Cad Bane stood near the ramp of the ship on one of the landing platforms of the Separatist base on Mustafar, holding Padmé at gunpoint even as she looked around in desperation and anxiety.
If only she had a weapon, she could have tried to fight him off and escape, but she knew very well that trying to do so in her current state would only endanger herself and her child.
And then, she heard the bounty hunter sneer, "Look who comes Senator. I'll be leaving you in a short while with good money."
She looked ahead and saw a hooded figure making his way towards them.
The figure approached them and stood in front of Padmé directly.
Cad Bane spoke, "Greetings Lord Vader. I have brought the lady as ordered."
Padmé shuddered upon the realization that this person, right in front of her, was none other than this 'Darth Vader' that she was to be delivered to.
She had a horrible feeling about this, that Palpatine had orchestrated this.
It only made sense that he would have.
But what came next horrified her to the core.
Darth Vader, spoke in a voice that sounded just like Anakin Skywalker, "So, you have brought her indeed. You have done well in delivering this woman to me. How much were you offered for this?"
Cad Bane replied, "Lord Sidious did not tell me how much I would be paid. But if I may say so, I would like at least a thousand or two thousand credits."
Vader replied, "I was expecting you would say so. Here you are, one thousand credits for your work. Now leave this woman to me and go about your business."
With that, he handed over a credit chip worth a thousand credits to the Duros who accepted it happily and with a bow, proceeded towards his ship to take off.
As soon as the ship took off, Padmé looked at Darth Vader who was staring at her, and then, he removed his hood and showed her something that caused her to gasp.
This was the face of Anakin Skywalker.
"Anakin," Padmé gasped, "What's happened? What's going on?"
Vader smiled lustfully and said, "Padmé Amidala, we meet at last. I have heard from my Master of your beauty and your tireless fighting for peace in the Senate."
"Anakin," Padmé asked, shocked, "What is this? You're acting like you barely know me! And you've been my husband for…"
"That was Anakin Skywalker," Vader cut her off, "He is a weak, pathetic fool, who rejected the power to save you, but I can protect you. The Jedi have been decimated by my hand, and they shall no longer be able to control the galaxy with their dogmatic views. Now, the Sith shall rule. I, Darth Vader know the power of the dark side; I am more powerful than Anakin! Leave Anakin Skywalker, come with me, be my consort, and we can do anything we want, just so long as you obey me and my Master, Darth Sidious, whom you may know as Palpatine."
Padmé cried out, tears springing in her eyes, "What are you saying? You, you've changed! You're not him! You're sounding like a different person! The Anakin I know would never do these things! The Anakin I know would never serve Palpatine and become this Darth Vader standing in front of me!"
Vader looked at her with a slight glare in his eyes, which turned into an evil smile even as he approached her. Padmé tried to back away, but she could not. Vader neared her and grabbed her wrists.
He said softly, "You're right about one thing. I'm not him. I'm not Anakin Skywalker."
He then let go of her hands, and slowly raising his hands in the air, he declared, his volume increasing as he spoke, "I am a clone of Anakin Skywalker, created by my Master Darth Sidious on Kamino shortly after the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo and trained in the ways of the dark side for eleven years, and not the weak Jedi ways. I am your one and true lord and husband, Darth Vader!"
Meanwhile, in outer space, just above Mustafar…
A green Jedi Starfighter suddenly exited hyperspace, detached itself from its hyperspace ring, and began to shoot off towards Mustafar.
Anakin exclaimed, "Here we are, almost there!"
Suddenly, Artoo let out a series of alarming beeps which drew Anakin's attention to a ship that had just exited the planet's atmosphere and was moving straight towards him.
The ship suddenly fired upon the starfighter, but Anakin, thanks to Artoo's warning was able to quickly dodge.
He then pushed to full speed and managed to speed right past the ship.
Even as he passed by, Cad Bane who was sitting in the cockpit shouted, "What the…"
Anakin, who by now was right behind the ship, fired his cannons away at the ship, instantly damaging it. He then looped and fired a couple of missiles which hit the bridge and the inside and caused the not very large ship to explode.
Cad Bane was dead.
Without waiting to see the result of his move, Anakin straightaway neared the planet and entered its atmosphere.
He flew on and soon reached what looked like a base on the planet Mustafar, just above a river of lava. Seeing a landing platform that was unoccupied, he headed straight towards it.
Meanwhile, Padmé was reeling in shock of the fact that had just been told to her.
Her Ani had been cloned.
And this clone wanted her.
But deep down within, a small part of Padmé could not help but feel sorry for him.
He had been cloned, and all that this man must have known was darkness.
Part of her was horrified and wanted to escape from this Vader and be in her Ani's arms, and part of her felt like she wanted to help this man who had been cloned and denied love, especially since this was Anakin's clone, a brother of the same face.
And then she spoke, "Vader, I can't be yours, I love Anakin. But I want to help you. You've been trained in the ways of darkness ever since you were born. You've never known love."
"It is a weakness," Vader declared.
"It's not," Padmé said, "Love is one's greatest strength, but you've been denied it your whole life! Let me help you! Vader, come away with me. Let me help you. Anakin and I will help you. You were made from him. You're his clone, but that means you're also related to him, a brother of the same face. But all your life, all you've been taught is to hate. Come away, leave the Sith behind and finally learn what it is like to be loved."
Vader looked like he was really listening, like he wanted to come away and be with Padmé and Anakin.
But then, his serious expression changed, into a lustful, evil smile.
And then he said, "No, but there is a way you can help me."
Meanwhile, Anakin, having landed on another platform nearby, was running away from his fighter, trying desperately to get to Padmé whom he could sense nearby.
And following him was R2-D2.
Meanwhile, Darth Vader spoke, "You can help me, by being by my side. Rule by my side, follow me and I shall give you more than Anakin Skywalker ever could! I command you to leave that weak pathetic Jedi of yours who shall soon die by my hand!"
And then, to Padmé's horror, he suddenly said, "You're with his child aren't you?"
Padmé gasped and covered her belly protectively with her hands.
She cried out, "Stay away from me! I won't let you harm my baby! You can't take my child from me!"
Vader smilingly said, "I sense a powerful presence, inside you, your child. Do not worry. I'll see the child as my own, with you by my side as my wife. And I'll teach your child everything about the dark side and together, we'll be so powerful, we'll be unstoppable, and no one will be able to harm…"
Padmé felt a rush of anger and cried out, backing away, "Anakin is far from weak and pathetic! He's stronger than you with your dark powers can ever be! You're evil, you're a monster! I won't let you take my baby from me and turn him or her into a monster like you! I will never join you, Darth Vader!"
"HOW DARE YOU!" Vader suddenly yelled.
And then, he stretched out his right hand and began to slowly force choke her.
"No, Anakin," Padmé cried out as she clutched her neck, "I love…"
Her voice weakened even as Vader tightened his force grip on her neck shouting, "WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, YOU BELONG TO ME!"
All of a sudden, a third voice yelled out, "NO, LET HER GO!"
And then, Vader suddenly felt his grip being forcibly loosened and the next moment, before he could realize what had happened, he was suddenly punched right in his face and fell down to the ground on his back.
Anakin, had arrived on that platform to find Darth Vader strangling his wife, and in desperation, had reached out and forcibly loosened Vader's grip before punching him in the face with his left hand.
Anakin, turned around and saw Padmé fall on her back.
He rushed towards her shouting, "Padmé", and kneeling down, he cradled her in his arms.
"Anakin," Padmé weakly cried out before she closed her eyes and passed out.
"PADMÉ," Anakin yelled with tears in his eyes, "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! I'LL NEVER JOIN THE DARK SIDE! I PROMISE YOU PADMÉ, I'LL NEVER JOIN HIM!"
Even as Anakin cried, he suddenly heard Darth Vader, who had gotten up and was standing with clenched fists loudly declared, "You refused to join the dark side when you had the chance, and you do not deserve her. Soon, you will die and Padmé shall sleep by my side."
Anakin who had stood up to face Vader looked upon him with rage.
Anakin Skywalker waved his right hand threateningly and declared, "I'll tear you apart for what you did to Padmé!"
Darth Vader said, "There's the true Anakin Skywalker. You have hate, you have anger, you have rage, but you don't use them, except on certain occasions, like what happened when you lost your mother."
Anakin yelled, "Don't you dare mention my mother to me! You and Palpatine are monsters! Palpatine told me I did the right thing when I slaughtered every single last of the Tuskens, even the children, but my mother would never have wanted me to do that!"
Vader replied, even as he and Anakin began to circle each other, "I do not fear the dark side as you do. I have brought peace, justice and security to my new empire!"
Anakin shouted, "You and Palpatine have destroyed everything Padmé loves! And I would have ended up doing that if I had joined him! I've realized him for what he truly is, a conniving monster! I will never turn into one, just like my mother, wife and brother would not want."
Darth Vader turned his back to Anakin and said, "Love is nothing compared to the dark side. Only the strong get what they want. You do not deserve this woman and the child she is carrying. Padmé is mine, she belongs to me!"
Anakin gritted his teeth in anger, struggling not to let it overwhelm him, and pulling out his lightsaber, he declared, "I'll tear you apart for what you did to Padmé and my unborn child!"
With that, he ignited it, revealing his blue blade.
Vader mockingly replied, "You will try."
With that, he ignited his crimson bladed lightsaber, performed a back-flip towards Anakin and the two warriors began to clash their lightsabers against each other.
Anakin found himself being forced back, and he was quick to realize that Darth Vader was no mean fighter.
Vader continued to clash blades with Anakin, and soon Anakin found himself near the edge of the platform.
But he managed to turn around and move away from the edge, and come on Vader's other side, the two opponents still clashing blades. Vader turned around and delivered a kick, but Anakin managed to back-flip and land safely on a bridge leading away from the platform.
Meanwhile, in the Emperor's office on Coruscant…
Yoda slowly entered the room with the support of his walking stick. At once, the two crimson robed guardsmen pointed their weapons at him, but with a wave of his right hand, Yoda simply knocked them into the wall and they fell down.
He then turned to look at the emperor and rested his hands on his stick.
Even as Mas Amedda who was standing next to Palpatine looked on, the latter in his chair turned to face the small green being in his office with his yellow eyes full of darkness.
"I hear a new apprentice you have, Emperor," Yoda spoke, narrowing his eyes, "Or should I call you, Darth Sidious?"
"Master Yoda," Sidious spoke sneeringly, "You survived."
"Surprised?" Yoda sarcastically asked.
Sidious spoke in a sinister manner, "Your arrogance blinds you Master Yoda. Now, you will experience the full power of the dark side."
With that, he lifted his hands and produced force lightning from his fingertips.
The Jedi Grandmaster was struck with so much force that he was sent flying across the room, was knocked against the wall, and fell down to the floor, unconscious.
On the bridge, Vader and Anakin kept on swinging their lightsabers, each trying to destroy the other, blades clashing.
But Anakin was being forced back.
Dooku had been a tough opponent, but even he had been much older than him.
This Sith lord however, was much younger, and very skilled.
Vader pushed against Anakin, forcing him into the inside of the base, and down one of the hallways. Their blades struck the walls of the thin hallway, causing damage to it.
And Anakin was slowly being forced into the command centre.
As they moved into the command centre, Vader lifted his blade, preparing to inflict a killing blow that was blocked by Anakin. However, as they went on blocking each other's blows, they destroyed a control panel in the heat of the battle.
Palpatine strode forward and laughed evilly even as Mas Amedda exited the office and Yoda still lay on the floor.
"I have waited a long time for this moment," Palpatine said evilly, "My little green friend!"
At the mention of that, Yoda's left ear suddenly twitched and his eyes opened.
Even as Palpatine continued to mock Yoda with his twisted, vile laughter, the Jedi Grandmaster stood up to face him.
"At last," Palpatine declared, "The Jedi are no more."
Yoda retorted, "Not if anything to say about it, I have," and suddenly thrust his right hand forward.
At once, Palpatine with a cry was blasted backwards by Yoda's force push, his body struck the chair on which he had been sitting earlier and both he and the chair fell down with a crash.
Yoda said, pointing a finger towards the Emperor, "At an end your rule is."
Even as Palpatine got up and looked at Yoda, the latter continued, "And not short enough it was."
Palpatine with a grunt, performed a forward flip towards the doorway, but Yoda flipped forward as well and cut him off.
"If so powerful you are," said Yoda, pulling out his lightsaber, "Why leave?"
And with that, he ignited it, revealing his emerald green blade.
Sidious smiled evilly and snarled, "You will not stop me. Darth Vader will become more powerful, than either of us." With that, he pulled out a lightsaber and ignited it to reveal a crimson red blade.
Yoda said, swinging his lightsaber in preparation for the battle that was to begin, "Faith in your apprentice, misplaced it may be, as is your faith in the dark side of the force."
The evil Sith Emperor lifted his blade above his head, preparing to strike.
Yoda jumped up and began to clash blades with the Emperor.
Even as he jumped back and forth and locked blades, Sidious let out snarls and an evil laugh, but Yoda fought on.
Meanwhile, Anakin had somehow managed to grab hold of Vader's neck with his mechanical hand, and was tightening his grip, wanting to just strangle this monster who had tried to harm his wife.
And then, he briefly hesitated, realizing the darkness of what he was doing.
That gave Vader a moment to deliver a kick to Anakin's abdomen and they both fell down on the conference table.
Anakin and Vader got up and punched each other, causing each other to fall down.
Vader then got up and tried to charge Anakin but the Jedi managed to trip him over. He then called his lightsaber to his hand and tried to finish him off, but Vader summoned his own lightsaber and managed to block the blow.
Palpatine and Yoda were fighting on the Emperor's podium, and in the heat of the battle, Yoda jumped on the control panel and caused the podium to start rising up, even as the ceiling panels of the office parted, and they rose up, fighting, in the now empty senate chamber.
Yoda kept on jumping about here and there on the podium, making it hard for Sidious to find an opening and kill him. At one point, even as Yoda and the Sith Lord locked blades, all that Palpatine could do was let out a scream of fury.
Anakin and Vader, now in between two holotables were swiping their lightsabers viciously at each other, swinging and blocking.
They then swung their lightsabers in circles, each at the ready.
And then, Anakin pushed his left palm forward. Vader held his lightsaber against Anakin's and did the same with his own left hand.
It was a clash of wills, light versus dark, Anakin versus his clone brother Vader.
And then, both of them were blasted backwards, and landed on control panels on opposite sides of the room.
But Vader was the first to get up.
Jumping on a holotable and flipping forwards, he charged towards Anakin and attacked ferociously. Anakin managed to dodge what would have been a killing blow, but as he attempted to strike out, both lightsabers hit the control panel.
Neither of them, however, noticed the screens glaring red, and alarms blaring, indicating that the shield protecting the facility had been disabled.
The shield platforms were deactivated, causing lava to start erupting from the river.
Meanwhile, Anakin and Vader were engaged in a saber lock.
All of a sudden, an alarm blared and Anakin briefly looked at one of the screens, and then, he saw it.
Padmé's starship was coming in.
And that could only mean one thing.
"Obi Wan," Anakin breathed.
Vader sneered, "Obi Wan will not save you, or your wife!"
With that, he attacked Anakin furiously even as a control panel was accidentally tapped and the doors of the command centre opened.
Anakin was forced through the doors and onto a balcony facing the shield platforms and the river of lava.
Even as Anakin back-flipped and readied himself, his lightsaber at the ready, Vader advanced towards him menacingly.