A Ghostly Head and Heart

Chapter 1

Darth Vader sat down in his meditation chamber and was once more reminded of some kind of beast swallowing him as he watched the walls close and lock in place. He didn't wait for the hissing sound that he could always hear as the chamber was sealed airtight before tearing off his helmet. His vision became blurry for the time it took the machines to get up the oxygen concentration, but he didn't care. His mind was on something else. More like someone else. His world. Someone he had lost. Padmé. He closed his eyes and imagined her, the way she would stand in front of him, hardly taller than him despite the fact he was sitting, her hand cupping his cheek. He could nearly feel her fingers gracing his jaw, nearly hear her voice asking: "Oh, Ani, what did you do?" He resisted the urge to open his eyes, not wanting the vision to disappear. "Why did you do it?" He couldn't help but answering the voice created by his imagination. "Because I had to save you from my dreams. I see now that I took the wrong way to do so." "But why?" "The Emperor told me that we could discover the secret of eternal life. I don't know whether he was right or not, but it was too late anyways." "Oh, Ani." The hand on his cheek felt more and more real. He didn't know that his imagination was so good. But he didn't mind at all. The pain would be worse as soon as the vision ended, but that didn't matter now. "It really feels like you were here, Mé. I wish you were." He heard a quiet laugh. "Open your eyes, dear." He slowly shook his head. "No, not yet. I won't let you disappear. You'll stay with me as long as possible." "Let's take a bet then. If you open your eyes and I'm still here, I'll win. If I'm not, you win." He couldn't stop the smile spreading over his face, the first smile since her death. "Okay. And what about the price?" "If you win, I owe you one. If I win, you owe me one." "All right." He opened his eyes. The sight took his breath away.

It was her. She had a sad smile on her face and looked as beautiful as ever. Her brown curls slid over her back as she tilted her head slightly, examining his burnt face. But she looked ... different. In a way. She had an aura around her, glowing bright blue. And the colors were pale, faded. He could see the wall of the chamber through her. "Angel.", he whispered hoarsely. Her smile widened a bit. "Hello, dear." He stretched out his hand to touch her, not expecting to be able to because she didn't look solid, but was surprised as he felt fabric under his fingers. He gasped. She was here. She was actually here. He grabbed her waist and hugged her close to him, burying his face at her stomach. Her fingers brushed lightly over his head which wasn't covered with hair anymore. She felt so real, warm and soft, just as she had been. "I thought you were dead." His voice was muffled by her skin. "I was. And I still am." "But why are you here then? Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled you are, but I don't understand." He straightened up slightly and looked at her. She sat down on his lap. "I don't either. I only know that I still am dead. And I know that you need me. I guess that's why I'm here." "You have no idea how much I need you." Padmé smiled and put her head against his chest. "I missed you.", she whispered. "I missed you too." With her at his side, he felt complete. It took him a moment to realize how complete he felt. He stiffened and ran his hand over her arm. He felt fabric, no doubt. Then he touched his own knee. There was something that stopped his hand smashing into the chair, but he didn't feel the sensation of his armor. But he certainly felt her sitting on his lap and snuggling into her chest, their hands intertwined. He was sure that he could feel her soft skin. "Mé, what's happening?" She straightened up. "What do you mean?" "I ... I ... I can feel you." "Because I'm here. I thought we already had this." "No, no, that's not what I mean. I can feel your skin and the fabric of your dress!" She laughed. "Of course you can. Why shouldn't you?" "Well, I assume you don't know about my injuries, do you?" "Something happened to your head, but I don't see the problem." He shoved her off his lap and began pacing up and down in the small chamber. "Obi-Wan cut off my legs and my remaining arm. All my limbs are cybernetic now. And my body is burned completely. That's why I'm wearing this armor. Without it and outside of this chamber, I wouldn't survive very long." Padmé clapped her hand to her mouth. "Oh no! What happened?" Vader stopped pacing and faced the wall, bowing his head. His voice sounded dead and emotionless as he spoke. "We dueled and ended up on a platform floating on a lava river. Obi-Wan jumped onto the bank. He warned me not to do it, but I jumped after him. It was my hubris that was my downfall. He cut off my legs and my arm. I fell too close to the river and my clothing caught fire. I was burned alive. The fire only went out because there was nothing more to burn. Obi-Wan left, together with you and the droids. He left me to die. But I refused to die. The Emperor found me. He brought me to Coruscant and instructed some Medi-Droids to build this armor for me in order to save my life." "What is it like?" He gave a bitter laugh. "Like being imprisoned, but worse. I'm getting claustrophobic in this thing." "So why don't you take it off now?" He laughed again. "If I only could. But my remaining body is partly paralyzed. The suit gives small electrical charges so I can move." He turned around to face her again. "Padmé, I'm so sorry for what I did to you." She smiled, accepting his apology. They stared into each others' eyes for what seemed like a wonderful eternity. Then his com link buzzed. "Lord Vader?" He sighed. "Yes, Commander?" The viewscreen flickered to life, too. "Mylord, we lost ..." The officer broke off as he saw Darth Vader without his mask. Vader acted calm. "What did you lose, Commander?" "The ... the ship we were tracking. I apologize." Rage pounded through Vader's veins. The ship had carried a force-sensitive being, possibly a Padawan who escaped Order 66. He didn't answer, but instead stretched out his hand to the viewscreen. The commander gasped and grabbed his throat. It didn't matter that he was on the bridge and Vader a few levels below in his meditation chamber. The Sith Lord had always been a natural at force-chokes, even during his time as a Jedi. "Ani, stop!" Padmé tugged on his arm, but he was too strong, his physical abilities boosted by the suit. "Stay out of this, Mé!" He reinforced his grip around the officer's throat. She gave up on his arm and stood between him and the viewscreen instead. He wasn't able to keep up his concentration. Pictures appeared before his inner eye, pictures he preferred to forget. It was Padmé's face, not eerie as it was now, but well and truly alive, tinted orange by the fires of Mustafar and begging him to stop, her fingers clutching to her throat. He pulled his arm back, horrified. The vision disappeared. He was breathing almost as heavily as the officer. "You'll get away with it this time, Commander. But I warn you, do not disappoint me again!" Then he quickly switched off the viewscreen and his com link before glaring at Padmé. She looked disgusted. "You can't just kill people!" "I can and I will!", he spat. "Don't you dare to interfere next time!" She crossed her arms and looked determined. "I will. I will save as many from you as I possibly can." "Fine." He slammed his helmet onto his head and rushed out of the chamber, leaving behind a thoughtful and worried Padmé.

Author's note: I have to give credit here. The idea of him being able touching her is by MrsSenatorSkywalker only. I do not own it in any way.