Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, it is owned by Disney.

Worlds Collide

Chapter 3

Deep in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, a blue orb of a world orbited its star in peace. Much of its surface was covered by a deep ocean, though islands of varying sizes and climes were scattered across the waters. Ruins covered much of one such island, the broken and hollowed-out bones of an ancient, near-forgotten civilization.

The name of the world was Ahch-To, though it appeared on few materials within the greater galaxy, and none now, after the universe had been changed. The ruins were once those of the First Jedi Temple, though such a claim had been admitted as possibly more supposition than truth during the height of the Jedi Order. Of course, such a claim would be even more in question now, given the ancient (possibly more so), near-forgotten ruins on Tython, where light and dark, Ashla and Bogan, once and still existed in perfect balance, uncaring and heedless of the polarization of those that wielded the power of the Force.

Waves broke against rocky cliffs, foam and spray white against the steely grey of the waters as they reflected the cloudy skies above. The cliffs were bleak, carved and broken by the waves from dark, volcanic rock. Behind the cliff though, shielded from the salty spray and watered by cool rains, the rich volcanic soil supported a verdant existence, with much of the island's interior covered by patches of grass with the odd tree or bush scattered here and there.

There were few signs of modern civilization on the island, and what there was could not be found with a cursory search. Nor was it particularly advanced, just enough to allow the island's sole resident to subsist by himself during his lonely exile on this distant world.

Said resident now sat cross-legged on a cliff, dressed in traditional Jedi robes in drab shades of brown and grey. A cloak of light grey was draped over his form, the hood thrown back, keeping the aging man warm from the cold sea breeze, his eyes closed as he meditated on the recent disturbance in the Force.

Jedi Master Luke Skywalker felt a nearby presence, and he opened his eyes. Rising to his feet, he turned and his eyes widened slightly at the spectral figure hobbling toward him. "Long time it has been, has it not, young Skywalker?" The spirit of Yoda, last Grand Master of the Jedi Order, and Luke's last Master said in greeting. "Or so it is, in this plane of existence."

"Master Yoda." Luke said with a bow. "It's good to see you again."

Yoda made a sound indicative of both amusement and disdain, and Luke smiled lightly at the sound. "Not so young now though." Luke pointed out.

"Even were it not for the timelessness of the Force," Yoda said with a hint of a smile. "Always younger to I will you be, young Skywalker."

Luke couldn't help it: he laughed at Yoda's jest at his expense, the spirit joining in in moments. "Much time I do not have." Yoda eventually said, walking over to a few steps from where Luke had been meditating and sitting down, Luke doing likewise. "A warning I have for you, Master Skywalker."

Luke's expression turned wistful, and he lowered his head, his entire form giving the impression of being bowed under a great weight. "I do not deserve that title." He said softly.

"Weighed down by guilt, and responsibility, you are."

"Shouldn't I?" Luke replied. "They were all my students. He was my student. Even so, I couldn't save them. I couldn't stop him. I couldn't save him."

"Your father's son, truly you are." Yoda said. "His arrogance you share, having saved your father from the slavery of the Sith, thought you then you could do the same to any other."

Luke didn't say anything, and Yoda continued after a moment. "Responsibility you must face." He said. "But this way is not your way. Make the same mistake we had done, you must not."

"The same mistake?" Luke echoed, raising his head.

Yoda nodded. "For a thousand years we believed destroyed the Sith had been." He said. "In the smallest chance they had survived and regained strength, we watched for the clouds of war looming from beyond the horizon. But in so doing, only did we prepare to fight anew the Sith of old, never suspecting that in those thousand years the Sith had changed, evolved, adapted and become new. Expect we did not, the threat to come from within."

Like looked troubled, and Yoda continued after another moment. "Into exile, you need not have gone." He said. "Leave those in need of the guidance of the Force alone to fight the darkness, to bide your time in exile for the coming of one with the power to succeed where you failed, you need not do. A different path must you take, against a different enemy, as we should have done against Bane's reborn Sith. Provide guidance and hope you must, and bring forth a new generation of Jedi as well, all at the same time."

Yoda stared at Luke in the eyes. "A difficult task it is for you, but do it you must, lest darkness consume all." He concluded.

Luke lowered his head again, struggling to reign in his humors, to overcome the specter of fear and doubt that hung over him, born of his own past failures. They drew and fueled the Dark Side, which whispered temptations, condemnations, and mockery into his mind.

Luke closed his eyes, the words of the Jedi Code flowing through his mind.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

With every word of the Jedi Code, Luke felt the Dark Side's presence recede, its whispers grow fainter and fainter, the turmoil fading to be replaced by clarity. He opened his eyes, the doubts and fear still present, but now under control.

"Can I really do it?" he whispered. "I failed once, and I may yet fail again."

"Answer that question, I cannot." Yoda answered. "Answer that question, only you may."

Luke didn't say anything, only looking for several moments before sighing, and nodded slowly. "I will meditate on your words, Master Yoda." he began. "Perhaps I will finally find the answer I have sought for so long."

Yoda nodded with a smile. "Grown you have, Master Skywalker." He said. "Different indeed you are, crude matter no longer, as on Dagobah long ago."

Luke smiled sadly back. "Let go of your fears and doubts you must." Yoda continued. "Your grief and regret you may keep, but never must you let them cloud your judgment. Do so, and whether by inaction or direct contribution, help will they the Dark Side and all will be lost."

"I understand, Master Yoda."

Yoda nodded again. "Time grows short." He said with a sigh. "Deliver my warning I must. Meditate with me, that I may do so in what little time I have left, outside of the Netherworld of the Force."

Luke closed his eyes, falling into a meditative trance. As he did so, visions of distant places flashed through his mind, stars, planets, nebulae and other interstellar phenomena streaking by, until at last the vision focused on a world in the Core, glittering with generated and reflected light from countless skyscrapers and other urban constructs.

Coruscant: former capital of the republic and the empire alike.

The spearhead-like forms of numerous Imperial Star Destroyers hung protectively over the world, either in orbit or in the orbital docks, along with even more numerous warships bearing the sigils of the old empire. Great battle-stations hung in orbit, brooding watchfully at the constant stream of civilian traffic coming to and from the great city planet.

A part of Luke felt concern at the sight, that perhaps the First Order has somehow taken Coruscant, and maybe other worlds even, gaining a foothold in the strategically-vital region that were the Core Systems. But through the Force, he senses that was not the case.

No, it was even worse.

"The will of the Force I know not in its entirety." Yoda said in Luke's mind. "None can, even those who have become one with it in death, for even we are simply part of a greater whole."

The vision descended down from orbit, to the sprawling cityscape of Imperial City. Luke blinked at the blackened and crumbling ruins of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and gaped at a nearby towering pyramidal structure studded with towers, made from grey-green stone and crystal glass, outer surfaces engraved with Ancient Sith hieroglyphs.

It swirled with the power of the Dark Side of the Force, and Luke instinctively recoiled as a towering silhouette of a shadowed, armored figure towered over what he now knew through the Force as the Imperial Palace. It didn't make sense, the former Emperor's palace had been the rebuilt and desecrated Jedi Temple, and yet…

…he knew the Force only gave the truth, here and now.

It could not be denied.

Somehow, the senseless had gained sense.

"Changed, the galaxy has." Yoda continued. "Folded, time and space have been, to make the impossible possible, to change history itself, and return the Sith to existence. Behold then, Master Skywalker, the face of an enemy greater and more terrible than the First Order,"

"The Sith Emperor…" Luke mentally echoed the Force's whisper in his mind.

"Serve you well, your instincts do." Yoda said. "Not infallible are they, but useful still. The Sith Emperor you see, greater and more terrible than Sidious was. And even greater and more terrible than the Emperor his apprentice, Invictus, the Unconquered Shadow, will be."

Luke mentally shuddered as a clear image formed in the vision, standing before the pyramid of the Imperial Palace, standing beneath the shadowed silhouette of the Sith Emperor. It was that of a woman, encased in black plate, the greater part of her face hidden by the cowl of her cloak, an eager smile illuminated by the fiery light of her lightsaber.

Even in the vision, Luke felt her power, so great and terrible, even more than his father, Anakin Skywalker once possessed. How one such as her could be born, with power greater than the Chosen One who destroyed the Sith and restored balance to the Force, he could not fathom.

"Destroy her and her master, you must." Yoda said. "For should she become Dark Lady of the Sith in her turn, then balance's return, foresee I cannot even in the Force."

"Master Yoda…"

"Allies you will have in this," Yoda continued, Luke's thoughts falling silent, the vision now showing the familiar forms of Mon Calamari Star Cruisers and Corellian Frigates conducting a hit-and-run attack on an Imperial convoy, flying the colors of the old Rebel Alliance. A mix of hope and puzzlement bloomed in his heart at the sight. "Though most have submitted to the tyranny of the Sith, remain those who remain true to freedom and justice, and fight will they to preserve and gain it. Seek them out, and together with the Resistance, fight as one against the evil of the Sith."

Silence fell, Luke watching to the end as the rebels defeated the escorting Imperial warships and succeeded in boarding the Imperial transports before escaping into hyperspace. Luke then mused on the questions that had arisen in his mind when he had seen the colors of the Rebel Alliance, and in hindsight, the old Imperial emblem on the Star Destroyers protecting Coruscant. And of course, the Imperial Palace separate from the ruins of Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

"Questions you seek to ask," Yoda preempted him. "How can this be? How could the Sith Empire rise and establish itself so quickly? Answer, and not answer, I can give."

It took but a moment to impart knowledge of the changed galaxy, such was the timelessness of the Force. But in that moment, the blood drained from Luke's face, his eyes opening wide and his expression twisting to one of absolute horror.

"No," he whispered. "Leia…"

Lightning split the sky, rain falling in great and heavy sheets onto the rocky landscape below. The planet was located in the Outer Rim, located along the poorly-explored edges of Wild Space, relatively-safe from the prying eyes of the empire. It didn't have a name, at least none that appeared on standard charts.

To the Rebel Alliance, which stationed its headquarters on this barren, barely-habitable world, it was known simply as Sanctuary.

Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker sat cross-legged on the floor, meditating on the recent disturbance in the Force and its echoes. He opened his eyes, and smiled at the spectral figure which also sat cross-legged in front of him. "Obi-Wan," he whispered.

"Hello Luke," the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi greeted his old student. "It's been a long time hasn't it?"

Luke's face fell, and he nodded sadly. "Five years," he said. "I…we could have used your help in those years, Ben."

Obi-Wan's expression turned sad, but Luke sighed and continued. "It can't be helped, can it?" he asked. "We did what we could Ben, and we still are."

"Don't lose hope, Luke." Obi-Wan said. "That's where it all begins. The moment you start thinking you can't defeat the empire and the Sith, you'd already have lost the first battle."

"I won't." Luke promised. "We won't."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Luke smiled and then laughed. "So," he said. "Can I assume you're here to help me with that recent disturbance in the Force, or did you just come to visit?"

Obi-Wan smiled craftily. "Knight Skywalker," he began chidingly. "You disappoint me. I don't recall ever giving the impression that I never did anything without a reason."

The two Jedi shared a laugh, but then Obi-Wan sobered up. "Luke, that disturbance in the Force was the result of reality itself being rewritten." He said.

Luke's eyes went wide. "What?" he said in shock. "How is that even possible? Did…was, was Vader behind this? Or Invictus?"

"No, even this is beyond their power." Obi-Wan said with a shake of his head, and Luke breathed a sigh of relief. The idea that either or both his fallen father and twin sister could wield such power was terrifying in the extreme. But if it wasn't them…

"If it wasn't the Sith or the empire," Luke asked. "Then who?"

"I do not know."

Luke looked shocked, actually reeling back slightly in disbelief. "You don't know?" he echoed. "But…"

Obi-Wan smiled. "I may be one with the Force, Luke," he said. "But that doesn't make me all-knowing. I am simply one part of a greater whole, not the Force itself."

"One with the Force," Luke said softly, nodding slowly as he did so. "Yes, I see what you mean."

"You've gone far, Luke." Obi-Wan said with a faint smile. "And you'll go even farther, of that I am sure. But you still have much to learn."

"I guess I do." Luke said, the two Jedi again sharing a laugh. "So, what do you mean reality was rewritten?"

"You don't have to worry about certain laws of physics or other scientific laws no longer applying, if that's what you're worried about." Obi-Wan said. "When I said reality was overwritten, it seems that the entirety of the Unknown Regions was replaced by a generally-identical replica from a different timeline of our galaxy."

"A different timeline?" Luke echoed skeptically, though he sensed through the Force that no matter how outlandish this sounded, it was nothing less than the truth. "How different?"

"Very different," Obi-Wan said. "The past of that galaxy is very different from ours, though certain commonalities exist. The republic is one, though with a very different history up to a certain point. The same goes for the Jedi, and of course, the Sith."

Luke lowered his head, his face and thoughts alike troubled by his old master's words. And then a truly terrifying thought came to mind. "Wait, you mentioned the Sith also existed in this different galaxy." He began. "Does this mean…"

"Oh you don't have to worry about the other Sith." Obi-Wan reassured him. "You see in that other galaxy, the Sith had already been destroyed at the point in time when the switch was made."

"If only we were so lucky." Luke thought, with a slight hint of shame. After all, the reigning Dark Lord of the Sith and Galactic Emperor – or as many rebels and their sympathizers disturbingly combined the two titles Sith Emperor – was his father, Darth Vader, once known as the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. And just to further twist the knife his apprentice and chief enforcer was none other than Luke's twin sister, the Sith Lady Darth Invictus, born Leia Skywalker.

The former fact was known only to a very select few: Luke, his few fellow Jedi, and of course his father and twin sister to name some of those in the know. That Darth Invictus was once Leia Skywalker however, was known to even fewer, but to many in the galaxy it was an open secret that she had once been Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, who went missing at the age of ten in what many had believed a political kidnapping, perhaps at the order of then-Emperor Palpatine himself.

It was not until slightly over a decade later that she resurfaced, bearing the name and apparel of a Lady of the Sith, standing at Vader's right hand on the same day he assumed the position of Galactic Emperor.

"With that said, Luke," Obi-Wan began, and drawing Luke back into the conversation. "Just because the Sith have fallen in that galaxy, the echoes of their deeds have not died out. In our galaxy for instance, several incarnations of the Sith have been destroyed over the millennia, but sooner or later, one or more with hearts and spirits vulnerable to the dark's call will be drawn by the echoes of their power, and breathe new life into the Sith once more."

Obi-Wan paused and sighed. "I do not know if it would have happened there eventually," he said. "However a group of darksiders who style themselves the 'Knights of Ren' have allied themselves with an Imperial splinter faction of that galaxy who call themselves the 'First Order'."

"With our luck," Luke began unhappily. "Both the Knights of Ren and the First Order are in our new Unknown Regions, am I right?"

Obi-Wan smiled sadly, and Luke sighed. "Yeah, that's just our luck." He said with a bitter laugh. "Still, we can hope that our struggle won't be for nothing in the end."

Obi-Wan nodded. "You and your fellow rebels are not the only ones to believe so, Luke." He said with a smile. "When the empire of that galaxy fell, the New Republic believed the Imperial splinter factions of no import. There were those who disagreed, and banding together followed the empire's survivors into the Unknown Regions. Calling themselves the Resistance, they continued to fight against the empire's remnants, to protect the galaxy from its own folly."

"Well what do you know," Luke said with a smile. "It's not all bad after all."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan said with a nod. "If you can make contact with the Resistance, then I am certain they are very likely to be willing to at least cooperate with the alliance, and ultimately join the fight against Vader and his empire."

"But what about the Knights of Ren and the First Order?" Luke asked after a moment's thought. "Well the latter can be defeated by ordinary means, but the former…if they join forces with the Sith…"

"Yes, that would certainly be a problem." Obi-Wan admitted. "But the Knights of Ren consider themselves the Sith's successors, to succeed where the former failed. More than likely they will seek to compete with each other, and the Sith do not tolerate competition lightly. None of the others who have wielded the power of the Dark Side have ever supplanted the Sith, and I do not think the Knights of Ren will succeed where others have tried and failed."

"I suppose the same could be said for the First Order," Luke mused. "The empire will not tolerate a splinter group operating freely, and will seek to bring them under control. Depending on how much the Knights of Ren influence the First Order, there could be conflict between them and the empire. And we could use that to our advantage."

Obi-Wan smiled in agreement. "The empire and the Sith will salvage what they can from the ruins of their enemies." He said. "But if you can join forces with the Resistance, then you and the alliance can gain what they have and at less cost than the empire and the Sith will by fighting the Knights of Ren and the First Order."

Luke nodded, and then the Jedi's communicator beeped. He opened a channel. "This is General Skywalker." He said.

"General, my apologies for interrupting your meditation," the man on the other side began. "But High Command has called a priority meeting in twenty minutes. That is all."

"Yeah, I'll be there. Thank you."

Luke closed the channel and turned back to Obi-Wan who nodded at him. "My time is running short." He said. "I must pass on what else I know to you soon. It is up to you whether you wish to reveal what you will know to your fellow Jedi or to the rest of the Alliance High Command, but it will be a challenge to convince them without proof."

"I know." Luke admitted. "But even so, I'll do what I can."

"Very well," Obi-Wan said, settling into a meditative pose. "Meditate with me, that I may share what I know in what time I have left outside of the Netherworld of the Force."

Luke also settled into a meditative pose, closing his eyes as he did so. In moments, Obi-Wan's spirit vanished, while Luke's eyes sprang open in shock and surprise.

"Leia…?" he whispered.

Kylo Ren was not happy.

That wasn't really that unusual, not that he'd ever admit it. He was never happy.

He'd woken up in a cell, in pain as an Imperial medical team coldly but efficiently worked on his missing arm. The sight had enraged him, and if not for his restraints he'd have lashed out then and there. And even with those, he'd attempted to touch the Force…

…only to be crushed by the monstrous power of the Sith, Darth Invictus, the one who'd taken his arm. She wasn't there, but it was clear that she didn't have to be.

And it was certainly clear that she was what she claimed to be. There was no denying it anymore. Only the Sith had ever wielded the Dark Side so strongly, more so than even Supreme Leader Snoke.

And Kylo didn't know what to think of that.

On one hand, he wanted to impress the Sith, to show himself worthy of them, to be taken on as an apprentice, and eventually gain the rank, power, and title of Lord of the Sith, or perhaps even that of Dark Lord of the Sith.

He'd succeed where his grandfather had failed. He'd surpass him, and become the mightiest Sith ever.

But on the other hand, the Sith were not forgiving of their enemies. They weren't the Jedi after all, soft and compassionate. Even Kylo's survival was probably only because the Sith and their empire wanted what he knew.

And he didn't know how to feel about that either.

On one hand, pride and loyalty demanded he kept his secrets. And Kylo was very proud of himself, and everything he'd ever achieved as Master of the Knights of Ren and one of the leading members of the First Order.

But on the other hand, the idea of defying the Sith was…unpleasant, considering the Sith's reputation. And there was also the possibility that cooperation could be rewarded, perhaps in more ways than one.

Those thoughts troubled him well after the Imperial medical team had left him with a holding device on his arm, that would keep the nerve endings stable for eventual cybernetic implantation while protecting them (and underneath the device the open stump) from infection. Soon afterward a navy trooper had arrived with a meal and drink for Kylo, and ordered him to eat while assuring him that by order of Lady Invictus, he was not to be drugged.

Kylo didn't believe a word of it, and an hour later the same man had taken away the untouched meal.

When the next meal had come, the man brought another message from Invictus: his prudence was commendable, but if he didn't eat, she'd have him fed via a feeding tube.

Kylo ate and drank the meal, and an hour later the man took away the empty plate and cup, and the dirty utensils as well.

Well, he certainly didn't feel drugged, either from that meal, or the one that came after. What was the Sith planning, he wondered.

That answer would soon be answered, when the door to his cell slid open, and a young woman in her late twenties entered the cell. The presence was that of Invictus, though appearance-wise she'd discarded her armor, favoring a black custom variant of the Imperial Navy officer's uniform, with the emblem of the old Galactic Empire stitched over her left breast in place of rank insignia.

A utility belt circled her waist, seemingly the same one issued to Imperial Stormtroopers, with the exception of the lightsaber clipped to one side. There was also a blaster holstered at her left thigh, and her cloak swirled gently with her every move.

But without her armor, she didn't wear a helmet, and Kylo could only stare in shock, surprise, and disbelief at the Sith's face. There were differences of course: instead of the brown he remembered, Invictus' eyes had the dull gold irises of a darksider, and her dark brown hair was tied back into a simple ponytail instead of the slightly-more elaborate braiding Kylo's mother preferred.

And of course, this woman was younger, much younger than the woman she resembled.

So many possibilities flashed through his mind in an instant. A clone? A distant relative? An older – much older – sibling of his perhaps? Or maybe even another child of Darth Vader's, a third child and younger sibling to Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.

Even so, he couldn't stop the word from spilling from his lips, or the incredulous tone it came with.

"Mother?"

A/N

Well, plenty of you worked it out already so here's confirmation: Darth Invictus is an AU Sith Lady version of Leia Organa.

About canon Luke's disbelief that anyone more powerful than Anakin could be born, please keep in mind two things. First, Luke never knew Anakin at his prime, and Anakin himself never reached the peak of his potential. Luke only ever knew Anakin as Darth Vader, and Vader's injuries or rather massive loss of organic body parts and with it Force potential reduced his powers as well to (in Legends at least I'm not sure in canon) barely eighty per cent of the Emperor's. In fact, if I remember correctly, it was stated in Legends that Luke at his peak would have matched Anakin at his peak, which would have been approximately twice that of the Emperor's power.

This leads to the second point: canon Luke didn't know who Invictus was when he mentally expressed disbelief at her level of power. Naturally, being twins, Luke and Leia should have equal potential in the Force, and while she never reached that level of achievement despite being a Jedi Knight herself (in canon she's not a Jedi but in Legends she was), it was only because being a Jedi was secondary to her political role. Give more focus to her powers, and I've no doubt she could have matched Luke.

In short: Luke never really knew how powerful Anakin was, and even if he did, when he expressed disbelief, he didn't know who Invictus was at the time.