Chapter 1: Senator Anakin Skywalker
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda have entered the Jedi Temple. In an attempt to save the Jedi from falling into the Empire's trap. After watching the security footage, they discover that Anakin Skywalker has fallen to the Dark Side and become the new apprentice to Darth Sidious.
"Destroy the Sith, we must." Yoda states.
"Send me to kill the Emperor." Obi-Wan pleads. "I will not kill Anakin."
"To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough, you are not." Yoda affirms, knowing the Emperor would likely kill him.
"He is like my brother, I cannot do it." Obi-Wan argues, not wanting to kill the man he trained and practically raised since he was a young boy.
"Twisted by the Dark Side, young Skywalker has become." Yoda sadly counters. "The boy you trained, GONE he is. Consumed by Darth Vader."
"Yoda I do not know where the Emperor has sent him, I don't know where to look." Obi-Wan says.
"Search your feelings, Obi-Wan, and find him you will." Yoda urges as he exits the Temple.
The first potential lead that popped into Padmé Amidala. Obi-Wan knew of their feelings for each other throughout the Clone Wars. He suspected that it ran much deeper than that, though he never said anything about it. As he got into his starfighter, he flew off to Padmé's apartment. As he drew closer, he felt a disturbance in the Force. As if someone was scared, confused, and worried.
Landing at the apartment balcony, he entered the apartment.
"Padmé?" He called out.
"Obi-Wan!" A voice called, Obi-Wan looked to see the face of his former apprentice scared and helpless walking towards him. "It's good to see, Obi-Wan. I need your help." Before Anakin could embrace him, Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber.
"Explain yourself, Anakin! How could you betray the Jedi and the Republic like this?!" Obi-Wan angrily asks. "After all these years and everything we've been through together!"
"What… what are you talking about? I would never betray the Republic! I've dedicated my life to the Republic. Not many of the other Senators may like me, and the Chancellor never particularly got along, but I would NEVER start a coup." Anakin argues on the verge of tears. Obi-Wan deactivates his lightsaber as he studies Anakin. He focuses on the words he used and even his physical appearance. He has no scar on his right eye, and his right arm is not cybernetic.
"What is this? How is your hand not cybernetic?" Obi-Wan asks.
"Why would it be?" Anakin asks, confused.
"Because I remember Dooku cutting it off on Geonosis. And Ventress left you with a scar on your right eye a few years ago." Obi-Wan explains, causing more confusion for Anakin.
"That didn't happen to me, it happened to Padmé!" Anakin argues.
"Why would it happen to Padmé?" Obi-Wan asks.
"She's your apprentice! Ever since the Liberation of Tatooine!" Anakin yells, confusing Obi-Wan even more.
"Anakin, I want you to come with me." Obi-Wan requests.
"I can't leave here, Obi-Wan. I need to try to find my kids. They're newborns, and I can't just leave them be…" Obi-Wan stops him and puts a hand on his shoulder.
"Anakin, Padmé has not given birth yet. Your children are not here." Obi-Wan assists Anakin to a speeder. Anakin is in too much shock to say anything. Obi-Wan flies back to the Jedi Temple and messages Yoda.
"Master Kenobi, found young Skywalker I sense you have." Yoda says.
"Well… not exactly, Master. We are returning to the Temple." Obi-Wan says, implying he wants him to meet them there.
As they walk back through the Temple, Anakin is shocked to see the hundreds of dead Jedi and clones. He pauses when he sees the Younglings.
"Did I do this?!" Anakin cries out.
"This is what Yoda and I found on the security footage." Obi-Wan says, leading Anakin to the security room and showing him the footage of what he and Yoda saw.
"That can't be me. I'm not even a Jedi." Anakin protests.
"Believe you, I do." Yoda says, appearing behind the pair. "From this world, you are not."
"I don't get it. How am I here? Why is everything different? Is Tatooine in the Republic at least?" Anakin asks.
"No, merely an Outer Rim system, it remains." Yoda answers.
"What did you mean earlier when you mentioned the Liberation of Tatooine?" Obi-Wan asks.
"That was about 13 years ago. Back when the Hutts, the junk dealers and the Trade Federation were in conflict over control of Tatooine. Both you and Qui-Gon were sent to assist in the situation, Obi-Wan. When the situation was worse than what they thought, they called for reinforcements. The only Jedi available were Dooku and Padmé, who was his apprentice at the time. They found me and assisted me after my mother was murdered by Jabba. I used my skills as a pod racer to help other slave children flee to safety. Unfortunately at that same time, a Sith assassin named Darth Maul had killed Qui-Gon Jinn before being killed by Obi-Wan. After that Dooku left the Jedi Order, feeling the Council didn't respond appropriately to the situation. Obi-Wan took it upon himself to help finish Padmé's training." Anakin explains to the two Jedi who listen with much interest. "Now as for me, I stayed on Tatooine to help people in the aftermath, as opposed to leaving with Dooku. After Valorum decreed that Tatooine become a system in the Republic, the people wanted me to represent them in the Senate."
"Dooku wanted to raise you?" Obi-Wan asks.
"Yes, though based on what you told me back at the apartment, I imagine your version of Count Dooku has similar motives to mine. Much like the Palpatine that I know." Anakin answers.
"Close to Palpatine, are you?" Yoda asks.
"No." Anakin answers, laughing as he does. "Palpatine and I are FAR from friends. I voted against giving him emergency powers, and from even becoming Chancellor. He's too right wing for my test, and I'm apparently too left wing for his taste." Anakin says.
"Come with us you must, Senator." Yoda says.
"Come with you where?" Anakin asks.
"Did your Padmé tell you where she was after the last time you saw her?" Obi-Wan asks.
"Are you looking for her or me?" Anakin asks in return.
"I don't know." Obi-Wan says.
"After Padmé told me of the attempted coup of the Jedi, she was heading to Mustafar to finish off the Separatists." Anakin says begrudgingly. "You were planning to kill me when you saw, weren't you?"
"Unfortunately, the Anakin we know has become a very great threat. We can't leave you here alone, because the Emperor will see you as a threat. And we can't keep you safe if you are alone." Obi-Wan explains. "I just hope your wife is safe from harm. If there is any truth to the possibility of other worlds, there is a version of me having a very similar conversation with her now." He attempts to reassure.
As the trio get in Padmé's ship and fly to Mustafar, Yoda carefully probes Anakin's mind. He sees visions of the Liberation of Tatooine, the murders of Shmi Skywalker and Qui-Gon Jinn, the wedding with Padmé, Senate hearings, the birth of his children, and up to when a bright light caused him to arrive in their world. Yoda was determined now to get him home, however that may be.
Arriving on Mustafar, Anakin notices a figure that looks like himself running over to the ship. The figure looks to be the version of Anakin, now known as Darth Vader, that Anakin had seen murdering Jedi. Anakin grows nervous as he sees Vader growing angry.
"Where is my wife?" Vader asks as he pulls Anakin towards him and grabs his throat.
"Let him go, Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouts from the ship. Vader doesn't let go, resulting in him being force pushed by Yoda. Anakin is released from Vader's grip and Obi-Wan checks to make sure he is okay. Vader gets to his feet and stares daggers at Anakin and Obi-Wan.
"Was this your plan, Obi-Wan?!" Vader asks. "Replace me with an obedient version of myself?!"
"A Jedi, he is not." Yoda says. "A far better man than you, he is. A disgrace you are to the Republic. Shame you have brought upon the Jedi."
"The Republic is dead. The Empire will reign supreme." Vader replies. Vader then senses despair and fear from Anakin and Obi-Wan.
"Are you okay, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asks.
"If this is how far gone he is, I'm afraid to know what happened to my wife." Anakin says.
"Don't turn to them for help." Vader says. "They don't offer help, only their oppressive, dogmatic views."
"Lie!" Anakin snaps. "The Chancellor is playing you for a fool, in this world and in my world. He twisted your mind enough to get you to slaughter children! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
"Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?!" Vader snaps.
"I'm Senator Anakin Skywalker of Tatooine! Child of Liberation! Leader of the Delegation of 2000! I dedicate my life to liberating and aiding Tatooine just to see it fall back to oppression! In my world, or this world." Anakin snaps back.
"This world is mine and nobody is going to stand in my way, not even you." Vader says, igniting his lightsaber.
"Harm him, you shall not." Yoda, standing between Vader and Anakin, and igniting his lightsaber.
Vader and Yoda engage in a duel as Obi-Wan stays with Anakin and brings him back to the ship.
"I need to get home. If he is this far gone and ready to kill me, I fear my wife may be willing to do the same thing to his wife. Maybe even my own kids." Anakin says.
Obi-Wan then stands up and ignites his lightsaber, as he begins to sense a dark presence approaching the planet.
End of the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed the start to this story. It's definitely a concept I've thought about for a while and finally wanted to do it. This originally stemmed from an AU concept I was going to write in the style of The Godfather Part II. The next chapter is going to jump ahead to the time of The Last Jedi after the Battle of Crait. Until then, happy reading.
