CHAPTER 11

EXILED

"Obi-Wan, surely you jest with me," Anakin retorted, not registering the quite ridiculous accusation that his former master was spewing.

"I'm not sure if you're privy to this," Obi-Wan antiphoned sarcastically, "But your wife is a Sith Lord."

Anakin shook his head with a frustrated exhalation of breath. "Not this again, Obi-Wan."

Kenobi had the distinct urge to smack Anakin up the side of his head at that very moment, but chose the diplomatic approach.

"I don't know if you see the gravity of this situation," the Jedi Master commented gravely. "Your wife has just called for the Jedi High Council's arrest as her first act as Supreme Chancellor! Just after a tyrant was ousted!"

Anakin raised a open hand. "Are you saying Padme's a tyrant?" Anakin accused with narrowed eyes.

"You're not listening!" Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering how to get through to this impetuous youth.

"The Jedi's Autonomy is being threatened, Anakin. Whichever course of action the Jedi take, it will look bad for us."

"I thought we didn't care about what people thought."

"It doesn't hurt to not have enemies everywhere, Anakin," Obi-Wan retorted, feeling as though Anakin was argument just for the sake of. He scratched his beard absently, looking out the window from where they were in the Temple.

"Anakin, look outside."

Anakin had his arms crossed, and raised his gaze from the floor to Obi-Wan. With obvious reluctance, Anakin walked from the wall to the opposite side that the window was.

"What the hell..."

Republic Gunships were nearing the Temple, slowly increasing in size to show that they were closing the distance.

"Do you understand now, Anakin? She may be your wife, but she's still a Sith."

Anakin looked downcast, and Obi-Wan softened his expression.

"Look, perhaps you can talk to her," Kenobi suggested. In his opinion, the plan wouldn't work in a million years, but Anakin had to understand. Supreme Chancellor Amidala was a Sith. Simple as that. And the main goal of a Sith was the destruction of the Jedi Order. Only she seemed to be using a political approach to remove much of the Council's power rather than outright destroying it like the late Palpatine had planned.

Anakin nodded, as though convincing himself that talking to her would fix everything. "All right, I'll do that," he declared, sounding more confident than he actually was.

Anakin made it to the Chancellor's office building without any difficulty. It seems Jedi could still move around freely, but they were under careful watch. Anakin felt uneasy by the simple fact that it was Padme doing all this. He reached the Chancellor's office, making it to the double doors. Flanking each side was a Red Guard. Strangely, they weren't there a few days ago.

To his relief, they didn't try to bar him as he neared the door, but their emotionless visors left him in a state of unease.

He pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

Anakin still found it strange that Padme could sense his presence. She hadn't turned the chair around yet when she said his name. She stood and closed the distance between them and pulled him into a hug.

"I appreciate what you did; for ending Palpatine."

Ending. That sound very...un-politician-like, Anakin mused.

"Padme, is it true? You're arresting the Jedi council?" Anakin questioned, getting straight to the point.

"It's the only reasonable course of action, Ani," she said, using her pet name for him again. Anakin sighed in veiled frustration.

"We both know that's not the real reason."

"You wouldn't understand."

Anakin turned to his side and crossed his arms. "You're right, I don't," he said, glancing around as though trying to find his answer hidden in the walls of the room. "This is all the same isn't it? You're trying to destroy the Jedi."

"You've already seen the news broadcast," she replied, more of a statement than a question.

"Padme, please. I'm tired of the political statements," Anakin saidwith a shake of his head. Anakin followed Padme as she returned to her seat. "What's the real reason? Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want you away from them, Anakin," she said harshly. Anakin was at a loss for words. She wasn't lying.

"Padme," he said softly, kneeling on one knee. "I can just leave the Order," he said with determination. He knew what she was thinking. And he could sympathize. Anakin's status as a Jedi prevented him from often visiting Padme.

"You don't have to bring the High Council into this."

"That's not enough. And you now it. You're the chosen one. They won't stay away from you, unless I do something about it."

"I can handle myself," Anakin retorted hotly. "You're going overboard!" he said, rising to his feet. "Drop the arrest order," he pleaded.

Padme didn't even blink.

"You have 12 hours, Anakin. Either they give themselves up, or the Clones will arrest them," she said professionally, leaning back in her chair.

"I don't believe this," Anakin said incredulously, he gestured his arms outwards at his sides as though giving up on something. "What happened to you? I thought we came to an agreement before we'd gotten planetside!"

"You said you wanted children," she responded with a shrug.

"So that's all that was?"

"You're dismissed. 12 hours."

"You'll end up arresting Obi-Wan too!" Anakin tried to reason with her. He hadn't budged from where he stood.

"That's unfortunate," she said coldly. "He's still one of them."

What about me, I'm a Jedi too.

"Padme, I'm not going along with this. You're doing it again, making me choose between them or you," he said, pointing at the temple in the distance then at her. "When I shouldn't have to choose at all."

"You're still naive to politics, Ani."

It didn't fly past Anakin that she was talking to him like he was 9 years old again.

"Padme, cut it out," he demanded. "You're not being any different than what you, me, and everyone else tried to stop Palpatine from doing," he said while shaking his head in disbelief.

"Get out."

Anakin hadn't expected such a severe response.

"Padme, listen-"

"Get. Out," Padme repeated angrily, standing up.

Anakin couldn't believe how much she'd changed in a span of 24 hours. Or did she change at all. Anakin slowly turned and walked towards the door, only glancing back once at Padme, who was still standing. He exited the room and tried to rub his face, but his flesh hand was shaking. As he trekked back to his Speeder which time seemed to be slowing down for him, he wondered if Obi-Wan knew this would be the result.

The High Council chambers was full of discussion, noise, and all around clamor. Anakin had told them the results of his attempts to talk to the Chancellor, omitting the fact that she was a Sith.

"Under the influence, the Senate may yet remain to be," Yoda declared with a loud tap of his Gimer stick.

"As it was with the late Palpatine, how do we know if Chancellor Amidala is influenced by yet another Sith, or if she is one?" Master Windu said objectively. Murmurs were heard all around and Anakin spoke up.

"She. She's not a Sith. She's worried. They don't know much of a difference between Sith and Jedi except the color of our lightsabers," he reasoned. Obi-Wan shook his head in disappointment and sighed sadly.

"He's right," Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up. "We are considered extremely secretive," he clarified, to the agreement of some masters.

"And with good reason," Windu retorted respectfully. "We remain autonomous, because we are to serve for the Republic's Interests, not serve under the government that happens to represent it. We cannot do our duty if we serve under one person, who has charged us with an unfounded arrest."

Anakin didn't say anything to that. He didn't exactly disagree with that last sentiment.

"I say we relocate," Eeth Koth suggested. The clamor in the chamber had risen again, majority of them for the statement.

"Agree, I do," Yoda intoned, his expression grave and calculating.

"Then it is unanimous. We must transfer ourselves and all Jedi to another Temple."

Anakin couldn't believe where this line of thought was going.

"What if the High Council just discusses with her. Surely there can be some sort of compromise?"

Mace Windu sighed quietly.

"That is noble of you, young Skywalker, but the simple fact is that if we compromise, we lose our power as a self-governing body. The only way to retain our autonomy, is a form of exile."

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied, defeated. Since his battle with Palpatine, the High Council had given him weight in his suggestions and decisions. He appreciated the privileged, but everything would be fine, only if his wife was on the same page as him.

"How about Ossus? It is a planet that is not too far from here. And there is a branch of the Order that we keep in contact with there," a master suggested.

"Hmm. Masters of the Living and Unifying Force, they are. Learn much, we can, from them," Yoda agreed. Windu nodded. The rest of the masters did also.

"Then it is unanimous. We will begin our travel in 3 standard hours."