Hatred (Star Wars Fanfic)

The Duality of Darth Vader & Anakin. Was Darth Vader's journey filled with hatred, malice, or regret? Does he struggle with the ghosts of his past? Does Anakin still put up a fight?

The screams never bothered him. They only fueled his drive to satisfy his anger. 

The Rebel encampment roared to life, alarms echoing in the air. Chaos exploded at the Rebel Camp. Everyone scrambled to get their weapons, ready for what they considered to be their worst case scenario.

A group of Rebels huddled into a hallway, their weapons aimed at the only door that leads into their base. The air was still, the tension of their fear could be cut with a knife. They all knew who was here, and yet the legend of him still felt unbelievable. 

The sounds of metal creaking in the distance was all that could be heard. They all waited, their fingers anxious to pull the trigger of their weapons. When they heard that he had arrived, they couldn’t believe it. He came alone, yet he had broken through their defenses with legendary ease. It was truly a testament to his legend.

The door opened and the hum of a lightsaber filled their ears. His robotic breathing echoed through the hallway. 

“Open fire!” 

Blaster bolts fired. They all dumped their magazines at the black clad figure that seemed to block each of their shots. He moved effortlessly, his lightsaber waving through the air as he returned bolts back to the rebels. 

Most of them died from returned laser bolts, yet those were the fortunate ones. As he moved through the hallway he reached out with his left hand, closing his fist as all the remaining rebels in the room were lifted up by an invisible force. 

They clenched at their necks, feeling an unbearable squeezing on their throats. Then, the room went silent. Their bodies thudding to the ground. 

Darth Vader had arrived. 

His lightsaber sheathed off, leaving only his mechanical breathing to echo through the hallways. He didn’t eye the bodies as he walked past. He didn’t care, he was here for a purpose, and he would fulfill it despite the violence he incurred. 

As he walked down the hallway his mind reminded him of his failures. The failures of Anakin Skywalker. That man, a weak man, wouldn’t be able to fulfill what Vader could do. His memory hazy, he remembers Padme. How Anakin had killed her, and how Obi-Wan had caused her death. 

His fists clenched, fury fueling his very existence. He felt the hatred empower him. And all he wanted to do was inflict violence on those who dared to stand against him. 

He made his way through another door. In front of him, another group of rebels. He didn’t even bother gracing them with his lightsaber. This time he brought his hand up and blocked all of their shots with the palm of his hand. He then reached out with the Dark Side, feeling invisible tendrils of power reach out. And then, he clenched his fists.

The rebels all fell to their knees, their hands reaching for their throats. The sounds of their gasping, dying breath filled his ears. Soon, they all fell to the ground, their bodies thudding on the floor as Vader walked past them. 

Ani - You’re breaking my heart!  Padme’s voice played in his head like a curse from the past. You’re going down a path I can’t follow. If only she knew, he had only tried to save her life. Save the galaxy! 

Let her go, Anakin. Then his voice. Obi-Wan. Vader’s breathing increased, an unrelenting rage building. He was the cause of his misery. He was the one who had to pay. 

He walked up to a door and used the force to rip it off its hinges. Its heavy metal slams against the ground, the noise echoing through the entire base. His breathing heavy, his mechanical body struggling to keep up with his rage. He entered the base’s command center, where he encountered a group of Rebel officers who were huddled in a corner. 

“Please!” 

“Don’t hurt us!” 

Vader eyed the group. Their weapons were thrown on the ground. He narrowed his eyes, his hatred for these people glowing bright. Cowards. 

“Please, I have a family! Kids!” 

A tense silence followed. Their fear was palpable, an annoyance that Vader wanted to quell. Kids? His mind raced back in time, to the day Padme told Anakin that she was pregnant. I’ll protect you. Anakin had told her. What a weak, pathetic man Anakin was. Never again. He ignited his lightsaber, and stepped towards them. 

He cut them down one by one, each swing heavier and angrier than the last. The rebels tried to run away from him, but it was no use. Soon, he was the only thing left alive. He walked to the control panel and turned off the blaring alarms. 

It seems in your anger, you killed her. Darth Sidious’s voice came into his head. How could he have killed Padme? Anakin, that weakling, let it happen. Vader wasn’t weak, he wouldn’t ever be weak like Anakin.

You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! How ironic of Obi-wan’s last words to him. His ‘friend’. You were my brother Anakin, I loved you. Does a brother allow his brother to burn in the raging fires of Mustafar?

His rage bubbled up, overwhelming his thoughts. He reached out with the force, invisible tendrils of power connecting to every mechanical surface around him in the command room. And then, he pushed. 

The entire room came apart. Pieces of heavy metal walls pushed to the side like nothing, leaving behind a sparking mess of wires and torn metal. Vader felt his breathing quicken, yet he wasn’t satisfied. He needed more. None of this was enough. It never would be enough.

Not until all the Jedi were erased. Not until Obi-wan was destroyed to ashes. 

Then, he felt her. His target. He turned his head to see a young Jedi. She couldn’t be more than a Padawan. She should be afraid, yet she faced him with an annoying courage and determination in her eyes. 

Vader turned to face her, his body standing tall. “It would be wise to surrender, young Padawan.”

She clenched the hilt of her lightsaber, her face contorting into anger. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and exhaled. Then, she ignited her lightsaber, its blue glow bouncing off the walls. She eyed him with a look of acceptance. “No. I will never surrender to you.”

“So be it.” Vader ignited his red lightsaber. The contrast of the red and blue glow illuminated the destroyed command center. Vader watched as she brought her saber up. Her form was weak and unpracticed. Such a pity - she would have made a good inquisitor with the proper training. 

“Agh!” She charged forward, her blue saber up and swinging in the air as she jumped up and struck down. Vader brought his saber up and blocked the strike with ease, pushing her to the side. 

She fell on her feet, then charged again. Her attacks were desperate, did she really think she could defeat him with this type of desperate bravado? He blocked each of her strikes, the movements felt effortless. Each one of her desperate strikes were blocked by his perfect guard.

“Enough.” He reached out with the force and connected, wrapping the invisible tendrils of power to her neck. He watched as her body floated up in the air. She dropped her lightsaber as she reached up, gasping for breath. 

Let her go, Anakin! Obi-wan’s voice echoed in his head. The image of Padme being choked by Anakin came into his head. He eyed the Jedi in front of him, and for a brief second, he could only see Padme. 

“N-no!” He dropped her body, feeling her thud on the ground. She looked at Vader with surprise, grabbing her lightsaber and striking. 

Vader was too quick. Despite his initial moment of weakness, he had parried her attack and struck her down. His blade sliced her body in half. He turned off his lightsaber and let out a roar. He turned and slammed his fists on a nearby computer interface. 

Then, he stopped. He stood up straight, his mechanical breathing filled the room. He stood in silence, repressing the thoughts, converting them into hatred and anger. He wasn’t finished. There were still other Jedi hiding in the galaxy. He would find them, and he would kill them.

First, he needed to find Obi-wan. This time, he would finish the job.