Choking Out the Embers
By: Jody
Author's notes: A huge thanks goes to LadySophieKitty for beta reading this for me!
This scene takes place during “A New Hope” and is set about two days after Alderaan’s destruction.
Disclaimer: Of course I own none of this. Though I truly wished I did ;)
Choking Out The Embers.
The sight is magnificent to behold; magnificent and unnerving at the same time. It draws the Sith Lord’s attention immediately and to his surprise he finds himself pushing down tinges of confused sorrow that creeps into his thoughts as he moves through the strangely silent streets of Coruscant. He always hated this place, especially now as then more then ever for it carried too many dark memories he’d rather not contemplate. But not nearly as much as Naboo would invoke and for that he is a little grateful.
Candles of every shape, size and color litter the normally bustling streets for as far as his eyes can see. In their silent vigil they stand guard, casting flickering shadows over the millions of small memorials, holo-images and the hastily written farewell letters or prayers; all which pay homage to the lives snuffed out with Alderaan’s destruction.
Choosing to ignore the shrines around him Darth Vader continues onward towards his destination. After all there is nothing here to see and he still had much business to tend to in the planet’s capital.
However the silence is deafening as only the soft swish of his cape and the hiss hush of his respirator can be heard out loud. But the energy felt through the force is anything but peaceful or serene.
Even now the echoes of the lost souls linger as though torn between realms. Shaking the already broken balance and choking out any last remnants of harmony so that only chaos can be felt in its wake. The mournful cries of the lost and tormented souls continue to fill the former Jedi’s ears, just as the tendrils of their force essence reach out in desperation to the heavens as in desperation they struggle still to find peace from their violent passing.
Though try as he may to black out the powerful ripples in the force it grows increasingly difficult. For it is as if they know his role in their demise and are longing to find out the answers behind his actions.
What is meant to be a short distance between the landing pad and his destination, suddenly seems like an eternity away.
Since the incident he had been plagued by strange nightmares; images of faceless souls crying and weeping, faces he had never set eyes on before. As always he tried to embrace and revel in their pain finding dark solace in the fact is served to silence his own raw wounds for even but a little while.
Yet now as he walks past these silent displays of remembrance, he finds himself struggling to ignore the small soft voice that he had managed to finally silence through the years. Softly it reminds him of how far he has fallen, whispering that he has become the very thing he once despised and sought to destroy. A heartless monster, who will never be worthy of peace. A soul too lost to know solace.
Unconsciously his hidden eyes are drawn to the images that seem to dance behind the flickering candles. Pictures of lost families, loved ones, friends and even younglings seem to stare back at him in silent accusation. Reminding him with their empty smiles and hollow eyes, of what his lust for power had cost him. Of what it had made him become.
Without realization his steps begin to quicken in response; as the once powerful armor that surrounds what is left of his soul starts to erode. But it is a small yet piercingly familiar image that catches his attention and dissolves what is left inner walls.
The holo-image is simple revealing a smiling young woman resting in bed with two newborn babies in her arms. It is obvious from her appearance she is exhausted having just given birth to the twins she now holds. But it does little to hide the unadulterated joy that dances in her eyes and smile. Quietly she presents the two children through the holo-image to the proud father who wasn’t able to be there due to military duties that had him stationed on Coruscant. Beneath it rests a hastily scrawled message that simply reads:
My dearest angel; may you and our precious jewels find rest in the heavens and peace among the stars.
The familiarity of this sight is more then a little unnerving and it causes the solid reserve of his blackened heart to falter. For the flood of memories that he had so carefully buried, rushes back with such ferocity and force it causes him to step back in shock. It is too close to truth for him to ignore and the backlash of buried emotions soon takes its toll.
The candles burn out without warning as the sound of metal grating metal can be heard as all around him the foundations of the nearby buildings begin to buckle and bend. Windows shatter while electrical equipment burst and explode causing even the workers doing maintenance to stop in fear.
But as all this unfolds no one witnesses the Sith Lord’s sudden departure to the main building ahead. Nor the fact that behind the mask of death silent tears have begun to fall; the first in years.
However soon they dry like rain drops landing on desert sand, as he causes the darkness to fold around him like a powerful shield once more. Using it to snuff out the painful flickering of light within as his sorrow and remorse is replaced with blind rage.
He would make the traitors pay. They dared to mourn the Aldaraani instead of destroying the ones who encouraged this destruction with their defiance? The separatists are the ones who seek to destroy peace and ensure that extreme measures be taken to keep it. They are neither heroes nor martyrs and if they could not be made to see it by peaceful means; then he would continue to use force.
Convinced of this truth, he continues onward, his thoughts once more on the task at hand and how he will make the remnants of the dissolved senate pay for their silent act of defiance. For in their suffering, may he find solace from his own.
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