Chapter 55: The State of Things
The Senate had made a mistake. They had made several, but their last one was proving to be a bigger misstep than they could have anticipated. While the Jedi were engaging in the business of war, the Senate was getting involved in a crisis of their own. Battles fought across the galaxy were causing trade routes to be shut down, and several systems, in desperate need of food and supplies they could not provide on their own, were turning to the black market, smugglers, and other such criminal enterprises to have their needs met. A side effect of the galactic conflict seemed to be a new rise in the cartels that ran illegal operations, and unfortunately for the Senate, one such system was Mandalore.
Some business a month earlier put neutral Mandalore in the Senate's sights when Mandalorian warriors had attacked Republic ships, which caused a bulk of the delegates to believe that not only did Mandalore have Separatist sympathies, but they were raising an army of the fearsome Mandalorian warriors of old, soldiers born of a culture that once shook the Republic to its very foundations. The matter, as it turned out, happened to be a strictly Mandalorian issue, an extremist group that had risen against their pacifist leader, and a Jedi investigation had confirmed that not only were the claims against the Duchess unfounded, but the matter had been peacefully resolved. However, suspicions against the Mandalorians had remained, and all aid that had been issued to the Republic's long time ally had been severed. "If they wish to remain neutral in our time of need," the Senate argued, "than they could do without Republic aid."
Senator Amidala had called this a serious error, decrying the action as petty and selfish, insisting that it was a mistake to isolate their allies, especially the peaceful ones. Not only would it serve to make the Republic look as though they encouraged war by forcing peaceful worlds to capitulate in exchange for aid, bit it could also drive Mandalore and the fifteen hundred systems they were in alliance with to actually ally themselves with the Confederacy in order to aid their suffering people. Since Mandalore's domestic conflict had ended with the arrest of their Senator Tal Merrik, who was revealed as a conspirator to the Death Watch that sought to overthrow the Duchess, nobody in the Senate would speak for the peaceful Mandalorians, and Padmé made it her duty to champion them. After all, someone in the Republic needed to stand for peace, and it may as well have been her.
As it turned out, Mandalore didn't need anyone to speak for the planet. The Duchess was doing a fine job of it on her own. In the weeks following the attacks in Sundari, Satine's approach to maintaining her neutrality had changed. They were still peaceful, fanatically so, but the neutral system was now actively working to secure their peaceful boarders, and this was none more apparent than in Death Watch themselves. Largely overlooked in the Senate as a local affair, Pre Vizsla, the leader of the Death Watch, came forward to publically announce not only his resignation as Governor of Concordia, but the Death Watch's new support for Duchess Satine's rule, admitting that not only were they wrong about the pacifist leader's perceived weakness, but that Satine herself was not simply a Duchess, but worthy of the title of Mand'alor. The nuance was lost on those outside the culture, but the title was given only to those Mandalorians deemed worthy to have it, possessing the ability to unite the warring Mandalorian clans under one leader into a singular force.
While the Senate dismissed this as simple semantics born from a successful attempt by the Duchess to negotiate a peace with her detractors, the Jedi were concerned by the developments. For a woman that had so vehemently rejected the violent history of the Mandalorian people, Satine had adopted the title with ease, quickly embraced the Death Watch as protectors of Mandalorian interests, and with the appointment of her sister, Bo-Katan, as governor of Concordia, the Duchess seemed to not only be securing her position against internal threats, but fortifying her peace by making it clear that the pacifists would defend themselves from any threat that arouse with swift efficiency. This promise was tested when discontent wracked Mandalore, after over a year of war causing food and supplies to run dangerously low, and the government had no way to secure provisions since all trade routes to the sector were closed due to the ferocious fighting. Black market activities spiked, and with it, corruption and greed took over, not just with the smugglers that brought in the goods, but with government officials that were willing to overlook illegal activity in favor of a percentage of the profits.
Satine was having none of it, and what ensued was a swift and decisive investigation of her own government, leading to a purge that resulted in the arrest of a number of her staff, including the Prime Minister Almec, leaving the Mand'alor with a much smaller government with a much longer reach, those that remained understanding in no uncertain terms that nobody was secure in their position if they were not competent and obedient to the will of their ruler. With Almec imprisoned indefinitely, Satine abolished the position of Prime Minister, declaring it unnecessary when centralized rule led to greater unity and more efficiency, and she had pointed to the Confederacy's and the Republic's innate corruption among its vast number of delegates. "Multitude breeds discord, not good council," she had said in a speech to her people, "and were the Republic and the Separatists united under a single voice, this foolish war would have been over long ago."
It was a sentiment echoed in her people and within the Alliance of Neutral Systems, and Satine soon found herself as the singular leader of fifteen hundred systems as the planets in her alliance surrendered power to her, bolstered and emboldened by how quickly Mandalore managed every threat that came its way. She brought an end to the smuggling as well by discouraging the illicit behavior, and she did so by targeting the Hutt Cartel, which miraculously heeded the woman's warnings, and issued a very public statement to all its subsidiaries and contacts to avoid Mandalore if they knew what was good for them, for the Hutts would not be there to save them if they failed to listen. Not only did this end Hutt Cartel funded smugglers, but it put a swift end to all others as well, who decided that if the Hutts thought Mandalore was too dangerous, it wasn't safe for anyone.
With the internal corruption and lawlessness solved, Satine set to finding a solution the problem of the trade routes to help ease her people's suffering, and for that, she set her sights on the Confederacy on Raxus, and more specifically, on their powerful allies in the Trade Federation and the Commerce Guild. The Jedi Order had watched this with great care. They had suspected that Satine was utilizing a shadow operative to conduct aggressive negotiations with her enemies, not to destroy them, but to make certain that they lived to warn others to stay far, far away from the seemingly docile pacifists, as they were proving to be far more cunning and dangerous than their peaceful facade let on. Given what they had known about Satine and her affiliations, the Jedi suspected they knew exactly who it was that defended Mandalore, and when Satine came out of Raxus not only with signed contracts with both the Trade Federation and the Commerce Guild, but a public alliance with the Negotiator, the smooth, charismatic man exalting her continuous commitment to peace, their suspicions were confirmed. When Qui-Gon had returned from his investigation on Mandalore, the Council had thought that what he had to say about his interactions with the increasingly dangerous Obi-Wan were flippant and dismissive, but now they saw the wisdom in his warning. Don't touch his things didn't apply to just the Jedi, it was meant for the galaxy at large.
Which led to the grave mistake the Republic had made. With her new contracts in hand, Satine still needed the signatures of Lott Dodd and members of the Galactic Senate who's systems the trade routes ran through in order to secure the routes for trade to Mandalore, and she sought a guarantee from the Supreme Chancellor himself in the form of a signed treaty that he would respect Mandalore's sovereignty in the matters of trade, not only to the Mandalore System, but to all systems that the Duchess governed. After all, she had gotten a similar document signed by Dooku himself, and she trusted the Republic would see the benefit in allowing Mandalore to do as they wished. Countless others have, and as the world was peaceful and neutral in the ongoing war, there was no reason to deny them. Moreover, Satine's protected, war free worlds were proving to be appealing to weary worlds in both the Confederacy and the Senate, and after her visit to Raxus, several Separatist systems had left in favor of neutrality, and the Separatist leaders had made it clear that Mandalore was not to be touched. Whatever she was doing, it was working.
Not wanting to appear confrontational to the neutral system, and therefore more militant than their Separatist opponents, a committee headed by Padmé Amidala and Chancellor Palpatine met to discuss how best to receive this powerful, emerging new galactic leader, a task made more difficult by the Duchess herself when she demanded to have an escort of her choosing to make her comfortable in a Senate that had accused her of treachery not two months earlier. They had agreed, of course, to allow her to be accompanied by who she wished, and it was too late for them to back out when they heard that Satine would be bringing Obi-Wan Kenobi to the talks. After all, she had assured, the Negotiator had been the primary proponent of working things out civilly since the war began. They had made strides the last time he sat down with a member of the Senate, and with the war into its second year and with no end in sight, it seemed as good a time as any to come back to the table and try again. If the Republic was unwilling to try for peace, than he would simply serve as her guest.
Under Chancellor Palpatine's urging, the Senate had agreed, though some reluctantly and some not at all, that meeting personally with the Negotiator was long past due. And the Jedi Order, in the simplest of terms, was freaking out.
With Mace Windu confined to the Temple, Master Yoda secluded in meditation, and most of the other Masters either in the field or missing in action, Qui-Gon Jinn had taken Anakin Skywalker with him to the Senate building to attempt to convince Chancellor Palpatine of the grave mistake he was making in allowing Obi-Wan Kenobi to leave the Outer Rim, let alone allow him inside the heart of the Republic. So far, it wasn't working.
"I understand your concern, Anakin," Palpatine sighed, folding his hands on the desk and wearily watching the young Jedi furiously pace around and around his office. "But we cannot deny the Duchess a request to meet with us." He smiled kindly. "After all, she has purged corruption from Mandalore, which is what I have longed to do in the Senate for years. I was elected to the Chancellorship on this platform."
"This isn't about having her here!" Anakin nearly shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "It's about him! It's about the Negotiator!"
Palpatine waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "The man has tried for peace more than once, Anakin."
"Before, and now, he's a war criminal! He's been fighting against us, he's killed Jedi! Master Shaak Ti is missing, Master Saesee Tiin was killed! He's wounded some and possibly crippled others! If he comes here, we will arrest him!"
Palpatine frowned. "I thought you were more astute than this. Wilhuff spoke so highly of you after the Battle of Kamino."
Skywalker stopped his pacing for a moment. "...wait, he did? I thought he was really mad."
"He seems to respect your skills as a commander," the Chancellor said. "He believes you still have a long way to go as a General, but he feels you have potential, and he finds your views a bit more...practical than your Jedi fellows."
Anakin beamed for a moment, looking back at Qui-Gon, the older Master looking sternly at the Chancellor, and the young man shook his head, his focus returning. "The Jedi won't stand to have that Jedi killer on the planet!"
"I was under the impression that he hasn't killed any Jedi," Palpatine said, shuffling papers on his desk and watching Anakin nearly come out of his skin.
"He has," Qui-Gon said in calm, measured tones. "On Vassek, for certain."
"I thought General Grievous was responsible for those." Qui-Gon shook his head, and the Chancellor exhaled sharply. "Even still, the Jedi invaded a Separatist moon, as I am given to understand. Were they not the aggressors in this case?"
"No, because he's a Sith Lord!" Anakin shouted, his temper lost, and Qui-Gon hissed at him for silence, tugging his sleeve and pulling him down into the chair beside him. Palpatine only just barely refrained from rolling his eyes.
"Not this again..." he said wearily. "The Sith have been gone for a thousand years, have they not? Quite frankly, nobody in the Senate believes that they actually exist. This looks like Jedi infighting because you are displeased one of your own left the Order."
"Infighting?!" Anakin started again, beginning to rise, but Qui-Gon pulled him back down.
"You'll forgive my friend," Qui-Gon said softly. "I understand the Senate's concerns, Chancellor, and I suppose it doesn't matter what we believe of Obi-Wan. All that matters to the Jedi is keeping the Republic safe, and having him here may dangerous."
"May?" Anakin asked sharply, and Qui-Gon's fingers drummed on the arm of his chair, a knowing smile on his face, but he said nothing.
"Is there no possibility he wishes to have peace?" Palpatine asked, and Qui-Gon shrugged.
"I'm uncertain. Obi-Wan has shown himself to be reasonable in the past, though I believe that is subject to change, depending on the situation." He looked away from the Chancellor, thinking for a moment before he nodded and said, "Regardless of how these talks go, he will be here as Duchess Satine's guest. I do not believe he will be dangerous in this situation." Anakin looked at him, appalled and disbelieving, and Qui-Gon shrugged. "He's not an idiot. He won't try anything rash or foolish when it would be dangerous for him to do so."
"He's toying with us, Qui-Gon!" Anakin whispered to the Master. "He's showing us that he can go anywhere he wants."
Qui-Gon shook his head. "I don't believe that's what this is."
"Clearly he thinks he's safe here," Anakin growled. "We should arrest him as soon as he lands!"
Palpatine looked shocked, and stammered a moment before saying, "I will not have the Jedi Order acting out of turn! A rash action like that is an affront to diplomacy, and I will not have it!" He folded his hands before him again. "Senator Amidala and I have worked very hard to work out how best to negotiate with both Duchess Satine and Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Anakin bit his lip. "...Padmé's been working on this?" The Chancellor nodded. "She didn't tell me."
"Perhaps she feared you would act just as you are acting now..." Palpatine said pointedly, and the Jedi Knight sunk down in his chair, face stained red with equal parts embarrassment and shame. "This meeting will happen, my friends. The Senate tires of the war, and the Negotiator has said in the past that he will enter peace talks as soon as we are ready. We may be ready now. And if not..." He sighed. "He will be here regardless as the Duchess' guest. It seems a waste to have him here is we are not to discuss peace, but," the Chancellor smiled, "it may be good for us to meet as equals, without political pressure. After all, establishing relationships and forming connections with the right people is the art of good politics."
"He is in no way the right person," Anakin growled through clenched teeth.
"He is absolutely the right person," the Chancellor insisted. "A high ranking, powerful Separatist commander with a commitment to negotiations and peace."
"Commanding troops on a battlefield is not being committed to peace, Chancellor!" Skywalker insisted, and Palpatine arched an eyebrow.
"Are the Jedi not committed to peace, Anakin?"
"Yes, of course we are."
"And yet you serve as a General in the army. You have destroyed droid factories, have won countless battles, have commanded your troops to kill and be killed."
"In the name of peace, we are fighting for peace!"
"As is Obi-Wan, I imagine," he said, a knowing smile on his face. "Only he has expressed a desire to talk, and you have run into every situation lightsaber first."
Anakin clenched his teeth. "Qui-Gon, help."
"I agree with the Chancellor." Anakin groaned loudly, hiding his face in his hands. "There are two sides to everything, Anakin." Palpatine smiled, and Qui-Gon adopted a stern look. "But at the same time, Chancellor, you do not know what Obi-Wan is, nor do you understand his motivations. He can be reasoned with, yes, but without understanding why he is doing this, we must remain cautious of our dealings with him."
Palpatine started to say something, than closed his mouth, looking away as he reconsidered his words. "Do you believe," he said slowly, "that there is something more sinister going on with his alliance with Duchess Satine?" The Jedi said nothing. "We suspected she was working with the Separatists before, could this alliance of theirs not be new at all?"
"I do not believe Satine is associated with the Separatists," Qui-Gon said softly. "She abhors the war, and despite her...new approach to ruling Mandalore, I do not believe that has changed. The alliance with the Negotiator may be one made out of a desire for peace from both parties." Anakin looked at the Jedi curiously. Qui-Gon was lying to the Chancellor, but...why? The Jedi Master knew full well the relationship between the two, so...who was he trying to protect?
Palpatine nodded, heaving a heavy sigh of relief. "So you believe he is committed to peace?"
"...in a way."
"I will take all this to heart when we meet with him." The Chancellor rose from his seat, waiving with his hand toward the door, indicating that the meeting was over. Anakin wearily stood, but Qui-Gon stated in his seat, his cold, blue eyes looking at the Chancellor with a stern, unyielding expression, and slowly, Palpatine sat once again.
"That isn't to say he isn't dangerous," Qui-Gon softly warned. "Despite what you seem to believe, Chancellor, Obi-Wan Kenobi is dangerous. He's strong in the Force, has a talent for mind manipulation that he carried with him from his time as a Jedi, and he knows it. Don't forget, in Senator Amidala's first meeting with him, he agreed to Force containment to make us feel safe. Harsher restrictions must apply this time."
"I don't know if-"
The Jedi held up a hand. "Contact him."
Palpatine looked shocked. "W-what?"
"Contact him. I know you can. In your last meeting with him, he said he could be contacted at any time were you to accept his terms." The Chancellor looked disbelieving at the Jedi and Qui-Gon smiled slightly. "Padmé and I are old friends. She told me all about it so I may give her an opinion. And now that you are on this committee together, you and she must be sharing everything on matters regarding Mandalore and the Negotiator."
Palpatine smiled sheepishly. "You have the right of it, Master Jedi."
Qui-Gon leaned forward in his seat, a smile on his voice, but his expression was intense. "Contact him."
"Padmé will be very cross if I contact him without her."
The Master shrugged. "You're the Supreme Chancellor, it's your right. And if it becomes an issue, you may tell her that I insisted."
The Chancellor was still for a moment, than sighed, pushing himself out of his seat and walking around the desk, activating the holotransceiver upon it, and tapped in the needed information on the datapad to send the proper transmission. Qui-Gon leaned over to his former student and whispered, "You can leave, if you wish."
"No," the Jedi said insistently, his voice calm and even, and Qui-Gon smiled when he felt that the young man had centered himself, his previous anger released into the Force. "Master Yoda says I must one day oppose him. I am...reconsidering my reluctance to have him here. If we can get close, we can learn something. He'll be concealing his true nature, but you told me once that even lies have hints of the truth in them."
Qui-Gon smiled. "You never fail to impress."
Anakin shrugged, brushing it off. "If he can get me angry when he's not even here, than I've already lost against him. This will be...an exercise."
The Master patted Anakin's shoulder. "Keep your answers short and noncommital if he addresses you. He thrives on emotional upheaval now, and I believe indifference will offend him." Anakin nodded just as a hologram flickered into being, a life-sized image projected in the center of the room as if the man was actually there, and a moment later, the two Jedi stood to look into the respectful, than highly irritated face of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Oh," the Sith said flatly, his eyes looking over the Chancellor. "It's you."
Palpatine bowed in respect. "It has been a long time, Master Kenobi."
"Not long enough. Where's Padmé? I expected the call to be from her."
The Chancellor laughed softly, and Anakin felt that it was almost nervously. The elderly Naboo Senator was far too meek to stand toe to toe with Obi-Wan. "I am Chancellor of the Republic, Master Kenobi. It's my duty to discuss matters of great importance."
"And you need to have a Jedi guard?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyes lighting up with curiosity more than anything else. "Did you mean to intimidate me with a Jedi presence, or do you simply fear me so much that you need the Jedi to make you feel safe." The cruel, mocking tone was not lost on the Chancellor, and he took a deep, calming breath, the Jedi sensing his mild annoyance.
"I was consulting with the Jedi, and your impending visit was discussed."
This time, the Sith smiled. "Yes, it seems I will be returning to Coruscant very soon. In the company of royalty, no less."
"Yes, well, when we discuss peace-" The Chancellor stopped when Kenobi began laughing in earnest.
"Chancellor, I have no desire to discuss peace, no matter what Mand'alor Satine's idealistic views lead her to believe. This war has been difficult and brutal and there is no end in sight." He shrugged. "Besides, I'm not coming to Coruscant as a Separatist, I'm coming because the Mand'alor asked me to."
"And why should she do that?" Palpatine asked, his voice low and suddenly sounding very suspicious.
"She and I are committed to the similar ideals," he said softly. "We both want peace, and she has achieved it. I support her reign completely, though I suspect she asked me to come because..." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Idealists, you understand. She believes that if Separatists leaders and Republic leaders were forced to sit down and talk, we would see that we are not so different, and negotiations may continue."
"It's a noble ideal," Qui-Gon said softly, and Obi-Wan carefully looked him over, his brow knit in focus as if he were looking right through him.
"Yes, it is..." Kenobi nearly whispered. "Though it is not realistic, as you well know."
"Perhaps we can reach an agreement," Palpatine said kindly, a small smile on his face. "We strive to end the war, but nobody said it would have to end in victory for one side. It could end in compromise. As the Duchess has somehow done."
"Perhaps, but not on this visit," Obi-Wan said swiftly. "Again, I'm not going on behalf of the Separatists, so I will have no power to discuss anything in an official capacity. I'm simply going to be there as a guest."
"Speaking of," Anakin said, and the Sith's eyes darted to the younger man, the corner of his mouth twitching, "let's discuss the security of your visit."
"Oh, are the Jedi going to be in charge of my security?" Kenobi asked, laughter and malice in his voice, and Skywalker smiled in return. "I'm certain I can protect myself."
"You misunderstand. Our security from you," he said pointedly, and Qui-Gon shot him a look of warning.
"Anakin..."
"No, no, he's right," Kenobi said softly, and all three people in the room stared at him in disbelief, the Sith Lord the very image of calm. "Don't look so surprised. This isn't Mandalore, we are no longer on neutral territory like before. This is your home, and I'm a guest. I'll gladly submit to your rules to keep all of us feeling safe and secure." He smiled, but those eyes looked alive with cunning. "After all, I fear that you Jedi would arrest me the second I arrive if I do not adhere to your rules."
"Yes, of course," Palpatine said quickly. "The Republic honors that you will be here under a neutral banner. You will have nothing to fear, Master Kenobi." Anakin felt his chest tighten. This was how the Sith had planned to stay safe. By trusting the honor of the Republic and the Jedi, Kenobi guaranteed his safety. He felt himself burn, but quickly relaxed. There was, perhaps, an advantage to be gained in this.
Kenobi smiled. "I misjudged you, Chancellor Palpatine. Perhaps those from Naboo are simply of a higher mind than the rest of the galaxy." The Chancellor laughed sheepishly. "What are your conditions?"
All sorts of things rushed to Anakin's mind, but he managed to calmly say, "Your connection with the Force has been used to hurt Jedi during this war. The Order is concerned." The Sith's expression turned from expressionless to cocky. "We will require your Force connection to be blocked."
"Torture, Skywalker?" the Sith asked softly, and Anakin could feel the Chancellor's questioning eyes on him.
"It isn't torture, it-"
"Yes it is."
Anakin grit his teeth. "It's one of our conditions."
The Chancellor laughed nervously. "We cannot torture guests..."
"No, it's alright." Kenobi sighed. "I have been told that Mandalore keeps the latest in Force suppression technology because of their...sorted history, and I'm given to understand that they have a wide assortment of devices that can do such. You may inspect it upon my arrival."
Anakin stuttered, trying to grasp for words, but he could find none. He didn't expect the Sith to agree to such a thing. It was...suspicious, almost as though he wanted it. It was Qui-Gon that finally said, "There will be a Jedi presence nearly everywhere you go."
"Oh, I'm counting on it," the Sith drawled slowly, though Anakin felt that he wasn't pleased. "I only ask that I may stay with Mand'alor Satine, wherever it is that she may stay. I am, after all, coming because she doesn't feel safe on Coruscant."
Qui-Gon smiled faintly. "I believe that can be arranged."
"Without the Jedi."
The Master nodded, his faint smile growing slightly larger. "That should not be a problem."
The Chancellor smiled warmly, his hands clasped before him. "I am feeling very optimistic about this meeting, Master Kenobi."
"I am as well, Chancellor Palpatine," the Sith said quietly. "Perhaps someday soon, we can forge a new era of peace for the galaxy." The hologram flickered off, and the three occupants in the room breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm feeling much better about all of this, my friends," the Chancellor said softly. "Thank you." Rising, the Jedi quickly dismissed themselves, leaving Palpatine's office in a hurry, and Qui-Gon took Anakin's arm and pulled him close.
Before Qui-Gon could say anything, Anakin whispered, "You lied to him. Why? You know Obi-Wan and Satine are lovers, you said so yourself, so why not say so?"
"Never fully reveal your hand," the Master said. "Especially not with politicians. Even those with the best intentions cannot be trusted." He leaned closer to Anakin as they passed delegates as they were walking by. "Don't forget. We aren't to touch Obi-Wan's things. I want to develop something of a rapport, and he can go from agreeable to violent in an instant if he finds out that his personal affairs have been made public."
"You said he wouldn't do anything here."
"He won't. It's far too dangerous for him to do anything here on Coruscant," Qui-Gon said quickly. "Don't forget, the Sith have changed. They're careful now, subtle, and used to hiding. Obi-Wan will have been trained in this as well, and he's not an idiot. He won't attempt something stupid in the home of the Jedi. But he is also resentful. He will find a way to take it out on us later."
"You're probably right about that..." Anakin said softly. "I don't know, Qui-Gon, if he actually loves this girl..."
"He does. Even the Sith can care about things. I don't understand his motivations yet, but I think it may be unwise to block his abilities." Qui-Gon breathed deeply and prepared his counter argument, but the need for it never came because the Knight nodded in agreement.
"You're right. Doing things the way the Jedi have been isn't working. We need to do things differently. We can't sense his presence, but if we're keyed in on him, we should be able to feel if he's using the Force, right?" Qui-Gon nodded. "Besides, it seemed like he wanted to be contained. We can't give him what he wants. And...this might be my only chance to really get a good look at him. I need to know what I'm going to face. I mean, the Senate is supposedly under Sith control already, right? Maybe Obi-Wan being here will lead us to his Master."
Qui-Gon laughed. "The Council is really going to hate this."
Anakin grinned. "The Council has been wrong at nearly every turn, so I think there's a good chance of this going our way. Our hands may be tied, but so are his."
"More than that," Qui-Gon said softly. "This may be our chance to see if it's possible to get Obi-Wan to begin to break away from his Sith Master."
"Do you think it's possible?"
"I don't know, Anakin, but I have a very good feeling about this. Escorting his Mandalorian Queen to the heart of the Republic is more than diplomacy, it's politics, and it seems like he's sending a message."
"You think it's to the Sith Master?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "He's amassed a large amount of power in a very short time. He's either trying to impress him, or threaten him, and knowing the Sith, it's both."
Anakin began laughing softly. "I never cared much for politics, but I can't wait to see this."
