Chapter 1 – A Bygone Era

Plot: As he walked between realms on a path to find Padme, Darth Vader finds himself back on Mustafar eight years in the past. He joins forces with Maul and his brother in their bid to get revenge on Obi-Wan Kenobi. All Vader wants is vengeance on the man who left him to die, and a chance to help Anakin Skywalker find the destiny he lost. Predictably, it's not quite that easy.

Author's Note: When I was watching The Lawless arc, I couldn't help but wonder: what if Vader suddenly ended up there? How would he react if he got thrown into the past on Mandalore and was presented with the opportunity to take revenge on Obi-Wan there? And so, this fanfic was born!

This is... first and foremost a fix-it of sorts, and it's purely self-indulgent, so I hope you'll enjoy the ride! I'm honestly not in control of anything anymore. I'm just letting the characters run away with the story on their own, so I'm only half-sure where this is headed or how everything will turn out. Lol.

Updates will be monthly. :)

~ Amina Gila

The world around him is dark, unusually so. For the first time since beginning this journey, Darth Vader is uncertain. It was supposed to be easy: go through the portal to find Padme and bring her back with him, but somehow, he got lost. A prickle of apprehension travels down his spine as he reaches out with the Force. He's not supposed to be here, wherever exactly here is.

Padme, I need to find her. Easier said than done. Something around him shifts minutely, but this deeply in the Force, Vader feels it strongly. He feels a faint whisper, a faint urging, as if the Force itself is trying to pull him along to somewhere. He struggles against it before finally giving in.

He's sucked into a void. The inky blackness of space without the light from stars surrounds him, and he struggles to make out something, anything in this place. Start anew. The voice isn't audible, but the thought, the meaning behind it, resonates within him. He's lost. He – he needs to go back. Vader tugs on the Force gently, pulling himself back to the physical world.

The movements are slow at first and then suddenly, it's as though everything snaps into place around him. He stumbles to his knees, respirator echoing loudly in the area around him. This isn't right. Why is he outside? Where is his castle? He was just there only a moment ago. Glancing down, he takes stock of his body, realizing that he's perfectly immaculate instead of injured like he was only moments ago – or hours? Somehow, he's been completely restored back to his normal appearance.

Where am I? He reaches out harshly, the familiar anger corroding him as he demands an answer from the Force. All Vader feels is a hint of amusement, so he opens his senses fully, slamming his shields down just as suddenly. He's glad he wasn't standing, because the shock of his discovery would have brought him to his knees. No. This is impossible. He destroyed all the Jedi. Why, then, can he feel their Light overwhelming and overshadowing all the darkness his Master had built?

Vader finds that he doesn't have an answer. The truth, however impossible, is that he's in another time. He's in the past. How – and why – did this happen? He simply doesn't know. He only wanted to bring Padme back, but now, he can't. He wouldn't be so cruel as to take her from her current husband, his past self. No. But he can do so much more.

He can destroy Sidious, because why not? Vader can candidly admit that he didn't like where the Empire was going. He could do it all over again so much better. He can be the Emperor, or he can crown Padme as Empress, while he and Anakin enforce her will on the galaxy to make it a better place. There are so many options, so many possibilities. The future lies at his feet, and he, who has seen it, is the one best suited to shape it in his vision.

First, he must escape the planet. Reaching out to the Force, Vader lets it guide him and begins walking across the treacherous ground. He doesn't fear the death the planet holds, not anymore. His suit will be able to sustain him for a week or two before it will need to be recharged, and he knows that by that time, he'll have long since reached his destination.

Vader doesn't know how long it is before he sees a towering building in the distance. From the little he knows about those who have resided on Mustafar, he would hazard a guess that the structure belongs to the Black Sun. At this point in time, the crime syndicate leaders have no grudge against him, and he intends to keep it that way. It will be easy enough to obtain a shuttle from them to leave the planet, and should they refuse, he will take one by force.

The closer he gets, the more he gets the feeling that something is off, a feeling which is compounded when a number of starships fly low to land or hover near the building. Mandalorian ships. Vader recognizes their design quickly. Why would Mandalorian ships be coming here? It's not as though the Death Watch – they must be Death Watch – is lacking warriors, unless – oh. This must be around the time when Maul allied himself with Death Watch to take over Mandalore.

That brings up a whole new host of possibilities. There's still plenty of time before Sidious makes his move, a year at least, so Vader can thwart those plans later. But now? Revenge. Against Ob- Kenobi; this man isn't the one who trained him, the one who left him for dead. Vader knows that. But at the same time, there's a part of him which wants to make Kenobi hurt regardless.

He loathes Maul, but he has to admit the usefulness of joining forces with him. He can make sure that Kenobi suffers for what he did, or at least ends up in his hands. Killing his Duchess isn't enough. It hurt, but he let it pass. No. They have to try something else, something which will satisfy both him and Maul. Besides, the long-term benefits of keeping the Duchess alive outweigh the pleasure he might gain in killing her. He doesn't kill unless it's necessary, and he's loath to murder her in cold-blood.

The promise of vengeance humming through his veins, Vader increases his pace, rapidly striding towards the landing platform where he can make out Maul and his brother, Savage Opress, speaking to someone from the Black Sun organization. They disappear into the building, so Vader makes himself content with waiting as he steps onto the platform, ignoring the surprise he can feel from the surrounding members of Death Watch.

Yes, they might be Mandalorians, but he is a Sith Lord, and more than a match for them. He's faced off numerous Jedi, so these warriors will be no worse, not that he intends to underestimate their abilities, but he's confident of his own. He crosses his arms in his most intimidating pose, respirator echoing through the darkness. It's not long before Maul emerges, his pride and smugness radiating into the Force, stopping in his tracks when he sees Vader.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Maul demands, stepping forward threateningly.

Vader tilts his helmet, regarding the other Sith in silence for a single respirator cycle. "I am Darth Vader, a Sith Lord like you, Darth Maul, and I have been betrayed by my master. I have come to form an alliance and aid you in your goals."

The tense silence is so thick that a lightsaber could cut it. Vader knows that Maul will sense the truth of his words, even though he will, no doubt, remain wary. He wouldn't be a Sith if he wasn't.

"My former master has only taken one apprentice other than me," Maul finally replies, eyes narrowed.

"No," Vader contradicts. "I was his apprentice. I was to be his prized apprentice, worthy of the title Dark Lord of the Sith, but he treated me as nothing more than his servant." Slave, he doesn't add. All of it is true. The treatment has smarted, hurt in a way he thought almost nothing else could, and it's only been getting worse. Sidious still treated Vader as worthy, but only so long as he could be useful. He's not blind. He could see how his master was maneuvering to prevent any possible assassination attempts, for treachery is the way of the Sith.

"There can only be two Sith, and he –" He gestures to Savage. "– is my apprentice," Maul refutes. "I won't replace him with you."

"I will never be anyone's apprentice," Vader snarls, stepping forward, "But I seek to overthrow my former master and destroy him." He pauses, before continuing. "I also wish vengeance on Kenobi for what he has done to me." It will be… hard for him to remember not to call him Obi-Wan, because even if he wants to deny it, he never been able to think of his old master in such a detached manner.

Maul blinks, suspicion blooming. "And how has Kenobi harmed you?"

"This!" Vader explodes, anger coiling in the Force. "He sliced off my limbs and left me to die! I survived, and I have become that much stronger for it."

For a moment, the brothers study him, before a cruel smirk twists up Maul's lips. "Very well," he concedes. "You may join us, but I will be watching you."

"I can expect no less," Vader replies, nodding once. He can sense the dislike of the Mandalorians around them, but none of them say anything, none of them except their leader – Pre Vizsla – who approaches Maul and speaks to him quietly. Vader doesn't need to hear the words to know that the man is upset by the newest development, but he doesn't care.

He boards the same shuttle as the Sith brothers, standing silently – as silently as he can with his respirator – while it takes off, flying away from the cursed ground of Mustafar. So far, everything is going well, but Vader knows that he'll have to share more of his plans for getting revenge on – on Kenobi with Maul, but not just yet. First, he wants to give them time to be accustomed to his presence and prove how useful and powerful he can be. He could kill them easily and usurp their places, but that would create too many ripple effects in the timeline. He has to tread with care.

**w**

Anakin is in his apartment at the Temple, working on some of the droids and other projects he has scattered about when he feels a familiar approaching presence. Figures. Just when he finally manages to find a sense of calm, Obi-Wan has to intrude. Anakin hates that their relationship is so prickly, that the camaraderie they'd formed through the difficult beginning of the war has been broken, but he doesn't know how to fix it. More than that, he doesn't know if he even wants to.

He's not petty, at least not often, but this isn't because of pettiness. It's because his trust in Obi-Wan has been broken. Not entirely, oh no. He still trusts the other man to keep him alive and watch his back, but they've been distanced emotionally ever since the Hardeen incident. It smarts badly, far more than Anakin wants to think about, and he really doesn't want to talk to Obi-Wan right now. For some reason, all his past hurts have been troubling him more than normal, and he doesn't like it.

"Anakin?" The person in question opens the door.

"What?" Anakin grouches, looking up from the welding he'd been doing.

"A word if you don't mind." Obi-Wan enters the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Anakin gives him an expectant look, and the Jedi Master obliges by explaining his presence. "The Council has sensed an unusual darkness and being as you are more sensitive to the Force, I wanted to ask you what you'd felt."

This isn't the first time that the Council has trusted Anakin's senses – he remembers the time a year ago when the holocron containing the list of Force sensitive younglings was stolen, and he'd meditated with Obi-Wan, Windu, and Yoda to figure out how to stop the kidnappings.

He turns his mind to what Obi-Wan is asking. Earlier today, there was a sudden surge in the Dark Side, and when Anakin had reached out cautiously in confusion, he sensed something that resembled a black hole in the Force before the individual had slammed his or her shields down. The sheer power the Dark Side user – it must have been a Sith – had wielded shocked Anakin to the core. There was an odd sense of recognition when the being had sensed Anakin reaching out.

"I felt it," Anakin confirms, as if there was even the slightest chance that he hadn't. "I expect it was a Sith. He felt… like a black hole in the Force."

Obi-Wan seems troubled. "The Council sensed he was powerful, but he was gone before we could investigate. His shielding is strong, for we can't even sense where he might be. The answers elude us."

"It's not someone I want to run into," Anakin confesses. "Even Dooku feels nothing like him. I don't think we could survive such an encounter." He's not usually this blunt, but he really does want Obi-Wan to leave, and also, the chill the presence gave him has left him very on edge.

"It was likely the Sith Master," Obi-Wan murmurs, stroking his beard.

"And yet he was surprised to recognize my presence," Anakin adds, carefully turning the part over in his hand. Once he finishes this welding, he can see if it will work. He'd rebuilt the entire processing center of the droid by hand.

Obi-Wan stills. "Surprised how?"

Anakin shrugs. "It seemed like he didn't expect to feel me, but I didn't have more than a second to analyze before the shielding was in place."

"Strange," his former master murmurs seeming troubled. "Perhaps you can determine more by meditating at some point. The sooner we get to the bottom of this mystery the better." Anakin couldn't agree more.

**w**

Maul's crime alliance has grown far faster than Vader had anticipated. On their return to Zanbar, where the Death Watch has apparently been hiding, the leaders of the Pyke Syndicate had arrived, promising their allegiance. Just as all criminals, they go where the tide flows, and they saw the advisability of joining forces with the Sith. Vader isn't surprised, but he wishes that Maul hadn't decided to go to Nal Hutta next.

He's never been fond of the Hutts, and if they don't agree, Vader will have no problem slaughtering all of them. Had he been given a choice, he would have been more than happy to do so after the formation of the Empire, but Sidious had unfortunately deemed them unimportant.

They arrive at Nal Hutta in a shuttle which is leading the rest of the fleet and land outside before making their way into the Hutt Palace. Maul steps to the front to speak to the Hutt Council, two of whom are present only via hologram. At the sight of them, Vader can barely hold back the desire to murder them all. They're slaver scum who don't deserve to live.

"There are many things the Hutts influence and possess that would be useful to us," Maul explains upon being asked about their presence.

"What are you willing to pay us?" Oruba asks in Huttese.

"We have no credits," Maul answers unabashedly, and Vader feels a surge of disbelief and mockery.

"Do you have anything to trade?" demands Oruba scornfully.

"Your lives in exchange for Hutt space and everything in its borders," the Sith replies calmly. All the Hutts laugh uproariously as if they were told the biggest joke, and Vader smirks beneath his mask.

"Eliminate them!" Jabba calls to his bounty hunters.

The bounty hunters leap forwards, and one by the name of Sugi – Vader remembers her faintly – hurls a knife at Maul. The Sith stops it with the Force before spinning it around and tossing it back at her. Chaos immediately breaks loose as the bounty hunters open fire. This is what Vader relishes: the thrill of battle, and he'll make the most of this moment.

"I will handle this," Vader informs the brothers as he ignites his lightsaber and drops some of the shielding around himself, letting the raw darkness of his presence echo out into the room.

He wields his saber like an extension of his arm as he lunges towards the bounty hunters, moving far faster than anyone could have anticipated, casually flicking aside stray blaster bolts and deflecting more with his lightsaber. Maul and Savage join the fray, though it's clear Vader is far deadlier than they are.

Vader slices through two bounty hunters, throwing another across the room and knocking another two off their feet with a wave of his hand. Deflecting more bolts with his right hand, he snaps the neck of yet another attacker with his other. By this point, Vizsla has joined them, and Vader leaps out of the way as the Mandalorian uses a flamethrower to ignite the table and give them time to withdraw to the open area outside where they'll be able to fight on more level ground.

Vader can feel the impressed look that Savage throws his way as they back onto the landing platform, killing the guards in their way. The surviving bounty hunters and palace guards race in hot pursuit. Vader swivels in the middle of the landing platform and moves towards them, deflecting blaster bolts with precision to take out as many of their opponents as possible.

"I see the negotiations have gone as planned," snips Bo-Katan Kryze as she flies up, firing a missile into the midst of the Hutts' guards which explodes, killing and wounding many of them.

Vader ignores her, much as he ignores Vizsla's retort. The call to do battle, to kill and destroy is overwhelming, and he gives in to it. They're no more powerful than the Jedi were, and he destroyed them all. It doesn't take long before the bounty hunters and palace guards are in full retreat, fleeing back into the safety of the palace with Vader and his allies chasing.

Some of them split off to escape from the planet, but Vader pays them no heed. Cowards, the whole lot of them. They have no allegiance. Instead, he strides into the council hall, cape billowing behind him. The only remaining Hutt is Oruba. It's not as though they need his assistance, but he might be able to provide useful information. Maul obviously agrees, because they approach him from opposite sides, cornering him.

"Where are the others?" snaps Maul as Vader levels his red lightsaber at the Hutt's throat. Oruba doesn't reply, staring in terror at the blade which is close enough for him to feel the heat.

Vader moves it closer, and the Hutt yelps pitifully. "Give me a location," snarls Maul as the Hutt struggles to inch away from the lightsaber which is about to impale him.

"Jabba's palace," he whimpers.

"So the only thing that you can tell me, is that I will find Jabba at Jabba's palace?" Maul asks incredulously.

"Useless scum," hisses Vader swinging the blade and decapitating the Hutt. He clips the hilt back on his belt and crosses his arms, turning to face the others. "I know the location of Jabba's palace. Though he may be willing to offer assistance, I suspect he may sell us out to the Republic. I would suggest killing him if it proves to be necessary."

"I agree," Savage declares, looking at Maul, who nods firmly.

**w**

By the time the shuttle lands on Tatooine in front of Jabba's palace, the initial group Mandalorians who went ahead have taken out the guards immediately outside. Pre Vizsla walks in front of the group, with Maul right behind him. Savage follows his brother, with Vader bringing up the rear. He hates the submissive position he was placed in, but he has no doubt that he is the one who captivates everyone's attention with his black armor. Maybe the respirator is good for one thing: it gets him attention.

As he steps onto the sandy ground, cape swirling at his ankles, he gets the strangest sensation of standing in two places at once, and his vision blanks out. He senses the Force signature of Obi-Wan, weaker and more tainted than he remembers from their fight on Mustafar. And he senses another presence, one which glows like a small supernova, young and untrained. A Jedi's child.

Then, Vader understands. He's bridging the gap between the timelines, and he can choose to return to his own time, or he can stay here and pave himself a new future. There isn't even anything to choose. If he returns, he will again be forced to serve his master, the Emperor, but if he stays? His possibilities are limitless. He can begin his own Empire here on Tatooine by killing Jabba and taking his place. When he makes the decision, everything returns to normal, and Vader realizes that barely a second has passed. This is his future now, and he doesn't want it to change.

They enter the palace, Maul moving forward and cutting down the two guards who happen to be in their path. Everyone looks up as they enter the throne room, and Vader can taste their fear. He relishes it.

"Give up, Jabba," orders Vizsla, helmet under his left arm. "You're the only ones left."

"Submit or suffer," Maul hisses, and Vader purposefully takes a step closer.

"We will join you," Jabba decides immediately, coward that he is.

"The mighty Jabba and the Hutt families have decided to join you," the protocol droid translates.

At this point, Vader steps forwards, planting himself partially in front of the others. "Tatooine will be under my control," he declares, tone brooking no refusal, "And everything on this planet will be run as I see fit." He turns, looking at Maul. "All Jabba's wealth belongs to me, and you will have everything you need to conduct your plan."

Vader senses Vizsla's rising disbelief but ignores the man in favor of looking at Jabba. "What do you have to say, Hutt?" Jabba says nothing, his astonishment clear for all to see, so Vader keeps pressing. "Will you rule under my authority or would you rather I relieve you of your head?"

"I will do as you say," Jabba splutters finally, and Vader ignores the protocol droid's translation.

"Very good. Our business here is complete. You will address me as Lord Vader." He turns on his heel and strides outside, the others following him. Maul's satisfaction echoes into the Force, and Vader finds himself pleased that the other Sith Lord is not being too unreasonable; he'll have to kill him eventually, but for now, Maul will be useful.

As they go outside to the courtyard, Savage wanders off to follow his brother's instructions, while Vader falls in step on Maul's other side as Vizsla talks to him. "Between the Hutts, Black Sun, and the Pykes, we'll have a large reserve of muscle and supplies," he declares with satisfaction.

"Yes," Maul agrees.

"Then Mandalore and Kenobi are still our priority?" the leader of Death Watch queries. Vader senses suspicion within him but remains silent. His conversation with Maul will occur later, once Vizsla is gone.

"They are vital," Maul replies, carefully enunciating each word.

"I'm curious to hear the rest of your plan," states Vizsla.

"The vision has expanded," Maul informs him. "You will still rule Mandalore, and under your protection, I will command a new galactic underworld."

Vader notices as Vizsla stops in his tracks, anger flaring before he falls in step next to Maul once more. "Mandalore influences a league of 2,000 neutral systems. It gives you a great deal of options for your enterprise."

"You have learned from your previous oversights," the Sith comments. "With their combined forces, the Republic and the Separatists will be irrelevant."

"Then are we ready?" Vizsla asks impatiently, stopping once more.

Maul turns to look at him. "Mobilize the army. Send an advanced guard to the capital," he orders. "I want a list of targets vital to Mandalore's security. Choose wisely. There will be no second chances."

As he turns to walk away, Vizsla doesn't follow. "What do you have to say, Vader?" Maul wonders as they leave the Mandalorian behind.

"Your plan is wise. No one will expect our assault, however, I have a suggestion for you," Vader replies, considering how he should best approach the subject matter at hand. If he doesn't play his cards right, he could lose all leverage.

"What is it?" Maul queries.

"For one, be wary of Vizsla," he advises. "I know he will betray you as soon as he gets the opportunity. He is trying to use us."

"I am aware, but until I find someone who can rule Mandalore, he will have to suffice," Maul replies. "I will not risk the Jedi learning of my location, but this is not all you had to say to me…" He studies the impenetrable mask. "I know you wouldn't insult my intelligence like that."

"Quite right," Vader agrees, crossing his arms. "No, what I intend to tell you pertains to O- Kenobi." He catches himself before he slips. The name catches Maul's interest like an insect drawn to light. "I know you wish to get revenge for how he harmed you but murdering the Duchess before him will not succeed." Now that Vader has had some time to plot his own actions, he wonders if forcing her to see the error of her pacifist ways is best. He'll keep her alive, because if he can change her mind, he can install her as the leader of Mandalore once again, this time with him pulling her strings as he uses Mandalore itself as his weapon against the Sith.

Maul narrows his eyes. "Then what do you propose to do if killing the woman he loves won't be enough?"

Vader's grin is positively feral. He's given a lot of thought to that before finally hitting on the one thing which will – hopefully – hurt Obi-Wan far more than Satine's death. Perhaps he is wrong though. Perhaps his old master did love his Duchess more than he ever loved his Padawan. "I will reveal my identity to him after hurting the Duchess before his eyes, though not fatally. We may yet have use for her in the future, and if the Death Watch does not want her, then I can bring her here as a captive to Tatooine."

Maul furrows his brow. "Your identity?" he repeats, confused.

"I will tell you a truth, one which you must guard carefully," Vader warns him. "I am not from this time. I have come from the future, and I know from personal experience that the Duchess' death will not obtain the desired result. But I… knowing that his precious Padawan became a Sith? It will break him." Or so he hopes. He wants Obi-Wan to hurt the way he has for so many years, even if it'll only be a fraction.

Maul stares at him in disbelief for a moment before slowly smiling. "Skywalker?" He shakes his head. "I wouldn't believe it if I couldn't feel your honesty."

"Never say that name again," snarls Vader, "And you will never repeat what you have heard to another soul – save your brother if you wish – or you will yet live to regret it."

"You do not scare me," Maul retorts, spinning on his heel, before stopping, "But I approve of your plan. We may yet avenge ourselves upon Kenobi for what he has done to us."

Vader watches him walk away and smiles with satisfaction, yellow eyes gleaming with anticipation. He's awaited this day for so long, and finally, his goal is within sight.

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