Anakin but also not?!

Anakin Skywalker, or rather, the man now inhabiting his body, sat slumped in a chair aboard a sleek medical ship headed for Coruscant. His once-golden eyes were now a weary blue, filled with the storm of a man grappling with two worlds. He sighed deeply, staring at his reflection in the viewport, the distant stars a blur of white streaks.

"Obi-Wan, Master Yoda," Anakin began, his voice cracking slightly, "I need to tell you something, and it's going to sound insane. Honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself."

Obi-Wan, seated across from him, gave his former Padawan a tired but curious look. "Anakin, after today, I'm willing to hear almost anything."

Yoda tilted his head, his green ears twitching. "Speak, you must. Truth within, find we may."

Anakin hesitated, running his hand through his now disheveled hair. "I'm not… really Anakin. I mean, I am, physically, but my soul, my memories—everything else—is someone else's. Someone named James Reeve."

Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow. "James Reeve? And who might that be?"

Anakin leaned forward, gesturing vaguely as he tried to explain. "Someone from a completely different universe. In my world, this galaxy—your galaxy—isn't real. It's a story, a work of fiction. A children's movie, but also one of the most popular sagas ever made. Everyone back home knows your names. They know what you've done, the Jedi Order, the Sith, the Empire—everything. And now I'm here, living it as the protagonist. I wasn't supposed to stop Sidious this early, but, well… here we are."

Silence filled the room, save for the faint hum of the ship's engines. Obi-Wan blinked, his expression unreadable. Yoda's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Fiction, you say? Real here, though, it is," Yoda murmured.

Anakin nodded. "Exactly. And because of that, I've already changed so much. Sidious is dead, the Jedi are nearly wiped out, and the Republic is in chaos. I'm thinking… maybe I'll have to create an Empire myself, but a good one. No tyranny. No cruelty. Just order, peace, and a chance for the Jedi to regain their place without being so, uh…" He waved his hand vaguely. "Restrictive."

Obi-Wan's mouth opened slightly, then closed again as if processing this. Finally, he settled on a dry, "You do realize how utterly absurd this all sounds, don't you?"

Anakin snorted. "Oh, absolutely. But it's true."

Yoda hummed softly, leaning on his gimer stick. "Restrictive, the Jedi Code, you find? Speak more of this, you must."

"Well, yeah," Anakin said, leaning back. "Back in my world, people got married, had kids, felt emotions. It wasn't perfect, but it was natural. The Jedi Code basically tells you to shut all that out, and honestly, it's why you keep losing people to the Dark Side. You make them deny their emotions until they snap. You saw what it did to Anakin… to me, before I got here."

Yoda closed his eyes, nodding slowly. "True, this is. Change the Jedi must, or die, they will."

Obi-Wan rubbed his temples. "Anakin—James—whoever you are—what exactly do you plan to do about this… Empire of yours?"

Anakin sighed. "First? I need to help Padmé. She's my priority. After that, we'll figure out where I fit in the Jedi Order and how to stop the galaxy from tearing itself apart."

Yoda nodded approvingly. "Right, your priorities are. Help her, we must."

The ship landed softly in the Coruscant medcenter, where Padmé was quickly taken into a sterile, white birthing chamber. Anakin stayed by her side, clutching her hand. She smiled weakly, the fatigue of the day evident on her face.

"I'm here, Padmé," he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "It's going to be okay."

The birth was long but mercifully smooth. When it was done, Anakin held Luke and Leia in his arms, their tiny cries filling the room. He felt a lump in his throat as he gazed at them.

"They're beautiful," Padmé whispered, exhausted but glowing with joy.

"Yeah," Anakin said softly. "I can't believe it. I'm actually here… with you… with them."

He chuckled, his voice breaking with emotion. "Back on Earth, I had the biggest crush on you, Padmé. And now? You're my wife, and these… these are our kids. Thank the Force."

Padmé tilted her head. "What's Earth?"

Anakin froze. "Uh… nothing. Just… something I'll explain later. You rest."

As the Skywalker family basked in the newborn glow, a disgruntled medical droid rolled into the room. Its vocoder buzzed with irritation.

"Statement: These newborn meatbags are intolerable. Their vocal emissions exceed acceptable decibel limits for droid processors. Complaint registered. Suggestion: Install mufflers on all future offspring."

Anakin barked out a laugh, startling little Leia, who scrunched her face and began to wail. The droid's photoreceptors dimmed in exasperation. "Observation: Predictable."

"Hey, don't blame them," Anakin said, grinning. "They just got here. You'll get used to it."

"Retort: Highly unlikely."

Padmé giggled weakly. "Anakin, don't bully the droids."

"Bully? I'm defending my kids' honor!"

Luke sneezed, causing Leia to hiccup. The droid beeped mournfully. "Resignation: I'll fetch the necessary cleaning supplies."

Anakin kissed Padmé's forehead, then gazed at his children, his heart swelling with determination. Whatever challenges lay ahead, he would face them. He had the power, the knowledge, and the will to make things right.

For them.

For all of them.