Love Letter

 

ROTJ timeframe. Darth Vader writes to his deceased wife about Luke (before he knows of Leia).

  

Padmé, my loving wife,

 

Several years have gone by since the tragedy of your untimely death. How I have missed my loving angel! Your embrace…your loving and tolerant nature…and your unwavering ability to brighten my world with a thought or touch. I miss gazing into your beautiful eyes and wish fervently that I could reverse time… I would not hesitate to bring you back to me. Your death shook me to the core of my soul for which I have never recovered and admittedly, without you, I didn’t want to. I ceased to care for those around me for without you, I was empty. I no longer wished to exist and became nothing more than a living shell that was fueled by anger…among other dark emotions.

 

Beloved – I became that which everyone feared upon your death. A monster. The power of the dark side took hold of my ravaged soul, twisting and corrupting it to suit its own purpose and…I allowed it. It swallowed my grief and pain and made me forget about love and think only of power and anger. First I failed my mother, and then I failed you. If you only knew how truly sorry I am…

 

For years I carefully placed you in the back of my mind. Buried you. For the pain of remembering was excruciating. It has been far too long since I have thought of you and the future we could – and should – have had. I grieved for so long… then forgot…

 

I write this to you now, knowing full well that you will never be able to read it, as a cleansing of my transgressions. For I do regret all that I have done over the course of these several years. I wasn’t strong enough to stop myself, but I have learned from that painful lesson. Even now, I can almost see your eyes sparkle with delight and your effervescent smile upon me as I tell you how this came to take place. You were always so forgiving of my mistakes. You were a constant, there to help me when I teetered on the edge. Now, beloved, our son – yes, our son – has shown me that the light does still exist. There is hope for me yet to escape the prison I cocooned myself inside of.

 

Yes, my angel, the child we conceived out of pure love that I had believed to perish with you. Yet another mechanism in my downfall…or so I thought. To my great joy, our son, Luke, not only survived but also has grown into a very special man. He has shown me through his own strength to resist the dark side and his love for me that I can still find my way out of the maelstrom. Yes, I did try to corrupt him. I shamefully admit that and have discovered the error of that path. However, I must keep up the facade in order to fool the Emperor. I have learned over the years to mask my true hatred of the man once known as Palpatine. I have been his servant, albeit willingly, all these years because he ‘rescued’ me. I should have died by your side, beloved, and saved the heartache that I have caused to others since then.

 

Luke has been the shining light to your once beloved husband. You will be happy to know that he is also a Jedi, a powerful one at that, and the Emperor rightfully fears him. He has your wisdom and calming nature. You would be so proud of him. Even as I tell you this, my plans are already falling into place to take care of the evil stranglehold that the universe has had to endure these past twenty years. Unfortunately, Luke is an innocent participant in all of this, but there is no other way to fool the Emperor.

 

I know my life will come to an end when I kill Palpatine, but Luke will still be alive and finally, finally, I will be with you again. In peace.

 

The ‘Chosen One’ is coming home.

 

 

 

My everlasting love,

Anakin