A/N dedicated to courtesytrefflin on AO3, for inspiring me.

Anakin woke up to the sound of a blaring alarm. Blearily, he reached around trying to find the origin of the noise. "R2 can you knock off the beeping?" He yawned, before realizing that the noise wasn't one of R2's many programmed whistles.

Now wide awake, Anakin looked around, in full crisis prevention mode. He reached through the force, to see if there was anything unusual, but felt nothing.

Panicked, he checked each bond he had secretly maintained, against the attachment rule. First the Master- apprentice bond. Obi wan's warm steady presence wasn't there. Next, he tugged on the padawan link leading to Ahsoka. She didn't respond. Now fully aware that something was amiss, Anakin checked the ship for any sign of the clones, finding nothing but their helmets. At this point Anakin extended his force presence, reaching out as far as he could, towards the Jedi temple. Not a single youngling or master remained tethered to the force.

After many increasingly panicked attempts of tracking down anyone, Anakin started to weep. He had finally come to the realization that he was alone.

Even though he had felt alone in the past, when his mother had died, when he was isolated in the Jedi temple, when he was in slavery for Watto, he had never felt this kind of isolation. It was astounding how much he hadn't realized that he relied on his personal connections. He suddenly realized that he hadn't checked if padme was safe.

Was she alive? Had she disappeared too?

Frantically, Anakin dialed her com link number. "Hello?" Sighing in relief, Anakin started to tear up in joy at hearing his angel's voice. "You've reached Padme's personal com link. Please leave a message and I will get back to you!" The com link dropped out of his grasp, and Anakin's knees went weak. He collapsed on the ground in disbelief- Padme was gone too. Anakin desperately tried to calm himself from the impending panic attack, but it was no use. Everyone he loved was gone.

He set the ship's navigation system to reach Courascant. The chancellor was wise, always hard at work. He would know what to do! Yet when Anakin reached his office at the Senate, the door was locked.

Anakin shakily sliced open the locked door with his lightsaber, and stepped inside dreading what awaited him. To his surprise and relief, the Chancellor was still here.. Amidst a bunch of Sith Holocrons?

Anakin warily stared at The Chancellor. "Sir, do you know what happened to everyone? Why do you have these dark side holocrons?" "My friend," Palpatine replied with a grandfatherly smile, "I am here to reveal the truth to you."

His eyes closed in sympathy, as he sighed before continuing. "I'm sorry to have to break the news to you.. I'm sure that you have noticed that no one remains in the Jedi temple? And that your loved ones have all vanished?"

Anakin glanced at the holocrons and then back at his mentor. "Yes sir, I'm aware."

"Well i found out the reason why everyone is gone. They tried to get me to leave too. However I couldn't bear to leave you, isolated and alone.

"Who?" Anakin cut him off, alarmed. "The Jedi." Palpatine replied patiently. "The Jedi had approached me before they left, and told me that it was an intergalactic holiday; the "No Anakin Celebration." He finished solemnly.

"They wouldn't.." Anakin insisted. "They'd never leave me.. they love me. Obi wan, Padme, Ahsoka, R2 and C3PO, Rex.. they wouldn't do this to me.." he brokenheartedly plead with the fates, but he could sense no falsehood within the Force. "It can't be true.." he denied once more.

"I recall that Master Kenobi has already proven that he's willing to abandon you for the greater good? During the Rako Hardeen incident.." Palpatine replied.

"Well Ahsoka wouldn't!" Anakin vehemently denied. "Wasn't she upset that you had assigned her extra homework?" Palpatine said. "Padme wouldnt! She loves me, and would never be so cruel! Anakin desperately cried out.

"I'm afraid to say that Padme has been mislead, and believes you are a danger to your unborn child.." Palpatine trailed off, at the devastated look on Anakin's face.

"I'm so sorry my boy. But there is a way to bring them back." He said with a somber expression.

"The dark side of the force can bring back loved ones, from all corners of the Galaxy.. it can even return loved ones from death. Once you've found them, you can make them love you. With this power you'd never be alone again."

Anakin looked at the holocrons, and then back at Palpatine. The chancellor was wise, he had never misled Anakin before. "What do I have to do?" He asked and then wiped away his tears, with grim determination.

"Pledge yourself to the dark side, and learn its ways. Only then, will you learn how to make your loved ones love you, and stay with you forever."

Anakin knelt down, his once warm heart, feeling abnormally cold. With shaking hands and determined resolve, he looked up at his new Master.

"I pledge myself to you, and your teachings."

"Henceforth you shall be named... Darth Vader."