"Shadow Takes All"

19 Years BBY

Anakin's vision was hazy as his conscience swam, trapped in a world of shadows and smoke. He attempted to gather his surrounding by calling upon the Force, only to find his connection severed.

He remembered very little of the events the events that brought him to this place, but the recollections that surfaced were those of fury, agony, and betrayal. Anakin stood then. His feet were below him, but he felt as though he were leaving his body. He touched his torso and found that he was solid. He staggered backwards and his foot pushed against something that released a pained moan at the contact. Fighting his hesitation, Anakin glanced down at his feet and was forced to look away, heaving. A limbless, mangled, blackened monster, whose eyelids refused to shut and whose mouth opened and closed with each hiss of breath.

Anakin had to get away. He ran forward and the ground began to shift and the shadows around him closed in, melding into walls that stretched on much farther than Anakin could estimate. Unsure of how to proceed, Anakin again stepped forward, this time more aware of his movements. When his reality did not warp, he journeyed on, gaining more confidence the more distance he put between himself and his body.

Anakin.

The voice was soft. It was an odd sort of sound; familiar, but weighted. Anakin imagined that he had heard it before, though in his mind the memory brought forth warmth and comfort, where this imitation was nothing if not hollow. It was frightening and Anakin, who was not lacking in courage, felt beads of sweat drip down the cool flesh of his neck. He quickened his pace, deciding to run- though from what, though he feared the worst, he could not say with certainty.

Aiding in the cessation of his unguided escape, the earth again began to quake, this time stealing his balance. Anakin spat at the taste of salt and copper, ignoring the deep pulse from his head. What was happening?

In answer to his unspoken question, the darkness around him cracked, and shrank away from a light that appeared in the distance.

With some effort Anakin pushed himself up from the ground, willing his legs and his balance a hasty reunion. When the deal with his equilibrium was struck he continued once more, fumbling as any wayward soul would, to the only reprieve from the shadows. The closer he came, however, the more the light began to change. It twisted and drew in on itself at such a speed that Anakin again broke into a sprint for fear that it would vanish completely. The metamorphosis began to slow down and Anakin came to a stop to find that the light now outlined a door, which was cracked open just enough so that he could see a ballet of shadow that reached out to the tips of his boots, beckoning him to enter.

Anakin.

Anakin answered the shadow's call. He peered into the room and saw that the shadows came from the tiny flames of candles, which lined the walls and the floor, appearing to make a symbol, the likes of which he could not identify. In the center of it all, a woman knelt. She was naked, save for the crimson cloth tied at her hips. Violet strips of shimmersilk bound her arms behind her, circling from just below the shoulder blades, down to the wrists. It was an exquisite gift of decorated flesh, complete with a bow just above her locked fingers. Her brown hair flowed freely to her waist, but it did little to hide the dark marks that stained her back. She was broken. She was beautiful.

Padme?

In the hazy netherworld his voice sounded from within him with such urgency that the hushed thought reverberated off the walls and filled the room with impossible intensity. The woman bowed her head, her hair casting a shadow over her face as she turned to face him.

Indeed it was.

"Anakin," she said, though her voice seemed weaker than he had ever heard before. "Please, help me."

Anakin wanted to run to her, to unleash her from this bizarre prison, but when he made to move he found that his body was no longer under his command. Understanding that he could not help her, Padme lifted her chin and turned her focus straight ahead.

"Padme! Can you walk?"

Silence.

"Come to me Padme," Anakin said, his voice growing more urgent. "I promise I'll get you out of here."

"My dear boy, why do you assume that the lady wants to leave?" Footsteps filled the room as another figure was illuminated by the candlelight. He came to a stop in front of Padme. He placed her lips onto the buckle of his belt and, rising to his full height, he seemed to tower over her.

"Chancellor," Anakin said in disbelief.

"Have you forgotten your place already," Palpatine said, a smile curling his lips. "Has death shaken you so much?"

"Are you behind this?"

"As always."

Anakin was not certain that the earth was not quaking again. "Chancellor, please-"

Palpatine's eyes flashed yellow and Anakin understood.

"Master, I beg of you, let her go."

"Let her go," he hissed. "I think not."

Palpatine waved his hand and Padme was lifted to her feet. Palpatine wrapped his slender fingers around her arms and turned her so that Anakin could see her face.

"Don't you remember your vow Anakin? You offered yourself to me. You serve me now. Anything I want, anything that I desire from you, it is mine."

"I… I remember," Anakin said, wanting nothing more than to choke the life out of his withered body. "But it was my choice. Not hers."

Palpatine laughed; a short cackling sound.

"Did you suppose that Darkness spares the light? Were you half witted enough to believe that you would be spared from its hunger?" Palpatine scoffed and, ever so slowly, he brushed a strand of hair from Padme's face. "Perhaps you are more a fool than I thought."

Anakin was trembling, overcome with a rage he had not felt since the night he entered the Tusken camp. "Get your filthy hands off of her!"

"Filthy," Palpatine said, his voice filled with mock offense. "You fancy yourself above me?" He grabbed Padme's face hard enough for her to cry out. "Look at her! Her innocence is stained with the impurity of your self-righteousness. And you dare to throw offenses at me?"

Palpatine spoke to Padme now. "Answer me now. Do you not prefer one such as me? I do not pity you, for I have no compassion. I despise weakness; therefore I improve your strengths. You never need feel betrayed by me, for I do not love you. I hide nothing, for I have no fear. I am more than a man. I am all powerful. I am eternal."

Padme closed her eyes. "I do."

Palpatine smiled and pulled her to him.

Their lips met and Anakin felt a great weight push him to his knees. "Padme, why? I thought… I thought you loved me?"

Palpatine broke the kiss and shifted his gaze to Anakin. "Loved you, you say? Do you know what I find curious Anakin? Death seems to be the sequel to your Love in every situation. You loved your mother and so you slaughtered an entire camp full of sentient beings. You loved your former master, Obi-Wan, and so you did everything in your power to fillet him alive. You loved me and so you nearly single handedly put an end to the entire Jedi order. You loved your wife, so you choked the life out of her and your unborn child." Palpatine shook his head. "If I were you, I would be grateful that Padme's love for you proved false after all."

The Sith Lord lifted Padme into his arms and a door along the back wall opened, sending with it a gust of wind that sent Anakin sprawling on his back. He felt his command returned to his limbs and lunged after Palpatine with all the strength he possessed. His fingertips brushed the back of his cloak before he was slammed against the wall as the wind picked up, knocking the candles over and feeding the flames.

Anakin screamed for her, but he knew it was no use. He had not known that saving her would come with such a steep sacrifice.

The fire was beyond quenching now and, so, Anakin closed his eyes… and let himself burn.

"My Lord, the construction is finished. He lives." The voice was mechanical, robotic. It was a droid.

"Good, Good." That was the voice of his master; the new Emperor, a living shadow.

Anakin feared to move. He feared to speak. Was all that had transpired in that dark realm just a dream? Something wasn't right. Where was Obi-Wan? Where was Padme? What had he done?

His body felt heavy. He no longer felt human and, if he was no longer human, what was he?

He felt eyes upon him now, and he knew them to be the eyes of his master; Yellow, piercing, glowing eerie in the darkness.

Anakin could feel himself begin to rise. He remained still until the motion ceased. He felt his master draw near.

"Lord Vader? Lord Vader, can you hear me?"

Author's Note:

This was different. I received a request to write a short something like this around March and I just now got around to completing it. The dialogue spoken at the end is from the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, for those curious.

I apologize for any grammatical errors in here. They are mine.

May the Force be with you and if you liked this (or you didn't) feel free to let me know.