A MESSED UP DESTINY

A STAR WARS STORY

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Disney owns everything and I make no profit from this.

Hello there reader! Welcome to "A Messed Up Destiny". Before we dive into chapter 1, allow me to explain what this is about. Anakin Skywalker, known as Darth Vader for the last five years, finds himself back in the time of the Clone Wars, in his old body. Filled with regret and desperate to not repeat his mistakes, Vader sets out to stop Palpatine before he becomes Emperor of the galaxy. During his journey, he'll have to resist the constant temptation of the Dark Side and fulfill his destiny by bringing true balance to the Force. Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review my work and let me know what I can improve.

Note: This story follows the canon timeline and ending of ROTS, but I might add some dialouge that we never got to see in the movies or TV shows if I deem it nessecary.

Note 2: I actually had to cancel this story once and that is why I've mentioned it so much on my other story, Vader's Second Chance, which you should check out by the way. Shameless plug aside, I truly hope that you enjoy this story.

The Executor, Darth Vader's chambers, Vader's point of view:

It has been five years since the end of the Clone Wars. Things have only gotten worse from that day on. Instead of being a disrespected Jedi, I ended up being little more than a slave to both the Dark Side of the Force and my Master, the Emperor. My old friends have either died by the Clones or my own hand, the Jedi are extinct, the man who I considered family used me as a pawn and I killed my own wife, along with our unborn children. My Angel…I miss her so much. Now I only wish I had a chance to fix things, to stop myself from helping the Emperor, from killing all those people. Those younglings from the Temple still haunt me, just like the rest of my victims. If only…If only I could change their fates, if only I could go back, things would be different. I'd make sure things went differently. But there is no hope. I had my chance and I failed. I failed to keep them alive, I failed to keep my own wife safe. I disconnected from my thoughts, then mentally sighed again, overwhelmed with nothing but guilt and regret. No anger, no hate. Just guilt. I got up and entered my hyperbaric chamber, the only place I can rid myself from this horrible mask, and did my best to meditate. Instead, my nightmares engulfed me and I could do nothing other than give in to the dreams that are the cause of my endless suffering...

Flashback, five years ago, Jedi Temple:

The siege of the Temple was happening. Jedi fell left and right, while walls burned and the floors were littered with bodies of both Clone Troopers and Jedi Knights. I knew it wasn't right, but I was doing it for her. I sliced down another Jedi that tried to attack me and Commander Apo approached me, hastily giving his report.

"Sir, the area has been cleared out and the Jedi have been crushed" said the Commander.

"Good. I will check the Council Chambers for stragglers while you and your men proceed to the archives" I said in response while trying to keep hesitation out of my voice.

Apo responded with an emotionless "Yes Sir!" and I started making my way to the Jedi Council's Chambers, the room that I had been denied the rank of Jedi Master mere days ago. The more I thought about all the injustice I had suffered under the Jedi, the greater my anger became. I quickened my pace and made my way to the chambers. Those Jedi were all blind cowards, who hid behind their sabers, afraid to face a real opponent! Afraid to face someone with my power, power they and their Council had always feared. I quickly parried a blow from a Padawan that had managed to keep herself alive, at least until now, and killed her without giving it a second thought. I then entered the Council Chambers, only to find a group of younglings emerging from their hiding spots. A big mistake and in this case, their last one. A child suddenly approached me and I decided to see what the boy would say, if only to give him the luxury of having some final words.

"Master Skywalker! There are too many of them! What are we going to do?" said the youngling, blissfully unaware of the fact that I was his enemy.

I didn't respond to the little boy's question, but I'm certain he got his answer when I reached out for my blade and ignited it. I didn't want to do it. I knew that I was crossing a line, that I was taking it too far, but I had to if I wanted to save Padme's life. The next few seconds became a blur of screams, children pleading for their lives and my blade's azure light filling the room as my saber moved to cut the children down.

End of Flashback

When I woke up I was sweating and I was utterly terrified. I took a look around and noticed that I wasn't in my chambers anymore. I suddenly panicked, even if Sith aren't supposed to. I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down…hold on. I took a breath? After Mustafar I couldn't take a breath without that damn respirator. I looked down and saw the most unexpected thing. I had limbs! I had both my legs and arms was still organic! I was shocked. I couldn't remember what it was like to walk on real legs. I…I was overjoyed! I heard a voice calling out to me, a voice I didn't think I'd ever hear again. It was the voice of Qui Gon Jinn, the man that had promised to train me prior to his death on Naboo.

"Anakin." said the Jedi before appearing before me in a blue, somewhat ghostly form. "It's good to see you my friend."

"That name means nothing to me, regardless of what you think Jedi." I responded mechanically, still used to hearing the Emperor's infuriating slander over everything that had to do with that Jedi.

"I believe it does. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

Qui Gon's response made me stop for a moment. Did he even know the implications of what he had said? If he did, then why had he said it?

"I do not talk to the deceased. Leave me be ghost."

I was expecting him to disappear like the other Jedi that had visited me in my nightmares, even if he hadn't said or done anything to anger me. They all had over the years. Calling me a murderer, scum and other things of that kind. I wasn't going to hear it from him too. I wasn't ready for that and if I'm being honest with myself, I'd never be.

"Anakin, I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to explain everything." After seeing the confused look I sent him he continued to talk. "I've been saving my strength for this since you first turned. I saw what happened and I also saw why. Knowing this, I decided to give you a second chance. A chance to prevent the horrific nightmare you just came from."

I didn't respond to him, even if his words had caught my attention. After a moment of silence my curiosity, and only that, won over and I decided to speak.

"What do you mean by second chance?"

"That's what I'm here to explain. I've gathering my strength to help you undo your mistakes."

"What I've done cannot be undone. Besides, I have nothing and no one left to fight for. Why should I even listen to you?"

"Search the Force Anakin. It will prove you wrong."

I wasn't sure how the Force could possibly do such a thing, but by now my curiosity had peaked and I wanted to see where this would go, even if I'd never admit this to anyone. After a couple minutes I convinced myself that there was no harm in humoring the dead, so I did as Qui Gon had asked and Force was I surprised! I could suddenly feel them all! The Jedi Temple was filled with life again, as if someone had reversed time, but that would be impossible! Surely not! No…but maybe yes? I wasn't sure of what I should think, so I decided to search for specific presences if the Force and see what would happen. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. I sensed Yoda, Master Vokara, Master Tapal, Master Bibala, Master Fisto, Ahsoka and even Obi Wan! As much as I had hated the man for what he had done to me, I never stopped thinking of him as a brother. He may have betrayed me, but the Jedi had forced him to. His duty conflicted with my goals and he might have even been doing the right thing, considering that I ended up killing my own wife! Padme...I missed her. I'd never stop missing her.

"Anakin, can you still hear me?" asked Qui Gon, most likely trying to figure out why I had gone silent.

"Yes, I can. I just…how? How did you do this? What did you even do?" I asked, more confused than ever.

"I turned back time Anakin. You saw for yourself. Everyone if still safe. Evil hasn't won yet."

As soon as Qui Gon had said that everyone was safe, my mind jumped to Padme, so I did the only reasonable thing a Jedi could do. I searched for her presence in the Force and sure enough, she was there. Her presence full with light, a constant contrast against the growing darkness, a beacon of hope. Hope. I took a moment to think about the last time I had hope about anything and concluded that it was right before I had gone to Mustafar, before Obi Wan and the damned Jedi ruined everything!

"Anakin, I need you to calm down! Obi Wan will sense your distress!" Qui Gon's mention of his made me madder than I already was, regardless of the fact that Obi Wan's actions were caused by my own. Wait, what am I talking about? Of course they weren't! He had betrayed me! Ruined my life! Robbed me of my own body and left me to die! It was all his fault, as it always had been!

"Anakin, I need you clam down!" Qui Gon had never yelled at me, or anyone really, when he was still alive. According to Obi Wan, who I would never stop hating, the man had always been calm and collected, with the few exceptions to that rule being moments in life that had really brought him down, so I was naturally surprised when I heard him raise his voice. If he thought that this would make me calm down, then he certainly wasn't paying enough attention during my life, or he would know who could be the loudest.

"Why Master? Why shouldn't I blame him? Why should I listen to a karking ghost?"

"Because I'm trying to help you and you're not cooperating!" He truly seemed exasperated in that moment, but I didn't care! I was Darth Vader, the Sith Lord and second-in-command of the entire galaxy and a lousy spirit thought he could speak to me like this?

"Well, I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for you to fill the galaxy with these damned Jedi again, or to bring the man of whom my nightmares of near me!"

"The Force has given you a second chance Anakin and I've been sent to help you, but if you really want your family to stay dead then I can take you back to your little pod so you keep being Palpatine's slave! Is that what you want? To be once again reduced to a breathing pile of ash, knowing that you had the chance to fix it all?"

I was about to yell at the Force Ghost again, but then I registered what he had just told me. I was certain that Qui Gon would never lie to me, even in death, and if there was even the smallest of chances to save Padme then I'd take it without a second thought. Qui Gon had stopped yelling at me as well and simply decided to float in the same spot while waiting for my response.

"Can I really save her?" I asked, not entirely sure that this was even real.

"Yes, but you need to sit down and listen. I transported you to the time right before you and my former Padawan went to protect Padme. I also want to be clear when I say that the Force hasn't sent you here just to save her, but to fix all of your mistakes. That includes your relationships with both Obi Wan and Ahsoka, as well as your Mother and your friends. You can't just do whatever you want." Qui Gon warned and I let out a sigh, knowing that I was going to be used by somewhat yet again.

"No Anakin, I would never use you. I'm here to help you, not take advantage of you."

"Did you just…read my thoughts?"

"Yes Anakin, I did. I've also raised shields around both of us so no one could sense the change in your Force presence while we talk, but you'll have to do that on your own when I leave." That revelation didn't do much to put me at ease, but it did help somewhat.

"Master, I know it's not much, but I want to thank you. I won't make the same mistakes again. I will destroy Sidious and he won't win. Not again. I'll do it all right this time."

"I know you will Anakin. I have complete faith in you. I must return to the realm of the Force now my friend, but I'll always be there for you.

"Thank you Qui Gon. I know that only Jedi are supposed to say this but…May the Force be with you.

Qui Gon let out a laugh, as if I had just made a joke. I shot him a questioning look and he pointed to the mirror. I went to take a look and was met by the reflection of my unscarred face. I jumped in surprise when I saw myself, because even if I remembered what I looked like when I was still a Jedi, seeing it in person was something else completely. Qui Gon moved behind me and pointed his finger at the reflection of my eyes and only then did I notice that they were blue. I turned around to look at him and he smiled at me before finally fading away into the Force.

I hope you guys like this chapter, because I put a lot of work into it, considering that I'm used to more of a "Scrip style" format as my friend called it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this so please do me a solid and take a moment of your time to review my work. I'd also like to clarify that right now the only thing motivating Anakin to not Fall again is the fact that Padme's life can be saved. He is no better than he was five minutes ago-as Darth Vader-, but he is more than willing to put his hatred for the Jedi aside if it means that he'll be seeing his wife again. Now, about the next chapter. It begins right where this one left off and we continue to see the world though Anakin's eyes as he has his first conversation with Obi Wan after he last saw him on Mustafar and Anakin experiences the aftereffects of returning to the Temple, causing him to erupt into a full-blown panic which Obi Wan has to deal with. I'll see you all in the next chapter guys, but until then, May the Force be with you!