By My Side

Chapter 1 - Where it all Started

Author's Note: I was thinking about how all time-travels seem to have it where the time-traveler knows who Sidious is and what to change, so I decided to play around with the idea where the time-traveler knows nothing about Sidious and is focusing more on the galaxy. And I was wondering what it would have been like if Anakin – or at least someone, and he was the best option – had foreknowledge of how to be a general at the start of the war, and I guess this really sprouted off those two ideas! Anakin seemed like the best option because I still can't write with Obi-Wan's POV well (yes, yes, I know, that's stupid -_- xD), and Ahsoka would be a very bad idea because she'd leave the Order first thing and would probably never get to know Anakin. Plus, Anakin's trauma is like SO underrated and that is absolutely CRIMINAL, so I really wanted something that could cover it a lot, especially after Ahsoka left the Order. I'm not that far into writing (or even planning) this, so if anyone has any ideas/suggestions, feel free to share! :D ~Rivana

Warning: Major depression that boarders on suicidal.

People call him the Hero With No Fear. It's almost laughable. He is not fearless, but most of all, he is no hero.

If he were a hero, he would've been able to save her.

He would've been able to save his mother.

He would've been able to save Obi-Wan that day at the warehouse.

He would've been able to save so many of his brothers – Rex's brothers – the 501st, on Umbara.

But he did none of those things.

So here he is, out here, alone.

He spoke with the Chancellor about it. Sort of. The best he could. He didn't want to, per say, but he had to. He was about to sentence her, probably to death, when Anakin walked in. How he had hoped everything would just go back to normal, but they didn't. Couldn't. She's gone. And he's alone. He's angry with everyone. There's no one who couldn't have put up more of a fight. He's furious with the Council – they had no right to take his sister, his daughter from him. He's angry at Obi-Wan, for not stopping them and for not coming to help him. He's angry at Plo – the man so much like her father – for not standing up for her.

And Palpatine didn't have to sentence her. He should've known. He knew Anakin, so if Anakin believed in Ahsoka, why didn't he? Anakin gets it; it's what the Senate wanted, but that doesn't mean he's not angry. So here he is. Out here, alone. Spending every second thinking she's about to pop out of a shadow somewhere and laugh at him for thinking she could really have left and broken the promise between then, the one only she never broke. Expecting her to just appear out of the middle of the battlefield and tease him about how reckless he is.

The only person he can't blame for any of it is Padme. She stepped in to defend Ahsoka at the last minute, even if the Senate refused to listen. And Rex believed in her too, but there was nothing he could have done either.

But most of all, Anakin's angry at himself for not stopping it all. For not watching over and taking care of her like he should have. For not being there with her. It should have been him instead of her. She never should have faced this. She was never supposed to walk away. They were supposed to do everything together until they end.

And Ahsoka... she left him. She walked away.

"This isn't about you."

Those words lanced through his heart far worse than anything else he's ever heard. Throughout the war, he'd spent his time, energy, and focus doing everything he could to shield her from the worst of the battles. There were times he couldn't, of course, like on Ryloth when he finally entrusted her with her first squadron to lead her first battle. He had done everything for her, but she walked away, like their bond, their forever undying love and loyalty to each other hand meant nothing.