It had taken a while for Anakin to truly calm down after Plo Koon's holocall. No doubt the entirety of the Jedi Temple and its denizens could feel the anger and annoyance emanating from Anakin's room, but he didn't care.
How dare the Council not only ask him to spy on the Chancellor, a man who he considered a close friend, but also even so much as suggest that Ahsoka needed to be monitored too!
Plo Koon's support of Ahsoka had calmed Anakin, somewhat, and he knew the Kel Dor meant no harm with his words, but that still didn't stop the thoughts that flooded into his head.
'They don't trust you. They don't trust Palpatine. They don't even trust Ahsoka! They'd sell you out like they did her, given the chance!'
Bringing a hand to his head to massage his temples in an attempt to ward off the incoming headache, Anakin continued to think.
'What would they have done if you hadn't agreed to spy on the Chancellor? Would they have harmed Ahsoka? Palpatine?'
'What would they do if they found out about Padmé… and your child! Would they steal them away from Padmé? Train them to be Jedi even if they didn't want to be one?'
Gritting his teeth, Anakin tried to push the thoughts out of his mind.
But he couldn't, and they kept on coming.
'They don't trust you… or the Chancellor… or Ahsoka… or anyone but themselves. You can't trust them. Maybe you can't even trust Obi-Wan! Who can you trust!?'
"I can trust the Chancellor… and Padmé… and Ahsoka and Rex." Anakin whispered quietly to himself as he moved through the hallways of the Senate building, banishing the endless train of negative thoughts from his head. Or at least he hoped he had.
No doubt they'd return at some point, at exactly the wrong time.
But then he was used to it by now. Three years of war, of hiding secrets and of growing distrust had changed many of his opinions on things. He wasn't sure if he was a good Jedi anymore. He knew he flaunted the code left and right, usually for the benefit of others, but now, with the growing lack of trust he had in people, and they had in him, he couldn't help but feel that he had failed at some point along the line.
Maybe the Council had been right to deny him the rank of Master, as much as he wanted it. Maybe it was for the best.
'And yet they still wanted you to spy on the Chancellor… and Ahsoka! Do they really know what's best?'
Gritting his teeth, Anakin picked up speed as he marched through the halls, very nearly barging a senatorial aide out of the way in the process.
His goal was the Chancellor's office. He had to let the man know about his appointment to the Jedi Council. If Anakin was to act as a liaison between the two, he needed to get started right away and raise anything the Chancellor wanted raised in the meetings. What better way of doing that than to speak to the man himself.
Turning another corridor, Anakin continued to stride towards the Chancellor's office, passing through the threshold of the doorway without waiting to be admitted.
Moments after entering however, he regretted barging in.
The Chancellor sat at his desk, an expression bordering on annoyance present on his face as he addressed the group of people assembled before him.
Padmé was there, as were several other Republic Senators. Bail Organa and Lux Bonteri stood to one side of Padmé, with Mon Mothma, Riyo Chuchi and even Jar Jar Binks standing on the other side. There were also several other Senators that Anakin did not recognize, but that wasn't what concerned him right now.
Why had such a large group of senators come to the Chancellor's office in the first place? Judging by the expression on the Chancellor's face, this wasn't some pre-scheduled meeting. If anything, it looked like an intervention, or whatever the equivalent of one in politics was!
'Padmé! What are you doing?!' His own mind screamed to him! Surely she wasn't here giving the Chancellor a hard time. The man was still recovering from being kidnapped by a murderous cyborg after all! He needed rest… not… whatever this was!
"Chancellor… you have to order our forces to retreat immediately. Mandalore is…"
"A neutral system… Yes, I know Senator Amidala. However, like you I was completely unaware of the campaign involving the planet until this morning!"
"Chancellor, the Republic has an agreement with the government of Mandalore. This invasion risks provoking a full scale war!" Mon Mothma joined in, her own voice equally as frustrated as both Padmé's and Palpatine's had been.
"The Republic Senate had an agreement with the Mandalorian government under Duchess Satine Kryze, who had since been murdered by radical elements within Mandalore, elements that now rule the planet alongside a criminal empire! Any neutrality agreement we had with Mandalore died with the Duchess." Palpatine responded, keeping his cool as best he could. Anakin could tell though that the man was one push away from calling for security.
He wouldn't do that though. Palpatine was too nice of a person to forcibly order people to leave his office.
"That doesn't make this invasion justified! Prime Minister Almec agreed to uphold the deal. By breaking it…" Mothma continued, her voice beginning to grate on Anakin's nerves. How blind could she be?!
Thankfully… it appeared Palpatine was not as blind to the truth as Mon Mothma was.
"By all reports, Prime Minister Almec is nothing more than a puppet for the Sith Lord Maul who, unless you were unaware Senator Mothma, is a high priority target for both the Republic and Jedi Order. This invasion is the best opportunity we stand to capture him, and if the reports are true, gain the allegiance of Lady Bo-Katan Kryze in the process. We will form a new treaty with the Mandalorian government once their puppet Prime Minister and Sith Lord puppet master are incarcerated. Now if you will all excuse me, I have other business to attend to."
It amazed Anakin to see the Chancellor keeping his cool. In his place, Anakin would have likely exploded in rage at the assembly of blind fools before him. How could they not see the opportunity before them!
"We understand, Chancellor. Thank you for your time." Padmé was the one who spoke next, her voice frustrated as she spun on her heels and began to move towards the exit. Anakin raised a hand to greet her, but received no response as she moved past him with an angry expression on her face, the other senators following suit.
As the last senator exited the office, Anakin turned his attention back to the Chancellor, only to find that he wasn't alone and that Anakin had missed the presence of his former Padawan in all the chaos.
"Politics… how tiresome. Take my advice you two… if anyone ever offers you the role of 'Supreme Chancellor of the Republic'... say no." Palpatine spoke with an element of humour as Anakin approached the desk, moving to stand where the senators had previously been.
Ahsoka stood on the other side of the desk beside the seated Chancellor, an exhausted expression on her face. No doubt she had been present for the entire argument rather than just the tail end as Anakin had been.
"Duly noted, Your Excellency. What was all that about?" Anakin replied, asking even though he already knew the answer.
"Master Kenobi's little 'adventure' to Mandalore. Apparently some senators are concerned about the reprisal we will get from Mandalore. Naturally, they are blind to the strategic value of the mission." The Chancellor replied, frustration rushing off of him through the Force.
"They are just scared. They aren't soldiers after all, and next to none of them have seen the true horrors of war." Anakin replied, trying to be diplomatic. He agreed with the Chancellor completely of course, and would support him through thick and thin, but he could understand the senators point of view on things.
Or at least Padmé's.
"Uh… not to point out the obvious, but practically everyone of those senators has been involved in a serious conflict at some point over the war. Padmé, Bail, Lux and Riyo certainly have for sure." Ahsoka chimed in, a hand coming to scratch the underside of her chin in a very 'Obi-Wan' like gesture.
"Representative Binks as well. That only increases my annoyance with them tenfold. I do not understand how they can be so blind to the threat Maul poses to the Republic. Whilst I would usually prefer to be contacted before these sorts of operations commence, in this instance I cannot help but agree with Master Kenobi's assessment of the situation. I only hope he can capture Maul before he eludes us once again."
"I'm sure he will, Your Excellency. Obi-Wan is the best there is." Anakin replied as he bowed in respect, hoping it would appease the older man.
"Fear not my boy, I have full faith in Master Kenobi." Palpatine responded with a warm smile as he turned to face Ahsoka. "My dear, I appreciate your moral support during that unscheduled meeting. I will ensure our next debriefing is not ambushed in a similar fashion."
"It's no worry Your Excellency. Have a good day." Ahsoka replied as she made to move and leave.
"Leaving already?" Anakin quipped as she walked past him.
"Afraid so. I've got a meeting with Master Yoda of all people that I have to get to. We'll catch up later."
"Looking forward to it, Snips. I've got something very important to tell you." Anakin replied, excitement threatening to boil over at the knowledge that he was going to be a father. He couldn't wait to tell Ahsoka.
"I do love gossip." Ahsoka smirked as she finished their discussion, leaving the office.
Silence filled the room for a few moments before Anakin refocused his attention back onto the Chancellor, who gestured to the seat opposite him.
"Now my boy, please tell me you bring good news regarding your new assignment!"
'If you could call it that! Yeah… I'm on the Council… but not as a Master. Oh and by the way, they want me to spy on you! Great, isn't it?' The voice in Anakin's mind whispered, very nearly making him say all of it aloud.
He refrained himself from doing so however. As much as he hated lying to the Chancellor, it was the only way to keep the Jedi from sending someone less sympathetic to spy on him.
And also the only way to stop them from spying on Ahsoka too! He had to protect her as well!
Taking the offered seat, Anakin replied, watching his words as carefully as he could.
"Yes Your Excellency. The Council has welcomed me, despite some minor hesitation. I am to act as a liaison between the Council and yourself to ensure that the future of the Republic is a stable one for us all."
The Chancellor nodded his head at Anakin's words, seemingly buying his answer, even if certain aspects of the truth of the meeting had been left out.
'Like the part where I'm supposed to be spying on you.' Anakin wanted to say… but knew he couldn't.
"Excellent. I am pleased to see they were so cooperative. We have much to do my friend. Now, tell me what was discussed at the Council meeting."
Taking a deep breath to try and cast aside the negative emotions he was feeling, Anakin began.
Climbing the steps of the Jedi Temple never got any easier for Ahsoka for a multitude of reasons.
First and foremost, there were a lot of steps, enough to tire out even the best of athletes. She had gone on longer hikes before in the past of course, but there was something about climbing the steps of the Jedi Temple that was far more exhausting than a trek across an inhospitable planet's surface like Tatooine.
Maybe it was the climb that exhausted her, but if Ahsoka was to guess, if anything it was more down to where she was headed towards.
Ever since leaving the Temple all those months ago, it was hard to even consider returning, even just for a brief visit. Returning to the place where she had been cast out from was never going to be easy. It had been her home for many years, yes, but then suddenly those she considered friends and family hadn't believed in her, hadn't wanted her.
'But they invited you back! You could have returned.'
How could she have returned though, really? The Council didn't trust her, and anything she would have done would have been under constant surveillance.
She was right to leave, even if she had hated doing that to Anakin. She was better off far away from the control of the Jedi Council.
At least now she was free to do what she wanted without being questioned about every single action she took. Palpatine trusted her to make the right decisions, unlike the Council.
Still, despite her misgivings, here she was again, climbing to the top of the steps. She could have taken a speeder to the top of course, but had decided against it. It didn't feel right to just fly right into the Jedi Temple. She wasn't one of them anymore, she was a guest.
And thus she had chosen to approach the Temple through the closest thing it had to a guest entrance.
As she ascended the final fews steps, the towering pillars that made up the entrance to the Temple stood before her, as did two figures, deep in conversation.
Windu and Yoda both stood facing each other, oblivious to Ahsoka's presence as she slowly walked towards them, picking up bits and pieces of their discussion.
"I don't trust him."
"Have faith, we must. A chance to prove himself, this is."
"He has had many chances in the past Master Yoda!"
She wasn't trying to eavesdrop of course, but being a Togruta offered biological benefits over humans. Her hearing was sharper for one.
"Jedi, are we not? Forgiveness, a core aspect of our doctrine. Another chance, everyone deserves."
"Would that include Dooku?"
"If stepped away from the dark side he had, yes."
She didn't know what the discussion was about, but clearly it was important, and not for her montrals.
And yet, she still couldn't help but listen.
"I understand your stance, Master Yoda, even if I do not agree with it. I just think this plan is reckless."
"Sometimes, reckless, a plan needs to be to succeed. Trust in him, we should."
"I don't share your trust."
"Know this, I do."
At that moment, Yoda shifted his head away from Windu's face and towards Ahsoka as she approached, a warm smile dawning on his face.
"Glad you came, I am." Yoda spoke as he diverted all of his attention to Ahsoka. It didn't escape Ahsoka's notice that Windu had chosen to leave upon her arrival, not that she particularly cared.
"It's no worries Master. How can I help?" Ahsoka replied, offering a warm smile in response. After their discussion the previous day, she felt a newfound respect for the ageing Jedi Grand Master. Despite his age and power, he was also just a person like everyone else. He had flaws and feelings.
"Help? Hmmm… no help I require from you today, young Ahsoka, only knowledge I thought you'd desire to know."
"Oh, and that is?"
"Spoken to Master Billaba, I have. Decided not to have the transfusion, she has. Does not feel right, she said. Like to know, I thought you would."
Ahsoka understood. She hadn't expected Depa to willingly take the blood transfusion from Dooku, but it had been worth a shot at the very least, and she wasn't about to march into the Temple and force the Jedi Master to concede and accept it.
"I understand Master, it's not an easy choice. Thank you for telling me." Ahsoka said, hoping that she didn't seem too disappointed in Depa's decision, even if she did understand it.
"Welcome you are, my friend. Studying the sample, the healers are. Find a solution in time, they will." Yoda explained, gesturing for Ahsoka to follow him as he began to hobble away from the entrance to the Temple.
It took a few moments for Ahsoka to spot the LAAT gunship that was waiting a short walk away.
As they approached the gunship, Ahsoka voiced the question that was on the tip of her tongue.
"Master, are you going somewhere?"
Master Yoda chuckled as he stepped into the LAAT beside a pair of Clone Troopers who both saluted his arrival before turning back to face Ahsoka, who remained outside the gunship.
"To Kashyyyk, I travel. In dire need of assistance, Tarful is. Renewed their assault, the Separatists have, despite the loss of Count Dooku."
"Do you think General Grievous could be behind it?" Ahsoka asked, surprised at how quickly the droids had reorganized their forces. If anything, she half expected them to be silent for a week at least. The Battle of Coruscant had cost them several high value ships, as well as their leader. In theory, they should have been disorganized.
Instead, it seemed they had only redoubled their efforts. If that was the case…
"Know this, we do not. Possible, it is. Searching for him, both Clone and Jedi intelligence are. Turn up soon, he will."
"Hopefully."
"Not exactly discreet, he is. When show up he does, eliminate him, we must. For now, help the Wookiees, I must. May the Force be with you, old friend."
Nodding her head in understanding, Ahsoka replied.
"You as well, Master Yoda."
Ahsoka watched as the blast shields of the LAAT slid shut, blocking her view of Yoda as the gunship began to rise up off the ground.
A few moments later, the ship was careening for the skies, no doubt headed towards a Venator waiting for Yoda in orbit.
Content that her business at the Temple was concluded, Ahsoka moved to head back down the Temple steps.
After all, she was still technically on a break, according to the Chancellor. There was no big mission she needed to undertake.
That said, part of her really wished Grievous would hurry up and show his ugly cyborg face sooner rather than later, because when he did, she would be the first person to take the mission to end him.
General Grievous tapped his clawed foot impatiently against the interior floor of the Sheathipede-class transport shuttle as he waited for the rear ramp to descend.
He knew they had touched down at their hideout in Pau City at least five minutes earlier. Hell he had seen the landing out of the cockpit window himself.
So why was it taking so long to lower the damn ramp!
"Pilot! What are you waiting for?!" Grievous snarled to the B1 droid that was acting as his chauffeur.
"Sorry Sir. It seems some of the systems in this ship aren't fully responding. I think it's got a few technical problems."
"Then get them repaired."
"I'm not a mechanic General!"
Grievous snarled at the droid's retort, barely refraining himself from using the Force to rip the droid in two for talking back. As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't afford to go around destroying droids just because he was angry.
That didn't stop him from picturing the image in his head however, something that led to a dark chuckle escaping him in the process.
It took another five minutes before the back ramp began to descend…
Only for it to get stuck halfway.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Grievous muttered as the droid pilot shrugged his shoulders in a very organic looking manner.
"Sorry Sir, that looks like the lowest it will go."
Sighing, Grievous moved towards the half-lowered ramp.
Luckily for him the gap that was present was large enough to slip through with ease, despite the embarrassment it caused him.
Upon finally exiting the shuttle however, Grievous found himself face to face with a most unwelcome sight.
"General Grievous, we heard about the disaster that was the invasion of Coruscant. Your foolish plan has cost us Count Dooku, and now we are…"
Grievous did not have the patience to deal with the likes of Nute Gunray right now. The stunted slime did nothing but whine and complain, and were it not for Dooku, he would have killed the Trade Federation leader a dozen times over by now.
That said, Dooku had stopped him from doing so, and Grievous respected Dooku, even in death. He wouldn't harm Gunray… at least, not much.
Rather than responding to the Neimoidian, Grievous simply snarled and barged past him, ignoring the offended cries from the man in the process.
He had bigger issues to deal with right now.
Marching through the hallways, Grievous entered the makeshift communications room and powered on the holoterminal before falling to one knee in a sign of respect.
He had to be very very careful here, considering who he was about to talk to.
A few tense seconds later, the holoterminal flashed into life, projecting a towering image of a person concealed in a cloak.
"Lord Sidious." Grievous greeted, offering what respect he could, even if he knew it would have little effect on the Sith Master. After all, he and Dooku had been planning to eliminate the man together so they could take control. Without Dooku, Grievous knew that he stood no chance in fulfilling that plan, at least not right away.
He had to bide his time. He had to survive, at least for a little bit longer.
"General Grievous. I trust you have reached a secure location after the disaster that was Coruscant?" Sidious replied, his voice distorted over the hologram, but no less unsettling than it usually was.
There was something unnerving about the man, but what that was, Grievous had never been able to piece together. It didn't help that Dooku had never gotten round to revealing the man's true identity to him, instead choosing to conceal it until the right moment, whenever that would have been.
And now with Dooku dead, Grievous had lost the opportunity to have it revealed to him. He would have to try and figure things out himself instead. All Grievous did know was that Sidious was supposedly an important high ranking official of the Republic government, such as a Senator, not that that narrowed the list much! For all he knew it could have secretly been Bail Organa! Or Chancellor Palpatine!
"Yes, My Lord. I have regrouped with the Separatist leadership in the Utapau system. We merely await your orders." Grievous spoke, hoping that he would be able to get on the Sith Lord's good side.
Even if he couldn't destroy the Master, as Dooku had planned, there was perhaps still a chance for Grievous to find a place by his side.
After all, Sidious was down an apprentice.
"My orders, General? Why, I'd have thought you would be pragmatic enough to figure out what scheme you wish to concoct and enact next, or have you given up on your plan to depose me with the late Count of Serenno?"
If he still had his organic body, Grievous would have felt a shiver run down his spine at Sidious' words. The Sith Master knew! He knew about Grievous' plan with Dooku… and he had done nothing to try and stop it.
Something didn't make sense, that much Grievous knew. There were connections to be formed, but he couldn't see them, at least not outright.
For now, he'd play dumb.
"Plan? What plan to depose…"
Grievous barely got his words out before he suddenly found himself suspended off the ground, before being slammed down into the floor below several times through the manipulation of the Force.
Upon the fifth impact, Sidious spoke again.
"Do not try to deceive me, General. It is the way of the Sith to betray one's Master after all. It was only a matter of time until Tyranus finally worked up the courage to try to destroy me. Alas, thanks to Skywalker, I no longer have to worry about the Count. However, that begs that question, what do I do with you?"
'Skywalker? How did Sidious know that Skywalker was the one to kill Dooku? Was there Republic propaganda about it already? It had barely been a day since the Count's death! Or perhaps… just perhaps… had Sidious been present that day? Could it really be…no… surely not!'
Pushing aside his internal thoughts, Grievous pushed himself back up so that he was kneeling before the hologram of the Sith Master.
"My Lord, despite our misgivings, I can still serve you. Without Dooku, the Separatist leadership will no doubt panic and disperse. We will lose the war! However, I can reign them in. Take complete control of the Separatist military and make the Republic pay for the death of Dooku! Our attack on Coruscant, as well as our previous campaign on Kamino shows how weak the Republic truly is. We have invaded two of their most important systems, whilst they have yet to touch Raxus! We are winning this war at the moment My Lord, but only if we maintain our current momentum, a feat that only I am in the position to do as of this moment."
Sidious was silent for several long moments as he contemplated Grievous' monologue. Every second that passed by made the growing sense of dread that Grievous felt worsen. For all he knew, Sidious was going to disregard everything the General had just said and dispose of him as well!
That Grievous' couldn't allow. If it came to it, he'd cut the comm and run!
"Very well General, I am feeling merciful today." Sidious finally responded after several tense moments. "Resume your position as General of the Separatist army and ensure that Gunray and the others fall in line. The loss of Tyranus, whilst tragic, is in reality nothing more than a minor hindrance. In time I will find a new apprentice, one far more powerful than Dooku could have ever hoped to be."
And with that, the hologram of Sidious faded away, leaving Grievous alone once more with nothing but his thoughts.
Rising to his feet, Grievous released a trio of hacking coughs before turning on his heel and heading towards the door.
It was time to get the Separatist Council back in line, and perhaps do some more research of his own as to the true identity of Darth Sidious.
If he was who he thought he was, well, then the Clone War had certainly become far more interesting than Grievous had ever expected it to be.
Author's thoughts
Happy three year anniversary to this story I guess. What the hell have I been doing with my life?! Why the hell did I even start this story in the first place! If I had known it was going to take this long I'd of never of done it in the first place!
Sigh... well I guess I'm in too deep now. Might as well keep going to the end. XD
Anyways, another shorter chapter this time around. Mainly politics as always. Kind of the norm for this section of ROTS, hence why I tried to lighten it up a bit with some Grievous related humour.
Honestly I don't have much to say regarding this one. Just a standard run of the mill chapter. The next three though are all big whoppers, so I hope you are looking forward to those! XD
Oh, and to anyone asking me about 'The Bad Batch', no, I've not watched it, as I have no interest in them honestly, but yes, I've seen the spoilers. Hope you lot are enjoying it though. :)
And now before the comments, I just want to re-iterate something. I've had a few comments recently expressing concern for certain characters. I've made no secret that this story will end with some deaths, and I apologise in advance if any of those upsets you.
To that end, my offer to reveal in private to people who are worried about certain characters remains open. If you are really worried about a character, please feel free to contact me via Private Message on my fanfic account, or even on my Tumblr if you have one. The last thing I want to do is upset or traumatise someone. I've been there myself and it's ruined stuff for me before. Please don't put stress on yourselves at any point. If you are worried, even for a minor character like Kit Fisto or Commander Boil, please... ask. I won't mind. :)
Anyways, thanks as usual to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for all his help.
Next time round, Anakin continues to struggle with his dreams, as well as the political machinations he finds himself in.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
Mysterious guest who comment on multiple chapters: You'd be surprised about the Windu fans. There are quite a few of them, and I understand why. Windu is a great character, despite his later portrayal in the series.
As for Tarkin, there is more stuff for him, but probably not too much. He's a background character in this mainly, but I do enjoy writing him.
Meanwhile on Ahsoka's part, her loyalty is still in question at this point. Hope you like how it all ends. :)
Alfredo12StarLegionaire: Yeah that's pretty much the fatal flaw of the Republic era Jedi. They prefer to let the enemy come to them rather than seek it out themselves, which then lets their foe plan and manipulate around them, luring them into a trap. In this case, becoming friends with the Clones and being unable to comprehend them possibly ever betraying them. (albeit not of their own free will)
The whole 'spying on Palpatine thing' was a brave move by the Council in canon, but yeah, it was one of the final nails in the coffin for Anakin's loyalty as well. Big oops on their part. You'll have to wait and see how it plays out in this AU though. :)
In regards to the Bad Batch, I have a scene planned for them later on. Just gotta get there first. And you've not seen the last of Depa Billaba either.
Krexxal: Thanks! Glad you are liking it. :)
I made a very discreet reference to Cal back during the Sith Shrine arc, but it was a blink and you miss it thing. I don't have any further plans for him or Jaro Tapal however. Sorry.
As for the Bad Batch, I might not like them, but I've got plans for them. They get an important scene later on for their fans.
SappySoulTaker: Don't hurt Ahsoka mentally or physically?
Side note, if you are truly worried about her fate, please feel free to Private Message me about it. Last thing I want to do is upset or traumatise someone. :)
Review Girl: That about sums it up, yeah! XD
tf330129: Doing my best.
TragicFiction: For the record, I don't imagine the vote to spy on Ahsoka was unanimous. Plo, Yoda, Shaak and Kit likely wouldn't agree. Neither would Obi-Wan if he was present.
But yeah... again they show their lack of faith. Hope it doesn't backfire on them. XD
Mysterious Guest 2: I know right! He's such a kind, grandfatherly figure who wouldn't hurt a fly! XD
the Mandalorian terminator: I'm glad you enjoyed the Council meeting. I know a lot of people find politics boring, but I always wanted more Jedi Council stuff. We hardly ever just see a day in their life. Can't be easy. :)
And yeah, Plo seemed the most logical. Other candidates were Shaak or Kit, but Plo made more sense to me due to his connection to Ahsoka.
princesselsaamidala22: Poor Anakin indeed. He's in for a bad few days.
For the record though, he only has to spy on Palpatine. The Council wanted him to spy on Ahsoka too, but they couldn't get a majority vote to agree to it. Instead they've blackmailed Anakin into spying on Palpatine, or else they'll send someone else to spy on both Palpy and Ahsoka. Sorry if that wasn't clear. XD
Mysterious Guest 3: Let Aayla live? I mean... that's down to Bly really. I'll see what I can do though. :)
Hekkasi: I'm glad the changes are intriguing you thus far. Suffice to say there is going to be a big Palpatine centric chapter coming soon that explains his motives for everything in this story... hopefully. XD
But yeah, he has his plans for Ahsoka... and they might not be very good. You'll have to wait and see. :)
RyanSquad: Heh... sorry. It was ready to be posted so I thought, 'why not?'. XD
You're not wrong about Anakin and Ahsoka deserving better. Both of them were treated poorly by the order they served at numerous times. It's telling when they are more at home on a Venator full of Clones than they are in the Jedi Temple. As Ahsoka puts it in Season 7, all she's ever been is a soldier. She is, for all accounts ands purposes, one of the troopers. Rex and the 501st certainly see her that way, as the same for Anakin. Thus, Anakin's eventual fall and heel face turn, as well as Ahsoka walking away were products of how the Jedi treated them over the long run. Ironically enough, in doing so the Jedi created two of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, Vader and Fulcrum.
On the flip side however, you can sympathise with the Jedi Council, no matter how stuck in their ways they were. Anakin's fall had a lot of influences, many of which were easily exploited by Palpatine thanks to the way the Council treated Anakin. That said, it was Anakin who took the knee before Palpatine, but again, that's because he felt forced into that position by the lack of support around him.
It's all very complicated at best and we could spend years debating it, as we have in the past. But yeah, Anakin's story is a tragedy for sure, and poor Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Padmé, Luke, Leia and even Rex were dragged into said tragedy by association! XD