Awaken by Sierra Shadow Nightingale
Star Wars fanfic
Only a handful of people in the galaxy knows Darth Vader's true identity. But only one person knows that Anakin Skywalker was cloned after he refused to be a Sith apprentice. What happens when Anakin emerges from his deep sleep a long time later, just to find everything he knows to be gone or destroyed? Slow updates.
Chapter One
Anakin Skywalker stood, conflicted at the fight between Mace Windu and Chancellor Palpatine, who had revealed himself to be Sith.
Anakin closed his eyes. The dark side roared at him, swarming him in hatred, yet he was untouched, the light side curling around him protectively, urging him back to the right road.
He didn't even know what was the right road now. The dark side's whisper seemed to amplify ten times, the light side contradicted it just as loud. He was having a splitting migraine, and he didn't want to deal with it now.
Palpatine croaked out words that Anakin tuned out, he knew firsthand how dangerous it was to listen to a single word of that man. But he could not stop his eyes from looking at the state Palpatine was in, and his mind filled with sympathy. It couldn't hurt to help a poor old man…could it?
The dark side pushed him, but Yoda's words cut through his hazy vision like a lightsaber.
"Fear is the path to the dark side, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering…when you look at the dark side, careful you must be, for the dark side looks back."
Anakin looked up, the infamous Skywalker look of determination and stubbornness in his blue eyes as he drew his lightsaber with a slight 'zing'. Palpatine looked at him again, pleading, but Anakin forced himself to look away. For Padme. For Padme and their unborn children.
He was too late. Palpatine released a torrent of Sith lightning on Mace Windu, and the Jedi Master fell to the ground. Anakin managed to save Windu's life as his blade absorbed the oncoming lightning before it could touch the unconscious master, but Palpatine flipped up, his old man posture all gone as he wielded a ruby red lightsaber and attacked ruthlessly at Anakin, a blur of blood red as the blade swung again and again, only to find itself off its mark. The dark side wrapped around Palpatine almost lovingly, aiding its attacks.
The light side retaliated by slamming against the dark, a tiny candle in a sea of darkness, a candle that looked fragile and could flicker off any moment.
Anakin began to tire. He was exceptional with a lightsaber, but even with the advantage of the Force, he found himself defending more than attacking. Palpatine on the other hand seemed to gain more energy.
Anakin didn't notice the swing coming until it was too late, the Force's warning was the only thing he heard before pain exploded from the small of his back, and quickly spread like a wildfire into his limbs, yet he still felt so cold…as if he was frozen…
He barely noticed he had fell to his knees, and his shaking hands. He could only feel how cold it was, and he shivered.
Padme was the only thing on his mind as he faded away.
Palpatine glared at the two bodies in front of him, both faded away into the living force. How could his plan go so wrong? He hadn't counted on Skywalker being able to counterattack his subtle manipulation. But the boy was strong, and the beacon of light on his soul disgusted and burned Palpatine. The dark side roared in victory, throwing its dark head in triumph at the fact the Chosen One of light and a great Jedi Master was gone. The call echoed around the universe, and Palpatine smirked slightly at the veering and shocked expressions he could imagine on those idiots' faces.
His only regret was that Anakin hadn't accepted his request as his apprentice…but there was something else he could do. Something even better.
He had to do it before the body started to rot. It still held the slightest trace of warmth, and Palpatine cackled.
Time to work.
Obi Wan and the other Jedi in the Council Room were shocked. The dark side had jabbed at them, and many of the Masters were horrified at the sights that met them : Mace Windu on the floor, eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling, and worse, Anakin's body slumped, his eyes closed.
Obi Wan closed his eyes, tears leaking slightly. He had not cried since Quin-Gon's death, but this had to take the cake. He felt his heart tear again, after only being half healed after his Master's death. Now his apprentice had to go as well. Why was the Force so unfair?
The Force looked upon its chosen champion, body floating in the soft light, and gave a slight sigh as its million fingers touched the boy's soul, and clasped it back into the empty body. The reaction was not to be instantaneous. He had to recover slowly, and it would not do well for the Sith to know.
It had been a long time since the Force had intervened with life and death.