Well, now that the duel's over this story is going to slow down, right? Wrong.

I have to say that I am humbled and simaltaneously blown away by your responses. I thank each and every one of you for reading and taking the time to talk about what you enjoyed most or had questions about. While I cannot to individual replies now, I will answer one question: yes, there will be more Sabe/Obi-Wan-Vader romance and it will play a substantial part in the rest of the story.

Now, here's Chapter 34. Enjoy!

Chapter 34

"I appreciate your optimism, Padmé," Bail said, "But I really can't see where it's coming from."

Padmé sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. "It's not really optimism, Bail. It's reality. If we act quickly, we can still salvage some of what we have lost."

"The reality, Padmé, is that we have cut almost all of our remaining lifelines. While I certainly don't regret coming to your aid … I would do it again in a nanosecond … you have to understand that you and I have effectively destroyed ourselves on the political scene. You cannot believe that Palpatine will allow us to remain in the Senate after this."

The two Senators and their six companions were sitting around a circular table in the conference room of the Tantive IV. Bail had summoned the ship immediately following their escape from the Jedi Temple, and they were currently heading for … they didn't really know where. Captain Antilles had plotted a course for Alderaan, but whether or not they would actually disembark there remained a point of contention. No one wanted to place Senator Organa's homeworld in unnecessary peril.

Bail was seated in their chair closest to the door, presiding over the meeting. Though he was now clean and shaven, his tired eyes revealed that he had slept less than two hours since leaving Coruscant. He desperately needed rest, but it had been he who had called the meeting, giving voice to the unspoken assent of everyone that they desperately needed to discuss their options.

To Bail's right was Sheltay, fulfilling her dual role as advisor and bodyguard. The near death of her friend and employer on Coruscant had clearly set her on edge, and her tense posture and searching eyes suggested she was on constant watch for any threat, even in a locked cabin room in hyperspace among friends. No one could blame her; their ordeal had been enough to keep everyone unnerved.

Next to Sheltay was Mace Windu. The Jedi Master sat erect and confident, remarkable for a man who had been comatose less than twelve hours ago. He had removed the bandages from his arms and head, restoring his undeniable look of being untouchable. He had been a voice of reason throughout the debate, involving everyone and providing direction when it was needed. He fulfilled his role with the same intense grace he had enacted as Senior Council member. Only the occasional reflexive clenching of his new mechanical arm revealed that he too was holding back certain feelings about the situation.

Sabé was next to Mace. She had been relatively quiet, but everyone admired the resolve with which she was conducting herself, expressing her opinion confidently when called upon. However, there was an pained expression lurking in her eyes that suggested her thought were occupied with the one issue they had yet to discuss, fearful of the volatile storm it would provoke.

To Sabé's right was Yoda. The group had picked up the Master's signal a short time after they had gone to lightspeed, and Captain Antilles had immediately altered course to pick up the stranded Jedi. Yoda had been extremely pensive when they had found him, and though he had participated in their discussion considerably, even now he appeared to be in a state of meditation. He seemed to have learned through the Force most of what had transpired, and had needed little explanatory evidence from the others. No doubt he had much to say about the crucial topic, but with over eight hundred years of practicing patience, he was willing to let the debate take its natural course.

Captain Antilles, whom Bail had insisted join their conference, sat next to Yoda, having entrusted control of the ship to his subordinate officers. He had been perceptive enough to send a speeder to Five Hundred Replica to pick up R2-D2 and C-3PO, and the two loyal droids were currently helping navigate the ship – or at least Artoo was. Threepio had been consigned to translating the ship's statistical engine readouts, a task, which he had informed them twenty-seven times, was incredibly dull.

Padmé was to the right of Captain Antilles, and she had been the strongest voice in the debate. Though she had suffered greatly at both the CMI and the Jedi Temple, she did not let adversity daunt her, and conducted herself with the same fiery determination and idealism that had guided her through a decade and a half of politics. She was currently taking the lead on the issue of how best to organize their response to Palpatine's play for power, and her energy was raising the morale of almost everyone in the room.

And next to Padmé, silently avoiding everyone's eyes, was Anakin.

He was the only one who had yet to speak. Throughout the course of the meeting, he had stared fixedly at the polished surface of the table, his newly replaced mechanical hand and his real one framing his reflection. He had only looked up when directly spoken to, and never responded, even when someone asked for his opinion. His blue eyes lacked the determined glint that had characterized them since his padawan years. They were flat and empty, giving the impression that both his heart and his soul had vacated his body. There was no trace of shock, of anger, or of despair. There was only the emptiness one sees in the eyes of someone who is dead, or who has lost everything that he had ever believed made life worth living.

Everyone wanted desperately to help him, but nothing, not even the openly loving caresses of his wife, had stirred his from silence. Some there wondered if he was even conscious of the others, but Mace and Yoda seemed to have picked up a barely perceptible vibe that Anakin was still there, and that the right stimuli would shatter his mask. What the reaction would be when it came, however, was impossible for anyone to say.

"You're right, he will not let us keep our positions in the Senate," Padmé agreed. "He will use the opportunity to mark us as traitors and nullify every charge the Delegation of Two Thousand has brought against him. Therefore, we must also take this opportunity. We have allies in the Senate. We need to contact them – to warn them – before Palpatine has them arrested on the suspicion of aiding and abetting. If they are able, they will aid us, and we can start making preparations for countering the Chancellor's influence before he cuts us off completely. We did not do all this working laying the foundations for an alliance to restore the Republic for nothing."

"I see your point," Bail said resignedly. "We do need to do something. I just wonder if mobilizing the Alliance so soon, before we actually know what we're up against, is the wisest idea."

"Senator Organa is correct," Mace interjected calmly. "The true master of defense seeks to learn his opponent's intentions, so that he can move accordingly to counter the actions which will spring from them. If we are to organize an effective resistance, we need to know what Chancellor Palpatine intentions are, how he plans to proceed now that the greatest threat to his power has been removed."

"I think it's obvious what his intentions are," Padmé said bitterly. "He intends to dispense with the illusion of democracy he has been holding over us for years and establish himself as complete dictator. The fact that he's a Sith Lord will make it all the easier for him."

"Brilliant, Palpatine is, but infallible, he is not," Yoda said. "In his takeover, careful was his planning, but underestimated us, he did. Count not, did he, that some Jedi would survive his purge. Vulnerable, he remains. Knows this, he does."

"It's true. While the remaining Jedi are at large, Palpatine will remain cautious," Mace said. "But that does not mean he will halt his plans until we are all captured or dead. He will move to consolidate his position. And that is where we remain ignorant. We do not know when or how he will act, and his options are too numerous for us to counter them all. He has control of the Senate, as well as the judicial courts. He has the support of the loyal trade unions, and I have no doubt the clone army is taking its orders directly from him. And then of course," Mace took a calm breath, "he has the most deadly weapon of them all – his new apprentice."

Anakin's hands immediately clenched into fists. Padmé noticed, and placed a restraining hand on his tense shoulder. Sabé, her eyes suddenly glistening, rose slightly out of her seat. "Master Windu, I don't think we should …"

"No." Mace silenced her objection by locking eyes with her, his face holding a gentle, but firm rebuke. "We have put off this issue long enough."

Sheltay bit her lip nervously, and Bail suddenly became very interested in a certain spot on the wall. Yoda's grave expression spoke volumes.

Mace turned and spoke directly to his young friend. "Anakin, I understand that this is very hard for you. Obi-Wan was one of my closest friends, and I know that to you he was both a mentor and father figure. But the survival of the Republic as we know it depends on what you can tell me now. What did he say to you? Did he reveal anything about his master's agenda – what they intend to do?"

Anakin slowly raised his head to meet Mace's gaze. An indiscernible emotion flickered in his eyes, then vanished, leaving them as empty as before. He did not speak.

"Please, Anakin," Mace said sternly.

The Jedi lowered his gaze, then slowly opened his mouth to speak, his voice rough with disuse.

"He wanted me to turn," he said quietly. "He said that it was my destiny to bring balance to Force by joining the Sith. That he and I could remake the galaxy, bring justice and peace to it by eliminating the corruption …" he swallowed, "…of the old Jedi Order."

A cloud passed over Mace's face, but it did not linger. "Continue, Anakin."

"He mentioned … a New Order," Anakin said slowly, painfully forcing each word through his ragged throat. "He seemed possessed when he spoke of it … his eyes glowed with a fanaticism that suggested he could see the entire galaxy spread out before him … that he would be lord of it all. But he didn't want it all for himself … he wanted me to stand at his side and help him create it."

"What did he say to entice you?" Mace inquired seriously.

The inner agony of Anakin's mind crossed his face. "He said that … we could overthrow Palpatine, take his throne … he said it was the only way those I care about would be safe."

Padmé's hand moved from his shoulder to his back. "And what did you say?" she asked quietly.

The agony on Anakin's face increased. "I …"

He stopped and lowered his face, unable to finish his sentence.

"That's enough," Mace said firmly. "I think I can put together a picture from this testimony. Palpatine intends to declare himself an absolute monarch, and he intends to do it soon. That is why Vader was sent to subjugate Anakin so quickly. If a New Order is being proposed, then it is clear that Palpatine does not intend to leave any traces of the Republic's structure in place. He will mobilize the military, and disband the Senate."

"But how?" Sheltay asked. "How can he possibly hope to control tens of thousands of star systems without the Senate?"

"His amendment," Bail said bitterly. "He has appointed governors for all the star systems, and as long as he controls the clone army, no one will challenge their authority."

"Leave the Senate intact for now, he will," Yoda concluded. "More benevolent, it will make him appear."

"So we must reach as many Senators as we can before he can blind them with notions of his own nobility," Padmé said determinedly. "He will have the support of the majority, but a few of our colleagues will be willing to listen. And we need to do it before he can start spreading his propaganda."

"I'm afraid that that process has already begun, Senator," Mace said gravely. "I have no doubt that he intends to cast the surviving Jedi as traitors to the Republic, and then use the context of a military crusade to spread his forces all over the galaxy." He rubbed his brow with his real left hand. "Unfortunately, we don't know how many other Jedi managed to survive, if any. All I can sense is that all the other Council Members are dead. Their insight will be missed …"

At this Anakin made a derisive sound that was halfway in between a snarl and a snort of disgust. He raised his head, and everyone turned to look at him. The look on the Chosen One's face was one of the utmost contempt.

"Unless we want to learn how to best sell out what allies we have left," he said coldly, "I think that the insights of the Council are better left dead, as they are."

Padmé placed a warning hand on Anakin's forearm. "Anakin, don't …"

Anakin ignored the placating gesture. "It's their fault that we're in this situation in the first place," he said. "If they hadn't been so incompetent, so treacherous …"

Mace had risen out of his seat. "Anakin, what exactly are you saying?"

"They sold him out!" Anakin exploded, leaping out of his seat and snatching his arm away from Padmé. "That's why Obi-Wan joined Sidious! Because Pablo-Jill and his puppets betrayed him into Grievous's hands!"

A flash of shock registered on Mace's face at Anakin's outburst. "Anakin, that's absolutely ridiculous."

"Is it?" Anakin challenged. "Or are you just trying to cover up your own involvement?"

Yoda did not stand as Mace had, but the look on his face was one of deathly seriousness. "Stop, Knight Skywalker! Have no basis for these accusations, do you."

Anakin turned his contemptuous glare on Yoda. "No basis? How about the direct word of my former Master on why he was compelled to kill everyone in the Jedi Temple!"

Sabé gasped in horror and covered her mouth. Bail reeled backwards as though he had been struck. Padmé shrank away from Anakin, her deep brown eyes widening as she absorbed the paralyzing news. "What?"

Mace and Yoda shared a long glance, silently transferring thoughts through the Force. Then they turned to Anakin and Mace spoke. "Anakin, Darth Vader is a Sith Lord. Truth and lies are but tools to him, to be used as weapons if need be. You cannot trust anything that he says, especially his justification for mass murder."

"No," Anakin snarled. "Especially when justice might be the better word."

"Anakin!"

"It fits," Anakin continued angrily, ignoring the warning. "What else could cause him to join the Sith? They were his sworn enemies!"

Yoda looked at him sternly. "A powerful motivation, the lure of power is".

"Anakin, before confronting the Chancellor I heard a recording," Mace said. "In it, Darth Sidious commissioned Grievous to capture Obi-Wan and bring him in so that he, Sidious, could turn him. It was part of a plot to get you to fall. Anything that Sidious told Obi-Wan was specifically designed to lure him to the dark side, so that he could then do the same to you. Can't you see that by taking your current line of reasoning, you are playing right into his hands?"

"If Sidious is controlling everything," Anakin spat, "Then it makes perfect sense that's he's been controlling most of the Council as well."

Mace looked right at Anakin, and for the first time there was a hint of real anger. "Stop, Anakin. You have been forced to witness a crushing truth, and I know that its weight is difficult to bear. But the Council is not the root of this evil. Yes, we were blind. Yes, we made mistakes. Yes, we never should have given up on Obi-Wan. But the fact remains that out of his own volition, Obi-Wan has joined the Sith. And regardless of what the other Council members have done, nothing can ever justify the choice he made to slaughter them."

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT!" Anakin bellowed. "THE COUNCIL SOLD HIM OUT! THEY BETRAYED HIM! THE SCUM DESERVED TO DIE!"

There was dead silence. Everyone was looking at Anakin with a mixture of shock and fear. The air around the young Jedi had gone cold as ice, and dark waves of power rolled off of him, their suffocating elements pervading everything and everyone in the room. Sabé, Bail, Sheltay, and Captain Antilles were shielding themselves from the onslaught of the deadly energy that had assaulted them. Padmé had drawn away from her husband in fear. Even Mace and Yoda appeared to be taken aback at the strength of the turmoil within the Chosen One.

Anakin surveyed them all for a moment, pain and rage merging into a terrible storm in his eyes. Then slowly it began to fade. The power that had exuded from him was reabsorbed, freeing the conference room of its stifling embrace. Anakin blinked and shook himself slightly, trying to free himself from the claws of the beast that had seized him. Then without a word he turned, opened the door, and fled the scene.

The seven remaining occupants of the room remained in stunned silence for a moment, unable or unwilling to move. Then finally, Mace pushed in his chair and headed for the door. "I'd better go talk to him."

Padmé cut him off, gently placing a restraining hand in his path. "No, please. Let me."

Mace looked to Yoda, who had closed his eyes, drawing the currents of the Force to him as he sought its guidance and its will. Finally, he spoke slowly, as if from a great distance.

"Help him now, only she can."

Mace nodded in understanding and stepped aside. Nodding in thanks, Padmé walked through the door and headed down the corner in search of her troubled husband.

Padmé found Anakin in a storage hold, full of crates containing spare engine parts. Actually, she could hear him before she saw him; there were unmistakable noises of metal clashing on metal. She arrived just time to she Anakin, an expression of pure agony on his face, drive his mechanical hand into the wall, punching a fist-sized hole in the solid durasteel. Anakin withdrew his hand, then struck again, making a second hole next to the first. Ripping his arm free once more, he drew it back again.

Padmé stepped towards him. "Anakin!"

Anakin rounded on her, his fist still raised. When he saw Padmé's face, his arm fell to his side and he turned away, shame now mingling with the pain on his face. Padmé drew closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. He tensed at her touch. "Padmé, please. Don't."

Padmé ignored his statement, choosing instead to wrap her arms around his waist from behind, encircling him with her warmth. "Shhhh, my love. It's all right."

Anakin placed his real hand on the wall to steady himself, his head bowed. "Padmé, I'm … I'm so sorry. I frightened you."

Padmé caressed his chest and stomach. "Don't worry about it. That wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was," Anakin said brokenly. His breath caught as he choked back what sounded like a sob. "It was my fault. It was all my fault."

Padmé's voice became firm. "Anakin, look at me."

Anakin withdrew his hand from the wall and turned slowly in her embrace until he was facing her. Padmé reached up tenderly and brushed a loose strand of hair away from Anakin's face. Her hand remained on his cheek as she spoke. "Now listen to me. It was not your fault. What happened to Obi-Wan was not your fault."

Anakin tried to speak, but his words caught in his throat. His legs began to shake, and Padmé gently guided him down to sit on one of the nearby crates. She sat down right next to him, his arm around his shoulders, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

"I can't believe it, Padmé," Anakin whispered. "All those years of training, the one person I could always look to was Obi-Wan. He always knew what to say when my frustration with the Council would boil over, or when I would fail to complete some challenge I had been given. He showed me how to use the Force, how to fight, how to mediate disputes … everything. And not just about being a Jedi, but a human being. He was the one I looked up to for everything, whether it was guidance or approval. He seemed incapable of doing anything wrong, and that both inspired me and frustrated me. Yet when I held it against him, he never held it against me. He would always forgive me, no matter what wrong I had done."

A fresh wave of pain broke behind Anakin's eyes. "If it wasn't for him, I would have fallen or been killed long ago. I thought that no matter what happened to the Jedi Order, or the Republic, or to me, that he would always be there. There was no one more deeply rooted in the Light. He would have rather died than abandoned his beliefs in its power and what it stood for. Yet despite everything … he fell. He fell to the Dark Side."

Anakin closed his eyes and turned his face away from his wife so that she could not see the tear that fell from the corner of one of them and ran smoothly down his face.

"He betrayed us."

Padmé turned his head back towards her, her own heart aching with the weight of her husband's grief. With one tender finger, she brushed away the trail that the tear had left. Then summoning her seemingly limitless reservoir of strength, she kept her face resolute.

"I know how hard this is for you to hear," she said gently, "but there is nothing you could have done. You didn't know that Utapau was a setup. You didn't know that Obi-Wan was captured, not killed. You could not have guessed at Sidious's intentions. He fooled everyone, including me."

"I could have been there with him," Anakin forced out. "I could have demanded that the Council let me go with him to Utapau. I could have ignored their decree. I should have. Every time I have ever listened to them, someone I cared about has been lost."

"If you had gone, Anakin," Padmé said, "Then you would have been captured too. Sidious would have you both." She placed her free hand on his knee. "I would have lost you."

Anakin smiled bitterly. "What if you already have?"

Padmé's grip on his knee tightened. "What are you talking about? How could you say that?"

Anakin turned his head away. He appeared to be struggling with a great dilemma, one that he was terrified that if revealed, would drive her away from him. Finally, he brought himself back to face her, guilt visible in his eyes.

"I was going to join him, Padmé," he said softly. "When he offered me a chance to stand at his side, to create the New Order, to rule the galaxy … I was going to take it. The strength of his vision, a galaxy where we alone would be able to bring about peace and destroy injustice …it overwhelmed me, Padmé. I wanted that power, that control. And I was willing to give up everything for it."

Padmé was stunned by Anakin's confession. She didn't know what to say, so she remained silent. Anakin continued.

"I was taken by a rush of emotions, the kind of anger I had felt when I killed the Tuskens. The power and the enjoyment I had gotten out of it consumed me again. I wanted more. And Obi-Wan was there, offering it to me. It seemed the perfect course of action to join him."

"But you didn't," Padmé said. "Why?"

Anakin looked directly into her eyes. "Because of you, Padmé. I knew that you would be in danger if I joined him, and that you would never forgive me for placing our child in such danger. I couldn't live with that."

Padmé removed her hand from Anakin's knee and placed it on the side of his neck. She drew in close. "Anakin, no matter what happens, I will always be there for you. I will always love you, with all my heart and soul."

For the first time, a slight smile appeared on Anakin's face. "Padmé, I …"

Padmé held a finger up to Anakin's lips, silencing him. She leaned in and kissed him deeply. Anakin returned the kiss, pouring out to his wife the full magnitude of his love for her, so intense that it overwhelmed even her defenses easily. The two of them sat there for what seemed an eternity, lost in a peaceful and revitalizing haze.

In a flash, Padmé remembered what Anakin had told her several months ago; before the Chancellor had revealed himself as a Sith Lord, before he had lured Obi-Wan to his side, when their only concern had been how to keep their impending parenthood a secret from the Jedi.

"Three things kept me going through the darkest times, Padmé. Obi-Wan guidance, trust in the Chancellor, and your love. Now I've lost one of them. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too."

Anakin's concerns about the Chancellor had been validated; Palpatine had never had the Republic's best interests at heart. Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man who had guided Anakin through the most turbulent period of his life, was gone, consumed by an irrational anger that had driven him to embrace Palpatine's vision of tyranny. Only Padmé remained, her love the lone pillar of stability in his life, and the only thing that was keeping him from sliding into the darkness.

In a galaxy ruled by shadows, she was the one light. All she could do was stand by him and make sure that the strongest force in the galaxy would not waver, and that her light would remain as constant as the stars.

"So they got away?"

"Yes, My Master."

Lord Sidious fixed his apprentice with a piercing stare. "And you are certain … absolutely certain … that they are no longer on Coruscant?"

"Completely certain, Master."

Sidious leaned back into his throne and sighed. "How unfortunate," he said, almost wistfully. "How very unfortunate."

Darth Vader, who had been anticipating a much more volatile reaction from his master, kept his head down and continued to kneel. He had just finished given the Dark Lord a report on his attempt to capture Anakin, one that had been extremely comprehensive and detailed … until the end. After describing how his former identity had been revealed, Vader had shifted subtly but deliberately into vague allusions, culminating in the appearance of the speeder which had whisked Anakin and Padmé away. He had not told his master about his attempt to enlist Anakin in overthrowing him, or that it was Sabé's appearance that had caused the hesitation which had allowed the Jedi and his allies to escape. Part of this stemmed from his own rage at missing his chance to kill Master Windu; the emotions, the weakness that had flooded him at the sight of Sabé's face appalled him. This was the second time he had hesitated, first with Siri, and now with Sabé. This second intervention had cost him a chance to enact justice. He had thought he had killed enough Masters to sate his vengeance, but seeing Master Windu there, defiant and arrogant, had ignited such a geyser of hate in his heart that he had lost control. He knew now that he would not be satisfied until all the Council members were dead, and evidence of their existence had been expunged from the galaxy.

Then there was a third detail he had omitted from his account, one that he had no reason justifiable to his Sith mindset for doing so. He had not told Sidious about Padmé's pregnancy. He knew that if he did divulge that information, it would instantly redeem him for his failure in his master's eyes. The possibility of having a young heir, incredibly powerful in the Force, to the Sith legacy would ensure that when he, his master, and Anakin took the last step, the New Order would be in good hands. But something inside him crawled at the idea of Anakin and Padmé's child, his veritable niece or nephew, in the hands of his master. Anakin had told him in confidence, the confidence he had never shown when they were both Jedi. Though he had no obligation not to reveal the secret, something held him back from doing so. He had an unalienable sense that he would sooner die than allow Anakin and Padmé's blessing to be compromised and subsequently defiled by the man he was kneeling before now. If Anakin's child were ever to embrace the Dark Side, then Sidious would have to be destroyed first, by Vader's own hand, if necessary.

The images of the younglings from the Temple stole into his mind. The ones that had looked like Anakin, Padmé, and even Sabé …

Vader shuddered almost imperceptibly. To his great relief, Sidious did not notice.

"Tell me again, Lord Vader," he said, "About the last minute or so of your encounter. You had defeated Skywalker and were in the process of convincing him to join us. You say that he was seconds away from doing so, but then his wife arrived and shielded him. You were going to subdue them both, but then the speeder arrived and in the resulting confusion, you were distracted and they escaped. What distracted you? Who was in the speeder?"

Vader kept his gaze averted. "Mace Windu, My Lord."

Sidious's eyes narrowed. "Ah. So at the crucial moment, your hatred of the Jedi Council overtook you and diverted your attention from Skywalker. His wife took advantage of the opportunity to whisk him away."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Tell me, Lord Vader, why you did not simply destroy the speeder. Such a task is well within your considerable power."

"I intended to, My Lord. The pilot evaded the worst of my attack, though I dealt the vehicle considerable damage. It could not have made it very far without relief. By the time Master Windu had presented himself as a target, Anakin and Padmé had boarded the speeder. I could not destroy it then."

"So you settled instead for trying to impale the treacherous Jedi Master, but even so injured, he was reflexive enough to evade the attack. He survived yet again."

Vader clenched his jaw. "Forgive me, My Lord."

"I am not angry, Lord Vader," Sidious said smoothly. "I am disappointed, yes, but you succeeded in what I ordered you to do, which was to subdue Anakin. In fact, it sounds as though the manner in which you did so was most impressive indeed. There were unanticipated factors which you had not accounted for, but you will be ready for them next time, will you not?"

Vader raised his head. "Yes, My Master."

"Good," Sidious smiled. "Rise, Lord Vader, and take heart. All is not lost."

Vader rose to his feet. Sidious turned his head to the side.

"However, I am curious about something. Master Windu was not supposed to be at the Jedi Temple, because he was supposed to be dead. I entrusted you with that task, Mirthrada. You failed me."

Mirthrada Nuruodo emerged from the shadows flanking Sidious's throne. "I apologize, My Lord. I did all that I could."

"Clearly, all that you could do was not enough," Sidious said sharply. "No, I do not want excuses. Master Windu escaped your grasp, and then proceeded to sabotage Lord Vader's effort to bring in Anakin Skywalker. Not only that, but he was aided by Padmé Amidala and Bail Organa, who also took part in the sabotage. You failed to apprehend any of them. Tell me, Mirthrada, are you losing your touch?"

The Chiss's red eyes glowed ominously. "No, My Lord."

"You had better not be," Sidious snapped. "You have served me well for many years, but I cannot have you start to break down at this crucial time. I have put far too much energy into my plan to have it ruined now."

"Things are far from ruined, My Lord."

"That is obvious, Mirthrada, but if you fail again the consequences may be greater. As it is, we have two traitorous Senators on the loose, along with a member of the Jedi Council. True, they can accomplish little. Even so, I want them found. They will continue to be an annoyance until they are."

Nuruodo reached into his cloak. "I believe that I can help with that, My Lord."

From a concealed pouch on his belt he drew out a small, black datapad. The device was battered, looking like it had caught the edge of an explosion, but it was clearly still operational. The Chiss handed it to Sidious, who examined it critically. "What is this, Mirthrada?"

The alien smiled. "Senator Organa dropped it during his escape. It contains the contact information and homeworlds of over one hundred of his political associates, known and unknown. In addition …"

He reached over and pushed a button on the device, changing the screen display. "It also contained preliminary schematic reports of a dozen potential bases of operations, framework for resistance groups, and the objective agendas for the leader of each cell, perfectly coordinated with the overall agenda of the entire group. In effect …" Nuruodo tapped another button, revealing a diagram of a crude insignia, "This datapad contains the administrative information of a Rebel Alliance."

Sidious's eyes scanned the screen quickly, hardening as they did so. Without warning, he stood up, clutching the datapad. He gestured to Vader and Nuruodo. "Both of you come with me."

He rapidly crossed the throne room and headed down the hallway to the Command Center. Vader followed a few steps behind his master, his long strides easily keeping pace. Nuruodo brought up the rear, moving quickly and quietly.

They arrived at the Command Center shortly afterwards. Sidious immediately moved to the main terminal and opened a connection port, transferring all the information on the datapad to the mainframe. When the download was complete, he turned back to his servants.

"I might go so far as to say this atones for your failure, Mirthrada," he said eagerly, his reddish eyes glowing with malicious intent. "I had complied considerable information on the plans of Senator Organa myself, but this makes everything so much more comprehensive. We now have all the proof we need."

Vader stepped forward. "Does this mean that we will be able to destroy the resistance before it ever threatens the Republic?"

"Yes, my friend, but patience. We have initiatives of our own to take first." He spread his arms. "The time has come for us to make our presence known, and announce the arrival of the New Order."

Vader frowned. "So soon, My Lord?"

"Yes. The timing is perfect," Sidious said gleefully. "We have eliminated the Jedi, the greatest threat to our vision. The Senate is reeling, and the people demand strong leaders. All they need is a cause justifying this action. And what better cause than the betrayal of their interests by the Jedi and certain prominent Senators? Billions will bow before us as we condemn this new evil, and trillions more will follow their example. The great revolution will be completed smoothly, with the Sith at its helm as was ordained by the Force!"

Vader managed to keep his face neutral, though he was burning with eagerness inside. "How do you propose to accomplish this, Master?"

Sidious turned back to the vidscreen. "I will call a special session of the Senate, and there I will announce the treachery of the Jedi and certain members of the government. The lust for victory and power, already high following the veritable defeat of the Separatists, will create a wave of unstoppable momentum, engulfing or crushing all before it. When it reaches its peak, I will declare myself Emperor, and the New Order will have arrived at last!"

Vader raised an eyebrow. "Do you plan to reveal me at this … political rally as well?"

Sidious smiled. "You, my friend, will need no introduction. There will be plenty of time for you to get used to politics later. For now, the tales of your deeds, the whispers of your accomplishments will circulate quickly, and you will become legendary. Your shadow will stretch from Coruscant to the outermost worlds of the Rim, where the shattered remains of the Separatists still hide. No one will dare to stand against you, as you take your post as the true guardian of justice in this galaxy. Your name will become synonymous with power – Darth Vader."

The new Dark Lord of the Sith smiled. "And when Anakin joins us?"

"He will create his own legacy, which when merged with yours will create a force the likes of which this universe has never seen. It will last for thousands of years." Sidious closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of power. "First, we must find him. The information Mirthrada provided will prove instrumental to this task. They are bound to try and regroup on one of their allies' worlds, so we will head them off. However, there is another matter that must be dealt with, even before finding Anakin."

He opened his eyes and fixed Vader and Nuruodo with an icy glare. "This latest sequence of events marked the third time that Padmé Amidala Skywalker has thwarted me. I will not stand for it."

Vader raised an eyebrow, but an invisible hand suddenly clenched around his chest. He didn't like where this was going. "My Lord, while Padmé is a dangerous political opponent, surely our efforts would be better spent on Anakin …"

"No," Sidious snapped. "She is the root of the problem. Every time Skywalker takes an agreeable step towards the Dark Side, she is there to pull him back. The woman has him entranced with her beauty and noble nature, as well as that cursed binding force, love. If Anakin is going to embrace his destiny and join us, she has to be removed."

The invisible fist tightened its iron grip painfully on Vader's chest. Forcing back a furious explosion, he forced himself to speak calmly, looking his master right in the eye. "Lord Sidious, I know Anakin very, very well. Please understand this. Anakin will never join us if he discovers that we have done anything to harm his wife."

Sidious laughed. "It appears that even now you still entertain misguided notions about the power of love, Lord Vader," he said, savage mirth distorting his voice. "However, I concede your point. He cannot be allowed to discover that we had a hand in his wife's removal. Nor can we afford to kill her, though I would take great pleasure in knowing that the witch can no longer trouble me. She has too much value as leverage. I would have to entrust this mission to a servant that I know could do the job effectively without subverting my orders. My first choice would be you, Lord Vader."

He cast an eye at his apprentice. Vader's face gave no sign, but his body tensed visibly, belying the turmoil inside of him.

Sidious continued, a trace of amusement prevalent in his voice. "However, it seems that despite your outstanding immersion in the Dark Side, my friend, you do not have the stomach for such a task. I will need to use someone else."

Nuruodo shifted slightly. "Me, My Lord?"

"No," Sidious said calmly. "You too would be well suited for the mission, but I need you to go with Lord Vader. He will be tasked with making a preemptive strike at a potential site of resistance, and your experience in such manners will be well suited to aiding him."

Nuruodo bowed. "Very well."

Sidious moved to the terminal, pulled a file onto another datapad, and handed it to Vader. "You will contact this associate. I believe that this is our best alternative."

Vader glanced at the datapad. His head shot back up and he fixed his master will a stare of furious disbelief.

"You cannot possibly be serious."

Sidious's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I am utterly serious, Lord Vader. This operative is perfectly trained, and has been successful on many similar missions before."

Vader did not back down, his blue eyes boring into his master's red ones with the intensity of a stellar core.

"She is a psychopath! There is no way she can be trusted with this mission!"

Sidious returned Vader's stare evenly. "I sense, Lord Vader, that your adamant rejection of her capabilities stems from resentment at having clashed with her on one or two occasions in your previous life. I know perfectly well that you would like nothing more than to kill her. But you will restrain yourself. Yes, she is brutal and unstable, but she is also effective. And I am entrusting it to you that you will impress upon her the consequences if she disobeys me."

Vader ground his teeth savagely, staring hard at the name and face on the datapad. He looked up again. "Anakin has faced her before as well. He will not hesitate to kill her if he gets the chance. If you value her service at all, I would suggest that we do not involve her in this … operation."

Sidious shrugged. "She is expendable, as all my minor disciples are. Her mere involvement may be enough to get Anakin to give in to the Dark Side. If he does, her sacrifice will be well worth it."

Vader searched his mind furiously for another objection that Sidious would be forced to consider. He was unable to find one. He felt the helpless rage sear his insides as he imagined Padmé in the claws of that … that witch. It was taking all his energy not to draw back his arm and use his armored fist to smash his master's leering face. His sense of obligation to his master was warring with the duty he felt to Padmé and Anakin, who would never forgive him for consenting to this. Nor would Sabé …

The Dark Side rose up and buried the objections. This was necessary if Anakin was going to embrace his true destiny, and he was not going to let Padmé suffer serious harm. If she did, there would be fire and blood to pay.

Sidious turned back to the terminal and began to close it down, making sure to carefully take the datapad containing the information on the preliminary Alliance. "I will leave you soon, to prepare my announcement. The declaration will be made in a few hours. I suggest that you two do not delay long in initiating our plan. Speed is our greatest weapon at the moment."

Nuruodo bowed and began to gather his materials, beginning analysis of the optimal first target. Vader did not move, staring icily at the datapad in his hand as though he had been turned to stone.

Sidious returned to stand in front of him. "I know you have objections to this plan, Lord Vader, but I will impart to you that the end always, always justifies the means. We must take this crucial step to counteract Senator Amidala's influence, or else we may lose our opportunity to convert Anakin to our cause. I do not want the lingering sentiments of Obi-Wan Kenobi to compromise our ultimate goal."

Vader looked up and met his master's gaze evenly, his face expressionless. "I understand, My Lord."

Sidious threw back his head and laughed.

"No, you don't, Lord Vader. But you will. That I can promise you. You will."