Luke: Father please!

Luke said, looking up to Vader, squirming from the pain Palpatine's lighting was spreading through his body.

Sidious: And now, young Skywalker, you will die

His master said to his son, one who was lying on the ground and only moments before had been begging for his help.

Vader simply watched as Sidious unleashed another barrage of force lightning at the figure of his son, a figure emanating smoke and twisting from the brutal pain Palpatine was causing upon us.

As he heard his son's screams and the lightning making its way across Luke's body, he made a decision, Vader turned to his master, looking at him he realized the great deal of satisfaction that the suffering of his son brought to Sidious.

Vader: No

He said simply, Sidious apparently not noticing of the single word that came out of his apprentice. Vader positioned himself behind his master

Vader: NO!

He repeated, lifting Palpatine with his mechanic limbs, to the Sith Lord's surprise.

Sidious' lighting shifted targets, instead of targeting Luke, it was now targeting Vader, just like he wanted. Force lighting coursed through Vader, causing unimaginable pain to the Sith Lord turned to the light once more, but Vader didn't care, determined to save his son from death at the hands of his twisted master.

The biggest weakness of his suit came down barreling on Vader, electricity, the one weakness that Palpatine would exploit to easily subdue Vader, just as he had done countless times in the long and agonizing 23 years in which he had been the emperor's hound.

His son had succeeded, he was back to the light and, even if every step towards the reactor shaft could very well be his last, he would push on, just to save Luke.

Finally, he had reached the edge of the shaft, and with his last remaining strength, he threw the emperor down the saft, savoring the sight of the man that had caused him so much suffering plummeting to his death. He had taken the love of his life, his beautiful Padmé, he had taken his best friend from him, Obi-Wan Kenobi, he locked him into his own personal prison, the one that caused him so much pain, and he tried to take his children from him. But it didn't matter anymore.

Vader stumbled to the railing close to the shaft and saw with great pleasure, as the emperor of the galaxy seemingly exploded. He took in the sight, along with the screams he heard from him on his way down, as payback for what Palpatine had just done to Luke. Satisfied, he fell onto his knees, his artificial respirator not working properly, just as expected.

He felt Luke kneeling behind him and grabbing onto him, pulling him into his arms and then to his feet. His son was helping him walk to his ship, Vader watched as the remaining imperial staff of the second Death Star was evacuating from the battle station.

As he fell to the ground once again, Luke dragged him to the ramp of his escape ship and lay him there.

Luke helped Vader lay his back against the ramp and faced his mask.

Vader: Luke, help me take this mask off.

Luke: But you'll die

His son replied, always concerned about others, just like he had been when he was still Anakin, The hero with no fear. He remembered how he was anything but. When the clone wars were in full force, Anakin was plagued by the fear of failing, of losing. And just as master Yoda told him all those years ago, that fear led him to lose the only thing he truly cared about. And that gave way to suffering.

Vader: Nothing can stop that now"

Vader replied to his son, who was simply staring at him, understanding.

Vader: Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes

Luke nodded at this, rushing to take his infernal helmet off. He saw the face of Luke, as he watched his face, his deformed and scarred face.

Vader: And now go, my son. Leave me

The now unmasked Vader said, his last word interrupted by a small cough.

Luke shook his head at his father's words

Luke: No, you're coming with me. I'll not leave you here, I've got to save you

And there it was, his son's hope, the one that brought him back to the light, for one last good action.

Vader: You already have

Vader replied simply, deep meaning behind his words, Luke had saved him from the emperor, from the dark side, and that was all he had, and would, ever need from his son.

Vader: Luke, you were right, you were right about me. Tell your sister you were right

He said, already losing his consciousness and leaning back to await his inevitable death.

Luke: Father, I won't leave you

Luke's words rang in his ears, but he didn't have the strength to reply anymore, as the only thing that escaped his mouth was a gasp for air.

Vader: I know you wouldn't, my son

His thoughts drifted back to his daughter, the one he discovered he had mere moments before his lightsaber duel with Luke started. Leia Organa, he could remember when he tortured her in the first Death Star with the IT-O droid, to question her on the rebel alliance, four years had passed since then, 'She must hate me' Vader thought bitterly, not that he could blame her, how many of his comrades had he slaughtered? The destruction of Alderaan came to mind.

Vader: I just wish I could've done more good

Vader reminisced about his time corrupting the kyber crystal he had gotten after murdering the Jedi that pitied him. How the crystal induced him on a vision in which he turned back to the light and with the green blade of the Jedi's lightsaber he killed Sidious, and after that, he asked forgiveness from Obi-Wan. He remembered how the dark side took hold of him once more in that moment, and he continued to corrupt the crystal, creating his red lightsaber.

He remembered how Darth Vader defeated, no, utterly crushed Anakin Skywalker, suppressing the remaining light side of the Sith Lord, that is, until that same day in the Death Star, just when Vader was at death's door.

He heard the explosions and how he was dragged into the ship by his son, how Luke had believed in him, and how he was taking his body for a proper funeral. His thoughts once again wandered to the past, reminiscing about Qui-Gon Jinn's funeral pyre.

He wasn't going to ask for a second chance, the only thing he asked for was for the force to give him the strength to say three last words.

Vader: Thank you, Luke

Were Vader's last words. Not Anakin's, not Darth's. Only Vader's.

He couldn't hear Luke's reply, as his body was already shutting off, he simply was glad that a pitiful, miserable, and hateful entity such as him could have such a dignified ending.

With that thought, Vader had died.

Kenobi: He isn't coming, is he?

Asked Ben Kenobi, witnessing the funeral of Vader, as his body and suit were being burned at the center of the celebrations in Endor.

Yoda: Coming, he is not. (Yoda replied.) In another place, he is. The force has other plans for him, it seems.

Content with the answer, Obi-Wan glanced up from his fellow force ghost to the only remaining Jedi, seeing the young face of Luke Skywalker look to them both, he smiled, knowing the future would be bright for the new Jedi order, one led by young Luke.

The force worked in mysterious ways; Vader knew that more than anyone, now that he thought about it, was the force balancing out, using Sidious as a way to kill off the Jedi, and now, the chosen one had destroyed the last Sith, it being himself.

Maybe he was overthinking it, but it made sense, it made a disturbingly large amount of sense.

Vader brushed it off as he focused himself in more... immediate concerns, like for example, the fact that he found himself in a beautiful green forest. He half expected to see Padmé waiting for him, but he wasn't that dense.

The second thing he realized was that his mechanic breathing was back, but the burning sensation of his lungs was gone. Vader pulled himself up from the ground with renewed strength, he did not feel the blinding pain that had driven his rage for many years as the emperor's enforcer.

He finally stood up in all his glory and realized how he wasn't as tall as he used to be, was his body restored? Before Mustafar?

Vader: It can't be

Vader thought to himself, reluctant to get his hopes up. He saw a body of water not far from where he was and walked over to it.

The sensation was strange for him, the fact that he could feel once again, not the nervous prosthetics Sidious had implanted in his mechanical prison, the prosthetics that delivered pain to him tenfold. The only thing he still felt mechanic was his right arm, but the prosthetic wasn't one of Darth Vader's suit, it was Anakin's, he could know as the gap in quality was downright disgusting. Such an effort from his former master to weaken him, to make sure he never surpassed him.

He walked over to the small lake before him, still reluctant to believe his body was restored, as he looked at his skull-like mask in the reflection, he couldn't help but notice that it was clean, not filled with dust as it was when Luke took it off Vader.

He slowly brought his hands up to his helmet, taking off the top part, and then he took off the visor itself.

He simply stared at his reflection, stupefied because of it, in the reflection of the water he didn't see his scarred face, a product of his lava burns, he saw himself almost 30 years younger, long brown hair adorned his head, his blue eyes staring at the water, and his scar residing in the right side of his face.

He was in disbelief, letting his helmet fall to the floor, it was such a sight, Anakin Skywalker wearing Darth Vader's suit. But he was neither, he wasn't the dark lord of the Sith anymore, Luke made sure of it, but he simply wasn't Anakin either, so many years at the service of the emperor, so many atrocities committed by him, he simply was not the hero of the clone wars anymore.

Had he been given another chance? The force surely worked in mysterious ways.

He picked up his helmet once again, staring at its lifeless, black eye sockets. It was such an intimidating sight, and it brought to him an idea, if he was truly given a second chance, then he, Vader, would create a symbol of hope out of the mask that once had terrorized the galaxy for two decades.

He put the mask back on, his mechanic breathing resuming, so did the augmented reality Sidious had implanted in his visor.

But, where was he? In the middle of a forest, he'd have to find his way into a r-

Vader: What is that?

Vader thought, as the force warned him about many creatures headed his way, a couple dozen, but they were not alive. They felt empty in the force, the only thing radiating off them was an endless bloodlust.

Vader's hand wandered down to his belt, feeling the weapon Obi-Wan had told him was his life, he agreed.

A wolf-like creature wandered out of the bushes, it was jet black and had bone covering it's head as a kind of mask, with spikes coming out of it's back, arms, and yellow eyes, ones that reminded him of himself, of himself slaughtering the separatists. Of himself unknowingly paving the road for Palpatine's rise to the throne.

The creature planted itself alone in front of Vader, apparently trying to fool him into the notion the creature was alone, unfortunately for it, it was practically impossible to successfully ambush somebody like Vader.

It lunged unexpectedly, erratically, the only thing in it's apparently limited mind was spilling Vader's blood. He would not allow it.

Vader: Too slow

Vader remarked, noticing his voice was slightly different, probably due to the voice modifier reacting to his renewed vocal cords. Igniting his red lightsaber, he cleaved through the neck of the creature in one swift swing. He listened as it fell to the ground, listening to the familiar thud after cleaving somebody's head clean off their shoulders.

He watched curiously as the body slumped and began to dissolve, he raised an eyebrow at this unexpected phenomenon, only to be interrupted when many eyes stared at him from the bushes and jumped at him.

Vader: Futile

He said simply, rejoicing on the feeling of his body, how fast he was, he remembered his days in the clone wars, using the force to fly across the battlefields along his padawan, Ahsoka, he remembered their reencounter and their brief duel, it brought some sadness to him.

He danced through the wild swipes of his foes, if the creatures could even be called that, they were but mere bugs to him. He realized, as he cut down more creatures, that more of them appeared as he remembered Ahsoka Tano, they were drawn like moths to a light to negative emotions.

Vader: Very interesting

He said as he continued to dance between the strikes, as in a matter of seconds he had thinned the numbers of the creatures in such a way that there was only one creature left.

It seemed to hesitate, Vader noticed it was also bigger and had more bone in it's skin, it was the leader of the pack it seemed.

Vader: Come at me, you mindless beast!

Vader taunted, wondering if the creature would take the bait. Unsurprisingly, it did. As the creature jumped to him he deactivated his weapon and brought his hand up.

The creature halted in mid-air and started trying to pry off it an invisible hand.

Vader: Your existence is forfeit

Vader said as he closed his hand. The sickening sound of a broken windpipe, along with a broken neck followed. Even after that, the creature still tried to crawl to Vader.

Vader: Now it ends

He said, lifting the creature off the ground once more with the force, and crushing it's body. The howls of pain from the creature stopped soon after and Vader was left staring at the broken and dissolved body in front of him.

Vader: Most interesting

He said, remembering he was slaying but a beast, a one that didn't even possess life as he knew it, cruelty was justified against such an unyielding foe.

He, of course, had held back, testing the creatures, had he gone all out, the fight wouldn't have lasted more than mere moments.

The last remains of the creature faded into the wind and so did he, turning on his heels and walking east, where he felt two presences through the force.

He felt the despair that grew in those that were hidden in the bushes

Vader: Come out, I have questions that need answering

???: Oh no

One of the Branwen bandits thought out loud.

Bandit: Oh fuck, fuck, fuck. He's coming

He said, concern gnawing at his mind. His partner, Onyx, wasn't much better off anyways.

???: Did you just piss yourself? His comrade asked.

???: Didn't you just see that shit? The man is almost as fast as Raven! He's going to kill us, Oum."

Oum: Shut up Steff, maybe he's just heading for the road, you kn-

His sentence was interrupted as a robotic and terrifying voice cut through the air.

Vader: Come out, I have questions that need answering

The man in the skull helmet said, his attire was just out of a nightmare, the one in which he was chased.

Onyx: A-alright, we're coming out

Onyx, the one that hadn't pissed himself, yet, answered.

The towering figure waited for them to come out, Steff wondered if his stench was going to be enough to get them both killed.

Vader: Where am I?

The black figure asked, seemingly not bothered by the smell of fresh urine.

Steff: In Mistral, uh, sir.

Vader: No, what planet?

He said, his robotic voice cutting through the tension.

Steff: Planet? What is that?

He asked absentmindedly until he realized the fist of the man clenching shut.

Onyx: You're in the world of Remnant.

Vader: Very well.

He apparently eyed their weapons, a simple spear and a gun that fired dust rounds, nothing overly complicated and it got the job done.

Vader: Has this world discovered space travel

Steff eyed Onyx, awaiting his partner's answer.

Onyx: I don't know what you mean (Onyx told the man simply.)

The skull mask just stared at Onyx, and Steff was just waiting for the man to kill them at a moment's notice. Instead, the man turned and started walking west, not before turning to say a few words.

Vader: Our small conversation has surely been... insightful,

He said, before storming off.

Onyx: We have to get to lady Raven

Onyx said without a second thought, bolting to their camp. Steff just followed suit, not knowing how to react at the fact they were not dead.

Onyx: Hey, man (Onyx broke the silence once again.)

Steff: Yeah?

Onyx: Go and clean yourself, you fucking reek

Onyx said with clear disgust at his partner. Onyx dashed past the trees, getting in no time to the small wooden fortress in which the tribe was settling in for some time.

Onyx: Shay!

He screamed, seeing the member outside of the walls.

Shay: Onyx! Buddy.

Onyx: I need to talk to lady Raven, now.

Onyx said with a very strong sense of finality.

Shay: Wait wha-

He didn't get to finish his sentence, as Raven Branwen herself seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Onyx: Ma'am, me and my partner, Steff, have spotted a very dangerous man. He killed more than two dozen beowolves in less than a minute (Onyx said, apparently earning the tribe's leader interest, if only for a bit.)

Raven: And what is interesting about it? He might just be a passing hunter

Onyx: Ma'am, what troubles me is that he seemed to be almost as fast as you, also he questioned me and my partner about where he was, also, he was tall and had black armor and a skull helmet, not something a huntsman would wear. It was very expensive looking equipment and he had some kind of laser sword

Raven: Where?

Onyx: We saw him heading east on foot in the dirt road that comes only a kilometer from the camp, ma'am

Raven: Alright then, Shay (His head perked up at the mention of his name.)

Raven: Gather a crew, we're meeting this unknown armored stranger

Raven said, whoever that man was, he was surely interesting at the very least, if the description that Onyx made was at least half accurate, it would do.