A/N) A bit of a shorter chapter here but this chapter is building up to the big confrontation… Thank you to everyone who is supporting and enjoying this story!

Twenty

The Force was swirling around Jedi Master Yoda, consuming him in a gust of vast and varying futures, all of which were centred upon the actions and decisions of one man: Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Council leader was meditating; a sense of foreboding had come to him just a few hours before, as soon as the Council had learned that Obi-Wan had regained his memories.

Yoda had never doubted the younger Jedi but these turn of events had caused fluctuations in the Force, and the future of the Order depended on the next few days.

He saw many images fly past him, so many probable outcomes. Obi-Wan's immediate future was set in stone. He would go after the Sith, alone. The Council could not interfere with his path. The Force told him that to interfere would lead to a worse future, one that Yoda could not dare to contemplate. The path of the Chosen One was still in flux, wavering between light and dark.

These two men held the future of the Jedi Order and the galaxy in their hands.

The endgame was in sight.

"You're going after the Sith, aren't you?" said Anakin, leaning against the doorframe, watching his Master carefully.

"Yes," replied Obi-Wan, his teeth clenched. "I'm not letting those two ruin this galaxy anymore!"

"You do know that it will be folly to do so?" said Anakin.

"Ha! That's coming from the man who regularly breaks the Jedi Code!" snapped Obi-Wan.

Anakin frowned. "You know, I think I liked you more when you were trying to kill me for something I didn't do."

Obi-Wan's shoulders relaxed and his face softened. "I shouldn't have snapped at you… My emotions… They're everywhere… I can't close them off…"

Smiling, Anakin reached forward and patted his Master on the shoulder. It was good to have the real Obi-Wan back. When he had got the call to come to the Healing wing, Anakin had feared the worst, that Obi-Wan had escaped, but what he had found was a deeply traumatised man. He hadn't left Obi-Wan's side since notifying the Council that his Master had remembered what he had lost. He had already known what he planned to do at the earliest opportunity, though the man hadn't stated it.

"I know Dooku has made you like this… and I can understand why you feel you have to kill him, but like this? Obi-Wan, it's not the Jedi way, is it?"

Obi-Wan snorted. "You can talk."

"I deeply regret killing the sand-people. I will never make that same mistake again." Seeing Obi-Wan as he was now, had caused Anakin to rethink his slaughter of the Tusken Raiders. He hated the fact that they had taken his mother from him but to kill them out of anger had been wrong. He regretted killing the women and the children… If he had to have killed, only those responsible for his mother's pain should have suffered.

"Dooku is here, Anakin," stated Obi-Wan. "That's why I need to go."

"What? In the Temple?" asked Anakin, looking shocked.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "No. I can sense him on Coruscant. I've been around him for so long that I've come to recognise what his Force signature is like."

Anakin frowned. "Why would Dooku come here if he knows you can sense him easily?" He couldn't even sense anything, apart from a feeling of darkness evident in the Force. He could not pinpoint Dooku.

"He thinks he can still get me on his side. He knows that I will try to take down Sidious," admitted Obi-Wan. "That was the plan. To go after him after we've destabilised him enough. But to destabilise him, Dooku convinced me you needed to die."

Anakin nodded, accepting that logic. "If Sidious wanted me as his apprentice, then I'd become a threat to you. But it was also a way of furthering your rage at me." Anakin walked the length of the small room. "So Dooku is here to help you face Sidious?"

"I believe so. I can sense him in the Senate district," said Obi-Wan. "I don't think he knows that I have my proper memories again." He stroked the whispers of the beginning of a beard. "I do want to kill Dooku too. After everything he's done to me he deserves to die."

"You're not a true Sith yet, Master," grinned Anakin. "A true Sith would go off in anger against their 'Master' that horribly used them and betrayed them. You still value the Jedi way. You want to save me… and that is the Jedi's mandate, to protect others." He ran a hand through his hair. "Though I don't know why you think I need protecting. I think I'm capable of looking after myself."

"Sidious is not to be trifled with. He needs to be taken down," said Obi-Wan darkly. "Why the Council have continued to allow him to remain in power is beyond me."

"It was because of you, Obi-Wan," replied Anakin. "And Dooku and Grievous."

Obi-Wan folded his arm, catching Anakin's stare with a critical eye. "And once they are gone he will order the clones to kill the Jedi!"

Anakin paled. "Obi-Wan… what do you mean?"

"This whole war is Palpatine's back garden, playing with it whenever he likes. He controls every single piece. There is a specific order for the clones to turn on the Jedi. He must be stopped and his power broken before Dooku or Grievous are taken out otherwise he will execute that order when they are both dead and the Jedi Order will die," said Obi-Wan.

"If you know this why didn't you tell me before?" Anakin asked." We have to report this to the Council!"

"You go then," said Obi-Wan, turning away from his friend.

"If I leave, you'll escape. And I'm not letting that happen." Anakin crossed his arms. "If you want to face the Chancellor, then I'm coming with you."

Obi-Wan stood with his back to Anakin, his body shaking. Anakin could sense the cloudy darkness in the room. It was unnerving to sense Obi-Wan like that. He really hated the Chancellor. In the course of his captivity, Obi-Wan had come to loathe manipulation, and the fact that he had been manipulated himself in the most horrible ways was at the forefront of his mind. He could not stand for manipulators to be in power.

Anakin could understand Obi-Wan's reaction to manipulation – he, himself, having been a victim of it for over ten years. By rights, and judging by his past actions, he should have acted rashly, but Obi-Wan's unfortunate situation had made Anakin begin to think. Anakin had never intended to hurt his Master, but in trying to protect him from the faults of his apprentice, they had become his downfall.

Dooku had effectively destroyed his life.

"Wait… hold on a minute," Anakin realised, "if Dooku is here to help you fight Sidious, are you going to accept his help?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes."

"Regardless of the facts of what he has done to you?"

Sighing, Obi-Wan caught his former apprentice's eyes. "He has hurt me, yes, but Sidious needs to die before Dooku. I was deceived by Dooku, I intend on deceiving him. We will team up."

Anakin's eyes widened. "And then you plan on killing Dooku, don't you? Betray him as he has done you?"

Obi-Wan merely nodded. He stayed silent, watching Anakin carefully.

"Let me come with you," said Anakin.

"No."

"I can stop you from leaving. I can raise the whole Jedi Order against you," warned Anakin, folding his arms across his chest. "Or you could let me join you and I give you back your lightsaber and I help you escape without being seen." It was a gamble but one the young Jedi knew he had to take. Obi-Wan would leave anyway. The only way to stop him would be to chain him up or sedate him, and those were situations that Anakin did not wish to impose upon his Master.

"You won't get in my way?" asked Obi-Wan, carefully watching Anakin.

"No, I won't. I'll let you make all the decisions," the young man responded evenly. He leaned back against the wall casually. He knew Obi-Wan was scrutinising him though it was much harder to do now that their bond had been shattered. The young man would give anything to have it restored.

After a few minutes of silence, Obi-Wan slowly breathed out: "Fine. Go and get my lightsaber and we'll be on our way."

Sidious could sense the danger.

Dooku, Kenobi and Skywalker were coming for him. They intended to unite when they met…

This was a move he had been expecting from Kenobi and Dooku for a while, but for Skywalker to be with them… That was unexpected…

No… but I know all your secrets Skywalker. I know how to manipulate you into doing what I want.

He smiled.

Skywalker's weakness was simple.

All he had to do was exploit that.

Pressing the button on the communicator on his desk, he spoke: "Mas Amedda, please inform Senator Amidala that I wish to see her immediately. Tell her… that I will be in my Senatorial quarters rather than my office. It is a social gathering rather a business one. And if she makes excuses tell her that is concerns Anakin Skywalker. That will make her come running to me."

"Yes, my lord," his aide replied.

Sidious sat back in his seat, a sneer crossing his lips.

Today would see the end of Kenobi and Dooku, and the fall of Skywalker.

And with them the Jedi would fall, and the dear Senator from Naboo.

Soon, the Empire would rise.

He could sense deception as he walked through the underground of Coruscant, a few levels down from the Senatorial district. Wearing a brown robe and keeping his head low, Dooku blended in well to his environment, keeping away from the lights that might have revealed his true identity. Slipping into Coruscant had been easy. Sidious had given him codes and had neglected to change them, though the Sith Lord had the suspicions that his former Master knew they were coming for him and was allowing them.

Reaching into the Force, Dooku could also sense Kenobi's presence moving rapidly towards him. It wasn't unexpected as he assumed that his apprentice, given the opportunity, would have escaped from the Temple and gone to assassinate the Chancellor. His presence felt different however…

There was a possibility that the Jedi had succeeded in giving Kenobi back his memories, but he couldn't be sure…

He moved further into the shadows, back into an alleyway, his eyelids in slits, watching through the gap for Kenobi to enter his alleyway.

The presence stopped at the edge of the alley, clearly sensing a trap. Dooku's hand curled around the hilt of his lightsaber blade, his thumb hovering over the activation switch.

Kenobi stepped into the alley. "I know you are here, Tyrannus."

Dooku thumbed on his blade, the red blade extending towards Kenobi's throat. He couldn't be sure he was trustworthy. "You escaped."

"Well," began Obi-Wan, "in a manner of speaking, yes."

"You are hiding something from me, I can feel it," accused Dooku. "What is it?"

Another lightsaber ignited behind him. "I suggest you lower your lightsaber, Dooku."

Dooku's eyes darkened. "Skywalker."

Obi-Wan raised his hands, his own eyes dark. "He's on our side, Dooku. He wants to kill the Chancellor with us."

Dooku frowned. There was something wrong about this. "You can't trust him, Obi-Wan. He gave you that scar." The scar was now partially obscured by a growing beard. "He was not truthful with you. And he allied himself with the Chancellor."

Skywalker snorted. "I've seen the error of my ways. I will not defend your old Master. Don't forget he has manipulated me too." The young Jedi was slowly circling Dooku, keeping his lightsaber pointed at the Sith.

So his simple lies would not work on Kenobi. He carefully probed the former Jedi's Force presence. There was still anger there, and the potential for turning to the dark side. There was certainly anger there for Sidious, but he couldn't detect anything for Skywalker. This was worrying. His plan hinged on Kenobi killing his friend and learning later that he had killed an innocent man.

"Skywalker may have scarred me but we have mutual goals," said Kenobi, "to destroy Sidious. He has agreed to help me… in return for his life." A dark glare echoed in Kenobi's eyes. Was that deception? Was Kenobi still intending on killing Skywalker after this? Dooku couldn't be sure. He was so difficult to read. There was a nagging doubt there.

He could fight both of them but he sensed he would lose.

"And I suppose in agreeing to help you, I spare Skywaller once Sidious is dead?"

"Yes," answered Kenobi. "With or without you, I will be facing Sidious. I figure that two Sith and a Jedi have a better chance against him then just one Sith and a Jedi." His face was unreadable but there was a sly expression on his face. "What do you say, Count?"

Sith were very capable of deception. He would take their deal, but he would be wary of deception.

"Gentlemen," he answered, "we have a deal."

Padmé woke to find herself in the Chancellor's Private Apartments. She was lying on the sofa, a pillow under her head. She didn't even remember coming here…. She blinked her eyes, shaking her head, trying to clear it, trying to remember how she had got here…

Summons… she had been asked to meet the Chancellor. To meet him in his senatorial apartments… which is where she was… but she hadn't come here herself… The Chancellor's apartments were always in the Senate building, but underneath the main structure, protected heavily from any explosion or intrusion that may happen.

Padmé slowly sat up, searching for the Chancellor. She had been concerned about coming considering she was aware of who he was, but hearing that it was something to do with Anakin had motivated her to go along. She supposed that had been a line to get her to meet him.

"Ah, Senator, it is good to see you awake," the Chancellor was standing behind her.

Padmé twisted her head. "You tricked me!" She had a vague recollection of gas being blown in her face once she had entered the Chancellor's office. She had tried to escape before it had consumed her but the Chancellor's office door had been sealed against her. She had collapsed…

"It was necessary, my dear," he replied, giving her a small smile.

"I know who and what you are, Chancellor. This was a trap," she stated boldly.

The Chancellor's eyes turned from the soft and welcoming eyes that he used in public to a glowing yellow, filled with red specks. "Ah… so Anakin has told you about me. I figured he had when you made that motion against me in the Senate."

"What do you want?" growled Padmé, not trusting the man in front of her at all.

"Your husband, Senator. He will join with me. When he arrives here with Kenobi and Dooku, he will see you die," he smiled quite nastily.

"If you kill me, Ani won't join you," stated Padmé. She stood up, staring the Sith Lord in the face, so sure in her convictions.

The Chancellor laughed cruelly, strolling away from her. "I will not be the one to kill you, Senator. He will join with me…"

Padmé shook her head. "No! I won't let him!"

"You have no choice. It won't be long until my guests arrive. I suggest you come to terms with your imminent death, Senator," the Sith said darkly. He turned away from her, leaving Padmé to sit on the sofa and contemplate her future.

There was no point in attempting to escape. The Chancellor wouldn't have left her free if there was any way to leave his apartments. She was smart enough to understand that.

She would have to wait, wait and hope that whatever the Chancellor had foreseen turned out to be wrong.

To be continued…

Please let me know what you think!

So the crux of this chapter is Anakin and Obi-Wan are off to kill Palpatine, as is Dooku since he's reasoned Obi-Wan would attempt that. He doesn't consider that Anakin would be there. So, we've got Anakin and Obi-Wan making a deal with Dooku to help them but Obi-Wan intends to betray Dooku and kill him. Of course, don't count Dooku out of the equation yet ;)

And the Chancellor has Padmé which does not bode well for Anakin.

Next chapter: Confrontation. And that is all I'm saying about that!

I hope to post next week but I am now back out on clinical placement so it might be difficult to find time to write!

Until next time,

the-writer1988