When Anakin entered the Chancellor's office he found the politician at the long window examining the scarred cityscape. At Palpatine's invitation Anakin joined him, the young Jedi noticed the Chancellor's sad expression at what he saw.
"Terrible, is it?" Palpatine remarked sadly.
"They'll never destroy us completely, Your Excellency," Anakin reassured. "The Republic will prevail, the Jedi are determined."
"Oh, I have no doubt that we will win the war, Anakin," Palpatine said. "But as for the Jedi, they may have their own ideas about how to go about it."
To Anakin, this sounded rather odd. "Your Excellency?" He watched the politician pace before coming to stop behind his desk.
"Anakin, the Senate has called me to take direct control of the Jedi Council," Palpatine told him.
"The Jedi will no longer report to the Senate?" Anakin asked.
"They will report to me…personally." Palpatine looked up with a resigned expression. "The Senate is too unfocused to conduct the war. This will bring a quick end to things."
"Oh, I agree," said Anakin loyally. "But not all the Jedi will see it that way."
"Sacrifices must be made, Anakin," Palpatine reminded him. "Even the Jedi must understand that."
"Yes," Anakin agreed reluctantly. "But will all do respect, Your Excellency, I don't think the Council is in the mood for any other constitutional amendments."
"I know that, but I have no choice," said the Chancellor with dignity. "This war must be won."
"Well, no one can dispute that," remarked Anakin.
For a moment he studied the Chancellor and wondered how the Separatists could even consider they had a chance of defeating the Republic with someone like Palpatine at the forefront? Anakin just didn't understand those who insisted that the Chancellor was abusing his position, that being in power as long as he had been had made him grow comfortable in his role and taking any measure possible to keep it.
They don't know him like I do, Anakin thought, they don't know that Palpatine doesn't want to be Chancellor a day longer than he feels he needs to.
"But I didn't call you here to discuss politics, Anakin," said Palpatine. "I can get that anytime I like, I called you here because…well, I need your help, son."
"My help?" Anakin examined Palpatine thoughtfully, what could he mean by this?
"I fear the Jedi," he confessed. "The Council keeps pushing for more control. They're shrouded in secrecy and obsessed with maintaining their autonomy. Ideals I find simply incomprehensible in a democracy."
"I assure you, Your Excellency that the dedication of the Jedi to the Republic is unquestioned," Anakin asserted.
"That may be the case," said Palpatine doubtfully. "But actions speak louder than words. I am depending on you."
"But I don't understand," Anakin said uncertainly. "What are you asking me to do?"
"I'm appointing you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council," answered Palpatine.
"Me?" Anakin said incredulously. "A Master?" For a moment he was stunned, unable to think at all. Yet gradually he could see himself taking his place among the other twelve Jedi Masters. Perhaps sitting next to Obi-Wan, or opposite Yoda!
"Who else?" admitted Palpatine with a shrug. "You are the only Jedi I know I can trust. I need you to be my eyes and ears on the Council and the voice of the Republic."
"But the Council elects its own members," Anakin protested. "They will never accept this."
"I think they will, they will have no choice," said Palpatine, he placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "They need you more than you realise. All it would take is for someone to explain it properly to them."
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Before his appointment to the Jedi Council Obi-Wan had known what went on behind its closed doors only by reputation. He had assumed that the Jedi Masters considered the appropriate decision from the currents of the Force and acted accordingly.
Yet argument was often the rule in a Council session rather than the exception. And in this case he seemed to be on the opposite end of one to Yoda and Mace Windu. What was at stake here was Anakin's own elevation to the Council and to Mastership. While the idea of it had made Obi-Wan's heart soar with pride at his former Padawan learner, it was the reasons for this that forced him firmly against it.
"I don't understand your reservations, Obi-Wan," Mace Windu averred. "Don't you trust Anakin?"
"Of course I trust him," Obi-Wan said, rather annoyed that Mace would doubt this. "There has never been a question of that, Anakin can always be trusted to do what he thinks is right. But he can't be trusted to do what he's told, he won't be made to simply obey. Believe me, I've tried for many years."
"Yet it must be said that Palpatine himself has given us a unique opportunity," Renust Nju pointed out. "He has given us a way to see into the workings of his office, we cannot close our eyes to this chance."
"Then we should you someone else's eyes," argued Obi-Wan. "Forgive me, but none of you know him like I do. Anakin is fiercely loyal to his friends. How can we ask him to lie to a friend, to spy on him?"
"Which is why we must ask a friend to approach him with this," asserted Agen Kolar.
"But you don't understand," said Obi-Wan in exasperation, "you can't make him choose between me and Palpatine—"
"Why not?" interrupted Renust Nju mildly. "Do you think you would lose such a contest?"
"Obi-Wan, haven't you your own reservations about Anakin's friendship with Palpatine?" queried Kuan Yin.
"Yes, I have and I still do," replied Obi-Wan. "But this is not the way to go about it. You're asking him to use that friendship as a weapon, to stab him in the back. Can't you understand what it will cost him if Palpatine is innocent? Their relationship will never be the same—"
"And that may be the best argument in favour of this plan," Mace interrupted. "Anything that might distance Skywalker from the Chancellor is well worth the attempt."
At that moment Obi-Wan realised how useless it was to continue arguing.
"I will, of course, abide by the ruling of the Council," he said in a low tone.
"Doubt that, none of us do," Yoda remarked. "But if done this is, decide we must how best to use him."
Obi-Wan could feel an awful gnawing feeling in his stomach. Anakin, I'm sorry, he pleaded silently, I did my best.