Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
Things Change
By Angel Kamiya

Darth Vader had arrived on Naboo in the Imperial shuttle a few hours before the funeral was supposed to start. He arrived without any clone troopers. He was there along with Governor Tarkin as representatives of the new Galactic Empire. The Emperor had told him that he was there to observe, to make sure that the event went by without incident.

There was nothing that he was supposed to do except watch. He was ready for it to be over with. After the wake, Anakin was dead. He had been replaced by something that was half machine and half man.

Walking down the ramp along with Tarkin, Vader headed directly to the speeder that was waiting for them. When they go inside, the driver took off to where the funeral was suppose to take place. Everyone would be there. All of Padme's friends and family. It would be hard to see them, but he didn't care. He had to be there. He needed there to be closure.

When he arrived at the building where Padme's body was, he quickly went inside. There was a very long line as Padme's family and friends went to see her for the last time. They were people that Vader had once known.

Vader followed the line. When he was almost there, he fought the urge to leave.

Finally, he looked down at the woman in the open coffin. She was beautiful. She was the only woman that he had ever loved beside his mother. Her eyes would never open again and he would never hear her voice again.

Vader stopped. The people in the line that had been behind him started to grow restless. It didn't take long until a woman approached him.

"Excuse me? Did you know Padme?" the women asked.

He looked up and saw that it was Sola, Padme's older sister. The woman had the same eyes and brown hair as Padme. They looked so alike that he hadn't been prepared to see her standing right there.

"I work for Palpatine," Vader muttered, walking ahead. "I'm here as a representative."

Sola looked at him interestingly. Unlike most people, she didn't seem to fear him after seeing his mask and black armor.

"I see."

"Anything you need will be provided by the Empire," Vader stated.

"I don't want anything. Senator Palpatine betrayed my sister's trust and took over the Republic. I'm glad that he isn't here today."

"You will stop saying those things at once. Those words are treason," he interrupted.

"Will you arrest me?"

"No, it is a warning. I was friends with your sister. I don't want anything to happen to you or your family," Vader explained.

They walked together. When they were outside, Vader stood there and watched the stars. When he had been a boy once, he dreamed about visiting the galaxy. It had been hadn't been much. Without Padme, nothing else matter any longer.

"I wish Anakin was here," Sola muttered. "I know that my sister cared for him.

Vader said nothing.

"A Jedi is not allowed to fall in love," he started.

"I know, but that doesn't mean that they didn't care about each other."

Vader wanted to tell her the truth, but he knew that he couldn't. He had been responsible for his wife's death. Admitting that to a member of Padme's family would be impossible.

"I think... they might have been married," she stated. "It is the only way I can explain the fact it looked like my sister was going to have a child. Padme should have told us. Maybe we could have helped her."

While standing there, he thought about her words. She was right. They should have told someone. If he hadn't such a coward, things might have been different. She might still be alive.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"I have to take care of my family. It will be a long time before things go back to normal, if they ever do."

Vader saw that there were other people waiting to talk to Sola.

"You better go," Vader started. "You are needed elsewhere.

Standing there alone, Vader thought about Padme. He remembered the first time they had kissed and everything that happened afterwards.

That was when he sensed him. There was another Jedi there.

Quickly turning around, he started to walk toward the source. It didn't take him long to find the cloaked man standing outside the building, watching what was happening inside. The man that was wearing the brown cloak didn't turn around, but he knew that Vader had found him. For some reason he didn't try to escape.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Vader muttered, putting a hand on the lightsaber that was clipped on his belt.

"I'm here to see Padme. Are you here for the same reason?" Obi-Wan turned and faced the Sith Lord.

Vader immediately saw that his formed master looked tired. He looked like he hadn't slept for days. His long graying beard was untidy. The man had been grieving in his own way.

"Yes."

"It didn't have be this way, Anakin," Obi-Wan started. "Padme didn't have to die."

"My wife died along with my child. You know nothing about the suffering I'm going through."

"I'm sorry, Anakin. I know how much you loved her."

"What do you mean?"

"I knew that you two had been married for a long time now. For months now. I didn't tell the council, because I knew how much you two cared about one another."

Vader didn't say anything.

Vader took a few steps forward, holding the lightsaber in his hand. His hands shook, but he steadied them. This wouldn't end like it did on the lava planet. This time Kenobi would die.

"Not here, Anakin. Not tonight," Obi-Wan interrupted, seeing what he was planning.

The Sith Lord froze. Without saying a word, Vader clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt.

"You will leave," Vader said, agreeing not to fight at his wife's funeral. "After today, I will hunt you down and kill you."

Obi-Wan gave Vader one last look before turning to leave that night. Vader didn't follow.

As he stood there, he watched as the last part of his old life left. After that day, Anakin was no more. In his place was Darth Vader.

...

A/N: I hope you liked this story! Please Review!