AN:
Selenese: So happy to see you back! I can't wait for them to meet either! XOXO
ThunderOfDeath97: I can see you love Anakin a lot, and I love the passion you have – I love Anakin too! But, you know, we have to understand the perspective of all the characters not just Anakin's. They are trying to piece things together and make sense of everything that happened. It's not all black and white – there's a lot of nuance there. So we should show them the same courtesy you show Anakin, right? :D
Anti-Hero
Leia gasped as the door rattled until she saw Obi-Wan breaking through.
"Uncle Ben!" She cried
"Leia!" He breathed out a sigh of relief and rushed to uncuff her wrists.
"There are bad people here." She spoke nervously. "And they're looking for you." She warned but Obi-Wan didn't need her to warn him, he was well aware.
"Come on." He signaled gently. "Let's just get out of here."
They were just about to leave when two stormtroopers and an imperial officer barged in.
The stormtroopers ordered Obi-Wan to put his hands in the air but just as they aimed their blasters at him, they were shot in the back of the head by the imperial officer – much to the surprise of Obi-Wan and Leia.
"We need to get going." The woman instructed.
"Who are you?" He cocked an eyebrow
"Tala." She rushed. "I'll explain later. You just. . .put on his uniform." She pointed over to the stormtrooper lying dead on the floor.
Her eyes then searched the space, looking for a solution. She grabbed a trolley, and gestured for Leia to get in. Leia glanced at Obi-Wan who hesitantly nodded.
Obi-Wan threw his cloak over Leia, placing the other stormtrooper helmet on her. And they began to sneak out.
Managing to get past most of the guards wasn't difficult – everyone seemed to be minding their own business. It wasn't until they were about to head onto the ship, that Tala had waiting for them, that someone took notice.
Reva rushed over, urging the troops to aim their guns at the ship.
Vader came out upon hearing the many gunshots. He turned to Reva, as the ship flew off, and could see she had failed.
"My lord–" She began but Vader waved her off.
"I'll deal with you later.' He warned before turning to his staff. "Prepare my ship!"
I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser
Midnights become my afternoons
When my depression works the graveyard shift, all of the people
I've ghosted stand there in the room
Obi-Wan, Leia and Tala arrived on Mapuzo, and she guided them to a passageway that can keep them hidden until they acquire a ride home.
Vader and the inquisitors arrived shortly after, making it obvious to Tala that they followed them.
"He's here." She whispered, almost to herself.
"And if he's after you. . .your chances of getting out alive are slim to none."
"Who?" Obi-Wan asked, rushing over to see who Tala was spying on through the window.
"Vader." She uttered.
Obi-Wan stepped back, like he needed to lean on the wall for a moment. He started to notice the cadence in his breaths – rapid, unsteady. His eyes widened, unable to come to terms with it. And his mind flashed back to that fateful night where he saw that holo-recording and Anakin accepting his sith name from Palpatine.
He can't be alive. After all this time?
But he didn't need to say anything – suddenly, he could feel him.
In an effort to avoid hyperventilating, and feeling a burning sensation in his chest, he took a look for himself.
And there he was.
Encapsulated in a black, metal suit. The mechanical breathing sounded so loud with all the villagers quiet. The entire village seemed to halt at his presence – frozen in fear.
Vader made his way down the road, eager to find Obi-Wan.
And just as Obi-Wan released another shaky breath, Vader stopped in his tracks. He could feel him too.
Vader glanced around, his red lenses darted from one side to the other, desperate to seize him. His eyes settled on a family – particularly the father. He raised his arm and, using the force, his fingers wrapped around the father's neck, dragging him out into the middle of the road. This was met with gasps from the bystanders, and tears from the man's family – feeling hopeless to stop it.
Obi-Wan couldn't take it. He couldn't believe the viciousness he saw before his eyes. What was even worse was he couldn't do anything to help these innocent people. As a Jedi, that's what he's been trained to do his whole life. But if he did, he'd be putting Leia at risk. It all felt so wrong – to sacrifice one person for another.
The son of the victim ran out to save his father, but Vader snapped his neck – and everyone felt sick at that point. And Obi-Wan knew, Vader was sending him a message. This was about fathers and sons, the family dynamic, his relationship with Obi-Wan, and how ready Vader was to kill it.
Growing restless as his attempts to lure Obi-Wan out seemed futile, he continued to make his way down the path, grabbing any civilian to take his anger out on, in hopes that Obi-Wan would have to give in.
Dragging a lady out by the neck, Obi-Wan realized that Tala was right: there was little to no chance of them making it out alive.
Urging Tala to take Leia and go, Obi-Wan considered going out and putting an end to this.
Leia begged Obi-Wan to stay, refusing to leave him, as he and Tala tried to keep her quiet.
They were just about to reach the tunnel that led to the shuttle that will take them home but before they could make it, there he was.
Vader now stood before the three of them, and Leia cried out in terror, traumatized by the man in the black suit that hurt her when he infiltrated her mind.
There was no other option but to run out into the open land covered in sand.
I should not be left to my own devices
They come with prices and vices
I end up in crisis
Tale as old as time
There was quite a difference in their demeanors. Obi-Wan picked up Leia, and he and Tala ran out as far as they could. It didn't even dawn on him that he was protecting Leia from her own father. Vader seemed to walk steadily behind them. And Obi-Wan realized that running away was only going to get the three of them killed.
"Both of you, go." Obi-Wan urged breathlessly. "I have to face him."
Obi-Wan turned back around and was immediately met with Vader's stare. Leia screamed out but Tala grabbed her arm, rushing her over to the side.
"What have you become." Obi-Wan's forehead wrinkled, still trying to process it. His eyes wide in shock.
"What you made me." He hissed. Vader glanced over at a trembling Leia and Tala.
"Babysitting?" Vader sneered, as he narrowed the space between him and Obi-Wan.
"Sure you want your little friend to watch you die?" His dry tone was followed by his red lightsaber igniting.
"Leia, run. Now!" Obi-Wan ordered and Tala took her hand and made a run for it – just as Vader aimed his laser sword at Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan quickly ignited his own, feeling rusty, but he did his best to block Vader's hit.
Obi-Wan struggled to keep up with the stamina Vader exerted. Vader didn't seem to fight fair – always on the attack - always ready to use brute force, including punches with his metal hand.
After several lightsaber thrashes, Vader finally knocked Obi-Wan on the floor.
"You thought you could beat me?" He almost cackled.
He raised his sword once more, and Obi-Wan wondered whether he'd make it – he felt utterly defeated.
It wasn't until he saw the blazing red light coming at him that he remembered his purpose – the twins – He remembered Yoda and their plan, and how the future of the galaxy hangs on this moment.
His back writhed in pain, as he put all his effort into blocking Vader's lightsaber with his own, holding it up for as long as he could to keep Vader at a distance – he was almost blinded by the clashes of red and blue light.
Trying to summon the strength to defend himself, Obi-Wan finally managed to lift his leg, kicking Vader back in the crotch. He then used his lightsaber handle to destroy Vader's breathing mechanism on his chest, slowing Vader down. And with one final slash, Obi-Wan aimed for his head, slicing a large chunk of Vader's helmet.
Vader stumbled, trying to stand up straight, and Obi-Wan finally saw the man behind the mask.
Anakin.
I wake up screaming from dreaming
One day, I'll watch as you're leaving
'Cause you got tired of my scheming
For the last time
Obi-Wan felt his own heart stop. He knew Anakin was in the suit but he didn't quite register it until now – until he finally saw Anakin's blue eyes staring back at him. He was really in there.
"Anakin." He whispered, aghast.
Vader glared at him, trying to manage his distorted, irregular inhalations.
Obi-Wan began to tear up, feeling like a failure. How can brothers misunderstand each other so drastically?
"I'm sorry, Anakin." He whimpered. "For all of it."
Vader tensed up, filled with rage, especially at the sound of his former name. But what really upset him was that he hated him. He hated him so much – and he realized that the problem with that is it means there's still love there. Vader would rather not hate him. He'd rather be indifferent – then he wouldn't care to hate him at all.
But he knew he wasn't there yet. He had enough self-awareness to know that his anger ran the show. And he was angry as he looked at Obi-Wan's tears. He didn't want to see him cry. He wanted to beat him. He wanted it to feel good. He wanted the win to feel good – he would prove he was stronger, that his powers were unrivaled, that he survived the most violent death, and he wanted to relish in it.
But instead, he was met with Obi-Wan's pity. Pity! And Vader didn't want his pity.
"I am not your failure, Obi-Wan." He growled.
Obi-Wan was further brought to tears once he heard Anakin's true voice escaping the muddled sounds of his breathing device. It's been 10 years since he heard him speak.
"You didn't kill Anakin..." He rasped. "I did."
A deranged smile left his lips. He was adamant about being the one to take the power back. At least that's the way Vader saw it. Perhaps Anakin was relieving Obi-Wan of his guilt – but Vader refused to believe there was any Anakin left in him.
"He could come back." Obi-Wan eventually sniveled. "If you wanted him to."
He cautiously took a step closer. "It doesn't have to be like this."
His eyes leveled with Vader's, and for a moment he could've sworn there was a glimmer of hope in them.
"Be the man I believed you could be." His voice was gentle but almost desperate to reach out. "The man Padme believed you were–"
The sound of her name and the memory of the night that everything changed made Vader's blood boil. Every time he falls deeper into the dark side, it looks the same. It's always dark, indicating his fall from the light. There's a fire, the one that physically consumed him when he became Vader, and the one within him that drove him to seek more – more power, more freedom. And lastly, the dark side trap has you blinded by your own passion – you can't see anything other than what you want.
The dark side makes you believe it's freeing you. It appears to understand your inner self and lets you believe you can gain all the things you lust after.
But the roaring Mustafar fires wasn't the memory that stuck with him in this moment, it was the fire within, the first time he felt dangerously close to getting his heart's desires.
He could hear the crackling flames coming from the fireplace. The room was dark – the fire was the only source of light, leaving just a small window of opportunity to step into the light. Padme stood there in a black, leather corset and lace skirt with a metallic design pattern, sporting a jet collar necklace that perfectly depicted the chokehold they had on each other. He was going to get what he wanted even if he had to squeeze it out. The same way he seized her neck on Mustafar to silence her when she didn't do what he wanted her to.
He stood so close to her now. It was probably dangerous to be this close to her but he didn't care. It was all he could think about. He had to have her.
"W-we can't let one little kiss get in the way of reality." Padme reasoned but her resolve was cracking. She didn't feel so confident in her convictions now that she could feel the heat from his body hovering over her.
"This is real to me." He drawled, reaching up to cradle the side of her face. Her eyes fell closed at the touch of his hand on her cheek – but she soon snapped out of it.
"The reality is you're a Jedi and I'm a senator." She put her foot down but it didn't seem to click with Anakin at all, as his head tilted to one side, watching her mouth as she talked – getting lost in her.
"Padme, listen to me." He said in an urgent whisper. His hands lingered on either side of her face, making her knees weak. "I can't walk away now... You're in me and I'm in you whether we like it or not."
The sound of his raspy voice seared into her mind, she was struggling to resist his advances. With his mouth so close to hers now, and his breath on her lips, she could no longer remember why they were supposed to stay away from each other.
Before she could find her voice, his lips found hers. His tongue slipped into her mouth and she too found herself giving in to her darkest desires.
"Don't say her name!" Vader roared. "Don't you dare say her name to me."
"Prove her right." Obi-Wan insisted, hopefully. "I know you're in there."
"Don't you get tired of rooting for Anakin Skywalker?" Vader scoffed, rolling his eyes like he was bored of the subject. "I know I did. It's exhausting. . . so I destroyed him."
Vader was fed up with Anakin's fear – fear of failing, fear of abandonment, fear of a loss of control. And he realized: if you're tired of being afraid, make everyone afraid of you.
"Anakin is gone. I am what remains." He paused. "And now I'm no longer burdened by his losses."
Vader stumbled closer to Obi-Wan, his lightsaber in hand, making it clear the fight wasn't over. "The same way I will destroy you. And you won't bother me anymore."
Obi-Wan searched his eyes. They weren't blue anymore. They were sith yellow. Obi-Wan could feel his last shred of hope leaving his body, his face distraught, his eyes realized there were no more tears to cry.
"Then my brother is truly dead." He said with a doleful shrug. "There's nothing left to fight for... "
Obi-Wan shut off his lightsaber and began to walk away. It was over. There was nothing more he could do.
"Goodbye, Darth."
As Obi-Wan walked away, Vader refused to let him go – physically and emotionally.
Vader came charging after him, unable to walk in a straight line but ready to attack nonetheless.
Obi-Wan noticed him coming toward him and hurried away. He didn't have anymore fight in him.
"Obi-Wan." Vader's dreary voice and wheezing inhalations followed him.
But Obi-Wan managed to get on the shuttle in time as Tala helped pull him in.
"OBI-WAN!" Vader roared as the ship flew off.
He tried pulling it down using the force, and he almost did. The ship began to rattle as he held it back. But he was too damaged after their duel to regain the strength needed to pull it down completely.
They managed to escape, and Vader was left furious.
Pierced through the heart, but never killed
Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism
I wake up screaming from dreaming
One day, I'll watch as you're leaving
And life will lose all its meaning
When they arrived home, Padme dropped to her knees as she held her daughter in her arms. Tears streamed down her cheek, relieved. She could breathe again.
She then hugged Obi-Wan, her face expressing all the gratitude possible – there weren't enough words that could ever match him rescuing her daughter.
"Padme, there's something I have to tell you." Obi-Wan breathed out nervously.
"What is it?" She asked, but her attention was on her children hugging each other.
He looked at her so happy watching over her children, as they now interacted with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. It was the happiest he'd seen her in a long time.
"W–we can't go back." He cleared his throat. "We can't go back to Naboo."
She finally looked up at him and nodded. She didn't care where they went, as long as her kids were safe.
And Obi-Wan watched her join them on the sofa.
And he couldn't do it. He couldn't tell her.
Obi wan couldn't say what he should've said. He didn't even know whether he should – it was clear there was very little of Anakin left, if any. He couldn't bring himself to say the words...
Anakin is alive.
Vader's eyes opened after being submerged in the bacta tank. He was still furious, full of anguish. It was one thing to fail at defeating Obi-Wan. It was a whole other thing for Obi-Wan to walk away and not believe Vader was worthy of fighting.
Vader let out an intense exhale through his breathing device – determined to never give up until he won.
It's me, hi
I'm the problem, it's me
It's me, hi
Everybody agrees
I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero