Hey guys, Jacen here. I'm sorry about the long wait. Life's a pain.

I've had this idea on my mind for a while. Why not write a fic where Harry Potter's raised as a Sith Lord by Darth Sidious?

That'd be awesome. Harry Potter the goody two shoes Boy-Who-Lived raised by perhaps the most evil, debatably (A/N Close second IMO) most powerful Sith Lord of all time, and my second favorite Sith Lord after Darth Vader, Darth Sidious.

Let's dive right into this story.

Major Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or Harry Potter. If I did I'd keep the Expanded Universe as Official Canon and would've had Harry and Hermione at Platform Nine and Three Quarters for 19 years later like they should've been. Fuck you Disney, and fuck you Rowling.

PS. Be sure to like, follow, review, and PM.

Harry Potter: Lord of the Dark Side

Chapter 1

Potter Manor, England, Great Britain, Wizarding World, Earth, Sol system, Terran sector, Milky Way Galaxy, Unknown Regions

November 28th, 1979

Bundled against the chilly November air, twenty-year-old Lily Potter sat on a small marble bench at the bottom of a large hill where a large manor sat atop. She was 5'6" and her shoulder-length bright red hair glistened in the afternoon Sun, her bright, emerald green eyes looked at the pond before her seeing the fish that swam within the water. The winter would freeze the pond, leaving them trapped until spring.

Lily smiled knowing what would be occurring next year. She lowered her right hand down to her still flat stomach. Lily inwardly beamed joyfully, it had only been a week since she discovered she was pregnant, and already she was ecstatic. She was going to be a mother and would have a child of her own to care for. She was so entranced that she was almost startled when a figure approached behind her.

"I can't wait for our little buck to be here. You'll be such a good mother, my dear Tiger Lily." said the figure. Lily smiled as she already knew who was behind her.

Lily turned her head towards the 'figure'. Standing with a smirk on his face was her husband, twenty-year-old James Potter. His short, jet-black hair was unkempt as always and his hazel eyes gleamed behind his full-moon glasses. He stood three inches taller at 5'9" and was also dressed in warm clothes to keep warm in the frigid autumn air.

Lily smiled at James lovingly as she scooted along the bench to allow him to sit beside her. James wrapped his arm around Lily and pulled her close for a warm, gentle embrace. James grinned lopsidedly as he marveled at Lily's beauty, knowing that he really hit the jackpot when he had met her and even more so when she had accepted to become his wife.

Lily rested her head on James's shoulder and nuzzled close to him. She closed her eyes, her face adopting a dreamy expression as she wondered what her baby would be like once he was born. She knew he would be the kindest and friendliest person ever. But above all else she knew he was going to be special. How, she didn't know, but she knew it was for a good cause. After all it wasn't like the sky was going to fall, or anything ridiculous like that, right?

July 31st, 1980

Lily it seemed, had been right, as she now understood that Harry was indeed special.

While she had carried him for the last eight months, she had felt the typical signs of magical energy flowing through him. But unbeknown to her, what also surged through her unborn son wasn't just the power of magical energy; it was something else entirely. It was more potent and powerful than magic itself. It was like an ever-burning furnace of pure radiant power, which would be responsible for the fate of not only the world, but the entire universe.

Lily could tell that, when born, Harry would be well versed in magic at a young age. Call it maternal instinct, but Lily knew that whatever power laid within him would be unlike anything she or any other had seen before. Once for example, when she and James were about to go on a picnic there had been a terrible storm, but before it caught on it had turned to a light snow, a beautiful wintery scenery that she and James had enjoyed.

Before the weather changed, Lily felt a surge of magic from Harry. She remembered when she told James he laughed hard, before he complimented Harry for his work and kissed Lily's stomach to thank his son for the act of kindness. Almost getting kicked in the face from Harry's kicks.

Another weird event occurred weeks later when Lily came down with a horrible fever that left her bedridden for sometime. While her temperature was dangerously 110°F, and showed no signs of slowing, the weirdest of all had happened.

Lily had suddenly found her body become cooler and tingling with some unknown power, and magical energy. Minutes later, her body had become cooler, her temperature dropping to 84°F. Meanwhile, the Healers were left stumped. The Potter heir-to-be sensed his mother's pain and suffering and managed to use a combination of some unknown power and healing magic to cure Lily's ailments.

According to the Healers, in a child that came from such an old, powerful bloodline such as the Potter's, it wasn't unusual for the child to possess such skill with magic, but, on the other hand, it was unusual for him to perform such feats while still in the womb.

Lily was left as stumped as James and the Healers. She didn't expect him to be that powerful to heal her ailments while he was still unborn. She retraced where Harry's power could have come from. She already knew that James was descended from the Peverells. The family consisted of three brothers. Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus. Ignotus Peverell, the youngest of the three, was whom James was descended from.

Before dying of extreme age, Ignotus sired a son who would carry on the Peverell name when he died. The son married a beautiful young woman who was the daughter of Godric Gryffindor, one of the Four Founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

They then both had a daughter named Iolanthe. Later in her life Iolanthe married a young man named Hardwin Potter, making their child bear the surname of Potter. It seemed to Lily that Harry had inherited all of his immense power as a result of that union.

However, while Lily knew of James's heritage, she didn't know of her own. She was descended from King Arthur Pendragon. Not only that, but Lily wasn't even born into the Evans family since she was adopted. Arthur's wife Guinevere and his father-in-law Leodegrance, secretly weren't who they appeared to be. They weren't born in Europe, nor on Earth, they came from another galaxy far, far away. They were Kenek and Mayla Estren, Jedi Knights descended from one of the Masters of the ancient, now lost, Je'daii Order, Jake Fenn.

After the wedding of Guinevere and Arthur, the couple sired a son, leaving Guinevere distraught when she sensed that, upon his birth, her son's connection to the Force was practically non-existent. In a few generations the connection was gone. But it seemed that it had returned with Harry due to a high concentration of bacterial-like symbiotic micro-organisms in his cells called 'Midi-chlorians'.

Many of the Healers wanted to run tests on the child, but both Lily and James immediately shot that idea down. They didn't want to risk someone learning the truth of their baby's incredible power.

The only option available was for them to entrust the secret of these strange, mystical acts and immense power to someone who knew what it was like to wield such great power himself. Someone like Albus Dumbledore, someone who every wizard and witch knew to possess incredible magical power himself. Of course, only James and Lily knew what was partially responsible for such power; the Elder Wand, which had been stolen from its rightful owner over a century ago, before finding itself in the hand of the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald, one of the darkest and most powerful wizards ever.

Grindelwald had terrorized Wizarding Europe for years while building an army, which he believed would allow him to conquer the outside world of non-Magical 'Muggles'. Grindelwald lost the wand in 1945 to Dumbledore, who claimed the wand by rightful conquest in defeating Grindelwald in a duel that many claimed as, "The greatest wizarding duel that had ever been fought."

The Elder Wand was one-third of a trinity of magical items that belonged to the Peverells; the wand originally belonging to Antioch, a stone dubbed as the 'Resurrection Stone' to Cadmus, and a special Invisibilty Cloak, the 'Cloak of Invisiblity' to Ignotus. The items were known throughout history and legend as the fabled 'Deathly Hallows' and were said to bestow almost divine-like levels of power onto their bearer, and should they all be brought together, they bestowed a mantle known infamously as 'Master of Death' onto their Master. James and Lily made the agreement to speak to Dumbledore about helping their child, but on one condition, one that they were meant to talk about on the night they met him.

James had been sitting in his leather chair for the last hour since he had spoken to Dumbledore through the Floo Network in his home's fireplace.

'Albus is normally never this late. I wonder what could be keeping him? Lily and I even told him what we needed to talk about is important.' thought James as he looked up at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. He saw it was quarter after eleven and James was about to call out to Lily who was in the kitchen making herself a cup of tea that he was going to sleep. However, before he could, the fire in the living room's fireplace wildly blazed and changed color from its normal orange to bright emerald green.

Out from them emerged Albus Dumbledore. He was a tall man of 5'10" and dressed in crimson robes with a matching pointed hat that sloped backwards. His blue eyes set in behind his half-moon glasses and his long silvery-white beard and hair that cascaded down his chest and back below his belt line until they could both be tucked into his belt, should he choose to. James met Dumbledore with a relieved smile, his hand outstretched for the other man.

"Albus, I'm so happy that you hadn't forgotten about coming tonight. Please, come through and sit down. Lily's just making some tea, and I don't think she'd mind making you a cup as well, if you'd like." remarked James as he and Dumbledore ended their handshake and stepped further into the room.

"Thank you my boy. I would appreciate that very much. I can only apologize about my tardiness here tonight. It seems that Millicent called for a meeting with me about some important issues regarding the Wizengamot." Dumbledore explained as he looked around the Gryffindor themed living room. After he had been led away from the fireplace and further into the living room, he looked fondly at James with his eyes twinkling behind his glasses as he addressed his former student and Head Boy.

"So, what may I ask was so important that you asked me to meet you here rather than at Hogwarts, or somewhere more public? And why did you ask me to come so late in the evening?" the Headmaster asked as he settled down on the crimson sofa while James returned to sitting in his chair.

James slightly averted his gaze from his former teacher as he began to think of how he would tell Dumbledore about why he needed to talk with him. Swallowing a nervous lump in his throat, James returned his gaze back to Dumbledore. James let out a small cough before he spoke.

"When I was at school, I always felt that I could rely on you, no matter what you said or did. If I'm to give you the full details, can I trust you to honor what I've already classed as a Potter Family secret? Meaning that only I, Lily, you, and the ones we entrust with those secrets will know about this?" asked James as he maintained eye contact with Dumbledore at every word.

"Of course." Dumbledore agreed, his eyes twinkling and filled with curiosity. "James my boy, I have never seen you so focused on something. Is all well with you?" he asked as James then averted his gaze from Dumbledore to look over at the kitchen door.

"One moment." said James as he held up his left index finger. He took a breath before calling out to Lily, "Lily, Albus is here. And I was wondering if you were almost done in there, and if it was all right with you to bring us some tea?" he called out to his wife.

To James's shock and Dumbledore's bewilderment there was no answer, but rather silence from the kitchen. Dumbledore's eyes then narrowed behind his half-moon glasses as James stood from his chair and made his way towards the kitchen door. Just as James approached the door he heard, to his fear, a gasp of shock and pain. Before he could do anything to stop himself, James burst through the door.

"Tiger Lily, are you all right Honey?" he asked.

As the door fully opened, he saw Lily on her knees with her hands on her stomach, her face was contorted in pain. Seeing Lily alive at least quelled some of the fears that James had, before his remaining fears were replaced with shock at what Lily answered with.

"J-James, my water broke! I'm going into labor!" replied Lily with pain in her voice as she squeezed her eyes shut and tears fell down her cheeks from the agonizing pain she was in.

Out in the living room Dumbledore's eyes widened, while James's face lit up with a smile that could light a thousand suns. He was going to be a father tonight, after all the months waiting, tonight his and Lily's child would finally enter the world. Before he had a chance to even change his mind, James turned around to look at Dumbledore who had just begun to stand up from the sofa.

"We...I don't think we have time to get to St. Mungo's. Would you mind getting a hold of someone, and asking them to come here?" asked James with a stutter as he looked at the old Headmaster.

"I will Floo Poppy immediately." Dumbledore replied, heading for the fireplace as James watched over Lily to make sure she was all right. Dumbledore took a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the fireplace making the flames blaze emerald green as Dumbledore made the call to Poppy on the Floo.

After the call was made Dumbledore returned to sit on the sofa as James kept watch over his wife, feeling his heart ache from seeing her in pain. Now all they had to do was wait.

As they waited, James got Lily as comfortable as possible among the pillows and blankets in the living room and laying her down on another one of the sofas, wanting to provide comfort while also keeping watch for Poppy. He looked up at Dumbledore who still sat across from him on the sofa. James drew his wand and cast a Muffliato Charm, creating a privacy bubble so as to not disturb Lily, James nervously coughed catching Dumbledore's attention as he spoke.

"Albus, what I'm about to reveal to you will probably also be recognized by her too. So, as Lord, Patriarch, and Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, I'm asking for your trust and silence on this matter." requested James, looking the Headmaster in the eye.

Dumbledore's eyes widened as he felt an air of great magic following James's words, and Dumbledore could tell by the look in James's eyes that he would brook no betrayal or lies on this matter. As the magic wrapped itself around them, Dumbledore looked over to James as he spoke.

"What is it, James? Why would you invoke your family's magic about this?" he asked curiously, wanting to know everything. James placed his clasped hands together in his lap.

"Because." he began shivering slightly, "I think you should know that...my son. I mean my and Lily's son, Harry...that's what Lily and I've chosen as his name. He...well...he..." James couldn't help himself from trembling, fearing what might happen when someone like Dumbledore knew the truth about Harry. "Harry's not just an average wizard, Albus. He's too powerful to be just a wizard, I know he is, and so does Lily. His power's incredible." replied James as he looked down for a second then lifted his head back up to meet Dumbledore's gaze.

"H-How...how powerful is he?" the old wizard asked nervously.

"More powerful than any wizard or witch I've ever seen or known before." replied James as he anxiously licked his lips. "But, I can tell you only from what I've seen, of how powerful Harry really is." he began to explain. "He was easily able to break Lily's fever when she had a temperature of about a hundred-ten, all by using some sufficiently powerful healing magic. Then he was easily able to change the weather from a thunderstorm to a gentle snow. And mind you, both of those displays of power were only a few months ago. And I can tell you that I feel those two displays barely scratched the surface of the potential of Harry's full power."

Never before had James seen Dumbledore pale so quickly or so fearfully, as many in the Wizarding World claimed that the Headmaster was afraid of nothing. And yet James saw that Dumbledore looked like he would die from pure shock and fear. Swallowing nervously and taking several deep breaths, Dumbledore finally spoke.

"H-how...how do you think this is possible, James? How could your and Lily's son...how could Harry be so powerful?" he asked in a quivering voice, fear in his every word. Dumbledore was only barely able to keep himself together and not be thrown through the far wall, his senses being absolutely bombarded by all the pure latent magic being radiated from the son of his former two students.

James took a moment to think. He looked up from his lap at Dumbledore. "I don't know, Albus. I just don't know. This is something I've never encountered before, and I'm beyond shocked at what's happening. But, like I said before. All I know is that something unknown is the reason for Harry's power." replied James as both he and Dumbledore sat quietly in thought.

Two minutes after James had told Dumbledore the truth about the secret of his and Lily's child's remarkable power, both men were almost scared out of their wits as the flames in the living room's fireplace blazed wildly in a bright emerald green for the second time that night as a rather feminine figure emerged from the roaring emerald flames.

Madam Poppy Pomfrey, Head Medi-witch and Matron of Hogwarts's Hospital Wing was a somewhat portly woman in her late fifties to early sixties with short, gray hair and kind, soft crystal blue eyes. She was 5'5" and wore her signature red and white Healer's robes.

James didn't even need to open his mouth as Pomfrey walked past both him and Dumbledore, seemingly ignoring both of the men at this moment, and headed straight for Lily, she drew her wand and cast a Disillusionment Charm shielding off a section of the room to give them privacy. However, when James made to follow her, he felt Dumbledore put a calm hand on his right shoulder. The old wizard was then given a look from James prompting Dumbledore to then give James a look of his own from his blue eyes.

"If what you have told me about your son's potential is true, James, as well as what you have shared with me just now. I would advise that you stay out here, so that Poppy can cast the necessary Backlash Prevention Wards, without fear of your magic interfering in any way." the elderly wizard spoke in a supposedly wise voice as both he and James sat patiently once again in thought.

James sat rather uneasily in his chair. Although it looked like he had been able to compose himself, underneath he was just as worried as he had been before Dumbledore had even arrived. He could feel his heart hammering against the inside of his chest as if it were a raging Centaur. James tried any reason he could possibly think of to remain calm. But as he would start to calm himself down, he would continually rile himself back up as he would nervously glance to where Lily was located behind the Disillusionment Charm, wondering how she was doing.

To help pass the time for the nervous father-to-be, James had gotten up from his chair and walked over to his fireplace and, after taking and throwing a handful of Floo powder into the hearth, James got on the Floo Network and began to speak with someone.

First to come through was his best friend Sirius Black, a tall man of 5'9" like James, but roughly a year older, with mid-length curly, black hair and a small matching goatee, and slate-colored eyes. He was dressed in a dark gray suit. But while Sirius looked to have been wide awake and rather excited as if Christmas had come early, the second man that emerged from the fireplace looked to be rather exhausted.

Remus Lupin was also a tall man but stood an inch taller at 5'10" and was the same age, with short, light brown hair and a small matching mustache, and light blue eyes. He was dressed in a rather dark olive-green suit and an ash gray bowtie. Just like Sirius, he was also one of James's closest friends.

"There's only you guys, where's Wormtail? Isn't he coming?" asked James, confusion clearly present in his voice as he quickly looked over both Sirius's and Lupin's shoulders towards the fireplace, then quickly back at his two friends. Sirius then shook his head as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"No. I'm sorry, Prongs. He's not coming tonight. He said that he had some important 'business', to attend to, or whatnot." Sirius replied, his tone laced with suspicion as he added, "Although, what's more important than the first ever second-generation Marauder being brought into the world? I'll never know."

James then sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm just glad that you're here Padfoot. Lily and I decided that we want you to be Harry's godfather." James replied as he looked over at Lupin who seemed to look like he was completely ignored. "But, I'm also glad that you're here too, Moony. I could use all the help you and Padfoot could give me."

The all-but-complete Marauders ventured over to the sitting area of the living room as Sirius and Lupin shook hands with Dumbledore and sat down on the sofa on either side of the old Headmaster, while James returned to sitting in his chair. Again they had to wait, for how much longer? They didn't know.

Lily was in indescribable pain. She lurched her head forward, grunting and squeezing her eyes shut in pain. Her face was contorted as she felt as if she was being ripped in two. Madam Pomfrey had set to work trying to help the distressed mother-to-be through all the pain to help deliver her child into the world.

Lily squeezed her eyes further shut, tears running down her cheeks. She couldn't take the pain much longer. It was too much. It was unbearable. She couldn't hold back her pain any longer. So in the end she screamed. She screamed as loud as she could ever hope to. And in the last moment before she could scream any more, she felt a calming sensation. At first she didn't know where it could have possibly come from. But then after a second or two to wrap her head around the situation, Lily figured out the cause and reason of why her unbearable pain had suddenly and seemingly ceased. It was Harry, her son, it was he who was responsible. It seemed that once again in her hour of need, Lily's young child had used the great power contained inside of himself to cease his mother's pain. But, what Lily didn't know however, was that someone had sensed Harry's great and seemingly unlimited power.

Emperor's throne room, Observation Tower, Imperial Orbital Battle Station codenamed 'Death Star', outer space in orbit above Despayre, Horuz system, Atrivis sector, Outer Rim Territories, Known Galaxy

15 years Before the Battle of Yavin, 4 years after the Rise of the New Order

Farther away than the farthest moon, planet, or star within the solar system, located far away from the Milky Way, lay another galaxy: one full forever more of chaos, betrayal, hatred, manipulation, and corruption. Consisting of more than anything; apart from the endless cycles of war, peace, and revolution, was consuming it at this moment. Blanketing out any source of light, was the endless lure of darkness and evil.

In the Outer Rim Territories, the supposedly benevolent Galactic Empire was hard at work. They were building what would perhaps be the greatest weapon that the Galaxy had ever seen. It would usher in true, eternal peace for the inhabitants across the Galaxy.

Above the green and blue planet, Despayre; hanging in geosynchronous orbit like an angel of death, was a monstrous behemoth of Quadanium alloy. Even though it was barely past fifty percent of its completion, the very sight of it would cause not only shock and awe, but also fear.

It was codenamed the 'Death Star' and, upon its completion, it would possess firepower the likes of which the Galaxy had never bore witness to.

Sitting in the throne room that was seemingly dipped in darkness, upon his imposing metal throne sat Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine also known as Darth Sidious, ruler of the Galactic Empire and Dark Lord of the Sith. He was a tall man of 5'11" and his midnight black hooded robe blanketed him in further darkness, showing he was truly at home within the dark. The brim of his hood covered the top half of his pale and disfigured face while his bright, golden eyes scanned the space before him.

Sidious sat in pure silence, both of his arms rested upon the armrests, his eyes looking out the large viewport at the endless void of space. His robe lay upon him, giving off the impression of death.

The space before him was later filled with two hundred Venator-class Star Destroyers, unstoppable juggernauts of destructive capabilities. Despite being remainders of a bygone time; soon on their way to the scrap yards, they could enforce order and were useful for the time being, for now.

Alongside them were their newer and larger brothers, one hundred brand new Imperial-class Star Destroyers, freshly produced from the orbital shipyards of Kuat Drive Yards. They were larger than their relic Clone Wars-era siblings, but could also enforce order. But flying alongside them were the true monsters that the Empire had at their disposal, until the Death Star and Sidious' secret project were completed.

Flying alongside the miniscule Star Destroyers were their more dangerous 'big brothers', fifteen monstrous nineteen kilometer Executor-class Imperial Star Dreadnoughts. They had enough troops, weapons, and starfighters to quell an uproar within an entire star system, a force that no one in their right mind wanted to anger.

Sidious watched as before him the rather large starfleet began soaring throughout the vacuum of space. The fleet was one of the largest that the elderly Sith Lord had ever seen. He averted his eyes from the viewport upon catching sight of his own disfigured features, the result of his claim to ultimate power within the bygone Republic. He still remembered the day that he had been scarred by the Jedi Master, Mace Windu. The searing hot lightning that coursed through his body, every nerve and molecule screaming in agony as his features were forever changed from what they had been before. He sat in thought pondering how he had come so far since that day four years ago at the end of the Clone Wars, and his ascension from Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, to the Galactic Emperor of his new Galactic Order.

He had finally accomplished what the numerous Sith of old had constantly attempted and failed to do, the total annihilation of the accursed Jedi and their precious Order. It was finally time for the Sith to rule eternally. He was the Sith who had accomplished all that his predecessors had failed to accomplish. And to him, the taste of victory was oh so sweet to him. And he reveled in his triumph, never had the Galaxy ever bore witness to the evil that plagued it in darkness.

To his right stood nothing, but a void of shadows. The Emperor had lost what he had noted as his, "Ultimate victory against the Jedi." He had lost what he saw as the perfect apprentice for the Sith Order, the apprentice that he had spent countless years grooming and preparing to embrace the Dark Side and become a true Dark Lord of the Sith.

Anakin Skywalker might have at first glance, appeared to only be a reckless and hot-headed young Jedi Knight. But it was the power he contained within himself, that Sidious had so craved. The boy had been born purely out of the Force with no father, he had been conceived purely by the Midi-chlorians. His potential in the Force had been so vast, that upon reaching his full potential everybody; whether Sith or Jedi, believed he would truly have become the most powerful being in existence. His pure, raw Force potential would dwarf all Force-users that had come before, or would come after him, combined. Including Sidious himself.

But it seemed that the victory of possessing the most powerful Force-wielder in existence as his apprentice and to give the Sith true eternal power, wouldn't last for long. As merely a few hours after swearing his allegiance to Sidious' teachings and the Dark Side of the Force, the newly christened Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, was defeated on the volcanic planet of Mustafar by his former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Upon sensing Lord Vader's distress after his victory over the Jedi Grand Master, Yoda, that resulted in the old green Jedi Master's retreat, Sidious immediately traveled to Mustafar to aid his apprentice, should he require it. Upon landing on the ash-covered volcanic world and finding Lord Vader's severely burned and disfigured corpse, Sidious was met with extreme unadulterated rage at the fact that his apprentice, who had sensed the death of his wife, Padmé Amidala, and his unborn children, chose not to live anymore. Vader, itseemed, had lost the will to live without the presence of his family, and rather than channel his hate into the Dark Side to stay alive, like Darth Sion before him, the newly christened Sith chose to die on the banks of a lava river, rather than live a now lonely life, separated from his loved ones.

Sidious closed his aged eyes, and let the pure, unlimited power of the Dark Side flow through his veins. He then quieted his mind as he let the darkness swirl even further around him. His body radiating the true black evil of the Dark Side. At the moment the darkness was at its greatest, Sidious thought back to that very day four years ago, when the Jedi had denied him his chosen apprentice. He chose to do this to let the Dark Side further fuel his power, as he called on every negative emotion there was, and channeled those raw emotions into the Force to feed his power.

Burning shore, Mustafar, Mustafar system, Atravis sector, Outer Rim Territories, Known Galaxy

Four Years Ago, 19 BBY

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, formerly known as Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and The Chosen One of the Force gurgled out helplessly on the burning shore of a raging lava river. He reached out his cybernetic right hand, the only remaining limb on his mutilated, burnt, and disfigured body, and grasped helplessly against the burning black sand as he tried to pull himself further up the shore, and away from the raging river. However, try as he might, the sand continuously slipped from his grasp and seeped through his mechanical fingers.

He tortuously began to roll over until he had turned completely over onto his inflamed back. He then looked down at his body, taking stock of his condition. His left arm had been severed at the elbow, and both of his legs had been cut off at about his kneecaps. But what Vader saw was that his Jedi garments had been burnt completely off of him leaving him looking at his inflamed skin that had been dotted with numerous fourth, fifth, and sixth degree burns. Vader stared up at the pure black clouds hanging over him, straining his damaged eyes as he was unable to fully focus on the blanketed sky of darkness.

Internally Vader cursed Obi-Wan Kenobi who had destroyed him before his career as a Sith Lord could truly begin. He raged that the man whom he had looked up to like a father or an older brother figure had done this to him. He had betrayed him as all the Jedi had, but the Jedi didn't just betray him, they betrayed the whole kriffing Republic and the Senate. They had tried to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine even when the man had only the Republic's best interests at heart, and had provided the Jedi with the information pertaining to General Grievous' location that later ended with his destruction and the end of the war. But still, the Jedi had craved to overthrow the Chancellor and seize control of the Republic for themselves. And not only had Obi-Wan betrayed him, but, somehow, his former Master had manipulated Padmé against him, and his wife had even brought Obi-Wan to Mustafar to kill him. How could she do that?! After everything they had been through, how could she side with the enemy and betray her husband and the father of her child?

Vader couldn't make sense out of any of it, no matter how hard he tried to think about what happened, he was met with the same answer, over, and over, and over. She had betrayed him, and yet, deep down in his heart, he couldn't find the strength to hate her. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate his negative emotions into the Force, she was his angel, his wife, and the same girl he had fallen in love with when he had first laid eyes on her in Watto's junk shop thirteen years ago.

Vader then closed his eyes as he tried to sense Padmé's presence through the Force. He had to make sure that she was at least safe. Out from him the Force ebbed, grew, retracted, and thrust out. With much concentration and great effort, he reached out further with the Force, casting it off from himself through the fog of Mustafar, into the void of the Galaxy. He passed hundreds of thousands of worlds, heard many out there in the void go about their lives. He felt death and darkness permeate the Galaxy. He reached out and pushed beyond the many septillions of life-forms as he searched for his wife's familiar presence through the Force. He looked out further and further, straining himself in the process so that he could find her among the maze of the stars and planets of the Galaxy. It was then, at that moment, that he finally found her!

He could sense her presence through the Force. But what had Vader taken aback, was that he could feel her life-force diminishing; he could feel her drifting away from the physical plane and away from the land of the living. But she wasn't alone as he could feel their child, no wait, there were two Force signatures emanating from his wife, not one. She wasn't carrying a single child, but twins; a boy and a girl. He could feel his wife and children; his son and daughter, slowly slipping away. He couldn't believe it, he didn't want to believe it. But the evidence was clearly there for him to feel through the Force. Padmé and his children were dying, and there was absolutely nothing that he could do about it.

'Don't give up Padmé, please don't give up. I already lost my mother, I can't lose you and our children.' thought Vader as tears began to flow down from his eyes, stinging his burnt skin as they did so. 'I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what came over me. Please don't leave me. If you die, I don't know if I could keep on living without you. You're my heart and soul.'

Vader continued shedding tears, sensing his wife's and children's presences begin flickering repeatedly. But in the end he felt their presences finally flicker out of existence. They were gone; his entire family was gone. His wife, son, and daughter; all gone. Vader threw back his head in agony, he could feel his anger, his hatred, his pain, all of it flowing through him. He could feel it giving him a temporary boost to his power. He let it flow through him like a rapid torrent, like a pure tsunami of rage. He raged at the unfairness of it all. He raged at the uncaring Galaxy that he was born into, and Obi-Wan for betraying him and manipulating Padmé to betray him as well. But, above all else, he raged at the Force. If this was the Force's will, then he cursed the Force. He venomously cursed it with every ounce of hatred that he had of his being. He hated it, and he would hate it forever.

He cursed himself for being so kriffing stupid. He had attacked her, he had attacked his wife, the one he loved the most, the mother of their children. He then focused his hatred away from the Force, and focused it onto the one that he truly hated more than the Jedi, or Obi-Wan, or even the Force itself. He focused it on the one person solely responsible for all of his pain: himself.

He then remembered the last time he spoke to his wife, and how he had kriffed up his own life, from just those seconds alone. And those seconds, he knew in his mind, he could never get back.

"Padmé, I saw your ship..." he remembered saying as she ran into his arms and they embraced. Padmé stepped back, looking up at him with concern.

"Oh Anakin!" she had said.

He remembered putting his hands on both sides of her head in a loving manner. "It's all right, you're safe now. What're you doing here?" he had asked.

Padmé looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible things." she had replied with.

He looked at her with concern in his eyes. "What things?" he had asked her. He remembered seeing Padmé's face and eyes visibly display her confusion with all that was happening.

"He said that you've turned to the Dark Side...that you killed Younglings." she had explained as she looked up at him, hoping he would deny what Obi-Wan told her.

He sighed and then quickly became disgusted. "Obi-Wan's trying to turn you against me." he had exclaimed with ire.

"He cares about us." Padmé had tried to convince him.

He remembered looking at her in shock. "Us?!" he had asked with even further shock.

"He knows...he wants to help you." she had tried to explain to him, but he remembered that that explanation had only seemed to anger him even further.

"Is Obi-Wan gonna protect you?" he paused as he remembered trying to calm himself down first. "He can't...he can't help you. He's not powerful enough." he had tried to persuade her. He remembered Padmé looking up at him with tears falling rapidly down her cheeks.

"Anakin, all I want is your love." she had declared in a sad tone, her voice evidently cracking.

He reached out to her again, taking her face in his hands, and looking down at her with love, but also with arrogance. "Love won't save you, Padmé. Only my new powers can do that." he had told her, staring into her eyes. He remembered Padmé's facial expression becoming alarmed instead of comforted.

"At what cost? You're a good person. Don't do this." she had tearfully pleaded with him as she reached up and touched his face.

He sighed and looked deep into her chocolate brown eyes. "I won't lose you the way I lost my mother! I've become more powerful than any Jedi or Force-user before or after me has or could ever dream of, and I've done it for you." he then paused, "To protect you." he had said as he cupped her left cheek with his black-gloved cybernetic right hand. He remembered when Padmé took a hold of both of his hands in her own.

"Come away with me. Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind, while we still can." she had pleaded to him again as she tried to pull him along with her back towards her Chromium-plated Nubian cruiser.

Instead of going with her, he pulled his hands from hers and started to wave them around as an arrogant smile formed on his lips. "Don't you see, we don't have to run anymore. I've brought peace to the Republic. I'm more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him, and together you and I can rule the Galaxy. Us and our family. Make things the way we want them to be." he had declared, trying to convince her. He remembered Padmé instead shaking her head in disbelief as she cautiously started backing away from him with tears still falling from her eyes.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing...Obi-Wan was right. You've changed." she had deduced, hurt in her tone. Her eyes contained the sadness of betrayal.

He instantly started to become irritated again and started pacing back and forth. "I don't wanna hear anymore about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me." he stopped and pointed his right index finger at her. "Don't you turn against me." he had ordered with violent anger beginning to surface in his tone. He remembered seeing Padmé's face adopt an expression of pure horror and sadness.

"I don't know you anymore." Padmé had told him with despair in her voice. "Anakin, you're breaking my heart." Tears then immediately began blinding her vision as she continued to back away from him. "I'll never stop loving you, but you're going down a path I can't follow." she had exclaimed with her voice sounding extremely hoarse from her sadness.

He then became more irate than before with his tone and expression clearly indicating it. "Because of Obi-Wan?" he had questioned in anger as his eyes slowly began transitioning from their normal light electric blue to a bright, glowing sickly golden tint.

"Because of what you've done...what you plan to do. Stop, stop now. Come back! I love you!" she had pleaded to him. She knew she was losing the man she loved most.

He then remembered instantly noticing a brown-robed figure appear at the top of the landing ramp of Padmé's cruiser out of the corner of his eye. "LIAR!" he had shouted at her with pure rage seeping into his words as he accused her. He now knew why she had come to him.

Padmé, confused, then abruptly turned around towards her ship and, to her surprise, she saw Obi-Wan standing at the top of the landing ramp of the Nubian cruiser with his hands on his hips, looking at Anakin with disappointment and determination clearly present on his face. Padmé looked at Obi-Wan and then him with fear and anguish present in her eyes.

"No!" she had shouted aloud in surprise.

He looked at Padmé with anger and distrust as he began pacing again. His eyes intensified, becoming a more vibrant, sickly glowing golden color than they had been moments before. He thrust his right arm forward, pointing his index finger accusingly at Padmé. "YOU'RE WITH HIM! YOU'VE BETRAYED ME! YOU BROUGHT HIM HERE TO KILL ME!" he had roared out in pure venomous rage.

He remembered Padmé instantly adopting a look of absolute horror. "No! Anakin. I swear...I-" she had tried shouting back her assurance as he reached out with his right hand and compressed it into a fist as the Force gripped around her throat and he choked her through the Force. She gasped for air, looking back at him with fear and anguish as she reached her hands up to her throat trying to remove the invisible hand that clenched at her windpipe.

He remembered Obi-Wan had begun stepping down the landing ramp towards him. "Let her go, Anakin." he had demanded in a commanding tone. But the Sith Lord merely ignored his former Master's words. "I said..." demanded Obi-Wan in a louder tone, this time earning his fallen former Padawan's attention. "LET...HER...GO..."

The last thing that he remembered was releasing his grip through the Force as Padmé fell to the landing platform collapsing in a heap. Before he was blinded by pure unadulterated rage and began engaging in the Lightsaber duel with his former Master that led to his current situation.

How, how could he be so karking stupid? He looked down at his cybernetic right hand, the one that had hurt her and had led to her being taken from him. He stared at the black cybernetic appendage, narrowing his eyes in rage and hatred, clenching the metallic fingers inward into a tight fist.

But as quickly as the anger manifested within, it just as suddenly disappeared, he let calmness wash over him as water washing over a stone in a stream. He looked back at the billowing, black sky of this volcanic hell. He closed his eyes, concentrating as best he could with his body aching from its injuries, the pain growing more extreme every passing second.

'Padmé, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that I've done. From hurting you, to killing Younglings. I never deserved you. You were too good for me. You're all the things that I've tried and wanted to be, but failed. Caring, warm, compassionate, all of it. I don't expect you to forgive me. And I'd understand if you don't. But, I just want you to understand that I made a mistake, a HUGE mistake. But, I'm willing to apologize as a man knowing he's done wrong. I'm sorry, Angel. Can you ever forgive me for what I've done?' he thought as he shed a tear from his eye that streamed down to his cheek stinging the irritated skin.

His eyes snapped open as he felt a light stirring inside of him. He could feel it in his chest, it began as just a small flicker. But as the seconds passed by, the light began to grow inside him. After a few more seconds passed, Vader heard something. He heard a voice, a voice that he thought he would never hear again. But he heard it coming in clear as a Kyber Crystal. It was Padmé herself!

"Yes Anakin, I do. I do forgive you." said the ethereal voice of Padmé, sounding so far away, yet so close to him at the same time. As if she were lying there right beside him.

"P-Padmé? Is it, is that you?" asked Anakin, disbelief evident in both his tone and on his disfigured face, respectively. 'Is it really Padmé...or am I just hallucinating?' he thought. "It can't be. You're gone. I felt you and our children pass on through the Force. This can't be real. I have to be hallucinating."

"Yes...it's me." replied Padmé, Anakin practically hearing the smile in her words. "And no...you're not hallucinating, Ani. I'm here. I'm really here with you." Anakin couldn't stop the tears flooding from his eyes. Padmé, his wife, his angel was still there. However, his attention was directed by the words Padmé spoke. "However, what about you? Who are you?" she paused. "Are you Anakin Skywalker, my husband...or are you Darth Vader, the Sith Lord?" she asked, wonderment and a slight trace of distrust in her words.

Anakin felt as if he had just been backhanded across the face from an angry Bull Rancor by her question. He stared up at the black, cloudy sky in stunned silence. "I-I'm A-Anakin. Anakin Skywalker, your husband. Padmé." he replied stuttering, voice cracking to answer her. Tears streaming down his cheeks in uncontrollable waves. The memories of what he did to her, flooding back into his mind more powerful than ever.

"I-I'm sorry, Padmé. I'm so sorry." he apologized once again, vision blurring due to his tears. "I just can't believe what came over me. I'm not that person anymore. Darth Vader's dead. And I'm happy, I-I'm so, so happy that you're able to forgive me for all I've done. I love you Padmé, and I wanna be with you always. Forever." he said, as Padmé seemed to smile through her ethereal presence.

"I love you too, Anakin. And I wanna be with you too. Come with me, we can go to a better place. Please, come with me. I'll be waiting for you." said Padmé, her voice departing from the volcanic shore. Anakin then spoke to who deserved to hear his words more than anyone else at this moment: the Force.

"Please, I know that I've failed to fulfill the Prophecy and bring balance to the Galaxy. But please...let me pass on into the Netherworld...into the afterlife, and be with my family. Don't let me die and be cursed to live in Chaos for the rest of eternity. Please, let me transcend the physical plane and become One with the Force. Let another person be born to finish what I've started. Please, I beg you." pleaded Anakin, gazing up at the heavens above him, constantly swirling in turmoil from the volcanic environment.

Anakin felt the life begin to leave him. It was time for him to go. It was his time to become One with the Force. Was he afraid? Yes he was, but, in his heart, he knew there were plenty of things in existence far worse than death itself. At that moment, Anakin Skywalker, The Chosen One of the Force, Jedi Knight of the Republic, and formerly the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, passed on into the Force. All around him becoming black as night.

Outer space, Mustafar, Mustafar system, Atravis sector, Outer Rim Territories, Known Galaxy

Four Years Ago, 19 BBY

(...)

Through the pure black void a lone tri-winged Theta-class T-2c personnel shuttle descended through the vacuum of space. The configuration of the central stationary wing atop it and pair of folded wings on either side resembled an inverted letter 'Y' in flight position.

Moving on ahead of it was a squadron of seven ARC-170 starfighters serving as a security escort. The shuttle gave a harsh explosion of its engines and, in a few seconds, it burst downward towards the planet beneath it. Mustafar; the reddish-orange raging volcanic laden planet, remained silent and without notice of this shuttle and those ships that escorted it in.

The only thing of notice to those within the shuttle being the single Acclamator-class assault ship in orbit, having been there to also escort them with added protection. Before it burst into hyperspace and off to where only the Force knew where.

"We'll be planet-side and landing in seventy seconds, Your Majesty." announced the black-haired, navy-eyed, and black-uniformed Imperial Navy pilot looking over his right shoulder at his Emperor as he sat, eyes closed, appearing to be in a state of meditation.

"Ah, very good Captain."

Sidious merely allowed a smile to grace his features as he leaned into his seat and drew in a mighty breath. Seeming to relish the air, but really relishing the darkness that poured upward and outward from the fiery lava-covered volcanic planet.

Ever referred as volatile and uncontrollable by the rest of the Galaxy, the Dark Side would forever remain a fixture of Mustafar after the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith, Lord Momin, transformed it into what it was now and would always remain as. A pure, burning nexus of power of the Dark Side of the Force.

However, Sidious was snapped out of his stupor as he opened his eyes, sensing a disturbance course through the Force. He sensed Lord Vader's Force signature suddenly flicker out of existence, as all he could feel through the Force was... 'Nothing?' was the only word Sidious could say through his thoughts. It was impossible. Surely Darth Vader, the most powerful Force-wielder in existence couldn't truly be gone just as easily as that? Could he?

Of course Sidious had sensed that Lord Vader was in need of assistance, but Sidious believed Vader was only slightly injured. It seemed that either Vader had been inflicted with serious life-threatening injuries and died as a result. Or he only suffered some sort of injuries that rendered him unconscious and the young Sith subconsciously and unknowingly used the rare Force ability, Force Blank, to become a Dark Void in the Force, cloaking his Force signature completely.

Sidious decided that the latter would have to be the most likely scenario. Not wanting to waste even a precious second if his as-of-now precious and possibly future expendable apprentice required aid, then he would receive it. For now, as his services to the Dark Lord of the Sith were still required.

"Captain, get us down there immediately, I sense Lord Vader most likely requires assistance. That's a direct order and top priority." ordered the Galactic Emperor, his tone showing that he would allow nothing short of complete obedience.

"Very well, Your Majesty. As you wish." responded the pilot, turning his head to the similarly dressed co-pilot with auburn hair and cyan eyes that sat to his right. "Lieutenant divert spare auxiliary power to forward thrust and heat shields. We don't wanna burn up in the atmosphere if we come in too shallow." he exclaimed.

"Yes Captain." responded the Lieutenant, setting to work diverting the shuttle's spare auxiliary power into the forward thrusters and heat shields. Meanwhile the Captain activated the shuttle's modified on-board comm system.

"Twilight Squadron, this is Captain Zalev Seyl of Theta shuttle-2182. We've received a direct order from His Imperial Majesty to accelerate downward towards the planet. If you're gonna maintain in-flight escort, please divert spare auxiliary power to both forward thrust and heat shields at this moment, in case you come in too shallow in the atmosphere." reported the pilot; identified as Captain Zalev Seyl of the new Imperial Navy, over the comm system.

Sidious having already ordered a communications lock on the ARC starfighter squadron the moment they emerged from hyperspace, listened in as Captain Seyl hailed the Leader of the ARC squadron codenamed Twilight Squadron.

"Theta shuttle-2182, this is Twilight Leader. We understand direct order and have diverted auxiliary power to thrust and heat shields. Continue on your present course. We'll escort you until you land and perform in-air perimeter recon until you're ready to leave. Twilight Leader, out." reported the Clone pilot.

"Your Majesty, we're going in now. Acceleration's increased to maximum capacity. ETA, thirty seconds." reported Zalev, as the Theta-class shuttle descended through the ash filled atmosphere at maximum acceleration.

"Your Majesty, we're now coming in for a landing. Touchdown in fifteen seconds." reported the co-pilot as Sidious stood from his seat and began walking towards the back of the shuttle, he stared at the seated four Imperial Royal Guards and eight Imperial Guard Clone Shock Troopers.

The former were dressed in red robes and wore red gloves, boots, and helmets covering their entire heads with horizontal black visors and held long black spear-like Force pikes. The latter were dressed in full body primarily white Phase II armor covering them from head to toe, with matching primarily white helmets covering their entire heads with black stylized 'T'-shaped visors. They had solid red areas on their chests, abdomens, knees, shoulders, elbows, utility belts, shins, boots, and parts of their helmets. They carried identical black DC-15A blaster rifles. The idea of their armor was to intimidate by removing any sign of emotion or sympathy.

Sidious gave a faint nudge of his head towards the landing ramp and his protection detail wordlessly stood from their seats and moved back towards it.

Meanwhile the Theta-class shuttle had now settled down onto a landing platform that was uphill from a raging lava river. Its landing ramp descended, and so too did the Emperor and his protection detail. Emerging first were the Clone Shock Troopers in two single file lines. The moment each one stepped off the ramp, they raised their blaster rifles to point the barrels of their weapons ahead of themselves, covering sectors and flanks.

Next, Sidious, flanked from both the front and the rear by his crimson-robed guards, descended the metal ramp. The elderly Sith looked around at his surroundings, never once had he himself been to this planet only through a hologram that he used to communicate with the bounty hunter Cad Bane when he had brought Force-sensitive children here. He saw that this hellish landscape would have been perfect for the Sith homeworld, if not for Korriban.

The ground was black, sandy, and harsh looking. Jagged rocks stuck out from the ground, facing the sky as distant mountains loomed high and climbed towards the sky. He heard the rumbles, the crackling of the volcanoes and the lava rivers. He felt the vibratory tremors those tall cones of rock emitted when erupting; sending forth molten orange liquid into the air.

Sidious looked forward as one of the Troopers approached him, the four horizontal red stripes on his shoulders identifying him as a Commander. "Your Majesty, we've just received word from Twilight Squadron. Recon reports there's zero hostiles within proximity." reported the Clone.

Sidious gave a mere nod of his head, "Very good, Commander. Now, let's find Lord Vader." declared the Sith as he turned and began walking downhill towards a black sandy shore near one of the planet's many lava rivers.

One of the Clones who had broken off to check for his second-in-command superior was running back uphill as fast as could.

"CT-2019, what is it? Have you found Lord Vader?" inquired the Shock Trooper Commander standing at Sidious' left-hand side.

"Your Majesty, Commander, there's something, or someone, down there." reported the Trooper, averting Sidious' attention downward towards the bottom of the hill on the black sandbanks of a lava river.

'That's it.' thought Sidious as he immediately broke into a stride heading towards the location of his apprentice, moving at a speed that his guard detail noted, belied his age, as the man moved faster than their eyes or minds could even follow. When he arrived further downhill, the elderly Sith noticed a small shape of sort lying next to the churning molten river.

'No, it can't be!' thought Sidious. The Dark Lord need not run for long as his vision landed upon what he hoped to the Force hadn't happened. He hoped that whatever that shape was, that it wasn't Lord Vader.

'No, this can't be! By the Force this isn't possible, it just can't be!' thought the Emperor as he internally boiled with rage. The Force swirling in darkness around him and coursing through his veins.

But it was true. His promising new apprentice, who was to be the greatest Sith Lord and Force-wielder who had ever lived - maimed and burned - perhaps even dead. The Dark Lord of the Sith slowed to a walk as he came to the right side of his most recent apprentice; the fallen, now motionless, Lord Vader

It was then that Sidious bent over the body. Leaning down, the Dark Lord lowered his left hand, placing his open palm upon Vader's forehead to see if his apprentice was still alive. He instead was met with a total lack of life within Vader, only sensing the void of death within him. He was dead. Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, was dead.

Sidious ground his teeth in frustrated, unadulterated rage. Lord Vader was dead, and he had wasted all the immense Force potential that had been gifted to him. Of course he was expendable to the Dark Lord, as were all of his former apprentices, and he would have been discarded the very second the elderly Sith found an even more powerful apprentice to replace Vader. And with his training in the ability of Essence Transfer, he would have probably even transferred his consciousness into Vader's body to utilize his Force potential to its fullest extent. Until then, he was still useful to Sidious, but now, as a charred body, he was anything but useful to him.

It was then that Sidious' protection detail arrived as they ran downhill towards their Emperor on the burning black shore. They all slowed to a halt upon seeing their Emperor hunched over the charred and mutilated corpse of Lord Vader. They all felt shivers run down their spines knowing that Sidious was enraged. The Clone Commander stepped forward as Sidious began standing up from examining Vader's body.

"Sir, would you like for us to return to the shuttle and acquire a medical capsule for Lord Vader?" asked the Commander, hopefully trying not to anger his superior as he gained the Dark Lord's attention.

Darth Sidious kept his gaze focused on Vader's body as he remained silent for a second. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "No, Commander Thire, that won't be necessary at this moment. Lord Vader...is dead." he replied, still gazing down at Vader's corpse, his eyes like twin burning golden suns displaying his rage.

He sneered, his features distorted by rage; seeing no alternative to at all reviving Lord Vader from the grave for his failure. Sidious extended his hands out forward, angling his aged, bony fingers forward and downward. It was then he unleashed tendril shaped torrents of blue Force Lightning that exploded forth from his fingertips and struck Vader's corpse.

Vader's charred, reddened skin began to smoke as it deformed exponentially more. The blue bolts of lightning bombarded Vader's skin as it became deformed, like hot Nubian wax on his homeworld of Naboo.

Sidious continued his bombardment on his former Sith apprentice for his failure. Only maintaining the sneer upon his features, nostrils flaring, but he didn't let up from his assault. Not even when the rancid smell of charred, melted, and burning flesh entered through his nostrils upon his inhalation, only for him to exhale through his aged, wrinkled lips. He had no sorrow to spare for the failure beneath him.

When Sidious ceased his bombardment on Vader's remains all that was left was a completely unidentifiable black burned husk. The aged Sith placed both his arms back down at his sides as he reached out through the Force and telekinetically lifted the body into the air without having to raise a finger. Sidious then tossed Vader's corpse into the churning river of lava where it sizzled and sank out of sight.

With that done Sidious turned and, with a furious whirl of his midnight black hooded robe, he stalked away. "Commander, we're leaving now." said Sidious in an icy tone, and his protection detail instantly knew it was time to leave.

"Yes sir." acknowledged Commander Thire as he looked at the Troopers under his command. "All right, Jek, Rys, all you boys. Let's get the kriff off this smoking magma rock!"

"Sir, yes sir." responded the Clones as they immediately followed their Emperor, his Royal Guards, and their Commander back to the shuttle, two of them being identified as 'Jek' and 'Rys' while the other five Troopers were unidentified.

It was only a few moments before the Theta-class shuttle lifted off from the planet, linked up with Twilight Squadron, and jumped into hyperspace back to Coruscant, or as it was now known, 'Imperial Center'.

(Present Day)

After Darth Vader's death and disposal on Mustafar, Sidious had returned to the Capital of his newly formed Galactic Empire to ensure total stability and control over all the hard work that had taken him decades to accomplish.

But now, without Lord Vader, he had to resort to using his newly formed Imperial Hand and Inquisitorius programs to train Dark Side Force-users that would then hunt down all the remaining Jedi that had escaped Order 66. And while some of them proved to be exceptionally powerful, knowledgeable, and gifted users of the Force, they were infinitely less than nothing compared to the unlimited pure Force potential that Darth Vader had possessed, or would have possessed.

Much had changed for the Galaxy after the end of the Clone Wars and rise of the Empire, as Sidious noted. There were reports that were passed onto him from the Imperial Security Bureau that stated there was most likely treason within the Imperial Senate and some Senators were most likely creating a rebellion movement against the Empire.

However, at the time ISB Commanding Officer Colonel Wullf Yularen's attempts at finding the perpetrator or perpetrators remained fruitless. If it weren't for the fact that the experienced Clone Wars veteran was a dedicated and useful pawn, then Sidious would have disintegrated him with Force Lightning instantly.

The elderly Dark Lord of the Sith gave a loose shake of his head, moving his hood slightly as he did so, as he pushed the thoughts from his mind and he returned to the original topic. He had ruled over the Empire and Galaxy for four years now, and had done so without an apprentice. He knew that with all the work that he was attending to as the most powerful being in the Known Galaxy, both literally and politically, that he wouldn't have much time available to train a new apprentice in the teachings of the Dark Side.

And he doubted that there was any being anywhere in either the Galaxy or the universe that could even come anywhere close to the level of power that Vader had had. Much less any Force-user more powerful than himself. Until, he felt something...

A disturbance in the Force had broken his concentration, causing his bright golden eyes to snap open. Like a trillion stars simultaneously going nova in an instant. He felt a ripple of the Force that had screamed across the Galaxy from somewhere afar, beyond even the Western Rim, somewhere in the Unknown Regions. He felt the Force tremble and shake at the explosion of light that had rumored that a great...change had occurred.

The maelstrom seemed to rattle the dark shroud that had been placed by him upon the Galaxy four years ago. Its echo raced across the numerous hundreds of octillions of stars of the Galaxy and found its way to the Dark Lord of the Sith. It felt...powerful. Very powerful. Its power was unlike almost anything Sidious had ever encountered before, its power just falling short of Vader's or his children that the elderly Sith had sensed when he met with their mother after his return to the Republic Capital following the Battle of Coruscant.

It seemed that this power could possibly be great enough to surpass even himself, which Sidious thought was impossible by any Force-user except for those of the Skywalker bloodline.

However, before Sidious could properly hone in on the power and find its source, wherever it was...it disappeared.

'What?! No! It's gone! Where is it? From where in which system did it originate from?' thought Sidious, rage and fury beginning to well up inside of him as he tried reaching out through the Force to find the location of the unknown maelstrom anomaly of Force energy. But, try as he might, even with all his unlimited power in the Dark Side, he couldn't locate it.

Sidious then narrowed his eyes in concentration and frustration as he stared out into the endless black void of space that glittered with the shimmering light of nearby stars.

'When that presence makes itself known again, I'll be ready. Oh yes, I'll be most ready indeed. If you prove to be even half as powerful as your display of power claimed. Then you'll most likely be mine, my soon-to-be apprentice.' thought Sidious, making his mental promise clear while he kept his aged and narrowed eyes directed out through the viewport. Whoever this being was to possess that much power, they would soon be the Sith Lord's apprentice.

Yoda's Hut, Dagobah, Dagobah system, Sluis sector, Outer Rim Territories, Known Galaxy

15 years Before the Battle of Yavin, 4 years after the Rise of the New Order

(Same Time)

Out in the Outer Rim Territories far from the reach of Imperial Center and the Empire was Dagobah. To any who had ever visited the planet it appeared to resemble a slimy mudhole composed of harsh and humid swamps as well as shallow marshlands interspersed with stifling forests.

Inside of a small, cobbled together wooden hut that, from the outside, looked to have been packed together with mud, other flora, and had been built directly into the side of a large unknown species of tree, sat a lone male figure who had only the Force and his thoughts to keep him company.

He was only about 2'2" in height. He was also incredibly old at 881-years-old. He was a light green, wrinkly-skinned alien being of an unknown species. He had two large, sharp pointed elfin ears on each side of his head. He had an almost bald head with a thinning amount of white hair left that showed off the multiple ridges upon his forehead. He had three-fingered hands and three-toed feet as well. He wore a tan robe over a brown tunic. He was Yoda, former Grand Master of the Jedi Order and as-of-now, he was a fugitive who was wanted dead.

Yoda sat cross-legged on the floor in the middle of his hut, his hands resting upon his kneecaps, his wrinkled green eyelids closed, and his pointed ears angled downward. He sat in pure silence meditating upon the Living Force emanating from the life-forms on the planet. He called upon the Light Side to protect him from the endless lure of the Dark Side emanating across Dagobah. Ever since the ancient Jedi Master, Minch, killed a powerful Bpfasshi Dark Jedi, Dagobah still contained a trace of the Dark Side that infected it like a plague.

Yoda sighed tiredly, faintly hearing the various noises of the creatures he shared his swamp world with. As always the one time Grand Master attempted centering himself within the Force. It wasn't such an easy thing to do, and hadn't been for some years now. Ever since the Purge, when those lights, like stars, were effortlessly devoured and snuffed out by darkness. Against the face of such swirling, consuming darkness, which sought to eat the Galaxy whole, he thought it was more important than ever to try centering himself. To try and see the Light veiled and hidden by the Dark Side. A little bit of hope, it was.

As he meditated a great cacophony rippled through the Force sending an immense level of power screaming out from it. Yoda's face twisted as his ears dipped further and his eyebrows furrowed and creased from the torrent of sensations the Force was experiencing. It caused the former Grand Master's eyes to snap open, revealing their light brown hue. His little green head shifted and he looked around the living quarters of his hut.

Yoda could only inhale a great breath as the presence within the Force assaulted his senses. He felt this ripple in the Force screaming across the Galaxy, its origin was from somewhere in the Unknown Regions. It was a shining, powerful explosion that seemed to swipe out across the vastness of the Galaxy and temporarily took a cut out of the darkness that, for the last four years, seemed to enshroud all within it. However, the shining presence in the Force soon flickered and disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

It was then that Yoda loosened another tired sigh from his wrinkled green lips as he stood up from the floor. Without raising a finger, his brown Gimer stick cane flew rapidly towards the former Grand Master, as Yoda caught it in his three-fingered left hand, and he then hobbled gingerly from the living quarters towards the opening of his hut. Once again effortlessly using the Force, he cast aside a small fabric flap he had hanging in the entryway as he stepped outside.

When he had emerged from his hut he raised his head upward, gazing at the black night sky decorated with small gleaming white stars. He closed his aged eyes and lost himself to the Will of the Force, contemplating the occurrence he had felt only moments prior.

It was a powerful echoing from one single point from far away, but so powerful had it been, that next to him he had thought it to be. His mind only grasping outward towards that power he had felt, and could still feel as it had erupted almost like an explosion across the Galaxy, set bright alone within the endlessness of the universe. Its power was indeed great, with Yoda instantly acknowledging that it surpassed his own connection to the Force, with only the now gone Anakin Skywalker and his deceased unborn children having possessed even greater raw power.

The elder exiled Jedi listened further as the native fauna upon Dagobah continued to make their presence known. The sounds of chirping creatures, and cawing others, and the grumble of beasts beneath the swampy waters. Yoda sensed more than heard them all, their continued and seemingly ignorant existence in the face of that recent presence of the Force anomaly and the Dark Side gave him some measure of calm. It even forced a small, aged smile across his face now.

Knowing his aged mind had now dawdled off from the main subject, Yoda returned to his thoughts of the recent subject. That great ripple of Force energy had shuttered through the Force with great potency. It temporarily shook both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force, before both returned to whatever calm nature they could. It set in motion things Yoda knew he would have to wait and see to know exactly what. All the same, as-of-now, it was neither of the Light nor the Dark, but it could fluctuate to either side. Yoda could only imagine what now had entered the wider universe. If he had felt it, he had no doubt at all who else had also noticed it, whether on Coruscant or wherever in the Galaxy He was.

He was still slightly rattled by it, an echo that had temporarily pierced a small percentage of the veil of the Force shrouded by the Dark Side, before it disappeared and the darkness sealed up and healed from its small wound. This could possibly be a good thing, Yoda's mind pondered. However, he felt a grave feeling that surged through his veins as questions formed in his mind.

What if this wasn't a good thing?

What if the future became more terrible than the present already was?

What change would this anomaly cause for the universe?

He shook his little green head of the questions and thoughts that swam through it. Yoda gave a third tired sigh as fatigue began to wear in and he opened his eyes once more. He turned on his little green heels and lumbered back slowly into his hut intent on enjoying a nice rest.

But in his mind Yoda continued to ponder what changes would come to the Galaxy and the greater universe. And whether they were for good or ill, he couldn't say. He hoped that one day, the Jedi would return. Even if it seemed even more impossible with every new day.

(Meanwhile)

Potter Manor, England, Great Britain, Wizarding World, Earth, Sol system, Terran sector, Milky Way Galaxy, Unknown Regions

July 31st, 1980

"Push Lily! You need to push!" Poppy Pomfrey yelled as she tried to help the soon-to-be mother give birth to her child.

"I can't! I just can't! It hurts...it hurts so much!" shouted Lily as she squeezed her eyes shut as best as she could and her body racked with both unknown and magical energy. Harry's attempt at numbing her pain had begun wearing off allowing her labor-induced pain to return once more.

Lily receded into the furthest reaches of her mind. Thoughts raced through her mind. She could almost see her baby; Harry himself, with her bright, emerald green eyes and James's jet-black hair. Then inside of her, something snapped. All she could think of now was her son. She would do this for her son. She would give Harry life and let him come into the world and live with her and James. All self-control left her as her instincts kicked into gear.

Calling on everything she had inside of her, Lily gave the loudest scream that she had ever given in her entire life up to now as she pushed. She pushed with everything that it took to bring Harry into the world, whatever it took. With her eyes closed, Lily couldn't see the look that Pomfrey gave as the aged Medi-witch's face showed pure shock. Radiating from Lily was enough energy to light up the Disillusionment Charm's bubble with the equivalent of a billion thunderstorms going off all at once.

There was a bright explosion of power as Lily's entire body glowed with unknown, ethereal and magical light that was like the birth of a new star. Pomfrey had to close her eyes as she shuddered, trembled, and even whimpered as what could be described as an unknown godly power and pure magic rushed through her, it was like a divine force or deity had made itself known.

"Okay Lily, on the count of three now!" Pomfrey shouted through the divine energy maelstrom. "One!...Two!...Three!...Push Lily!"

The area inside of the magical energy bubble grew even brighter to the point that Pomfrey couldn't even shut it out even though she was squeezing her eyes as far shut as they could go, and she wondered if she would become blinded from the light.

However, the light soon began to fade to show that it was reaching its end as it began to slowly recede and disappear. Even when the storm of energy passed, the glow around Pomfrey remained for a while before it faded away and she slowly opened her eyes, knowing that what she had just glimpsed upon would be in her mind for the rest of her life.

Lily lied still as she panted and gasped for breath feeling like she had run a marathon. She felt her skin and hair were wet from sweat, as her muscles painfully loosened from their contracted positions and were sore. She heard the sound that had made all the pain she had just experienced worth it, as she would endure ten times worse for as long as it took. The sound of a baby's cry.

Several minutes after he had told Sirius his new duty as Harry's godfather, James was startled as he stood and watched as the Disillusionment Charm's bubble disappeared and a smiling, but sweaty, Poppy Pomfrey stood where she was, obstructing Lily from view; seeing the all-but-complete Marauders within close proximity to each other brought back memories as well as amusement for the Medi-witch.

However, she had a duty to take care of and, as she looked to James, she smiled warmly as she said, "Lord Potter, there is someone here who would like to say hello to you."

As James stood in place, Sirius and Lupin stood from their seats on the sofa and walked the short distance over to their fellow Marauder and brother-in-all-but-blood. With an affectionate pat on both of his shoulders from his friends, James walked over to where Madam Pomfrey was standing off in the far corner of the living room and, as he did so, his smile reappeared and widened after he passed Pomfrey while he found tears in his eyes as he found himself looking at a sight that was both awe-inspiring and beautiful to behold.

His loving wife, Lily Janine Evans-Potter, was resting on the crimson red sofa, her shoulder-length red hair was damp and slick with sweat. Her bright, emerald green eyes, which were one of the few things that had caught James's affection from such a young age, were half-open, but filled with a proud light as she held a blanket-wrapped bundle in her arms. Her pale, sweaty face holding a proud smile as she looked up at her husband.

"Is...isn't he beautiful, James?" she had asked as a tear streamed down from her eye onto her cheek.

Moving towards his wife, James knelt down on one knee on Lily's left side, looked down at the bundle, and gently pulled back the fold as his tough Auror and ex-prankster personas folded like a house of cards as he looked into the most-beautifully-enchanting pair of bright, emerald green eyes that he had ever seen, second only to his wife, of course.

Hell, the eyes were even brighter and more empowering than hers, which was saying something. He looked down at the beautiful young male infant that those eyes belonged to and he saw the small head of jet-black hair that was peppered onto the top of his son's head. And, as James stared at his and Lily's child, it was like a change took hold of him. As he looked into the eyes of his son, James Charles Potter felt every little bit of his maturity catch up to him and, as he reached out to Lily, taking the bundle from her arms, the grandfather clock in the other corner of the living room chimed midnight.

"Welcome to the world, Harry James Potter." whispered James, cradling his son to his chest while the tiny boy opened his mouth in a cute yawn before he closed his eyes.

Leaning over to his wife James placed a soft kiss on Lily's left cheek as he told her, "You did great Lily, he's beautiful. And those eyes...so much like yours, but not." His tone containing just a slight hint of suspicion as he looked at his wife.

"I...I remember Filius, Professor Flitwick, tell me once...that a wizard's eyes are more than...than genetics. The...the brighter their...their color, the more...more powerful the wizard is to be inside with magical power." Lily explained to her husband as they both looked down at the sleeping form of their baby as he slept in quiet and peaceful harmony.

"And if your hormonal times and those miraculous moments are anything to go on, I think our little one's gonna be a very powerful little wizard and Marauder, don't you think?" asked James, but when he looked up at Lily, he saw that she had succumbed to sleep, earning a small smile from James as he turned and walked over to the other side of the room.

After he had walked the short distance, he handed his son to Sirius, who was actually crying at the fact that his honorary brother and sister had created such a beautiful image of a child. James then looked to Dumbledore as his smile faded and he told him, "Lily needs her rest, Albus. Can you come back in a couple of days so that we can talk about the other thing that I wanted to talk to you about tonight?" he asked, not breaking eye contact with the old man.

"Of course, dear boy." Dumbledore replied, smiling warmly as he wiped a tear from his aged face before he added, "Congratulations once again, James. You will make a proud and noble father, no matter what. And, I know it was not planned in any way, but I want to thank you for allowing me to share this proud moment with you and Lily." the elderly Headmaster praised James and his remarkable life.

Returning the praise with a nod, James turned and walked the short distance back to his two best friends as they couldn't take their eyes off the first ever second-generation Marauder, as Lupin now had tears of joy streaming from his eyes as well.

As Dumbledore went to vanish back through the Floo, however, he took a look at the baby who had been returned to James's arms, all three of the Marauders gathered around him in a moment that would have looked perfect in a picture. Smiling softly at the thought of treasuring such a memory, Dumbledore's eyes settled on the infant as he gave a small nod.

Then, he turned around, walked towards the fireplace, and vanished through the bright, emerald flames on his way back to his office.

Headmaster's office, Hogwarts Castle, Scottish Highlands, Scotland, Great Britain, Wizarding World, Earth, Sol system, Terran sector, Milky Way Galaxy, Unknown Regions

The fireplace in the Headmaster's office came to life as bright, emerald green flames crackled within the hearth nearly scaring Fawkes, Dumbledore's red and gold Phoenix familiar, from his perch as he tried to rest before his eventual Burning Day.

Dumbledore took a deep breath as he emerged from the fireplace into his office, and stood alone in silence. He walked across the office floor ignoring the number of spindly tables upon which were set delicate looking silver instruments that whirred and emitted small puffs of smoke and his private library.

The old man arrived at his Pensieve which had the appearance of a shallow stone basin, into which runes and strange symbols were carved and precious stones were fitted. It was filled with a silvery-white substance that appeared to be a cloud-like liquid or gas.

Dumbledore removed the Elder Wand from his robes and held it in his left hand. It was a black stick that was fifteen-inches-long, made of Elder wood, and contained a Thestral tail-hair as its core. It bore numerous bumpy carvings resembling clusters of elder berries that ran down its length, getting smaller as they reached the pointed tip. Placing the tip of his wand to his temple the Headmaster used the wand to pull a silvery-white glowing strand from his head, which was a copy of the memory he had from Potter Manor. Dumbledore then deposited the silvery-white memory strand into the Pensieve that remembered that child who, while barely even a half-hour old, possessed greater power than all the most powerful wizards and witches that had ever lived combined, including himself.

'A child whose power is beyond greater than Godric's, Salazar's, Rowena's, Helga's, Merlin's, Morgan's, Herpo's, Merwyn's, Ekrizdis's, Raczidian's, Tom's, myself, and...Gellert's. Combined no less, and he has not even learned to speak or crawl yet.' Dumbledore thought with emotions that were mixed with pride and hope as he added. 'If his full power is even half of what it will become, I think our world, and even Tom himself, will be in for a surprise.'

'Perhaps, Harry is to be the one to vanquish Voldemort as spoken in Sybill's prophecy. If that is the case, then I must inform James and Lily. They must give me their child, so that he could play his role in this chess match between Tom and I. He might be useful to me.' Dumbledore thought as a small smile graced across his face and a twinkle in his eye sparkled as his supposedly brilliant mind thought.

The old man viewed himself as someone who could do no wrong. And why shouldn't he? He was a wise and powerful old wizard who cheated, lied, manipulated, stole, and used everyone around him like mindless slaves. He saw everyone as expendable to him for what he viewed was for the 'Greater Good'.

'After all...it is for the Greater Good.' the great chess master thought.

(Meanwhile, back at Potter Manor)

James had stayed up with Sirius and Lupin for a while as they talked about what had happened for each of them before they had to reunite almost all of the Marauders.

"And then..." Sirius began before he took a sip of his pumpkin juice, and after swallowing he continued, "Some guy gets mad over me makin' eyes at his girl while he's off flirting with another one a few years younger. So, I tried pointing out that since he wasn't interested, that meant she was free for the picking. And what does the guy do? He says that a woman's body is more sacred than a piece of t and a-"

"Padfoot, stop there. I don't think I wanna explain to Lily why the first word out of his mouth is a profanity." said James as he gave his best friend a small upset glare.

Sirius couldn't help but give a small and annoyed roll of his eyes as he took another sip of his pumpkin juice while Lupin also took a sip of his coffee.

"Take it easy, Prongs. The little Marauder's not even an hour old and is nowhere near saying his first word. So, like what they say in the Muggle World, just 'chill out'. Okay?" Sirius asked as James shook his head.

"Sorry, Padfoot." said the Potter Lord as he looked his friend in the eye.

Their attention was caught by Lupin clearing his throat intending to get the attention of both of his friends. Both James and Sirius didn't even have a chance to get a word out as Lupin spoke.

"Well...it looks like it's getting late." the Werewolf began as he looked at the grandfather clock indicating it was 12:25 A.M. "I think I should be getting back home, I have a job interview in the morning."

Sirius nodded his head as well indicating that, like all the other times in the past, Lupin was right once again. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Moony. I'm getting pretty tired too." the Grim Animagus responded as he let out a long tired yawn. "Hey Moony, you're pretty strong. How about you carry me back home?"

Lupin gave Sirius an annoyed glare. "If you make me carry you back, I'll make sure you'll be retching slugs for an hour." the Werewolf threatened, and his tone told the other two men in the room that he wasn't joking.

Sirius then shrugged his shoulders like he didn't care about the mild threat of puking up slugs. "Fine. You do that, and next morning after that when you go to your doorstep to get the Daily Prophet, you'll find a little surprise waiting there for you." the dark-haired man could only say with a mischievous smirk and twinkle in his eye.

James could only shake his head at the dry humor from both of his former Marauder friends. "Okay you two, I think it's time for you both to go. I'm tired and wanna get some sleep. So go on, and don't let the Floo hit you where you're split." he joked as he, Sirius, and Lupin stood and after a bro hug from Sirius and a handshake from Lupin they both disappeared through the crackling emerald flames of the fireplace.

James looked down at the bundle in his arms and noted that Harry was still sleeping. He went up the stairs and placed Harry, dressed in some new pajamas, into his new crib, tucked his son into bed, and gave the infant a small kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight my future Marauder." he whispered and closed the door to the nursery as he left.

James then walked back down the stairs to the living room as he found his wife still asleep. He marveled at her beauty, because to him, she was a perfect goddess that had given him the two greatest gifts he could ever ask for. Her hand in marriage, and the little bundle of joy asleep upstairs.

'What did I do to become so lucky?' thought James, reflecting on everything that had gone good in his life.

James shook his head, snapping himself out of his stupor and walked over to Lily and gently picked her up from the sofa. He turned around and began his second trek up the stairs, this time into their bedroom where he placed her onto the bed. He pulled the blankets up over her and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead as well. James then lay down on his side of the bed with his head touching his pillow and allowed sleep to take him and his tired body.

But the Potter Lord didn't know that his son's birth was the beginning of something new and different. The universe would never be the same again. And it was all linked to Harry: both destiny and fate.

Author's Notes: (Updated/edited)

An absolutely huge shout out to my new beta reader: Marcus1993, since my old beta reader quit on me, for everything that he's done to help me. He was nice enough to slim down my chapters because they were too long. So, thank you, Marc.

Yes I know Captain Kagi was a Clone pilot who piloted Sidious' shuttle in Episode III. But I created the character Zalev Seyl as the pilot. I had two black-uniformed officers piloting because I wanted to recreate the opening scene of Return of the Jedi.

Finally, if you notice any writing errors, please point them out to me wherever they are. I'll immediately fix them. If you see an error tell me and it'll be fixed. I promise.

So I hope to see you guys again in Chapter 2 of Harry Potter: Lord of the Dark Side for more goodies.

I'll try to post Chapter 2 as fast as I possibly can and it'll definitely be a treat you won't want to miss. See you guys later and until next time.

May the Force be with you. Jacen Solo, out.