CHAPTER 4

TRUST AND DECEPTION

Anakin stood still in front of the closed doors of the council chamber. They were just informed by Republic officials that Palpatine wished to appoint Anakin to a council seat. The doors opened after a few minutes of him standing at the hall with arms crossed. He was attempting to meditate and find any information on his experience at the Dark Side Planet, but the force wasn't giving any clues about it.

The Jedi Council watched him attentively as he walked up the short stairs and stopped to stand at the center of the chamber. The first time that this happened, it felt like only weeks ago, he was expectant and nervous and assumed that having a position on the council meant being a Master. But all of that was moot. If he changed some events from recent minor actions, perhaps he could change something with a more obvious one?

Mace was the first to speak.

"Anakin Skywalker, we have approved your appointment to the Council as the Chancellor's personal representative," he stated deliberately, as though beginning to add more.

"Understood," Anakin simply said, ready to just sit down. Yoda regarded him carefully, as though gauging his facial expressions. Anakin sincerely hoped he was catching the uninterest that he surely felt.

"Allow this appointment lightly, the Council does not. Disturbing is this move by Chancellor Palpatine," Jedi Grand master Yoda said slowly, watching him. Anakin nodded once slowly.

"You are on this Council, but we do not grant you the rank of Master."

To a number of the Jedi present, it was a surprise to them when Anakin simply nodded and took his seat. Mace and Yoda shared a significant glance which Anakin didn't notice. He did see Obi-Wan almost imperceptibly nod approvingly at him. He did his best to shrug as much as he could without drawing attention.

"We have surveyed all systems in the Republic, and have found no sign of General Grievous."

Yoda nodded slowly with a light grunt. He sat in his chair, head resting on his hands that lay still on his gimer stick.

"Hiding in the Outer Rim, Grievous is," Yoda said without opening his now closed eyes. "The outlying systems you must sweep."

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. "That may take some time." Leaning forward in his chair, he focused his attention on Mace and Yoda, although speaking to everyone. "We do not have many ships to spare."

"We cannot take ships from the front line."

Everyone could agree on Mace's evaluation. All ships in the Battlefront were most useful and required in the main areas of conflict.

"And yet," Obi-Wan put a hand to his chin. "It would be fatal to allow the droid armies to regroup."

Anakin suppressed the temptation to just lean back in his chair and essentially fall asleep. Much of what was being said was common sense that didn't need discussion in a drawn out meeting. Why the heck was he so pressed to be in a council anyway?

"Master Kenobi, our spies contact, you must, and then wait."

"What about the droid attack on the Wookiees?" Ki-Adi Mundi added.

"It is critical we send an attack group there, immediately!"

" He's right, that is a system we cannot afford to lose. It's the main navigation route for the southwestern quadrant," Kenobi clarified. Anakin preferred to hold his tongue this time around.

" Go, I will. Good relations with the Wookiees, I have," The diminutive Grand Master reasoned, to the agreement of the majority of the council.

"It is settled then. Yoda will take a battalion of clones to reinforce the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. Kenobi must find General Grievous. May the f-"

"Master Windu, if I may," Anakin interrupted, leaning forward in his chair. Mace regarded him with a raised eyebrow, but did not refuse him.

"I'd like to accompany Master Kenobi to track down Grievous."

Obi-Wan regarded Anakin with a carefully amused expression.

"You're assignment is with the chancellor," Master Windu reminded, as though Anakin should have known.

"I understand, but, I admit that I am very close friends with the Chancellor. My...awareness in the force would be clouded," he explained, leaning back in his chair. Windu leaned back in his chair as well, considering his words. He looked to Yoda, who had an unidentifiable expression of concentration lining is aged face. Then he nodded.

"Very well. Master Kenobi, do you agree to this?"

"Yes, masters."

"Then you shall accompany him," Master Windu said with an approving nod, seemingly a bit impressed by Anakin. "May the Force be with us all."


A lone figure garbed in a simple black cloak strolled through the hallway of Palpatine's office building. Walking through select passages, the being was able to avoid a majority of people present. Reaching the top floor through an elevator, the cloaked one was politely stopped by the receptionist.

"I am sorry, but do you have an appointment? It will only take me a moment to check the datalog."

With a wave of the hand reminiscent of a mind trick, the cloaked figure walked right past the hapless secretary and into the Chancellor's office.

The receptionist was not actually mind tricked, but rather, the past 2 minutes of her memory was wiped. She blinked and then frowned. Why was she standing up from her desk?

"Ugh, I must not have had any Caf this afternoon."

With no worry of interference by any more people, the cloaked person stopped at the steps inside the Chancellor's room. By seemingly it's own will, the doors closed shut, producing a muffled thunking sound.

Slowly, Palpatine swiveled his chair around to face the door. His fingers were steepled together, and his head rested on his index fingers' tips.

"Well, greetings. May I ask who it is that I am speaking with?" Palpatine asked with a ghost of a smile. The person the steps did not answer but waved the hand again.

The Chancellor was aware that his recording devices had shorted out at that very moment.

"I know I am not popular with a particular set of Bureaucrats, but I did not expect such extreme protest so pre-emptively..." The Chencellor said coolly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table.

"Senator Amidala," Palpatine finished. The cloaked figure removed her hood, revealing Padme's face. She was already frowning, and Palpatine could guess at her cause of upset.

"Are you surprised that I know?" Palpatine ventured. The recording devices were useless at the moment, so why not be candid.

"Yes, I am aware of you're title as a Dark Lady of The Sith," he continued. "Darth..." Palpatine seemed to be remembering something. "Me'szall, I believe."

"As I am aware of your title," the Sith Lady replied calmly. "Sidious."

Palpatine's eyes narrowed a fraction. "I see that the need for formality is past," the man said slowly rising from his seat. "You use your anger, but you do not use your hate."

Oddly, he began to raise a hand as though to point an accusing finger. "Which is why you shall always be a failed Sith Lady," he taunted. With his already raised hand, he spread his fingers apart, pointing them at Padme, or, rather, Darth Me'szall. Sith Lightning poured from his fingertips, lancing towards her at great speed.

With even greater speed, Me'szall's crimson lightsaber met the lightning, harmlessly redirecting it toward a ground wire on a nearby wall. It's only effect was the momentary flickering of the overhead lights.

"While your arrogance blinds you," she snarled, pointing her blade directly at Palpatine from her position at the door. The saber suddenly shot from her hand towards Palpatine, who lazily leaned sideways, dodging the would be assassination attempt. The deactivated hilt returned to her hand just as quickly. Palpatine hadn't even bothered to procure and activate his saber, standing there as if King of the world. And for all intents and purposes, he was.

"As a fellow Sith Lord," Palpatine said lightly, as though disussing the weather, "I will give you this one chance to pledge allegiance to me."

Me'szall did not answer, not disturbing Sidious in the least.

"Find yourself lucky, Senator. I do not know what your resources are, so you are safe...for now. But is of no consequence," Palpatine dismissed, returning to his seat and resteepling his fingers. "I will have an apprentice much strong in the Force. More powerful than me," he explained. "Than you."

"You will not have him," Padme stated, deactivating her lightsaber and turning to leave.

"I sense an attachment, young Senator," was Palpatine's closing words, as he watched her leave the room.

Amidala may have believed it was hidden, but Palpatine was well aware of her love for Anakin Skywalker. If Anakin were to become his apprentice and become fully immersed in the Dark Side, that would be to destroy his symbol of hope, whether that symbol herself was 'good' or not.