Walking through the hanger bay, I spot Boil talking with a few of his brothers, who I noticed to be Wooley, Trapper, and Crys, and decide to stop by for a small chat. (all CANON clones)
"Hey guys, hows life?" I ask them casually.
"Commander!" they all say immediately in response, offering me a salute. I roll my eyes.
"Come on, how many times have I told you that you don't have to salute me every single time?" I ask in exasperation.
"Many times sir, but we'll still keep doing it," Crys said with a grin as they all came out of their salute.
"And why is that?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
"Because it's fun to mess with you sir," Boil says with a grin, and they all laugh with each other as I shake my head in response, a small smile on my face.
"Umm, you know where your droid is at, sir?" Wooley asks me.
"No, why?" I say in confusion.
"I feel like he's been giving me the stink eye," he says nervously, glancing around the hanger to make sure R5 isn't here.
"Eh, that's normal," I tell him, waving a hand reassuringly. "He just likes to mess with people. You would not believe the amount of times I've had to threaten him to apologize."
"Oh I can certainly believe that sir." Trapper says. I then take notice of a small scar on Boil's head, just visible underneath his haircut.
"Looks like quite a scar there Boil. You alright?" I ask him.
He glances at me quickly before responding. "Yes sir, just a small training accident with Captain Rex," he informs me. I eye him weirdly, sensing only a half-truth in his words but shrug in response.
"Aww come on Commander, we all know how Boil likes to look tough." Crys teases him.
"Yeah? Well we all know you're the pretty boy with that hair of yours Crys." Boil retorts, and we all laugh in response at the appalled look Crys gives Boil in response, as he mutters about his hair looking fine. He's bleached it blonde for years now.
"Well, I'll see you guys later." I tell them. "Also just a reminder, while Cody and Obi-Wan are out hunting down Grievous," they mutter jealously in response, since everyone in the 212th loves the opportunity to bring that monster down. "We're on standby in case we get sent on another mission, okay?"
"Yes sir!" they say in response.
I smile brightly at them. "Great! Well, see ya."
Me and Anakin were in a war meeting up in the communications tower with Master Windu, Master Yoda, Master Mundi, and Master Secura when a hologram of Commander Cody appeared.
"Master Windu, may I interrupt? General Kenobi has made contact with General Grievous, and we have begun our attack," he informs us.
"Thank you Commander." Master Windu says in response, and with a respectful nod, Cody vanishes.
"Anakin?" Master Windu asks. "Deliver this report to the Chancellor. His reaction will give us a clue to his intentions."
Anakin stares back at him but nods his head. "Yes Master," he says tightly, walking away. I watch him go worriedly, sensing the frustration he feels acting as a double agent between the Chancellor and the Council, having to spy on him.
Once he's gone Master Windu looks up, speaking again. "I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi. The Dark Side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor."
"If he does not give up his emergency powers after the destruction of Grievous then he should be removed from office." Master Mundi says.
I widen my eyes in surprise. I don't like the Chancellor either but that would be a bad move for the Jedi, since the Senate would accuse our involvement in their affairs to be treason. Which is absurd because they interrupt our affairs a whole lot, and we can't do anything about it. "Isn't that a little risky Master?" I ask hesitantly.
"Dangerous, this may be." Master Yoda says.
"It would be a dangerous move. The Jedi Council would have take control of the Senate in order to secure a more peaceful transaction." Master Windu points out.
"...and replace the Congress with senators that are not filled with greed and corruption." Master Mundi adds.
"To a dark place this line of thought will carry us. Hmmmmm. . . . great care we must take." Master Yoda advises.
I let out a sigh, unsure of how to feel about this. I don't like the Chancellor and the corrupt politicians anymore than the Council, but the way they seem to be planning to handle it seems wrong.
Anakin POV...
I walked into the Chancellor's office, finding him at his desk looking at a red hologram of something. He shuts it down and turns to me as I approach before I can get a decent view of it.
"Chancellor," I greet politely. "We have just received a report from Master Kenobi. He has engaged General Grievous."
"We can only hope that Master Kenobi is up to the challenge," he replies, and I look down slightly, feeling a great sense of longing and need to be with him.
"I should be there with him... me and Jarik," I admit in disappointment.
"It is upsetting to me to see that the Council doesn't seem to fully appreciate your talents." Palpatine says sadly, a look of sympathy on his face. "Don't you wonder why they won't make you a Jedi Master?"
"I wish I knew," I said in agreement, slowly pacing around. "More and more I get the feeling that I am being excluded from the Council." I tell him, and he nods in understanding. "I know there are things about the Force that they are not telling me." I admit.
"They don't trust you, Anakin. They see your future. They know your power will be too strong to control." Palpatine says, standing up. We walk into the hallway out of his main office, and he puts a comforting arm on my shoulder. "Anakin, you must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to know the subtleties of the Force."
I glance at him in surprise, confused at how he would know such things. "How do you know the ways of the Force?" I ask him.
"My mentor taught me everything about the Force... even the nature of the dark side," he says, and I widen my eyes, stopping in front of him with a confused glare on my face.
"You know the dark side?!" I demand, bewildered and confused about why Chancellor Palpatine would know such things. How...?
"Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi! If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force," he tells me with a smile.
I glare warily at him, sensing something to suddenly be amiss... the Chancellor has never spoken like this, what's gotten into him? We move around each other, and suddenly I remember Obi-Wan and Jarik's wariness with the Chancellor. Were they right about him, and I never saw it?
"Be careful of the Jedi Anakin," he advises, although it doesn't sound as comforting as his words used to. "Only through me, can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi!" he say, a dark gleam in his eyes that leaves me unsettled. "Learn to use the dark side of the Force, and you will be able to save your wife... from certain death," he says, a smirk coming onto his face.
I stop, my blood running cold as my eyes widen in shock and fear. I narrow my gaze angrily at him. How does he now of my marriage?! I've told no one!
"What did you say?!" I demand angrily.
"Use my knowledge, I beg you!" he pleads.
Suddenly it all clicks into place. This... this isn't the Chancellor I know! He never was! Now I realize why Fives said the Chancellor was the head of the conspiracy... why Jarik couldn't access any of the files, which were all blocked by the Chancellor's Office... how he knew of Sith legends that Jedi never knew! He is the Sith Lord!
I grab my lightsaber and activate it, pointing it at his throat, a furious glare in my eyes. "You're the Sith Lord!" I exclaim.
"I know what has been troubling you . . . Listen to me. Don't continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council! Ever since I've known you, you've been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi . . . a life of significance, of conscience." Palpatine says... no, from what Master Yoda has told us... his name is Sidious.
All these years, he was never my friend... he only ever wanted to use me! He's no better than any of the greedy slave owners and senators in the galaxy! He betrayed me! I raise my saber threateningly at the back of his head, and he stops.
"Are you going to kill me?" he asks simply.
"I would certainly like to!" I exclaim furiously.
Sidious suddenly gets a dark tone to his voice as he whispers. "I know you would... I can feel your anger! It gives you focus, makes you stronger!" he growls out.
Realizing his words to be true, I reluctantly lower my lightsaber. I won't let him get the better of me... like how he made me kill Dooku. I still feel shame for doing so in front of Jarik. The look in his eyes he gave me when I did that...
"I'm going to turn you over to the Jedi Council," I say with a glare.
"Of course you should," he responds, and it's aggravating how unconcerned he seems by that threat. "Of course you should. But you not sure of their intentions are you?"
"I will quickly discover the truth of all of this." I promise him, nodding confidently as my eyes bore into his.
"You have great wisdom Anakin. Know the power of the dark side, power to save, Padme," he promises in return with a smile.
As he heads back to his office, I glare at his back angrily. "I may be unsure of the Council's intentions, but my friend Jarik... he's been right to be suspicious of you," I tell him with a small smirk.
Sidious stops and turns to look at me, an unreadable expression on his face. I think I see a brief glimpse of angry yellow in his eyes before they revert back to his normal color. That only confirms who he really is for me.
"We shall see," he says darkly.
Jarik POV...
I was walking through the halls of the Temple when I noticed Anakin rushing up to my quickly, slightly out of breath. I eye him in surprise.
"Master? What's got you in a hurry?" I ask.
"I already informed Master Windu," he says, looking me dead in the eyes. "You were right to be suspicious of the Chancellor Jarik. He is the Sith Lord," he tells me.
I widen my eyes in shock and disbelief, not expecting that at all! I was confident that there was a Sith Lord hidden somewhere in the Senate building... but the Chancellor himself?! How... how did he get all the way to the top! Then it all comes crashing down to me...
"Oh kriffing Force..." I whisper in shock. "I knew the Sith Lord was somewhere in the Senate, and the Chancellor was suspicious but... he's the Sith Lord himself?"
"All this time, he was manipulating me... I should've listened to you guys more," he says, pacing around in obvious guilt and regret, feeling burdened.
"Hey hey, Master... Anakin, it's not your fault alright? He played us all, now we have to respond," I reassure him.
"Master Windu and the remaining Council members are already headed there right now," he tells me.
I exhale nervously, unsure of how to feel about this. I just still can't get over the fact that Palpatine is Darth Sidious...
"I hope they stop him..." I manage to say.
"Me too," he says in agreement, looking out the window. "I'm going to head up to the Council chambers to clear my head. Let me know if you need anything okay?" he asks me, and I nod my head in understanding.
"I will Master, I just hope this doesn't blow up in our faces," I reply, voicing my own concerns. Nodding his head, he leaves to go to the Council chambers, and with renewed vigor, I head to my quarters to prepare for any possible scenarios like Satele and Master Yoda have told me, not realizing this was the last time I would ever interact with Anakin Skywalker...
And so, the final moments of the fall of Anakin Skywalker have begun. Man, his story is so sad! Born a slave, trained as a Jedi and manipulated since the beginning by a Sith Lord, loosing his Padawan to the Council's foolishness...
Jarik's story isn't so happy either. Parents cut down in front of his eyes by Maul as an infant, Ahsoka dies, shattering the bond painfully before she is resurrected, many moments of guilt and regret during the Clone Wars, losing Ahsoka to the Council's foolishness...
Wow...
As a side note, today spring break for me has officially ended! NOO! :( That means no more super fast updates on this story until school is over, so sad. But the story must go on! Also, a new side story in the shaniverse has been posted on my profile page! It isn't written yet, only being a introduction and explanation of what it will be, but it involves the Old Republic with Satele Shan, meeting a cybertronian... ooohh. Check it out if you want, I'll do my best to update on all my stories when my schedule allows me!