Author's Note: This is an AU in which Obi-Wan and Anakin swap physical places on the slope of Mustafar and events change. This story is going to be rated T although I'm considering it to be M, simply because the fight scene, character death, and for mild swearing.

Warning: Future physical and emotional abuse will come into play. It will only be verbal and physical, like hitting and belittling. So, read at your own risk!

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. The image for the story cover is not mine, I found it on google images.

Chapter 1

-4 years post Order 66—

The dreams…no, nightmares…began to form vividly within the child's mind. He would dread closing his eyes every night, despite his aunt and uncle's reassurances that none of it was real. Then why did it feel real? Many nights, he would wake up screaming. He would stay awake for hours, fighting drowsiness and the beckoning call of sleep. Doing so, never spared him. If anything, it only delayed the inevitable.

This night was no different.

-Dream-

He stood near a cliff edge that was charred and scorched like coal. Ash fell from the sky. Dark clouds blocked out whatever sunlight this volcanic planet used to offer. The child's feet began to move him forward against his will. There was something nearby. It felt…familiar. He couldn't place what it was though.

When he reached the edge, he could see two men below him. They were fighting with blue glow swords…

One of them stood upon a moving platform as the other fought to maintain his balance on a small droid. A rushing river of lava carried them closer to a nearby embankment. Soon, the younger man flipped himself up onto the scorched, blackened volcanic soil. The elder man soon followed, landing on the bottom of the slope with saber raised defensively. The young man now had the advantage.

"It's over, Obi-Wan! I have the high ground!"

"I know you care deeply for Padme, Anakin! Turn from darkness before it's too late!"

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK HER NAME!" the young man shouted with burning fury.

The little one watching the escalating argument shuddered. In these nightmares, he could always feel the dark rage and hatred emanating from the man dressed in black. The small boy tried to rip his eyes away from the spectacle, for he knew what would soon take place. No matter how hard he tried, it was as though his eyelids were glued open. It was what made this dream so scary…

"You betrayed me, Obi-Wan!"

"No, Anakin! You betrayed yourself!"

"That's where you're wrong! The Jedi are evil! You are just too blind to see it!"

"Those lies will only destroy you!"

"Do not underestimate my power." He growled dangerously with a venomous glare.

"Anakin, please…don't travel down this road. It will rob you of everything you hold dear!"

The younger man sneered as he began to slowly pace, like a caged animal waiting to be released.

"Can you feel it Obi-Wan? All of the voices through the force, being silenced? The Jedi are DEAD…and soon you will join them."

The elder man began to cry, as though he were mourning the death of a close friend or a relative. He shouted up at the man he once respected and loved.

"You were the chosen one! It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them! You were supposed to bring balance to the force…not leave it in darkness!"

"I have brought balance to the Force, master. The Jedi have vastly outnumbered the Sith! I will restore order to the Galaxy."

The bearded man's tears continued as he screamed up at his nemesis.

The little boy watching from his hiding place above them, could almost feel Obi-Wan's anguish and pain. It made him sad…

"You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!"

"Love is for the weak. Hate is what makes you strong!"

"Only Sith deal in absolutes."

The little boy's heart began to beat erratically within his chest. For a moment, the child even forgot to breathe as his light blue eyes bore witness to what would soon be a heartless, violent act. He felt sorrow for the elder man in the light-colored clothing. He radiated light. His opponent however, seemed to darken what little light remained…instead of goodness, all he felt was a deep hatred for the bearded man a few yards below him.

"This ends now, Obi-Wan. How would you prefer to die?"

Without another word, the blue saber currently within the sweat-slicked palm of Obi-Wan was ripped away. It flew magically into the hand of the young man. Then with a loud scream of fury, both men charged each other.

The elder man attempted to force-push his former apprentice but due to the steep incline, all he managed to do was briefly delay his opponent.

Anakin ignited both lightsabers and slid beneath the legs of his former master, swinging both sabers simultaneously. The elder man screamed in agony as his limp body fell, rolling towards the river of lava a few feet below his now severed legs.

Tears were running down the soot-covered face of the little child as he was forced to bear witness to such savage cruelty.

Anakin took a few steps back as the elder man reached for the leg of his trouser in the hopes of crawling further away from the blistering heat of the lava. With one decisive swipe, he severed the bearded man's right arm, earning another scream from his beaten adversary. He watched impassively as his former master continued groaning in misery. Still holding the ignited sabers, he extinguished them both and stood triumphantly over the mortally wounded man.

Due to Obi-Wan's close proximity to the scalding, molten river below, a small spark burst upwards from a bubble of lava, setting what remained of his lower legs on fire. Obi-Wan released another blood-curdling scream as his body was slowly consumed by the burning flames.

Anakin turned his back on Obi-Wan as the fire continued to travel further up Kenobi's body. The Sith apprentice took two steps, when the unthinkable happened. As he was clipping his former master's saber to his belt, it was ripped out of his loosened grasp by an invisible force, and back into the hand of its rightful owner.

Anakin snarled and turned sharply on his heel when Obi-Wan used the last of his energy to saber-throw his only weapon, intending to sever him in half. The younger man hit the switch on his own hilt and brought it down. He was only able to partially deflect the blow, since Kenobi was guiding his lightsaber by the Force. The former Jedi-knight released a pained cry when he felt a burning, searing pain rip through both of his legs a few inches above his knees. He released an enraged scream. He did not slide as far as Obi-Wan had and managed to stop his rapid descent. His master had the audacity to try and take him down with him in an exactly the same manner!

The young man was livid and his hate and rage reached a new, alarmingly blood-thirsty level.

"DAMN YOU OBI-WAN! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

Seething with uncontrollable fury, the young man watched with mild satisfaction as the flames traveled from Obi-Wan's torso, towards his neck and face. The elder man's screams picked up in intensity.

The small spectator sobbed as terror seized his heart. His fear was suffocating and it felt like he was choking. He wanted to run and hide but an invisible force kept him rooted to the spot. He wanted to cover his ears to block out the agonizing screams…but he couldn't raise his arms. They felt as heavy as lead. Why wouldn't this nightmare end?

Soon the screaming man's throat grew hoarse and the smoke from his burning body began to suffocate him as oxygen was replaced by poisonous fumes. All he could do was moan as his life-force slowly slipped away. Too weak to move, he was unable to stop Anakin from confiscating his weapon. The young Sith threw it end over end into the lava where it melted, leaving no trace that it had ever been there. Anakin used the Force to lift his former master's body high into the air and kept him suspended over the flowing lava below. He sneered with utter contempt and disdain.

"Good-bye, Master."

Then with a savage snarl, Anakin Force-pushed what remained of Obi-Wan out into the raging river of lava. He watched with dark satisfaction as his former teacher vanished beneath the volcanic liquid.

He crawled up towards the top of the hill and rolled over onto his back. He coughed and spluttered as his lungs began to burn from a prolonged inhalation of ash, smoke, and the embers of clothing left behind from Obi-Wan's corpse.

The young child saw a shuttle land nearby. Seconds before the occupants descended down the boarding ramp, the injured man dressed all in black, turned his head slowly in his direction. His burning, hate-filled, yellow colored irises burned into the boy's own blue ones, eliciting a frightened scream.

-End Dream-

The little four-year-old child bolted upright in his bed, still screaming. Lights quickly turned on down the hall, flooding through his open bedroom door. A small sheen of sweat covered his body, making his pajamas cling to his skin.

In seconds, his Aunt ran through the door and knelt down beside his bed, wrapping her arms around him in a loving embrace. She gently stroked his blonde hair and swept the damp bangs from his forehead. The frightened, trembling child clung to her, sobbing his distress.

"Shh, sweet-heart. Everything is okay. It was just a dream."

Uncle Owen soon appeared in the child's door-way, holding a rifle in his hands. He swept his hand over a sensor panel next to the door, triggering the overhead lights. The boy's room brightened and chased away the dark shadows.

Beru craned her head around to regard her husband and slowly shook her head with a small, worried frown. They were not in danger. He got her silent message and walked down the hall to return his rifle to its proper hiding place.

The boy's cries began to taper and before long, his hyperventilating turned into small hiccups.

"I-it w-was…the bad man again. He…h-he…"

His small body shook as a shiver raced down his spine.

"You're safe now, Luke. Nothing can hurt you here."

The young child sniffled and wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. That's when the little boy felt something incredibly wet beneath him. It smelled funny too. He lowered his head in shame and released another dismal cry. His small body shook, not with fear this time but from humiliation.

He wet the bed again.

His Aunt picked him up in her arms, despite the fact he wet himself, and held him tightly against her chest and stroked his back. She whispered sweet words of comfort and reassurance.

"It's alright Luke. Accidents happen."

Beru carried her nephew into the nearby fresher and ran warm water to make a bath. She stripped him of his soiled clothing and threw them into a nearby laundry hamper. Then she placed Luke inside the small bathtub. Taking a washcloth, she poured a sweet-smelling soap that was toddler friendly and that wouldn't burn his eyes, and began to wash the small child.

Luke began to offer up protests in his small, shrill voice.

"You are using all the water! Uncle Owen will get mad!"

Despite his young age, he knew his Aunt and Uncle were moisture farmers. Water on Tatooine was often scarce and was valued more than credits sometimes.

Beru held a finger against his lips, a silent gesture for him to be silent. She gave him a warm, motherly smile and paused in her task after ringing out the washcloth.

She lowered her head until her chin was resting on both arms that were folded against the edge of the tub and gently spoke to him in her soft voice.

"Luke…what do you think we value the most?"

The child's brows furrowed in thought. His cheeks still retained baby-fat, making his tiny frown downright adorable. His sweet, innocent voice softened as he answered her question.

"Uncle Owen says water is so important, we shouldn't use a lot."

The young woman smiled warmly.

"That's not the answer I'm looking for, Luke. Try again."

The child now had a very confused expression although Beru could see the wheels slowly turning in his mind.

"I don't know…" he whispered, raising his head to meet her gaze.

"Your uncle is right, Luke. Water is important…but," she paused for dramatic effect, "It's nowhere near as important as you."

She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his chubby cheek and resumed washing him. Soon, Luke was all clean and then dried off by a fluffy towel. Beru called for Owen who appeared about a minute later and gave Luke a small, reassuring smile.

The little boy nearly sighed with relief. His uncle wasn't mad that he had a bath…

"Owen, could you please dress Luke for me?" The slim woman asked as she handed her husband a neat, folded pile of clothing for the small child.

He nodded in reply and then knelt down on one knee where Luke was still engulfed by the giant towel. He ruffled his hair in good humor and then proceeded to dress his nephew. Owen opened his mouth as though he were about to speak after Luke was clothed and brought a hand up to his forehead. This did not go unnoticed by the boy. He gently reached a tiny hand out and tugged on his sleeve. Luke canted his head and began to lean over, trying to get a look at his uncle's face. Was he mad?

"Uncle Owen?"

The man lifted his head up to meet the blue-eyed gaze of the child and gave him a small smile that was meant to be reassuring. He looked torn, as though there was something he wanted to say, but at the same time…didn't want to. This of course had Luke incredibly curious.

"Did I do something wrong?" the little boy questioned softly.

"No, Luke. You did nothing wrong."

"Then why are you upset?"

For a second the man looked startled.

Luke had a rare gift. He could usually sense or gauge what a person was feeling. Sometimes it unnerved the man…the child would give him an uncanny, knowing look.

"Luke, I need to ask you something…"

Owen felt torn. He didn't want to bring up the subject but he needed to know.

"Did you have the same bad dream that you usually have? With the scary man and the glow sword?"

Luke's eyes widened and his breathing hitched. His lower lip began to tremble and hot tears welled up in his eyes. Owen could clearly see that the boy was doing his best to suppress his tears.

"Ah, I'm sorry Luke. Forget I said anything," his uncle pulled him into a hug and rubbed his back in gentle circles.

The little boy tried to do what uncle Owen suggested but it was hard to forget sometimes. The young child was nearing his 5th birthday. His long term memory was becoming sharper the older he got.

When his uncle gently pulled him away, he placed both hands on the boy's small shoulders and gave him a smile.

"Hey Luke, I got you something special. It's a surprise I wanted to give you after the harvest."

Uncle Owen stood up from where he'd been kneeling and offered his large, calloused hand to his nephew. The little boy placed his hand inside the large palm of his uncle and allowed Owen to guide him. When they got to the stairs leading down past the kitchen and into the living room, he picked Luke up and carried him the rest of the way.

Sometimes Owen questioned if the child was within his growth parameters. He was a small lad, smaller than peers his age and was incredibly light-weight. Despite the fact that their food pantry ran low at times, the man always made sure the child ate. He even gave up his own meals on occasion so that the boy wouldn't go hungry.

Thankfully they would be financially set for a while once the current farming season ended. They were able to produce twice as much this year which was very rare for their type of industry.

He snapped himself out of his wandering thoughts and returned to the present. He set Luke down on a nearby chair. He took a small, rectangular box down from the mantel where his rifle used to hang before an infant Luke appeared at their door, being held in the arms of his distant guardian who now took residence miles from their own homestead.

"I bought this specifically with you in mind."

He set the box down on his nephew's lap and had to bite back a chuckle when the package practically swallowed half of the child's body. With eager hands, the boy opened the box and his eyes widened. A gasp escaped Luke's lips as he pulled out his new favorite toy.

Pushing the box carelessly off of his legs, the child ran for his uncle at incredible speed and hugged his leg with a small squeal of glee.

"Thank you Uncle Owen! Thank you!"

In his right hand, he held a toy blaster pistol, painted and crafted to appear real. When he pulled the trigger, the barrel tip lit up and even made recorded blaster sounds. Luke let go of his uncle's leg and clutched it against his chest with a beaming smile.

"Now if that scary man tries to make your dreams bad, just shoot him with your new gun, okay?"

"Okay!"

The child gave his uncle one last parting hug before running off shouting for his aunt Beru.

"Aunt Beru! Aunt Beru! Look what uncle Owen got me!"

A deep frown crossed Owen's lips when his thoughts drifted to the nightmare Luke had been having for the past three months. He knew the young boy's dreams were about his birth father…a man now twisted by evil. He no longer had love in his heart, least of all for the son that a handful of people swore to protect. If that wicked man ever found them and tried to hurt or steal Luke away, he would kill the Sith-spawn…or at least, die trying.

He didn't want to imagine what would happen to the child that stole their hearts, should Vader ever find them here. His sweet, compassionate, loving nephew would be twisted, tortured, and forced to become an agent of pure evil. His innocent, caring nature would be stripped away, transforming him into a monster like his father.

He took his time walking up the stairs and glanced in Luke's room where the child was currently engaged in conversation with his aunt. Beru glanced at him and he silently mouthed words with a stern expression.

"We need to talk…"

She nodded and watched as her husband retreated to their shared bedroom. She set Luke down upon his freshly changed sheets and blankets and tucked him in. She swept some of his damp, blonde locks out of his face and planted a loving kiss on his forehead as she stroked his hair.

"I love you, Luke. Sweet dreams."

She turned around and shut off his bedroom light, bathing Luke's room in shadows. Shadows that soon began to play tricks on him. An overwhelming feeling of anxiety and fear crawled inside his chest and gripped his heart like ice. He wasn't sure how he knew…but the child could feel that something bad was coming…and soon.

He bolted out of bed, grabbing his plush bantha toy whom he named Rudy, and ran to his aunt and uncle's room. He stood in the doorway to see that they had both already crawled into bed to sleep. With a soft voice, the trembling child hugged Rudy against his chest and whispered but loud enough for them to hear.

"Can I please sleep with you tonight?" the four-year-old nearly begged.

"As long as you promise not to we—"

Beru elbowed her husband's ribs sharply to cut him off mid-sentence. The last thing the child needed was to feel even more shamed and humiliated than he already was for his previous accident. She waved a hand inviting the lad to come over. Pulling back the blankets, Luke snuggled in between them and released a relieved sigh.

"Go to sleep now Luke. We'll be right here when you wake up." Beru whispered softly as she planted another kiss on his cheek.

With a small smile, Luke burrowed further under the blankets and closed his eyes. Within three minutes, he was fast asleep. Owen and Beru shared a knowing look and began to whisper.

"His dreams are getting worse."

"Those nightmares happen at least three times a week now."

"We need to contact—"

"No! Absolutely not," Owen protested quietly.

"Owen, please…I can't bear to see him like this," the woman replied with a choked whisper as tears welled up and glistened in her eyes. She wrapped a gentle arm possessively around her sleeping nephew and pulled him closer to her side. She looked down at his angelic face and resisted the temptation to stroke his golden locks again.

"Owen, someone needs to know! What if that monster finds out he's here and comes for him?!"

"I won't let that happen."

"Please…contact the Captain tomorrow morning. Right now he's the only one who might be able to help!"

Owen released a weary sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose with a thumb and an index finger as he considered her proposal. After a few seconds he gave her a slight nod in agreement before rolling over on his side to sleep. Beru looked down at the sleeping child and smiled softly, whispering even though she knew Luke couldn't hear him.

"We'll find a way to fix this, sweet-heart. I promise…"

The next day, dawn came far too early. Owen no longer wanted to risk opening com-frequencies in the event his conversations with the Captain were intercepted by the Imperials stationed in Mos Espa. He hopped into his speeder, confident that Beru and Luke would be alright while he was gone.

Luke's guardian, was currently hiding in exile for treason when he refused to follow the Emperor's final command. It was a path he memorized in the event there was an emergency. He started up the land-speeder and raced off, kicking up sand that soon created a dust trail. He always brought his rifle with him in the event he had an unfortunate encounter with the Sand People. Owen was sure to leave his blaster pistol with his wife.

Owen wasn't entirely certain if Luke's nightmares were even classified as an emergency but the look on Beru's face the previous night softened his stoic demeanor. She was the only woman who could disarm him with a single look.

He parked his speeder near the partially concealed dwelling where Luke's guardian lived. He was thankful that the man within was bold enough to risk discovery to deliver Luke to them for safe-keeping. He owed the exiled Captain.

He knocked on the door and waited about thirty seconds before it was opened and a hand waved him inside. Once Owen Lars closed the door and reached the living room, he locked his stern, yet worried eyes onto the brown ones of the man he came to see.

"Captain Rex…we have a situation."

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: Yes, in this AU, Captain Rex did not follow order 66 because his obedience chip was removed. He was the one who took Padme away from Mustafar and to Polis Massa. I'm sorry for you Ahsoka fans out there, she will not be appearing in this story simply because I'm focusing more on Vader and Luke. Thanks for reading, please leave a review! ;)