Revelations and Plans

Senator Amidala Skywalker, Padme Skywalker, had been bombarded by the press from the moment she had arrived at her office. She had stationed Three-pio to take statements, so that she could concentrate on the bill to reinstate some of Palpatine's executive powers to the Senate. She sighed, and wondered if it would pass. She felt dizzy and weak, but she persevered. Anakin had only been gone a few weeks, and not only was she deep into the preparation for this bill; she was working with Palpatine to plan her wedding. He seemed to think the Galaxy needed a reason to celebrate and she wasn't wrong. "Don't tell me, Padme that you are working with the Chancellor?" Bail asked. She put down the bill and smiled up at him.

"It's good to see you, Bail," she said rising to her feet and greeting him in a hug.

"I know that the Chancellor seems to put a lot of faith in your husband's abilities," he continued.

"Anakin is not political, Bail," she defended him.

"I still can't believe you've been married and you didn't tell me. Are you happy?" he asked her concerned.

"When I'm with Anakin I am however, all the waiting the wars, it's certainly nerve-wracking," she replied with a laugh.

"So he's no longer a Jedi."

"No, he's not. Oh, he is in every way that counts," she replied. "But he doesn't belong to the Order any longer."

"The Senate is to vote on the fate of Barriss Offee," Bail continued.

"When?"

"In Twenty minutes."

"Why wasn't I informed?" Padme asked as she rushed to the Senate building and promptly passed out. She didn't understand why she had felt so dizzy. She was rushed to a medic. "I'm okay," she muttered trying to sit up. "I've just been a little dizzy."

"Padme, please, see a medic."

"You have to vote, Bail. Don't let Barriss…get away," she struggled to say as darkness overtook her again.

Several hours later, she sat with a medical droid, as an update to her medical record was made. She stared at the print-out in shock. What would Anakin say? What would they do?

The Chancellor was pleased that Barriss Offee would return to active duty as a Jedi. It would make it all the easier for her to continue to serve him and to lure Skywalker to darkness. The presence of the Jedi Knight would create frustration with the Jedi and hopefully drive a wedge between Skywalker and the Jedi brat. He felt a pulse of light and frowned. He could see the future conflicting. He had to do whatever was possible to sever the relationships of the Chosen One. Even if he had shaken his trust in the Jedi, it did little good with the luckiest Jedi alive and the brat still had his trust. The Jedi brat was meant to be dead! Sidious took a calming breathe, he wasn't the Leader of the Galactic Republic for nothing, able to hide from the Jedi, he interacted with the most powerful masters and the Chosen One and none of them ever suspected he was the Dark Lord they were searching for. The irony of it was his apprentice had all but told them his identity. He would have to discover where that pulse of light had come from. It had just appeared, and it was completely untrained. If he could find it, could he make the light serve him? He delved into the Dark Side, and saw the Chosen One serving him, and yet he saw him destroying him. If he could just get rid of Kenobi and the brat, but there were more complications he was seeing.

Skywalker was developing more attachments, more friends, people he trusted. There was Padme's family, he sneered at the thought. One would have thought getting rid of his mother was enough, but no, Senator Amidala's family was corrupting the Chosen One with light. Could he have Grievous kidnap them, and drive the darkness further? He searched Skywalker's presence, it was lighter than it ever had been, and that was a problem, a big problem indeed. How to force Skywalker to turn his back on the light and give in to the dark was proving most problematic. Palpatine smiled as he admitted Mace Windu to talk about the growing concerns of the Clone Wars.

"You believe that…Knight Skywalker is responsible for the change in the Force?" he asked kindly. "I don't pretend to understand the ways of the Force, Master Jedi, as always I bow to your wisdom. What is it you sense?" he asked, listening to the Master of Darkness, if he wasn't hiding behind Palpatine's mask he would have sneered at the thought. The Darkness was a part of the Jedi Master; you could not touch the darkness and turn your back on it. Perhaps, if the Chosen One wouldn't fall, he should set his sights on the Korun Master.