Saga Sweet Retribution - Dark Padme/Vader AU - COMPLETE - Epilogue up 3/28!

Title: Sweet Retribution
Author: VaderLVR64
Characters: Padmé, Vader
Summary: A mother?s love knows no bounds
Genre: AU, short story, angst
Notes: Born of my own warped and twisted mind. Be warned!

Lovely cover art is courtesy of Gina!


[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/VadersLover/ASweetRetribution4copy.jpg]


Sweet Retribution


I was born on the day my children died.

And I died with them that day, too. So I suppose Anakin?s dream came true in one sense. I could not have predicted the turn our lives would take at that moment, however, when he shared his dream with me. It might have been the last moment that we shared the secrets of our heart, out there on the balcony of the only home we would ever know together.

In our three years as man and wife, I can count on two hands the number of nights he spent there with me, sleeping beside me in the big bed that always seemed so empty when he was gone. He was always gone, off fighting a war I could not support. I should have known, should have admitted to myself at least, that we would never find lasting happiness together. There were too many obstacles for us to overcome, too many hidden torments and weaknesses inside of each of us.

Inside Anakin most of all.

It is so easy to see, now that I am here where I am, living as what I am, and what I am about to become. That is his fault, too.

The man I loved disappeared and assumed a new persona, an evil tyrant that I am honor bound to destroy. This is what I tell myself in the light of day, when I look in the mirror and confront the eyes that belong to a stranger. He is evil ? and he must be destroyed. The monster in the black armor is not Anakin. Anakin died before he ever set foot on Mustafar, before he even came to me in his false skin and vowed his mockery of love to me.

Lord Vader does not know love.

It was Lord Vader who extended Anakin?s hand, a construct that only caressed me, to crush the life from me. In a way, he succeeded. Padmé died on Mustafar. I am what is left.

My body survived, that is true, though I tried so very hard not to. But my children did not, and it was their loss that killed me. Yes, I died on day my children were born, and I was reborn on the day they died. Their tiny lungs never filled with air to announce their arrival, their bright eyes never saw the love shining in my own.

They were born empty, forsaken ? as dead as the love that had given them life.

But in the night, when I am alone and mourning my children, I confess to those tiny, lost souls what I really am, what I intend to do. It is our secret, and we share it with no one.

Vader had destroyed the only thing I had left. Anakin was gone, dead at Vader?s hands. The Republic was transformed into something warped and evil. The Jedi Order was gone. All I wanted was my babies. Twins, a bountiful blessing to make up for all I had lost. However, they could not survive the damage that Vader inflicted on my frail body.

I was left alone, trying so hard not to meet the sympathy in Obi-Wan?s eyes. His sorrow for me and my loss overshadowed even his own great grief.

That is, I suppose, the mark of a truly great and noble man, the ability to see beyond his own suffering to that of others. It has always been his gift.

It was his own implacable sense of honor that made me turn away from him. I could not bear to see his compassion, not when I knew what I had to do. In my heart, there was not room for any of the softer emotions. I cut myself off from him, from all the good I once knew, on that day I was destroyed.

For on the day I laid my children to rest, I found a fury come to life within me that rivaled anything Lord Vader might harbor in his black heart. His anger is hot, a rage that breathes to life in reaction and steals his control. He burns with it, as he burned in the flames of Mustafar. It destroys him in much the same manner.

My own rage is cold and quiet, seething beneath the placid surface I present to those around me. I have n

 

Lord Vader does not know love.

It was Lord Vader who extended Anakin?s hand, a construct that only caressed me, to crush the life from me. In a way, he succeeded. Padmé died on Mustafar. I am what is left.

This is so incredibly good! Wow, very dark Padme. Such a wonderful twisted turn on the Saga.

 

A Mother's love...SO true. Once I was almost hit by a car, right in front of my Moma (I mean...really, really close to being hit). She's a tiny thing--5' 90 pounds. Buddy, she tore into the man that almost hit me and I was almost afraid by her ferocity. She was like something unleashed. I was amazed and so honored to be her child (and I think the poor man might have wet his pants! LOL)

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I can really see this having happened, had the twins died with Padme. Awesome story!

 

I will take from him his very last breath, and as he struggles to draw it in, I will lean down and whisper to him. I will tell him how much I hate him and how his touch has disgusted me
Whoa...A nice post Sith treat. The descriptions of this Padme chilled me to the bone. I do not have any children, but I can image most mothers reacting in this very feral way.

 

Wonderfully dark, like the most bitter chocolate! You're exactly right-- Padme is Vader's greatest weakness. Nothing is more dangerous than a mother who's children have been harmed, and I think Vader is about to learn that in the worst way. Awesome job-- the bitterness was tangible, and I loved that last line.
-Meredith

 

Wow. That kind of made me sick, but in a good way. What I mean to say is that you were very effective in creating a dark--ehem, I mean even darker--twist on canon. Very effective *shudders*. But seriously, if someone killed my children, I would probably feel exactly the same way. Wonderful story.

 

Wow, the intensity of this is quite something. Padme's chillingly calculated testimony was really powerfully conveyed. I got the impression that her retribution was a preservation of survival, not in the conventional sense though- more like, she needed it to make her survival mean something to her. As if she was creating her own meaning out of her hurt, anger, betrayal etc. I suppose I thought that because of the almost desperate edge some of the imagery held.

Whether my interpretation conforms to your own intentions doesn't really matter though- the power of the writing made it very effective regardless.

The last thing I want to say is: Damn! I'd been thinking of doing something along this vein for a while, but was just too lazy to get it finished and online. You've done better than I did anyway, so perhaps its for the best!

Thanks for the suberb post,

eridani

 

wow...now that is disturbing...


is this going to be continued?

PM me if it is!

 

I was born on the day my children died.

You have a gift for creepiness...

 

Twisted and evil...I actually had a shiver go down my spine while reading.

Yet,this was pure genius!!!!

Bravo!!

 

My god she is scary! Its quite disturbing in actual fact, but i love her need to get revenge, its almost the same driven anger that 'The Bride' has in Kill Bill. I wonder did you base it on KB?

Truley wonderful and a fantastic view of how events could have turned

 

Wow! That was intense! I could literally feel Padme's anger and devastation.

Great job!!!

 

Mreow! Angry Padme

Great twist in having Padme live and the twins die.

Inside Anakin most of all.

Loved that line.

It was Lord Vader who extended Anakin?s hand, a construct that only caressed me, to crush the life from me. In a way, he succeeded. Padmé died on Mustafar. I am what is left.

I like how you showed Padme's transformation much like we see Anakin's. Such irony that he created the master of his destruction.

Great job

 

*trembles* My god... talk about a mother gone mad from grief...

Vader, taht was absolutely excellent! Padme was really scaring me by the end of the story. That was a disturbing turn around. What if it had been the twins that had died that day instead of their mother? As upset as I was over her death, I'd choose her over the twins anytime. *shudder*

Well, Vader is going to reap the fruits of his labor. He killed his children in trying to kill his wife, and now his wife will kill him.

And I doubt she will fail. *gulps*

Again, outstanding one-shot!

AQ

 

PadwanKayla Thank you!

ginchyI watched my five foot nuthin' mom stare down my ex-husband. So yes, they're not to be messed with!

widow_skywalker We don't play fair or nice when someone hurts our kids!

Meredith_B_Mallory Dark chocolate is the best! And Vader hasn't seen evil yet!

DarthNaughtious I'd be exactly the same way. So be warned!

eridani I think you should write it! I'm always amazed at how writers can take the same basic circumstances and each create a totally unique story! I'd love to read it. And let's face it, it's hard to come up with something that hasn't been done at some time by another writer! We can just try to make ours unique in some small way. Do it, you know you want to!

palpyisgod2 I think this is a one shot, but if my muse says otherwise I'll give it a go!

Golden_Jedi Thank you!

Galactic_Girl Thanks, it was fun to write dark Padme!

Yorkshire-Gal I haven't seen any of the Kill Bill movies, but I imagine their motives were much the same.

VA_Parky You don't mess with her babies!

TKeira_Lea And it serves him right!

AngelQueen She won't fail, because the most dangerous enemy is one who is willing to give up their own life to take yours! She's totally committed to seeing him dead.

 

She won't fail, because the most dangerous enemy is one who is willing to give up their own life to take yours! She's totally committed to seeing him dead.

Quite right! And I can't really blame her for wanting the you-know-what dead. I know I would if something like that happened to me. *shivers* I certainly hope none of us is ever taken down that road.

Yet again, wonderful vignette!

AQ

 

Wow! That was so full of emotion and so deep. Gosh, shw definitely has her eyes set on vengeance.

 

Wow. Chilling, but great!

 

Well, I always imagined Padme as a Mama Bear? But this?

It was great, I wish I could see the look on Vader?s face when Padme betrays him? She was wonderfully dark, though. *sigh* Too bad she wasn't like this in cannon, it sure would have spiced up her role in RotS...

I liked her musings on Obi-Wan quite a bit. The whole story however was very chilling. To use the good ol? EU cliché, as cold as a Hoth night?

 

wow, deceitful padme, i love it.

 

Whew, I think Vader met his match! Good story!

 

I'm speechless...

That was awesome

 

Yes! Now that I would have liked to see!

 

For on the day I laid my children to rest, I found a fury come to life within me that rivaled anything Lord Vader might harbor in his black heart. His anger is hot, a rage that breathes to life in reaction and steals his control. He burns with it, as he burned in the flames of Mustafar. It destroys him in much the same manner.

My own rage is cold and quiet, seething beneath the placid surface I present to those around me. I have nurtured my hatred, my need for revenge, until it has become a living creature that snaps and snarls, just waiting for the moment I will set it free.

I will loose it on the galaxy and Lord Vader and its work will be done before anyone realizes what has been freed to roam among them.

*shivers* Very eerie, K. To lose a child is horrific enough, but losing her children at their father's hand... *shivers again*

Vader should be afraid, very afraid...