by Forcechild
“You’re wrong! There is nothing inside me but hate,” Lord Vader raged, but as he raised the lightsaber to slash into Anakin’s form once more, he hesitated yet again. What Anakin said upset the Sith Lord greatly as he recalled his former life. This memory had been suppressed in his subconscious and hidden from him until this very second. Now it all came flooding back. A shiver ran through him at the memory of his death.
The Supreme Ruler laughed hysterically as he conceded the pure insanity of the situation, but his laughter soon abated. He realized that when the original Darth Vader killed Sidious, he’d also sacrificed himself, which in turn destroyed the Sith. Balance had been restored to the Force, allowing Anakin’s soul to be set free. That is why his spirit could appear to him now.
But why did Anakin assume there was still good inside his soul? He was beyond redemption. He was a Sith Lord. The Sith didn’t rely on goodness, nor mercy. No. There wasn’t an iota of good left inside his soul. Anakin was sadly mistaken. Hate is all he felt! Vader raised the lightsaber again, but just could not bring his weapon down, not while his own face stared back at him.
“You see my brother. You still can’t take Ben’s life, even though my spirit is all you see. You’ll not end his life no matter how angry you are.”
Absolute rage engulfed the Sith Lord. “I may not be able to slash into my own mirror image, but I can surely kill one that is a part of us.” Vader spat out as he looked over at Padmay’s limp form. In a blind rage he stormed over to her. The thought of killing his unborn child didn’t enter his mind as he raised his lightsaber and sliced down to take Padmay’s life.
The Chosen One instantaneously used the unlimited powers the midi-chlorians bestowed upon him to hesitate time itself. He repelled the Imperial Guards who were restraining Ben. They propelled across the room in slow motion and bounced against the wall. Falling to the floor, they remained motionless.
Anakin then used his grandson’s life force to become a physical being once again. The youth’s body instantly changed physically in breadth and stature as the Chosen One took full possession. As he drew breath into this human form and tasted its sweetness upon his tongue, Anakin felt an incredible surge of power pulsating through him as the evil influence of the Dark Side tried to recapture his soul. He pushed the images from his mind as he halted Vader’s fatal stroke a mere fraction of a second before the lightsaber reached its target. Anakin mentally tore the weapon from the Sith Lord’s grasp and it flew across the room.
Time resumed its natural pace as the Supreme Ruler spun towards Anakin in an uncontrolled rage. Force lightning issued from his fingertips.
Anakin absorbed the tremendous surge of energy into his palm and cast it back. Blue, white lightning exploded from each of them as an unbounded electrical current whipped and cracked, filling the chamber with light.
The Supreme Ruler concentrated deeply, drawing more power from the Dark Side. He lifted his hand towards the oblong table. It rose into the air and he tossed it across the room towards his foe.
The Chosen One stopped the massive table in midair and pushed it back at his adversary.
Vader shoved it towards Anakin again.
Anakin stood immobile and obliterated the broad slab as it flew towards him. Debris flew harmlessly past and littered the floor. He smiled as he said, “It seems our powers are equal in this struggle my brother. We could destroy this chamber and still not accomplish a thing.”
“Then we’ll have to resort to what we know best,” Vader replied maliciously. He reached out and Padmay’s lightsaber returned to his hand as if it were a trained pet, obediently obeying its Master.
“As you wish, but you still won’t defeat me.” Anakin lifted his hand and Ben’s weapon flew across the room into his outstretched palm. He ignited the lightsaber and the crystals that empowered it shone with a brilliant, blue light.
The Supreme Ruler smiled cruelly as he ignited his weapon, its hue blood red. “We shall now learn which is stronger. You’re incompetent Jedi abilities, or the infinite powers of the Sith.”
The pair leapt into the air simultaneously and landed next to one another. Their weapons seemed to latch together as one as they looked into each other’s eyes. The bright glow that arose from their crossed weapons was purple in color as they sizzled loudly in their hands.
Lord Vader broke their stalemated contact first and lunged forward to impale his enemy. Anakin pivoted, side-stepped, leaping out of his foe’s deadly range. Anakin jumped forward again and slashed down. The Sith Lord countered the stroke then feigned to the right, striking at Anakin again. Anakin blocked Vader's thrust and predicted his next maneuver, parrying his true blow. The Sith Lord advanced affecting several slashes. Anakin easily avoided each stroke.
The Emperor suddenly lunged forward and grabbed his foe’s wrists. He forced Anakin’s arms down slicing in an upward motion in an attempt to sever his hands. Anakin instantly spun, pulling free from Vader’s grasp in time to prevent the amputation. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t be so foolish. Did you think that maneuver would work on me? I used that little trick when I severed Dooku’s hands. Don’t you remember?”
The Sith Lord growled in absolute fury at his adversary’s laughter. Forced lightening discharged from his hands once again, catching Anakin off guard. He flew across the room and slammed into a wall. The breath was knocked from him and Anakin lay motionless on the floor. Vader quickly leapt up in the air, his lightsaber pointed downward in order to pierce through Anakin when he landed.
The Chosen One recovered and jumped to his feet. He lifted his hand and halted his opponent while in midair. He tossed Vader across the room, and through the doors at the end of the chamber. Anakin leapt to the portal and they came at each other again. They continued slashing ferociously at one another as they made their way through the curving corridor. The hallway was narrow and most of their violent strokes hit the walls which gouged them deeply. The pair reached the end of the corridor and burst through the doors onto the tier that overlooked the arena. They crossed the length constantly striking at each other. The electrical buzz from their weapons echoed loudly as the stench of pungent smoke rose in the air.
Vader backed Anakin towards the waist high wall cutting off his retreat. Anakin jumped onto the balustrade blocking the Sith Lord’s upward strokes. The Sith Lord lifted his hand engulfing Anakin with Force lightning once more. He tossed his foe outwards.
Anakin fell to the arena far below. He recovered from the searing blast to his body. Landing safely, he saw the stands crowded with thousands of Vader’s children all rising to their feet at once. The Chosen One switched his lightsaber off.
The Sith Lord laughed wildly from above. He yelled out loudly, “I seem to recall you found yourself in a similar situation here once before my brother. That time it was droid soldiers you faced. You managed to escape your fate that time, but unfortunately for you, the outcome shall not be in your favor this time. Bring him,” he bellowed.
*
Anakin stood restrained before the Supreme Ruler in the council chamber once again. “I hope you will finally concede that the Dark Side is much stronger. You’ve failed to defeat me as I knew you would.” The Sith Lord smiled widely.
“Have I?” Anakin replied with a slight grin spreading across his face.
“Why do you grin? You must realize that this is the end. For you, as well as the Jedi.”
“You cannot kill what is already dead my brother. Besides, you already tried that. You failed to take Ben’s life.”
“I no longer care that you inhabit his body. It’s you that I want to destroy. You’re flesh and blood now. I’ll rid myself of you while at the same time disposing of this impudent child who’s refused my generous gift of knowledge. He’s shown his true colors and is completely useless to me now.”
“Then I will become spirit again and you’ll still fail to destroy me.”
“Yet I shall kill our grandchild in the process. Will you allow that to ha
ppen?”
“You won’t have time to harm him.” Anakin’s grin broadened as if he knew a great secret.
“What do you mean by that?” Vader asked with brows wrinkled. “What are you keeping from me? Tell me. I demand it!”
The Chosen One’s grin turned into a wide smile. He didn’t respond. The guards that were restraining him instantly released their grasp, hanging their hands loosely by their sides. Their eyes became a complete blank. All four stood immobile before him.
“What are you doing brother?” the Emperor asked nervously.
Anakin still didn’t reply. It had been his purpose to stall for time. Time enough for the Jedi to control the TIE fighters, and then destroy the remaining Star Destroyers. He’d known that this battle had to be fought in stages, unlike their engagement over Coruscant. All the Jedi had been needed at the same time in order to destroy the Death Star, but this conflict had to be fought differently. Anakin needed to keep Vader’s clone occupied while the battle waged in space, but now all the Jedi were free to fight his Grand Army on the planet itself.
The Sith Lord felt a tremendous vibration starting to swirl around Anakin and extent outward. A great shift was occurring in the Force. He’d never experienced anything quite like it before. He started to hear whisperings of “death to the intruders” echo inside his children’s minds. The disembodied voices rose sharply and exceedingly fast. The Supreme Ruler suddenly heard all of his children scream out loudly in absolute fury. They began to turn on one another.
In a matter of mere seconds chaos erupted throughout Geonosis. A new life started to form on the orb and hurriedly sought sustenance to gather in strength. As Lord Vader stood dumbfounded before Anakin, he started to smell smoke as this greedy animal hungrily consumed all in its vicious path. The Grand Army was torching the city in order to force the intruders out. The ancient site was quickly going up in flames.
“NO!” Vader screamed at the top of his lungs. “I WON’T ALLOW THE Jedi TO INFULENCE MY CHILDREN AGAIN!”
“You cannot stop it brother,” Anakin said.
“Withdraw from my children! I command it!”
“I can’t. I’m not controlling them. The Jedi are, and they won’t obey your commands.”
A mass of children suddenly burst into the chamber with lit torches clasped tightly in their hands. They screamed at the top of their lungs with murderous intent in their eyes. Vader lifted his hand and repelled them across the room. The torches flew from their grasps and rolled beneath the ancient, withered tapestries that hung limply from the walls. They quickly ignited. The new life force enthusiastically lapped at the dried material as the hangings curled and twisted from the heat. Charred pieces floated furiously up into the air as the fire quickly consumed the fuel source.
The Imperial Guards, who’d just a few minutes before been Vader’s loyal servants, turned on each other. A few of them ran over to Padmay as she rose from her stupor. They roughly seized her and yelled, “Kill the intruder!” The children started pulling and tugging on her arms trying to tear them from their sockets. Padmay screamed out in pain as they continued their effort to rip her body apart.
Vader yelled at them to halt, but they were deaf to his commands. He used the Force to toss his children across the room, but his powers were being blocked. They continued to pull relentlessly on Padmay. The Supreme Ruler screamed at Anakin. “You’re behind this. I order you to stop at once!”
“I am doing nothing brother.”
“Then order the Jedi to stop! I command you to stop them!”
“I already told you that the Jedi will not listen to your commands.”
“Will you allow the Jedi to kill your own flesh and blood?”
“It is not the Jedi who’ll kill her. Your children are going to kill her.”
“Master! Help me! Please!” Padmay continued to scream as the children clawed at her. Flames were inches away by now, eagerly reaching their tendrils out, threatening to engulf her body.
The Supreme Ruler watched helplessly as his apprentice screamed out in pure terror. He wondered why her pleading tore at his soul. Isn’t this what he’d wanted all along? Vader wanted to see his wife pay for her betrayal. He’d wanted to see Padme’s pale body writhe in intense pain. The Sith Lord wanted to see her flesh sear and char as his flesh once did. He’d wanted to see her suffer just as much as he had in his past life. So why were her screams so agonizing to hear?
Thick, black smoke darkened the chamber in the fire’s lustful intent to consume everything in its uncontrolled path. As flames erupted all around Padmay, something broke deep within Vader’s clone. He turned to Anakin. “Stop this please. Don’t let her be burned as I was. Don’t let my children tear her apart. Don’t let my love be taken from me again. I’m begging you my brother. Save her life.”
Anakin was completely stunned. What did he mean by “again?” Was he referring to Padme? Did he actually believe that his granddaughter was Padme Amidala reborn? No. It wasn’t possible. The man had to know that Padmay wasn’t really his wife. He had to realize that she was his grandchild. But then, his mind was twisted. Anakin had assumed that the Sith Lord told their granddaughter that she was Padme in order to turn her. Did this maniacal being actually believe he was making love to his wife while ravishing his own flesh and blood? Was it really possible that this Vader couldn’t separate them in his mind? Didn’t the man realized that both were two, distinct individuals?
The Chosen One reached deep inside the Supreme Ruler to sense his true feelings. He didn’t just glimpse the outer layer of his core, but probed the inner depths of his soul. Yes. Anakin could see it now. The Sith Lord did truly believe that Padme Amidala was reborn in Padmay Solo. He could not, or would not, recognize the fact that Padme didn’t really inhabit the girl. This cloned version of Darth Vader had let love conquer the overwhelming hatred that consumed his conscious mind.
Anakin felt a deep sorrow for this pitiful being. He said sadly, “I’m so sorry my brother. I was right. My virtue survived deep within Darth Vader’s core while alive and somehow some of that goodness managed to pass on to you, although I didn’t recognize it fully until now. You really do believe that our granddaughter is Padme. Because that spark of goodness left within Darth Vader was inherited, even though hidden, you were able to open your heart and allowed yourself to love.” Anakin sighed. He was filled with such sorrow that it completely overwhelmed him. “You have my deepest sympathy. I wish there was something I could do to help you, but there is nothing I can do to save the one you love.”
“You have to do something. You can’t let my children rip her apart. You have the power to stop them. I’m certain of it. You can’t let Padme die. You have to save her. I’m begging you!”
“I can’t stop what you started. You alone have the ability to save her. Only you can stop our granddaughter’s death.”
“How can I save her? Tell me before it is too late!”
“You already know how. Hurry. There’s no time to lose.”
The Sith Lord instantly understood what he had to do. He ran over to Padmay and used the Force to enter his children’s minds, getting through to them this time.
The children suddenly stopped tugging on Padmay and looked towards their Master. Their eyes opened wide with a renewed rage. They now saw the Sith Lord as the intruder.
Vader’s children released their wrenching grasp on Padmay and jumped at him. They beat him down to the floor and kicked ferociously. The Supreme Ruler screamed out in pure agony as they ripped into his flesh with their teeth, viciously tearing it from his body.
Padmay ignored the pain that still coursed through her body due to the attack and ran to her Master. She grabbed at the children trying in vain to tear them away from him, but they easily pushed her aside. “Don’t let them do this my love. Stop them before it’s too late,” She screamed. “Don’t sacrifice yourself for me. I’m not worthy,” Padmay sobbed.
Fire lapped at her feet as flames ignited the c
hildren’s clothing. She started to choke as smoke rose up, engulfing them all. A gap between the attackers finally opened wide enough for Padmay to kneel next to him. Managing to pull one hand free, the Supreme Ruler ran it along her cheek. He smiled and said, “I’ll gladly give my life for you. Now go my love. There’s no time to waste. You must leave me. Save yourself.”
“I won’t leave you my darling. I’ll die with you.”
“No Padme. You must go. I will not to let you give up your life needlessly. You must survive. Leave me now. I command it!”
“But...,”
“GO!”
“Yes my Master.” Padmay rose to a standing position and hung her head sadly. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she turned, but she still didn’t leave his side. “I shall always love you Lord Vader.”
“And I love you with all my heart. Never forget that,” the Sith Lord managed to respond. He allowed his children to continue to rip into his flesh in their lust to kill him. He couldn’t take the chance that their attention would return to his beloved. “Go my love. Flee! GO NOW!”
“Goodbye my darling,” Padmay said sadly, but still remained rooted to the spot.
“GO! I COMMAND YOU TO GO!”
Padmay stood her ground and refused to leave.
“Please my love. I’m begging you. You must leave me,” he pleaded. “There’s nothing to be gained by sacrificing yourself. You must live on. I demand it!”
“I can’t leave you. I’d rather die, right here by your side. I can’t bear the thought of living without you Master.”
Vader’s last words were to the Chosen One. “I implore you Anakin. Force her from my side. Save our Padme.”
“Do not fear my brother. I’ll save her,” Anakin promised.
As the fire embraced the tangled bodies writhing on the floor chaotically, the unbearable torture Lord Vader suffered at his children’s hands peaked to an unbearable level. He, as well as his attackers, were being consumed by flames which was ignored by the children. Absolute rage blinded them to all else but achieving their goal, ripping the “intruder’s” body to shreds.
