Padmé was reeling in shock at what she had just heard.
She couldn't believe what she had just heard from Vader.
That Vader had joined the dark side because of his mother's 'death'.
Vader was boiling with rage at having had to reveal his personal history, his reason for having to join the dark side, revenge for his mother.
And then, he heard Padmé asking softly, "Who told you that?"
Vader replied, "Palpatine. He told me something that changed my life forever, why I had to join the dark side. He told me that Mace Windu and Obi Wan Kenobi had killed my mother. Mace just threw me out of the Order and Obi Wan abandoned me, and then, Mace had my mother killed to spite me! Obi Wan never wanted me in the first place! So, I joined my Master for revenge!"
With that, he stood there, trembling with rage.
Both were silent.
And then, Padmé broke the silence by softly saying, "Anakin, that's not true."
Vader snapped, "I told you not to call me that! And don't try to defend the Jedi for what they did with your flowery words!"
Padmé raised her voice a little and said, "I am not lying to you! You need to know the truth! Just please let me speak!"
Vader hissed, "Fine, then out with it!"
Padmé said, "Alright, I will tell you the truth of what happened with your mother. After that, you are free to do with me as you please, kill me in any manner you please."
Vader replied, "Alright, now tell me."
Padmé explained, "When you were sentenced to death all those years ago, I started to question everything about Palpatine. And just as I lost my faith in the Chancellor, Obi Wan lost his faith in the Jedi Council, especially in Mace Windu and even Master Yoda."
Vader raised an eyebrow in disbelief and suspicion, but nodded in acknowledgment.
Padmé continued, "Obi Wan tried to break you out of there, with help from two other Jedi Masters, Plo Koon and Kit Fisto. They discovered you were not to be found. There was an explosion and it seemed like you were dead, but Obi Wan refused to believe it. He decided he was going to find you no matter what and help you free your mother."
Vader was starting to get confused, his face twisting into a weird expression.
Padmé went on, "Thinking that maybe you had been kidnapped, he spent a year looking for you. He went to several places, even some Trade Federation areas thinking maybe they had been behind it all, but after one year of searching with no possible leads, he was starting to believe that maybe you really were dead."
Vader asked, "Are you saying he actually looked for me, but couldn't get a lead on me?"
Padmé nodded and said, "True. He came to me on Naboo, thinking that maybe perhaps you were hiding with me. He was in tears when I told him that I had not seen you ever since that terrible day."
Vader asked, "You're not making this whole thing up are you?"
Padmé replied, "I'm not. I swear I'm not."
Vader reached forward through the force to sense if she were lying to him, but to his surprise, he could not find any sign of deceit.
Padmé seemed to be telling the truth.
She continued, "He then went to Tatooine, to free your mother as you had wanted to, and to let her know what had happened. When he got there, he found out that your mother had been sold to Cliegg Lars, a moisture farmer. It seems he had freed and married her. And a few days before Obi Wan reached, your mother was kidnapped by Tusken Raiders and Cliegg lost his leg when he went to look for her."
Vader's expression became serious, almost filled with worry.
By this time, he was sure that he could sense no deceit in her.
Padmé continued, "Obi Wan went to the camp in the middle of the night, and found her, badly beaten and starved, bruised all over. He took her away from there and brought her back to the Lars homestead. Luckily, he was right on time to save her. If he had been there a few hours later, it would have been too late. As it is, her condition was quite critical, but Obi Wan managed to heal her. He took good care of her, and soon, she was hale and healthy again."
This time, it was Vader's turn for his mouth to be open, shocked by what he had just heard.
Padmé continued, "A few days after she had been rescued from the Tusken raiders, a bounty hunter showed up at the homestead and attempted to murder her. Obi Wan managed to save her, but instead of killing the bounty hunter, he tried to find out who had sent him. The hunter said it was Darth Sidious who had sent him, so Obi Wan knocked him out, then faked your mother's death using a protective suit and a vital suppressor which he happened to have."
Vader was too shocked to say a word.
And then, Padmé said, "Because of what had happened, Obi Wan decided to mind-trick the bounty hunter into thinking he had killed your mother and blown up the homestead. The homestead was emptied of all essentials and the false evidence was planted. Then, Obi Wan brought your mother and her family to Naboo and we arranged for them to be hidden in a small cottage near the lake house which my family owns."
She concluded, "Anakin, Palpatine lied to you. The Jedi did not orchestrate this. Obi Wan did not kill your mother, Obi Wan saved your mother."
Vader's mouth was open, and he was as frozen as a statue.
Padmé wondered what would happen now.
And then, something most unexpected happened.
The helmet and mask in Vader's arm fell to the floor with a loud clang, rolled over, and with a final clatter, came to a stop.
And then, Vader did something that Padmé was not expecting to happen.
He gasped, "What have I done?!"
His breathing was loud and one could clearly tell that he was horrified by what he had just learnt.
Just then, the doors opened with a snap-hiss and a clone walked in.
"My Lord," the clone started, "The droid has given us no trouble. We've tripled security for it. As for…."
He trailed off as he noticed Padmé standing right in front of Vader, and the face of Vader as well.
And then, Vader turned to the clone and said calmly, "Rex, tell the others that I have taken care of her. And bring her things here. Padmé shall no longer be staying in a cell."
Rex asked, "My Lord, is something the matter?"
Vader replied, "No. And tell no one what you saw."
"Understood my Lord," Rex replied, and exited the room.
Padmé looked at Vader and asked, "So what now, are you going to kill me?"
Vader looked at her and said softly, "Go sleep, rest. You may use my bedroom, and I shall sleep on the couch here."
Padmé could not believe what she was hearing.
She asked incredulously, "Are you trying to trick me or something? Why would you do that for one you consider to be your enemy? Or are you trying to, you know, get under my covers?"
Vader replied, "I am not trying to deceive you. I may be many things, but I am not a rapist. I can assure you that I will not rape you."
This time, Padmé was the one with a wide open mouth.
Vader continued, "There's a refresher in the bedroom in case you want a bath or something. From now on, you will no longer stay in your cell. You will no longer have to eat that muck that is served to prisoners. You will be given decent food. I assure you of that. Now go and sleep. You have been through a lot. Go, just go."
Padmé took one last look at him, and slowly went towards the bedroom.
She was not surprised to see it.
It was quite a large bedroom, with shelves against one side of the wall, and a queen bed near a large viewport on her left side.
To her right side, she could see a door.
She went and opened it, and found a wonderful bathroom, equipped with a toilet, a sink of course, and even a bathtub with a shower and curtains.
Padmé felt excitement upon seeing the bathtub, which was quite big.
She did need a shower after all.
Even as Padmé began to take her bath, Vader was sitting on the bed, looking out through the viewport.
He didn't know what to think, what to do.
He had joined the dark side, simply because of hearing that his mother was dead, by the hand of the one that had seen to it that he was expelled.
He remembered that horrible day.
It flashed through his mind.
Eighteen year old Anakin was on his knees in a cell, chained to the wall, and struggling not to give in.
He had suffered so much pain already from being tortured in various ways, and there were marks and wounds all over his body, added to the mental anguish he was suffering from.
It had been eight months since the Jedi had cast him out over a lie, over something he had never done, and Obi Wan had not come back for him.
Anakin was wondering whether Obi Wan would really come back for him, or whether, like Mace and the others, he had given him up for good.
No, it couldn't be.
But it seemed more like no one was coming for him. No one.
"No," Anakin cried out weakly, "He can't have abandoned me. Obi Wan…"
"AAAAHHH…", someone cried out in anger as a barbed wire whip was brought down on him and twirled around his chest and arms.
Anakin let out a scream of pain even as the whip was pulled across his chest and arms, opening up old wounds and creating new ones, causing him pain.
Tears were there in Anakin's eyes even as he whispered, "Obi Wan, have you abandoned me? Do you hate me so much? Why won't you come for me?"
And then, the door opened and in walked Darth Sidious, wearing his hood, his yellow eyes glowing malevolently at him.
"So here you are boy," Darth Sidious sneered, "It has been eight whole months since the Jedi cast you out to die like an animal for slaughter, and yet you refuse the power I have to offer to you because of that hope that Kenobi will come for you!"
Anakin glared at the Dark Lord and said, "You sentenced me to death! You could have declared me innocent, but you didn't! You want me on your side, but I'm not going to join you! Obi Wan will come for me."
Sidious sneered, "And what makes you so sure, Skywalker? He has been away for eight whole months. Eight whole months, and yet he has never shown up or even attempted to find you! Do you not see that like the rest of the Jedi, like Mace Windu, Obi Wan Kenobi has abandoned you?!"
"No," Anakin cried, "You're lying!"
Sidious said, "Oh, I can assure you, that I am not. In fact, as I want what is good for you, I will show you something that will make you understand why you must join me!"
With that, he pulled out a holoprojector device and turned it on.
And then, Anakin saw a woman.
His mother.
She was looking tired and slightly worn.
Sidious said, "This woman is your mother is it not?"
Anakin did not say anything.
Sidious said, "While you were here, do you know what happened to your mother?"
Anakin hissed, "What did you do?!"
Sidious loudly declared, "Your mother is dead, dead by the hands of those whom you once called Masters, the Jedi!"
Anakin cried out, "You're lying! Mom can't be dead! Mom! Obi Wan wouldn't! Please, tell me it's not true!"
Sidious cried out, "I know about your fears about your mother dying, and it seems, they have come to pass! Look upon what I am about to show you, and you will see what happened to her!"
There was a crackling sound from the device, and then suddenly, there came the sounds of blaster fire and a bolt hit her in the chest and she fell down.
"NO!" Anakin cried out.
Suddenly there was a crackling sound and the hologram flickered before changing to Shmi lying face down, even as a figure stood by her, with a purple lightsaber.
It was Mace Windu.
Mace turned her over with his boot and said, "This is it Shmi Skywalker. Your son was nothing but a menace to us all, who never should have been born, never should have been brought to the temple, and never should have been trained. You should have left him where he belonged, but yes, you were a slave anyway. And he should have never been freed like he was and brought to the Jedi to be trained. You never should have given birth to him, woman. Now, you can atone for your sins and his, by your death!"
And with that, he raised his lightsaber, and plunged it into Shmi's heart.
"NO!" Anakin screamed out, "NO MOM NO!"
And then, he saw the hologram of Obi Wan coming into view.
There was no warmth in his eyes.
Instead, Obi Wan spoke coldly, "It is done, you were right to stop me. I never should have trained him. Look how he turned on us all, and I nearly went blind because of attachment to the boy. Now I can consider myself freed from his horrible effect that he has left on us all, with his mother dead."
With that, the display ended.
Sidious cried out, "Now do you understand? The Jedi killed your mother!"
"NO!" Anakin screamed, with tears flooding his eyes and pouring down his cheeks, "NO MOM, MOM, YOU CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS! NO! OBI WAN! HOW COULD YOU?! HOW COULD YOU MACE WINDU?! MOM, PLEASE! NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Vader could feel tears in his eyes as he thought of that day.
Unable to take the strain anymore, he had broken completely that day, and had joined the Sith in order to get his revenge.
It had been lucky for Obi Wan so far that they had not met at all during the Clone Wars, as apparently, he had left the Jedi Order, but now that Vader had heard the truth, he was wondering what he would have done had Obi Wan not left.
And then, it all hit him.
He had fallen for a lie and committed atrocities, all in the name of serving the dark side and the Empire, and for revenge for his mother's supposed death.
He had sunk so deep into the sea of revenge that he had been willing to turn on innocent children that had done nothing wrong, forgetting that he himself had once been a child.
He had forgotten about his promise to free the slaves on Tatooine.
He had forgotten what his mother would have wanted him to do.
She never would have wanted him to turn to the dark side, and commit such horrendous acts.
He remembered the day on which he had eliminated the Jedi, starting with Mace Windu.
Mace Windu and Palpatine were fighting in the Chancellor's office.
Red and amethyst blades clashed against each other and caused the viewport glass to shatter.
Palpatine locked blades with Mace Windu, and then, he knocked Palpatine's away and the old man backed up against the end wall of the viewport, with Mace pointing his lightsaber towards him.
Mace said, "The oppression of the Sith will never return! You have lost!"
He then turned to Vader, who was wearing his suit and mask and standing and watching the scene, and said, "You were right, Commander Vader, this man was indeed a Sith Lord. You have earned our trust."
"Trust?" Vader suddenly said, "Why would I tell you unless I wanted to inform you? Or rather, unless, my Master wanted you to know?"
Mace looked at Vader in confusion, and then suddenly, even as Vader ignited his lightsaber, revealing his crimson blade, Mace suddenly cried out, "I knew there was something wrong with you! You're his apprentice! No wonder I could sense the dark side in you!"
Vader sneered, "Only because I wanted you to sense it, for all that you did, Jedi!"
And then, Palpatine laughed evilly and unleashed a barrage of force lightning at Mace Windu.
Mace barely managed to block it and hold his ground.
Slowly, he managed to push back against the Sith Lord.
And Palpatine was getting disfigured.
He screamed, "NO! Commander Vader, do something!"
Vader slowly advanced towards Mace even as he continued to hold his ground.
But then Vader neared him and swung his lightsaber to strike the man across the chest and through the torso, and Mace was forced to stop fighting Palpatine and attempted to force push him.
But Vader blocked Mace's attempt with his own, sending him flying back towards the other end of the viewport, and Mace hit the wall and fell, but his hand was still on his lightsaber.
Vader, who had flown back a little bit, managed to get up and rush quickly towards Mace Windu, who barely managed to ignite his lightsaber at the last second and block what would have been a killing blow.
"I never should have trusted you, Vader," Mace cried out.
Vader replied, "You were all foolish and weak to believe that I was sent for your goodwill, and now you shall perish tonight, by my hand, as will the Jedi at the temple, and outside, for what you all did!"
And then, with one hand, he held his lightsaber against Windu's, while with the other, he produced force lightning and sent a stream of it straight into the Jedi Master's chest.
Mace screamed in pain even as Vader shocked him and Sidious laughed, and then, Vader moved his lightsaber away, and with one, swift, swing of his lightsaber, managing to avoid Mace's in a desperate swing to the chest, he sliced off both the man's hands and the lightsaber was sent plummeting down the senate building.
Even as Mace let out a scream of pain, Sidious laughingly walked towards them and said, "Behold, Mace Windu, the one whom you spurned, behold my apprentice Vader, as he kills you. Let him look upon you with his own eyes, and you shall be granted the opportunity to see his eyes, before he slays you where you lie, like an animal!"
Vader turned to Sidious and said, "You wish for me to remove my mask?"
Sidious said, "I shall do it for you. As soon as I do it, do not wait for him to say any more of his pathetic words, do not listen to any lie he tries to tell you! Kill him!"
And with that, Sidious moved behind Vader and unclasped his mask.
There was a snap hiss, and then, Sidious removed the mask to reveal Vader's human face, with sandy blonde hair, and yellow eyes.
And then, Vader yelled, "YOU VILE JEDI! MACE WINDU, LOOK UPON ME AS I KILL YOU!"
Mace looked shocked and tried to say something, but even as he cried out, "Anakin," Vader cruelly brought his blade down and stabbed the man in the chest and throat, glaring at him in demonic satisfaction and hissing, "Die the same way as you killed my mother!"
Vader couldn't help shuddering as he remembered the memory.
Mace had been trying to tell him something, and he had not even allowed the man to speak a word.
Sidious had been the one to try and assassinate his mother, not him and Obi Wan.
And to think he had fallen for a lie.
He hung his head in his hands even as the weight of all his actions came crashing down upon him.
What would his mother say if she were to see him like this?
Would she accept him? Would she love him anymore?
No, she would be horrified at what her son had done, at what her son had become.
No, it was better this way. Anakin Skywalker was dead, and Vader was all that remained, and he only had his Master, Darth Sidious.
He had to obey his Master.
He was well aware of his Master's orders to do away with Padmé as soon as possible, but he had not done it.
And now that she had told him the truth, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
Why? He was Sith, he was supposed to be strong, not weak like this, to kill a weak woman!
But no. Padmé wasn't weak.
He was the weak one.
He was weak, pathetic, and a monster.
And then, suddenly, he felt an urge. An urge to plunge his lightsaber into his chest.
It would be better. He couldn't do as he was supposed to, and he had done so many terrible things. He was unworthy of being called the son of Shmi Skywalker, he was unworthy of having a mother like her. She didn't need a son like him!
It was so easy. All he had to do was press the lightsaber to his chest and ignite it.
He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and pressed the open end of the hilt against his chest.
All he had to do was push the button.
Just one push.
He just had to push the button.
But somehow, he just couldn't.
There was something inside him, telling him not to, forcing him to not push that button.
Vader growled and tried to fight it, but the more he tried, the stronger it became.
Finally, he let out a yell of anger and threw his lightsaber hilt against the viewport.
Luckily, it did not cause any damage.
And then, he fumed, "Why am I so weak?!"
And then, he remained silent for a while, staring off into space.
He eventually turned around.
And then, he saw Padmé standing near the bed.
He at once got up, remembering what he had told her earlier, and without a word, he walked out of the bedroom.
He sat on the couch even as Padmé closed the door and then, he flopped down on the sofa, not knowing what to do, before hiding his face in a cushion and lying down, drowning in a sea of shame, loss and sorrow.
