Chapter 4

In that instant, time suspended. Her lips felt soft against his, hesitant, yet willing, and it made him want her even more. Yet Vader knew that Luke watched them both. In front of his son, in front of his apprentice, this could not be allowed.

In that same instant, Vader raised his hand and backhanded Padme across her cheek. She did not take a step, but her head snapped to the side from the blow, and drips of her blood splattered on the dirt. No one moved.

Disgusted, Vader force-shoved her backward, and she lost her balance, falling to the ground, her dress pooling around her. Beautiful mere seconds before, her dress now looked ragged and sloppy. Padme did not move, but her blood trickled down her chin and onto her arm which she rested on. She did not raise her eyes, she did nothing. Could do nothing. Dread filled her. More than that, disappointment.

Luke's eyes flicked between his father and mother. Inside him, his heart pounded against his chest, and he was unable to control it. He clenched his hands into fists.

Vader faced Luke, his eyes dead and unrevealing. "Luke, there is no love, only hate. There is no happiness, only suffering. There is no peace, only anger. To think anything else is to be a fool."

Luke's body remained rigid.

"Do you understand?" asked Vader.

Luke couldn't speak; he couldn't find the words. Did he? Did he understand? From underneath his brow, Luke eyed his mother. What had she done to warrant an attack from Vader? Kiss him? Defy him? Love him? His eyes glued to the blood staining the dirt. No. Whatever his mother had done, she had not deserved this.

"Luke, answer me." His father's voice was even. Calm. Deadly.

Slowly, Luke raised his eyes and met Vader's. He felt frightened, but more than that, he felt wronged. "No."

Vader turned his head ever so slightly. "What was that?"

"I said, no. No, I don't understand."

Padme finally moved and she looked at Luke. Vader took a step toward his son. "Don't understand what exactly?"

"Her. You. What you did. What you said." It even sounded foolish to his own ears, childish, but it was the truth. He didn't understand. Any of it. What he was, what they were. What he should do. The one thing he did know, though, was that he did not want to see his mother hurt.

As if reading his thoughts, a small smile tugged at Vader's lips. "Ah, I see. She is your mother. Of course you love her." He paused. "I had a mother once. I loved her, too, like you love Padme. But you know what happened to her? She was killed, most cruelly. But you know what?" Vader crouched down in front of Luke. "It made me stronger. It fueled my anger, made me hate them, the people who did that to her." Vader moved his hand to the side, perpendicular to his body, and stretched out his fingers, long and taut. Slowly, Padme rose in the air. Her body rigid, her eyes wide.

"I think you need to learn the same lesson, Luke."

Sorry the chapters are short! It felt like a good place to stop though. Please review!

Evil love,