Chapter 4: An Old Friend


On the planet Grange, Leia Skywalker is sitting on her favorite tree to meditate. Running over to the tree was her twin brother, Luke.

"Leia!" Luke shouts up at her.

"You broke my concentration!" Leia snaps back in an annoyed tone.

"Well sooorrryyyy, but Pop sent me to find you!" Luke says sarcastically.

"Ugh… fine I'm coming." Leia signs, climbing down out of the tree. Rushing back to their father, they find him tending to the crops.

"Having fun mediating again, Leia?" Anakin asks.

"You told me it's a good way of connecting to the Force and becoming a Jedi, Pop." Leia says.

"There's more to the Force than just that, and being a Jedi goes beyond abilities." Anakin says. "Part of being a Jedi was a sense of duty."

"Yeah but can't we have a duty beyond this? I mean Mama always said you did some cool things in the Clone Wars." Leia says, pinching a nerve with Anakin.

"Luke, why don't you help your mother. I need to talk to your sister." Anakin says as he kneels in front of Leia to have a one on one with her.

"Leia, I know your mother has told you stories about the Jedi. But I'm going to tell you something that I was warned about when I was younger than you. Training to be a Jedi is not an easy task and even if you succeed, it's a hard life." Anakin says. "Think of the farm. It's not always glamorous work and it's demanding, but in the end it serves a greater purpose."

"What is the purpose?" Leia asks.

"To provide, Leia." Anakin answers. He then hands her the bag of seeds to spread across the patch as he tends to the animals. As she finishes spreading the seeds, she notices a ship flying overhead when it lands not too far from the farm. She runs over to see a man in white robes walking out of the ship.

"Can I help you, sir?" Leia asks. The approaches her and removes his hood, revealing himself to be Jedi Master Sheev Palpatine.

"Hello there, young lady." Sheev greets her. "Are your parents around?"

"Are… are you a Jedi?" Leia asks curiously.

"I was once a Jedi." He answers. "Much like your father was."

"Are you Master Palpatine?" Leia asks, her face lighting up as she recognizes her father's old friend.

"You have a good eye, dear girl." Sheev says, impressed that she knew who he was.

"My Mama and Pop told me about you." Leia explains. "The Clone Wars, the Jedi Temple."

"I see you enjoy reading history." Sheev chuckles as he looks up to see the rest of the Skywalker family coming to greet.

"Master Sheev." Anakin bows, happy to see his old Jedi friend.

"It's good to see you again, Anakin." Sheev bows back. He looks to Padmé who is surprised to see an old comrade from the days of the Republic. "It's been a long time, Senator."

"Not anymore, not since… well you know." Padmé says, remembering the Emperor's rise to power and emergence of Darth Havoc.

"I may not have been fond of the greed and corruption in the Senate, but you were among the few I always had respect for." Sheev says. "You stuck to your principles and even lived by a Code. If you knew the ways of the Force you could've been an excellent Jedi."

"Thank you for saying so, Sheev." Padmé bows in respect to the old Jedi Master.

"Your daughter seems like quite the history buff. Definitely has a passion for learning about the Jedi." He comments.

"Yes, Leia's a lot like her father in that regard." Padmé says.

"Indeed, now I have to ask. When did you two officially get married?" Sheev asks.

"About six years ago." Anakin answers. "We had a private ceremony on Alderaan, somewhere the Empire and the Sith wouldn't immediately think to look for us."

"Might I assume Senator Organa aided you?" Sheev asks.

"Bail and Mon are the few allies any Jedi have left in the Senate." Anakin says. "When was the last time you saw either of them?"

"The day we had to go our separate ways on Polis Massa." Sheev says in a somber tone, remembering the tragic events of that day.

"One can only hope that Satine was right, and that there's still good in him." Padmé says.

"I hoped so at one time, too, angel. But if you looked into his eyes on Mustafar, I don't know if you would sing the same tune." Anakin says, trying not to break down at the thought of the painful memory.

"Pop, are you okay?" Luke says, hugging his father.

"I'm alright, pal. I'll be okay." Anakin says, cheering up as his son sits on his lap.

"Well maybe this will cheer you up further." Sheev says. "I found the temple on Ach-To."

"You found it?" Anakin asks.

"About two years ago." Sheev answers. "That's part of the reason for this visit. I have to ask. Has anyone going by the name of Sidious or Vader come to you at all?"

"No." Anakin says, sensing the concern in Sheev's voice. "You seem disturbed, Master."

"Perhaps we can go for a walk." Sheev says, which Anakin senses at 'I don't want to scare your kids'.

"Why don't you kids go and play?" Padmé says and Luke and Leia run off. The three of them take a walk by the garden.

"So what's wrong, Sheev?" Padmé asks. "Who are Vader and Sidious?"

"On Ach-To, I discovered something that could bring about irreparable damage to the balance of the Force." Sheev begins to explain.

"What sort of unrest are you talking about?" An increasingly nervous Anakin asks.

"Visions of a world, where WE are the Sith." Sheev explains with immense pain in his voice. "Where WE bring out the destruction of the Jedi and the Republic. Your children are raised in hiding, separated from each other. Not knowing who their parents are. Anakin, you are Darth Vader and I am your master, Darth Sidious, and the Emperor." Anakin and Padmé are both in shock at this revelation.

"How did you receive these visions?" Anakin asks. "And if they are true, could they impact us?"

"I hope not." Sheev meekly replies. "But I wish to request your assistance in this matter."

Padmé holds onto Anakin tightly and begins to tear up. "I almost lost you once, I don't want that to happen again."

Anakin holds her close and comforts her. "You're not going to lose me. After this is over, I'm coming back to you."

Anakin packs his things together and says goodbye to his family.

"You two be good for your mother while I'm gone." Anakin says, hugging his kids.

"Do you really have to go, Pop?" Leia asks.

"Yes, honey, this is important." Anakin says. "But I will be back. Remember what I've taught you."

"Trust in the Force and keep your mind in the present." Luke answers. "Whatever happens is always up to the will of the living Force."

"Qui-Gon Jinn could not have said it better himself, young one." Sheev says, impressed how astute the boy is. "May the Force be with you." He bows to the Skywalker family and they bow back as he departs with Anakin on his ship.


"Master, in your travels, did you ever get any word on Barriss?" Anakin asks.

"Only rumors really, nothing that could link the two of us together." Sheev answers. "But perhaps that's for the best. I don't imagine she'd be too happy to see me. The last time I saw her wasn't on the best terms and I've begun to understand why."

"Sheev, she always greatly respected you and others like Masters Mundi and Ventress. If anything, I believe it was Master Dooku she had the biggest problem with." Anakin says.

"That is a fair point." Sheev chuckles as he starts up the ship and sets the coordinates to Ach-To.

"Now I must warn you, potential Allie's in this new world will most likely have the faces of enemies from our past." Sheev warns.

"Are we going to face Darth Baelish?" Anakin asks.

"I hope not." Sheev jokingly replies. "At least I don't intend to go out of my way to fight him in that world. No, the Emperor is not who he is in that world."

"If he's not the ruler of the galaxy then where would we find him?" Anakin asks curiously.

"I had a vision of him living in solitude on the Dagobah." Sheev replies.


End of the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this happy little chapter. I imagine quite a few of you reading this felt unnerved by having Palpatine as a Jedi. Trust me it's not the craziest I've ever written. The next chapter is going to jump back to Ben Solo escaping with this Resistance. Until then, happy reading.