A/N: Hey y'all. This is my first Star Wars fic. I can't say it's the most original storyline I've ever written, but I'm pretty happy with it. The majority of it is written and on the page. I'm thinking bi-weekly posts of about 5 or 6 chapters of about this length.

Like many fics, this is a Revenge of the Sith rewrite. It starts with Anakin in the Jedi Temple after Windu has gone to kill Sidious. Basically, he doesn't decide soon enough and he is still in the Temple when Sidious issues Order 66.

For the Supernatural fans that are waiting for Control- I am so sorry. I promise I am working on it, but I want it to be mostly done before I start posting it again. (By the way, I wouldn't mind a beta-reader on that, or this). Anyway, continue on. Please enjoy. Reviews make the world go around!

Anakin Skywalker was no stranger to the Dark Side of the Force. He had learned about it from Obi-wan's cautionary tales, fought against its agents many times during the Clone Wars. And, loathe as he was to admit it, often felt it brewing inside himself as well.

The Dark Side wasn't a doorway of choice. It didn't sit beside a similar doorway of the Light and passively wait for him to choose. Obi-wan never seemed to realize that. None of the Jedi did. They didn't realize that the Dark Side was more like the tide of an ocean, creeping in quietly, so quietly that you didn't notice it until it was lapping tantalizingly at your ankles, and sucking your feet further into the sand. And then, just as you begin to want it, to accept the water's tantalizing offers of power and respect, it recedes, leaving you scrambling to reclaim what you lost from the Light Side, all the while remembering what the dark water offered. Eventually, you began to think you were okay, that you had buried the traitorous seed of desire that the water had planted within you. Then the water would once again creep up, and pull and your knees, and the cycle would begin again.

Anakin felt he was barely keeping his head afloat. He wasn't even sure he wanted to.

That was the trap of the Sith.

He was dimly aware of how much of a maniac he seemed as he sprinted through the Temple's hallways. Greasy and unwashed hair mussed as if he had been pulling on it all afternoon (which he had); eyes with dark bags framed with red as if he hadn't slept in weeks (which he hadn't), flashing with desperation as if his life hung in the balance of his mission (which it did). He really didn't care.

However, even his desperate sprint through the Temple was halted as the Force screamed at him. Anakin stumbled to a stop, only partially aware as he fell against the wall and managed to hold himself up against it. If the Dark Side was an ocean at high tide... this sensation felt like a tidal wave slamming into him. The freezing terror surrounded him, suffocating him even as it sent cold icicles inside of him. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. All he knew was something was wrong.

A horrible churning in his stomach made him feel sick as he realized what the feeling meant. The worst part was that all he could do was watch as the balance of the Force shifted, grinding slowly on rusted hinges as the Dark Side took a step up on the Light, leaving him shivering even as the tidal wave receded.

No. It wasn't possible. The Dark Side couldn't have triumphed over the light. It just couldn't have. Anakin was the Chosen One. He would have been able to do something. He should've been able to do something.

"Master Skywalker? Are you alright?" A young voice questioned, startlingly close to Anakin's ear. The Knight took several stumbling steps away from the boy that seemed to have simply popped into existence beside Anakin.

His head was throbbing, as if someone were slowly burning a hole into it with their lightsaber. Anakin shook his head, desperately trying to clear it enough to deal with the Padawan in front of him. The boy didn't seem to realize what had happened, his blonde brow merely crumpling in concern for Anakin.

"Master Skywalker?" The Padawan took a few steps closer, tentatively reaching up to put supportive hand on Anakin's shoulder and looking closely at Anakin's face for some cause to the Knight's distress. "Are you alright? You seem pale. Should I take you to the Halls of Healing?" His voice was soft and respectful, but firm enough to drag Anakin further into the real world.

"No..." Anakin forced out, the weight of the world leaving him exhausted as he tried to understand what could have happened to cause such a shift. And what it meant for the Jedi. "I'm-"

A bad feeling worthy of Obi-wan shot through Anakin. His lightsaber was in his hand in the next moment, the adrenaline giving him the strength the push himself off the wall and look down the hallway anxiously. The Padawan stumbled back several terrified steps, his hand dropping to his own lightsaber at his waist.

Anakin extended a calming hand to the Padawan, half-focused on finding the source of the horribly bad feeling he was getting.

The Padawan looked extremely confused as Anakin raised his free hand to his lips and gestured meaningfully to the boy's lightsaber. It took a moment, but understanding soon sparked in the boy's eyes and his hand hesitantly closed around the saber, unhooking it from his belt and holding it at the ready. Together, they cautiously moved through the Temple, the boy following Anakin as the Knight probed the Force for the source of the bad feeling.

After not encountering any immediate threat, Anakin beckoned the Padawan closer. "Do you feel anything?" He murmured near the teen's ear.

The Padawan nodded slowly and replied with an equal volume, "A dark foreboding. Something bad is going to happen. I've never felt anything like it."

Anakin nodded, "I agree." After a brief moment of deliberation, he turned a bit more to the Padawan. "What's your name?"

"Padawan Kilsek, Master." The boy replied quickly.

A bit of dry humor graced Anakin's lips as he answered, "Just Anakin. I'm probably only a few years your senior, Kilsek."

"But a hundred times a better warrior and Jedi, Ma- Anakin," Kilsek replied quickly, eagerness sending excitement flashing through his eyes.

Anakin pursed his lips and looked away. "That's currently up to debate," he muttered sullenly, before remembering his audience. "Kilsek-"

"-Jayden."

"Jayden. I need you to stick close to me, alright?" Anakin glanced around again, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

Jayden nodded.

That was as far as they got before blasterfire echoed in the hallways and screams permeated the air. It reminded Anakin too much of a war zone. An actual pain throbbed in his chest at hearing such sounds in the Temple. The Temple was supposed to be safe. It was supposed to be a sanctuary.

The pain aching in his chest was nothing compared to when he saw the blue painted clone troopers gun down a creche master without hesitation. The younglings scattered in terror, screams on their lips as their classmates were gunned down around them by the soldiers they had been told to trust.

Protective rage burned through Anakin. He launched himself at the nearest clone, stabbing into the familiar armor before his presence was even noticed. The action was surprisingly easy and left him sick. These men had been at his side at every battle. They were his own troops.

When he struck down another, he felt an indescribable guilt beginning to build. Guilt because, somehow, he felt that he was betraying them as much as they were betraying him. The men that he had built friendships and camaraderie with had always trusted him to lead them into victory. They trusted him to lead them into battle and carry them out with their lives intact. Slaughtering them was... it was a blasphemy of all Anakin had believed in about brothers-in-arms.

But he didn't stop. He didn't hesitate for a moment to slice armor and flesh apart as if they were merely the droids he had fought against for three years. His lightsaber flashed, and bodies fell, and Anakin felt something important in him being ripped apart.

But he didn't stop.

The rage that coursed through him, at the apathy and the audacity of the clones' attack on the Temple kept him returning their fire with a ferociousness akin to an animal. The shift in the Balance fueled him like he had never felt before; his powers felt limitless. He knew that what he felt was so wrong and that Obi-wan would be extremely disappointed in him, but the rage at his troops' betrayal made him ignore those nagging feelings, twist them into more rage because the clones caused this and this was all their fault.

"Anakin!"

Anakin drew to a stop at the familiar voice. For a moment, he could have sworn it was Obi-wan's and that his brother had returned to his side at his darkest hour. The hope was dashed as his eyes fell on Jayden, who had fallen behind and gotten separated from Anakin's ferocious attack, instead standing in front of a small group of younglings, holding his ground, and quickly being overwhelmed because of it.

The Knight heaved himself out of his own turmoiled mind and finally took notice of his surroundings. They were in a large hall that led to the classrooms and creches. There were several other Jedi masters, Knights and Padawans in the room as well, all defending their own groups of younglings. The large antechamber was swarmed with clones; the soldiers surrounding the Jedi and taking them down with shear overwhelming numbers without care to how many of their brothers fell.

Ten to twenty clones fell for every Jedi that they took down, but the Jedi were still falling; defenseless younglings being gunned down if their protector fell or faltered. It was a massacre.

Taking this all in in an instant, Anakin quickly made his way back to Jayden's side, who was panting desperately for air and greatly overwhelmed, but still staying strong and fighting valiantly. No small amount of respect surged through Anakin at the courage and heart that the Padawan showed as he defended his charges.

"We need to group with the other Jedi!" Anakin yelled over the din of the sabers and blasters and screams. "Move over towards Grechin's group," he ordered, gesturing with his head towards a wizened Jedi master and a couple of Padawans defending their own class of younglings.

Jayden nodded and started shouting orders towards the frightened younglings behind them that were pressed against the wall in terror. At first, they seemed to terrified to move and wouldn't listen to Jayden, but somehow the Padawan managed to get them moving, and soon the children were sprinting towards the other group with the wall on one side and Anakin and Jayden defending the other.

Master Grechin nodded in recognition and thanks as they combined their group. Slowly, they moved to other groups and combined, and others seemed to get the same idea. Eventually, their combined force of Jedi Masters, Knights and Padawans surrounded twenty or so younglings -all that had survived out of the fifty or so originally in the Temple- in a large circle that resembled the original Battle of Geonosis, with clones surrounding their defensive circle on all sides. Unlike Geonosis, there would be no respite, and no other help coming.

Anakin, recognizing that they had to change strategy or get systematically gunned down, made his way over to Master Gnocchi, one of the only Masters he could see that still remained. The few others in the Temple had already perished, and the rest of the many Masters in the Order had been spread throughout the entire galaxy on missions. Anakin cursed the Council that had allowed the Jedi to become so dispersed; that were so short-sighted to leave their home and the defenseless beings residing in it completely without protection.

"Master Gnocchi," Anakin grunted.

"Knight Skywalker," the Master acknowledged gruffly.

"We need to split up. We're a giant target like this." Okay so maybe the idea to group together had been his in the first place, but that didn't mean that it wasn't helpful in the first place.

"I was thinking the same thing." Gnocchi paused as he evaluated the situation. "Three groups. I will remain here with the Knights. You and Aala will lead two groups of Padawans and younglings out of here. Use one of the secret exits. I'm sure you're familiar with a few of them."

Well, a bit more than a few, but that wasn't an issue at the moment.

"Master, no! The Knights that stay-"

"-will die defending their home. As will I."

"Master, allow me to stay behind. You should continue on with the younglings while a couple of Knights and I draw them away-"

"Knight Skywalker. You might be the very last of the Jedi Council. Not only that, but you are without a doubt that strongest Force Master here."

It would be a lie to say the compliment didn't inflate Anakin's ego a bit, despite the situation they were in. As such, it did the opposite of what Master Gnocchi was going for and just made Anakin more confident to argue. "Which is why I should stay with the other Knights to fight rather than run away!"

"Which is why you should be the last line of defense for the younglings- for our future. We have no time to argue. Anakin, you must go. Live." A hand rested on Anakin's shoulder. "Bring balance to the Force, as you are destined to, Chosen One." Not waiting for a rebuttal, Master Gnocchi began calling out commands to his Knights. Anakin called out to Jayden and Aala and quickly conveyed the plan. The three of them organized the younglings and Padawans at record speed.

The Knights surged outwards in a last offensive designed to distract the clones, and Anakin took his group sprinting down the dorm hallways while Aala sent her group towards the mess hall. With Jayden's help, Anakin was able to defend their retreat.

Mostly. One Padawan cried out in pain and collapsed, not moving from where they fell. Anakin didn't look back.

Despite the sweat that beaded his brow and the congested air of burnt stone, wood and flesh, Anakin found himself growing horribly cold. With each Jedi light extinguished, he felt another icy tendril creep into the Force, into his very being and threatening to freeze his own light. It was a terrifying feeling.

They had a moment of respite after Anakin pulled the ceiling down and blocked the hallway. It wouldn't hold the troopers off for long; eventually they would blow the rubble or figure a way around. They would need to change floors if they actually wanted to lose their dedicated pursuers.

Anakin hit his communicator again, as if the violence would magically change the static to a connection and offer him Padme's comforting voice. It stayed static. Anakin knew that the communicator wasn't the issue and that the clones had no doubt cut off transmissions around the building. They couldn't call for help until they had left the perimeter. Anakin was on his own.

The Knight looked over at his twenty-six charges. Sixteen younglings, five of which below the age of eight. Ten Padawans, only three of which anywhere near their trials. One major injury on a Padawan of fifteen years. A bolt hit her hand. Long story short, once they stopped running, there wasn't much left to amputate. A Padawan of sixteen years, who had been training in the medical wing recently, was taking care of her now. There were several bruises and singes littering the Jedi, not to mention the tears burning into their cheeks.

Anakin wished he had some inspiring and kind words to say to them. Something that would remind them that there was hope, even though their home had been invaded by soldiers meant to protect them and their friends shot down before their eyes in a gruesome massacre before being left to the care of a Jedi Knight struggling to keep himself grounded in the Light and not selfishly leave them behind to help his own family. Yeah. There was a whole lot of hope there. Don't give up kiddos.

That was why he wasn't going to attempt a speech. Leave the preaching to Padme and Obi-wan. They could calm and inspire the traumatized kids. All Anakin had to do was get them out of danger first.

"Jayden," Anakin called the Padawan over, walking away from the group slightly to get a bit of privacy. Jayden stood up from his attempts to comfort the two smallest, handing them over to another Padawan that looked far too tired and broken for her age.

The boy was walking with a slight limp, though he was clearly trying to hide it. Anakin said nothing about it. They didn't have time or supplies to care for the twisted ankle. All he could do was encourage the Padawan to muscle through it - an effort that would no doubt come across as patronizing and stupid.

If it were Obi-wan or Ahsoka or... Rex... he would have teased them about it and helped them walk it off. But Jayden, despite being the same age as Ahsoka, seemed too young to be subject to Anakin's gallows humor and would probably take it as literal.

"The group is exhausted. And... a lot of them have lost all hope," Jayden reported, his own despair filtering into his voice and the low set of his shoulders.

"Have you?" Anakin asked, not looking at Jayden to avoid broadcasting any blame or shame at the notion.

"I-" Jayden was quick with his denial, but just as fast to catch himself with the lie. "I don't see how the Jedi could survive this. I don't even know why this is happening. Anakin, the clones, why would they attack us? Aren't they Republic soldiers? Is this some sort of Separatist plot? And why hasn't anyone arrived with help? Wouldn't the Chancellor help? I don't understand how this could happen."

Anakin's eyes slid closed as he took a few seconds to battle the hatred that had surged up at the title of the Chancellor. No doubt, he was the reason behind the clones' betrayal. Anakin could only assume that Master Windu and the others he took with him were dead. The Jedi rebellion that the Chancellor had warned him about had taken place. Just not in the way that Anakin had assumed. Now the Chancellor had his excuse to wipe out the Sith's mortal enemy, the Jedi.

It was devastating enough for Anakin. How was he supposed to explain it to a group of younglings? For a moment, he contemplated hiding the truth and replying that yes, it was a Separatist plot and of course help would be sent soon. That lie wouldn't help them. It was a false comfort that would only get them into trouble later.

"Go get Padawans Heath and Pli-sec," Anakin told Jayden. "There's something I need to tell you three." He heard the Padawan hesitantly move off to retrieve the other two senior Padawans and spent the brief moment to organize his thoughts.

"Master Skywalker?" Jayden asked hesitantly once they had returned.

Anakin forced his eyes open and turned fully to face the three. He didn't comment on the tears welling in Jayden's eyes, or the smudge of blood above Padawan Pli-sec's left brow from his equally bloodied hands. "Padawans," Anakin hesitated again as he saw another strand of hope die in Jayden's eyes but forged onward anyway, "I'm going to tell you a few things that only the Jedi Council knows about. I'm telling you these things because you need to know why this is happening, and just how dangerous this situation has become." And this way, if Anakin somehow didn't make it, there would be someone else to warn Obi-wan and Padme. "You need to be calm, and handle these dangers strategically, okay?"

The Padawans swallowed heavily before nodding.

So Anakin told them that the Chancellor was a Sith. He told them that Windu and the others had gone to confront him and were most likely dead. He told them that Yoda was a on Kashyyyk and Obi-wan on Utapu, which meant that the majority of the council was dead or off-planet. He told them that they were all most likely fugitives of the Republic.

Then, he told them that they were still alive. That they were probably the last hope for the Jedi Order. And that they would survive. He told them that there were several people that he knew and trusted outside the Order that would help them. He mentioned Senators Amidala and Organa.

If they were ever separated, he told them, then they needed to contact one of those two for help.

"You need to be strong. The strength and fortitude you have already shown is very admirable. You are all worthy of the title of Jedi Knight." Anakin had no authority to crown them Knights, but he never was one for following protocol and, in his mind, they deserved the title a thousand times over. "So, as new Jedi Knights, your duty is to protect the younglings under your care. Do you understand?"

The three new Knights exchanged startled and even excited glances between the three of them. A small smile even broke out on Knight Heath's face. A new energy seemed to flow into their limbs as their shoulders once again grew straight and strong and their faces hardened into an expression of determination.

"Yes Master," Knight Pli-sec replied.

"Call me Anakin," He told them. The Force nudged at Anakin in warning. "Now, get everyone ready to go. We head towards the lifts."

The younger Padawans were each assigned a small youngling to watch over. Because there were more younglings than Padawans, and Anakin wanted to keep the new Knights unladen so they could better defend the group, the younglings around ten years old partnered with younglings of similar age and were told to stick close to each other and the Knights.

At first, they moved slowly in a compact shape with Jayden and Pli-sec leading the way and Anakin watching the back with Heath, who was also occupied helping the injured Padawan shuffle forward in a shocked daze. However, as the hair on the back of his neck prickled more and more, and his bad feeling grew worse, Anakin grew sure that the slow pace was going to get them all killed. Several times he found himself glancing behind them, sure that clones were coming up on them. Each time he saw nothing but empty hallway, but still found his nerves growing.

And then, the Force practically screamed at him, telling him if he didn't get their group moving that second then they would all die. There were still no clones in the vicinity, but that fact seemed trivial as he shouted at the group to run. The kids hesitated for a moment before shooting into a sprint led by Jayden. Their tight circle inevitably extended into a long line with large gaps as those with longer legs and less burden drew ahead, carrying their smaller charges on their backs in many cases, while the exhausted younglings fell behind.

Anakin remained at the back, helping Heath practically drag the injured Padawan into a stumbling sprint.

"Master Anakin, what's happening?" Heath gasped as she barely managed to catch the Padawan's stumble.

The Knight didn't have a chance to answer as the ceiling began to crack over their heads. The very same moment, a youngling tripped into a sprawling heap, halting the progress of those behind her who stopped to help rather than run past.

Anakin helped Heath past the clustered group and breathed an order to keep going as he turned back to the younglings. The ceiling began to crumble. Anakin instinctively Force-pushed Heath further down the hallway and out of range of the inevitable rubble.

The duracrete came crashing down towards Anakin and the younglings. The Knight threw up his hands to hold up the weight and almost immediately buckled under the strain. Just as he had rallied himself to hold the building's structure, a large chunk slammed on Anakin's back and knocked him to the ground. Desperation shot through him as the heavy rubble crashed down in tumultuous thunder. And then everything was silent.