Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters, ideas or published content that is part of Star Wars. I own only the Idea of this story and my own Original Character.
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Vader floated aimlessly in his Bactatank.
His body, for all the time it had spent healing, was still no more than a frail, scarred and broken vessel of pain and suffering. His pain growing alongside his suffering which only served to fuel his anger, his hate. And yet, he floated. Multiple wires crossed around him, supporting Vader's body while he was out of his suit. It was kind of sadistically funny to Vader of how much he relied on that suit, no matter the pain it caused him. But as he floated there, he could not help but become prey to a growing vulnerability due to his ever-exposed state. Whilst he knew that no human was ever permitted access into his meditation/medical chambers, Vader never could get past the horrific thought of his condition no, his weaknesses being known.
Vader looked at his surroundings and studied them closely, staring at the walls and all they encompassed. He hated the black that everything was covered in as it reminded him of his own growing darkness. He looked to the droids and fixated on their silence both in their movements and their inner machinery. He had ordered them to specifically be designed as such, as he could not properly focus with any noise around him.
"My lord Vader, the Emperor demands your presence." The loud, sudden voice echoed round his chambers and Vader's eyes shot open upon the sudden intrusion, his heart pounding as his fear of being seen attacked him profusely. Only after realising the voice came from the comms, did Vader blink a few times as the bubbles from his panic began to burst and disappear around him. "My lord?" as the voice came through again, Vader could hear the uncertainty of not knowing what to do, should whoever it be contacting him not be able to reach Vader. Should he ignore him? The thought of forcing them to come into his chambers, therefore granting Vader something to destroy was certainly tempting. No, Vader thought, considering the last time he killed his officers for no good reason. "Inform my master I shall be with him soon." Vader replied. His voice did not carry that robotic enhancement in it, and it was obvious in the way the officer replied without fear.
The Emperor's chambers on his personal flagship were very fitting for one of the most powerful Sith to ever exist. They were as cold as the atmosphere of space holding not even an inch of warmth. They were as dark as a black hole, sucking in so much darkness that no light would ever be found here. It was the ideal reflection of everything the Emperor wished to accomplish in his role: To kill and abuse everything until the galaxy was replaced with an unforgiving darkness that repressed all and destroyed any trace of the light. It was in these chambers that the Emperor awaited his loyal apprentice, he had sensed Vader's growing despair whilst in his medical chambers, and he had smiled a wicked grin so wide you would have thought it a split across his whole face. Oh, how the Emperor enjoyed tormenting his apprentice. And yet, it only ever brought him disappointment.
The hiss of the doors opening brought the Emperor from his thoughts as the room gave way to Vader entering the chambers. He strode with anger in his wake, as his feet slammed into the ground with every step. His stance telling a story of immense discomfort in his raised shoulders and his balled fists. Vader's body language always struck fear into those around him. However, to the Emperor it only sparked humour and pride. It was not often the Emperor felt pride, but when he looked upon Vader, his most destructive and successful creation. How could he not? Everything about his apprentice screamed agony and rage. It was the very thing the Emperor had strived to achieve.
"What is your bidding, Master?" The Emperor looked down upon Vader as one would when faced with someone vastly inferior to them. "Darth Vader. My apprentice. My spies have discovered the location of a hidden Jedi." the Emperor paused a moment to gauge Vader's reaction. To his pleasure, the Emperor felt Vader's anger grow tenfold. "He is hiding out on the Sith planet of Selveerum, using the shroud of the Dark side to keep himself from us."
"I shall destroy him my master, as I destroyed his brothers and sisters at the Jedi temple." Vader gave his reply with fury rolling off his tongue. How long had it been since he had faced a Jedi? It made no difference to Vader; he knew of very few foes who could match him in combat, let alone beat him. A silent pain flashed across Vader's incomplete body, as the memory of searing heat gripped him. Once more he would receive the pleasure of crushing a Jedi, searching for the one who he hated most.
"Good." The Emperors exhale of speech reeked of death and satisfaction. "Let your hate fuel you, as you seek, and destroy this Jedi." Vader knew the Emperor sensed his pain; he could see it in the devilish grin that struck across his masters obscured face. Vader stood and withdrew himself from the Emperor's chambers and made his way towards the hangar of the ship. Reflecting on the pain their order caused him throughout his life.
As Vader stepped down the white ramp of the imperial shuttle, he looked around at his surroundings. The surface of Selveerum dense with jungles and trees, each standing at towering heights. He looked towards the trees and bushes, narrowing his eyes at the flowers and fruit that lay all around him. Alive, but somehow not? They were drained, All of them. The colours faded, and the plants drooped. As if on the very brink of death.
An eerie quiet struck Vader. There were no birds chirping in the air, no trickles of water running past in streams, no gusts of wind blowing by. No, only silence. The type of silence that frightens you to the very core. This silence, it seemed to drown the planet in an intensely dark aura. Now he knew exactly why the Jedi ventured here, to this dark, dead planet. He knew of such places from his master, whole planets capable of harnessing the Dark side and focusing all negative feelings. He took his first step onto the mossy ground of the mysterious planet, and began to walk, feeling for a shift in the force, anything that felt different from the dark.
Vader continued to walk amongst the trees but began to feel something deep inside himself. It was something familiar, something he had felt many times in his life. The touch of darkness. It gripped his body in a vice-like hold and sent the most unnerving chills up his spine as it whispered its sweet poison in his ears. He knew at once that this place was far darker than any he had gone before. In that darkness, he felt something else. Something warm and soft. It stripped away the cold and banished it, reaching out to caress his rough and callous cheek. NO! Vader's mind was his own and he would not give in to the terror that haunted him.
Stomping through what little life remained in the plants and grass. Vader could sense the presence now, the call to the force asking for guidance. He could sense the Jedi was frightened of something; the Jedi had come to this planet seeking safety. But perhaps he had not foreseen the evil that grew in the very roots of the planet itself? Unlikely, given the powerful Darkside aura that existed all throughout the planet. Something else then. Was the planet showing this feeble Jedi something he wished not to see? Whatever frightened the Jedi so much, Vader would not fall prey to it.
After some time, Vader happened upon what looked to be an ancient temple. Crumbling away after centuries of being forgotten, left to waste away just like the rest of the planet. The temple stood at 40 metres perhaps, with old brick that showed no resemblance of its original colour. It was completely taken over by mould, vines and vegetation growing out of the cracks in its foundation. It held a triangular shape in design and looked as though it would have been a well-kept temple back in its day. Vader took a moment to observe the two strangely still intact statues. Standing either side of the entrance, they held swords instead of lightsabers. An obscure sight to Vader, he knew from this that this temple was truly ancient. He readied himself for what might await him inside, with the full knowledge that the force on this planet held no petty alignments such as Light vs Dark. Vader would be on his own.
Entering the temple, Vader immediately felt something he previously encountered on this planet, only this time, it was far stronger. The warmth that welcomed him earlier, had once again begun to surround him and envelop him in a sense of security. As though all his worries and troubles were vanishing upon its touch, Vader could not recall the last time he felt such content, until…
"Anakin…"
The immediate hiss of Vader's lightsaber broke all silence that had accompanied the Dark lord so far. It glowed and hummed with all its might and power, and the blood red bounced off all surfaces including Vader himself. He turned a few times, his eyes narrowed, just waiting to see a single hint of movement around him. He stared through the deep red of his lenses and saw a light blue dress. Her shoulders bare and a short cape draping down her back. "I want to have our baby back home on Naboo." Her soft words echoed through his brain as he tried to focus his mind. He watched her stroke a brush through those dark, wavy curls, listening to the angelic voice of the one he betrayed. "I know the perfect spot, right by the gardens." Vader felt a cold shiver run down the length of his suit, lowering his glowing blade. Replacing the memory of her voice with the hiss of his retreating saber.
Placing it back onto his belt, he continued deeper into the temple. It had begun to feel like he had been on this planet for hours and he was only just beginning to understand why. The silence he had first felt when he arrived on this planet was there for a reason, the planet was draining those who stay on it of their very life-force, of all they are. It was why this temple had been abandoned, and why there were no animals or fresh fruit. It was why the planet only grew poisonous plants and drained any vegetation. This also helped Vader to see why the Jedi was asking for help, calling out to the force because he was trying to save himself from the planet, from all the damage he knew he was taking just to stay here.
From the moment Vader had arrived on the planet, he sensed a powerful presence residing in it, directing him to the temple to what he assumed would be the Jedi. But as wandered the halls, Vader saw what was calling to him. A Holocron, and as Vader approached the dark, brooding piece of power, he felt the Holocron attempting to speak with him.
"I found you at last." Vader spun instantaneously and froze in his place. She was as beautiful as the day he lost her. But, different? He looked at her pale face, and as his eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. A rippled blue dress, white flowers in her hair. Her hands were placed neatly at her waist and from a small chain, dangled a carved piece of wood. Her face was calm, it had a certain peace to it. But her eyes? She was crying, why was she crying? "Oh Ani, I thought I would never see you again. But I was right to hope, to trust that you would come back to me." Her lips curled into an inviting smile as she stared at him with those eyes. So full of pain and grief. Vader's mind went blank, 'This is wrong' he thought to himself taking a step away from her, he closed his eyes. Not being able to bare the way she looked at him, he stepped back. Feeling her raise her hands and beckoning for him to take her in his arms. Begging him to give in to her and to come and take his place with her. But Vader knew he could not, for she did not deserve to be plagued by his vile touch ever again.
"You were my brother Anakin!" came another voice as Vader was broken from his trance. Re-igniting his crimson blade, seeing the one whom he hated more than any other. The one who betrayed him, left him for dead. His eyes flashed open and it seemed a dream. There was nothing in front of him but the dark, brooding shape. Taking the Holocron in his left hand, he stared into its core, searching for answers as to what it was showing him. But the only thing he saw was his own reflection, the black of his mask staring right back at him. Taking the Holocron into his cloak and placing it in the compartment at the back of his belt, he once again sheathed his blade and continued.
As Vader continued through the decaying halls and corridors, he turned a corner to see a lone man sat on the other end of the corridor in a large room. Sensing Vader, he stood slowly from his cross-legged position, turning so they faced each other. The Jedi pulled down his hood to reveal himself. He was human, with white skin that was growing paler due to the planet. His hair a shoulder length blonde, half sitting tied back at the back of his head, it had grown dirty and unkept spiking out in different directions in a few places. His build was skinny and lean, but Vader had no doubt that someone who could survive on this planet for so long, would take great care of himself as much as he could. Vader made a mental note not to underestimate the physical prowess his opponent would most likely hold.
"Sith. I hoped someone would find me eventually." He spoke in a clear and calm tone of voice, but it was the pitch that led Vader to believe this Jedi was younger than he looked. Speaking with a sense of pride which lead the Dark lord to believe this Jedi had thought he had already won this battle. "Your hope has blinded you, Jedi!" Vader responded, carrying his words with volumes of hostility.
His robes were dirty, with patches of mud spattered about them. But there was no mistaking the robes of a jedi. An off-white undershirt was noticeable with pale blue layers on top serving as the main article of clothing, complimented by some subtle orange accents running along the edges of his robes. His cloak was brown and dull in its tattered state. While the Jedi was strong in his connection to the force, he did not feed off the dark side like Vader did, and so Vader knew he would be at a disadvantage in such a place.
A memory took him again, a blinding heat all around him as he stood on an isolated and raised platform in the middle of a lava river. Looking across the fire, over to a lone island seeing what he sees every time he wakes and every time he sleeps. The hiss of his blade was enough to take him back to the temple but opening his eyes again all he saw was her. She was begging and pleading to a man he knew to have been destroyed long ago. She was pleading for him to come away with her, to leave everything else behind. He wanted to go to her and tell her he was sorry that he would go with her now, that he wished only to be with her. But the fire, the lava was preventing him from taking even a single step.
Vader swung his lightsaber and took a step back, the Jedi staring at him with a look of curiosity but also of pity. He was mocking him, looking at him thinking he understood what pain was, thinking he knew what Vader had sacrificed! Vader stepped into the large room and raised his lightsaber as the Jedi discarded his cloak, revealing damage to the robes themselves. A small blaster hole on his upper right arm giving credit to any previous battles he had taken part in. Perhaps he escaped the Jedi temple? No, Vader and his clones had ensured no Jedi survived that night. And yet, the Jedi stood in his stance ready for battle. His own lightsaber igniting giving way to a deep forest green that signified the role of a Jedi Consular. It reminded Vader of healthy leaves in spring, of Naboo and when he was protecting Padme. It made sense to Vader now, as to why the Jedi had chosen a place like this. The green blade proving his title; Consular. It was the title given to Jedi who preferred to fight the darkness at its very heart using the force and all its mysteries, that is why he had come here, to reflect upon himself and fight the evil that radiated from this place.
Almost an instant later, Vader and the Jedi clashed together as Consular met Dark Lord. The Jedi swung a high strike, aimed at Vader's chest. One he easily blocked with his own saber in one simple wrist motion. But what he did not expect, was the sheer force behind the strike. Again, without hesitation, the Jedi spun and aimed for Vader's head, which the Dark lord had to duck under as it narrowly missed his head. Vader did not have the speed and agility that he once had.
As the two warriors clashed, they made their way through a far corridor on the other end of the room. As they clashed, their strikes hit the walls bringing down rubble and sending sparks everywhere they went. This battle reminded Vader of a similar fight he had taken part in once before, how he had faced in old mentor is such a similar environment. As the green blade took a stab at his chest, Vader parried it to the side with a downward arc to the left before punching the Jedi in the face, grabbing him, and bringing him in for a headbutt. The Jedi, stunned and dizzy, took his chance and sent an immensely powerful force push at Vader sending him sliding along the floor as brick and rock was pushed with him. Ending up back where they began, the Jedi's ruffled cloak of the floor next to Vader.
Vader's mind was once again transported back to the fire as it bubbled furiously underneath him. Only this time he witnessed a different scene in front of him. Standing on two platforms was his old master and his old self. They stared at each other, one with sorrow and regret whilst the other reflected nothing more than absolute hatred.
The Jedi stared at Vader as he went down to one knee, needing the support of the ground to stop him from falling over entirely. His empty left hand curled into a fist as it struck against the floor in anger and frustration. Vader seemed unlike any other to the Jedi, he was conflicted with something and in great pain about it. It was rolling off him in waves of terror so horrifying the Jedi felt disturbed to his core. "Who are you? You do not remind me of a Sith full of rage alone. You are conflicted, I can feel it. You were once a Jedi?" The Jedi questioned Vader as he stood from his kneeling position and faced his enemy, ready to clash once again. He would not give in to the false concern from a fanatic who came from an order of liars and betrayers. "There is no emotion, there is only peace. Please, I can help you!" The Jedi called out as he approached the Dark lord. The green, glowing blade moving defensively toward Vader. Searching for a peaceful resolution in the black of Vader's eyes.
"What is your name?" Vader stood, and the sound of his voice surprised the Jedi. As if he expected nothing more from the black suit than violence. After a slight pause, the Jedi spoke again. "I am Ki Chima, Jedi knight." All Vader could do was stare silently at the Jedi, only his mechanical breathing and the humming of their lightsabers audible. Vader raised his lightsaber and the Jedi understood immediately that there would be no more words. This Sith was too far gone to hear the call of the light anymore, and all Ki Chima could offer him was a quick and merciful death.
Vader stepped towards the Jedi knight, slowly raising his blade above his head, using both hands to grip the hilt. Vader imagined the hands he used to have and thought upon how white his knuckles would be from his grip. Continuing to walk forwards, his pace began to quicken, and he did not stop, he would not stop. The Jedi in response began to charge at Vader with all the might he could muster, raising his own blade with two hands and drawing it close to his chest as he prepared to thrust the weapon through Vader's chest, ending this fight once and for all. The Jedi was no longer afraid of the Dark lord, the force had answered his call for help, giving him the strength to finish it. There was only one thing the Jedi was trying to do now, he had to strike down the evil that had come to him, or he would be struck down himself, finally knowing the peace of all his brothers and sisters in the force. He was ready for such an outcome but knew the Sith before him must be stopped at whatever cost.
They struck, and silence ensued as the two warriors stood still and stared at each other. Ki Chima smiled only to be interrupted by the weakness of his body, no longer being able to hold onto his weapon as it fell, hissing has it hit the floor. Yet, before he could fall with his weapon, Vader grabbed onto the Jedi's collar leaning close to his face. "Peace is a lie! And I saw through the lies of the Jedi a long time ago." Vader threw the corpse to the ground, before stretching out with his empty hand as the Jedi's weapon flew into it. Vader studied the blade carefully until he was satisfied, placing it on his belt.
As Vader began towards the exit of the temple he saw once more the ghosts of his past looking at him, all he saw was utter horror at the act of destruction he had committed here. And something else? He turned, and there she was. Her left-hand closing around his, stopping him from leaving this forsaken place.
Vader took the Holocron from its compartment and stared deeply through his crimson lenses. He thought about all he had done and tried to decide what he wanted, but inside he knew that decision was made quite some time ago. When he decided to go against all that he had believed in, when he betrayed everyone he ever cared about. He stared into the Holocron, knowing that if he took it with him, he would forever be haunted by what it knew. The warmth in his hand disappeared and was once again replaced by the cold vice-like grip of the darkness. It surrounded him and sent the same cold chills up his spine. Vader let go of the Holocron as it floated in front of him.
"You're going down a path I can't follow."
"You brought him here to kill me!"
"Let her go Anakin."
Vader's saber hand began to shake uncontrollably as the voices pounded inside his head, continuing to torment him without end. His grip unyielding however, he raised it slowly.
"I have failed you Anakin, I have failed you."
"I failed you mom."
What could be done? He tried everything he could, to save the ones he loved and to bring about balance. But there could be none of that, for everything he had attempted only ever ended in vein, in suffering!
"You were my brother Anakin, and I loved you!"
"Ani, I'm pregnant."
"I HATE YOU!"
"NO!" Vader roared violently as he swung hard and fast at the Holocron shattering it into a million pieces across the tiled floor of the ancient temple. And once more there was nothing, death had truly taken all, and only silence existed here now. Vader walked out into the dying trees till he arrived back on his shuttle, leaving this planet behind and in doing so, leaving behind a part of himself that only served to torment that was his life until the day when he could leave that behind too.
Authors Note: Hey guys, so first, I hope you have enjoyed the story. It was a lot of fun to write, what with my love of Star Wars and all. But, it was also fun to write due to the fact that I had not written any stories previous to this for a good long while as I had fallen out of writing for a loss of passion and interest.
However, a good friend of mine has inspired me to author this story since we both love Star Wars. Below you'll find a link to his Instagram page that he has just set up for art. He's incredibly good at what he does and he's hoping to get some attraction to his page. Please go and check him out as his art really is amazing, and he helped me edit and correct a few things in this story
Instagram: KBC_Creates
Anyway, once again I hope you enjoyed this story and hopefully it won't be long before I post again.