The Warrior's Path

Chapter 8 - Alderaan

Author's Note: Please don't kill me??? This was the most realistic alternative, since I didn't want to truly Vader-ify Vader, because that would have been too awful. T_T

WARNING: Graphic depictions of violence! Read at your own risk. You have been warned. 

~ Amina Gila

The cell is quiet now, except for Ahsoka's pained gasps, and Vader could sink the floor out of sheer relief that Sidious was called away to receive an important message. Right now, he hardly cares what it is, only that he's gone. He steps forwards awkwardly, trying his best to ignore the stench of burned flesh which is permeating the air. It's making him feel nauseous, but it's better now that the torture has stopped, no matter how temporarily.

He can't even bring himself to really look at Ahsoka, to see the damage that's been done to her. He can't – he knows it's technically his fault, because he wouldn't tell Sidious what he wanted to know, but at the same time, Ahsoka would never forgive him for betraying the Rebellion, not to mention the hundreds, or more likely thousands, of people who would die if he was weak enough to give in.

So, he resisted, so matter how hard it was for him to remain silent while Sidious slowly and methodically burned through Ahsoka's arm with his lightsaber, starting at her fingertips. Over half of her lower left arm is missing now, he thinks, almost up to her elbow.

"Ahsoka?" he whispers, hating how much his voice shakes he takes a careful step forward, trying to avoid all the ash and burned flesh littering the floor.

"Hey," she croaks, her voice hoarse from screaming for so long. Her blue eyes are dulled with pain, and he reaches for her slowly, gently touching her right shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Vader whispers desperately, tightening his grip a little. "I'm so sorry."

"S'not y-your fault," she pants, shaking her head slightly. "S'not. D-don't... g-give in. S-stay st-strong, little b-brother." She pauses, gasping for breath and trying to ride out the waves of unending pain that he can feel radiating from her through the Force. "I l-love you."

"Love you, too," Vader manages to say, though it feels like a betrayal when he's letting her get tortured so badly. She, unsurprisingly, went unconscious multiple times, and each and every time, Sidious had her injected with a stim to force her back to consciousness again. It's nothing short of barbaric, and he hates feeling so helpless. He hates it.

He senses – only sort of, because the cell they're in is somewhat Force dampening – Sidious returning, and hastily steps backwards, away from Ahsoka, so as not to show any more weaknesses than he already has.

The Emperor's expression is filled with satisfaction, and that instantly sets Vader on edge. "I have discovered the identity of one of the main Rebel leaders," he practically brags. "Bail Organa and his family on Alderaan are traitors. And you, as my apprentice, Lord Vader, will go there immediately and deal with them. Capture them and bring them here to Coruscant where they will be dealt with. Do not fail me." The 'or else' remains unspoken, and Vader really does not want to know what kinds of creative punishments Sidious will have in mind if he fails.

But can he afford to succeed?

***

For days now, Anakin has been unable to truly sense Vader. Their bond had remained distant and fuzzy around the edges. And then suddenly, it snaps back with full force. He gasps as Vader's presence floods the back of his mind and reaches out towards the younger man to check on him. Normally, Vader's presence is a cloud of steady darkness in the Force; he's dark, but he has a durasteel grip on himself. Now? Now, Vader feels like a chaotic storm, the darkness radiating from him so strongly that Anakin could swear he can feel it tangibly in the room where he is.