A/N: I'm afraid that my absence has made people not remember me. I hope that is not the case.

The Imperial palace could be seen for miles, its high towers rose higher than any other building on Coruscant, its grandeur a symbol of Palpatine's power and success in his domination of the galaxy. It was the place where the Emperor spent most of his time. It was where the Emperor would receive his servant. Vader strode through the corridors, an outward appearance of arrogance, pride and indifference. Those that he passed watched him, stopping in their paths to let him through, each aware of his ruthlessness. The royal guards opened up the doors to the throne room without his having to stop and he made his way towards the throne where Palpatine sat conversing with his council and waited for acknowledgment as he dropped to one knee, having learned long ago to do so the hard way. Being of a higher rank than the toadies before him, to have to wait on bended knee while Palpatine took his time was an insult. After what seemed to be forever, he was finally addressed.

Rise Lord Vader," Palpatine ordered and watched with a critical eye as Vader rose. "Report on your search for Amidala," Palpatine commanded.

"I have searched Naboo and the half the planets of her allies, so far she remains elusive I have also dispatched numerous probe droids to seek out her presence," Vader told him.

"Strange that you have yet to find her," Palpatine said sourly and gestured to his aid and was handed a datadisk. "Intelligence reported some rumors about alliance to challenge our rule that her friends are a part of. They have yet to link her to this alliance, but it should not be long. I want you to investigate these worlds for her whereabouts and if she is on one of them, eradicate her and the ruling government including its Senator," he ordered.

"It will be done, Your Majesty," Vader told him obediently.

Palpatine looked over at the remaining occupants of the room. "Leave us," he commanded and was instantly obeyed. Finally alone with Vader he rose from his throne and approached Vader. It is unfortunate that the assassin I hired to eradicate her suddenly fell dead in a crowded street," he said.

"Unfortunate indeed," Vader replied, retaining his shields and projecting his own bitterness.

"I have to wonder if your mind is clear in this assignment," Palpatine told him as he approached him, locking his eyes on Vader's.

"I assure you, Master, my mind is quite clear," Vader told him.

"Is it?" Palpatine challenged. "I know you had an attachment towards her. An unreasonable attachment to her would be foolhardy, Vader," he told him dangerously.

Vader squashed down his anger at that reference and resisted his urge to lash out against him. "I have no such attachment," he insisted.

Palpatine frowned at his lack of reaction. "Remember your place, Vader, replacing you could be quite easy," he told him.

There was no other way to interpret the meaning behind Palpatine's words and Vader knew it well. Still he said nothing in reaction to it.

Palpation's frowned deepened. "Continue your search and do not return without her head," he ordered in dismissal.

Vader bowed before turning around to take his leave. There is no peace, there is only passion,through passion, I gain strength, through strength, I gain power, through power I gain victory, through Victory, my chains are broken The Force shall set me free. Palpatine's teachings stuck in his mind even after all these years. Lessons he had learned through pain and fear. As he left the palace and walked into the hanger, his thoughts became preoccupied and he didn't notice the ship following him as he rendezvoused with the Exactor.

Ten Years Ago:

Three years in the desolate dungeon had, in a sense, weakened and hardened the twelve year old who used to be known as Anakin Skywalker, now Young Vader. Three years with no hope ofescape and filled with terror and torture had made the boy wary of any jovial mood that his new owner would be in. Vader sometimes wished to go back to before he met Qui-Gon Jinn and his entourage, he wished that he never helped them some days, and some days he wished that Qui-Gon hadn't died. But wishing was futile for the wishes never came true.

Now out of the dungeon, Vader was graced with many gifts, clothed in the finest fabrics and presented with the newest gadgets, all in exchange for his unyielding loyalty and willingness to do whatever he was told. It was during this time that his owner began training him, both in the art of assassination and in the ways of the Sith. It was explained that there were only two, a master and an apprentice. refuse the training was to die. His training took hours during the night, when he wasn't being trained, he was locked in the hole, a small room about the size of a large closet with no windows or lights and unfurnished. It had a distinct smell of decay inside it as well.

It was during one of the usual nights during his training that he was truly tested. He had finished the creation of his lightsaber and now his master was teaching him how to wield it. He was a quick learner but even if he got the slightest thing wrong, made the smallest mistake or failed at anything, he was severely punished. He had withstood the taunts and jeers that his master threw his way, goading him for the attack but Vader would not attack until he was ready. Mentally, he watched his master, looking for an opening for him to strike.

"You're weak, Vader. Keep up the way that you do and you'll never be more than a slave," Palpatine sneered.

Vader did his best to ignore that, saw an opening and took a move only for it to be quickly parried away. He said nothing, having learned early on to remain silent.

"You're no better than a slave, the Jedi knew this, that is why they threw you away, no one wants a slave for anything other that what a slave is," Palpatine told him. A feral grin took over his face as he thought of what would anger his apprentice. "Your mother was the one who sold you to me, you know," he told him.

"That's a lie!" Vader snapped and instantly expected his punishment for speaking out of turn but it didn't come, instead his master seemed pleased.

"She was a willing participant in an experiment conducted by my master that ultimately created you. When he died, she was left with you. When she finally released you to me by way of Qui-Gon Jinn, she was well compensated, for you were the bane of her existence," Palpatine informed him.

This comment enraged Vader and he was unable to maintain his control. "My mother loved me!" he snapped, lashing out at Palpatine only to be sent into a wall via Sith Lightning.

Vader groaned slightly, reproaching himself for his loss of control and before he could pick himself up, he was bombarded with more Sith Lightning as Palpatine approached him.

"Love is for the weak, you would do well to remember that, Vader. So long as you maintain that foolish idealistic notion, you will be no good to me," Palpatine told him, halting his assault finally before using the Force to lock the weakened Vader back up into the hole.

*~*~*

Vader learned not to disobey his master. He had learned not to displease him in any way. And he didn't, or at least he had learned to hide it, to make sure that his master wouldn't find out. He had figured out over the years how to keep things from Palpatine, how to shield his mind and how to project falsities in his mind. Being locked in the hole affording him the time to think and to experiment with his own abilities, even if he couldn't see the entire time he was in there. Eventually he managed how to escape, though his escape never lasted for long. He made sure that Palpatine wasn't any wiser by being back in the hole when Palpatine returned. But when he escaped, he didn't just stay put, he made sure that he knew where he was.

*~*~*

Eight Years Ago:

Vader took every opportunity he could to escape. His opportunities were mostly during the time when his master was at the Senate. This one night in particular had Palpatine off-world for a convention on Alderaan. Before leaving Palpatine had made sure to toss him in the hole and lock the door for while he was away. Being the genius that he was, Vader had prepared for this, having tucked a small lamp and a small set of tools into his boots, giving him what he would need to break the lock. Once free, he had made quick work to 'borrow' Mas Amedda's speeder and just flew. He never knew where he would fly off to, he didn't care as long as he got far, far away.

An hour before dawn broke, Vader settled on the rooftop of a middle class apartment building, a building with a perfect view of the Jedi Temple. He took a seat on the top of the roof and tucked both knees under his chin, wrapping his arms around his legs. He sat there in stony silence, not noticing when someone approached him.

"Who are you?" the voice was soft and female, causing Vader to start. He straightened up and turned around sharply to see a girl his age standing a few meters away, wearing just a pale green nightgown. He fiery curls blowing slightly to the artificial wind. Her eyes seemed to be piercing green orbs staring at him curiously.

Vader didn't speak and stepped back when she advanced towards him. She frowned in confusion. "Are you okay?" she asked concerned.

"I'm fine," Vader said, finding his voice. "I should go..." he turned back to the speeder but she stopped him, placing a delicate hand on his arm which he flinched at.

"You're hurt," she said, "My mom is a doctor, she can help you," she told him.

"No one can help me," Vader couldn't stop himself from saying.

This seemed to concern her. "I'm not letting you leave until you get fixed up," she told him determinedly, practically dragging him inside.

The girl's family got over their shock at seeing him rather quick and their concern was a shock to his system. The mother, the mentioned doctor, patched him expertly through his constant flinching at the slightest touch. Afterwards he was pushed into a seat at their dining room table and handed a heaping plate of warm bountiful food. A thing that he was not accustomed to and at first he didn't even touch it until he couldn't ignore the painful growling of his stomach and began shoveling the food into his mouth as though it might disappear. At which point he was left alone while the girl's parents took her into the kitchen for a private discussion. A discussion that he could only hear partially.

"...obviously from abuse..."

"...and neglect..."

"I'm calling the authorities..."

"I don't think they'll help, he claims that no one can help him... but if we kept him here maybe he can be safe..."

"He is not a pet, Sonya, we cannot keep him..."

"We can't send him back!"

At this point, Vader knew that he had stepped over the boundaries and quickly and quietly made his exit, not even saying goodbye or thank you.

*~*~*

Once again Vader found himself on that same rooftop, wishing that he could stay there forever. Once again he thought he was alone until she sat down beside him.

"What's your name?" she asked.

Silence.

"I'm Sonya," she told him and watched him expectantly. "Why are you afraid to speak to me?" she asked. More silence. "You came back for a reason, can I at least know your name?" she asked.

"Anakin," he told her.

Sonya smiled. "Where do you come from, Anakin?" she asked.

Vader could sense that she wasn't willing to go away anytime soon and reasoned that she would keep prying until she was satisfied and he hoped that would make her go away. "Tatooine," he told her.

"How did you get here?" Sonya asked.

"I was brought here," Vader told her.

"By who?" Sonya asked curiously.

"My master," Vader told her, his focus remaining on the skyline. He waited for her to collect the dots.

"You're a slave?" she gasped.

He didn't respond, half hoping that would make her go away. But then she did something unexpected, she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Let go of me!" he cried in a panic which she did in alarm and he struggled to get his breathing under control.

"I know someone who can help you, she can free you..." Sonya insisted.

"I'll never be free," Vader told her.

"Thats what you've been told but it isn't true!" Sonya insisted. "Slavery is illegal, we can bring you before the senate..."

"He owns the senate, it's powerless!" Vader told her, standing up.

Sonya stood up as well and stood in front of him, looking him in the eyes. "Don't leave," she begged.

"Why?" Vader asked, becoming perplexed by her.

"Do you always run away when someone tried to help?" Sonya asked.

"The last time that someone helped me, it didn't work, I was given a worse master," Vader told her, breaking free from her and trying to leave again.

"It doesn't have to be that way a second time," Sonya called after him.

Vader stopped, her purity becoming like a beacon to him. He had forgotten that such had even existed and he turned around. "What could you possibly do to help?" he asked.

"I can offer you refuge," Sonya offered.

Those simple words expressed the things he had desired every time that he was locked up. "How could you do that?" he asked.

"You can always come here, you know. You do it already, don't stop," Sonya told him.

Vader watched as the sun's reflection from the planets orbital mirrors began to dim. "I need to leave," he told her, hastily making his exit. As he was leaving, he looked over his shoulder to see her watching him leave. But he did return. He returned every chance he got and she was always waiting for him.

*~*~*

As soon as he boarded the Exactor, Vader went straight to his quarters, ignoring every other officer on board, even Admiral Haniel. His mind was too preoccupied to start issuing orders. Unwontedly, memories had already started to bombard him, his meeting with Palpatine having weakened his resolve not to think of them. And thought of them he did.

*~*~*

Six Years Ago:

For two years, Vader returned to Sonya's apartment building every time that he escaped, building their friendship and unwittingly integrating himself into her family, meeting not only her parents but her cousins. Like him, she too was an only child. He had learned that the man she referred to as her father was her step-father and that her real father had abandoned her as a baby. Vader had managed to keep their friendship a secret from Palpatine and had figured out how to mask his feelings.

Now as they sat on the rooftop, watching the traffic, he knew that this was the only small piece of happiness he had had in many years. "I don't think that they are even aware of what is going to happen," he said softly, his gaze turning towards the senate rotunda.

"What is going to happen, Anakin?" Sonya asked.

"I can't say. If word got out, it would come back to me..." Vader told her.

Sonya looked at him. "If you don't say anything, you could be partially blamed. If it is terrible, you can stop it from happening..." she told him.

"The only way that I can do that would be to kill him," Vader told her.

Sonya looked down. "I hate how callously you speak about killing someone," she said softly.

Vader looked at her. "Some people deserve to die," he told her, not liking her point.

"Why do you have to be the one to do it then?" Sonya challenged.

Vader held her gaze, not saying anything, knowing how that nettled her and waited for her to look away. To his surprise she didn't.

"You only believe it has to be you because he programmed it into you," Sonya told him.

"I'm not a droid," Vader retorted sourly.

"You're becoming one, Anakin, can't you see it?" Sonya challenged.

Vader stood up and walked away from her, her assessment grating on his nerves and making him somewhat self-conscious.

Sonya stood as well and walked over to him and stood to where she was facing him. "You're emotionally distant, Anakin, some would say that you don't have any," she told him and before he could speak, she continued. "I know that you live in a hell, but please open up to me," she asked.

"I talk to you, what more do you want?" Vader asked, partly frustrated.

"Can't you see it?" Sonya asked, a little hurt. "Anakin, it's there, between us, this thing that you refuse to address but I'm tired of it," she told him. "Please tell me that you're tired of it too," she begged.

It was that moment that Vader knew that he couldn't refuse her. He knew all too well the pull he had to her but he feared what Palpatine would do if he were to find out. "That is a dangerous path to lead down to," he told her.

Sonya didn't say anything at first, choosing to use a gesture first. She took his hand in hers and intertwined their fingers, lifting up their joined hands to eye level. "I'm not afraid, are you?" she told him.

Vader looked at their joined hands,, fear welling up inside for the consequences of his next act but for the first time, but part of him didn't care, and without letting himself even think about it, he brought his other hand up to cup her cheek, looking in her eyes before he bent to kiss her. Knowing that everything had changed as the longing that they both had deepened the kiss further. The world around them meant little to them at this moment. Breaking the kiss, he spoke. "I'm going to leave for Naboo with Palpatine in two months. He has suspicions about the goings on within it's court," he told her. "He feels that a resistance to his rule will start there once he becomes the galactic emperor," he confided in her.

Sonya didn't want to believe it. "Will he ask you to kill?" she asked.

"If I resist, he will kill me, even more, if he finds out that I told you, he will kill you," Vader told her.

"Then why did you tell me?" Sonya asked.

"Because I don't want to die with any regrets," Vader told her honestly and before she could respond to that, he kissed her again, deeper this time which she responded to equally, only breaking their kiss to lead him down to her empty apartment while her parents were out and he didn't refuse her. He wouldn't refuse her again.

*~*~*

No sooner had he and Palpatine returned from Coruscant from Naboo, Palpatine had been distracted by his aids and his goal for ultimate domination of the galaxy. Palpation's distraction afforded Vader the chance to slip away. He flew in his personal speeder for hours, making sure that no one had been watching him before he stopped at the roof of an apartment building. He got out of the speeder and sat on the edge of thee roof, in perfect view of the Jedi Temple, and waited. He didn't have long to wait before he wasn't alone anymore.

"You're back."

Vader didn't turn to look at her as she sat down next to him. "I used to want to go back there," he admitted.

"Naboo?" she asked.

Vader turned to her, her fiery red hair blowing in the slight wind created by the exhaust pipes on the roof. "I used to consider it to be my safe haven, but now... even that isn't welcoming," he told her.

She looked down before meeting his eyes, her eyes, the color of emeralds. "What did he have you doing this time?" she asked.

"He feels that he can no longer manipulate the queen and is thinking of how he could control her. He heard from the court that she was betrothed to this Kareem Macawi and wanted me to investigate a way to exploit her weakness by getting close to his younger sister," he told her. She gave him a sharp look at his meaning. "You know what would happen if I disobeyed an order," he reminded her, looking away.

"That doesn't mean that I like it," she told him.

"Well sometimes you have to deal with it. Do you think I like being his slave?" He snapped.

"I'm sorry, Anakin, I didn't mean it that way," she told him.

"I've learned the hard way not to disobey him, Sonya, it's getting to the point that I don't even recognize myself," he admitted.

"I recognize you quite well," Sonya told him.

Vader gazed fixedly at the Jedi Temple. "He's going to have me kill them," he said, nodding towards the temple.

Sonya looked at him with wide eyes. "You can't do that!" she told him.

"And why shouldn't I?" Vader demanded, standing up to put distance between them. "If they don't have the foresight to save themselves, then they aren't as mighty as they like to believe and try to convince the galaxy to believe," he told her.

"That's not you talking, Anakin, that's Palpatine," Sonya told him, calmly standing.

"They turned their backs on me and sent me off to become Sidious' slave! Freed by one Jedi but his comrades decided that his choice was invalid and in a way, enabled me to be enslaved by their enemy! It would serve them right to know that they could have had me as an ally instead of an enemy," he told her.

"If you kill them, where would you draw the line, Anakin?" Sonya asked. "If you let him make you do that, then what else will you do by his bidding? Why he might tell you to kill your own mother next!"

"Don't joke about that," Vader snapped.

"I'm not joking, Anakin, deep down, you know that he will order you to do it. What would you do when he does?" Sonya challenged.

"He hasn't given any indication that he might, I stopped making any kind of reference to her long ago. As far as he knows, I've forgotten that I have a mother," Vader told her.

"Which one of us are you trying to convince?" Sonya asked.

Vader didn't answer her, mostly because he wasn't exactly sure on the answer.

"Isn't there some way that you can get away from him, to escape and live freely?" she asked.

"He has spies everywhere," Vader told her. "You know that, so why are you even asking?" he asked, looking at her.

"I thought that things had changed," Sonya told him quietly.

There was more, he could sense it. "They have," he assured her. "I just don't know how to work around this tightly bound cage he constructed," he told her. "He anticipates everything, nothing that I do ends the way I plan them out," he finished in frustration.

"Perhaps you're just not motivated enough," Sonya suggested.

"I'm plenty motivated," Vader told her. "Or have you forgotten?" he asked, his eyed boring into her intensely.

Sonya held his gaze. "What if you're no longer the only one that you have to free?" she asked.

"Why? Has he done something to make you think that?" Vader asked, a little fearful that Palpatine could know.

For a moment, Sonya was about to loose her nerve. She had contemplated not saying anything, of pushing him away, but that would be foolhardy. She told him that she wasn't afraid and she intended on keeping her word. So instead she dropped the bomb that would change both their lives irreversibly. "I'm pregnant," she told him.

*~*~*

*~*~*

Suppressing the memories over the years hadn't been easy, but he managed. Vader had vowed not to forget, but he tried not to think about it. Now thinking about it was impossible and the more he thought, the more conflicted he became, and the more pain began to strangle him as the memories assaulted him. Thinking about them only served to weaken him on many levels, but on other hand, it gave him strength, it gave him the resolve he needed for his revenge and revenge he would have.

Straightening up, he walked over to the window and stared out into the stars. The stars always seemed to have certain patterns in them and as a child, he would gaze up at them at night, trying to connect the stars. It was something that he hadn't done in a while, but he found that while it used to entertain him, it now made him pensive. He could remember every detail like it was yesterday. He told her that he didn't want to die with any regrets, but he knew that it wouldn't be that way. As he followed the patterns of the stars, he could see their faces, and somehow, he felt them nearby.

He knew that things had changed drastically at Sonya's news upon his return to Coruscant from Naboo. He regretfully wasn't there all the time, especially when she gave birth to a girl and she named her Anya, even giving her his name at the end. Something that he had quarreled with her about once he found out, going as far as to tell her that she had signed Anya's death warrant by doing so. He regretted his words immediately afterwards and had apologized. He was there as much as he could and finally decided that it would be best if they disappeared and so he secretly made tireless plans for it, finding the villa on Gallinore and secretly purchasing it when Anya was two. He planned to have both Anya and Sonya escorted there safely and he would join them afterwards, but they never made it there.

*~*~*

Four Years Ago:

Vader was calmly having dinner, believing Palpatine to be at the senate. He was sure that by now Sonya and Anya were on their way to Gallinore. Mentally, he prepared his plan to disappear. He knew that it would take convincing Palpatine that he was dead if he were to successfully disappear. He was unprepared for Palpatine's guards to burst into the room, aiming their force pikes at him. He froze, knowing that he was probably going to die and for a moment, was grateful that Sonya and Anya were away from Coruscant, that was before something was tossed onto the table before him, wrapped in cloth.

Taken aback, Vader, calmly, removed some of the cloth, jumping up in horror at see Anya's lifeless face peeking out of the cloth.

"I thought that you had learned your lesson on unreasonable attachments, Vader," Palpatine said sourly as he entered the room, his face outwardly calm but his yellow eyes indicating how livid he was.

Vader looked at him, knowing that Sonya was also dead. "Then kill me," he told him defiantly.

Palpatine frowned at the challenge, not liking Vader's backbone. "I have other plans. I will give you one more lesson on unreasonable attachments and I expect you to learn it this time," he said, feeding a holodisc into a viewer and looked to the guards. "Restrain him," he ordered.

Realizing what Palpatine had in mind, he tried to fight off the guards, but they hit him with their force pikes, making him double over and allowing them the opportunity to hold him down. He tried to look away from the viewer but Palpatine held him in place with the Force, forcing him to watch with horror the footage of Palpatine torturing Anya to death, Sonya also having being for to watch. Both of their screams tearing him apart. He watched, as Sonya broke freee of her retraints to make effort to protect Anya but was killed instantly, leaving no defense for Anya who was left to die from the Force Lightning inflicted on her.

Blind rage surged through Vader and he finally broke free of his restrains, bringing his lightsaber out, ready to slay Palpatine once and for all, but Palpatine anticipated it and sent him crashing into the wall with Force Lightning and applied Force Choke on him.

When he was finally released, Palpatine advanced on him. "Next time I will kill you for your insolence," Palpatine told him.

Vader looked up at him, his eyes burning yellow, his rage leaving him, only to be replaced by eerie calm. "Understood, Master," he said, silently vowing to have his revenge.

*~*~*

A beacon interrupted Vader's preoccupied thoughts and he was glad for the distraction. Walking over to the com, he was greeted with Admiral Haniel's face. "What is it?" he demanded.

"Detectors have picked up an unidentified vessel following us, My Lord, we had tried to hail it but received no answer, what are your orders?" Hanial asked, knowing better to proceed with an action without first consulting Vader first when he was aboard.

"Eliminate it," Vader ordered, realizing that it was one more attempt of Palpatine's to have him followed.

"Understood," Haniel replied, closing the transmission.

Vader returned to his post at the window, watching as they dropped from hyperspace, as well as the ship that he recognized as belonging to a bounty hunter. He folded his arms across his chest and watched as the Exactor fired it's guns at the vessel, blowing it up instantly without warning. "I am always one step ahead of you now, my master," he thought, before turning to hail Jix to inform him that he would be changing the timing to sooner than originally planned.