The Unseen

Chapter 9 - The Will to Live

"My wants..." Vader lets his voice trail off and shakes his head. He doesn't plan to answer Ahsoka, but he can sense her waiting for him to reply. "They are unrealistic," he finishes stiffly, not even flinching as the medical droid withdraws the needle. He's used to the pain.

"They still matter," Ahsoka reminds him softly.

"They do not," he insists, a hint of coldness in his voice as he turns his attention to the droid. "Prepare the bacta tank." In a couple hours, the pain throughout his body should be reduced to a more manageable level.

Though he loathes to admit it, he does feel slightly better – maybe, in part, because he's picked a cause to fight for – but he dislikes the new sense of vulnerability that comes with it. He's not really a Sith, at least not anymore, but he's still a Dark Side user. That hasn't changed and likely won't. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are Jedi compared to him, and he doesn't know if they're willing to accept his allegiance. He doesn't stay there to find out.

Vader stands up, ignoring the pain shooting through his body. It's been a constant since Mustafar, and he's come to accept it. "This changes nothing," he warns lowly, facing his back to them. He doesn't give either of them a chance to reply. "I will be indisposed for a couple hours," he continues, "Unless there is a matter of life-and-death, do not disturb me." Without hesitating, he calls his lightsaber to his hand, setting it down on a worktable near the doorway.

He again doesn't wait for anything, not even their acknowledgement through the Force, instead striding from the room. He has shown them enough weakness for one day. It would be better if it doesn't happen again. It's not like his paradise world where he instinctively knew neither of them would leave, but then again, he wasn't exactly the same sort of monster there that he is here.

Part of him suspects that they need the break as much as he does. He's under no delusions that they came out of their own free will. No, they were sent here, and while he's in the bacta tank, they will contact that person to decide their next moves. It would be preferable to speak to them when they actually have a plan for the future. For now, it doesn't matter.

***

"He's fighting again," Ahsoka speaks softly after at least ten minutes of silence. Neither her nor Obi-Wan have moved from the floor. "I could feel it. We won't need to worry about him giving up." She could never adequately express verbally how shaken she was to see him like that.

"Yes, but he has a long way to go," Obi-Wan agrees quietly, eyes still fixed on the doorway. "He will deny it, but he still needs us."

"I know. What I don't know is how we can get him to accept our help." She gives Obi-Wan a helpless look. He knew Anakin better than she did. He should have a better idea.

"He won't." Obi-Wan shakes his head slightly. "We have to force it at him like we did now."

"That's confusing," she mumbles, fishing out a commlink and holding it up. "We should call Bail and update him. We need to decide what to do next. Anakin can't stay here."

"Bail may be willing to let him go to Alderaan in which case he may be able to procure doctors who can give Anakin better healing," Obi-Wan muses, a hint of hope entering his gaze. "I imagine that Sidious didn't really care how much pain he was in."

"It's appalling that he would treat him like that," she grumbles as she comms Bail. Whatever she might have said next is cut off when Bail answers the call.

"Master Kenobi, Ahsoka," he acknowledges them, "How is the mission?"

"The situation is more complex than we initially expected," Obi-Wan reports, "I don't feel comfortable giving you the details, but Master Yoda was wrong when he said that Anakin was gone. We need to take him somewhere, and I was wondering if you would mind if we brought him to Alderaan."