Gates of Hell

Chapter 1 - Well of the Dark Side

The Dark Side shrouds everything, even here in this plane between realms, but Darth Vader no longer fears the Dark Side as he once did. He embraces it, instead, delving ever deeper to seek out its innermost mysteries. And now, he has but one quest in mind. He seeks to find a way to locate his deceased wife, Padme Amidala, from beyond the grave and bring her back. Everything he did was in the hopes of saving her, of saving their unborn child, but it was all for naught in the end, when he lost control.

Never again, he vows. He will find a way to transcend even death and keep his loved ones with him, however few they now may be.

The path before him is long, treacherous even, but he continues onwards, pushing past the eerie visions and sights flickering around him of times long gone by. He is no longer the weak man he once was. No. He is powerful, perhaps even more powerful than his master, though his life-support suit, which has an uncanny affinity for lightning, makes it hard for him to actually contemplate betraying Sidious in a way which would mean a face-to-face confrontation.

As he moves, the Force nudges him suddenly, giving another of the voiceless commands he's so learned to heed throughout his life. Stop. Look. He obeys, pausing in his path to focus on a scene playing out to the side. It seems clearer, brighter, more tangible, than any of the ones he's seen until this point. It's from Mortis, and he sees Skywalker speaking with the Son in a place he thinks he should know but can't quite remember. It must be from the missing gap in his memories, a result of the Father's meddling.

Go. The Force's whisper is almost urgent, almost pleading even. You can make a difference.

Vader wavers, torn between continuing the path he's been following until now, and following the Force's urging. Why? He wonders wildly for a moment. Why should the Force tell him this now? Does it really think that giving him a chance to interfere in the past won't have drastic, devastating results? Will it matter what he does if the Father wipes Skywalker's memories anyways? How can he be certain that he's not caught in a time loop, that an older version of himself didn't speak to him on Mortis?

Do any of his actions make a difference? Vader isn't one to shy from the shadows simply out of the fear of what they may contain. Here he is, on the verge of conquering death, and he won't let anything stop him. And yet... could it really hurt to see if he can change another reality simply by willing it?

The possibility is far too tantalizing to refuse, so he turns, steps forwards, reaching out his hand to the image in front of him. Suddenly, it's as though he's sucked into it, as though he's falling. He lands, catching himself on one knee and looking around. He's on Mortis, and the Son is in the middle of speaking to Skywalker, who seems far too apprehensive of the One's presence to have noticed Vader standing there.

"I have had enough of your trickery!" Skywalker declares adamantly, glaring.

"Oh, but you'll like this one, I promise," the Son all but croons as he turns and slowly stalks around Skywalker, who's wary stance never changes. "What if I could show you the future?"

"No!" Vader exclaims fiercely, stepping forwards, but it's too late. The younger man lets out a groan clutching at his head as the Son forcefully plows through his mental shields, riffling through his mind as thousands of images bombard him, only the most important standing out. He doesn't remember this happening, but at the same time it resonates with him.

"No! No! Stop it!" Skywalker cries, trying in vain to throw the Son from his mind as he sees the future, sees what he will become.

Vader finds that he almost pities him. He remembers what he used to be like, and knowledge like what he now possesses would have broken his younger self. Is this what happened? Is this what he saw, what the Son did to him to force him into the embrace of the Dark Side?