A/N: The book is back! I'll make this quick. First, I have written a roadmap for this book, so I have the ending and all of the scenes laid out - it's a method I made up for the actual book I'm writing and it works for me. What this means is that there won't be monumental waits between sections and, in a way, the story is already done! Second, the updates will take time. I'm going to try to do it bi-weekly. My other series will be updated next week, then this the week after, etc. Makes it fair in my opinion. Third, this is going to be a series. The story begins with part one and goes to part six - that's as far as I have planned at the moment. Each part has about ten chapters give or take one. There's no sequel; it's all built-in. Lastly, I have plans to include every major character that I know about. I mean it. Every. Single. One. Some will be cameos, others will have more weight to them. This first part will be influenced by the Old Republic more so than any other. I think some people will like it or at least I hope so.

P.S. Thank you all so much for the support. It's given me a lot of confidence in my writing abilities and pushed me into working on my first original book. I'm excited about that. Without further ado, here's the last and final version of my most popular story.

Part I: Chapter One

Once upon a time, the hallowed halls of the Jedi Temple created a sense of awe and wonder. History rippled through the chambers, halls, and rooms. Ghosts of past Jedi, heroes of the Republic, were felt by the thousands of men and women who had dedicated themselves to the Jedi Order.

They were infallible. Each step they took was meant to bring peace to the galaxy. Their ideals were passed down to the newest generation of Jedi, teaching them the lessons that made Jedi successful. Students absorbed the information, taking it to heart and pledging themselves to follow those same ideals which became the Jedi Code.

In his time as a Jedi, Anakin Skywalker tried his best to be perfect. In spite of his late acceptance into the order, he learned their ways. He worked tirelessly to become the best of them all, not only because it was expected by the Jedi Council but because he expected it of himself. For nineteen years Anakin thought he had been what they wanted, and he believed he was on track to be what he was meant to be. He took their criticisms and adjusted to what was asked of him, and Anakin had done so well in his own eyes.

Until he had been assigned to protect Padme Amidala. That was the beginning of the end.

She had always been on his mind. It was hard not to keep her in his thoughts. Her beauty exceeded physical looks, seeping deep into the very depths of her soul. She took on the role of a queen and somehow showed compassion to a boy whose life had been defined by his position of slavery. He never forgot her compassion.

When she returned to his life, that attraction grew. Anakin's childhood crush transformed into an adult attraction. He understood little about showing his affection, stumbling through awkward conversations and flirting, but it was impossible to fight. He had been raised through love, the strongest bond there was.

But there inlay the source of his conflict.

Love was a bond not accepted by the Jedi; it was the most sacred rule in their code. The attachment proved dangerous throughout their history. Many succumbed to it and it led to their downfall. The lesson had been driven home in his lessons.

Anakin spent hours, days contemplating it. The conflict inside of him raged, making daily life a battle. Should he follow his heart, accepting the feelings he had for Padme, or should he continue his path as a Jedi? It tore him apart. Rationally speaking, the two sides were mutually exclusive.

To his detriment, rationality was not his forte. In his own mind, Anakin justified having both. He was strong and powerful. The bond that broke so many Jedi before him would not have the same effect on him. He could learn from their mistakes and spot his downfall before it happened. Love made him stronger, gave him something to fight for. It gave him hope when he needed it most.

What was so wrong about that?

He pursued that love. He gave in to the pull towards Padme, and he made the silent promise to protect her and to love her. The Jedi would never know so long as he continued to dedicate himself to their laws and code. They would be none the wiser.

It came crashing down when his mother passed. The woman who raised him and instilled life lessons had been taken by brutes. A part of him died that day. The memory became a wound that would remain unhealed. Thinking about her crippled him at the worst of times and depressed him at best.

Anakin made a vow to protect those he loved most. Padme became top on that list. As long as he breathed no harm came to her. She was not going to be lost like his mother.

That protectiveness became his inevitable downfall. His fear of losing Padme became an obsession to him. It meant more than saving her life; it meant keeping her with him. Losing her love was as terrible as losing her life. The idea alone froze his heart, and it led him to make a terrible mistake.

So much went wrong that night. His protectiveness bordered on possessiveness, perhaps blurring the line between the two. He nearly killed a man for making the sin of kissing his wife. It drove him mad and he became a man he never imagined he could be. In turn, Padme broke off their marriage, calling their life a lie.

The pain was debilitating. Anakin could hardly breath. In his stupor he sought out the one family member he had left.

Upon hearing Anakin's retelling of the events, Obi-Wan was silent. Anakin pleaded with him to understand, to give him comfort. It was all he needed to hear. They had been through so much together. What was a forbidden relationship compared to the daily risk of death?

To Obi-Wan, it was too much to bear. To Anakin's horror, Obi-Wan confessed that he had no choice but to tell the council. The code was not optional. He left Anakin without wisdom, comfort, or protection.

Now, Anakin sat on the cold polished stone outside of the council chambers, exposed to the judgement coming his way. He should have known better than to place his trust in Obi-Wan, but most importantly, he knew better than to chase two dreams that were not compatible with one another.

The council requested Anakin's presence early that morning. They sent a padawan to dispatch their message, not having the respect to tell him themselves. At the very least, Obi-Wan should have been the one to tell him, but the man's shame, embarrassment, or disappointment forbade him from doing so.

For over an hour, Anakin sat alone. His mind was blank. His body moved automatically. He had nowhere else to go and no one else to see. For the first time in his twenty-three years of life, Anakin Skywalker felt truly alone. Not even the Chancellor extended him a helping hand.

The two large doors leading into the council chambers whisked open. Apparently, the council grew tired of his stalling.

He felt their emotions: anger; shame; disappointment; indignation; and resignment. True to their word, Anakin had no supporters. A Jedi who broke the code had no allies there, surely.

Anakin pushed himself off of the floor. He steadied himself and placed one foot in front of the other. Walking was no longer an automatic motion. His body might have taken him there, but it chose to not be complicit in his punishment. He forced himself inside.

The doors closed viciously. From the center of the room Anakin spared an empty glance at the council members. They all chose to focus their attention on him, staring at him with disgusted looks. He searched for Obi-Wan, yet he was oddly absent.

Mace Windu leaned forward, seizing the chance to speak. "It has been brought to our attention that you have broken the Jedi Code knowingly and willingly. The evidence has been given by Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The council played a recording of Obi-Wan giving his own account of Anakin's confession. What had been given out in confidence was spoken to everyone in the chamber. The secret Anakin gave in hope of being comforted was now used against him, a weapon for his destruction.

Mace ended the hologram. "Do you deny these events as we've just heard?"

Anakin waited. He felt like collapsing and crying. The world he had known was falling around him. It crashed to the ground like a meteor, exploding in a terrific fashion.

"No," he answered weakly.

There it was, the confession they needed. It wasn't as though they needed it to condemn him. Anakin had no doubt that their punishment would proceed without it. What was the use in denying it?

"Then I open this hearing up to the rest of the council."

Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke. "This is the gravest mistake a Jedi can make. It's a deliberate transgression against the Jedi Order. This action is not just reckless, it is dangerous! A Jedi with as much skill as he has poses a grave threat to us all. Skywalker chooses to put us all at risk with his rash choice. There is no other option, we must banish him from the Jedi Order."

The members took turns adding on to that remark. Each speech made Anakin hurt more. They each stung more than he thought it might. Their judgement represented the Jedi Order's opinion. Anakin was no great Jedi, he was a disgrace.

"I put it to a vote then," Windu said. "All in favor of expulsion speak now."

All but one voted in favor.

"Master Yoda?"

When prompted by Luminara Unduli, the Grand Master hummed. He kept his thoughts to himself, choosing not to speak against Anakin. He witnessed the proceedings in silence.

All of the council gave Yoda their attention as he spoke. "A dangerous path this is. Attachments lead to the dark side. Know this you do, but ignore it you did. Tell us why you chose this path will you?"

Anakin sputtered for an answer to justify himself. He lifted his head up to look at the green Jedi who gave Anakin his full attention. The others gave him no chance to redeem himself. In their minds, his fate was sealed. Knowing that, there was no use.

"There's nothing I can say to change this," he told Yoda.

Yoda dipped his head. "Disappointing this is." He paused for a moment. "The debate is settled."

"Anakin Skywalker," Mace Windu began in his demanding voice, "come forward and forfeit your weapon."

He complied without debate. Anakin reached for his lightsaber, twisting it in his palm for one last time. It had served him for so long that it was part of him. The weapon served him well. Handing it over left him bare for the world to see. No longer was he Jedi Anakin Skywalker, he was just another human being lost and off course.

Yoda held out his palm and Anakin gently laid the weapon down. Unsure of what else to do, Anakin made for the exit. Leaving could not come fast enough. He needed to run far from Coruscant.

"Before you leave," Windu called out, freezing Anakin by the exit, "it is on recommendation of this council that charges be brought up against you for assaulting a public official. The damage you've done to this order is beyond words. There are two guards waiting for you by the exit on ground level. Submit yourself to them and start to take responsibility for what you've done."

The doors closed behind Anakin. His body moved on its own accord to the left, pressing the button, and starting the journey to ground level. Exiting the lift, Anakin saw the temple guards standing at the exit. They faced him and stood ready for him to surrender himself.

He waited in place, ignoring the stares of the Jedi who passed by. Less than two-hundred feet separated him from his would-be imprisoners. Hanging on the hip of one guard was a set of binders, no doubt able to dull his sensitivity to the Force.

It took a split second for Anakin to come to a realization. He would not turn himself in. Brutal his current torment may be, however, confining himself to a four walled cell without access to pure air was a step too far. The Jedi may expel him from their order, but Anakin chose to live his own life rather than the one chosen for him. He was their puppet no more.

Anakin turned from the guards and moved slowly towards the left. The hangers weren't too far from him. If he reached his ETA-2, there was a chance he could make his escape.

"Anakin Skywalker, halt!" one of the guards demanded.

The Jedi around him halted, their heads turned in his direction. Checking over his shoulder, he saw the guards coming towards him. Judging by their lack of haste, they expected him to come quietly. How wrong they were.

Anakin broke into a sprint. He put all of his energy into his run. Dodging Jedi left and right, he made his break for the hangers. His mental map of the temple was perfect. All he had to do was escape the guards and he would be free.

Few Jedi attempted to stop him. The children gave him space, afraid to interfere with a Jedi of his magnitude, while others recognized the situation for what it was. They attempted to seize Anakin or to hinder his progress using the Force. No matter their method, he managed to evade them.

The commotion he caused gathered attention. More Jedi came out from the halls to see what the yelling was about. It would be a matter of time until the Council caught wind of it. Anakin felt confident about escaping the temple guards, but he was certain there was no chance of fending off the more powerful Jedi.

Anakin leapt through the open doors of the hangar. He threw crates, starfighter parts, droids, and debris on the ground. The maneuver proved just enough; the temple guards raised their arms to protect themselves from major injury. By the time they managed to free themselves, Anakin had taken to the cockpit of his yellow ETA-2.

His fingers danced over the controls, bringing the ship to life. The engines roared. The ship shook as the landing gear retracted, and in no time he brought the starfighter into the air.

Where he was going Anakin had no idea, but he could not stay on Coruscant. He had no place there. No one remained to love him, care for him, and to serve. That day the life he had known came to an end.

He did not spare a glance back at Coruscant as he linked to a hyper-ring and soared off into the black abyss of space.