The Satiation of the Dark Lord

Machinations of the Whills

All that could be seen was a flare of orange and red, dimming lights above him, a twinkle of happiness and sadness. All he wanted, all he could wish for.

It felt real to the touch. It felt as though it called out to him from the deepest corners of the universe, to reprise him to be the man he needed to be. It was a reminder on why he became who he was, why he wanted to so desperately fix it, he could feel his inexperienced self turn into an experienced fallen warrior. Cursed and dreaded with hostility. Forgotten yet feared upon. Vader, his name, his persona, his accomplishments, all together to represent the Sith Lord.

Vader saw a castle with statues of his master, of his old master. Two symbols of completely different people. He walked towards the castle, the call had dissolved into a shroud of lies, whispers hit his ears, whispers that said, "death," "compassion," "nothing," "hated." It was all towards him, he was this . . . monster. Someone who needed to pay for his actions.

He saw the large doors harrowing above him, he looked at it and then put both his hands on the door, pushed it open, and saw from inside, dead bodies of younglings he had killed, he saw Ahsoka, reaching out to him as if she knew he were there "...I won't leave you." Vader turned fast as he heard Kenobi, "look what i have risen above." he saw the old man wield his lightsaber, a dark blue color blinding the red and orange. "You should not have come back." He heard his voice, Obi-Wan falling to his knees as he decapitated him. His head falling in the air. He saw him kill the Emperor, he saw him lead an entire empire with an iron fist, imposing will and security across the galaxy.

Stopping slavery. Making lives better. He saw his wife, a jaw that looked like it was hanging on a thin string, her eyes were barely there, her hair was half gone, she had broken arms and her neck appeared to be hardly holding her head. It was as if she were a zombie. The interior of the castle kept changing before his eyes. He saw him bring back the dead, his mother, his first master, anyone he once knew that left him. All came back, but at a cost. The slowly degenerative flesh and body were noticeable to the touch. Shimi had mostly skeletal features, half her skull was seen, half her body was covered in the same thing he had once covered her in to lay her to rest.

He saw Qui-Gon, the most painful to look at. His entire body was a skeleton, with pieces of flesh hanging, his hair was there, and a noticeable wound in his abdomen was seen, but bones were there. Each one of them obeyed himself, kneeling before 'him'. Vader saw them, and then saw himself take off his helmet. His eyes were bulged, red and white were all over his face, beneath the skin that was peeled off.

Then he heard himself speak, "rise mother." Shimi stood up, "we'll make the galaxy great again. And kill those who betrayed us, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, anyone."

Padmé looked at him, "let's make them suffer for what they did to us."

Vader walked forward, passing them.

His mind, his wishes, his dark thoughts were as real to him as was seeing his face peeled off. Darth Vader used the force to push open the door that came to his view, he saw Obi-Wan waiting for him. "Kenobi." Vader said, he turned, he now had gray hair, an aging face. "Vader."

"So, this is what its come down too," Vader said, "Everything that had once made you whole was destroyed. By me." he continued.

"You didn't leave me any other choice."

"You should've made sure i was dead."

Obi-Wan walked towards him, "I know i should have."

"You let so many die because you couldn't handle the concept of actually killing me."

"You were burning alive, i didn't know you'd still be breathing!"

Vader took off his helmet, "look at the man i've become."

"Look at this monster."

Obi-Wan turned away, "i know i failed you-"

"I know too. I wasn't as stable as you believed me to be."

"Now, now, i am haunted by regret, hate, guilt, and even torture."

"I'm sorry."

Vader put his lightsaber to his chest, "maybe you're not real. But it'd drown the wounds enough to let me think."

"Then do it."

"I died there too."

Vader bit his lips, "you died there?"

He continued, "You?!"

Vader ignited it and killed him, he took his saber out of him, turned it off, then kicked him until he fell down the shaft, the shaft where it all started. Except the room was coated with black instead of gray.

"I SUFFERED."

"I WANTED TO DIE."

Vader fell on his knees, screaming from all of this, torture, this, confusion. "AHHH." He force pushed everything, everything that was in sight. He needed to escape this madness. He needed to get back to reality—if that's even there.

Vader put his hands on his head and kept swinging his head back and forth. "GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Then, a click came, like the sound of a broken neck.

He woke up, cautious of this temple more then ever before. Nothing felt real, nothing felt the opposite. This was a temple made to break minds. And he is slowly feeling it. He needed an exit, a sign to lead him into the secrets of the temple. He had not cared to see his wife now, he's seen enough. All he wanted was peace and it all smacked him in the face. None of it came to fruition. None of it came to be. He had failed, not once, but twice.

He got up, only this time, his helmet was off. He saw a shadow of the jedi from the entrance of the temple. "I need answers!" Vader yelled as he ran towards it, like a ship chasing a womprat.

Padmé appeared on the walls of the halls, as did shimi. "ANSWER ME!" Vader was furious, his mind was messed with enough. He managed to eventually catch up, he saw three men staring at him as he gripped the ghost. "You're gonna tell me why you brought me here."

"It wasn't my master that sent me was it?"

The three ghosts looked at him, and after a pause, spoke, "No."

"You wanted to break my mind? It's been done."

The ghosts disappeared. "Damn it, don't you go away!"

Before Vader could try anything, it was too late.

He didn't know what to do, what to think, what to even say. Nothing felt right. Everything felt as if it were a lie, a trick or torture.

"I need to get out of here..." Vader barely comprehending himself said. Vader wanted to pass out. "No you don't," a voice said to him.

He looked and saw it was his mother, "hi, anakin."

"You're not real. It's an illusion."

She touched his face, "I'm not."

"Padmé said the same thing."

"Look at me then."

He slowly looked up and saw her, "I'm not an illusion, trust me."

"I don't trust anyone."

"Just this once?"

Vader looked away.

"You're dead to me. I killed you, i wasn't fast enough. Stop trying to make me believe it."

As he looked, she went away.

"Just a trick."

. . .

"Just, a trick."