My Idea Box

FANFICTION IDEA: Your Father's Murderer (A SW AU)

Disclaimer: The following is an alternate universe of the Star Wars movies. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney.

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"How did my father die?"

"... A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights... He betrayed and murdered your father..."

"... betrayed and murdered your father..."

".. betrayed and murdered..."

"... and murdered..."

"... murdered..."

"... murdered..."

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"Murderer!"

The scream and the hum of a lightsaber rang over the erupting lava. Vader raised his own over his head, crossing yellow against blue. He struggled to keep his defense up and drew in more of his inner hatred.

Past the bright intersection, Anakin Skywalker glared with teary eyes. His fair complexion, his very being, screamed of righteous anger. It wasn't surprising. After all, Vader had betrayed him and everyone in the Jedi Order, the guardians of the Republic. Vader had let the clones, soldiers of the Republic, inside the Temple to slaughter unsuspecting Masters, Knights, Padawans, and even Younglings.

Anakin, one of the few survivors and witnesses to Vader's betrayal, roared, "They were your friends! Why did you do it?! Why?!"

Vader dug his heels into the ashy ground and pushed. "I don't need to explain myself to you," he declared through gritted teeth and threw Anakin back with all he had.

The Jedi staggered only a few steps before he came back at Vader. Brown cloak fluttering behind him, the ex-Jedi in turn stepped backwards to defend himself from Anakin's blows. He barely kept up with the blue lightsaber hammering at every angle. His yellow blade parried a strike to his head, blocked a slash to his right side, and then caught a stab to the heart and brought it to the side. Every other attack in between and after, Vader dodged, rearing from a swipe at his stomach, bringing up his left leg to avoid a swipe, sidestepping another strike at his side, and tilting his head away from a thrust.

Vader hissed as the last one burned under his left eye. He drew his face away and on the Force, grabbing it in his free hand and throwing it at Anakin. The Jedi was blown off his feet, and his back collided on the bank of the lava river below. Vader frowned when Anakin stood again, not even coming close to touching the lava.

Vader, breathing in the ash, touched his burned cheek. It stung but not too much. Good. It was another reminder, another push to keep on fighting. However, that insipid Jedi part told Vader to wait. He did listen to it, if only to ask the question: "I know you weren't alone. Where is Kenobi?"

Anakin glared, the same ash covering his once-wet cheeks. "He's safe. Everyone else is safe from you and Palpatine," he said with pride and the tiniest of spite.

Vader felt them both through the Force, and he fed on his swelling irritation. "Not forever. The Empire will find them, soon enough," he said and held his saber as he grinned. "And when they're discovered, they will be wiped out. Kenobi, that apprentice of yours, and even your wife-"

A blade of blue anger cut Vader off. He swung back, batting the thrown saber into Anakin's gloved hand. Both hands on his saber, Vader met the Jedi's charge. He took a pre-emptive strike, fainting right to draw the blue blade from his target's head. Anakin didn't fall for it and swept Vader's blade aside to strike with his own.

Back on the defensive, Vader felt the emotions in Anakin's strikes. There was no sense of calm or serenity. Only hate. Only rage. And they all came from the supposed epitome of the Jedi Code. Vader would've cried hypocrite, but it was nothing new. He had seen it before and he saw it now. He would use it against Anakin, just as he had used the fool's so-called friendship with Palpatine.

After blocking a flurry of strikes going for his head and upper torso, Vader breathed in and struck back. Switching from the defensive Form III to the Form V, his attacks were fueled by Anakin's anger and the anger inside of himself. They landed upon the Jedi and struck at every side, as yellow now fell on blue.

Now, Anakin was on the defensive. Now, he was barely beating back the storm of Vader's slashes and hacks. Vader also felt Skywalker now unbalanced by his own anger turned against him. Such was the way of dun möch, and Vader planned to use that to finish the fight.

Vader's saber went BAM against Anakin's, knocking it out of the Jedi's hands. The blow also knocked the Jedi back against the lava stream. Vader stood on the higher ground, looked down with a smug glare. After all this time, he couldn't hold it back as he pointed his saber at the weaponless Skywalker and spoke.

"When I'm done, I will take your head and display it for the galaxy to see. All will know what happens to the greatest of the Jedi and anyone who stands in the Empire's way." Vader grinned. "I look forward to giving it to Padme before I take hers."

As expected, Vader felt the swell of anger rise in Anakin. For all that foolish Jedi preached on patience and serenity, he could never keep his own temper in check. What Vader didn't expect was the sudden pressure on his neck.

Vader grasped at his throat, glaring at Anakin who raised a clenched hand. Vader rose with it, and his feet left the ground. Already, black spots clouded his vision, the muscles in his neck began to twist upon Anakin's command. It wouldn't be long before Skywalker would put an end to Vader.

Vader would not let that happen. Out of all the Jedi, this one had been on his mind. This one, Vader hunted all over the galaxy to find. This one, he sought to completely and utterly destroy. And he would do so. Here, on this lava world of Mustafar.

With that conviction, Vader threw his saber. The yellow blade soared, following his slight command. Vader didn't care where it went, as long as it hit his target.

And it did. Right through the heart.

Vader dropped on his hands and knees, taking in as much air as he possibly could. Then, he looked up. His initial surprise turned to satisfaction at the sight of a shocked Anakin falling to knees and staring helplessly at the yellow saber in his chest. It then slid out and flew back into the hands of a rising Vader.

Anakin looked up, those eyes full of so many emotions. Vader took in the look as the light faded from it and Skywalker plopped onto the ashy ground. Across from the corpse, eyes burned with the same color as the yellow saber.

"And so, the Chosen One falls," said Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, standing victoriously over the dead star of the Jedi Knights.

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AN: Another crazy idea in this pot of crazy ideas, this is an AU fanfic of SW which asks "What if Anakin and Vader had been separate people as Obi-Wan had said in SW77/ANH?" There was no way I'd actually make this into a full story (especially since I have a bunch more planned out), but I thought I'd share it with you. Who knows, maybe someone can use this to make their own story? Until then, take care.

-W.S.