Previously

"You see..." Padme continued. Now the attention shifting to her. Sighing, she looked at her daughter in question. A quick smile forming over her face.

"What's made you so curious Leia?"

The little girl only shrugged in response. The real reason however laid neatly tucked under her pillow. "You've never mentioned him before.."

Sighing for the umpteenth time today, Padme closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Something told her it was going to be a very, very long day.

"Your father..." She began.

... Do Angels Die? ...

She could only sit and stare at the innocent faces of her two little angels. Their curious eyes burning right through her. Pleading to be fed with that which they did not know of. She had to quickly think of the lie which she could tell her angels. She wished she could just tell them the truth about their father, but even she did not wish to re-think of the story. It seemed like such a long time ago, when really it had only happened six short years ago.

She felt the weight on her heart grow larger from the thought of lying to them. She had already tangled herself into a messy web of lies. Getting more and more caught up with each question of the past. She wished she could just start everything over again. But even she could not deny herself the truth. If she were to go back and have a chance to change things, she would have still chosen the same path. Either way, she would have been apart from that which she loved. He was a part of her, and she knew that, even though she attempted to deny it. He always would be.

"...Was a great man." Obi-Wan cut in as he noticed the growing insecurity on Padme's face.

She sent a warm smile his way, silently thanking him. She couldn't talk about him. Not without the beating of her heart increasing dangerously. Not without the growing tension in her mind. Not without shedding fresh tears.

"He was a great Jedi Knight. In fact, one of the best. Strength well beyond his years."

"Really?" Luke's enthusiastic voice asked. A certain shine in his eyes slowly lighting up as he heard more about his father.

Obi-Wan nodded.

"Yes, yes. He was very stubborn sometimes." He said as he planted a firm hand on Leia's head, eyeing her accusingly.

His reply was her soft giggles.

"But always managed to make everything turn out right in the end." 'The end..' He sighed to himself. How he wished things had not turned out the way they had in the end.

Padme listened happily as Obi-Wan graced all three of them with exciting stories of Anakin's past missions. Every now and then Luke and Leia would "ooh" and "ahh" as the story became more exciting. Their expressions changing along with the mood and tone. Lifting themselves up from their seats. Moving closer and further away.

Padme was half listening, half in her own world. Looking at the way things were right now, she did not think it was so bad. She lied. She was happy. Artificial. And she was with her family. Incomplete.

"What happened to father?" Luke asked as Obi-Wan completed his adventure story. Padme instantly sprung out of her world, her attention now completely on her son. What had happened to him? He was trapped in a prison, in his own little cell. Stuck somewhere in the middle of the galaxy, aimlessly floating about. Waiting to come home.

"Uhh.." Obi-Wan mumbled unsure of what to say.

Padme wrapped her arms around Leia, pulling her closer into her embrace. She closed her eyes and lightly smiled.

"He's still out there." She said. "Somewhere..." Opening her eyes, she saw everyone staring at her, confused.

"Fighting to get back to us."

Luke and Leia looked at her with excited eyes at the thought of their father returning to them. Leia had wanted to meet him badly after she saw him in the image this morning. It just had to be him. Whenever her mother spoke of him, the same light in her eye which was apparent in the image began to shine. She didn't want her mother to be sad anymore.

Luke looked up to him for being so strong. Such a great warrior and hero as Obi-Wan had said. He only wished he could one day become as strong as his father. Maybe.

Obi-Wan's eyes were not full of excitement or even joy. They were sorrowful as he listened to Padme's explanation. She hadn't lied. But she hadn't told the truth either. Something told him she still didn't want to admit it to herself. He wanted to believe her every word. Continue with their made up story about Anakin, as if everything were alright. But he knew nothing was how it should be. He was suppose to be the chosen one. Not a Sith.

For a long time after the incident, he had questioned the will of the Force. Why had it done such a thing. Its own chosen one, turned to the dark side. It just didn't make sense. It didn't feel right. It hurt. No amount of meditation could heal the wound Obi-Wan had obtained. The loss of a son. The loss of a friend. He could not fathom the pain Padme had gone through, and was still feeling. She lost more than he, and was still continuing to lose. Not just her alone, but her children as well.

The fairy tale was wrong. There must have been a missing page. The bad guys were not suppose to be at the top. The good guys were not suppose to be.. dead.

"I hope he comes home soon." Luke said as he began to walk out of the room.

Padme's heart began beating faster at the words of her son. She knew there was more.

"I miss him..." He said as he turned the corner and disappeared from their sight.

The weight was now unbearable. She felt it would soon collapse.

Luke sat on his bed, his feet crossed Indian style. He held a picture in his hands, his eyes unmoving and still.

'Why did you leave?'

He wondered what it was like to have a father. The closest thing he had as a father figure was his uncle. Not that he minded. He loved his uncle...but he wanted more. He always watched silently as his friends spent time with their fathers. Always having fun... playing and laughing. They made him feel alone, and empty.

'When will you return?'

Leia slowly opened the door to their bedroom and peaked inside. She walked over to where her brother sat. She held a worried look on her face. He was acting rather strange. He was always usually happy and alive... but not right now.

"Are you okay?" She questioned him.

Luke slowly nodded. He put the picture back under his pillow and sighed.

"Do you think he likes us Leia?"

Leia smiled. She didn't need to know her father to answer the question. She could tell by just looking at a picture of him and her mother.

"I know he does."

Luke looked up at her, his eyes unsure of her answer. She had a certain confidence surrounding her. It took all of his doubt away. Clearing the clouds that were blinding him. He knew she was right.

'Don't be a coward.'

The darkness which consumed the hallways of the grand palace didn't seem to be enough to slow him down. Even with all the rubble and mess created, he could still perfectly maneuver himself through all the mess. The ability to see in the dark was something he had to forced himself to learn. After all, darkness was all he knew.

The only light which did seem to guide him was that of the fire and explosions occurring outside the palace walls. There was a burning fire for miles around. Screaming people, running loose in the streets like the animals they were. Begging for their pitiful lives. Crying out for a hero that would never come to save them. He didn't smile in content at the thought. Neither did he grimace however.

His destination was clear in mind. He could feel the presence of the traitors perfectly through the use of the Force. Even though they did not stand in front of him at the current moment, he could still sense their fear. Cowards. They were the ones who brought it upon themselves.

The yellow glow of his eyes grew darker and darker with every thought. He kept his eyes steady on what laid in front of him. Keeping his head held high.

He suddenly stopped as two wooden doors kept him from his destiny. He slightly smirked before using the Force to push the doors off their hinges. The doors immediately flew off, crashing loudly on the other side of the room.

His ears were immediately graced by the loud scream of a young girl. Walking through the dust created by the doors, his smirk grew as he saw what awaited him. There in the small room, were his prey.

A tall man stood holding a blaster in Vader's direction. His face seemed to be strong and determined. Vader knew otherwise however. He could sense the fear easily radiating off of him as he pretended to be strong. Behind the man, a woman and a little girl stood. The woman was holding the little girl as close to her as she possibly could.

"Leave us alone." Came the voice of the man.

Vader had no intention of replying him. He was the predator and they his prey. Predators did not converse with prey. It was a sign of weakness. A chance for the prey to escape. No, he decided. He would only stand and watch their pathetic attempts to plead for their lives.

The man grew hesitant as no reply came from the dark lord. Narrowing his eyes, he knew he had to do something and quick. All he had ever lived for was once again crumbling down beneath him. First, when the Republic died. And now, it was his families turn as it would seem.

Had he defied the gods in someway? Surely they couldn't support the evil which rested in front of him. If such were true, then all he had lived for was just a lie. Maybe death wouldn't be such a bad thing.

He fired the blaster at Vader. Hoping for a miracle. Knowing nothing would happen.

With the flick of his wrist, the shot was sent flying towards the side of the wall. Vader was unsure of what to do. Should he continue to let them make fools of themselves, or just finish them off. After all, he had plenty of time.

Using the Force, he gripped an invisible hand around the neck of the man. Choking the life out of him. All he could hear was the sound of his prey gasping for air. Again and Again. As if he were a fish out of water. Unable to do anything except slowly watch himself die. His gasping even drowned out the sound of the women's screams in Vader's ears.

The man dropped his blaster as his eyes began to turn a bloody red color. He wouldn't kill him yet. No, his fun had just begun. releasing his grip, the man instantly fell to his knees. He didn't bother gasping for air anymore, he could only stay there as tears fell freely from his eyes.

"Please..." Said the man after long minutes.

"Don't hurt them. They're all I have in life." His voice was barely audible.

Vader huffed in return. What did he care? He no longer had anything left in life, why should anyone else? It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair.

The mans pleas were soon cut off by the sound of a lightsaber hissing to life. Its deadly red color brought an ethereal feel to the room all of a sudden.

His prey began to inch away as Vader slowly approached them. A wicked grin on his face.

Life was such a fragile thing. And the strings...rested in his hands.

As he walked down the same hallway from which he had come, he stopped for just a second to stare out of a window.

Chaos was dancing freely in the night of this flimsy planet. The smoke rising intensely from the potent fires covered the sky, making everything all the darker. No moon was visible in the sky anymore. No stars. Nothing, only the stench of death. He felt it proper for this situation.

The planet had made its decision. And so had the Empire. It, along with five other planets had decided to attempt to break away from the Empire. While some admired their courageous actions, Vader could only chuckle at how foolish they were. It was that admiration from others however that cause the Emperor to spring into action. He wanted the planets back in his grimy hands. And the rulers...dead.

In less than 5 months, Vader had invaded and taken each planet over along with the help of his vast army of stormtroopers. All had fallen too easily. It was pitiful on their behalf as he saw it. He was hoping for at least more of a fight. Something to ease the boredom that had plagued him as of lately. For when one was bored, thoughts that were not suppose to be thought were bound to spring up.

Now that the five planets were back in the Empires hands, the Emperor had revealed the next course of action to him. He wanted to immediately begin the construction of a gigantic space station called the Death Star. Vader had previously seen the plans that had been developed for it. It astounded him that such a machine could be built. There was just so much to it. It was almost too much for him to fathom.

It was something he had been looking forward to. And according to the Emperor, it would help keep the people under control. The Death Star had enough fire power in it to blow up an entire planet. The Emperor had insured him that after a simple demonstration, no one else would dare challenge their reign.

Vader knew he was wrong.

Padme and Obi-Wan continued their conversation inside of the kitchen. They had decided that all they could do at the moment was wait. It made her feel uncomfortable, but she knew he was right. She doubted her dreams would ever hold actual fact within them. She hoped they wouldn't. But even as she attempted to fool herself, she could feel it tugging on her heart. Telling her something was not right.

Luke walked into the kitchen feeling better than before. His talk with his sister had made him feel somewhat more comfortable. He knew she was right. His father had to care for them, didn't he? The man in the image would have. But where was that man now?

Obi-Wan eyed Luke curiously as he shuffled through the kitchen. He had thought of something while he had been telling the stories of Anakin. It wasn't the first time the thought came to him, but something told him the time was right. Obi-Wan felt it was time to train Luke and Leia as what they could have been. As what they could be.

He wasn't to sure if Padme would allow him to do so however. And if she didn't, he could understand why. Of course, they would not be made to follow the code strictly due to their current situation. He wondered what master Yoda would have to say about this. Whatever it was, it would not interfere with his own actions. The Force was screaming at him. Telling him it was time.

"Padme..." Obi-Wan began.

"Hm?"

"I was wondering if.." His eyes diverted from Luke back to where Padme stood. "If you think training Luke and Leia as Jedi's would be a good idea. If you would allow.

"What?" She shot out directly after Obi-Wan's question. She looked around unsure of what to do or say. Train her children as Jedi? 'No...' She thought. It would be much to dangerous for them. Especially at times like this. Besides, they were just children. Wouldn't Jedi work get in the way of them just...living. She never wanted her children to have a childhood like hers. She was never able to be just a kid. She always had something to study for, or somewhere to be. And look at her now. No, that was not what she wanted for them.

Padme could have sworn she heard Luke shriek in excitement. He dropped everything that he was doing and turned his attention to his mother. How he hoped that she would allow them to. Then maybe, just maybe... he could live up to his fathers expectations. And then, when he came home, he would be proud to have a son like him.

Looking at her son, she didn't need the Force to know what he was thinking. But what if they fell to the dark side? Like Anakin had. She couldn't live losing all of them. She just couldn't allow it. She reminded herself however, whether Jedi or not...there was always a light and dark side. Thinking back to her days as a politician, she could have sworn half of the senators were Sith undercover. She could not comprehend how some people could be so heartless. Blinded by worthless credits and promises of power.

She sighed in surrender at the pleading look on her son's face. "If it's what they want. Then yes." They could at least learn how to protect themselves if something ever happened.

This time, Padme knew she had heard Luke shriek out.

Picking the thing closest to him up, he began to spin it around in the air as if it were a lightsaber. That thing just happened to be a broom however. Within seconds, he was covered with dust falling from it.

Leia walked into the kitchen to find a very dirty brother, waiving a broom around like a madman. 'Well,' She thought, 'at least he's back.'

"Mother!" She protested. "Luke has finally gone mad." She ducked as the broom was quickly headed in her direction.

Both Padme and Obi-Wan looked at each other dumbfounded before breaking out into pleasant laughter.

Obi-Wan wasn't quite sure who would have the upper hand. Luke and the broomstick, or Leia. He was sure it would prove to be an interesting battle.

"Don't be afraid." Anakin's blue eyes looked at her full of sympathy. Regret... Love. He was about to lose all that he had left. He had already lost his mother. At least this time, he would be gone as well.

"Im not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit every day since you came back into my life." Her tone was always strong. Full of courage. It reflected the powerful, yet gentle woman she had come to be. His Padme. His angel from years ago.

"What are you saying?" He replied. Was he slowly killing her in some vile way which he did not know of? All she had to do was say the word. He would never want to hurt this beautiful creature in any shape, way or form. In fact, he wanted quite the opposite. He wanted to make her happy. To grow old with her and be together forever even as they disintergrated into the Force.

"I love you."

Had his ears betrayed him? Why were they playing such a cruel joke on him. She couldn't have possibly said what it was he heard. Looking into her eyes however, he soon realized that she had. Her brown eyes were wildly glowing. Making it all the harder for him to look away.

"You love me? I thought we decided... not to fall in love. That it would destroy our lives..."

"I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway." She replied as she inched closer and closer to Anakin. "I truly, deeply, love you. And before we die... I wanted you to know."

As their lips met, Anakin could have sworn he was in heaven. The burning passion ignited in him like never before. Spreading through his body. To his heart, and his lungs.. making her kiss a part of him. It was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted in his life. And even though he never wanted it to end, he knew it would eventually.

For just the moment though, all that existed... were he and his angel.

Vader sprung up from his deep sleep. He was covered in sweat, breathing frantically. He looked around the room for just a second as if trying to recall where he was. Once satisfied, he brought both of his hands up to his face. Covering it, he took deep breaths as he attempted to regain himself.

He cursed as he realized the dreams had come back. He didn't want them anymore. He just wanted them to leave him alone. Dreams had been his downfall. And now, they continued to torment him. Reminding him of what he had done, day after day. Of what he had lost.

As he slowly laid his head back down on his pillow, he felt another presence in his room. Looking over to his side, he saw the figure of a sleeping woman. Bare in nake, covered only by thin sheets. She had long, flowing, blonde locks. They spread out, covering most of the top portion of her side of the bed.

As he stared, he realized he had no idea who she was. Nor did he care. He had always had a growing hunger deep within him. Not just for power, but for something more. He lusted for that which he had lost. But as he fed that hunger, it only made him feel emptier inside. These common women meant nothing to him. Even though he attempted to convince himself otherwise, he knew she was all he'd ever care about.

Sometimes he could even feel her there with him. As alive as ever. Maybe it was the doing of the Force. He didn't know. But whatever it was, he liked the way it made him feel. Whenever he felt her, he felt whole again. Like himself. But he still felt pain. It hurt him to know that all there would ever be was a just a feeling. And it was all his fault.

He just wanted all of his memories to leave. To haunt him no more. They mocked him. Mocked his position and power. He had everything he wanted laying at his feet. Endless rows of soldiers for battle..ships, and land. Everything. And even so, he felt empty. Even when surrounded by hundreds, he felt all alone. He just didn't see the point in this anymore. It never ended. The fighting never seized. Looking at himself now, he would have thought he'd be else where. He was no closer to fulfilling his dreams. Slavery still remained. In fact, it flourished under the Empire.

There was nothing he could do however. What could he possibly do? He had sold his soul to the devil himself. And now, the consequences were clear in his mind. There was no point in thinking of the past. In what he wanted. It did not matter anymore. She did not matter anymore.

"Padme.." He whispered.

The petite figure next to him stirred in bed for a few seconds before relaxing back into a still sleep.

"Im lost... Please guide me to you..my angel." A single tear escaped the emotionless mask he was forced to wear.

He clenched his fists together and slammed them onto his unsuspecting arm rests. His recent vision not quite what he was hoping, or expecting for that matter.

It did not come as a huge shock to him however. He knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. Maybe he should have gotten rid of the girl before such an attachment grew, then it wouldn't be such a hassle on his mind. It mattered not. All would be taken care of.

"Come, Darth Ilianus."

Out of the shadows, a dark figure stepped forth. It was a young woman, with raven colored hair. She had a thin figure, covered by a dark suit and long cloak. Her eyes were a bright grey color. They had no appearance of life within them. They were empty, and dead. There was some sort of symbol tattooed by the side of her right eye.

She kneeled before the dark lord "Yes, my master."

Sidious cackled as he stared at the girl. "The time has come."

Her piercing grey eyes looked up at him as she smiled. Bowing her head, she stood.

It was finally her turn to shine. Too long had she been stored away in the shadows. She would make him pay for everything he had done.


End Chapter 4

:) so here's the next part to the story. The last section will be better explained next chapter. I wanted to add it on as a surprise :D .. Ilianus is a character invented by me btw.

Thanks for reading 3