Chapter 19: Reconciliation
A week had passed since Engel's accident, he would be released from the medical center the next day.
As the suns of Coruscant set, Palpatine finally decided to retire to his private chambers for the night.
He walked over to his closet and started getting dressed for bed. He put on his nightgown, took a bottle of Sullustan wine from his closet, poured himself a glass, and then sat down in his chair, determined to relax. He still had enough energy to drink his glass of wine, find his way to his bed, and stay. asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
The Imperial Palace home of Emperor Palpatine. A round of lightning flashes across the sky followed by a crash of thunder. Understandably, this bad weather has prevented some Coruscanters from getting some sleep. This cannot be said of Emperor Palpatine, who is fast asleep in his bedroom. Or at least it was...
The emperor starts to spin around a bit. Palpatine's pale, decrepit hands slowly tighten on the sheet. As his movements on the bed become more pronounced, objects such as sculptures, vases, and paintings begin to shake in his room. The more he moves, the more they shake.
The young 17-year-old Palpatine looked with a dark smile at the corpses that lay at his feet. Revealing the hideous infamy of him…
He murdered his father Cosinga… Cracked bones, torn skin and screams of absolute agony. The King of Beasts had just been unleashed and was tearing the prey from him with vigor. The guards dispatched them easily and then went on to deal with his family. His mother fell first, suffocated, and fell, her limp form falling to the deck with an anticlimactic thud.
Then his brother Maree, screaming as his spine was practically torn from his body his neck by some invisible magic and his body torn apart by a blue lightning bolt.
The other two little brothers of his whose bodies were repeatedly thrown against the wall until there was nothing left but blood stains.
His sister Nadmé was the only one he reached out to. She had mocked him without remorse again and again. She teased him incessantly, without realizing that she was digging his own grave. Like a wild Nexu, she had used her teeth to bite into his neck and tear off his flesh. Her exposed jugular spurted hot blood all over his body. He looked into her eyes as she died with a hateful intensity that seemed to revel in her pain. Her eyes, once pale blue and now bright yellow, were the last thing she saw. She died in agony and terror trying to call her dead mother.
He was drenched in her sister's blood, her hair matted and wet, her eyes shining, her face shaking, her breathing heavy and panting. He let out a high-pitched, deranged laugh... He smiled diabolically, looking at the bodies, but his smile faded... a body was missing here, no matter how much he searched, he couldn't find it. "Because you are not here?! Because you are not here!"
At that moment a figure enters the cabin, revealing that he was a 17-year-old teenager identical to Palpatine. "Why am I not dead, little brother?" Engel said with a cynical smile.
"You lie! You are dead!" Palpatine became furious as Engel approached him.
"Why do you keep insisting on the same thing? Our mother already has proof that I am still alive. Very soon they are going to find me and when Palpatine returns… you are going to disappear forever, I am going to take everything from you!" Engel began to mock.
Everything reaches a crescendo when Palpatine rises from his bed, completely I wake up, and objects fall to the ground.
He takes a few deep breaths to get his heartbeat back to normal. As he slowly wipes the sweat from his forehead, the bedroom door opens and a servant droid enters.
"Emperor, he has a visitor." The droid reported.
Palpatine raised an eyebrow, "A visitor?" He had no more appointments today, Palpatine hesitated, but wondered who it could be "Very well."
It doesn't take her long to change her clothes and leave his room. The stormy weather continues outside as Palpatine slowly makes his way to his throne room.
Palpatine arrives at the throne room. He slowly walks up the stairs and sits in his chair.
The door opened to reveal his apprentice Darth Vader before him… Palpatine noticed the fury boiling within Vader. Was this fury directed at him?
"I have sensed a disturbance in the force, master... you should not be surprised, a poisonous viper like you cannot have a clear conscience," Anakin reproached with contempt.
Palpatine let out a disgusted grimace but then it turned into an evil smile. "Anakin…"
"There are things that are never forgotten, Chancellor, like deception and betrayal."
"I don't know why you talk to me like this" Palpatine feigned naivety while Anakin, with a cynical smile behind his mask, approached his side on his throne. "Anakin, I don't understand what you mean."
"I find myself in a dilemma, your grace," Anakin said, lowering the hood that covered Palpatine's face. "I need to decide between two things."
"What do you mean, my boy?" Palpatine asked, letting the soft voice of his former mask shine through.
Before he could fully comprehend the situation, the fingers of
Anakin's irons were buried in his neck and she grabbed his neck, pushing him back into the throne chair. Until Palpatine was trapped between him and the back of the chair. The Dark Lord growled as he felt the pressure on his throat as he struggled to push the pain to the back of his mind and focus on the greater threat.
He pushed at Skywalker's arms, but they were unmovable. "Anakin, what are you doing? Let go of me!" he snorted.
Anakin only growled in response "No! No! INo! Until I have answers from you. And I'll get them if I have to..." His voice trailed off, but his hands tightened again, and Palpatine hissed.
His claws loosened and he finally managed to speak. "To what? Hurt me? Kill me? Anakin, listen to yourself and calm down. You don't need to threaten me to get answers."
Anakin just let out a wry laugh. "I could kill you here and right now with my bare hands."
"Kill me…" Palpatine responded as Anakin removed his hands from his neck. It had been hard not to retaliate, very hard, when Anakin grabbed him by the neck. But a gentle warning from the distant Dark Side told Sidious to keep his place.
"You betrayed me in the worst way, you played very dirty with me Palpatine." You were my friend, my mentor. I came to you to tell you my problems. I thought you listened to me because you cared but I guess you were just trying to find my weaknesses Darth Sidious is cruel and evil, you never cared about me. I try to tell myself that Palpatine did it, but deep down I know that Palpatine was never real. He was just a shiny front for your evil. Still, I really liked Palpatine. Thinking about this, Anakin slowly approached Palpatine, looking at his reconstructed face, returning it to the appearance he had before, believing he saw, just for an instant, the face of a man with blue eyes pale and gray haired with a kind expression.
"However… I have missed you so much, Chancellor Palpatine." Anakin wishes it didn't hurt so much that Palpatine was gone. Sometimes it almost seems like he lost it because of Sidious. He is still trying to accept that he is not who Anakin wanted him to be, but he still misses the person he thought was his friend. He admired him for years and now he's just gone. "And believe me, I hate myself for still feeling this attachment to you."
Palpatine was taken aback but decided to play along with his apprentice, wanting to discover what he intended with this.
"There are two options that I have right now... kill him with my own hands right now or take away that desire that I have... your excellency, stay by my side, just for one night, just for this night, that's all I ask of you" He is completely confirmed I lost my mind Anakin thought what he was asking for was not rational at all...
Palpatine didn't respond but Anakin knew he was listening. "You will do this."
Anakin could faintly sense Sidious' thoughts; Feelings towards me vary sometimes, his heart is cold, unlike mine, and he will never care about me. It is a big mistake of mine not being able to feel the same detachment from my most basic emotions.
"I will," Palpatine finally said and Anakin only met those blue eyes again. "For you." With a soft and reassuring voice. "My old friend. You must be exhausted." He rested his fingers against the boy's head.
"I mean, until this happened, I thought we were friends. But I still don't know anything about you personally. You have to have something, like a sense of humor or a
hobby or something like that. I don't know... For example, you like the arts, like that musical Squid Lake"
"Squid Lake is a fusion of opera and ballet," Palpatine automatically corrected with a shake of his head. "I've taken you enough places in the past to know that,
"Anakin"
Anakin took advantage of the joyful, desperate and delighted moment of being able to catch a glimpse of his old friend.
Palpatine sighed and admitted "I enjoy the performing arts."
"And the sculpture"
"Yeah."
"Strange sculpture"
"Anakin..."
"Sorry," Anakin looked down and stifled a laugh. "But still, that's all I know."
Palpatine sighed. "Maybe that's all I want to have fun with these days."
"So you don't want to talk about that either. Well... When did you get into politics?"
Palpatine relaxed a little at the question. "She was twelve," Anakin noted in disbelief, "in fact, she was older than many on Naboo with a political mind. Your own Padmé Amidala reached the Apprentice Legislature at the age of eight."
"I didn't know!" Anakin exclaimed, bitterly remembering the past, Padmé's death.
"A truly humble woman," Palpatine deadpanned. "But very talented. I saw the potential in her to be great in the political field"
"So you convinced her to run for queen?"
"Are you reading my mind?" Palpatine asked dryly. "I helped there, yes."
"Eh.. So, in a roundabout way, you are responsible for us meeting when she was queen."
Palpatine glared at him. Anakin suddenly paled. In more ways than one. Palpatine had engineered the blockade on his own planet, taking the queen to Tatooine. Be careful, his mind warned her. This is not a harmless man. He racked his brains for another, safer topic.
"I remember you telling me that your whole family had died in an accident. I mean, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose a family."
Palpatine's eyes snapped to him. "Don't apologize, my family and I were not close. My father and I clashed over many issues"
"But at least you had a father," Anakin replied, feeling a pang of envy and almost overlooking a wave of displeasure from the older man. Even a cold father had to be better than no father to be considered a freak nature.
"Speeder racing"
Anakin looked up. "That?"
Palpatine smiled at his confusion. "I used to race speeders competitively"
"Actually?"
"Mhm...I won more than I lost. For a while, I considered becoming a professional runner."
Anakin's eyes widened. He stared at the older man and couldn't imagine Palpatine, elegant and calculating, setting off in a crushing, roaring race toward the finish line.
He and he chuckled. "You know, me too, before the Jedi found me. I was going to win freedom for myself and everyone else."
"It's a shame it didn't happen sooner," Palpatine sighed.
Engel lied to me, cheated on me, hurt me and used me to get to you. He deserves a much more painful death than the one I will give him. But Engel did love me. And I loved him too... It's the only thing you can never give me Palpatine. Anakin thought bitterly.
"We can talk about this in the morning. You should... rest, boy. You don't look well," Palpatine says, taking him by the arm and guiding him to an armchair in his private quarters.
Palpatine led Vader to an armchair and covered him with a cloak. "Sleep, my young Jedi," he whispered in an almost soothing tone. "Let your dreams fly." He smiled.
"Hmn…" Anakin briefly opened his sleepy eyes.
"Good night…" Anakin leaned back on the couch as sleep took over him.
"Good night, my apprentice," Palpatine whispered as he left Vader's side.
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The next day Vader was in the halls of the imperial palace about to leave for Mustafar. When he met Engel again, they were face to face again, neither of them said a word.
"Is my brother still in his chambers?" Engel asked with a serious look.
"He had urgent matters to attend to, now he himself is busy."
"You don't need to hide it Anakin… I know that you and my brother are trying to reconcile your relationship. It seems that my presence bothers you. Are you going to ask me to leave?" Engel asked with a serious tone.
"No Engel, I know I owe you an explanation… I don't want to hurt you Engel, I'm trapped between my back and the wall."
"You're back with Palpatine!" Engel said, complaining to Anakin about his decision.
"I know that with the decision I make, I am hurting you a lot."
Engel adopted a sad and indignant expression "Make no mistake… you're not hurting me, you're tearing me to pieces! I didn't expect this from you Anakin. Not after everything you promised me, I believed you! "Now I know that they are the cruelest lies I have ever heard in my life."
"I don't expect you to understand me, or forgive me... but I think it's the only thing to do," Anakin said with a soft voice.
"It's not fair for me and your son! It is not the best!" Engel said annoyed.
"I know my teacher is not innocent, he is not… but tell me who is. I disappeared from his life, I lost my memory and I became attached to you. But he never forgot me, he looked for me, he was worried about me in those three years. I can't turn it down without giving it a chance."
"Have a nice day! I wish you the best!" Engel said with a sarcastic tone, "Be happy!"
"Engel I need to give myself this time, I have to check if the affection I felt for your brother is completely dead. I don't want to live full of doubts and uncertainty!" Anakin said grabbing Engel by the arms.
"I just can't, Anakin! Can't! I don't know what's happening to you! You always change your mind at the last minute. When you were injured you promised me that you were going to return to your family that you were going to return to me and now you give me this!'' Engel said furiously.
"Yes… it was a lie, but I wasn't cheating on you or my son… but on myself."
Engel gave a confused expression "How…? How your feelings can change so quickly… I don't understand."
"My affection and love for you has not changed Engel…". Anakin said in all honesty.
"Then why did you go back to him!" Engel said referring to Palpatine.
"Why I also still love him deep down… that's the truth. When I lost my memory, for me you are someone very special Engel. But I can't deny this affection I still feel for Palpatine. When I lost my memory and confused you with him. I realized that I still love him."
"And where am I, Anakin? What do I do to get rid of this false affection that you have filled me with!? You do not get it? I do not want to lose you!"
"I don't want to promise you anything that I can't keep... I don't want to lose you either, like everyone else."
Engel with an understanding voice and a sweet fatherly smile said the following: "No Anakin, you will never lose me."
Anakin hugged Engel and he hugged her back. Engel looked at Anakin with a smile. "And that's why... you will never be able to defeat me." Engel's eyes turned yellow, laughing perversely.
Anakin walked away... it was not Engel but Sidious. "As long as you let your feelings fester, you will always be weaker than me. Always the slave young Skywalker."
Anakin only felt the lightning on his body as Sidious mocked him while torturing him...
Anakin behind the mask woke up in a padded armchair covered with a blanket, he was in the Emperor's private chambers. It was all a dream... Anakin thought with relief and sadness. However, force-sensitives do not have meaningless dreams. Engel has been very strange lately, it's like he's a different person... Did Palpatine and Engel change places? Anakin thought, suspicious, however later he denied that idea. No... Engel wouldn't lend himself to that. But he's changed a lot with me lately, something's wrong with Engel...
Just then he hears the metal door open revealing Emperor Palpatine. Then Anakin starts to remember the night before "What did I do…?" He asked feeling horrified deep down.
Palpatine gave a mocking and gentle smile "What did you do? You didn't resist my charms, last night you confessed to me that despite your resentment... you still love me. You threw yourself into my open arms and I gladly received you."
"No… this shouldn't have happened," Anakin said, regretting what he did.
Palpatine grimaced but forced a kind smile. "I have no regrets…" Sidious approaches him, and Anakin barely avoids flinching again when the Sith reaches out and his fingers touch Anakin's upper arm. He can barely feel it through the armor, but the pressure is enough.
Anakin freezes, barely daring to breathe. It's not like he can breathe on his own anyway.
Palpatine used to play it all the time. But this is no longer a touch Anakin wants. This is not Palpatine, his mentor and friend. He is his teacher. She can't get away from him no matter what she does, and that's half the reason she wants that touch to go away. Now it's Sidious. He can't deny her anything. He has no idea if the touch is supposed to be comforting (like Palpatine would do) or something that now signifies possession. It looks much more like the second one.
"Admit it, only with me do you chase away your pain… your frustrations, only with me do you forget what torments you so much" Sidious wants to be the only person Vader has. He is the only person you are allowed to have.
"What torments me, Your Excellency, is all this that you provoke in me by remembering the past."
Sidious adopted the sweet voice of Palpatine "We have very fond memories, my child… I only remember that you did not look for Engel, you promised me that you would break all contact with him. Don't you dare go looking for him Anakin, no…"
Anakin knew very well, this was not a warning but a threat. I know how well you lie Sidious...
Sidious finally walks away from him. Vader would have breathed a sigh of relief if he could control his breathing.
He still feels sick, terrified, and empty when Sidious finally excuses him. Vader doesn't know what he is, but he is not free. He never will be. He is alone…
He is... he is Sidious's slave and nothing more. There's nothing else it could be... but he wouldn't let Engel be in any more danger, he had to save him from his brother.
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Accompanied by his red guard, the Emperor visited the Coruscant medical center to see if there was any progress with the contingency plan.
"Your Majesty, progress is going in the right direction… you will soon have a new body worthy of you to withstand your power. However".
"The procedure is taking time, doctor... I want results, not excuses," Sidious said bluntly.
"There is a way to speed up the procedure, taking blood samples from Engel, they are not enough... We need to fill in the spaces in his DNA with that of his brother."
"What's stopping her?" Sidious asked curiously.
"To continue the cloning project… We must prepare Engel for surgery, the process is painful as well as dangerous. "He could lose her life."
"Then there is no other choice, we must kill him" Sidious smiled sinisterly "Prepare everything for the surgery doctor, you can proceed" He did not feel any remorse unlike Vader, he was immune to family ties.
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At the secret base Leia receives notifications from an infiltrator in the capital of Coruscant... he had news about Engel.
"Luke, we have an infiltrator in the Empire… he gave us news about Engel." Leia said worriedly.
"How is Engel? He is fine? " Luke asked worried.
Leia gave a sad expression. "According to the information they gave us, Engel suffered an attempt on his life two weeks ago… he almost lost his life."
Luke was sure that the Emperor had something to do with this, his name was written there "We have to rescue Engel from the Empire."
"Our informant told us to wait for his signal, at a meeting point to pick up Engel and return him to his home."
Luke was a little hesitant about the mysterious unknown informant in the Empire. "What if he's a trap? "It's very likely Leia."
"Apparently our deputy told us that he just wants to do the right thing... but what other option do we have, Engel can die at any moment if he remains by Palpatine's side."
Luke nodded, he agreed with his sister, they couldn't leave Engel there. "You're right, Leia… Palpatine never hesitates to kill his enemies, he is cruel and ruthless. If he hasn't killed Engel yet, it's because he wants something from him… he needs it, but…"
Leia knew it and nodded sadly. "When he no longer serves her, he will simply kill him…"
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Days later Vader decides to enter Engel's chambers and can see him sitting meditating at that moment he feels Vader's presence in his chambers.
"My brother told me that you guys got back together… I promised to step aside, you can leave," Engel said with a neutral tone.
But seeing that Vader had no intention of retreating, "Nothing is going to change the past... I miss Anakin, if I could talk to him... I need to tell him a lot of things," Engel said worriedly.
"And why don't you tell me?" Vader asked intrigued.
"Why do I feel that you are not sincere with me, that you are not telling me the whole truth?"
"I have never lied to you Engel…"
"That's not true and you know it… How much does talking about the past affect you?"
Vader put a serious face behind his helmet. "Do you want the truth?"
Engel just nodded "Yes…"
"Years ago I promised one thing. "That as long as I have life they would never harm his excellence."
"Yes, that is understandable."
"But that was before… it was when he was convinced that I loved him like my father and when I was sure that he loved me back. The truth is that Palpatine never really loved me like his son."
Engel just let out a sigh "You must hold a lot of resentment against him, right? And you know what, that leaves me thinking that you're never going to be able to get him out of your life."
"He hurt me too much…" Vader said sincerely. "He went to the point of destroying my life. In those moments I wondered how could he do something like that to me?!"
"My brother… Palpatine is not to blame for all your misfortunes, it was your fault too…"
"It's true Engel… I was to blame for everything that happens today. "I betrayed my friends, my wife... I betrayed my family and I betrayed you."
"Please…" Engel asked, begging to be left alone.
But at that moment Vader begins to convulse feeling a pain in his head, Engel worriedly approached his side.
"What do you have?! What's the matter!? Tell me what you have… how can I help you?" Engel asked worriedly.
"Palpatine is the one who lies to you! Anakin is not going to lie to you…" Vader said, breathing heavily.
Engel felt worried "What's wrong with you? Please tell me how I can help you! Help help!" Engel shouted for help. "Tell me what I do, how I can help you, tell me…
Anakin looked at Engel again, worried about his well-being. "I don't have much time... listen to me Engel... Palpatine lies to you, he only uses you for his own selfish benefits, after you are no longer useful to him he is going to get rid of you." you".
Engel couldn't believe it, "Annie, you're wrong, my brother confessed to me that he loved me."
"Palpatine only told you what you wanted to hear Engel," Anakin said tiredly.
"That…?" Engel asked, confused by this truth.
"I know he is your brother, but you can't trust him, don't fall into his trap!" At that moment Anakin's eyes turn yellow again.
"Anakin! Listen, I need to talk to you! "Anakin!" Engel said desperately, grabbing Vader gently by the shoulders.
"Engel…"
Engel, feeling the dark side inside Anakin again, got upset, "Anakin! Why don't you let this Anakin?! I need to talk to him!".
"Engel! You do not get it? Anakin is weak, he always failed to protect the ones he loved. I am the only one who can take care of you and protect you Engel…" but at that moment everything became cloudy.
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"Lord Vader… can you hear me, Lord Vader."
Vader heard a distant voice calling him as he opened his eyes he could see Emperor Palpatine in front of him.
"Don't worry old friend, you'll be stable soon…"
"Where is Engel?" Vader asked worried a few moments ago he was next to him.
Sidious hid an angry expression that he disguised with a kind smile. "You don't have to worry about him anymore, my boy." Because very soon he will be dead...
"I was worried about him…where is he?" Vader insisted.
"You can't, they are preparing him for surgery."
"Surgery…? Because?" Vader asked worriedly.
"Don't worry my apprentice, it served his purpose well." Sidious let out an ironic laugh.
Vader was horrified, he knew that smile… it wasn't good at all. "No… Right now you're going to tell me where he is!" "He said threateningly."
Sidious with a malicious smile unleashed a lightning bolt on Vader reducing him to the ground "You forget your place Lord Vader... you are mine" Sidious finishes his punishment leaving Vader on the ground.
Half an hour later Vader gets up again, he was weakened... Sidious's rays had left him injured.
I was late again... Anakin whispered with pain remembering the death of all his loved ones... Mom, Padmé, Obi-wan... and Engel.
But then he remembered the moments he was happy with his loved ones. Gaining the courage and strength to stand alone and accept it all…
In the hallways only the alarms could be heard throughout the hallways of the Coruscant medical area.
Sensing Engel's presence on the force, he was able to find him in one of the operations rooms.
Engel was unconscious dressed in a medical gown and they were about to start surgery.
"Lord Vader I will not let you take him. It is our future, the salvation of the Emperor" the doctor tried to reason with the Sith Lord, however she only felt a pressure on her throat that was choking her to death.
Vader approached Engel and carried his body in his arms, he seemed so small and delicate. "Don't worry Engel, I'm here..."
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Engel began to open his eyes, he felt dizzy. Where am I? Whose clothes are these?"
"Calm down, the drugs are still taking effect…" Anakin said as he left the ship on autopilot. "Everything is going to be okay, I'll take you home."
Anakin told Engel what Palpatine intended to do with him... Now he understood everything, his vision and perception of his strength was clouded by the dark side, Palpatine had only manipulated him since the day they met again. All his words were vile lies… deceptions. He felt hurt, betrayed and outraged for having fallen into such a dirty game, now he could see how he was the true face of Emperor Palpatine or Darth Sidious.
"I'm not him, Anakin... look at me, look at my face, we may be the same but at the same time we are different. Don't confuse me with him!" Engel said with a sweet voice.
Anakin saw Engel, his face, especially his eyes... it was a pale blue, filled with affection and love.
"You are right, you are not Chancellor Palpatine… for your own good, we will follow our own paths."
Engel only felt hurt and hurt by Anakin's words "Annie, you're not the only one who lost a loved one. I also felt very alone since the death of my parents, I lost everyone who loved me. To all! Except you!" Engel felt sad. "Don't tell me that I would be better off away from you because I would be more scared…"
Neither of them said a word, Anakin just decided to hug Engel and he could feel how he reciprocated.
He could hear Engel sobbing in his arms but Anakin only let out a few tears... Engel who at first needed an arm to support himself. He calmed his crying with a soft smile.
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Engel began to open his eyes, he felt dizzy. Where am I? Whose clothes are these?"
"Calm down, the drugs are still taking effect…" Anakin said as he left the ship on autopilot. "Everything is going to be okay, I'll take you home."
Anakin told Engel what Palpatine intended to do with him... Now he understood everything, his vision and perception of his strength was clouded by the dark side, Palpatine had only manipulated him since the day they met again. All his words were vile lies… deceptions. He felt hurt, betrayed and outraged for having fallen into such a dirty game, now he could see how he was the true face of Emperor Palpatine or Darth Sidious.
"I'm not him, Anakin... look at me, look at my face, we may be the same but at the same time we are different. Don't confuse me with him!" Engel said with a sweet voice.
Anakin saw Engel, his face, especially his eyes... it was a pale blue, filled with affection and love.
"You are right, you are not Chancellor Palpatine… for your own good, we will follow our own paths."
Engel only felt hurt and hurt by Anakin's words "Annie, you're not the only one who lost a loved one. I also felt very alone since the death of my parents, I lost everyone who loved me. To all! Except you!" Engel felt sad. "Don't tell me that I would be better off away from you because I would be more scared…"
Neither of them said a word, Anakin just decided to hug Engel and he could feel how he reciprocated.
He could hear Engel sobbing in his arms but Anakin only let out a few tears... Engel who at first needed an arm to support himself. He calmed his crying with a soft smile.
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Arriving at Vader's castle on Mustafar, Anakin sent the coordinates to the rebellion to pick up Engel. He wouldn't be safe with him, he knew Sidious was going to come after him for his betrayal and would be furious with him, and it wasn't good when Sidious got angry.
"Anakin…" Engel called with a soft, fatherly smile. "When we investigated your past on Tatooine and Naboo, I collected extra information for you, I hope you don't mind."
Anakin placed the information on a holoprojector watching the replay of the events of the battle of Naboo against the Trade Federation and the Pod race on Tatooine. Seeing all his loved ones next to him, his mother Shmi, Padmé, Qui-Gon-Jin and Obi-wan next to him.
The memories of him at first would have caused him pain but now he just let out a sigh, he felt calm and just smiled wistfully remembering good moments in his life. "No, Engel, don't worry, you can't escape the past anyway," Anakin said with a smile.
"Anakin, when all this is over, we will leave together, the whole family, we will go wherever you want," Engel said with a smiling smile.
"Engel... I missed your smiling smile, since you were in the imperial palace I have never seen you smile that way again." He admitted Anakin with a smile.
Engel just laughed sweetly, but at that moment he felt something… Anakin felt it too.
Suddenly, Engel groaned and fell to his knees, his hands clasped at the sides of his head. "No..." he gasped. Engel struggled to lift his head. "He's the… Palpatine. He's angry, no… he's beyond angry. The hate is so strong that I can't" he groaned again in pain.
Anakin suddenly feels something is wrong. It happens so suddenly that it takes him completely by surprise. Sidious… He's here.
He must have come out of hyperspace about Mustafar. Right here, right now, their time was up.
He is coming and they will have to face him now, if someone is going to die he was not going to allow anything to happen to Engel. Never more. That doesn't mean that overwhelming panic, the fear of who will get hurt, of waiting for what Sidious is going to do to him. To both.
"What happen?" Engel's voice spirals through his thoughts. He stands next to him, frowning.
"Sidious is here. We're out of time." Vader pulled out Engel's lightsaber and handed it to him.
Engel took the hilt, surprised. It was his lightsaber. When he turned on the blade, the blue glowed in the place. "My lightsaber…"
"I kept it for you when you gave it to me, I couldn't get rid of it… a Jedi's weapon is his life" Anakin said with a smile "I'll face him first. When you walk in, he... won't expect it." Or at least that's what Anakin can hope for.
He doesn't wait to hear his objections and heads for the exit. The shuttle is arriving, Anakin and Engel wait, the fear grows with each passing moment... but Engel was not afraid.