A/N: I've fleshed this chapter so that Chapter 2 will make more sense when I post it. I'm glad some people like this idea I came up with; I just couldn't resist after watching the new Star Wars (which has a few problems, but is still leagues better than the prequels). Anyway, I promise that the central time travel plot will begin starting next chapter. I didn't want to rush into it without first establishing a history though. Thanks to everyone who followed and reviewed.

-Catburglar93

Ten years.

That was how much time had passed since the fall of the Old Republic. Anakin Skywalker, now known to the galaxy as Darth Vader, stared out the window of his imperial cruiser and reflected on the past decade.

The Clone Wars had ended. The Jedi were extinct. He had played a part in both.

The eradication of the Jedi, the family he had always dreamed of as a child, had been hard on him, but necessary. For the greater good; or so he had told himself as he personally killed the last of the Jedi, his master Obi-Wan Kenobi on the desert planet Tatooine. In his last moments, Obi-Wan had asked him if he was at peace with the choices he had made in his life. He had dismissed the question at the time as the last ramblings of a dying man, but later it had given him pause.

The rise of the Empire had indeed harkened in a new era of peace and prosperity for the galaxy. That was undeniable. Whispers of rebellion had been universally squashed before having time to develop into something more, and overall, galactic stablity had been restored to that of the time before the Clone Wars.

But was he, Anakin Skywalker, the boy from Tatooine, happy with the choices he had made?

When he had turned to the Dark Side, he was convinced that it was the only way to bring about peace to the galaxy and save his wife, Padme, from dying. But now his wife was dead, and Darth Vader found himself tired of constantly fighting off the whispers of rebellion that arose every few years in his new Empire. In a galaxy without force sensitives, his only companion was the Emperor Palpatine, a man whose sole interest was the acquisition of power and whose biggest fear was losing said power.

Vader, for lack of a better term, was lonely. He had no one to talk to. He missed his old life - not the politics of the Jedi council, or the ineffectiveness of the Republic, but the comradery he had felt being part of both.

And so he found himself traveling to the planet Jakku. A planet very similar to his own homeworld, Tatooine, but with something he had been searching for for a long time, an ancient artifact that many scholars believed to be nothing more than a myth.

For weeks he scoured the desert planet fruitlessly, wondering if perhaps he had been mistaken about the machine's existence. As the days wore on under the hot Jakkun sun, he became increasingly frustrated at his lack of progress. Time was running out - the Emperor would surely inquire as to his absence.

One week passed, and then two.

With the dawn of the third week, Vader was beginning to suspect that he had been led on a fool's mission after all. Could a machine that gave the user the power to travel back in time really exist? The concept of time travel itself was absurd to anyone who had a basic understanding of how the universe worked. Time always moved forward - not back; even the Force could not change that.

But there was a lingering doubt in the back of his mind - he had to be sure. For Padme, for the friends he had lost in the war.

And then, almost as if in response to his doubt, the universe gave him a sign. In the dead of night, he spotted a man and a Wookiee making their way into one of Jakku's many cantinas. It was almost like the set-up of a bad joke.

Man and Wookiee walk into a bar.

Bartender says, "There's a Sith Lord behind you."

They turn around. Die.

Well, it was funny to Vader at least.

He decided to investigate. They were an unusual pair, to be sure.

"Can you believe it, Chewie? Who would've thought that we'd find an ancient Sith burial ground on a heap of sand like this?"

"Roooarrgh!" The Wookiee responded with contentment.

He had been observing the two for half an hour. A steady supply of drinks had made their tongues slippery.

How ironic, he would later reflect, that after all of the time and effort spent searching for such a burial ground on Jakku, two baffoons from off-planet would come across it by sheer happenstance.

"The artifacts on that site must be worth a fortune! We're set, buddy! No more cold meals, no more junkyard parts - from now on, it's only the best for the two of us!" The man reached for another glass.

Now was the time to make his move, Vader decided. In one smooth motion, he traversed the length of the bar from where he was standing to directly in front of the two companions. It took a moment for either of them to register his presence.

The man spoke first.

"Yeah, what do you want, creep?"

He quickly used the Force to probe the untrained man's mind. Smuggler, pilot, orphan. Judged him as a non-threat. The Wookiee would be easy to deal with as well.

The two were staring.

"I happened to overhear your conversation." He said at last, knowing that no cloak could disguise his distinct voice. Realization appeared on their faces. Vader smirked.

"Those artifacts are not yours. They belong to the Empire, and by extension, me." He now decided to unveil himself. The cloak he was wearing fell dramatically to the ground, revealing underneath a mechanical suit of black armor, and a lightsaber at his belt. All at once the cantina went silent. A crowd of onlookers had begun to form.

The man and the Wookiee suddenly became uncomfortably aware of the watching eyes around them.

"The Empire has no jurisdiction here, Vader." The man, Han, spoke, probably trying to put on a brave front.

"You're right." Vader replied matter-of-factly to the shock of everyone watching. "You're going to cooperate fully with me, of your own volition."

He waved a gloved hand in front of the man's face and watched in satisfaction as his eyes glazed over.

"The artifacts are not yours, they belong to the Empire." Vader stated once more.

"The artifacts are not mine, they belong to the Empire." The man slowly echoed.

"Good. Now, you will lead me to where you have hidden them."

The man began walking into the desert. His Wookiee companion simply lowered his head and followed.

Han knew he was in big trouble when the cloaked stranger had first spoken. Darth Vader, general of the Empire and Sith Lord had somehow found his way onto Jakku, a planet far removed from imperial space. He didn't have time to wonder just what the murderous cyborg was doing here of all places, he just knew that if he and Chewie were to survive the night, he would have to think fast and on his feet. Thankfully, that was something he was good at.

"Those artifacts aren't yours, they belong to the Empire, and by extension, me." Vader stated in a deep robotic rumble. The bar went silent as the cyborg removed his disguise, revealing to everyone present his distinctive suit of black armor. A crowd began to form around the three of them as the man spoke. Now Han was worried. This was not how he had envisioned the night going.

He put on his best face, and tried to stall for time.

"The Empire has no jurisdiction here, Vader." A lie. He knew it and Vader knew it as well. The Empire had jurisdiction wherever it chose to. In this galaxy, might was right, and the Empire had plenty of might. Han knew that better than anyone else. Hopefully though, the possibility of angering a sovereign system would give Vader pause. Whatever he was looking for couldn't possibly be worth starting a war over, could it?

Then the cyborg said something that surprised not only Han but every person watching their encounter.

"You're right."

You're right? Where could he be going with this, Han wondered. The last thing he had expected to hear from the man was that he was right. Could he really be this lucky? Had the Sith Lord gone absolutely insane?

But Vader continued, "You're going to cooperate fully with me, of your own volition."

Yeah, definitely insane. As if he'd cooperate. Great, so now he was dealing with a crazy murderous cyborg. Han cursed his luck.

Vader waved a hand in front of him, and Han instantly felt a pull on the back of his mind.

"Those artifacts are not yours, they belong to the Empire." Vader stated.

The words seemed to multiply themselves in his mind, taking over his thoughts. Those artifacts are not yours... they belong the Empire. What? That didn't make any sense, he and Chewie had found the dig site fair and square. Those artifacts are not yours... The hell they aren't! He would be damned if he would let some Empire big shot take what he and Chewie had rightfully earned!

The man in front of him was staring now, apparently expecting a certain reaction. Uhh, shit. What to do, what to do...

"Those artifacts are not mine, they belong to the Empire." He deadpanned. Vader wasn't saying anything. Han waited with bated breath.

"Good," Phew, "Now, you will lead me to where you have hidden them."

Okay, okay. Keep your head in the game, buddy - you can do this. Han gave Chewie a sideward glance. Just follow my lead. He began walking out of the bar. The Wookiee lowered his head and followed.