A.N. Hi to you all, hope you will like this chapter. It was a little hard to write, mostly because of Palpatine's presence. The guy is a hard character to write, but I hope to have made na reasonable attempt.

7 New acquaintances

Palpatine left the turbolift behind and proceeded through the small lobby towards the female figure approaching him. An amicable smile covered his aged features making him seem like the kind old man everyone took him for. Although exteriorly he emitted a languidly and complacent aura, interiorly his mind was overworking itself, calculating all variables and how to adjust his plans to this new development. The boy's sister! None of his carefully strategically thought-out schemes had been planned counting with that factor. He had known about her existence, of course. With barely more than a couple of fatherly words on the first encounters with his soon-to-be apprentice he had managed to grab the boy's trust making him let his guard down. The complains had poured then from the boy's cherubic lips time and time again about her and his mother absence, but fortunately the boy had eventually grown out of it and stopped talking about them. By then he had committed one of the few mistakes he had ever made in his whole life, he had discarded her as someone undeserving of his time seeing her inferiority in relation to her brother had already been confirmed when she was proved to lack the power her brother wielded. And since she was someone who probably would rot and die in that dusty piece of rock and most likely never cross paths with his future apprentice again, he had foolishly disregarded the girl's existence as of no consequence. But now, look and behold, the wretched girl pops out unexpectedly right in the middle of his artifice. No mater. For a second his fatherly countenance faltered as his thin lips were pulled in a devilish grin and his ice blue eyes flashed yellow. Maybe this new development is not such a bad thing at all, the Sith Lord mused as he mulled over his last conversation with Skywalker. The boy obviously nurtured his connection with his twin and kept her company in great regard. He would need to waste a considerable amount of time with her, but ultimately he was certain he would turn her into a very useful asset in the boy's fall from grace. Living for so long in that back water planer, he was sure she would not be harder to ensnare in his web of deceits than her brother had been. In the end she would become one more chain binding the boy to his will.

The Supreme Chancellor stopped before Amidala's adjutant, his most deceptively compassioned smile masking the ruthlessness lurking inside "Excellency," Eirtaé greeted the Supreme Chancellor, her great skill in protocol aiding her disguise her astonishment at his unannounced visit. Bowing to the head of the Senate the blond Nabooian stepped aside to allow the elder man to walk by her side as decorum tell her to do. "I am sorry, I was not aware my Lady was expecting your grace?!"

"Oh, no, no," he said kindly, "I am afraid I have not requested any audience with Senator Amidala. I came only to check on your Ladyship. I have wanted to come sooner, but the current state of Republic's affairs… Well, it simply had not been possible before," he apologized as he followed the Senator's adherent into the sitting room where the young woman was already seated in one of the yellow-cream colored sofas.

"Your Illustriousness," Padmé greeted the man that and been one of her most important former advisers as she rose from her seat, "this is a pleasant surprise. May I inquire what the cause for such unexpected visit?"

Seating down first, like protocol required, Palpatine focused his 'worried' eyes on the brunette seated across from him, "Please, let us disregard those pestering styles," he requested as he waved his hand as if to chase away something annoying. "The truth Amidala is that I was worried about you, I had counted in coming for a visit shortly after your safe return from Geonosis, but the following events left me with no possibility for such until now. I am sorry for my poor excuse, but I am afraid it is the only I can provide," he told her regretful.

"It would be terribly unfair from my part to keep something like that against you Chancellor, we both now the grave repercussions the findings in both Geonosis as well as Kamino had caused in the Republic's stability," the Nabooian said understanding his current dilemmas.

Sidious only kept half of his attention on the babbling naïve standing in front of him; his other half scanned the room for the missing girl. He had expected to find her among Padmé's other aides, but apart from Eirtaé (who after escorting him to her Lady had taken her place behind her mistress seat) only two other aides were laying in waiting, Moteé and Ellé if he was not mistaken. Where could the girl be?! He needed to get her to feel somewhat comfortable around him before she had too much contact with Obi-Wan. The Jedi was far from suspecting his true identity, but the Dark Lord was more than aware of the knight's distrust regarding his person. Palpatine did not expect for the self-righteous Jedi to try anything to endanger any possible connection between him and the girl, but he feared Qui-Gon's former Padawan's wariness could somehow affect the girl's judgment and imperil his new plans. He had already disdaining the Jedi once and that had cost him an apprentice, he would not commit the same idiocy again. "Nonsense," he said, "after everything we faced together I consider us friends, don't you too?"

"Of course Excell… uh… Chancellor," she corrected, maybe he did not wanted her to treat him by his titles but, she could not see herself treating him by his name, even if it was his family name. Something in him made the very idea sound wrong somehow. "But a holomessage would have been enough," she assured.

"Absurd," he retorted, "I had wanted to make sure you had recuperated from your recent probations," the Sith Lord said for the sake of his compassionate façade.

"As you can see I am quite all right, it is needed more than a few mistreats to throw me down," she reassured, "the only thing Doku managed with his batter was to make me even more determinate to stop this foolish war once and for all!"

"We are on the same side concerning such matters and the newfangled emergency powers the Senate conceded me were exactly what I needed to assure a quick end to the former Jedi's plans. The clone army surely will vanquish the one-time Master Yoda's apprentice's delusions of grandeur."

Amidala sighed tiredly. "Regarding such matter," Padmé retorted, "I'm not so sure that will be the best course of action," she told him. "If we use force against the Separatists, they would only strike us back. And then what, we attack again?! That would only cause an infinite circle of death and suffering, for both parts," she concluded.

"I am well aware of the dangers." I had made sure that would be the only possible result. "But there is little we can do. The Separatist are attacking our borders as we speak," he claimed feverously. "I know you fear for the lives of everyone in the Galaxy," could you be more sickly benevolent, "so do I, but people are already suffering, already dying at the hands of Doku and his minions. I have sworn an oath towards the Republic and its people. I have to think in all of them, not only on the inhabitants of the Chommell sector," he said with a hint of accusation, "because My Lady, do not fool yourself into thinking Doku's past as a Jedi will make him wait patiently for our rebuttal, he is already attacking and subduing planets on the Outer Rim," as I had instructed him. He said to her with a stern look, "to look to the other side as such thing occurs; it just is not in my nature."

Although sure she was right in her convictions, the Senator could not help but feel a twinge of guilt at the elder man's words, his compelling motives made her feel she was the one in the wrong. Amidala bowed her head in submission," perhaps you are right, but I cannot, in peace of mind, condone such actions. The best I can promise you is my abstention in whatever bills you will seek to pass," she relented.

"I understand your decision," Palpatine told her seemingly thankful, "and I thank your comprehension about my choices."

Padmé only nodded, her mind reeling with the possible consequences of her rush decision.

"Well My Lady, since I can see you are faring well I suppose I should return to my office," the Chancellor offered as excuse as he stood. He was somewhat annoyed he had not been able to accomplish his true intent, but he could not consider his little charade a total waste of his time. The Senator's promise making him smirk devilishly, a smirk he hid behind the sweet sugared smile he offered to the silent hostess. "Goodbye and I do hope to see you back in the Senate soon." Your unwilling help will greatly suit my plans.

"I am truly grateful for your concern," Padmé thanked also getting up, "but it is not needed. I am sure your grace has more premising matters to attend to."

Palpatine gave her a short nod before turning his back and following back to the small lobby with Eirtaé close behind. His mind wandered to the girl again, it seemed he would have to leave his first encounter for another time. It was unfortunate indeed, but he was sure to be able to arrange for it sooner rather than later. The hiss of the turbolift's door opening made him refocus his attention on the present, right in time to see a young human woman accompanied by two other Amidala's handmaidens, Sabé and Dormé, steep off it. It seemed the Force had blessed him; by the holos he had received in front of him was none other than Skywalker's sister herself.

Ana blinked a few times as she shook off her surprise. She had recognized the elder man standing in front of her as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, head of the Senate. Her initial stun was short lived; her mind rapidly dispersed the usual numbness she always felt after her treatments. Working in a full-throttle, her mind started providing her with the correct protocol and subsequent etiquette necessary in such a situation.

"Your Excellency," she offered as apology accompanied of a perfectly orchestrated deep courtesy, her light feet quickly steeping aside to open way for the politician to pass.

"Not to worry my dear," he reassured kindly as he shifted into his kind old man persona, "and who might you be," he asked innocently as she righted herself.

She stood there a little fazed by the unexpected question. It wasn't an all that odd question in the first place, but she had to admit she felt somewhat surprised. She had expected for the Chancellor to simply pass by her or at most to give her an acknowledging nod. She sure had not expected for him to stop in his tracks and search for what was obviously an introduction. Both Padmé as well as Ani had told her about the man's compassionate nature, but she had been far from thinking he could be interested in getting to know a Senator's new aide, unless… A soft clear of a throat recalled her of the situation at hand.

Palpatine stood still as he seemingly waited patiently for an answer, but she was certain he had been the one calling her back to the present and she could almost swear she could feel the impatience rolling off of him in waves. "Ananta your Excellency," she responded with yet another bow

"Ananta you say, why that name… You are the young Jedi Skywalker twin sister, are you not?!"

"Indeed I am your grace," she acquiesced in a steady and calm voice, but she did not develop the matter further. She did not know him at all and although Ani and Padmé both seemed to trust him, he was far from having gaining hers. After all, even if the politician was a man of good he still had taken advantage of his people's time of need to boost his carrier. While she had gathered the reasons behind the vote of no confidence against Valorum had been more than justified, she was sure it had been of great consequence for the once-time Nabooian Senator. It had opened the way towards chancellery and the blockade Naboo was suffering at the time certainly had amassed him a good amount of pity votes. Not that she could really take it against him, many would be the Senators who would have fallowed the same example had they been in Palpatine's place and he hadn't endangered his people with such action, not really. One way or another, had not Padmé returned and forced a treaty out of Nute Gunray, the matter would have been dragged endlessly on the Senate or the Courts. He had simply seen an unmissable opportunity that he hastily seized, like the politician he was.

While respectful, the girl's mannerisms were distant if not aloof. She did quite well in hiding it, so much he was inclined to assume he would not have noticed if he wasn't a Master in the art of hooded personalities himself. He supposed she, contrary to her sibling, wasn't willing to give him his trust just because… That could prove to be a problem. "Well then, welcome. I have your brother in great regard. He has done mush for the Galaxy as well as my home planet Naboo. I'm glad to make your acquaintance and hope you will prolongue your stay for as long as you like," he told her in hopes of making her more docile towards him. It seemed her time as a slave had granted her with an all too troubling wary nature.

A timid smile curved her lips at her brother's mention. He had had to leave shortly after their arrival in Coruscant only allowing in enough time for a short goodbye to her and her sister-in-law. "I thank you your hospitality your excellency," Ana said to Palpatine as a shadow of a smile persisted in lingering on her lips.

"Unfortunately, I must go now, but I look forward to see you again. My Lady," he said with a light bow to the approaching Senator, "Ananta, until next time," he said with a short nod to the former slave.

Padmé stopped by Ananta's side as the turbolift's door closed on Palpatine. "That was rather… odd," the Senator concluded.

"Odd indeed," Ana consented.

"No matter," Padmé said shrugging off the matter, "let us go to your room, you must be exhausted.