A/N: This is my first SW story so please go easy on me. Also, my native tongue isn't English. Please review.

A/N2: Anakin Skywalker was raised by Dooku. AOTC Era. Begins after the Battle of Geonosis.

"You shouldn't be in here, Senator." He said without looking up at her. Instead his focus was on his newly acquired prosthetic right arm. "There are guards outside for a reason."

Amidala took a deep breath, "They say you are dangerous. Master Kenobi said you were a Sith Lord."

He chuckled, "You flatter me, Senator. I was only the apprentice. But yes, when I want to be, I can still be very dangerous." He said glancing out the window where the two Jedi stood. "The guards…" he nodded towards them. "Masters?"

"Knights," Amidala corrected,

He nodded, "I see... They underestimate me." He said leaning back in the hospital bed. Once again returning his gaze to his new arm. "What happened? I remember fighting my old master, but after that it gets fuzzy."

She sighed and pulled a chair from the table and took a seat beside him. "He was about to kill me and you stepped between us. You were focused on blocking his lightsaber and didn't see the force lightening. When he caught you off guard and cut off your arm."

"Just my luck, isn't it?" He asked dryly.

"There is no such thing as luck, young one." Another voice said. A man who just walked in. "I'm Obi-Wan-"

"Kenobi. I know. You were Master Jinn's last Padawan." he cut the newcomer off.

"You knew him?" Kenobi asked in astonishment.

"You could say that," he chuckled, "He is the reason I betrayed Tyrannous. If it wasn't for him, I would still be Tyrannous slave."

"Master Jinn died ten years ago." Amidala interjected.

He nodded, "Correct. But he is what the Jedi call a Force spirit."

The otherwise composed Jedi nearly dropped his jaw, "I can't believe it. He would have showed himself to me if that was true." He said glaring at the Sith.

"That is why you cannot see him, Kenobi. You have to believe it." he said dryly.

"You're lying." Kenobi decided. "The Sith are untrustworthy. Lies and deceit are their ways. You are merely stalling for time to escape."

"If I wanted to leave, you wouldn't be able to stop me, Kenobi. Fortunately for you, I want the Sith gone as much as you do, if not more. We can help each other. You want Tyrannous and Sidious gone, I want my revenge. It's a win-win scenario."

"How do I know that you won't kill them and take over their schemes?" Kenobi asked, still wary.

"You don't. But I don't want anything to do with them. All I want is their head detached from their bodies. No less, no more."

"Alright," Kenobi said after several minutes of silence, "Let's say, hypothetically, that we join forces. You help the Jedi take down Sidious and Dooku. What do you want in exchange? You must have a reason to betray them."

"I don't need a reason, Kenobi. Didn't you listen during your Jedi lessons? The Apprentice always betrays the Master. It is the Sith way." He grumbled.

"No," Amidala cut it, "I might not be a Jedi, but I know there is something else. There is something in your eyes I can't explain."

Kenobi was about to speak when he cut him off, "I have my reason for wanting them dead. Especially the one you call Dooku. It's actually him I want. He destroyed my life. Sidious is just a bonus." He smiled, "Why don't we say that Sidious will be my gift to the Jedi?"

"What's your name, young one?" Kenobi asked completely disregarding his last statement.

"Darth Vader," he coughed out.

"Alright, Vader," Kenobi sighed, "You said he destroyed your life. What did he do?"

Vader looked up, his icy blue eyes almost piercing Kenobi, "Don't go there, Kenobi. For your own sake. I have renounced the Dark side, but I'm not completely light yet."

"But if we-"

"Don't. Go. There!" Vader growled. Instinctively, Amidala took a step back and Kenobi moved in between them.

Vader took a deep breath, "Just don't go there." He said calmer this time. "Please," he looked up at Kenobi with pleading blue eyes. "Don't,"

Amidala didn't even know what she was doing when she brushed past Kenobi, and took Vader's flesh hand. That moment, he wasn't the dangerous Sith Lord the Council spoke of earlier, or the monster Obi-Wan had told her the Sith were. He was a man with a terrible past who was struggling to come to terms with it.

Vader looked down where she was holding his hand and squeezed it slightly. Then he looked up at her and smiled, "I've only cared about four people in my life. Four people." Vader began, "Two of those are now dead and one has vanished. I spent years trying to find her. It's like she never existed. Except I know she did."

Amidala looked down at him where he lay on the hospital bed. "What happened?"

"The Sith happened." He sighed. Noticing Kenobi's glare he continued. "Don't look at me that way. I was never a proper Sith. A fact Tyrannous loved to shove in my face. They tried, but they could never turn me completely."

"Why not?"

"Love," Vader smiled, "I was capable of love. All those years they struggled to turn me, but they could never succeed completely. They could never make me the living weapon they wanted me to be. Until now."

Amidala flinched.

"I realized something two weeks ago." He continued with a soft tone, yet the softness couldn't hide the danger in his voice, "There is no Light. There is no Dark. There is only me, Tyrannous and Sidious. They will die. Mark my words Senator, they will die." His gaze darkened considerably and he turned away in order to not frighten her.

"I failed her," Vader muttered silently, "I failed her again."

Kenobi staggered backwards as the anguish Vader was subconsciously projecting washed over him in waves.

"Hello," The blonde girl smiled, "Who are you?"

The dark figure knelt beside her. A hood casting a shadow on his face, "My name is Darth Vader. I'm the one who will train you in the dark arts, young one." He pulled back the hood to reveal a face looking like a young Vader, maybe fourteen standard years old.

"Yay!" the naïve four year old shouted, "Will you teach me the sparks?" she asked tugging Vader's robe.

Vader looked down and smiled, "Of course, young one. I will teach you anything my Master wishes you to know." She took the girl's tiny hands and pointed them towards a small tree. "Imagine that tree right there is you enemy. Everyone who has ever hurt you. You can hurt them back through that tree. Concentrate and let the hate flow through you, and when you're ready, push your hate towards the tree."

The girl narrowed her eyes and focused. Moments later, the lightening shot out from her tiny hands and burned the tree into a crisp.

"Very good," Vader smiled, "The force in strong with you, Eliaé."

Vader reached for his beeping communicator. The moment his fingers touched the comlink, it slipped. The little girl was standing beside him grinning as she held the comlink in her hand. Vader smiled and snatched it from her grasp with the force. Just as she had done a moment earlier, "Vader, go ahead."

"Lord Vader, is she at you mercy?" came Dooku's dark voice.

"Yes, my master. I cannot believe they were going to make her a Knight. She is over a decade older than I am and she didn't even put up a good fight."

"She does not know the true power of the Dark side, young Vader." You could almost picture the sinister smile on Dooku's face as he spoke.

"No, my Master. But she will soon. Do you wish her to suffer or should I make her death quick," Vader looked down and the Jedi who was still squirming in pain from his Sith lightening attack.

"No," Dooku said after a moment of thought, "Don't do anything. I want the girl to kill her. She has mastered Sith lightening, has she not?"

"Yes, my master."

"Then make her kill the Jedi, Lord Vader."

"My master," Vader began, "She is only five years old. Do you-"

"Are you questioning me, Lord Vader? Make her kill the Jedi!" Tyrannous sneered.

"No, my master. As you command, my master."

Vader closed the channel and looked at the Jedi, then at Eliaé. Finally he decided. He ignited his blade and leveled it at the woman's throat, "Eliaé!" he called out, "Wait for me in the ship."

"But, Master Tyrannous-"

"Kriff Tyrannous! Forget he ever existed!" Vader snapped, "I said wait in the ship! Go!"

The girl looked up at Vader, and then turned to leave. Running as fast as she could towards the ship.

Vader turned back towards the female Jedi and raised his blade, "I won't let him destroy her as he destroyed me, but I must finish my mission or I will not have the time to get away from him. If he knows I've left you alive, he'll know that I betrayed him and we will lose the little head start we have."

The Jedi looked up at him and smiled, "I know," she said softly, "There is good in you, Vader. Remember that."

"What's your name, Jedi?"

"Siri Tachi." She said looking up at him.

"I'm sorry, Siri." Vader said, hesitated a moment and then swung his blade.

With closed eyes, she called out, "I forgive you!"

When his shimmering crimson blade was a moment short of decapitating her, he deactivated the saber and the steel hilt impacted her head, rendering her unconscious.

The girl was walking beside Vader, struggling to keep up as he walked briskly down the streets of low level Coruscant. Then, finally having enough, she stopped. It took Vader merely moments to notice that she wasn't beside him. "Eliaé," he said. Sternly but without threatening her, "Come on. We won't get there before sundown if we get behind schedule."

"My legs are hurting," she whined, "I don't want to walk anymore." She flashed him a mischievous smile and opened her arms.

"You know I hate when you do that," Vader grumbled as he scooped up the child and started carrying her, "You know I can't say no to you, and you always use it to your advantage. That is a true Sith trait, you know that, right?"

Her face dropped, "Sorry, Anakin. I didn't mean to be Sithy."

"Sithy?" Vader chuckled, "Force knows, only you can come up with such expressions." He said, "Now let's go."

"Anakin?" she said after a few minutes as she climbed down from his shoulders just enough to look into his icy blue eyes, "Can I ask you something?"

Do I have a choice? You just did, he thought. Aloud he said, "Of course, Eliaé. Ask away."

"Can you be my father?"

If Vader had been eating anything he would have probably choked on it. Turns out, you can choke on air as easily as you can on food.

"Excuse me? Where did this come from?" he asked pulling the child off his shoulders, putting her on the ground and kneeling beside her.

"I never knew my father, Anakin. And mommy always said that a father is someone who takes care of you, loves you and feeds you. Then that means you kwa… qka… qua…"

"Qualify?" Vader suggested.

"Exactly." She beamed, "Do you love me?"

"Of course I do, Eliaé." He smiled.

"So? Will you?"

The teen looked puzzled for a moment, "Yes," he replied after a few seconds of pondering.

The girl jumped up and embraced him, "Anakin?"

"Yes?"

"Can I call you daddy?"

Vader swallowed a chuckle, "Sure. I have no problem with that whatsoever." Of course I do, I'm far too young to be your father, but you're five. And I don't want to hurt your feelings…

"Thanks daddy." She said and let him pick her up again. Satisfied with that all the point of the day's agenda were done, he started walking towards the shipyard once again.

"We meet again, young Vader. Somehow I knew that we would."

"Of course, master," he spat out the word master like it was poison, "You taught me well. I don't leave something half finished. I might have stalled a few years, but rest assured, I finish everything. I'm not that young and naïve child you kidnapped. My powers have tripled since we last met."

"You're still a child and you arrogance blinds you. Nineteen standards years is still a child. You're the same obnoxious brat with a lightsaber and an attitude problem that betrayed me four years ago. You didn't kill the Jedi, did you?"

"No," Vader smiled, "I didn't. I play a different game now. Perhaps you've heard of it, it's called; Kill the Sith."

Tyrannous let out a deafening laugh, "Always the same twisted sense of humor. I never like it you know. It's getting old. Don't you have any surprises?"

Vader smiled grimly, "As they say, timing really is everything. Hello, Knight Tachi."

The Jedi moved out into the light and made a quick salute towards Vader with the hilt of her lightsaber, "Always a pleasure, Anakin."

"Shall we dance?" Siri smiled towards Tyrannous and ignited her violet blade.

"Please. By all means." Tyrannous said with an overly casual tone.

"Father!" Eliaé shouted running towards the limp form of Vader, "Wake up, please." She tugged his robes.

Vader slowly returned to consciousness, "Run, Eliaé." He said with clenched teeth. The effect of the lightening still hadn't worn off. "Please, just run. For me."

The girl shook her head, "I won't leave you father." She said. And then Tyrannous appeared from behind his ship and her gaze darkened, "You!" She sneered and her emerald blade sprung to life.

"DIE!" Eliaé screamed as she attacked the Sith lord. She was skilled, there was no question about it. But she was still only nine years old. And it was obvious that Tyrannous was only playing with her. She slashed and parried with a speed that one would have thought impossible for a child. But for a Sith Lord she was nothing more than a minor annoyance.

Barely avoiding a blow that would have decapitated her, she summoned the force, leapt over Tyrannous head, thinking the move would confuse him, and landed behind him with Tyrannous lightsaber through her chest.

"NOOOOOOO!" Vader screamed as he staggered to his feet, oblivious to any danger, any threat, and without his lightsaber bolted towards Tyrannous. The Sith Lord simply stood beside him as he cradled Eliaé in his arms."No… Eliaé…" he whispered.

"Now you know not to bring children to a battlefield. We'll meet again." Tyrannous said dryly and entered his ship, leaving Vader alone with his dead daughter and an unconscious Jedi.

The door slammed shut between Vader and Kenobi as Amidala dragged the agitated Jedi out into the hallway. Apparently the isolation bulkhead was enough to sever the connection between Vader and Kenobi and the vision vanished.

Kenobi shook off the after effects of the vision and slowly staggered to his feet, bracing himself against the wall. It had been the most powerful vision he had ever endured and the fact how powerful the boy was had just started to sink in.

"Obi-Wan," Amidala said, embracing the Jedi, "Everything alright?"

"I found him," he muttered, "After ten years I found him."

"Found who?"

Kenobi looked back at her, remembering the day Qui-Gon died at the hands of the Sith warrior. To know that the boy Senator Amidala has spoken so highly of, and who Qui-Gon was so determined to train, had become the very thing that had killed his master, was almost too much. Yes, he had, possibly, turned back towards the light. But if it was, at all possible, it would take a long time. "The boy Master Qui-Gon wanted to train."

Amidala smiled, "That's great Obi-Wan… Wait, what?"

"I found him," he nodded, "Whether or not Anakin Skywalker is still in there somewhere, remains to be seen. But he was little Ani at some point in his life."

Amidala looked back towards the limp form of Vader, "Are you sure, Obi-Wan? He's… He's so… Dark…"

"That's because he's lived a hard life," he sighed, "But you told me that you two had a connection. If anyone can break through Vader and get Anakin Skywalker back, it's you Milady."

After a long silence, she agreed, "Fine," she sighed, "I still think a Jedi is needed for this, but if he really is Ani, I'd do anything for him. You talk to the council about his proposal, I'll take him to Naboo. He told me he wanted to go there sometime, maybe it will help. If not, at least he'll recover in a relaxing environment."

"Very well, Milady," Kenobi said and handed her a silver bracelet, "It's a Force inhibitor. It will prevent him from connecting with the force for a while. But judging from how powerful he is, I don't think it will work for long. Nonetheless, it's a wise precaution."

"If you insist," she sighed, "But I seriously doubt he'd hurt me. He was quite determined to save us, Obi-Wan. And it cost him his arm. I'd doubt he wants to undo it."

"Well then, Milady. I'll go to Coruscant to meet with the council. Take care of him," he added, bowed and left.

Amidala looked after him as he left. Wondering what the hell she has gotten herself into. Oh, Ani...