A bit shorter than my usual, but I finished this a little bit earlier and wanted to check-in with a character I've left in the wings so far.
Night swallowed Coruscant, however, the light pollution from the city-planet's seemingly infinite buildings shined brightly. Speeders weaved in and out of buildings on their way towards their insignificant destinations. Life continued to move on.
How many of them truly understood the gravity of the situation they found themselves in? More than likely none of them. The war was on their minds, but it was a daily headache and nothing more. They didn't have much financial stake in it. Their lives didn't depend on the outcome unless the Confederacy invaded the Republic's capital.
For Chancellor Palpatine, however, decades of planning rode on an uncertain outcome. His strategy and planning were incomprehensible to the common man, and the reward for it was more so. He'd managed almost every eventuality except for this one.
He squeezed the arms of his chair tightly. His scowl was reflected in the clean glass overlooking the speeder lanes outside of the senate building.
Apparently, based on the reports given to him by the Jedi, Anakin's anger and Padme's patience were both unaccounted for. Anakin's anger was an acceptable miscalculation - he could use it and allow it to fester with the right tutelage. Padme Amidala on the other hand proved to be much more of a nuisance. Palpatine had to admit to himself that he overestimated the affection she had for Anakin. Love only went so far for her. Since his future apprentice departed to an unknown part of the galaxy, he was unable to take advantage of it.
The doors to the chancellor's chambers opened and closed behind him. Palpatine slowly turned towards Mas Amedda who bowed before his desk.
"You summoned me, my lord?"
"Prepare a speeder. We're heading towards the lower levels."
"Towards the shrine," Mas Amedda guessed correctly.
Palpatine said nothing in reply; it wasn't needed. His servant nodded in agreement, then exited the room. The vehicle would be ready momentarily.
The shrine would provide him clarity as it always had. The object had been made by a Sith lord from centuries before. He'd practiced under Plagueis until it answered to his call and demands, which was no small feat. Sith alchemy was a skill not many mastered, but he was not just any Sith.
Palpatine created the shrine in the heart of Coruscant, far from the Jedi's prying eyes in the lower levels. It was his lair and full of artifacts he'd collected in his travels. His intention that night was to access the oracle, a bronze dish that provided entry to the world between worlds. With the right amount of force and power the oracle responded to the user.
Mas Amedda signaled for Palpatine. The incognito Sith lord threw up his black hood and navigated the empty corridors. In moments, the pair began the dive into the bowels of Coruscant.
"The Jedi briefed you today?"
Palpatine folded his arms over his chest, assuming the stance of Darth Sidious. "They've just informed me of Skywalker's abandonment."
"Just now? They've been aware of it for over a month, have they not?"
"They have," Palpatine confirmed, "however, they believed wrongly that they would be able to find him before then. Their incompetence and secrecy inevitably led them to failure. Anakin is far too determined to be apprehended at this state. The Jedi could send Master Yoda after him and Anakin would still be able to elude them."
"There's no reason for Skywalker to trust them. After what they tried to do, arrest him and capture him, there's no logical reason to turn himself in. The Jedi backed Skywalker into a corner and expect him to come to his executioner," Mas Amedda added.
"Master Secura is on his trail."
"A wasted effort then."
The speeder leveled out and jerked right.
"Indeed. If anyone will find him, I will do it first."
Mas Amedda nodded in understanding. "Which is why we head for the shrine."
Palpatine resumed his silence. Amedda could comprehend the mission, yet he was incapable of seeing how they would reach Anakin. In spite of his competence, Palpatine refused to entrust Amedda with anything more than terminology of his artifacts. He had never seen the shrine or the oracle. It would remain that way.
The speeder slowed once they reached the abandoned neighborhood Palpatine claimed as his own. The lights on the head came to life while the light pollution of the city-planet faded out. It came to a complete stop outside of the three-story structure at the heart of the complex.
Palpatine stepped out alone. Mas Amedda knew that he was to remain with the speeder. No matter how long the journey took, he must keep his post.
The black cloak swirled around Palpatine's feet as he moved inside of the square-shaped building adorned with a dome. Candles burned and danced from their homes inside sconces on the walls. The walls themselves held together in spite of their unknown age; the concrete was unchipped and cleaned. A set of railing-less stairs at the end of the hall spiraled to the floor below.
The antechamber was lined with candles as the hall above it was, however, the distance between floor and ceiling was over fifty feet and its length was over one-hundred feet. Artifacts in cases lined the single walking path towards the shrine: ancient weapons wielded by legendary Sith lords; armor worn in battle and scarred by blasters or lightsabers; texts authored by the original Jedi who touched true power and left the order. All of the items had been collected, though Palpatine procured them through Plagues' death.
At the very front of the antechamber lay the shrine. A golden arch, adorned with the Sith alphabet, watched over Palpatine's most prized possession: the oracle. He approached it eagerly.
Palpatine's fingers left the comfort of the cloak's sleeves. They hovered over the unassuming piece of pottery that was the oracle and as he spoke bolts of lightning left his fingertips.
The oracle came to life. The images and runes on the side of the bowl glowed. Its interior came alive with a small blue flame. As more lightning poured into it, the flame's tails reached shoulder height. At last, the pathway to the world between worlds opened before him, though it wouldn't be for long.
Voices of the future, past, and present echoed out of the opening. Doorways to worlds unknown waited at the end of the pathway's branches. Admittedly, they were tempting, yet there was a single destination in mind.
"Show me Anakin Skywalker's future," Palpatine commanded.
The Force fought against him. It tried to escape the Sith lord's treacherous grasp, but the argument was futile. He was far too strong and his will unbreakable.
Palpatine grinned to himself as the image of Anakin appeared in the oracle, and what he witnessed was tantalizing.
The man in the image was tormented and desperate. He was at the mouth of a cave on his hands and knees. If he weren't mistaken, Palpatine might've guessed Anakin was meditating. It was no surprise; Anakin lost plenty of muscle mass and his appearance was ragged. At one point he had been the most revered Jedi in the galaxy. Now, he was little more than an outcast. If he reached Anakin first, Palpatine may be able to accelerate his plan.
But the question was where?
Where was the cave? Where in the galaxy was this planet?
The world outside of the cave was alive. A forest covered in snow. Footprints left by beasts wove through the underbrush. In the distance, if he focused, he heard the crashing of waves on a beach.
The gateway to the world between worlds began to close. Palpatine did nothing to stop it. The answers he sought were elsewhere. In a moment, he turned on his heel and retraced his steps out of the shrine.
Like he expected, Mas Amedda waited for him at the helm of the speeder.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Somewhat," Palpatine relented. "Skywalker is in exile. Alone. The planet he is on is lush with wildlife and far from any signs of life."
"But not one you recognize."
"Unfortunately, no." Palpatine folded his hands inside of his sleeves. "It's not in the Republic. His emotions would lead him someplace where the life he's tortured by can't reach him. If I were to guess...it may be in the outter rim."
"You can send Dooku to track him down."
"Dooku has more important matters to attend to. Under these circumstances, I doubt he would come back alive after encountering Anakin." He grinned as the ship lurched upwards towards the surface of Coruscant. "The Jedi won't be able to find him on their own. An anonymous tip may send them in the right direction."
"It'll increase his anger, of course. To ensure they capture and apprehend him it may be wise to convince them he's a threat. A battalion of clones and plenty of Jedi make it an absolute certainty they have him."
"And so it will be."