STAR

WARS

ALTERNATE

UNIVERSE

Returned

Anakin, poisoned by the Sith early in the Clone Wars without his knowledge, has fallen to the dark side of the Force against his will. Obi-Wan must now decide whether to try to save him, or to destroy him as Master Yoda orders. His decision made, he enlists the help of Anakin's Padawan Ahsoka, and that of Senator Amidala of Naboo, but can they save him from darkness, return him to the light, and destroy the Emperor, thus saving the Jedi Order and the Republic?

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS, IT BELONGS TO GEORGE LUCAS, LUCASFILM, ETC. NO PROFIT IS BEING MADE WHATSOEVER!

Chapter One

Near Betrayal

Mace had never fought harder for anything in his life. Kit, Saesee, and Agen were now dead, slaughtered by the Sith Lord Palpatine. Now Mace fought not only for his life, but for the survival of the Jedi Order. The survival of his friends.

"The oppression of the Sith will never return! You, my lord, have lost!" Mace pronounced as he cornered Sidious and disarmed him.

"No...no, NO, YOU WILL DIE!" Sidious spat at Windu, shooting a long bolt of Force lightning at him, which Mace blocked with his lightsaber. Moments later, Anakin arrived to find Mace besieged by Force lightning.

"Anakin! I told you it would come to this. I was right! The Jedi are taking over! Help me!" Palpatine pleaded. Anakin, however, only looked to Master Windu and back, confused.

"I'm going to put an end to this, once and for all!" Mace said.

"You can't! He must stand trial!" Anakin replied, astounded.

"He has control of the Senate and all the courts. He is too dangerous to be left alive!"

"But I'm too weak. Don't kill me!" Palpatine pleaded, losing his focus for the first time.

"That's not the Jedi way. He must live," Anakin exclaimed. He was now starting to turn. Mace still held his focus, intent on killing Palpatine. "I need him!"

Windu raised his lightsaber for the final strike, and gathered the Force around him, preparing to strike Palpatine down. But instead of doing so, Anakin finally made his decision.

"NO!" Anakin screamed, ignited his lightsaber, and cut off Windu's arm. Mace screamed in agony and anger. Palpatine grinned then quickly threw another long bolt of Force lightning at him.

"Unlimited....POWER!" Palpatine exclaimed. Seething with the dark side and bringing his full powers to bear, he hurled Master Windu out the broken window still screaming. He then rose and turned to Anakin.

"What have I done?!" Anakin called out in agony.

"You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin. Become my apprentice. Learn to use the dark side of the Force. There's no turning back now." Sidious told him. Anakin crumbled to the floor, and embraced the dark side. It wasn't a full embrace as Sidious had wished and hoped for, but it was enough for what he needed of him now, and so let it go at that.

"I will do....whatever you ask," Anakin proclaimed as he surrendered himself to Sidious. "Just help me save Padme's life. I can't live without her. If she dies, I don't know what I will do."

"To cheat death is a power only one has achieved though centuries of the study of the Force. But if we work together, I know we can discover the secret to eternal life." Sidious told him.

"I pledge myself to your teachings. To the ways of the Sith." Anakin pledged, though inwardly, he pledged to avenge the destruction of the Jedi. That feeling soon lost precedence as the poison Sidious had planted in him began to take full effect. It would be some time before his eyes would turn yellow, but it would happen nonetheless.

"Good. Good! The Force is strong with you, Anakin. A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth...Vader." Sidious pronounced.

"Thank you...my Master." Vader replied.

"Rise, Lord Vader. I am sending you to Mustafar to destroy the remnants of the Separatist leadership. Before you leave, you will take the Jedi Temple. Kill everyone inside. When you have done this, you will be a full Sith lord." Sidious directed Vader.

"Yes, my Master. It will be done." Vader replied. Hours later, he arrived at the Temple with a battalion of clone troopers. He had discovered Order 66 before Palpatine had given it out and had informed Rex and the 501st that Palpatine was the Sith Lord they were all in search of. Right then and there, Rex and the 501st, along with Cody and the 212th, disobeyed the order to kill all the Jedi. Rex and Cody had saved Obi-Wan and Commander Tano before Rex returned to Coruscant.

"Rex, have your troops search the underground levels of the Temple. Any remaining Jedi will be down there, protecting the holocron. I will deal with the Younglings myself personally.

"Yes, General." Captain Rex replied.

"And Captain, " Vader began, still showing what remained of the light side within him, which the poison quickly covered.

"Yes, sir," Rex replied, knowing precisely what the General was about to tell him to do, kill no one. He wondered what had become of Commander Tano and General Kenobi after he'd left. "Alright men, follow me!"

Once alone, Anakin found the Younglings in the Council chambers. He instructed them to prepare to leave, and to change into civilian clothing. He would return their Jedi robes to them later. He had no intention of killing innocent children. He continued to fight, although losing, the poison that Sidious had planted inside him. A poison he thought was eradicated. It was when he felt the poison begin to culminate in him that he knew he must defeat it, and then defeat Sidious in order to save what remained of the Republic and the Jedi Order. Sidious had lied to him over all the years, he knew that now. But he couldn't betray him, not yet. He needed to defeat the poison and save his family and friends first.

Vader got the Younglings into a cargo transport headed for Tatooine, and gave them directions to his mothers house, with a scrawled note to Kitster, whom he had left the house to, to protect them and keep them safe until Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, or himself came for them. He then went to the holocam and coded a recording of himself killing the Younglings. It pained him to do so, but it had to be done before the poison took complete control. He made sure the recording was foolproof and sent it off to Sidious, who then congratulated him and ordered him to Mustafar. He first went to visit Padme, told him he was alright, and to wait for him to return. He then took his Jedi starfighter and went to Mustafar.

Some time later, Obi-Wan came to Padme to inquire about Anakin's whereabouts, having been ordered to kill him by Master Yoda, who had only just now failed to destroy the Emperor. Obi-Wan, however, was conflicted, and was still trying to decide what to do. He couldn't kill him. He was like his brother. But then he couldn't defy the Council either, much less the Grand Master of the Jedi Order.

"Master Obi-Wan, what can I do for you?" Padme asked.

"Has Anakin been here? I need to find him." Obi-Wan inquired.

"Yes, he came here after the attack on the Jedi Temple. He told me he had an errand to take care of for the Republic, and that he'd be back." Padme told him. She didn't dare tell him where Ani had gone for she feared he would kill him.

"Do you know where he went? He is in grave danger, Padme. I have seen it. Master Yoda has seen it. A holorecording of Anakin killing..." Obi-Wan tried to finish, but was cut off.

"No, not Anakin. He's better than that. He would never harm them. He couldn't!"

"Padme, I saw the holorecording, as has Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said, then looked to Padme after sweeping the entire room for listening devices and finding none. "and he believes Anakin has turned to the dark side. But I saw the recording. I know Anakin's handiwork when I see it. He may have fooled Palpatine, but not me. I know him too well. He faked it, Padme. I know his work too well for it to get by me. I told Master Yoda, but he believes the recording is true, as neither of us can sense the Younglings presence in the Force. Master Yoda....He's ordered me to find Anakin. He's told me he must be stopped." Obi-Wan said as he lowered his head in resignation.

"You're going to kill him! You can't!" Padme pleaded.

"I know, Senator. I don't want to kill him, but I cannot defy the Council, the Council upon which I myself sit." Obi-Wan told her. It was true, he didn't want to kill Anakin, but the Council had ordered him to do so, and he had to follow the instruction of the Council.

"Obi-Wan please, you know Anakin is a good man! You can't kill him!" Padme pleaded. She did not care at this point if he knew about her relationship with Anakin. As if on cue, Obi-Wan looked to the unborn children and seemed to figure it out.

"Anakin's the father, isn't he?" Obi-Wan asked. Padme's blush confirmed it.

"We got married...after the Geonosis incident." Padme replied.

"I had a feeling that was what happened. Ever since Geonosis, Anakin seemed displeased with battle, always wanting to return to Coruscant. At least I know I wasn't wrong when I figured out why. Take me to him Padme. I can't promise I won't kill him, but I will try to help him if I can." Obi-Wan said. He was sure that if Anakin could be saved, he could do so with help. If however, he couldn't be saved, he would kill him.

On Mustafar, Anakin waltzed into the command center for the Separatist leaders. They greeted him, but the poison forced him to ignore them as he ignited his blade and slaughtered them. Gunray begged for his life, but the poison again forced him to ignore the urge to spare him. Hours later, while waiting for Sidious to contact him and wondered whether or not he could stop the poison from destroying his good side. Wondered if he could hold the poison at bay long enough to find a cure and defeat the Sith.