Chapter 2

The holo-image of Thrawn stood at the center of the round table, explaining to the almost twenty members of the war committee how the search for Hego Damask was going. "We owe a great debt of gratitude to the Jedi that left his fleet and found Damask here on Utapau all by himself. It's a real shame we can't give him the credit he deserves." Padme flinched a little upon hearing Thrawn say that, as she knew how much her husband agreed with the sentiment. He always tried to say he wanted his name to be known not so he could bask in the glory, but so their enemies would have the proper fear for him. The last time she had seen him, it appeared he thought the Separatists would surrender en masse if they knew the truth about him.

Padme stared intently at the image of Thrawn as he continued. "The ship Hego Damask fled on did so out of sight of the Jedi who found him. While this Jedi was not able to give us any information about its trajectory, we were hoping the citizens of this world would be able to tell us something. There were several ships in orbit at the time Damask's ship disappeared. One of them should have seen something, but no one has come forward. The situation has been the same with the citizens here. We have been seeking information on what Hego Damask was doing while he was here, but no one will talk to us. The citizenry still appears to be scared of him. Ever since my fleet arrived to join the Jedi's, we have done our best to flood the planet with troops so they will believe we can protect them. So far, it has not helped us at all."

"Keep the troops in place," Palpatine said to Thrawn. "Damask was likely on Utapau for a long time, it will take the citizens time to understand he is gone forever, will never come back, and that they no longer have to fear him."

"If we can't get any information out of the citizens right away, is it really useful keeping the troops around the planet?" Ainlee Teem was asking a question that Padme had been thinking about herself. "We want information that will tell us where Damask fled. By the time the people are willing to talk, won't the trail have gone cold. We have limited resources. Should we really let two entire fleets be tied up on Utapau?"

"There is much we might be able to learn about Damask's whereabouts from any general information the citizens can give us," Thrawn replied. "Someone has to have information on where he believed he could hide. There can't be that many systems where he believes he can lie safe and undetected. He will not be on the move constantly, he will have to settle down somewhere. Our analysts have done a remarkable job compiling a list of possible systems where Damask might have fled. I know there was a lot of guesswork behind it, but that list is a starting point. We have sent out several scout ships to see what they can find."

"That is very good news Grand Admiral Thrawn," Palpatine said to him. "While I agree with much of Ainlee's assessment, I feel it would be hasty to withdraw forces from Utapau at this moment. Let's see if we can find out anything more about Damask's whereabouts over the next couple days, then we will re-evaluate the situation." Palpatine scanned the room to see if anyone had anything more to add. "If no one else has anything to add, then I will adjourn this meeting. Thrawn, stay in communication with us, I want to talk with you along with Secretary Amidala and Senator Organa."

All the other members of the committee filed out of the room without protest. They never took any umbridge to Palpatine having any private meetings with anyone. They never believed he did so to hide anything from them. Even if he did, many of them probably would not have cared. At the start of the war, the committee had assembled with great enthusiasm. Now, that enthusiasm was gone, with many of the members almost running from their responsibilities as the weight of the long war was weighing on them. It had gotten to the point where the committee often did little more than go along with whatever Palpatine decided.

Padme and Bail were just about the only other members of the committee that relished their responsibility, and Bail wasn't even an official voting member, he was just the Senate's observer. More and more, they were the only two whose advice Palpatine sought.

"I was glad the four of us could speak like this," Palpatine said when everyone else was gone. "I have been sensing this war is at a crossroads, and I have wanted to discuss the future of it with you."

"And just what is the nature of this crossroad?" Bail asked.

"I think the citizens of the Republic are ready to see this war end. If we were to offer a cease-fire right now, I think the people would be happy. It would leave us with a divided galaxy; the Republic would have its systems, and the Separatists would have theirs. We would have peace, for the moment, but there is no telling when tensions would flare up again, and we would find ourselves at war once again."

"It sounds like you are trying to sell us on continuing this war," Padme said. "Do you think its possible for us to earn total victory against the Separatists?"

"That is something that I think Admiral Thrawn might be able to answer better than me." Palpatine nodded to the holo-image as he spoke.

"When Palpatine informed me of this meeting, I made sure I came prepared with all the reasons lined up why we could win." Padme was perturbed that Thrawn had known about this meeting in advance and was able to come prepared. She wished she had been afforded that same opportunity. "I know this war has been long, but the Republic has finally turned a corner from the endless stalemate. Our resources and potential have always been above the Separatists, but it has only been recently that we have been able to truly bring all those resources on line and fully mobilize the galaxy. Even more importantly, we have been able to centralize our decision making. As you know, our naval forces are composed of fleets from thousands of different systems. For most of the war, every fleet was led by their own commander. This diversity made it impossible to get all the fleets to fight with one unified strategy. The lack of a single command structure was hurting us. I greatly appreciate the fact the three of you worked intensely to alleviate that. I understand how difficult it was to get all the planetary leaders to sign their fleets over to the Republic. I hope you will be pleased to know that your efforts were worth it. Every asset of the Republic military is now under my leadership. That has allowed us to fight this war with a singular strategy in an efficient manner. I can easily send whatever forces I need to whatever theatre I need without having to play politics. The progress we are making in this war because of that is astounding. It would be a shame for us to sue for peace and halt the initiative we have been able to seize. I believe we have begun our path to victory. If we continue on our current trajectory, we will have the Separatists defeated within the year."

Padme hung her head as she had extreme reservations about everything Thrawn had just said. First, she had always had concerns about centralizing the leadership of the military. She understood why it had to be done, but she worried about the precedent it set for the future. The lack of a standing army and centralized navy had always been a check on the power of the government. There was always fear the centralized military would be used against the people of the Republic. The necessity of winning the war removed most of the skepticism the politicians had concerning the dangers of a large, centralized government. The war was forcing them to make compromises and eliminate many of the tools that had been in place to protect them from a tyrannical government. Padme was hoping they could end the war before all the old checks on power were eliminated. She was reaching a point where it seemed living with the Separatists was preferable to defeating them but losing who they were in the process.

The second concern she had was whether the citizens would support the war for that long. She could feel public opinion turning against it. While the situation wasn't critical, there was no way to know when a preference cascade would begin. It would be preferable to negotiate a peace when it appeared they were still willing to fight instead of being forced into a bad cease-fire.

"Thank you for listing the option we have for continuing the war," Palpatine said to Thrawn. "I believe we have all the information we need from you. You can get back to leading your fleet, I am sure they need you. I can discuss the peace option with Padme and Bail."

After the holo-image of Thrawn disappeared, Palpatine went ahead and gave them their options for seeking peace. "Now might be an optimal time to try and see if the Separatists would be willing to seek peace. Our intelligence has been telling us their citizenry is tiring of the war, probably more than ours. However, the Separatist warlords are much less responsive to their people then we must be to ours. They have a lot more freedom to continue with this war."

"But what can be their endgame at this point?" Bail asked. "I know at the beginning of the war, they were thinking they could defeat us militarily. Now, though, our forces are strong enough so that isn't an option. As far as I'm concerned, any peace agreement that recognized their independence is a victory for them. They should be seeking that and quitting while they are ahead."

"The problem is, none of the warlords attained power by being careful and cautious," Palpatine said. "They are not going to change now. They are going to continue, hoping for internal strife in our nation they will be able to take advantage of to seize more of our territory."

"No matter what the case is, why don't we just put out feelers for a cease-fire and armistice summit?" Padme asked.

"Because making an offer like that will likely be perceived as a sign of weakness. They might think we are desperate to end the war now. It could spur them to fight even harder in the hope of further turning public opinion against the war."

A thought occurred to Padme on how they might be able to make a peace proposal without seeming weak. "What if we were to make a peace proposal while simultaneously sending a message the public is still behind this war, and willing to fight as long as is necessary."

From the expression on the faces of both Palpatine and Bail, Padme could sense they were intrigued by her idea. "What did you have in mind?" Bail asked.

"When Palpatine mentioned the war is at a crossroads, he wasn't exactly revealing a secret. Everyone feels it. Perhaps it would be good to take advantage of that. We should hold a summit, a very public summit to discuss the course of the war. We could have senators, planetary sovereigns, military leaders all come in to give speeches on what course the war should take. However, we don't have a balanced debate. We stack the deck with war supporters, to make it look like there is little opposition against continuing the war."

"A marvelous idea," Palpatine was acting as ecstatic as he seemed capable of acting. "With the way they are monitoring us, they will be sure to pick up on everything being said at the summit. It will appear we are still committed to the war, despite making a peace offer. A marvelous idea, as long as we can find enough supporters to speak."

"Given their vocalness, I don't think that will be difficult," Bail said.

"We need to be careful they don't pick up on the fact we are seeking them out cynically," Palpatine said. "If they knew what was really going on, they might not be willing to be used in that manner."

"I know at least one person who will be willing to speak in favor of the war no matter what. My sister, Queen Soala, has been a vocal proponent of seeing this war to the end. She wants the Separatists to be utterly defeated, as she feels Naboo will never be safe as long as they exist. She feels the Federation will try to return and finish what they started. She will come to speak in favor of the war, even if we are cynically looking for pro-war speakers."

"I can imagine that part of the reason she would come to this summit is because it gives the two of you a chance to see each other," Palpatine said. "I can imagine with all the responsibilities the two of you have, it is has been hard to see each other."

"It hasn't just been hard, it's been impossible," Padme admitted. "Given the situation on Naboo, she hasn't been able to leave the planet, and I've not been able to travel there either."

"So, the two of you haven't seen each other since the Battle of Naboo. That was five years ago." From the expression on Palpatine's face, it appeared he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yes. That is why something like this summit will be good. Soala will finally have a reason for leaving Naboo and coming to where I am."

"Well then, it seems like we have no choice other than to go ahead with this summit." Padme didn't like the idea her personal life had anything to do with any decisions they were making. Despite that, holding the summit was still a good idea.

"I take it you wouldn't mind putting this summit together?" Palpatine proposed.

"I would be delighted to," Padme replied.

"And I can initiate contacts for presenting the Separatists with a peace proposal," Bail suggested.

"Why don't you leave that to me. I have discreet contacts that will allow me to speak with Separatist leaders."

"But you have so much on your plate already."

"And so do you Bail, being both senator and king. I promise you, this will get my full attention. I been having the feeling that with the close call Hego Damask just had, he will be anxious to end this war before he ends up dead."

...

Anakin walked through the streets of the city Paulau, eyeing every citizen that walked by him. They paid him little attention. It was a situation that made him angrier as he went along. For almost a week, he had been traveling from one city to another, trying to find any leads about Damask's whereabouts. For a week he had been coming up empty.

No one had the courage to talk to them, as Damask had intimidated them too much during his time on the planet. The war council believed that if they flooded the planet with troops, it would cause the citizens to feel safe, and eventually they would be willing to reveal what they knew about Damask.

So far, the strategy hadn't worked. Anakin knew it was doomed to fail. The citizens on the planet were intimidated by Damask, and the only way to get them to overcome that was to present themselves as even more intimidating. They should have been intimidated by the clone troops, by the Jedi walking around. Instead, they knew they had nothing to fear from the Republic, and everything to fear from Damask.

There was one thing the war council didn't know that Anakin did about why the citizens were so intimidated by Damask. He was a Force user, one proficient in the dark side. He might be an outright Sith, or he could just be someone like Anakin, a powerful Force user who had learned how to harness the dark side on his own. He knew if he told Obi-Wan and the Jedi council what he felt, they would try to get to the bottom of it, but he didn't want to tell them what he found. He didn't want them to know. He felt they didn't deserve to know. As he saw it, the Jedi Council had made one mistake after another. Despite their 'insight' in the Force, their decision making was horrible. Worse than that, their code, their rules, prevented them from fighting in the way they needed to win the war. The power of the Jedi was immense, but no one had any fear of them. They showed their enemies mercy, while the Separatists showed none. The believed the way they were acting would win hearts and minds, but Anakin knew it was fear and intimidation that truly ruled. The Separatists acted to keep their citizens in line, while the Republic didn't. Given that disparity, it was no mystery to Anakin why the Republic was having trouble winning the war, despite the vastly superior resources at their disposal.

Anakin was lost in thought when he got a message from Obi-Wan through his earpiece. "Anakin, I need to see you."

"Just tell me what it is." During all their years together, Obi-Wan had always preferred to speak face to face with him, especially when it came to deliver major news. Anakin had gotten tired of always running around for the personal meetings.

"I'm in the middle of something," Anakin lied. "Can you just tell me what it is?"

"I'd rather not, but I guess this line is secure enough. One of Thrawn's scout ships found where Damask had fled. The ship he used to escape from here was found on Dantooine. From what the search team could surmise, upon reaching the planet, he immediately boarded another ship and left. Before he did, however, he killed everyone aboard."

Anakin was thankful Obi-Wan wasn't there to see the utter dejection and anger he was expressing. He had stopped himself from shooting down the ship in order to try and save the lives of the innocents aboard, and it had been futile. Letting Hego get away didn't save their lives. They were just as dead as if he had shot them down, but Damask didn't die with them. He threw away a chance to end the war for nothing.

"Thank you for letting me know," Anakin said. "Have we been given our orders for what our next move is going to be. If we start the search on Dantooine, we might be able to find where he went next."

"We don't need to continue searching for him. The close call he had with you apparently spooked him. He has requested a cease-fire and wishes to negotiate a peace treaty. The news just came in from the office of the chancellor. The military is being alerted so nothing happens that would change anyone's mind. Congratulations Anakin, your pursuit of Hego has brought peace to the galaxy."

Despite Obi-Wan's words, Anakin felt no pride in the news. All he could think was they should have had victory, not this divided peace. "Okay, with the war apparently over, where are we to go."

"We've been called back to Coruscant."

Once again, Anakin was glad he wasn't talking face-to-face with Obi-Wan. He didn't have to try and hide the elation he was feeling over the news they were returning to Coruscant. He was going to be able to see Padme. All the bad feelings he had been experiencing disappeared. The war was ending, and he was going to be able to see his wife. It seemed like this was the moment they had been waiting years for. If the war was to truly end, they then could start preparing for their lives after it, when they would finally be able to be together.

...

Padme rubbed her stomach as she walked through the halls of the capital building. She was extra nervous as she couldn't understand why Palpatine had called her in to meet with her. He didn't say much, other than he needed to see her right then. She had tried to protest, telling him her sister was due to arrive shortly, and she wanted to greet her right when she landed. Palpatine assured her he wouldn't need to speak with her for long, and reiterated he needed to talk to her immediately.

Since she felt she couldn't say no to him, she had done her best to hurry and see him. When she made the last turn before his office, she saw Bail walking towards it as well. He stopped when he saw her and gave her a quizzical look.

"Do you know what this is about?" he asked.

"No, just something Palpatine said he didn't want to reveal through a radio message. Do you know if it is just us, or were the other council members called in as well?"

"I think it's just us," Bail replied. "If the rest of the council was coming, I think we would have run into someone else by now." The two of them shared a look of apprehension before they walked into Palpatine's office together.

"Bail, Padme, I am so glad you were able to make it," Palpatine said as he rose up from behind his desk. The two of them were both surprised by his cheerfulness. Given the urgency with which he had talked to them moments earlier, they were expecting a much different demeanor out of him. They looked at each other as they arched their eyebrows.

"It will just be the three of us, so we can sit on the sectional." Palpatine continued talking as they took their seats. "I can guess the two of you are both anxious to hear why I called you hear, so I will cut right to the chase. I have to tell you that while the hunt for Hego Damask did not succeed in capturing him, it did succeed in scaring him. He sent word to me that he is willing to administer a cease-fire effective tomorrow. I hastily agreed to it and have sent word through the military to end the fighting. We finally have what we want, and I don't want to waste any time preparing for the peace summit."

Padme could barely listen to Palpatine as he talked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The war was over, just like that. It was exactly what they wanted. She felt like running right out of the office. All her responsibilities were over. Anakin's too. Because they had done so much to start the war, they both felt the responsibility to do everything they could to end it. Now, with it over, they could leave their positions and live together. The timing could not have been better.

"I think both Padme and I would be more than willing to help you put together the delegation for negotiating the peace summit," Bail said. His words helped Padme snap back to reality, as she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. It appeared her responsibilities were going to continue for a little while longer.

"That is why I brought the two of you here." As Palpatine spoke, the cheerfulness left him, and he returned to his usual self. He was speaking with his normal heaviness and weariness. As she looked at him, she noted the war ending was a blessing to him, as he had aged considerably over the past five years. His hair was thin and frazzled now. His voice had undergone such a change it was no longer recognizable to those who had gone years without hearing him. He talked as if his vocal chords had been scraped with a scalpel. The most remarkable change was in how he carried himself. He stooped over as he walked. She hoped the end of the war would rejuvenate him. He deserved it, as he had done so much to keep the Republic alive.

"I wanted to speak with you about the peace summit, because I believe instead of sending a delegation, we should send a single person." Palpatine glared at Padme. His expression was pleasant, but Padme still felt he was boring hole into her head. "Padme, I want you to be the sole representative of the Republic at the negotiating table."

For a moment, Padme was silent as she was too stunned to speak. Thankfully, Bail spoke up, so she didn't have to.

"The sole representative at the negotiating table for the Republic? That's impossible. Any peace negotiated with the warlords will not be binding on the Republic unless it is ratified by the Senate. And the Senate will never ratify any agreement that was arranged by a sole negotiator. I shouldn't have to tell you our legislative body is composed of numerous voting blocs that are all going to insist they have a member present at the negotiating table. Everyone is going to want to make sure their own particular interests and power is protected by whatever agreement is negotiated. It's sad that despite the desire to end the war, the politicians are still going to be self-serving. It is the nature of our world."

For maybe the first time ever, Palaptine appeared angered over being questioned. He leaned forward in his chair as he replied. "For years now, I have had to deal with the petty squabbling of one faction after another holding us back and losing the war for us. From the moment I became Chancellor, I knew centralization of power was the only thing that could save the Republic. I have finally achieved it in the military realm, and the results are starting to be realized. However, it has come too late for us to actually win this war. The same factions that have been holding us back are in the middle of tearing this Republic apart, and the only thing that can hold us together is a peace agreement that ends the war. What we need is one person with the authority to negotiate a peace agreement that can simply be imposed."

"And how are we going to do that?" Bail asked. "The Constitution of the Republic explicitly states all treaties must be ratified by the Senate. There is no way around that."

"There is one way. There are still provisions in the Constitution that allow for the appointment of an autocrat during times of war. Any appointed autocrat would have the full authority to negotiate a peace accord on their own and simply impose it on the Republic."

"What makes you believe the Senate will ever agree to such a thing?" Padme could not believe what she heard Palpatine say. "The provisions you are referring to have not been invoked since the formation of the Republic. Given the history of what happened the last time they were invoked, no one will ever want to do so again."

"Yes, I know the appointed autocrat ended up seizing more power than intended and appointing himself autocrat for life. You should know it was also at that time the provisions allowing for the appointment of an autocrat were altered. First, autocrat appointments last for either a set amount of time or until completion of a particular task. Second, the original rules gave any autocrat complete power. They have been amended to allow for appointment of an autocrat in purely foreign affairs. That is the provision we will need to activate to get the treaty negotiated."

"And you want me to be that appointed autocrat?" Padme asked. She slowly put two and two together as she had trouble believing what she was hearing.

"Yes, with the reputation you have, you are the perfect person for the task. Everyone will be assured you will not be looking to abuse your power, not that you will have all that much to abuse. I think the larger problem will simply be getting everyone to believe the autocrat will look out for everyone. They will believe that with you. Over the course of the war, you have had contact with more politicians and dignitaries than anyone. You know more about what every planet, every organization wants than anyone. Padme, I hate to have to burden you with any more responsibility, but this will be it. The end of the war is dependent on a successful peace treaty being negotiated. I wouldn't be asking this of you if I didn't believe you were the only who could complete the task."

Padme hung her head as she looked at the ground. She didn't want to take on any more responsibility, but it appeared necessary for the war to end. She and Anakin needed the war to end in a matter of months. "I will do it," she said meekly. She felt like she was going to vomit.

"Great," Palpatine said as he clasped his hands together. "All we need is one senator who is not a coward. One who has the courage to make the proposal for the autocrat appointment."

"You can count on me for that," Bail said.

"Wonderful," Palpatine said. "I will have my aides draft the petitions. We will be going public with the cease-fire when it takes effect tomorrow. I know the entire galaxy will want to celebrate, and I think the politicians should lead the way. I am putting together a victory celebration to be held tomorrow night. I would hope that both of you would attend. You could bring your sister, Padme. With the summit no longer needing to be held, the two of you will have time to spend together and just catch up."

"I don't know, it looks like I am going to have much to prepare for, but I will be able to spare the time to come to the celebration tomorrow." Padme took a glance at the clock on the wall. "She is due to arrive soon. If we are done, I would like to go and greet her."

"Go," Palpatine said with a smile. Padme did her best to hurry away without appearing to hurry. She didn't want to take the chance Palpatine would come up with a reason to keep her from leaving.