Summary: Lying at the brink of death, a choice is made in his final breath. Back to the past he goes, to change what he knows. The night that changed everything, and now he can change anything.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star wars.
Chapter Three: Deciding
Anakin couldn't help the tears welling up in his eyes. It was a beautiful scene to behold. He felt balanced for the first time in his life. He saw it all now, his rights and his wrongs, the differences between the light and dark sides of the force. And because he could see it he felt his connectivity with the force grow, he had the potential to do anything, to change anything. His very presence now could reshape history; he saw it clearly just like his force visions. The Jedi would live, they would survive, family and love would surround his children, and Darth Vader would not cause any destruction in this universe.
Anakin suddenly became aware that all the force signatures were now looking at him, even the dark cloud that covered Palpatine, his return must have sent shock waves through the force. Immediately without thinking about it he covered his force presence from the dark side. If everything was going to work out as he had now seen, hiding from Darth Sidious was essential.
Anakin let himself free for a moment, casting his awareness outwards, not thinking about how he'd had not much patience for meditation before. But if the Dark side had taught him anything useful it was patience, it had been a hard lesson, the force told him that much in order to be the best Jedi he could be he had to see the consequences of his actions and regret them. If he could pay his due for the terrible actions he had wrought he would help the Jedi survive Order 66 this time. He couldn't kill Sidious at this moment though, it wasn't the right time, Palpatine held too much power in the Republic, the people would be in outrage at the Jedi should he kill their Chancellor, he had too many loyal supporters. Anakin would have to learn, it wouldn't be as easy as the last time he'd killed Sidious, things rarely happened the same way twice.
The smell of lotus flower reached his senses.
Anakin? Padmé's voice bounced around his thoughts for the first time in over twenty years. Anakin sprang out of his chair and towards the window that looked out in the direction of the senator apartment complex where Padmé lived on the top floor. He felt the wind rush as he ran, he felt the air on his exposed skin, the hair covering his head, the dried trails of tears on his cheeks, the rough fabric brushing against his skin, the harsh sunlight behind his lids. He opened his eyes, realising he'd been denying in some part of him that this had actually happened. He really had gone back to the past, and there was his angel, his light in the darkness with Luke and Leia inside of her. His children, he didn't understand how he could have been so blindsided by his vision of Padmé that he hadn't sensed she carried twins. Their force signatures already shined in the force, a mark of their incredible destinies they were born to fulfill. He sent them his love through their familiar bond, a father connecting with his children for the first time. Their own love rushed back at him dropping him to his knees. Anakin wept, he hadn't cried this badly since his mother's death or the deaths of the Jedi on Jabiim when he'd briefly thought his master dead along with all the other Jedi. Obi-wan! Anakin tested his bond just to make sure, yes, Obi-wan was alive and fighting General Grievous. He felt a dim feeling of confusion going through their bond. Obi-wan must have sensed the change in him from all the way on Utapau.
Angel? Are you all right? Are the babies hurt? He pressed his palm against the cool glass, revelling in the feeling. The touch of skin against something, he hadn't felt this overwhelmed in simple senses ever. But now that he had it back he was thankful for the small but important things in life.
We're fine, did something happen? So she felt it to, Anakin latched his eyes onto the building looking at the small body far away looking his way.
We need to leave Coruscant, you're going to give birth today. I'll tell you everything else when I get home. I love you angel. Anakin smiled in relief, they were one step ahead of Sidious, and he would never get their children.
I love you too, Ani. Anakin grinned as he heard her voice, breaking the connection he sat back down in his council seat. He had to plan, and he had to act now or it would be too late. That being settled he sent a message to the other council members on Coruscant and the ones off world on the council com, telling them all of an emergency that was urgent. Hopefully they would believe him and go along with his plan, seeing it was for the best. He thanked the force as he sensed that Master Windu and the three other Jedi Masters were delayed in traffic, perhaps he could use the extra time to get the Jedi safely away from Coruscant. He couldn't warn the four master's though, his words from so long ago hadn't stopped them, in fact they'd been more inclined to arrest Palpatine, Anakin had a feeling they would still go even at the expense of their own deaths.
"Knight Skywalker?" Master Plo Kloon's voice interrupted his thoughts, he turned in wonder at the older Jedi before him. So many once lost, alive. Anakin looked around the Council Chamber to see the familiar faces of Jedi Masters around him. He struggled with his feelings at seeing them all, finally releasing his joy into the force. He quickly cloaked all the Jedi from Palpatine in case he was to grow suspicious of the gathered Jedi. The Master's around him looked at him in wonder, some blinked like they were looking into the sun.
"Master's…" Anakin startled slightly at the sound of his youthful voice, he forgot where he was in that moment as he reached a hand up to feel his lips. It hadn't hurt, his lips rubbing together and opening. There hadn't been pain in his jaw as it moved to form words.
"Anakin?" Anakin turned to see that Master Plo Kloon was looking worriedly at him. He blinked remembering the present, or well the past.
"Master Jedi, at the start of this war Count Dooku told us that the very Sith we searched for had control of the very Republic we served. I've come to tell you he was right." Anakin took a breath, as the Jedi around him grew more alert.
"How can that be so Skywalker?"
"Since before the blockade on Naboo all those years ago a plan was put into place, one which would result in a war that was controlled by both sides. The clone army was formed so it would win this war, a war that was only formed so Darth Sidious' own power over the Republic would grow so much that by the end of this pre-planned war the very Republic which we protect would become the first Empire." Anakin paused so the other Jedi could digest his words.
"Impossible!"
"No!"
"Empire?"
"How know of this plan do you, Skywalker?" Anakin turned his blue gaze to the old Grand Master. Guilt seized his throat as he looked at the Jedi who had lived through his terror and then trained his son in order so he could survive.
"Because I've lived through it Master Yoda." Anakin picked his words carefully knowing it wouldn't be enough to distract Yoda, but he would have to tell the old Jedi of his past eventually, he owed him that much.
"More to say, you have?" Yoda asked his blue holo sat forwards.
"Yes. With the formation of this Empire Darth Sidious who also has control of the clone army will carry out Order 66." Anakin shivered as he relived the memories. So much pain, suffering and death! " Order 66 states that the Jedi are now enemies of the Empire, that they must be killed on sight."
"What?"
"Barbaric!"
"The clones? How could they turn on us?"
"In control say you." Yoda's wide eyes looked at Anakin, finally understanding what he was telling them.
"Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord." Shocked gasps were heard around the room at the statement. Angry comments flew until Yoda banged his stick on the floor.
"Make sense this does, answers many questions I have had. Clouded our vision Sidious has, answers to our questions Knight Skywalker will give. Listen to him we shall." The Jedi turned to Anakin awaiting his next words.
"Palpatine already has a massive amount of power, Master Windu, Master Flisto, Master Tiin and Master Kolar are travelling right now to the senate building to arrest him. I told them what Palpatine is, but that will not help them. In the next couple of hours they shall be dead and Palpatine will tell the senate that the Jedi tried to kill him, he will have complete control of the Republic, so much so that nobody will voice their protests. At that moment Palpatine will secure his downfall. Loyal senators of the Republic will form a resistance under his very nose. These rebels will take years to properly form, enough to take up the amount of time Palpatine has to create the greatest monstrosity the universe has ever seen." Anakin paused as he took in the gazes of the Jedi who looked equally horrified. "The Death Star, named because it has enough fire power to destroy an entire planet." Silence greeted this until a sudden uproar swept through the council chambers.
"Silence! How know this Skywalker you must tell." Yoda frowned.
"Because I have lived through it Master." Anakin repeated stressing his words, yet knowing there wasn't enough time to tell them everything.
"Impossible!"
"How happened, you know?" Yoda ignored the protests.
"I don't know Master. One minute I was dying and then the next I was here." Anakin swept a hand through his hair a natural action that took him by surprise as he marvelled at the softness of the strands.
"The truth you speak." Yoda nodded silencing any voices that would have spoken up.
"I have much to say about the past I have lived through, but I hope due to the urgency you will allow me to tell you at more appropriate timing Master." Anakin clasped his hands together feeling his skin touch the prosthetic right arm. His fingers smoothed over the ridges of his black glove. He shivered as he remembered he'd cut off Luke's hand, just like Count Dooku had done to him.
"Accept this I do, right time it is not." Yoda sighed.
"The Jedi nearly went extinct because of Order 66. Because of this I move that in order to survive the Jedi must disappear. I have killed Darth Sidious and his apprentice before, when he was at his weakest, with help. I have much to learn in the ways of the force, until I am able to fulfil the prophecy of the Chosen One once again." Anakin looked up at the eyes of the council as they stared at him.
"Grown wiser, harsher on yourself. Right you are the force tells me. Where to go says you, hm?" Yoda asked staring at Anakin intently.
"The Unknown Regions?" someone asked.
"No, it's a predictable move and it's too close to the inner core worlds." Anakin quickly thought of all the possibilities until he came across memories of Darth Vader's, of a place he had found by accident. "Beyond the Outer Rim in Wild Space near the planet Pzob there is the Moonflower Nebula which hides a small habitable planet I accidently came across. Two Jedi hid there, there are two moons and a small planet inside the Nebula and all of it is hidden from the force outside of it."
"Nebula's are unpredictable, I advice caution Skywalker." Master Plo Kloon said reminding Anakin of one the battles they had teamed up on. Anakin nodded in acceptance of his words but carried on.
"If we were to take the Corellian Run it would take us out quite near to the location of the Nebula." He told the Jedi, as a holo screen popped up showing the council the Nebula's location. At least something good could come out of Darth Vader's horrible slaughter of the remaining Jedi.
"It's so remote out there!"
"How would we get supplies?"
"Is the oxygen breathable for all life forms?"
"How do you know if we wouldn't be disturbing any of the planet's species?"
"What if it's too dangerous for the younglings?"
"The planet is mostly made up of forest, from my ship I saw mountains, seas, caves and even ruins. I suspect that the planet was once lived on but is no longer. I sensed life signatures on the planet below but we won't know for sure what species live there until we see them for ourselves. As for supplies we could trade with neighbouring planets. Such as Pzob, Gamorr, Ryloth… and Tatooine." Anakin resigned himself for saying; his fear of that planet had kept him away whilst he was Darth Vader. It was no wonder Obi-wan hid Luke on one of the only planet that he refused to visit.
"Is this a hoax?" Anakin turned to see Master An'ya Kuro speak up for the first time. "We know your mother lives on Tatooine, remember Skywalker a Jedi is forbidden to have attachments!" The Dark Woman eyed him. She was known for her devotion to the light side of the force and hating the Sith. Yet even as a force ghost she had seen the good in him. Much like Luke had.
"My mother was killed before the Clone Wars started, but I forgive you for not knowing this knowledge." Anakin sighed heavily. He wondered breathily about his stepbrother who had raised his son. He had never even bothered to get to know Owen Lars or his wife; his mother had married into a stranger's family who he knew next to nothing about.
Silence met my words and a couple of Jedi looked away in shame at probably thinking the same thing. I had to keep reminding myself that they didn't want to believe that the Galaxy was coming to this, that they were trying to escape the truth.
"How are we to get so many Jedi off Coruscant and away from battles unnoticed?"
"Send a becon to all Jedi through their becon transceivers. Alert them we shall." Yoda answered.
"We must pack what we can, take the Jedi Holocrons and other artefacts so Sidious doesn't get his hands on them!"
"We will have to wipe the memories of the droids we won't be able to take with us."
"The Jedi in the Service Crops will have to be notified."
"The training academies on Kamparas, Telos, Obra-Skai, Tython, Rhinnal,H'ratth and Socorro as well."
"Master's I suggest we put as many Jedi as we can onto the Luminosity, the only Praxeum ship on Coruscant at this time. Its size will hold up to a thousand Jedi. Explor Corps ships can also be used, and if there is still not enough room Knights and Masters can travel in their Delta-7 Star fighters until they meet up with the other two Praxeum ships and fly into their hangers." Anakin thoughts filled with the huge ships which held libraries, meditation chambers, gymnasiums, starfield holomaps, medical wings, classrooms, flightier hangers and cannons. They were the pride of the Jedi, having been around for centuries.
"Yes the exploration corps will be a massive help."
"They only explore the Unknown Regions though."
"The Praxeum ship is huge, Skywalker! How would it not raise suspicion?"
"By using alter environment the Jedi could direct cloud cover. I will also personally cloud the force presences on board." Anakin nodded in thought.
"You can do that?"
"Yes." Anakin answered.
"Not on-board the Luminosity I sense you won't be." Yoda asked turning his green eyes on Anakin.
"No, Master. I have much to confess, I have formed attachments, they keep me balanced in the force." Anakin admitted to the Grand Master. He needed to persuade the Jedi to let him bring his family.
"These attachments, not dividing our loyalty, hm?" Yoda frowned staring at Anakin's force signature and reading perhaps beyond it. The Dark Woman's angry gaze swept over him.
"No, my own son helped me defeat Sidious before." Gasps left the Jedi as they stared even wider eyed at Anakin.
"Your child you wish to bring?" Yoda asked calmly.
"They are yet to be born, today is the day my wife goes into labour." Anakin looked down at his hands.
"They?"
"Twins?"
"Which has force sensitivity?"
"Both. My children are our only hope, they helped bring an end to the Empire before, and I am sure they will do so again." Anakin looked up meeting Yoda's eyes.
"Incredibly powerful children of the Chosen One, hide them from Sidious we must, along with their mother…" Yoda's questioning eyes drilled into Anakin, yet strangely enough Anakin knew that Yoda had already guessed.
"Padmé Amidala, one of the founders of the Delegation of 2000, the organisation that forms the Rebel Alliance." Anakin stated proudly, he couldn't believe his daughter had walked so close to Padmé's own feet, yet he had been so blind not to see it.
"Yes, blind we were not to see all of this. The vision spoke you of, about her, hm?" Yoda's question shook Anakin as he remembered the reason for his turn.
"Yes Master. I have done what you said and let it go, I have released my fears and resigned myself to the will of the force." Anakin said looking directly at Yoda, if the same fate was going to happen to his angel at least he would have their children. He owed it to Leia and Luke for them to have a childhood with at least one of their birth parents, to have happy memories of their family and to grow up together.
"The future always in motion, change can happen in an instant." Yoda said. "Go we must now gather as much Jedi as you can. Master's alert all Jedi you shall. Meet at the Moonflower Nebula we shall." Yoda nodded solemnly.
"I shall help gather the younglings; they will need to be overlooked."
"I will take the first and second floors and make sure all that is need is packed into the ships."
"I will contract all Jedi's Holo's to send out the message at once."
"If there aren't enough ships I'm sure we can disguise older Jedi as refuges and get aboard ships to Naboo it is close to the Corellian Run, we would be able to buy ships there without raising as much suspicion."
"Whilst there we could get more supplies that cannot be found within the temple walls."
"Decided it is, may the force we with us all." Yoda nodded as his and the other Jedi Holo's blinked out.
Anakin ran out the Council Chambers not wanting to be questioned by any other Jedi. He ran towards the lift taking it to the floor that held his and Obi-wan's shared rooms. It had been years since he'd seen this place; the few objects they owned were thrown around the place as they only lived in these rooms whilst on Coruscant which hadn't been much during the war. Anakin had spent most of his time with Padmé in her apartment where they could be themselves and didn't have to hide their feelings from other's eyes. His eyes turned to look at the small kitchenette, which had to be the cleanest part of the apartment as Obi-wan, could only make tea.
Anakin's eyes sought out objects that were important to him or his Master, he picked up a few, even spied a data pad which was long since due to go back to the records in the Temple Library. He hadn't made his bed for years either, he spied robes from his padawan days on his floor along with tools, which he'd had since his Tatooine days. He gathered up the tools his mother had brought him and other objects he owned and made his way to Obi-wan's room. It was quick to sort through his Master's room, unlike every other room in the apartment this one was neat, everything in it's draws. He collected a couple of items he knew Obi-wan had attachments to, even grabbed a couple of holo's of Obi-wan and his friends, Obi-wan and Anakin, Obi-wan and Qui-gon…
Anakin blinked as he looked at the holo, he hadn't known Obi-wan had this. It must have been taken towards the end of Qui-gon's life, as they looked almost exactly the same as they had the first time Anakin had seen them both. Anakin put them in the bag and let his eyes sweep over the place he had come to call home in the Jedi Temple wondering if he would ever see it again. As he stepped out the room his hand naturally went to one of the pockets in his utility belt where Ahsoka's padawan braid sat. He remembered that he hadn't let it leave his sight since she'd given it to him, even whilst he was Vader, the padawan braid had symbolised a great friendship and trust. He remember coming across her as Vader, her force presence on that rebel ship had surprised him and brought about a hope he hadn't felt in years after Padmé's death.
"Hey Skywalker!" Anakin turned around and saw Ferus Olin running up to him. "Is it true? About the Chancellor? Everything?"
"Yeah, sorry Ferus, I've got something important to do." Anakin moved the backpack onto his shoulder making his way to the lifts. "May the force be with you Ferus Olin!" Anakin turned to smile at the stunned boy who used to be his rival as the lift opened for him. He quickly com'd Artoo to get the ship ready as the lift sped down to the Jedi Hanger.
Anakin stepped out in amazement, never before had he seen such chaos in the hanger where he spent a lot of his time modifying his ships and then some of the temple's droids. Jedi rushed about everywhere, all pretence of calmness gone as he watched them carrying boxes onto ships, droids whizzing about on their heels. It also looked like everyone they hired to help had been given the day off. Anakin was glad, at least innocent bystanders wouldn't be caught in the blaster fire this time.
Jedi rushed past him, a clan of younglings were being led towards the huge hanger that held the Praxeum ships when they were docked on Coruscant. Anakin felt something drop onto his feet; he bent to pick it up seeing it was a stuffed bantha. He looked towards the younglings casting out the force until he felt the child who was more panicked than most. He weaved through the Jedi around him until he reached the younglings.
"I believe you lost something." Anakin smiled as he nudged the youngling. He took a step back as he recognized the blonde boy whom he had killed in the council chambers. He stared up at Anakin a broad smile on his lips.
"Thank you Master!" The boy hugged the stuffed toy staring at Anakin in awe.
"You better stay with your clan, young one." Anakin grabbed a hold of his emotions and steered the boy towards where his clan was walking away.
"May the force be with you Master!" Anakin smiled as the boy ran off, he turned and headed back the way he'd come towards where R2-D2 was getting his Jedi star fighter ready. Now it was time to see his angel.