Ghost of You - Anakin Skywalker x Reader (BOOK 1)

Epilogue

Darth Sidious hovers around the periphery of the group of medical droids working on Darth Vader. He paces nearby, eager to learn the fate of his new apprentice; the same apprentice he has been grooming for years.

After his pathetic defeat at the wife of Anakin Skywalker, Vader was left unconscious on the burning planes of Mustafar. The inhalation of smoke created much internal damage to the new Sith Lord; damage that needed to be repaired.

His skin was left unharmed, and his limbs remained attached to his body. If it weren't for these new, internal complications, this apprentice would be the perfect vessel of fear.

Sidious had ordered for Vader to be fitted into a black suit, complete with a mask and helmet. The armour would provide much-needed assistance in regard to his breathing. It would act as a mobile life support system capable of supporting the damage inflicted by the woman who gave up on him.

His pressurised helmet will connect an air pump to a filter system worn on his back. The two components will work together to cycle purified air through his ravaged respiratory system. Sidious had everything thought out, and if he was being honest, he knew he was a genius for it.

"My Lord, the construction is complete," A medical droid informs his master. "He lives."

"Good," The hideous Emperor grins. "Very good."

The droid leads the Lord of the Sith to the table where Darth Vader lies. His helmet is lowered onto his head for the first time, resulting in the shuddering sound of his first mechanical breath.

Sidious looks upon his apprentice with malice in his eyes. He had corrupted Anakin Skywalker, killed (Y/N) (Y/L/N), and destroyed the Jedi Order in a short amount of time. He was diabolical; he was all-powerful.

The table begins to move upright, bringing Darth Vader to eye level with the proud Sith. Sidious wasted no time in moving next to Vader, eager to begin training his new apprentice.

"Lord Vader, can you hear me?" Sidious asks, his vile tone reflecting the pride he has in himself.

Vader doesn't have a chance to question why he is encapsulated in this new armour. His mind is instantly influenced by the tiny fragment of Anakin Skywalker remaining inside him. In his memory, he can see the Naboo cruiser carrying his pregnant wife explode into oblivion.

Although his mind knows it to be true, the tiny mass that is his heart refuses to believe any part of it. She has to be alive. His wife, the reason for everything he has done, cannot possibly be gone.

"Where is (Y/N)?" Vader screams, furthering the damage in his lungs. He thrashes violently on the table, desperate to break free. "Where is she? I need to see her!"

Sidious has to hide the smirk forming on his face. She and her children died, just as he had planned. He knew she was already weak from the trick she played on Anakin, and he knew that it was the perfect time to pass her life force onto Vader.

Her death is the only reason he is breathing.

"I'm afraid (Y/N) didn't make it," Sidious states. "It seems in your anger, you killed her."

He tugs furiously at the restraints tying his limbs to the table. It doesn't matter if he is Anakin or Vader, all he knows is that he loves her. He needs to escape from the nightmare in his mind and find the woman he loves.

"No," He whimpers, refusing to believe it. "I would never hurt her."

"(Y/N) was trying to escape along with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the ship they stole from Padme Amidala. You were trying to drag the ship back to the ground, but they pushed forward. Unfortunately, the ship exploded from the strain," He explains.

His Master wouldn't lie to him, especially not about something like this. Vader knows this to be the truth. He saw it in his memory. His family is gone.

Vader screams out in pain. He doesn't care about the damage he is inflicting on himself, all he cares about is the fact that she's gone. That they're gone.

He breaks the bonds strapping him to the table in a fit of rage. He steps forward in the new suit but doesn't get far. He drops to the ground, causing objects to fly around the room due to the instability of his power.

Vader's painful, chilling screams echo throughout the entire rehabilitation centre. Everything Anakin Skywalker sacrificed was for (Y/N) and their children.

He killed her. When he finally could have saved her, when he could have gone away with her, when he could have been happy, he was plagued by his own fear.

It is in this blazing moment that he truly understands the trap that is known as the dark side. The Sith are cruel, he's always known that, but he forgot it in his desperate hour.

After all these mistakes, the only thing he will ever have is the shell of the man he once was. The weakest parts of Anakin Skywalker are what created Vader, but the strength of the dark side is what will make him whole.

His desperation and sorrow turn into something far more powerful; hate. This is the very emotion that gives the dark side its power.

Darth Vader is now a vessel of the dark side. There will be no way to stop him. There will be no one to match his power. There will be no hope for those caught in his wrath.

He will be the most powerful, dangerous Sith the galaxy has ever seen, and not just because of Anakin Skywalker's part in some prophecy. No, Vader will be the symbol of fear and darkness. He will be the haunting figure in the nightmares of anyone who dares to dream. He will be the chilling sound of death following those who go against him or his master. He will be the physical embodiment of fear.

But what could Vader possibly hate enough to harness this level of power? The tragic answer is...himself.

Anakin Skywalker is dead, and Darth Vader will bring the galaxy to its knees.

THE END