The landing pad was the organized hive of mass activity Anakin knew it would be. With Artoo at his side, the pair made their way past scores of living and mechanically personnel preparing everything they'd need to take on Utapau. To their left, one could see the district-sized landing pad stretch out far into the early morning horizon of Coruscant, its lights shining against the towering behemoths of six Venator-class Star Destroyers, some already preparing to leave while others were about to. Obi-Wan's ship for the mission, the Vigilance, was in the latter group.

Even hundreds of feet above the open ramps, Anakin could hear the rhythmic activity down below. The distinct whirr of Republic Hovertanks moving inside the assault cruisers. This was nothing next to the clones. With a picture-perfect image born from seeing them do it a thousand times before, Anakin could imagine the ranks upon ranks of troopers following behind the attack vehicles, battalions of men bred for war, marching with the synchronicity surpassing that of their Separatist counterparts.

It was a fact he once found pleasing, a sort of visual representation of the orderly galaxy that should exist. Everyone knows their place and what they can and cannot do. Palpatine and others who could be trusted to lead wielded the power to do so and everything was perfect. It had come to pass, the clones fought and answered directly and only to the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Not the Senate or even their Jedi generals, Palpatine.

Though he still didn't want to think ill of the man or the clone troopers he'd fought alongside for so many years, recent events made this increasingly impossible. The battle droid comparison left Anakin feeling even more on edge than he already was. Luckily, there were those they could trust and one man in-particular standing just about 20 feet away was worth entire battalions all on his own. Seeing Obi-Wan lightened his burden considerably, Master Windu being there brought it right back.

Artoo let out a curious beep.

"We'll find out soon enough," Anakin let out another calming breath, recollecting the sensation of the twins through the Force with great clarity and calming himself back down. He bowed to the two senior Jedi.

"Master's," Anakin greeted them with Artoo beeping his hello at his side. "Is everything alright...?"

"Everything is proceeding as planned, Anakin," Master Windu bowed in-return. "I'm just here to see you two off."

"And to escape 500 Republica for a while longer, I suspect," Obi-Wan smiled with a knowing look at Master Windu's direction. The usually stoic Korun Jedi looked annoyed for a moment before a slyly and briefly smiling in admission.

"Your dislike of politicians must be rubbing off on me, Obi-Wan."

"Perhaps," Anakin's old teacher cast a glance at him. Though he smiled on, the ever so slight narrowing of his eyes betrayed Obi-Wan's own worries on the matter. "With any luck, we won't have to suffer it for much longer at all."

"Nothing would make me happier, Master." The reasoning behind the sentiment was clear: this business with 500 Republica and Utapau was nothing but a distraction. One more in a long, long series of smokescreens and diversionary tactics made to toy with the Jedi, split them apart while the enemy's true goals and identity stayed safe. The real battle would be fought here, and soon. They all knew this, even though the clouded shroud of the Force. And it was a battle they'd have to fight with some of their best Knights and Masters away while the rest would have to busy around with an investigation almost certain to yield nothing worthwhile. The fact Anakin's family would still be here when the explosive went off and he was away, only made things far more difficult.

But he couldn't stay behind, the very thought of Obi-Wan taking on Grievous and Dooku with anyone else at his side sent a cold chill running through Anakin's whole body. He couldn't tell what it came from: the Force, his ordinary battle-honed instincts, some lingering part of his inflated ego, simple but impractical concern or some combination of all three. However, the fact his family was protected by the Order made it far more tolerable of a choice to make. If it weren't for this added measure, Anakin knew he wouldn't be able to leave Coruscant, even for Obi-Wan's sake. Come clean to the Order had paid off again.

A beeping from Obi-Wan's comlink broke Anakin's considerations. "The Vigilance is ready to depart."

"Then so must I," Master Windu extended a hand to Obi-Wan. "Take great care out there, my friends, win this war and return safely. I'll do my best to make sure you have something to come back to."

"We will, Mace, you can be certain of that."

Master Windu accepted the promise with a slight bow and then, extended a hand to Anakin as well. He took it after a moment's pause.

"We won't let you down, Master," Anakin promised, finding himself taken aback by the thought of going separate paths with the Korun Jedi. "May the Force be with you."

"And I will endeavor not to do the same," Master Windu smiled again and nodded at the two of them. "And may the Force be with you, as well."

With that, he turned and made his way into the crowd of people, his Jedi robes billowing in the wind before he vanished out of the sight. Soon after, even his presence in the Force drifted further and further away until the miasma of the dark side blotted it out. Anakin stared after him, once again feeling the compulsion to stay behind. But it was a slow battle. Before Obi-Wan's hand even touch his shoulder, Anakin turned around and walked first to the transport vessel waiting for them. His teacher and Artoo following closely behind.

Halfway there, Anakin muttered out: "Never thought I'd see the day when going to a fight would bother me this much."

"It is a credit to your wisdom when you recognize what battle is truly worth fighting at all."

Anakin gave a half-hearted smile at the compliment, recognizing if one battle was worthier over another didn't mean much when the choice was all but taken out of your hands. He suspected Obi-Wan thought this too because his Master didn't push the subject further than that. Instead, they entered the transport vehicle and flew towards the Vigilance in contemplative silence.


The hangar bay of the Vigilance was a familiar sight. Turbo laster guns with their respective crews capable of decimating enemy cruisers and even entire cities were loaded. Starfighters and transportation vehicles for ground forces and hover tanks received refueling and maintenance and clone troopers oversaw or partook in all of it and much, much more. On the outside, all appeared normal or some approximation of normality in these trying times.

Obi-Wan thought for the first time in many years when exactly he became indifferent to such military procedures, when did he accept the role of a soldier? He recalled the early weeks of the Clone Wars during which the thought "How is this happening?" became a near-constant companion to him. But much like his former apprentice, the constant battles, duties and some might say excitements of war quickly left little room for such existential considerations. Even a prison camp where one had nothing but the time required spending it to plot escape routes.

Now, with the veil slowly lifting these past few days on so many matters, the question returned with greater force than ever before. Potentially serving a Sith Lord or Sith stooge for almost 15 years would certainly do that. It was precisely for this reason why the sight of clone troopers with whom he'd fought alongside for so many years was suddenly only a familiar sight, but not a welcome one by any means.

Though he was far better at not letting such thoughts and emotions slip out, Obi-Wan felt the same unease in this hangar as Anakin did. If all their suspicions about Palpatine were correct, he could order their arrest or deaths with a simple call right then and there. It was for this reason they traversed past or through the endless buzz of activity toward the exist where another familiar sight awaited them.

"General Kenobi, General Skywalker!" Commander Cody greeted them both with handshakes, his voice a hint warmer and friendlier than the usual clone one upon seeing them. "Good to see you sirs in one piece. That Invisible Hand landing looked like a right mess."

Officially known as CC-2224, Cody was the leader of the 7th Sky Corps and the 212th Attack Batallion, some of the units and divisions alongside the 501st making up their assault force for Utapau. Cody was awarded the title of marshal commander due to Obi-Wan's own acknowledgment of his abilities. Beyond simply obeying orders, he showed a remarkable level of self-initiative and independent thought as well as a cunning side for battlefield tactics. All of these qualities were why Cody became part of the then-experimental ARC trooper program by Alpha, created to encourage more self-identity from the most skilled of troopers. It was there he'd earned his proper name, one he gave to himself.

Yet despite being glad to see him, Obi-Wan could not stop a voice in the back of his head from wondering which side Cody would fall on, should the worst with Palpatine come to pass: the obedient soldier or the good friend. Nor could he prevent himself from wondering if this familiarity with clone was part of the Sith's already elaborate Jedi trap.

"Well, you know us, Cody," Anakin smiled, managing to sound quite convincingly relaxed. Almost convincing enough for Obi-Wan to cast a surprised look his way that would certainly not do. "Like to play it close to the chest."

"Speak for yourself," Obi-Wan followed the banter up easily enough. "I'm quite done with flight-related theatrics for ten lifetimes."

"I'm sure you won't have to ram a star destroyer into Utapau, general."

"Depends, are those sinkholes on the planet big enough to fit one?"

"Please stop giving Anakin any more ideas."

"By your orders, general."

The trip through the destroyer all the way up its commander tower passed in a mostly pleasant silence. Obi-Wan wasn't sure if it came from falling back into a routine or simply being away from the hangar bay. Unlike many Republic vessels from the past, the destroyers were constructed with a dual bridge design with the port tower coordinating starfighter activity whereas the starboard tower served as the regular command bridge. On every command bridge, however, there was a strategy room with a holoprojector map capable of giving incredibly detailed approximations of vessels, weapons, maps and everything else one would need to wage war.

The initial briefing passed more of procedure than a necessity, a short chronicle of Utapau's past, its status in the war thus far, its geography and the outlying worlds making up the rest of the system. Most of the briefing elicited no feelings of note, save for the talk of neutrality. Of all the numerous systems to fall prey to the Clone Wars, the ones who had nothing to do with it brought forth the most pity from Obi-Wan. They swore no allegiances or wanted hostility toward anyone, simply to be left alone. More often than not, these were worlds too primitive to even be part of the wider galactic society, incapable of even defending themselves against a single battalion at the disposal of the Republic or Confederacy.

Thankfully, from the Republic Intelligence reports, Grievous and Dooku had shown a remarkable level of self-restraint. No battle took place for Utapau during the initial incursion, their representatives merely accepted Confederacy control in-exchange for no death or destruction. A promise kept so far. The thought of himself and Anakin being the ones to break this peace and bring the true chaos of war onto this world was a loathsome one. Even Anakin's recently improved self-control momentarily faltered when the thought elicited a flash of anger and disgust.

"What do we know about their defenses?" Anakin asked, calming himself and letting the troubling ideas vanish into the Force. "After the beating on Coruscant and fighting out on other fronts, they can't be too formidable?"

"From RIs intel, we know their ground forces consist of tens of thousands of battle droids occupying various levels of the sinkhole cities. B1s, B2s, UD38s,... Standard Separatist forces. Not accounting for General Grievous, Count Dooku and the formers specialized IG-100s."

"And their navy?"

"Besides the dreadnaught, Grievous is using near the bottom of the sinkhole city as a base of operation, it seems they have no spacecraft of note."

"That's not suspicious at all," Obi-Wan commented, running a hand across his beard and peering at the map of the Utapau system floating mere feet away. "Seven worlds, each with a multitude of moons. Even removing the planets incapable of hiding a Separatist vessel, that still creates a multitude of hiding spots from which to strike our flanks or back."

The unspoken observation he made also had to do with the Separatist leadership. Who was to say they were still down on Utapau? What if they were in-fact on one of these vessels position in strategic hiding spots, merely waiting for the battle to begin, for the Republics' attention to focus elsewhere where they escaped. Such a vessel would no doubt be small, possibly even unguarded outside to avoid as much attention as possible. One also quickly enough to vanish to whatever location suited their purposes.

"My thoughts exactly, sir, which is why I recommend we send out a series of very small, harder to detect scout ships into the system beforehand. That should let us get a better idea of what the enemy intends."

"That won't be necessary, commander," Anakin said, peering into the map. "Obi-Wan and I can handle it."

"We can?" Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Grievous wants Jedi more than anything else and the two of us will make for quite a prize. Assuming our piloting skills let us down, which they won't, Grievous will be too distracted by wanting to hack us down to notify the rest of his fleet about a Republic presence. With our scout run done beforehand, you'll have a clear enough picture of what'll happen and a distracted enemy force to get an edge on."

Well played, Obi-Wan thought, masking his smile. His former apprentice sounded appropriately cunning and audacious to Cody but with enough reasonable points to make the suicidal plan seem merely high risk instead of absolute madness. It was what he didn't say which mattered more, this plan of temporarily leaving the Third Systems Army behind would allow them to contact the other strike force elsewhere. It would be tricky, timing their assault with the Third Systems Army and also their impending duel with Grievous & Dooku. But if they succeeded, the enemy could be defeated and Separatist leaders would be in Jedi hands. Then they could begin to question Gunray and the rest on the precise identity of this Darth Sidious.

Obi-Wan merely showed his approval through the Force, however. On the outside, he cast a long, suffering look Anakin's way. "One of these days, you really will be the death of me."


The Klegger Corp Minning Facility was the crown jewel of its self-named corporation. Constructed in the utmost secrecy three years prior, it was built using the latest technologies and techniques at the disposal of the Techno Union. Building anything on a world embodying the word hostile such as Mustafar deserved recognition, yet the Klegger Corp Minning Facility went above and beyond what many considered possible. Constructed inside the very heart of a piercing, black mountain, the facility was equipped with the latest of amenities, defense systems, and cloaking devices. A thousand individuals could live there for decades under active siege while the durasteel and energy shielding prevented any damage from invaders or the surrounding lava river. It was also equipped with a particularly potent communication tower directly linked into the central control system of the entire Separatist army, allowing one to wage the entire Clone Wars from absolute safety. Unless one knew the proper codes to circumnavigate past these defenses.

A fitting fortress for fleeing vermin such as the Separatist Council. Or such was its original intention, in any case. Unfortunately for Gunray and the rest of his kind, they would never step foot inside. Their relevance, of what little it amounted to, had already expired the moment Master Sidious decreed they would remain within the Utapau system. At the mercy of Grievous or the Republic. Instead, the fortress had served thus far as Count Dooku's latest place of residence and what a sight it was to behold.

The world of Mustafar was once a fertile one, even serving as the home of a far way Jedi Enclave. Yet thousands of years before, during the time of Exar Kun's fall, the world became subject to a fierce battle of Jedi and Sith, morphing the green, peaceful hillsides into blackened pillars jutting out of scorching lava beds. It was a world in constant pain, a world ripe with the dark side of the Force. Dooku couldn't get enough of it.

As he spun the red blade this way and that in the darkened room, Dooku felt the potency of it intimately. For days upon days without end, he meditated or practice his Makashi in the depths of the Minning Facility who's countless defenses could never hope to deny the sheer brunt of the dark side permeating throughout Mustafar. With an absolute mastery of his craft, Dooku devoured every conceivable shred of energy he could reach out and take for his own. The raw power was at first overwhelming, nearly causing him to collapse. Yet upon steadying himself, he mastered the intake and now bathed in it constantly. The sensation set his body in an invigorating flame, burning away decades of wear. He felt thirty again, no, twenty! A young man hungry to challenge the galaxy itself to a battle and triumphantly defeat it!

Now, if only there was someone to test this power out on. Two people in-particular who of late never failed to raise his ire and propel the influx of dark side energies to greater heights still. A foolish notion passed through his mind, to disobey Sidious and take the battle to the Jedi. To make them pay for their humiliations inflicted upon a Count of Serenno. But Dooku was no mad novice. For all the strength he felt now, Master Sidious was above even that, far far beyond and Force user in history. Even Yoda and Skywalker combined. He would not jeopardize his position in the new, nigh order of the galaxy. Not without the blessing of his superior.

Hours past until Dooku's immersion in the Force was halted by the beeping of the communication projector in the heart of the strategy room. De-activating his lightsaber and the youthful vigor coursing through him, Dooku activated the device and bowed to his knees as Master Sidious' image burst to life.

"Greetings, my Master. What is thy bidding?"

"Lord Tyrannus," Sidious' voice drawled out as though a cave-like reverb carried it across the galaxy itself into the room. "Mustafar has done well for you, my apprentice. Even an entire galaxy away, I can sense the rise in your strength."

"Yes, Master. The forces at play here are... Intoxicating, I admit. But I have not allowed them to master me."

"As I knew they would not," He added, smile present in his voice. "Rejoice, my friend, for the fruition of our plans is nigh. Before the sun rises upon Coruscant tomorrow, our revenge shall be complete."

"The Jedi have taken the bait?"

"Indeed, they've sent Skywalker and Kenobi both to apprehend you and Grievous. I expect they shall engage the Separatist forces in a matter of hours."

Dooku could not help the rise in his temper at their mention, fingers curling ever so lightly.

"Even with your absence, the deaths of Grievous and the Separatist Council will force the Jedi here to act against me, their suspicions born from Gunray's foolishness are plain to me."

"Will this present an issue?"

"None whatsoever," A grim satisfaction became present in Sidious's voice. "I know the Jedi well, once it appears as though the Separatist threat is concluded, they shall move against Palpatine and merely seal their own fates. Which is precisely what I require you for, Lord Tyrannus."

"You wish me to come to Coruscant...?" Dooku fought back the excitement at the idea of exerting his new abilities against the likes of Shaak Ti, Fisto or even Mace Windu. Daring to raise his head, the form of Sidious with the face of Palpatine smiled just enough to show teeth from above him.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."


A/N: Since I've got the memory of a dead whale, I may have mentioned the following before but you know the scene in the RotS novel where Anakin sees Obi-Wan leave? That was where the idea of an "Anakin comes clean" story began to churn in my noggin. But as I thought about it more, and even point out here, Anakin wouldn't ditch Padme in this crucial time. Not if he didn't know she had people around who could legit help her. Then I went through LoE and boom, the scene of Obi-Wan noticing how Jedi platitudes don't work anymore combined with the aforementioned inspiration helped make this story exist.