He woke up slowly.

He didn't know anything at first. All there was was darkness, oppressing him everywhere. Somehow, he knew the darkness wasn't what he wanted. He pushed it away and found the light. It had always been there, waiting for him. He was sure of it, though he wasn't quite sure why.

His brain was jumbled, names and details and confused thoughts he couldn't quite grasp swirling around in his mind. Speaking might have helped him sort out what was going on, but his body was too heavy, and the words would have come out garbled.

The darkness told him someone was waiting for him to wake up, but he'd rather sort out his mixed-up thoughts. Who am I?

Anakin, the light whispered. Your name is Anakin. You are a person. A Jedi. My child.

A Jedi.

What was a Jedi?

He captured a name swirling around in his brain. Padmé. What was a Padmé?

He presented the name to the light. Padmé?

Love. Love can ignite the stars.

Love.

Padmé was love?

Home.

Home. So Padmé was love and home.

Sitting in a meadow, laughing, praising a dictatorship just to mess with the democratic-loving senator. Running through a columned hall to envelop a beautiful woman in his arms.

He grabbed for another name.

Daddy. Who was Daddy?

He was Daddy.

"Daddy, I wanna be a Jedi, just like you."

Luke. That was Luke.

The darkness prodded at him. He retreated into the light, but the light gently pushed him out.

Wake up, child.

Anakin sighed and dragged his eyes open. He was dressed in white medical clothing, sitting in a comfortable bed in a room with black walls. His right arm ended at the elbow, the stump bandaged. An old man in dark robes was sitting at his bedside. The man's face looked like it was melting off.

Palpatine. This was Palpatine.

Pain, cackling laughter, blue lightning shooting out of fingers. "Release your anger! Strike me down!"

Danger. This man was dangerous. He was the source of the darkness.

"You're ugly."

"Looks matter not, my apprentice," Palpatine said. "It is the power we wield that gives us our strength."

"Power?" Anakin didn't remember having any power. Granted, he didn't remember much at the moment. And apprentice. Did that mean Palpatine was teaching him to be a Jedi, whatever that was? "I don't feel very strong at the moment."

"All in good time, my apprentice," Palpatine chuckled. "All in good time. Tell me, what do you remember?"

"Huh?" He frowned at himself. How much did he want Palpatine to know he remembered? "What's a Jedi?"

Palpatine's face soured. "The Jedi," he spat the word out like a curse, "are a disease upon the galaxy. They are responsible for the death of your mother."

Cradling Mom in his arms as her hand slipped from his cheek… Trembling as he tried to comprehend what had just happened… Cutting down figure after figure after sandy figure…

"No," he said, oddly certain. "No, that was the Tusken Raiders. The Tusken Raiders killed my mother. And I killed them."

Palpatine trembled. "It was the Jedi that didn't allow you to save her. It was their fault you didn't rescue her in time. They are the ones who have brought war and misery to the galaxy. They are the reason we are in hiding. If the Jedi ever found you and me, they would kill us."

But Anakin was a Jedi. The light had said so. Luke wanted to be a Jedi, too. Anakin had been evil? His son was evil? "I don't understand."

"All will become clear in time," Palpatine promised.

A name that had been floating around in his mind rose to the forefront. "Who's Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

Palpatine's face split into a slow grin. The darkness reached out for his mind. "Let me teach you about Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Lava flowed down the dark rocks. Obi-Wan clutched his lightsaber, gazing with a heavy heart at the young man in front of him. Anakin's hair blew in the hot wind, his yellow eyes piercing his soul.

"Anakin, Palpatine is evil!" Obi-Wan shouted desperately. If only Anakin would listen. He couldn't cut down his own brother.

"The Jedi are evil!" Anakin shouted back. He raised his lightsaber, its red blade illuminating his face.

"Palpatine has twisted your mind!" Obi-Wan reluctantly ignited his own lightsaber. "Anakin, you have a family on Coruscant. We love you! You can still come home!"

Anakin shook his head quickly, pressing a hand to his eyes. "That's…that's not what Palpatine told me." He glanced up, rage twisting his face. "Liar! You're here to kill me!"

"I'm here to rescue you, Anakin." Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it onto his belt. "I won't fight you. If you choose to cut me down, then I won't resist. You're my brother, Anakin. I will gladly die for you."

Anakin shouted wordlessly and swung his lightsaber at Obi-Wan…

A shout tore from Obi-Wan's lips as he woke up. He sat up slowly, trembling overtaking his muscles. He threaded a shaking hand through his sweaty hair. He tried to take a deep breath but couldn't. It had been a long time since he'd had visions, and rarely had any of his visions affected him this deeply.

Anakin. Oh, Anakin. He drew his knees up to his chest and sank into the Force. What did all this mean?

Mustafar. Anakin was on Mustafar.

Notes: Short chapter, I know. I promise, the next one is longer. Next up, the rescue mission gets underway!