Anakin Skywalker rushed through the foyer of the elegant opera, his thoughts giving him wings to make him go even faster. He couldn't wait to hear the Chancellor's news about General Grievous. As he heard that the droid general had been tracked, the joy rushed through him. Finally, finally, finally they would be able to end the Clone Wars. Something that had been overdue for a long time. But then Palpatine asked him to sit down and stay for a while. Equally surprised and pleased, he followed the Chancellor's wish. He watched the elegant ballet in the water bubbles as Palpatine began to speak. "Anakin, you know I'm not able to rely on the Jedi Council." Anakin thought about it. He wasn't sure if Palpatine relied on the Council, but he was absolutely positive that the Council didn't rely on the Chancellor. Palpatine continued. "If they haven't included you in their plot, they soon will." A plot? The thoughts raced through Anakin's mind. How could he tell his friend that he wasn't aware of such a thing? "I'm not sure I understand.", he answered carefully. "You must sense what I have come to suspect. The Jedi Council want control of the republic. They're planning to betray me.", Palpatine explained. No! That was impossible. Anakin was on the Council, he would know. "I don't think that-" The Chancellor interrupted the Jedi. "Anakin, search your feelings. You know, don't you?" Anakin couldn't help to admit Palpatine had a point. "I know they don't trust you.", he said, trying not to give away too much information. The Chancellor nodded sympathetically. "Or the senate. Or the republic. Or democracy for that matter." What the Chancellor said suited the Order's commando structure. "I have to admit, my trust in them has been shaken." Asking him to spy on a friend didn't exactly suit Anakin's sense of loyalty. "Why?" Anakin resisted the urge to close his eyes. That was the question he had tried to avoid. He didn't want to lose his friend's trust. "They asked you to do something that made you feel dishonest, didn't they?" Palpatine's gift to read faces was unmatched in the galaxy. Anakin quickly pondered that might be what made him such a good politician. But it got worse. "They asked you to spy on me, didn't they?" The young Jedi shifted uncomfortably. "I don't … I don't know what to say." "Remember back to your early teachings. All who gain power are afraid to lose it. Even the Jedi." Anakin took a deep breath before excusing the Order. "The Jedi use their power for good." But the Chancellor was one step ahead. "Good is a point of view, Anakin. The Sith and the Jedi are similar in almost every way. Including their quest for greater power." That couldn't be true! The Jedi weren't evil as the Sith were, they were different! "The Sith rely on their passion for their strength. They think inwards, only about themselves." "And the Jedi don't?" Palpatine sounded seriously interested. "The Jedi are selfless. They only care about others." He turned to face the stage again. After a moment of silence, Palpatine spoke again. "Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?" "No." "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, he could use the force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side, he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying." Until this point, Anakin had only listened politely, but now the Chancellor had his attention. "He could actually save people from death?" Anakin's thoughts instantly were with Padmé and he allowed a tiny flicker of hope in his mind. If there was only the slightest possibility to save her, he would do it. He would do everything, for her. "The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural."
