Dawn of Darkness -EP III AU A/A and SO (Updated 6/8 9:29 PM)

Pay attention Anakin....even Ari knows that there's something wrong. i wonder what chancellor would do to get Anakin to turn back to the dark side

 

The chance of anakin finding out that padmae has been kidnapped is slim...love the tension between paply and anakin--and its a good sign to see anakin is loyal to the jedi even when palpy was trying to sway him to the dark side

 

Up!

 

Jazz: Thank you! Anakin and Palpatine are always fun to write together. Especially at this point, when they're both trying to talk around the truth.

wkmaksar: Anakin's a little distracted, although we wish he was paying better attention. Palpatine's willing to do just about anything... it's the final step in his plan toward galactic domination. A plan that he, I think, holds rather dear. Thanks for reading!

Venus_Star2-com: At this point, Anakin is a the mercy of those that know the truth. I'm glad I was able to show that tension. Anakin truly does believe in the Jedi Order. He still trusts them. Thanks for reading!

qtrhrs78: Thankies!

Sorry for the delay, I had tons of work for a math class I'm taking this summer. Anyone want to write up a pendulum lab?

_PSK_

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The hiss of the cockpit door alerted Padmé to the return of Captain Lysacek. She gazed up at him, trying to mask her uncertainty. He had not contacted Palpatine, nor had he harmed her, but something about him still set her on edge. He was too comfortable with the situation, too sure of his control.

His eyes slid coldly over her before coming to rest on the navigation controls. "We've arrived at Mustafar."

Padmé glanced at the readout and nodded. "It appears so."

He ignored her comment. "You're going to be housed separately from the Chancellor's other guests. He does not think they would be pleased to know you are still alive. He is worried about your safety, Senator."

"Who are the guests?" Padmé fought the urge to question him about his allegiance. One second he was following the role of the Chancellor's guard to perfection and the next he was speaking cryptically about defying the man.

"Nute Gunray and his associates." A mocking smile settled on his lips. "You might have heard of him."

"Sithspawn," Padmé muttered. "Are they the Chancellor's prisoners as well?"

"What makes you think you're a prisoner? My orders are to protect you at nearly any cost." He pushed the hyperspace lever forward, and the star field in front of them was instantly replaced by a glowing ball of fire. At least, Mustafar appeared that way to Padmé.

"I'm not going to explain twice." She glanced nervously at the approaching planet. "What is that thing?"

"Mustafar. It's volcanic."

Padmé's eyes widened. "Volcanic? Lovely. What are Palpatine's other prisoners there for?"

"I told you, they're not prisoners." He gave an exaggerated sigh. "It just wouldn't do for the Separatist leadership to be running loose."

Padmé's head snapped up. She frowned as the new piece of information fell into place. "The Chancellor knows who the Separatist leadership."

"There is very little Chancellor Palpatine does not know." The guard was concentrating on bringing the shuttle down through the sulfurous clouds of Mustafar's atmosphere.

"So I gathered. What happens when we get there?"

"There is a room prepared for you. I believe it's quite pleasant. It has lovely views of various lava eruptions." He said the last words with an amused smirk.

"Lovely. I'll have to remember to keep my curtains closed." She hesitated a moment
before asking, "What about you?"

"I?m touched that you care. You will remain under my personal supervision. There are other members of the Chancellor's private guard that maintain the facility, but the Chancellor does not trust them with you."

Padmé could see the landing platform fast approaching. All around, jets of molten lava shot into the air. She shivered. The planet made her uneasy. Forcing her eyes from the view, she turned to him. "Why wouldn't he trust the other guards? I assume all of you maintain the same level of loyalty."

"Certainly." He began the final sequence of the landing cycle, fingers dancing over the controls. "My relationship with the Chancellor is slightly different. Therefore he trusts me more."

Padmé's features were distorted by confusi

 

poor guard---sorry can't spell his name...L-something


So it seems that the guard is a double agent.....which is good in a sense that padmae will be protected from the sepratistis....great update! :] please post another one soon--hopefully with anakin realising that his wife has been kidnapped...and the volcanic air will not be good for the baby

rachel

 

Great update. I'm starting to wonder about the guard a little myself.

 

Venus_Star2-com: The guard is definitely not that interested in helping Palpatine. Anakin will soon be on the road to realizing the truth. Thank you for reading!

qtrhrs78: Thank you! He's definitely going to be a key factor.

Sorry for the delay, my math class is finally over. Now I have time to do a little more reading and writing.

_PSK_

_________________________

A pensive silence surrounded Ari and his companions as they made their way to the Senator?s office. There was an unspoken agreement to refrain from speaking until they made their way into the private office. The eyes and ears of the Chancellor were everywhere. Secrecy was impossible in the hallways of the palace. Senator Organa stopped in front of his door, entering the security code. The Jedi entered the room behind him. The Senator glanced briefly at them before turning toward his desk. A flashing green light indicated that he had missed an incoming message. He chose to ignore it for the time being.

Obi-Wan was the first to speak. ?Ari sensed something was wrong.?

?I noticed you were nervous during the banquet,? the boy elaborated.

Bail nodded. "I haven't heard from Tristan. I don't know what to think."

For a moment Obi-Wan's eyes flickered in understanding, but he checked himself. "I'm sure they've made it. It's probably not safe to contact us yet."

"You really think so, Master?" Ari's tone was dubious. "I felt something was wrong. I don't think they got off well."

Senator Organa glanced carefully from one Jedi to the other. The boy had a determined gleam in his eyes while Master Kenobi had an eerie calm surrounding him. "I don't know what to believe. I suppose we should give them a bit more time for delays. I hope everything worked out."

Ari frowned at his master. Just moments ago Obi-Wan had been willing to follow his lead, but now he was openly refuting Ari's claims. "I know what I feel, Master Obi-Wan. Something is wrong."

Obi-Wan shifted. "I don't doubt that."

"But you don't believe it has to do with Padmé?" Ari queried.

"The Dark side clouds everything. I do not know what to believe." It was as truthful a statement as Obi-Wan could make without revealing too much. He did not relish lying to his Padawan, but now was not the time to alert him of recent developments. He turned to Senator Organa. "I will do everything in my power to help you discover the truth of all this."

Senator Organa moved across the room to his desk. "I have an urgent message rerouted through Coruscant."

Obi-Wan followed him, a brow rising in interest. "From Coruscant? What could have happened there?"

"I have no idea." Bail glanced at Obi-Wan and then his apprentice. "I would appreciate it if you stayed while I viewed it. It may concern you as well."

Ari was still shooting troubled looks at his master, but he moved to stand and the Jedi Master's side. Obi-Wan placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Of course, Senator."

The Senator keyed in his access code. After a moment, a blue hologram appeared floating before him. It spoke in a solemn tone. "Greetings Senator Organa, this message has been sent to you by the intelligence subcommittee of the Galactic Senate."

Bail met Obi-Wan's penetrating gaze. "I don't think this is good news. The subcommittee wasn't formed by Palpatine. It's around to be employed as an information source during crises. The last time the network was used was the death of Senator Amidala. All the absent senators received a message from the committee letting them know of the recent events."

The Jedi Master nodded. "I've heard of the committee before. Play the rest of the message."

Senator Organa tapped the controls and the man in the hologram continued speaking. "Another Senator has been murdered by unknown assailants. On a mission with the Republic Army, Senator Raja of Myrkr was found decapitated in a control center conference room. None of the army staff have any idea how the murder was planned or who

 

So Bail..while you sit and wait for fate of the galaxy, let me ponder with you until the next post come. Keep up the good work! UP!

 

I finally got around to reading this. Awesome posts.

 

wkmaksar: Sorry... I left a lot of pondering time. Thank you for reading!

RangerPrincess: Glad you enjoyed. Thank you very much!

I had a lot skating things to do and then they took my wisdom teeth out. That explains the lack of writing. I apologize! I'm sooooooooooo behind schedule on this!

_PSK_

Flanked by scarlet guards, the Chancellor returned to his rooms. A satisfied smirk was plastered upon his lips. The discussion with Anakin had been enlightening, but not altogether worrisome. If the boy still held an allegiance to the Jedi Council, Palpatine was unconcerned. Events would soon change his point of view. The Jedi Council's reaction to Senator Raja's death was the next crucial step to undoing Skywalker. Palpatine was sure the Council would act against him soon. After all, they had been hiding the location of Senator Amidala from him. The suspected something. Come to think of it, so did Skywalker.

At this, a frown slid across his features. Anakin had been unusually at ease during the banquet, but his mind had firmly shut out the Chancellor. Palpatine had a feeling Anakin had been endeavoring to perfect his acting skills. The boy had interacted with him too easily. The change from the tear stained face in his quarters to the laughing boy at the gathering was nothing short of impossible. Anakin was generally ruled by his emotions and the sudden appearance of his wife had put him into a delicate state of mind. Palpatine was sure he was not capable of such a quick turn around. The presence of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a figure that the Chancellor had noted in the past to calm Anakin, might have been able to ease Anakin's distress, but not purge his emotions.

Palpatine's ruminations were interrupted by the flashing comm unit on his desk. He strode quickly across the room and sank into his spoon-like chair as he keyed the transmission open. As the blue glow began, he let his hood slide into place.

The flickering blue image of his apprentice hovered before him. "I have completed the task successfully, my master. Senator Raja is no longer a treat to galactic interests."

"Very good, Lord Tyranus," Palpatine hissed. "Ensure that the Republic base on Kamino is directly under our control. You have seen that senate has been alerted?"

"Yes, Lord Sidious. The senate has sent out an emergency message to all its members. The Coruscant news stations had already picked up the story." Tyranus' voice included a badly hidden note of self-satisfaction.

Palpatine nodded slowly. "This is all very good, but do not forget your place, Lord Tyranus. We have a new project. The Senator from Naboo is still alive."

Dooku's features clouded in confusion. "What? That's impossible. She was very plainly killed in the senate building."

"Someone was killed," corrected Palpatine. "They must have used a decoy for safety reasons. Whatever may have happened, I know for certain that Padmé Amidala lives."

"Where, my lord?"

"She was in the employ of Bail Organa. I do not know if the senator is aware of her true identity or not." Palpatine smiled coldly. "But we do not have to worry about her anymore. I have arranged for her to be transported to my personal facilities on Mustafar until the time to eliminate her becomes apparent."

"Very good, my master. Does Skywalker know?" the glowing blue figure inquired.

"He knows his wife is still alive. Aside from that I could not say." Palpatine waved a hand. "Leave Skywalker to me. Continue to consolidate our control of the war. I think it shall soon be time to find peace."

"As you wish, my master." Dooku's blue figure flickered out.

Sighing in content, the Chancellor dropped back into his chair while brushing his hood aside. Now it was time to wait and observe before playing his next piece. Checkmate was within sight. The entire galaxy, his own.

The door chime sounded. Straightening in his seat, Palpatine called, "Come in."

Two of his private guards came entered, dragging an unconsc

 

OOOOHHHH NOooo you don't say anything Tristan...but then again, i think you would still be killed somehow in the end. What exact information could he get from Tristan though???? Another good post PadmeSolo! here's an UP!!

 

Oh, no, it looks like it's all going to go down hill from here, with Tristan ready to break....

Lovely chapter!

jazz

 

Great update!

 

Individual responses and a new update coming. It's my first week at college, so things will be slow for a bit.

 

College starts in teh end of august?? but don't worry.i'll still be waiting for a post no matter how slow you get

 

Just an up to get this off page 2.

 

Just an update on my writing status. The next post has been half written for about three months, but won't be posted until I get home (on the 22nd of December). I have finals right now, so I'm dying... but during winter break I hope to continue writing. I love all of you who are still interested!

 

i thought you've left us forever...take your time, study for finals. (it seems like everybody on this site has some kind of finals)

 

UP!

 

Great story you have here, PadmeSolo! I wonder why I didn't find this sooner. Do post soon and if you send PM's out then please include me for that. I look forward to actually commenting on the story as you update.

 

Hi! I just found your story! I love it!
Up!

 

Just another update to tell you that I'm not dead. I promised to have this done by 2007, but that's beginning to loom quite soon in the future. The entire story is outlined, so I do know where I'm going. I hope to be able to write sometime this spring/summer. Right now school is pretty intense. Anyway, this certainly isn't abandoned. Thanks for reading!
-Xitai