Prologue (chapter 1)
AN: any references or quotes from the movie belong to Disney. This is for entertainment purposes only.
"Did I hear you correctly?"
Qui-Gon nodded patiently, one of the few attributes Anakin would never be able to have.
"Yes Anakin."
Anakin Skywalkwer frowned thoughtfully. "And there's no glitches? "
Qui-Gon laughed. "Goodness sakes Anakin! You sound more worried than if a million torpedoes were-" he stopped at Anakin's raised eyebrows. "Never mind. I suppose what I wanted to say was this: it's safe. It will start you back out at Padmé's."
Anakin clasped his hands worriedly and rubbed them together. "And your sure about the whole Padmé thing?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes. You were destined to marry her. And yes," he added before Anakin could say anything. "I'm certain that Padmé died because of your fall to the Dark Side. Now that you've seen Palpatine's plans, you know how much destruction he brought to the whole galaxy. It is up to you to stop him this time."
Anakin put his hands behind his back, fully attentive in his well-know stance. "Will Palpatine still tempt me?"
"Of course. But this time you MUST ignore it. Remember that she died BECAUSE you turned to the Dark Side."
"Will-"
Yoda interrupted him. "Enough questions you have asked, Anakin. Easy it should be for you to resist the Dark Side now. Remember this conversation you will." Yoda then shuffled forward. "Ready you are?"
Anakin nodded. "Yes, Master. I am ready."
The last words Anakin heard were, "it all started with the Tuskens, Anakin. Then there was blackness.
"Anakin, are you alright?"
Anakin found himself standing on the porch of the Naberrie's estate. Such an extravagant place should not be simply named a porch, Anakin decided.
"Ani, if you don't want to talk then-"
"No. Don't go. Your presence is soothing." Anakin breathed in deeply.
"You had a nightmare last night, didn't you?" Padmé asked.
"Jedi do not have nightmares."
"I heard you." Padmé persisted.
Anakin turned around and looked at Padmé. "It was about my mother. She is suffering. I must go to her! I know I am disobeying my orders to protect you, but I must do this!"
Padmé nodded understandingly. "I'm coming with you."
Anakin made no object.
"Remember, Anakin, this is where it all started."
Anakin sighed as he heard Qui-Gon's voice. "Yes Master," he mentally replied.
Anakin looked at his dead mother in sorry. Once again, as he closed her eyes, he felt that burning for vengeance. But then he remembered his warning. This is how his path to the Dark Side started. He must not give in! With much difficulty, he managed to sneak out of camp and back to Cliegg's place.
"She was half dead when I got there," he said, sobbing. "I should have come sooner-"
Padmé gently put her hand on his arm. "Anakin, this isn't your fault." She looked at him firmly but lovingly. "You couldn't have stopped this."
Anakin tried to not glare at her. "But I could have!"
Padmé ignored that sentence and decided on a different strategy. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Anakin shook his head no miserably.
He then fell on the floor, crying hysterically.
"Oh Ani!" Padmé said as she flung her arms around him and held him as he grieved for his mother.
Palpatine felt the disturbance in the Force and smiled evilly. Things were going just as planned.
His comlink rang. Without looking at it, Palpatine knew it was Dooku. He just wished he could get rid of that nuisance! He was such a bother when there was a younger, stronger man that would soon take his place.
AN: I am skipping the execution of Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé. Things happened the exact same in those scenes. I am also skipping the first part of ROTS.
"Ani, I'm pregnant!"
Those simple words caused Anakins mind to spin with a million different thoughts. Then his brain decided to settle on one disturbing thought: Padmé could die in childbirth! "Because of the Dark Side," Anakin heard Qui-Gon whisper.
Anakin was jerked roughly back to the present by Padmé's silky smooth voice. "What are we going to do?"
Anakin managed to smile, for Padmé's sake. "Nothing. This is the happiest moments of our lives." Saying it made Anakin feel no better than before.
"The Council asked you to do something you feel bad about." Anakin made no reaction to Palpatine's words. He instead strengthened his mental barriers. Palpatine sensed this, and It made him a little more than upset. "They asked you to spy on me, didn't they?" Anakin again had no reaction except to look at him with what he hoped was a look of guilt. In the protected avenues of his mind, however; he was wondering how in the world he hadn't felt Palpatine's treachery. He was also wondering how in the world he could excuse himself: he was feeling sick to his stomach at Palpatine's silky voice.
"Have you ever heard the tragedy of Darth Plageius?"
Anakin shook his head no.
" of course not. It's a Sith legend."
Oh boy. Anakin fought to not roll his eyes. A Sith legend. One he had already heard and figured out. But for the Jedi's sake he pretended to look interested."
"Darth Plageius was very powerful. He was so powerful he could keep the ones he loved... From dying."
Anakin's eyes lit up with anger. Palpatine mistook it as excitement. "Unfortunately he told his apprentice everything he knew, and his apprentice killed him in his sleep." Palpatine let out a disbelieving chuckle. "It's ironic. He could save others from dying but he couldn't save himself."
Anakin wanted to pull his lightsaber on the man and kill him now. "Anakin!" He heard the sharp voice of Qui-Gon and understood its meaning. He was supposed to play along.
"Is it possible to learn this power?" He asked, hoping he sounded passionate enough.
Palpatine looked him in the eye, and Anakin stared back defiantly. Finally Palpatine spoke.
"Not from a Jedi."
Of course not! Anakin doubted the tale was even true! And he wasn't plagued by dreams of Padmé's death either, not since he did the right thing at his father-in-laws.
"And you know what he said?" Anakin asked his wife later.
"Of course not!"
Anakin laughed as he kissed Padmé. "He said, 'not from a Jedi.'"
Padmé giggled as Anakin spoke. "I mean, or course not! What does he think I am, stupid?"
Padmé kissed passionately. "Your not stupid, Ani."
Anakin raised his eyebrows innocently. "Oh yeah? Tell me more."
Padme giggled. "Okay,Ani."
Palpatine frowned at Commander Cody. "You are to make certain I am successful, or you will have an agonizing death!"
Commander Cody nodded. "Order 66 will happen; my Lord."
