Anakin felt the Force shift around him as he stood in the Chancellor's office. It was like a wave had washed over him and when it faded darkness that Anakin hadn't even noticed had been there was washed away.

Palpatine gasped, clutching at his chest as he staggered from his place behind his desk. Anakin bolted to his feet, eyes wide and a hand rising to help the older man before he gasped and stumbled back when his blue eyes met Sith gold eyes shining out of Palpatine's face.

"You? You're the Sith Master?" Anakin was quick to draw his lightsaber, flesh hand trembling but his mech one was stable thankfully.

"Anakin, my boy, please help me." Palpatine rasped as his face distorted as he held a hand up towards Anakin, Force lightning arching between his finger and it forced Anakin to take a step back.

"You're behind everything! You're behind the war! You're the reason Obi-Wan was taken away from me! I trusted you! How could you do this to me?" Anakin cried out, flesh hand pulling at his hair in distress.

Palpatine cried out in agony as his body curled in on itself and he collapsed in a heap, eyes unseeing as they stared up at the ceiling and Anakin staggered from the sudden missing miasma of darkness that had long been apart of Coruscant.

Anakin fell to his knees, completely stunned and unsteady from the black lash of the Force changing so rapidly. A strong arm curled around his shoulder and Anakin looked up, eyebrows furrowing when he recognized Rex and he passed out unable to stop himself.

~~/~~

Yoda was perched on Plo's shoulder as the assembled Council members waited anxiously in the hanger bay of the Temple for Quinlan to return with their missing Jedi Master and her Commander.

There had been so much relief when Quinlan had contacted the temple to tell them they had received a distress signal from Commander Cody and were en route for an extraction. No one had rested until Quinlan contacted them again, relief and worry on his face but he reported the rescue mission a success.

Now as the ship docked in the hanger, the gathered Council members along with Bant, Ahsoka and the Council's respective Commanders held their breath as the doors opened.

Quinlan was the first to exit and he nodded at the gathered clones and Jedi before looking up at the ramp and a breath of relief filled the hanger when commander Cody stepped into view, Obi-Wan cradled carefully in his arms. She was unconscious and her hands thoroughly bandaged as they rested lightly across her stomach.

"Follow me, Healer Che is waiting for us." Bant urged Cody to follow her, Quinlan and Ahsoka on her heels. The young Padawan was gnawed on her lower lip as her eyes stayed trained on Obi-Wan's face with Wolffe surprisingly hovering at her shoulder. Rex had gone to the Rotunda with Anakin when the Chancellor had requested a meeting.

"Master Koon and I will accompany them and hear the status on Master Kenobi," Mace spoke up, smirking when the other Council members shot him unimpressed looks, they all had wanted to go to the healing halls to see how Obi-Wan was doing.

Mace had barely taken a step when suddenly the Force all but exploded around them. It was only because of how suddenly balanced the Force became that no one collapsed from a backlash.

"Changed something has," Yoda said gravely but his eyes sparkled in a way that they hadn't in years.

"The Force… It feels lighter," Kit commented while Deppa rubbed at her forehead while humming her agreement.

Plo picked up his beeping communicator and gasped at the message he had received from Captain Rex.

"Captain Rex has reported that Chancellor Palpatine just died in front of Knight Skywalker after revealing he was a Sith… The Sith Master we have been searching for." Plo read aloud and the hanger fell silent.

"Call all Jedi and troopers back to safe points and ready a meeting of the Council and all General's," Mace ordered gravely, wiping some blood away from his nose as shatter points made themselves known in his mind.

"Whatever Obi-Wan and Jinn were mixed up in, it must relate to what just happened," Plo said slowly as he looked over at the door Obi-Wan had disappeared through.

"Perhaps Jinn taking her wasn't as clear cut as we first thought."

~~/~~

Cody sat at the side of Obi-Wan's bed in the private healing room while Bones hurried around the room, needing to do everything he could to make sure his Commander and General were healed to the best of his abilities. Ahsoka was dozing lightly against Cody's side, her hand curled around Obi-Wan's ankle and Cody had his arm securely around her shoulders to keep her from slipping off the chair.

"How is she Vod?" Rex's voice was quiet as he stepped soundlessly into the room, Wolffe shifting from his place stationed by the door as he allowed the 501st Captain inside.

"…The nerves in her hands are damaged… Even with bacta and therapy, there is a chance she will not get all her original motor abilities back," Bones explained when Cody made no move to do so. Rex made a noise in the back of his throat and placed his hand on Cody's shoulder as he looked at Obi-Wan in relief and sadness.

"How is General Skywalker fairing?" Cody asked, voice rough from lack of sleep as he just couldn't tear himself away from his love's side, not until she awoke so he could see that she was alright.

"He's still in shock. The General trusted the Sith for so long. Add in everything with Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan and Cody he was exhausted in every way possible. I've confined him to his quarters to just rest and think things through, surprisingly he agreed." Rex reported and Cody hummed as Ahsoka cuddled closer to him before sighing softly as she settled.

"You did good Vod, you bid your time and sent out the signal that brought General Vos and his team in for an extraction." Rex tapped his forehead to Cody's and felt some tension drift from the Commander.

"I just wish I could have gotten her out sooner," Cody murmured as he looked back at Obi-Wan's sleeping face and bandaged hands.

"You both got out safely, that is all that matters Commander," Quinlan exclaimed as he entered the room, walking to the empty side of Obi-Wan's bed and dropped a light kiss to Obi-Wan's auburn hair in a very brotherly action.

"Yes General Vos," Cody agreed, both of them were alive and together so that was all that truly mattered.