"Skywalker."

As he tinkered with the ship he, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan used to journey here, Anakin Skywalker could finally relax. Here, of course, being the strange, ethereal planet of Mortis. It was shrouded in mysteries and foreboding prophecies. Unusual things tended to happen, things even the Force could not present a clear, logical explanation for when meditated upon. 

But of course, did Anakin ever bother to meditate? Normal days? No. 

Days on a foreign planet whose seasons change every hour? On a strange planet where he and his friends' lives are endangered? Absolutely not. Yet, he could swear he'd heard a faint, sinister voice calling out to him only moments prior.

"Skywalker."

Anakin dropped his wrench in surprise. "Who are you?" he demanded, igniting his lightsaber instinctively. "What do you want from me?"

(Weakness, the undetected other thought. Already playing defense... how interesting.)

"Who I am is not of importance," it said. "However, I am interested in you... rather, something you possess."

"What do you want?" Anakin repeated tersely. There was something off about this whole scenario and he didn't like it one bit. "I refuse to play any more games!"

The voice ignored him.

"Stated simply, a truce. An alliance."

"What?" He snorted, evident contempt in his voice. "Look, I don't know who you are, and I know you have unpleasant surprises up your sleeve. I don't want an alliance, nor do I want anything to do with you.  Now leave, I'm busy."

Silence hung in the air, leaving Anakin alone with his work. It wasn't long before he was spoken to again.

"I have foreseen the galaxy's future," the voice continued, taunting, after a brief pause. "Your future."

His patience was running dangerously thin. He exploded at the voice to shut up, yet a sizzling sound distracted him momentarily. The fragile circuit board he'd just finished fixing was broken again. 

"Look what you've done," he growled. "I spent so long fixing this! Now you've undone hours' worth of work!"

"Yes,"  the voice went on, a hint of dark triumph clear in its tone. "You have much anger in you, Skywalker. Just as I predicted. We shall make a most powerful pair."

"I am not agreeing to this!"

"Oh, but you will. Soon, your struggles will be no more. Come to me, and I will show you everything... including the future."

"The future?" Anakin's eyes widened in dismay, logic beginning to slip. "Jedi are forbidden from probing into the future."

"For you Light-Side wielders, the future is dismal and hopeless." The voice spat but soon regained its composure. "And many Jedi have seen into the future, met with a shroud of darkness."

"How can I prevent it? There must be a way!" If he could save the galaxy from certain doom, he'd do it.

(Little did he know...)

"There is a way it can be prevented. However, you cannot do it alone."

"Then show me."

"Yes, Skywalker. Come to me."

"Where are you?"

"Use your senses. You will know where I await you."

***

Jumping onto a speeder, Anakin sped off into the darkness. Soon, he approached a bubbling volcano, spewing angry, scalding red fire.

At last, he arrived at the edge of the large, ominous pit. Chills slid down his spine; the Dark Side is powerful here. Is this the right place?

"You are indeed in the correct spot, oh Chosen One," the Voice replied, as if hearing his thoughts. "Descend."

Asking the Force for guidance, Anakin does. The sides of the volcano were coated in jagged volcanic rock surfaces jutted out from the burning, coally sides, and swirling pools of magma were scattered everywhere on the bottom. Anakin shuddered; the deeper he descended into this hellhole, the tighter the Dark Side seemed to be able to control him. Forcefully pushing the eerie sight out of his mind, he landed the speeder.

***

Anakin walked a few steps, exploring his surroundings, lightsaber at the ready. Barely a second later, a vast, monstrous and despicably ugly creature landed in front of him. Monstrous, he thought, was an understatement. Its face was chalk-white with triangular-shaped eye-markings underneath its bloodshot, scarlet eye, and in a menacing snarl, its burgundy-black lips were drawn back, teeth bared and ready to kill.  Easily towering over seven feet tall, it grins evilly at Anakin before retreating into the thick fog. 

"What the-?" The Knight gasped in disbelief. How did that hideous creature vanish?

"Greetings, Chosen One," a voice rasps from the shadows.

Anakin whirled around, only to come face-to-face with the same creature — but in human form. His thumb found the ignition button on his saber hilt instinctively, igniting it so that the azure blade pointed at the creature's throat. 

Instead of fear as Anakin had hoped, it merely extended three lazy fingers, and the lightsaber was deactivated.

"Tsk, tsk, my friend. There is no need for weapons here."

"Who are you?" Anakin demands, "Why did you call me here?"

"I am The Son. I form a hierarchy with my sister and father, whom I assume you've already met. And, as for me bringing you here? To negotiate the terms of, ah, alliance."

"I don't give a kriff about your stupid alliance," Anakin snapped, now realizing this was a terrible idea. "You said you could show me the galaxy's future and tell me how I am to prevent the Dark from taking over. That is the sole purpose for this journey."

The Son considers Anakin's request. No, he decides. It won't get in the way of his grand scheme if he shows the mortal what he wants first. "Then let's begin."

***

Anakin finds himself suffocated in a thick fog. He couldn't breathe.

"Where am I?" He wonders aloud. Suddenly, his head began to throb violently as an explosion of voices spoke at once, gruelling images illustrating the scene.

***

"Anakin, you're breaking my heart!"

His fist clenched as he slowly crushed somebody's airway, someone he couldn't quite make out.

"Anakin- please!"

Wait - he recognized that voice! He knew this person. Parts of them began to reveal themselves, the mist shrouding them parted ways. Someone with flowing brown hair, and facial features worthy of an angel. 

Padmé. 

Her hands clawed at her throat, desperate to break free.

Anakin stood frozen, watching helplessly. Future-Anakin had destroyed Padmé's airways and stalked away without another glance back, leaving her and their unborn child on the floor, dying. Hatred had fuelled his every move.

***

"Ana- Anakin..."

Another familiar female voice joined the fray, overlapping Padmé's. They, too, sounded desperate, sorrow weaved into their voice.

Anakin could feel the life draining from their body.

"Where have you gone? What... what have you become? Why w-would you do- this?"

A series of coughs followed, their erratic heartbeat rapidly slowing down. It soon came to a painful stop.

Anakin could no longer bear to watch. The second person, too, had died by his hand. He had clearly known her well. 

The mysterious second voice. Padmé. Their unborn child. He was the cause of their suffering, the cause of their deaths. 

***

The scene shifted yet again. This time, it wasn't of someone he loved dying. It was something — or rather, someone — ordering him to stand. As the hooded figure summoned a holo-projector, a clone trooper appeared as the hologram flickered on.

"Commander Cody," the person croaked from underneath his hood. "Execute Order 66."

To Anakin's immense horror, the ever-so-loyal commander of the 212th Attack Battalion nodded.

"Yes Lord Sidious," he replied hollowly. "It shall be done." This figure, apparently named Sidious, turned towards Anakin's future self, an unhinged smile slowly spreading across his wrinkled face.

"Come now, my apprentice. I have an assignment for you."

"Yes... my Master."

Just before Sidious and his apprentice left the room, Present-day Anakin got a glimpse view of the latter's eyes. Evil danced in his eyes of fiery, venomous Sith gold, and to his shock... it was him. 

***

Anakin was in first-person mode this time. He was in the Temple, walking towards the Council Chambers, a room full of younglings. The elegant door slid open, revealing a seemingly empty room.

But he knew they were in here. He could sense them. The younglings peeked out from behind their hiding spots, crowding towards him upon realizing it was Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, the infamous Hero with No Fear, who had come to save them. One brave little boy spoke up. "Master Skywalker, there are too many of them, what are we going to do?"

Anakin didn't respond. His merciless golden eyes glared furiously at the young boy. A brilliant blue blade sprung to life at his side and the little boy stumbled back in fear, in confusion — this wasn't the Master Ani he knew — and crumpled to the floor, lifeless, as a sizzling hole in his chest was left by the blade of a man he once trusted.

***

"Don't try it!"

Obi-Wan?

"You underestimate my power!"

"You're done for, Anakin!" Kenobi yelled. "I have the high ground!"

In one swift move, future Anakin lept into the air, flipping onto the lava beaches with his lightsaber poised to strike, and- he barely had time to register the searing pain. His remaining limbs had been severed from his torso. Only his mechanical hand was left.

"You were my brother, Anakin," Obi-Wan cried out, voice cracking. "I loved you."

As he picked up his fallen brother's lightsaber, the auburn Jedi Master left his former student alone to burn, flames greedily licking his burnt skin.

***

Screams filled the operation room as the charred remnants of Anakin Skywalker became infused with machine. Every needle poking into his burnt flesh hurt viciously; his nerves were on fire. Every circuit attached to him for life support was inhumanly painful. Hours passed. As eerie music played in the background, until finally, his mask was slowly lowered onto his face, sealing his fate.

Then Sidious strode into the room.

"Rise... Darth Vader."

***

Anakin collapsed to his knees. His head pounded. The galaxy would become a nightmare because of him.

The dense fog slowly lifted and Anakin gasped, cleansing the volcanic ash from his lungs. He had seen glimpses of the future and all the chaos it brought. He had murdered the people he loved most and betrayed everybody else. 

What had he become? 

A monster. He was never fit to live; the Council had been right. They shouldn't have trained him. They shouldn't have done all they did — for him. Him, the supposed Chosen One, who would eventually wreak havoc on the galaxy, destroying all those he desired to protect in the process.

Anakin sensed another presence join him. The Son.

"The future is dark," he said. "Only together can we prevent the rise of Sidious and the fall of the Jedi Order. Only together, we will fulfill our destiny." Tending a hand towards Anakin, The Son continued. "Join me, and we will make sure none of those events ever take place."

There was no hesitation. Anakin took the hand, determination burning in his bright blue eyes. "Yes," he answered confidently. "We shall."

Then his world went dark.

edited