When the aide led him to breakfast the next morning, he was relieved to see a smaller, more modest dining area than he'd expected. Small circular tables littered the rom and Obi-Wan waved to him from one. Anakin nodded and made a beeline for the long table against one wall laden with food. Once he'd piled high a plate of sausages, fruit, and a waffle or two, he joined the other Jedi. As he started on one of the waffles, Obi-Wan said, "You'll need to get a tour of the place soon to maintain your cover. Security always needs to know a building's layout and any security measures already in place."

Anakin brushed aside the comment. "I know, I already asked one of the servants to give me one. And," he added when Obi-Wan opened his mouth to continue, "I'm going to ask to talk to the head of security." He took a bite of his fruit and watched Obi-Wan sit back with a sigh that didn't quite hide the pride in his expression.

"Just checking," Obi-Wan chuckled. "After all, we wouldn't want a repeat of that time with the waitress in Susanna."

As he'd hoped, red crept up Anakin's neck. "My cover was as your assistant, not a security officer like now. And that waitress was out of line."

"She bumped you."

"So she could slip her address into my pocket! And she wouldn't stop staring at me! It was creepy." He shoved another piece of fruit into his mouth with a scowl and Obi-Wan by contrast sipped at his hot tea with a smile tugging at his lips.

He could see how much Anakin wanted to drop the subject, but he couldn't help himself. "And that creepiness is a perfect justification to throw up a barrier between her and our table, blowing our cover in the process."

Scowl deepening, Ani muttered, "it's not like you ever had those problems. No one ever look at you like that."

Thankfully, the knight was saved from retaliation by one of the doors leading into the room. It opened and one of the aides from yesterday stepped in. "I've been instructed to bring you to the council room, Master Kenobi," he said, bowing in the man's direction. Then he glanced at Anakin. "Someone will come to give you a tour later." Then he left the room with Obi-Wan following.

About five minutes later, when Anakin had almost finished his breakfast, another servant stepped into the room. He was much older than any of the others the knight had met, with mostly grey hair and a lined face. "Master Skywalker, I understand you would enjoy a tour?" he asked with a slight bow of his head. Mouth still full, the knight just nodded and hurried to finish. Once he'd put his dirty dishes with the rest, he followed the old servant out.

Senator Icrim really likes to show off, Anakin thought halfway through the tour. Everything he'd seen so far seemed design to display wealth and make him feel like a desert mouse from Tatooine. Marble, the stone he'd noticed yesterday and asked his guide about, found its way into every room somehow. At least the places he'd probably use the most often, like their guest rooms and the hallway outside them, didn't have floors made of the stuff. Thomas, his guide, interrupted his musings. "And this is the gym and general workout area," he announced as he opened a rather large door. Anakin stuck his head into the room and for once was glad Icrim liked to show off. The gym was huge, with a polished wood floor and stacks of the best exercise equipment off to the side. Several doors led off the main area and Anakin made a note to check them out later. "Shall we continue, sir," Thomas asked. When the knight looked back at him, the impatience was clear on his face. So Anakin nodded and they continued.

About an hour later, the two men wound up back in the entryway. By that time, Anakin sported a heavy scowl and was thoroughly tired of marble. But instead of waxing eloquent about the chandelier or railings as he had in many other rooms, Thomas quickly walked over to one of the walls supporting one side of the elaborate staircase. "This is our security room. Please wait here for our head of security," he said as he seemingly conjured a door from the wall and ushered Anakin through. "You may roam the house after your meeting or ask a servant for a tour of the grounds. Good day." Then he shut the door and left Anakin in probably one of the only comfortable rooms in the whole building. Technology hummed around him. Holoscreens flickered on the walls and the room, devoid of marble, buzzed with activity as several security agents checked various screens and shouted at each other. For a while, Anakin just leaned against the door frame and relaxed into the familiar environment. How many times had he stood in places like this during the last few years, planning troop movements, gathering intelligence, checking for enemy weaknesses? Finally, an older woman finished instructing someone at one of the screens and walked over to him. She offered her hand and said, "I'm Tarina Emach, head of security." He took her hand and shook it. "I understand you were sent to inspect our security measures. What would you like to know?"

Hmm, this woman was smart. He'd have to put some effort into maintaining his cover. "What can you tell me about the security camera system?" He hoped that wasn't a stupid question.

Apparently, it wasn't, because she nodded and gestured to the screens. "We have hundreds of cameras in the mansion and on the surrounding grounds, so we can't watch all of them at once. That's why each camera is equipped with a range of sensors, including motion detectors and chemical disturbance detectors." She pointed to one of the larger screens, which showed an elaborately decorated room occupied by the senator, Obi-Wan, and several servants off to the side. "When the sensors attached to the cameras are tripped, the image is projected on one of our screens."

Quite an impressive system, Anakin thought. Still, there was one huge, glaring issue. "What about privacy?"

Apparently, she'd been expecting the question. "Certain rooms such as bathrooms, closets, and select bedrooms are equipped with face recognition software and other types of identifying sensors. Individuals invited or employed here are scanned upon their arrival. When they enter any of the private rooms, as we refer to them, the cameras confirm their identity and then shut off. The other sensors trigger a reactivation of the cameras if they detect anything."

Okay, a bit more than impressive. Why didn't the Senate Building have one of these systems? The jedi didn't need it, but the politicians could definitely use the extra protection. Probably a matter of price, he mused. An individual might think this security system was worth the price tag, but such an expense on the government's budget probably wouldn't go over very well. Ugh, I'm spending too much time with Padme, he moaned internally. I'm starting to see politics everywhere. "May I see some of the camera network?" he asked.

Emach nodded crisply. "Yes, after lunch."

Here's another chapter for you all! Next week's may be a little late, as my fiance is coming back after a six month deployment and only gets a week to spend with me before they ship him off again. I won't see him again until the wedding! Also, I stole some of the camera stuff from a movie called "Catch That Kid". But I thought it was cool and so replicated it here. The privacy rooms were my idea, though. What did you guys think?

Please review!