Ideally, they needed to find Fett and make him talk; once they found out the name of his employer, the rest would be easy. The odds of this actually happening, however, were hardly in their favor. Jango Fett had once murdered an associate who was about to betray their mutual client; his son, in all probability, would not hesitate to do the same, or even go one step further.

Korus had seemed the likeliest place to begin the investigation, but already the trail was cold. Fett had rented no rooms, bought nothing, spoken to no one, had never even stood out from the crowd in any memorable way. Once this had been conclusively determined, Anakin and Ferus (who at least had a ship of their own this time) decided to approach the problem from another direction. Sitting around the table in the central chamber of the Aularious, they began a tedious process of elimination.

"So what do we know about his employer?" asked Anakin, tapping one finger idly on the tabletop.

"He—"

"Or she."

Ferus gave him a look. "Or she," he continued, "has plenty of money and a fair bit of influence. He—for the sake of convenience—is also desperate to keep his name out of this." As he spoke, he was writing on a piece of flimsy all the helpful points that came up in the conversation.

"Adurian comes immediately to mind," Anakin admitted, "but something about that doesn't feel quite right. To have Macket do illegal work for him once was dangerous enough; twice is just foolhardy. Not to mention that Dura-Na specifically said he was convinced that these people would make him important. 'Important' means famous, and you don't get famous from splicing wires for a crime lord. Infamous, maybe, but that's different."

Ferus nodded. "I agree," he said. "And besides, he was certain that he would come back in six months, so he must have felt secure. So we can rule out the bad guys, and the poor good guys."

Anakin shook his head. "That's where it gets weird," he corrected his friend.

"You keep using that word."

"A rich good guy wouldn't have hired bounty hunters to kill Macket after he was finished with whatever he was hired to do. And us, too, come to think of it. Most people wouldn't dare touch a Jedi."

"Maybe someone with an undeserved good reputation?"

"We've ruled out everything else," Anakin said with a shrug. "He obviously planned to kill Macket when he was finished with him."

Ferus finished scribbling and reread what he had. "All right," he said after a moment. "We've basically concluded that Macket was hired to do something highly technical that had to be kept secret, for whatever reason." He stopped and put the word "illegal" with a question mark beside it on the page. "His employer was someone in a position of power, and he'd already planned this out so that when Macket was finished with his work, he would be taken somewhere deserted and killed quietly. That part went out without a hitch, as far as we know."

"That was actually pretty clever of him," Anakin remarked suddenly. "That droid factory's very hard to get into, and no one's going to go in there again for decades, probably. It's been completely deserted ever since Grievous's alliance."

"Then we're also assuming that it was someone who trusts Grievous," Ferus pointed out, "since they believed that he would keep his word that no more battle droids would be built."

"Yeah, put that down."

More scribbles. "That's about it," Ferus said after he'd finished. "We should show this to the Council."

"It's not much to show," Anakin said ruefully.

"No, but they might have some ideas. Besides, we've been here long enough to know that there's nothing on Korus we haven't seen that might help us."

The Jedi returned to Coruscant with the intention of sharing what little information they had with the Council. They decided to wait, however, until the Council summoned them to summarize their mission. They were indeed summoned only a few days after they had arrived back, but it was not for the reason they expected.

"Master Olin, Master Skywalker," Windu greeted them as they bowed. "I'm glad to see you. The Council has requested your presence for a discussion for which you might be helpful."

Anakin shot a glance at Ferus, who appeared just as surprised as he was by this turn of events. But he nodded. "We are of course glad to help in any way we can, Master," he said. Windu nodded.

"Good. Please be seated."

There were two extra chairs in the Council Chamber today—Anakin and Ferus each took one. Neither, being completely honest, could have said that they were completely calm at being asked to sit with the Council.

"We have asked you both here," said Windu, speaking for the Council, "because of your most recent mission. Piran Macket's murder took place on one of Orest 6's moons, did it not?"

There was a split second in which Ferus and Anakin's eyes met, wondering who was supposed to answer, then Ferus took the initiative. "That is correct, Master," he said.

"The location should not go unnoticed," Windu said. "It may be coincidence, but the obvious is often correct. Have you been led to believe that Grievous may, in any way, be involved in this case?"

"So you've called us here," Anakin said suddenly, "to discuss the possibility that Macket's death was a part of something bigger, rather than an isolated incident."

"Exactly."

"Our evidence suggests that. Unfortunately," Ferus admitted, "we have found no definitive clues pointing toward any specific person." Briefly he sketched out what he and Anakin had concluded earlier. "It may be Grievous, or it may be Adurian or someone else entirely."

Master Mundi was frowning. "I do not like this," he murmured. "It seems that we have eliminated the possibility that Macket was killed randomly—but our alternatives are not pleasant."

"An evil we cannot see is always dangerous," agreed Master Gallia. "Like the Sith, it is invisible, perhaps under our very gazes, until it strikes."

"We have one piece of the puzzle," said Ferus, with his typical complacent practicality. "A murder without a motive, seeming to further no one's cause. If we find even one more piece, the rest of the puzzle may become clear. But if we take for granted that we have already found that missing piece, and we force them to fit and continue with our puzzle, we will tangle ourselves up even further. Assumptions at this point seem very dangerous to me."

"Agreed," said Windu. "Whether Grievous or Adurian, presuming a culprit is not our next step."

"What of you, Master Skywalker?" said Yoda abruptly; he had not spoken since the Council meeting had begun. Anakin, who had also kept unusually quiet, looked startled at being singled out. Yoda continued. "What have you to say on this subject?"

Anakin was quiet, looking down at the ground for a moment. "I'm afraid I find myself unqualified for this discussion," he said at last. "Especially if we are decided against assumptions. I would not wish to bias the Council's decision in any way."

Windu appeared interested. "What is it you have to say, Anakin?" he asked.

A little smile appeared on Anakin's face. "I have no information that Master Olin has not already given you."

"For information it was not that I asked," Yoda persisted sternly. "For your opinion, was my request."

Anakin nodded. "Very well, Master," he said. "But the Council has already spoken against assumptions, which is my opinion. Personally, Master, while I have no reason to believe that Grievous is the main culprit behind this murder, I do believe that he took part in it at some point—and my prejudice is my only evidence. That is what I have to say."

Yoda looked pleased, nodding, but still expectant, as did the rest of the Council. Anakin continued to speak, wondering if he was not just wasting words.

"I do wonder, though," he said, "if we are wise to rule out Grievous's angle altogether. When we say his name, we associate it with the man himself, but he is an entire government now." He grinned. "I have yet to see a government without one corrupted sentient serving within it. It is possible that this was orchestrated from somewhere above Grievous, and he merely carried out orders. It is also possible—and also more probable than the first—that Macket's murder was ordered by one person within that government, without Grievous's knowledge."

"Why do you say more probable?" asked Windu.

"Because the only people who could give Grievous orders are the Sith," Anakin answered, "and I can't imagine what use they would have for an engineer."

There was a little smile on Yoda's face, as though he knew something secret, but the Master remained quiet as Windu began speaking again.

"That is a possibility that we have not yet considered," he said, "and it might bear…"

Then his voice trailed off when they felt it.

It was an almost palpable thrum, starting at the heart like a pounding drum and stretching through the limbs until it seemed to echo from every fingertip and toe. The Council Chamber disappeared, for a split second, lost in the midst of angry red and black. It was shaking with rage and grief, it surged with power and adrenaline; and it was very, very close.

Anakin thought ice had been shot through his veins, that it flowed through him like blood until he could neither think nor move. Gradually he became aware that his vision had cleared and of the noises around him, voices speaking in tones that were tense and urgent.

"Anakin—" He heard a voice saying his name, and looked up to see Windu kneeling beside him. His Master's face was deadly serious. "Anakin, did you sense this coming? Did you know this would happen? Tell me—"

"No," Anakin wanted to say, "You know I haven't had a vision for nearly four years. You know I would tell you." But it was all he could do just to shake his head.

Windu had already risen and was murmuring to Master Gallia, who nodded tersely and left the room. A few of the Masters were attempting to contact someone on the holo-projector, and the rest were already gone, and Ferus with them. Not one unnecessary move was made, even when the room still echoed with remnants of the Dark Side.

The Force was a tangled mess of frantically beating hearts, of trembling hands and icy fear. Anakin shut his eyes tightly, as though he could force the sensation from his mind, but it persisted. If he could get out of the room, perhaps—

With no real recollection of having left the Council Chamber, Anakin found himself running with all his strength through the halls, with no destination in mind. This was no escape; the Dark Side hovered everywhere, prickling at the back of his neck, as though it were laughing at him. Anakin thought he would be sick as he imagined it desecrating this sacred place, a black cloud that destroyed all it touched. Finally, completely out of breath, he stopped and leaned against the wall, gulping in air. He put a hand to his forehead, and it came away drenched with sweat.

"Master Skywalker!"

There were footsteps interrupting the silence from behind him, and a voice. Anakin turned to see Aviva standing there. Her face was startlingly pale, and she was visibly trembling. She looked as distraught as he felt.

"What was that?" she demanded. "I could feel it—I was in my room, and I felt it—"

"I don't know," Anakin answered. "The Council is investigating it…" Oh, Force, he could feel it still, pounding furiously in his chest like a second heart.

"Do they have any idea—they don't know who could have done it?"

Anakin shook his head wordlessly. With no more questions, Aviva retreated. When she was gone and he was alone, Anakin sank to the ground, burying his face in his fists.

He had no idea how long he stayed there, his back to the cold wall, trying to purge that awful feeling of dirtiness from beneath his skin. But all the while he knew in the back of his mind that he couldn't hide there forever. At length, Anakin pushed himself to his feet and walked with decided steps back to the Council Chamber.

Windu was back, talking with someone on the holo-projector—it looked like Amidala—but he looked up when Anakin entered and left the conversation to another Master. Walking over to his former Padawan, he appeared to be about to speak but Anakin beat him to it.

"Please tell me you know what the Dark Side is doing here."

Windu had to shake his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "No one does."

"You don't know what caused it, who it was…?" Anakin could hear the desperation in his own voice. He needed some sort of rationalization for this, some reason that the Dark Side had entered his sanctuary. Windu sighed.

"I know as much as you do, Anakin. Someone within the Temple or very close to it called upon the Dark Side of the Force."

There was no need to impress the seriousness of the situation upon Anakin; he understood it all too well.

"We've spoken to a few others," Windu continued. "Not many others sensed it—Ferus says he didn't feel it nearly as strongly as I suspect you did." His eyes rested heavily upon Anakin's face. "But it was there all the same."

Like the Sith, an evil we cannot see, invisible…until it strikes.

"You don't have any idea who it might have been?" asked Windu. "Anyone within or outside the Temple."

For the second time that day, Anakin shook his head. "I don't have any idea," he said again. But this time, he felt a cold hand twisting in his stomach, and realized that he may have just unintentionally lied.