Chapter One
The Vision
Anakin Skywalker was known as the 'Hero with No Fear' throughout the Galaxy, and he reveled in it. He loved the fighting, the adventure, and his growing powers in the force. He was a Jedi Knight and the Chosen One. He knew the prophecy by heart.
One born of no natural father but created by the will of the Force. The One will be more powerful than any creature in the galaxy can compete with. The One will bring balance to the force and restore peace. How was he suppose to do that? He felt that they feared him, and his growing powers. He was going to become more powerful than any Jedi had ever become. He felt it. Yet, they were afraid of him.
Only his master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his padawan, Ahsoka Tano trusted him completely. Obi-Wan had been like a father to him and Ahsoka like an annoying sister, he thought fondly. This war had changed many things in his life, and yet he wondered how much more would change before this war was over. He wanted to be trusted like the Jedi he was, yet if he was completley honest, it was true that there were reasons to doubt him. He had never been great at hiding his emotions or his feelings, and he had been keeping secrets from the Jedi. Secrets that could destroy them all. It was bad enough that the Jedi who had once been peacekeepers for the Galaxy were being made into soldiers. Truly, Anakin enjoyed the military life, except for being away from his beloved Padme, he enjoyed his time with the soldiers, with Master Obi-Wan, with Ahsoka, and with his soldiers. He didn't have to pretend to be anything but what he was; a military general who was great at his job.
Yet, he was a Jedi, and lived by the Jedi Code, but he had broken some of the rules. He had courage to do so, and he was the only one who had that courage. The Jedi use their power for good, the Jedi are selfless, they thought of others, not themselves. Yet, Anakin wasn't sure if he was what a Jedi should be. He found himself thinking of his family, and how they pleased him.
He detested the time he had to spend away from his wife, and cherished the time he had with her. He wasn't sure if that made him selfish or not. In his secret put away heart he knew he wasn't the Jedi he was supposed to be, the Jedi he should be, and wondered how it was that he was the Jedi's Chosen One when he was so different from the Jedi, his brethern.
Master Yoda didn't trust him, and had never trusted hi. He had never changed his opinion since he had first met him. Master Yoda's first words to him had been, "Clouded, this boy's future is."
Chancellor Palpatine had told him, "I see you becoming more powerful than Master Yoda. I see you becoming the most powerful Jedi ever," he had said in a kind voice. Who was he supposed to believe? He trusted the Chancellor who had befriended him when he was young, and afraid. At the time when Anakin had been on the outside, not a slave and not a Jedi, the Chancellor had opened his door and let Anakin confide in him. He had trusted Anakin with his own secrets.
Yet, there was something about that voice that made Anakin look at him harder, trying to sense his true intentions. He sensed the dark side around him. It could be because they had recently kidnapped him, would they try again? The dark side seemed to cloud everything these days, Anakin thought with a sigh. He returned to his room in the Jedi temple and sat down looking at the sky, thinking about Padme. Suddenly, he was gripped with visions of the future.
That was how Master Obi-Wan Kenobi found Anakin Skywalker. Staring onward, out the window, gazing at something Obi Wan couldn't see. If he hadn't blinked and Obi-Wan hadn't been so knowledgeable in the Force he would have thought Anakin had died.
He knelt down beside his young padawan and shook him gently, "Anakin, Anakin," he said softly. Anakin merely blinked his eyes, but otherwise remained motionless. It was clear to Obi-Wan that Anakin hadn't felt his presence; wasn't even aware that he was here.
Obi Wan tried reaching into Anakin's mind, "Anakin" he thought, "Come back to me."
Yet there was no response from his apprentice. He tried reaching into Anakin's mind to a clue as to what he was going through. He tried reaching into Anakin's mind through the bond they shared but he felt a dark cloud when Anakin usually was.
He reached deeper and got impressions, not the vision he was sure Anakin was seeing but enough. Darth Vader. Chancellor Palpatine. Obi Wan had never heard of Darth Vader but just the name sent shivers down his spine. Who was this Darth Vader and what did he have to do with Anakin Skywalker? More importantly, what did Chancellor Palpatine have to do with all this? Who in the Force was Darth Vader? Obviously he was a Sith Lord. How did all this connect to Anakin? Was it because he was the Chosen One? Obi Wan was convinced more than ever that Anakin was the Chosen One. He was the one to bring balance to the force.
He left quickly to inform the council of Anakin's condition, and to decide what to do about Palpatine. They may have to wait until Anakin's vision cleared.
Master Yoda spoke carefully to Obi-Wan, "Visions of the future, young Skywalker has."
Anakin saw himself, he saw himself going to Master Windu. "I think Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord," he said.
Master Windu looked surprised. "A Sith Lord?" he asked.
Anakin nodded, "The one we've been looking for," he said. He had trusted Palpatine. He was a Jedi, and the Jedi had forbidden him a relationship with Padme. They forbid any kind of attachments; to his wife; to his mother and now to his child. Padme was carrying his child, what would they do when they found out? Would they take the child as he had been taken? These were the thoughts that haunted his days and his nights.
"Our worse fears have been realized," Master Windu said. "Stay out of this affair. For your own safety. There is much confusion and fear that clouds your judgment."
Anakin couldn't stay away. He entered the room and noticed the other Jedi Masters dead. Palpatine had killed them. Master Windu and Palpatine were dueling with their light sabers. Anakin stood powerless watching. He wanted them both to win. He knew he would have to make a choice. Which would he choose? He felt the conflict within as Windu attached the Chancellor. He heard his own voice.
"He must stand trial. Stop it, Master! I need him," he had said pleading with the Jedi Master.
"Anakin, help me. He's trying to kill me. I have the power. I can save the ones you love," Palpatine who was now known as Darth Sidious, said. Anakin drew his light saber and struck out at Master Windu, cutting off his right arm. While looking down at his own right arm, guilt swelled inside of him. He had raised a weapon to a Jedi, and hurt him. He had sworn to protect the Jedi, an oath that wasn't easily broken. Yet, he had broken it. He was still torn. Had he taken the turn to the dark side? It was no secret that Anakin had passions that all other Jedi kept under lock and key.
He had broken the codes of the Jedi Order and gotten married. And for Padme he would do anything. Anakin dropped to his knees, thrusting his light saber away with the will of the force. "WHAT HAVE I DONE!" he screamed, tears of guilt filling his eyes.
Darth Sidious spoke quickly, "You are completing your destiny, Anakin. Join me and we will save Padme," he said. Anakin was consumed by the thought of saving Padme from his dreams.
"Arise Darth Vader," he heard and heard his own angry tone.
"Yes, Master," he said.
"Kill all the Jedi, only then will you have the power to save Padme and your child," he heard the Darth Sidious say. He was consumed by anger, as he disappeared, leading the Clone army on an attack against the Jedi. He felt anger and rage sit beside him. He felt the full force of the seductive and powerful dark side. Everyone would fear him now, and together he and Padme would rule the galaxy, they would make things the way they should be. Once he had the power.
He opened the room to the younglings, and looked into their innocent trusting faces and he heard, "There are so many of them, what are we going to do Master Skywalker?" Anakin felt the rage and hatred through him. It was because of the Jedi that Padme would die. He reached for his light saber and sliced through the younglings, hearing their screams and vaguely feeling their pain, yet it satisfied him greatly. He lost count of how many he killed, only felt the growing rage inside him and the power, it had become as intoxicating as Padmé had once been.
Just thinking of her seemed to bring her to him. She hugged him and he felt the anger and hate leave him. "Anakin," she said. "Obi-Wan, he told me terrible things," she said, and he felt his anger build back up. It took so little to make him angry these says.
"Obi Wan is trying to turn you against me," he heard himself say, in the seductive voice that dripped with the dark side. He loved her, he was doing all this for her, couldn't she see it?
"Anakin, all I want is your love," she said, love shining through her eyes. Yet Anakin couldn't see it.
"Love won't save you, Padmé, only my new powers can do that," he said touching her soft face.
Padmé spoke to him softly, tears in her voice, "At what cost? You are a good person, Anakin. Don't do this," she said. Anakin was determined. Nothing was going to stop him.
He would keep the promise he made the day his mother died. "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 if for you, to protect you," he said.
Padmé didn't understand. "Come away with me, help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can," she said.
Anakin had to make her understand. "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 run the galaxy, make things the way we want them to be," Anakin studied her face, aware of the change. What had he said wrong?
"I don't believe what I'm hearing. Obi-Wan was right. You've changed," she said. At the mention of Obi-Wan, Anakin felt his anger grow. Damn Obi-Wan. His old master was still destroying his life. He knew soon he would have to face him, and he wasn't looking forward to it. Now he had turned his wife against him. He was taking his wife from him. What if Padmé was going to leave him and marry Obi-Wan? Was Sidious correct in his assumption of their relationship? What if the child was Obi-Wan's? He had never felt rage as acute as he did now.
"I don't want to hear anymore about Obi-Wan, The Jedi turned against me, don't you turn against me," he said, feeling and hearing the anger lacing his words.
"I don't know you anymore. Anakin, your breaking my heart. I'll never stop loving you, but you are going down a path I can't follow," she said as a sob tore her throat. Anakin barely noticed, consumed by rage at his mentor.
"Because of Obi-Wan?" he asked struggling to contain his rage.
"No, because of you. Because of what you've done. Because of what you plan to do. Stop! Come back now while you still can! I love you, Ani," she said. Anakin saw Obi-Wan.
She had brought him here, he released his rage. "Liar!" he screamed using the dark side of the force to pick her off her feet and toss her in the air.
She was unconscious but she was still alive. He turned to face his old master. Hate and anger were his constant companions now, and he unleashed them on his master.
"You turned her against me," he accused, feeling the rage at that. Obi-Wan, who had been like a father to him, had turned his wife against him. Obi Wan spoke calmly.
"You have done that yourself." Anakin shook his head denying it.
"You will not take her from me," he said. It was all for her.
"Your anger and your lust for power have already done that," Anakin didn't believe Obi-Wan. It was a trick by the Jedi. "You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind until you have become the very thing you swore to destroy." Would he stop lecturing him? All Obi Wan ever did was criticize him. He was not a padawan anymore.
"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do. I have brought peace, justice and freedom to my new empire," he said before Obi Wan cut him off.
"Your new empire? Anakin, my allegiance is to democracy, to the Republic," Anakin didn't believe him.
"Don't make me kill you," he said angrily. "If you are not with me you are against me, Obi Wan," he said as he saw resolute settle on his old master's face.
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes, I will do what I must," he said igniting his light saber.
Anakin, who was now known as Darth Vader, snarled, "You will try," as he lit up his light saber. They fight among volcanic lava. Emotions raise high. Everything is out of control as they fight. The place is falling apart, and still they fight, each one hoping to gain the other to their side.
Anger filled Darth Vader's voice, "Don't make me kill you, Master. Your no match for the dark side," Obi Wan looked at him with pity and regret.
"I've heard that before Anakin…but I never thought I would hear it from you," he sighed as they continued fighting. Anakin hoped he would win; maybe he could turn his master. He wanted to be friends with his master, and there was only one way it was possible, he fought on anger and hate blazing through his body.
His eyes glowed, he could feel them. "The flaw of power is arrogance, "he hears from his former master.
Darth Vader sneers, "You hesitate….the flaw of compassion," he says and watches his master's movements. He knew his masters moves too well, after all he had trained him. Obi-Wan put out his hand to move him with the force. Darth Vader put out his hand and blocked him. Finally Obi- Wan jumped to the high ground safe from the lava.
"Anakin, it's over. I have the high ground," he called out.
Darth Vader smirked, his eyes filling with arrogance and pride, anger and hate, "You underestimate my powers," he said.
Obi-Wan shook his head, "Anakin no, please, don't try it. For once listen to me. I will be forced to defend myself," he said but Darth Vader was determined, he jumped up and Obi-Wan's lightsaber sliced through Darth Vader's remaining human hand. Anakin could feel the burning, he could smell his burning flesh and it made him sick with hatred.
"I hate you," he screamed.
Obi-Wan was sick with pain, "You were like my brother, Anakin. I loved you. You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them. You were suppose to bring balance to the force not leave it in darkness," he shouted as Anakin writhed in pain, feeling the burning desire for revenge on Obi-Wan making him cling to the force, keeping him alive.