Chapter Seventy
Obi Wan

I keep looking back at Fallon as we fly out of the Mustafar atmosphere, my worry increasing with each passing second. Anakin didn't choke her that hard, she should be up and about by now. Something else is wrong, but I don't know what. I'm worried about her, I'm worried about the baby.

Every time I look at her I think of Anakin, about what I just did to him. I left him for dead on that hellish planet, I took away her husband, her child's father. I let my best friend die.

The guilt from all of this threatens to swallow me whole, making me feel like I'm suffocating, and with every breath my lungs close more and more.

But I can't let my feelings get in the way now, I can't think of Anakin now. I have to do what I can to help her. I think of Aiden and Padmé, wondering if they might have an answer. I don't have anyone else to turn to.

I click on the communications on the ship and wait impatiently for Aiden's hologram to appear, looking breathless once he sees my image. "It's good to see you, my friend. Where's Fallon?"

"In the back. Somethings wrong with her, I think we need to bring her to a medical center. I don't know what's going on, she's not physically injured, but she won't wake up."

"And Anakin?" Aiden asks, his face filled with dread, his voice apprehensive.

I shake my head, watching Aiden close his eyes and look down, now having to mourn two friends in one day. Padmé appears next to him suddenly, Jayce sleeping soundly in her arms, the same look of sorrow on her face. Her voice is determined as she says; "We can't bring her to the medical center here on Coruscant, it's too dangerous."

"I know of one that help us though," Aiden says, taking in a deep breath before explaining; "It's the Polis Massan medical center in the Polis Massa astroid colony. It is one of the main medical centers that receives Taris medical supplies from the trade ports."

I nod, beginning to punch in the coordinates as another person appears in the hologram; Master Yoda. He looks shaken, guilt ridden as I am as he informs me; "Defeat the Palpatine, I could not. Failed, I have."

"You did the best you could, Master. He's far too powerful."

"Successful with your mission, were you?" He asks.

I nod once, not wanting to elaborate any further on the subject. Whether Yoda can sense my pain or see it in my face, I don't know. He doesn't push me to talk about it though, he just takes my word for it and says softly; "Meet you on Polis Massan, we will."

"Yes, Master." I say, the transmission cutting of as I look back at Fallon one more time, seeing her chest still rising and falling, giving me all the hope I need as I bring us into hyperspace.

-

The Polis Massan medical center is larger than I would have thought. It is inside a crater of one of the Polis Massa asteroids, made out of a dark metal and glass, cylinder shape in design, with thick dome ceilings to protect the center from other asteroids.

Yoda, Aiden, Padmé, and I are all standing outside one of their operating rooms, behind a glass wall that allows us to see Fallon inside. The healer put her in a cream white gown and laid her on a large operating table to be scanned. The scanning is still going on now.

Jayce is looking around at the medical center in wonder, his head turning in every direction to take in the new place. I smile down at my son in my arms, rubbing his back soothingly as he continues to look around. Aiden and Padmé are watching Fallon hand in hand, concern written on both their faces. Even Yoda next to them looks filled with dread as we wait for the healer to come outside and speak with us.

After a few more minutes, the healer droid does. It hovers out through the sliding glass doors and out to us, explaining; "Physically, she is in perfect condition. But for a reason we cannot explain, we are losing her."

"She's dying?" Aiden asks disbelieving.

The droid nods. "We will have to operate quickly if we are going to save the babies."

That makes us all pause, sharing a glance with one another. Even Jayce looks at the droid confused. Padmé is the one to voice this confusion; "Babies? As in plural?"

The droid nods again. "She is carrying twins."

I look away from the droid and to Fallon, who is awake now, staring up at the ceiling, her face unreadable from out here. I hand Jayce over to Padmé and stalk past the medical droid, going through the doors and over to Fallon, who upon seeing me smiles as wide as she can.

I caress her cheek gently, slipping my other hand into hers. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired...really tired. It's hard to explain, I just feel so drained. What's going on, Obi Wan? Why are we here? Where's Anakin?"

"When Anakin force choked you, you passed out. You didn't wake up for a while so I took you to a medical center to make sure you're alright."

"And am I?"

I don't want to lie to her, and Fallon is smart enough to know it if I was, so I slowly shake my head, watching realization flow over her, her jaw tightening.

She blinks a couple times, trying to keep the tears that have sprung into her eyes at bay, but her quivering voice betrays her fear; "I had a dream while I was asleep...there was this figure of smoke, he stuck his hands inside me and started pulling something out of me. It-it felt so real. I could feel the figure's hands inside me."

Usually I would dismiss that as just a nightmare, but under the circumstances I now think that something else is at play here. I bring one of my hands up and lay it on Fallon's chest, closing my eyes and reaching out with the force, trying to see if what Fallon saw was just her imagination or a real threat to her and her children.

I feel something swirling inside her, indeed like hands sinking into her, it's dark, it's cold. I recognize the feeling, I know this darkness that's inside her now. I can feel the amusement in this darkness, the triumph it feels as it literally drains her of her energy and strength.

I open my eyes and look back up at Fallon's face, finding her eyes widened towards me as she asks; "That wasn't a dream was it?"

I shake my head. "No. It's Palpatine...he's draining you of your life force."

"But-but why would he do that? What could he possibly want with..." She trails off, her eyebrows creasing as she tries to answer her own question, find an answer to this mystery. But I already know the answer.

I feel another presence in her too, I can feel the connection that Palpatine has made, the bridge he is using to drain Fallon and put her energy somewhere else. He has connected Fallon and Anakin, he has created a pathway from her to him. He's using her life force to save his.

Fallon seems to have come to the same conclusion, her eyes flooding with tears as she realizes what's going to happen to her. She looks down at her stomach, at the twins she's carrying, causing a rush of determination flow through her. She grabs onto my hand again, squeezing it hard as she pleads to me; "Promise me you will take care of them. Keep my children safe, Obi Wan."

I nod down to her, meaning it as I say; "I promise."

-

Anakin

I let out a scream, feeling like my body is being split in half, like each nerve and muscle in my body is being torn apart slowly and methodically. I can't see what's going on around me, I only see a bright light, blinding me, forcing me to close my eyes and imagine the worst.

The only thing I am aware of is Sidius, his cold hand resting on my head as he begins to speak lowly to me, so low that I can't hear what he says. But as he continues to speak to me, his hand grows tighter on my head, the feeling of being ripped apart increasing, making me let out another scream.

-

Obi Wan

I try to block out the sound of Fallon's screams, but they keep rattling around my head, making me feel rather nauseous. She is holding onto my hand tightly, bracing herself for the next contraction. Aiden and Padmé are on the other side of her, looking just as sickened by the pain we are all witnessing our friend go through. Yoda still stands outside, with Jayce put away in the nursery where he can play. I don't want him to see this.

"Everything will be alright." I say down to Fallon, who is glistened with sweat, shaking, her eyes glazed over in pain.

"Hold my hand...please hold my hand." Fallon says to Aiden, who takes a step closed to her and grips onto her tightly, watching her as she lets out another scream of agony.

"We have to do something! We have to help her!" Padmé says, her voice cracking from the tears falling down her cheeks.

My voice is low, filled with sorrow and loss as I say; "There is nothing we can do."

Fallon lets out another scream, her voice is breathless, barely audible as she grunts out; "It feels...it feels like someone is splitting me in half." She gets out, letting out a moan as another contraction starts.

The dark lord is draining her more quickly now. Not long ago she was just tired, slowly and methodically being drained and her energy stored into Anakin. But now the dark lord is getting impatient, Anakin must be dying, in critical condition. Palpatine is draining her faster than any of us can stop it. Yoda nor I can save her. As Fallon lets out another scream, I look at Aiden and Padmé, sharing a nonverbal conversation, all acknowledging the sad truth; Fallon will die tonight.

-

Anakin

I feel a droid begin to saw into my charred flesh, attaching something to my leg that I cannot see. Another droid is digging into my metal hand, with another digging into my chest. Sidius's hand is still on me, and with every moment he touches me, the worse the pain gets.

I feel my body convulse on the table, my lungs expelling all the air it possesses as I let out a scream, with one word, one plea on my lips; "Fallon!"

-

Obi Wan

"Anakin!" Fallon screams, her tears streaming down her face, her voice unrecognizable. "Anakin, please help me!" She begs, making a sob escape my mouth, making me hold onto her hand tighter, holding it securely to my chest.

Her body sighs as the medical droid brings out the first of the babies, handing it over to me, the small child wrapped securely in a white blanket. I let go of Fallon and grab hold of the baby, letting out a small huff of a laugh, looking back at Fallon. "It's a boy."

"Luke." She grunts out, a sob escaping her lips, followed by a smile. "He's so beautiful, he looks like him."

He does. Little Luke looks just like Anakin, and as he opens up his eyes and stares up at me, I see that he has Anakin's eyes.

Fallon tenses up again, holding onto Aiden so tightly her knuckles turn white. She lets out another scream, her hair sticking to her forehead and shoulders, her face beat red, only screams escaping her mouth for next several minutes.

She sighs again, laying back against the operating table, her body convulsing with pain, letting out an ear shattering scream as the second baby is brought into the world. The other baby is handed over to Padmé, who smiles down at the child despite the tears streaming down her face.

"It's a girl." She says softly.

Fallon gasps for breath, smiling at her second child, managing to get out; "Leia...she's Leia."

Aiden leans down and kisses Fallon on the head, a tear falling down his cheek, his voice above a whisper as he tells her; "Those are beautiful names. I know your parents would be honored to have their grandchildren named after them."

She nods, a sob escaping her lips before she responds; "I-I hope so," She looks between the three of us, her lip wobbling as she forces a smile. But as she looks at her two children, her smile isn't forced, it's filled with love. "Obi Wan." She says softly.

I take a step forward, feeling Luke squirm in my arms and begin to cry. "Yes?"

"There-there is still good in him," She tells me, her eyes even more glazed over than they were before. "I know there is, I know. Don't give up on him...he's...he's still in-in there..."

Her voice trails off, her body relaxing, her eyes glancing over for good. Her body lies limp on the operating table, her head tilted towards me, her eyes still staring up at mine as she releases her final breath. I look up at Aiden who closes his eyes and kneels down next to the table, leaning his head against Fallon's head and sobs. Padmé looks down at Leia in her arms, her face twisted in pain, tears falling down her face and onto Leia's blanket. I look down at Luke, finding Anakin's eyes staring up into mine.

Anakin, my brother, the boy I practically raised. I can feel him here even now, not just in the force, but in the minds of us all as we hold his children in our arms. Palpatine got what he wanted, his apprentice is alive. I can feel it, I can feel the dark yellow eyed monster I left for dead on Mustafar. He's alive. And because of this, Fallon is dead.

I look through the glass and over to Yoda, who closes his eyes and tilts his head down towards the floor. He can sense it too.

We all stay silent, even the medical droids as we stare down at Fallon, at our dead friend, with only the sounds of her orphaned children's cries to fill the endless void.

-

Vader

A mask is slowly lowered onto my face, the eyepiece making the room around me turn red, making the blinding light finally dim enough for me to see where exactly I am.

The table I am lying on is elevated, standing me upright and allowing me to see that I am in some kind of medical center. Medical droids surround me, their small bodies backing away from me to stare at their masterpiece, at the machine they have built in replacement of my missing limbs.

Sidius is standing next to me, looking me over like I am a gift sent to him from the force itself. "How are you, my friend?" He asks, his good hiding most of his face, except his yellow eyes.

I nod, daring to reply back, finding my voice completely unrecognizable, distorted and robotic; "Where is Fallon? I felt her...I felt her here, where is she? Is she safe? Is the baby?"

Sidius's mouth presses into a thin line, and with a rather matter of fact tone, he informs me; "In your anger, in your blood lust on Mustafar, you killed her."

"No...no I couldn't have, she can't be dead. I would never," I begin rambling, feeling the force beginning to boil up inside of me, feeling like I am about to burst, feeling like I will erupt into a blazing fire like the one that forced me into this mechanical contraption. "She was alive, I felt it, I-I felt her."

I take a step off of the table I had been lying on, feeling my foreign limbs stay strong under my weight. I take another step, and they still hold me up. I look around at the medical droids around me, at the metal walls, the medical equipment, the table that just held me. I squeeze my hands into fists, watching each object in the room bend to my will, crush under the weight of the force, break piece by piece like the shriveled heart pounding behind my ribs.

But anger and destruction won't bring her back. Even though I don't want to admit it, I can't feel it now. Fallon is dead. My wife is dead. And with her so does my child, so does my future, my heart. I fall down onto my metal knees, feeling my tears burning my scorched skin beneath my mask. But I don't care. I deserve the pain, I deserve this suit, I deserve all of this. I deserve to rot behind this mask and live the rest of my life knowing that I was the cause of my own destruction.