A/N: Thank you for your kind words about the previous chapter! Sorry about the mistake of accidentally posting chapter 8 twice, though! If that meant you haven't caught chapter 9 yet I assure you I've ironed out all mistakes!

Also my apologies for any confusion around the change of username :)

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it, especially Anakin and Palpatine's conversation. I find that it's always really easy for me to write interactions between the two of them. Aside from writing Anakin and Padmé scenes, Anakin and Palpatine scenes are probably my favourite to write. Please let me know what you think of the chapter! :)

CHAPTER TEN: ELUSIVE MEANINGS

The Council chambers were bathed in a glow of orange light as the large sun of Coruscant made its slow descent below the line of mega-skyscrapers. The group of Jedi Masters had convened quickly at their Grand Master's request, and they now all sat patiently in their respective seats, waiting for the small green being to begin.

"Called you here on Master Kenobi's behalf, I have," Yoda began. "Important information to share with us, he has."

"Is it more information about the Force Vision Master Yoda shared with us in our earlier meeting?" Plo Koon asked. Thoughts and questions about what Yoda had revealed to them this morning had remained with them all day.

The Masters all turned to look at Obi-Wan expectantly, who, like usual, always felt a bit uncomfortable being the centre of attention like this. He paused for a moment, deciding upon his words. He knew the impact his imminent revelation would surely have on them. "Yes, I do have more information about the Force Vision experienced by Master Yoda, my Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, and myself. It seems that this vision was also experienced by Anakin Skywalker."

Obi-Wan had been right. A ripple of consternation flowed through the room before it was quickly stifled. Many of the Masters turned to look at each other or at Yoda, their expressions demanding more information.

Mace Windu frowned. "How do you know this, Master Kenobi?"

"I have been to seen Anakin's... wife," Obi-Wan replied, addressing the room rather than Mace specifically. He still felt strange using the term "wife" in relation to Padmé. "I met with Senator Amidala this morning. She reached out to Ahsoka and myself as she has… concerns… about Anakin."

"What kind of concerns?" Mace demanded.

Obi-Wan chafed a little against Mace's tone. "Well, as I mentioned, Anakin has also been experiencing these Force visions, although they are more like nightmares for him. He had similar ones about the death of his mother. The concerning part is that these nightmares proved to be prophetic. Anakin's mother did die on Tattooine soon after he began experiencing the dreams."

"How did you come to know about these nightmares of Skywalker's?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

"He confided in me about them when he was my Padawan. I only wish I had taken his concerns more seriously," Obi-Wan lamented.

"So what should we do about these new visions?" wondered Kit Fisto.

"The meaning of these visions, find in the Force, we will. Meditate we must," answered Yoda.

"Will that be enough to protect Senator Amidala? Visions like these have preceded death before. If there is more we can do to help, I feel that it is our duty to do it," Obi-Wan interjected.

"Understand your concerns, we do, Master Kenobi. Trust that the Will of the Force will become clear, you must," Yoda replied.

Obi-Wan thought that this response was an unsatisfactory answer to his question, but shielded these thoughts from the other members of the Council. He continued with his address to the group. "The other information that I need to share with you is that Anakin is now in the employ of the Chancellor. What exactly this entails, I cannot be sure. Senator Amidala herself does not know."

"Hmm. This could be serious..." Mace mused, stony-faced.

"I agree. It is unprecedented that anyone in the Senate should be working with a Force user, especially the Chancellor and one such as Skywalker. It could be… dangerous," Shaak Ti rejoined.

Obi-Wan looked around at the other Masters as they digested this information. Their expressions were all difficult to read.

"And what should we do about Skywalker?" It was Ki-Adi Mundi who finally asked what it was clear everyone in the room had been thinking.

"Keep an eye on him we must. But remember, part of our order, Skywalker is no longer. Intervene only if necessary, we can." Yoda then turned to Obi-Wan and addressed him directly. "Master Kenobi, maintain contact with Senator Amidala you will. Concerns about her safety, there are – inform us of any, you must. About this vision, more information from her we may gain. Also, about Skywalker and the Chancellor's actions."

"You want me to spy on Anakin through his wife?" Obi-Wan tried to modulate the incredulity in his voice.

"I think it's a good idea. Until we know the source and the meaning of these visions, and Anakin's place in them all, it's important that we do not lose track of what he is doing," Mace offered. He regarded Obi-Wan with hard eyes.

Obi-Wan returned Mace's glare. "Senator Amidala reached out to me as a friend! She's very concerned. She just wants help, not for me to spy on her husband!"

"And help her we will. Finding the meaning of the visions and monitoring Skywalker, the key to that, they are," Yoda replied.

"She's an intelligent woman. She'll see straight through me," Obi-Wan protested.

"As you said, Master Kenobi, you two are friends. So, be a friend. All you'd have to do is talk to her and ask her if anything more happens with the visions or with Skywalker," Mace continued.

Obi-Wan sighed. He didn't agree with the Council's choice but what more could he do? If he refused this task they would simply send another Jedi to complete it. At least if it was him doing it he and Ahsoka could actually try to help their friends as much as possible.

"Accept this task, do you, Master Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan ran his hand through his hair, pushing it back where it had fallen forward onto his face. "Yes, Master Yoda. I accept this task and I accept the Council's decision."

"Then, concluded, this meeting is. Encourage you to search the Force, I do. Find the meaning of these visions, we will."

The other masters departed one-by-one until only Obi-Wan was left. The chambers felt cold and empty, and he suddenly longed to be free of the old walls of the Temple. In that second they felt like a prison. Then the feeling passed and Obi-Wan sought peace in the Force. From the window he had a view of the Senate building where he knew the Chancellor would still be working. He wondered if Anakin was there too. As he had done several times since his friend's departure, Obi-Wan searched for his presence in the Force. He was met with nothing, as usual – Anakin had completely closed himself off to any of the Jedi. Obi-Wan, despite all the teachings of the Code and his strict adherence to it, suddenly longed for companionship. Despite knowing that he shouldn't feel that way, he wished that his friend was here with him, and that none of what had transpired these past few weeks had ever come to be. Knowing that these thoughts were not the Jedi way, that he must trust in the Will of the Force, Obi-Wan stifled them. Nevertheless, that longing for companionship, for a kind word or a joke from a friend persisted, so he rose from his seat, left the Council chambers and went to find Ahsoka. He needed to go over some new evasion manoeuvres with her anyway.

OOOOO

Anakin's speeder cut a streak of yellow through the crowded Coruscant sky as he made his way to Chancellor Palpatine's office. The night was late, but he knew the Chancellor would still be in his office – the man kept long working hours like Padmé did. Only around thirty minutes or so had passed since the business at the nightclub, but Anakin knew that that was all the time that was needed for the Chancellor to find out exactly what had happened there. It was like the man was somehow able to be in a million places at once; nothing escaped his knowledge, he saw everything. Besides, what happened at the nightclub would be all over the Holo-Net by now anyway – the thought of that sent a nervous spasm into Anakin's stomach, that ever-present fear of failure within him rearing its ugly head once more and threatening to coax that dark dragon into waking.

Anakin's nervousness made him hasty. He stormed up the stairs of the senate building, his dark cloak flying behind him. There were only a few beings around at this time of night but they turned to stare at him, curious as to why a civillian who looked remarkably like Anakin Skywalker was running into the senate building. Thankfully there was nobody else in the turbolift. Anakin was thankful for those brief seconds of solitude. His thoughts were a mess; the calmness of being in-tune with the Force that Obi-Wan had always tried to teach him to use eluded him as usual. It was not until he actually reached the top floor that Anakin slowed his pace, somehow wrangled control over his anxieties, and when he was admitted into the Chancellor's office (begrudgingly by the guard, who still did not like him), Palpatine was presented with a figure of relative calm.

It was short-lived calm, though - to his dismay, Anakin saw that the Chancellor was watching the Holo-News report of what had happened at The Door to the Afterlife. Images of the chaos that had occurred there filled the projection that rose from Palpatine's desk. Flashes of crimson blaster fire met the dark blade Anakin held in his hands. Swarms of beings made their way to the exits, pushing each other in their haste to leave. And, confirming Anakin's fears, there was his face, front-and-centre, along with the caption "The Hero With No Fear: Jedi No More?"

Anakin said nothing, waited for the Chancellor to make the first move. Palpatine finished watching the broadcast and then turned his high-backed chair to face Anakin, his expression blank and his fingers tented.

"As you can see, Anakin, I know what has happened at that nightclub you visited."

The Chancellor's tone was unreadable. Anakin swallowed, his throat dry.

"I am sorry, Chancellor. I did not mean to expose myself like that – it compromises my position and your safety. I-I understand if you would like me to resign." As he said the words he felt the gnawing sense of failure return to his stomach. The dragon open a wary eye.

The Chancellor looked at Anakin curiously. "Resign? My dear boy, why would I want you to do that?"

Anakin was confused. Palpatine was a highly intelligent man – surely the answer was obvious. "Because your enemies will know exactly who I am now. They will know who to watch out for."

Anakin was taken aback at how animated the old man suddenly became. "Precisely! It couldn't have worked out any better!"

A frown crossed Anakin's features as he tried to understand the Chancellor's strangely positive tone. "I… I'm unsure what you mean, Chancellor."

Palpatine reclined a little in his chair, amusement still clear on his face as he explained. "It's one thing for them to be afraid of the Chancellor's security if they are faced with some mysterious being, but it's even better now they know that it's you, Anakin Skywalker. Our enemies will fear you, Anakin. They know who you are and what you are capable of. They won't want to cross someone with power such as yours!"

Anakin felt conflicted at the Chancellor's words, especially at how the man had referred to his own opponents as "our enemies." When Anakin had accepted the job he had not assumed he would be spreading fear across the galaxy. He had been a Jedi, and even though he no longer carried that title, his pledge to uphold their peaceful ideals had not changed. He did not want to become an object of terror. He stayed quiet, unsure of how to voice his feelings and equally unsure of how the Chancellor would react to them.

"You won't be spreading fear across the galaxy, Anakin," the Chancellor said, voicing Anakin's thoughts, and the young man could not hide his shock. The Chancellor simply smiled and continued. "You'll merely be able to use your reputation to deter those who would harm me… or other senators. Think about it: if I fell, what would happen to the Republic? Who would continue leading the fight against the Separatists? The galaxy would fall into chaos – there would be no chance for peace. Really, Anakin, by serving me, by using your reputation against our foes, you'll be protecting democracy, more than you ever could as a Jedi."

"H-how did you know… what I was thinking?" Anakin gasped. Instantly a warning sounded inside him – something was not right about this situation. He tried to focus on the warning but it was like trying to find something at the bottom of a lake of murky water; the warning was obstructed, the meaning of it would not come clearly into view.

Palpatine laughed that high, reedy laugh. "What did you think? That I can read your mind?" He laughed again. The sound seemed mechanical. "No, no, my boy. I just know you very well. We have known each other for twelve years, don't you remember? I know how important doing the right thing is to you. I also know that even though you are no longer a Jedi, you still want to fight for peace."

Anakin was still taken aback at how perceptive Palpatine was being. He knew that the man's explanation for this perception was logical – they had known each other for over a decade, and in many ways the Chancellor was like a father figure to him – but still, this was uncanny. He was still feeling that warning inside of him, and he reached out with the Force, trying to gauge if there was anything unusual about Palpatine's presence. However, everything about the man seemed to be the same as it always was. The meaning of the warning remained elusive. Anakin ignored it – he was obviously just reading too much into a situation after a long day with a lot to process.

Palpatine rose from his seat at his desk and came to stand behind Anakin. "So, what do you say, Anakin? I am right, aren't I?"

After a pause, Anakin turned to face his old friend, nodding. "Your safety, and the assurance of peace, that is important. Not only to me, but to the galaxy."

The Chancellor smiled. "I am glad to hear it."

Anakin assumed that the meeting was over then, but the Chancellor then posed one more, very unexpected question. "Anakin… what would you do if I asked you to use your powers in a way outside of the teachings of the Jedi?"

The warning grew louder. It no longer felt like simply his own anxieties about the Chancellor's words – it now felt like another voice, someone or something whispering "no."

Anakin's eyes narrowed. He tried to focus on the Chancellor's words instead of the whisper. "What do you mean?"

Palpatine casually waved a hand in the air, as if wiping away Anakin's doubts. "Oh, I don't mean anything seriously dreadful. I just thought… well, there may be times when it is necessary to use more… force… in a situation."

The warning grew even louder. It was not a whisper anymore. It was a stronger voice – voices? Men, women, blending together into one and becoming indiscernible from each other. They were coming from somewhere within the Force, and they were all saying the same thing: "no."

Anakin looked down and away from Palpatine, pushing his curls from his eyes. He struggled to focus on what the Chancellor was saying as the strange blend of voices grew louder and louder in his mind.

"I… I don't understand what you are saying," Anakin managed, his head starting to pound from the cacophony within it. The voices, they just grew louder and louder, without end.

The Chancellor spoke again but his voice seemed further and further away as the voices in Anakin's head drowned him out. "Say for example someone was withholding vital information that could prevent something like… oh, I don't know, a planned abduction of a senator. And you were in a position to… extract… that information from them in a way that the Jedi may not approve of… what would you do?"

Louder and louder came the sound of the voices. "No. No. No. No!"

Anakin said nothing, could say nothing. He couldn't think. He felt suddenly so out of control, like he was standing on a precipice from which there was no return from if he fell into. The voices were raging a conflict within him but he was fighting one with himself as well. He had been taught for so long to use his Force powers for good, to never stray from the teachings of the Jedi code. But of course, he remembered his time fighting in the Clone Wars; had there not been situations where he had had to work outside of the Code for the good of the Republic? He had saved lives, won battles by doing things that he knew the Council had not approved of. He had never been, would never be cruel – he would never use his gifts for the wrong reason, he was sure of it – but if using them in ways beyond what he had been taught allowed him to save lives… He had a sudden flash of the nightmare that had been plaguing him these several weeks. Padmé's scream… It paralysed him.

Those other voices mixed with this, blended with it. Their screams joined Padmé's. "NO! NO! NO!"

The dragon inside of him awoke, fighting against the noise. He tried to think clearly. What if he was able to prevent the nightmare coming true by using his powers in ways the Jedi had not taught him? Saving lives. Peace in the galaxy. Balance. Was that what the whole prophecy of the Chosen One was about? Was that not his destiny? Was that not what he wanted? "Yes", the dragon said. "Say yes and get everything you ever wanted."

Anakin kept fighting against the screams, both Padmé's and those other awful, disembodied voices. Finally, with great strength, the dragon won, and Anakin seized control and was able to focus again on the Chancellor, who was looking at him with probing grey eyes.

"I will use the Force to uphold democracy and to protect the lives of the innocent – it is what I have pledged my life to do. If that means circumventing the teachings of the Code… then so be it."

Suddenly silence. The voices were all gone.

Anakin exhaled, not realising he had been holding his breath all this time. Exhaustion overwhelmed him. It was a struggle even to remain standing.

The Chancellor indulged in another wide smile. "I have always found the teachings of the Jedi to be unnecessarily restrictive, anyway."

"What do you know of the teachings of the Jedi?"

"I have done my own personal research. The Force is a subject I find fascinating, even though I was never… blessed … by becoming a Jedi."

Anakin nodded. He had no response to this, was too spent to properly think about the implications of the Chancellor's words.

Palpatine returned to his seat, gesturing to Anakin to sit down in one of the ones facing his. "Anakin, now that the wider public know that you are working for me, it will be harder for you to remain anonymous when you need to – say for example if you need to send me a communication with sensitive information, or if we are devising some sort of strategy that must remain secret. I think you should have some sort of… code-name."

Anakin simply nodded again. Words still failed him.

"Hmm..." The Chancellor thought for a moment, tenting his fingers as he came up with an appropriate choice. "How about… Vader?"

"Vader." Anakin tried out the code-name. It had a strange sort of familiarity to him, as if it was as legitimate an identity for him as his real name.

"What do you think?" asked Palpatine, one eyebrow raised.

"Vader. I like it," Anakin replied.

"Good. You will henceforth be known as Vader in all communications between us, in all plans and so-forth," Palpatine proclaimed.

As he did so Anakin suddenly felt cold. It was a feeling reminiscent of the one he had experienced in The Doors to the Afterlife after performing the mind-trick on the twi'lek Aehew. He dismissed the feeling as being borne of his fatigue.

The Chancellor continued. "It was very fortunate that you were able to discover the deal that those dishonourable Separatists Harckonen and Dadelanius were making. They will both face the proper punishments, as is fitting for traitors of the Republic. However, I have tasked you with more pressing concerns; do you have any more information about who might be trying to access my communications?"

"Not yet," Anakin told him, his voice thin with tiredness. "But I did notice a strange woman at the nightclub watching me. She fled before I could find out more about her, but she seemed to be wearing some sort of military uniform."

He described the uniform to the Chancellor, who pursed his lips. "That is the uniform of the Free Voices."

Anakin remembered the details of her face, the bright shock of hair. The woman he had seen did not fit the description of the group's leader, Libellia Quark, but she would still prove a valuable source of information if she could be tracked down. He had quickly made a note of her description on his datapad as soon as he had left the nightclub, as he knew that any clue was important. "I will follow up on this lead, Chancellor. I assure you I will find out the identity of this woman."

"I would advise you to spend some time in the lower levels, as unappealing as that may sound. I am sure you will find a wealth of information about the group down there. That is where they seem to primarily operate from," the Chancellor advised him.

"I will start searching straight away," Anakin promised.

The amount of effort it took to get to his feet surprised him. Anakin hoped that he had successfully masked his strange encounter with the Force and his subsequent fatigue from the Chancellor – at the very least, the man had not commented on it. He bowed before leaving, the ring on his finger catching the light as he did so.

"I am glad to see you made up with your wife," Palpatine said pleasantly, gesturing at the ring Anakin wore. "I am sure she will be very proud of the work you are doing."

"I hope so," Anakin replied.

"We are all working hard for a common goal, after all," Palpatine continued rather grandly. "Peace and prosperity in the galaxy."

OOOOO

"Kill her," the voice whispered. "Kill her. You must kill her."

Mace awoke in a sweat. "W-who's there?"

"Kill her." It was a voice like a snake, cold, tinny.

"Show yourself!" Mace leapt from his bed, igniting his saber. The room was lit with nothing but an eerie glow of purple, revealing nobody. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Kill her. It is her destiny."

"Who? Who are you talking about?"

"You must kill her. It is her destiny to die."

Mace moved slowly around the small room, carefully checking for any intruders. However, he could uncover no clues as to the identify of this mysterious voice.

"Who are you talking about? Who are you?" Mace shouted.

"Kill her," the voice repeated. "Kill her."

"I will not listen to these Sith tricks!"

In that instant Mace felt nothing but waves of absolute hatred coursing through his body. There was a sound like a crack of lighting, and the room was suddenly illuminated in light so bright Mace had to shield his eyes from it. Still he could not see what being was filling the room with its hateful presence.

"You must listen to me," the voice told him.

"I will not!"

"WITHOUT HER DEATH THERE WILL BE NO BALANCE! YOU MUST KILL HER!"

And Mace crumpled like a rag to the floor, his saber, purple blade still ignited, falling beside him.

A/N 2: I didn't want to put this in the author's note at the top because of spoilers but wow, when I first started writing this story all those years ago I honestly never intended for it to end up going in this exact direction! A lot of the things that happened in the previous chapters were in my original plan, but things really started deviating around about chapter 8. In the OG version Anakin was a lot less conflicted about having to leave the order (he was kind of just like "yeah cool, no worries, imma just go work for the Chancellor then and be happy, no problems", but I thought A. that's not very true to his character and B. that's a lot less interesting to write (and less interesting for you to read). This story has ended up evolving to be less about "Anakin leaves the Order and does other stuff and there are some Force Visions too" and more "Anakin is kicked out of the Order and really struggles with it because of course he does, it's his whole life up until this point and he's a super ambitious guy, and also oh no, Force Visions!" He was never as dark as he was in this version (it only gets worse before it gets better, sorry), and he was never given the Vader name either (that was actually a really late change). All of the things involving the Force visions and Mace etc were in the original plan. Isn't it interesting how things change over time!

I know this update is really soon after the previous one, but honestly, I was just so excited to share this one! On to writing the next one...