Breathing Ashes

Chapter 2 - A New Master

Warning: Abusive relationships, and descriptions of Vader's injuries. Yes, that definitely needs a warning.

~ Tirana Sorki

The world stills around Vader as he stares into his once-master's face. "What?" It would have come out faint if it could have, if the vocoder didn't always make it so loud.

"She's alive. She and your children. I would have found you earlier, if I didn't fear Sidious discovering them."

What? Sidious had said she was dead. He said it and – and this doesn't make sense. He wouldn't lie about that. Why would he lie about that? "He told me..."

"He lied," Obi-Wan cuts him off, "As he always did."

Vader wants to protest, to argue, because that doesn't make any sense, but he doesn't. It's... Obi-Wan wouldn't tell him Padme is alive when she's not. And that's when something else catches up with him. "Children?" he asks.

"She had twins," he explains.

Twins. Children. His child survived.

He – he didn't kill Padme. He didn't kill his child. All this time he'd spent believing he did, and at the end of the day, it was that which made him hate himself the most. (He thought that's why Obi-Wan did what he did on Mustafar.) But they're alive, and... The implications aren't sinking in. He's tried not to think Padme's name in years, but she's alive.

He isn't Anakin anymore, though. Even if he was, it wouldn't matter. He can't be to her what he used to be. Not anymore. But his children... He needs to see them. They're – Force, he can hardly believe that this is real.

Vader can feel Obi-Wan's eyes on him, as though they're staring through him, assessing his reaction. He loathes more than he could say that he can't move. It's easier when he's in (an admittedly strange and uncomfortable) sitting position because at least they're on more even ground, but he still can't move, at least little beyond turning his helmet, and he hates it. He hates how helpless it makes him feel, even if he can still use the Force if he needs to.

"You want to see them," Obi-Wan states more than asks. And – and it occurs to Vader in that moment that Obi-Wan could deny him that too, if he wanted. He doesn't know where they are, and he can't do anything until his armor is fixed. Or if.

"Yes." He's scared to see them, though, but he does. His children, at least. He can't imagine seeing Padme again after all this time, not after what he did to her. But that doesn't mean it isn't good to know she's alive.

"We can discuss that later," Obi-Wan decides, "After you are... healed."

He doesn't know what that means, but he has questions of his own, and maybe he'll get some answers now. Also, he thinks 'repaired' is a more correct term than 'healed', but he doesn't comment. Maybe Obi-Wan doesn't yet realize the full extent of the damage. "Why did you Fall?"

Obi-Wan eyes him, consideringly. It's similar to the look Vader often gets from Sidious, and he hates it. Or maybe he's just reading into it too much, he doesn't know. (Or maybe it's normal for masters to look at their apprentices in that way.) "I was going to help with the Rebellion, but I realized the only way for us to win was to destroy Sidious. I searched for more about the Sith, to find a way to destroy him, and I went to a Sith Temple."

Obi-Wan willingly going to a Sith Temple? Vader keeps the disbelieving comment to himself. All of this is more than a million kinds of weird.

Obi-Wan pauses, as though considering his next words.