UNCHANGEABLE DESTINY.

Anakin never turned. When Order 66 was executed, he was taken prisoner while trying to defend the younglings... 19 years later, he escapes, fleeing to Tatooine; Obi-wan, padme and Luke are in for the shock of their lives.

CHAPTER ONE

Nineteen Years later.

Pitch black darkness surrounded him, the cuffs locked around his wrists, and ankles were cruelly tight, forcing him to remain in a painful crouch. Gritting his teeth, Anakin closed his eyes, breathing deeply as his muscles screamed for release. Shifting his weight as much as he could, Anakin tried to relieve his cramped muscles as he waited...

Everyday was the same, everyday he was taken to Palpatine and every day he offered him his 'choice', every time he refused, he was tortured - that was the only thing that had varied, the ways in which he was tortured.

The footsteps rang on the floor outside the cell, growing louder with every step. Anakin took a deep breath, his heart hammering in his chest. As the cell door opened, he stared down at him scornfully.

Even though he didn't show it, part of him shuddered at the sight of his evil clone. This was Vader-1, the leader of Palpatine's 'Vader unit', a group of clones that had been made from Anakin himself.

Vader-1 waved a hand, releasing the cuffs. Toppling forward, Anakin gasped in pain; both from his painfully cramped muscles and the broken ribs he'd sustained the day before.

"Get up." The voice was so like his own, but also completely different, filled with anger and hate. When he didn't immediately move, Vader-1 kicked him harshly, his booted foot connecting hard with his left side. Gasping, Anakin coughed up blood. "I said, get up."

Wincing, Anakin slowly pushed himself to his feet. Keeping his head bowed in submission, he waited, his hands held together in front of him.

"You are pathetic," Vader-1 sneered, reaching out to cuff his wrists-

Anakin lashed out, striking fast, his metal right fist slamming into the clone's face. A look of pure shock and incomprehension passing over his face before he crumpled to the ground. Grinning, Anakin dragged Vader-1 into the cell, quickly closing the door. in the pitch darkness, Anakin swapped the clone's clothes with his own, bending down he locked the thick cuffs around his wrists and ankles.

It was all done in under a minute, straightening, Anakin took a deep breath and walked out of the cell.

x

Striding into the aircraft hanger, Anakin slowed slightly, he had to act fast before anyone noticed him-

Snorting at his own idiocy, Anakin grinned, he looked just like the other 'Vaders', no one was going to stop him.

Taking a deep breath, he strode toward a one-man fighter. As he had expected, none of the Stormtroopers made a move to stop him, the few who were near the fighter even backed away. Grinning under the black hood of his borrowed black cloak, Anakin leaped up into the fighter, trying to ignore the flash of agony as his injuries protested the movement.

Finally, after nineteen years, he was escaping. Reaching for the controls, Anakin started the fighter...And zoomed out of the Maw Imperial Prison. it took him only a few moments to set the coordinates fro Tatooine, smiling as he made the jump to hyperspace.

xx

He entered Tatooine's atmosphere with the distinct knowledge that he was going to crash.

Anakin's vision blurred as he fought to remain conscious, grappling with the fighter's controls in a futile attempt to regain control-

But he was too exhausted, too badly injured to succeed. As his vision faded, Anakin saw the red sandy ground rushing up to meet him.

xxx

Luke's eyes widened as he saw the crash, without a moment's hesitation, he leaped into his speeder, pushing the thrusters forward as he rushed to the pilot's aid.

The fighter was a mangled wreck, but the cockpit was still intact. Running forward, Luke ignited his lightsaber, deftly cutting through the side of the cockpit. Once he had created a wide enough hole, he gently pulled the unconscious pilot out of the crumpled ship.

Staggering back in shock, Luke stared at the pilot in horror; he was one of the Emperor's infamous 'Vader unit'. His breath shaking, Luke swallowed, had Palpatine sent him? Did the Sith Lord know where he, Obi-wan and his Mother were?

He should kill him, now, before he could harm the safety of the people he loved-

But he couldn't, as he raised his lightsaber he felt a deep sadness coming from the 'clone', sadness and pain and suffering... And no darkness.

Frowning, Luke deactivated his lightsaber and knelt beside the unconscious man. A closer inspection had him cringing, even if this was one of Palpatine's clones, he could do them no harm; he was too badly injured; without medical aid, he would die.

Biting his lip, Luke made his decision. Gripping his shoulders, Luke lifted the wounded man and lifted him onto his speeder. Obi-wan would know what to do.

x

"Obi-wan, help!"

At Luke's frantic yell, Obi-wan and Padme leaped to their feet.

Dashing out of his home, Obi-wan froze as he saw Luke struggling with an unconscious man, striding forward, he gently helped Luke carry him from the speeder. "What happened?"

"His ship crashed..." Luke looked at obi-wan and bit his lip, "... I didn't know where else to bring him."

Looking down at the man, Obi-wan stiffened.

Padme gasped, backing away from the man who looked so much like Anakin. "Why did you bring him here?" One of Palpatine's lethal clones, was in their living area!

"I don't know," Luke frowned, "I felt him through the Force, I didn't sense the darkside..." Looking at Obi-wan, Luke shook his head. "... I felt only pain, and sadness."

Frowning, Obi-wan knelt beside him. Probing with the Force, he felt his eyes widen - it was impossible!

Pulling the hood back from his face, Obi-wan stared at him, at the diagonal scar that ran across his right eye, his breath shaking, he pulled the long black glove from his right hand - silver metal gleamed. Obi-wan gaped in shock, his eyes wide. "Anakin..." This was no clone, no assassin sent by Palpatine, this was Anakin!