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This was karking perfect.
The controls were sparking and creating big jolts of electricity to climb Vader's arms in painful spurts. The rebel vessel had managed to land a lucky shot, and now the dashboard was attempting to fry him to the bone. He saw no other choice than to land and request a rescue.
He hated stooping to the point of a retrieval party, but given the six flashing emergency signs and shrill warnings taking up the small confined cockpit, he wouldn't get that choice.
A quick escort mission, surely. Not a problem. Nothing a LORD OF THE SITH couldn't handle.
Suddenly, one of the wings of his TIE fighter made a concerning screeching noise before breaking off entirely. The ship jolted and careened even faster down to the dusty planet the escort had passed over.
Oh.
Tatooine.
There wasn't any time for Vader to think, endeavoring to steer the ship into the atmosphere without losing any more wings, yanking back on the yoke in a helpless attempt to slow down. The ship bore towards the sandy gales of his home planet in a flurry of motion, jolting him in his seat as it made impact.
The ship careened harshly into the ground. Vader tried to catch his balance but slipped and drove his head into the console of the controls instead. All the air left him in an instant, and his vision grew dim as a dull ache and a warm liquid clouded his vision.
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Vader could hear as if behind thick durasteel the distant sound of metal being pierced with the familiar buzzing of a lightsaber. Was it an inquisitor? Palpatine himself? How many hours- days had it been? Vader couldn't move, his mouth dry and raw as he attempted to make any sort of sound. From the sour scent, old blood clung to his face and stuck to his hair behind the mask, obscuring his vision and making him choke.
There was a clambering, and the soft impact of boots as someone crouched close. Vader's mask was pulled off. A pitiful whine filled the air, and it took Vader a moment to realize it was from him.
The stranger touched careful, calloused fingers to his cheek, and Vader couldn't help himself. He leaned into the soft pressure. When was the last time he had felt something tender against his skin? The sting of a slap, the sharp piercing of lightning, the perforate of a well-placed kick. But this wasn't any of those things.
Vader knew his body was shutting down again when the dizziness became overwhelming. He slumped his body forward, expecting to fall, but arms came to hold him against a firm chest.
"Don't worry, my love...I'll take care of you."
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Vader felt the cold sensation of a wet rag trailing over his face. It was gentle, but even the slightest pressure made him wince and shy away. "Shh..." The voice was faint and soothing to Vader's pounding head. Every time he tried to set himself up to become aware of his surroundings, a prodding at the back of his mind settled him back down again.
He knew they weren't in the ship anymore - there was no burning smell of circuits, no blinding lights blinking at him, and he was laying on a mattress that let him sink blissfully into a haze of unconsciousness.
In his distraction, the rag came back, and his barely opened eyes closed again. He didn't let out any protests, feeling helpless, feeling trapped.
"I'm...scared, Master." It hurt to speak, and he descended into hacking coughs as the words left him unbidden. There was a flurry of movement and a hand cupping the back of Vader's head, coaxing a cup filled with water down his throat, a harsh whispering filling the air around them.
"I know, I know, darling- that's it, love, that's it, I've got you, I won't leave you here-"
Vader blinked up at a sandy roof, blearily, unseeingly. His body felt hot and cold.
"Liar. You always leave when I wake up."
Maybe if he went back to sleep, he would find him again.
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His body was on fire.
He couldn't breathe, his lungs, his body-
There was cold and pain and dark and he was alone, alone -
"Anakin, Anakin, I'm so sorry, Anakin-"
Pain pain pain pain pain pain PAIN PAIN PAIN-
There's a hand holding his, a body against his own, a voice singing brokenly.
It's just another nightmare.
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"-not sure if you remember this, Anakin, but when you were 19, you kept hinting to me about this race you wanted to go to. For your life day, you said, you wanted me to come and watch it with you. But I had a solo mission, and it hurt so bad to tell you no when you were so excited. I wanted to spend the whole day with you, dear one. When I got back it was the middle of the night, but you were still awake. You said you didn't go, you had recorded it so we could watch it together. You tugged me to the couch and you fell asleep on my shoulder halfway through, Anakin, but I loved you so much, I loved your endless compassion and thoughtfulness, I held you and I cried because you were so precious to me- I- Anakin- I never hated you, I couldn't, I love you-"
Anakin's breath is shallow and uncomfortable. His body aches. But he reaches out his hand anyway, feeling his Master's eyes on him. He loves when Obi-Wan focuses on him.
"Don't...cry, Master..."
Obi-Wan catches Anakin's hand, holding the metal like it's a fluttering bird that would break at the slightest mistreatment.
"Love you...Obi..."
Anakin sinks back down.
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When Vader wakes up entirely, with full awareness, the first thing he notices is that his hand feels emptier than it should be.
The thought hurts.
He doesn't know where he is, or what he's doing here, but from the looks of it, he's in an abandoned hut, stripped of any value or signs of previous living. He picks himself up with shaky legs, catching himself when he can't entirely hold his weight.
A bantha rumbles outside. His mask sits near the door.
He leaves, eyeing the bantha and pulsing himself around in the force to make sure he really is alone.
He is.
He was always alone.