Chapter 60:
Atrox sat in the center of the darkened room that made up his quarters, the dark side swirling around him like a hurricane as he fueled his hatred against those who would destroy Mara and their child.
Mara was on the other side of the room, arms crossed and scowling at him in annoyance. "Stop being an idiot, farmboy. I'm not going to die, and neither is our child."
Atrox did not look up from his meditations. "You don't know that," he said bitterly.
"Skywalker—" she warned, summoning all her willpower to prevent herself from smashing something with the Force. Her exasperation rippled through the Force, flooding their bond as she stormed towards him. "Blast it, Skywalker, you're the Dark Lord of the Sith! You should be beyond fear by now."
Atrox's voice turned cold. "I'm not scared, I'm angry." he growled.
"You're afraid of losing our child!" she accused, jabbing a finger out at him. "I'm inside your head, don't even bother trying to deny it." Her emerald eyes glittered, dangerously, as she glared down at him, though he still refused to meet her eyes.
Atrox continued to avert his eyes from Mara's. Unable to deny his fear of losing his child, he began to mutter various Huttese curses, both out loud and into the Force as well.
Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Keep that up, farmboy, and you'll find yourself without a tongue," she warned. "Pouting here in the dark isn't going to help anything."
"Very well." Atrox said softly as he started to get up. However his thoughts in the Force were very different. E chu ta, he muttered.
The next thing he knew, he was slammed up against the wall, Mara's fists clenched around the neck of his robes. Mara's glare was murderous, as she whispered softly into his ear, "Say that again, Skywalker, and I will personally make your existence a living hell."
Both Vader and Leia felt his words through the Force, and the wave of anger that accompanied them. Padmé stared at the two of them; Vader was amused and Leia looked appalled. In answer to her look, Vader told her quietly what Atrox had said. Padmé's expression mirrored Leia's, and Vader left to discover what had caused this outburst in his son.
He stormed into the room, and found Mara still forcing Atrox against the wall, fury radiating off of her. She did not turn around to acknowledge Vader, but said fiercely, "If your son cannot keep that… that filth out of his mouth when he speaks to me, I won't be responsible for what happens to him."
Vader locked eyes with Atrox, an amused expression on his face. Don't expect me to help you here, son. You dug yourself into this, and now you need to face not only your mother, myself, but also Mara Jade. Vader spoke to Atrox through their bond in the Force coldly.
A few moments later, Padmé entered. Momentarily taken aback by the sight before her, she reached her husband's side, watching the two by the wall.
Mara raised Atrox another inch or two, keeping his gaze locked with hers. "Are we clear, Skywalker?" she asked softly, but with an edge in her voice.
Atrox's burning eyes never left Mara's. A smirk forming on his face, he drank in their emerald depths, even as they glared back at him. "Perfectly." he said sternly, leaving no room for question. Through the Force, he whispered, You are truly beautiful, even when you are angry.
She blushed, furiously, trying to hide it behind annoyance, yet not displeased. Padmé marched up to him, the expression on her face severe. "Mara, do you mind keeping him for a moment?" Padmé said, more of a command than a request. Mara complied, allowing Padmé to have full view of his face.
"Do you have any idea what the repercussions would be if you said something like that in a public place?" she demanded. "You are the Emperor's son. Every time you go out into the public stage, you're going to be hounded by people from the Holonet trying to get something on you. You cannot afford to discredit your father's position, or yours. Anything you do or say to any of them will have serious consequences for you and the Empire. If you lose your temper like you did just now, you will lose respect throughout the galaxy, which may well cause more planets to rebel. Is that what you want?"
Vader stormed up next to Padmé, mentally communicating with his apprentice. If you bring down the Empire I have worked so hard to build... I WILL be sure to make your life... painful. Vader sneered through the Force, locking his own burning eyes onto Atrox's, peering into the very depths of his soul.
Atrox averted his eyes, looking down towards Mara. "Forgive me," he whispered both to his mother out loud, and to his master through the Force.
Mara released him and stepped back, allowing him to face his parents. Padmé reached out to touch her son on the arm, gently. "I forgive you, Luke." She paused. "You know I'm trying to help you. Political affairs can be difficult to navigate, at best, especially for newcomers."
Atrox looked at his mother and nodded. "I know," he said softly, turning his gaze back towards his master, waiting for him to acknowledge him.
Vader fixed his eyes on Atrox, intent upon determining his sincerity. "Apology accepted," Vader replied at last, with a nod.
After a moment or two, Padmé broke the silence by saying, "How are you and the baby, Mara?"
"The baby's fine, I think," she said, a trifle uncertainly. She touched her stomach, casting a glance down at it. "I haven't felt anything was wrong, or endangering it, anyway."
Padmé smiled at her. "Don't worry, when we get back to Imperial Center we'll be able to look into a doctor to make sure everything is healthy."
"We should begin our preparations for the mission," Vader remarked. "Although the necessary training has been completed, we are still far from ready to depart."
Atrox looked up at his parents and nodded. "We will be meditating here, my master."
Vader and Padmé returned to the privacy of their own quarters, and Padmé for the first time realized how late it was. With a tired sigh she prepared for bed, and within moments she was asleep.
Vader settled next to her, and opened his mind to the Force, unable to sleep but allowing himself to drift into meditation. He attempted to tap into the events of the future, looking for insight into their mission.
"Just a little more, Mara. You're almost there," Atrox told her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Mara's expression twisted with pain and concentration, and suddenly there was a cry from the foot of the bed. Padmé lovingly cradled the child handed to her by the med droid, turning toward the bed to bring him to his parents. There was a flash, and Padmé staggered, almost dropping the baby. Leia caught him, swiftly.
Vader caught his wife as she fell, holding her close, shock flooding him. He could sense the gaping hole in her back, sucking the life from her body fast, too fast. "Padmé…" he whispered, numbly, unbelieving.
She reached a hand up to touch his cheek, weakly. "Anakin… I love you…"
Despair filled him. "NO! I won't let you go, Padmé. Not again." Atrox and Leia had reached his side, horror mirrored in both their faces.
"Luke… Leia…" Padmé whispered, her breath coming in shallow gasps. "Good…bye." She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, looking up into Anakin's eyes lovingly as her life-force flickered, and went out.
Vader sat up with a start, cold sweat dripping from his brow. Padmé was still sleeping lightly by his side. Shaken to the core by what he had witnessed, he rose, trying not to wake her. He drew on his dark tunic, and was pulling on his boots when he heard a sleepy voice behind him.
"Ani?"
He paused, turning his head swiftly to look at her. "It's nothing, Padmé. Go back to sleep."
She came awake in earnest then, and sat up. "What happened? Anakin, what's wrong?"
He turned away, not trusting his emotions. "I had another vision. Different from the others."
She rose and came to his side. "What happened?" she asked again, softly.
He didn't reply at once. "At first, it is the same as before, with Mara in childbirth, but you and Leia are there. The child… is born, and as you take it into your arms to bring it to Mara, you take the shot that was meant for her."
"You mean…" Padmé left the words unspoken between them.
"Yes."
She reached a hand up to his shoulder and turned him, gently. Traces of fear and sorrow were in her eyes, but also resignation. "If that is what it takes to keep my family safe, you know I would not back down from it. But these dreams have changed before; they may change again."
"Perhaps." Vader's tone was bleak.
Atrox was shaken out of his meditation by the grief that arced through the bond he shared with his father. He stood, abruptly, startling Mara, who had been meditating by his side. "What is it?" she asked, annoyed that they had been disturbed.
Atrox locked eyes with her. "Father is in pain... he has had another vision," he said softly.
Mara's expression became unreadable, though he could feel her apprehension. "Go to him, then."
Atrox extended a hand. "Come with me," he asked her softly.
Surprised by his request, she allowed her annoyance to fade, and took his hand. He helped her rise, and she followed him down to his parents' quarters.
Atrox reached out through the Force, touching Vader's mind. Father.
What is it? Vader asked harshly.
Atrox's anger and hurt from his father's words radiated through the Force. I sensed your... pain. I was going to come to see what was wrong. I regret doing so now. Atrox sent back hotly, storming off back towards his own quarters, mentally noting not to come to his father's aid when his instincts said otherwise.
Mara's temper flared, and she stormed into Vader's quarters, eyes burning dangerously. "How dare you?" she hissed, as angry as she'd been in some time. "I don't care what nightmares frightened you last night; he is your only son, and he does NOT deserve to be attacked when he's trying to help you! You don't even begin to deserve his loyalty and concern! How dare you?"
Padmé frowned, confused by Mara's hostility. "Mara, what happened?" she asked gently.
Mara whirled on her, furious. "What happened? What happened?" she repeated, her tone soft. "YOUR PRECIOUS HUSBAND JUST DROVE HIS SON AWAY WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO EXPRESS HIS CONCERN!" Her voice thundered through the room, infused through the Force with her fury.
Padmé turned to Vader, questioningly. "Anakin?"
Vader turned away, refusing to meet her eyes. Mara glared at him, eyes burning a hole in the back of his head.
"Anakin, just because you're upset doesn't mean you should treat him that way. He was worried about you," Padmé said, distressed.
"Not anymore," Mara muttered, still feeling Atrox's hurt through their bond.
Padmé flinched at her words, knowing Atrox must have been hurt by whatever his father had said. She sighed, tiredly, and looked at Mara. "I'll try to talk to him about it. Try and help Luke, I'm sure he needs you."
She nodded, curtly, and stormed out of the room, shooting another dark look at Vader as she went.
"Now," Padmé said quietly, walking over to him. "What happened?"
He didn't respond, arms folded inexorably across his chest. She suppressed a sigh, and tried again, determined to get him to talk to her. "Anakin, he's your son, and he wanted to help you as much as I did, but you pushed him away. Do you want him to turn against you?"
Vader finally turned around and looked Padmé in the eyes, his expression cold and unreadable. "What makes you think at this point he won't? He is not only my son, but a Sith Lord." He paused, looking down at his feet, feeling a part of his former self trying to come out. "What makes you think he won't turn against me now... after I have pushed him away?"
She took a step closer him, looking up into his face. "Go to him, tell him you're sorry. Let him help you, tell him what happened." She paused, and said softer than he could hear, "And then decide if you truly want your son to be a Sith Lord."
Vader locked his eyes on Padmé's face, his expression unreadable. "It does not matter... he is already a Sith Lord. He has already been given a Sith name, as I have, and has embraced it," he said, just as softly.
It was Padmé's turn to look away. "You speak as if that is something that can never change. Have you ever wanted it to change, Anakin? Have you ever tried?"
"Yes!" The word burst out suddenly, as if he hadn't intended to say it, and she thought she saw a hint of blue in his eyes when he met hers. But his expression hardened almost instantly, his eyes returning to their sickly yellow state. "I only wish that you had been sensible in the first place, taking your rightful place at my side on... that day. Everything I have done has been for you Padmé, to protect you. We could have raised our children together," Vader said coolly, turning away from her with a touch of hurt in his voice.
"Well maybe I didn't want your 'protection'!" she snapped suddenly. "Especially if your idea of protection involves trying to strangle me or punishing our children because you're hurting inside! Neither of them knows what to think of the way you've treated them. I don't know what to think. I begged you to come away with me, so we could raise our children together, but you rejected that in
favor of power. You continue to reject it, pushing all the rest of us away from you when we're trying to help you the most." A tear rolled down her cheek, and she looked away. "If you won't let me help you, why should I stay?" She turned and fled the room, unable to control her emotions anymore.
Vader turned, sharply, as soon as she left the room, his own emotions spiraling out of control. Anger, pain, bitterness, fear, regret, all of which had been building inside him now exploded outward, breaking through the barriers he had built to hold them in. A datapad on the table shattered, crushed by the Force storm created by his loss of control, as other items were hurled around the room.
Atrox felt the massive surge of dark energy from his master... and all of the emotions that came with it. He is getting what he deserves, Atrox thought bitterly, still angry and hurt from his earlier encounter with him.
Leia's uneasy sleep was shattered by the explosion of pain and darkness from the next room. Apprehensive, she slid the door separating the rooms open a crack, trying to find out what was going on. She was hit by another wave of overwhelming emotion, and she was filled with compassion for the tortured man before her. Opening the door wider, she stepped into the room, still cautious, surveying the chaos inside. "Father?" she asked, gently.
Vader did not turn around to acknowledge his daughter, the emotions inside him still uncontrolled. "Why are you still here?" he said bitterly.
The question confused her; she still had no idea what had happened. "Because you're my father, and I love you." She said simply.
Vader continued to face away from Leia. "You do not love me." He said coldly. "You love the man I used to be."
"Anakin Skywalker was, is, and will always be, a part of who you are." Leia responded softly. "But I told you before that I have come to love and trust you, the man you are at this moment. My father. That's still true."
Leia's words startled Darth Vader to the very core. He had not expected this, not at all. He finally turned around, the hurt from earlier still evident on his face. "I love you too, my daughter," he said softly as his face softened a little. "I always will," he added after a few moments.
She came closer and put her arms around him, hugging him tightly for a moment before pulling away. "Why are you so upset?" she asked quietly, looking up into his face with concern.
Vader gently opened his mind to his daughter, vividly showing her exactly what had happened both during the vision, and afterwards.
Once he had finished, Leia was silent, taking a moment to recover her composure after what she had witnessed. At last, she said, "The dream was… horrible. Frightening. I can see why you were shaken." She paused, willing the images to leave her mind as she tried to focus. Her thoughts finally in order, she
began hesitantly. "Father... after knowing... your former master for as long as you have... do you think he would have allowed Padmé to remain with you... or would he have..." She broke off, unable to finish the sentence.
Vader thought over this, remembering the years he spent under Palpatine's lies and manipulation. His former master no doubt knew how much he loved his wife, not to mention his unborn child, and would not hesitate to use her to manipulate him. The thought ignited a rage within Vader towards his former master, a rage that more powerful than he had ever felt before.
Leia took a step back, a little frightened by his sudden anger. She looked up at his face, darkened with hatred, and was once more reminded that despite his changes, he was still Darth Vader. At last, she said, "I think it would mean a great deal to mother if you apologized to her. She loves you so much, I can feel it through her pain."
Vader slowly regained control of his anger, and nodded, agreeing with her. After a few moments, he took a step forward and embraced his daughter, feeling her love for him through their bond, finding her presence just as soothing as Padmé's. "I will." He said softly, his pained eyes locking with her own.
She returned his embrace, the look in his eyes causing her heart to ache. "Do you want me to try to find her?" she asked him, her voice gentle.
Vader's frown deepened as he sensed Atrox's thoughts towards him. His hurt expression further deepened when he felt Atrox completely sealed off their bond. What have you done to her this time! Stay away from her! was the final thought sent through their bond, Atrox's voice roaring inside his mind. After a few moments, Vader finally addressed his daughter. "Your brother is going to her." He whispered.