Consequences

Bonus Chapter - Vader

"There is no escape," Vader warns, stepping up to the edge of walkway opposite his son and Ahsoka. "Don't make me destroy you." But if he's being honest with himself, he knows he could never do that. He could never kill Luke. "You do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."

Then, he turns to his old Padawan. When he first saw her, he couldn't believe it. He had killed her himself on Malachor, but that apparently didn't stop the Force from bringing her from the past. She looks just like she did when she left. She's even dressed the same. At first, that only fueled his rage; rage that she'd abandoned him, but now that the fight has paused, he finds himself again remembering how he used to feel towards her... before. "Ahsoka, you do not need to fight me. Join me. We have fought together in the past, and we can do so again in the future." The same hope he had on Malachor returns. Maybe, this time, she'll actually listen.

"I will never help enslave the galaxy to a dictator," Ahsoka retorts defiantly, "The Anakin I knew would never have asked such a thing from me." And just like that, his hope is shattered, like it was on Malachor. She wants him to be someone he isn't. She refuses to accept him as he is, and that hurts.

"The Anakin you knew is dead," Vader snarls. Fine. She can continue to refuse him, reject him. She's not of his blood. His son, on the other hand, has no excuses. He will not be permitted to leave him. "Luke, it is not too late. You can still join me, and I will let her go." He extinguishes his lightsaber as Luke finally reaches the end of the walk where Ahsoka is. She helps him get a grip on the complex next to her.

"I'll never join you!" Luke shouts, glaring back at him.

"If you only knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father," Vader intones. He doesn't miss how Ahsoka tenses ever so slightly at his words, looking at Luke with concern. Curious.

"He told me enough!" Luke yells, "It was you who killed him." Vader clenches his fists as his anger inflames further. Of course, Kenobi would have fed Luke those lies. He would seek to turn the boy against his own father after stealing him away. Had Vader known that Padme's child lived, the current situation would be vastly different.

"No. I am your father."

Luke stares at him in shock before shaking his head in desperate denial. "No," he protests, "No. That's not true. That's impossible!"

"Search your feelings. You know it to be true." Vader can tell that through his conflict, Luke has instinctively accepted this truth.

"No!" his son screams.

"Luke. You can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son," he urges. "Come with me. It's the only way."

Luke and Ahsoka glance at each other, but he doesn't think anything of it until they suddenly let go, allowing themselves to fall down the pit and disappear from sight, leaving him feeling oddly bereft and alone. Always alone.

"Listen, I would never let anyone hurt you, Ahsoka, never!"

"I am ordering you to put down your lightsaber and come with me now. Trust me."

"I do trust you, but you know as well as I do that no one else will believe me. Anakin, you have to trust me now."

"Ahsoka, I do trust you."

"I know you do. Wish me luck."

"I'm sorry, Master, but I'm not coming back."

"What about me? I believed in you. I stood by you!"