A/N: We're going to jump 5 years into the future now. It's going to give time for the rebellion to get established. This will also give Anakin time to grow as a father and build his relationship with his children. His relationship with his children will be fundamentally important for him in defeating Palpatine in this AU. Just a reminder, this AU is much darker than my other story. I have the entire story plot out from start to finish and if you hang in there some more characters are going to make an appearance.

Warning: Very dark, heavy clone wars flashbacks in this chapter.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 8

Lothal, Outer Rim

Five years. It's been five years since the fall of the Republic and the creation of the all powerful Empire. The galaxy is barely recognizable in its current state. For now, the Senate remained but its power waned every year. It was a farcy and everyone knew it. Politicians that disagreed with the Empire openly disappeared and were replaced with far more willing, submissive servants of the Empire. It was only a matter of time before the Senate would cease to exist anymore.

The Rebellion slowly grew under the Empire's nose. Quietly, they made small ripples throughout the galaxy sabotaging manufacturing projects, taking contraband and fuel from outposts far from the core worlds where it can be blamed on pirates. They ignited local insurgencies making it difficult for the regional Empire to fully control planets. Lawlessness, ironically, increased with the Empire's relentless oppression. Those who didn't fit within the Empire's construct or considered dispensable planets, to the greater Empire's needs, were forgotten. Poverty ran rampant and with the citizens hungry and desperate for even the basic necessities this resulted in an escalation in crime. That's if you're lucky not to be enslaved by means of debt repayment in such a corrupt system that any real hopes of becoming debt free are just an illusion.

Whatever Jedi survived aided the Rebellion in any way possible, but the few who remained were very few. Obi Wan and Yoda made up the core of the Rebellion along with Senator Bail Organa and Senator Mon Mothma. Their meetings were sparse in the first couple of years and done covertly as to not arouse suspicion. Tedious in nature, it was a very slow process and they were met with many setbacks. Patience wore thin as desperation settled in its place. Hope was seeds sown on the grounds of despair breaking through its brutal, hostile surface. The glorious Empire wielded a merciless, heavy hand on the galaxy and the Rebellion painfully and slowly lurched forward under its iron grip.

Obi Wan contemplated this ruefully as he flew his small craft searching the outer rim territories. He had a lot of time to think nowadays-too much time. Alone in space, he was tasked with searching for a new planet for the Rebellion after the Empire decimated their last one. It was a crushing loss; many good people were killed and several key ships were destroyed. The lucky ones that made it off the planet were safely in hiding now while a few scouts were sent out looking for a new home. If one was found, then the code name Fulcrum would be sent to alert the Rebellion.

This is how Obi Wan ended up heading for Lothal. In his last conversation with Yoda, he mentioned scouting the outer rim area for a potential planet, and while he intended to do just that, his true purpose was to follow up on a tip. A husband and wife rebel sympathizer on the planet Lothal has passed him some information on a J type diplomatic barge he was looking for. No one knew why he was looking for it. Being one of the only 2 Jedi Masters still alive, he was well respected and rarely did people ever question him. The only two who ever dared were Master Yoda and Senator Organa. They knew he was still on a fruitless quest to find Anakin Skywalker and often urged him to heed their concerns and stop the hunt. This only caused Obi Wan to be more secretive about his endeavors.

There have been rumors of dark side enforcers for the Emperor. Several people strong with the dark side that hunted down the Force sensitive individuals and remaining Jedi. It was told that their leader was a dangerous and powerful person-the Grand Inquisitor. Yoda and the other's in the Rebellion were certain it was Darth Vader. Obi Wan, for a time, hesitantly concluded so too. He hadn't felt Anakin's Force signature in almost five years. A bond between a Master and Padawan, especially between them, was strong and sensitive to each other even on the galaxy's edge. One day, as he searched for Anakin, he felt it suddenly stopped, disappeared, and maybe even died. Yoda had concluded that whatever remained of Anakin Skywalker was completely gone. He had fully absorbed the dark side and all good was lost. It's true that no one who has seen the Grand Inquisitor was left alive to tell the tale. All signs lead to the conclusion that it was Darth Vader. Obi Wan refused to believe it. He couldn't believe it.

Irritated, angry, and aggrieved, Anakin begrudgingly paced back in forth in front of Obi Wan. One year into the Clone Wars, he was knighted to a Jedi and even given his own Padawan. Yet, in the presence of his former Master, he still acted as an impetuous Padawan. Obi Wan pulled him into a vacate storage room on the Republic Venator class star destroyer, the Negotiator they were on to talk to him privately. Out fighting in space, Anakin, in his Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor, disobeyed orders by going after General Grievous, who escaped his burning ship in a small fighter, on his own. In pursuit of Grievous, he left his men and Ahsoka to defend themselves and they barely escaped the dogfight. The Jedi Council was concerned about his reckless actions and wanted Obi Wan to talk to him.

Finally speaking up, Anakin angrily snapped, "I could have taken him out! If I had just a couple more seconds, I would have caught up to him, and we would be closer to ending this war!"

Obi Wan was calm on the exterior, as he leaned against the wall watching Anakin paced, "You jeopardized your men and Ahsoka."

Anakin replied hotly, "They could handle themselves! They've been in much worse."

"You went against direct orders."

"They didn't know that Grievous would be vulnerable. I saw the opportunity, so I took it!"

Obi Wan patience never seems to withstand the barrage of Anakin's emotions. He let out a heavy sigh and pushed off the wall he was leaning on, walking towards the agitated young Jedi Knight in front of him. "Why are you so impulsive! You act like you're the only one that could end this war!"

Anakin stopped his pacing as he faced his Master. The anger in his eyes replaced with something closer to despair, "Isn't that what the Chosen One suppose to do? Isn't it my job to end this war?"

Obi Wan's patience returned, as he felt a sharp pang of sadness in his heart, his voice softened. "We don't know if that's what the prophecy meant."

It was the ongoing question in Anakin's mind for the last decade they had been together. Frustrated and directionless, he attempted to figure out what this Chosen One prophecy was on his own. As a Padawan, one heartbreaking day, Anakin had even asked-begged Obi Wan to take away this heavy burden, sick of the responsibility, he wanted to be a normal Jedi.

The edge in Anakin's tone softened as his voice quivered, "Isn't it? If not this, then what? What am I suppose to do as the Chosen One?"

Obi Wan pulled himself out of his thoughts as he entered Lothal's atmosphere. Scanning the surrounding area around Capital City, he made his way to the coordinates his source had advised him. Remote as they come, there wasn't much out here with mostly tall grass and an occasional boulder. Catching the sun, a distinctive and recognizable glimmer caught his eye, calling out to him like a long lost friend. His heart skipped a beat as he smiled to himself, starting the landing cycle on his small craft.

Disappointment would be an understatement as his eyes slowly, dejectedly raked the skeletal remains of the cruiser. Unfortunately, not much was left at all. From his cockpit, Obi Wan could tell most of the ship was stripped clean. The grassy plains grew through and around it winding around the chrome paneling as it unapologetically claimed it as part of Lothal. Basking in the sun, a petite loth cat calmly nestled on top of what was left of the cruiser. It peered at him through its large, glassy eyes, unimpressed, then let out a large yawn showing its sharp teeth and stretching its limber back as its velvety tail danced behind it before leaping off into the tall grass. He let out a heavy sigh as he stroked his beard. He had a feeling he wouldn't find much on the cruiser but it's the only lead he's had in years. Slowly getting up, he decided to see what he could find.

The fighting seemed endless. Battle after battle without either side getting the advantage over the other. Arriving on the planet first, the Separatists had laid a trap and patiently waited for the Republic to emerge from hyperspace. They convinced the planet's youth that the Republic was the corrupt, villainous invaders that needed to be stopped, much to their parent's protests. Impressionable youth, the Separatists sent out the teen and preteens of the locals with their droid armies hoping to cushion their forces and cause the enemy to hesitate, giving them the advantage. There were heavy losses on both sides. One of the Separatist generals was a neimodian and his knowledge of Separatist's strategies was valuable to the Republic. After fighting for days without end, Anakin's troops broke through to the general. Instead of asking for his surrender, Anakin just killed him.

Exhausted, Obi Wan finally broke through his side with his troops. Trying desperately to reach Anakin, knowing the devastating losses Anakin experienced and out of concern for his former padawan he ran past the destitute battlefield observing the piles of droid parts littering the ground, sliced with a lightsaber, as well as dismembered locals who were killed quickly but mercilessly.

Finally reaching Anakin, he saw his back turned discussing the battle with Captain Rex. He grabbed Anakin's arm and swung him around to face him. The face of his former padawan was unrecognizable. Harden from almost three years of fighting this war he was more of a general than a Jedi at this point. Endless battles, the stench of death, the crippling pain of each defeat had etched its way into the young man's face. Only in his early 20s and he had experienced more grief than many Jedi twice his age. These were the eyes that stared back at Obi Wan.

In the past, being rudely pulled by Obi Wan would have illicit an outrage from Anakin for being treated so flippantly. Now, there was a coldness behind his eyes and it sent a dark chill down Obi Wan's back. A numbness had befallen the young Jedi's heart.

"What happened? You were supposed to bring the neimodian in for questioning?"

"Sorry, Master. Things got heated around here. I had no choice. My men were getting slaughtered."

He knew that Anakin took the deaths of his clone troopers to heart. He warned Anakin so many times about attachments but they would always fall on deaf ears.

"So, you chose to avenge those clone troopers?"

Obi Wan reminding him of the Jedi Code. Anakin knew that revenge is not the Jedi way. One of the many suffocating doctrines the Jedi demanded.

An emotion, anger, finally surfaced from the seemingly dead blue eyes, "That's not what I said!"

"But that's what you meant! Isn't it? Anakin, be mindful of your feelings."

"Or what? Maybe we should get angry from time to time. Maybe then we can win this war!"

"At what cost? Winning or even losing this war is not worth risking who we are as Jedi."

"I understand my responsibilities, Master," Anakin stated through gritted teeth.

"Do you?" Obi Wan stepped closer, looking up into Anakin's icy blue eyes, "Just because you are the Chosen One doesn't mean you couldn't fall to the dark side."

Anakin looked away as he clenched his fists tightly, lips thinned, "I'm just so frustrated with this war! I wish we could end this already."

Obi Wan placed a tender hand on Anakin's shoulder, "I know, Anakin. I am too, but please be patient. The quick and easy route leads to the dark side."

Obi Wan kicked a nearby panel and the resulting heavy clank of the metal echoed rhythmically down the empty hall. Slumping forward, he slammed his fists down on the counter in front of him, hanging his head. Just as he thought, it was stripped clean and worn by time and the environment. The databanks were meticulously wiped clean and anything worthwhile in the ship had been taken a long time ago.

He lifted his head up at a thought as something prickled at the back of his mind and he rushed over as he felt a rekindling of his spirit. In the cockpit, he knelt down and peered underneath it to the cobweb adorned space. All the electronics had been stripped but he wasn't looking for that. Eyes tracing the wall, he followed it to the pilot's side and a bright smile cracked on his weather worn face. Whoever stripped the cruiser, or at this point, multiple people that came through and pillaged the ship, wouldn't care about this particular area. He brushed away the dust and dirt that had caked and crusted over the years and felt the raised numbers against the cool metal. The ship's serial number, distinctive to every ship built, helped the manufacturer keep track if one was faulty. He knew the serial number of Padmé's cruiser by heart and it was a perfect match! He did a little triumphant fist pump, a small cry of victory, and crawled out of the narrow area. Finally, he had a lead.

After a thorough search through the grasslands and finding nothing else of significance, he decided to head into the city. The galaxy had changed much since the formation of the Empire and Lothal was no different. Promised with more jobs and economic stability, they embraced the Empire open handedly. Unfortunately, like many other planets, they suffocated under the Empire's greed. Shipyards trampled their grasslands and decimated their forests. Stormtroopers and Empire governors worked the people of Lothal mercilessly for the glory of the Empire.

Sticking to the shadows, Obi Wan had to be careful not to be recognized here. Not only would he be in danger but he'll put the locals at risk, and that was something he wasn't willing to do. He wouldn't be able to call for help and the Empire had no qualms about sacrificing the locals to find him. Starting at the shipyard, the Force was with him today as one of the dealers remembered selling a hunk of junk to a young man. That in itself wasn't memorable, but later that day, he happened to catch a glimpse of the same young man returning to the shipyard. At first, he was afraid the man wanted to back out of the deal and return the ship, but realized it was unrelated as he saw the frantic look on the young man as he carried a very heavily pregnant woman in his arms rushing off to the medical facility. It was so odd that five years later he still remembered the incident.

Confused more than ever, Obi Wan headed to the local medical facility the dealer mentioned. He found a young lady with striking purple eyes who remembered a frantic young couple coming in. They said they were refugees and she believed them. The beautiful woman in his arms, face etched with pain as sweat pooled down her face was visibly going through a painful labor and her panicking husband had rush her in. Obi Wan listened pensively as the woman recounted the tale. She described the young man as having a full forearm glove on his right arm and a scar on the right side of his face. The wife was petite and beautiful with brilliant brown eyes and matching brown hair framing her small, sharp nose and a peculiar mole on her left cheek. The couple was admitted and gave birth to twin children. It was customary for the mother to stay for several days after delivery, especially with twins, but they had left the next day against medical advice. She wasn't sure why they were in such a rush. Something about being on Lothal spooked them both.

"You put so much faith in Chancellor Palpatine." Obi Wan retorted for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"He's a good man," replied Anakin having to, once again, defend the Chancellor to his former Master.

"He's a politician. You should remember that." Obi Wan reminded him as he has always been wary of politicians. They have their own agendas and kindness wasn't given out freely.

"He's taken care of me and watched over me since I was 9 years old. An important man like him still finds time for me. How can someone who has been so kind to me be that bad?"

"He's just one man," Obi Wan offered, trying to reason with Anakin.

"But he could do it! He can change the Republic and end all this bickering and posturing. The Senate is weak. They need a stronger hand to get things done."

The hope and trust Anakin had in the Chancellor apparent in his words. Very few people trusted Anakin and he repaid the Chancellor's faith in him with his loyalty.

"That doesn't sound like a democracy," Obi Wan replied wearily.

"Maybe democracy is overrated. Nothing gets done. People are still suffering. The Senators are so selfish and small minded. Someone smarter then them and stronger should lead the people. And if they refuse, then maybe they should be made to see what is good for them."

"That sounds like fascism, Anakin."

"Isn't that what the Jedi Council does to us? Bark orders at us, and we comply, and if we don't then, we're reminded of the greater good we serve. They won't listen to me because I'm not a Master."

"That's not the same thing and you know it!"

"Isn't it? The strongest will has the most power."

Obi Wan left Lothal in bewilderment.

He didn't share the information with Yoda or anyone else. They wouldn't believe him. He hardly could believe it himself. Plus, his continued search for Anakin was unsanctioned. A wild goose chase that everyone tried to convince him out of. What he sensed in Padmé's apartment 5 years ago made more sense now. Yet, with this new knowledge, he had even more questions. The trail went cold after Lothal. Frustrated, he felt like he was finally getting closer to finding Anakin only to be led into another dead end. It took years to find Padmé's cruiser. How many more years would it take to find another clue? He just hoped they were still alive. He needed to see Anakin one last time.

A/N: The husband and wife rebel sympathizer are Ezra's parents. (For Rebels fans)

The flashbacks are memories of times Obi Wan thinks he missed Anakin descent to the dark side. Times he should have pushed harder or acted differently and wishfully thinking that things would have turned out differently if he did.

I hope the Kenobi series has some dark and juicy flashbacks showcasing Obi Wan's remorse!

I'm still working on the next chapter for Dawn of a New Era. I'm tinkering with a discussion about the future of the Jedi with the trio. It's taking a bit of time. "There is no light without the dark."