[Fic] Wake Up

[Ztalker]

Here's my May 2008 entry for Javyar's Cantina. The subject caused a little burst of inspiration so I went ahead and wrote a small fic. Hope you like it, I certainly liked writing it.

 

Wake Up

 

“Is it already this late? Why didn’t the damn com device wake me?”

Anakin Skywalker was slowly opening his eyes. The white hue of his pressure chamber welcomed him into the world of the living- the wretched world of the living.

 

*ping*

The screen next to Vader’s seat slowly hummed to life.

A metallic voice calmly spoke through the communications speaker of the screen:

“Statement: Lord Vader, your presence is requested at the bridge. Reason: Captain Miltr is requesting an update on the pursuit of the rebels.”

*ping*

 

Anakin sighed. It had been weeks since they started the search for a rebel vessel near Tatooine. Tatooine…has it really been that long? The day he entered and changed my life? The nice and calm Jedi Qui-Gon? Almost 15 years now…and 2 years since…Obi-Wan…Mustafar…

 

The console beeped again, but Vader turned it off with a subtle hand movement. He didn’t feel the need to wake up…he liked this state between sleep and being awake. It softened the pain. The pain was always there.

 

Vader slowly grabbed a little communicator of his belt and pressed one of it’s tiny buttons with his black metallic hand and started talking.

“In this calm moment between sleep and waking up, I find myself thinking about my past. Why things turned out this way. If I recall correctly, every major event of my life started with an easy morning, a slow wake up, not aware of things to come. The morning on Tatooine was slow…until that unlikely group arrived in the shop. I was still not completely awake and I asked her if she was an angel. An angel! Imagine the ‘dark lord of the Sith’ using that opening line…”

 

Vader slowly turned around. Behind him was his lightsaber, accompanied by his mask. No, accompanied by Vader. With this face, I’m still Anakin!

 

Returning to his com device, Vader started talking again.

 

“The other day I woke up…Obi-Wan told me a Senator from Naboo was coming to Coruscant and that we were assigned to be her protectors. The twinkle in his eyes already ‘spoiled’ what he was about to say next, but I’d let him anyways. “It’s Senator Amidala, Anakin!” I was always good at reading people especially that old fool. That morning was good. And the whole spin it took after that announcement ended with my arm severed and a wedding ring around my finger.

I would sacrifice everything to see her face on that day again. No, I’d give everything and more to bring her back! But…haven’t I already?”

 

He slowly looked at his body. Or what was left of it. A sacrifice of flesh and blood, like in the trials, is out of the question then, he thought with a grim smile.

And mentally….what am I? Sith? Jedi? Little Ani? A Husband? A….father…?”

 

“I…still feel a certain…shame about the child I will never know. I killed her mother, it’s future…although…is the Jedi order a future for a child? Wouldn’t it turn my son or daughter into a second me? The power was certainly there…I could feel something ‘powerful’ in Padme’s womb already. What If…that power could be used…to…bring peace? Become my apprentice? Overthrow the Emperor? Yes…that must be it. That must be what I can sacrifice!

I would sacrifice my life for my child! So it would bring peace through power! I would train my child…into something I should have become!”

 

*beep*

 

“Yes captain, I’ll be right there, right there. Although my child is dead, the possibilities are endless! What if I can find a second…son? A padawan? A secret padawan I can train? Together we can rules this Galaxy as father and son…or daughter..”

 

“I would sacrifice everything for that! And now it’s time to get back to my job! I have a distinct feeling our beloved captain will have a ‘sore throat’ after I’m done with him. Hah!”

 

Vader slowly picked up his mask, lightsaber and readied himself for depressurisation. And after the procedure was done, marched for the bridge.

 

The End

 

~When you're dreaming with a broken heart, the waking up is the hardest part - John Mayer~

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I tried to describe Vader's emotions and his insanity with this...I hope it worked. Thanks for reading!

[The_Catto]

An insight to the workings of the mind of half-man, half mechanical Sith Lord.

 

It was an interesting outlook to see what Vader's thoughts would be behind his mask, instead of the rough, evil and determined nature of the suit he wears.

A nice read. Well done.

[Bee Hoon]

It's an interesting look into what Vader might have been feeling, as opposed to his typical portrayal as the Emperor's right hand. Such thoughts are dangerous though... I think that a powerful Force-user like the Emperor might have sussed out such treasonous thoughts, and probably eliminated Anakin.

 

Vader does sound somewhat frenzied when he was thinking about Padme; perhaps a more melancholy spin would have suited it better. There's a few minor errors, where you used "it's" instead of "its" when referring to properties of an object (? I'm not so hot on grammar myself), but no biggies.

 

Good job, and I hope you'll keep participating!

[Diego Varen]

A very good one-shot. An insight into the feelings of Anakin as Darth Vader was well-written and was well in-character.

 

Despite a few grammar errors, this is very good. Keep it up.

[Tysyacha]

Tysy here. I liked the sentiments of Vader thinking about training a secret apprentice, and after all he's gone through, still missing his wife dearly. Good work, and keep it up!

[igyman]

A great glimpse into Vader's mind. I think your fic gives quite a bit of depth to our favorite Star Wars villain. Like some have said already, grammar-wise there are only a couple of typos, but nothing serious. Well done.

[Rev7]

The one thing that really screams at me is, "Vader has feelings too!"

 

I enjoy stories that portray what one is thinking. Especially one that we know so little about. By that I mean, about his thoughts, because we really only see Vader as a killing machine, and, well Sith Lord (with the exeption of ROTJ).

 

I think that you did a pretty nice job. I like how you threw in a little bit of the Secret Apprentice stuff.