Chapter Text
Lava was everywhere. rivers of it flowed down blade-sharp black stones. some volcano would ocasinally spit out sparks. the air was hot and dry and there seemed to be not enough of it.
But none of that mattered in the moment.
"Anakin, all I want is your love."
"Love won't save you, Padme. Only my new powers can do that."
"At what cost? You are a good person. Don't do this."
"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother! I've become more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of and I've done it for you. To protect you."
"Come away with me. Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can."
"Don't you see, we don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him, and together you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be."
"I don't believe what I'm hearing . . . Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."
"I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me."
"I don't know you anymore. Anakin, you're breaking my heart. I'll never stop loving you, but you are going down a path I
can't follow."
"Because of Obi-Wan?"
"Because of what you've done . . . what you plan to do. Stop, stop now. Come back! I love you."
His eyes turned to look at somehting behind her. for a second his eyes seemed to have changed color.
"Liar!"
His voice was filled with so much hatred that it didn't seem possible. She turned around and stared in horor at the person standing in the doorway of the Cruiser.
"No!"
"You're with him. You've betrayed me! You brought him here to kill me!"
"NO! Anakin. I swear ... I ..."
He streatched out his hand up with his fist clenched, as if grabbing something.
She couldn't breathe. a wild mix of fear and panic set in. her hands flew up to her throat, as if trying to free herself of the thing that was preventing her from taking another breath. she barely realized what was happening when she was slowly lifted into the air. her head was spinning. she tried despiretly to get at least a single gulp of air. but there was nothing she could do. nothing she could do but stare into his eyes. the sky blue replaced by a gold with red on the edges. the color of fire. his face showed pure, undiluted hatred. there was nothing she could do but stare at him as her vision slowly faded.
"Let her go, Anakin."
"What have you and she been up to?"
"Let her go!"
She crumpled to the ground. her entire body was aching with a pain she had never felt before. her world faded to black. she could still hear yelling, though the voices grew more muffled and distant from her.
Then, it stopped. she could no longer see or hear anything. it was like she was in an empty endless void of nothing. still, no relief came to her. she could feel he heart racing, as if something even worse was about to come.
a sudden sound split the air like an electric shock. familiar yet so out of place. beeping. fast, high pitched beeping.
Liana snapped open her eyes.