Author's note: This is one of two versions of a Star Wars/FMAB crossover I have going. The other one was set between Episode VI and VII of Star Wars and during the final battle of FMAB when Ed sacrificed his Gate of Truth and had Luke and Ed swapping places. (I may post the other one if I have time to fill in the gaps and clean it up - right now it only exists in fragmentary form.) This one is taking the dark path since the motivations involved seemed to make more sense. It is set just after Episode III of Star Wars and during the episode "Father" of FMAB. Given that it is a crossover it will have a considerable AU slant to it in order to make it work. Since I have several stories going on at once and little free time to actually work on them the updates (sans Ch. 2 which is close to being done) will likely be slow at first. (I haven't been writing for long but I've learned that I drag ass and make a ton of hasty mistakes in the first ten or so chapters of anything I attempt) That being said this will probably be revised several times as I go along. Any constructive criticism or feedback is appreciated.

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Chapter I: A Universal Taboo

Anakin Skywalker, having recently taken up the Sith name of Darth Vader stood in the main hangar bay of the Victory Class Star Destroyer Subjugator as a shuttle carrying precious cargo from a recent raid against the newly formed Alliance to Restore the Republic, a terrorist group who opposed the reforms authored by Emperor Palpatine, made it's landing in front of him. Once it had landed and powered down the landing ramp to the shuttle was extended and a platoon of clone troopers and Imperial officers marched out to meet Lord Vader.

"My Lord, my men have found Lady Amidala and brought her here as requested." the commander of the clone troopers reported.

"Show her to me." Vader ordered his voice stern and stoic from behind the cold indifferent stare of his obsidian black armored breathing helmet.

The commander and his escorts parted to the left and the right making way for two clone troopers carefully carrying the lifeless body of Padme Amidala. The clone troopers carefully approached the Sith Lord laid down the body at his feet before moving away. Unknown to his minions trembling before the dark lord Vader might have well been crying beneath his mask. His sorrow, his anger, his passion and his guilt burned within him upon seeing his love who had been slain by his own hand lying there before him. He had told himself it was Obi-Wan's trickery that had been the cause of her death, that if she hadn't believed his lies that she would still be alive and by his side today. Vader's remorse burned within him rising into anger over his inability to save her. He cursed Obi-wan and swore to destroy him for what he had done. In the midst of being consumed by passions Vader had a moment of enlightenment.

Vader ordered his men to take the body and place it into suspended animation while he returned to the bridge.

"Set a course back to Coruscant; I must speak to the Emperor." Vader ordered the starship captain.

"Right away my lord." the captain replied then turned to relay the orders to the crew.

Upon Coruscant Darth Vader and the Emperor convened in what had been the Jedi Temple, now converted into a sanctum for Palpatine's dark indulgences. They looked out over the vast holographic display showing the sectors now under the Empire's control along the location and strength of their many battle fleets. The Emperor felt pleased in having attained the preeminent position of power in the galaxy. The Jedi had fallen, now the Sith would once again reign supreme.

"Soon the galaxy will belong to us." the Emperor declared.

"Indeed my Master." Vader replied.

"Something troubles you, I can sense it." Palpatine broke the silence between the two of them.

"My Master, you had once told me of an ancient Sith ritual that could restore the dead to life."

"You speak of Queen Amidala do you not?" Palpatine asked.

"Yes Master. Can it be done? Is there a way to bring her back to me?" Vader inquired.

"Yes, I remember. It is no trifling matter however; the consequences can be most dire even for one so adept as myself. So much so that no Sith Lord has attempted this ritual for over a thousand years."

"I will attempt it Master. Show me how." Vader demanded.

"You are indeed powerful but your training is not yet complete." the Emperor replied.

"I have trained on the Jedi path before you have shown me the power of the Dark Side. My training allows me to wield their powers as well as yours Master. Let us not forget I am the one prophesied to bring balance to the Force. My powers are unparalleled; where others have failed I shall succeed." Vader arrogantly declared.

"Good, good. Your arrogance is strong. With such faith perhaps it can be done. I am confident that in time you will become the greatest Sith lord that has ever lived and together we will rule the galaxy for ten thousand years." Palpatine praised Vader to his surprise.

"Very well, I will show you. We leave for the Lost Sith Temple at once." Palpatine announced.

The Emperor had his own motivation for conceding to Vader's request. If Vader could successfully resurrect Queen Amidala than he would have the power to grant him immortality, something which the Emperor could not do himself. No Sith Lord would ever bestow such a powerful gift upon another yet Vader was completely under the Emperor's thumb and in fact would in the end make Palpatine the greatest Sith Lord that ever lived. His Empire would see no end and his reign would endure forever.

In the company of immense Imperial fleet Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine reached the ancient Sith Temple on a lifeless world bathed in the perpetual twilight of the remnants of three dead suns. They took a single shuttle down to the desolate surface of the blood red world along with a contingent of the Emperor's finest guards. They landed on a square stone slab outside an elaborate ominous structure said to be older than the Republic. A narrow walkway lined with decaying columns extended from the slab courtyard into the temple itself. The structure before them was a four sided pyramid with the top cut off and four open trapezoidal portals near the top which allowed in the dim red light from two of the three stars that hung low in the sky in perpetuity. There was strange writing adorning the surface of the structure, writing that even Palpatine couldn't recognize. There was no wind on this world, not even a breeze. The suns did not seem to move in the sky, one hung low on the horizon while the other was slightly above it on the other side of the sky. This world knew not day or night. It always remained locked in a sullen somber sunset. This world was geologically dead as well. No wind, no life, no water, no shifting of the ground beneath them, nothing to disturb the temple that sat untouched on this far distant world for millennia.

"This is where my master, Darth Plagueis had intended to go to further his studies into how to conquer death. He had great power and could extend the life of those he cared most about, staving off death indefinitely but never attained the ability to recall one's spirit lost to the living Force. He had told me before his own passing about this place and that in the distant forgotten past that one greater than he had indeed achieved this feat and her knowledge was contained within the walls you see before us." Palpatine told Vader.

He left out the part where he had slain his master in his sleep prior to undertaking the journey that would have made Darth Plagueis immortal if it had all gone to plan. This plan had now befallen to his apprentice, and his apprentice, now the master would lead his own pupil into performing the ritual which would grant him an eternal reign.

The elite guards carried Padme's body into the temple behind Vader and the Emperor. Once inside the Emperor directed that the body be placed atop a large stone circle at the center of the inner chamber where the light from both stars converged on an intricate pattern carved into the stone circle.

"There you are Lord Vader. The way has been prepared. All that remains is for you is to channel the Force within you through the circle and into the very heart of the Living Force which has stolen Queen Amidala from you. Use all your grief, your suffering and your anger, concentrate your feelings and let the strength of your passion flow through you." Palpatine informed Vader.

The Emperor had spent years of study here amidst his political machinations learning where Darth Plagueis had left off. He had completed the inscriptions on the circle that were lacking and ensured all the necessary alignments had been made. All that remained is for one of such great power as Darth Vader, the one chosen by the Force, to activate it.

Vader did as his master commanded and ascended the long narrow steps leading to the stone circle. There he knelt down and placed his hands upon the circle and channeled his energies with all of his ability. The circle glowed brightly as it was actuated and intensified as Vader concentrated his will through it. The whole of the circle manifested itself into a solid disc of light so bright that the entire temple was bathed in its radiance. Suddenly what appeared to be an eye manifested itself at the center of the radiant circle and consumed the body of Padme Amidala. Ten thousand tiny shadowy hands reached out swaying like grass in the wind. The hands stiffened up and stretched to the roof of the temple. They then collapsed downwards and folded upon Vader dragging him into an unseen dimension beneath the brilliant glowing circle beneath him. As quickly as it had appeared the incredible display of ethereal power was over. Upon the ancient stone circle both Vader and Padme had vanished much to the Emperor's dismay. In their place was a strange humanoid creature kneeling and looking down with its arms covering its head. In appearance it was constructed of a murky black viscous substance, like oil or tar with eyes and mouths of grimacing bared teeth all over its body. On its head the eyes and teeth were most clearly arranged in a familiar position to resemble that of a cyclops.

The Homunculus had lost its outer skin as it had passed through the gate and emerged here. What was most baffling to it was that it had performed no such transmutation that would have opened the gate and drawn it through. He had been in his domain beneath Central facing down the peculiar offspring of his doppelganger Von Hohenheim of whom he had just been introduced to by his own spawn, Envy and Gluttony, when all of the sudden he was ripped from his world and pulled into this one. His power seemed diminished in this place; the potency of the philosopher's stone which he was imbued with was lessened here though he felt a strong attraction to a great power residing outside himself.

The Emperor gazed up at the being which now stood in the place of his most powerful disciple. At first he assumed the deformed monster was in fact Vader reconstituted as a living entity apart from his cybernetic life support suit. Had Vader in fact immortalized himself? Such was heresy; it was indeed by all reckoning, impossible. The Emperor soon realized that it was not Vader that stood before him but rather something different. A smile crossed the Emperor's face as he sensed immense Force sensitivity within this enigmatic being. Devious plans began forming in the aged despot's mind. He felt no sorrow for the loss of Darth Vader, only ambition for his own dark designs. Indeed the Emperor had lost the instrument of his ascension, his greatest disciple. In his place was one potentially more powerful; all Palpatine needed to do was to bend this creature to his will and he would have lost nothing. Immortality and absolute control over the galaxy would be his for all time.