Chapter 17

They had been prisoners before. As much as he hated to think about the Clone Wars, especially once he realized most of what he fought for was a lie, manufactured by Sidious – a lie he had planned to make truth when he destroyed his master and created a new, better, more effective government, battle after battle had served a harsh training ground. Most of his plans were risky and had depended on improvisation more than following a specific scheme, but there were plans.

He had never believed he was going to certain death. Somehow, even in those moments on Mustafar, he had always believed he would be going back to Padmé.

Not this time. Mara Jade would have informed his master. He would be a prisoner in truth – a prisoner who had felt freedom for too short a time.

He stalked into the room, lightsaber still at his side, trying not to think of the worlds outside the large window. There was the creature behind all the manipulation, the one who had orchestrated most of his and the world's pain for his personal power.

"You have forgotten something, Lord Vader."

The emperor's voice rasped menacingly and Anakin looked into that ruined face and tried to tamp down on his rage. "I am remembering everything."

"Then you should kneel as you were always meant to kneel," the old scarred and hooded being mocked.

"Don't speak to me of should." Anakin growled, a hint of irritation that could have been attributed to either his jedi self or to his later sith incarnation.

"Then what shall we speak of, my friend. Would you like to know of the doom facing your family? Your daughter watched as the first Death Star destroyed Alderaan. Now you shall watch as this very operational Battle Station annihilates everyone for whom you still care."

"No." Anakin didn't shout the word this time. He whispered it, or would have if his ruined voice and suit had let him. It couldn't be. His vision foresaw… The emperor was wrong.

"Such a disappointment, my friend. Failing as a jedi, far too banal a sith. You begged me once. Do you remember?"

Of course Anakin remembered. His despair over the force visions. His terror that Padmé would die in childbirth. His hope that finally something would give him the power to overcome his fears.

"There is nothing you could offer me anymore."

"There is nothing I would have from you anymore, except your death – after I have crushed what is left of your charred heart."

Padmé would be safe. The children would be safe. The visions only showed his death. He repeated that to himself as he advanced closer to the old spider. But he remembered Yoda's mantra that the future was always in motion and wondered if that meant even this precious belief his family would be safe would be lost.

Palpatine could map the future, had mapped it for decades. He had years to follow the strings of fate, to uncover the will of a very fickle force and bend it to his own.

"Yes, my friend. Kneel. Kneel because there is nothing you can do and nothing I want from you other than this last submission. But first, I will let you have a little of what you wanted for years and could never quite manage. Revenge." With those words, the emperor lifted his hand and brought a girder down. And Obi-Wan, who had just crawled through the air ducts, came down with it.