Previously…
Everything he thought he stood for, everything he thought he had achieved, was over.
He had failed.
Itachi quickly darted through the hallways of the Council building as Clone vehicles approached from the distance. Men and women, non-shinobi workers all, were running to and fro, grabbing whatever they could before they would be forced from the building. Itachi was almost a blur as he went by, but no one paid him even the slightest amount of attention. Where was it, where was it?! he thought to himself as he slid at the end of one hallway, barely refraining from crashing before he darted down another. His vision whirred and shifted as his optics switched to navigation, and he saw a blue path hovering in the air before him, directing him which way to go.
Within moments he came into an empty conference room, the chairs and papers askew as evidence of the looting that had already occurred. Running his hands along the bottom of the table right near the edge where Naruto would sit, he thought he felt a slight shift in the texture of the surface. Getting down onto his back and crawling under the table, he could see a blood seal that had been placed on the surface. Quickly reaching into a pouch at his belt, he pulled out a vial of Naruto's blood, putting a few drops onto his thumb before pressing the digit against the seal. The object glowed for a moment, and a two-by-five section of the wall opened up. Ducking down, Itachi slipped into the secret path, the wall sliding closed behind him.
His optics automatically adjusted to night vision, and he moved as quickly as he could through the tiny dimensions of the tunnel, obviously meant to have been used as a last resort. Roughly thirty feet in, he came to a ladder, a hole in both the ceiling and floor revealing that it continued in both directions (AN: Think a maintenance ladder in an elevator shaft). His navigator quickly flashed again, and he climbed the ladder, metallic clanks reverberating through the small space whenever his boots hit the rungs. Several times, he thought that he heard Republic commandos marching on the other side of the wall, and he would stop for several moments, making absolutely sure they hadn't heard him, before he kept climbing. Up and up he went, unable to guess the distance save for the number of ceiling holes he climbed through, each floor revealing another path. I've already climbed thirty stories, he thought to himself as perspiration began to dot his brow. How much longer? How will I get them down?
Soon, he reached the end of the ladder, stepping off and navigating through another hidden passage, leading to another ladder, this one only going up two more floors before he came across a seal carved into the wall. A transport seal? he wondered, and he pressed his palm against it, channeling a bit of chakra. There was a sensation of bands compressing around his chest, and all of a sudden he was standing in the center of Naruto's bedroom, Ara and Senshi tensing, before they realized it was Itachi. "What's going on?" Ara demanded, noticing his disheveled appearance.
"Naruto was taken prisoner. He was struck down by…" he cut off when he saw the door to the bathroom slide open, and Ahsoka step out in a bathrobe. If she's here, he thought, then who struck down Naruto?
A cloaked figure was quickly navigating the twists and turns of the side streets of the city, avoiding as many sounds of remaining conflict as her exposed skin changed from the orange color of her Togrutian transformation to her normal, slightly pale Kironian skin. How long will the fighting continue? she wondered to herself, before lifting a grate and jumping down in the tunnel system beneath the city. Reaching down to her belt, she snapped a glow stick, the green light casting eerie shadows ahead of her as she pulled down her hood, shaking out a mess of shoulder-length hair that had long since been dyed black, her tribute to a madman. He's as good as dead, Sasuke, she thought to herself, brushing a bang away from her eye. A small group of cloaked figures were ahead, red clouds dancing across their black robes, and she slowly limped stalked toward them, her gait haggard as she tried to keep down the burst of emotions that never ceased, tried to keep the remaining fragments of her mind together.
"Where are the Jedi?" one of them asked, and as she gazed at him, she thought she recognized - but no, while the hair was blonde, it was definitely a man, and he had strange mouths in the center of his palms. There was a hunched figure next to him, so misshapen it almost seemed impossible for him to be able to move, but she could see the slight movement of a mechanical tail, poised and ready to strike.
"I ran Naruto through," she said, her head tilting to the side as a grin slowly spread across her lips. "He thought it was his little slave, the one he kept screwing. Gaara took him to face trial and execution." Her voice dropped, and she whispered, "You'll be happy, won't you Sasuke?"
"We told you to bring them both to us!" Deidara hissed, his arm moving to reach for a bit of clay before Sasori stopped him, gazing at the sounds of combat above them. "This is what we get for keeping you alive," he muttered, tossing his hands into the air. "Dammit, Sakura, you can't do anything!" Sasori said nothing, but flicked a pebble behind the girl when she was staring at his partner. The sound caused her to jump, and she whipped around, looking for the source of the sound.
She gasped when his tail shot forward, piercing through her and lifting her into the air.
Time quickly lost all meaning for Naruto. During the trip back to Coruscant, they kept him heavily sedated, and once they had reached the city, they had moved him into the darkest cell they could find, under constant guard from both a unit of five ARC Troopers and five Jedi Sentinels. Obi-Wan visited a few times, trying to offer what kindness he could, as well as try and coax Naruto into explaining the events that led up to his downfall, to try and redeem himself even slightly. Understanding seemed to elude them both. In hindsight, Naruto saw plenty of options he could have taken; he could have used his weight as a Jedi to conduct a proper investigation, could have helped Anko and Kakashi go into hiding, could have refrained from invading the Jedi Temple; so many mistakes that were avoidable.
The only time his Master came to see him was to tell him that the trial had occurred without him; he had been cast from the Jedi Order, and the Republic had sentenced him to death.
The first time they had made the attempt, they had tried hanging. It was almost laughable, really; his Shinobi physiology provided too much strength, and his neck didn't snap. He dangled for at least ten minutes, able to breath just enough to stay conscious, and they cut him down and dragged him back to his cell, deciding to try another attempt.
Afterward, they tried death by Firing Squad. They went through the usual procedure; firearms instead of laser weaponry, with only one weapon loaded with actual ammo and the rest loaded with blanks so that none of the troopers would know which one of them had fired the killing round. It hurt like hell when it collided with his heart, and sent him to his knees. But Kurama's chakra immediately flowed into the wound, sealing it shut without a scar, and he could almost sense the clone's fear as they dragged him back to his cell yet again.
They tried lethal injection after that, followed by electrocution, and the entire time he wondered why they just didn't try beheading. He figured it out after a few days; the Jedi couldn't do it with a lightsaber, because he was skilled enough in Tutaminis to absorb the part that would have to pass through his neck, and none of the clones were trained for execution with a vibroblade – merely combat.
It was after four months that he suddenly heard the sound of laser fire, and felt his heart stop as he felt a massive tear in the Force. He could feel Jedi dying by the hundreds, thousands, and a moment later he saw the last of the Sentinels in front of his cell fall, before the ARC Troopers strolled in, every weapon they bore leveled at him.
A moment later, however, one of them burst into black flames, screaming as he thrashed, and two more were shot by a bolt caster, leaving the remaining two to turn just in time for a vibroblade to pierce one, and an emerald lightsaber to decapitate the other. Ara and Ahsoka stood where the last two had been, and Senshi and Itachi were providing cover in the doorway. All four looked haggard; Ahsoka, however, looked to be in as much pain as he at the warping of the Force. Ara quickly grabbed him, using his recovered equipment to free and clothe him, and Ahsoka turned, bringing her commlink to her wrist.
"Gaara, we've got him."
"Tell him he's an asshole," came the response, and he grinned for a moment, before he hissed as he felt another surge, and Ahsoka groaned as well, looking woozy for a moment before she regained her feet. He noticed absently that she was no longer visibly pregnant, but before he asked they were leading him out, before getting him onto the Falcon. The ship took off, and Naruto stumbled to the medical bay, grabbing enough sedative to last for the next few days.
As the ship exited hyperspace, Naruto slowly opened his eyes, feeling greater and greater pain as more and more Jedi perished. He groaned, and visions began swirling past his eyes.
A group of younglings were hidden in the Council Chambers, hiding behind the seats fallen Masters had occupied but a short time ago. They gasped as the doors slid open with a hiss, before they felt relief, recognizing the cloaked figure as Anakin Skywalker. "Master Skywalker!" one exclaimed, leaving his hiding place. "What do we do?" The child shrunk back as Anakin ignited his lightsaber.
Anakin stood before the leaders of the Separatists as they hailed him as Lord Vader. He sealed all the doors with the Force, and cut through all who remained.
Anakin and Obi-Wan faced off on a planet covered in molten lava. They fought their way through a facility until they almost fell into the lava below. Both managed to find solid footing on droids and machinery, until Obi-Wan was on the gravel shore and had the high ground. Anakin leapt, and with a single, brutal strike, Obi-Wan removed the Sith's remaining limbs. Anakin's body rolled down the hill, coming to a stop a few feet from the lava. The roaring of the flames blocked out any words said, before Anakin slid closer to the molten rock, catching aflame. As he screamed in agony, Obi-Wan took his lightsaber and disappeared.
Anakin's broken and burned body lay upon a surgical table in a shadowed room. Medical droids floated forward, attaching cybernetics and equipment to his nerves, ignoring his screams of pain. Finally, a mask was lowered to his face, attached to the armor with a hiss. A moment later, a mechanical respirator sounded, giving him an inhuman feel. The table slowly rose, and Anakin was gone, forever replaced with Lord Vader.
Naruto opened his eyes and found his body was shaking with rage. Itachi cast a worried glance at the former Jedi, before turning back to Ahsoka and Gaara, who had collapsed from the feedback in the Force.
"ANAKIN!" Naruto roared in fury, and the ship lurched to a sudden halt. Naruto stormed into the cockpit, and Iruka turned to him confusion on his face. He began a question, but Naruto cut him off, shouting "Take me to Corellia! NOW!"
Several hours later, the ship exited hyperspace, and quickly descended to the planet below. Iruka stopped upon a snow-covered plain, and landed a moment later. Naruto turned to Itachi, and tossed the man one of his lightsabers.
"Take them to Kironia," Naruto said, pulling on a white hooded robe to blend in with the snow. "Defend them, Itachi. Tell them to hide on the planet until I return. When I do, we'll figure out what to do." Itachi nodded, looking at Ahsoka's and Gaara's unconscious forms.
"You really love her, don't you?" Itachi asked, gazing at the Togrutian female. Naruto nodded, and cinched his belt tighter around his waist.
"I do," he stated, "and I destroyed it all." He was silent for another moment, before he murmured, "It's been an honor fighting with you." A moment later, he was gone, disappeared into the swirling snow.
Naruto watched as the ship took off, and for a moment, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. I have to give them a distraction so they can escape, he thought. This is my chance to redeem myself. He then sat down, entering meditation. He felt the Force surround him, and was filled with horror as he felt how much weaker and darker the Force seemed. He sifted through until he found a familiar trace: darker than before, but just barely recognizable. "Anakin," he whispered through the Force, taking revel in Vader's fear and fury at the name. "You've taken everything from me, Anakin. And you even killed Padmé." At the point, Vader's anger became overwhelming, and Naruto knew he had him. "Come to Corellia. Find me, and we shall end this."
Naruto opened his eyes, and gazed out over the field. He slowly rose, and, using his chakra and his few remaining tags, created mines. He keyed them to his chakra signature, so he wouldn't trip them. His preparations complete, all he could do now was sit and wait.
Vader stood on the bridge of the Executor, one of the newly re-christened Imperial Destroyers. While the crew continued their duty, Vader gazed at the panorama of streaks that was hyperspace. Anger and worry gnawed away at him, while the Emperor gazed at him with his ever-calculating eyes. Vader knew that he was no longer what his master had wished: he was more machine than man, more droid than Sith. Force Lightning, the greatest of Sith powers, was beyond his reach, and was his greatest threat. And if the Emperor found an apprentice with greater potential, then Vader had no doubt the Emperor would try to dispose of him.
Gazing at hyperspace, Vader came to a conclusion. He must gain his own apprentice, his own special weapon.
Vader must kill his Master.
Naruto opened his eyes, and found himself once again in the swamp he had stood in in a vision, what seemed like so many, many years ago. A swirl of mist floated by, and when it was gone, Kurama stood in its place, gazing down at him in disappointment.
"I am forever scarred by your delve into the Dark Side," he spoke, his tone dripping with almost acidic contempt. "Now you dance again. A Jedi does not seek revenge," he said, pacing around the meditating young man, "and yet here you are, intent on killing a Sith merely for his death." Naruto gazed at Kurama's flickering form, unable to make out any details save the glowing eyes.
"I will kill Vader, Kurama. He no longer is the man Anakin Skywalker was. He has lost his humanity to become little more than a droid; I've destroyed enough of those is my lifetime."
"Arrogance!" Kurama roared, igniting an Adegan silver lightsaber and holding it to Naruto's throat. "You forget yourself, boy!" Naruto rose, pointing his own blade at the Kyuubi.
"I beat you once, Kurama," Naruto said, slipping into a battle stance. "Doing so again will be no great feat." The Kyuubi narrowed his eyes, before his form flickered, settling on a likeness of Darth Vader. Naruto quirked an eyebrow, before launching forward, locking blades with the Kyuubi. He slashed forward with his free hand, intent on ending the match then and there, but he suddenly realized he was wielding only one lightsaber. Oh shit, he thought, staring at his empty hand. I've become dependent on Jar'Kai. Kurama-Vader kicked him in the stomach, hard, and Naruto gasped at the strength of the prosthetic leg. He went sliding across the mud, choking as some of it went down his throat.
"Dependency on Jar'Kai is only a weakness," Kurama-Vader stated, and Naruto shivered slightly at the voice: deep, powerful. "You have traded the Force for combat effectiveness denied you without the proper tools." Images flashed briefly through his eyes: a squad of droids standing on a cliff, easily removed with a single Force push; but he had charged instead, slashing through each. One of his men had been hit by a stray shot, and had to be medevaced.
The time he had dueled Grievous aboard a Separatist ship. Gas canisters had filled the hold, and if he had thrown just one a Grievous, the man-droid would have slashed it and set himself ablaze. The war would have ended so much sooner.
The chain was broken as he was lifted off his feet, clutching his throat as Kurama-Vader implemented a Force Choke. As his vision started to flicker, he saw the mask; blank, expressionless, and hear heard the steady breathing of the respirator. In that moment, he knew who Vader was, what the mask represented. Why the Dark Side swirled so powerfully around him.
Vader was death itself.
His vision was flickering fast now, and he threw his lightsaber in a desperate attempt at freedom. When Kurama-Vader effortlessly batted it aside with his own weapon, he tried Force Lightning, but the lightsaber absorbed that as well. As the last dregs of light drained from his vision, he threw all of his energy into one last attack: a single push through the Force.
The pressure on his throat disappeared instantly, and he released an explosive gasp, inhaling until it hurt. His vision returned just in time to see Kurama-Vader hit the ground, mud splattering across his leather armor. Naruto charged as he rose, summoning his lightsaber and executing two wide side-swipes, before he leapt and aimed a kick at the mask, hoping to knock his enemy to the ground again. Instead, his feet smashed the mask with a resounding crack. As Naruto began his descent, the mask fell away, revealing blond hair, blue eyes, and whisker-like birthmarks.
Naruto's own face.
For a brief moment, he registered shock, gazing into the hard eyes. The next, he was screaming in pain as a new series of visions passed before his eyes.
He saw a young boy on the deserts of Tatooine, gazing up at the stars. The image was eerily familiar with the one that accompanied it: a young boy atop the Hokage Monument, gazing at his own stars. More and more similarities presented: their discovery by two Jedi, their trials to become Jedi, the pain of losing a loved one. The moment they both discovered love, something forbidden among the Jedi. The risks they had taken to prevent discovery and defend their love.
Finally, Naruto found himself standing above Lord Vader, defeated upon Corellia. His lightsaber hovered near the Dark Lord's throat, and he longed for nothing more than to ram it home, to end the man who was death, to end the man who had ended so much. "Do it…" Palpatine hissed, his wrinkled face hiding beneath his hood. "Give in to your hate. Strike him down, and take your place at my side. It is your destiny…" Naruto gazed from one man to the other, and found himself gazing at his fate. Life and death, light and dark, glory or honor.
His fate was in his own hands. And never had he been more afraid to be wrong.
Naruto opened his eyes, gazing out at the snow-covered field. Remember who you are, Kurama whispered, fading away, and what you've gone through to get here. Naruto turned his gaze skyward, and saw one of the Imperial TIE Fighters soaring toward him; a TIE Advanced from the look of it. It landed in a flurry of snow, and Naruto rose to his feet, activating his lone silver lightsaber as two figures emerged. One he recognized immediately: Darth Vader. He gazed at the blank mask, trying to quell the hatred burning inside him. The unfeeling mask, the steady respirator, Vader's very being infuriated him. They gazed at each other for a full minute. The field was silent, save the hum of his lightsaber and Vader's breathing.
"Say something!" Naruto roared, his body beginning to shake. Images of dead Jedi, both known and unknown, threatened to press down and overwhelm him. "You betrayed us, Anakin! Killed my Master and so many others in cold blood, and for what?!" An image flashed then, of Padmé's face as she screamed, before a tiny cry joined hers. Sudden realization as to the truth behind the woman's death hit him, and he physically staggered back a step, raising his free hand to his temple, hoping the pressure would help to mask his thoughts. His children were born.
But Anakin would not believe the truth, coming from him. Worse, if he did, then his children would be raised by the monster before him. He had to lie.
"She was pregnant!" he hissed, and he saw Vader stiffen almost imperceptibly. "She was your wife, she was pregnant! You killed your wife and your children!" Vader roared then, charging and activating his lightsaber before bringing it down on Naruto. Naruto brought his own up, and his arm buckled beneath Vader's cybernetic strength. Damn, he thought, gritting his teeth and pumping chakra into his arm. Kurama was right: I've underestimated Vader.
He twisted around, getting out from under the saber lock, before aiming a slash at Vader's side. The large man was remarkably quick, managing to step out of the way and send a powerful Force shockwave at him, hurling him clear across the field. Vader stepped forward, and Naruto grinned as his tags activated, swarming around Vader before they exploded. He pulled himself to a kneeling position, and looked up.
He froze when he saw Vader three feet away, unharmed and pointing his lightsaber at Naruto's throat.
Vader stabbed forward, and Naruto felt the heat the blade emitted as time seemed to slow and the blade crept closer and closer. He focused his mind, and tried to recall the information Jiraiya had given him about his father's most famous ability. One last tag appeared, little more than a spot of black amidst the snow, and he teleported to the marker, and instant before Vader's blade passed through the spot his neck had been.
Naruto grasped his neck, feeling the hot skin, and let out a relieved sigh. He rose to his full height and charged, clashing with Vader in a bone-jarring impact.
"You fight well," Vader stated, unperturbed by the violent combat. "Join me, and together we can overthrow the Emperor."
"I'll never join you!" he roared, and sent a blast of Force Lightning hurling toward the Sith Lord. Vader casually absorbed the electricity with his lightsaber, before turning his gaze back to Naruto. "Your thoughts betray you," he said, locking with the young Jedi once more. "I sense your anger, your hate." Naruto focused on a false image of Gaara's and Ahsoka's deaths, hoping to hide their existence. "You wish to kill me for the deaths of your friend Gaara… and Ahsoka?" Confusion filled his voice before he spoke again. "Ahh… you loved her… of all the Jedi codes you broke, of all that you caused, I never would have expected that you loved my Padawan."
Damn, Naruto thought, flipping over Vader to attack. I gave away too much. He clashed again with the Sith, and blasted off a Force Push, trying to gain breathing room. Vader slid back several yards, before turning his lightsaber in his hand, cocking his arm back. Naruto saw his moment, and shot off a blast of Force Lightning, exploiting the weakness of the man's cybernetics. Vader grunted in pain, throwing his saber at the young man. Naruto grit his teeth, and released the attack to roll out of the way, before flipping over the return.
"Naruto the Jedi is dead," Vader proclaimed as he caught his lightsaber. "He died when he declared war on the Republic, and again with the rest of his order. Join me, and Lord Kurama shall rise again in his place." Naruto paused for a moment, carefully hiding his thoughts. If I become Lord Kurama again, I can use my influence to protect Gaara and Ahsoka.
And betray who you are yet again! Kurama roared, raging in his mind. They would sooner kill themselves than live under the thumb of that persona yet again! Naruto tightened his grip on his lightsaber, and attacked Vader again, his blade a blur. He performed five slashes of impossible speed, yet Vader blocked them all.
Vader made a sudden movement then, placing his hand on Naruto's forehead. Naruto flinched, before a flash of memories flew past his eyes.
He and Gaara, dueling in the training ring. The friendly rivalry between them, and the shared bond of their past… learning the Rasengan from Jiraiya, and the man's kind moments, almost like a grandfather… chasing Ahsoka before he caught her, holding her in his arms and gently kissing her lips…
"They are the memories of a dead man," Vader said, his voice echoing through Naruto's mind. "They will fade."
"You must rise above this," Kurama countered, trying to hold the young man to the Light. "His promises mean nothing! The Sith were built on betrayal! What makes you think he won't betray you as well?!"
"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate… leads to suffering," a voice said, and Naruto recognized it as Master Yoda. For a moment, he wondered what he searched for in the voices, before Yoda answered. "Something lost. A part of yourself, perhaps?"
Naruto roared in anger and confusion, clutching his throbbing head. Vader lowered his weapon with a triumphant air, and Naruto focused harder, trying to find the piece of him that was still so certain, still the proud Shinobi he had once been. He found a particularly strong memory: the day he had protected Tsunade from Kabuto, performing the Rasengan for the first successful time. He held out his right hand, and the ball of chakra swirled into existence.
Running forward, he caught Vader by surprise, slamming the attack into the Sith's chest. The attack began to shred Vader's armor, damaging the respirator until a harsh mechanical wheezing filled the air. Naruto slowly deactivated the attack, igniting his lightsaber as Vader fell to his knees. He flicked his lightsaber to Vader's throat, and gazed into the expressionless mask.
"Do it," Palpatine hissed from beneath the hood. "Give in to your hate. Strike him down, and take your place at my side. It is your destiny…" In that instant, Naruto recognized the scene from his vision.
Past and future had converged. Now his fate would be decided.
"Don't do it, Naruto," the Kyuubi said, his voice both threatening and afraid. "Kill Vader and you shall become him."
Naruto began shaking, the lightsaber tip dancing wildly at Vader's throat. "I can't!" he shouted, his voice breaking.
"Do it!" Palpatine ordered, his amber eyes glowing beneath the hood.
Naruto took a deep breath, and steadied his hand. "Darth Vader…" he said slowly, feeling his fate hanging on each word, "In the name of the True Republic, I place you under arrest for the crimes of treason and genocide." Warmth blossomed through him as the words left his lips, and felt the oppressive weight of the Dark Side float from his mind.
He was Naruto Uzumaki. And he was a Jedi.
A snarl crossed Palpatine's lips, before he raised his hands, sending lightning hurling at Naruto. He quickly brought his lightsaber up, feeling the blade jump in his hand on impact. He slid back through the snow, his arms burning from the strain of holding his lightsaber steady. After a few more seconds, Palpatine released the stream, drawing his lightsaber in one claw-like hand. Naruto rolled his neck, then his wrist, then began circling his foe, knowing he faced Darth Sidious. The Sith came in fast and strong, despite his frail appearance. Naruto deflected the shot, pumping chakra into his muscle structure in order to increase the strength of his fighting. Sidious stumbled from the strength of his deflection, before blocking a powerful overhead slash from Naruto.
Naruto disengaged, analyzing the Sith Lord. Using his Shinobi skills, he noticed the Emperor favored his left leg slightly, and as he rolled around a thrust he saw that the man would overextend by a centimeter or so. There was also a barely-noticeable pattern: after every ten attacks, he would make the eleventh an attack to Naruto's sword arm, removing his gaze from Naruto's left for a fraction of a second.
Good, Kurama said in his mind. You are a Shinobi and Jedi. It's about time you fought like one.
Naruto slipped through defensive positions automatically: dodging weaving, and counter-attacking, to hide that he saw Palpatine's pattern. The tenth strike came, and Naruto deflected it, waiting for his moment. Palpatine gave a sinister grin then, and Naruto realized he had been tricked when Palpatine's lightsaber sunk to hilt through his abdomen.
Naruto's body bent on itself, ignoring any commands he gave it. His eyes were wide with shock, and his mouth was drawn into a pained grimace. Despite the heat of the blade, his body felt cold, the blade sapping his strength in seconds.
Palpatine withdrew the crimson blade, watching as Naruto fell to his knees. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth as he gazed at the Emperor. His vision was fading fast, and he barely felt a thing when Palpatine sent him flying with a blast of Force Lightning. He landed hard on his stomach. He rolled onto his back, and saw Vader's mask hovering above him. Forgive me… Ahsoka… he thought.
Darkness consumed him.
Aboard the Falcon, Itachi sat in the medical bay, staring at Ahsoka's and Gaara's sleeping forms. His left eye hummed slightly as the cybernetics made minute adjustments as he looked closer at Ahsoka. Her face looked pained, and her lips moved soundlessly; mouthing out memories, words, or prayers he didn't know. Before he left, he saw a solitary tear fall down her cheek.
Darth Vader gazed down at the boy as the light faded from his eyes, ignoring the difficulty brought to him by his damaged respirator. If only you'd joined me, he thought, bitterness and disappointment turning his mood black.
"Remember your place, Lord Vader," Sidious said, his voice cold.
"I never forgot, my Master. Simple utilization of Dun Möch gone wrong, I assure you. I would never rise against you."
"As I would never rise against Darth Plageius?" he asked, his mouth formed into a twisted grin. "The student of the Dark Side shall always wish to be the Master. So be forewarned… betray me, and you shall surely meet your demise." With that, the two returned to their ship, leaving as the gentle falling of the Corellian snow buried the empty cloak of Naruto Uzumaki.