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Disclaimer: I don't own any Star Wars characters and any OC's that resemble real people are entirely coincidental.

There is an explanation of how my calendar works and a list of helpful translations for my commonly used Star Wars words in 'Flame of Hope - Everyone' if you're curious.

The first part of this story is co-written with MaybeImARebel.

Important A/N!:

This is a very A.U. story that features a Vader that didn't quite happen the way you know. I am now writing that story too, so if you're curious about how Anakin fell about a year sooner, didn't burn to a limbless crisp, and managed to father the twins with a Padmè who didn't love him but wanted an oblivious Obi-Wan instead, then check it out. :P (It's gonna be dark, though, just to warn you.)

Bring Back the Light: Book 2

A Glimmer of Light

Prologue:

D1/12 BBY, Vader's flagship, patrolling the Outer Rim…

Darth Vader, the most feared person in the galaxy, was afraid.

He'd been secretly afraid for years. Afraid of his Master who held his life in his twisted and infinitely powerful hands. Afraid of failure and the consequences thereof. And afraid that he'd be enslaved to the vile person who had tricked him into falling to the Dark for the rest of his miserable and lonely life.

And thus, as he'd been doing for years, while staring out into the peaceful obsidian expanse of space from the bridge of his Star Destroyer, he was secretly casting through the Force for a glimmer of hope, a glimmer of light in the Dark existence in which he was entrapped.

And then, it found him.

"Sir, we're picking up a transmission of interest from the nearby planet of Lothal."

He jolted as the Force pinged slightly on his senses, the way it did when something interesting was about to happen. Spinning on his heavily booted heel, Vader pinned the comm officer in his hard gaze via the red lenses of his mask. "Play it," his modified voice said in a deep rumble.

The man flipped a couple of switches and then the transmission was playing over the comm for everyone on the bridge to hear.

"Are you going to let the Empire ruin your livelihoods? Turn your children into ruthless soldiers? Is this really what you want? We must not let the Empire turn us into cowards. We have to stand up for what we believe in!" cried a female voice. "The people of Lothal have the right to live their lives in peace. Don't let them subjugate you or steal your hope! It's time to stop letting them destroy our home and do something! Stand up and fight against the Imperial sleemos before it's too late!"

As his officers shifted and muttered in affront, Vader's eyes closed as he was given a few flashes of visions centered around a dark blue haired boy.

"Mommy! NOOOO!"

"Ezra!"

"Your parents are dead, Apprentice. Use the pain to make you stronger."

"I hate you!"

"Good. Use that as well."

"Come, my young Apprentice. Show me how you have been practicing while I was gone,"

"Yes, Master."

"Ahhhh!"

"You lost focus, Apprentice. You must learn to concentrate or you will get a matching scar on the other side."

"I apologize, Master. It won't happen again."

Vader opened his eyes and something that might be called a smile, if you gave it the benefit of the doubt, crossed his scarred face. At last, I've finally found the one who will help me defeat me Master.

While the well trained bridge crew - consisting mostly of older clones - patiently waited for his instructions, he turned again and looked out into space in the direction of the planet in question, already feeling drawn to it. My Apprentice is on Lothal. And I've been given the perfect excuse for tearing him from his family.

Not that I need one, really, but this just seems so fitting.

Smirking under his mask, Vader looked down into one of the pits. "Set a course for Lothal. It seems I have some more insurgents to deal with."

"Yes, My Lord."

Vader turned back to the window and braced his feet for the jump into hyperspace.

Empire Day, Capital City, Lothal…

The Imperial transport skidded to a stop in front of the Bridger house and stormtroopers already based on the planet marched out, forming two rows for the terrifying man in black. Darth Vader stalked up to the locked front door and opened it with a flick of his fingers. The trooper closest to the door just barely managed to stifle his gasp. (The last guy who'd gawked at the towering caped man had found himself quite dead.) Vader smirked to himself as he felt the terror from the troopers behind him. Good. They should be afraid.

He strode into the house and glanced around at what at first appeared to be an empty living room. Not a sound came from the house, but he wasn't fooled. He could feel their presence below his feet. Holding his hand out, the covering for the hidden cellar rose and settled softly off to the side. Now the voices from below could be heard. And they were definitely speaking about the illegal anti-Empire broadcasts that had been traced to this location, talking about this evening's planned broadcast from the sound of things.

Vader nodded towards the ladder in the floor and the first four troopers jogged over and slid down, bringing cries of fear and dismay from below.

"Move. Up the ladder," the captain of the squad said sternly. One by one the rebels appeared on the main level to be met by Darth Vader and many blasters pointed at them.

Vader sneered at the first man up the ladder. "Governor Azadi. How disappointing. It seems we will have to find a new Governor for this planet." Ryder stared back at him with an obstinate tilt to his chin and said nothing as he was handcuffed and led out the door. He had to grudgingly admire the big man's spirit even if he couldn't condone it.

The next person was a cowering yellow Rodian. Vader hardly even bothered to look at him as he was led away.

The third person up the ladder was Ephraim Bridger. Vader looked the other man over assessingly and dismissed him as insignificant, just another rebel too cowardly to do anything but speak against those who didn't match his idea of a perfect world. Ever since the blatant hypocrisy of the Senate during the Clone Wars, he'd despised politicians - or anyone who resembled one - with a passion, and that included his Master, the worst politician of them all. He now only respected those who fought with more than words. Unfortunately for him, his Master was much more than a politician.

"How dare you break into my home?!" Ephraim said as he was forced into cuffs.

"How dare you think you could speak against my Emperor and get away with it?" Vader replied coldly.

"We dare because it's what is right!" Mira Bridger said as she climbed the ladder. "Your Emperor has ruined our planet! You steal people's farms! You cut down all the trees! The sky hasn't been smoke free for over a year! How can we not speak out against him!?" She struggled as two troopers forced her into handcuffs as well.

Somewhere deep inside him, Vader agreed with her, but he couldn't afford to think it. Instead he grabbed her throat with the Force. And when her husband tried to protest, he choked him as well. "You are both rebel scum." He dropped his hold on them and they fell to their knees, gasping. That should shut them up.

"Mommy!" At the same time, the stormtrooper captain appeared from the hole, carrying a furiously squirming young boy who looked about seven years old. Vader felt a little thrill of awe to see the boy from his vision in real life because he represented a possible future in which he wasn't enslaved to his hated Master.

Vader nodded at the troopers holding the elder Bridgers. "Take them away."

The troopers dragged the still gasping couple out of the house, but Mira somehow fought her way out of her captor's grip and ran back towards her son. The boy reached for her, kicking and clawing, but the captain held on to him out of sheer determination.

Vader grabbed the purple eyed woman with the Force again and lifted her off the ground. "Behave, boy, or your mother will die right now in front of you."

The boy stared at his mother with wide blue eyes as she struggled in Vader's Force grip, once again gasping for air. "Mommy! NOOOO!" As he screamed, every single thing in the house not weighed down started to float and the house shook in its foundation. A little voice inside of Vader laughed gleefully. I've definitely found my Apprentice.

Somehow, Ephraim Bridger came running back in, yelling, "Ezra!"

What the kark? I should have brought my own troopers. These ones are useless!

Vader decided he'd had enough of this gong show. With a swipe of his arm, he sent Ephraim flying back through the doorway, knocking him out. He tossed the wife after him. She cried once then fell silent.

Vader turned his attention to the sobbing dark blue haired boy. He waved a hand in front of his little face and growled, "Sleep." The boy instantly went silent and limp in the captain's arms and all of the furniture fell back to the floor with a crash. Vader moved the step that separated them and took the boy from the captain, tossing the minimal weight over his shoulder. They were the last people in the house.

Vader gazed at the white helmet through his own black one and pushed his will at the stormtrooper. "You will erase all Imperial records of the boy's existence and make the parents disappear to the furthest, most impenetrable, and most remote prison we have."

"I will erase all records of the boy's existence and make the parents disappear," he droned back.

Vader nodded to himself and carried his new Apprentice out of the house to do some disappearing of his own.

2 years later, Empire Day, Jhothal, Lothal…

Kanan Jarrus hungrily watched his Twi'lek pilot captain eat with delicate and clever hands as unobtrusively as possible as he sat across from her at their table in Old Jho's.

She was just so beautiful, all soft emerald eyes and light green skin on a lithe and curvy body that enticed him beyond measure – and every other male with eyes - but never acted like she was aware of it.

Kanan was hopelessly in love with her, but she seemed pretty determined to keep their relationship purely professional. But after half a year of travelling the galaxy with her, he thought he just might be winning her over; she'd actually agreed to take a day off from running missions and gone out with him for a nice dinner.

All right, it's still a noisy, crowded bar, he admitted to himself, but whatever. It's a start.

We're eating.

Together.

Out.

I'm calling this a date whether she likes it or not.

But... maybe not out loud. I don't feel that lucky.

Yet.

Hera Syndulla glanced at her crewmate once again, and fought off the blush that wanted to take over her face.

He was just so handsome, with those soul searching teal eyes, intriguing auburn hair that she really wanted to pet and run her fingers through, and broad shoulders over a lean and capable body. The way he kept looking at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention was really messing with her self control. His gorgeous, long lashed eyes seemed to worship her every move and all she wanted to do was pounce on him and kiss him senseless.

Hera forced herself to concentrate on the delicious nerf steak in front of her. I can't afford to fall for him. There's too much at stake and it would be horribly irresponsible.

She glanced at him again as she chewed a small bite, unable to help herself. But he's just so... available.

And strong.

And funny.

And handsome.

Or did I say that already? Whatever. He is.

Oh, and let's not forget the best thing about him; he's a Jedi.

She sighed softly, sneaking yet another glance and catching his hooded gaze on her once again.

Ever since they'd saved her planet during the Clone Wars, she'd had a soft spot for the Jedi, thinking them the coolest people in the galaxy. And then the evil Empire had wiped them out, devastating her and her father, who also thought highly of them.

Or so everyone thought. But there was one sitting right across from her.

Well, okay, he doesn't think of himself as a Jedi anymore, but that doesn't change my opinion of him. He still meditates like a Jedi. He still uses the Force like a Jedi when the situation calls for it. And he still has that aura of calm control, just like a Jedi from before. To me, that makes him a Jedi whether he calls himself such or not.

And oh, stars, do I ever want him.

But I can't have him.

Right?

Her self debate was interrupted as the atmosphere in the cantina changed and the radio that had been playing in the background became everyone's focus.

"Turn it up, Jho!" someone yelled.

The large room went silent as everyone listened to the broadcast.

"Are you going to let the Empire ruin your livelihoods? Turn your children into ruthless soldiers? Is this really what you want? We must not let the Empire turn us into cowards. We have to stand up for what we believe in! The people of Lothal have the right to live their lives in peace. Don't let them subjugate you or steal your hope! It's time to stop letting them destroy our home and do something! Stand up and fight against the Imperial sleemos before it's too late!"

What a great speech, Hera thought. She sounds like Father.

I wonder if I could recruit her.

The room cheered as the speech ended and the radio D.J. spoke. "We play this in remembrance of our first rebel leaders, Governor Azadi and Mira and Ephraim Bridger. It was a sad day when they were caught by the Empire, but the Rebellion lives on in our hearts, even if we can't do anything to change what is happening to our world. Remember, people of Lothal. Don't let their efforts be completely wasted. And now, I'm off before the Empire finds me as well." The D.J. chuckled and music played again.

The noise in the bar returned to normal as people talked about what they'd heard. Kanan and Hera looked at each other with raised brows. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked the Human male who had become her best friend in a relatively short time.

A slow smile spread across his face. "If you're thinking that we should try and find these Bridgers and the old Governor, then yes. I'm thinking what you're thinking."

She grinned at him, liking him more every day that she knew him in their shared battle against the Empire. He really would make a fine mate… She pushed the traitorous thought away and focused on business again. "I'll contact Fulcrum. See if someone can slice into the Imperial records and find out where they're being held. We can always use more rebels on our side."

Kanan nodded. "And we'll get to break into another prison. I know that's your favourite mission to run," he teased.

"Hey!" she protested, blushing a bit more than she'd like. "It's not my fault we had to break you out of prison last month. The intel was bad."

Kanan just smirked and ate another bite of his excellent steak, the nerfherder.

She kicked him under the table and he grinned wider, white teeth flashing enticingly.

Hera rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her plate out of sheer self-preservation.

Force save me from good looking Jedi gunslingers.

Or maybe I should just jump on him and get it over with before I combust with suppressed desire.

Hera glanced at him and caught the heat in his eyes. Butterflies fluttered in her core. His foot touched hers. She inhaled, steak forgotten.

He dropped his fork and leaned towards her, daringly tracing a finger over one of the markings on her lek. She shivered in her chair. His husky whisper of, "Did I ever tell you that I can hear your louder thoughts?" had her dropping her own fork.

Five minutes later, they were back on the Ghost and locked in her cabin, lips permanently attached to each other as hands tore off clothes.

When she called Fulcrum the next day, she introduced him to her secret contact as her mate, prepared to deal with whatever consequences doing so would cost her.

Imagine her surprise when Kanan and Fulcrum recognized each other.