Author's Note: This is the sequel to Omen of the Future so you'd best read that first or you'll be completely lost.An Era of Twilight will now be the title of the trilogy I am working out and this is the first novel of that trilogy. I hope that you like the new, updated, redone version of this story where there will be a lot of changes. This trilogy is set in an Alternate Universe in which some major canon events do occur but most do not. It may stretch from RotS through RotJ but I haven't decided yet. Reviews, as always, are much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, I never have and I never will and I am only saying this once.

An Era of Twilight:

Under the Shroud of Shadows

Chapter 1

The Jedi Temple rose majestically away from the hustle and bustle of the Senate district with its five spires rising up in the middle and on the four corners of the ziggurat. The tallest spire was known as the Tranquility Spire and Anakin Skywalker remembered that spire as the place where he had been knighted more than two years earlier. He found himself examining the tallest spire before he made his way past the main entrance and into one of the mezzanines that ran along the base of the ziggurat.

As he made his way toward the High Council Tower, one of the four towers that lay in the southwest corner of the ziggurat, Anakin found his thoughts drifting. They strayed mostly to his son and thinking about the son who gave his life in the future to change the past brought a small smile to Anakin's lips. He could still hear his son's last words to him before his Force ghost disappeared and the sincerity behind his words when he spoke of the horrifying future he had been forced to live through.

Anakin was determined to make sure the future his son lived in did not come to pass. He would do whatever he must and one of those things was to never trust a single thing Supreme Chancellor Palpatine told him. Every time he thought about the Chancellor, the image of his son getting electrocuted would come into his mind. Briefly, he recalled that his son insisted that he should no longer trust Palpatine, consider that done, but he should also trust Obi-Wan enough to tell him his secret.

Anakin closed his eyes as he walked. Can I really tell Obi-Wan? What will he do? He thought silently opening his eyes. Will he turn me over to the Jedi Council? Should I risk it? Force, what am I supposed to do?

Trust him like the brother and father figure you say he is.

Luke's words echoed in the vaults of Anakin's mind and he found himself wondering if he could risk trusting his brother with the secret he has held close to his heart since the beginning of the Clone Wars.

"Master Skywalker!"

The familiar, female voice broke through Anakin's thoughts and he turned around before smiling when he caught sight of his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, coming to a stop in front of him. Only sixteen, Ahsoka had grown into a responsible young woman whom the council agreed was ready for a solo assignment in the Outer Rim. Anakin hadn't expected his Padawan to return to Coruscant as soon as she did and he was curious as to why Ahsoka was back so soon.

"Ahsoka, welcome back," he replied. "I didn't think you'd be coming back so soon."

"Neither did I," Ahsoka admitted. "It didn't take us too long to take care of the Separatist outpost the Council sent me to find and Master Yoda told us to return to Coruscant when we were done. You didn't miss me, did you, master?"

"Of course I missed you, Snips," Anakin said placing a hand on his Padawan's shoulder. "I need to speak to the Jedi Council right now."

"So do I," replied Ahsoka. "I need to give them my report on the Separatist outpost."

"Well, let's go bug some Jedi Masters, Snips."

Ahsoka laughed before jogging after Anakin as he turned around and strode toward the High Council Tower while Ahsoka grilled him on details of the battle that had occurred over Coruscant only a few days earlier. Anakin, smiling, told Ahsoka of how he had landed what was left of the hunk of junk that had once been Dooku's flagship.

"I thought those ships weren't made for landing," Ahsoka said eyes filling with confusion.

Anakin chuckled. "They aren't. I'm pretty sure Obi-Wan telling me I had to deal with the politicians at the Senate was his way of getting back at me for putting him through that," he said. "But, hey, we survived it."

Ahsoka smiled before she fell silent for a long moment. "Did you really kill Dooku, Master?" she asked.

Anakin stopped walking no more than three meters from the door leading into the Jedi Council Chamber as the memory of what he had done came back into his mind. Palpatine had goaded him into killing Dooku while he was defenseless; Anakin murdered a man in cold-blood because of the Supreme Chancellor.

Luke said my future master was Palpatine, meaning he is the Sith lord we've all been looking for. That means that Palpatine betrayed Dooku by having me kill him. But why? Anakin thought before he frowned when he realized he knew why Palpatine had him kill Dooku. He wanted to turn him into Darth Vader and he needed to get his former apprentice out of the way.

And, oblivious to what was going on, Anakin had walked right into the trap.

Obi-Wan was right; Dooku's presence onboard Grievous's flagship was a trap. It just wasn't the trap that Obi-Wan thought it was; it was a trap laid by the Chancellor to help him get rid of his former apprentice so that he may take Anakin as his new one.

"Master?"

Anakin shook himself from his thoughts at his Padawan's word. "Yes, I did kill Dooku," he said quietly.

Ahsoka frowned but, before she could say anything, Anakin walked the remaining three meters to the door leading into the chamber. "I think it would be best if we speak to the Jedi Council now," he said before he stepped into the chamber once the masters acknowledged he was there.

"Skywalker," Grand Master Yoda greeted him. "And Padawan Tano. Come in you will as well, Padawan."

"Thank you, masters," Ahsoka said stepping into the room at Anakin's side.

"A brief meeting this is for you, Skywalker. Requested your presence Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has at the Coruscant Opera House."

At the mention of the Chancellor, Anakin felt a flash of fear and angry surge through him as the image of his beloved son getting electrocuted by the elderly man who had become his secondary mentor before he learned of his deception. He pushed the feeling away and hoped the Jedi Council hadn't noticed it.

Obi-Wan, who was sitting in a seat close to the doors through which Anakin had just walked, narrowed his eyes and Anakin winced inwardly. He was positive his former master had felt those emotions; he could only hope that the rest of the council didn't sense them.

"Very well, Masters," Anakin replied pushing all traces of anger and fear out of his voice in another attempt to prevent the council from sensing those emotions. He lowered his head before turning around and walking out of the council chamber after the masters dismissed him.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Obi-Wan Kenobi felt the flash of anger and fear that had come off Anakin the instant the Chancellor's name was mentioned and he was positive the rest of the Jedi Council had felt it as well. In truth, Obi-Wan was the only one who reacted to the sudden feelings to where he was positive his former Padawan knew he had felt those emotions. The other Jedi Council hadn't reacted at all.

After Ahsoka finished her report on the Separatist outpost and was dismissed to rest and recover from her mission, the Jedi Masters remained silent although Obi-Wan was positive they were thinking about Anakin and those emotions he had felt. The silence was broken only by the steady breathing of the council members and the click of Yoda's gimer stick upon the tiled floor as he paced the length of the chamber.

"Did anyone else feel those particular feelings coming off Skywalker when we mentioned the Chancellor's request?" Mace asked breaking the silence.

"Felt them I did," Yoda said.

"As did I," Ki-Adi-Mundi said softly.

"Fear and anger," Plo Koon's hologram agreed.

"Why would he be afraid of and angry with the Chancellor? It makes no sense," Obi-Wan said with a shake of his head.

"No it doesn't," Adi Gallia said.

Saesee Tiin, Agen Kolar, Shaak Ti and Kit Fisto were among the few who had as of yet to speak but Obi-Wan knew they were thinking about it as well. It wasn't long before one of them decided to put their input into the situation.

"It seems to me," Shaak Ti said softly, "that Skywalker is more afraid of the Chancellor than angry but I don't know why."

"Know why I do not either," Yoda admitted frowning; his beady eyes fixed on the ground as he paced back and forth.

Obi-Wan leaned back into his seat. "I don't think it was wise of us to send him to the Opera House without giving him the whole story," he said. "If he is truly afraid of and angry with the Chancellor then having him spy on the Chancellor is not a good thing."

The Jedi High Council fell silent.

"Skywalker is closer to the Chancellor than anyone of us," Agen Kolar said. "He is the likeliest candidate for this position.'

"What about his fear?" Adi asked softly. "I agree with Master Kenobi. Having him spy on the Chancellor is not a good thing if he is afraid of and angry with him."

"We need to know why," said Mace. "Obi-Wan, do you think you can speak with your former apprentice and figure out why he's afraid of and angry with the Chancellor?"

"I'll try, Master Windu, but Anakin's stubborn and if he doesn't want me to know then he will not tell me. With him, it's as simple as that. I will speak with him though."

"Very well," Mace said and the council meeting ended.

Obi-Wan waited near the main entrance to the temple as the Coruscanti sun began to sink beyond the horizon for Anakin. He had called him earlier to tell him that he would be back in the temple at sunset because he had something he needed to do. Obi-Wan was positive his former apprentice was going to visit Senator Amidala at 500 Republica but he said nothing about that as he informed his former apprentice that he wanted to speak with him.

Thinking about Anakin and Senator Amidala, Obi-Wan found himself wondering why his former apprentice didn't trust him enough with the truth but quickly realized that he knew why. Anakin didn't trust him because he was a Jedi Master and Anakin likely believed Obi-Wan would turn him over to the Jedi Council as soon as he learns the truth. When Obi-Wan thought about it for a moment, he realized that he wouldn't turn his best friend and brother over to the Jedi Council for breaking the Jedi Code. He didn't know why but he knew that he wouldn't do it, not to his brother.

Obi-Wan found himself standing near the large windows while he waited for his former apprentice to return. The Jedi Temple wasn't silent to say the least; Jedi Masters and Knights walked along the hallways within the temple talking with each other or heading back toward their rooms. The main entrance's doors opened and Anakin walked into the temple looking deep in thought.

Obi-Wan made his way to his former apprentice's side before walking in silence alongside the Jedi Knight while he waited for his former apprentice to notice he as there. Anakin blinked, bring himself out of his thoughts, before turning his gaze to Obi-Wan. "Hello master," he greeted him.

"Anakin, I was expecting you a bit earlier," Obi-Wan admitted.

Anakin looked away. "I told you I was going to be late, Master. So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked.

"Come, let's speak in my room," said Obi-Wan.

Anakin frowned before nodding and following Obi-Wan as he turned around and walked down the hallway toward his room. When he reached the room, he pressed the door release button before stepping into the room and waiting for Anakin to join him. The two of them walked over to the form couch in the center of the room and sat down.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan began after a moment of silence as he gathered his thoughts together, "the Jedi Council felt that flash of anger and fear that you were feeling when we mentioned the Chancellor's request." He decided to be blunt and plunge straight into what it was he wanted to talk to his Padawan about.

Anakin stiffened, his eyes flickering with surprise before they cleared of nearly all emotion. "They did?" he asked finally not denying that he had felt those emotions but not acknowledging it either.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. He examined his former apprentice for a long moment. "You know you can talk to me about anything, Anakin."

Anakin looked away, eyes distant. "You'll just tell the council," he murmured.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a sigh, "do you not trust me?" Though he tried to mask it with the Force, the hurt was obvious in his calm voice.

Anakin closed his eyes but remained silent for a long while as if he was deep in thought. "It's not that, master, it's just…" he broke off before he opened his eyes and gazed at the Jedi Master. "I don't know how to tell you."

"Just tell me, Anakin," Obi-Wan said gently. "I know you well enough to know straightforward tactics are always your strong suit so come out and say whatever it is you want to tell me."

Anakin remained silent still gazing at his former master. "I fear for the life of my wife and children," he said finally closing his eyes as he added, "and I am angry that everything I knew about someone I once called my friend has been nothing but a multitude of lies."

Obi-Wan remained calm although, on the inside, he was reeling. He knew Anakin and Padmé were deeply in love with each other to the point where he was positive they were married. However, he did not realize the love the two of them had for each other had gone ahead and brought about children. Briefly, Obi-Wan noticed Anakin had said 'children' rather than 'child' but he decided to worry about that later.

"You don't seem angry, Master," said Anakin softly looking down as if afraid to look Obi-Wan in the eye.

"I'm not, Anakin, because I already knew you and Padmé were married," Obi-Wan replied calmly.

Anakin glanced up sharply, eyes wide with shock. "What?" he gasped.

"I put two and two together, Anakin. It wasn't that hard. The concern you had for her on Geonosis, your determination to go to her side when she fell out of the transport, how distracted you get whenever you feel that she's in danger, your longing to return to Coruscant and the kiss she gave you after our duel with Dooku. It all pointed to the same thing."

"But you never told the Jedi Council?" Now Anakin sounded confused.

"You're my brother, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "You may have broken the Jedi Code but I do love you like a brother and I would not betray your trust like that. I did not, and will not, tell the Jedi Council about you and Padmé. However, I believe that you should do so yourself."

Anakin closed his eyes. "Luke was right." The words were whispered but Obi-Wan heard them nonetheless and he frowned but, before he could question Anakin, his former apprentice opened his eyes.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," he said softly.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Ahsoka closed her eyes before stretching out with the Force.

She had returned to Coruscant only a week earlier and had spent most of her time resting and recovering from the long journey from the Outer Rim. However, after a couple of days, she grew restless and went to the Room of a Thousand Fountains to meditate or the training room to train with the other Padawans who were within the Jedi Temple at the moment. She would have liked to train with her master but Anakin seemed to be so distracted lately that Ahsoka was starting to worry.

Reaching for the calm serenity that was part of the light side of the Force, she slipped into a meditative trance. Her fingers rested on her knees as she sat cross-legged beside one of the lakes in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Her eyelids flickered when someone joined her but she remained calm, her posture still and her mind calm and serene.

"You've grown since we first met on Christophsis," Anakin's voice sounded far away but close at the same time.

"Thank you, master," Ahsoka replied softly not breaking out of her trance.

"However, I still don't see how you can actually meditate like that?"

Ahsoka chuckled bringing herself out of her meditation to look at her master who was sitting cross-legged at her side. "I learned a lot from Master Obi-Wan just as I learned a lot from you," she said.

Anakin snorted. "Master Obi-Wan may have taught me how to meditate but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it," he admitted.

"Yes, Master Obi-Wan told me about your dislike of meditation."

Anakin smiled faintly before he placed a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder and stood up. "Do you want to spar?"

"Sure." The sixteen-year-old Togruta Padawan got to her feet before following her master as Anakin led the way out of the Room of a Thousand Fountains. They entered one of the training rooms to find it empty and Ahsoka unclipped the two lightsaber that hung at her belt while Anakin removed his single lightsaber from his belt. Two emerald green and one sapphire blue blades blazed into existence with a snap-hiss and master and apprentice stepped forward until they were standing across from each other.

The two of them dueled for half an hour but Ahsoka could see she couldn't get the better of her master. She had been his apprentice for two years and yet she still couldn't beat him. Briefly, she recalled the times she watched Anakin and Obi-Wan duel and she realized that Anakin won only a handful of times against his old master. She figured it would take more practice and training before she could beat her master.

"Not bad, Snips," Anakin said lowering his blade. "You just need practice and a bit more training. However, you've only been training for two years so I'm positive you'll learn enough to beat me someday."

Ahsoka smiled. "You haven't beat Master Kenobi yet, have you?'

Anakin glowered. "I've beat him a few times, Ahsoka," he said lowering his blade.

"True. Can we duel…?" Ahsoka began but broke off when a youngling with dark hair walked into the training room.

"Master Skywalker?" the youngling, who looked no more than six years of age, said.

"Yes youngling?" Anakin said turning his gaze to the youngling.

"The Jedi Council wants to talk to you," the youngling said softly.

"Thank you."

The youngling lowered her head before turning around and walking out of the training room. Anakin, sighing, deactivated his lightsaber before clipping it to his belt. "Guess we'll have to forego another sparring lesson," he commented.

Ahsoka nodded clipping her lightsabers to her belt. "What do you want me to do now, master?" she asked curiously.

"Up to you. Go back to the Room of a Thousand Fountains and meditate if you want," Anakin said.

"All right…Skyguy," Ahsoka said cheekily and made her way out of the room before her master could catch her cheekiness.

She walked around the Jedi Temple for a while since she had little to nothing to do and didn't feel like returning to the Room of a Thousand Fountains to continue meditating. Briefly, she was surprised when she found herself near the Hall of Healing and she wondered if Barriss was back from her mission yet. Walking down the halls, she noticed that the rooms were pretty empty except for a few apprentices and Jedi Healer Vokara Che, a strict blue-skinned Twi'lek .

"What are you doing here, Padawan? Are you injured?" Che asked frowning when she spotted Ahsoka.

"Ah, no I'm fine, Master Che. I started wandering and I ended up here," Ahsoka admitted.

"Where's your master?"

"Speaking to the Jedi Council."

"I see. Then would you care to assist me, Padawan?"

"All right. What do you need help with, Master Che?" Ahsoka asked curiously.

Che smiled before gesturing for the young Togruta to join her and Ahsoka walked into the room before making her way to the Chief Healer's side.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Anakin had to fight with himself to keep from stabbing Palpatine in the back the instant Pestage announced his arrival to the Supreme Chancellor. He couldn't afford to lose his chance at changing the future his son lived in and he knew he would have to deal with the Sith Lord in disguise until he had proof of Luke's accusations beyond his word. He believed Luke but he was positive the Jedi Council wouldn't. Besides, killing Palpatine was not the Jedi way.

Anakin gazed at the Supreme Chancellor who was seated behind his desk dressed in his senatorial robes. "You wished to see me, your Excellency?" he asked inclining his head in greeting to the Supreme Chancellor.

"Ah, yes, Anakin. Come, come, please join me," Palpatine said standing up.

Anakin, struggling to push the image of his son being tortured by Force lightning out of his mind, walked over to join the Supreme Chancellor. The Chancellor turned his gaze to the windows that overlooked the many airways of Coruscant. "The war's almost over, I see," he said.

"Yes, your Excellency. We just have to find General Grievous," said Anakin.

"Good. Once Grievous is dealt with then the war will officially end. I am glad. However…" He fell silent.

Anakin remained silent. He was too busy thinking about his future son to intrude on the Supreme Chancellor's silence.

"I hope you trust me, Anakin," Palpatine said finally breaking the silence.

Anakin blinked. He knew he would have to tread very carefully now. At one time, he would have said he did almost immediately but, after learning about what this monster did to his precious son, he found he could not. However, he couldn't reveal that he no longer trusted the monster that was hidden behind the kindly old grandfather mask Palpatine wore. He chose his words carefully before he said, "Of course," hoping it didn't sound forced.

Palpatine smiled not seeming to have noticed that those words had been forced out. "I need your help, son," he said and Anakin resisted the urge to shiver. " I want you to be the eyes, ears and voice of the Republic. Anakin, I'm appointing you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council."

Anakin was shocked out of his mind at the offer. Him a Jedi Master? Anakin wasn't sure if he heard the Supreme Chancellor right and he found feeling happy. The Chancellor felt he was ready to be a Jedi Master and Anakin found himself stunned and giddy.

You can't trust him, father.

Luke's words brought Anakin back to himself and the image of Palpatine torturing his son with Force lightning immediately intruded upon his thoughts. He struggled to push the image away but he found he couldn't get rid of Luke's words. Anakin knew his son was right; he couldn't trust Palpatine. That meant that Palpatine had ulterior motives for placing him on the council but Anakin couldn't seem to figure them out.

That also meant that he had to tread carefully. He had to avoid saying anything that would alert the Supreme Chancellor to the lack of trust he had in him. He had to remember that Palpatine was a Sith Lord and could sense his deceit if he wasn't careful to hide it. So far, it didn't seem as though Palpatine had noticed anything wrong but Anakin wasn't stupid enough to underestimate a Sith Lord, not after Dooku took his arm.

He carefully chose what words he would say before he uttered them. "Me? A master? I…I'm overwhelmed, sir. But the council elects its own members. They will never accept this," he said, which was true. Anakin knew he wasn't ready to be a master, the fact that he had been so easily swayed by the dark side and turned into Darth Vader was only one example of why he wasn't ready.

Palpatine smiled and Anakin repressed a shiver that threatened to escape. "I think they will," he said. "They need you, more than you know."

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: and that was the redone chapter 1 of the first in my trilogy and yes, some of the quotes I took directly from Revenge of the Sith

Darth: that's cool. What's gonna happen in the next chapter?

Blaze: the birth of the twins

Darth: really? This early?

Blaze: I don't know how many months along Padmé was during this part of RotS so I decided to say she was eight months along

Darth: premature?

Blaze: yup. It'll suit the plot well. Please review, they are much appreciated, and I hope you like the redone chapter 1 of the redone version of An Era of Twilight.