A Last Encounter - The End of Anakin & Padmé Forever

Note:Of course all things Star Wars belong to the beloved George Lucas whom I adore.

A Last Encounter

Padmé Skywalker sat staring out the window of the Senate Building in her private quarters. A lone tear trickled down her cheek. Unable to keep her regal calm anymore, a torrent of emotions and tears appeared on her face. She collapsed to the bed sobbing hysterically. A small word could be heard escape her lips, ?Ani.? The word was so full of anguish and hurt, that it broke the heart of the woman standing quietly at the door. Sabé had been standing at the entrance, watching the entire scene. It was terrible to see her friend in such pain. She quietly entered the room and placed her arm around the former queen. The moment she did so, Padmé pulled her friend to the floor, wrapping her arms around Sabé?s neck, still crying uncontrollably. Sabé held her friend for a long time as she exhausted all the sobs that she had kept locked inside her for so long.

?I miss him, Sabé!? she cried out. ?I want him back, I don?t care what he?s done. I just want him back!?

?I know Padmé, I know,? Sabé soothed. ?I know you miss him, but you have to stay strong, you have children to live for.?

?What good will it do, as soon as they?re born, I have to give them away! I?ll never see them grow up! They won?t even know they?re own father! What a good man he was, until?? She broke into a fresh wave of tears for the lives she was carrying and the lives they would lead that she would not know.

Sabé just held her, feeling completely helpless to relieve her friend?s pain. She understood what her friend was going through but there was nothing to do. Her anger at Anakin grew as she watched Padmé?s suffering. He had caused all of it, if he had never left, none of this would be happening. The galaxy would not be in turmoil if he hadn?t turned! EVERYTHING WAS HIS FAULT! ?Padmé, I hope you don?t blame yourself, if he had just...?

She was cut off by the angry glare from Padmé?s red eyes. ?Don?t talk about him like that, don?t be angry at him. It?s NOT Anakin doing these things? it?s someone else; not the man I married, not Obi-Wan?s apprentice, not your friend. The darkness took him over. He tried to fight it. It is my fault. I should have seen his inner battle and helped him. He would have listened to me, I know he would. If I hadn?t been so blind.? Sabé had no idea what to say to that. Padmé obviously felt strongly about what she had said.

?Padmé, you can?t blame yourself, he made the choice. You have to move on, if not for yourself, for your children. If what the Jedi say is correct, they can change what they?re father has started. Be strong Padmé.? Sabé hugged her one last time, then left a pensive Padmé, still sitting on the floor.

Hours later, she still sat there, in exactly the same position. ?She?s right.? Padmé stood up quickly and disappeared into the bathroom. Five minutes later, she emerged, eyes no longer red, appearance almost normal. She looked up and stopped dead in her tracks. She quickly recovered her composure, ?Darth Vader, can I help you??

?So you have accepted the truth, Padmé,? he said with a sneer.

?I have accepted that you have taken over the man I love and have killed him.? They stared at each other for a long time. Finally, she asked why he had come.

?I am here to kill you as commanded by my master.?

?I?m sorry, but I cannot allow that to happen, and I know you would never do that to me, Ani.? She had called him by her husband?s name, a man she knew was in there, somewhere.

?That is not my name!? And as he yelled this, he withdrew his lightsaber, now an ominous red instead of blue. It hissed to life, and he held it up, as if ready to strike.

Padmé took a few tentative steps forward, ?What happened to us Ani? Why did you leave?? A flicker was seen in his eyes as they momentarily turned into the warm, blue that usually looked out from that face she loved so much. He looked stunned, and with a question in his voice asking for forgiveness and understanding from the woman he loved