As the crimson sun rose in the Coruscant sky, Anakin Skywalker snuck into the refugee transport station. A thick cloak draped around his easily recognizable form as he ushered Senators Organa, Mothma, and Amidala onto the ship. All three had given up their formal senatorial dress for more comfortable clothing so as to not attract attention on the transport.
Anakin had tried contacting Master Yoda and Obi-Wan last night, with no results. Both seemed to be far too busy to respond to a call from Coruscant, where everything was allegedly going fine. This led Anakin to believe that this meant he had to do everything alone. Feeling that familiar spike of anger at being left out once again, Anakin resolved to go to the Temple when this was all over to reflect.
Bail Organa and Mon Mothma got settled. Anakin drew closer to Padmé.
"Excuse me, Senators, but may I have a word with Senator Amidala about her continued security on Naboo?"
They all nodded politely, if a little knowingly, as Anakin ushered Padmé, a little slowly due to her current condition, off the transport. He led her to the shadows of a pillar deep in the station, where the people milling about could not easily see them.
Anakin wrapped Padmé in his arms. She responded by placing her head on his chest and sighing deeply. "Anakin, I have to leave soon. What is it you want to tell me?"
He held her shoulders, gazing into her beautiful dark eyes. "Nothing-nothing at all. Just-goodbye, I guess."
Padmé exhaled and hugged him tighter. "You'll come back to me, right? When this is all over?"
"As soon as I can leave Coruscant, I will. Don't worry. We'll be together again on Naboo, just like we were at our wedding." A wicked grin slowly spread across his face, giving Padmé every idea of what exactly he planned to do when there.
"Don't get too excited, Ani. I'm still pregnant." Padmé leaned in deeper and closed her eyes, not bothering to look at the stricken expression on Anakin's face. "I wish we didn't have to be apart so soon. We only just reunited again."
Anakin shook his head. "I wish for us to be together every second I'm not with you, Padmé. I'll come back to you, I promise."
Padmé's eyes started to water. To hide them from Anakin, she reached up and kissed him deeply. He responded with such enthusiasm he lifted her off her feet. Both of them poured every ounce of passion they had for one another into the kiss. Neither one had to speak for them to know that this could be their last.
Finally, Padmé pulled away. There was no hiding her tears now, nor the swimming in Anakin's eyes. "I love you, Ani."
"I love you too."
Wiping furiously at their eyes, Anakin led Padmé back to the transport and into a seat with the other Senators.
"I will continue trying to contact Master Yoda. He must know of what occured in the Council Chambers last night. I will report to you three as soon as I can," Anakin promised, though none of them were paying any attention. Their gazes were fixed outside the window, past his shoulder. In fact, the entire transport was staring. Gasps floated into the air. People covered their mouths in shock. Anakin whipped around to see what they were all staring out and-
And-
And there, silhouetted against the morning sky in a cloud of smoke, the familiar spires of the Jedi Temple were on fire.
Anakin dashed through the crowd of refugees, hardly taking his eyes off the burning Temple in front of him. He dodged families and droids and salespeople until he got to an empty speeder parked outside. He didn't care who it belonged to as he jumped on it and took off.
Anakin weaved through the early Coruscant traffic. The lights on the buildings blurred past him. His heart raced as he thought of what could be happening in the Temple right now. Had Palpatine staged an attack? Were the Archives okay? The young Padawans, the senior librarians, the-the younglings?
He nearly doubled over with the pain of reflecting and poured every bit of energy and nerves he had into the task at hand. Getting to the Jedi Temple as fast as possible.
Sirens wailed as he flew by. Angered beings held up in the lines of traffic shouted profanities at him, and passerby in the buildings ran to the window to watch.
None of this mattered. The Temple was an ember, and none of this mattered.
The fire had calmed into a gentle smoke by the time Anakin had landed the speeder. He jumped out of the vehicle and ran to the grand front steps. Licks of flames still danced on pieces of debris and charred holoprojectors lay strewn on the stone.
All too soon, Anakin made it to the entrance. He stopped, suddenly hesitant. Anakin's eyes flickered downwards, to the calloused hands twining themselves in his cloak. He shook his head, took a steadying breath, and entered the temple.
The front hall was a disaster in and of itself. All the artifacts and statues, once on such a proud display, were ruined on the floor. The foyer stank of destruction and decay. Anakin's heart sank. So much loss. So much history, destroyed.
Half-heartedly, Anakin formed a path through the rubble. He then realized that if he was going to do this properly, he needed to disconnect from his feelings, as Master Yoda had always said to do.
Anakin placed a heavy lock on his mental shields. He disconnected his brain from his heart, hoping, for once, that having no attachments would make this difficult task a little easier.
Slowly, Anakin began to examine the total destruction. He trailed down corridors, running his hands across the tell-tale marks of blaster fire coating the walls. In some distinct locations, Anakin could even see the smooth cuts of a lightsaber. Instead of the peace attributed to the Jedi's weapon, however, these markings held nothing but pain in their memory. Palpatine. Anakin squeezed his eyes shut, trying to drown out his rising emotions. They threatened to bubble out of him if he wasn't careful.
His next few stops were the various classrooms and archive rooms. The sight was too terrible to bear. His former colleagues and even a few friends, all strong and brave, now lie dead. Murdered by the very evil they sought to destroy.
After completing his heart-wrenching searches, Anakin had just one more place to go. He shuddered at the thought of having to enter this room, but it was necessary. He had to know if Palpatine had truly accomplished his task of destroying every last bit of the Temple.
Every last pawn.
The Younglings' room was bright in the midday sun, but the clouds cast a dim shadow across the gruesome scene that greeted Anakin. Anakin's heart stopped beating. He couldn't breathe. His limbs wouldn't move.
Every last youngling had been brutally murdered, stabbed with a lightsaber multiple times. Anakin shut his eyes. Wakeupwakeupwakeup.
Let this nightmare be over.
Anakin exited the Temple. A fresh afternoon breeze caressed his face, but he paid it no mind. His mind kept flashing back to the Younglings. Their little bodies, gruesomely disfigured and left to die unceremoniously.
Anakin stopped in a shaded corner by the Temple and placed his comm down. Instantly, a blue hologram of Obi-Wan Kenobi came into view.
"Anakin! What do you need to speak with me about? I'm flying back to Coruscant now-my clone troopers turned on me. I need somewhere safe to hide out. I'll be at the Temple shortly."
"No!" Anakin cried. Obi-Wan snapped his head up in shock. "Anakin? What is it? What is going on there?"
"I didn't know about the clones-though I suppose it makes sense. Listen, Obi-Wan-Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord we have been looking for. He killed Master Windu and three other Jedi. Then he staged an attack on the Temple. I'm the only Jedi left on Coruscant. It's-horrible." Anakin shuddered at reliving the memory.
Obi-Wan was silent. When he opened his mouth, all he uttered was, "I'm on my way. I will contact Master Yoda."
Padmé sank her head in her hands on the small table she and the other Senators were seated at. It was crowded and smelled terrible, and she was without the companionship of Anakin that had made her first refugee trip so enjoyable.
People milled about the large space, conversing with friends and getting swept up in exciting gambling games. Padmé, Bail, and Mon had kept to themselves, avoiding attention as much as possible.
Suddenly, a hush swept over the room. Padmé looked up, sweeping her gaze across the room until she found the source of the disruption. A small group of beings were crowded around a holograph, which looked to be on a news recording.
Padmé's heart sank as she looked on. Oh no. The holo showed the grand Senate Building, and a horribly disfigured Chancellor stood in the center. Padmé started to slowly shake her head as she realized what had happened to make him look that way.
"...and the Jedi Rebellion has been foiled."
Bail turned to Padmé. "What's happening?"
Padmé shook her head. "I don't know."
An elderly woman turned to face the Senators. "The Chancellor has been elaborating on a plot by the Jedi to overthrow the Senate."
"That's not true!" Bail cried.
The woman sighed. "He's been presenting evidence all afternoon."
"And the Senate will go along with it, just like they always do." Padmé rubbed her hand under her tired eyes.
Palpatine continued. "The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated. Any collaborators… will suffer the same fate. These have been trying times, but we have passed the test.
"The war is over. The Separatists have been defeated, and the Jedi Rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning."
Padmé shifted in her seat. "Well, this is the moment we discover if he intends to return the Republic to a democracy."
Mon shot her a warning glance, then swept her eyes around the room to see if anyone had heard Padmé's snarky comment.
"In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society I assure you will last for ten thousand years," the Chancellor went on. "An empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body, and a sovereign ruler for life! An empire ruled by the majority… ruled by a new constitution!"
Padmé sat in shock, her mouth hanging open. What had she just witnessed? She could practically feel Mon and Bail's discomfort behind her.
On the holo, the Senate Chamber burst into applause.
"So this is how liberty dies," Padmé stated blankly. "With thunderous applause."