Chapter 2

Padmé stumbles down the landing ramp into Anakin's arms. Her eyes are raw and numb; once inside the ship, her emotional control finally shattered and she had sobbed the whole way there, crying from relentless mind-shredding dread, and so her lips are swollen and her whole body shake and she is just so grateful, so incredibly grateful, that again she is flooded with fresh tears: grateful that he is alive, grateful that he comes bounding across the landing deck to meet her, that he is still strong and beautiful, that his arms still are warm around her and his lips are soft against her hair.

"Anakin, my Anakin..." She shivers against his chest. "I've been so frightened..."

'Why?'

"Shh. Shh, it's all right." He strokes her hair until her trembling began to fade, then he cups her chin and gently raises her face to look into his eyes. "You never need to worry about me. Didn't you understand? No one can hurt me. No one will ever hurt either of us."

"It wasn't that, my love, it was—oh, Anakin, he said such terrible things about you!"

He smiles down at her. "About me? Who would want to say bad things about me?" He forces himself to chuckle, even though he had hated everything that happened the day prior. "Who would dare?"

"Obi-Wan." She smears tears from her cheeks. "He said— he told me you turned to the dark side, that you murdered Jedi... even younglings..."

Just having gotten the words out make her feel better; now all she has to do is rest in his arms while he holds her and hugs her and promises her, he will never do anything like any of that, and she starts half a smile aim up toward his eyes—

But instead of the light of love in his eyes, she sees only reflections of lava.

He doesn't say, 'I could never turn to the dark side.'

He doesn't say, 'Murder younglings? Me? That's just crazy.'

He says, "Obi-Wan's alive?"

His voice drops an octave and goes colder than the chills that are spreading from the base of her spine.

"Y-yes—he, he said he was looking for you..."

"Did you tell him where I am?" Anakin asks, and although a part... a big part of him didn't want to kill Kenobi, there was the cold and cruel fact that he was the only individual holding him back from accomplishing the power Palpatine spoke of.

"No, Anakin! He wants to kill you. I didn't tell him anything—I wouldn't!" Padmé cries.

Vader forces himself to grit out, "Too bad."

"Anakin, what—" she tries to speak.

Anakin sneers, though he wasn't angry with his wife nor Obi-Wan in truth, "He's a traitor, Padmé. He's an enemy of the state. He has to die."

"Stop it," she responds. "Stop talking like that... you're frightening me!"

"You're not the one who needs to be afraid."

"It's like—it's like—" Tears brim again. "I don't even know who you are anymore..."

"I'm the man who loves you," he says, but he says it through clenched teeth, a sudden boiling of anger rising. "I'm the man who would do anything to protect you. Everything I have done; I have done for you."

"Anakin..." Horror squeezes her voice down to a whisper: small, fragile, and very young. "...what have you done?"

And she prays that he doesn't answer.

"What I have done is bring peace to the Republic."

"The Republic is dead," she whispers. "You killed it. You and Palpatine."

"It needed to die."

New tears start, but they don't matter; she'll never have enough tears for this. "Anakin, can't we just...go? Please. Let's leave. Together. Today. Now. Before you—before something happens—"

"Nothing will happen. Nothing can happen. Let Palpatine call himself Emperor. Let him. He can do the dirty work, all the messy, brutal oppression it'll take to unite the galaxy forever— unite it against him. He'll make himself into the most hated man in history. And when the time is right, we'll throw him down—"

"Anakin, stop—"

Anakin wants nothing more but to accept. He doesn't enjoy killing the younglings and destroying the Order that he had once called his home long ago. That's why he was crying on the Control Center previously on this said planet, why he hates himself from that point on. He almost immediately began to feel remorse for the things he'd done, but by the same token, he felt that the atrocities he'd already committed had already set him on the path he is taking.

Further complicating things is the fact that he is carrying around a ton of psychological trauma from the war he'd been fighting and growing up a slave. He is no stranger to the sight of children dying. Many people who have survived that kind of horror learn to disengage from their actions and essentially act on autopilot. Combine that with the no doubt overwhelming feelings of power brought on by deliberately drawing on the dark side…

"Don't you see? We'll be heroes. The whole galaxy will love us, and we will rule. Together." Anakin continues, but the former Jedi isn't certain if he was attempting to convince himself or her.

"Please stop—Anakin, please, stop, I can't stand it..." she pleads.

He isn't listening to her. He isn't looking at her. He is looking past her shoulder.

Feral joy burns from his eyes, and his face is no longer human.

"You..."

From behind her, calmly precise, with that clipped Coruscanti accent: "Padmé. Move away from him."

"Obi-Wan?" She whirls, and he is on the landing ramp, still and sad. "No!"

"You," growls a voice that should have been her love's. "You brought him here..."

She turns back, and now he was looking at her. His eyes are full of flames, those lovely orbs no more and replaced by a demon; a devil from the Force's hell itself.

"Anakin?"

"Padmé, move away." There is an urgency in Obi-Wan's voice that sound closer to fear than Padmé had ever heard from him. "He's not who you think he is. He will harm you."

Anakin's lips peel off his teeth. "I would thank you for this if it were a gift of love."

Trembling, shaking her head, she began to back away. "No, Anakin—no..."

"Palpatine was right. Sometimes it is the closest who cannot see. I loved you too much, Padmé." Vader hisses, glaring at the woman he would have brought every planet down to the ground to keep her safe. She'd betrayed him! She shall pay for her deception! Both of them shall!

He makes a fist, and she couldn't breathe.

"I loved you too much to see you! To see what you are!"

A veil of red descends on the world. She claws at her throat, but there is nothing there her hands can touch.

"Let her go, Anakin."

His answer is a predator's snarl, over the body of its prey. "You will not take her from me!"

She wants to scream, to beg, to howl, no, Anakin, I'm sorry! I'm sorry... I love you..., but her locked throat strangled the truth inside her head, and the world-veil of red smoked toward black.

"Let her go!" Obi-Wan cries desperately, unable to believe his eyes. How could sweet Anakin Skywalker become this monster?

"Never!"

The ground falls away beneath her, and then a white flash of impact blasts her into the night.

Anakin has been watching with remorse. How could he have done that to his loving wife, the love of his life when all she did was try to save him from the darkness? How could he betray her like that and allowed the dark side to move his hand when her only crime was engaging with him, someone who had done terrible things and someone unworthy of forgiveness after his deepest sins?

Immediately, Anakin feels his hands clenching up into fists. Although neither world ever gave him any reason to, this moment fills him with rage. All that happened to everyone he has ever loved was his fault and he would have to take responsibility for that forever.

"That was one of your many sins, Anakin Skywalker," a present from the darkness that Anakin cannot even conceive declares, not with disgust but with cold indifference. "Perhaps what have damned you permanently."

Anakin reaches for his lightsaber, igniting it and pointing to the blue blade where he senses something that is beyond recognition. It has been many years since he was able to hold his lightsaber like this let alone was freed of the suit in the potential battle.

"Who's there?" he demands, noticing how young his voice is but not allowing it to stagger him for the possible opponent. "You will show yourself!"

The voice responds, sounding far more thunderous if not multiple. "We already are standing before you, my friend, but I'm afraid that not even your sight can spot us. Such is the way of the Force, for there are many different forms that we can appear as... including you. Kneel before us and allow us to help you."

While that is not a thought he relishes, he decides to obey just to see what the possible threat has planned. Anakin deactivates his lightsaber and falls to both of his knees, reaching deep into the meditation as the Force fills him.

"While this may appear unlikely, we see it fit to tell you that we are not just another Force embodiment or another presence of the Force but rather the Force itself. We come in many different forms, but there is no definite gender, no definite fate such as the light and dark side of the Force."

"I was taught that there is no form from within the Force," Anakin replies, his thoughts going to Obi-Wan and the Jedi's beliefs despite how flawed they all were. "I happened to believe that, despite how wrong that they have been many times before. Whatever you have to tell me is more likely than not masked by deception. You won't be able to manipulate me."

"The Jedi are flawed; do not believe their views of the Force, for you have never done so before and you would be wise not to do so now. We spread through the galaxy, running in every being and guiding them to their destinies. You always had the Force clinging to you, young one, had us guide you until we managed to destroyed the Jedi and the Sith. Both Orders had to die and you were the figure that was to put them to an end."

"The Council believed that the only way to bring balance is by destroying the Sith," Anakin replies, knowing that the Jedi is wrong about that. He did bring balance by destroying both sides of the Force and allowing them to start anew within his son who would likely learn the light and dark in his later years. "However, I believe that that they are wrong. Eventually, of I hadn't destroyed them despite how regrettable my decisions were, their toxicity and unbearable views of ridding one side of the Force would have led to their inevitable destruction even without my involvement."

"You are correct, young Skywalker...and for that we would gift you with a reward. Perhaps you may view it as a sin, but this would allow you to make better choices without sending the galaxy to the ground. The end goals would be the same but the fates of many innocents would be different."

"So, you have not come here to condemn me?" Anakin asks, not expecting that nor understanding what is going on. "Not have come to punished me for allowing a tyrannical leadership to rule the galaxy."

"No. For despite it all, you are the only true embodiment of the Force as we have created for you to be. Bring balance, and you succeeded in spite how many lives could have been sparred in this journey. Now you shall disembark onto yet another. You are the only one who understands the Force for what it is. Therefore, you would find yourself...in a unique position where events would change. This you will adapt."

Anakin feels knowledge of many coursing through him, and he realizes what it is. At last, he is reaching his full potential, the powers that have been forgotten or never even thought existed at one point fueling through him. If he had been able to accomplish this before, someone like him would have developed such a magnificent command of the Force that he might as well have become the Force itself - capable of being anywhere at any time, either in body or just in mind, capable of knowing anything he wants to know about a thing or a person, capable of manipulating anyone or anything, and overall capable of controlling the fate of the universe. He would be worshiped as a God, and rightfully so, as he'd be capable of all manner of Godly things.

In some ways, it is relieving that he didn't have this power before, this godly power that goes beyond his, for that means he would have killed Sidious and continued the Rule of Two. Each Sith Master seeks to find a student that can kill him, thus strengthening the Sith each time a more powerful student is trained so that eventually the Sith becomes strong enough to defeat the Jedi and rule the galaxy again.

Palpatine was the culmination of over 1000 years of each Sith Lord dedicating his life to the increase of the dark side and focusing on the plan beyond their lifetime, which is why Palpatine goaded Luke into killing Vader because in Luke he had a second chance to get what he had always wanted and dreamed for in Anakin but was short-changed by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar.

Had Luke killed Anakin, he would have become far more powerful than both Vader and Palpatine as Luke had the same potential power as Anakin himself. But since Luke was trained mostly by Yoda, he achieved his power far quicker than Anakin only being trained by Obi-Wan. The level of the Master's does make a difference in how good the student gets, all things being equal.

Because Anakin had twice Palpatine's potential, he would have eventually destroyed him and ruled the galaxy himself and trained another student as his apprentice, likely Luke, once he got old enough. Then the Galaxy would likely never have recovered because Luke and even Leia had the same potential as Anakin and with two such super powerful force wielders turned Sith under Anakin himself, no Jedi would ever have come along powerful enough to defeat them. This gives many a little idea of how close the galaxy came to being ruled by Sith tyranny for decades and possibly centuries or longer. Same if Luke did kill Vader and take his place at Palpatine's side. But fortunately, Luke resisted unlike Anakin and so the galaxy was saved from any further hardships.

Anakin also knew that he had the potential to become more powerful than Palpatine which is why he believed he was more powerful than Sidious at that time. While this was not true at that moment, he did have the potential as confirmed by Palpatine himself, and as we already knew from the fact that Anakin's Midi-Chlorian count was off the charts and way higher even than Yoda's and Palpatine's too.

So, while it might have taken Anakin a few more months or a couple of years to get to his Full potential via his MC count, he would have eventually gotten there and determined it was time to take Palpatine out, which Palpatine knew and wanted because again, then the Sith would only grow stronger. That is why if a student was not strong enough to kill his Master, then the Master knew he made a mistake and had to search for another student with greater potential so that with each new Master the Sith would become more and more powerful, not only because each student would be better than the last master, but since only TWO Sith were drawing on the dark side at any one time, there would be more of the dark side power allotted to each Sith and thus, become more powerful.

This is what Bane realized over one thousand years ago and, it also shows how much stronger the light side is since it doesn't matter how many light side users there are, there is always far more than enough light side power to go around.

Obi-Wan may have been a flawed individual but he saved the galaxy and allowed the Skywalkers to redeem themselves. That is why he would always be his true Master no matter what.

"There would be a few regrettable decisions that you will find yourself facing in this new galaxy. You would find yourself coming across many unlikely allies and enemies, Chosen One. At last, not even you would be able to stop many deaths but at the very least you can limit them.

Anakin nods. "I am ready for whatever you are about to do. I would not make the same mistakes that I have made many times before. I am no longer that monster."

"Prove it. You have managed to find forgiveness in the man who have brought you into that suit to begin with, proving that you are learning. Yet, we can see much anger in your heart, anger outwards not at others but at how the galaxy appeared to turned against you, at how you failed in living the life that you believe yourself deserving. If not yourself, your children."

Anakin inwardly blinks, but he knows that the Force is correct. While he hated Sidious and would love the thought of stopping him, he wanted to raise his children in a better galaxy where Luke and Leia wouldn't have to fight but rather live alongside one another, and at last, the Skywalkers be the family they deserve to have.

"You may not understand what we are speaking of, but you would soon understand. All your questions would be answered. Be prepared for acolytes and for adapting in a galaxy different from the one you have grown accustomed to as you always have done in peculiar situations."

The Force at last is wishing to grant him freedom, an atonement for all the suffering that he has endured and the suffering of many others through the decades. How long has he missed Padmé and her soothing presence around him, even Obi-Wan despite how much he hated him at first only to see the truth later, and for Ahsoka despite how they had met and he had attempted to kill her on Malachor only to learn later thankfully that she survived that encounter and was able to escape with her life in no small part thanks to the intervention of Bridger accessing the worlds between worlds.

Vader wonders what this new galaxy would be like. Perhaps an alternative timeline with new individuals that mirror his loved ones but would never be them despite how much he wants to believe the contrary. He would find himself gaining more loved ones no doubt but also would lose them. Whatever the Force has planned for him, nothing would be the same.

He nods, blue sparkling with power, glistening with determination and preparation for whatever comes next. "I would find a way. I would not allow my greed to consume me again, not allow myself to lose myself in despair and become yet another being of the dark side. I brought balance to the Force once and I would do it again."

"Very well, but proceed carefully. You may reveal your true nature to others if you decide, however your intentions must be kept secret until the right moment. You don't need to join the Sith Order, but be prepared to fight Jedi who see you as a danger."

Anakin nods reluctantly, feeling something churning in his stomach. He didn't relish the thought of fighting and killing Jedi. He made the decision not to kill Obi-Wan or Ahsoka no matter what, not even if the Force deems it because those two are part of his family and the Force would not rid him of the few people that he cares about. Any other Jedi, even though he doesn't like that thought either, he would accept.

"Excellent. You now have all of our powers passing into you and thus we would protect you from certain death, but do remember that do not fall too far into the light or the dark, for both paths only lead to misery and focus on bringing balance to the Force and to the galaxy."

Anakin isn't surprised at this. The Force didn't wish for one of its sides to be destroyed but there are still cautionary thoughts. The dark side can still seize control of even him and that is something that the former Sith cannot allow.

"I go by the assumption that if I fallen..." Anakin is determined not to fall but he knows that are backups.

"If you fall, we would have another wielder to come to do battle with you and you have failed our task. Before, you have delved too deeply into the darkness and that led to you losing your limbs and becoming a slave once more as you have been through all of your life. The Light and Dark are two sides that have been warring for far too long and it is time that this comes to an end. We cannot exist without the other. The darkness is a part of us, of every being, including Jedi, one that is adopted by many misconceptions and biased perceptions. We would have you change that."

Anakin finds himself facing a difficult choice. He has always connected with others and fed off those bonds, but now is a time for him to learn his self-balance and become someone without relying on those people who he cares about. He has to learn not to cling to others and to become someone who only follows his path.

"Very well. I am prepared for this new galaxy."

What has come next proves to be nothing but confusing for the former Sith. He had thought he had all the knowledge in the universe about the Cosmic Force and the Living Force, yet when he had become one with the Force, he could see that is further from the truth.

Naturally, his former Master told him about the Worlds Between Worlds. The World Between Worlds is not confined to just the Temple on Lothal but that an artificial gate can be created around a sufficiently strong force Nexus given the right design and the timing patience to create it, meaning that not only could there be multiple more doors out there in the galaxy but that someone could create their door to enter the World Between Worlds.

They can even create a strong force Nexus they're by nearly wiping out a world as Momin does to Mustafar. So, this opens up access to the world beyond worlds to any sufficiently dedicated or smart Sith Lord out there.

The problem with the Worlds Between Worlds is if used incorrectly, it could create time paradoxes, and anyone who uses them is dangerous, even if they have moral intentions. Much to his shock and slight annoyance when Obi-Wan told him, the Chain Worlds Theorem, visualized in the Jedi sacred texts and written by an unattributed figure, described the World Between Worlds.

The World Between Worlds was accessible from the ancient painting of the Mortis gods that decorated the exterior of the Lothal Jedi Temple. According to Dume, who explained to him sometime after he became one with the Force, Loth-wolves were intrinsically tied to the realm and could traverse through it like hyperspace travel. Sith follower Minister Veris Hydan of the Galactic Empire believed that gaining access to the World Between Worlds would give one control of the universe.

But... this is not that. This is something more. The portals are of memories that continue to repeat, and he did little more but close his eyes as he couldn't bare seeing these painful memories. Soon, he is forced to grasp his head as he approaches the final, main portal that shows nothing as an overwhelming tingling ran through his head, and he feels himself being wrapped around by invisible tentacles.

Before he could even fight off the invisible menace, he is dragged in.

Flashes.

Memories.

Before all became flashes of colors and former Jedi Knight and Sith Lord, Anakin Skywalker's senses begin altering in under seconds around him as unconsciousness fill his being.