Before the Saga Star Wars: No Way Back

1. Title: Star Wars: No Way Back

Summary:a run in with a Sith Artefact leaves Anakin a long time ago in a galaxy very near, with a war that might not even lead him home
Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Lucasfilm belongs to Disney

Chapter 1

Korriban?” Obi-Wan Kinobi asked, shocked, looking at his padawan and friend, Anakin Skywalker.

Anaking looked perplexed. The name sounded familiar, but he wasn't sure where he'd heard it. The studious side of a Jedi never really suited him to be honest. He was more a Knight, not a Consular.
“Indeed,” Yoda, Grand Master of the Jedi order, nodded, gripping his cane tightly. “Information we have received, that the Sith, seeking a dark artefact they are.”“What kind of artefact?” Anakin asked.
“The exact item, unknown, this is,” Yoda said. “Only that it lies amongst the tombs of the Sith home world: Korriban,”

oh. THAT'S where Anakin knew that name. “Then we need to get there first,” Anakin said. “and make sure they don't find... whatever they're looking for.”

“Agreed,” Obi-Wan nodded. “But we need to be careful. Korriban is incredibly strong in the Dark Side. Who knows what could be waiting for us.”

“Well, at least it won't be a droid army,” Anakin said with a wry smirk. “I doubt the Sith would send the Seperatists to collect there item.”


Korriban

“You just had to say it, didn't you?” Obi-Wan said, risking a look over his shoulder at Anakin. The two were back to back, lightsabers drawn. Around there was a large squad of Seperatist droids, blasters aimed at them.

“Well, at least we know we're in the right place,” Anakin said, his blue eyes shining.

Obi-Wan shook his head. Honestly sometimes he wondered how he'd survived the other Jedi's impulsiveness this long.

“Surrender, Jedi,” one of the droids commanded.

“Has that ever actually worked?” Anakin asked.

The droid looked confused for a moment.
“I, uh... well...” it didn't get a chance to answer as it was sent back by a wave of the Force, the two Jedi charging forward. The battle was short live –

Anakin and Obi-Wan had been master and student for so long they moved almost as one, easily dismantling the droids.

“Let's find Dooku before finds the artifact,” Obi-Wan suggested. Anakin nodded as the two headed in the direction the former Jedi had gone in.

“At last,” Count Dooku said, stepping into the ancient tomb. “The Tomb of Darth Angral. And within, the power to end the Jedi once and for all.”

“Don't be so sure, Dooku,” Anakin shouted as they caught up.

“Ah, Master Kinobi and Jedi Skywalker,” Dooku said inhis usual cultured tone. “How... nice to see you. I suppose I should have known better than to think the droids could stop you. They have failed so dismally in the past. Still, I had hoped for more time.”

“You're time is up, Dooku,” Obi-Wan said as they two Jedi ignited their sabers, charging forward. Dooku met them with lightening and lightsaber of his own, using the lightening to force the master back while he focused on the student, blades locking together.

“What is this place, Dooku?” Anakin demanded, their blades locked together in a struggle they had been in many times before. “What are you planning?”

“What this is is the Tomb of Darth Angral, a Sith Lord of the Old Empire,” Dooku said, pushing back. “And what I am planning is the end of the Jedi Order. In fact,” he added, pressing forward. “When I am done, it will be as if the Jedi never existed. The Sith will rule.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Anaking said, pressing forward. The two exchanged blow after blow as Anakin pressed Dooku back, up the large stone pedestal and towards the centre with the body of Darth Angral was said to be, holding the artefact Dooku had come searching for.

“You are a fool, Skywalker,” Dooku snered. “You cannot win. The Jedi have made you weak.”

“I tend to disagree,” Anakin said, pushing harder, not noticing that the pedestal was beginning to light up, crackling with the Force energy the two combatants were using, even though it was mostly internalised, focusing on predicting the enemies movements.

Dooku snarled, trying to press forward, but the Jedi was younger, fit and strong.

Anakin sent out a Force Push, forcing Dooku over the top of the pedestal and rolling down the steps on the other side.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what pedestal, the very artefact Dooku had come searching for, painstakingly reconstructed around Angral's corpse, had been waiting for. The last bit of Force energy activated the pedestal, surrounding Anaking in a massive field of energy.

“Anakin!” Obi-Wan cried out, trying to approach the pedestal, only to be thrown back. He watched helpless as the light got brighter and then...
And then his student, his Padawan, his BROTHER... was gone.
“Anakin, NO!”

“Damn that fool child!” Dooku roared in rage, getting to his feet. Obi-Wan was already on him, disarming him quickly and holding him down.

“Where is he?” Obi-Wan demanded. “What does that thing do?”

“The past, Master Kinobi,” Dooku sneered. “The artefact is said to have the power of time travel. If that is true, then Anakin is somewhere in the past. There's no telling where he landed. Even if I could not use it to defeat the Jedi,” he added, smiling smugly. “I can at least take solace in the fact that Anakin Skywalker will never again interfere in my plans,”

Obi-Wan looked down in shock, then over at the pedestal.

Oppressor above Tython
3643 BBY

“Ow...” Anakin moaned in pain, sitting up. He was in a cell of some kind, but the design of the ship was definitely not Separatist. In fact, he'd never seen a ship like it.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. The basic design was very similar to that used by the Republic Navy in places,though very different in others, similar to the Sith ship they had found on Naboo after pushing the Trade Federation back. The reds in the consoles and lighting, and along the field holding him within the cell were different, though.
Anakin reached out into the Force and found... he wasn't sure what it was. The Force felt different, younger, and there were thousands of lights indicating Force users on a planet nearby, which of itself was shining with the Light Side like Korriban had shone with the Dark.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Anakin muttered, finding the internal plate that would allow him to access the door controls. It didn't take long, with the Force to remove the plating and a quick bit of rewiring, the field was down. Anakin slipped out of the cell, keeping his senses alert as he searched for his equipment. It didn't take long to find it nearby. “What kind of prison stores the prisoners belongings next to their cell?” he muttered as he collected his things, sliding them back into place in his robes and moving towards a the feeling of a battle both physical and metaphysical. Maybe he could figure out where he was there.

“Give up, Child,” Darth Angral snarled as he watched the Emperor attempting to bring his lost Child to heel. “You cannot fight him forever.”

“Says... you...” Kira Carson, padawan to the Jedi Council Member Kiwiiks and runaway Child of the Emperor pushed back against the darkness that she had denied for so long, the Sith Emperor trying to claw into her mind as the loyal astromech droid T7-O1 attempted to shut down the Desolator weapon. “I think... I'm holding out... rather well.”

“Fool girl,” Angral sneered. “You would do well to remember your place. You were raised for this. This is your destiny. You cannot...”

“Do all Sith have a built in need to monologue?”

“What?” Angral snapped as a new Jedi leapt into the fray, blue bladed lightsaber flashing like lightening, forcing Angral to pull back.

“Ah, our other... guest. How did you get out of that cell?”

“Oh, you would not believe how many times I've been locked up like that,” the Jedi said, his eyes flashing in almost amusement. “I've been forced to learn a few tricks. Though I do have to thank you for leaving my stuff net to my cell. Very convenient,”

Kira watched as the new arrival fought back, holding his own against Angrals augmented body, though taking the odd step back as he was overpowered.

“Fool,” Angral sneered, pushing his red hue blade against the newcomers, pushing him back. “My body is the height of perfection. My onboard computer has already calculated the chance of your victory... and it is nil.”

“A cyborg, huh?” Anakin said, eyes narrowing. “Well, at least I don't need to hold back too much,” Angrals eyes widened as he suddenly went flying backwards into a bank of computers, the new Jedi leaping after him and slamming bodily into him.

Kira gritted her teeth as she reached out to the Force, to her master for help, finally pushing the Emperor out of her mind for good, climbing unsteadily to her feet. “I don't know who this guy is, but it looks like he needs some help,” she muttered. “T7, keep working that computer.”

“T7 = doing his best,” came the response in beeps. “Kira = help other Jedi,

”Kira nodded as she charged in, twin bladed lightsaber cutting through the armour on Angrals back
.
“What?!”

“Welcome to the party,” the other Jedi said with a smile. “I hope you don't mind I stole your dance partner for a while.”

“I didn't realise his card was full,” Kira joked back sarcastically as the two Jedi pushed Angral back
.
“How is this possible?” Angral snarled. “I should be invincible!”

“If I had a credit for every time I heard that...” Anakin snapped as the two Jedi sliced through Angral,leaving him in two halves.

“Desolator = deactivated // Communications to Tython = back online.”

“Tython?” the other Jedi asked. “I've never heard of that planet.”

“You've never heard of the birthplace of the Jedi Order?” Kira asked incredulously. “Are you sure you're a Jedi?” The other Jedi's eyes widened in disbelief.

“Oh... Sithspawn.”

Jedi High Council Chamber
Tython 3643 BBY

Anaking stood next to the padawan he'd saved on the ship, Kira, as he thought over what he'd determine.
Apparently he'd just helped defeat the Sith who's tomb he'd been in previously. The artefact was some kind of time portal that had sent him back to the time of the Galactic Cold War, mere months before it exploded into the Second Galactic Civil War. Unfortunately, that was all he knew, as he wasn't really the studious type and had only memorised the bare minimum to pass his History classes. This point in time had always seemed so far in the past that it didn't really matter.
Only now I'm living it, Anakin thought as Kira wound down her report, including the fact she was something called a 'Child of the Emperor', some kind of specially trained Sith who could hide away until she was called into actions. 'Was' being the operative word -her mental battle on the Oppressor
had purged the Emperor's taint from her, purifying her of his influence. Not that some of the council believed that. Only her master, Kiwiiks and the Jedi Grand Master, Satele Shan, seemed to believe her.
“Nice to see not much changes in 4000 years,” Anaking muttered, quietly, though not quietly enough

as the Grand Master looked at him.“You have something to say?” She asked him.

Anakin stood a little straighter.Yes,” he said. “I was saying that the Council doesn't seem to have changed much in the 4000 year between now and my time,” hehad explained the situation and, for the most part, they hadn't believed him until they'd all opened themselves to the Force and felt the difference. Anakin's own experience had been... interesting. Tython had a similar feel, a similar connection to Mortis, where he had battled met the Father, the Son and the Daughter. “My own Padawan experienced a similar situation – she was accused and found guilty of a crime she didn't commit. When the true culprit was found, she had lost so much faith in the Order she left when they tried to welcome her back,” there was a great deal of grumbling amongst those present, both in person and via holo. “This Council risks the same outcome, only in this situation, the padawan in question was able to push the Sith Emperor out of her mind. I would think that someone that powerful, you'd want to keep with war brewing.”

“
“Well said,” Master Kiwiiks said with a thankful smile.

“Knight Skywalker is right,” Master Shan said. “With her actions and accomplishments in mind – both on the Desolator and leading up to it – I think it would only be fitting that Kira be awarded the title of Jedi Knight. Do you agree, Master Kiwiiks?”

“Indeed,” the Togrutan said. “Kira has grown much. Though she is a little... rough around the edges still, I think that edge can be refined through experience more than further teaching,

” Kira had stood a little straighter at that praise, and Anakin had to grin. They were a lot alike.
There was a vote and the Council agreed, though grudgingly in some cases, and Kira was elevated to the role of Jedi Knight.

“Now, what do we do with our time traveller?” One of the council members asked.

“I'm afraid if it's information you want, I can't help you,” Anakin said apologetically. “I'm not a historian. However, if it's an extra lightsaber you need...”

“Given Angral's rather brazen actions, that may be an idea,” another council member spoke up. “That the Dark Council was willing to overlook his actions...”

“Dark Council?” Anakin chimed in. “I'm sorry, I don't understand. What about the Rule of Two?”

“Rule of... two?” One of the masters asked.

“In my time,there's a rule where there's only two Sith: the master and the apprentice,” he explained. “They have other Force users, assassins and the like, but there's only ever two Sith.”

“That is... preposterous.” another said. “Why would they limit themselves in such a manner?”
“Given the Sith penchant for backstabbing and the like, it might just be to limit power struggles,”

Satele spoke up. “And it would be easier to hide from the Jedi.”

“Are you saying there's more than Two Sith right now?” Anakin asked incredulously.

“Hate to tell you this,” Kira said. “But there's at least one planet that just full of Sith and their apprentices. Two if you count Korriban and Dromund Kaas.”

“Oh...” Anakin said flatly. This just got a whole lot harder.

“Hey, wait up,” Anakin stopped, turning as the newly minted Knight Carson approached him. “Thanks for speaking up back there and... sorry about your padawan.”

“So was I,” Anakin said. “That's why I spoke up. I wasn't going to let another promising Jedi get railroaded like that.”

“Well, it worked,” Kira said. “I've got some time to 'recover'. Want the tour?”

Anakin smiled at her.That sounds like a good idea,” he nodded. “By my time, the Jedi have moved back to Coruscant and I doubt most people have even heard of Tython,” he stopped, looking at a wall for a moment. “Actually, could you take me to the archives first? I think I have an idea.”


Jedi Council Chambers
Coruscant
Clone Wars era



“You're sure about this?” Mace asked. Obi-Wan Kinobi nodded as they all looked at the message.
“The archivist contacted me when it came up,” he said. “It was hidden in the archives until the day after Anakin... disappeared,” Yoda nodded, looking at the holo as the message played again again.

“Hello, Master, If this works, then the archivist should find this message the day after I got sent here. The artefact was a time portal of some kind, so I think we can guess what Dooku was planning – ending the Jedi before they even started.
Thankfully, that's not where I ended up. I don't think anyone wants me influencing how the Jedi Order developed.”

“Truth, there is in that,” Yoda chuckled.

“Where I have landed is... well, it's a little in my area of expertise. I'd say we're maybe a year, if not months, away from the second Galactic War with the Sith Empire. I know more happens after or during that, but at the moment, the Jedi are based on Tython, the Order's birthplace. They're giving me some time to get used to this time period before sending me to work. I wish I knew more about what was coming, but you know history was never my strong suit.”

“Neither was study in general,” Obi-Wan said dryly, earning chuckles from the Council.

“We don't know where the artefact is now, but we know where it will be – sometime after Darth Angrals death, the artefact is moved to his tomb on Korriban. I just have to stay alive long enough to get there. Hopefully, I can figure out how to get it working and get back. If I don't... I'm sorry. I know I wasn't the easiest padawan to deal with, but you were like a brother to me. I hope you'll pass on what happened to my friends – Ahsoka especially. She deserves to know, so don't keep this from her, even if she did leave the Order,” the council looked a bit uncomfortable at that, they know Anakin, in some way, blamed them for Ahsoka abandoning the Order as she did. “I'm going to try and keep this updated with information as I go, lost planets or technology... anything that might give us an edge against the Seperatists and the Sith. At least I can help the war effort in some way, even if I can't get back. Good luck to all of you.
Knight Anakin Skywalker.”

“The file is massive,” Kit Fisto said. “He was obviously gathering whatever information he could.”
“The coordinates to Tython, he has included,” Yoda spoke as he scanned the file. “Also a planet that is balanced in the Force, he has found.”

“And a couple of places that are no go zones,” Mace said. “Plus a journal of his adventures.”

“Study this, we must,” Yoda nodded. “Advantages it could give, plus knowledge of where Skywalker is, it will give us. Rescue him, perhaps, we may,”

Obi-Wan looked at the file, shaking his head.
Anakin, you're going to make me grey before my time, he thought privately.

Jedi Archives
Tython
3643 BBY

“A time coded message, nice,” Kira said approvingly as Anakin finished his message. “You serious about adding to it though?”

“It might help them,” Anakin said as he closed the file, hiding it deep within the archives. “It certainly can't hurt.”

“I would have thought technology would have improved over 4000 years,” she said as they left the archives.

“You'd be surprised,” Anakin said. “I'm not sure exactly what or when, but I know there were several disasters that slowed things down.”

“Great, more to look forward to,” Kira groused.

“At least most of it will happen after you've moved on to the Force,” Anakin said helpfully.
“Small comfort, Skywalker.”

One month later

Tatooine



“I. Hate. This. Planet,” Anakin grumbled as he closed on the distress signal of the ship carrying Knight
Jomar Chul, a member of some kind of strike force being formed, which Kira had been recruited for. They had been wanting to add Anakin to the mix, but the Senate and the Strategic Information Service had other plans for him, once he'd completed this one mission. He wasn't exactly sure what Kira was doing, but it had to be important.
It didn't change the fact that the planet he grew up on, Tatooine, was the worst place for him to visit, his least favourite planet in the entire galaxy and a ginormous pain in the behind.
“And it only gets better,” he mumbled as he closed on the wreck,which was surrounded by Imperial forces. “This had better be worth it.”
The battle was quick. The Imperials knew about jedi, had faced them, sure. But a battle hardened Jedi, hero of a whole war? They weren't ready for that, not on a backwards planet like Tatooine. His leap into their midst and sheer verocity had taken them by surprise and they were down in minutes
.
“That was... amazing,” Jomar Chu limped from under some wreckage, favouring one arm. “I've never seen anyone fight like that.”

“You must be Jolar Chul,” Anakin said, dousing his blade and stowing the lightsaber. “Master Braga sent me. “Are you alright?

“I'll be fine after kolto bath, thank you,” he said

. Anakin nodded.Come on, let's get out of here before more of them show up.”
“
“Wait,” Jolar said, moving back into his hole and pulling out a data pad. “This is the information that Master Braga needs on the Kaas system.”

“Kaas? As in Dromund Kaas?The Imperial homeworld?” Anakin said. “Why do I get the feeling Kira's in over her head again?”

“If Master Braga's plan succeeds, this war will be over.”

“Well, that'd be nice,” Anakin said as they head back to the ship the Council had supplied him with.

Coruscant
3643 BBY

“Home sweet home,” Anakin whispered as he landed on Coruscant. There was so much he wanted to do while he was here, take in the sights, see what was different, but he, apparently, had a job with SIS. He wasn't sure what, but...

“You must be Skywalker,”

Anaking turned to see a man with brown hair, some cybernetic implants and a striking resemblance to Master Shan waiting for him.
“And you are?” Anakin asked, hand hovering over his lightsaber.

“I'm your new partner,” the man said. “Call me Theron. We've got work to do.”
“And what exactly is this work... Theron?” Anakin asked, sensing no falsehoods from him.

“Oh, you know, a bit of skullduggery, espionage and a slice of running,” he was told. “Nice ship. Defender class, right? A little conspicuous.”

“And I take it you have something less... conspicuous?” Anakin asked.

Theron gave him that smile most spies had: that one that told you they knew something and you weren't going to like it.“Yeah. Not quite as reliable as this, but...”

“If you can fly her, I can keep her in the air,” Anakin said.

“I didn't think pride was a Jedi trait,” Theron said.

“It's not pride if it's true,” Anakin said with a smile of his own. Okay, maybe he could get to like this guy. “I built a droid and a pod racer by the time I was nine,”

Theron let out a low whistle.Okay, you're that good,” Theron admitted. “This could be an interesting partnership.”

I still don't know where we're going,” Anakin said.

 

Skipping a line, each time a character is going to say something, would be handy. Makes it easier to read.

If you want constructive feedback, make sure you put your name in the ConCrit thread. Then we are covered if you get upset and delete everything you have ever written.

I probably will review properly, once you have done that.

Also, I have no idea when the "Galactic Cold War Era" was. Can you put BBY dates (if applicable)?

 

Hey, Anakin 99 We joined up here at similar times, so *fist bump* newb solidarity and all that.

Sith-I-5 gave you some important initial advice, and I have been holding back and waiting to see how you responded.

You responded positively, so here I am.

Scanning through this, I see you certainly have the creative spark. There are some flashes of brilliance. I lol'd when Anakin responded to the droid's demand to surrender with, "Has that ever actually worked?" That bit of irony was really incisive. Oh, and nice title.

You have stated that you want concrit, so I'll say this: I feel like there is a potentially good story here trying to burst out, but your execution is letting you down.

I can give you concrit, via PM of course - as is the forum rule - but I want to make sure you really do want it. Do you want to improve? I don't ask that lightly, and you should think about it. It's very rare for someone to pick up a musical instrument and make it sing at first attempt, and writing is no different. It will require practice, time, effort. You know, hard work. And it's not like anyone here is getting paid for this. Fanfic is a place for us to self-indulge, so it's totally OK to say "no thanks". I don't want to waste your time or mine.

Oh, and you should know I'm not some Font of Wisdom of anything, I can just give you suggestions from the point of view of one individual reader.

Let me know.

 

Okay, I have read this.

So, good job. With 2 - 4 tweaks, you could save this as your first fic.

Although bare bones and sweeping at a fair pace to get through your targeted scenes, it is still described and visualised enough, mostly, that I can see what is going on.

Characterisations seemed spot on. Anakin and the Daughter seemed good.
I also liked the "Has that ever worked" quip, and felt it would be funny if Dooku ALSO said that when invited to blab his plan.

Your scene setting could do with some work, just enough so the reader knows the story has moved.

One example. No preparatory sentencing that Anakin and the girl were in the council chambers to report back; just they were chatting, other jedi around them...oh, we've moved!

You gave me a new word! Anakin dousing his lightsabre!

"I'm 'aving that!"

*Grabs word and runs away*