it was a foolish thing to be afraid of.

He, himself had become darkness. It was his haven, his protection. He had become deeply immersed in it, so deeply that his great fear had become the light. It shed truth, knowledge…it meant purity. He was none of these, his life composed completely of lies, ignorance and flaws.

Once, many years ago, he had fooled himself into believing he had been part of the light. He had fooled himself into believing he could be good.

The light held the truth and knowledge that could have saved him all those years ago. It had been right there, but he had been blind to it, seduced by easy paths, lies and visions of power. Had he truly been a part of the light, he could have seen what was right there. He could have been salvaged. And, he could have saved her…

A strange sound caught in his throat- a sound somewhere between a cry of rage, despair and heartache.

He had let his guard down for a single, rare moment. Things came flooding back to him, forbidden emotions, memories he'd forced himself to block. Things he'd tried desperately to erase from the most secret depths of his mind.

He collapsed to the cool, durasteel floor, his body weakened by the sudden onslaught. His legs folded beneath him, and he clutched at his masked head with his gloved hands, clawing at the vile thing.

The room was almost empty. There was a bed, of course, against the far wall, and a counter, the drawers beneath it full of dusty, untouched gadgets. The far corner, however, was usually concealed in complete darkness, hidden with shadows so thick, that he could not see his own hand in front of him, even with the superior vision his mask offered.

But tonight, the glow of the stars cast a bright glow through the viewport, illuminating the normally obscure corner with a strange glow. A small durasteel chest glinted through layers of dust.

Impulsively, Vader crept toward it on his hands and knees, like a beast. He'd almost forgotten the chest, and what it held. Almost.

He entered the complex identification code, but that still wasn't enough. This chest held his most cherished secret. It required an offering of blood. Though most of his limbs had become mechanical, he managed, and the chest drawer slid open.

Inside, crimson folds of a velvety material covered the bottom of the drawer. In the very center sat a small box, delicately carved of the finest of wood from Naboo.

He treated the box gently, as though it were more fragile than glass. Slowly, he traced the carvings with a black-clad finger before opening the lid.

He took the holo it contained into his hands. Even in the darkness, it was all too easy to find the 'on' switch.

The soft glow from the holo illuminated the entire room, and he imagined that it were her presence.

(Are you an angel?)

His eyes, confined by the mask, could not leave her image. They traced the smooth curves of her figure, glanced at her small, shy smile, and followed the waves of her long, chocolate tresses until finally, the rested on her eyes. They were large, of the deepest brown. He remembered feeling as though he could never look away if he looked for too long…

(They live on the Moons of Iego, I think. They're the most beautiful creatures in
the universe.)

His heart clenched tightly within his chest, until he thought the pain would kill him. His gloved hands clutched at her image, and went right through her. Desperation flooded his senses, longing ensnared him. Rage at losing her took over him.

(You must be one...maybe you just don't know it.)

The holo was switched to the 'off' position, and fell into the box unceremoniously as he grieved.