Hey everyone! Here's a story I'm particularly proud of! I hope you enjoy it!

Also, I have own none of the songs I'm using and they all belong to their respective bands and band labels and albums, etc. This goes for all the chapters in this story.

Chapter 1: Hunted

"I'm cold and broken!" Fade Away – Breaking Benjamin

Ken woke up from his slumber, startled slightly by the noise of engines roaring. For only a moment, he felt distressed. Then, in another moment, he calmed himself. He was on a transport. The engines were just now heating up. He had fallen asleep from the extra wait he and the other passengers had to endure due to security checks underdone by the Republic.

He winced.

By the Empire.

There was no Republic anymore. It had been a matter of weeks since he saw the Temple burn and those inside die. He had fought. He had fought his hardest, but the clones knew his tactics. They were soldiers bred for battle, bred for winning, bred for killing. Years he had fought by them and then, in an instant, it was thrown to the wayside for one order.

He knew that he should've followed Anakin or at least he should've tried more firmly to convince him to stay at the Temple. Yet, it seemed all he did was talk, because Anakin ignored him and left anyway. Then, later that night, Anakin came back and he brought clones with him. Ken could barely believe it when Skywalker raised his blade against him.

Ken sighed sadly when he recalled their fight right in front of the Temple entrance, clones and Jedi watching like spectators. In that instance, the fate of the entire galaxy was laid upon his shoulders and he didn't even know it. He was too sad, too shocked, too horrified to do anything but block Anakin's hateful strikes. No amount of words said did anything to phase the new Sith Lord.

In the end, he lost because of his own inability to fight a friend, a brother. Ken remembered when he pushed Anakin off of him and closed the entrance to the Temple and started to evacuate the large, sacred place. That didn't work. More clones, hundreds of them, stormed through the ceilings, ventilation shafts, and sewer passages. The Jedi were dead before they even knew what hit them. He saw friends die. He remembered seeing his childhood friend, Mhak, on the floor of his room. His eyes were wide open, but they were glossy. He was caught off guard. A black hole was prominent on his chest. His lightsaber laid away from him, just mere inches from his outstretched fingers.

Ken felt tears come to his eyes at that image.

He did the thing his friend would have wanted him to do. Taking his lightsaber, he placed it into his hands and over his chest and closed his eyes manually. Then he cried. He was there for a while, then he ran, trying to defend the Temple, but also getting away from Skywalker.

Others died. Great Jedi Knights were killed in an instant. Over a hundred lightsabers went on when the battle started, he never saw any left at the end.

The Temple was in flames. The Jedi Order was gone. He knew a few Jedi had escaped, like Bultar Swan and Master Ecoi. He didn't see a single youngling alive when he searched the Temple. They were all slaughtered by a lightsaber. By Anakin.

It was almost impossible to wrap his mind around it. Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with No Fear, the Chosen One, his friend, his mentor, his brother in arms, was a Sith Lord. A Sith Lord he may have been, but he hadn't always been. It was on the steps of the Temple where he saw his eyes burn with hatred and rage. That was something Anakin never showed, or at least he had never seen. He knew that Anakin had a troubled past, the vision on Tatooine showed him that. Anakin had tasted the Dark Side, but hadn't every Jedi?

Master Kenobi tasted its vengeance against Darth Maul. A'shaard felt its hatred against Aurra Sing. Even Master Windu tasted its power every time he called upon the Vaapad technique. So, no one was faultless. Yet, Anakin's darkness was different. One moment it wasn't even there, but it appeared in a fiery storm, casting dark shadows wherever he went. Ken felt that darkness try to creep into his heart, but he didn't let it.

Ken adjusted his head, laying comfortably on his arm against the side port of the transport. He watched as clones with blue markings walked by, their blasters ready for anything. Security checks, or Jedi-checks as he had now known them to be, had already been conducted for his transport, so he was free for the moment.

A dark shadow was cast over his heart and he looked back outside, past the clones, and saw a lone figure draped in black start to walk over to his transport. His heart sunk as he saw the black boots sweep across the ground, at a slow pace. He couldn't see the figure's head, but he knew he didn't need to. The dark brown and black tunic said it all, but there was something off about the legs. They seemed very stiff and moved very mechanically.

It was Skywalker.

Thinking quickly, Ken stood up from his seat and, taking his bag with him, moved to the fresher in the back. He closed and locked the door behind him. He proceeded to open up his bag and take out his lightsaber. For a few seconds, he just held the weapon and reflected on how much it had been through and he silently apologized that it went through so much. He turned the weapon out, a blade of green energy came out in an instant, lighting up the small room. He was sure that the sound could be heard from outside so he moved quickly. He slung his bag onto his arm and stabbed the blade into the bottom of the floor and cut a neat circle in the flooring. He held the newly cut out piece above him and placed it down. He couldn't go now. He had to time it just right.

Seconds later, the door flew open and he dropped through the hall, deactivating his weapon on the way down. He hit the ground and went into a tumble, shielding himself from the considerable drop. He pushed off and got back to his feet, going into a full sprint. He wasn't wasting any time.

Ken cursed aloud when a bolt of blue energy exploded next to him on the runway. He paid no attention other than that and kept running, making a quick dash to the right when he saw more clones in front of him. There was a building, one that civilians used when they waited on their transports. A large glass windowpane stood between him and a reprieve from the soldiers.

Gritting his teeth, he threw himself through the glass, shattering a large section of the transparent material. He tumbled on the ground for a moment before getting back to his feet, ignoring the screams and shouts from the others around him. Some were screaming in horror and terror and others were shouting words like "Scum" and "Get him". He could feel his heart sink at their words. Palpatine had turned everyone against the Jedi.

Ken dashed through the halls, using the Force to increase his speed and agility. He was almost jumping off the walls when Imperials started to open fire. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a civilian get hit by a wayward blast.

"No!" He shouted and stopped running. He ignited his emerald blade again and deflected the blue blaster bolts that raced at him. "I'm done running." He growled and leaped.

His blade was a blur as was he. He cleaved through the lead clone without as much as a flinch. When the rest of the group arrived, he quickly made short work of him. As the clones' numbers dwindled, he upped the attack. He deflected blast after blast back at the troops, felling them as quickly as they came. Soon, all that was left were smoking corpses.

He deactivated his blade, but quickly regretted letting his guard down as he was sent flying into a wall, his back slamming up against it first. He slumped to the ground and got back to his feet, switching on his blade once again. Slowly, he faced his attacker, finding it to be none other than the man he was trying to run away from.

Anakin Skywalker.

"Skywalker." Ken whispered, standing up fully, brandishing his blade warningly, "Don't come any closer."

"I don't want to hurt you, Ken." Anakin said softly, making no move to attack.

Ken didn't buy it, "Get away from me."

Anakin took a step forward, but stopped when Ken held his emerald blade mere inches from his neck, "I promise I'm not here to hurt you."

"Then why are you here?" Ken asked carefully.

"I'm here to ask you to come with me. I can't see you killed like the others. I know you weren't in on the Jedi plot to overthrow the Republic. That is why I come to you in peace. As a friend." Anakin said, compassion in his eyes.

"A friend?" Ken echoed, then frowned, "You are no friend of mine."

Anakin's gaze softened further, "I am your friend, Ken. I always have been. The Jedi were corrupt. They were the enemy the whole time and we had no idea at all."

"The Jedi are not the enemy, Anakin!" Ken shouted. "The Sith are the enemy!"

Anakin frowned, "You didn't see what I saw. Windu tried to assassinate the Chancellor after telling me that he was going to arrest him."

"He was the Sith Lord, Anakin!" Ken's voice was disbelieving. "The Sith deserve to die! They live for destruction, not peace."

"And are the Jedi any different?" Anakin asked. "If Windu was willing to throw away the Jedi Code to bring peace, what kind of peace would that bring? The Jedi were corrupt and evil."

"Do you hear yourself?" Ken said, shutting his blade off, "You've let this Dark Lord twist your mind till you've become what I see in front of me! A monster!"

Anakin's rage was there in an instant, something clicking between his eyes. His blue eyes flashed to yellow and his metal hand was at Ken's throat, lifting him high into the air and up against the wall. All reason in which he had a moment ago was gone. He gripped Ken's throat in his palm, feeling the want to squeeze all the air out.

"You can't be reasoned with?" Anakin asked, his voice grave and dark. "I thought at least you would see it my way. Obi Wan couldn't."

"O-O-Obi Wan!" Ken sputtered out, pain filling his senses as he gripped at the metal hand around his throat. Anakin reached forward and grabbed the lightsaber in his grasp. Ken could do nothing as Skywalker studied his weapon and ignited the emerald blade, "Do you still want to be a Jedi?"

Ken gave Anakin a look to kill, "I'll n-never join y-you." He answered the unspoken question.

Anakin squeezed harder and held the blade next to his neck, "I will give you one last chance. Do you still want to be a Jedi?"

Ken could feel his body start to numb from the lack of oxygen flowing to his brain. He could barely form a word on his lips. He knew he only needed one to stay alive. But, he was not willing to throw away everything he was so he could live and become a monster.

Using whatever strength he had left, he kicked his knee up into the air and against Skywalker's chest. This was the chance. Anakin reeled back slightly from the attack, his breath caught in his lungs. His grip loosened and Ken took full advantage of it. He pried Anakin's fingers open and he fell to the ground onto his feet. He could've run, but his lightsaber was still in Anakin's possession.

Thinking quickly, he took his bag off his shoulder and swung as hard as he could with it at Anakin's face. It clocked him upside the head, sending him to the side a bit. Using that moment, Ken grabbed his lightsaber and kicked the Sith Lord in the stomach, slung his bag back on and then jumped back as the young man ignited his lightsaber, a crimson blade shooting out into the air.

Ken held his blade up defensively, "I will always be a Jedi."

"So be it." Anakin snarled, "Then you will die like a Jedi."

"We'll see about that." Ken said, emotion creeping into his voice, "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

Anakin's yellow eyes faltered for a half second, "You don't mean that."

"I do." Ken's voice cracked, "I could've saved the Jedi Order, the galaxy."

Anakin's yellow eyes blazed again, "And yet I watched them burn. The Jedi are gone!"

Taking advantage of this momentary lapse of anger, Ken struck, smashing his blade against the Sith Lord's red one, making sparks fly. He slashed away at the Sith, his strikes quick and strong. He twirled his blade around his front, deflecting a would-be death blow and then leaped backward, gaining distance. Anakin was up on him in an instant.

Switching his footing slightly, Ken was now on the defensive. He immediately dropped into Form III, Soresu, and defended himself against Anakin's merciless blows.

"I killed Cin Drallig easily." Anakin sneered as he crossed blades overhead with the young Jedi. "What hope do you have?"

Ken didn't respond and kicked his leg out, catching him by the stomach. Anakin barely flinched and continued to strike. Anakin had age and experience over Ken and he knew the battle wouldn't last long if it dragged on for too long. And Anakin had no weak spots to exploit.

Ken parried a slash by the Sith and leaped overhead, barely dodging an rising strike. Finding his back wide open, Anakin leaped forward to dodge a slash by a green saber, but found himself right against a wall. Ken saw his opening and stabbed his blade forward, trying to impale Skywalker.

Anakin, though caught off guard, saw through the attack and rolled off the wall to the side just as the blade was right behind him. The lightsaber burned through the wall in a neat stab, but it would take a second, maybe half a second more than that, to retract it. That was time Ken didn't have to waste.

Anakin swung his red blade up in a perfect arc, trying to dismember Ken's arm from his body. Ken leaped back, away from Anakin and his lightsaber. He flung his hand out and the green blade flew into his hand with a slap of metal on hand, just as Anakin leaped into the air and brought his blade down on him. The clash was rough and almost brought Ken to his knees, but he stayed upright and pushed back, detaching his saber and swinging at Anakin's feet.

Anakin deflected the strike with ease and brought his blade through the air towards the side, but it was parried easily.

"I will never join the Sith." Ken said to Skywalker, "You've failed, Anakin."

Anakin almost shook with rage and held his flesh hand up in the air, his fingers spread forward. "Then you will die!" Blue lightning streamed from his fingers.

Ken brought his green blade up and caught the streams of lightning. Tightening his hold on his saber, Ken pushed the torrent of energy backwards, redirecting it to its master. Anakin merely jumped over the strike and fired a small burst of energy mixed with lightning, creating a ball of Force lightning.

This was something Ken couldn't defend himself from and it slammed into him, throwing him through the hall, flinging him about as it pleased. He soon came to a halt, smoke rising from his body. He reignited his green weapon and got to his feet, struggling to even stand. He was sure that something, more than likely a lot of things, were broken.

Anakin stalked out of the smoke and held his blade overhead, "Goodbye, Tarrak."

Ken closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow, thoughts flooding his head. I failed the Order…I'm sorry…Mhak…my friends…

"Ken! Fight back!"

A voice passed through his ears. It was Mhak.

Time seemed to slow for him at that point. He searched his mind and his heart and found that he couldn't give up. Mhak wouldn't want that. Jedi didn't give up. He wouldn't give up.

As the crimson blade came within inches from cleaving him in two, he made his move. As if moving by instinct and emotion alone, his body moved in ways never before seen. He reached one hand up and grabbed the arm of his attacker, then used his momentum of the swing and followed through with it, only this time using his body as a catapult, shooting through Skywalker's legs at incredible speeds.

Then, as he cleared the battleground, he threw his hand backwards, the Force flying through him. His Force-push slammed into Anakin's back, flinging him into a wall, making a little imprint in it, cracking the painted walls. Ken deactivated his lightsaber and threw himself through another window. He looked up and saw a transport taking off.

He ran at it as it lifted into the air. Using the Force, he propelled himself upwards, wind screaming in his ears as well as the Force yelling a warning. In mid-air, he turned his body, seeing a flash of red coming at him. He reached for his lightsaber and swung the blade up as it activated, deflecting the incoming projectile. He realized it as Anakin's blade. He looked down and saw the young Sith Lord staring up at him, yellow fire burning in his eyes.

All he saw was hatred.

Anakin Skywalker was no more.

That was Darth Vader.

Ken landed neatly on the wing of the transport and he made his way across to the access hatch where the luggage was stored and cast one last, lingering look at Anakin – no, he reminded himself, Vader – before he jumped in.

His last thoughts before he collapsed from exhaustion were: Oh Anakin, why did you have to fall?

Unconsciously, a tear slipped from his eye.

All I can say is I hope you enjoyed! Haha leave a REVIEW if you'd like! They really do help haha!

"Until we meet again!" - Blaze Marko