A Ghostly Head and Heart

Flashback 1

Author's note: I'm using the dialogue from the movie, as accurately as possible. That's not mine, of course!

The fires of Mustafar were as raging as he was. Padmé didn't understand. She didn't see. But it was all clear to himself. He would overthrow the Emperor. He would rule, with his wife by his side. They finally wouldn't have to live a secret anymore. It wouldn't matter. Their world would be perfect, their child growing up in a safe environment, not during the Clone Wars as they had feared. "Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore! I have brought peace to the republic!" He really had. All the Separatist leaders were dead. He didn't feel the slightest bit of regret. They deserved it. "I am more powerful than the Chancellor, I ... I can overthrow him! And together you and I can rule the galaxy, make things the way we want them to be!" He would rebuild the Jedi Order, but with a different set of rules, not the age-old, outdated ones. He would make rules that made sense. "I don't believe what I'm hearing. Obi-Wan was right. You've changed!", she said. Obi-Wan again. He was interfering too much. The Emperor was right. He had to die. "I don't want to hear anymore about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me, don't you turn against me!" He felt the anger boiling hotter in his stomach. Somebody had planted the wrong ideas in her head. He highly suspected Obi-Wan. But nobody was allowed to turn his wife against him. But he would find the culprit, and kill him with pleasure. She backed away slowly, her face showing her shock clearly. "I don't know you anymore. Anakin, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow!" Why was she backing away as if from a stranger? He was her husband, and he would ever be. Nothing had changed. It must have been Obi-Wan. His old master fought for the other side. "Because of Obi-Wan?" He felt something as he mentioned the name. Something familiar. A presence that calmed him once, but now only strengthened his hatred. "Because of what you've done, what you plan to do! Stop, stop now, come back. I love you." He wanted to tell her that he loved her even more, but his searching eyes found what he was looking for. The sight maintained his suspicions. Obi-Wan Kenobi stood at the top of the ramp of the Naboo cruiser. "Liar!" The young Sith shouted. "You're with him! You brought him here to kill me!" She had betrayed him. Now she would feel the full extend of his rage. He stretched out his arm and force-choked her. She coughed his name. "Anakin!" But Obi-Wan's voice boomed over the platform. "Let her go, Anakin. Let. Her. Go." A voice of reason popped up in his head. 'She's pregnant, you idiot. If you don't stop now, you're not only going to kill your wife, but your child too!' He let go, disgusted by himself and watched her drop onto the platform, passed out. Then he turned to face his old master.