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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga Under Fire (an ROTS AU)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by anakinfansince1983 , Sep 21, 2012.

  1. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Title: Under Fire
    Author: anakinfan
    Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Padme Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Palpatine, Bail Organa
    Summary: Anakin does not turn to the Dark Side and Palpatine does not become Emperor, but his extended term as Chancellor has left the Republic in shambles. Can the Jedi Order and the Coalition of 2000 pick up the pieces?

    (This is a story I original wrote and posted in 2010, which I am now posting for the new boards with a few tweaks, because like George Lucas, I never see my work as completely finished.)

    Disclaimer: Characters and some dialogue belong to Lucas, some dialogue also belongs to Matthew Stover and Karen Miller, the rest is mine.



    Prelude

    It is a dark time for the Republic. The war with the Separatists has continued for three years now, and no end is in sight. Two Jedi Knights, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, have successfully rescued Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from the clutches of General Grievous, and Skywalker killed the Sith apprentice Count Dooku, but General Grievous escaped yet again. The Jedi are dwindling in numbers, and many are battle-scarred and discouraged, barely remembering their former role as peacekeepers of the Republic. Kenobi and Skywalker have returned to Coruscant, where Skywalker is reunited with Senator Amidala, to whom he is secretly married. Senator Amidala shares with Skywalker that she is pregnant with their child. Meanwhile, the Senator has joined a coalition of her colleagues who are speaking out against the refusal to open peace talks with the Separatists and the further accumulation of power by the Supreme Chancellor, who is using war as an excuse to continuously bend the Constitution to his will.


    Chapter 1


    Senator Padme Amidala was screaming in pain. All blood had drained from her face, her brow was covered in sweat, her teeth clenched in agony. Another wave of pain hit and she cried out again. “Anakin! Anakin, help me! I love you! ANAKIN!” In the background came the sound of a baby’s lusty cry, even as his mother lost consciousness and screamed no more…

    Anakin Skywalker woke up with a start, drenched in sweat, his breath caught in his throat. He glanced quickly beside him where his wife Padme slept peacefully, her dark curly hair fanned behind her, one hand resting on her pregnant belly. Tears of relief came to Anakin’s eyes. She was alright. She was healthy. Anakin buried his face in his hands and sobbed quietly. The dream had been so real, so vivid. Just like the one he had had three years ago. One that turned out to be prophetic.

    Anakin wiped his eyes, got out of bed and walked down the hall, down the stairs and through the living area to Padme’s private balcony, where he leaned on the edge of the railing, gazing at the Coruscant skyline, at the speeders flying by in the city-planet that never slept. The once-pristine skyscape was dotted with smoke and rubble from destroyed buildings.

    Anakin sighed, gripping the railing more tightly. The war that most of the Republic thought would end quickly had now dragged on for three years. Hundreds of Jedi had been lost, Jedi who never set out to be soldiers. They were trained to be protectors and peacekeepers, not fight wars. But they had been forced into this by the attempted assassination of Padme by the Separatists and the subsequent capture of Obi-Wan. After Geonosis, there was no choice but to go to war. At the time Anakin had not minded. He had thought that a quick and brutal defeat of the Separatists would be easier and more efficient than what Padme called a “diplomatic solution.” Three years later he no longer believed it. The battles were brutal, but they were not quick and the Separatists were not defeated. Anakin had finally rid the galaxy of Count Dooku, however, General Grievous, the leader of the droid army, evaded the Jedi over and over again—and so far the Jedi were lucky if Grievous merely escaped. The less fortunate ones were killed, and their lightsabers added to Grievous’ ever-growing collection.

    Years of evading Separatists, ever growing numbers of battle droids and clones, and General Grievous were all more than Anakin had bargained for. He was tired. Tired of getting injured over and over again. Tired of watching the Jedi he had come to know and love, including his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, fall in battle.

    The thought of his beautiful and feisty Padawan made Anakin’s eyes well up again. She had fought bravely and fiercely to the end, when she could only whisper a weak, “I’m sorry, Master,” before succumbing to the Force. No, Anakin said, I’m sorry, Snips. I failed you. Several tears splashed on the balcony railing.


    Padme thought she heard her husband weeping. Poor Anakin. On the field he was the wise and feared General Skywalker. On the rare occasions that he was home, in the darkest hours of the night, his guard was down and the tears came. Especially since his Padawan died. Padme knew Anakin blamed himself. If we have no other reason for opening up peace talks with the Separatists, she thought,we need to do it so that these Jedi who have lost so much, can come home and heal. So that the Republic can heal. So that people can be reunited with their loved ones, so that they stop living in fear all the time.

    She and Anakin had spent maybe 90 days together during their three year marriage. The longer the war lasted, the prospect of their having anything resembling a normal marriage looked bleak. She had gotten pregnant the last time Anakin was home for one night, five months ago. If the war did not end soon, she would probably give birth alone.

    She opened her eyes and saw the empty space next to her in bed. Her heart skipped a beat. “Anakin?”

    She got out of bed and went downstairs. Anakin was on the balcony, his back to her, his hands gripping the railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white. She put a hand on his shoulder. “What is it?” she asked.

    He turned to her, and despite the fresh tears on his cheeks, gave her a small smile. He touched the japor snippet that she wore around her neck. “I remember when I gave this to you,” he said.

    She smiled and touched his hand, the one that held the snippet. “As do I,” she said. “Anakin, what happened? I heard you.”

    He shook his head, the smile faded. “Bad dream,” he said.

    She put a hand on his arm. “About the war? Ahsoka?”

    “No,” he said, shaking his head again as if to rid himself of the images. “About you.”

    “What about me?”

    “You die in childbirth.”

    Padme gripped his arm. “And the baby?”

    Anakin sighed. “I don’t know.” He held her. “But it was only a dream.”

    Padme shook her head. “Jedi don’t have nightmares. You said so yourself.” She waited, letting him hold her for a minute, then asked, “What about last time, Anakin? Have you thought about what might have happened if you had gone to Tatooine earlier? How long had you been dreaming about your mother?”

    Anakin let go of her and gripped the balcony railing again. “A month,” he said. “The first dream would have been at about the time the Sandpeople took her. Yes, I should have gone then. Have I thought about what might have happened if I had left then? You’d do better to ask if a day goes by when I don’t think about it.” He sighed. “It’s Obi-Wan’s fault. He blew me off, said that dreams pass in time. He could not have been more wrong.”

    “Does he know what happened on Tatooine?”

    “No. I didn’t have a chance to tell him. All our conversations lately are about war and war strategy. He knows that Mom died, but that’s all he knows.”

    “Don’t you think you should tell him? Don’t you think that he should know that you have premonitions and that your dreams aren’t ordinary?”

    Anakin sighed. “For all the good it will do…”

    Padme took his hand. “Anakin, he’s your friend. Your mentor. He’s like your father. Why not tell him? Even if it does no good, even if he dismisses you again, you are no worse off than you are now. And you don’t know, he might be able to help…”

    “Fine, fine, I’ll tell him tomorrow,” Anakin snapped, moving away from her and focusing on a point in the skyline that Padme could not see. “I think it will be a useless conversation, Obi-Wan isn’t going to understand, but for you, I’ll tell him.”

    Padme smiled, cupped his chin in her hand and turned his face towards her. “Good,” she said, and kissed him. “Now come to bed? You need your rest.”

    Anakin returned the kiss, then shook his head again. “I’m not going to be able to sleep. You go back to bed. I’m going to stay out here for awhile.”

    Her brown eyes were full of concern. “You’ll be alright?”

    He nodded and hugged her. “I’ll be fine. I promise. Now go back to bed. Please. You have more than yourself to think about here.” He rested his hand on her belly. “Good night, little one.”

    Padme kissed him one last time and returned to her bed, leaving her husband on the balcony, continuing to gaze at the skyline.




    Anakin rushed down the hall of the Temple to the Jedi Briefing Room, where Obi-Wan Kenobi was alone, shutting down several holograms and gathering datapads. “You missed the reports on the Outer Rim sieges,” Obi-Wan said.

    Anakin caught his breath. “Sorry,” he said. “I was held up.” He had gone to bed, at dawn. He had awakened a couple of hours later, with only moments to spare before the morning meeting.

    Obi-Wan smiled. “In short, they are going very well,” he said. “Saleucami has fallen, and Master Vos has moved his troops to Boz Pity.” He paused. “Anakin, you look horrible. Have you not slept?”

    He shook his head. “Bad dreams,” he muttered.

    “Still? You’re exhausted, Anakin, and after Ahsoka…I’m sorry, Padawan, I know none of this is easy. But as I told you before, dreams pa..”

    “Pass in time. Yeah, right, whatever, Master. Just like that dream about my mother just passed in time.” Although he was expecting a repeat of Obi-Wan’s dismissal, it still left him shaking with anger. He wanted to stomp out of the room, but he had promised Padme that he would tell Obi-Wan about the dream. Although he felt that, as usual, he was probably right about him. This was going to do absolutely no good.

    Obi-Wan sighed. “Anakin, I am trying to be understanding, I just think you’re giving this too much credence. Your mother didn’t die because you had a dream. Death is a natural part of life. There is nothing you could have done.”

    This time Anakin snapped. “That just shows how little you know, Obi-Wan!” He yelled. “When I found her, she was exactly as I saw her in my dream! And if you had listened to me and let me leave earlier, I most certainly could have done something.” Anakin collapsed into the nearest chair, his head in his hands, long fingers tearing at his hair.

    For a few moments there was no sound in the room. Finally Obi-Wan said softly, “Anakin, you never told me what happened on Tatooine.”

    Anakin did not answer right away. Obi-Wan put hand on his shoulder and said, “Should we go to my quarters instead?” Anakin nodded, stood, and walked with his master out of the briefing room and down the hall. They arrived at Obi-Wan’s quarters two floors up a few minutes later. Anakin sank into the couch in the living area, rubbing his eyes. Obi-Wan sat beside him. “Now,” he said, “will you tell me what happened?”

    Anakin took a deep breath and began. “I found Watto pretty quickly, he was still in the same shop. He told me that he had sold my mother to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, who freed her and married her, and that they were living on the other side of Mos Eisley. He gave me the directions and we went out there. Her husband said that she had been gone for a month, kidnapped by Sandpeople, and that the Sandpeople had killed almost all of the farmers who had tried to rescue her. They had cut off his leg; he was planning to try to find her again after he healed. I went out right away, searched for the camp and found it that night.” Anakin was crying. “She had been beaten, her eyes were swollen shut, her face bruised, she had several broken bones…” He took a couple of deep breaths. “She was tied to a rack of some sort. I took her down, she touched my face, told me she was proud of me and said she was complete now, and then she…” Anakin was overtaken by sobs.

    For several minutes Obi-Wan said nothing. Then he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

    Anakin looked up, his face blotched with tears. “What? And get yelled at again for going to Tatooine in the first place? I did the right thing, Obi-Wan. She looked just like she did in my dream, when she was calling me. My mistake was not listening to her sooner. I should have left as soon as I had the first dream, then she would still be alive.” Anakin clenched his jaw. “It won’t happen again. My dreams don’t pass in time, Obi-Wan. They come true. It’s up to me to stop it from happening.”

    “What kind of dream did you have this time?”

    Anakin looked at his master. “It was about Padme.”

    Obi-Wan resisted giving the boy a lecture on his attachment to the Senator, knowing that it would be received even worse than usual—and such a lecture usually went over with Anakin about as well as a ton of duracrete pillars.

    “I know very little about premonitions through dreams, Anakin,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a common gift with the Jedi. Would you be interested in asking Master Yoda? He might have more information for you.”

    Anakin nodded. “I need all the help I can get.”


    Yoda answered the door quickly. “Young Skywalker,” he said. “Come in, you must.”

    “Master Yoda, I need your counsel.”

    “Of course,” he said, leading the way to two meditation cushions. “Sit you must. How may I be of help, young one?”

    Anakin took a deep breath. “I’m having dreams,” he said, “that are not ordinary dreams."

    “Premonitions?”

    Anakin was relieved that he did not have to explain further. “Yes,” he said. “They are premonitions. One has come true already.”

    “Premonitions…premonitions…hmmm…these visions you have…”

    “They are of pain, suffering, death…”

    “Yourself you speak of, or someone you know?” Yoda asked.

    “Someone…”

    “…close to you?” Yoda finished.

    “Yes.”

    “Careful you must be when sensing the future, Anakin. Fear of loss is the path to the Dark Side.”

    “I won’t let these visions come true, Master.”

    Yoda frowned. He knew that pain, suffering and death haunted Anakin constantly. The young Jedi was still able to sense the Force, but his ability to control it was obstructed, and his future was clouded. Yoda remembered a vision in which young Skywalker was in such terrible pain, Qui-Gon Jinn had returned from the realms of the Force, calling Anakin’s name, through Yoda’s meditations…

    “Explain further, I must,” Yoda said. “Death is a natural part of life. Only using methods most unnatural and most evil, can one stop a loved one from passing into the Force. When twilight is upon a luminous being, night must fall. Such is the way of things, the way of the Force.” Yoda paused and gazed at Anakin. “Tried to stop death, only a few have. Successful they were not, and a terrible price they paid.”

    Anakin looked at the wizened Master questioningly. “What kind of price, Master?”

    Yoda’s eyes bored into Anakin’s. “Consumed by the Dark Side, they were, Anakin. Twisted and evil, they become. Gone, disappeared, their former selves were.” He paused. “This person, who is close to you—quite certain I am, that destroy her, it would, if that price, you paid, to save her.”

    Anakin’s heart skipped a beat. He wondered how much the Jedi Master knew, if he suspected Anakin’s marriage.

    But he also sensed that Yoda was right. He could ensure that Padme was well-protected, and gave birth on planet with adequate medical facilities (unlike the desolate place in his dream) but beyond that he could do nothing. Other than hope that, just this once, his vision was wrong.

     
  2. Valairy Scot

    Valairy Scot Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2005
    Just goes to show that unstated assumptions might be wrong - Anakin was so sure that Obi-Wan was and would continue to be dismissive, when he himself wasn't forthcoming. Instead, Obi-Wan guided him to someone whom he thought could help Anakin and apparently unlike in canon, this will work.

    So, you decided to acknowledge Ahsoka and yet remove her from the story right away...clever.
     
  3. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    Reboots are good. I have been thinking of rebooting my fic 'Once in a Lifetime'.

    Anakin has been having prophetic dreams for years; they were just metaphorical for so long that you would assume that they were just dreams. If I remember correctly one of them was of the Galaxy burning.

    Please tag me when you update. :)
     
  4. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Hi: :D I always love! Anakin never turns stories :) :) !!! I also like his listening, gentle receptivity to words of support and advice [face_thinking] instead of rushing headlong and not confiding in anyone :p Am also intrigued by a nonSithish Chancellor o_O Tag me, please.

    And BTW, [face_laugh] I'm glad I'm not the only one compulsive enough to reboot/repost [face_dancing]
     
  5. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Valairy Scot : I think Anakin going to Obi-Wan in canon would have made all the difference in the galaxy, as well as the Jedi having some understanding of how to help him.

    Lady_Misty : There was one dream in the TPM novelization of Padme leading troops into battle, "older and sadder." Could be considered prophetic. But Anakin's dreams will be addressed more.

    Jade_eyes : No, you definitely aren't the only one. :p And let's just say the non-Sith-ish Chancellor will come later.

    Here's chapter 2:


    Chapter 2


    Anakin stood in Palpatine’s office. He and the Chancellor were gazing out the window at the landscape of Coruscant.

    “The war has left much suffering here,” Palpatine said.

    Anakin nodded. “Too much,” he replied.

    “I was sorry to hear about your Padawan,” Palpatine said. “I understand that she fought bravely.”

    Anakin nodded again. “She always did,” he said. “Grievous was too much for her, as he was for many knights twice her age. If only I had been with her instead of freeing the hostages on another level. She should not felt that she had to take him alone.”

    Palpatine put a comforting hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “You taught her well. Her courage may have been foolishly placed in that battle, but it was an admirable trait overall, and she learned it from you.”

    Anakin swallowed and blinked furiously. “Thank you, Your Excellency, but I would say that her courage was her own.” He returned his gaze to the window. “She is at peace now, one with the Force.”

    Palpatine nodded. “That she is,” he said, then changed the subject quickly. “Anakin, I’m sure you are wondering why I called you here.”

    “Yes,” Anakin said.

    “This afternoon, the Senate is going to call on me to take direct control of the Jedi Council.”

    Anakin, startled, gazed at the Chancellor. “Why?” he asked. “Do you mean that the Jedi will no longer report to the Senate?”

    “They will report to me…personally. The Senate is too unfocused to conduct a war. This will bring a quick end to things.”

    “The Jedi Council may not see it that way.”

    “There are times when we must all endure adjustments to the constitution in the name of security.”

    “With all due respect, sir, the Council is in no mood for more constitutional amendments.” Nor am I, Anakin added silently, looking out the window again. Is this what the Chancellor’s “emergency powers” have done? They certainly haven’t helped the war end any faster. We’ve granted him as many powers as he’s wanted, let him stay in office long past the end of his term, and still the war continues…He suddenly felt he was channeling Padme, and took pride in that fact.

    “I have no choice,” Palpatine replied. “The war must be won.”

    “Again, sir, with all due respect, I don’t see how your taking over the Jedi Council is going to help that come to pass. The Jedi are not losing the war. We are doing the best we can to win it.”

    “It’s not that simple.” Palpatine sighed. “Anakin, I’ve known you since you were a small boy. I have advised you over the years when I could, and I am very proud of your accomplishments. You have won many battles that the Jedi Council thought were lost…and you saved my life. I hope you trust me.”

    Anakin looked at the Chancellor again, wondering where the man could possibly be going with this. Anakin recognized the false flattery, and did not like it at all. He thirsted for praise, sincere praise, and often missed it from Obi-Wan and the Jedi Council. However, Palpatine’s disingenuousness felt even more insulting than the Jedi’s complete lack of acknowledgement. At least the latter, if often hurtful, was reliable and honest. Anakin had no tolerance for game-playing.

    “I need your help, son.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “I fear the Jedi. The Council keeps pushing for more control. They’re shrouded in secrecy and obsessed with maintaining their autonomy…ideals. I find that simply incomprehensible in a democracy.”

    Anakin gritted his teeth. The hypocrisy was appalling. We’ll discuss democracy and the Council’s so-called push for more control when you stop amending the Constitution to give yourself more powers, Your Excellency. It took almost all of Anakin’s self-control to keep from saying this aloud.

    “I can assure you that the Jedi are dedicated to the values of the Republic, sir,” he said.

    “Nevertheless, their actions speak more loudly than their words. I am depending on you.”

    “For what?”

    “To be the eyes, ears and voice of the Republic.”

    “I don’t understand.”

    “Anakin…I am appointing you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council.”

    He shook his head. “The Council elects its own members, sir. They will never accept this…nor could I ask them to do so.” Anakin longed for Mastery, for a position on the Council. But he wanted to earn it through Jedi recognition of his talents, for their acknowledgement of his accomplishments, especially in the war. He did not want an appointment as the Chancellor’s pet.

    A flicker of a scowl appeared on Palpatine’s face but it disappeared quickly, replaced by a patronizing smile. “They will accept it. They need you, more than you know. I think you will reconsider my request as well. The Republic is crumbling, and you may be forced to choose a side. The Jedi…they did not want you trained, Anakin. They did not trust you. They feared you.”

    “They trusted me enough to put me in charge of multiple squadrons of clones and assign me to lead missions. They even trusted me enough to give me a Padawan to train.” Anakin turned and walked quickly to the door. “Good day, sir,” he said.

    “Do you think any of that would have happened if it weren’t for the war, Anakin? Search your feelings, son, you know it to be true… They did not trust you, they needed you, there is a difference.” Palpatine called after Anakin’s retreating back. The young Jedi pretended not to hear him.



    “Good day, Master Anakin,” C3PO said, admitting the Jedi into his wife’s apartments.

    “Hello, 3PO,” he said. “Do you know where I can find Padme?”

    “In the living area, sir, or maybe the hall, she is doing a lot of walking. She seems rather anxious,” 3PO said. “I don’t quite know what to do.”

    R2D2 let out a series of beeps. “I know that, R2,” 3PO said, “but humans don’t usually do that much walking unless they are going somewhere. Mistress Padme is just walking across the carpet over and over again.”

    “I’ll handle it,” Anakin replied, entering the living area where Padme was pacing, her fists clenched. He hugged and kissed her, then took her hands in his. “Hey,” he said, “What’s going on?”

    “It’s Palpatine,” she spat, letting go of Anakin’s hands and pacing again. “I don’t know what he’s trying to pull here but this is not the same man who was my Senator when I was Queen. I put him in office, I trusted him, and look how he repays me. By turning himself into a dictator.” Her fists clenched and unclenched rapidly.

    Anakin put his arm around her shoulders and led her to the sofa, then put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Stop,” he said. “Now sit down, and start from the beginning. What exactly has the Chancellor done?”

    She sighed, and obeyed, sitting on the couch with Anakin beside her, his arm still wrapped around her. “Palpatine has posted a decree not only taking charge of the Jedi Council, but also appointing Governors to oversee each star system of the Republic. Not systems loyal to the Separatists, all systems," she said.

    Anakin’s heart sank. “I knew he was taking control of the Council. He told me that himself. But Governors? I don’t understand.”

    “They will report directly to him. The appointments are supposedly for security reasons.” She spat the word security. “He should just dissolve the Senate. We are no longer allowed to serve our people as we were elected to do. We do his bidding or we get accused of aiding and abetting the Separatists.” Padme sighed again. “All the constitutional amendments, several executive directives a day, and if anyone questions why, the response, from Palpatine himself and from the Senators loyal to him, are that it is necessary because of the war. Anakin, what has this war done to us? I thought we were fighting to preserve democracy and keep the Republic intact.”

    We are,” he said. “The Chancellor…I don’t know anymore. If concentrating more power into the Chancellor’s office would end the war, the war would have ended years ago.”

    “The Separatists have already won. They have succeeded in what they set out to do. They have destroyed the Republic as we knew it.” Tears shone in Padme’s eyes.

    He kissed her. “There is still time,” he said. “The Republic is fragile but it still exists. It can be preserved, restored.” He stood. “I'm on my way to meet with the Jedi Council. The Chancellor has asked for something rather unorthodox, I want to see if they’ve gotten word of it.”

    “More unorthodox than taking complete charge of the Jedi and turning you into his personal lackeys?”

    Anakin frowned and nodded. “I’m afraid that’s only the beginning.” He met her eyes. “He asked me to spy on them, to be his personal representative on the Council. He thinks the Council is pushing for more control. The irony could not be more absurd.”

    Padme’s eyes widened. “Did you…accept it?”

    He shook his head. “I told him that the Council appoints its own members and I would not ask them to make an exception for me. It’s insulting really. Does he really think that the only way I’ll ever achieve Mastery is if he personally vouches for me and makes them seat me on the Council? I’ve led numerous squadrons into winning battles, I killed Count Dooku…”

    Padme held up her hand to stop her husband from going into a long angry tirade. “Anakin, of course I agree with you. It seems that the Chancellor has decided that the Jedi are his political enemies and wants to destroy their reputation, starting from within. But why?”

    Anakin sighed, his shoulders slumped. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I intend to find out.” He leaned over and kissed her. “I’m due in the Council chambers in five minutes,” he said.

    “Anakin,” Padme grabbed his hand. “I’m not supposed to tell you this. We are not supposed to include the Jedi…yet. Six of us met this morning…myself, Bail Organa, Fang Zar, Mon Mothma, Bana Breemu and Giddean Danu. We are going to take some action. We signed a petition asking the Chancellor to return executive powers back to the Senate, to make no further amendments to the Constitution, and to pursue a diplomatic solution to the war. We are scheduled to meet with the Chancellor in four days’ time.”

    Anakin squeezed her hand. “Let’s hope he listens. It should be interesting to see how he reacts.”



    “Anakin Skywalker.” Mace Windu’s voice echoed through the Council chamber. “The Council has decided to comply with Chancellor Palpatine’s directive, and with the instructions of the Senate that give him the unprecedented authority to command the Jedi.”

    Anakin looked down. The Senate had done exactly as Palpatine asked. No questions, no deliberation. Anakin remembered a time when he would have called this process efficient, and considered it an improvement. Now he saw a Chancellor who seemed to have extraordinary talent for getting exactly what he wanted, using the war as an excuse.

    “You are hereby granted a seat at the High Council of the Jedi.”

    Anakin raised his head quickly. “Sir?” He replied.

    "We will also grant the Chancellor's request to allow you to represent him personally on this Council. Please take a seat, Master Skywalker."

    “Master Windu, please understand…I was not expecting this, nor did I request it. I explained to the Chancellor that the Council appoints its own members.”

    “Disturbing is this move by Chancellor Palpatine,” Yoda agreed.

    Mace nodded. “However, Anakin, we do still appoint our own members. We are appointing you. Your name had already come up for Mastery. And the fact that the Chancellor trusts you is an asset.”

    “Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, gesturing to an empty seat beside him. “Please.”

    Anakin, still reeling from shock, obeyed. “Thank you,” he said.

    Ki-Adi Mundi, appearing via hologram, changed the subject. “We have surveyed all systems in the Republic, and found no signs of General Grievous.”

    “Hiding in the Outer Rim, Grievous is,” Yoda said. “The outlying systems, you must sweep.”

    “It may take some time,” Obi-Wan added. “We do not have ships to spare.”

    “We cannot take ships from the front line,” Mace said.

    “And yet,” Obi-Wan replied, “It would be fatal for us to allow the droid armies to regroup.”

    “Master Kenobi, our spies contact, you must, and wait.”

    “What about the droid attack on the Wookies?” Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

    “It is critical that we send an attack group there immediately,” Mace said.

    “He is right,” Obi-Wan replied. “That is a system we cannot afford to lose. It’s the main navigation route for the southwestern quadrant.”

    “I know that system well,” Anakin said. “It would take us little time to drive the droids off the planet.”

    “Kenobi will find General Grievous,” Mace said. “Skywalker, you are needed here for a more specialized assignment.”

    What type of assignment? Anakin thought but did not get a chance to ask.

    “Go, I will,” Yoda said. “Good relations with the Wookies, I have.”

    “It is settled then,” Mace said. “Yoda will take a battalion of clones to reinforce the Wookies on Kashyyk. May the Force be with us all.”




    Anakin and Obi-Wan left the session together. “Well congratulations, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “To be seated on the Council at your age is a great honor. It has never happened before.”

    “Thank you, Master. I must say that I am extremely surprised. And I did not want to be appointed by the Chancellor. Such recognition needs to come from the Jedi."

    Obi-Wan smiled and put a hand on his apprentice's shoulder. "Anakin, as Mace said...we appointed you. The fact that the Chancellor requested your appointment...we'll just call that a very convenient coincidence."

    "I don’t understand. Why did the Council grant the Chancellor’s request that I be his personal representative? Were they forced to do so?”

    Obi-Wan’s face suddenly became much more serious. “No,” he said. “They were not forced to do so, and Yoda is right. Requesting his own personal Jedi Master on the Council, to report on our doings...this is a disturbing move on Palpatine’s part. That has nothing to do with you, but by allowing it, we thought you could help us.”

    “Help you how?”

    Obi-Wan’s voice lowered. “This is the specialized assignment that Mace mentioned. It is not to be on record. We need you to go along with the Chancellor's request. Report to him all the activities of the Council, except for this assignment. Meanwhile, we need you to keep an eye on him, find out what he’s up to. That’s what Mace meant when he said that his trust in you is an asset.”

    Anakin sighed and walked over to the window. “Master, I understand the suspicion about the amount of power the Chancellor has accumulated. But what you are asking…it could put the Jedi out of favor with the Senate and with many citizens of the Republic. We could be accused of treason.”

    “I know, Anakin, but we are at war. Our allegiance is to the Senate, not to its leader, a leader who has managed to accumulate an unprecedented amount of power into the executive branch, using very suspicious means."

    “Palpatine was of extraordinary help to Padme when she was Queen. He seemed to have the best interests of the Republic at heart when he got elected. I can’t believe what he’s done lately.” Anakin sighed. “How did we get here? I am a double agent, and I am working for people who are supposed to be on the same side.”

    Obi-Wan met Anakin's eyes. “I know, Anakin. We will soon discover the truth behind all this. One more thing: make sure you shield yourself well.”
     
  6. Valairy Scot

    Valairy Scot Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2005
    Oh, if only canon had gone this way - this Anakin THINKS, not just reacts emotionally.

    Love this:


    and

     
  7. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    :cool: -- Palps still comes across as scheming LOL :p and Anakin's staunch integrity - wonderful! @};- I love the mission underneath a mission ;)
     
  8. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    Poor, poor Anakin. :(

    Well things are going good.

    And best of all everyone that should be talking to each other are talking to each other. [face_dancing]

    There is another dream mentioned in the novelization. Anakin was either recalling it or he had it when he was in the desert looking after the injured Tusken Raider. but Padme did lead her people into battle against the Trade Federation then she fought in the Geonesian(sp?) Arena. A theory was put out that he might have been seeing Leia instead. [face_dunno]

    Thanks for the heads up! :)
     
  9. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Valairy Scot : I agree. If only Anakin had taken a five-second timeout at a few points. I also wish the Jedi had asked a few more questions of him in canon, even if he were evasive in the answers.

    Jade_eyes : Palpatine is totally scheming. o_O This is one area in which I wish Anakin had taken five seconds to think--he might have realized that Palpatine was insulting him by assuming that he needed "favors."

    Lady_Misty : I do remember that dream when he was with the injured Tusken but can't remember what it was. Need to dig up that novelization again.

    Here's chapter 3:


    Chapter 3


    Anakin entered the Chancellor’s box at the Galaxies Opera House. Palpatine sat solemnly with his aides, Mas Amedda and Sly Moore, gazing solemnly at the Mon Calamari ballet “Squid Lake.”

    Anakin loathed ballet, and secretly wondered if Palpatine had requested to meet him here in order to annoy him.

    “You wished to see me, sir?” He asked.

    Palpatine turned and smiled. “Yes, Anakin! I have good news. The Clone Intelligence Units have discovered the location of General Grievous. He is hiding in the Utapau system.”

    Discovered the location of General Grievous. For the 900000th time. How many times has that overgrown pile of scrap metal been “discovered” and then escaped? But Anakin played along. “That is good news. At last we’ll be able to capture that monster and end this war.”

    “I would worry about the collective wisdom of the Jedi Council if they did not select you for this assignment. You are the best choice by far, and I am certain that you would appreciate the opportunity to avenge your Padawan. But, the Council cannot always be trusted to do the right thing.”

    “They try,” Anakin said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. However, he had to acknowledge that the Chancellor was right about one thing. He would mightily appreciate a chance at Grievous, the chance to retrieve Ahsoka’s lightsaber from the droid leader’s dead hands.

    “Have a seat, Anakin,” Palpatine said, then to his aides, “Leave us.

    “Anakin, you know I’m not able to rely on the Jedi Council. If they have not yet included you in their plot, they will.”

    Plot to do what? You took them under your control, and you are afraid they are plotting…what exactly?

    “I’m not sure I understand,” Anakin said.

    “You must sense what I have come to suspect…the Jedi Council want control of the Republic…they are planning to betray me.”

    Control...of the Republic? "I don't think..." Anakin began.

    “Anakin, search your feelings. You know, don’t you?”

    Anakin said nothing.

    “They do not trust me...or the Senate…or the Republic…or democracy for that matter,” Palpatine continued.

    Anakin looked down. His heart pounded. Certainly, sir. The problem is entirely with the Jedi. You love democracy. You love the Republic. As long as you are running it.

    “The Jedi use their power for good,” Anakin said, meeting the Chancellor’s eyes again.

    “Good is a point of view, Anakin. And the Jedi point of view is not the only valid one. The Dark Lords of the Sith believe in security and justice also, yet they are considered by the Jedi to be…”

    “Evil,” Anakin finished.

    “…from a Jedi’s point of view. The Sith and Jedi are similar in almost every way, including their quest for greater power. The difference between the two is that the Sith are not afraid of the Dark Side of the Force. That is why they are more powerful.”

    Anakin could not believe what he was hearing. Praise for the Dark Side of the Force? An implication that refusal to use it is a sign of fear?

    “The Jedi are selfless,” he said. “They only care about others.”

    “Or so you’ve been trained to believe,” Palpatine said. “The fear of losing power is a weakness of both the Jedi and the Sith, Anakin.”

    Anakin looked down again. His ears were ringing.

    “Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?” Palpatine asked.

    “No,” Anakin replied.

    “I thought not. It’s not a story the Jedi would tell you. It’s a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to influence midichlorians to create life…He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.”

    Anakin gulped. The Chancellor’s words bounced around in his head like the ball that Anakin used to bounce against his mother’s hovel when he was a child. Sith legend…create life…keep ones he cared about from dying…Sith legend…Darth Plagueis…create life…keep ones he cared about from dying…Sith legend... And Yoda’s words… Only using methods most unnatural and most evil, can one stop a loved one from passing into the Force…tried to stop death, only a few have…successful they were not…a terrible price they paid…

    “It’s really too bad you never had access to the information that Darth Plagueis had, Anakin,” he said. “You might have been able to save your mother. The knowledge could be useful, if you ever have such premonitions again…”

    Anakin felt the bile rise to his throat, and he knew that the janitorial droids would be busy in Chancellor’s box if he stayed another minute. “Excuse me, sir, I’m not feeling well,” he mumbled, then stood and ran out of the Galaxie Opera House as fast as he could, then jumped into his speeder and drove quickly.




    “Mistress Padme, Master Anakin is home,” C3PO said.

    “Good. Let him know that I’m on the balcony, 3PO,” Padme replied.

    “Mistress Padme…you might want to come in here and meet him…oh dear…” 3PO said.

    Padme, who had taken her hair down for bed and was brushing it, dropped the brush and hurried into the living area, then the entrance hall. “Ani!” she said. He just stared at her, looking stunned, terrified; he was pale and sweaty. He looked as though he had just witnessed an unspeakable horror.

    “Anakin, what is it?” she said, taking his hand in hers and looking into his eyes. They were glassy. “Anakin, talk to me!”

    “Padme, I…” he swallowed hard.

    “Come in here,” she said, leading him into the living area, then onto the balcony. She faced him, gripping his arms. “Anakin, please…” She said. “You’re frightening me. What happened?”

    “Padme,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Just hold me right now. Please.”

    She nodded. “OK,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. He returned the embrace, holding her tightly. She felt his body shake but there were no tears, and for what seemed an eternity, no words.

    3PO appeared after several minutes, saying, “Excuse me, but is there anything I can do to help?”

    Padme was about to dismiss him when Anakin said, “Yes. I need you to contact Obi-Wan and ask him to come here. Tell him that this is a conversation we need to have in person, that I cannot risk being overheard.”

    “Of course, sir,” he said, and left the room.

    Padme looked at her husband. “Are you going to tell me?”

    He nodded slowly. “Yes,” he said. “But Obi-Wan needs to hear this and I really can’t repeat it twice.”




    Anakin was pacing. He had been pacing for the past several minutes. “I should have told 3PO to tell Obi-Wan that it was urgent,” he muttered. He was no longer sweaty or shaky but still obviously very anxious, clenching and unclenching his fists.

    “Anakin,” Padme pleaded. “Let me help you. Please.”

    He stopped pacing, looked at her, and sighed. “It’s about the Chancellor, Padme,” he said.

    Her eyes widened. “Bad?” she asked.

    “Yes,” Anakin said.

    “Master Anakin, Mistress Padme,” 3PO said, “Master Obi-Wan has arrived.”

    Obi-Wan rushed into the living area. “Anakin,” he said. “A partial message was intercepted in a diplomatic packet from the Chairman of Utapau. General Grievous is there. I am leaving in the morning to go to Utapau to capture him.” He stopped at the look on his apprentice’s face. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

    The words tumbled quickly from Anakin’s lips. “Master, the Chancellor told me a Sith legend. About a Dark Lord who has the power to create life and stop death.”

    Obi-Wan blanched. “How would he know such a legend?”

    “That’s what I wanted to know,” Anakin said. “Is this information in the Republic Archives?”

    Padme shook her head. She had gone completely white.

    Obi-Wan spoke. “No,” he said. “That is not information that either the average citizen of the Republic or its politicians would need. The Freedom of Information Act demands that citizens have free access to all available information, however, archive space is limited and selecting such information is at the discretion of the archivists. Few if any archivists would select information on such a legend of darkness. The ability to create or end life rests solely with the Force; any attempt to manipulate life is a blatant act of evil. It involves seeking power greater than the Force itself. Only a Sith Master would attempt to achieve that power, and as far as I am aware, none have been successful.” He paused. “The information is in the Temple Archives, in the section about the Sith Wars from a millennium ago, but the Chancellor does not have access to the Temple Archives.”

    Anakin could not speak. He swallowed hard, willing bile not to rise in his throat.

    “Anakin, where did you have this conversation with the Chancellor?”

    He swallowed again. “At the Galaxies Opera House, in his box.”

    Obi-Wan frowned. “I am assuming it was not recorded?”

    “No,” Anakin said. Anakin now wondered if that was the Chancellor’s intention, and why he chose the opera house.

    “We could detain and question him, but without a recording, we have no basis,” Obi-Wan said. “It does seem that he is under the influence of a Sith Lord, however, and we need to get to the bottom of this. Continue to watch the Chancellor and report on his doings.”

    Anakin nodded. “A delegation from the Senate is meeting with the Chancellor in the morning. They plan to ask him to return emergency powers to the Senate, stop amending the Constitution and let diplomacy resume.” He looked at his wife. Color was slowly returning to her face, but she remained speechless. “Padme will be there, along with Senator Organa. I will be there as well, as the Chancellor’s so-called personal representative.”

    “If Grievous is defeated, he will have no excuse to refuse the delegation’s requests,” Obi-Wan said. He stood. “So I will do what I can on that front.”

    “I should be going with you, Master,” he said. “Why is the Council only sending one Jedi on this mission?”

    “We are stretched thin, as you know, Anakin,” he said. “But do not worry. I am taking enough clones with me to conquer three systems the size of Utapau.” He put a hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “Besides, you are needed here. I can fight Grievous. I do not, however, have the trust of the Chancellor. I cannot do the mission the Council has requested of you. Only you can do that.”

    Anakin sighed and nodded. “May the Force be with you, Master,” he said.

    Obi-Wan smiled. “And with you, Anakin,” he said, then nodded at Padme. “Senator,” he said. He looked from her pregnant belly, to Anakin, started to say something, then thought better of it. He left the apartment without another word.




    Anakin saw Obi-Wan to the platform the next morning. “I still feel that I should be going with you, Master,” he said.

    Obi-Wan laughed. “As much as I would be able to use your help, this may turn out to be just a wild bantha chase. Besides,” he said. “I believe you have a meeting with the Chancellor?”

    Anakin nodded. “Well, he’s meeting with a delegation of the Senate, and I’ll be there.”

    Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. “Be mindful, Anakin,” he said.

    “Yes, Master.”

    “I would venture to say that your mission is even more important than capturing General Grievous.”

    Anakin sighed. “I only hope that both of us find success, and quickly.”

    “Yes, Anakin, I hope so as well.”

    “May the Force be with you, Master.”

    “Goodbye, old friend. May the Force be with you as well.”

    Anakin watched as Obi-Wan’s cruiser lifted off, followed by an assault ship containing a legion of clonetroopers. Then he boarded his speeder and flew to the Senate building. Chancellor Palpatine met him on the landing platform, surrounded by four Republic guards.

    “Well, Anakin,” he said as they walked into the building and boarded the elevator. “Did you see your friend off?”

    Anakin nodded. “He will soon have Grievous’ head,” he replied.

    “We can only hope the Council did not make a mistake,” Palpatine answered.

    Anakin was already starting to get annoyed. “The Council was very sure in its decision,” he replied. They exited the elevator and saw the delegation of the Senate waiting for them outside Palpatine’s office. Anakin gave Padme a half-smile which he hoped was reassuring. She looked nervous. Palpatine motioned for the delegation to follow him inside, then stood behind his desk, motioning for Anakin to stand next to him. He wants to look as intimidating as possible, Anakin thought, and he wants me to help him do so.

    “Senators,” Palpatine said. “How may I assist you today?”

    Padme stood. “Chancellor Palpatine,” she began, and her nervousness must have dissipated. Her voice was perfectly clear. “We have concerns regarding the amount of power that has been concentrated into the executive branch of government. We are also concerned that the war is continuing in spite of the continuation of executive emergency powers, which were supposed to be used to protect the people and bring peace. We are here to ask you to order a ceasefire and ask the Separatists to enter into peace talks. We also request that you repeal the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act and return emergency powers back to the Senate.”

    Palpatine barely hid his scowl. “Senator Amidala, if war could be ended with an executive order, I would have certainly done so already. My emergency powers are in place to protect the citizens of the Republic and to ensure victory over the Separatists, and we are accomplishing those goals, although obviously not at the speed that you desire.” He paused. “You could certainly call for a no-confidence vote in the Senate but transfer of the Chancellorship during a war could be disastrous.”

    He is mocking her, Anakin thought angrily. Mocking her based on a motion that he asked her to make when she was Queen. He manipulated her, and now he has the nerve to mock her for it.

    “We are not attempting to delegitimize your government,” Padme said quickly, ignoring the Chancellor’s blatant attempts to provoke her. “That is why we are here. If we were trying to organize an opposition, we would hardly bring our requests before you in this fashion. We only ask that you instruct your governors not to interfere with the legitimate business of the Senate, and that you open peace talks with the Separatists. We only seek to end the war, and bring peace and stability back to our homeworlds. Surely you can understand this.”

    “I understand a great many things,” Palpatine said.

    “This system of governors you have created is very troubling—it seems you are imposing military controls even on loyalist systems.”

    “Your reservations are noted, Senator Amidala. I assure you that the Republic governors are intended only to make your systems safer—by coordinating planetary defense forces, and ensuring that neighborhood systems mesh into cooperative units, and bringing production facilities up to speed in service to the war effort. That is all. They will in no way compete with the duties and prerogatives—and power—of the Senate.”

    “May I take it, then,” she said, “that there will be no further amendments to the Constitution?”

    “I want this terrible conflict to end as much as you do, milady, and when it does, I guarantee an immediate return to democracy.”

    “You are pursuing a diplomatic solution to the war, then.”

    “You must trust me to do the right thing, Senator. That is why I am here.”

    “But surely…” Fang Zar began, but was interrupted by Palpatine, whose bite of impatience was more obvious this time.

    “I have said that I will do what is right,” he said. “That should be enough for your…committee.”

    The Senators, recognizing a hopeless end to the discussion, rose to leave. “On behalf of the delegation of 2000, I thank you, Chancellor,” Padme said. Her eyes met Anakin’s. She looked frustrated, and sad. He wished he could hug her, but could only send her a couple of words—I know—and will her to read his thoughts. She gave him a quick nod, which he returned, then she and the delegation exited.





    Palpatine turned to Anakin. “Their sincerity is to be admired, though I sense there is more to their request than they are telling us.”

    “What do you mean?” Anakin asked.

    “They are not to be trusted. These are unstable times for the Republic, Anakin. Some see instability as an opportunity. Senator Amidala is hiding something. I can see it in her eyes.”

    Anakin barely managed to hide his smile. Yes, she’s hiding something, but that something has much more to do with me than with you.

    “I do not sense any sort of desire for power in Senator Amidala. Quite the opposite in fact; she is a strong believer in peace, diplomacy and a representative government.”

    “So she says. She is a politician, Anakin, and a very good one at that. Telling people what they want to hear…that’s how she has won votes…and hearts.” He gave Anakin a meaningful look.

    Anakin was thankful to have an excuse to leave quickly. He did not think he could take any more of Palpatine without snapping. “If you will excuse me, sir, I am scheduled for a briefing in the Jedi War Room in a few minutes.”

    “Of course, Anakin. You must be on your way, do not be late.” He waved his hand dismissively.
     
  10. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Ooh, now he's getting divisive. [face_worried] Sowing seeds of discord and suspicion.
     
  11. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    He's good; there's no doubt about it. He covers his tracks well and plays with minds.
     
  12. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Jade_eyes : Yes. He's doing his best.

    Lady_Misty : He is the caricature of the worst kind of politician, unfortunately.

    Thanks for reading. :) Here's the next chapter. It's a bit...*ahem*...climatic.


    Chapter 4


    Anakin arrived in the war room as Clone Commander Cody, Ki-Adi Mundi, Aayla Secura, and Yoda appeared by hologram. Mace Windu waved Anakin over as Cody began his report.

    “We are beginning our supporting attack as ordered,” he said. “And—if I may say so, sirs—from my experience working with General Kenobi, I have a suspicion that Grievous does not have long to live.”

    Anakin’s heart began to pound. Please be careful, Obi-Wan, he thought, knowing that if anything happened to his Master, he would never forgive himself for staying behind, for not even making an argument to the Council to accompany him. I have lost my Padawan to Grievous. I cannot lose my Master as well.

    “Thank you, Commander,” Mace said. Anakin thought he detected a flicker of fear in the Korun Jedi Master’s eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. “Keep us apprised of your progress. May the Force be with you, and with Master Kenobi.”

    “Thank you, sir. Cody out.”

    The hologram disappeared. Mace turned to Anakin. “Anakin, we will need you to take this report to the Chancellor.” Anakin nodded, thinking, Ugh, looks like I get to be subjected to his insane ramblings for awhile longer.

    Mace, as if reading Anakin’s thoughts, said, “I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi. The Dark Side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor. That is why we will need you to take note of the Chancellor’s reaction to this news, Anakin. Every reaction—facial expressions, words, any comlink transmissions he makes.”

    Anakin nodded and sighed. He knew then that he had to tell the other three Jedi what he feared, what the Chancellor had said to him at the ballet. He had hoped to have Obi-Wan with him and tell Yoda in a private session but that wouldn’t be possible. It had to be done now.

    “Masters?” he said.

    “Is something wrong?” Mace asked.

    He took a deep breath and began. “The Dark Side of the Force does surround the Chancellor. He knows Sith legends. He claims to have the power to stop death.”

    Mace’s eyes widened. The holograms of the other two Jedi shifted in their seats. “How do you know this, Anakin?” Mace asked.

    “He told me himself,” Anakin said. “I believe he is trying to turn me against you. I also sense a plot to destroy the Jedi, and I believe he, or someone controlling him, wants to do it from within.”

    “Dangerous and disturbing, this is,” Yoda said. “Very dangerous and disturbing.”

    Mace paced the floor for a minute and then said, “This is disturbing news, Anakin. We still need you to deliver the information from Commander Cody and note the Chancellor’s reaction. If he believes he has earned your trust, especially if he believes you can be turned to the Dark Side, he may reveal more. Any move he makes, no matter how subtle, is important at this point.”

    Anakin nodded. “Yes, Master.”

    “Why would he have told you of the power to stop death?”

    “Because of my mother,” Anakin said. “Because I have premonitions about people dying.”

    Mace put a hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “The loss of Padawan Tano was a horrible one, and I know you are still grieving. But Master Kenobi is a powerful Jedi. He will be fine,” he said. “You should go to the Chancellor now. May the Force be with you, Master Skywalker.”

    “And with you, Master Windu.”

    Anakin left, boarding his speeder to return to the Chancellor’s office.


    “Come in, Anakin,” the Chancellor said. “I trust the Jedi briefing went well?”

    Anakin nodded. “Your Excellency, we have just received a report from Master Kenobi. He has engaged General Grievous.”

    “We can only hope that Master Kenobi is up to the challenge.”

    Fear gripped Anakin’s heart again, and he once again sent his Master an admonition to be careful. “I should be there with him,” he said aloud.

    “It is upsetting to me that the Council doesn’t seem to fully appreciate your talents.”

    “This has nothing to do with me, sir. The Jedi are stretched thin.”

    Palpatine laughed. “Anakin, use your senses. You know that isn’t true.” He paused. “You know they don’t trust you, Anakin. They see your future. They know your power will be too strong to control. Anakin, you must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you know the subtleties of the Force.”

    Anakin’s heart pounded so rapidly that he could barely hear the Chancellor speak. “You…you know the ways of the Force?” he asked.

    “My mentor taught me everything about the Force,” Palpatine replied. “Even the nature of the Dark Side.”

    “You know the Dark Side?” Anakin said, horrified. The Chancellor was directly admitting everything he and the Jedi suspected. Anakin suddenly felt weak and dizzy.

    “Anakin, if one is to understand the greater mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin. In time they will destroy you. Let me train you. Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to use the Dark Side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death.”

    Blood pounded in Anakin's ears. “What did you say???” he asked.

    “Did you think I didn’t know? Anakin, Padme was my Queen. Naboo is my home. Do you think I have no friends among the Naboo clergy? I have known for months; I have feigned ignorance because I assumed that was your preference, but I have always wished you both happiness. Neither you nor I want anything to happen to Padme. Use my knowledge, I beg you.”

    Anakin no longer felt weak and dizzy. He was shaking with anger. “You are the Sith Lord!” he snapped, igniting his lightsaber.

    “Listen to me," Palpatine pleaded. "Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi. A life of significance, of conscience. I can offer that to you."

    “Is war and destruction considered a life of 'significance and conscience' now?” Anakin asked, holding the blade closer to the Chancellor's throat.

    “Are you going to kill me?” Palpatine asked.

    “I would certainly like to,” Anakin said.

    “I know you would,” Palpatine said, laughing. “I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you stronger.”

    Anakin thought quickly. I could and should kill him right here. It’s what he deserves. But he has probably turned off the security cameras for this conversation, it will be my word against his, and I will be tried for treason. Such a trial is probably part of his plot to bring down the Jedi. And I don’t want another execution in the heat of the moment, deserved or not. I should not have done that to Dooku. No surprise that he encouraged such an act.

    He turned off his lightsaber. “I am going to turn you over to the Jedi Council,” he said, looking away from his one-time friend in disgust.

    “Of course you should,” Palpatine said. “But what if I am right and they are plotting to take over the Republic?”

    Anakin gave a sarcastic laugh. “Then their plotting abilities are obviously inferior to yours, as you have already taken over the Republic. I will return with a coalition of senior Jedi Masters. We will detain you, and expose you to the Senate and the Republic for the traitorous kung that you are. Good day, sir.”

    Anakin left the office quickly. He heard Palpatine make one final statement, which he thought went into the Chancellor’s comlink. “The time has come. Execute Order 66.”




    Anakin found Mace Windu preparing to board a Jedi security ship at a Temple landing platform several minutes later. “Master Windu,” he said, breathless. “I must talk to you.”

    “What is it, Anakin? We have just received word that Obi-Wan has destroyed General Grievous. We are on our way to make sure that the Chancellor returns emergency powers to the Senate.” Mace stopped at the look on Anakin’s face. “You look terrible. Is something wrong?”

    “He won’t give up his power,” Anakin said. “I’ve just learned a terrible truth. Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord. ”

    Mace’s eyes widened. “The Sith Lord?”

    “Yes,” Anakin said. “The one we’ve been looking for.”

    “Are you sure?” Mace said.

    “He told me himself,” Anakin said.

    “Then our worst fears have been realized,” Mace said. “We must move quickly if the Jedi Order is going to survive.” He boarded the ship and waved at Anakin to follow him. “Come on,” he said. “We will need your help.”

    A couple of minutes later, the five Jedi entered the lobby of the Chancellor’s office and used the Force to send the Chancellor’s guards flying against the wall. Anakin palmed open the door of the Chancellor’s office and they entered.

    Palpatine stood. “Master Windu. I take it General Grievous has been destroyed. You are here sooner than expected.”

    “In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor,” Mace said. All five Jedi ignite their lightsabers.

    “Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?” Palpatine snarled.

    “The Senate will decide your fate,” Mace replied.

    “I am the Senate!” Palpatine growled, jumping over his desk and spinning toward the Jedi, a red lightsaber appearing from his cloak sleeve.

    “Not yet!” Mace said.

    “Although you certainly used them to mastermind this entire war which cost the lives of thousands of Jedi, you sleemo,” Anakin said.

    “I am not finished killing Jedi yet, young Skywalker,” Palpatine spat. “And this is treason.”

    The fight began. Palpatine was, unfortunately, a master swordsman. A few leaps, spins, and parries, as Anakin never expected from a seemingly frail old man, and Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto and Saesee Tinn were dead.

    Palpatine Force-slammed Mace against the wall, but the Korun Jedi Master recovered immediately. He and Anakin lunged at Palpatine, who deflected both of them, their clashing lightsabers breaking the window behind the Chancellor’s desk. Mace and Anakin were forced onto a precipice 20 stories high. Anakin felt the strong wind at his back, threatening to knock him over, but focused on the Chancellor—on defeating the man who had spent 13 years lying to him, lying to his wife while pretending to be her trusted advisor, orchestrating a war underneath their watch. Slash, parry, push forward, and the Chancellor was on the floor of his office, his red lightsaber knocked out of his hand.

    “You,” Mace spat, holding his purple lightsaber to the Chancellor’s throat, “are under arrest, my Lord.

    “Anakin!” Palpatine screamed. “It’s as I told you! The Jedi want unlimited power! They will even murder to get it!”

    Anakin stood at the Chancellor’s waist, his own saber ignited, ready to offer Mace backup. He laughed. “Afraid we might use our power to restore peace instead of continue a war, you paranoid old fool?”

    “The oppression of the Sith will never return,” Mace said. “Your plot to control the Republic is lost.”

    “No! No!” Palpatine sneered. “You will die. This is your last chance, Skywalker. Join me or be destroyed.” As he spoke, blue bolts of Force-enhanced lightning shot from both hands, hitting both Anakin and Mace. Anakin is knocked down, but quickly maneuvers his lightsaber to block the lightning, as Mace did, deflecting it back onto the Chancellor. Palpatine is pushed back against the windowsill.

    “Anakin!” Palpatine cried, as his features contorted, melted, against the Force of the lightning. “Your wife will die! I have foreseen it! Only my powers can save her!”

    “She would sooner die than be saved by the likes of you, you traitorous scum,” Anakin muttered. Whether Palpatine ever heard him is not known, because at that moment, Mace Windu, Jedi Master, raised his purple lightsaber and plunged it into the chest of the Darth Sidious, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and Sith Master.

    It was over. Mace and Anakin both sit for a minute to catch their breaths. Then Mace stood, extended his hand to Anakin, and said, “Well done, Master Skywalker.”

    Anakin took the proffered hand and rose. “Thank you, Master Windu. You as well.”

    Mace spoke into his comlink. “Windu here. We need a team to remove four bodies, three Master Jedi, one Sith scum.” He turned off the comlink, walked toward the door of the Chancellor's office, and motioned for Anakin to follow. “Now we need to go to the Council chambers and make contact with the remaining members of the Council. Master Kenobi and Master Yoda are probably preparing to return to Coruscant. Unfortunately our problems have only begun.”

    “What do you mean, sir?” They walked quickly down the corridor, heading towards the hangar where the security ship awaited.

    “We no longer have a Supreme Chancellor, and to many delegations in the Senate, the Jedi will be seen as the enemy. They will believe that we assassinated a rightful leader.”

    Anakin sighed. “And it’s your word and mine against theirs. The other three witnesses are dead.” He shook his head. There was no time to grieve right now.

    Mace nodded. “Anakin, what is this about a wife?”

    Anakin hesitated for a moment, feeling his cheeks turn red, then chose to tell the truth. I’m sorry, Padme, that I couldn’t let you know ahead of time that I’m doing this.

    “I am married, Master Windu.”

    Mace fixed Anakin with a piercing stare. “For how long and how did the Chancellor know?”

    “He knew because my wife is from Naboo, we were married on Naboo, and he has contacts with the clergy there.”

    Mace’s eyes widened. “Anakin…surely not…Senator Amidala???”

    Anakin nodded slowly.

    For how long?” Mace said angrily.

    “We married shortly after the Battle of Geonosis, sir.”

    “Three years. You knew you were flagrantly violating the Jedi Code and you kept this from us for three years.”

    “I’m sorry, Master. I did not think that resignation from the Order during war time was appropriate.”

    “So you chose disobedience and deception.”

    “I love her, Master. And she loves me. We decided we would rather keep a secret and risk the inevitable censure than to be apart.” He hesitated. “There is more, which will probably make you angrier, but I need to tell you this for her safety, as she was among the coalition of 2000.”

    “What now?” Mace snapped.

    “She is carrying our child.”

    Mace sighed. “How long until the birth?”

    “About three months, sir.”

    Another sigh. “We will ensure her safety. As a member of the coalition, she is a threat to any allies of Palpatine. The child must be trained as a Jedi. But we must reinstate stability here first.” He gave Anakin another piercing stare. “Now is not the time to deal with your indiscretion. We have more important matters to attend to. But it will be dealt with.”

    “Yes, sir.” They boarded the security ship, but before they could start it, they froze in their seats, staring out the windows.

    The Jedi Temple was on fire.
     
  13. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Bravo! =D= =D= But total edge of seat ending! [face_nail_biting]
     
  14. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    No, no,, no! For the last part. I will admit that once I read that part I knew that it was coming but still. :_|

    One thing I am looking forward to in the next season of TCW is the fight between Maul, Savage and Sidious. That is going to be one wicked cool battle! :cool:
     
  15. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Jade_eyes : That was the intent. :p Glad you liked it. :)

    Lady_Misty : Yeah, I don't think Palpatine's plans completely hinged on Anakin's turning; turning Anakin was just Palpatine's way of giving the Jedi a final "**** you." As far as TCW, to say that I didn't like Maul coming back is an understatement, but seeing Sidious cream him should be interesting.

    Here's the next segment:


    Chapter 5



    Mace’s hand went to his comlink. “Master Kenobi, do you copy? This is Mace Windu.”

    Obi-Wan’s response was immediate. “I copy, Master Windu. My clones turned on me and I barely escaped Utapau with my life. Senator Organa has rescued Master Yoda from Kashyyk, where his clones turned on him. Organa saw the fire at the Temple and went searching for any Jedi he could find. What is happening?”

    “The Republic is in chaos. Chancellor Palpatine was the Sith Lord we have been searching for. Anakin and I killed him several minutes ago. The Temple is on fire, and we do not know who set it, but if the clones are turning on the Jedi…seems the Chancellor may have set further wheels in motion to destroy us before his death.”

    “Master,” Anakin interrupted. “I heard the Chancellor say something into his comlink as I left his office to find you. ‘Execute Order 66.’”

    Mace looked at him. “We must determine what that is, and dismantle it.” He spoke into his comlink again. “Kenobi, do not return to the Temple. You are in danger there. Clones are probably lying in wait to attack any returning Jedi. You, Master Yoda and Senator Organa should meet me in the Senate building. Send a transmission warning any other surviving Jedi that they should stay where they are and not return to the Temple. We will get to the bottom of this.”

    “We will be there as soon as possible. Kenobi out.”

    “If the Clones have attacked the Temple, will they come here next?” Anakin asked. He felt dizzy again.

    “I don’t know,” Mace said. “But you should return to Senator Amidala’s apartment. As a member of the coalition of 2000, she may be in danger. We will determine the nature of this Order 66 and try to stand it down, then we will meet you at the Senator’s apartment, where we will make decisions as to how to proceed. I will have Organa contact the other members of the coalition, particularly those who met with the Chancellor, and order them to stay put until we can ensure their protection.”

    Anakin nodded. “Yes, sir,” he said, standing to exit the gunship, which had stopped in front of the main landing platform at 500 Republica.

    “Anakin, may the Force be with you.”

    “May the Force be with you, Master Windu.”





    “Master Anakin! Thank the Maker you’re safe!” C3PO said as Anakin opened the door.

    “Thank you, 3PO. It’s been quite a day. Is Padme…?”

    “On the balcony, sir,” he said.

    Anakin hurried into the living area. His wife was on the balcony, as the protocol droid had said. Her back was to him, her head bowed, and he could tell by the violent shaking of her shoulders that she was crying.

    He crossed the room quickly and laid a hand gently on her shoulder. Startled, she turned, and immediately threw her arms around his waist. “Anakin!” She buried her head in his chest and sobbed.

    “Shhh…” He said softly, holding her and stroking her back. “It’s OK. I’m here.”

    Her words came between gasps for breath. “I saw…Temple burning…I thought…”

    Anakin didn’t say anything, just held her for a few minutes until she calmed down.

    “Are you alright?” He asked, kissing the top of her head.

    She pulled away from him, wiped her eyes and nodded. “Ani, what has happened?” she asked, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

    “A lot,” Anakin said. He put his arm around her shoulders and led her inside to the sofa. “You need to sit down.” She did, and Anakin sat beside her, resting his hand on her swollen belly. Padme gave him a watery smile. “He’s kicking,” she said.

    Anakin returned the smile. “She’s kicking,” he said.

    Padme laughed. “A few more months and we’ll see who is right,” she said. The laughter stopped as soon as it started. “Anakin, who set fire to the Temple? Were you there?”

    He shook his head. “I wasn’t there, and I don’t know who set it, although I have my suspicions. I was in the Chancellor’s office with several other Jedi, giving him the news that Obi-Wan defeated General Grievous.”

    “I did get that news, but that was the last I heard. What happened with the Chancellor? Did he return emergency powers to the Senate?”

    Anakin took a deep breath. “No, not willingly anyway.” He paused. “The Chancellor is dead, Padme. And there’s more. This isn’t going to be easy for you to hear.” He took another deep breath, and took Padme’s hands in his. “Padme, the reason Palpatine did his best to accumulate power is because he was a Sith Master. The Sith Master.”

    All the color drained from her face. “No,” she said, letting go of Anakin’s hands and clutching her belly protectively.

    “I’m afraid so,” Anakin said, then looked at his wife’s hands. “Padme…the baby?”

    “Fine,” she said. “How did you find out?”

    “He told me himself. He wanted me to join him. I think that’s why he took such an interest in me in the first place, years ago, knowing that I was different and the Jedi did not originally want me trained. He has orchestrated this entire war, and used it to convince the Senate to give him more power. It was easy for him, he just ordered Count Dooku and Grievous to lead the Separatists into prolonging the war, and the longer it continued, the more power he was able to accumulate for himself. He was a mastermind, and we were all played for fools, at least until recently when the Jedi Council caught onto him. And it was almost too late.”

    Padme’s face went as white as the makeup she had worn as Queen. Her mouth opened and closed but no words came out. Then without warning, she bolted from the couch and ran to the ‘fresher. Anakin heard her vomiting.

    He headed to the kitchen to get water but 3PO emerged, a full glass in hand. “Master Anakin, should I call a Healer?”

    R2-D2, standing beside him, gave a series of beeps, to which 3PO replied, “No, R2, I don’t think she’s doing well at all.” R2 replied with another series of beeps. 3PO bonked him on the head. “Don’t you call me a worrywart! I am programmed to understand humans, and I know when one is ill!”

    Anakin took the glass from the droid. “Go ahead and make the call, 3PO. It could not hurt to have her checked,” he said.

    “I don’t need a healer, Anakin.” Padme stood in the doorframe, her hands gripping it for support. Anakin went to her, handed her the water, and she took several sips.


    “As I said, it won’t hurt to have your med droid check on you and the baby.” He put his arm around Padme’s shoulders, and led her back to the sofa.

    “How did Palpatine die?” she asked, sipping the water again.

    “Master Windu killed him,” he replied. “After Palpatine told me that he was a Sith and asked me to join him, telling me that the Jedi were planning to take over the Republic, I went to Master Windu. He was on his way to Palpatine’s office to ask him to relinquish his emergency powers. With my information, five of us went to arrest him. He fought us with a lightsaber he had in his cloak. He was an amazing swordsman. Like everything else we thought we knew about him, the frail-old-man guise was just an act. He killed Masters Fisto, Tinn and Kolar within a few seconds. Then Master Windu and I fought him. He attacked us with lightning. Fortunately Obi-Wan taught me after Geonosis how to block it with my saber, a trick Master Windu knew as well. We deflected it back on him, weakening him; then Master Windu killed him.”

    Padme gulped. She was still very pale and sweaty.

    “Why don’t you lie down,” Anakin suggested.

    She shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said, taking another sip of water. “What about the Temple?”

    “I don’t know,” Anakin said. “When I left Palpatine’s office after he told me he was a Sith, I heard him give an Order 66. I have no idea what that is, but within an hour, Obi-Wan and Yoda’s clones turned on them and the Temple was on fire. My guess is that Order 66 was an order to destroy the Jedi.”

    “The clones turned on the Jedi?” Padme said, horrified.

    Anakin nodded. “They are genetically modified to obey any order. They have no loyalties. Obi-Wan and Yoda barely escaped.”

    “Where are Obi-Wan and Yoda now?”

    “With Senator Organa, probably in Palpatine’s old office to determine what Order 66 was exactly and try to stand it down. They will be here soon; Master Windu sent me to see to your safety. We may have to leave Coruscant soon. Palpatine has too many allies in the Senate. You and the other coalition of 2000 members are in danger. And with the baby…”

    Padme nodded. “I have an idea on a place we can relocate. Several ideas actually.”

    “The Jedi may have to take control of the Republic temporarily until we can appoint an acting Chancellor.”

    She nodded again. Anakin took her hands. “There’s one other thing, Padme.”

    She looked at him. “What is it?”

    “Our marriage is no longer a secret. Someone in the Naboo clergy told Palpatine months ago. Palpatine told Master Windu.”

    “What does this mean?”

    “Probably nothing right now. The Jedi, what is left of us, have more important things to do right now than worry about my breaking an attachment code.” He smiled. “I’m relieved actually. I was tired of hiding.”

    She returned the smile. “I know,” she said. “But this could mean scandal…”

    “I think there is already a scandal much bigger than us,” Anakin replied.




    Several minutes later, C3PO showed three Jedi and Bail Organa into the living area. Anakin’s relief was palpable at the sight of his old Master and he impulsively gave the man a hug. The surprised Obi-Wan returned it. “Anakin,” he said. “Good to know that you are safe.”

    “Master,” Anakin said. “You as well. The clones…”

    “I transmitted an order from the Chancellor’s old office to stand down Order 66,” Organa said. “With Palpatine dead, the Clone Army no longer has a commander in chief, but I hope that as a senior member of the Galactic Senate, they will heed my orders.”

    “What was this Order 66 exactly?” Padme asked.

    “An order to destroy all the Jedi, it was,” Yoda replied. “Ingrained, it was, within the clones when they were created. Timed its execution precisely, the Chancellor did. When Skywalker refused to join him, chose to fight alone, the Chancellor did.”

    Anakin put his head in his hands, his fingers wound in his curly blond hair.

    “How many Jedi have been killed due to the Order?” Padme asked.

    “We don’t know yet,” Mace said. “And may not for awhile. All the Jedi in the Temple were killed. We don’t know how many stationed on outposts survived.”

    “Only with the help of the Wookies and Senator Organa, escape I did,” Yoda added.

    “Everyone in the Temple?” Padme was pale again.

    The Jedi nodded somberly. “Including…” Mace began, and Obi-Wan finished the sentence for him, so quietly that he was barely audible. “…the Padawans. The Younglings.”

    The hitch of Anakin’s breath and the tremble of his shoulders indicated that he was sobbing. Padme put a hand on one shoulder; Obi-Wan moved to the sofa and rested a hand on his apprentice’s other shoulder.

    “They didn’t know how to fight back,” Padme said, swallowing hard against the tears in her own eyes.

    “Oh, they did,” Mace said. “There were just too many of them. Thousands of clones invaded the Temple in a surprise attack. Killed everyone inside, then ignited it.”

    Anakin stood, sniffed and scrubbed a sleeve across his face, and began pacing. “What now?” he asked. “What do we do now?”

    “A special session of Congress, we must call,” Yoda said.

    “We are in charge of the Republic, at least temporarily,” Mace said.

    “Martial law, we must have, until a new Supreme Chancellor, we can appoint. Otherwise, chaos there will be,” Yoda said.

    Martial law? The words were still ringing in Padme’s ears when C3PO came in the living area. “Excuse me, Mistress Padme, a medical droid is here to see you.”

    Padme scowled. “Anakin, I told you this wasn’t necessary.”

    “Are you alright, Senator?” Mace asked.

    “I’m fine,” Padme said. “Anakin and 3PO worry entirely too much.”

    The droid entered the room. “If you will lie down, Senator, I will check the baby’s heartbeat,” it said, holding an instrument.

    “Do we need to leave the room?” Obi-Wan asked.

    “No, this monitor is sensitive even through her clothing. Please lie down, Senator.”

    Padme sighed, and obeyed, lying on the couch. The droid placed the instrument on her belly and moved it around for a minute. The room was silent, waiting. Finally the droid spoke.

    “Senator?” it said. “There are two heartbeats.”


    “T-two?” Padme stammered. “And this means…”

    “You are carrying twins,” the droid replied.

    Anakin, who had been sitting in a nearby chair, moved quickly to the sofa and laid his hand on Padme’s belly. “Twins?” he asked. The color had drained from his face, but he was smiling.

    “Yes, sir,” the droid replied. “Do you want to know the genders?”

    Anakin said “Yes” and Padme said “No” at the same time, and both of them laughed. Anakin nodded to Padme. “It’s fine, let it be a surprise.”

    Obi-Wan Kenobi was contemplating his Padawan with raised eyebrows. “Anakin, is there something you need to tell me?”

    Anakin looked at Mace. “You mean you didn’t…”

    “Your insubordination is your own to confess, Skywalker,” he replied, somewhat sharply.

    Anakin sighed. “OK, that’s understandable.” He looked at his Master and took a deep breath. “Obi-Wan, Padme and I married three years ago, after Geonosis.”

    Obi-Wan was silent for a moment, then nodded. “I thought you might be the child’s…children’s…father. But felt that you would tell me when you were ready. I certainly had no idea you had been keeping a marriage a secret for this long.”

    Obi-Wan did not raise his voice, in fact he did not sound angry at all. He sounded hurt. His tone shamed Anakin, who hung his head. “I’m sorry, Master.”

    “A secret forever, this you could not have kept, young one,” Yoda said. “Your feelings for the Senator, many of us knew.”

    “I know,” Anakin said. “When we found out Padme was pregnant, we knew time was probably running out on the secrecy. Even before the Chancellor...” His voice trailed off.

    “Masters?” Padme pushed herself up. “This is as much my fault as Anakin’s. I agreed to keep the marriage a secret not only so that Anakin could remain a Jedi, but so that I could continue to serve in the Senate. Once the baby…babies…come, the Queen will probably force me to step down.”

    “I would not be so sure about that, Senator,” Mace said. “Not now.”

    “Changed rapidly, the situation has,” Yoda said. “Old rules, change they must also.”

    “We will need you in the Senate, Padme,” Bail said. “The Republic is in chaos. We need experienced leadership, and much of it. I cannot imagine the Queen thinking any differently.”

    Padme nodded. “Thank you, Bail.”

    “And Skywalker, remain you will as well, right now,” Yoda said.

    “Safety and the rebuilding of the Republic is our priority. We have lost far too many Jedi today,” Mace said.

    For a moment no one spoke. Anakin’s hand did not move from his wife’s rounded abdomen.

    The medical droid broke the silence. “If you no longer have need of my services, I will take my leave. Summon me if you need assistance, Senator, particularly if you have any unusual cramping. Otherwise I will see you in a month.”

    Padme nodded, murmured “Thank you,” and the droid left.

    Padme looked at the Jedi and Organa. “So as Anakin asked earlier, what do we do now? You’re going to declare martial law…for how long? What about the Separatists?”

    “Visit them, I will,” Yoda said. “Offer to open peace talks, I will.”

    “As far as martial law, it will only last until the Senate can elect a new Supreme Chancellor. We hope the martial law will be very temporary,” Mace said.

    “Will we need to leave Coruscant for our safety?” Padme asked.

    Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. “That remains to be seen. If Order 66 cannot be stood down, we will definitely have to leave. Coruscant will be in a state of anarchy. We cannot declare martial law, even temporarily, without the assistance of the clones.”

    “Senator Amidala,” Mace said. “Regardless, both you and Senator Organa will need to be under extra protection for now.”

    Padme nodded. “I will have Captain Typho send for more security droids, and I would request that Anakin be allowed to remain with me.”

    Mace nodded. “That is a suitable arrangement, and certainly highly convenient for both of you. Master Kenobi can protect Senator Organa; we will need to assign protection to other members of the coalition as well. Once we have determined that the Jedi are no longer in danger here, we will need to call all those remaining on outposts back to the capital.”

    Obi-Wan stood. “I will visit the Temple, what’s left of it,” he said. “I need to see to the clones. We will soon learn if they have heeded Senator Organa’s orders.” He nodded at the Senator, who stood to accompany him.

    “Master,” Anakin protested.

    Obi-Wan smiled at him. “Anakin, I think I’ve proven that I can take on a few clones,” he said. “Hopefully that won’t be necessary, but I can handle it. I will contact you when I am finished.” The smile disappeared and he looked at Padme. "You should have your ship ready. Just in case."

    “May the Force be with you, Master,” Anakin said, sinking back into the couch.




    Anakin answered his comlink before it had even finished buzzing. “Skywalker.”

    “Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “Order 66 has been stood down. The clones heeded Senator Organa's orders and are on our side again. Yoda is leaving for Mustafar. According to information that Senator Organa intercepted from Palpatine’s office, the Separatists are hiding there. The special session of Congress is at 1800 hours; Mace will preside long enough to elect a new Supreme Chancellor. Meet me in Senator Organa’s office at 1700; bring Padme with you, she is needed as well. And bring R2.”

    Anakin was confused about the request for the astromech droid but held his questions for later. “Yes, Master.”

    “Kenobi out.”

    Anakin shut off his comlink. Padme was pacing again. “What is it?” Anakin asked.

    “Just wondering how many Senators were—are—allied with Palpatine.”

    “Nobody really knows,” Anakin muttered bitterly. “He played both sides, and did it well. “

    “I only hope that whoever we elect as the new Supreme Chancellor, will be able to restore peace, and quickly,” Padme said.

    Anakin nodded. “It is time,” he said. “Certainly people can agree on that.” He sighed. “The Jedi will do the right thing. We will see to the election of a new Supreme Chancellor right away, a Chancellor who, we hope, will relinquish the powers that Palpatine accumulated and give power back to the people.”

    “The martial law, Ani…that’s not going to go over well.”

    He sighed, and kissed her forehead. “I know,” he said. “We will end it as soon as we can; tonight if possible. We’re concerned about riots once the news of the Chancellor’s assassination is known. And the Temple fire…people have panicked today.” He looked out the window at the bustling city, which was even more chaotic than usual. The charred Jedi Temple still smoked on the horizon; screams could be heard from people who were seeing it for the first time. “A curfew of 2100 hours has been issued for tonight; I hope it is lifted as early as tomorrow. No transports are being allowed in or out of Coruscant; I also hope that will change within a few days.”

    Padme didn’t answer, just stood silently with him, gazing at the battle-scarred city, the roaring of speeders, the blaster fire, the panicked screaming. When she finally spoke, she was so quiet that her husband almost didn’t hear her. “Anakin?”

    He put his hand on her shoulder, turning her to look at him.

    “Hold me,” she said.

    He did, and she leaned against his chest and closed her eyes, hoping to shut out the sights and sounds of the Republic that had been attacked from within.
     
  16. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    At least Padme and Anakin have each other during this troubling time.

    Sidious went deep and most likely had many senators on his side.

    And for the record I don' care for Maul being back but if we get to see Sidious fight it just might be worth it.
     
  17. Valairy Scot

    Valairy Scot Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2005
    Now the hard work starts - rebuilding trust, rebuilding the Order...
     
  18. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    =D= Great update and true emotions from all :D And rebuilding is definitely #1 priority.
     
  19. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Lady_Misty : Sidious did have many Senators on his side. More on that...

    Valairy Scot : Yes, and it's going to be harder than they anticipated.

    Jade_eyes : Thanks. :) And yes, the work begins right away.

    Thanks for reading. :)

    Here's the next segment:

    Chapter 6


    The coalition of Jedi and Senators in Bail Organa’s office was solemn, waiting for Mace Windu to speak. The latter stood behind the desk with the Senator and gazed at the group, waiting for them to settle. When he spoke, his words were slow and deliberate.

    “The news,” he said, “is worse than we thought.”

    “What do you mean?” Padme asked quickly.

    The Korun Jedi Master held up a datapad containing a petition. “We the undersigned, members of the Loyalist Committee and our allies, request a reward of million Republic credits for the capture and arrest of the murderer of our beloved Chancellor,” he read. At the top of the signatures was that of Orn Free Taa of Ryloth.

    “Beloved?” Anakin spat.

    “The Loyalist Committee? How many signatures are on that petition?” Padme asked.

    “About a hundred,” Bail said soberly. “And it seems that Delegation of 2000 members were excluded from this committee after presenting our petition to Palpatine asking him to relinquish his power. The Loyalist Committee now defines loyalty in reference to Palpatine himself, not the Republic.” Bail’s words were tinged with bitterness. “These Senators want the Jedi investigated for their role in Palpatine’s assassination. They believe the Jedi were—are—attempting to take control of the Republic.”

    “I knew it,” Anakin muttered.

    “Knew what?” Obi-Wan asked.

    “He told me that the Jedi were trying to take control of the Republic,” he replied. “The fact that his Senate allies believe the same, is unfortunately not surprising.”

    “This may be less a special session of Congress and more a trial if we aren’t careful,” Mace said. “We will need to ensure that our first order of business is to establish the election of a new Supreme Chancellor. The Republic cannot accuse us of trying to accumulate power if we are actively trying to relinquish it."

    “The media is not necessarily on our side,” Bail said. “Reporters friendly to Palpatine fed stories to the Holonet demonizing supporters of the Military Creation Act, until, of course, Palpatine himself decided the Clone Army was valuable. These reporters also demonized opponents of the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act and the Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill, accusing us of indifference to the security of average Republic citizens and attempting to prolong the war.” Bail looked at Padme, who nodded. Both of them scowled.

    “The Republic would almost do better to get its information from CIS Shadowfeed,” Mon Mothma said, referring to the Separatists’ communication channel.

    Fang Zar nodded. “Palpatine took control of the Holonet a year ago,” he said.

    “The new Supreme Chancellor will need to inform journalists that they can speak freely again. The people must be given the free access to information that Palpatine has denied them,” Bail said, holding a data chip in his palm. “The information contained within this chip should help the Senate understand the truth. This chip contains a recording intercepted from Palpatine’s holorecorder, executing Order 66. Clone Commander Cody will testify as to exactly what Order 66 was.”

    “Another piece of information that will work in our favor,” Mace said. “Stored in the clones’ memory was another order, an Order 65, which gave them the authority to assassinate the Supreme Chancellor if he was determined to be a threat to the Republic. Order 66 was a similar order to assassinate the Jedi.” He turned to Anakin. “Skywalker, we will need you to testify as to your conversations with the Chancellor, including the fact that he told you he was a Sith,” Mace said.

    Anakin nodded. “Of course,” he said. “Although if some of the Senators are determined to be loyal to Palpatine, my word will mean little to them.”

    “Your story needs to be told anyway,” Obi-Wan said. “And I believe they will have difficulty attacking your credibility after R2 plays the recording of the Chancellor executing an order to assassinate the Jedi. Additionally, Padme and I can testify to what you told us after your conversations with him.”

    Padme nodded. At that moment a member of Organa’s security appeared. “Sir?” he said. “It is time.”




    “This special session of Congress is now called to order,” Mace Windu said from the Supreme Chancellor’s pod. “We assume that everyone has heard the news of the Chancellor’s death, and we know that all of you want answers.”

    “The Chancellor’s murder!” Ask Aak from Malastare yelled from his pod. “Murder at the hands of the Jedi!” Many other senators joined the shouting.

    “We will have order here,” Mace said sharply. “Your charges will be answered, Senator. However, the first order of business will be to accept nominations for a new Supreme Chancellor. We Jedi are not soldiers, and we are not politicians. We have no wish to run the government, and we are going to prove that to you in this session.”

    “You do wish to run the government!” Orn Free Taa shouted. “Why else would we be under martial law?”

    “You are under martial law so that your homes will not be destroyed as ours was,” Mace said. “Martial law will be lifted as soon as possible. The ban on ships entering and leaving Coruscant will be lifted in two days’ time. Now, Senator Free Taa, do you have a nomination for the Chancellorship? Would you like to nominate yourself?”

    The Senator, whose pod had descended, looked at Mace and suddenly found himself speechless.

    “Please enter your nominations into the databank,” Mace said. “They will be tabulated automatically, and we will have another special session of Congress tomorrow for a vote. Now, the honorable Senators from Ryloth and Malastare will receive a response to their charges that the Jedi murdered the Chancellor. I am certain that this Congress has received the news of the deaths of three Jedi Masters, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar and Saesee Tin, who died at the same time as the Chancellor.” He paused, as silence fell on the session. “These Jedi were killed by the Chancellor. With his lightsaber.”

    Several cries of “Liar!!!” filled the chamber. Mace waited for the shouting to die down, then continued. “Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker and myself were present when these three Jedi died at the Chancellor’s hand. He also brought us the news of the Chancellor’s true identity as a Sith Lord. With this information, the Jedi moved to arrest the Chancellor on violation of the anti-Sith bill and war crimes. Master Skywalker, if you would testify to this delegation of what you knew of the Chancellor’s dealings.”

    Padme’s pod lowered, and Anakin was given the floor. “This information is not easy for me to deliver,” he began. “Chancellor Palpatine befriended me from the time I came to the Temple. I trusted him, considered him a mentor. I had faith in his ability to lead the Republic, and when the war began, I assumed that he would do everything in his power to end it quickly and restore peace. I, along with several others, first became suspicious when he instituted multiple amendments to the Constitution under the guise of restoring peace more quickly, amendments which seemed to prolong the war. I believe in efficient government, Senators, and I can assure you that I could have supported the Chancellor’s constitutional amendments if they were really intended to bring about peace.”

    “Palpatine did not have a chance!” Orn Free Taa shouted. “The Jedi were in his way! And you persecuted him due to his religious beliefs!”

    Anakin shook his head. “The Jedi never wanted this war, Senator. We were not trained as soldiers. We have fought for the Chancellor, not against him, and hundreds of Jedi lost their lives doing so. Hundreds of Jedi who were too young to die and who fought heroically before being defeated by the Separatists. My 17-year-old Padawan was among them.” Anakin paused. “The Chancellor declared that the Jedi were against him for one reason and one reason only: He was the very Sith Lord that the Jedi have been searching for since the Battle of Theed 12 years ago, and he wanted to turn the tide of public opinion against us before ordering our mass execution.”

    A collective gasp rose from the Senate floor, followed by a stunned silence. Anakin turned to Mace. “Master Windu, I believe it is time to play the recording stored in R2-D2.” Mace nodded, and Anakin turned to R2, who played the recording of Palpatine’s voice, magnified around the chamber. “The time has come. Execute Order 66.

    The chamber was silent for a few seconds, then Ask Aak’s pod lowered. “What does this mean? What does Order 66 have to do with the Jedi, or us?”

    Mace nodded. “For the answer to that question, I will ask Clone Commander Cody to take the floor.”

    Bail Organa’s pod, which contained Obi-Wan and Commander Cody along with Bail himself, lowered.

    “Commander Cody, can you recite for us the exact wording of Order 66?” Mace asked.

    Cody nodded. “Order 66: In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander, commanders of the Grand Army of the Republic will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander until a new command structure is established.”

    “When did you receive this order?” Mace asked.

    “Two days ago, sir. The Supreme Chancellor stated that Master Skywalker betrayed him and planned to have him arrested by the Jedi Council. He considered that an act of treason, and declared the Jedi enemies of the Republic.”

    “What did you do when you received the Order?” Mace asked.

    “I ordered an AT-TE gunner to fire on Master Kenobi on Utapau. It saddened me to do so, as Master Kenobi is a friend, but I had my orders. The gunner missed Master Kenobi; he and his varactyl escaped.”

    “Do you know what happened to the Temple?”

    “Members of the 501st stormed it, sir. They killed everyone inside and then burned it in compliance with the Order.”

    “Thank you, Commander.” Mace turned to the Senators, who were silent, shocked. “Does anyone have any questions for either myself or the Commander?”

    Senator Orn Free Taa’s pod lowered. “I have a question for Master Skywalker,” he said, and turned to Anakin. “You say that the Chancellor was a Sith. How do you know this?”

    “He told me himself,” Anakin said. “As I said, I considered him a friend. I have premonitions, I have been able to predict the deaths of loved ones. The Chancellor offered me the power to prevent these premonitions from coming to pass; he offered me the power to stop death. That power rests in a Sith legend, which he shared with me.”

    Orn Free Taa said nothing for a minute, then he nodded. “Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe you are a murderer, and you are trying to justify your own evil deeds! You need a mind healer, and locked room with a ysalamari!” He shouted.

    Mace held a hand up to stop him. “That will be enough!” he said. “You have made your point, Senator. If you have further concerns, you may file them with the courts, after we elect a new Supreme Chancellor. The nominations have been tabulated. Senators Bail Organa of Alderaan and Ask Aak of Malastare received the most nominations; third place was a tie. Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila and Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo.”

    Padme’s pod lowered again. “I need to excuse myself from the vote, Master,” she said, then turned to the rest of the Senators. “I am expecting twins; I will not be able to serve in full capacity much longer.”

    “And who is the father?” shouted Orn Free Taa, followed by a Ryloth swear word that Anakin recognized as “lady of ill repute.”

    “You are out of order, Senator,” Mace said.

    Anakin’s face burned with anger, and his hand went to his lightsaber. “E chu ta,” he muttered. “Schutta, sleemo.”

    Padme grabbed his arm. “Ani, keep your temper.”

    He sighed. “I know, I just can’t believe that Ryloth exhaust-for-brains is trying to…” He looked at her. “I am sorry, Padme.”

    “Anakin, I’ve been called worse in the Holonet, believe me. And I will not allow you to destroy the Jedi’s honor in defense of mine,” she said.

    “This session is adjourned,” Mace said. “We will reconvene tomorrow to cast votes for a new Supreme Chancellor.”




    “If Aak is elected, there may be more trouble for us,” Mace Windu said, addressing the Jedi and Senators gathered in Padme’s office the next afternoon.

    “He will file a petition with the courts to have the Jedi tried for treason and the assassination of Chancellor Palpatine,” Bail said. “If he is elected, that will prove that he has the support of the majority of other Senators to do so.”

    “Is he likely to support a repeal of the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act?” Obi-Wan asked.

    “Possibly,” Mon Mothma said. “But only if the Separatists have agreed to a ceasefire, and then, only if he feels he has no excuse not to do so. Unfortunately many who accumulate power are reluctant to relinquish it. That is how Palpatine got so many Senators on his side in the first place. He offered them a share in the power.”

    “That could work to our advantage,” Padme said. “How many of these Senators feel loyal to Palpatine now that he is defeated?”

    “Aak obviously does,” Anakin muttered.

    “Aak is an entity in and of himself,” Bail replied. “He blamed the Jedi for not preventing the assassination of Ask Moe. He has been known to send bounty hunters after his political enemies.” He paused. “Which is why we will need to be wary if he is elected, but loyalty to Palpatine does not necessarily equate with loyalty to Aak.”

    “We are going to need a plan in place before the election,” Anakin said. “And prepare for the worst. What if he reinstates Order 66?”

    “That is a possibility,” Obi-Wan said. “And that is the worst case scenario, that both the Jedi and the members of the Delegation of 2000 will be declared outlaws. We need a secret location, a hideout, already determined just in case.”

    “Aak might cause trouble even if he loses,” Mon Mothma said. “Nothing is stopping him from petitioning the courts to try the Jedi for assassination and this coalition for treason. I think we would win the trial; the evidence, much of which Master Windu presented last night, is in our favor. But it could tie up the courts and result in a waste of resources for us.”

    “We might need to go off planet for awhile anyway. Assuming there is to be a trial or trials, we might need to go into hiding until their scheduled dates,” Bail said.

    “I do not want to leave Coruscant,” Padme said, her lips stretched in a thin line.

    “Padme…” Anakin began, but she held her hand up. “No, Anakin,” she said. “We have a Republic to rebuild. Do you want to leave it in the hands of those loyal to Palpatine?” She looked at the rest of the coalition. “You should not either.”

    “Senator, please understand, we may all have to leave for our safety,” Mace said. “We may not be safe in any Republic system for awhile if Aak is elected. We may need to go to the Outer Rim.”

    Obi-Wan nodded. “If the next Supreme Chancellor is loyal to Palpatine and has the same amount of power concentrated in the executive branch, we will not be able to rebuild the Republic. Not from here, and not in a traditional manner.”

    “No matter who wins this election, the Republic has permanently changed. Much of our old way of doing business will not work anymore,” Bail said.

    “It obviously was not working before,” Mon Mothma added.

    “The Jedi ability to use the Force has been diminished,” Mace said. “We grew complacent and comfortable. We lost touch with the Living Force, placing too much focus on the Unifying Force. Qui-Gon Jinn knew this.” He looked at Obi-Wan. “The Jedi Order will change as well. The Council will need to meet when Master Yoda returns.” He glanced at Anakin, who stood facing the window, his back to them, his hands clasped behind him.

    “Have you heard from Master Yoda?” Obi-Wan asked.

    “He has made contact with the Separatist leaders,” Mace said. “It took some persuasion, but he did make them understand and accept that Chancellor Palpatine and Lord Sidious were one and the same, and that they were pawns. It helped that he left his lightsaber on the ship and went to them unarmed. They are interested in a peace settlement and in participating in tonight’s elections. They are on the way back to Coruscant now.”

    Obi-Wan nodded and stood. “That is good news,” he said.

    “Yes,” Bail said. Bail and Mon Mothma both stood. “We must prepare our speeches. Acceptance and…concession. And a speech welcoming the Separatists back into the Republic.” Bail said.

    Padme nodded. “That will be a speech welcome to everyone’s ears I’m sure. Have a good afternoon, Bail.”

    “You as well, Padme,” he replied. He and Mon Mothma left.

    Obi-Wan felt waves of distress coming from Anakin. He went to the window and stood next to his former apprentice, only then noticing that Anakin was fighting back tears. “What is it?” he asked.

    Anakin shook his head. “The Outer Rim, Master,” he said. “That's not an option. Padme cannot give birth there.”

    Padme looked up from her desk, then crossed the room to stand next to her husband, putting an arm around his waist. “Anakin…”

    He returned her embrace, then lay his flesh hand on her protruding belly. “It can’t happen,” he said, looking at Obi-Wan. “Do you know how my stepfather’s first wife died? Childbirth. She needed a doctor and there were none nearby. Most Outer Rim worlds are just as isolated and desolate as Tatooine. I don’t even want to discuss taking Padme there, not after my dream…”

    “If we absolutely have to leave, we can go to Naboo,” Padme said.

    “I don’t know how safe that will be,” Obi-Wan said. “You are a prominent member of the Delegation, Naboo was Palpatine's home planet, it’s been the subject of attack already…”

    “It’s isolated enough,” Padme snapped. “In the right location. Do you really think we would be safer on some Outer Rim world that very well might still have Separatist outposts? Separatists who might not be as friendly to Master Yoda's negotiations as their leaders were? Naboo is my home, I know it well enough to know where we can hide. We can enlist the assistance of the Gungans if necessary. And I can contact midwives that I already know to assist with the birth, and be assured of their discretion.” She kissed Anakin’s cheek. “I’m going to be alright,” she said. “I promise you.”

    Anakin said nothing, just hugged her tightly.




    “This special session of Congress is now called to order,” Mace said. “And we will get right to the point tonight. Before you are your ballots. Please cast your votes for the new Supreme Chancellor.”

    Orn Free Taa’s pod lowered. “And who will be counting the votes?” he asked.

    “They are automatically tabulated,” Mace answered. “You are welcome to join me in the Chancellor’s box to watch the process if you wish.”

    “That should shut him up,” Anakin muttered. He, Padme and Bail Organa were in Padme’s pod.

    “Don’t be so sure,” Obi-Wan replied. “There are basically two possible outcomes for tonight: unpleasant and extremely unpleasant. Our best hope is to elect a Chancellor who believes in the Jedi.” He looked meaningfully at Organa. “But even if that happens, our troubles are not over.”

    “I expect many challenges,” Bail said. “Mon Mothma does as well. We are prepared to deal with what lies ahead.”

    Padme was silent, entering her vote into her datapad. Then she sighed, rested her hands on her abdomen, and sat down.

    “Are you alright?” Anakin asked.

    She nodded. “Just tired,” she replied. No one in her pod thought that she was referring to physical fatigue. “There is another issue that everyone needs to consider, even if Bail or Mon Mothma wins.”

    “What would that be?” Obi-Wan asked.

    “When Valorum was Chancellor, factions of the Senate who opposed him, appointed Mas Amedda as Vice Chair for the sole purpose of obstructing Senate business. Valorum was rarely able to get any bills passed unless Mas Amedda approved as well, which he almost never did.” She sighed again. “I only wish I had understood at the time.”

    “Palpatine was brilliant enough to work the bureaucracy to his advantage. That isn’t your fault,” Bail said. “Many others of us would have called for a no-confidence vote in a seemingly-ineffective Chancellor if we thought we needed to do so to save our worlds.”

    “If you win, are you prepared for a Vice Chair Free Taa? Or worse?” She asked.

    “There’s worse?” Anakin muttered.

    Bail smiled. “Yes, I am absolutely prepared,” he said. He smiled. “The question might be, would Chancellor Aak be prepared for a Vice Chair Amidala?”

    Padme smiled back, but the smile disappeared quickly. “Even if I were in a position to take such an offer, I can’t imagine willingly accepting a role of obstructing procedure.”

    “We need a constitutional amendment to allow the Chancellor to appoint his own Vice Chair,” Anakin said.

    “I’m inclined to agree, Anakin, but one issue at a time,” Obi-Wan said.

    “Such an amendment could cause other problems,” Padme said. “Look what happened when Palpatine had a Vice Chair who sided with him.”

    “If I may have your attention,” Mace called from the Chancellor’s box, where Orn Free Taa stood beside him. “We have the final vote count.”

    Silence quickly descended upon the chambers. “The new Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic is Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. I am sending the final vote count to your datapads at this moment. Congratulations, Chancellor Organa.”

    Bail nodded, then exited Padme’s pod, heading for the Chancellor’s box. Applause erupted around the chambers, however, in one section, a loud chorus of shouts and boo’s echoed.

    “Well, Padme,” Anakin said. “You wanted to know how many Senators were allied with Palpatine. I think your ears will tell you.”

    Padme had stood again and was staring at her datapad. “Oh, this isn’t good,” she said.

    “What is it?” Obi-Wan asked.

    “The vote,” Padme said.

    “What’s the problem? Bail won,” Anakin said.

    “By only 89 votes, Anakin,” Padme said, looking up. “There are 2000 Senators. Bail got 813 votes. Aak got 724, Mon Mothma got 463.”

    “But why does that matter?”

    “It might not,” Obi-Wan said. “But it is a pretty good indicator of how strong our opposition is.”

    Bail, in the Chancellor’s box next to Mace, raised his hands to silence the cheers--and the angry shouts. “Thank you,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a very dark time for the Republic. The Clone War has split us in two. Political treachery has divided us even further.”

    “And it continues!” Ask Aak shouted.

    “Isn’t he the sore loser?” Anakin muttered.

    Mace glared in Aak’s direction. “Senator, you will be given the opportunity to give your concession speech in a few minutes. If you continue to be disruptive, you will be escorted from these chambers by clone guards.” He did not raise his voice but his tone left no room for argument. He returned his gaze to Organa. “Continue, Your Excellency.”

    “Thank you, Master Jedi. For three years this Clone War has raged, the role of the Senate has been diminished, and the voices of the people have not been heard. You have been put under military rule with the promise that such rule would bring peace, and when that promise was not fulfilled, you were put under greater military rule. Tonight I will make my only use of the so-called emergency powers bestowed upon the executive branch by the last administration—I will end martial law, and all military governors stationed on your worlds are relieved of their duties as of midnight Coruscant time.”

    A tumultuous round of applause filled the chambers, and several Senators stood.

    “What of the clones?” asked Senator Darsana of Glee Anselm, his pod lowering.

    “The clones are human, Senator,” Bail said. “We will treat them as such. The existing clones will be given homes on worlds of their choosing, as agreed upon by the residents of those worlds, and we can put forth a vote to ask the Kaminoans to cease clone production.”

    Darsana nodded, and his pod returned.

    “I would like to recognize Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation.” The chamber was silent as Gunray’s pod lowered. “Viceroy Gunray, we understand that you and the Separatists were as much of a victim of the Sith deception as we were. I hope that we can put war and tragedy behind us and work together to bring peace to a new, reunited Republic.”

    Cheers once again filled the chamber as Gunray nodded.

    “Once again, this is your Congress,” Bail said, addressing the entire chamber. “For too long it has not been so. I am merely the leader, the facilitator; all decisions are yours, based on the voices of your people.”

    “How sad is it that he actually has to say this?” Anakin said.

    “It’s very sad, but he is right,” Padme replied. “We have not been a democracy in so long that people have to be reminded of its very definition.”

    “The Emergency Powers Act grants me unlimited terms, however, even if you choose not to repeal this act, I will put myself on the ballot for re-election in four years’ time, and you may choose to send me packing to Alderaan if you are not satisfied with my performance. And in eight years’ time, I will step down. These were the old term limits, ladies and gentlemen, which I will follow even if on paper they no longer exist.”

    Another round of applause, not as tumultuous this time.

    “I would now like to recognize the esteemed Senator from Malastare.”

    Aak’s pod lowered, but the Senator did not speak right away. Finally he said, “I concede the election and congratulate our new Supreme Chancellor, Bail Organa. I do not wish to give a speech at this time.” His pod reascended as quickly as it had lowered.

    Bail looked surprised, but he nodded. “In that case, this session is adjourned, and we will reconvene in a week’s time.”
     
  20. Valairy Scot

    Valairy Scot Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2005
    They may have won the war, but not the battles which will continue.
     
  21. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    I was still on pins and needles reading this. I was trying to remember the original outcome and couldn't.

    This is only the beginning.
     
  22. Ocelotl_Nesto

    Ocelotl_Nesto Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2004
    I like this story, shows what a little bit of reason and logic could have done.
     
  23. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Valairy Scot : Yes, they will. When I think of AU scenarios, in my mind Palpatine had done too much damage for there to be a realistic "happily ever after" ending for the Jedi.

    Lady_Misty : Well, you'll see. ;)

    Ocelotl_Nesto: Just a modicum of that could have made a world of difference. Thanks for stopping by.

    Thanks for reading. :) Here's the next post:


    Chapter 7


    A week later the four remaining members of the Jedi Council met in Padme’s office. With the Temple destroyed, various members of the Delegation allowed the Council to take turns meeting in their offices.

    “Do we have new casualty lists?” Anakin asked.

    Mace nodded soberly. “The expected,” he said. “We are confirmed to be the only surviving members of the Council.”

    “We are estimating that about 100 Jedi are confirmed to be still alive,” Obi-Wan said. “One hundred, out of 10,000.”

    “Rebuild the Order, we must,” Yoda said. “On this it all depends. We must unlearn what we have learned. The old ways, pass on they must.”

    “We will need to establish a site,” Obi-Wan said. “Will we rebuild the Temple?”

    “Not right away,” Mace said. “We’ve had a long war and the people in the Republic are suffering. Now is not the time to build a new physical structure. We must use what we have.”

    “Will we even be able to train on Coruscant anymore?”

    “We can for the time being,” Mace said. “There are so few of us and we are needed here. It may be months before we can make any sort of decision about working from an existing location on Coruscant or moving off-planet.”

    “We have no one to train,” Obi-Wan said. “Parents are not likely to want their children to be tested as Force-sensitives now.”

    Yoda nodded. “However,” he said, looking at Anakin. “The Skywalker children—hope they represent.”

    “They must be trained,” Mace said.

    Anakin scowled. “Do I have a say in this?” he asked.

    The other three Masters stared at him. “You don’t want them trained?” Obi-Wan asked.

    “That isn’t what I said,” Anakin said, standing up and pacing. “For one thing, they only have half of my genetics. They may not be Force-sensitive at all.”

    Obi-Wan laughed. “I don’t know. There have been occasions when I thought that Padme could be a Jedi.”

    “Neither Padme nor I are opposed to having them trained. All I am asking is that you not pin all hope for the future of the Order on my children before they are even born. ‘The Chosen One’ was not exactly a fun label to carry around.”

    Obi-Wan sighed. “We’re sorry, Anakin. We weren’t considerate. We just assumed you would be on board.”

    Anakin sank back into his chair. “We can test them for Force sensitivity just as we would any other child of the Republic and then make a decision from there. But…”

    “What is it?” Obi-Wan asked.

    Anakin took a deep breath. “Masters, this old practice of taking children from their parents and raising them in the Creche…I think it should be changed. I understand the intent—but love, even attachment to others, is part of being human. Is it so much worse for children to maintain a relationship with their parents, than to form an attachment to a Jedi Master who fills the role of a parent? Ahsoka was attached to me, and I to her. Why was that acceptable but an attachment to my mother or Padme was not?” He looked at Obi-Wan. “Can you honestly tell me you were not attached to Qui-Gon? Or me?”

    Obi-Wan sighed again. “There is a difference between attachment and love, Anakin,” he said. “The bond between a Master and a Padawan is not the same as attachment. A Jedi must always put the needs of the group—the galaxy—ahead of a single person, no matter the Jedi’s relationship to that person.”

    “Why could that concept not be taught to Younglings who know their parents?”

    The other Masters did not speak for a moment, then Yoda nodded. “Have a point, you may,” he said. “Possible this may be.”

    “Duty must come first, however,” Mace said sharply, his eyes fixed on Anakin. “The Jedi’s primary job is to serve the people of the Republic, not each other and not their loved ones. Anakin, when the Holocron was stolen, you put several Force-sensitive children in the galaxy at risk in order to save the life of your Padawan. And as you pointed out, a Master-Padawan bond is allowed, in fact encouraged, by the Order. Can you honestly tell me that you would sacrifice Senator Amidala’s life if doing so would save the life of thousands of others? Hundreds of others? Even several others?”

    “Please do not ask me that!” Anakin snapped, blinking furiously to stop the tears that threatened to fill his eyes. He stood and paced again.

    “I’m sorry if the question is painful but it is a prime example of what we must consider before changing the attachment code,” Mace said.

    “As far as Ahsoka, she asked me to let her go rather than give up the Holocron. But isn’t compassion central to a Jedi’s life? What would be compassionate about abandoning my apprentice to a horrific death by being sucked into a space vacuum? We did save the children that you accused me of putting at risk, and I did not have to sacrifice Ahsoka to Bane in order to do it. And Padme…we had not planned to fall in love, and it was no more convenient—or acceptable—in her line of duty than it was in mine. But it happened, and we have no regrets."

    “Anakin has put his duty to the Jedi above the Senator’s well being in the past,” Obi-Wan said, trying to diffuse the heated argument. “On Geonosis. She fell out of the gunship while we were chasing Dooku. Granted it took a bit of encouragement to convince him that we had to keep moving…” Obi-Wan looked amused.

    “Master Windu, the answer to your question is yes,” Anakin interrupted. “I would…” Anakin swallowed. “I would sacrifice her life to save that of others, if that were my only choice. Because she would insist on it. On Geonosis...yes, I wanted to go after her. And ‘a bit of encouragement’ is an understatement as to what Obi-Wan had to do. But if I had left Obi-Wan and gone after her, she would have never forgiven me. And I would have never forgiven myself if something had happened to Obi-Wan in my absence. Attachment can work in the Jedi’s favor as well.”

    “You shirked your duties to go to Tatooine after your mother,” Mace said.

    Anakin glared at him. “No, I didn’t. My duty was to guard Padme. She came with me. My family cared for her for the few hours that I was away. The only person that I did not protect on Tatooine was my mother.” Anakin hastily wiped away the tears that ran down his cheeks.

    “A painful trip that was for you,” Yoda said. “Touched the Dark Side, you did.”

    Anakin nodded, this time not bothering to wipe away his tears. For a minute he said nothing.

    “Anakin…” Obi-Wan prompted.

    “I killed all the men in the camp,” he said, sinking back into his chair. “Then I went after the women. They were unarmed and helpless, but they had watched my mother die, and I wanted them to pay. The women gathered their children and went into a tent. I started moving a large rock with the Force. I planned to drop it on the tent. Then I heard someone calling my name. I thought I must really be losing my mind, because it sounded like Master Qui-Gon.”

    “Qui-Gon Jinn, it was, young one,” Yoda said. “Heard him as well, I did. In such terrible pain you were, that called him from beyond the Force, you did.”

    Anakin took a couple of deep breaths and wiped his eyes, willing himself to continue. “There was a Tusken child outside the tent. They wear masks that cover their faces just like the adults, but through the opening I could see his eyes. He was very, very afraid. And I was standing over him with my lightsaber ignited, ready to strike. The moment I heard Master Qui-Gon and saw those eyes, I disengaged my saber, took my mother’s body and ran as fast as I could from the camp.” Anakin buried his face in his hands, and for a few minutes, there was no sound in the room other than his heavy sobbing.

    “Qui-Gon believed in you,” Mace said. “That is why he came back.”

    “I knew better,” Anakin cried. “I’m a Jedi.”

    “Atoned you have, young one,” Yoda said. “Fulfilled your destiny, you did, by bringing down the Sith Master.”

    Anakin looked up, sniffed and wiped his eyes. “Master Windu did that,” he said.

    “With your help,” Mace said. “Without the information you brought us, we could not have defeated Palpatine.”

    Anakin was silent for a moment, then sniffed again and sighed. “This session was not supposed to be about me,” he said. “I apologize.”

    “Some introspection, we all need,” Yoda said.

    “And I believe you are the expert on attachments here, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. He leaned forward. “You do not want the children to be taken from you and Padme and raised in the Creche, assuming we were to establish a site for a Creche,” he said.

    “No,” Anakin said. “If they are Force-sensitive, we can train them. All four of us, if necessary. But they will stay with Padme and me. We have lost enough in the war already. We do not want to lose our children, even to the Jedi.”

    Before the other Jedi could answer, there was a knock on the door and one of Padme’s assistants palmed it open. “Excuse me, Masters? I have been asked to give you some information from the Senate session that just adjourned.”

    “Thank you,” Mace said, taking the datapad and returning to his seat. He studied it for a minute as the other Masters waited.

    “Well?” Anakin said impatiently.

    Mace looked up. “The Senate has chosen a Vice Chair. Ister Paddie of Sermeria.”

    “Is that good or bad?” Anakin asked.

    “Not good, but it could be worse,” Mace said.

    “A supporter of Palpatine, he was,” Yoda said.

    “He was also a supporter of the war,” Obi-Wan added. “And very critical of opponents of the Military Creation Act. He is an ally of Orn Free Taa.”

    “I have a bad feeling about this,” Anakin said.

    “However,” Mace said. “He’s a noble and likely to seek political favors to benefit his home world and keep his family in power there. That could work to our advantage.”

    Obi-Wan smiled slightly. “That sounds like something Qui-Gon would say.”

    “Qui-Gon Jinn may have been the wisest of all of us,” Mace replied. He stood. “We should discuss this with the Chancellor.”

    The other Jedi stood as well. “I know Padme plans to propose a repeal of the Enhanced Privacy Invasion Act and the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act,” Anakin said. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He had a headache. “She has been working on the bill all week and hopes to present it tomorrow.”

    “Waste time, your wife does not,” Yoda said. “That is good.”

    “If Bail publicly supports a repeal of these acts, although they are acts that he would not use…” Obi-Wan began.

    “Symbolic, it would be,” Yoda finished. “Of a new Republic, in which once again, the people have power.”




    “This session of Congress is now called to order. The Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo,” Vice Chair Paddie announced.

    Padme’s pod lowered, with Anakin and Obi-Wan standing beside her. “Chancellor Organa, members of the Senate,” she said. “Two years ago, in the wake of the Clone Wars, this body approved the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act and the Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill. Under the guise of providing wartime security, the rights of many Republic citizens, including many members of this delegation, were stripped away. Innocent people were subject to searches and seizures without warrants, including the use of observation droids in the office of many Senators considered disloyal to the former Chancellor. Prisoners taken into custody by the Republic military were executed without proper trial. Rather than having the greater sense of security that these laws were intended to provide, people lived in fear, fear of false criminal accusations and no recourse, fear of financial and personal ruin. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proposing today that we repeal these two acts. No member of this Congress nor any citizen of the Republic should be subjected to a search without the constitutionally required warrant, and all prisoners should have the right to a fair hearing. Additionally, both the Jedi Order and the Grand Army of the Republic should answer to this body, not the Chancellor himself. We have been through a terrible war and a terrible deception by the former administration. It is time to restore the Republic using the Galactic Constitution as it stood prior to the war, and allow peace and diplomacy to resume.”

    Applause echoed through the chambers, along with a few jeers.

    “Thank you, Senator Amidala,” Bail said from the Chancellor’s box. “I stood in opposition to these amendments when they were originally proposed by the former administration. My stance has not changed since that time. The Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act was proposed and passed in response to an attack on my cruiser by pirate forces as I returned from Alderaan. It is now known that the former Chancellor Palpatine personally arranged for the pirate attack in order to promote this Act. He also subsequently arranged for former Chancellor Valorum’s assassination after Valorum confronted him with this evidence.”


    Gasps came from several of the Senators, but they were short-lived as Vice Chair Paddie’s voice rang out again. “The Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Malastare,” he said.

    Ask Aak’s pod lowered. “Wonder how much floor time he’s going to get,” Anakin muttered.

    “Ample,” Obi-Wan said. “But Paddie is not one to appear too obviously biased.”

    “Fellow delegates,” Aak said. “I offer my support to Senator Amidala in her efforts to repeal this act, for one reason: I do not believe the current administration can be trusted with its powers. The current administration continues to support the Jedi, who only opposed the act two years ago because they feared having their power usurped by Chancellor Palpatine. Not only did they kill him shortly after he took charge of their corrupt Order, but they have now brainwashed their favored politicians into making scandalous and blatantly false accusations against the former Chancellor, whose excellent judgment led to a quick Separatist defeat.” He paused, fixing all three of his eyes on Bail. “Please bring this to a vote quickly, Chancellor. I look forward to removing your powers before you can abuse them in order to aid your Jedi friends in their quest to rule the galaxy.”

    Aak’s speech was met with a few cheers and several angry shouts. Anakin’s teeth clenched and his hand went to his lightsaber. “Karking sleemo,” he whispered fiercely. “Excellent judgment? Quick Separatist defeat?”

    “Anakin…” Padme said slowly, emphasizing every syllable of her husband’s name. “The important thing is that with Aak’s support, my bill will pass. Even if someone like Ask Aak, or Palpatine, is elected Chancellor, he will no longer have such power concentrated into his office. Let’s focus on what really matters. Aak hates the Jedi; he did before Palpatine died. He takes every opportunity he can to express his hatred.”

    “Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “Relax, Anakin. Just because Aak says something does not make it true, or even believable.”

    “The Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Sern,” Paddie said.

    Fang Zar’s pod lowered. “What of the criminal activity in the Outer Rim, which led to the provision in the act implementing capital punishment for pirates captured by the Republic?”

    “The Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Humbarine,” Paddie said.

    Bana Breemu’s pod lowered. “Chancellor Organa, Senator Zar, as you know I originally opposed this act. However, the Clone War as well as the former administration’s Order 66 caused the deaths of the majority of the Jedi. There are too few of them to keep order around the galaxy now. If the pirates do not fear capture and punishment, the Outer Rim territories might remain in chaos under their jurisdiction.”

    “Padme,” Anakin whispered, “Ask Bail if he’ll allow me to speak. Obi-Wan and I can shed some light on this.”

    Padme’s pod lowered again. “With your permission, Chancellor Organa, I would like to ask Jedi Masters Skywalker and Kenobi to give the Jedi perspective on this bill,” she said.

    Bail nodded. Aak opened his mouth as if to say something, then seemed to think better of it.

    “Your Excellency, Senators,” Anakin began. “I am probably the only Jedi to originally support allocating emergency powers to the Chancellor’s office, believing it would bring a quicker end to the war. Of course the war continued years after this act was passed, and at the time I was unaware of the former Chancellor’s true identity.”

    Shouts came, and Paddie banged his gavel. “Order, order!” The shouts died down, and Paddie acknowledged Anakin. “Master Skywalker, you may continue.”

    “Senator Breemu, continuing to allow capital punishment for the pirates will not help the Jedi. That provision actually made our jobs more difficult. Prior to this act, pirate companies would sometimes surrender to us, knowing that they would be treated fairly. However, when they knew that death faced them if they were captured, they fought us to an often-bitter end.”

    “Thank you, Master Skywalker,” Bail said. “Master Kenobi, did you have something to add?”

    “Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “This act also made life very difficult for many innocent citizens of Coruscant. Crime on the lower levels of the Galactic City was reduced, yes, but at a terrible price. Aliens were especially prone to harsh interrogations, particularly those who were of the same species as the Separatists. They were often guilty of no crime other than not being humanoid.”

    “Thank you, Master Kenobi,” Bail said, then addressed the entire body. “I have sent a copy of Senator Amidala’s proposal to your datapads. If there is no further discussion, please review it and cast your votes.”

    For several minutes the chamber was filled with the sound of Senators chattering with colleagues in their pods. Padme looked at Anakin and Obi-Wan. “Thank you both,” she said. “Your information should help the bill pass.”

    “I only hope we didn’t cause the bill to lose votes,” Anakin said. “Especially given Aak’s mutterings about Bail being a pawn of the Jedi. If people really think that we’re using him to help us accumulate power…”

    “That’s laughable at best,” Padme said. “Bail is a pawn of no one. Aak knows that, he was here for the original debate on this bill, when Bail was the sole opposition and was labeled a traitor, among other things.”

    “The Council opposed the bill at the time, however,” Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard.

    “Yes,” Padme said. “And Bail was not the sole opposition until Palpatine had Valorum killed.” She scowled.

    “Sadly, Palpatine’s role in Valorum’s assassination will probably never be investigated or proven,” Anakin said.

    “Possibly,” Obi-Wan said. “The majority of Palpatine’s closest aides went into hiding after his death. However, many of them are wanted for war crimes. The clones are alerted to their identities, but we do not have locations to search at the moment.”

    “Sounds like a job for bounty hunters,” Anakin muttered.

    Obi-Wan gave him a meaningful look. “I certainly hope that we would never stoop that low,” he said.

    At that moment Paddie pounded his gavel, and the room silenced. “The Repeal of the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act and the Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill has passed,” he announced. “The vote count is being sent to your datapads.”

    Padme took hers; her eyes widened and she nearly dropped it.

    “What is it?” Anakin asked.

    “Anakin, it passed 1794 to 206,” she said. “I don’t recall a bill ever passing by such a majority.”

    “That’s good,” Anakin said, smiling. “Another vestige of Palpatine’s regime gone.”

    “Yes,” Obi-Wan said, “Gone because Bail isn’t Palpatine. Did these votes come from Senators who want to restore democracy, or Senators who do not trust the Jedi?”

    “Both, I’m sure,” Padme said. “But they came, that’s what matters for the moment.”




    “Master Anakin, Master Obi-Wan is here to see you,” C3PO said. R2-D2 chirped. “No, R2, I do not know if he has any more sinister transmissions for you to decode. I really hope that whole business is over.”

    Obi-Wan smiled. “Not today, R2,” he said. “Although that particular business might not be over for a long time. Anakin, I have some news.”

    “What is it?”

    “Ask Aak and Orn Free Taa have petitioned for a recount of the votes for Chancellor. They believe the Jedi manipulated the elections.”

    Anakin’s eyes widened. “How exactly would we do that?”

    Obi-Wan looked amused. “I don’t know. I’ve never successfully mind-tricked a vote-counting machine. But Aak seems desperate.” He looked around. “Where is Padme?”

    “Meeting with the Delegation of 2000,” Anakin said. “I wonder if they’ve gotten word of the recount request.”

    Obi-Wan nodded. “The courts granted it, although the judges practically told Aak outright how silly it was. Those were Palpatine’s voting machines. If they were biased, Aak would have won.” He sighed. “At any rate, the recount was finished this morning, and Organa is still Chancellor. In fact, he may have gained a couple of votes. The margin of error is three percent in either direction.”

    “Good,” Anakin said.

    “That isn’t the only reason I came by,” Obi-Wan said. “I brought you something. I had nearly forgotten in all the excitement recently that I had this.” He retrieved a silver cylindrical object from his cloak and placed it in the palm of Anakin’s mechanical hand.

    Ahsoka’s lightsaber.

    Anakin opened his mouth to say “Thank you” but realized he couldn’t speak. Obi-Wan nodded, showing that he understood. Anakin sat down on the couch, his head bowed.

    He could feel her; she seemed so close that he could almost touch her, return her lightsaber to her as he did on Bane’s ship, when he had agreed to open the Jedi holocron in order to save her life. I cannot let you die, Ahsoka, he had said then. Yet a year and a half later, he had. She had slipped away from him, as she often did, headstrong, impulsive, charging into battle alone. Maybe if he had taught her better, instructed her on patience, on self-control, as Obi-Wan had done for him…maybe he would not be holding her lightsaber, the only part of her left. Her blue eyes, her laughter, the feisty attitude that earned her her nickname, now only existed in his memory.

    I miss you, Snips.

    "I’m here, Sky Guy," he heard, and raised his head quickly and looked around. He could not have imagined that voice. It was way too real.

    “Ahsoka?” he said aloud.

    She appeared, shimmering, a few feet from him. "It’s me," she said. "Now dry your tears, I don’t have long, and I need to talk to both of you."

    “Ahsoka, where did you learn…?” Obi-Wan began.

    "From your Master Jinn," Ahsoka replied. "He has been training with a shaman of the Whills. He is teaching several of us who passed during the war, so that we might be able to help you. There are few Jedi left. You cannot rebuild the Order alone."

    Anakin sniffed and brushed his sleeve across his face. “But how…how are you going to be able to help?” he asked.

    "We can appear, for short periods of time, to Jedi who need our guidance. We will also teach you how to retain your consciousness from beyond the Force, just in case. The worst is over but troubled times still lay ahead for the Jedi. This information will help you." She smiled at Anakin. "It looks like I’ll be doing the teaching now."

    Anakin and Obi-Wan were both silent for a minute, then Obi-Wan stammered, “We can certainly use any assistance.”

    "Anakin," Ahsoka said.

    “Yes?”

    "You will have a daughter. She should have my lightsaber. Trust me, you are going to think you are training me all over again."

    Anakin gave her a watery smile. “It will be done. And Snips…don’t stay gone long.”

    "I will return when I can. May the Force be with you, Master." She disappeared.

    Anakin ran his hands over the lightsaber hilt. Obi-Wan stroked his beard. “A shaman of the ancient Journal of the Whills has contacted Qui-Gon, or vice versa. That explains why you were able to hear him in the Tusken camp. He must have known, somehow, that we would need him, so he sought out the training.” He paused. “We should go to Yoda. See if he’s had a visit from Qui-Gon, and let him know that Ahsoka contacted you.”
     
  24. Valairy Scot

    Valairy Scot Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2005
    Ah, Anakin gets to see Ahsoka but will Obi-Wan get to see Qui-Gon? Or the other Force ghosts?
     
  25. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    Don't you love it when people say or do something that makes them look stupid? I do.

    It's good that Anakin got closure for Ahsoka's death.