Kyla's POV
I don't know what happened to myself.
I don't remember who I was - who I could ever have hoped to be.
I don't have feelings anymore; I don't feel sympathy, or pity, regret, shame, sadness. My actions are upsetting to me, yet I can't feel anything. I feel the tears, the sense of them burning behind my eyes, and I open my mouth to scream - and there's nothing. No tears, sobs, screams. I'm an emotionless monster. I can't stop myself.
I can't stop my army from invading the Republic. I watch them with a proud figure and rule them with an iron fist, yet the weak soul that still exists within me tells me this is not what Mom would've wanted. I swat the thoughts away like a pesky insect; my mother was dead. My father was dead. My brother was somewhere I couldn't care less about, somewhere I had enraging and uncontrollable anger for.
It was like I was two people; I had my Dark Side, the side of me with the stone cold yellow eyes and frozen heart, a mindset to destroy the Republic. A mindset to take over the galaxy. Then I had the light side of myself, the light side that was fading. It was becoming a dollop of nothing, a nagging voice in my head that I was certain was my former Master's, his bold voice demanding I stop this. I couldn't forgive myself for what I was doing, for what I planned to do - but at the same time, I had never been more proud of myself.
Today, my army invades the Republic.
Today, my army leaves the planet of Hoth, on their mission to invade and destroy the Republic, starting at the atmosphere of Coruscant.
I show no emotion as I watch them leave, standing in the entryway of my base underground. They march, clone after clone, replicas of one another, the same stature, the same position. My army. I stand proud, my dark cloak falling over my broad shoulders in an elegant way, my hood overtop my thick hair and round face, brightening my yellow eyes and concealing my identity. My silhouette stands tall over the white snow. I stand with authority, with rule. I will never stand another way again.
From behind my back, I hold my most powerful weapon; my lightsaber. With the swish of my wrist, the blade ignites, the once blue blade that represented the Jedi.
Now, the once blue blade is replaced with a red one, bright and warm, radiating onto me. I feel my power within this weapon. I recall everything I'd ever been told about this weapon; if only it could've had this much power when I was a Jedi. I realize I have a sly smile on my face, hidden underneath my hood, as I was thinking about my double-sided red blade and the power it holds. I was trained with this weapon; and with two sides, it was the ultimate one.
Nothing can stop me now, I think proudly, watching my army leave the base, marching into their fighters, ready to invade and destroy the Republic.
My Empire is almost ready.
Soon, Darth Demetrious will be in rule.
Narrator's POV
Effortlessly, Padmé Amidala finds herself jogging into a sprint towards her husband Anakin Skywalker on their veranda, as she saw his Starfighter land on the landing pad. He had been in Hoth for the past few days on a mission with Obi-Wan Kenobi, looking for a Clone army base under Kyla Valero's reign. She couldn't help but conceal her worry she'd been dealing with these past few days; every time she asked the Council how Anakin was doing, they never had a clear answer for her.
But now, all her worries were instantly erased as she saw the familiar dark figure of her husband jogging towards her, two lovers at last meeting again.
She says nothing as he gathers her in a hug, her face pressed against his dark tunic, her ear against his quickening heartbeat as he whirls her around off her feet, relieved to see her again, ending their twirl with him finally placing her petite body back on the ground. They embrace each other, her hands cradled around the back of his sweat-beaded neck, his hands stroking the sides of her soft, smooth face, as her hair was up in an ornate style, looking ever more radiant in the lights of the slowly fading day.
"Anakin," she breathes, her voice cool and comforting to him, "The Council... they said something horrible had happened, to you." Her hands anxiously slid up and down the back of his neck, her fingers intertwining with his damp waves of soft brown hair, the texture the exact same as their son Luke's.
He was much taller than her, and had to crane his neck downward a bit to be level. He pressed his forehead against hers, and whispered, "I fainted due to the cold. That was the only issue. But I assure you, Padmé, I'm fine now." His voice trailed off gently, ending with a passionate kiss against Padmé's trembling lips.
When they parted yet again, still only centimeters from one another, she continued sounding anxious. "Did you find a base? Anything that could be useful to the Senate, the Republic?"
He froze for a moment, trying to make the upcoming news sound less heartbreaking. "Yes," he answers flatly, "Obi-Wan and I discovered a Sith base. It was where she was keeping the missing Clone army, but I promise, it's all okay."
She hesitates, but remembers who's arms she's wrapped in. "I don't know if I can believe you when you say it's okay, Ani. I'm just so glad you're okay," she exhales, pressing herself against him, letting him rest his chin on the crown of her head, the top of her curls formed into a neat hairstyle.
"I love you," he says sweetly, "And I promise you, no matter what happens with Kyla, I won't let anything happen to you or our children."
She says nothing yet again, cuddling up in his tunic, breathing slowly. He closes his eyes, taking her soothing presence in. In all honesty, being with Padmé was the only place he really felt... at home.
Even when the rest of the galaxy was about to crumble around him.
Earlier that day, when he and Obi-Wan first arrived back from Hoth, they immediately reported to the Council. Although grateful for their findings, the Council was saddened to say there wasn't anything they could do but wait for Kyla's army to invade.
"She doesn't go by Kyla anymore," Obi-Wan steps in, "It's Darth Demetrious. I heard one of the Clones address her when I first discovered the underground base."
"Darth Demetrious, hmm..." ponders Mace Windu, rubbing his chin similar to how Obi-Wan rubbed his beard when in thought. Anakin sat in his own chair, the seat he had earned many months ago, and simply sighed.
The rest of the Council took a notice to Anakin's glumness and tried to talk him out of it. "We're incredibly sorry about Darth Demetrious, young Skywalker," coaxes Mace, "But there isn't anything you can do now. There isn't anything anyone can do."
"We need an army," Anakin had spoken up at last, his thoughts being totally askew from the rest of the group, ignoring their pity. "She's going to invade Coruscant soon, I can feel it. We have nothing prepared."
"What about the droid factory on Geonosis? Jango Fett, General Grevious and Count Dooku have all been eliminated, leaving a sparse Separatist Army. We could potentially use the droids being created there," suggests Obi-Wan.
Mace considers this, but has a counter statement. "They're the Separatist Army. They would want to make a deal through aggressive negotiation."
Anakin smiles to himself at the sound of aggressive negotiation - something he and Padmé used to joke about three years ago when he was assigned by the Republic to look after her on Naboo. His mission didn't go as planned, but it ended in his marriage with her. Something he could never forget.
"We should contact the Separatists, what remains of them, and ask to make a bargain. What could they possibly want from us?" asks Obi-Wan in retrospect.
Without thinking, Anakin blurts out, "Senator Amidala."
It was odd referring to her like this. He was used to just saying Padmé, but he knew he still had to keep his marriage and children a secret, something that would gradually grow more difficult over time. For now, though, it was a secret, and that was all that mattered.
Mace eyes Anakin casually as though to say, you're right. Obi-Wan intervenes, though, always seeming to have something on his mind. "Anakin, you're probably correct. They do want Senator Amidala... but we'll have to see. Maybe they would want to make another bargain."
Anakin nods, thanking Obi-Wan for taking his idea to consideration. Even though he was granted rank of Master and a seat on the Council, Anakin still felt like less than the rest of them, and was willing to do anything to prove his worth. It was bad enough he practically failed a task he volunteered for, thinking he could do it alone. In truth, he was extremely thankful Obi-Wan tagged along. He would've died without him... literally.
"You'll have to contact them, Master," says Anakin to Obi-Wan, who nods and turns back to the rest of the Council.
"I suppose I could contact them immediately and ask for a bargain to be made with their droid army."
The rest of the Council agrees, dismissing the meeting. Anakin exits with Obi-Wan, like regularly. Anakin hadn't seen Padmé in days, so of course, he was jittery - eager to get home and relax while Obi-Wan contacted the Separatists. He had limited time to relax at his apartment, though. Nobody knew when Kyla would invade.
It scared Anakin to think that, soon enough, there would be war.
Probably worse than anything ever before.