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Who master the Force master the rules of the universe, of the reality. Yet Vader never believed it could allow anybody to escape the flow of time. To allow him to defy the laws of the time just like he already defied the laws of the space. To ensure that the future rule over the past. All of that seemed impossible. He already knew how to bent the space but it seemed so different to him. At a young age he learned how to move, by his conection with the Force, objects separated from him by a distance. But it was the extension of the simple capacity for movement in space; he could already move some things with his arms, it was natural that he could also move them with the Force. Then he learned how to exercice his power on objects that were located farer and heavier. Nothing more than the extension of what he could already do. The Force could also make him percive disturbances; but it wasn't really different to how he used his senses; the Force was simple more powerful. It was true that by the Force he could also form a contact with the mind of other living beings; but it was only a bridge. He had never heard anything about any phenomenon disrupting the immutable flow of time. All his life he believed that this rule of the universe was absolute, unbentable. Yet he had found on the corpse of a Jedi a mysterious holocron detailling a way to use the Dark Side of the Force to communicate with the past. The user of the Light Side of the Force was so weak and pathetic that he probebly couldn't use it but the Sith lord wondered how he could put his hand on a such object. But it wasn't important. The Emperor had no idea it existed; it was all that mattered. Otherwise Sidious would have an absolut control on the galaxy; past, present and futur. And on Vader too.
For months Vader carefully studied the artifact. He judge himself that it was now time to try. He was alone on his meditation room. He had to focus. He had to bent time like he bent space. He had to touch his former self like he touched objects or beings. The difference was that this time the distance he had to overcome wasn't spacial but temporal. All that was around him was like gone for the Sith. He was in his meditation room and at the same time he was somewhere else. He had to go back against the flow of time. To move towards his past and not towards his future. Everything was silent, then suddenly he heard sounds.
Vader opened his eyes; he was on the Death Star that was still in construction. Yes he recalled this instant. He looked on his right; exactly like he expected Tarkin was listening to the officer in front of them. The Sith had went back in the past. But he wasn't far enough. But before continuing his submersion in the past he had to ensure that it wasn't only a memory. That he wasn't a simple spectator. With the Force he pushed the officer. Nothing violent but it was enough to make the frightened man scream. Valter felt the confusion of his former self. He was the Vader of the futur and of the present; being only one. The part of the past didn't understood what was happening but he felt the presence of the other. "Vader?" Rebuked him Tarkin. "It's nothing. Continue!" Answered the Sith Lord. So he could influence his past! For now, he had no interest to connect with his former self. He would try later. He had to delve deeper into the depths of time.
He still hadn't gone down far enough. He was now at the instant where he had been officially introduced to the Empire. Three days after the start of Order 66. Three days after Padme's death. Three days after the end of Anakin Skywalker. Yet for now he is confused. Was confused actually. He had once again merged with his former self. The other sudently had knowledges and sensations from the futur. "Who are you?" he asked to the presence he had noticed. He knew who it was but he was unable to admit it to himself. "I'm Darth Vader" answered the other. He had nothing to do at this time. He delved even further into the past.
This time he was sleeping. He was happy , and pathetic at that time. He was Anakin Skywalker. Vader knew he was at time in his bed in Coruscant. Right next to her! But where was his body didn't mattered; it was his former self's mind that he had to reach. "What is happening? Am I dreaming?" Wondered Anakin. Without answering Vader simply tought about Padme's disapearance. Anakin felt all the pain, all the dispair. They, or was it only he, relived Padme's death. It was so violent that the young man awoke. Horrified by his vision and ready to do anything to prevent it from happening. Everything was exactly like at the time. Everything would be exactly like at this time. He will became powerful. He will became Sidious' tool. He will lose Padme. He had to go farther. Before his mother's death.
He arrived the night just before the assassination attempt on Padme. Back to the time he was only a Padawan. Vader cut his connection with the other he, to think alone. For now he wasn't in Sidious' nets. Not yet. He could still became powerful without putting himself under Palpatine's full countrol. He could bypass the Jedi's surveillance and become the chancellor's apprentice and being strong enough to stand up to him. Or he could simply save his mother; never being overtaken by his rage; to never became a Sith. A part of him was frustrated by this possibility. Wasn't it his fate to became powerful? He wasn't sure if this tought belonged to Vader or Anakin. Even if he was hidden to the other they were still one and the same. But he had to try. He pushed all he knew about his mother's death. But Anakin's mind wasn't ready to get all those information; his counciousness only got one. His mother was in danger. The young man was worried; he had to tell Obi-Wan about it. After all it was thanks to his Jedi master that he will reach his potential; he could tell about him about visions induced by the Force. Another failure. Perhaps he needed to delve even further into his past.
Further on. He didn't know when, but he knew he had to delve even deeper into the murky waters of time. Further on. He was nearing the depth. But he wasn't there yet. He went on a time that was so distant that it was still a vague memory. He wasn't older than 10; but he was already a Padawan. Obi-Wan's to be precise. But he still didn't fully trusted the Jedi order. Vader had to make Anakin feel that he was not meant to be a Jedi; that he had to be independent; that the path he was enthusiastically moving towards would lead him to become a machine. He had to know. Then Vader-Anakin relived all that happened to him; all that would happen to him; after becoming a Jedi knight. But Anakin couldn't understand; all that remained in his young mind was the terrifying being he had became. The being he will became. He was sleeping but the shock was so violent that he awoke screaming. Anakin, the one from the past and the one from the futur, was relieved to see Obi-Wan coming. "You had a bad dream?" asked the Jedi with a quiet and reasuring voice. The boy nodded. "It's alright Anakin. I'm here."But the child was still horrified by his nightmare. "I... I saw a machine man, he was really powerful and... Merciless... I was alone" The Jedi knight took Anakin in his arms. "Don't worry Anakin. One day you will be the most powerful Jedi; you would be the one to terrify your enemies. I will make sure that you became this Jedi. I will always protect you. But one day the student will surpass his master. From that day you will be the one to protect the others." The child was reassured but he still asked, "But you'll always watch over me? Even when I'm a powerful Jedi?" Obi-Wan smiled at him. "I'll always be there to make sure everything is alright; even when you're a master of the Force." It still wasn't the right time! He continued his immersion in the past.
He was now fully overwhelmed. He had reached the bottom. He was nothing but the fetus in his mother's belly. Maybe even less. Alive but barely. His mother is maybe not even aware of his existence. Yet by the Force he feels the universe. He is already using the Force unconsciously. It was natural to him. But he wanted more. He wasn't conscious of his own existance but yet he already wanted to be the most powerful. He wanted to own. But what? Loved ones? Respect? Or simply as much countrol as possible? He had arrived at the begining of his own existance. Almost drowing in the past. But he was still Vader. He had nothing more to do there. It was time to go back up to the present.
Back to his time. Vader was now back to his meditation room. Was this whole journey real? Regardless of what really happened he had sunk into the depths of his past. He understood one thing. Anakin Skywalker wasn't another he that he erased. Anakin Skywalker was no more than the mask he had to wear for more than twenty years. He didn't became Vader; he always was. He haven't fall; he was revealed.